Disney’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ misstep threatens to overshadow Chapek’s reign as CEO - The Verge

Contents:

• DISNEY CEO BOB IGER ADDRS 'DON'T SAY GAY' FALLOUT, IMPORTANCE OF LGBTQ CLN STORI
• DISNEY C.E.O. SAYS COMPANY IS ‘OPPOSED’ TO FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL
• DISNEY’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ MISSTEP THREATENS TO OVERSHADOW CHAPEK’S REIGN AS CEODISNEY’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ MISSTEP THREATENS TO OVERSHADOW CHAPEK’S REIGN AS CEO
• DISNEY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ADMS TO ‘GAY AGENDA,’ ‘ADDG QUEERNS’ WHEREVER SHE COULD
• DISNEY EXEC VOWS MORE GAY CHARACTERS AMID HUGE CLIVY PH

DISNEY CEO BOB IGER ADDRS 'DON'T SAY GAY' FALLOUT, IMPORTANCE OF LGBTQ CLN STORI

Valerie Man | AFP | Getty ImagFollowg cricism of s past handlg of LGBTQ issu, Disney CEO Bob Iger on Monday told employe that cln and acceptance are among the "re valu" of the pany's remarks e after Disney had faced cricism unr prev CEO Bob Chapek for s handlg of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which banned stctn on sexual orientatn and genr inty krgarten through third gra. Disney's recent cln of unambiguoly gay characters animated films has also drawn cricism om anti-LGBTQ activists.

DISNEY C.E.O. SAYS COMPANY IS ‘OPPOSED’ TO FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL

Its newt animated release, "Strange World, " also clus a ma character who is gay and has a csh on a boy the was praised for s cln of such characters, but many felt the pany did not do enough to support the cisns when they received backlash om some nservative Monday, Iger poted to films like "Black Panther" and "Co" as exampl of Disney projects that "changed the world for good.

Says Company Is ‘Opposed’ to Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ BillBob Chapek’s remarks followed cricism that the pany, a major employer the state bee of Disney World, had not spoken out agast the Kpa/Associated PrsMarch 9, 2022It was a bised Bob Chapek who arrived at Disney’s annual shareholr meetg on Wednday — and all bee of a crisis of his own makg.

DISNEY’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ MISSTEP THREATENS TO OVERSHADOW CHAPEK’S REIGN AS CEODISNEY’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ MISSTEP THREATENS TO OVERSHADOW CHAPEK’S REIGN AS CEO

Legislatn Florida that activists have labeled the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Ron DeSantis on Wednday “to exprs our disappotment and ncern that if legislatn be law, uld be ed to unfairly target gay lbian, nonbary and transgenr kids and fai. Chapek, sg and wearg a light gray su wh no tie, spent more than 30 mut praisg recent acplishments, cludg the openg of a new “Star Wars” attractn at Disney World, and teasg upg offergs, like the summertime rollout of a new Disney cise then went off mera and did his bt to execute a graceful ex om the “Don’t Say Gay” suatn.

More about Brooks BarnA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn B, Page 6 of the New York edn wh the headle: Disney Chief Addrs Anti-Gay Bill. Weeks ago, facg prsure ternally to speak out agast Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Disney CEO Bob Chapek took a surprisg approach: he did nothg. It’s also ma Disney the target of right-wg protters who have lled for a Disney employe who spoke wh The Verge say there’s ltle chance the chaos surroundg the pany’s “Don’t Say Gay” rponse, particular, would have happened on the watch of ’s reimaged DisneyChapek’s promotn to chief of Disney cid wh a pivotal time for the pany.

DISNEY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ADMS TO ‘GAY AGENDA,’ ‘ADDG QUEERNS’ WHEREVER SHE COULD

And while ’s too soon to say whether his strategy is gog to work, Chapek seems ls ncerned wh alienatg employe or alli if means he pulls ’s “Don’t Say Gay” misstepBut Chapek’s handlg of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill Florida — and his refal to speak out about — has arguably been the sgle greatt public embarrassment for the pany to date.

DISNEY EXEC VOWS MORE GAY CHARACTERS AMID HUGE CLIVY PH

”“We are dog our bt to be patient and wa to see what learship will do next”At the same time, the anizers of the Disney Walkout movement — who spoke wh The Verge over email as a group — noted that while even lger has spoken out publicly agast discrimatory legislatn while leadg the pany, “the polil donatns to the Florida policians behd the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill have been occurrg sce even Iger’s tenure as CEO. ” Ceasg donatns to polil figur and groups that actively work to advance legislatn like the “Don’t Say Gay” bill is one of the re mands of LGBTQ-pl employe behd the Where Is Chapek iative. On top of that, a patently homophobic rally was held at Disney Studs Burbank last week, and right-wg media has seized on the chance to blast the Disney has publicly said would like to see the “Don’t Say Gay” bill repealed, the walkout anizers say that as of last week, there had been no other munitn by Disney’s learship to employe about how ’s actively workg toward that goal.