Disney censors same-sex affection in Pixar films

Los Angeles: A statement attributed to “the LGBTQIA+ employees of Pixar, and their allies” obtained by ‘Variety’, employees of the animation studio allege that Disney corporate executives have demanded cuts from “nearly every moment of overtly gay affection” regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar.
The stunning claim is part of a wider reaction to the company-wide memo sent to Disney employees by CEO Bob Chapek regarding its response to the recently passed legislation in Florida known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, reports variety.com.
In the memo, Chapek states that the “biggest impact” the company can make “in creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce”.
According to the Pixar letter, that claim is at odds with employees’ experience of trying to create content with same-sex affection approved by Disney executives.
“We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were,” the letter states.
“Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it.”
To date, Pixar has only included a tiny handful of LGBTQ characters in its feature films, most prominently in the 2020 fantasy film aOnward’, which features a cyclops police officer named Specter, voiced by Lena Waithe.
The character’s sexuality is only acknowledged in passing, when Specter says, “It’s not easy being a new parent – my girlfriend’s daughter got me pulling my hair out, okay?” But the movie was still banned in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia due to the scene, and in the version released in Russia, the word “girlfriend” was changed to “partner.”
The same year, Pixar released a short film, ‘Out’, on Disney Plus, about a gay man who struggles with coming out to his parents.
The claim of censorship by Pixar employees is particularly damning for former CEO Robert Iger, who oversaw Disney’s purchase of Pixar in 2006 and just exited the company in December 2021.
The employee letter, which is not dated, also demands Disney withdraw financial support of all legislatures who supported the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and “take a decisive public stand” against the legislation and bills like it elsewhere in the country.