U.S. News
Disney LGBTQ staff stage walkouts over Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- A group of Disney employees has organized a series of walkouts to protest Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
- Officially known as the Parental Rights in Education bill, it was passed by GOP state lawmakers but has not yet been signed into law.
- Disney CEO Chapek said the company’s leadership “unequivocally stand” with its LGBTQ+ employees.
Disney employees are staging protests this week over Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, which is more popularly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
GOP state lawmakers passed the bill early this month. The controversial bill prohibits all discussion of sexuality and gender identity in schools. The bill is expected to be signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Last week, Disney and its CEO, Bob Chapek, criticized the bill in an internal staff email. However, refusing to publicly condemn the bill prompted staged walkouts from LGBTQ+ staff members.
In the email, Chapek assured Disney’s LGBTQ+ employees that the management “unequivocally stands” with them. But issuing corporate statements “do very little to change outcomes or minds”, the CEO added, and “are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame”.
Disney in Florida has more than 75,000 employees and many of them condemned Chapek’s silence. He responded by saying that “Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was.
“You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry,” he said. Chapek promised that Disney will be “pausing all political donations in the state of Florida”.
Disney employees have been staging 15-minute walkouts and “sickouts” daily since then., according to the Twitter page @DisneyWalkout launched in response to the bill. On March 22, they plan to make a full-day walkout.
In an open letter on the accompanying website, WhereIsChapek.com, Disney employees criticized Disney’s leadership, saying: “As a community, 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.”
Disney-owned Marvel Studios condemned the bill and said that it “proudly” stands with the LGBTQ+ community, pledging continuous support.
The “Don’t Say Gay” bill will implement “procedures to reinforce fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing and control of their children”.
The bill allows parents to sue school boards if they believe policies overstep that “fundamental right.” It also bans teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ topics with children in kindergarten through third grade.
Source: The Guardian
ox
March 20, 2022 at 6:41 pm
I could care less if Woke Disney shut down permanently, after what they did to Gina Carano. Woke Disney is over priced anyway.
2004done
March 20, 2022 at 7:25 pm
But then they couldn’t continue poisoning young minds with ‘Introduction to Depravity, Money Making Episode One through fifty-eight
2004done
March 20, 2022 at 6:57 pm
I’d like to see exactly what the protest signs say: ‘Parental Rights in Education bill’ OR ‘Don’t say Gay bill?’ I wouldn’t be surprised that most protestors didn’t even know what they are being riled up over.
Nick Newton
March 22, 2022 at 10:42 pm
That is totally RIGHT. THERE IS NO such BILL it has been debunked so many times to even talk about such stupid ideas they should all understand they are being brain washed totally. It is good they walked off the job for several reasons; ONE DISNEY is a pedo field totally and has for years corrupted and twisted every good thing in DISNEY WORLD. It is nothing but a corrupted sea of criminal activity. I do hope they will be closed in the near future when all their activity is shown to the WORLD! I can only say please do not take your kids there!
Rat Wrangler
March 20, 2022 at 6:58 pm
While the preamble of the bill uses the words “prohibits all discussion of sexuality and gender identity”, it follows it with “in certain grade levels or in a specified manner,” rather than demanding a total prohibition. The bill itself goes on to say that teachers may not instruct the younger students, up to third grade, in these matters. It does not prohibit questions about such things, or informal discussions about sexuality or gender identity. The main push of the bill seems to be to get the school systems to stop cutting parents out of the decision process and the information flow. Perhaps these Disney employees should read the bill itself. It’s only seven pages long in the .docx format, so it shouldn’t take most of them long to read it.
PATTY
March 20, 2022 at 7:25 pm
THE PARENTS OF “ALL” CHILDREN SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONES DECIDING ON HOW THEIR CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT???????? THESE CHILDREN DO NOT BELONG TO A GENERAL POPULATION!!!!! THESE CHILDREN ARE MEMBERS OF FAMILIES…..WHO BROUGHT THEM INTO THIS WORLD AND THEIR UP BRINGING METHODS ARE THE RIGHTS OF THE PARENTS!!!!! THIS IS NOT A COMMUNIST COUNTRY WHERE THE CHILDREN BLEONG TO THE GOVERNMENT?????? THE PARENTS FEED, CLOTHE, AND EDUCATE, ETC; THEY MAKE THE DECISIONS!!!!!! WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE PUSHING THIS ON CHILDREN????? WAS IT FORCED ON THEM???? “OR” WAS THIS THEIR OWN DECISION?????? WHO ARE THEY TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR OTHERS????????? I DO NOT CARE WHAT OTHERS CHOOSE FOR THEIR SELVES…..JUST DO NOT INSIST THAT EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD BE LIKE THEM???????????? WE “ALL” SHOULD HAVE OUR OWN CHOICES……NOT ONES FORCED????
Fernandina Ivanyo
March 28, 2022 at 2:25 pm
No place, no time in school to waste on ridiculous subjects using taxpayer money. School is to teach math, reading etc, etc,…. Not for non sense stuff which should be left for kids to decide when they’re old enough to understand. I’m glad my kids are grown I don’t think I could handle this non sense thrown at young inocente minds.
Fernandina Ivanyo
March 28, 2022 at 2:30 pm
Pls don’t waste your time, kids time in school on ridiculous subjects using taxpayer money. School is to teach math, reading etc, etc,…. Not for non sense stuff which should be left for kids to decide when they’re old enough to understand. I’m glad my kids are grown I don’t think I could handle this non sense thrown at young inocente minds. Leave kids alone, let them focus on the important subjects stop distracting them.
OrlandoRican
March 21, 2022 at 8:13 am
ALL parents should boycott anything having the Disney label.
Vicko
March 21, 2022 at 10:28 am
Let the walk. Then fire them.
Thomas
March 22, 2022 at 9:21 am
Hate to see you go but don’t let the door hit you in the a– on the way out.
John
March 23, 2022 at 4:45 am
I agree with all that has already been said. China owns Disney. I want no part of it. Hope they go bankrupt and shut the door forever.
Fernandina Ivanyo
March 28, 2022 at 2:24 pm
No place, no time in school to waste on ridiculous subjects using taxpayer money. School is to teach math, reading etc, etc,…. Not for non sense stuff which should be left for kids to decide when they’re old enough to understand. I’m glad my kids are grown I don’t think I could handle this non sense thrown at young inocente minds.