Disney has issued a statement following the signing of Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law.
09.03.2022 - 23:01 / deadline.com
Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek finally came out swinging against Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, telling shareholders at the annual meeting today that the company had always opposed it but opted to work behind the scenes to try to influence lawmakers.
That has appeared to be unsuccessful. “I understand our political approach, no matter how well intentioned, didn’t quite get the job done,” the chief executive said. He said Disney is signing a petition against such bills across the country and donating $5 million for work to protect the LGBTQ+ community. Chapek also said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has agreed to meet with him and some of the company’s LGBTQ+ employees in Florida. “I look forward to visiting with the governor with a small delegation of cast members who are involved in this movement.”
The bill would effectively ban discussion of the LGBTQ+ community and “sexual orientation or gender identity” in the state’s public schools from kindergarten to 3rd grade. Chapek’s silence on the legislation was deafening and a statement earlier this week drew condemnation in and outside the company with its promise to hold “a more fulsome conversation about this” at a company-wide summit planned for April, — by which time the proposal may well have been signed into law by DeSantis.
Chapek made his comments in a bit of a fake-out, not at the top of show but after he’d finished lengthy prepared remarks with no mention of the controversy, and after Disney’s general counsel invited shareholders with questions to queue up electronically at the virtual meeting. “I’d like to take moment to address some concerns I’ve heard from many about the legislation impacting the LGTQ+ community in Florida,” he said.
“While we have been strong
Disney has issued a statement following the signing of Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signed the controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, into law.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a new law that bans instruction of gender identity and sexual orientation for public school children from Kindergarten to the third grade, drawing condemnation from one of the state’s largest employers, The Walt Disney Co.
Ethan Shanfeld As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law on Monday, The Walt Disney Company issued a statement vowing to help repeal the controversial legislation.“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” the statement reads.
Academy Awards in Los Angeles came in the opening monologue, when Wanda Sykes — one of the trio of hosts for the show — took a thinly veiled jab at Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill that passed a Republican-controlled state legislature earlier this month.“We’re going to have a great night tonight,” said the openly gay Sykes. “And for you people in Florida, we’re going to have a gay night.”She and fellow hosts Amy Schumer and Regina Hall then repeated the word “gay" multiple times, as many in the crowd such as Denzel Washington and Nicole Kidman smiled and applauded in delight.The bill, which passed earlier this month and has been staunchly defended by Gov.
Oscar Isaac may be in the midst of promoting a new Disney series, but that doesn’t mean he’ll hold back criticism of the company’s corporate response to Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” legislation.
LGBTQ+ Walt Disney Company employees and their allies put on a “full stage” walkout Tuesday at various corporate locations across the U.S. to protest what they see as a “lame” and “inadequate” stance taken by the company and its CEO Bob Chapek to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida.
As many of its LGBTQ+ employees get set for a full-day walkout tomorrow, Disney has decided to postpone a management retreat set for next week as it continues efforts to calm the internal waters.
The Walt Disney Co. and CEO Bob Chapek are under fire for their perceived slow reaction to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that recently passed the Florida Senate. It now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is likely to sign it into law.
Pixar’s forthcoming Toy Story prequel Lightyear has put a same-sex kiss back following an internal backlash to Disney’s handling of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation.
“When we donate money to different political candidates, we have no idea how they’re going to vote going forward into the future,” said Disney CEO Bob Chapek at a shareholders meeting this past week.
Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek issued a memo to the company’s LGBTQ+ and ally employees apologizing over his handling of the controversy over the media conglomerate’s response to Florida HB 1557, colloquially known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.
As controversy continued to swirl around Disney’s stance on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the Hulk himself today tweeted praise for Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s statement in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek, amid criticism for declining to speak out against the Florida “Don’t Say Gay” bill, came out against the legislation on Wednesday, insisting the media conglomerate has been “opposed to the bill from the outset” and noted he would engage with Gov. Ron DeSantis on the legislation.
Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterThe Human Rights Campaign has rejected The Walt Disney Company’s donation to its efforts to protect LGBTQ+ rights, demanding that the company take “meaningful action” to combat Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation.“The Human Rights Campaign will not accept this money from Disney until we see them build on their public commitment and work with LGBTQ+ advocates to ensure that dangerous proposals, like Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ bill, don’t become dangerous laws,” Joni Madison, interim president of the HRC, said in a statement on Wednesday evening. “While Disney took a regrettable stance by choosing to stay silent amid political attacks against LGBTQ+ families in Florida — including hardworking families employed by Disney — today they took a step in the right direction.
awaits signature by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, prevents elementary school teachers from even acknowledging the existence of gay people, and is partly enforced by allowing parents to sue any school they believe has violated it.The Pixar employee letter, which is undated, was made public hours after Disney CEO Bob Chapek claimed during a shareholder meeting that the company had attempted behind the scenes to oppose the law — though of course it refused to take a public position on it even as the law appeared likely to pass.“We hoped that our company would show up for us.
Disney‘s Bob Chapek is breaking his silence amid backlash.
Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterDisney CEO Bob Chapek said Wednesday the company is pledging $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations protecting LGBTQ rights following backlash to the company’s initial quiet response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, as well as a report that the company has given money to all of the bill’s sponsors. Chapek, who is taking his first public stance against the bill, says he will also be meeting with Republican Gov.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek said on its shareholders meeting on Wednesday that he will be meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis along with other Disney LGBTQ+ leaders in order to discuss the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill that was passed in the state legislature this week.