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

[TP2000]

You do know there are cisgender female drag queens and female identifying drag queens and drag isn’t strictly just female but there are drag kings

I saw my first Drag King about 20 years ago. I was baffled, because they seemed to be all about dressing down, looking like a slightly built auto mechanic who just got off work, and moodily singing Country Western slow songs. It was sort of the opposite of what I always thought Drag was about; dressing up, putting on a flamboyantly bombastic show, and belting out big brassy numbers.

But, if that's their scene, go for it! But my first experience with Drag Kings was kind of boring. Thank goodness the DJ took over and brought out the wild and crazy Queens after only a couple of slow songs from the Kings.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I am still confused as to why this thread is allowed.

Why shouldn’t it be allowed? Shall we regress to ten years ago when people were not allowed to discuss “gay” anything on this board?

 

[BuddyThomas]

And yet it still violates the terms of this site...anyways, that is the business of the mods which I am not one. I was just amazed/confused that it made it all these pages. Have at it!

For your information, one of the mods deleted this entire thread early on, and then it was restored several days later. Obviously the owner of this site feels that this issue is of importance, and I completely agree.

 

[Andrew C]

Why shouldn’t it be allowed? Shall we regress to ten years ago when people were not allowed to discuss “gay” anything on this board?

It’s about a specific piece of legislation that is being debated in here. You cannot possibly get more political. But as I said, I’m not a mod so have at it!

 

[BuddyThomas]

It’s about a specific piece of legislation that is being debated in here. You cannot possibly get more political. But as I said, I’m not a mod so have at it!

Like I said, the thread was deleted and then restored so obviously they feel the issue is relevant for discussion.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

The gift that keeps on giving for Chapek.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek Works to Mend Fences With Employees at Companywide Meeting

The Disney chief told employees in a meeting that the company made a mistake by not taking a public stance against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill.

www.wsj.com

 

[The Mom]

If posters don't stop sniping at each other they may not be able to post.

 

[The Mom]

For your information, one of the mods deleted this entire thread early on, and then it was restored several days later. Obviously the owner of this site feels that this issue is of importance, and I completely agree.

It was not deleted. There is a place to put threads where we can discuss or edit them without without dealing with new posts. Then the thread may or may not be restored.

 

[ParkPeeker]

52 pages and I doubt anyones position has changed

Perhaps not, but it’s still not a waste of space or time, a lot is being said and there are so many knowledgeable people on here taking their time to write long responses to try and educate. So good for them!

 

[brb1006]

Disney Postpones Management Retreat As CEO Bob Chapek Continues To Account For Company’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Response

Ahead of a walkout by LGBTQ+ workers, Disney said it was postponing a management retreat in favor of a listening tour with employees.

deadline.com

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I am personally pretty much fine with how Disney handled this. Working behind the scenes is preferable sometimes. I get it.

I am gay. I'm not going to hold it against Disney because they supposedly didn't support me and people like me "enough" or "the right way." I don't like purity tests. They are an ally. I appreciate that. They should not be nailed to a cross for taking "too long" or not being forceful enough. This law was going to happen no matter what they did or to whom they donate. Big companies like that have to donate to most politicians on both sides of the aisle for their own benefit. That's just the way it is. It's pragmatism. They will temporarily withhold, and then things will go back to normal once everything quiets down.

As to the bill itself: it should rightfully be overturned when challenged. No matter any person's private beliefs, gay people are equal under the law. Anything that can age-appropriately be discussed about heterosexual families can be discussed about homosexual families. There is no legal distinction.

If you/your child have special needs, i.e. your beliefs differ from the law/societal norms, then the burden is on you to put your child into a private/religious school where they teach what you want. You don't get to change the curriculum for the rest of the country's public schools to meet your special requirements. There is nothing any more "sexual" about discussing two Daddies than there is about discussing a Mommy and a Daddy. I don't want third graders being taught anything about actual sex, whether heterosexual or homosexual.

The problem here is not Disney. It's people in Tallahassee playing politics with our lives. No one is harming heterosexual children by answering a question about a classmate with a gay sibling or parent - but those with gay siblings/parents *will* be harmed by this law.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

the LGBTQ+ lifestyle as well as other moral issues.

