There has been a lot of focus on Disney’s inclusion efforts recently.
From adding new company values to making Cast Member uniform requirements more inclusive, Disney has been increasingly prioritizing diversity and inclusion within the company. But, recent controversy has surrounded Disney’s donations to politicians who have supported Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, and today Disney CEO, Bob Chapek, shared what they will be doing moving forward to support the LGBTQ+ community now that the bill has passed the Florida Senate.
If you’re unfamiliar with the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and the surrounding controversy, you can start by reading our full post on the issue here.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT THE “DON’T SAY GAY” BILL AND DISNEY’S RESPONSE.
During Disney’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders today, Chapek was asked to comment on the company’s response to the bill and Chapek started by saying that “While we’ve been strong supporters of the community for decades, I know that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill.”
He went on to share that Disney was “opposed to the bill from the outset” and was lobbying privately against the legislation rather than taking a public position. He said that they felt that they “could be more effective working behind the scenes, engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle” but ultimately failed despite “weeks of effort.”
Now that the bill has passed the Florida Senate though, Chapek shared that he called Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis to express his disappointment earlier today and will be meeting with him to discuss the bill in the near future.
In his phone call with DeSantis, Chapek said that he expressed Disney’s “disappointment and concern that if [the] legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, nonbinary, and transgender kids and families.” According to Chapek, DeSantis was receptive to the concerns and agreed to meet with Chapek and other LGBTQ+ members of Disney’s senior team in Florida to “discuss ways to address them.”
Additionally, Chapek said that “Certainly, the outcome in Florida was not what many of us were hoping for” and announced that Disney will be signing the Human Rights campaign’s statement opposing legislative efforts like the one in Florida and donating $5 million towards the Human Rights Campaign and other LGBTQ+ organizations.
The company will also reassess their political giving in Florida and beyond along with their “approach to advocacy.”
Chapek ended his statement by saying that Disney is “committed to support the community going forward.”
Of course, we’ll keep an eye out for the latest updates now that the “Don’t Say Gay” bill has been sent to the desk of Governor Ron DeSantis for his signature so be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest!
Click here to read Chapek’s message to Disney Cast Members regarding the bill.
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Just like #MeToo, this reckoning needs to happen and is long overdue.