Bob Chapek's response to Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I agree teachers should be paid a reasonable amount. However, anyone that posts teachers should be paid more should also post what government benefits are you willing to give up or how much more you are willing to pay in taxes. I am willing to pay a few hundred more in state taxes to pay teachers but want the school adminiatration cut too.

One of the selling points to legalize MJ in NV was the tax receipts would go directly to our underfunded schools and underpaid teachers, then they reduced school funding from the general fund similar to the increase in MJ taxes. The net result is the schools are still underfunded, this is why tax increases are always viewed with skepticism, even though (nearly) everyone agrees we should better fund our schools we’ve been burned before. Same is true of gas taxes, everyone wants better roads and bridges so we raise the gas taxes and then watch the money get spent elsewhere.

If you (general you) are so insecure in your beliefs that you feel the need to control and micro-manage every aspect of your child's life, keep them at home and homeschool them.

Most people dont have the means to home school, one side has been fighting for school vouchers for years (so people could do exactly what you propose) but they’ve been fought at every turn by the other side because they want all the kids (or at least their money) in public schools.

It’s disingenuous to force people to spend thousands in taxes to support public schools and then tell them to spend thousands more on a private school if they disagree with what the public schools teach.

 

[lazyboy97o]

What does the sexual preference of anyone mentioned matter with regard to their contribution to history? Again, extreme arguments for extreme positions. I already discussed this if you've been following along. Alan Turing's sexual preference did not play any part in his design of the Enigma. We can go through your other examples if you like.

This law is crafted to give extreme positions disproportionate influence.

 

[lazyboy97o]

t’s disingenuous to force people to spend thousands in taxes to support public schools and then tell them to spend thousands more on a private school if they disagree with what the public schools teach.

Isn’t it just as disingenuous to force people to spend thousands in taxes to support public schools and then allow another person to spend more to force the public schools to teach what they alone desire?

 

[TikibirdLand]

This law is crafted to give extreme positions disproportionate influence.

Sorry. I disagree. I think your interpretation may be affecting your judgement of the law. I support what DeSantis and the legislators are doing to support parental control of schools. But, I hope we can still be friends!

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Sorry. I disagree. I think your interpretation may be affecting your judgement of the law. I support what DeSantis and the legislators are doing to support parental control of schools. But, I hope we can still be friends!

So, just so we are clear, if parents decided that children with special needs should be supported in a different place, like a school just for them in the district, ya cool with that?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Sorry. I disagree. I think your interpretation may be affecting your judgement of the law. I support what DeSantis and the legislators are doing to support parental control of schools. But, I hope we can still be friends!

You disagree that parents are allowed to sue school districts and receive damages? It’s right there in the text.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

Most people dont have the means to home school, one side has been fighting for school vouchers for years (so people could do exactly what you propose) but they’ve been fought at every turn by the other side because they want all the kids (or at least their money) in public schools.

School "vouchers" are quite literally a Libertarian excuse to defund poor performing public schools instead of improving them (getting rid of the incredibly stupid way we fund schools with local tax dollars instead of funding on a per capita basis).

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Isn’t it just as disingenuous to force people to spend thousands in taxes to support public schools and then allow another person to spend more to force the public schools to teach what they alone desire?

Yes it is, which is why choice is so important.

When people don’t have a choice they are forced to try to change the system to fit their beliefs, it creates a system where no one gets what they want.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Yes it is, which is why choice is so important.

When people don’t have a choice they are forced to try to change the system to fit their beliefs, it creates a system where no one gets what they want.

I'm sorry, but the LGBTQ community exists. Forbidding it being spoken about in schools isn't about a "belief". It's about a bunch of people who are afraid of what they don't understand trying to make the very people they don't understand disappear...instead of trying to educate themselves...because that would be difficult and uncomfortable.

 

[doctornick]

That is a very, very weak position for which Disney can be reasonably called out. Financially supporting sponsors of bills such as this one and refusing to venture any opinion on the legislation or the views of the politicians they are supporting offer unless they affect the company's bottom line shows the company's commitment to diversity and inclusion is just lip service. They will pat themselves on the back for putting cartoons and fan fiction about a gay winner of a fictional baking contest on Main Street, then turn around and fund politicians trying to ban acknowledgement of the existence of gay people in schools if they feel it suits their bottom line. It is creepily cynical.

Of course it’s all lip service. I mean everything you are saying is true - Disney’s “commitment” to inclusion is extends only to whatever extent it will help the bottom line. I guess the difference is that you view that as cynical and I would just say that’s just reality for how a large corporation is run. Disney the company doesn’t “care” (either for or against) about this legislation and they aren’t taking a position on it and that doesn’t surprise me in the least.

Now maybe if they felt that taking a particular side would help them make money (attracting workers, encouraging or discouraging guests to come or people to buy their products, whatever) then maybe they would have an official position. But they aren’t going to do something just from some sense or morality. I guess I find it odd that people would truly think otherwise.

Anyway on the point of politicians - they aren’t contributing to politicians on the basis of this bill. They don’t care how legislators vote on it. They are contributing to politicians- on both sides of the aisle - to get their support on issues that Disney does care about and affects their bottom line.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

School "vouchers" are quite literally a Libertarian excuse to defund poor performing public schools instead of improving them (getting rid of the incredibly stupid way we fund schools with local tax dollars instead of funding on a per capita basis).

