Disney+ features Pixar’s first gay lead character in ‘Out’

Disney+ has screened animation studio Pixar’s first story with a gay character in the lead role.

Short film Out is now available on the new streaming service Disney+.

It tells the story of Greg, a young gay man who is about to move to the big city to live with his boyfriend, Manuel.

However, he’s not yet out to his parents. And he uses his dog Jim to practice how he’s going to tell them:

‘Just look them in the eyes and say, “Mom, dad, I’m… this is my boyfriend, Manuel.”’

Then Greg’s parents show up unexpectedly and unannounced to lend their son a helping hand with the move.

So Greg suddenly has to scramble to cover up his sexuality, his relationship with Manuel and even his sexy fireman calendar.

But there’s another twist to the story. Greg magically swaps his body with Jim, the dog. And, as Jim, Greg has to resort to canine tricks to stop his mother seeing the framed photo of him and Manuel together.

The sweet and certainly family friendly film also features a brief same-sex kiss.

Unlocking new talent and innovation

It’s a big step for Pixar. However, the studio did feature a prominent gay character in the animated film Onward earlier this year.

Moreover, last year’s Toy Story 4 viewers saw two mothers dropping off and picking up their daughter from a day care center in the background.

Meanwhile, Disney has also taken strides, featuring a brief same-sex kiss in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

However, people criticized Disney+ this year for turning down Love, Victor – a TV sequel to the gay movie hit Love, Simon. That switched to streaming channel Hulu, which Disney part-owns.

Jim Morris, the president of Pixar, said the nine-minute long Out is part of Pixar’s SparkShorts program:

‘These films are unlike anything we’ve ever done at Pixar, providing an opportunity to unlock the potential of individual artists and their inventive filmmaking approaches on a smaller scale than our normal fare.’