Disney Speaks Out on Pulling Transgender Story From Pixar's 'Win or Lose'
Win or Lose, citing the needs of parents.The series follows the Pickles, a co-ed middle school softball team, throughout the week as they prepare for their upcoming championship game.
Each of the eight episodes focuses on a different character and their life off the field, including "the insecure kids, their helicopter parents" and "even a lovesick umpire." It is set to premiere on Disney+ on February 19, 2025.According to Deadline, Disney has cut "a few lines of dialogue" from an episode that references a character's gender identity.A spokesperson for Disney confirmed that the story arc was removed and provided the following statement to Deadline and 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."Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Disney for further comment on Wednesday outside of normal business hours.This is Pixar Animation Studios' first-ever original long-form animated series.This is not the first time the corporation has faced criticism over LGBTQ+ topics and issues.
In recent years, several conservative figures have accused Disney of "going woke," after the studio began diversifying its characters and storylines.
However, others have accused the entertainment behemoth of not doing enough to support the LGBTQ+ community.In 2022, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek faced criticism for initially refusing to publicly condemn Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which aimed to prohibit the discussion of the LGBTQ+ community and "sexual orientation or gender identity" in the state's public schools from kindergarten to third grade.It was eventually discovered that the company had donated at least $250,000 to senators who voted for the bill.
