A big thing happened at Walt Disney Co.
Tuesday, employees at corporate locations across the U.S. walked out to protest CEO Bob Chapek’s response to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Hundreds of protesters marched outside Disney’s headquarters in Burbank, with some holding signs (#DisneyDoBetter) and others chanting slogans such as “Say gay!”
“It was amazing to see everyone out here in support of all of our queer employees and their families,” said Nora Rogers, who is employed as a production supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Other Disney employees expressed solidarity with the protesters on social media.
Chapek has recently come under internal criticism and public scrutiny for not taking a more forceful stand against HB 1557, a Florida bill that would prohibit instruction about “sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through the third grade in the state.
Chapek was also slammed for a companywide memo in which he said that the corporation can make the “biggest impact” by “creating a more inclusive world through the inspiring content we produce.”
Four days after sending out the memo, the CEO sent out another on March 11 apologizing.
“It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights. You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down,” he said. “I am sorry.”
He also said that Walt Disney would suspend all donations to elected officials in Florida, NBC News reported.
But the letter did not end the uproar that was created.
LGBTQ employees made plans to participate in a series of protests during breaks, which resulted in the general walkout Tuesday. They announced their plans on a website and an Instagram account called disney_walkout.
“The recent statements and lack of action by TWDC [The Walt Disney Co.] leadership regarding the ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ bill has utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation,” the employees said.
“We have been forced into an impossible and unsustainable position. We must now take action to convince TWDC to protect employees and their families in the face of such open and unapologetic bigotry.”
Chapek tried to fix the situation in a virtual town hall Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported. He told employees that he and other top executives were “determined to use this moment as a catalyst for more meaningful and lasting change.”
The Journal also cited reported that Chapek announced he and other senior leaders would embark on a global listening tour of employees.
In a statement Tuesday, a Disney spokesperson said: “We know how important this issue is for our LGBTQ+ employees, their families, and allies, we respect our colleagues’ respect to express their views, and we pledge our ongoing support of the LGBTQ+ community in the fight for equal rights.”
