Danielle Solzman
The Walt Disney Company is very public in their response to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signing the Don’t Say Gay bill into law.
It’s an about face from Bob Chapek’s initial comments about being behind the scenes. There was a company-wide LGBTQ walkout in response to Disney not doing enough to stand up against hatred in Florida.
“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law. Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”
There’s really two avenues that I see ahead for what’s happening:
- The courts overturn this anti-LGBTQ law in Florida.
- People elect better legislators and they undo the law.
Regardless, I will not be spending any money in the state of Florida until this law is overturned. I feel the same way about Texas, Utah, and all the other states that are propping up hate. If these states want me to pump money into their economy, they should not have anti-LGBTQ bigotry on the books. The laws are nothing more than attempts to legislate LGBTQ people out of existence. It pains me as a transgender American to see a rising number of states legislating transgender people out of existence. The anti-trans athletic bans are not an attempt to protect women’s sports. Protecting women’s sports means speaking out when coaches and trainers abuse athletes. It means showing concern for an athlete’s mental health rather than chew them upon pulling out of an event.
I am glad that Disney is now being loud in their opposition. Should George threaten to pass the same kind of bill, I would hope that Disney will threaten to pull their productions.
