Everyone is looking at Disney to do better—a lot better—as cast members and allies participate in organized walkouts to represent LGBTQIA+ people and families affected by the company’s reluctance to create real change.
Forcing the move of its Imagineering department from California to Florida as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill was making headlines spurred employees and the public to denounce Disney’s political donations to lawmakers who support the bill. The situation wasn’t helped by Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s fumbled response to the outcry, and there’s now considerable pressure on the company to put into action mandates to protect and better represent the LGBTQIA+ community.
Last week, organizers Disney Walkout outlined a letter listing areas of concern companywide and asked leadership to pull funding from the supporters of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida.
The LGBTQIA+ workers and allies at The Walt Disney Company are standing in solidarity together over the coming weeks. Here is our open statement and website.https://t.co/hdvFds7Bw6
Petition: https://t.co/B6OWRGmlTF#DisneyDoBetter #DisneySayTrans #DisneySayGay #WhereIsChapek pic.twitter.com/uhQLMl5FJG— Disney Walkout (@DisneyWalkout) March 14, 2022
Today, employees and allies are marching outside of the Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney World, and digitally through the rapidly trending movement on social media to protest Disney not putting policies in place to back up its apologies.
Hundreds of Disney employees walking out at company HQ in Burbank #DisneyWalkout pic.twitter.com/n9QpNmAHIf
— Steve Desaulniers (@steve_desaul) March 22, 2022
Disney Animation Studios employees full day #DisneyWalkout #DisneyDoBetter #DisneySayGay Supporting our fellow Florida co-workers and LGBTQIA+ community. Solidarity. 🌈♥️✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/zwKZisJtUr
— Rebecca Perez (@reblynk) March 22, 2022
Solidarity at Pixar!!
A rather joyous Friday walkout at Pixar! We had some fun and did some group stretches while catching up with one another! #DisneyDoBetter #DisneySayTrans #DisneySayGay #WhereIsChapek pic.twitter.com/FafaiaNugJ
— Disney Walkout (@DisneyWalkout) March 18, 2022
Disney has so far remained silent, however, on other damaging legislation. It’s why its decision to “pause” political donations in Florida makes some worry that when the story dies down, the company could just resume its political funding. Here’s DuckTales writer Benjamin Siemon and others sharing concerns to that effect on Twitter:
Today would be a great day for Disney to announce it will permanently end all donations to the politicians who voted for the "Don't Say Gay" bill, to reverse their plans to move 2000 employees to FL & to start promoting queer content the same way they promote everything else. https://t.co/UV3c2bAr5w
— Ben Siemon (@BenjaminJS) March 22, 2022
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1506336335807754240
This! #NewDeal4Animation #Rally4Animation #SayGay https://t.co/ltg23yGqxx pic.twitter.com/zRae7ypbGB
— 🌈 Fulcagay | Shop Open (@fulcagay) March 22, 2022
Solidarity from #ANewDealForAnimation, a movement for better animation contracts, has joined in. Additionally, various public figures at Disney Animation, Disney Pictures, Pixar, and Lucasfilm have spoken out online to support and help draw more visibility to the movement. Even Oscar Isaac, star of Marvel’s Moon Knight, gave a statement to Variety during this week’s press tour.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1506369318438649858
I couldn't say it better, so I won't try. I too love Disney. But everyone must grow. To all of my friends in the LGBTQ community & those under the wide and diverse Disney banner, I love you, I stand with you and I have your back. Everyone should feel heard, safe & protected. ❤️ https://t.co/M3vHlTg0UX
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) March 22, 2022
As an ally of the #LGBTQIA+ community at Disney, especially my friends and colleagues at Lucasfilm, I will be participating in an organized and unified full-day #DisneyWalkOut to speak out against Disney’s lack of action against the ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans Bill”. #DisneyDoBetter pic.twitter.com/GZBlJcG9iX
— Phil Szostak (@PhilSzostak) March 22, 2022
This @DisneyWalkout is about more than us as employees. This is about saying that TDC can't work to accumulate financial power in states like Florida and then say they are powerless to stand up for human rights of it's people.#DisneySayGay #DisneySayTrans #DisneyDoBetter pic.twitter.com/RMtkAaUnBm
— Sam King 🐝 (@SamanthaCKing) March 22, 2022
I am heartened by all the Disney employees I know participating in the walk out today. Standing with you, friends! #DisneyDoBetter #DisneySayGay #DisneySayTrans pic.twitter.com/nj440z25SH
— Preeti Chhibber is over on 🟦 ☁️ (@runwithskizzers) March 22, 2022
This includes main pages for many of Disney’s subsidiaries (missing in action so far: Lucasfilm), though these statements are yet to be backed up by policy at large.
ESPN believes in inclusivity and denounces legislation and actions across the United States that infringe on any human rights. We stand with our LGBTQIA+ colleagues, friends, families, and fans.
— ESPN (@espn) March 22, 2022
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) March 15, 2022
All of us at Pixar stand with our LGBTQIA+ colleagues, friends, families, and fans around the world who are targeted by laws that marginalize and diminish their identities and lives. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/bJScneApX0
— Pixar (@Pixar) March 16, 2022
Pixar has recently announced that it will be adding a same-sex romantic kiss—previously cut from the final film—back into the upcoming animated film Lightyear.
We will continue to update as things evolve.
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