As The Walt Disney Company employees planned walkouts today over “the lack of compassion and advocacy” from the company in regard to its LGTBQIA+ workers and their rights, especially where Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill is concerned, Disney-owned Marvel Studios posted a statement to Twitter strongly denouncing “any and ALL legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
The statement, in its entirety reads:
We strongly denounce any and ALL legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Marvel Studios stands for hope, inclusivity and strength; and we proudly stand with the community. Today, we pledge to continue our strong commitment as allies who promote the values of equality, acceptance and respect.
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) March 15, 2022
Disney has close to 80,000 employees in Florida as it continues to move most of its Southern California-based jobs not fully dedicated to Disneyland in its Parks, Experiences and Products Division to a new regional facility in central Florida. That gives it economic and political clout.
Over the last week, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has been at the center of a firestorm that began over the company’s support for state legislators sponsoring the bill that effectively bans virtually all discussion or teaching about the LGBTQ+ community and “sexual orientation or gender identity” in the state’s public school system from kindergarten to the 3rd Grade. Chapek’s attempts at damage control have made the situation even worse.
Starting with his quickly-condemned March 7 memo denouncing “corporate statements” for doing “very little to change outcomes or minds,” and then trying to punt at the March 9 shareholders meeting, ex-theme park chief Chapek tried to reroute at the end of a long and painful week with an apology and pledge to take up the discriminatory legislation with the powers that be in the Sunshine State. “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down,” he bluntly told staffers in an internal email. But it was too little, too late, for some Disney employees.
“Due to the lack of compassion and advocacy, TWDC’s LGBTQIA+ community and their allies are determined to take a stand via multiple direct actions, including both virtual and in-person protests – the first of which will take place on Tuesday, March 15th,” said an open letter from a self-described “Disney Employee” posted online and on social media late Monday.