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Disney Series Gets Flack for Mistreating Trans Composer

deana kiner disney star wars
Credit: Disney/Canva

A recent Star Wars spinoff series on Disney+ has come under fire from audiences for mistreating a trans composer by “dead-naming” them.

The Walt Disney Company has been criticized left, right, and center by audiences across the spectrum for its policies and representation (or lack thereof). Some have felt the company has become increasingly woke over the last few years and has begun “pandering to a woke audience,” while others feel the company isn’t doing enough in terms of representation and inclusion.

Trans Composer “Dead-Named” in Credits of Star Wars Show 

Recently, one Star Wars fan took Disney+, particularly Star Wars and Lucasfilm Ltd., to task for dead-naming their trans composer Deana Kiner on the popular Disney+ Star Wars series,  Star Wars: The Bad Batch. A fan highlighted the issue, complete with screenshots “for receipts,” and called on the necessary individuals and companies to rectify the issue. 

The fan further clarified, “Was this done with malice? I thoroughly doubt it. But it is EXTREMELY careless, particularly because the previous three episodes, as released a week ago, didn’t carry the error. Someone f***ed up big.” 

What is “Deadnaming?” 

“Deadnaming,” for those who might be unfamiliar, is an act by which one refers to a transgender person or non-binary person by a name they used prior to transitioning, such as their birth name. It is considered incredibly disrespectful and is understood by many to dismiss the trans person’s identity, among other issues.

The Star Wars fan who called out this issue was quick to make sure that they clarified that deadnaming Ms. Kiner was more than likely a “clerical error.”

They also posted an update explaining that Jennifer Corbett head writer and executive producer of the show noted this error and was working with Disney+ to fix the issue.

Deana Kiner has worked on three Star Wars animated series—Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and, of course, Star Wars: The Bad Batch—alongside her father, composer Kevin Kiner, and brother, Sean Kiner. She graduated from Berklee College of Music.

The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo, Jennifer Corbett, and Brad Rau; it’s based on George Lucas’s Star Wars. 

About Priyanka Kumar

Priyanka is a writer, artist, avid reader, and travel enthusiast based in Chicago. In her free time, she is probably walking by the lake, catching up on the latest releases on TV, or spending inordinate amounts of time rewatching Moana, Encanto, and her Disney Channel life-long favorites Zack and Cody wreak havoc on the Tipton.