Disney has been caught in a number of battles lately, and now Bob Iger has spoken up on a few of them.

When it comes to the Reedy Creek Improvement District drama and Disney’s battles with Governor DeSantis, Iger shared that some of DeSantis’ actions were “anti-business” and “anti-Florida.” And now Iger has responded to some more general criticism Disney has received about agenda-driven content.

The Question

During the 2023 Shareholder Meeting, Iger responded to a few questions from shareholders. One particular question was from William Russel from New York. Russel said that he’d like to address the “elephant in the room.” Russel shared that in his opinion Disney has turned from a place of magic for children to an “ideological company serving LGBTQIA+…lobbies to groom children.”

He said that in his opinion Disney’s films and entertainment are “increasingly promoting the woke agenda.” He then asked, “How can you explain to parents worldwide that you recently celebrated 100 years of history by collaborating with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, to produce an LGBTIA+-themed Disney musical? This is a group who have explicitly stated that they want to indoctrinate children. They literally sang a concert and they sang the words ‘we will convert your children, Quietly and subtly. And you will barely notice it.’ Disney chose to collaborate with these predators to sing to children.”

He also asked, “how can you explain to parents worldwide that over the next few months, dozens of highly sexualized gay pride parades will take place in Disneyland parks worldwide, the exact places where they used to take their children for fun?” He noted, “parents have simply had it up to here.”

In conclusion, he said he had a “simple question — would it not be beneficial for the Company to ditch the LGBTQIA+ and gender ideology for good?” His advice? “Turn Disney back to the a-political fun place that it used to be and I bet that you’ll win back both the trust of families and the stock market.”

Iger’s Response

In response, Iger noted that the comments were about more than just content but about experiences too, and in that regard, Iger said that Disney prides itself on being “accessible to all people.”

Iger continued, “we’ve been telling stories for 100 years aimed at entertaining and inspiring families from all over the world. And we’re extremely proud of the positive impact we’ve had on billions of people over that 100-year period of time. For generations, the stories that we’ve told have touched people’s hearts, because they’ve been infused with right values.”

In talking about those “right values” in Disney’s films, Iger said, “They’ve celebrated heroes, emphasized the value of family and friendship, they’ve instilled a steady faith in the belief that good triumphs over evil, that tomorrow is always brighter than today. And I think those stories have had an amazingly positive impact on the world, a world that always loves and needs great stories, and…great entertainment, particularly in today’s world.”

Iger then turned to the criticism, acknowledging, “We’ve recently gotten criticism…for what some perceive to be agenda-driven content. And I’m sensitive to that, actually. Our primary mission needs to be to entertain. And then through our entertainment to continue to have a positive impact on the world.”

Iger said, “I’m very serious about that. It should not be agenda driven. It should be entertainment driven. That should be the goal in all of our stories.”

Iger acknowledged that they likely won’t please everyone all of the time, but said, “we should be sensitive to the fact that parents have different levels of comfort with the content that is delivered to their children. I want parents to be able to trust the content that we’re creating for their children, and we’re committed to delivering age-appropriate content for family audiences while also telling stories that reflect the world around us and that foster greater understanding, greater perspective, greater acceptance of all people.” 

He shared, it’s “my hope that Disney continues to be a source of hope and optimism for the world. And we’re honored to actually carry forth Walt’s legacy of inspiring joy and wonder for everyone.”

Want to know more about what’s happening here? Let’s break it down.

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus

In terms of the first accusation regarding the Gay Men’s chorus, this stems from a 2021 video. Fox News reported that the San Fransisco Gay Mens Chorus faced a “wave of backlash” after posting a video that it described as “ironic humor about fears surrounding children and the ‘gay agenda.'”

In the video, the chorus sang about indoctrinating children, specifically about having them be “more concerned about ‘fairness’ and ‘justice.'”

The lyrics include phrases like “We’ll convert your children. Happens bit by bit. Quietly and subtly. And you will barely notice it…We’ll convert your children. We’ll make them tolerant and fair.” In other lyrics, they said “We’ll convert your children. Someone’s gotta teach them not to hate…Your children will care about…fairness and justice for others.”

