Transgender influencer refuses to eat meal at Disney World because waiter accidentally called her 'sir'
Transgender woman Lilly Contino has racked up hundreds of thousands of followers for documenting her transition online.
She recently took to Instagram and TikTok to share her dismay after a staff member at the Happiest Place On Earth addressed her as 'sir' by mistake.
She was eating Tiffins Restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park and the waiter was explaining the first course when he used the male pronoun.
Despite the employee instantly apologizing, Lilly explained in her video about the incident that she 'no longer felt safe' at the restaurant.
She ultimately decided she didn't want to eat there anymore because she knew she wouldn't 'enjoy' the food with her 'guard up.'
The content creator ended up not having to pay for the food or her drink, but the interaction left some viewers disgruntled.
In the now-viral video, Lilly was seen sitting at the table as the waiter brought out her first course, the $18 Tiffins Signature Bread Service.
But as the waiter was explaining where all the different breads came from, he called Lilly, who was wearing a blue, cropped tank top, white jean shorts, and pink Minnie ears with a bow, 'sir.'
'It's coconut bread from Thailand?' Lilly asked, to which the waiter replied, 'Yes sir.'
'It's ma'am,' Lilly quickly corrected him.
'Ma'am, I'm sorry. My bad sir,' the flustered waiter said.
Afterwards, Lilly reflected on the moment to the camera, explaining, 'That totally sucked the joy out of this bread tower.
'It makes me want to immediately leave because I no longer feel safe here. Now my guard has to be up.
'I'm not gonna enjoy this bread as much because my guard is up. We should be able to go places and not have to worry.'
The video then cut to Lilly flagging down a waiter, and telling them, 'I don't think I want this bread tower, actually, I'd rather have the check if that's okay.'
'I think their training says they're supposed to say "friend" and not used gendered language, it's a pretty big thing that Disney has done,' Lilly told the camera in another clip.
'Nothing was wrong with the bread, I just don't want it anymore. Just because they apologized doesn't mean [I] don't feel sad or offended.
'Have you accidentally ever hurt someone and said, "I'm so sorry, it's an accident?" Do you expect them to be like, "Oh, it was an accident, of course, no problem whatsoever. All of that hurt is now undone." That's not how it works.'
It appeared that Lilly didn't have to pay for the uneaten bread or her soda.
In one final clip, a staff member at the restaurant was heard apologizing to Lilly once again, before he told her that her drink was 'also on him,' seemingly confirming the bread was free too.
'They meant well but it still hurts,' Lilly captioned the clip.
In March 2022, it was announced that Disney World staff members, as well recordings throughout the parks, would no longer include 'gendered greetings' like 'boys and girls' or 'ladies and gentleman.'
Instead, they opted for gender neutral terms such as, 'Hello, everyone,' or, 'Hello, friends.'
'We don't want to just assume because someone might be, in our interpretation, presenting as female, that they may not want to be called "princess,"' Disney's diversity and inclusion manager Vivian Ware said in a leaked conference call with employees.
'So let's think differently about how do we really engage with our guests in a meaningful and inclusive way that makes it magical and memorable for everyone,' she added.
Lilly's interaction with the waiter has since gone viral, gaining million of views on both of her platforms.
And while some viewers were on her side, many were quick to slam her.
'The waiter was genuinely sincere and apologized,' one user pointed out.
'I understand that being misgendered can be painful, and everyone deserves respect. But it's also important to recognize that not every mistake is meant to offend,' another added.
'Most people are just responding to what they perceive based on appearance and voice - it's not always intentional or hateful.
'Expecting strangers to immediately identify you the way you see yourself, especially without any communication, isn't realistic.
Lilly's interaction with the waiter has since gone viral, gaining million of views on both of her platforms. And while some viewers were on her side, many were quick to slam her
'Filming these interactions and publicly calling people out for honest mistakes doesn't build understanding - it alienates people who might otherwise be willing to listen and learn.'
'Patience and acceptance goes both ways,' someone else wrote.
'The waiter literally apologized. GROW UP,' a fourth comment read.
A fifth said, 'So they went through all that trouble to make that [bread] just for you to return it because u were misgendered.
'Now they have to throw it out. Honestly, how do you sleep at night?'
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