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The Los Angeles Pride Parade took place on Sunday, marking the first event in two years due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Disneyland joined the celebration again this year, driving an original Disneyland omnibus vehicle down the parade route. Disney Legend Bob Gurr was aboard the bus, which he helped design in the 1950s. @cheltonjim on Twitter shared a video of the omnibus among excited Pride-goers:
The one & only Bob Gurr is here celebrating #LAPride! So excited to be here with Disney!
The one & only Bob Gurr is here celebrating #LAPride! So excited to be here with Disney! pic.twitter.com/gjI6w1xX64
— 👨🏻💻🏳️🌈Chelton in PRIDE Mode🪩✨ (@cheltonjm) June 12, 2022
Bob Gurr helped Walt Disney design Disneyland and is responsible for some of the Park’s most beloved attractions, like the Autotopia vehicles and the Omnibus itself.
Related: Disney Legend Bob Gurr to Discuss Creating The Haunted Mansion on Facebook Live
In 1981, Gurr retired from Disney and opened an animatronic firm, Gurr Design, Inc. Later, he opened the Sequoia Collective with another former Imagineer, Dave Schweninger.
Disneyland’s Pride parade float comes amid a flurry of Pride Month celebrations at Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Walt Disney World Resort.
Related: Disneyland Paris Gives Iconic Ride a Rainbow Makeover For Pride
This year, Disney debuted its first-ever officially titled “Pride” merchandise collection, with 100% of the proceeds going to organizations that help support LGBTQIA+ youth through June 30. Previously, Disney Pride collections were called “Rainbow Disney.”
This follows the controversy between The Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. In late February 2022, the Florida legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis introduced the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, officially titled “The Parental Rights in Education Act.”
Members of the LGBTQIA+ community were frustrated with Disney’s response, which doesn’t directly mention or condemn Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Pixar staff wrote The Walt Disney Company a letter asking the company to take a stronger stance against the bill.
One day later, The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to tell him that Disney does not support the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which was later passed and signed into law. Disney promised to pause political donations in Florida due to the controversial bill after donating $4.8 million to Florida campaign funds in 2020.
DeSantis allegedly warned The Walt Disney Company not to get involved with the law, saying it wouldn’t go well for them. He quickly made good on his word, introducing and passing legislation to dissolve Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, effective in 2023.
The Reedy Creek Improvement District was initially established in 1967 as a part of The Reedy Creek Improvement Act, allowing Walt Disney World to install and run its own government services surrounding its theme parks in Orlando. This prevented local taxpayers from paying for municipal services such as fire protection, water, roads, electrical power, etc.
Insiders suggest Governor Ron DeSantis plans to introduce a specially appointed committee to operate the former Reedy Creek Improvement District when it dissolves in 2023.
Additionally, Republicans around the United States have introduced legislation to revoke other legal privileges held by The Walt Disney Company, like No-Fly Zones over the Disney Parks and copyright protections that protect characters like Mickey Mouse.
With a float at Los Angeles Pride, The Walt Disney Company stands firm in supporting LGBTQIA+ fans and Cast Members.
What do you think of the omnibus at L.A. Pride? Let us know in the comments!