FAITHWIRE/ Billy Hallowell-
After immersing itself in the culture wars, it seems Disney might now be doing a bit of an about-face.
The children’s entertainment giant has cut a transgender storyline from “Win or Lose,” a Pixar animated series slated to premiere in February, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
The show, which was reportedly set to initially premiere Dec. 6, centers on a co-ed middle school softball team, which makes this news even more noteworthy, as the debate over girls’ sports heats up.
A spokesperson for Disney, which owns Pixar, confirmed the news to THR — and appealed to parental rights as the reason for the surprising decision.
“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,” the statement read.
The character is reportedly still in the show, though some lines uttered about gender identity will no longer appear. It’s a decision said to have been made several months ago, according to THR.
Chanel Stewart, the teen actor who plays the role purportedly being cut down — an individual who identifies as transgender — expressed disappointment in an interview with Deadline and said the character will now be “a straight cis girl.”
And Stewart’s mom, Keisha, also told the outlet the move is “upsetting.”
“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,” Keisha said. “Everyone deserves to be recognized. And 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.” Continue reading…
