The big screen adaptation of Wicked is even queerer than some fans may have realized.The film is based on the long-running, Tony-winning Broadway musical that has fueled a million drag performances with its signature tune, Defying Gravity. Its also based on out author Gregory Maguires 1995 novel, which in turn draws inspiration from the queer classic The Wizard of Oz. And the blockbuster movie also stars out actors Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, and Bowen Yang alongside vocal LGBTQ+ ally Ariana Grande. Related Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo celebrate the Wicked film as beautifully queer Grande and Erivo say it isnt just Glinda and Elphaba that make the land of Oz a celebration of uniqueness. But as U.K. LGBTQ+ outlet PinkNews notes, some fans are just realizing that another cast member is also queer. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Back in early November, well before Wicked hit U.S. theaters, People reported that Marissa Bode had been in a relationship with journalist Lauren Brooks since September 2023. The pair attended the Los Angeles premiere of the film together, with Brooks posting a series of photos of the two at the event on Instagram.Most magical night with my love and my friends at wicked part one premiere in la [sic], Brooks wrote in the posts caption. I AM SO SO SO PROUD OF MARISSA AND ALL OF THE CAST!!!!!!!!! View this post on Instagram A post shared by wren brooks ! (@laurennbrooks)Huuuuge shoutout to my friends, my partner, my dad, my team and my absolutely talented hair and makeup crew, Bode wrote in a separate November 11 post about the premiere featuring some of the same photos.Bode has frequently posted about her relationship, including a Valentines Day tribute earlier this year, and a set of photos of the couple dressed as Chappell Roan and the siren from the queer pop stars Casual video for Halloween.Wicked marks Bodes film debut. In the movie, she plays Nessarose, the sister of Erivos Elphaba and the future Wicked Witch of the East. Like her character, Bode has used a wheelchair since she was 11 years old. As Variety reported in September, she is the first actor who uses a wheelchair in real life to play Nessarose. Im genuinely so honored that its me doing that, Bode told the outlet. Seeing somebody authentically cast like that on screen is just so important, especially in something so cool and so magical as Wicked.Last Friday, Bode criticized some fans for making ableist jokes about her character. It is absolutely OK to not like a fictional character, Bode said in a November 29 TikTok video. But, she called out deeply uncomfortable comments about Nessaroses disability.Disability is not fictional, she said. At the end of the day, me, Marissa, is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair. And so, it is simply a low-hanging fruit that too many of you are comfortable taking. @marissa_edob Representation is important but thats not the only thing that will save the disabled community. I need a lot of yall (non-disabled people) to do the work. To dissect and unlearn your own ableism. Listen to disabled people. Follow other disabled people outside of just me. Read up on the disability rights movement/watch the documentary Crip Camp! I understand no one likes feeling like theyre being scolded. But true progress never comes with comfort. And thats ok. #wicked #nessa original sound Marissa These comments arent original, and when these jokes are being made by non-disabled strangers with a punchline of not being able to walk, it very much feels like laughingatrather than laughingwith, she explained. This goes so far beyond me, Marissa, just needing to ignore comments on the internet. These comments do not exist in a vacuum. Aggressive comments of wanting to cause harm and push Nessa out of her wheelchair, or that she deserves her disability, are two very gross and harmful comments that real disabled people, including myself, have heard before.Listen to the people or to the person that it is affecting and how it makes them feel, she continued. Thankfully, Im at a place in my life today where I can recognize these jokes about disability are made out of ignorance. I couldnt say the same about Marissa 10 years ago, and it would have affected younger me a lot more, and Im worried that a younger version of myself is somewhere on the internet and is harmed by these comments.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.