Disney CEO apologizes for "Don't Say Gay" bill silence

Last week, the Florida Senate passed the "Parental Rights in Education" bill. The bill would ban conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity in primary school classrooms.

If this bill is signed into law it would come into effect 1 July, and schools would be required to shift their policies to meet the requirements by June 2023.

Many won't be surprised to hear that the Republican-led Senate faced staunch opposition from Democrats and LGBTQ+ rights supporters in passing this bill. The legislation has now been dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

The possible impact of the bill if it becomes law is unclear as it has been ambiguously: "A school district may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students."

With this bill being positioned as a way to silence the LGBTQ+ community, the likes of US President Biden have criticized it.

Nonetheless, some big brands remained silent while financially backing those lobbying for the bill to pass; one example is Disney. This stance has led to widespread criticism of the entertainment company.

Reaction to Disney's silence

A person familiar with Disney discussions in internal communications told Insider that during the silence: "There was much internal strife and outrage that there wasn't going to be a statement."

Externally, there was also debate, with Dana Terrace, creator of the Disney Channel’s 'The Owl House', commenting: "Working for this company has got me so distraught. And I hate, hate moral quandaries about how I feed myself and how I support my loved ones."

Benjamin Siemon, an LGBTQ+ writer and animator at Disney, also shared their personal experience during the silence on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/BenjaminJS/status/1500559810709712896?s=20&t=Q0TUlcGiBhGFtyDRKFx1AQ

Eventually, Disney CEO Bob Chapek responded to the situation: "Thank you to all who have reached out to me sharing your pain, frustration and sadness over the company’s response to the Florida 'Don’t Say Gay' bill.

"Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was.

"It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights. You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry.""It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights. You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry."

Chapek also pledged to make changes: "Starting immediately, we are increasing our support for advocacy groups to combat similar legislation in other states. We are hard at work creating a new framework for our political giving that will ensure our advocacy better reflects our values. And today, we are pausing all political donations in the state of Florida pending this review.

Nonetheless, he said: "But, I know there is so much more work to be done. I am committed to this work and to you all, and will continue to engage with the LGBTQ+ community so that I can become a better ally. You will hear more about our progress in the coming weeks."

Despite these comments, journalist Judd Legum reported that some of the creators within the beloved entertainment company want further change.

https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/1501728898865844225?s=20&t=Q0TUlcGiBhGFtyDRKFx1AQ

https://twitter.com/CultureCrave/status/1501753007150489607?s=20&t=FdfTktmHw6mEyrDPXqwsug

The leadership of LGBTQIA+ Employees of Pixar & Their Allies claimed that " Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disney’s behest, regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar."

While Disney is unlikely to lose its standing and monopoly in the entertainment world, this saga has revealed it is risking losing valued members of staff and the support of some viewers.

With this in mind, the company may need to readdress its censorship of creators, its inclusion initiatives, and the politicians it chooses to back.

UNLEASH has reached out to Disney but has yet to receive a response.