News Disney transforms Magic Kingdom's famous purple wall to celebrate PRIDE Month at Walt Disney World and will donate merch profits to support LGBTQIA+

[Club Cooloholic]

At the end of the day, all of my experiences were because I was different. Because of race, sex, medical conditions, etc. Some people would say I’m not in a minority, others would argue I am in a minority. Like I said earlier, I don’t do labels, I try to treat everyone else the same, regardless of something as simple as the color of your skin, where your parents came from or who you live your life with. That’s how I handle things, and it’s because of my life experiences. Your mileage may vary.

Wonder exactly who those are who would argue you are in the minority?

 

[correcaminos]

At the end of the day, all of my experiences were because I was different. Because of race, sex, medical conditions, etc. Some people would say I’m not in a minority, others would argue I am in a minority. Like I said earlier, I don’t do labels, I try to treat everyone else the same, regardless of something as simple as the color of your skin, where your parents came from or who you live your life with. That’s how I handle things, and it’s because of my life experiences. Your mileage may vary.

End of the day is there is a difference between marginalized and those who are just different. If you cannot say you are part of a marginalized (not minority) group then there is a huge difference.

Not acknowledging the differences is actually problematic in the end too. You need to realize marginalized experiences actually shape views and might make people different in how they react to situations. Ignoring that is bad. Color of skin is not simplistic. As someone who has not disclosed my own orientation to my family out of fear means lgbtq people still have a long way to go. Either empathize or stop pretending marginalized and a bit different are the same. They are not

 

[Club Cooloholic]

So I had this conversation with a friend of mine the other day. I don’t have a problem with any group that’s just trying to live their lives. But I hate seeing anybody celebrating one group, because it’s extremely hard to celebrate every sub group of humanity, there’s just too many and I don’t see how you can treat every sub group the same.

I also feel that celebrating any group for just a certain time period feels cheap/fake/whatever. What about the rest of the year? Do we not care about them then? For example, I used to work for an ambulance service, and the only time management pretended to care about the workers was EMS appreciation week, where we’d get a couple slices a cheap pizza and a pen with the company name one it to show their “appreciation”. And this seems similar to me.

Time to Cancel Christmas, am I right?

 

[LittleBuford]

So I had this conversation with a friend of mine the other day. I don’t have a problem with any group that’s just trying to live their lives. But I hate seeing anybody celebrating one group, because it’s extremely hard to celebrate every sub group of humanity, there’s just too many and I don’t see how you can treat every sub group the same.

I also feel that celebrating any group for just a certain time period feels cheap/fake/whatever. What about the rest of the year? Do we not care about them then? For example, I used to work for an ambulance service, and the only time management pretended to care about the workers was EMS appreciation week, where we’d get a couple slices a cheap pizza and a pen with the company name one it to show their “appreciation”. And this seems similar to me.

We have all sorts of celebrations that briefly foreground particular groups, individuals, and events: Mother’s Day, Veterans Day, Independence Day, to name just a few, and that’s to say nothing of our own birthdays. Sure, some celebrations are taken more seriously than others, but I don’t think it’s at all the case that marking something with a special day/week/month means that we care about it less the rest of the time. Quite the contrary.

 

[MaryJaneP]

As a manager, there was never a day that those who assisted me were not appreciated. This, however, does not preclude that a celebration on the specific day of the year in which managers nationwide are asked to acknowledge this contribution by their co-workers. Nor does that one day celebration diminish the appreciateion felt for the daily contributions. It just gave all of us a chance to give voice to an ongoing relationship. Kinda like Mother's Day or Father's Day. A one day celebration does not take the place of a years-long effort. It is very curious to have some stand in opposition. Any takers for the golden rule? Maybe WDW not opposing Pride day is actually what is needed.

 

[waltography]

I've historically been pretty cynical about pride-vertising. It's pretty easy to throw your logo out with a rainbow behind it with the (assumed) intention of generating sales. However after the last couple years, I'm finding there is some value there, even if the goal is still almost entirely economic. Knowing companies still value the dollars of the queer community is sadly comforting in the light of states trying to legislate us back into the closet or, more chillingly, out of existence altogether. And I think Disney has done more than solely lip service. Granted they had to be pressured but as we've unfortunately seen, sometimes pressure can backfire into even harsher opposition. They've reacted well. Could they do more? Hell yeah, but I've been trying hard to appreciate when people and organizations make an effort. As a Gen-Xer, I think I'm generationally predisposed to cynicism, but that's a bleak way to live. I've been through periods of despair and I've been through times of hope, and I've found I prefer hope; hope and action.

