Disney LGBTQ workers plan walkouts
Employees intend to stage a week of walkouts it response to the company’s handling of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
A group of LGBTQ Disney workers have announced on social media that they will be staging a week of virtual and in-person walkouts in response to the company’s handling of the controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill in Florida.
The group wrote on their Twitter account ‘Disney Walkout’ that “The LGBTQIA+ workers and allies at The Walt Disney Company are standing in solidarity together over the coming weeks,” adding a link to an open letter penned by LGBTQ members across many of Disney’s departments, including Disney Corporate, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Disney TV Animation, Disney Streaming and more.
The LGBTQIA+ workers and allies at The Walt Disney Company are standing in solidarity together over the coming weeks. Here is our open statement and website.https://t.co/hdvFds7Bw6
— Disney Walkout (@DisneyWalkout) March 14, 2022
Petition: https://t.co/B6OWRGmlTF#DisneyDoBetter #DisneySayTrans #DisneySayGay #WhereIsChapek pic.twitter.com/uhQLMl5FJG
The open letter condemns CEO Bob Chapek’s response to the bill, saying the leadership’s statements “utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation.” The group further alleges that the statement indicated that Disney’s leaders don’t “truly understand the impact this legislation is having not only on cast members in the state of Florida, but on all members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the company and beyond.”
The group then stated they have been “forced into an impossible and unsustainable position” and that they feel they must take action to convince The Walt Disney Company to “protect employees and their families in the face of such open and unapologetic bigotry.”
The precise number of Disney employees set to participate in the protest is unknown, but the organizers have warned potential participants that a full-scale walkout, which is planned for March 22, is not a legally protected action, and advises employees to consider their own situation before choosing to participate. The daily walkouts, however, will be held during a 15-minute break period from 3:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. and take place every day starting from March 15 through to March 21.
The protest comes after Disney CEO Bob Chapek issued several statements regarding the company’s response to a controversial bill proposed in Florida, which would make it illegal for educators that teach kindergarten though 3d grade to discuss any topics related to gender identity and sexual orientation with students, and bar teachers from broaching the topics with older students unless it’s deemed appropriate.
Many queer Disney employees felt the company’s response was insufficient and accused the leadership of continuing to donate funds to legislators who are supporting the bill.
Disney’s leadership is yet to respond to these calls to action.