No they aren’t, they are a means for middle class people to have a bigger say in their kids education without having to try to pass stupid laws like this one.

I have family in UT who sent their kids to a private school because they didn’t like how much the LDS church influenced the curriculum at the public schools. Fortunately they could scrimp and save and afford the extra $15k a year but how many families can? Maybe 5%? That means 95% of those who’d like to send their kids to a different school are forced to send their kids to a public school because they have no other choice.

 

[TikibirdLand]

You disagree that parents are allowed to sue school districts and receive damages? It’s right there in the text.

I don't see any issues with either bill, frankly. I think you're making a mountain out of this molehill. The bills are simply making sure parents decide how their children are taught moral values, not the school district; they get veto power -- as it should be.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I don't see any issues with either bill, frankly. I think you're making a mountain out of this molehill. The bills are simply making sure parents decide how their children are taught moral values, not the school district; they get veto power -- as it should be.

Not they. One undetermined, unelected parent can get veto power.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

No they aren’t, they are a means for middle class people to have a bigger say in their kids education without having to try to pass stupid laws like this one.

There you go. It quite literally screws over poor people, and there's no evidence that the outcomes of Charter schools (actually, quite the opposite) are higher quality.
If the only point of the vouchers is that parents don't want their children to learn about icky reality, then it's probably better that the federal government takes over education so we aren't graduating morons to compete on the world stage.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Not they. One undetermined, unelected parent can get veto power.

Precisely. We went from parents being able to pull their kids out of specific classes in advance (as it has always been before this fake non-issue was invented), to now one parent who doesn't like something can sue the school, school has to react harshly, and LGBTQ+ students suffer for it.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I don't see any issues with either bill, frankly. I think you're making a mountain out of this molehill. The bills are simply making sure parents decide how their children are taught moral values, not the school district; they get veto power -- as it should be.

Then you aren't reading it.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Now maybe if they felt that taking a particular side would help them make money (attracting workers, encouraging or discouraging guests to come or people to buy their products, whatever) then maybe they would have an official position. But they aren’t going to do something just from some sense or morality. I guess I find it odd that people would truly think otherwise.

The reason I mentioned it here is that they are asking a significant amount of their employees to move from California to Florida at the same time there has been unrest within the company about Disney's position on this legislation. This is where I think Disney does have some cause to at least state an opinion on the bill as one of the state's largest employers who is trying to attract the best and brightest workers in creative industries to relocate to Florida.

Anyway on the point of politicians - they aren’t contributing to politicians on the basis of this bill. They don’t care how legislators vote on it. They are contributing to politicians- on both sides of the aisle - to get their support on issues that Disney does care about and affects their bottom line.

They contribute to have influence over politicians. In this case, they are choosing not to exercise any of that influence with so much as a public statement. It sends a very clear message to all the employees they are telling to agree to move across the country or find a new job who may be affected by this legislation.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

There you go. It quite literally screws over poor people, and there's no evidence that the outcomes of Charter schools (actually, quite the opposite) are higher quality.
If the only point of the vouchers is that parents don't want their children to learn about icky reality, then it's probably better that the federal government takes over education so we aren't graduating morons to compete on the world stage.

So screw the middle class parents to help the poor parents? Either way someone gets screwed.

Guess you’re ok with forcing kids to go to a religiously influenced school in a deep red district because that’s what you’re arguing for. Choice goes both ways, it’s not just to go to a more conservative option, in my brothers case they wanted their kids to have a broader education without the LDS influence, should they have been forced to be influenced daily by the LDS church to save the poor parents?

 

[Midwest Elitist]

So screw the middle class parents to help the poor parents? Either way someone gets screwed.

By default, the poor parent is getting screwed. If you think [your child have a garbage education due to funding issues] is the same as [your child having a garbage education due to learning that gay people exist] then I can safely throw your ideology into the "comical" bin.

Guess you’re ok with forcing kids to go to a religiously influenced school in a deep red district because that’s what you’re arguing for.

Nope. Never said I was an advocate for the current system. Strawman.

Choice goes both ways, it’s not just to go to a more conservative option, in my brothers case they wanted their kids to have a broader education without the LDS influence, should they have been forced to be influenced daily by the LDS church to save the poor parents?

I think the simple solution is that religion should not have an influence on public education. Pretty sure there's an official US document related to that...

 

[Lil Copter Cap]

What does the sexual preference of anyone mentioned matter with regard to their contribution to history? Again, extreme arguments for extreme positions. I already discussed this if you've been following along. Alan Turing's sexual preference did not play any part in his design of the Enigma. We can go through your other examples if you like.

Avoiding the fact that LGBTQIA+ people exist won't stop making them exist. People from underrepresented communities making history normalizes that we've always existed.

Unless one doesn't wish to normalize our existence, of course...

Further, it's not a sexual preference. It's who people are and who they show up as in their everyday life. Thousands of employees of TWDC identify within the LGBTQIA+ community. Representation matters.

Before exiting, I'll bring it back to the topic at hand: Moving an entire department, one that used to be the lifeblood of creativity filled with LGBTQIA+ individuals, to an incredibly unsafe space for budding families is an utterly reprehensible decision. There is precedent from TWDC denouncing harmful legislation and asking their employees (and their families) to move into this space is damning.

I'll remain quiet now, as that is preferred. Extreme actions for extreme arguments for extreme positions.