Petition to reinstate transgender story in Pixar’s ‘Win or Lose’

A petition started encouraging Disney and Pixar to reintroduce the transgender storyline that was cut from the upcoming series Win or Lose has gathered thousands of signatures in just over a day.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Pixar’s new animated series “Win or Lose,” about a school softball team preparing for a big game, was originally intended to feature a transgender character.

The young student, voiced by 18-year-old trans actress Chanel Stewart, was expected to have a scene in which she struggles with gender dysphoria.

However, Disney acknowledged in a statement that the storyline was cut because “many parents prefer to discuss certain topics with their children on their own convenience and timeline.”

The character will remain in the series, which is scheduled to debut on Disney+ in February 2025, but will be portrayed as cisgender, with no mention of transgender identity.

Now, a petition founded by a Louisiana-based movie fan entitled “Please reinstate the transgender storyline in Pixar’s ‘Win or Lose'” was founded on Wednesday (December 18). Since then, it has gathered approximately 5,000 signatures.

In removing the transgender storyline, the petition’s creators said Disney is “spitting in the face of the value of LGBTQ+ representation in family media.”

“In these alarming and frightening times we live in, where LGBTQ+ individuals and communities continue to be threatened with persecution and denial of basic human rights, it is simply unacceptable to continue to suppress authentic and meaningful queer narratives. “No,” the petition continues.

The group went on to call on the entertainment conglomerate to reverse its “despicable and spineless” decision to pull the plot.

“As a queer non-binary teenager, the queer stories that are told are of the utmost importance to me, not only because I need and want to look at myself, but also to end the stigma against queerness.” Sign the petition one of them wrote.

“I struggle so much with homophobic and transphobic rhetoric and bullying in the classroom every day, but the normal presence of queer people eventually makes kids feel uncomfortable when they encounter them in real life. It will help,” they added.

Another said: “LGBTQIA+ people learn that they are an important part of the community, that they should be welcomed, and that they should not be seen as somehow ‘inappropriate’ for children. You should,” he added.

Earlier this week, Stewart, who voices the role, spoke out about Disney’s decision to cut her character’s storyline, especially since they knew it could start a “very important conversation.” He admitted that he felt “very disappointed”.

“I wore it as a badge. I wore it with pride. I wore it with honor because it meant so much to me. I wanted to be able to portray a transgender teenage girl realistically. When I thought about it, I was really happy. I wanted to create this for transgender kids like me,” she said.

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