Former Pixar staff are opening up about details related to the trans storyline that was cut from Disney’s upcoming series, Win or Lose.
Ahead of the holidays, Disney announced that it was removing the storyline for a transgender character to let parents “discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline.”
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter about the storyline, former trans assistant editor at Pixar, Sarah Ligatich, gave her perspective as someone who consulted on the episode.
“Disney has not been in the business of making great content,” she said. “They’ve been in the business of making great profits. Even as far back as two years ago when I was at Pixar, we had a meeting with [then-CEO] Bob Chapek, and they were clear with us that they see animation as a conservative medium.”
Another anonymous former employee said of the situation that it’s “very frustrating that Disney has decided to spend money to not save lives” and that the episode is “so beautiful—and beautifully illustrated some of the experiences of being trans—and it was literally going to save lives by showing those who feel alone and unloved, that there are people out there who understand.”
Ligatich also gave a shoutout to Netflix, who revived and released the film Nimona that’s centered around queerness, after Disney scrapped it. Ligatich said that Netflix “is more than happy to host content that tells authentic LGBTQ stories. That’s really how it’s going to go moving forward, is you’re going to see a lot of indie studios pop up to tell stories.”
Win or Lose premieres on Disney+ on Feb. 19, 2025. The series will center on a co-ed middle school softball team and the experiences of players leading up to a championship game.
