In the past few weeks, The Walt Disney Company and its CEO, Bob Chapek, have issued statements and responses regarding a piece of Florida legislation that critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Cinderella Castle
In response to Disney’s recent statements on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, a group of Disney Cast Members and employees are reportedly planning a week-long walkout.
The organizers of the walkout come from many areas within The Walt Disney Company, and are separate from Disney’s business employee resource groups and Disney PRIDE organizations, according to Variety. The walkouts are expected to take place both in-person and virtually.
Rainbow Mickey
On March 14th, the Twitter account @DisneyWalkout posted a message sharing the changes that they would like to see within The Walt Disney Company and attached both a petition and open letter to Disney. The tweet reads, “The LGBTQIA+ workers and allies at The Walt Disney Company are standing in solidarity together over the coming weeks.”
©Disney PhotoPass Magic Shot
In the open letter to Disney, the group explained, “While we certainly appreciate Bob Chapek’s apology note, there is still more work to be done.”
Pride Month Cake from EPCOT
Variety further explained that the walkouts will take place during Cast Members’ 15-minute break period each day through March 21st, concluding on March 22nd with a “full-scale walkout.” Currently, there is no indication of how many Cast Members plan to join the walkout.
Pride Pins
According to Yahoo!, Unite Here Local 362 President Eric Clinton said that “the union is not affiliated with the group organizing the walkouts.” The union represents workers through many areas of the Disney Parks. Clinton also said “Boycotting the company could end up harming the LGBTQ+ workers people are fighting to protect” and that the union “is working to support thousands of LGBTQ+ workers affected by the legislation.”
Amorette’s Pride Treat
The union is advocating for more action against the legislation to further support Disney’s employees. Some members are pushing for a petition that would demand Disney issue a “public and forceful statement”, fight for the removal of the politicians who passed the bill, end donations to these politicians, and provide more counseling to employees that are affected, according to Yahoo!.
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Disney has not commented on the upcoming walkouts. In the meantime, stay tuned for all the latest Disney news, updates, and more.
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The Florida bill does not violate anyone’s rights.
It simply (1) ensures parents’ rights to information about their children’s mental and physical health records with the public school (and provides for an exception if such information would lead to abuse, abandonment, or neglect), (2) disallows class room *instruction* involving “sexual orientation or gender identity” through grade three (and requiring such instruction be age-appropriate (as defined in pre-existing legislation) for later grades), and (3) ensures parents can have concerns under the law addressed by the school then county board then courts, if needed.
Under provision (2), not only can you “not say gay”. But you can’t say “straight” either. It’s an equal opportunity disallowing. You cannot have *instruction* about “sexual orientation” (gay or straight) up through grade three. Why would you need to? Most kids this young don’t have an established concept of sexual attraction as it relates to gender and genitalia. Rather than sexual orientation, what would make them feel “other” is what non-sexual interests or proclivities they have that are not common in others “like” them. But considering this…
This bill does nothing to stop instruction up through grade three about showing respect for everyone, not bullying, or appreciating how we all have a common humanity despite ways that we are different. So there is no reason to think that this bill will increase shame, depression, or suicide in children up through grade three.
Bill, there’s no need to prohibit or say “straight” because heterosexuality is already ingrained in our culture. Sexuality is about a lot more than sex or genitals. We’re on a Disney blog, so look at Disney movies. Ariel marries Prince Eric at the end of The Little Mermaid, right? That shows kids something about attraction and relationships, and the people who support this bill don’t seem to have an issue with children seeing those concepts demonstrated in a heterosexual context. But if a teacher reads her class a picture book in which a character has two moms, suddenly that’s indoctrination and not allowed.
The bill is hostile toward teachers, suggesting some of them are apparently nefarious pervs who are out to groom and indoctrinate young children, and it introduces the threat of lawsuits if a teacher says the wrong thing.
The “don’t say gay” nickname is unfortunate and misleading, but the actual text of the bill isn’t much better. I’m glad to see Disney employees protesting — Disney is a huge force in Florida, and the company has the means to make a positive difference if it wants to.
