Fire Island's Joel Kim Booster says making LGBTQ film for Disney amid 'Don't Say Gay' bill weighs on him heavily

Joel Kim Booster, the creator and star of the highly anticipated queer rom-com Fire Island, has complicated feelings about the company behind his movie.

Fire Island, based on a concept and story by Booster, is a modern re-telling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice that focuses on a group of friends vacationing on New York's titular queer haven. The film already has a lot of buzz for being the rare queer rom-com from a major Hollywood studio with an all-LGBTQ main cast, including Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang, comedian Margaret Cho, and How to Get Away With Murder's Conrad Ricamora.

Booster says "it's really tough" to think about making such a significant queer film for the Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures, especially after Disney's publicized actions surrounding the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill in Florida.

"It's something that weighs on me really heavily, the responsibility of making, first off, a good and honest movie and something that felt authentic and real to the gay experience, and then to know that it's being produced through many pipelines to Disney," Booster tells EW.

"I don't have a great answer to it," he continues. "We live in a society and we have to make concessions in order to get things done. For me, I'm so grateful that this movie is going to be seen by so many people and, in that way, hopefully will help queer kids who see themselves in these characters to feel good and affirmed. I don't know really what else to say. It's not a great answer. I'm sort of waffling here, but it's tough. It's not something I'm happy about. I'll say that."

Disney has been course correcting since it was reported that the company donated money to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and all the other politicians behind HB 1557. The law has been dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill for it prohibits conversations around sexual orientation and gender identity in schools from kindergarten to the third grade. The bill also restricts conversations in grades beyond that "in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."

Florida Republicans claim the bill, which was passed into law, seeks to protect children from experiencing sexual content. But critics and LGBTQ advocates say the law is so broadly defined that it could easily be used to target LGBTQ students and families.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek originally planned for the company to stay silent on the bill and instead work "behind the scenes" with Florida politicians. But in light of weeks of public scrutiny that included a walk-out orchestrated by Disney employees in protest of the company's actions, Disney condemned the bill and affirmed its commitment to its LGBTQ employees and stories.

"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 in an earlier statement released in March. "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."

The story of Fire Island, meanwhile, is a personal one for Booster, who says it's inspired by his experiences on the island with Yang. "Once we got there, it was like a part of myself had been unlocked," he said. "I didn't realize how much weight I was carrying around existing in largely heterosexual spaces."

The film will be released on Hulu June 3.

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Related content:

• Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang envision the gay Pride and Prejudice in Fire Island trailer
• Disney condemns Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law, says bill 'should never have passed'
• Pixar employees say Disney has censored LGBTQ stories 'down to crumbs of what they once were'