#Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s stays silent on Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
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“Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s stays silent on Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill”
Disney CEO Bob Chapek has stayed tight-lipped on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and LGBTQ rights groups are raising hackles over the silence.
Disney insiders told The Hollywood Reporter that Chapek, unlike his predecessor Bob Iger who condemned the bill, is unwilling to take a stance on”Don’t Say Gay,” which would ban teachers from discussing LGBTQ topics like sexual orientation or gender identity with students until after third grade.
“Chapek is staunchly opposed to bringing Disney into issues he deems irrelevant to the company and its businesses,” one source told the publication on Wednesday.
A source close to Disney told The Post on Thursday that Chapek does not deem the issue irrelevant but that he doesn’t see a need to weigh in.
That’s despite the fact that former Disney CEO Iger on Feb. 24 tweeted his support of President Joe Biden’s statement labeling the Florida legislation as a “hateful bill.”
“I’m with the President on this!” Iger wrote. “If passed, this bill will put vulnerable, young LGBTQ people in jeopardy.” Biden had tweeted his opposition to “legislation designed to attack LGBTQI+ kids.”
Just beneath Iger’s tweet was a comment: “Call your boy Chapek,” followed by another, more respectful: “I hope you’re in conversation with Chapek on this. Talking to the governor would help, too.”
GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told The Post that corporations need to speak out.
“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.
Some angry Disney fans took to Reddit, echoing Ellis, saying that the bill is not merely political.
“I understand wanting to stay out as that is a toxic environment but somethings like voting rights and LGBTQ+ rights that should be not negotiable considering how many employees Disney has,” one user wrote.
Others, however, saw no need for the CEO to weigh in.
“Why on Earth would anyone want to know the opinion of the Disney CEO on an obscure law in one state anyway? Got nothing to do with him,” one user added.
“Businesses shouldn’t be involved in politics this is good regardless if you are right or left,” another offered.
Disney’s new chief corporate affairs officer Geoff Morrell defended Chapek’s stance in a statement the Hollywood Reporter.
“Whatever Bob’s personal politics are, he’s not an activist and does not bring any partisan agenda to work. He sees himself first and foremost as the custodian of a unifying brand that for nearly a century has been bringing people together, and he is determined that Disney remain a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”
Morrell added: “He believes the best way we can help create a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create and the diverse community organizations we support.”
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