I don't think you meant this to sound the way it jumps off the page at me. I'll explain:

1. There is no such thing as "the LGBTQ+ lifestyle." Once folks become informed, if they want to be respectful, they don't use that term. You can have a lifestyle of the rich and famous, you can have a rockstar lifestyle, you can have a healthy lifestyle, a promiscuous lifestyle, and a religious lifestyle.

Any heterosexual or homosexual person can have any of those lifestyles and more. Gay people are as varied as their straight counterparts. There is no homogenous, monolithic "homosexual lifestyle." It doesn't exist. It's an old-fashioned term that was always incorrect.

2. "other" moral issues.

Homosexuality is not a moral issue. It is a statistical minority variation of birth, just like left-handedness and red hair (which also had a history of being misunderstood, btw.) Moral issues require choice. There is no choice. You are born gay or you are not.

Morality again is the dividing issue.

Correct. And discrimination based on sexual orientation is immoral.

 

[TP2000]

I am personally pretty much fine with how Disney handled this. Working behind the scenes is preferable sometimes. I get it.

I am gay. I'm not going to hold it against Disney because they supposedly didn't support me and people like me "enough" or "the right way." I don't like purity tests. They are an ally. I appreciate that. They should not be nailed to a cross for taking "too long" or not being forceful enough. This law was going to happen no matter what they did or to whom they donate. Big companies like that have to donate to most politicians on both sides of the aisle for their own benefit. That's just the way it is. It's pragmatism. They will temporarily withhold, and then things will go back to normal once everything quiets down.

As to the bill itself: it should rightfully be overturned when challenged. No matter any person's private beliefs, gay people are equal under the law. Anything that can age-appropriately be discussed about heterosexual families can be discussed about homosexual families. There is no legal distinction.

If you/your child have special needs, i.e. your beliefs differ from the law/societal norms, then the burden is on you to put your child into a private/religious school where they teach what you want. You don't get to change the curriculum for the rest of the country's public schools to meet your special requirements. There is nothing any more "sexual" about discussing two Daddies than there is about discussing a Mommy and a Daddy. I don't want third graders being taught anything about actual sex, whether heterosexual or homosexual.

The problem here is not Disney. It's people in Tallahassee playing politics with our lives. No one is harming heterosexual children by answering a question about a classmate with a gay sibling or parent - but those with gay siblings/parents *will* be harmed by this law.

Thank you! I love this! I don't agree with it 100%, but I do agree at about the 95% level so it's more than enough to owe you a drink and a reserved seat at the bar.

This constantly evolving purity test that everyone has to pass now, or else you are a horrible person who should be banned from society, is one of the dumbest things I've seen the 21st Century invent. How sad that some younger folks think that's normal, and that free speech and even a slight diversity of thought shouldn't be allowed.

And I fully expect this bill to be finally decided by the courts. It's just how the country works sometimes.

 

[TP2000]

Disney Postpones Management Retreat As CEO Bob Chapek Continues To Account For Company’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Response

Ahead of a walkout by LGBTQ+ workers, Disney said it was postponing a management retreat in favor of a listening tour with employees.

deadline.com

Fascinating.

What does that even mean that they postponed a "management retreat" scheduled for next week? Are we supposed to be impressed that a catering company had to cancel an order for bagels and lox? That the Grand Californian suddenly has an extra 100 rooms and the Sequoia Ballroom available for rent?

Somehow, some way, I imagine the world will continue to spin and the dolls at Small World will continue to sing without next week's "management retreat" for Disney's executives.

 

[brb1006]

I am personally pretty much fine with how Disney handled this. Working behind the scenes is preferable sometimes. I get it.

I am gay. I'm not going to hold it against Disney because they supposedly didn't support me and people like me "enough" or "the right way." I don't like purity tests. They are an ally. I appreciate that. They should not be nailed to a cross for taking "too long" or not being forceful enough. This law was going to happen no matter what they did or to whom they donate. Big companies like that have to donate to most politicians on both sides of the aisle for their own benefit. That's just the way it is. It's pragmatism. They will temporarily withhold, and then things will go back to normal once everything quiets down.

