LGBT Disney

[UmbrellaFish]

Disney’s 2023 Pride Collection has dropped. Personally, my favorite is the Mickey and Minnie plushes holding Pride flags. In the past couple collections, of course the merch has utilized rainbows and I own some merch from last year that says “Be Proud.” This is the first time I remember any merch that explicitly has “Disney Pride” written on the merchandise. Progress happens fast… that matters because the first waves of this line five years ago were called the “Rainbow Collection” and they never used words like “Pride” on any of the merch. The earliest collections were very “if you know, you know.”

https://www.shopdisney.com/collections/ ... ollection/

[Sotiris]

Here are some more merch for the Disney Pride line:
https://wdwnt.com/2023/05/disney-pride- ... ney-world/

[carolinakid]

I wish there were more Princess Pride merch for us queer Princess fans.

Really only 2 of the items interest me as I find much of the clothing too garish.

I love the fan! (Natch!)

And the Pride Cinderella Castle, but that looks to be only a onesie for toddlers! We’re two adults males who would
proudly wear the rainbow castle!

Well, at least our wallets will be happy!

Maybe in 2024...

[UmbrellaFish]

I agree, I’m not too crazy about the sort-of-psychedelic designs this year. Princess pride merch would be so cute. Maybe one day!

Edit: Even more Pride merch! This has more Pride castle merch! https://wdwnt.com/2023/05/photos-more-n ... ney-world/

EDIT: The Disney Parks will have a slew of themed treats for Pride: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/ ... 525230001A

[UmbrellaFish]

Because most forum members are Disney film fans, I wonder how many people are familiar with Orange Bird, a character made by Disney to advertise oranges in Florida? And the character’s connection to entertainer, Florida Oranges spokeswoman, and anti-gay activist, Anita Bryant: https://allears.net/wdw-chronicles-the- ... l-history/

Anita Bryant has mostly faded into obscurity, but adorable Orange Bird is still a fixture of the parks.

[carolinakid]

Of course, I remember Orange Bird. He was big in Adventureland during the ‘70s. You could usually find him around the Sunshine Tree Terrace.

Anita Bryant I thought had a lovely voice. I once saw her on a rerun of a ‘60s variety show singing “Mame” which was then on Broadway with Angela Lansbury.
And she had a big hit with the song Paper Roses in the ‘60s which Marie Osmond redid in the ‘70s.

I mostly remember Anita for her Florida orange juice commercials in the ‘70s when I was a kid.

Ironically, Anita’s granddaughter is a lesbian married to a woman.

[Sotiris]

[UmbrellaFish]

^^
Golden Girls!!

[UmbrellaFish]

I just had to share this very wonderful Main Street shop window themed for Pride in Disneyland. The details are immaculate, the design is so touching: https://wdwnt.com/2023/06/new-pride-mon ... isneyland/

Most people will pass by this without notice, but those who take the time and understand the historical references will be rewarded.

[Sotiris]

You can now eat Donald Duck's butt at Disneyland Paris. Disney has gone too far!

[Disney Duster]

I wish I got all the references, or any references, in that window, UmbrellaFish. Glad you're smart enough to get it. Only thing I got was the pictures of...lesbians? Don't know their historical significance. And rainbow flowers.

Sotirs, you are freaking hilarious!

[carolinakid]

Eating Donald Duck’s butt isn’t the kind of ass play I’m into. It’s cute though; reminds me of the finale of Philharmagic.

I agree, Duster, except for the pictures of 2 women and the rainbow plate, there weren’t any queer references that I understood...

[UmbrellaFish]

There are two pictures in the display. One is a vintage photograph of two women looking lovingly at each other. This is a publicity photo of two actresses— of course it would have been nearly impossible for real queer couples to have been photographed back then, and oftentimes those photographs which were taken were hidden or destroyed by family members after the queer subjects of those photos had died. This particular picture, although it is not of a real lesbian couple, stands in the place of all those photographs that could never exist due to shame, secrecy, and bigotry or were lost to time.

The other picture is a print of a famous painting of Sappho, an Ancient Greek poet who wrote about love between women. Sappho was from the island of Lesbos— she is where we get the words “lesbian” and “sapphic” from. Sappho is a major figure in LGBT literature and history.

The window display use violets and lavender. In the Victorian period, the language of flowers was common. People would wear or send bouquets of certain flowers to signify different things. Violets and lavender have been used as symbols of gay and queer people for years, but those flowers were particular symbols of early lesbian groups in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Side note, but it really tickled me when I saw it, but there is a different flower display at Disneyland this month which uses green carnations— these were a symbol of gay men in the late 1800s and early 1900s as well, including of Oscar Wilde (who I will mention again below). The floral department at Disneyland is doing wonders this month!

I do not know the history of all the books, but I know “Carmilla” is sort of the ur-vampire novel (it predates Dracula). Typically, a male vampire seduces a female victim, but in this early novel the seducer is a female vampire named Carmilla who makes attempts upon a female victim. Oscar Wilde was famously sentenced to hard labor for homosexuality and his “Picture of Dorian Gray” can be read as an allegory for his struggles with his imposed double life sexuality. And of course the book about “Sappho,” who we’ve already learned is an important figure in lesbian circles. I do not know about the subjects of the other three books and their authors so I don’t want to expound on them… but a cursory Google search shows that the subjects or authors of these books are all queer, as well.

It is a very lovingly done, well researched display and I am sure there are more references which I am missing.

[carolinakid]

Thanks, UmbrellaFish! That was all very interesting. I don’t know a lot about lesbians so I’m sure that’s why I didn’t get all the references. The Walt Whitman book and Dorian Gray were the only books I was familiar with. And of course, Sappho is referenced is several musical theater scores in particular by Cole Porter in Kiss Me Kate.
Thanks again and Happy Pride, UF!

[Disney Duster]

Awesome, Brelly, thanks! You sure know your stuff!

[Sotiris]

Happy Pride from Disney Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVWa7ELXtyU

[Disney's Divinity]

Not all the characters featured are LGBT, right? I initially thought so because of the Owl House characters, but I don't think so? But then some of the character choices are odd if not, like Shego. That seems a sort of random character to use unless she's supposed to be LGBT? Or maybe they have a Kim Possible reboot on the way like Phineas & Ferb and The Proud Family.

[eddymiles]

They're attempting to cancel Disney, of course, but Disney is too big to be cancelled,

Hey, I read some articles on net is that true, that they are closing Disney!

[carolinakid]

Not sure I understand.... are you asking if the Disney theme parks are closing?

I’ve heard the summer crowds are lower than in recent years (at least in Florida), but I don’t think there’s any danger of the American parks closing. I haven’t heard anything like that at all.

[Sotiris]

That member is a bot, carolinakid.