Pixar unveils first openly gay lead character in new short film

In a move toward increased representation, Pixar has unveiled its first openly gay lead character in its new short film Out.

The film recently premiered on Disney+ through its SparkShorts series and follows the story of a man named Greg, who is forced to come out to his parents after they make an unexpected visit to his new home, which, unknown to them, he shares with his boyfriend Manuel.

Watch a first-look for the short film below:  

The story reveals Greg's struggle to admit that he is both gay and in a relationship to his parents.

And Out breaks further ground for the animation studio, as it is the first Pixar film to feature a same-sex kiss.

Not only is the short film is the first from the animation studio to feature a gay main character, but it's also the first time that Disney has created an animated gay protagonist.

The short was directed by Steven Clay Hunter, who has worked on other well-known Pixar movies including Wall-e and Toy Story 2. It was produced by Max Sachar, who is best known for his work on Coco and The Incredibles 2.

Prior to the release of Out, Pixar included its first openly LGBTQ+ character in Onward - an officer named Officer Specter, who was portrayed by Lena Waithe. While she was an incredibly minor character, it did show that Pixar was taking necessary steps toward making its films more representative. 

Pixar's decision to include an openly gay lead character sparked an incredibly positive response on social media.

One Twitter user wrote: "I love coming out stories that are done well, and I have high hopes that 'Out' has done just that!"

A second added: "Gay rights, love to see it."

This move toward increased representation comes after Crayola announced the launch of skin-tone crayons so that "all kids can color themselves".