I stand with the cast members who are appalled by the proliferation of hate bills in their state of residence. Chapek does not have the support of Disney employees, nor should he, after it came to light that the corporation was/is donating toward the state legislators who proposed and passed this bill. His late apology is meaningless.
Do people even read the bill before they jump on the band wagon? When is it going to stop? Parents should have a right to what their 3-7 yr olds are exposed to in school. It’s disgusting that people have no problem letting strangers talk to our babies about sexual attraction.
I think everyone should thoroughly read the bill before they jump to conclusions, stage walk outs, and fire everyone up. Bill’s comment summed it up very well.
It would be nice to know the story about the 4 Disney employees who trafficked children that were fired. If you’re going to post about the political problems, post about ALL of them
Let them walk. Children K-3 don’t understand sexual orientation and this should not be a topic of discussion in schools. The people that have a problem with this need to reevaluate what is the true trigger for them.
Bad show to walk out. Park guests have nothing to do with this legislation. I am a Florida resident and approve of the legislations. Children at an early age should not be receiving instruction on sexual orientation in school.
Disney needs to stay out of politics and focus on the entertainment business.
Bill , what you say makes (100%) common sense, unfortunately today we live in a world were everyone has a grievance and is easily offended. Free speech no longer exists and is replaced by speech you only agree with. You should always be judged by your character, NOT the color of your skin, sexual orientation or any other designation that separates us.
Let them. We parents have rights to protect our children and decide what we want taught in schools. The bull doesn’t even say “Don’t Say Gay”
Bill is 100% correct. This bill has been misstated and demonized to the point of ridiculousness. Only the most uninformed are falling prey to this nonsense. Not sure how Disney will respond, but if it were my company, I would not want any employee with that level of awareness working for me. I would fire any employee that takes part in this walkout.
Will this affect park operations on those days, especially March 22nd?
This has nothing to do with discriminating against anyone, it ensures parents have rights to choose what sexual content is presented to their young children. Common sense. Why would anyone be for teaching sexual content to children under 9 who are not your own?
Bill’s post is very well-written… wish there was a like button.
In all honesty I don’t understand what’s going on. Please excuse my ignorance and if someone can explain it to me I would love to know!
Let them walk and take the time away from their pay or leave. We have liberties in this country, but this crosses the line when walking on company time.
Thank you Bill for posting details from the actual bill. It is sad to watch this get so politicized and taken out of context to support an agenda. I just want to protect my daughter and don’t want her to be inappropriately “educated” before she is age ready for it.
How sad, the ignorance of society these days. Did any of these protestors actually READ the bill?
They are essentially protesting against parents knowing what their children are being taught in their early elementary years. I am all for expressing opposition by means of peaceful protests, but If only they are intelligent enough to do research and truly know what they are opposing.
Well said. Thank you for the complete explanation.
I totally agree with Bill in the above comment.
Oh no! We arrive on March 21st and the 22nd is our first park day in Animal Kingdom. I hope this won’t ruin our first Disney vacation. I read the overview of this legislation and I don’t see anything that will limit the rights of anyone.
Disney employees need to be better informed, this bill is called “Parental Rights in Education” it restricts how gender identity and sexual orientation can be discussed in schools, and prevents it from being discussed at all in classrooms UNDER THIRD GRADE!!!
My goodness let these babies be kids…let the teachers teach learning components that will assist them in latter grades. Have parents make the choice to when their children are ready for their sexual conversations.
Disney employees worry about bringing Disney magic to children and their families –
This bill does not appear to be anymore anti gay, than it is anti straight. I just says that public school teachers are not the appropriate people to influence children on sex. Straight or otherwise, many teachers engage in grooming in order to exploit children. Maybe teachers should focus on reading, writing, history, science and math
I agree Bill. And this site should not be perpetuating the misunderstanding by calling it that name. The bill should be called by its rightful name, CS/CS/HB 1557: Parental Rights in Education.
