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Google PlayGabrielle Union has put the Walt Disney Company on blast for their response to Florida’s recently passed Parental Rights in Education legislation, which many are calling the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
“Somebody asked me, ‘Are you disappointed?’ I’m disappointed when my order isn’t right at In-N-Out. I don’t even think that’s a word that you could use for something like this, where children’s lives are literally hanging in the balance,” Union told Variety during the premiere of her Disney+ film, Cheaper by the Dozen. “We need to own that if you truly are taking stands against hate and oppression, you should not fund hate and oppression. Period. The damage is done.”
Last week, Disney CEO Bob Chapek apologized for the company’s stance on the new bill, which would limit how sexual orientation and gender identity are dealt with in the classroom. Additionally, it was discovered on Feb. 25 that the company contributed money to every politician who either sponsored or co-sponsored the legislation. In his apology, Chapek announced that Disney would be “pausing all political donations in the state of Florida.”
The state’s House of Representatives passed the bill on Feb. 24 and the state’s Senate later passed it in early March.
In the midst of the controversy, Disney’s LGBTQIA+ employees sent a letter to Chapek asking the company to denounce the legislation. “I think a lot of people reached out to him,” Union said. “And if you have to see my child for that to be the difference-maker, that’s not enough. There’s a lot of kids out there, not just famous ones.”
“There are so many states that are following suit [with Florida’s legislation], because there is no pushback, because no one in positions of power [or] corporations are taking a hard stance,” she added. “Let’s look who’s donating to what and let’s call people out… I think a lot of people like to confuse accountability and consequences for cancel culture. And as long as you have a microphone and a stage that’s not cancel culture, honey… We have to campaign and fund for those people who stand for all of us.”
