Wow.
Just… wow.
Yesterday we covered how The Walt Disney Company is now being hammered by both the left and the right over their position regarding the legislation in Florida that prohibits sex and gender theory coverage as part of classroom curriculum in kindergarten through third grade. In effect, the legislation prevents lessons from being developed around topics like gender fluidity, transsexualism, etc, in a class for five-year-olds. You make your own decision whether or not you support that. Disney, under Bob Chapek’s leadership, is taking a hard position on it and apologizing for not doing so earlier. In fact Disney is now going so far as to commit to lobbying against such legislation in other states.
Ron DeSantis took a call from the most powerful corporation in his state and told them to pound sand. Teddy Roosevelt.pic.twitter.com/iwV0xScgWg
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) March 10, 2022
To my fellow colleagues, but especially our LGBTQ+ community,
Thank you to all who have reached out to me sharing your pain, frustration and sadness over the company’s response to the Florida “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was. 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. I am sorry.
Our employees see the power of this great company as an opportunity to do good. I agree. Yes, we need to use our influence to promote that good by telling inclusive stories, but also by standing up for the rights of all.
Starting immediately, we are increasing our support for advocacy groups to combat similar legislation in other states. We are hard at work creating a new framework for our political giving that will ensure our advocacy better reflects our values. And today, we are pausing all political donations in the state of Florida pending this review. But, I know there is so much more work to be done. I am committed to this work and to you all, and will continue to engage with the LGBTQ+ community so that I can become a better ally. You will hear more about our progress in the coming weeks.
I truly believe we are an infinitely better and stronger company because of our LGBTQ+ community. I missed the mark in this case but am an ally you can count on and I will be an outspoken champion for the protections, visibility, and opportunity you deserve.
Whether you think this is a good idea or a bad idea, this puts The Walt Disney Company squarely in the political realm as an active combatant in the culture war, and completely at odds with Republicans, conservatives, many moderates, and anyone who supports the right of parents to decline sex education for small children in public schools. Again, you may think Disney is making a wise choice or that they are supporting a wise choice. But that’s where Disney is now.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and keep reading everything that should be fun here at That Park Place.
Not surprised Disney would side with grooming Kindergartners considering their past. Hope parents groups put Disney and Chapek on full blast now. I have very little patience with the authoritarian Alphabet crowd personally, they’ve overplayed their hand way too hard.
I’m sorry that I ever thought this guy would right the ship… Chapek is just another scumbag in a long line of scumbags.
The gaygendist online attack group is a vicious sort, wrapping themselves in the cloth of ‘Inclusivity”, etc. etc. It’s nonsense of course. Any one with reason (that’s key) could read the bill and see it is completely mischaracterized by agendists calling it “Don’t Say Gay”. But apparently it just takes bunch of outraged, internet mafia people to strong arm companies today. If Disney got off social media, they could avoid this. Note to company CEOs: Get off social media and take back control of your companies from the proletariat (…uh, I mean employees of course). And start firing employees who think it is within their duty to do & bring about things that will damage the company and the CEO. Those people can try to work somewhere else and harass that boss.
“Starting immediately, we are increasing our support for advocacy groups…”
This sounds like a limited response, but it’s still a response. Disney will offload it’s politics to other people, but corporate donations to such advocacy groups are shady as heck and untethered to reality. The blowback to such groups have feed onto themselves and self-destructed. See BLM, ACLU. Shame.
I wonder if Disney added Disney World to their “go woke, go broke” list.
So far Disney has Star Wars, Disney theatrical releases, and maybe Disney+ on the list. Disney+ might still be owned for low cost babysitters, but the adults aren’t watching.
Choosing to side with random sex conversations with kindergartners which are hidden from the parents seems like a terrible last stand.
“Sex conversations with kindergartners which are hidden from the parents seems like a terrible last stand.”
You nailed it, KJ. I really can’t believe we are living in times where a powerful group thinks it is perfectly fine for people to step-in to take away a parent’s domain. Talking about sex, love, life, etc…is primarily the domain of loving parents. When ‘they’ attack this bill they paint parents as dumb, unforgiving, unloving people…who will punish their children if they mention sexuality (of any sort, but in their minds it’s a propensity to be a potential homosexual). It is of course a parent’s duty to guide a child and love them. And to also admonish them if they think it will help them. Talking about sex…at such a young age with a non-family member is one of those things that most ANY parent would admonish (unless you really are the way, way, way out-there people like the <3% of the population who identify as non-straight).
As I'm typing this, I'm thinking of Finn in the Star Wars sequels and the how the First Order/Empire took children from their parents. Yes, this is a movie…but the act in real life is true villainy.
Further, what is it with sexuality issues always being pushed by these agendist groups? Enough already. What separates us from the animals is our ability to reason. Humans are so, so, so much more advanced than our simple sexual urges. Constantly being hit over the head and being told that sexual issues are so incredibly important by agendist groups…..just keeps us mired in an unevolved atmosphere and thougths.