Don't Say Disney

Disney’s been on the burner every few months recently. Whether it’s purchasing a major studio, firing and rehiring a director based on Tweets from a decade ago, or filming in a morally dubious location, they can’t catch a break. And they’re embroiled in controversy yet again. So let’s talk about it.

The US has been frustrating for some time. First Texas introduced a bill banning most abortions. Then they introduced regulations against trans students. If that wasn’t bad enough, books like Maus were banned in Tennessee for being “too controversial”. And now Florida’s been floating around unpopular legislation titled “Don’t Say Gay”.

I don’t have the patience to unpack the latter. You can read about it here. But it’s on its way to being reality, and people have spoken up. In particular, entertainment conglomerates have released statements expressing concern about the greater queer community. And then there’s Disney, who are non-committal about it. To quote a memo from CEO Bob Chapek:

“I do not want anyone to mistake a lack of statement for a lack of support. We all share the same goal of a more tolerant, respectful world. Where we may differ is in the tactics to get there.”

This is something! But it’s not what people wanted, so it drew backlash. In particular, it drew the biggest backlash from many Disney employees. It’s easy to see why: it’s a waffling response on a serious issue. If Disney wants respect, they need to do better.

It's also frustrating because this shouldn’t be controversial at all: gay marriage has been legal for almost 7 years in The US. Additionally, transgender protections in the workplace have been in place for a few years. Mass acceptance of LGBTQ individuals is growing. Ignoring that for something noncommittal is bad business.

Outside of that, this is an ethical issue. We often tout in business that “politics shouldn’t be discussed”, but that’s not always feasible. Being queer isn’t simply “politics”, it’s human dignity and health. LGBTQ individuals can’t “turn off” themselves, and attempts at that have resulted in unpleasant consequences. So yes, Disney has to take a stance.

You know what doesn’t help? That Disney has donated to Don’t Say Gay political supporters. Isn’t that technically taking a stance? They can claim to be neutral all they want, but money speaks. And it speaks poorly on Disney’s part.

I wouldn’t be so frustrated if this didn’t contradict Disney’s attempts at inclusivity in recent years. It’s true that the “first openly gay character” line has been thrown around for years, such that it’s now a running joke, but they really have made strides. They even had one of their characters in Eternals, Phastos, openly gay and in a same-sex relationship. They could be doing so much better, true, but it’s still something! So why throw that away over an unpopular piece of legislation?

This also bugs me because, ignoring my own struggles, openly-queer kids watch Disney’s content regularly. Yes, kids. Kids who long for sincere representation. And these same kids are at risk of harassment and humiliation if this bill passes. So Disney refusing to take a public stance, yet turning around and making one privately? That hurts.

What now? People have suggested a boycott of Disney products until they change their mind, but I’m not convinced that’ll work. For one, Disney owns more than simple media. They’re a megalith. And two, it’s practically impossible to fully avoid Disney. Even with the whole “piracy” suggestion being thrown around, which I take issue with for different reasons, as a way to circumvent Disney’s reach, the time to boycott Disney was 30 years ago, when they were much smaller than they are now. It’s too late in 2022.

I also don’t think it’s fair to hurt the employees at Disney over this response. Remember, Chapek’s one guy. He might be the captain of the ship, but he’s not the crew. And the crew isn’t monolithic, with many people, like I said, expressing frustration with this inconsistent stance. If anything, you’d be punishing them.

Besides, I doubt that this’ll be the end of this. Disney cares about their reputation, and we’ve seen through James Gunn’s firing that they’re not above reversing decisions if it impacts them. This could go the same way, which’d be good. Because it’s not a good look to talk neutrality, yet practice an actual stance.

In the meantime, I’m unhappy with this position. I think it’s dishonest, hypocritical and reflects poorly on the company. And while it’s true that Disney have a history of shady practices dating back to when Walt Disney was alive, that doesn’t excuse these practices now. Especially not when they have the capacity to right their past wrongs. I only hope they act on that capacity, as opposed to twiddling their thumbs.

If all else, this should serve as a wake-up call that Disney as a whole have too much power, and that someone needs to intervene. I doubt the latter will happen, but I can pray!