Pixar Features First Openly Gay Lead Character In New Short Film

For the first time ever, Pixar has unveiled its first openly gay main character in the new short film titled Out. The emotional short, which left some people in tears, was recently premiered on Disney+ through its SparkShorts series and is a part of the collection of six animated independent short films streaming on Disney+.

The story focuses on a man named Greg, who isn’t out to his parents yet. But after his parents pay him an unexpected visit to his new home, where he lives with his boyfriend Manuel, he’s forced to do so.

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Pixar has introduced its first openly gay lead character in the new short film Out

Image credits: Disney/Pixar

The Disney+ SparkShorts series arrived this week and made many people tear up. The short film Out features its first gay main character, who moves in with his boyfriend Manuel. The film reveals Greg’s struggle to come out to his parents and admit that he’s actually living with his partner.

The story centers on Greg, who’s struggling to admit his relationship to his parents

Image credits: Disney/Pixar

As Greg’s parents unexpectedly show up on his doorstep, he swaps bodies with his dog Jim and tries to hide a picture of him and his boyfriend from his mom.

But after his parents pay him an unexpected visit, it becomes apparent that the secret is hard to keep

The short film was directed and written by Steven Clay Hunter and produced by Max Sachar. The director of Out has also worked in animation on WALL-E, Brave, and Finding Dory.

The short film also made a milestone by featuring a same-sex kiss for the first time

Image credits: Disney/Pixar

Before Out was released, Pixar featured its first openly LGBTQ+ character in Onward—the minor character Officer Specter, portrayed by Lena Waithe. However, it showed the public that Pixar is moving towards making its films more representative.

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A statement from Pixar Animations Studios president Jim Morris read: “The SparkShorts program is designed to discover new storytellers, explore new storytelling techniques, and experiment with new production workflows. 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.”