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

[TikibirdLand]

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.

Afraid isn't the correct word. It's don't agree with. That's really the problem. Each side wants to talk AT the other side with insults and platitudes. It's not Homophobic to not want to celebrate the gay lifestyle. It's the responsibility of BOTH sides to treat each other as they would want to be treated. I don't hate my gay friends; they're friends, after all. That includes all y'all on this board!

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Afraid isn't the correct word. It's don't agree with. That's really the problem. Each side wants to talk AT the other side with insults and platitudes. It's not Homophobic to not want to celebrate the gay lifestyle. It's the responsibility of BOTH sides to treat each other as they would want to be treated. I don't hate my gay friends; they're friends, after all. That includes all y'all on this board!

The people attempting to pass this law are afraid of gay people. They think being gay is "spreadable" or "contagious". If they weren't afraid of it, they wouldn't be trying to ban talking about it from schools and they'd be willing to learn to understand it. They are attempting to create an environment in which gay people simply don't exist - that is the epitome of a fear-based or "flight" reaction.

(And for the record...being gay isn't a lifestyle that one tries on or a choice - that's like saying someone "chose" to have blue eyes...that isn't how it works. You're either gay or you aren't.)

 

[Sir_Cliff]

*** do schools have to do with Disney's new office park? Stop this politics invasion and take this stuff elsewhere.

Do schools have to do with where people choose to live?

I understand some of this discussion may stray into unclear territory for these boards, but the general issue of unrest by Disney employees about the company's response to this legislation at a time the company is trying to force them to move to Florida is very relevant to this relocation of WDI and other divisions.

 

[Disneyson]

Didn't know his orientation (nor did I want to know). Had to look it up. To re-center this. How would this bill have caused him to separate from the company due to this bill? It's not a "ban on gays"... Does anyone look at the monorail and ask, "what's the sexual orientation of the person that designed it?" I know I didn't. And, I'm a big fan of Bob.

I mean, Walt Disney had a pretty public relationship with Lillian. I don’t see why you “did not want to know” Bob’s.

Anyways. If Bob wanted to start a family and was forced to move to Florida to continue work on Haunted Mansion or the Monorail, it’s very possible that his children would not be allowed to talk about his father in school. They would not be able to talk about his family in basic writing assignments. They would not be able to comment on his experience of family when talking about books that feature relationships, even straight ones. It would encourage his children to stop talking about his family and create a feeling of shame and secrecy about their lives.

I would not want to expose my kids to that. Heaven forbid MY child ended up being anywhere on the queer spectrum.

One would argue that it was a different time. I don’t think Bob Gurr has kids. But any existing imagineers or creative folks that HAVE kids or expect to have kids will likely not want to subject their children to this treatment.

What I’m basically saying is, by moving to Florida and letting this legislation pass, Disney is discouraging gay people from starting families in and living in Florida. And this might lead to the loss of major creative forces. No, you may not wonder if the monorail was designed by a gay person, but it was.

 

[alphac2005]

I always have been under the impression that the biggest issue with school funding in Florida is priorities of the residents. Specifically, because Florida has an abnormally large percentage of retirees and relatively fewer families with school age children, the priorities of the people who vote is that school funding is a relatively low priority. So, politicians tend to support and pay for things that are of greater political value in terms of gaining votes.

Probably an oversimplification but I could see it being more or less true.

Part of the oversimplification is that people default to Florida being a bunch of retirees, but there are many areas of the state where there are booming populations with families versus snow birds, etc. What Florida does not do, which several others states do, is reduce property taxes based on age, unless your income is in a low threshold as a retiree. Georgia is an example where residents starting in their 60's no longer have to pay the school tax on their county property taxes effectively reducing those property taxes 60-70% whereas Florida doesn't do that. The truth be told is that this is a state where elected officials have been trying to send public money to fund private schools through vouchers and public education is attacked.

 

[Disney Analyst]

*** do schools have to do with Disney's new office park? Stop this politics invasion and take this stuff elsewhere.

Well as a fan, shareholder, and former CM, this is concerning to me that Disney is actively relocating a workforce to Florida, with an ultimatum of move to a new state or lose your job.