I would also add that a lot of the time, these statements coming out of companies for Pride are often hard fought by employees internally (or Cast Members in Disney's case, when the various arms of the company posted statements during the walkout). They find it important and meaningful for leadership to affirm these messages. It may still read as rainbow-washing to an extent without that context, but I've grown more understanding of these statements after stepping into corporate work.

 

[Ayla]

That’s interesting, and I’ll be looking at that in depth later.

But the point ilI was trying to make was that I simply don’t like labels. When you label things, you leave out others. When you celebrate one group, you tend to leave others out.

That’s why I just try to treat everyone the same. Nobody is better than another.

 

[Lilofan]

An important reminder that every day someone else is on a brand new journey that some of us have been on for a long time.

Something like rainbow merch that people may be cynical about these days may be exactly what someone else needs.

Kudos to USA Mens Soccer wearing rainbow colors on their back jerseys when playing friendly matches prepping for the World Cup 2024 in Qatar ! Hopefully there will be a time when football and baseball professionals can wear the rainbow colors. One soccer player in Europe from PSG refused to put on his jersey that displayed the rainbow flag for that particular match and the coach not only did not play him but the player was not part of the team or in the stadium per the coach.

 

[Diamond Dot]

Some people are never happy judging by the comments. Perhaps you would do well to read Quentin Crisp's autobiography to understand we've come a long way baby.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

Time to Cancel Christmas, am I right?

 

[michmousefan]

I don't necessarily have a problem with it. Some of our best trips were when we just happened to be there during the original red shirt days and the men and women there were amazingly kind and polite much nicer than the typical Disney guest in early June. However as mother of daughter who is an athlete I have some issues with the charity.

Profits are actually going to eight different LGBT+ organizations:

Disney Pride Collection - Disney Experiences

disneyconnect.com

 

[DisneyJayL]

I just don’t get celebrating this. What is there to celebrate?

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

 

[LittleBuford]

I just don’t get celebrating this. What is there to celebrate?

Compare the lot of a Queer person today (at least in certain parts of the world) with the lot of a Queer person fifty, twenty, even ten years ago. That’s what there is to celebrate (which isn’t to say that the fight for equality is anywhere near over).

 

[DisneyJayL]

Compare the lot of a Queer person today (at least in certain parts of the world) with the lot of a Queer person fifty, twenty, even ten years ago. That’s what there is to celebrate (which isn’t to say that the fight for equality is anywhere near over).

What am I suppose to celebrate? You are just saying that there are people that can openly be gay, queer, etc. and I should be happy about it? That’s strange.

 

[Casper Gutman]

What am I suppose to celebrate? You are just saying that there are people that can openly be gay, queer, etc. and I should be happy about it? That’s strange.

Yup. Acceptance, inclusion - those are really good things to celebrate, and they NEED to be celebrated because they're under constant attack from very powerful people and nowhere near as stable and guaranteed as many assume. And if you're American, you should absolutely celebrate the remarkable but too often unrealized founding principles of this country being extended to previously excluded groups.

 

[LittleBuford]

What am I suppose to celebrate? You are just saying that there are people that can openly be gay, queer, etc. and I should be happy about it? That’s strange.

Feel free not to celebrate; it’s absolutely your right not to do so. But why come to this thread only to grumble about those of us who are celebrating? That’s what’s strange.

 

[GladToBeHear]

Feel free not to celebrate; it’s absolutely your right not to do so. But why come to this thread only to grumble about those of us who are celebrating? That’s what’s strange.

Because it's a public forum. And their opinion (and question) is no less valid than yours.

You see this is why there's almost always pushback on initiatives, events, promotions, etc. like this. This is not inclusiveness. Or equal rights/treatment. Or acceptance.

You know what that would look like?

 

[LittleBuford]

Because it's a public forum. And their opinion (and question) is no less valid than yours.

I'm not challenging their right to ask the question; I just don't understand what the point of the question is in the first place. It would be like someone asking "What is there to celebrate?" in a thread about the Candlelight Processional, or the 4th of July firework tag, or any of the other numerous celebrations that WDW already hosts. Such a question isn't really a question; rather, it indicates indifference or even opposition to the thing being celebrated.

No-one is under any obligation to partake in festivities that don't appeal to them, but it's common courtesy to let others take pleasure (and pride) in such events without throwing rhetorical shade on their enjoyment.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I'm not challenging their right to ask the question; I just don't understand what the point of the question is in the first place. It would be like someone asking "What is there to celebrate?" in a thread about the Candlelight Processional, or the 4th of July firework tag, or any of the other numerous celebrations that WDW already hosts. Such a question isn't really a question; rather, it indicates indifference or even opposition to the thing being celebrated.

Charging into Finnegan's on St Patrick's day, screaming, "What are you even celebrating? This isn't inclusive! Stop excluding me!!!"

Funny that folks don't seem to do that...