As to the bill itself: it should rightfully be overturned when challenged. No matter any person's private beliefs, gay people are equal under the law. Anything that can age-appropriately be discussed about heterosexual families can be discussed about homosexual families. There is no legal distinction.

If you/your child have special needs, i.e. your beliefs differ from the law/societal norms, then the burden is on you to put your child into a private/religious school where they teach what you want. You don't get to change the curriculum for the rest of the country's public schools to meet your special requirements. There is nothing any more "sexual" about discussing two Daddies than there is about discussing a Mommy and a Daddy. I don't want third graders being taught anything about actual sex, whether heterosexual or homosexual.

The problem here is not Disney. It's people in Tallahassee playing politics with our lives. No one is harming heterosexual children by answering a question about a classmate with a gay sibling or parent - but those with gay siblings/parents *will* be harmed by this law.

Dana Terrace (The Owl House creator) would disagree with you.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Fascinating.

What does that even mean that they postponed a "management retreat" scheduled for next week? Are we supposed to be impressed that a catering company had to cancel an order for bagels and lox? That the Grand Californian suddenly has an extra 100 rooms and the Sequoia Ballroom available for rent?

Somehow, some way, I imagine the world will continue to spin and the dolls at Small World will continue to sing without next week's "management retreat" for Disney's executives.

Disney desperately needs a new PR person, they just keep digging themselves deeper and deeper.

Disney has a significant history of being one of the most LGBT friendly companies around, they should have simply stood on their record rather than making insignificant gestures that just make them look like they’re pandering.

When you’re in a hole the first thing you have to do is stop digging.

 

[TP2000]

Disney desperately needs a new PR person, they just keep digging themselves deeper and deeper.

Agreed. I don't think it helps that the CEO, Bob Chapek, has to actually approve the script his PR team creates for him before he actually says it out loud. But the PR and Communications team in Burbank is biffing this all over the place. Somehow, they have allowed Chapek to unite both their consumers on the Left and the Right in hating them.

That can't have been their goal, can it?

Disney has a significant history of being one of the most LGBT friendly companies around, they should have simply stood on their record rather than making insignificant gestures that just make them look like they’re pandering.

Well, for at least the last 25 years or so. Their record pre-1990 was less than stellar, if not outright confrontational (especially if you dared try to dance at Tomorrowland Terrace). But that wasn't unusual for big American companies pre-1990, so I can give them a pass on that.

When you’re in a hole the first thing you have to do is stop digging.

I think that's what they thought they were doing by "pausing" all political contributions to everyone. But again, that only seemed to anger some on the Left in this debate.

This is a mess! I say this as I enjoy a late night glass of wine in my luxurious retirement... I don't envy them one bit!

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Oh, I see, so it's okay for a man to dress up as a woman and exaggerate feminine features and mannerisms for laughs, but blackface is bad? Because it's all a matter of degree? Feh. Nice rationalization though.

It's not about "for laughs". There's isn't hundreds of years of history of gay men who dress in drag enslaving, abusing, torturing, oppressing, and murdering women and using drag to justify it.

The attempt to equate blackface to drag is worse than the attempt to equate children who need IEPs to parents wanting to change the curriculum for thousands of students based on their personal beliefs.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I think that’s a big factor too… I think mindsets about education are very different in this generation of parents for a number of reasons. I think parents in this cohort see themselves as members of a team that includes them, while previous generations’ conception of education was more based on hierarchies - the teacher is the boss, and families try not to tick him or her off. Pros and cons to both mindsets, no doubt.

No...the current mind-set is overwhelmingly that parents "know better". Just like they "know better" than scientists. Just like they "know better" than doctors.

They're wrong.

EDIT: Bad use of "overwhelmingly" here. It is a relatively small number (depending on where you live, obviously), but they are very loud and have a lot of influence, and use those to make them seem like they are in the majority. But they believe VERY STRONGLY that they know better than the professionals.

 

[Angel Ariel]

No...the current mind-set is overwhelmingly that parents "know better". Just like they "know better" than scientists. Just like they "know better" than doctors.

They're wrong.

I do want to say, I don’t believe this is the overwhelming mindset of parents. I believe, based on the experiences in my area, that it is a very vocal minority who happen to have a lot of influence in media/politics and using that to make it seem like they represent the majority.