#Artie was supposed to be a drag queen in cruella

[pure-mornings]

When I was in high school my older brother said my homosexual friends were just claiming to be so to be cool and even then I knew that made no sense.

Acceptance of homosexuality (much less trans culture) has never been the most popular stance in the world. When anyone claims that someone is trying to pander or gain acceptance by being inclusive, I have to do a bit of a head scratch cause really it's just another person attacking someone or something for being LGBTQ+ inclusive thus proving their own point wrong.

The concept that someone would choose something so clearly and life-threateningly unpopular just for cool points is asinine, it doesn't make you 'cool' it puts a target on your back and people who come out or include LGBTQ+ themes in their work aren't doing it to gain an audience, if anything they narrow their audience just for including it.

In a conversation about Crowley and Aziraphale's relationship, someone made this comment, something i feel is very off base of your character, but is there anything say able to someone so unable to see diversity as anything beyond "pandering"

I'm the same person that was writing the gay characters and the trans characters in Sandman about 35 years ago. I liked selling books to the demographic of people who read who are are okay with gay characters and need to meet trans characters. When Death: The Time of Your Life was given the GLAAD award for Outstanding Comic in 1997, I was thrilled. And very happy to get the award. And to keep writing characters of all kinds. I don't think we sold books back then because Sandman was "progressive". We sold Sandman and Death because people wanted to find out what happened next. I think it's the same with Good Omens and with the other characters out there now.

[nkatr84]

Domestic

Cruella/Jasper

Author Note: I think this is the first fanfic on Tumblr for this movie. Seriously the movie is good! It’s more of a reimagining than a remake. And yes I ship these two. The movie only gave hints they liked each other more than friends, but it wasn’t forced. So I’d thought I’d expand on it. Enjoy!

Two hours before they had to go. Estella had done up her hair in an elaborate updo. Her costume changes packed in the car. She just had to find Artie to make sure her other wig was ready.

It still seemed a bit silly to her, crafting a wig designed to look like her natural hair. But Artie had insisted that setting the wig with tight curls would deter suspicion that she had ever been at the house that night. Or rather, that Cruella had been to the house. For everyone knows it takes hours to set tight curls like that.

But in searching for the stylish shopkeeper, she paused by one of John’s spare bedrooms. The one the elder butler had insisted the boys stay in separate from her. Despite the fact they had shared a flat for thirteen years.

There was Jasper. Desperately trying to tie his bow tie. She found herself biting her lip. She had seen him in suits before. Suits she had designed herself. She was the only reason Horace and Jasper had nice clothes at all.

But none of their past jobs had called for Jasper to wear a tux. A dinner jacket once, but never a full tux. John had done a decent job picking it out, since she and Artie’s tailors were so busy with everything else they had to make. The cut was well fitted to Jasper’s tall lanky frame. For the first time Estella saw him as a young man. Not the annoying insightful boy that had taken her under his wing.

“You just gonna stand there gaping or you going to lend a hand?” He spoke up.

Estella startled, but Cruella took control, tossing her head back and sweeping into the room like a Queen. But Jasper saw the slight red to her pale cheeks.

“Why can’t men learn how to tie their own ties?” She asked, her hands swatting his away.

“Don’t know. Suppose it’s our way of keeping women close enough to do it for us.” He replied, watching her hands twist the fabric around his neck into knots.

“How very domestic.” Estella commented.

“Nothing wrong with that you know? Being domestic.”

“For some.”

“But not Cruella?”

Her green eyes looked up into his brown. Were they always that deep and soulful?

“When did you grow up?” She asked, deflecting.

“Bout the same time you did.” He replied.

Estella swallowed. Why was her heart beating so?

“Remember the summer you were sixteen? You got caught up with that posh crowd of rich kids who used you to make clothes.” He asked.

“I’d rather forget that summer thank you.” She said.

He smirked,

“So would I. Especially the part where we found you kissing that one bloke in the Lair.”

Estella flushed again. Oh yes. The rock star. Last she heard of him he was going through a nasty divorce. She mentioned this to Jasper as she tightened his bow.

“Hmm. Serves him right. Stealing from me.” Jasper said.

Puzzled, she asked,

“What did he steal from you?”

“Your first kiss.” He replied, seeing her blink rapidly. He continued, “I claimed it first you know.”

“Why...why didn’t you?” She coughed straightening his tie.

He shrugged,

“Never found the right moment.”

“I...I need to get dressed.” She pulled away. She felt his eyes sweep down her figure. Despite wearing a black slip and her silk black robe with the sheer sleeves, Estella suddenly felt naked. She had never felt this way around him. What was the matter with her?

