A transgender teen actor who has a voice role in the upcoming Pixar series Win or Lose has expressed disappointment that Disney cut the trans story arc from the show, saying “I was very disheartened” to learn of the changes.
Chanel Stewart, a biological male who identifies as female, is still reportedly featured in Win or Lose, but said the character is now “a straight cis girl.”
“I was very disheartened,” Stewart told Deadline in an interview a day after news broke about the changes.
“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.”
Stewart was just 14 in 2020 when the Walt Disney Company’s Pixar put out a casting call looking for an authentic, 14-year-old transgender “girl” to voice a transgender teenager in a new animated series.
“I was exactly what they wanted to a T, and that’s why it felt so right. It felt just so right,” Stewart, now 18, told Deadline. “I immediately asked my mom if I could do it, because I just felt like if I don’t do this, it wouldn’t make sense. You know what I mean?”
Stewart landed the role and recorded the part. But on Monday, Disney reportedly notified Stewart’s mother that the role would no longer be transgender.
“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,” Stewart’s mom, Keisha, told Deadline.
“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.”
Chanel Stewart didn’t reveal more details about the character, but was told by Disney that the character is “still a part of the show heavily.”
“It’s just that my character would now be a cis girl, a straight cis girl,” Chanel Stewart reportedly said. “So yeah, that’s all they really told me and that I was still a part of the show.”
Win or Lose, which is set to being streaming on Disney+ in February, follows the adventures of a co-ed middle school softball team.
As Breitbart News reported, Disney stepped in and ordered the removal of references to one of the characters’ gender identity.
“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,” a spokesperson for Disney said.
The statement marks an about-face for Disney, which has recently pushed transgenderism and other forms of gender non-conformity in its entertainment aimed at kids.
In 2022, the Disney+ series Baymax featured a transgender “man” who menstruates and gives advice on which maxi pad to buy — “the one with wings.”
Disney’s Marvel superhero series Loki revealed that its title character is “gender fluid.”
And Disney’s Lucasfilm recently cast transgender actors in The Acolyte and Willow series — both of which were cancelled after just one season.
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