Thursday, March 24, 2022

Disney employees protest over company donations to ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill backers in Florida


LGBTQ Disney employees and their allies staged a walkout from various departments and products to protest the company’s donations to the Republican legislators behind Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill

If signed into law, the bill will allow homophobic or transphobic parents to sue school districts if gender identity or sexual orientation is brought up in any way in K–3 classrooms. This can include something as innocuous as referring to a student’s queer parents … or, presumably, to a gay Disney character like that iconic Onward cop.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek apologized after initially dismissing employee concerns over the company’s GOP donations, but walkout organizers insist the company must publicly commit to an actionable plan that protects employees from hateful legislation, including stopping Disney’s efforts to relocate its California-based staff to Florida.

One such employee is Oscar Isaac, star of Disney’s upcoming Moon Knight television series. Isaac was very blunt when speaking to Variety about the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. “I guess my comment would be: gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gayyyyyy!” Isaac said.

“It’s an absolutely ridiculous law,” he continued. “It’s insane. It’s insanity. And I hope that Disney as a company comes out as forcefully as possible against this idea. It’s astounding that it even exists in this country.” Isaac’s Moon Knight co-star Ethan Hawke agreed.

Biden’s Administration issued a strong statement against this legislation pending in Florida. The Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, has slammed Florida’s pending “Don’t Say Gay” legislation proposed by Republicans, saying it tells LGBTQ kids or those with LGBTQ parents there’s something wrong with them.

Students at high schools across Florida also walked out of their classes to send a message to their communities and, they hoped, to lawmakers in Tallahassee, in opposition to “Don’t Say Gay” bill and that it’s okay to be gay.

Stop DeSantis proposal!!!



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