In response, the chorus argued that the far-right conservative media had “taken the lyrics out of context.” They also reportedly said that the video was obviously “tongue-in-cheek humor.”

An Important Message to the Chorus Family. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/XBpSY6r4j7

— SF Gay Men's Chorus (@SFGMC) July 8, 2021

 

 

Disney did not collaborate on that 2021 video from what we understand, but rather what the shareholder seemed to be referencing in terms of Disney working with the chorus is the presentation of Disney Pride in Concert 2023. This was presented by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in early March 2023, per their website.

It’s not exclusive to that group, however. It is a presentation that has been offered in multiple areas in years past and this year. You can see information about it being performed online by the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, the Heartland Men’s Chorus in Kansas City, and the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus.

According to the description on the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus page, “You don’t have to be a Disney fan to find something to love. No matter your age, background, or sexual orientation, the selection of songs will touch your heart.”

Essentially, it seems to be a performance of hit Disney songs by gay men’s groups. The description for the San Francisco version reads, “We’ll perform Disney’s iconic songs alongside a 30-piece orchestra, celebrating themes including love, LGBTQ+ pride, and family ties. As well as showcasing Disney’s globally acclaimed musical legacy, this program will also serve as a vehicle for our chorus members to share their personal journeys, and how this music has shaped their lives.”

Gay “Pride Parades”

In terms of the pride parades the individual spoke about, they may be referring to Gay Days, which take place within Disney’s parks.

Disney actually doesn’t sponsor or promote most Gay Days events, according to a 2022 article from The New York Times. Generally, the Gay Days group organizes their own events, similar to other conventions held at Disney resorts. They typically include visits to some of Disney’s theme parks, but there is no parade. Event-goers usually meet up in the park and wear similarly colored shirts.

Disney has celebrated Pride Month with food and merchandise in the past. And we have seen Disney a little more involved in Gay Days in Disneyland — where there was a D23 photo op and some Disney vendors in the Gay Days welcome center at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort.

And things are a bit more unique at Disneyland Paris, where Disney does coordinate the event. There, Disney says there will be a colorful pride parade where “Disney Characters dressed in rainbow colours celebrate diversity in their magnificent sparkling vehicles.”

Disney World is also hosting a gay rights summit in Orlando later this year. This is the 2023 Out & Equal Workplace Summit, aimed at discussing inclusivity and equality in the workplace. Disney is one of the organization’s top sponsors. Other partners include Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Apple, Uber, Walgreens, and more. There are also government partners including the USDA, Department of State, and FDA.

The information about the summit’s events does not include mention of a pride parade.

UPDATE: Since the original writing of this post, there has been an update regarding pride events in the US related to Disney. At Disneyland, in 2023 the first Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite event will take place. This event will “celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and allies.” Disney has shared that there will be special entertainment, themed merchandise, and themed snacks.

Plus, there will be a Pride Nite cavalcade featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Clarabelle, Donald, and Daisy in new outfits.

Other Related Commentary

This wasn’t the only question about Disney’s involvement in cultural and political issues that Iger fielded during the Shareholder Meeting. Another individual asked whether it was wise for Disney to take a position on “political” issues.

Iger said, “I don’t think we should or can weigh in on every issue…But I strongly feel that we alone have to determine whether, when, or how to weigh in on an issue, whether it’s private or public. Of course with the standard that when we take a position on those matters, there’s a true reason why we have. And in almost all cases it has to be because it directly affects our business or our people.”

Iger also turned back to history to note that companies have been expressing their opinions on issues for decades, and he said the country is better off for that. Iger noted how this was particularly the case during the Civil Rights era, when many companies weighed in on “injustices they saw in America,” and he noted that it was “certainly true during World War 2 when those who stood in silence in some ways still carry the stain of indifference.”

He concluded by saying, “As long as I’m in the job, I’m gonna continue to [be] guided by a sense of decency and respect and trust our instincts that when we do weigh in, we weigh in because the issue is truly relevant to our business and to the people who work for us.”

We will continue to watch where Disney takes this matter from here, how things are handled in the future, and what Disney might speak up about in the years to come. Stay tuned for more updates.

Click here to see Iger’s thoughts on the DeSantis drama