Disney Introduces Christian Character After Ditching Transgender Story

https://www.newsweek.com/disney-christian-character-transgender-story-laurie-win-lose-2037780

This is an important story even though it is an older one.  This shows how the rights constant badgering companies and using the idea of protecting the children, calling those who understand at LGBTQ+ children like to see themselves represented in an accepting world.  This shows how the rights not stop attacks on the rights of minorities over the last 6 years are working to erode the expectancy, tolerance, and the representation of these minorities.  The haters on the right are loud and very vocal, they give their opinion nonstop using incorrect misleading studies or lies.  We need to be just as loud and in your face to fight back.  Democrats need to start / return to defending the LGBTQ+ and other marginalized people. The democrats shrank back and hid letting the republicans loudly lie and misinform people.  The republicans spend 215 million attacking trans people in the presidential election.   Kamala Harris did not fight back, did not call out the adverts misinformation and lies, did not spend money attacking those ads.  She gave one lame response when directly asked about the trans ad attacks.  She minimized them and barely pushed back.   But notice it is an openly Christian character not one of the other religions.  Hugs

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Published Feb 28, 2025 at 10:22 AM ESTUpdated Mar 04, 2025 at 8:59 AM EST

By Marni Rose McFall

Live News Reporter

Disney is introducing an openly Christian character into its Pixar animated show Win or Lose shortly after a transgender storyline was pulled.

Newsweek has reached out to Disney via email outside of regular working hours for comment.

Why It Matters

The moves comes amid a wider cultural shift toward conservativism, in tandem with the beginning of President Donald Trump‘s second term in office.

Disney has made moves to placate Trump, who previously branded the organization as “woke.” In December, Disney’s ABC News agreed to a $15 million settlement over a defamation lawsuit, marking a win for the president.

What to Know

The Win or Lose series is Pixar’s first-ever original long-form animated series. It follows the Pickles, a co-ed middle school softball team, throughout the week as they prepare for their upcoming championship game.

Each episode focuses on a different character and their life off the field, including “the insecure kids, their helicopter parents” and “even a lovesick umpire.” It premiered on Disney+ on February 19, 2025.

In the debut episode, the character of Laurie is introduced, and is openly Christian. This character begins her scene with the words, “heavenly father” and there is an angel cutout in her bedroom.”

In December, Deadline reported that Disney had cut “a few lines of dialogue” from an episode that referenced a character’s gender identity.

A spokesperson for Disney confirmed that the story arc was removed and provided the following statement to Deadline and 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.”

This is the first openly Christian character to feature in a Disney film since 2007’s Bridge to Terabithia. The film features young adolescent children Jesse Aarons (played by Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie Burke (played by AnnaSophia Robb) , who in one scene attend church together, and discuss religion on the way home.

Trump and his allies have often been critical of Disney and what they describe as its “woke” policies. In a May 2023 social media post, Trump branded the entertainment juggernaut a “woke and disgusting shadow of its former self,” criticizing its move toward diverse casting in some of its recent movie remakes.

Following raging culture wars over such issues as LGBTQ+ rights and diversity, equity and inclusion, Disney appears to be tempering its approach towards inclusion.

An exclusive poll for Newsweek conducted by Redfield and Wilton Strategies in July found that 34 percent of viewers disapproved of Disney’s attempt to add more LGBTQ+ topics to its content.

Since returning to office, Trump has signed an order that rolled back transgender rights, emphasizing the importance of the issue to his agenda in his second term. Trump’s executive order declared that the federal government would recognize only two sexes: male and female.

What People Are Saying

Mark Mitchell of Rasmussen Reports on X: “Openly gay out. Openly Christian in!”

One social media user on X: “Again f*** Disney for removing the trans storyline from WIN OR LOSE, but so far it’s a great show.”

Another social media user on X: “Another week, another two incredible Win or Lose episodes. The way they show both the kid’s and parent’s struggles and perspectives is top-notch. The animation, the story, the voice acting, the music… it’s all PERFECT. The team behind this show is just brilliant.”

What’s Next

Episodes of Win or Lose are being released each week up until March 12.

A second season of the show has not yet been announced.