Disney condemns Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law, says bill 'should never have passed'

The Walt Disney Company is speaking out against Florida's controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill and vowing to help repeal it, after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law Monday.

In a statement, the company publicly denounced the "Parental Rights in Education" law, which seeks to limit discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation for public school children between kindergarten and third grade.

"Florida's HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law," a Disney spokesperson said. "Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country."

Disney's denouncement of the law comes after weeks of public scrutiny, and marks a reversal of the company's previous vow to remain silent on the matter. Disney CEO Bob Chapek originally declared that the company would not publicly oppose the bill, instead working with Florida politicians "behind the scenes."

But Chapek and Disney soon received pushback, both from inside and outside of the company. A group of Pixar employees penned a public letter decrying Chapek's response and arguing that Disney has a history of censoring LGBTQ representation in films. And last week, Disney employees staged a walkout in protest — a move supported by celebrities and Disney stars including Oscar Isaac, Raven-Symoné, and Mark Ruffalo.

Chapek later reversed course, apologizing for the company's weak response and vowing to pause political donations in Florida. (Thanks to Disney World, Disney is one of the largest employers in the state of Florida, and in the past, Disney has reportedly donated thousands of dollars to DeSantis and other politicians who voted for the bill.) At the time, Chapek also pledged that Disney would donate $5 million to the Human Rights Organization and other groups working to protect LGBTQ rights, but the HRC later said that it would refuse Disney's money until the company took more "meaningful action" to combat the bill.

Supporters of the law claim that its goal is to protect children from exposure to sexual content, but critics have denounced it for its broad and unclear terminology, arguing that as written, it could be used to unfairly target LGBTQ students and families. Under the law, only "age-appropriate" instruction is permitted for children above third grade, and parents are able to sue schools or teachers that they feel violate the law.

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