Shortly after DeSantis signed the bill, Disney came out with a forceful statement vowing to work to repeal it. As it became clear that the legislation was likely to become law, CEO Bob Chapek reversed himself and publicly spoke out against it, acknowledging that “our original approach, no matter how well intentioned, didn’t quite get the job done.” So far, just about all of the focus - and the backlash - has been on Disney.Īs one of the state’s largest employers, the company initially stayed publicly neutral on the legislation, adopting an attitude, once common to corporate America, to avoid cultural fault lines. We need Hollywood on the front lines, fighting for our rights and telling our stories.”įlorida’s Parental Rights in Education law, which DeSantis signed last week, prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in K-3 grades “or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” As proponents argue that the law is a narrowly tailored issue of parental rights, opponents dubbed it the “don’t say gay” bill and see it as part of a long history of efforts to target the LGBTQ community for political gain. There’s no more time to sit on the sidelines. So I have a message for the industry: Don’t wait until you’re in the hot seat. The directive is on hold pending court review.īut GLAAD also is calling on Hollywood to more forcefully - and publicly - speak out against state legislation.ĭuring Saturday’s GLAAD Awards, CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said, “In this moment of crisis, what’s different is our community is holding companies accountable. That state’s governor issued a directive requiring state officials to investigate gender-affirming medical care as a form of child abuse. That said, NBCU, Paramount Global, WarnerMedia and Sony Interactive Entertainment were among the more than 200 companies that signed on to a Human Rights Campaign and Freedom for All Americans statement opposing the wave of anti-LGBTQ state legislation.Īnd according to GLAAD, Comcast NBCU, WarnerMedia and Disney each will be donating airtime for a PSA, to be introduced this week, about a Texas family with a transgender child. Representatives for other studios, as well as Netflix, did not respond to requests for comment. So we feel very strongly about this one, and we feel that this is about business as much as it is about politics.”
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Yes there’s politics involved but it’s also a business issue, in that we strongly believe that anti-LGBTQ legislation is anti-business, and we don’t think that one person’s life or one person’s identity or one person’s love is any less than or less worthy of another. On Tuesday, departing WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar told CNBC, “I think this is a business issue. Human Rights Campaign Demotes Fox Corp From Top Workplace List Following Fox News' Coverage Of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill, LGBTQ Issues She also singled out Apple, whose CEO, Tim Cook, also has spoken out against the Florida bill.
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Ron DeSantis was suggesting that a 55-year-old special district, giving the company self-governing powers around Walt Disney World, should be rolled back, while Fox News’ Laura Ingraham suggested that “everything would be on the table,” from copyright protection to antitrust, when Republicans got back into power. Whether they like it or not, the issue isn’t going away, even as companies try to avoid the damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t situation that has dogged Disney.īy the end of last week, Florida Gov.
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Paramount, Sony and Netflix also have not weighed in publicly.
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NBCUniversal, with its rival theme park presence in Orlando, has had no public comment on the new law. Others studios, though, have largely steered clear of the furor in the Sunshine State. initially took heat for not taking a public position on Florida’s so-called “don’t say gay” bill - and now they are under fire for doing just that.