Supportive LGBTQIA+ Statements Shared By Disney Ahead of Planned Walkouts

The Walt Disney Company’s handling of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill, which critics are referring to as the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, has been scrutinized by many.

©CNBC

We have previously shared about Disney’s initial statement, along with various statements from Disney CEO Bob Chapek. And just yesterday, Chapek made a promise for change and stated that the company “made a mistake by not taking a public stance against” the bill. Now, on the day of the planned employee walkouts in response to Disney’s actions, more statements have been issued on social media.

We have seen several statements already on the social medias of certain Disney properties like Disney Animation, Pixar, and Marvel. All of these are expressing their support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Now, other Disney properties, including the official social media of Walt Disney World, have followed suit.

Rainbow Mickey

Walt Disney World posted on Instagram this morning saying that 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,” expressing their opposition to the bill. Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line also posted the same message on their Instagram accounts.

View this post on Instagram

Around the same time, ESPN posted on Twitter a similar statement denouncing “legislation and actions across the United States that infringe on any human rights.”

We'll continue to partner with organizations that support the LGBTQIA+ community, be accountable where we fall short of expectations, and never stop telling stories about LGBTQIA+ athletes, like the ones that we’ll be sharing in this thread.

— ESPN (@espn) March 22, 2022

They also went on to post their own stories about transgender athletes wanting to compete in their sports and the WNBA’s first openly non-binary and transgender player.

Player. Parent. Pioneer.

Layshia Clarendon, the WNBA’s first openly non-binary and transgender player, on how she has embraced her sexuality and identity: https://t.co/zwj14kZtTE

— ESPN (@espn) March 22, 2022

Disney+ also posted a statement on Instagram and Twitter, saying they stand by their “LGBTQIA+ employees, colleagues, families, storytellers, and fans.”

View this post on Instagram

And, Freeform posted a statement on their Instagram as well, which said that they stand with their LGBTQIA+ employees, families, and allies as they “work to create meaningful change.”

View this post on Instagram

Walt Disney Imagineering shared a message of support as well, writing in part that they “strongly oppose any legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQ+ community.”

View this post on Instagram

Even more Disney-owned properties joined in with supportive messages today as well, like Hulu, FX, National Geographic, and ABC Network.

We stand with our LGBTQIA+ colleagues, storytellers, families, friends, and fans who are targeted by laws that marginalize and diminish their identities and lives. We remain committed to telling inclusive stories that unite us and celebrate the diverse LGBTQIA+ community.

— Hulu (@hulu) March 22, 2022

We’ll be covering the planned Disney employee walkouts today, as well as any other comments released by Disney about the bill, so stay tuned to DFB for more.