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Disney does damage control over ‘Don’t say gay’ fracas

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(NewsNation) —  For decades, visitors to Disney parks have been greeted by “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” but not that greeting has been deemed gender-based and will be replaced.

Vivian Ware, diversity and inclusion manager with the Walt Disney Co., said, “We removed all of the gendered greetings in relationship to our live spiels .. So we no longer say ‘Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls..” So, park visitors will now hear “Hello, friends,” “Hello, everyone” or “Dreamers of all ages.”

In a newly leaked video, company executives revealed the changes in a presentation titled “Reimagine Tomorrow.”

This follows a week of outrage over a new Florida law, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, prohibiting instruction covering sexual orientation and gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade. The bill has drawn protest and comment from around the country, even from the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

Disney workers in Florida and California have walked out in protest of the law. Disney worker Tyler White said, “We need an immediate cease to all involved in supporting and writing this bill.”

After the bill, the House of Mouse released a statement saying, “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.”

This statement drew the ire of Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, seen by many as positioning himself for a presidential run in 2024. However, the Walt Disney Company remains a political heavyweight, with pull on both sides of the aisle.

Entertainment

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