‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ Showrunner Confirms ‘Obvious’ Same-Sex Relationship Between Alex And Stevie

The creator of the Disney Channel’s popular show “Wizards of Waverly Place,” Peter Murrieta, has confirmed the “obvious” same-sex relationship between characters Alex and Stevie that fans had suspected for years. Murrieta would have liked to have been more overt about the relationship, but suggested that Disney would not allow it at the time. “We got as close as we could,” he said on a recent episode of the “Wizards of Waverly Pod” podcast. Kiyoko, who played Stevie, has previously discussed the pairing between her character and Selena Gomez’s Alex. The actress shared her feelings during a 2022 interview with Them. Disney has come under scrutiny recently for inserting LGBTQ storylines into children’s programming.

For example, the new version of “Blue’s Clues” featured an LGBT pride parade with “non-binary” animals and a cartoon drag queen to celebrate Pride Month in 2021. The film “Lightyear” underperformed after creators publicized their inclusion of a same-sex kiss as a way to protest Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill.

Disney has also been criticized for a leaked video call in which an executive producer referenced her “not-at-all-secret gay agenda.”

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