Disney exec asks CEO for “courage” over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill

Speaking at the GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday, Marvel Studios executive Victoria Alonso has called for Disney CEO Bob Chapek to have ‘courage’ and take a stance against the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill which restricts the ability of educators to talk about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. 

Alonso, the President of Physical, Post Production, VFX and Animation at Marvel Studios was speaking after accepting the Outstanding Film award for Eternals with her colleague Nate Moore and director Chloe Zhao. She revealed a conversation she had previously had with Chapek:

If you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and you work at the Walt Disney Company, the last two or three weeks have been a sad event. I’ve asked Mr. Chapek for courage in a 45-minute sit-down,

She then went on to discuss her ideas of family and how Chapek should come out firmly against this bill to follow a more expanded view of family: 

I asked him to look around and truly if what we sell is entertainment for the family, we don’t choose what family. Family is this entire room. Family is the family in Texas, in Arizona, in Florida, and in my family, in my home. So I ask you again Mr. Chapek: please respect—if we’re selling family—take a stand against all of these crazy outdated laws. Take a stand for family.

This is not the first time Chapek has been directly addressed about the bill which critics argue would devastate children in Florida – particularly those who are LGBTQIA+, Oscar winner Ariana DeBose has also reached out to Chapek about the issue. There have also been staff walkouts across the company. 

Disney itself has spoken out against the bill, and Chapek has promised to pause any political donations in Florida for the foreseeable future. However, it has been pointed out that hundreds of thousands of dollars were reportedly donated by the company to the political forces who pushed the bill through in the months leading up to its signing, and the CEO himself still hasn’t explicitly condemned the bill. 

Only time will tell if this is finally enough to shift the CEO off the fence, or if he will satisfy the demands of the protesting Disney stars and employees.