While hundreds of employees walked out at Disney’s headquarters in Burbank, Disneyland employees who did not feel safe walking out were told they could not wear “pride/trans Mickey pins,” according to organizers. The Human Rights Campaign, which is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, has stated that they will not accept money from Disney until they see the company build on its public commitment and work with LGBTQ+ advocates to take actual steps to fight this bill.Įven Disney’s employees have been hosting walkouts during their breaks to protest Chapek’s slow response, culminating Tuesday with a walkout at Disney worksites in Florida, California and elsewhere. While nearly 80% of consumers in the United States believe companies have an obligation to address important social issues, advocates and consumers have condemned corporate public gestures of support that are not backed by tangible action. Stepping into social issues is relatively new terrain for many of today’s corporate executives. For many, Disney’s virtue signaling was too little, too late.Ĭompanies like Disney have been increasingly taking corporate positions on social matters in recent years.
Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek recently condemned Florida’s House Bill 1557, or the Don’t Say Gay bill, at Disney’s quarterly shareholder meeting.
