Disney cuts transgender storyline from Pixar’s ‘Win or Lose’ – Deseret News

Disney confirmed this week that it has removed a gender identity-themed storyline from an upcoming animated series about a middle school softball team.

“Win or Lose,” a Pixar original series premiering in February, will continue to feature a character voiced by a transgender actress, according to The Hollywood Reporter, but the dialogue will no longer contain references to gender identity.

“When it comes to animated content for younger audiences, we know that many parents would prefer to discuss certain topics with their children on their own terms and schedule,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on the decision.

Disney and LGBTQ characters

The “Win ​​or Lose” change is the latest signal that Disney is struggling to find the right path for the future of storylines related to the LGBTQ community.

While the company doesn’t appear to shy away from including LGBTQ characters in shows aimed at adults, it has made several adjustments to children-oriented films and shows in response to – or in anticipation of – pushback from employees and viewers.

For example, according to Variety, a same-sex kiss in the Pixar film “Lightyear” almost didn’t make it into the final cut of the film. It was removed during editing but then reinstated after LGBTQ employees raised concerns.

In April, Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC that he wanted the company to avoid getting caught up in political debates and instead focus on creating the best products possible.

“We have no intention of spreading news,” he said. “We have to be entertaining.”

Disney’s “Win or Lose” controversy

The decision to remove references to gender identity from “Win or Lose” only affected a few lines of dialogue near the end of the show’s eight-episode first season, according to NBC News.

But the cut has still frustrated some potential viewers, as well as the actress who voiced the character who was originally supposed to talk about being transgender.

“I was very discouraged,” said 18-year-old actress Chanel Stewart in an interview with Deadline. “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. Trans stories matter and deserve to be heard.”

But Stewart remains grateful for the opportunity, telling Deadline that “Win or Lose” is one of the first animated series to feature a transgender youth as the voice.

“Win or Lose” will debut on Disney+ on February 19th.

“The show was co-created by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, who worked on previous Pixar projects such as ‘Toy Story 4’ and ‘Inside Out 2,'” according to NBC News.