Just before the holidays, news broke that Disney was cutting storylines for transgender characters in upcoming Pixar series. win or lose– At the time, Disney said Removing it will allow parents to “Talk about certain things with your children. on their own terms and timelines,” which sparked a lot of debate online. Because it is an important issue second act with a storyline that focused on transgender issues to just get the axe.
win or losewhich debuted on Disney+ in February. It centers on a coeducational softball team. There is one episode dedicated to a character named Kai. which is still there now But there is no reference to their gender.
Now, former Pixar creatives have shared their feelings on the matter with hollywood reporter– Sarah Ligatic, former assistant editor at Pixar who is transgender and is now a counselor. Said deleting it can cause problems. Because the overall performance has already been completed. It's been a “quite a long time,” despite being delayed multiple times from the planned 2023 release date. Cutting Kai's storyline didn't come as much of a surprise to Ligatich, but she still feels “devastated.” However, “Disney isn't in the business of create great content,” she said. “They are in a very profitable business. Flashback to two years ago when I was at Pixar. We met with (then-CEO) Bob Chapek and they made it clear to us that they viewed animation as a conservative medium.”
That sentiment was shared by her former Pixar employee who spoke to the outlet. Some people find it ironic that Disney has no problem cutting the stories of transgender characters. But it took years of releases to media with much heavier themes, such as dealing with (and Next step from) Death of a Loved One Others agree that the finished episode will require many story elements to be adjusted ahead of time. win or lose Launched in mid-February One anonymous former employee called it “It's so frustrating that Disney has decided to spend money to not save lives,” describing the episode as “so beautiful – and beautifully portraying some of the experiences of being transgender – and it will literally save lives.” By showing people who feel alone and unloved that there are people out there who understand.”
Disney's Recent History Throwing strangers under the bus (until It didn't.) and also Pixar Project Especially those that have been previously recorded. But Donald's second term in office The impending Trump administration has Pixar employees worried. win or lose It will be just one of many projects that will cut across a specific message or perspective. A former Pixar artist who spoke to THR accused the studio of a 2026 film. Pogo Environmental messages must be overlooked. The film centers on a girl who trades brains with a beaver. And as the artist pointed out, “When you have an entire movie that emphasizes the importance of the environment, You can't really walk back into that. That team was really trying to figure that out. 'What are we going to do with this record?'”
For Ligatich, Disney management win or lose It's also a reminder for queer creatives and viewers that they may have to look elsewhere to find stories that reflect their own. She split Netflix, which revived and released a film focusing on LGBTQ rights last year. Nimona After the previous Disney throw it awayand said that streamer “Very happy to host content that tells authentic LGBTQ stories. It's definitely going to be like that. You'll see more indie studios coming up to tell stories.”
win or lose Premiering February 19, 2025 on Disney+.
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