Facing Backlash, Disney CEO Publicly Opposes ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

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Disney CEO Bob Chapek on Wednesday publicly opposed Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, days after the media giant began facing harsh criticism for Chapek’s noncommittal stance on the anti-LGBTQ legislation and for donating to lawmakers who supported the bill.

During the Burbank-based company’s annual shareholder meeting, Chapek claimed that Disney “opposed the bill from the outset,” but chose to lobby lawmakers behind the scenes instead of speaking out against the proposed law.

“I understand our original approach, no matter how well intended, didn't quite get the job done,” Chapek said. “But we’re committed to supporting the [LGBTQ] community going forward.”

The CEO said he planned to meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis about the bill and that Disney would donate $5 million to advocacy groups working to protect LGBTQ rights, including the Human Rights Campaign. Disney is also “reassessing” its approach to advocacy and political donations, Chapek added.

The Florida bill—officially known as the Parental Rights in Education bill—would forbid public schools from teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. The state’s Republican-controlled legislature approved the proposal and sent it to DeSantis, a Republican who is expected to sign it into law despite a wave of criticism that it would further marginalize LGBTQ students.

Disney—a major employer in Florida through its Walt Disney World theme park and resort in Orlando—took heat for declining to comment on the bill ahead of its passage on Tuesday, and for financially backing some of the lawmakers who voted for its passage. On Monday, Chapek wrote a memo to staff that said corporate statements “do very little to change outcomes or minds.” He added: “I do not want anyone to mistake a lack of a statement for a lack of support.”

That decision frustrated many Disney employees and activists alike. The Animation Guild, which represents some Disney staffers, criticized the company for remaining silent while Florida passed “homophobic legislaton.”

“It is disheartening that Disney, one of the world’s most successful brands with massive resources and a global platform, failed to take any action to help prevent the passage of this bill,” the group said.

On Wednesday, Chapek claimed the company did make an effort behind closed doors.

“We were hopeful that our longstanding relationship with those lawmakers would enable us to achieve a better outcome,” he said. “But despite weeks of effort, we were ultimately unsuccessful.”