Disney is reportedly pulling back on its diversity, equity and inclusion policies — the latest major company to walk back the woke initiatives amid pressure from activist investors and the Trump administration.
The media giant — which saw its bottom line hurt by the battle over Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill — quietly dropped its “Reimagine Tomorrow” program from the DEI section of its 2024 SEC 10-K report, according to a recent regulatory filing
The program, which was mentioned in its 2023 report, has a mission statement of “amplifying underrepresented voices and features some of Disney’s DE&I commitments and action,” according to its website.
The initiative promised 50% of regular and recurring characters across the Disney universe would come from “underrepresented groups.”
The program sparked outrage in 2022 when a company-wide Zoom call was leaked on social media.
One Disney executive touted her “not at all secret gay agenda” at the company, while another boasted that the company was ditching the words “ladies, gentlemen, boys, and girls” at its theme parks in order to not alienate transgender children.
Although the program’s website is still up and running, Stefan Padfield, director of the Free Enterprise Project for the National Center for Public Policy Research, told Fox News Digital on Monday that its exclusion from the SEC filing could signal change at the Mouse House.
“Disney dropping [Reimagine Tomorrow] from their DEI section could mean they’re walking back their DEI investments, or it could signal they’re hiding them,” Padfield said. “Either they recognize that more litigation is coming, or it could be part of a vibe shift.”
The company has also dropped its “The Disney Look” appearance guidelines from the DEI section in its SEC filing.
The 2023 SEC filing stated that the guidelines were “updated to cultivate a more inclusive environment that encourages and celebrates authentic expressions of belonging among employees.”
Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Disney’s DEI policies were in part a reaction to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” law, which barred the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation for kids in public schools.
President Trump recently ordered an end to DEI in the federal government and for its contractors, which includes many private companies.
Meanwhile, companies are also under pressure from conservative critics who say DEI programs are discriminatory against non-minorities.
Corporations such as Meta and John Deere have rolled back their DEI programs, while others like Apple and Costco have pushed back. Google, GM, Intel, Pepsi, Comcast, Philip Morris and others have softened or deleted their DEI language.
“Where is your data that shows DEI serves the bottom line?” Padfield asked of companies that still employ DEI measures.
“The concern about the scrutiny about these questions is built into this movement we’re seeing across companies. The Trump administration announced they’ll investigate nine companies for their DEI practices, and you’re seeing corporations scramble to not be among those nine,” he said.
The DEI battle is also being fought in the courtroom.
On Friday, Target was hit with a class-action suit, after shareholders alleged the retail giant misled investors about the risks of its DEI initiatives, which led consumers to boycott and its stock price to tank.
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