Disney window display destroys gender stereotypes
A Disneyland store proved recently that there is nothing wrong with a boy liking Minnie Mouse.
A window display in Disneyland has been pictured showing a mannequin of a young boy wearing a Minnie Mouse hat, t-shirt and bag, along with a Minnie Mouse stuffed animal.
Eric Rosswood, who writes for the New Civil Rights Movement, was visiting the theme park in late July when he came across the display in a store window.
Rosswood, had to do a “double-take” when he saw it, he told The Huffington Post.
“I actually walked right past it and had to backtrack, to look at it and examine it to make sure I really saw what I was seeing,” he said.
The author – who has written books on marriage equality – highlighted the lack of attention the display got, saying it is a “bold statement” about gender conformity that “hardly anyone is noticing.”
Rosewood said it’s important to “smash” divisions that lead to gender stereotypes and restrictions for the younger generation, many may not feel comfortable with the pressures society places on them.
“Just because a boy wants to wear a Minnie Mouse shirt doesn’t mean the parents have to put Mickey on them instead,” he said.
“They’re kids, they should be able to play with any toys they want.”
However, although they may be taking small steps towards encouraging equality, recent reports suggest that Disney still has a long way to go.
During its most recent Studio Responsibility Index, LGBT media index GLAAD found that Walt Disney films had a worrying lack of diversity in the films they produced – rating the studio as “failing”.
Of 13 films released in 2014, only one of them, “Muppets Most Wanted,” was considered LGBT-inclusive, because Lady Gaga, who is bisexual, made a cameo appearance.
