Actress Chanel Stewart has now responded after Disney scrapped a transgender storyline and episode from the upcoming Pixar series Win or Lose
. Win or Lose tells the story of a co-ed softball team on their way to their championship game under the guidance of Coach Dan (Will Forte). Each episode will spotlight a different player. Disney has now eliminated the episode that would have centered on Stewart’s character, as well as all dialogue that references the character’s gender identity. Nevertheless, Stewart’s work will still be included in the series.
The star of the series, who is transgender herself, has told Deadline that she was “disheartened” to hear about the decision, saying, “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.”
“It’s just that my character would now be a cis girl, a straight cis girl. So yeah, that’s all they really told me and that I was still a part of the show.”
Stewart went on to say that she had been thrilled to learn that she had been cast years ago. “Oh my God, it was crazy,” she said. “I wore it as a badge. I wore it with pride. I wore it with honor 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.”
Another Diversity Disappointment From Disney
Stewart’s excitement over her role in the series made news of Disney’s decision to cut the storyline all the more crushing for her and her mother, Keisha, who said, “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. 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.”
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Over the last three years, GLAAD has reported a “dramatic decrease” in the number of transgender characters represented in scripted television shows. The trend could continue as Hollywood is expected to swing conservative in line with the incoming presidential administration.
Disney said in a statement, “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.” The studio took the same route previously when they pressured creators to make Riley “less gay” in Inside Out 2 as a result of Lightyear‘s performance at the box office and when they scrapped a completed episode of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur this month because it featured transgender athletes.
Win or Lose
- Release Date
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February 19, 2025
- Seasons
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1