Disney CEO responds to ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill controversy with dismay, donations, and a belief in Florida politicians

polygon.com:

“Disney, please, say ‘gay.’”

DuckTales writer Benjamin Siemon tweeted the plea on Sunday, March 6, joining a wave of LGBTQ artists and advocates pushing for The Walt Disney Co. to take a clearer stand against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, a controversial piece of legislation that would prevent educators from discussing sexual orientation in public school classrooms based on grade level. Disney’s giant stake in Florida’s tourist economy — and giant stake in culture, as an outlet for progressive ideals and representation — put CEO Bob Chapek under pressure to push back against the bill. The company’s stance, conveyed on Monday only by an internal memo to employees from Chapek, was one of neutrality.

But at Disney’s annual meeting of shareholders on Wednesday, Chapek attempted to address many of these concerns over the bill while still placating a crowd of investors that was split on the issue. “We were hopeful that our long-standing relationships with those lawmakers would achieve better outcomes, but despite weeks of effort, we were unsuccessful,” he said.

Sponsored in the Florida Senate by Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley, to whom the Walt Disney Co. has donated money in the past, the measure, officially called the Parental Rights in Education bill, would prohibit classroom instruction “by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity” before fourth grade “or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, a Republican whom Disney has also backed financially, voted for the bill, which passed the state Senate earlier this week and now awaits Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ approval.