Transgender actor speaks out after Disney cuts trans storyline from Pixar’s Win or Lose

The transgender actress who voiced a trans character cut from Disney Pixar’s animated series Win or Lose has said she is “very disheartened” by the situation.

Yesterday (17 December) it was revealed that dialogue revolving around a character’s transgender identity would be cut from the upcoming series, which focuses on a school softball team prepping for a big game.

The character will remain in the show, but they will be portrayed as a straight, cisgender girl, with no reference to gender identity or sexuality.

Reflecting on Disney’s decision to pull the storyline, 18-year-old actress Chanel Stewart told Deadline that trans people “deserve to be heard” through media representation.

“I was very disheartened,” Stewart said of how she felt when she was contacted by Disney with the news earlier this week.

“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.”

The actress explained how the role initially “felt so right” when she stumbled across a casting call for it online, back in 2020. After she bagged the role, she recalled the “crazy” excitement of wanting to tell her friends.

“I wore it as a badge. I wore it with pride. I wore it with honour because it meant so much to me. The thought of authentically portraying a transgender teenage girl made me really happy. I wanted to make this for transgender kids like me,” she shared.

A clip posted on X/Twitter allegedly shows an early sketch of one of the Win of Lose scenes, in which a character is unsure about which gender bathroom to use. Then, while in the bathroom, they appear to be overwhelmed with gender dysphoria when looking in the mirror.

In a statement, Disney confirmed that the character would no longer identify as trans, suggesting that such conversations about gender identity should be left to parents to have with their children.

“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognise that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” a Disney spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.

However, Stewart’s mother Keisha explained to Deadline that not all parents would be willing to have open conversations with their children about LGBTQ+ people.

“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 explained.

“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.”

Writing on his Instagram page, Disney Pixar voice actor and animator Jeffrey Jon Pidgeon described the removal of the character’s trans identity as a “terrible shame”.

“Of course, it would’ve been best to release Win Or Lose in its original form, and it’s a terrible shame that it won’t be. My only hope is that the series is released on home video with *both versions* packaged together, so that those family conversations might be more likely to happen,” he wrote. “People can’t make a choice if you take it away from them.”

At what point are trans people allowed to exist in the narrative? At what point are LGBT+ people allowed to tell our stories without worry of censorship or removal? https://t.co/tlMoQXxSSA

— ambrr ❄️☃️ (@mbrleigh) December 17, 2024

Online, the backlash against Disney is fierce, considering the entertainment giant’s patchy history with LGBTQ+ representation.

“Disney prioritizing the comfort of conservative parents over educating families about a real minority, whose rights and acceptance are constantly challenged everywhere,” stated one person on X/Twitter.

A second questioned: “At what point are trans people allowed to exist in the narrative? At what point are LGBT+ people allowed to tell our stories without worry of censorship or removal?”

“This would have meant the whole world to a ton of kids,” a third added. “Wow this really sucks.”

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.