Pixar’s upcoming animated television series will not feature a transgender teenager after Disney removed lines that referenced a character’s gender identity.
Launching on Disney+ in February, “Win or Lose” follows the various members of the Pickles, a young mixed-gender softball team, as they strive toward the championship game. Comedian Will Forte appears on the show as the team’s coach, Dan.
The Hollywood Reporter first revealed that some lines that referenced the transgender character’s identity were removed. Disney confirmed the change in a statement, saying, “When it comes to animated content aimed at younger audiences, we recognize that many parents prefer to discuss certain themes with their children on their own terms and timelines.” Ta.
A source close to the show told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio decided to change the character’s gender identity several months ago, but the name has not yet been revealed.
Chanel Stewart, the 18-year-old transgender actor who voices the character, said she was “very disappointed” in Disney’s decision.
“From the moment I received the script, I was excited to share my journey to empower other trans youth. I knew this would be a very important conversation. “Gender stories matter and deserve to be heard,” she told Deadline.
She admitted that Disney told her that while her character was still “heavily” on the show, she was “going to be a cis girl, a straight cis girl.”
Stewart applied for the role in 2020 after seeing a social media post that Pixar was looking for a transgender girl to voice a transgender teenager in the series. “I was really happy to be able to portray a transgender teenage girl in a realistic way,” she told Deadline. “I wanted to create this for transgender kids like me.”
His mother Keisha told Deadline: Everyone deserves recognition. And it felt like it was just a setback for the LGBTQ community, because it’s so tough on transgender teenagers, transgender people. ”
Disney declined further comment on the matter.
Disney has previously come under fire for its handling of LGBTQ+ characters, and the presence of its characters could affect its ability to sell movies and television in countries that ban or censor LGBTQ+ content.
The company’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say I’m Gay” bill also led to scrutiny over its ties to U.S. politics and the lack of LGBTQ+ representation in its films.
In 2022, the Pixar film “Lightyear” caused controversy after it included a brief kissing scene between two women, while Disney Animation’s “Strange World” featured an openly gay man. Although the main character appeared, it was a commercial failure. Disney also cut lesbian kisses from Star Wars movies to lower the age limit in Singapore.