That group of people being moved to Florida includes some incredibly talented humans who happen to be LGBT+, and they are now being forced to move to a State that is actively unfriendly towards them, from a State that is far more inclusive.

It's all intrinsically connected, and that's why it makes this discussion confusing and challenging to have.

This is their lives, and that is not political.

I want Cast Members to continue to have their jobs, to help make Disney a great company, and to feel safe and protected.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

The people attempting to pass this law are afraid of gay people. They think being gay is "spreadable" or "contagious". If they weren't afraid of it, they wouldn't be trying to ban talking about it from schools and they'd be willing to learn to understand it. They are attempting to create an environment in which gay people simply don't exist - that is the epitome of a fear-based or "flight" reaction.

(And for the record...being gay isn't a lifestyle that one tries on or a choice - that's like saying someone "chose" to have blue eyes...that isn't how it works. You're either gay or you aren't.)

Or they just think it’s too mature a subject for elementary school kids to comprehend.

I don’t think this is a black and white issue, there’s a lot of gray in the middle but the extreme views get the attention.

I personally agree with keeping talk of sexuality out of K-3rd grade but the vagueness of the age-appropriate part is very troubling. By puberty (11ish) the kids will start to have a ton of questions, whether you believe those questions should be answered by the parents or not theres just no way to avoid discussing them in the classroom.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Or they just think it’s too mature a subject for elementary school kids to comprehend.

I don’t think this is a black and white issue, there’s a lot of gray in the middle but the extreme views get the attention.

I personally agree with keeping talk of sexuality out of K-3rd grade but the vagueness of the age-appropriate part is very troubling. By puberty (11ish) the kids will start to have a ton of questions, whether you believe those questions should be answered by the parents or not theres just no way to avoid discussing them in the classroom.

A big part of the issue is that this law would prevent a kindergartener from discussing anything to do with their family if they have gay parents or a gay sibling...it builds shaming and bullying into the system. Oh, that "About Me" project where you're supposed to draw a picture of your family? Sorry Billy...you can't participate because you have two moms.

 

[Disneyson]

I’m quite confused why the Imagineering move to Lake Nona gets to live in the WDW News thread while this gets put out into the Walt Disney Company thread. I feel like both threads are interconnected and both directly impact Walt Disney World. Shouldn’t the Nona thread be moved here?

 

[EricsBiscuit]

This bill prevents teachers from initiating instruction about sex related topics to children 3rd grade and younger. It should not be controversial at all.

 

[Ayla]

We will find out this November what the majority of parents think re pushing CRT and extreme gender ideology in our schools. If Virginia was any indication, it is clear that parents recognize their right to have a say in their child’s education. We cannot allow the elite to push their extreme gender ideology onto our k-3 kids. We pay the taxes which pay for the schools. More importantly, they’re OUR kids. Damn straight we have a say in their education. Anyone who thinks you need a degree to have an input who is an elitist who cares not for the working man and certainly does not care for children.

LOL Name one K-12 school in FL where CRT is taught. Actually, define CRT first, without looking it up.

(I won't bother to wait).

 

[denyuntilcaught]

This bill prevents teachers from initiating instruction about sex related topics to children 3rd grade and younger. It should not be controversial at all.

It's been well documented in this thread and the other thread why it's controversial.

Also sex =/= sexuality and gender.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

A big part of the issue is that this law would prevent a kindergartener from discussing anything to do with their family if they have gay parents or a gay sibling...it builds shaming and bullying into the system. Oh, that "About Me" project where you're supposed to draw a picture of your family? Sorry Billy...you can't participate because you have two moms.

I think this is also part of the vagueness of the bill, I don’t read it that way but it’s to open for interpretation.

“3. Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”

Depends on what their definition of instruction is, I don’t interpret that to mean you can’t mention it at all, just that you can’t have a lesson on it.

Poorly written bill regardless.

 

[Ayla]

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.



