Disney sponsored their first official LGBTQ+ Pride Nite as part of their Disneyland After Dark event schedule at the original Disneyland park in Anaheim, California, last week. According to attendees, it was everything and more.
That more might be thanks in particular to two kooky characters who absolutely slayed.
It was quite a festive sight seeing overjoyed guests that included drag queens, gay couples in their finest Disney-bounding outfits, and same-sex parents with their kids wearing matching rainbow attire walking down Main Street USA.
The park ditched the usual turn-of-the-century background music guests hear on Main Street during normal hours for club beats and tunes like Cher's "Believe" and Shania Twain's, "Man! I Feel Like a Woman."
Even Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy were seen showing off their colorful Pride outfits.
But the ones who stole the spotlight were Clarabelle Cow and Chip–the cheeky chipmunk who is usually spotted with his pal Dale.
Clarabelle and Chip turned it OUT in the cavalcade of dancers and characters bedecked and choreographed just for the event.
It was definitely a fierce sight to witness.
You can watch the TikTok videos here featuring the beloved characters who can sashay and twirl with the best of them on the club floors of West Hollywood.
First, let's take a look at Chip sissying that walk and waving a streamer.
TikTokers shouted a unanimous "yaaaas!" for Chip's voguing–a dance style popularized by ballroom culture created by LGBTQ+ Black and Latino dancers.
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And here's Clarabelle giving us some fabulous mooooo-ves.
Clarabelle Cow was first introduced as a Disney character in the 1930s film The Shindig and has become known as Minnie's bestie.
Thanks to Pride Nite, the once obscure character rose to viral status and was instantly heralded as a "rising queer icon."
TikTokers were hardly surprised.
She's been seen before werking and twerking.
TikTokers continued to agree.
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Right before the festivities concluded at 1 a.m., the characters gave revelers a final dance party on the steps of the Town Square train station.
Clarabelle was prominently featured at centerstage–where she belonged.
TikToker @disway800 wrote in the caption:
"Clarabelle Cow wins Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite!"
Hands down.
The category was clearly handed to her.
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@disway800/TikTok
Up until this first historic celebration at the beloved park that welcomes visitors and families of all kinds throughout the year, LGBTQ+ members and allies have attended the unofficial "Gay Days" at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Identifying guests typically wore red shirts during the loosely organized celebration to boost visibility.
The first documented Gay Days was a week-long event alleged to have taken place at Disney World in June 1991 before it inspired similar events at Disneyland by third party organizers and travel agencies.
Disneyland has now officially entered the ring to support the LGBTQ+ community with two sold-out special ticketed events as part of the Disneyland After Dark event series, which took place after regular park hours last Tuesday and Thursday.
Here's a montage clip from Thursday evening's Disneyland After Hours Pride Nite 2023—courtesy of footage taken and posted by yours truly.
Worthy of mention is the fact that it was California's Disneyland—not Florida's Disney World—to be the only domestic Disney park to host Pride Nite.
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom attended Tuesday night's Pride Nite and was heard cheering at the conclusion of a special fireworks show.
His attendance at the event was in stark contrast to the behavior exhibited by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis has spewed homophobic rhetoric and has instituted hateful policies against marginalized groups.
He also waged a political war against the Walt Disney company after its former CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law—a measure that bans any discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity through certain grades at Florida schools which DeSantis signed into law.
Disney publicly spoke out against the bill after facing pressure from employees.
