Disney finds itself in the political and cultural crosshairs over “Don’t Say Gay” bill

With some workers across the United States threatening a march on Tuesday, The Walt Disney Co. it is in an act of balancing the expectations of a diverse workforce with the demands of an increasingly polarized and politicized market.

On the one hand, there are LGBTQ advocates and Disney employees calling for a march in protest of CEO Bob Chapek’s slow response to publicly criticizing Florida law. christened the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill.. The legislation, officially called “Parents’ Rights to Education,” prohibits teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. It would also allow parents to sue school districts for violating these restrictions.

The move was approved by the Florida Senate earlier this week and is expected to be signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who supports the bill. DeSantis is seen as a likely Republican presidential candidate in 2024.

On the other side of the dispute are politicians like DeSantis, who accuse Disney of bending over backwards to cancel the culture following Disney’s decision to temporarily suspend political contributions to the state.

Chapek, who became CEO of Disney in 2020, has been on fire for talking about the gender identity bill only after it passed the Florida Legislature. Disney opposed the project from the beginningbut he thought it was best to oppose it behind the scenes, according to Chapek, who said he called DeSantis to express “concern that if the law becomes law, it could be used to unjustly attack gay, lesbian children. , non-binary and transgender and families. ”

After Chapek publicly spoke out against the measure at Disney’s annual shareholders’ meeting earlier this month, DeSantis attacked the entertainment giant, one of Florida’s largest business owners. According to conservative critics of Disney, the company should focus on making a profit rather than getting involved in the bill fight.

Evan Power, president of the Republican Party in Leon County, said he believes a shrinking minority of Disney employees are pushing the issue and that DeSantis has more to gain if he sided with parents who want more control over education and “sexual conversations” at first. notes at school.

“I think it pays dividends with parents across the state of Florida, regardless of political divisions,” Power said.

Union officials representing tens of thousands of Disney theme park workers in Florida and Anaheim, California, including the hundreds of costumed performers representing Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Stitch at Walt Disney World, said they did not appear to have there is none. impulse for a march.

“We’re not in favor of that,” Romualdas Dulskis, a Teamsters officer in Orlando, whose location depicts disguised characters, bus drivers and other Disney workers, said Monday. “That’s not how we’re going to do this.”

Union leaders said they had advised their members not to participate because their contract prohibits layoffs or interruptions.

“I don’t want to downplay anyone’s efforts, if anyone thinks what they’re doing is the right way to make an impact,” said Eric Clinton, president of Unit Here! Local 362, depicting custodians, mistresses, and other Disney World theme park workers. “We are not part of that. It would violate our contract if members of our union were involved, although we are concerned about the issue, of course.”

One of the organizers of the outing, a New York-based employee, said they expected more participation from Disney workers in production, marketing, computer and other office work than hourly union work. The worker spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being attacked online and because the organizers did not want a single organizer to take the spotlight.

Part of the goal of the march is for those workers with the “privilege” to be able to protest to defend those who can’t, the New York employee said.

The ESPN employee protest project

The legislation, described as “hateful” by President Biden and US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardonahas sparked protests from LGBTQ advocates across the country and Florida high school and high school students, where there have also been complaints about the bill.

Disney-owned ESPN employees continue to stand by their Disney co-workers in protest of Florida law, after making numerous boxes over the past week. Several ESPN announcers have also observed moments of silence on the air during game coverage, in protest of the bill. The first to do so were ESPN commentators Carolyn Peck and Courtney Lyle during the NCAA Women’s Tournament. After expressing their solidarity with their Florida colleagues in opposition to the bill, the two remained silent for two minutes, the Washington Post reported.

Disney workers participating in the March 22 departure plan to meet with each other at locations in Orlando, New York, Anaheim and Burbank, California, where the company is headquartered. A Disney spokesman did not respond to an email asking for comments. Instead, the company posted a statement on Disney Parks ‘official Instagram indirectly condemning the “Parents’ Rights to Education” legislation.

“Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products is committed to creating experiences that support family values ​​for each family, and will not tolerate any form of discrimination. We oppose any legislation that violates basic human rights and we stand in solidarity with and support “Our LGBTQIA + .Cast, Crew and Imagineers and fans who make their voices heard today and every day,” the statement said.

Disney employed 190,000 workers last October, with about three-quarters working in its theme park division.

Disney, whose films and properties have shaped generations of children around the world, has spoken out several times in recent years about controversial social and political situations.

It was one of a large number of U.S. companies that in January 2021 said it would suspend political donations to lawmakers who voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s election victory. He also soon spoke out against a 2016 anti-gay bill in Georgia, which threatened to withdraw his business from the state, which has become a favorite of film and television studios. The bill was vetoed by the then governor of Georgia.

History of involvement in social issues

And the company has not been immune to the changing expectations of society. He has said he will renew Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain trips to its theme parks to eliminate racist and sexist elements and put brief warnings in front of some of his classic movies on his streaming service, Disney +, warning viewers of “obsolete cultural representations.

Republican lawmakers pushing for Florida law had argued that parents, not teachers, should be the ones to talk to their children about gender issues during their early formative years.

Chapek apologized earlier this month for not speaking out more forcefully and publicly against the bill, saying Disney officials had been working behind the scenes to stop it. Chapek also announced a break in all political donations in Florida and more support for advocacy groups fighting similar legislation in other states. Chapek reiterated those points during a company-wide discussion with employees Monday.

Disney has long been influential in Florida politics, tending to be conservative and supporting Republicans who have controlled Tallahassee, the state capital, for two decades, but also being more open to social issues. said Patricia Campos-Medina, co-director. from the Worker Institute at Cornell University. “That’s why people were surprised that I meant calm on this issue,” he said.

The organizers of the march argue that the withholding of political contributions is not enough.

On a website calling for the move, the group says that until the law is repealed, Disney leaders must stop investing in Florida, including the relocation of 2,000 jobs, mostly professional, from headquarters from California to Orlando. They also say that Disney should develop an LGBTQ brand similar to the Onyx Collective, an initiative aimed at developing content for and by people of color.

Power, the GOP official in Tallahassee, said he is confident that Disney and Florida Republicans will overcome this hot spot and restore their relationship eventually.

“It’s good that we’re going backwards, because the goal of a listed company is not to push an agenda,” Power said. “Disney people know they have to work with the legislature and the governor, and they will come back.”