Our Cast Members are an important part of the fabric of all aspects of our community. In what ways does the PRIDE group participate in that involvement and why is it important for Disney to have such a significant presence at such events? The most recent example is the AIDS Walk Orlando.ĭisney always has a strong presence at Orlando’s annual Come Out With Pride festivities each October. We also do projects with the other Diversity Resource Groups at Walt Disney World, which represent the diversity of our Cast and the Central Florida community. In addition to meetings, volunteer projects and networking events, we provide resources to Cast on our intranet, which helps us grow and strengthen our support network.
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We’ve given Cast Members opportunities to learn about the LGBT community, advocate, be allies and pursue career development opportunities.
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MICHAEL JUNGEN: The resources PRIDE provides are focused on helping every Cast Member be their authentic self at work and in our community. WATERMARK: What type of resources does the PRIDE group offer to cast members-both LGBT and non? Speaking to us by email, Jungen explained the role Disney’s LGBT employee group serves in the company’s corporate philosophies, why workplace inclusivity is important, and how the PRIDE group plans to participate in this year’s Gay Days Weekend. In his “extra-curricular” role as the PRIDE executive champion, Jungen provides support and guidance to the group, helping the group form relationships within the company while encouraging Disney’s various departments to use the group as a business resource. As a director of experience development, Jungen’s primary role with Disney finds him utilizing emerging technologies to enhance guests’ experiences. To learn more about Disney’s PRIDE group, we spoke to the group’s executive champion, Michael Jungen. By becoming the most powerful gay man in Central Florida, Kalogridis has created a newfound interest in the company’s LGBT employee group-not only by cast members both gay and straight, but also by outsiders, like us, as well. Released in December, 2011, the video opens with then-Disneyland Resort President George Kalogridis addressing “anyone who has ever been bullied, teased, or harassed for being different.” Kalogridis was recently appointed president of Walt Disney World, overseeing its 66,000 cast members. One of the PRIDE group’s biggest endeavors was in creating a “It Gets Better” video as part of The Trevor Project’s campaign against bullying. And while becoming involved can certainly provide an employee benefits, Disney considers these groups more of an employee resource, much like training opportunities and information shared on the company’s intranet, that can be useful both on the job and in life.ĭisney’s Diversity Resource Groups include: CastABLE, focused on differently-abled cast members and their allies HOLA, which promotes Hispanic/Latino heritage PULSE, dedicated to the development of cast members of African descent FAMILIES, for parents, caregivers, potential parents and those impacted by parental interests in the workplace VINTAGE, for older cast members and PRIDE (People Respecting Individual Diversities in Everyone), which provides resources, learning opportunities and a supportive network to gay, lesbian and ally cast members. The clubs focus on individual populations represented in Disney’s workforce. Walt Disney World employees, or “cast members” in Disney-speak, are encouraged to participate in the company’s Diversity Resource Groups. Also considered in HRC’s scoring system is a company’s public commitment to, and responsible citizenship towards, its LGBT employees. Disney received top marks for its employment benefits for workers and their spouses/partners, as well as offering transgender-inclusive health insurance. The Walt Disney Company is currently ranked one of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, a media group dedicated to promoting the business value of diversity-management initiatives.Ĭloser to home, the Human Rights Campaign recently awarded Disney a perfect score of 100 in its most recent Corporate Equality Index.
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The Mouse House’s efforts in establishing and maintaining corporate leadership and an employee base representative of the diverse communities it serves has not gone unnoticed. While Gay Day at Walt Disney World has always been an “unofficial” event at the resort, what has become official is The Disney Company’s increased commitment to diversity.