Disney employees’ disgust with both the expected passage of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill, termed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by its detractors, and the corporate response to the bill led by Disney CEO Bob Chapek, is expected to culminate with a full-day walkout Tuesday, March 22.
The work stoppage is meant to draw attention to legislation in the state of Florida which protesters believe demonizes the LGBTQ+ community. The bill restricts discussion of gender identity and/or sexual orientation in all schools in the state until third grade and is only a signature from Gov. Ron DeSantis away from becoming law.
Disney found itself in the middle of the debate after the discovery that the corporation donates money to each and every state politician supporting the bill’s passage (despite the Orlando Sentinel’s reporting that Disney donates to politicians from both major parties), and both LGBTQ+ workers and those who consider themselves allies found Disney’s initial responses anemic.
The company first attempted to stay out of the debate altogether, hoping not to take a side that could alienate customers. Chapek eventually would criticize the bill publicly after it had already passed the legislature and would apologize to LGBTQ+ employees, but that response has been considered too little, too late by protesters.
Brief walkouts were staged most of last week, with workers leaving for 15 minutes starting at 3pm each day, but Tuesday will be the first larger act of protest by Disney employees.
“The recent statements and lack of action by TWDC leadership regarding the ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans’ bill have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation,” reads the Disney Do Better Walkout website promoting the work stoppage.
“As a community, 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,” the site’s front-page statement continues.
What is unknown though is just how many employees will be participating.
“It's unclear whether it will draw a crowd,” wrote CNBC's Julia Boorstin, “as only a fraction of employees have been coming in to work on the lot.”
What does seem to be a little clearer is that Disney’s initial decision to stay above the fray seems to have rankled both sides of the aisle – both progressives who believe the company isn’t doing enough and conservatives whose opinion is that the company is virtue-signaling to a vocal minority.
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