On March 11, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek apologized to employees via a letter for not taking a firmer stance against Florida bill HB 1557.
DISNEY GAY PRIDE SHIRTS HOW TO
Particularly topics on sexuality and gender identity, so that their children know how to navigate the content that these organizations promote," Mettler said.
"I think parents especially need to be aware of the content that their children are consuming and, ideally, will proactively discuss these issues with them. This year, the company also renamed the fashion line from Rainbow Disney Collection to the Disney Pride Collection. Mettler views this as a sign that the corporation has become more vocal about its stance on LGBT issues than in previous years.Īccording to Fox Business, the corporation has produced pride-themed clothing for children every year since 2018 but previously donated only a small percentage of the profits.
In its announcement of the clothing line, Disney pledged to donate the entirety of the collection's proceed's now through June 30 to various LGBT activist organizations, including: Ali Forney Center, GLSEN, LGBTQ Center OC, Los Angeles LGBT Center, PFLAG National, SF LGBT Center, The Trevor Project and the Zebra Coalition. He said the family entertainment company is attempting to teach children that gender is malleable, something he envisions will "confuse" and negatively impact them when they become young adults. He further suggested that Disney is trying to plant the idea into children's heads that same-sex couples marrying is morally the same as a marriage between a man and a woman. "Children weren't designed to carry the weight of adult sexuality." "The new clothing line is just a part of Disney's continued push to promote sexual confusion in children," Mettler told The Christian Post. In an opinion piece published by The Daily Citizen, Zachary Mettler, staff writer and communications liaison for the Christian organization Focus on the Family, contended that Disney is "targeting" children with an LGBT agenda. "We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ community everywhere." "The Disney Pride Collection was created by LGBTQIA+ employees and allies at The Walt Disney Company and is a reflection of their incredible contributions and place at the heart of the company," the corporation wrote in a statement announcing the clothing line. The company is selling the items through its "shopDisney" online store, Disney retail shops and theme parks. Many of the products also include LGBT-themed images of iconic Disney character Mickey Mouse and the company's Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar franchises.
The collection's launch comes two weeks before the start of so-called pride month, which LGBT activists recognize each June. The family entertainment company launched the new fashion line on Monday, featuring merchandise such as sweaters, T-shirts, baby clothes and other items, all bearing the rainbow pride flag that symbolizes the LGBT movement. | DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Imagesĭisney has released a new "Pride Collection" clothing line for children amid controversy surrounding the corporation's reaction to Florida's new parental rights in education bill and reported efforts to include LGBT advocacy in its children's programming. People from the Walt Disney Company participate in the annual LA Pride Parade in West Hollywood, California, on June 9, 2019.