There will no longer be a transgender teenager in an upcoming Pixar animated series after Disney removed dialogue referencing the character’s gender identity.

Win or Lose, which debuts on Disney+ in February, follows various members of a young mixed-gender softball team, the Pickles, as they lead up to their championship game. Voices on the show include comedian Will Forte as team coach Dan.

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to reveal that several lines of dialogue related to the transgender character’s identity had been removed. In a statement, Disney confirmed the change, saying: “When it comes to animated content for younger audiences, we recognize that many parents would prefer to explore certain topics with their children on their own terms and on their own schedule.” to discuss.”

A source close to the show told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio decided months ago to change the gender identity of the character, whose name has not yet been announced.

Chanel Stewart, the 18-year-old transgender actress who voices the character, said she was “very disheartened” by Disney’s decision.

“From the moment I received the script, I was excited to share my journey to empower other trans youth. I knew this would be a very important conversation. Trans stories matter and deserve to be heard,” she told Deadline.

She confirmed that Disney told her that her character would still be “strongly featured” in the series, but that she would be “a cis girl now, a straight cis girl.”

Stewart auditioned for the role in 2020 after seeing a social media post about Pixar’s search for a transgender girl to voice a transgender teenager for the series. “The thought of authentically portraying a transgender teenage girl made me really happy,” she told Deadline. “I wanted to do this for transgender kids like me.”

Her mother, Keisha, told Deadline: “There may be some parents out there who aren’t ready to have this conversation, but this is the world we live in and everyone should be represented.” Everyone deserves recognition. And it felt like it was just another setback for the LGBTQ community because it’s very hard on transgender teenagers…transgender people, period.”

Disney declined to comment further on the matter.

Disney has previously come under fire for its treatment of LGBTQ+ characters, whose presence can affect their ability to sell films and series in countries that ban or censor LGBTQ+ content.

The company’s handling of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law also brought scrutiny over its ties to the U.S. political establishment and lack of LGBTQ+ representation in its films.

In 2022, the Pixar film “Lightyear” sparked controversy for showing two women briefly kissing, while Disney Animation’s “Strange World” featured an openly gay main character but was a flop at the box office. Disney also cut a lesbian kiss from a Star Wars film to get a lower rating in Singapore.