I’m proud of this bill and would support it if I were a Florida resident.
Respectfully, read the bill! I agree with James, above.
I understand the concern and love the passion but believe they’re misunderstanding. This harms nobody. It protects our kids and us parents from having sexual subjects taught in schools to very young kids. It is absolutely up to the parents to decide what and when to discuss this with THEIR kids!
This bill has nothing to.donwith “Rights”. It merely does not allow schools sex education of children up-to and including third grade. If LGBTQ persons think this is unacceptable I suggedt that when you walk you keep.going! At this age sex education is a parent’s business, not anyone else’s.
Bill,
You are spot on, well said.
Bill, my son has two moms. He’s one year old. When a stranger says “where’s your daddy?” That’s “instruction” about opposite-sex relationships. When he gets to kindergarten and all the kids make Father’s Day crafts, that’s “instruction” about opposite-sex relationships. He’ll be “instructed” about opposite-sex relationships every day of his life, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. All I’d ask is, every so often, a teacher is allowed to say “and some families aren’t a mom and a dad, some have two moms or two dads.”
Would genuinely love to know what you or anyone else finds inappropriate about that.
Curious what does a walkout during their 15 minute break mean? If they are on break and back stage what exactly are they doing to protest?
Disney can do better. It must do better. Bravo to all the employees participating in the walkout. It is a small world and we must be open and welcoming to everybody.
Wow, 15 minute walkouts during break? That ought to make a difference. The majority of these “protestors” don’t want to re-locate to Florida so they are trying to say it’s anti-gay or something. It has nothing to do with the bill.
Thank you Bill!
I wish everyone would just take a step back and stop complaining. Let’s all be thankful as we somewhat transition through the COVID pandemic. Stop thinking about yourself and start to think about others, humble yourself, and be thankful for another day.
PS – I love Disney
I really don’t want to get political here, but even calling it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill is both inflamatory and misleading. It just says that we don’t need to be teaching children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade about sex and sexuality. Why is that a bad thing? Kids’ innocence is already gone too soon and needs protecting.
If they walkout, fire them! Disney should care more about how the walkout would effect their customers experience, people spending thousands of dollars to go to the parks do not want to show up and have several parts of the park closed. If the cast member feels they need to do something, run for office! All a walkout will do is make many people reconsider going to WDW.
The bill is about children NOT adults. While I support the cast and despise the CEO unfortunately the cast members lose here, fire them all that walk out
Reply to “All I’d ask is, every so often, a teacher is allowed to say “and some families aren’t a mom and a dad, some have two moms or two dads.” What’s wrong with the teacher saying “There’s all kinds of families.” and moving on.
I disagree that there is no need to add “straight” to teaching about different lifestyles. ALL ways of life should be valued and honored, and if nothing is said about this option it implies the same exclusion that LGBTQ people are upset about. I have also heard we don’t need to include Christianity in a discussion about religions, and that is crazy…most people have no idea about actual Christian ideology. I don’t see why sex has to be front and center in third grade and under…non-bullying of all kinds, actual subject matter and life skills and listening skills have a place in school, and personal beliefs should be taught at home.
Jill and Megan- thank you for your thoughtful comments. I am a teacher of 2nd/3rd graders and NO elementary teacher teaches anything about sexual orientation. You have seen this bill for what it is- a shot fired at people who are different that what most people in Florida consider “normal.” I have had students with two moms, students with two dads, and I have had students who have had parents transitioning when they start the school year with me. Does this mean I teach about this in the classroom? Give me a break.
Also, for all the people I see on social media who complain that they have the “right” to decide what their kids should learn, then I suggest you join a Common Core committee and read through the standards- because THAT’S what is taught. Better yet, please go substitute in any school district because we NEED subs. Make a difference that way.
