Ellen Degeneres has revealed there will be a transgender character in the new Finding Dory film.
Disney and Pixar will make history with the character who will change from stingray to sting-Rhonda in the Finding Nemo sequel.
DeGeneres – who voices the titular character – revealed the “secret” during an interview with USA Today.
“Actually, I’ll tell you a little secret,” she said. “There’s a stingray that’s becoming sting-Rhonda, so there’s a trans-sting in the movie.”
DeGeneres’ comments come weeks after a trailer was released showing what appeared to be the first same-sex couple in a Disney film.
The clip sees two women walking along while pushing a young child in a buggy which has led some fans to assume they are a lesbian couple.
DeGeneres remained tight lipped on the claims and said: “I don’t mind the question and I don’t know if it’s true or not, or if she just has a bad haircut. Who knows if she is a lesbian?”
Director Andrew Stanton has also remained cagey on the subject and recently said of the characters: “They can be whatever you want them to be. There’s no right or wrong answer.”
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Disney was called out by Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) earlier this year for failing to represent LGBT people in films.
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The announcement of Frozen 2 recently sparked calls for Queen Elsa to enjoy a same sex relationship in the upcoming sequel.
A #GiveElsaAGirlfriend campaign was launched by fans urging Disney to make Idina Menzel's character come out.
Finding Dory is set for UK cinema release on July 29.
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