At tonight’s 94th annual Academy Awards, multiple actors addressed Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s lackluster response to it. The ceremony kicked off with Oscar hosts Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, and Regina Hall commenting on the anti-gay legislation going on in Florida. “Well, we’re going to have a great night tonight and for you people in Florida, we’re going to have a gay night,” Sykes said. Of course, the audience cheered them on as the three hosts sung, “GAY GAY GAY.”

The “Don’t Say Gay” bill is called the Parental Rights in Education Act, and it restricts teachers from teaching about gender identity and sexuality in kindergarten through third-grade classes. The UN considers this type of legislation a human rights abuse. Initially, Disney declined to comment on the content of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, despite the fact that the company had provided political donations to all the politicians who supported the anti-gay legislation. Instead of responding to the bill’s content, Disney chose not to directly address the law and recommitted itself to producing LGBTQ+ content and rights. The statement begins:

We understand how important this issue is to our LGBTQ+ employees and many others. For nearly a century, Disney has been a unifying force that brings people together. We are determined that it remains a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

The response did not go over well with the public or with Disney cast members and talent.

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Part of what makes the “Don’t Say Gay” bill controversy so different from other times Disney controversies is the number of cast members openly speaking about company culture. Disney cast members are notoriously tight-lipped about the company because of strict NDAs. However, people are speaking out this time because so many of Disney’s LGBTQ+ employees feel the company has let them down. On the Academy Award red carpet, Encanto actress Jessica Darrow told Deadline, “Here I am being queer and gorgeous, and I’m on the red carpet, and I’m very happy to represent fellow gorgeous queers that consume Disney.”


“We are the face of Disney at the end of the day,” she added. “It’s obviously not right what’s going on, as we continue to uplift our voices and make our cases known, and continue to put out the positive, loving authentic energy that consumes all of us; we are the authentic part of all of this.”

The openly queer actress Ariana DeBose, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in 20th Century Studios’ West Side Story, also spoke about the importance of being true to yourself, adding that no one can question a person’s identity. She said, “You see an openly queer woman of color, an Afro-Latina who found her strength & life through art… if anyone has ever questioned your identity, I promise you this, there is indeed a place for us.”

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