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.

Vouchers are not for homeschooling. Private schools are not homeschooling. LOL Vouchers are a transparent way for Republicans to defund public schools and push that money toward private schools.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Or they just think it’s too mature a subject for elementary school kids to comprehend.

... or to be taught to those in a way that is not age appropriate.

What does that mean? Maybe that will be interpreted by courts to extend only to elementary school kids, maybe not. Some people may have very liberal definitions of what is age appropriate for a 12 year old to hear, others may think even mentioning the existence of gay people is inappropriate. And why is talking about gay people such a unique threat that special legislation has to be introduced to protect children from it?

As others have said, the vagueness is meant to create a climate of fear around even mentioning the topic. It also clearly singles out LGBTQ+ people for social stigma.

If the sponsors of the bill also ban showing films like Snow White and Aladdin to children of the same age for their depictions of sexuality and Disney remains acquiescent, I think everyone who was critical of the bill and Disney's response will admit that they may have misjudged everyone's intentions.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Vouchers are not for homeschooling. Private schools are not homeschooling. LOL Vouchers are a transparent way for Republicans to defund public schools and push that money toward private schools.

That’s your belief, I believe they provide parents a choice in where they send their kids for their education.

Neither of us will ever change those beliefs so we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[BeentoallDParks]

Many children have gay parents. Many children have gay siblings.

This law is so poorly written that many teachers will be afraid to even allow mention of some kids' mommies or daddies.

People who will be adversely affected by this law have been very clear that they will be harmed. You know this law is based on hate, though because those people have been ignored. No steps have been taken to ensure kids can talk about their two mommies or two daddies. No changes were made to the law to allow for specifically NON-SEXUAL discussion (and face it, all discussion of these things is nonsexual at the age we're talking about).

This law is hate. The people defending it have failed to ensure it won't be abused. It's Christian Supremacy in action. And Disney funded that.

 

[TikibirdLand]

The people attempting to pass this law are afraid of gay people. They think being gay is "spreadable" or "contagious". If they weren't afraid of it, they wouldn't be trying to ban talking about it from schools and they'd be willing to learn to understand it. They are attempting to create an environment in which gay people simply don't exist - that is the epitome of a fear-based or "flight" reaction.

(And for the record...being gay isn't a lifestyle that one tries on or a choice - that's like saying someone "chose" to have blue eyes...that isn't how it works. You're either gay or you aren't.)

Again, strawman arguments don't work with me or any others that don't agree with you. I'm certainly not afraid of gay people. In fact, all people are God's creation and we should treat them with dignity and respect. Where I draw the line is where I'm supposed to celebrate Gay-ness (sorry if that's not the correct word). You may believe there is a genetic cause to same-sex attraction. I don't and neither do other scientists.

On a perfect board, no one would state, "hey, I'm gay" or "hey, I'm straight". I just don't care what your orientation is. If I can't treat you like a lady or gentleman, I shouldn't be on here.

 

[flynnibus]

Do schools have to do with where people choose to live?

Ok, let's start talking about everything happening in florida then because everything in Florida is relevant to people living in florida? Merge the high speed rail threads here too?

This stuff belongs in it's own thread somewhere else... not for burying a thread talking about the company's strategic relocation of offices.

The Disney move isn't contingent on some new school law.. and if it were, Disney executives are morons if they didn't recognize the political alignment in Florida before this.

ETA - the posts were moved without me knowing it from the quotes.. so now this is more a moot point.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Ok, let's start talking about everything happening in florida then because everything in Florida is relevant to people living in florida? Merge the high speed rail threads here too?

This stuff belongs in it's own thread somewhere else... not for burying a thread talking about the company's strategic relocation of offices.

Well, it has been moved to its own thread and I certainly do understand why.

That said, if there was unrest among Disney's employees about the company's stance on high speed rail in Florida and Chapek released a controversial statement on the issue that provoked employees to issue responses on social media, then I think that would also be relevant to discussing Disney's plans to force a significant chunk of its workforce to relocate to Florida.