Disney’s Alyson Stoner: I was ‘fired’ from a kids show because I was queer

Alyson Stoner talks about how their identity has impacted their careers and claims they were considered “unsafe” by employers after publicly coming out as queer.

“It was really nerve wracking and the reason I ended up doing it was because at the time my girlfriend reached a point in our relationship where it felt like it was a disservice to her to hide,” Stoner, 29, said during an appearance on the “I’m Literally Screaming” podcast earlier this month. “While there were other pressures and considerations about going public, I felt like I wanted to do this.”

The Camp Rock star spoke to their managers – including the Jonas Brothers’ father, Kevin Jones Sr. — about the potential “risk” that could come with authentically being in the spotlight. While Jonas, 58, was “loving” about their perspective, several others on the acting team were not.

“He was supportive and helpful as I understood there are risks in doing this [and] it’s completely my choice, but it can affect not only people’s perception, but also employability for jobs,” Stoner recalled as host Spencewuah. “Eventually I got fired from a kids show because they felt I was unsafe — now that they knew I was queer — to be around kids.”

They added: “There was certainly discrimination there, but the beauty far outweighs the hate comments and death threats. It was intimidating and also liberating.”

The Suite The life of Zack & Cody alum went on to reveal which TV show or network executives had let them go, but the Ohio native worked for Disney Channel and Nickelodeon for many years as a child and teen.

Stoner had their big break in 2001 when they appeared on Disney’s Mike’s Super Short Show, a year before landing a starring role in Mrs. Elliott‘Work It’ music video. Stoner continued to book jobs in the Cheaper by the dozen franchising, Suite Life by Zack & Cody, That’s So Raven And Drake & Josh. The Mind Body Pride author also had a voiceover role as Isabella in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb throughout the run and played Channing Tatum‘s foster brother in 2006 Get up.

Stoner publicly came out as a member of the LBGTQIA+ community in March 2018 and wrote an emotional essay about the first time they fell in love with a woman.

“Whether she was a cool new girlfriend or more kept me awake with wonder and dread. I tried to be patient and suppress the emotions so that I could think objectively. Our bond didn’t feel completely sisterly or platonic,” the Alice upside down star signed up Teen Vogue at the time. “Flashes of her smile gave way to flashes of her wavy hair, followed by the curve of her hips through her straight leg pants. I realized that I had never fantasized about a man in this way before and I had never really felt comfortable dating guys. Come to think of it, I used to stare at women’s bodies more than anything. But wasn’t that just societal conditioning or the unattainable beauty standards that fuel comparison and objectification? I refused to explore other options.”