This was confirmed by Vivian Ware, Diversity & Inclusion Manager of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. Hard times are probably dawning not only for the “lion king”, the ice “queen” and Ariel, the sea “virgin”: training courses are currently being organized and discussions are being held with employees in order to sensitize them to this topic. The costumed actors of the Disney theme parks are particularly affected, but also the employees in the catering area. Disney employed 190,000 people last October, about three-quarters of whom worked in the theme parks division.
According to the LGBTQ+ activist and manager Ware, finding new expressions would promote the creativity and motivation of all employees, since even “princess” is an attribution that should no longer be carried out with immediate effect. Angry protests erupted two months ago when Minnie Mouse ditched her iconic red skirt and has since appeared in a pantsuit.
Not only at Disney in Florida, but also in other states and countries, there has long been a heated discussion about the extent to which children are “educated” or “protected” – depending on your point of view.
Fortunately, Austria’s television legends like Heinz Conrads (1913-1986) no longer have to experience being criticized for their greetings such as “Griaß, the girls, serve the boys”. It remains to be seen whether the actions will lead to more “diversity” or much more randomness and chaos.
