Recently Florida passed the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, which was established to “forbid sexual orientation and gender identity instruction,” for students from kindergarten to third grade. On Tuesday, Disney employees staged a walkout in response to the company’s reaction to the bill. As a response, Disneyland and ESPN, shared statements, showing their support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
According to NBC News, Disney employees at corporate locations throughout the country participated in Tuesday’s walkout in response to the CEO’s initial response to the bill, which was passed earlier this month. Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s initial response was met with backlash after he reportedly said in the memo that the company could make a huge impact by “creating a more inclusive world through the inspiring content we produce.”
He then followed up with an apology on March 11th and said, “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.”
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He also vowed to halt all donations to elected officials within Florida.
Despite his apology, employees followed through with the walkout and said, “The recent statements and lack of action by TWDC [The Walt Disney Co.] leadership regarding the ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ bill have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation. We have been forced into an impossible and unsustainable position. We must now take action to convince TWDC to protect employees and their families in the face of such open and unapologetic bigotry.”
The walkout was not only done by its corporate employees, but also by some of its talent as well.
Raven Symoné shared a video of her and her “Raven’s Home” co-stars participating as in the walkout.
Disneyland shared a statement to their social media page in response and said, “We oppose any legislation that infringes on basic human rights, and stand in solidarity and support our LGBTQIA+ Cast, Crew, and Imagineers and fans who make their voices heard today and every day.”
ESPN, which is owned by Disney, also spoke out and said:
We'll continue to partner with organizations that support the LGBTQIA+ community, be accountable where we fall short of expectations, and never stop telling stories about LGBTQIA+ athletes, like the ones that we’ll be sharing in this thread.
— ESPN (@espn) March 22, 2022
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TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94
