Disney Employees Will Stage Walk Out Across the Country Today

LGBT Disney employees at corporate offices across America are walking out in a planned protest today.

 

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NBC News:

Walt Disney Co. employees at corporate locations across the U.S. plan to get up from their desks and head to the exits Tuesday to protest CEO Bob Chapek’s response to Florida legislation that LGBTQ advocates have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

LGBTQ workers and allies are expected to participate in a general walkout at office locations in California, Florida and elsewhere, a group of employees announced last week on a website that calls out Chapek by name.

In recent weeks, Chapek has come under intense internal criticism and public scrutiny for not having taken a more forceful stand against HB 1557, a bill that would prohibit instruction about “sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through the third grade in Florida.

LGBTQ employees started making plans for a series of protests during breaks, culminating in a general walkout Tuesday. They announced their plans on a website (whereischapek.com) and an Instagram account called disney_walkout.

“The recent statements and lack of action by TWDC [The Walt Disney Co.] leadership regarding the ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ bill have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation,” the employees said.

“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.”

In an emailed response to a list of questions, the employees behind the walkout said their main goal is stop the corporation from donating to elected officials who sponsor “weaponized and hateful legislation.”

The organizers said they expected the company to take a stand against a similar “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Georgia, a key production hub for films and television shows.

“We believe TWDC’s recent statements about their commitment to our community means that any time legislation like this comes up again, they will take a more visible stand, and we plan to hold them accountable for that,” the organizers said.