Hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg has thrust himself once again into the center of America’s culture wars after publicly bemoaning LGBTQ+ representation in a children’s film during a podcast interview last week. The rapper and music executive said he brought his grandson to see the 2022 Pixar release Lightyear only to find that he was stumped when the young child asked a question related to the gay characters.

As host Sarah Fontenot of the It’s Giving podcast, Snoop described being taken aback when his grandson spoke up. He explained: “Why, my grandson in the middle of the movie, like, ‘Papa Snoop, how does she have a baby with a woman? She is a woman,” Snoop said. “Oh s—, I didn’t come in for this s—. I just came to watch the g—— movie.”

Snoop said that he told his grandson to just continue watching the film when the child’s question interrupted his sleep. “They just said she had a baby. They are both women. How does she have a baby? S—. The movie ain’t over with,” he added. “I’m scared to go to the movies. Like y’all throwing me in the middle of s— that I don’t have an answer for.”

As he talked further on the podcast, Snoop explained that the crux of his issue with the film was the fact that his grandson was forced to pose a question about the depiction of the two women in the film. “The thing that bothered me the most is these kids — they got these kids asking questions,” he said. “They are going to ask. I don’t have an answer. And I was just there to go to sleep and watch the movie. That s— woke me up.”

Snoop said that his concerns were amplified by the need for parents to talk to their kids about a situation they might not be prepared for. “These are kids that we have to show that at this age, like, they’re going to ask questions,” he said. “They are going to ask. I don’t have an answer. And I was just there to go to sleep and watch the movie. That s— woke me up.”

The musician and his grandson’s experience echoes some of the anger that Lightyear prompted among conservative media figures when it was released in June 2022. The animated adventure film is part of the Toy Story franchise and takes place in the origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the anthropomorphic spacefaring scientist who, in the fictional universe of Toy Story, inspires the beloved toys in the original film.

Lightyear was met with significant controversy when a lesbian couple in a romantic relationship was given a quick kiss during a scene in the film, which critics of the film called an unnecessary inclusion in a children’s film. The issue is magnified by the inclusion of Buzz Lightyear as a role model to children and youth.

In the ensuing uproar, Disney reportedly removed the brief romantic scene. The entertainment giant reinstated the moment after criticism from Pixar staff and LGBTQ+ activists about Disney backing down from making a film for children inclusive of different kinds of families. Several Disney projects in the past have pushed the envelope when it comes to LGBTQ+ visibility and representation, and the company’s reputation for inclusivity in its animated and live-action content has been one of the major factors that make it a hot target for conservative voices opposed to such progress.

Chris Evans, who provides the voice for Buzz Lightyear in the feature, also made a statement on the same-sex kiss during an interview with Reuters Television. “The real truth is those people are idiots,” the actor said. “There’s always going to be people who are afraid and unaware and trying to hold on to what was before. But those people die off like dinosaurs. I think the goal is to pay them no mind, march forward, and embrace the growth that makes us human.”

Lightyear, which was a box-office disappointment for Disney with less than $227 million in revenue, is also now a target of conservative ire because of the Snoop Dogg remarks, particularly in Australia, where the rapper is slated to appear in an official capacity for the Australian Football League’s Grand Final event later this year.

Progressive audiences online have targeted Snoop Dogg for cancellation for his remarks on the film. For instance, PinkNews reported that the AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan would not budge on the league’s choice to feature Snoop at the big event, which has no bearing on whether or not the rapper is still welcome at other venues. The AFL has not given any indication that the rap star’s performance will be canceled.

Snoop Dogg is under no obligation to issue a retraction of his words or apologize for them. As it stands, there is no sign of the rapper walking back any of his remarks ahead of the performance in October. He will no doubt face further questions about this issue and the impact his support for a new wave of regressive cultural commentators may have on his international reputation.