“Listen. I only told you this in case things go south tonight. If Cruella wants to just stay friends, I’ll respect that. But just know that when Cruella gets tired enough to let Estella take over, maybe we could be a bit domestic?” He asked, shy hope in his voice.

“Maybe...and maybe Cruella could...be domestic too? If that’s alright with you...Darling?” She suggested. It felt strange to call him that. Calling everyone Darling was Cruella’s signature. One of many. But with Jasper it felt so intimate. Sincere.

Jasper smiled,

“I could live with that.”

“You know...Estella may have let her first kiss be stolen by an idiot...but Cruella hasn’t gotten her first kiss...yet.” She hinted.

Jasper mused,

“True. Yet I think I’ll wait. You need to focus on the job tonight. Besides. I’ve laid claim to your last kiss too.”

“But like you said. Something could go wrong. Stands to reason our first kiss might be our last.” She said. Hoping he hadn’t heard the slight tinge of desperation in her tone. He had.

“Nah. I know your plan will work. You’re brilliant. When you get done taking down the Baroness, then we’ll talk domestics.” He assured her, tucking his hands in his pockets.

Impatient, Cruella snapped,

“Oh for heavens sake!”

She yanked him forward by his lapel and kissed him soundly. When she pulled away, his lips was smeared with her lipstick. Her heart was pounding. His eyes were darkening with fresh desire.

“Bout bloody time!”

They turned their heads to see Horace and Artie standing there. The amusing thing was Horace was dressed in drag. With a black and white wig on his head. Tiny little Wink in his arms completed the look.

“Thirteen years. Took you two long enough.” Horace chuckled.

With a cheeky smile, Artie asked batting his lashes,

“Are we interrupting something?”

“Clearly. However it’ll have to be continued later. Artie. I need to see that wig.” Estella cleared her throat as she breezed past them.

“And I need details...” Artie muttered to her as they walked down the hall. She rolled her eyes.

Horace looked at his friend who was using his handkerchief to wipe off the lipstick.

Horace nodded,

“Bout bloody time.”

“Oh come on Mate...”

“But nothing! You’ve only been crazy about that girl since she followed us down the coal shoot.” Horace laughed.

“Guess I’d have to be.” Jasper shook his head.

“She ain’t like her birth mum Jasper. She’s better.” Horace said making Jasper look up. “She may want fancy things like the Baroness, may even lie, cheat and steal to get them, but she let’s herself love people. Her real Mum taught her that.”

Jasper smiled as Wink the Chihuahua barked. Sometimes Horace could be the insightful one.

“Suppose she did.” He agreed. Suddenly feeling confident about what the night could bring.

[hidingoutbackstage]

[ID: Comment from Noxsylvania that says “how bad was it? please i wanna know” end ID]

[ID: Article title that reads “Cruella shows that Disney is still struggling to get its ‘first gay character’ right” end ID]

Well for one, he’s never explicitly confirmed to be gay (no surprise)

[Text ID: “It depends on who you’re asking I suppose – but for me, yes, it’s official: he’s queer. But we don’t see him falling in love; there’s no social aspect to the character. It’s not beating you on the head with a stick. But his lifestyle is fabulous, he loves his life and it was so fun to play him.” Asked if the character was written as queer, John replied: “In one of the original scripts he was a drag queen, so I think he was always intended to be queer-representing I suppose, or somehow a member of the LGBTQ community. I imagine that was always the case.” end ID]

[Text ID: "What happens next is far more objectionable than Artie’s lack of a love interest. Although they’re framed as fashion soul mates, Cruella has little use for the character of Artie beyond serving as a stylish prop. The thing that pushed the villain formerly known as Estella to become Cruella was her anger over having someone else take credit for her work, but she seems perfectly happy to do the same thing when Artie joins her crew as a seamster. From then on, he’s content to stay in the background of Cruella’s workshop, leading the team that cuts and sews the outfits she will later present as her own creations. He doesn’t complain about Cruella’s lack of gratitude, like Joel Fry’s Jasper; no, simple proximity to a fashionable woman is enough for him. By the end of the movie, he’s become a full-fledged henchman, seen karate chopping a security guard who threatens his boss’ master plan. His reward for his loyalty? He gets to move into her manor and work for her some more. It’s true that assistants create most everything in the art world, from hand-beaded gowns to abstract paintings. But even in fiction, where the injustices and inequalities of the real world only apply if a creator puts them there, a person like Artie is a means to an end—for Cruella and for Disney." end ID]

So yeah. The character is never explicitly said to be gay, has no same sex love interest, isn't even a fleshed out character, just a prop, and doesn't even get a happy ending outside working for a villain. Nice one, disney

Oh hey to anyone who unfortunately watched the Cruella movie, one, my condolences, but two, how was the gay character?