Damned if you do, damned if you don't: Disney now faces backlash for OPPOSING 'Don't Say Gay' Bill
A Walt Disney employee who is running for Congress in Florida as a Republican has claimed the "silent majority" of his colleagues support the parental rights law H.B. 1557 despite the vocal minority that is leading the company to take a stance against the law.
The entertainment giant has been mired in protests, counter-protests, and walkouts staged by employees after Florida Governor Ronald DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education bill into law, which critics have branded the 'Don't Say Gay' law, which bans exposing students to sexuality, gender identity, and sexual orientation "in a manner that is not age-appropriate."
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"There is immense pressure to tow the company line," Jose Castillo, who works as a resort duty manager for Disney, told Fox News. "However, the reality is that those drawing attention to this issue are in the minority. The Disney cast members who support the parental rights defended by HB 1557 far outnumber those who are protesting against it." According to Castillo, "Disney and similar corporations listen to the loudest voices in the crowd," even though the "silent majority" of employees disagree. "That is why I am standing up for our shared conservative values; to show other conservative cast members like me that we need to speak up and stand strong," he added.
Earlier this month, LGBTQIA+ employees at the animation firm staged a protest against what they said was an insufficient condemnation of the controversial Florida bill, which bans educators from giving classroom instruction on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to children in third grade or younger, "or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."
Furthermore, H.B. 1557 does not ban the word "gay" in school settings, despite critics branding it a "Don't Say Gay" legislation. It also allows casual discussions of topics relating to sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom. The law also doesn't require schools to notify parents if their ward identifies as gay or transgender. Nonetheless, Disney ridiculed the bill in a statement on Monday, March 28. "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," the statement on Walt Disney's Twitter page read. "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." It added, "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."
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) says Disney speaking out against FL’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill “crossed the line”:
— The Recount (@therecount) March 29, 2022
“If we would’ve put in the bill that you are not allowed to have curriculum that discussed the oppression of the Uyghurs in China, Disney would’ve endorsed that in a second.” pic.twitter.com/DIrRbSZUlN
"I think that is a terrible miscalculation because it's clear that the democratic process produced this law," Castillo told Fox News. "Floridians, including Disney employees, democratically elected Florida's state House representatives and state senators, and those elected officials passed this law; and then, thank God, Governor DeSantis signed it into law."
The resort duty manager said the company's campaign against the law "has Disney straying far away from the values that made this company the household name all Americans know and love." Castillo also suggested that The Walt Disney Company needs to return to its official mission statement, which states, "The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds, and innovative technologies that make ours the world's premier ‘entertainment’ company."
Meanwhile, a group of employees has penned an open letter urging Disney to abandon its stance against the Florida law and adopt a politically neutral stance instead. Castillo said that while he wasn't a part of that effort, he supports it nonetheless. One employee, writing under the pseudonym Ethan L. Clay, said the company's leadership has "surrendered" to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology and created an environment that forces employees to remain quiet out of fear of scrutiny or termination. "I encourage everyone to ignore the bloviating of Disney executive leadership, from CEO Bob Chapek all the way down to park VPs," Clay wrote in a blog published on Quillette.com Tuesday, March 29. "These people are not thought-leaders or cultural revolutionaries. They are cowards held hostage by the prevailing narrative, and they will run in whichever direction that narrative dictates."
Clay argued that Disney's management does not represent "real Disney Parks and Resorts employees" who are "as diverse as the country itself" and want their employer to "shut up about politics." The disgruntled employee added, "The company’s attempts to use us as a bloc to push their political agenda is intolerant, exploitative, and profoundly un-Disney."