As Daily Kos has covered, Disney employees in Florida have bravely shared their deep disappointment in CEO Bob Chapek’s lack of reaction to the hateful, discriminatory “Don’t Say Gay” bill being pushed to the state’s Republican governor’s desk with what feels like rapid speed. Ron DeSantis spewed his support of the legislation this very week, telling the audience at a recent rally in part, “You have companies, like at Disney, that are going to say and criticize parents’ rights, they’re going to criticize the fact that we don’t want transgenderism in kindergarten in first-grade classrooms,” as reported by CNBC.
This legislation is very, very bad. It essentially bans public schools from discussing LGBTQ+ history and identity in the classroom and implies that those who want to have these talks are “grooming” children. It’s sick. Given Disney’s enormous presence in Florida—and the company’s willingness to profit off of the LGBTQ+ community—many have been disappointed that the company not only donated to Republicans in the state but also that Chapek seemed to shrug his shoulders. After much outrage online, we have a nice little update from the CEO himself. But is it too little, too late?
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In a new company email, as shared by Variety, Chapek says Disney will pause all of its political donations in the state. (The company has donated to both Democrats and Republicans.) He also apologized to LGBTQ+ workers at the company, saying, “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down.”
Chapek’s initial memo drew such ire in part because of the political donations, but also because it seemed he was trying to use the company’s diverse content (which is debatable in itself) as a way to avoid taking an outright, explicit stand against a bill that’s trying to crush human rights.
In the middle of the week, Chapek’s pledge of $5 million was rejected by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), with the organization’s interim president saying in part that they “will not accept this money from Disney until we see them build on their public commitment and work with LGBTQ+ advocates to ensure that dangerous proposals, like Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ bill, don’t become dangerous laws.”
“I truly believe we are an infinitely better and stronger company because of our LGBTQ+ community,” Chapek wrote in part, saying that he wants to “engage” more with the queer community. He said he “missed the mark” this time but claims to be an “ally you can count on.”
That’s the thing about allyship, really. Just selling rainbow merch or hosting Gay Days at your theme parks isn't enough. Tossing an audience an openly LGBTQ+ character once in a while isn’t enough, either. While Chapek has said the company’s donations fell on both sides of the political aisle when it comes to this particular legislation, that’s still money going toward hate. It’s not a matter of opinion or something any “ally” should be willing to settle in the middle or be “neutral” on; it’s human rights.
It’s also not fair to (relatively) powerless employees who have had to bravely come out and speak against their employer in order to get traction going and actually spur change. Learning opportunities for the rich and powerful do not need to come off the labor and emotional stress of the people who work for them—that’s not real equality, either.
At the end of the day, we can’t expect corporations to do work on behalf of the people or act ethically. That’s part of why we need to tax corporations—and the wealthy people who lead them—at a rate that’s actually fair. It’s also why we need to make sure that the voices of individual people aren’t stomped out on behalf of the ultra-rich doing whatever it takes to get what they want.