Was walt disney gay
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Disney and the queer community have always made for strange, awkward bedfellows. Those early works often followed the plight and success of the "common man," appealing to Great Depression-era audiences, Smithsonian Magazine reported.
By World War II, Disney became a pillar of America's war propaganda efforts, according to The National WWII Museum of New Orleans. Characters became household names and representations of American values, with The New York Times calling Donald Duck "ambassador-at-large, a salesman of the American Way" in 1943.
When the Disneyland park opened in 1955, Walt Disney described it in a speech as a site "dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America."
Disney theme parks and media were seen as family-friendly entertainment.
The theme parks — alongside Disney's ever-growing list of film, television, and other entertainment — were widely seen as family-friendly and conservative, Smithsonian Magazine reported.
Other “first” gay characters from Disney that have popped up include: an unnamed man played by Joe Russo, who briefly mentions dating another man in a scene from “Avengers: Endgame”; the lesbians in “Rise of Skywalker,” who inadvertently birthed an iconic meme; the background lesbian moms in “Toy Story 4”; a cyclops cop in “Onward”; supporting characters in “Cruella” and “Jungle Cruise,” who don’t actually say they’re gay; and Brian Tyree Henry’s superhero in “Eternals.” Aside from the arguable exception of “Eternals,” all of these characters have felt like insulting baby steps for Disney.
"We're working with the company for positive change."
One of those changes became Disney's new domestic partnership policy, which allowed gay couples the same health and dental benefits as married heterosexual couples. There was no 'Oh my God, they're gay,'" Clark said.
Disney’s Queer Track Record: A Troubled History
In Ron DeSantis’ astonishingly pointless vendetta against Walt Disney World, it seems the Florida governor’s favorite insult to use against the corporation is “wokeness.” Ever since former CEO Bob Chapek criticized the governor’s homophobic and transphobic Parental Rights in Education Act — which forbids discussion of gender and sexual identity in public schools — DeSantis and his supporters have repeatedly accused the entertainment conglomerate of “echoing Democrat propaganda,” and engaged in a vicious legal battle over Disney World’s self-governing tax status that’s proved a huge headache for the state.
In 2021, after the release of the film “Raya and the Last Dragon,” Kelly Marie Tran, who voiced the title character, said she played the role as queer, and intentionally added romantic subtext to the relationship between Raya and her rival Namaari (Gemma Chan). We're taking over the entire hotel, so reserve your room before it sells out — trust us, you don't want to miss out on being part of this iconic event!
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GayDays Leather Competition, the Miss GayDays Pageant, and the legendary Puppy Mosh. In September 1980, Exler and a friend defied the policy, attending date night and dancing together. In addition, you accept Insider’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. In 1994, the company posted signs outside the park warning straight attendees that “members of the gay community have chosen to visit the Magic Kingdom today in their recognition of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.”
In 1998, an off-shoot of Disney World’s Gay Days was established at Disneyland.
However, Disney’s lawyer William M. Bitting said in a statement after the decision that the order will not apply to others, and “If two (other) men show up tomorrow night to dance, Disneyland won’t let them on the dance floor.”
Disneyland ultimately lifted the policy the next year in 1985.
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Disney's LGBTQ history is complicated
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It’s the tradition that started in 1991—so book your room now to guarantee your spot in the celebration of a lifetime. Refreshingly, neither the film nor its marketing nor the press made a particularly big deal out of the inclusion of a gay lead, treating it in a matter-of-fact way that felt far more authentic and respectful than the “exclusively” gay characters of old.
Although Disney was one of the last companies to introduce this policy, the LA Times reported, it was a major step forward for equality.
Disney employees also spoke out against former Disney CEO Bob Chapek's botched response to Florida GOP's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Employees recently made headlines for their March 2022 walkout after former Disney CEO Bob Chapek's botched response to Florida's controversial Parental Rights law, which limits instructions about gender identity and sexual orientation in some classrooms, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law by Democrats and LGBTQ rights groups.
At first, Chapek did not outright condemn the bill, leading to employee outrage, according to NBC News.
News about Disney's donations to Florida Republican politicians also sparked controversy, Politico reported.
"The recent statements and lack of action by TWDC [The Walt Disney Co.] leadership regarding the 'Don't Say Gay or Trans' bill have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation," the employees said on a now-defunct website whereischapek.com, according to NBC News.
The walkout resulted in a direct apology from Chapek to employees.
"It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights," he said in a letter.
The result is a company with a lot of gay employees that regularly pays lip service to including everyone, but rarely measures up to even the lowest standards of inclusion. The most popular of these festivities is Gay Days, an Orlando-based gathering held annually in the first week of June.
Visitors participate in celebrations around the city, attend all the Disney sites, and partake in the festivities like Red Shirt Day at Disney World's Magic Kingdom park.
Gay Days date back to 1991 and often bring in over 150,000 visitors, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Gay Days CEO Joseph Clark told USA Today his first visit in 2008 still was "life-changing."
"It was just a whole group of people together, and there was no judgment going on.
Other shows that featured minor gay representation during this time period include “Star vs. According to Disney Parks' official tweet, the event "will have themed entertainment, Disney characters, specialty menu items," and more.
The Walt Disney World park also plans to host a major conference for LGBTQ workplace rights in September 2023, Tampa Bay Times reported.
Disney employees have also pushed the company to make progress on its LGBTQ support.
In 1995, the Los Angeles Times reported on a new Disneyland Lesbian and Gay United Employees group, or LEAGUE, that planned to organize around LGBTQ issues, host guest speakers, and plan Disney-related projects.
Steven Valkenburg, LEAGUE co-chair, told the LA Times the group wanted to work in tandem with Disney.
"We're not trying to overthrow the company," he said.