Baymax transgender scene controversy explained as fans jump to defense of Disney series

Baymax in Big Hero 6 (Image via The Walt Disney Company)
Baymax in Big Hero 6 (Image via The Walt Disney Company)

On Wednesday, June 29, Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist, writer, and Manhattan Institute fellow, took to Twitter to bring forward a clip from Disney Plus' Baymax show. According to Rufo, the leaked footage was obtained by him prior to the release of the show on Wednesday.

The tweet mentioned that the clip "promotes the transgender flag and the idea that men can have periods to children as young as two years old." He further alleged:

"It's all part of Disney's plan to re-engineer the discourse around kids and s**uality."

In the 27-second clip, the healthcare robot is seen standing in the female hygiene aisle of a mall. Baymax also proceeded to ask for help from a female shopper regarding the purchase of a sanitary napkin or a tampon.


What is the controversial scene from Disney Plus' Baymax about?

In the aforementioned scene, the healthcare robot from 2014's Big Hero 6 goes to the supermarket to purchase a period supply sanitary product for a young girl named Sofia. The young girl enlists the robot's help whilst in the washroom of her school, which forces the robot to ask for assistance from other shoppers at the mall.

In the clip, the robot stands in the aisle confused till he proceeds to approach a woman next to him for a product recommendation. He asks the woman:

"Excuse me. Which of these products would you recommend?"

The woman appears to be confused over the query from the robot but still responds:

"Oh, um — well — these are the tampons I usually use."

As Baymax thanks the woman, it is revealed that many other shoppers had overheard his query and decided to respond to him. One of the responses introduces the robot to pads, while the other tells him "that she gets the ones with wings."

Meanwhile, another woman says:

"Get unscented and bleach-free if you can."

Moments later, a man chimes in and says:

"Yo, my daughter loves these!"

Other responses include "These might be easier if it's her first period" and "These are really environmentally friendly!"

The robot is handed all of these products and takes all of them to the school. The aforementioned controversial scene occurred during the third episode's two-minute and forty-second mark. The official synopsis of the episode reads:

"Middle-school student Sofia faces some major life changes with Baymax's unwavering support."

Claims about the "transgender flag" and "men's periods" in the Baymax series

Reactions on Twitter were polarized. Many felt that the interaction was cute and called the robot a "sweetheart." Others mocked Disney's "woke" ideology and were unhappy about the topic being brought up in a show aimed at kids.

Meanwhile, some Twitter users called out Rufo and questioned how an episode about periods could equate to "Disney's plan to re-engineer the discourse around kids and s**uality."

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