Disney drops transgender storyline from upcoming animated series

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Disney has opted to pull a transgender storyline from one of its upcoming shows.

Win or Lose, Pixar’s first original TV series, was originally set to feature a trans character whose gender identity was directly addressed.

However, Disney decided several months ago to cut lines of dialogue in later episodes of the animated show, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” a Disney spokesperson confirmed in a statement to THR.

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The transgender actress who voiced the character said in an interview with Deadline Hollywood that she was “very disheartened” by the decision.

“From the moment I got the script, I was excited to share my journey to help empower other trans youth,” Chanel Stewart told the outlet.

“I knew this would be a very important conversation,” the 18-year-old old added. “Trans stories matter, and they deserve to be heard.”

Win or Lose, which begins streaming Feb. 19, was scheduled to debut this month but swapped dates with Pixar’s other original animated series Dream Productions.

It follows a middle school softball team led by Coach Dan (Will Forte) in the week leading up to their championship game, with each episode told from the perspective of a different character.

Disney has previously been under fire for its LGBTQ+ storylines.

The animated Toy Story spinoff Lightyear was banned across much of the Muslim world in 2022 for its inclusion of a same-sex kiss between a lesbian couple.