Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) is wading deeper into its new focus on sexual orientation and gender identity by removing all use of traditional gender identities at its theme parks. This new focus has generated a complaint from an organization of Orthodox Jewish rabbis.
The Gender Gap: City Journal writer Christopher Rufo broke a story via his Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) page with an in-house corporate video of Vivian Ware, Disney's diversity and inclusion manager, announcing a new regimen of gender neutral greetings at the company’s theme parks. This expands on a policy shift last summer that began with recorded greetings of “dreamers of all ages” replacing "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls" during the fireworks show at Walt Disney World.
"So, we no longer say 'ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,'" said Ware in the video. "We've provided trainings for all of our cast members and in relationship to that so now they know it's, 'hello everyone' or 'hello friends.'"
Ware insisted the change was designed to present Disney "in a meaningful and inclusive way that makes it magical and memorable for everyone." She added the concept of Disney princess is also being impacted by this policy shift.
"We don't want to just assume because who someone might be in our interpretation, maybe presenting as female that they may not want to be 'princess,'" she said.
See Also: 10 Weirdest Unmade Disney Films Of All Time
Rabbinical Rebuke: Separately, the Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), an organization representing more than 2,000 Orthodox Jewish rabbis, criticized Disney’s pledge from earlier this week to seek the overturn of Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill signed into law earlier this week by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"Since its founding in 1923, the Disney name has been associated with wholesome family entertainment that all Americans felt comfortable sharing with their children," said Rabbi Yaakov Menken, CJV’s managing director, in a statement released to Fox News Digital. "To this day, the majority of Disney films carry a rating no higher than PG. This means that historically Disney has been cognizant of the expectations of parents nationwide when it comes to the language and topics to which their children are exposed."
Menken insisted the legislation was “entirely consistent with the values Disney historically exemplified” and faulted the company’s political activism.
"It is tragic that an enterprise like Disney would succumb to a woke mob, commit itself to promoting alternative sexuality in its films, and fight the very set of values that made it the pre-eminent name in children's entertainment," Menken said. "We can only hope that saner heads will rapidly prevail."
