“When have donated to sponsors and co-sponsors of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill and have made no position against this bill and are going to continue donating to these politicians, they are essentially saying that this bill is okay.The newest signatories include retail companies Target, Mattel and Lululemon, according to the latest version of the petition published by advocacy groups Human Rights Campaign and Freedom for All Americans. They’re going to have to pretend that gay people don’t exist,” he said in a video. Teachers that are gay and married to partners won’t even be able to talk about them. “LGBTQ kids are going to be left alone and scared and hurt by this bill.
Many Disney employees too have taken to social media to express their concern, saying that they would not be who they are today should a law like this go into effect.ĭana Terrace, the creator of “The Owl House,” said in a viral video that she had a hard time coming to terms with her queerness “because of stuff like this, because I thought I shouldn’t exist, because no one told me I had the option of existing.”Īnd Benjamin Siemon, an animation TV writer on shows like “Duck Tales,” said that he would’ve been “left alone and scared” had the “Don’t Say Gay” bill passed when he was a kid in school. While Republicans and DeSantis have defended the bill saying that it only bans “planned lessons” on sexuality, critics have said the bill is designed to stifle conversations about LGBTQ+ youth.
After passing the Florida Senate on Tuesday, governor Ron DeSantis has previously indicated that he intends to sign the bill into law. The “Don’t Say Gay” bill, officially called the Parental Rights in Education bill, is designed to prohibit Florida schools from teaching students between kindergarten and third grade about topics of sexual orientation or gender identity. “It’s very difficult when we see that same organization step away from places where they can have influence while at the same profiting pretty nicely off the LGTBQ community.”Ī representative for Disney did not respond for request for comment on this story. “There are corporations that have put themselves out there as concerned about building inclusion, making sure everyone is seen, making sure everyone is treated fairly, as Disney very much has,” she said. Navetta said she finds Disney’s stance under Chapek to be paradoxical. And it also reminds elected leaders that LGBTQ+ people are not alone in our opposition, that we are part of a much larger community including some of the most prominent, influential brands they see every day in their own homes and communities.” “It reminds lawmakers that real people are impacted by these bills - people who they were elected to serve, and who fuel their local economies. Standing up for LGBTQ+ employees and customers isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also effective,” Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign SVP for Programs, Research & Training, told TheWrap. “Companies should be speaking out loudly against anti-LGBTQ legislation, both publicly and privately. “Companies should listen to their own employees, and to their consumers, and speak out loudly about how bills like these conflict with corporate values embracing inclusion and diversity.” “Real action from businesses helped repeal North Carolina’s anti-transgender HB2, which restricted access to public restrooms in 2017, and helped combat Indiana’s notorious anti-LGBTQ bill in 2015,” she said. “Companies that do business in Florida, Texas, and the dozens of other states considering anti-LGBTQ legislation not only have a responsibility to speak out for their LGBTQ customers and employees, they also have a real opportunity to educate the public about these unpopular and harmful bills and stop them from becoming law,” Ellis said in a statement to TheWrap. GLAAD’s president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis also called on businesses and brands to speak out, noting that many who engage with consumers during Pride month can’t suddenly “stay silent as anti-LGBTQ youth are targeted by legislation.” ‘The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales’ Director Abigail Disney Expresses ‘Worry’ About Bob Chapek (Video)