Former Pixar employees speak out about winning or losing a transgender story

Just before the holiday, news broke that Disney would story a transgender character in an upcoming Pixar series, Win or lose. At the time, Disney said the removal would allow parents to “discuss certain topics with their children on their own terms and schedule,” which sparked a lot of discussion online, given that it was… Second offer With a story shifting focus to get the ax recently.

Win or losewhich will premiere on Disney+ in February, focuses on a co-ed softball team; One episode will be dedicated to a character named Kai, who remains in the episode but without any indication of her gender.

Now, former Pixar creators have shared their feelings on the matter with Hollywood Reporter. Former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Legatich, who is trans and consulted on the episode, said the removal would cause problems, given that the overall show had been completed “for some time,” despite being repeatedly delayed from its planned 2023 release. Kay’s story was a big surprise to Legatich, but she still felt “devastated” nonetheless: “Disney wasn’t in the business of making great content,” she said. “They were in the business of making big profits. Even a couple of years ago when I was at Pixar, we had a meeting with (then CEO) Bob Chapek, and they were clear with us that they viewed animation as a conservative medium.

This sentiment was shared by fellow former Pixar employees who spoke to the outlet. Some found it ironic that Disney had no problem telling the story of a trans character, but spent years giving a pass to media with considerably heavier themes, such as dealing with (and Move from) Death of a family member. Others acknowledged how the now-concluded episode will need to adjust many story elements in advance Win or lose Launching mid-February. One anonymous former employee called it “very frustrating that Disney decided to spend money to not save lives,” explaining that the episode “was so beautiful — and beautifully illustrated some of the experiences of trans people — and it would have literally saved lives.” By showing those who feel alone and unloved, that there are people who understand.

Modern Disney History Throwing gay people under the bus (until no), and with Pixar projects In particular, it has been previously documented. But Donald Trump’s upcoming second term has Pixar employees worried Win or lose It would be just one of many projects that would interrupt certain messages or viewpoints. A former Pixar artist who spoke to THR claimed the studio’s 2026 film Hoppers He should downplay any messages related to the environment. The film is centered around a girl who swaps her mind with a beaver, and as the artist pointed out, “When your whole movie is about the importance of protecting the environment, you can’t really undo that. This team struggled a lot to figure out, ‘What are we going to do with this note?’

For Ligatich, Disney dealt with Win or lose It’s also a reminder that for queer creators and audiences, they may have to look elsewhere to find stories that reflect themselves. It singled out Netflix, which alive She released the queer-focused film last year Nimona After Disney previously She canceled itand said the streamer is “very happy to host content that tells original LGBTQ stories. That’s the way things are going to go forward, is you’re going to see a lot of independent studios coming up to tell stories.”

Win or lose Premieres February 19, 2025 on Disney+.

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