After resisting efforts to issue a public statement regarding Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) CEO Bob Chapek reversed course and spoke openly against the legislation this morning during the company’s shareholders meeting.
What Happened: Deadline reported that Chapek insisted that while the company has been a longtime supporter of the LGBTQ community and had been “opposed to the bill from the outset,” he opted not to comment publicly on the issue “because we felt we could be more effective working behind the scenes, engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. And we were hoping that our longstanding relationships with those lawmakers would enable us to achieve a better outcome. But, despite weeks of effort, we were ultimately unsuccessful.”
Chapek added that he called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier in the morning to express the company’s disappointment with the legislation, citing a concern that it could be used to harass LGBTQ children and their families.
“The governor heard our concerns,” Chapek said. “He agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss ways to address that.”
Chapek also pledged a $5 million corporate donation to LGBTQ-focused organizations including the Human Rights Campaign and would work to prevent legislation similar to the Florida bill from becoming law in other states.
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Why It Happened: The Florida legislation bans the discussion of sexuality and gender identity in Florida’s schools until after the third grade. The bill passed both chambers of the state legislature and DeSantis is expected to sign it into law.
Chapek’s refusal to openly speak against the bill brought criticism from within his company, with many employees taking to social media to question his actions. Prominent figures in entertainment and the media also called out Chapek for his lingering silence.
“I understand our original approach, no matter how well intentioned, didn’t quite get the job done,” Chapek admitted. “But we are committed to supporting the community going forward.”
Photo of Bob Chapek courtesy of Walt Disney Co.
