Former Pixar Staff Speaks Out About Win or Lose Cutting a Trans Storyline

Just before the holidays, news broke that Disney would cut a storyline for a transgender character in the 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 timelines,” which sparked a lot of discussion online, as it was Second show With a trans-focused storyline recently getting the axe.

Win or losewhich hit Disney+ in February, centered around a co-ed softball team; One episode was dedicated to a character named Kai, who remains in the episode but without any mention of their gender.

Now, former Pixar creatives have shared their feelings on the matter The Hollywood Reporter. Former Pixar assistant editor Sarah Ligatich, who consulted on Trance and Episodes, said the removal would cause problems, since the overall show has been done “for quite some time,” despite repeated delays from its planned 2023 release. The cutting of Kai’s storyline didn’t come as much of a surprise to Ligatich, but he still felt “devastated”: “Disney wasn’t in the business of making great content,” he said. “They have done a very profitable business. Even two years ago when I was at Pixar, we had a meeting [then-CEO] Bob Chapek, and they were clear to us that they see animation as a conservative medium.”

That sentiment was shared by his fellow former Pixar employees speaking to the outlet. Some find it ironic that Disney had no problem spinning a trans character story, but spent years giving the media a pass on heavy themes, such as (and) proceeding from) death of a loved one. Others acknowledged how several elements of the story needed to be adjusted before the now-concluded episode Win or lose Mid-February launch. An anonymous former employee called it “so disappointing that Disney decided to spend money on saving lives”, explaining that the episode was “so beautiful—and beautifully depicts some of the experiences of being trans—and it’s literally going to save lives for people who are single. and feeling irrelevant by showing them that there are people who understand.”

Recent history of Disney Throwing queer people under the bus (up to it’s not), and with The Pixar Project In particular, as previously documented. But Donald Trump’s impending second term has Pixar employees worried Win or lose Will be one of several projects that will cut specific messages or viewpoints. A former Pixar artist spoke to THR about the studio’s 2026 film grasshopper Any message of environmentalism should be toned down. The film centers around a girl who swaps brains with a beaver, and as the artist points out, “When your entire film is based on the importance of environmentalism, you can’t really go back to that. That team struggled a lot to find out, ‘ What shall we do with this note?’

As for Ligatich, Disney’s handling Win or lose It’s a reminder to queer creatives and audiences that they may have to look elsewhere to find stories that reflect their own. He is Netflix, which revived And last year’s queer-centric films were released nimona First after Disney It’s scrapand said the streamer is “more than happy to host content that tells authentic LGBTQ stories. That’s really the way to go, are you going to see a lot of indie studios popping up to tell stories.”

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

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