Toy Story spin-off Lightyear ‘had same-sex kiss cut and then restored by Disney’ after Don’t Say Gay backlash
Disney has reportedly restored a scene featuring a same-sex kiss into the Toy Story spin-off Lightyear, following the outrage about Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.LGBT employees and allies at Pixar are said to have sent a letter to Disney bosses claiming that the company had censored ‘overtly gay affection’ in its films.Variety reports that, following the letter, a same-sex kiss that was cut from Lightyear (which will star Chris Evans as Buzz) has been restored.
The scene will see two female characters, one of which is named Hawthorne and voiced by Uzo Aduba, share a kiss.LGBT representation in Disney – especially animated films – has been criticised in the past.In the live action Beauty and the Beast, Josh Gad’s character was seen dancing with a man in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, while Lena Waithe’s character in Onward makes a passing reference to her wife in the film.Meanwhile, Toy Story has also had its own brief moment of representation – when two women were seen picking up a child at school in a fleeting moment in the background.Controversial anti-LGBT legislation, also known as the Don’t Say Gay bill, was recently passed in Florida, causing outrage.It will limit educators in the state from teaching young children about sexual orientation and gender identity.While many have critized the legislation, Disney was initially silent on the matter before CEO Bob Chapek suspended the company’s political donations in Florida.The Parental Right in Education bill will restrict schools in Florida from teaching students about sexual orientation and gender issues – with Republican politicians arguing that parents should be the ones to educate their children on these topics.Teachers could possibly face lawsuits and legal.
