Dozens of employees march outside of Disney's headquarters in Burbank, California, chanting, 'Say Gay!' as part of a full day of walkouts across the company's theme parks and offices following the 'slow response' to 'Don't Say Gay' bill.
- Mar 23, 2022
AceShowbiz - Disney employees continue their protest against the company over its "slow response" to the "Don't Say Gay" bill. Dozens of the staff walked out of the company's headquarters after its CEO, Bob Chapek, declared that the studio will produce more gay content for kids.
On Tuesday, March 22, the employees marched outside of Disney's headquarters in Burbank, California. At one point, the staff could be heard chanting, "Say Gay!" as part of a full day of walkouts across the company's theme parks and offices.
In a statement about the walkouts, the company said, "We respect our colleagues' right to express their views." The statement continued, "And we pledge our ongoing support of the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community in the fight for equal rights."
The walkouts came just hours after Bob declared that the company vows to produce more gay content for kids. "To ALL who come to this happy place, welcome. Disney Parks, Experiences and Products is committed to creating experiences that support family values for every family, and will not stand for discrimination in any form," the CEO of the company wrote via Walt Disney World's official Instagram account.
"We oppose any legislation that infringes on basic human rights," added the statement. "[We] stand in solidarity and support of LGBTQIA+ cast, crew, guests and fans who make their voices heard today and every day."
In the comment section of the post, many social media critics mocked the statement as they believed the company launched the message "only because the walk out was planned today." One person wrote, "So STOP donating for those causes, and fire bob chapeck [sic]," while another stated, "This won't change anything. They're still walking out today buds."
In attempts to take a stronger stance against the "Don't Say Gay" bill, Disney was reportedly reinstating a kissing scene between two female characters in the upcoming "Toy Story" spin-off, "Lightyear", after Pixar employees accused the parent company of cutting gay characters from films. Earlier this month, the company also announced its decision to pause political donations to Florida.
"Today, we are pausing all political donations in the state of Florida pending this review," said Bob in a statement on March 11. The 61-year-old businessman added, "Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was. It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights."
