On February 25th, 2022, the Florida House of Representatives passed the so-called "Don’t Say Gay" bill, which is currently on the agenda for the Florida Senate for Monday. If it passes there, it will land on Governor Ron DeSantis’ desk. Disney fans, who know about the company's cultural power and how lawmakers can use transphobic stories to make law, called on the company to take a stand. But The Walt Disney Company, on Friday, March 4th, 2022, responded to these calls for action over the Florida House of Representatives' passage of a "Don’t Say Gay" bill, which would limit what classrooms can teach about sexual orientation and gender, by sidestepping the issue, per The Wrap.The "Don't Say Gay" bill, officially called the Parental Rights in Education bill, not only outlaws teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through Grade 3 "or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards," but it also allows parents to sue schools and individual teachers who engage in these topics.Instead of responding to the bill's content, which has drawn protests from Florida students statewide who walked out of their classrooms this week, Disney did not directly address the law and instead recommitted itself more broadly to LGBTQ+ rights. The statement begins:
We understand how important this issue is to our LGBTQ+ employees and many others. For nearly a century, Disney has been a unifying force that brings people together. We are determined that it remains a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
Disney's statement comes one day after significant advocacy organizations staged a protest outside the Walt Disney World Resort, including the LGBT rights advocacy organization SAVE and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Along with hundreds of protestors, the organizations called on Disney to publicly denounce the bill. Still, the Mouse declined—however, considering that Chick-Fil-A CEO Dan Cathy plays a significant part in making everyone's favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, maybe this shouldn't come as a surprise to fans. The statement from Disney continues:
The biggest impact we can have in creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create here, and the diverse community organizations we support, including those representing the LGBTQ+ community.
Bob Iger Calls the 'Don't Say Gay' Bill a 'Hateful Bill'
On February 25th, the day that the Florida House of Representatives passed the bill, the former Disney CEO Bob Iger tweeted his support of President Joe Biden’s statement labeling it a "hateful bill" that put LGBTQ+ youth at risk.
"I’m with the President on this!" Iger wrote of the legislation.
Just beneath Iger's tweet was a comment, "Disney has made multiple donations to the campaign of the person who wrote this bill. It’s disheartening to see the company profiting off of messaging and merchandise supposedly in support of the LGBTQ community yet contribute to that same community’s oppression." Followed by another from Florida Democrat Anna V. Eskamani, saying, "If only current leadership of Disney would speak up!"
However, Disney reportedly donated money to every sponsor and co-sponsor of the "Don’t Say Gay" bill. One of the sponsors that Disney cut a check to, according to the Orlando Sentinel, "Ocala Republican Dennis Baxley, has backed anti-gay legislation for years — including laws to prevent gay couples from adopting kids who otherwise wouldn’t have a family at all. Baxley once compared kids who live with same-sex parents to kids raised by alcoholics and abusers and later said: 'I’m not phobic, but I simply can’t affirm homosexuality.'"
Since Bob Chapek took charge, Disney's government relations have changed. Previously, they were overseen by retired general counsel Alan Braverman, but are now under the purview of new chief of corporate affairs officer Geoff Morrell, a former George W. Bush appointee to the Defense Department. When The Wrap asked for comment, Morrell said:
"Whatever Bob’s personal politics are, he’s not an activist and does not bring any partisan agenda to work. He sees himself first and foremost as the custodian of a unifying brand that for nearly a century has been bringing people together, and he is determined that Disney remain a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect."
While Chapek is busy putting his own stamp on company culture, his critics say that he is making a loud and clear statement to his LGBTQ+ cast members and fans that their rights don't matter as much as the company's tax incentives. Eskamani said the companies’ priorities are clear, "The business lobby seems more focused on securing tax breaks … than living up to their so-called corporate values of inclusivity."