It’s a bill that prohibits sexual content taught to children pre-k through 3 grade. There’s nothing about don’t say gay. I don’t think 5 year olds should need to understand sex or sexuality until they become closer to puberty. Why is there so much push to sexualizing young children that don’t even know how to read and write yet? I understand there are different family dynamics with two moms or two dads, but what about children in foster care or being raised by an aunt or grandparent(s). It’s sad they want to take the innocent childhood away before they are ready to have more of an understanding
Disney should STAY OUT of politics.
Megan, the problem is that without a bill like this, the instruction wouldn’t stop at, “Some people have two moms.” It would also be allowed to include inappropriate lessons like, “Some men have their private parts removed. Some women do, too.”
The bill says only age-appropriate lessons can be taught. Why would anyone have a problem with that? Use the same principle for a different subject. Should a 2nd grader have lessons about calculus? No. Why? Because that would be inappropriate.
Find any child psychologist who would say lessons about genitalia and making a choice about your sexual identity are appropriate for 6-year olds. You can’t.
Let them walk and hope they don’t come back. Disney is a placer for families. Disney doesn’t need to cower to a small group of people who insist on being angered over a bill that does nothing more than protect a parents rights to know what their children are being taught. If Disney insists on making one small group of people more important than the many families they should be interested in serving there are plenty of other parks for me to take my family on vacation although I have been loyal to Disney for many years this may be time to part ways.
Our family is having a reunion on the 22nd at the Magic Kingdom. ANY disruption warrants a total refund. If the employees feel that they need to protest, do it on your own time and off Disney property. Like others have said; Read the bill. The bill is only about parental rights.
How sad !!! My first and only post has been deleted. So much for free speech. There was nothing posted that wasn’t the truth. Guess I now know the thinking of editors of this blog.
Fire them then. This bill is to protect little children from things their parents may find inappropriate, hence the sex-ed consent forms in middle school! To the person saying that father’s day crafts are “instruction”, ok really? Saying mom and dad is “instruction”, no, that is ridiculous. It is fact that each child MUST have a mother and father, biological fact. There are kids who are adopted, kids who live with grandparents, like I did, kids that have two moms, or two dads, etc. but that is not the teachers job to instruct everyone on every possible situation, and most teachers are very accommodating to the specific child once they meet the family usually at the beginning of the year, and know the situation. I got a little upset when we made father’s day crafts in elementary school and I only had a grampa, but my teacher kindly asked me if there was someone special in my life who I could make the craft for, and I gladly did. Little kids should be little kids. Protect their innocence and once a parent deems it appropriate to teach their children about sexuality, so be it.
Don’t cast members realize that employers don’t really care what you do on your break? Take a nap, eat snacks, search social media, pretend your protesting, talk with other employees, whatever. Bottom line is it doesn’t interfere with you working. Go back to work after your break. It doesn’t hurt BCW in anyway and I’m wondering what does it really show? Keep political and social activism out of entertainment. Especially out of BCW.
Thank you Bill for providing an accurate and unbiased description of this Florida bill.
Starting with our honeymoon, Disneyland has been our repeated family vacation destination. And has continued for my husband and I even after the kids became adults and started their families.
We love Disney! It used to provide wholesome, fun & entertainment for people of all ages. Now we are bombarded with having to walk around with our noses in our phones the entire time at a Disney park making reservations for everything. You can’t even eat at most of the restaurants without a reservation placed days, weeks, or months in advance including walk up places like Casey’s corner fast food! You’re out of luck if your cell phone battery dies!
It would be nice to be able to walk with the people I came with and be able to look at them and talk with them rather than in my phone the whole time.
I’m not interested in issues of the world when I’m at Disneyland. It’s a magical place where we can escape those and enjoy what Walt Disney created. Disney should not get involved in ISSUES and CAUSES and stick to what Walt created Disneyland for: ALL PEOPLE TO ENJOY. Just go and enjoy and don’t push your own belief on anyone else! And get rid of the cell phone reservations “mandate” for everything there!!
My days of going to any Disney Park are over now because of what it’s administration has turned Disney into. Wonderful memories are all that remain.