Over the past several days we’ve seen a number of developments made in Florida related to a controversial bill surrounding LGBTQ+ issues.

We’ve already shared Disney’s initial response to the Bill, and Bob Chapek’s comments regarding the Bill as well. Today, during Disney’s Shareholder Meeting, Disney CEO Bob Chapek once again made comments regarding the bill and now we’ve got all the details.

The Bill that is at the heart of this issue is what critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill. Its full name is the “Parental Rights in Education” Bill. As The Hill notes, if passed, the Bill would “restrict mention of LGBTQ+ topics in classrooms that are not ‘age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.’” The bill would also provide parents with “greater authority to take legal action against school districts believed to be in violation.”

To learn more about the Bill, read some text from the Bill, see criticisms of Disney’s response, and more, click here.

Again, Disney initially issued a statement that was released through Good Morning America and Bob Chapek also issued some comments about the Bill.

But during the Shareholder Meeting held on March 9th, 2022 Chapek once again discussed the Bill prior to taking questions from shareholders. During the Shareholder Meeting, Chapek acknowledged that many “are upset that [Disney] did not speak out against the Bill.” He then shared that they were “opposed to the bill from the outset, but [] chose not to take a public position on it because [they] thought [they] could be more effective working behind the scenes, engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.” Chapek shared that they were “hopeful that our longstanding relationships with those lawmakers would enable [them] to achieve a better outcome.”

Despite “weeks of effort,” however, Chapek noted that they were unsuccessful in changing things “behind the scenes.” The Bill has in fact passed the Florida Senate (and the Florida House) and now is on its way to the desk of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for his signature.

Still, Disney is taking more action on this issue. Chapek shared that he called Governor DeSantis to express his “disappointment and concern that if legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary, and transgender kids and families.” He shared that he actually had an “extraordinary conversation” with the Governor about the genesis of the legislation, the process the state went through to get the legislation approved by the House and the Senate, and, most importantly, what comes next.

According to Chapek, Governor DeSantis has “committed” to him that he (DeSantis) wants to make sure the law cannot be weaponized by individuals or groups in the state to unduly harm or target individuals who are gay, lesbian, non-binary, transgender, and others.

Chapek shared that the Governor has encouraged them to take a look at the legislation as written and come up with some ideas and concerns regarding parts of the legislation that could lead to its weaponization. Governor DeSantis is reportedly “open” to finding out what aspects of the legislation would be most concerning.

Chapek also shared that DeSantis has agreed to meet with him and a small delegation of Cast Members who are involved in this movement to discuss their concerns surrounding this Bill. Chapek shared, “Certainly, the outcome in Florida was not what many of us were hoping for, especially our LGBTQ+ employees, and unfortunately, legislation targeting their communities is being considered in many other states, which means this fight will go on.”

So what will happen next? Chapek shared that Disney will be “signing the Human Right’s Campaign’s statement opposing such legislative efforts around the country” as well as “pledging $5 million towards organizations,” including the Human Rights Campaign, that are “working to protect LGBTQ+ rights.”

Chapek also reiterated, as his earlier comments had said, that Disney will be “reassessing” its “approach to advocacy, including political giving in Florida and beyond.” Chapek closed by saying, “I understand our original approach, no matter how well-intended, didn’t quite get the job done, but we’re committed to support the community going forward.”

We’ll continue to look for more updates on this matter and share those with you.

Click here for more information about Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill and Disney’s first statement

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The post CEO Bob Chapek Comments on Disney’s Stance on “Don’t Say Gay” Bill and Actions Moving Forward first appeared on the disney food blog.