The American press reveals that the dialogues of this program expected for February have been reworked in order to erase references to the transidentity of a character.
Backpedaling Disney. The Pixar series Won or lose expected on Disney+ on February 19, in which a transgender teenage character was to appear, revised its script in order to erase references to her transidentity. A decision assumed by Disney and deplored by actress Chanel Stewart, herself transgender, who lends her voice to the protagonist.
“When it comes to animated content aimed at younger audiences, we understand that many parents prefer to discuss certain topics with their children in their own words, at a time that is convenient for them,” the entertainment giant told The Hollywood Reporter.
Won or lose follows the Pickles, a junior baseball team, and follows a different character in each episode. According to the American media, the decision to remove the lines of dialogue revealing the transidentity of the character concerned was taken several months ago by Disney.
Multi-year project
This character, whose name has not been revealed, is still part of the series. But it will ultimately be “a heterosexual and cisgender girl (a person whose gender identity corresponds to the sex assigned to them at birth, the opposite of transgender, Editor’s note)”, declares the actress Chanel Stewart at Deadline.
The teenager was 14 years old in 2020 when she responded to an ad from Pixar looking for a transgender teenager to voice the transgender character.
“I was exactly what they were looking for, that’s why it seemed obvious to me,” she says.
“Trans stories matter”
It wasn’t until Monday, December 16 that the actress learned that the character’s transgender references had been removed, when Disney called her mother to inform her.
“I was very dejected,” she says. “From the moment I received the script, I couldn’t wait to share my story and help other young trans people feel powerful. I knew it was going to be something very important. Trans Stories matter, and they deserve to be heard.”
Complicated history
The management of the inclusion of LGBT characters in Disney productions is often the subject of controversy, with many observers judging the studios to be too cautious. Star Wars: l’ascension de Skywalker (2019) was set to make history with the franchise’s first lesbian kiss. But once in theaters, it was described as an opportunist symbol by LGBT rights defenders, the scene was so furtive. The Pixar animated film Ahead (2020), which featured a lesbian Cyclops, had been censored in many Middle Eastern countries as well as in Russia.
In 2022, the American press revealed that a lesbian kiss had been cut during the editing of Buzz Lightyearthen to be published. A protest movement by Disney employees was organized, and this lesbian kiss was finally included in the final cut. This led to the film being banned in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Additionally, that same year, Pixar employees accused Disney of censoring their attempts to include LGBT characters in their productions. At the same time, Disney studios were criticized for their inaction in the face of legislation considered anti-gay which agitated Florida, a text nicknamed “Don’t say gay”.
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