OutFront Kalamazoo’s Statement Regarding Disney’s Support of Anti-LGBTQ+ Politicians
March 10, 2022
RE: Disney's Support of Anti-LGBTQ+ Politicians
To Our Community,
Our hearts go out to the children in Texas and Florida who are being subjected to hateful and dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Here at home in Michigan, many of us want to stand up and do something about it, but it can be difficult to know how to best use our voices. It is most certainly made more difficult when it is realized that highly regarded and beloved companies that serve those very same children have provided financial support to politicians who have voted in support of this hateful legislation. Sadly, it is not an uncommon occurrence that large corporations provide support to politicians who are anti-LGBTQ+.
In the case of Disney, we are particularly disappointed with their justification for providing financial support to these hateful politicians. CEO Bob Chapek sent a memo to employees after weeks of silence that stated, “As we have seen time and again, corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds.” On the contrary, businesses have always had significant pull when it comes to supporting or not supporting initiatives with their dollars and commitments to create jobs. We see this power in action in sanctions against our enemies, or when North Carolina passed their anti-trans bathroom bill and companies pulled out of their job creation commitments to the state, and we see it all the time when candidates with unpopular viewpoints refuse to serve their constituents and instead vote in line with the interests that fund them. With media companies like Disney, we have seen for decades the amount of power they have in influencing culture- from trying to make women into the “perfect housewife” in the 1950s and 60s, to positive examples such as shows depicting strong, black families, or LGBTQ+ characters prior to wide-spread LGBTQ+ acceptance. This incomprehensible statement by Bob Chapek was then followed by a list of all the times Disney has shown LGBTQ+ representation in their shows and movies. Although representation is important, it is simply wrong to excuse funding anti-LGBTQ+ politicians by listing off the ways in which they’ve simply shown the reality of LGBTQ+ people existing. This isn’t a service or a “pat on the back”, it is a long-awaited requirement that LGBTQ+ people be shown in the media because we are present in real life and members of every community. Additionally, we know Disney will gladly accept LGBTQ+ customers with open arms, but how dare they accept LGBTQ+ dollars to turn around and spend it on anti-LGBTQ+ politicians.
OutFront recently launched our “Safe Spaces'' program, where organizations can apply to be listed as an LGBTQ+ Safe Space. One of the criteria is that they have not donated to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians. Disney would fail our certification. OutFront spends much of our time educating organizations on what it means to be an ally. Ally is a verb- it means to “take action.” Disney is claiming to be an ally due to their representation of LGBTQ+ people in the media, but their actions speak otherwise. If Disney were to represent people of color while actively funding a politician who’s a member of a white supremacist organization, there would be collective outrage, if they supported shows that uplifted and empowered women while donating to known predators, there would be collective outrage, Disney should be greeted with collective outrage over their false allyship of the LGBTQ+ community.
However, in times where it is difficult to know what to do when terrible things are happening hundreds of miles away, Disney leaves all of us in the position to take the action they weren’t brave enough to take- speak our minds by removing our funding of organizations or people who harm our community. Just as Disney shouldn't have accepted LGBTQ+ dollars to then use it against us, we shouldn’t use our LGBTQ+ dollars with Disney. We should all be called to cancel our Disney + memberships, boycott Disney movies, and refuse to visit Disney parks. It is a minor sacrifice to boycott a company and find new entertainment options, and if we aren’t even bold enough to do that, then we are simply letting down the children of Florida. We must take action. We must be allies of the children of Florida. Tonight, our “wish upon a star” is that our community and its allies recognize the power of our collective pocketbooks and take the simple step of boycotting Disney and supporting the children of Florida who are faced with this hateful legislation. We cannot provide funds to a company that uses it to support politicians that attack us.
Lastly, to the children of Texas and Florida- know that when your government or beloved companies are not strong enough, are not bold enough, are not decent enough to stand up and speak out, you are still and always will be more than enough.
In Solidarity,
Rickie Kreuzer
Director of Advocacy
