The Florida law labeled both the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by detractors and “Anti-Grooming Bill” by proponents has now been signed by the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. As a result, The Walt Disney Company has released a new statement that shows it is continuing forward with its politicization rather than a return to moderation:
“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law. Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”
Though the new statement is likely to please left-leaning activists and politicos, it also equally likely to result in further distrust from conservative and moderate persons both inside and outside the company. In fact, it has only been six days since a statement from the company’s conservative employees alleged that they feel so unsafe at the company that they do not complete surveys for fear they will be outed in their political positions. In part it reads:
“An internal poll within the company went out a few months ago asking us if we felt accepted in the company. Many of us didn’t complete it because the nature of the questions made us worry that the results of the poll could be used to target us for quietly holding a position that runs against the progressive orthodoxy that Disney seems to promote. TWDC has fostered an environment of fear that any employee who does not toe the line will be exposed and dismissed.”
It does not appear that statement has slowed Disney’s push into politics. The company is now affirming a commitment to assist national and state organizations that will make legal challenges. Given that this legislation purports to stop official curriculum of kindergarten classrooms from featuring gender fluidity and/or sexual orientation lessons, it is now an accepted fact that The Walt Disney Company takes an affirmative position as to the right of the state to educate very small children about explicit sexual concepts in opposition to the child’s parents. Disney is currently one of the only corporations to take any official position on such legislation or on the teaching of explicitly sexual concepts to small children against the will of their parents.
For all the latest news on Disney, keep checking out That Park Place. Feel free to leave polite comments below.
I hope Disney has an endgame because this is not the way out of their situation. They hope to tire out their LGBT instigators and their bigger customer base. When they decline, they won’t be able to pin it on any particular audience. They’ll all bolt.
Are they saying that they will expend corporate capital to achieve their preferred socio-political goals? Ones that differ from the general population?