Disney says it wants ‘don’t say gay bill’ repealed, after Florida Gov. signs bill into law
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the controversial “don’t say gay” bill into law Monday prohibiting discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools from kindergarten up to the third grade.
The law has received national criticism that it will marginalize the LGBTQ community. There was even a mention of the bill during the Academy Awards when co-host Wanda Sykes joked, “We’re going to have a great night tonight. And for you people in Florida, we’re going to have a gay night.”
The Walt Disney Co., one of the largest employers in Florida with a recent reputation of championing diversity, has been slow in the past to respond to this bill when it was moving through the state legislature. Moments after the Governor signed the bill it released the following statement:
“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 Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.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.”
DIsney has faced its own criticism on not coming out sooner against the bill. It was only once the bill passed through the legislature and Disney received backlash from employees and staff that Disney CEO Bob Chapek finally went against bill publicly and shut down all corporate political donations in Florida.
