The house of Mickey Mouse is making gambit only a corporate behemoth bordering on a monopoly can do.
Disney issued a statement of support for the LGBTQ+ community amid the backlash against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, supported by state politicians that the corporation has funded. But the company is still funding the homophobic politicians who’ve supported the bill, and nothing Disney CEO Bob Chapek has said indicates that that will change.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that Disney has given money to every single sponsor and co-sponsor of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which was passed by Florida’s House of Representatives February 24. Officially titled the House Bill 1557, the proposed law is heading to the state’s Republican-held Senate next.
As the Orlando Sentinel stated, the bill’s Senate sponsor, Ocala Republican Dennis Baxley, has actively backed anti-gay legislation for years, including laws that would block gay couples from adopting children.
Disney will not stop funding Baxley and other Florida Republican politicians who support this bill. Instead Disney released this statement: “We understand how important this issue is to our LGBTQ+ employees and many others,” the Walt Disney Company stated, via Good Morning America. “For nearly a century, Disney has been a unifying force that brings people together. We are determined that it remains a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”
The statement continues, “The biggest impact we can have in creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create here, and the diverse community organizations we support, including those representing the LGBTQ+ community.”
Latondra Newton, Disney’s chief diversity officer, sent a message to all 195,000 employees calling the Florida bill “deeply troubling and heartbreaking,” and saying Chapek wants “to meet with leaders in our company’s LGBTQ+ community to discuss how Disney can best support these important and valued employees and cast members,” The Hollywood Reporter notes. The company has scheduled meetings for March and April, with Chapek scheduled to participate in the latter. But he has yet to make a public statement on the Florida controversy.
