Disney begins backing away from DEI
Disney has begun scaling back its DEI culture after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month against the ideology.
The entertainment giant, which has become notorious in recent years for aggressively pushing a Leftist agenda, will be making some changes to its efforts. One change involves modifying its content advisory warnings before certain movies like “Peter Pan” and “Dumbo,” which caution users that the film "includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures." Instead, the warnings will now read: "This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.”
But the most significant changes to Disney’s DEI efforts will be in the company’s Human Resources Department. Chief Human Resources Officer Sonia Coleman told Axios that employees will no longer be evaluated based on their observance of DEI but on business-related outcomes. The company will also scrap its Reimagine Tomorrow initiative that promotes content and talent from minority groups.
DEI at Disney
For years, diversity operatives at The Walt Disney Company have been requiring employees to log their DEI activities in “virtue diaries” which affect their compensation. According to WDW Pro, employees have been expected to track their “virtuous” actions in journals which determine whether or not they receive bonuses or raises, or even remain employed.
“When performance reviews would come up, they would be expected to provide their own case for how they performed as far as the DEI metrics go. And so they would have to keep a journal of their DEI activities within the company and without in order to show their case for diversity, equity and inclusion,” investigative reporter Jonas Campbell said.
Disney’s totalitarian diversity culture was in large part created by former Disney Chief Diversity Officer Latondra Newton, who left the company in June 2023. During her six-year tenure, Newton created the Reimagine Tomorrow initiative, which also made DEI a factor in the company’s hiring processes. Newton is also believed to have been a driving force in the company’s same-sex relationship programming for children. In 2020, Newton further mandated DEI by tying it to employee compensation.
One of the internal documents WDW Pro obtained, titled “Ad Sales Incentive Compensation Plan,” lists “Champion Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” as one of the objectives an employee must achieve to qualify for full salary and bonuses. This includes personal participation in DEI trainings and “other initiatives,” sponsoring such initiatives, hosting “team-based discussions on inclusion” and other activities. The extent of DEI meetings at the company could reportedly be up to 30 meetings held bi-weekly.
During Women’s History Month, for example, at least 10 discussions were held to promote feminist ideology and employees were expected to attend them.
Under Newton, Disney’s “People Managers” were instructed to ensure that there was a “balanced” slate of applicants to open positions, even if the applicants did not meet position requirements. Certain skin colors, genitalia or sexual deviants were not only considered without qualifications, but were prioritized.
“They wiped out the people who might disagree with changing the company radically, they hired the people who would be most likely to agree with radical changes, and they subjected their employees to a pseudo-religious. . .DEI diary to attempt to abdicate themselves of their sins and become part of the Church of Wokeology,” said WDW Pro’s host.
Another document is a slide from a DEI training presentation which instructs employees how to properly respect Islam. During the fast of Ramadan, for example, it would be improper to empathize with a Muslim employee by saying “it must be so hard for you.” Instead, one must say, “I have so much admiration for your commitment to your faith.” Managers are instructed to attempt to give Muslims time off when requested. Notably, there are no such instructional slides for Judaism or Christianity.
Disney’s authoritarian DEI culture is not limited to its workforce — it is also foisted on advertisers. The corporation set a goal of $100 million in advertising for DEI and “multicultural” programming and demands that advertisers also commit to “inclusion” principles.
Disney’s DEI and gender confusion indoctrination of children has been a premeditated undertaking by Newton and other Disney executives. In a video posted by journalist Christopher Rufo in March 2022, Disney Television Animation Executive Producer Latoya Raveneau admitted to a “not-so-secret gay agenda” for children’s programming and “adding queerness” wherever she could.
