Disney removes transgender storyline from upcoming series ‘Win or Lose’

A transgender storyline has reportedly been cut from Pixar’s upcoming film Win or lose series.

Ahead of its February 2025 release, Disney has dropped the transgender storyline from Pixar’s first feature-length series, according to The Hollywood Reporter And Variety.

A Disney spokesperson confirmed that the storyline has been removed THRwho first reported the news, saying that the character will still be part of the series, but will no longer have the “few lines of dialogue referencing gender identity.”

“When it comes to animated content for younger audiences, we recognize that many parents prefer to discuss certain topics with their children on their own terms and timeline,” a Disney spokesperson told the outlet.

A source close to production also said this THR the lines were removed several months ago. Another source close to production said this Variety that the transgender storyline was not the subject of a full episode.

A Disney spokesperson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Win or lose was created, written and directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates. Each episode of the animated series follows a different member of a coed softball team as they prepare for the championship game.

“Win or lose reveals what it feels like to step into the shoes of eight different characters in the week leading up to the big game – the insecure kids, their helicopter parents, even a lovelorn referee – with incredibly funny, highly emotional and uniquely animated perspectives,” reads the official synopsis.

In the series’ press release, Disney Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter described the show as “a major, first-of-its-kind tentpole series, one that really showcases what I think makes our studio great: bold, imaginative storytelling; laughable humor; and characters we can all identify with.”

Disney has released several productions with LGBTQ+ storylines over the years, including Agatha all the time, All of us strangers, Next goal wins, Fire island And Pose, but it was not without setbacks.

In 2023, a Florida teacher was investigated by the state Department of Education for showing her fifth-grade class Strange world. The 2022 film features Disney’s first openly gay character, although their sexuality is not the focus of the plot.

At the time, Governor Ron DeSantis had just taken steps to expand the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, which blocked discussion of certain LGBTQ topics in third grade or younger or “in a manner inconsistent with age or development. appropriate for students in accordance with state standards” to also cover grades 4 through 12.

The bill sparked a feud between DeSantis and Disney after they condemned the law, saying it “should never have been passed and should never have been signed into law.” They also indicated that their “goal as a company is to have this law repealed by the legislature or overturned by the courts.”

In retaliation, DeSantis took over the supervisory district and fought the company over Disney World’s special privileges, such as tax exemptions, Disney’s police and fire departments, and their ability to build and maintain their own roads.

Disney filed a lawsuit in response and a settlement was ultimately reached in June 2024.

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