Disney got into trouble over a homophobic law in Florida
The next day the Florida Parliament passed the bill - the whose official name is Parental Rights in Education - which prohibits discussing gender and sexuality issues in state schools until the equivalent of third grade. The controversy continued until Wednesday, March 9, when Chapek backtracked at the company's shareholder meeting: "Our original approach, however well-intentioned, did not achieve its goal," said Chapek. Disney was now against the law.
Background and reactions The war in Ukraine jeopardizes the rights of the LGBT community + Those who remain fear the homophobic policies of Russia, those who flee risk finding themselves in countries where the same rights are not recognized. A solidarity front to help refugees Read the article At the end of February, the Orlando Sentinel reported that Disney had donated money to all the politicians who promoted the bill. When the news prompted activists from the lgbtq + community to ask for clarification about Disney's position, Chapek sent the note to his employees, stating that "company statements do very little to change outcomes or opinions - and adding that Disney is in. able to change things - through the content and inspiration we create. "
Company employees didn't like Chapek's words. The creator of the animated series T he Owl House-Aspiring Witch Dana Terrace posted a video on Twitter in which she said, "I hate having moral dilemmas about how I feed and support my loved ones." DuckTales author Benjamin Siemon tweeted: "I still can't describe how much pain Disney's lgbtq + employee community is feeling today. We are devastated." The #BoycottDisney hashtag started going trending.
Walt Disney's great-granddaughter, Abigail Disney, also attacked Chapek, claiming that she was "more concerned about negative right-wing reactions" than staff and fans of Disney. "The times of neutrality are long gone - he added -. What is Disney for? To pretend what America's purpose is, or to define a worldview in which fantasy, love, kindness, Are respect and loyalty unshakeable values? There is nothing in the 'Don't say gay' bill or in Chapek's note that aligns with either of these values ".
Contradictory statements WiredLeaks, how to send us an anonymous report Read the article Even aside from the controversy they generated, Chapek's claims don't make much sense. Disney's CEO both said the company claims don't have much impact and that Disney could get that impact through its content (Chapek's words were also a bit hypocritical: Disney had already made claims regarding rights. of queer people in the past, for example in 2016 when the company threatened to stop filming in Georgia if the US state passed a bill that allowed institutions to refuse to serve or hire LGBTQ + people based on "related" reasons. to faith ". The measure was later blocked by the veto of the state governor).
If Disney believes, like many others, to be a" brand ", then its" inspirational content "is not limited to films , theme park attractions and Disney + series. If the content truly has the power Disney attributes to it, then tweeting the Florida law would be tantamount to saying it's okay for kids to be able to talk about Violet's two dads in DuckTales at school. If Disney's content is so powerful, then why did Florida law pass after the company, for example, first included an openly gay character in Beauty and the Beast?
As the days went by, Chapek realized that his statements would not work: "I know many are angry that we have not spoken out against the law," he said at the shareholders' meeting on March 9. Chapek said the company had always been against the bill, but had "chosen not to take a stand publicly because we felt we could have been more effective by working behind the scenes directly with lawmakers from both parties." br>
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Arrow Chapek added that Disney would re-evaluate its political donations in Florida, pledging to donate five million dollars to lgbtq + organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign (Hrc). HRC interim president Joni Madison turned down the offer, however, saying the organization would not accept any money from Disney "until we see them deliver on their public commitment and work with lgbtq + supporters." to make sure measures like the one in Florida don't become law. But it looks like this will happen soon. The law is now on the table of Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it. On Wednesday, March 9, Chapek said he called DeSantis to "express our disappointment and concern" about the effect the law might have, reporting that the governor would agree to meet with members of the Disney management lgbtq + community to discuss it. A spokesperson for DeSantis confirmed the call to the New York Times, adding however that no meeting was organized and that the governor's position has not changed.
This article originally appeared on sportsgaming.win Us.
