Pixar's Lightyear Re-adds Same-Sex Kiss After Disney Employee Protest
Pixar has added a previously removed same-sex kiss back into Lightyear following Disney employee protests. Lightyear, which is coming to theaters on June 17, 2022, is the latest entry in the expanded Toy Story universe. It follows the origin story of the fictional astronaut upon which the toy Buzz Lightyear (played by Tim Allen in all four Toy Story films) is based. This story was previously introduced in the animated series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, where the character was played by Patrick Warburton.
This new version of the story will present a much more realistic depiction of Lightyear's astronaut training, in a similar vein to space travel biopic projects like The Right Stuff or First Man. One of the characters set to populate this new world is Hawthorne, voiced by Orange Is the New Black's Uzo Aduba, who is in a same-sex relationship. The film was set to feature a kiss between Hawthorne and her partner, which was cut from the film in a move that, as employees have recently revealed in a press statement, is part of a longstanding history of Disney censoring Pixar's efforts to include LGBTQ+ content.
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Per Variety, the company protests, which also include a planned walkout of LGBTQ+ Disney employees, seem to have made an impact on Lightyear's final cut. The censored kiss between Hawthorne and her partner will now be reinstated into the film. Not much else is known about the scene at this time, considering that the movie is still several months away from its premiere.
In addition to Aduba's character, Lightyear will feature a broad ensemble of voices that include Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, James Brolin, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. Chris
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