Disney have proven once again that they are not LGBTQ+ allies, despite the presence of an “LGBTQ+ Stories” section on Disney+, as they recently cut a transgender character from a new Pixar series, Win or Lose.
The character was a young Black transgender girl set to be played by actress Chanel Stewart, who responded to a casting call specifically looking for transgender talent. Win or Lose, set to release in 2025, would have showed a diverse group of kids playing softball under the guidance of coach Dan (Will Forte)—but Disney is nowhere near as dedicated to diversity as they would like us to think.
Disney said in a statement about cutting the character, “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.” This is a cold statement that reduces trans people to “certain subjects” rather than actual people, and indicates that trans issues are adult and not suitable for children. It’s a hugely disappointing decision by Disney.
And it’s devastated the young actress who was set to play the character, who has not been named in promotional materials yet. Stewart and her mother spoke to Deadline about Disney’s transphobic choice. “I wore [the role] as a badge. I wore it with pride. I wore it with honor because it meant so much to me,” Stewart told the outlet. “The thought of authentically portraying a transgender teenage girl made me really happy. I wanted to make this for transgender kids like me.”
Stewart went on, “I was very disheartened. From the moment I got the script, I was excited to share my journey to help empower other trans youth. I knew this would be a very important conversation. Trans stories matter, and they deserve to be heard.” While only a few lines of dialogue would have established Stewart’s character as trans, they were important lines.
Stewart’s mother Keisha was just as disappointed as her daughter. “It was upsetting because my daughter is transgender and this is her life. I felt like it was very important that we not hide that fact,” she said. “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. 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.”
This isn’t even the first time that Disney have objected to the inclusion of trans girls of color in sport. Last month, Disney pulled an episode of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur which featured the character Brooklyn (Indya Moore). Crew member Derrick Malik Johnson said at the time that it was cancelled “because of which party that won the recent election” – i.e. Donald Trump’s Republicans. A Disney source claimed that the election win did not influence the decision to pull the episode, but gave a statement very much like the recent one—”We have a level of care that we take very seriously and are respectful of the role parents play in making choices for their children and having discussions on their own timeline.”
So in other words, don’t look to Disney for trans representation anytime soon.
Published: Dec 18, 2024 03:54 pm