That Park Place is not a political website. We take no official position politically or in regards to the recent Florida legislation prohibiting the instruction of sexual orientation and/or gender theory in Florida kindergarten thru third grades of public schools. The positions of our individual writers are their own.
Messages from an internal Disney message board from cast members are now beginning to leak out through conservative commentator Jack Posobiec. Mr. Posobiec is an advocate for the Florida legislation which is sometimes referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, as well as called the “Anti-Groomer” bill. Its actual title is the Parental Rights Bill in Education. A small part of the bill addresses the prohibition of classroom instruction by a teacher or a third-party in regards to sexual orientation and/or gender theory/fluidity. The legislation does not prohibit instruction by guidance counselors, principals or other school employees. The legislation also does not prohibit conversations or dialogue on these topics, only instruction thereunto.
For a detailed look at the law, please see the article where the entire legislation is posted and discussed:
The War Inside Disney Explained
While Jack Posobiec is a proponent of the legislation and politically active as a conservative commentator/analyst, these messages do seem to be accurately portrayed and appropriately redacted to protect private employee identities. Should messages leak that are of a different position, we will share those when they are made available. We make that guarantee as a way to ensuring we will stay neutral in our relaying of the news.
With all of that said, here are the messages that have been leaked thus far, all of which are in a particular pattern of thinking (likely as they are being curated by Mr. Posobiec). We have no accurate means of polling Disney employees to determine the proportion of workers that either agree or disagree with the legislation.
March 29, 2022 at 8:05 AM
I support the bill. I’m gay and I think any form of sexual education shouldn’t be taught until you’re older and able to understand it. Not when you’re young and influential to the people who are teaching you. And in a perfect world we wouldn’t have teachers imposing their own personal beliefs. But this world is imperfect and it does and has happened in other states. Children Kindergarten through 3rd grade are learning basic skills still. How to read, write, count, socialize. They don’t even start going through puberty until 4th grade at the earliest. So leave the bill alone because it isn’t infringing on ANY member of the LGBT community nor is it to the heterosexual one. If you think it is then maybe the issue lies with you wanting children to be involved with sexual things before their physically and mentally ready for it.
Thank you [redacted] do know alot of Gay and other members who support this bill because they realized as they got older that this is something that they are! The bill puts power into the parents hands. As a parent I would want my child’s teacher to come to me and tell me what is going on. I fully believe that Disney should not be involved in anything political at all. Disney Company claims they don’t do political funding, but here they are saying they are stopping all funding.
How about we focus on a larger issue which is our fellow Cast Members in Europe are AFRAID for their LIVES due to an ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Cast Members in Europe are potentially dying, we are over here discussing what a single state’s legislation has decided. How about we look at the larger issues, which is Cast Members are being forced to work MANDATORY Overtime each week, benefits are slowly going down hill and we are being berated and terrorized by Rich, Entitled Guests who think that we are here to be a chopping block because they had their stroller moved.
Disneyland and Walt Disney World Parks are starting to slip into disaster based on the fact that prices are increasing, food portions are decreasing and Cast Members are not wanting to work because the Company is forcing them to work MANDATORY overtime to the point of mental exhaustion.
Our company no longer cares for the Parks and Resorts side and that is being made very clear each passing day with each passing media outlet that shows guests spitting, hitting and cursing out Cast Members and making viral videos about getting free T-shirts because they wear inappropriate clothes on purpose or paying $100 for a quick service meal for 4 people to realize it only feeds 2 of you.
Thank you all for sticking with my thoughts and opinions. Again these are my thoughts and opinions and I welcome disagreement and will not judge in any way!
Where and how is this “listening tour” being conducted? My thoughts… Disney should not be taking a political stance on anything that affects ALL of it’s employees one way or another. No matter which side you take, you are excluding the other. Let the work place be the work place, and live your life at your own house. Love and respect to all.
Let children be children. Most everyone is very ignorant as to what the actual wording of what the bill says and who it applies to. It doesn’t apply to gays or trans. it applies to our education system. The Governor of Florida along with the state legislature felt compelled to write a bill that give the rights to the parents of raising their kids as well as having regulations to our school systems. If kids ask about sex, then I believe it is the parents responsibility and discretion, but also if the teachers are asked from the students then the teachers need to communicate it to the parents as noted in the bill.
Here are a few. Sounds like workers just wanting to do their jobs. pic.twitter.com/XiUdASFE7X
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 2, 2022
Again, as these message are leaked, on either side, we will post them within reason. Clearly we can’t post thousands of messages, and we will not post unredacted messages that reveal the identities of private citizens without their consent. The newsworthy aspect of this is that we hope it shows a far more complicated situation behind the scenes at The Walt Disney Company, in which even LGBTQIA+ employees are expressing they agree with the legislation.
For all the latest information on this situation, keep checking out That Park Place. We encourage polite comments from all of our readers below.
Here is an idea. How about Corporations cannot weigh in on local politics unless 51% of their employees in that state support it? They would be required to have evidence a vote was held and if they could not get quorum then they don’t get to make a statement. For federal statements they would need 51% of the whole staff.
The Citizens United cases opened corporate America to ignorance and distraction.
I find it amazing that Disney thought it could take on the state of Florida when skirmishes elsewhere failed spectacularly. California intentionally lied it was going to reopen Disneyland when it actually reopened a year later. The Eastern Gateway and new Disney Hotel projects both did not happen when Anaheim didn’t approve the projects as proposed. In China, they banned all Marvel movies due to portrayals of Chinese characters and blabber mouth actors and directors. Shanghai and Hong Kong theme parks remain closed due to the zero tolerance of pandemic.
They’re all worse than Florida, but Disney think they can force their hand. They will come to regret their arrogance. Disney’s values are California, but they can’t wait to leave their anti-business policies. Republicans are tired of the double standards. There will be more pushback.