(Screenshot from Disney-Pixar “Lightyear” trailer)
After being cut, the Disney-Pixar film “Lightyear” will again include a same-sex kiss amid employee outrage over the decision to drop the scene.
Variety reported that a source close to the movie’s production said the kiss between two female characters – including Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba – was reinstated into the movie last week. While Hawthorne’s relationship was never in question at the studio, a kiss between them had been cut from the film.
The report comes after a letter from a group of LGBTQ+ Pixar employees and their allies accused Disney executives of barring moments of gay affection from movies before they are released.
“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,” read the letter, first reported by Judd Legum of Popular Information. “Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disney’s behest regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar. Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it.”
The statement was in response to Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s answer to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which many viewed as muted.
After widespread criticism for declining to speak out against the legislation, Chapek ultimately apologized, publicly opposed the measure, paused all political donations in Florida and urged Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to reject the bill in a phone call.
“I truly believe we are an infinitely better and stronger company because of our LGBTQ+ community. I missed the mark in this case but am an ally you can count on—and I will be an outspoken champion for the protections, visibility, and opportunity you deserve,” he said in a memo to the company’s LGBTQ+ and ally employees.
The Florida Senate passed H.B. 1557 at the beginning of the month, sending it to the desk of DeSantis, who has signaled support for the legislation. DeSantis has yet to take action on the bill.
The measure, titled “Parental Rights in Education,” would ban classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3, while “age-appropriate” teaching would be allowed in older grades – though it is not clear what is considered “age-appropriate.”
Last week, Disney’s LGBTQ+ employees began staging walkouts on their breaks to protest what they view as a “lame” and “inadequate” stance taken by the company, even after Chapek’s apology. A mass walkout of LGBTQ+ employees and allies is slated for Tuesday.
“You are protected to act while on break for the daily break walkouts, but the full scale walkout that will take place on Tuesday March 22nd is not a legally protected action. Take your own situation into account before choosing to participate,” organizers noted.
A same-sex kiss would be a major step forward for LGBTQ+ representation in Disney-Pixar films. “Onward,” released in 2020, featured a lesbian police officer voiced by Lena Waithe – lading the film to be banned in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. However, Slate reported that “the most revolutionary thing that Pixar has done in advance of the movie’s release is not tell anyone about it.”
“Lightyear,” starring the voice of Chris Evans as Buzz Lightyear, will hit theaters in June. You can watch the trailer below.
