The Walt Disney Company has pulled an episode of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur that focuses on a transgender character and themes. 

The CG-animated series for Disney Channel and Disney+, which follows a young genius (Moon Girl) and her T-Rex companion, was canceled last month after two seasons. The remainder of its second season is set to premiere in 2025—but without one episode called “The Gatekeeper,” because of its LGBTQ+ focus. 

The company made the decision to shelve the episode a year ago, a Disney source told Kidscreen. “We are very proud of this series,” the source said. “We have a level of care that we take very seriously, and we are respectful of the role parents play in making choices for their children, and having discussions on their own timeline.” 

Word started to get out late last week of the episode being sidelined, in part due to social media comments by artists who worked on the episode, attributing its fate to the recent US election. Those comments were subsequently reported by outlets like Polygon—assertions that Disney firmly denies.

The decision not to broadcast the episode has “nothing to do with the current political climate or administration,” the Disney source says.

The episode, which has been leaked and can be viewed online, puts a spotlight one of the series’ supporting characters—a trans girl named Brooklyn (who appears throughout the series)—as she prepares to compete in a girls volleyball game. A coach from an opposing team tries to stop her from playing, but Moon Girl and her friends help Brooklyn stand up to the coach and play volleyball. The episode is very explicit in its LGBTQ+ themes around inclusion, from its handling of Brooklyn’s identity to the use of different pronouns. 

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur won three Kidscreen Awards in February—including Best Animated Series—and took home five Children’s and Family Emmy Awards last year.