Disney Slammed for Epic PR Blunder on Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
Disney employees — ranging from characters in the theme parks to writers on their TV shows — are speaking out against their employer after reports the company donated money to politicians sponsoring the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The Florida Senate passed the legislation on Tuesday by just five votes. It previously contained a provision that would have forced teachers in Florida to notify parents of students’ sexual orientation, but that amendment was withdrawn. Now the bill bans “classroom instruction” on sexual orientation or gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade and teaching “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”
Disney donated nearly $200,000 over the course of two years to members of the Florida legislature that pushed forward the legislation, according to the government accountability news site Popular Information. A Disney representative did not respond to an inquiry from BuzzFeed News regarding the donation report.
On Wednesday, CNN reported Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced at a shareholders meeting that he had reached out to Gov. Ron DeSantis to convey that the company is disappointed and concerned. He also said Disney tried to work behind the scenes to oppose the bill and that the company would donate $5 million to LGBTQ rights organizations.
But earlier in the week, current and former Disney employees spoke out on social media to express their disappointment in tweets and videos, as well as in interviews. Even a descendant of Walt Disney’s has joined the outcry.
“If this bill was in place when I was growing up, I probably would not be here,” Franky Jr., a trans former cast member at Walt Disney World, told News Zoom Click.
Critics argue the law could strip vulnerable students their support systems by preventing any classroom discussion of gender or sexuality at any age, putting them at further risk of isolation and bullying. The bill, which allows parents to sue over these issues, could also open up already cash-strapped public schools to expensive lawsuits. It is now on DeSantis’ desk, and he has indicated he will sign it into law. It would go into effect July 1.
“If I were to have been outed to people I wasn’t ready to come out to back then and the school wasn’t a safe place for me, then there is no way I would have been able to come out in high school,” Franky Jr. added. “There is no way I would have been able to have a safety net or safe place to figure out who I am, figure out exactly what I like, exactly how I want to dress.”
Franky Jr. worked at the theme park off and on from 2015 to 2021. He said support from his fellow cast members is part of what encouraged him to medically transition and pursue hormone therapy.
Disney donating to politicians supporting the “Don’t Say Gay” bill doesn’t make sense, he said, because it would harm the cast members and their families who view the parks as an escape.
Disney has explicitly not spoken out on the bill. And in lieu of a statement to BuzzFeed News, a Disney spokesperson forwarded an email from CEO Bob Chapek that was sent to employees on Monday.
Chapek wrote that he and the leadership team support LGBTQ employees and their families and communities. But Disney has not issued a statement because “corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds.” Instead, he wrote, statements just divide.
But Abigail Disney, the grand-niece of Walt Disney who has been openly critical of the company, tweeted that Chapek is more worried about “right-wing backlash” than his fans or employees.
“The times for neutrality are long since over,” she tweeted. “That train has left the goddam station. What is Disney for? Is it for pretending what America is about, or it is for defining a vision for a world in which fantasy, love, kindness, decency and loyalty are bedrock values.”