Disney Postpones Management Retreat As CEO Bob Chapek Continues To Account For Company’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Response
22.03.2022 - 00:55
/ deadline.com
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.
News of the postponement came as Disney CEO Bob Chapek conducted a town hall meeting today for all employees. The exec is continuing to try to put the company on more stable footing after its response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill met with fierce backlash internally and in influential pockets of the talent community. Each of the company’s three major content suppliers – Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm – have been publicly critical of the company’s handling of the situation.
During the town hall, Chapek repeated his expression of regret about the company’s decision not to take a public stance against the bill, given the large number of its employees it affected. According to one attendee, Chapek conceded that Disney’s silence wasn’t just about Florida. He agreed that the company should stand up more for the LGBTQ+ community in pursuit of more meaningful and lasting change.
The Parental Rights in Education bill has passed the Florida legislature and awaits the signature of Gov. Ron DeSantis. Labeled as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents, the legislation effectively bans discussion or teaching about the LGBTQ+ community and “sexual orientation or gender identity” in the state’s public school system from kindergarten to the third grade.
Earlier this month, in an email to employees, Chapek apologized to workers for “letting you down” by not being more of an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. The email came two days after the company’s annual shareholder meeting, during which Chapek explained that the company had long opposed the
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