In the episode, a 12-year-old girl named Sofia is in school when she gets her first menstrual period. As a robot designed to watch over his charges’ health, Baymax is there to help by offering to go and buy her feminine products. The following scene is what caused much of the outrage as it depicts Baymax at the store asking for help picking out tampons. As he looks through the aisle, people around give him suggestions on various options — from eco-friendly tampons to pads with wings to ones recommended by a father who buys them for his daughter. Christopher T. Rufo, a conservative writer, found particular cause for alarm in the fact that the scene includes a person who appears to be a transgender man wearing a shirt with the transgender flag while recommending their preferred product. Rufo posted his concern on Twitter, writing that the animated series “promotes the transgender flag and the idea that men can have periods to children as young as two years old. It’s all part of Disney’s plan to re-engineer the discourse around kids and sexuality.” Some people even criticized the show’s choice to talk about menstruation in the first place, with one viewer saying, “I have 4 kids, ages 8-15, who would watch this and it would make them all uncomfortable. What is the purpose?” In response, many fans and supporters of the show praised the scene and explained why it’s a good thing that Baymax! addresses periods, with @jaaddds03 responding, “Oh look: grown adults freaking out about periods again like it isn’t a natural healthy part of the life of people with uteruses.” Another fan, @jellyfangs, wrote, “i’m crying why is this the most wholesome cute thing i’ve ever seen being presented as satanic mind control.” Others also pointed out that Baymax is literally a healthcare robot, so it’s his purpose to help out patients in need. Two other Disney/Pixar projects saw similar backlash recently: the film Lightyear, which includes a same-sex kiss, and Turning Red, a movie that serves as a metaphor for going through puberty and which repeatedly addresses menstrual cycles, as discussed by The Hollywood Reporter. Despite the criticism, many fans support Disney’s decision to increase diversity and representation. For example, Turning Red received major praise from publications like Rolling Stone and The New York Times, while Upworthy shared positive responses from therapist’s and other healthcare professionals. As Baymax states, It is common for people to feel embarrassed, fearful or uncomfortable with the subject of menstruation, but it is just biology and “nothing to be ashamed of.” Next, New Movies and TV Shows Coming to Disney+ in July 2022, Including America the Beautiful
