Disney axes transgender storyline from Pixar series Win or Lose-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

A transgender story arc has been removed from Disney show Win or Lose (Picture: WFLA)

Disney has explained why it cut a transgender storyline from its upcoming Pixar animated TV series Win or Lose.

The series follows a middle school softball team named the Pickles in the week leading up to their championship match, with each of the eight episodes focussing on a different character.

One of the later episodes featured a transgender arc although Disney has now confirmed it has been axed. The character remains in Win or Lose but any references to their gender identity have been removed.

A spokesperson for Disney told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognise that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.’

Chanel Stewart, 18, a transgender actress who voices the character, later told Deadline she was ‘disheartened’ by Disney’s decision as ‘trans stories matter and deserve to be heard.’

She said: ‘I was very disheartened. From the moment I got the script, I was excited to share my journey to help empower other trans youth. I knew this would be a very important conversation. Trans stories matter, and they deserve to be heard.’

The transgende storyline was going to be in later episodes of the show (Picture: WFLA)

Chanel’s mother Keisha also called Disney’s axe ‘upsetting’ and explained it was important that her daughter being transgender is not ‘hidden.’

She continued: ‘There may be some parents out there who are not ready to have that conversation, but this is the world that we live in and everyone should be represented. Everyone deserves to be recognised.

‘It felt like it was just another setback for the LGBTQ community, because it’s very hard on transgender teenagers … transgender people, period.

‘Especially when you’re young and you’re trying to figure out how to navigate this world that you live in and be able to grow into your own person.’

Disney reportedly made Inside Out 2 ‘less gay’ (Picture: Walt Disney Co/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

Disney has come under fire on several occasions over its LGBTQ+ track recod.

In September, there was outrage after insiders claimed Inside Out 2 was made to be ‘less gay’.

Inside Out 2 – a sequel to the popular 2015 family film – checks back in with 13-year-old Riley (Kensington Tallman) when puberty hits and Anxiety (Maya Hawke) runs riot in her mind as her emotions attempt to cope with this new phase of her life.

During the movie, Riley attends a hockey camp where she meets the effortlessly cool captain Val (Lilimar Hernandez) who she immediately puts on a pedestal – and LGBTQ+ fans were quick to speculate whether Riley was in the throes of a crush.

This was only fuelled by the thread throughout the film that Riley was hiding a ‘Deep Dark Secret’.

The dynamic was never explicitly addressed in the film, but sources from inside Pixar Animation Studios (a subsidiary of Disney) claimed they were instructed to ensure the relationship came across as platonic.

Anonymous Pixar employees told IGN that they were told to make the film ‘less gay’ which led to numerous edits.

Sources spoke about rumours that a particular focus was put on Riley and Val’s relationship, with lighting and tone adjusted to remove traces of ‘romantic’ chemistry.

‘[It was] just doing a lot of extra work to make sure that no one would potentially see them as not straight,’ one source alleged to the publication.

In 2022, Disney was also blasted by employees for not only their initial response to Florida’s ‘Dont Say Gay’ bill, but also demands from corporate executives to cut any ‘overtly gay affection’ from films even when creative teams and Pixar executives ‘protested’, per a letter obtained by Variety.

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