Pixar, a division of Walt Disney Studios, removed a transgender story line from its animated series “Win or Lose,” which is set to start streaming in February, Disney said on Tuesday.
The series follows a middle school coed softball team in the week leading up to the championship game, and each episode is told from the perspective of a different character. The transgender character will remain in the show, Disney said, but a few lines of dialogue focused on her gender, a plot point that appeared near the end of the eight-episode series, have been edited out.
“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience,” Disney said in a statement, “we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.”
The decision to remove the story arc was made over the summer, Disney said.
The change was reported earlier by The Hollywood Reporter.
Disney has frequently drawn the ire of conservative groups over its inclusion of L.G.B.T.Q. characters and story lines in family movies. In 2022, the company released “Lightyear,” which featured a same-sex kiss, and “Strange World,” centered on a gay teenage boy. That same year, the company’s chief executive at the time, Bob Chapek, faced criticism when he refused to condemn anti-L.G.B.T.Q. legislation in Florida. When he finally explained his silence, a union representing his employees called the decision a “momentous misstep.”
When Robert A. Iger, Mr. Chapek’s predecessor, returned to Disney as chief executive in late 2022, he said some of the company’s shows and movies had become too political and ordered a review of projects in the works. Last year, the company decided not to release an episode from the animated Disney Channel show “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” that focused on a recurring transgender character’s interest in sports.
“Win or Lose” was created by Michael Yates, Carrie Hobson and David Lally. Will Forte voices the coach.
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