Disney appears to be quietly distancing itself from the corporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movement, removing the term from both a major employee event and its annual business report for the first time in years, according to internal communications obtained by Business Insider.
The leaked email described Disney’s recent “Global Belonging Week,” a companywide initiative featuring livestreamed talks billed as efforts to “empower and inspire” employees.
But unlike similar events in past years, this one avoided the once-ubiquitous language of “diversity,” “equity,” or “DEI.” Instead, the event relied heavily on softer terminology such as “belonging” and “inclusion” — phrasing many companies now use as public appetite for DEI messaging diminishes, according to the report.
The shift was also evident in Disney’s latest annual business report.
For the first time since 2019, Disney removed references to “diversity,” “inclusion,” “diversity, equity and inclusion,” and “DEI” altogether, BI reported. The only appearance of the term “equity” was in a purely financial sense, not as part of the DEI acronym.
This marks a sharp break from the company’s 2024 SEC filing, which included an entire section dedicated to DEI initiatives and goals.
The 2024 report had framed DEI work as an effort to “employ and support a diverse array of voices” within Disney’s creative teams. But earlier this year, under growing investor pressure, Disney dismantled two high-profile DEI programs: the “Reimagine Tomorrow” initiative and “The Disney Look” guidelines.
Both had been centerpieces of the company’s cultural messaging but had also fueled criticism from shareholders and some consumers who viewed them as ideological overreach.
According to workplace strategist Mita Mallick, quoted by Business Insider, the disappearance of DEI language reflects a broader corporate trend.
“Out of all the words, ‘diversity’ and ‘equity’ are words that people are staying away from,” she said, noting companies are replacing DEI branding with less politically charged terms like “belonging” and “culture.”
Conservatives have long raised concerns about Disney’s use of DEI as a vehicle for progressive social messaging. The company faced widespread scrutiny in 2022 when leaked video from its “Reimagine Tomorrow” summit showed executives discussing efforts to increase LGBTQ+ content, with one top official openly touting a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda.”
Disney is not alone in recalibrating its public posture.
A May analysis by Gravity Research found DEI-related language in corporate documents has dropped 72% year over year — and references to “DEI” specifically have collapsed by 98% across Fortune 100 companies.
Even adjacent terms like “belonging” and “diverse perspectives,” which surged in popularity in recent years, have now declined 34%.
A report from The Conference Board also found more than half of S&P 100 companies altered their DEI messaging in 2025, signaling a sweeping retreat from the once-fashionable corporate priority.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
