Same-Sex Kiss Added Back to ‘Lightyear’ After ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Controversy

After the controversy surrounding Disney’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Pixar has added a same-sex kiss back into the upcoming film “Lightyear.”

lightyear hawthorne

On March 9, Pixar employees released a statement directed at Disney leadership stating they had been forced to cut “nearly every moment of overtly gay affection… regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar.”

Variety now reports that a moment of gay affection has been added back into “Lightyear.” The character of Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, is seen in a meaningful relationship with another woman. According to Variety, “the fact of that relationship was never in question at the studio” but a kiss between them had been cut. The kiss is now back. It will be the first same-sex kiss in a full-length Pixar animated film.

Two men did kiss in the SparkShorts film “Out,” which was about a gay man coming out to his parents. A gay character was featured in one scene of “Onward,” but the scene was ambiguous and easily altered in other countries.

“Lightyear” is about the “real” man who inspired the toy of Buzz Lightyear. It will be released on June 17, 2022. Watch the trailer.

Author

  • Shannen Michaelsen

    Shannen has been a Disney Parks fan and lover of dogs since childhood, despite Pluto's attempt to eat Shannen's Minnie Mouse doll the first time they met. They've made up now. You can email Shannen at shannen@mail.hkdrnt.com.

7 thoughts on “Same-Sex Kiss Added Back to ‘Lightyear’ After ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Controversy”

  1. Still a little confused about where this continuity is supposed to exist. In the Toy Story universe, I presumed the Buzz Lightyear toy to be based on an in-universe cartoon, not a “real” man, considering the level of technology in the setting of the movie was far behind what’s in the upcoming film.

  2. Duuuuuuude!!!!! Enough. Was sooooo looking forward to watching this because everything and I do mean everything disney and pixar have come out with is ok to just depressing at times. Im 44 love disney am a dvc member and man not what I want to see. I remember growing and loving just about everything. These are family movies. Not time to talk about this stuff. Honestly don’t want to see or have to explain to my kids don’t want to not what our families about not saying that you can’t be but not what I want to be having to deal with not our family values. JUST MAKE A GOOD MOVIE. Dont even want to see it now. Took all the joy out of it.

  3. So far, these characters are not doing anything beyond what Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty did in their respective stories.

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