Halloween costume shopping at the Disney Store online will be different for parents this year, as costumes will no longer carry labels as to whether these are meant for little boys or little girls.
According to The Mary Sue, the store has opted not to group Halloween costumes by gender. In the past, Disney costumes were usually separated and labeled as either "For Girls" or "For Boys." But now, all the costumes are simply labeled "For Kids."
Fairy tale dresses based on Cinderella or Snow White, or superhero costumes like Spider-Man, can be browsed under the same section, thus removing any gender marketing. For parents browsing the site with their children, it opens up a lot of options as they can choose to buy any costume they want. After all, the idea of "dressing up" and wearing a costume for Halloween is not supposed to be defined by gender, as pointed out by The Mary Sue.
The move comes after Target, another retail store, announced it will be removing gender signs and labels.
"Right now, our teams are working across the store to identify areas where we can phase out gender-based signage to help strike a better balance. For example, in the kids' Bedding area, signs will no longer feature suggestions for boys or girls, just kids. In the Toys aisles, we'll also remove reference to gender, including the use of pink, blue, yellow or green paper on the back walls of our shelves," Target said in its press release.
This decision is just the beginning for increasing and influencing gender awareness and similar issues, according to Time Magazine and with Disney following suit, it is expected that advertisers, other retail stores and brands will also consider making changes.
Meanwhile, in addition to removing the gender tags, the Disney Store has also started offering Avengers and Star Wars action figures in its toys section for girls, while plush dolls, including female characters like Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse, are now found at the toys section for boys.
The push for removing gender marketing has long been an issue among brands. But some parents are taking a stand, such as the father who allowed his child to pick out a "Little Mermaid" doll at a toy store and posted a video of it.
"I let my boy choose their life, that's how mama and I, that's how we are," a dad, Mikki Willis, said in the video. "Azai is equally fascinated by princesses and robots. One moment he's all boy, the next he's expressing a softer, more angelic side. For me this behavior rings more authentic than playing one note all the time," he added.
