Trans-Identifying Teen Who Voices Animated Character Reacts To Disney Cutting Storyline

The transgender-identifying teenager who voices a character in Disney’s new animated series, “Win or Lose,” is upset that the studio cut out a trans storyline from the show.

The Pixar series, which will air its first episode on February 19, follows a co-ed middle school softball team preparing for its big championship game. Initially, the series was slated to include a story arc about a player identifying as transgender, but Disney removed those references, a rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

“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,” the Disney spokesperson said in a statement. 

The outlet noted that the character will still appear in the show, but the lines about gender identity have been removed.

Now, the voiceover artist who is voicing that character is speaking out. 

Chanel Stewart learned about the role while scrolling social media and seeing a casting call for a “14-year-old transgender girl” to voice the part, per Deadline. 

“I was exactly what they wanted to a T, and that’s why it felt so right. It felt just so right,” Stewart told the outlet. “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?”

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“Oh my God, it was crazy,” Stewart, now 18, said of landing the role. “I wore it as a badge. I wore it with pride. I wore it with honor because it meant so much to me. The thought of authentically portraying a transgender teenage girl made me really happy. I wanted to make this for transgender kids like me.”

Stewart’s mom, Keisha, told Deadline that the call from Disney about the storyline being cut was “upsetting.”

“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,” she told the outlet.

“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,” she went on. “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.”

“I was very disheartened,” Stewart agreed. “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.”

“It’s just that my character would now be a cis girl, a straight cis girl,” Stewart continued. “So yeah, that’s all they really told me and that I was still a part of the show.”

“I’m definitely one of the first [transgender girls] to do this!” the teen said. “It’s a true honor to be a part of queer history.”

Disney films that include LGBT storylines, such as “Onward” and “Lightyear,” have not performed well with audiences and have inspired negative attention from parents who feel the themes are not appropriate for younger audiences.