film / tv / substack / social media / lists / web / celeb / pajiba love / misc / about / cbr
film / tv / substack / web / celeb

disneyhalloween.jpg

Baby Steps, Right? Disney Makes Its First Degenderizing Move

By Cindy Davis | Miscellaneous | September 18, 2015 |

By Cindy Davis | Miscellaneous | September 18, 2015 |


The divide between “girl toys” and “boy toys” has long been a source of frustration for my family. Kids have always loved playing and imagining outside gender lines, and its well past time for both manufacturers and sellers to quit trying to corral interests with outdated, ill-defined roles. Everyone, take a deep breath and relax; it’s OK to color outside the lines.

A short while back, Target announced they’d make their toy and bedding sections gender neutral, and though there were a few twits(erers) complaining they’d be put out by not being told which toys to buy their kids, most of us were thrilled.

If they’re a little slow on the uptake, it would appear Disney is finally ready to start moving forward. Although their online shop still has the “Boys” and “Girls” headers, the Halloween costumes section now reads “Costumes for Kids”:

kidscostumes.jpg

whereas previous years, the stereotypical lines were drawn according to gender:

disgirlboy.jpg

It’s a small step, to be sure, but for a giant like Disney, it means something. Those little kids who wants to go trick-or-treating as something other than what convention has chosen for them may feel less restricted by the choices set before them in a particular slant.

Perhaps more exciting is the integration introduced under the genderized sections. Presumably (hopefully) those Boy/Girl headings will eventually disappear as well, but for now, the “I Am Awesome” theme features princesses under Boys “Action Packed Popular Picks,” and Hulk and Star Wars characters both appear under the “Girls” header:

Screen Shot 2015-09-18 at 9.31.45 AM.png

Let’s match Disney’s effort with a little restrained applause,

hermclap.gif

and patiently tap our feet until they’re ready to completely wipe the gender line separating toys away.
(via The Mary Sue)

Cindy Davis, (Twitter)