Disney’s Win or Lose debuts to mixed reviews after axing of trans character

New Disney Pixar show Win or Lose has earned mixed reviews, in the wake of a storyline featuring an LGBTQ+ character being cut from the show.

The animated series follows a school softball team as they prepare for a big game. It was originally meant to include trans character Kai, voiced by 18-year-old transgender actress Chanel Stewart, and reportedly contained scenes in which they struggled with gender dysphoria.

A Disney spokesperson said the storyline had been axed because “many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline”.

Despite more than 7,000 people signing a petition calling for the storyline to be reinstated, the show dropped on Disney+ on Wednesday (19 February) with no has no mention of the LGBTQ+ community.

While one critic described the series as “heartfelt and fun”, and another said the show “knocks it out of the park”, someone else branded as “cowardly” the decision to now portray the controversial character as straight and cisgender.

Other reviewers described the series as a “rare misfire” from Disney Pixar, with The Telegraph, giving the series just two stars out of a possible five and describing it as “too American, too worthy and too dull”.

The Hollywood Reporter‘s Angie Han called the animation “utterly gorgeous” and praised the series for depicting characters’ individual struggles with an “open heart”, but added that what “makes it all the more disappointing” is that “Disney has evidently decided such empathy should have its limits”.

She went on to say: “A bit of compassion toward a trans child, and other people who might see themselves or their loved ones in her, would have gone a long way right now.

“Trans kids deserve care and understanding, as well as stories that reinforce that they deserve care and understanding. This series declining to take that stance contradicts the very spirit of thoughtful curiosity that it claims as its foundation.”

Ferdosa Abdi, writing for Screen Rant said that while the series was “emotional and innovative”, the decision to remove the trans character “speaks to the utter disrespect for kids’ ability to understand, and insults their intelligence”.

When the announcement about Kai’s character was made in December, Stewart, who appeared uncredited in Barbie, admitted to feeling “very disheartened” by the decision.

“From the moment I got the script, I was excited to share my journey to help empower other trans youth,” she said. “I knew this would be a very important conversation. Trans stories matter and they deserve to be heard.

“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.”

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