Marvel Studios denounces “all” proposed anti-LGBTQ laws
Disney subsidiary issues Twitter statement amid backlash to parent company's bungled response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Marvel Studios has taken a firm stance opposing “ALL” anti-LGBTQ laws in the wake of backlash against parent company Disney for a lackluster response to proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida.
The film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios best known for bringing Marvel Comics characters to life issued its statement via Twitter, writing: “We strongly denounce any and ALL legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Marvel Studios stands for hope, inclusivity and strength; and we proudly stand with the community.”
The statement continued: “Today, we pledge to continue our strong commitment as allies who promote the values of equality, acceptance and respect.”
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) March 15, 2022
The company’s pointed statement drops as backlash continues to be heaped upon its parent company for what many LGBTQ advocates believe was an inadequate response to Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents.
The legislation, which is expected to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after passing both chambers of the legislature on largely party-line votes, bans teacher-led discussions of LGBTQ topics in classrooms until after the third grade, and requires that parents be kept abreast of any changes in support services or counseling offered to their children in schools.
Proponents of the bill claim that it’s an “anti-grooming” measure that prevents children from being unnecessarily exposed to discussion of sexuality or gender identity before they’re old enough to comprehend such issues, or encouraged to embrace LGBTQ identity at a young age.
But opponents say it’s an election-year stunt that casts the LGBTQ community as villains, noting that Florida Republican lawmakers rejected an amendment to bar all sexually-related topics from primary grades, instead focusing on solely censoring LGBTQ content. Detractors of the bill also fear that, in practice, teachers and administrators will censor LGBTQ content in classrooms — even in upper grades — due to fear of lawsuits from overly litigious or socially conservative parents.
Initially, Disney had sought to sidestep the issue, saying the company “unequivocally stand in support of our LGBTQ+ employees” but declining to vocally oppose the bill on the grounds that “corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds,” and may be weaponized for political gain.
But Disney employees balked at the company’s refusal to take a stand, with LGBTQ employees of Pixar, a Disney subsidiary, even claiming in an open letter that Disney actively censors content showing or referring to LGBTQ-related characters. Other critics noted that Disney has previously contributed to politicians who supported the bill — not to mention other anti-LGBTQ legislation — undercutting its claims of being an inclusive company.
Following that backlash, Disney CEO Bob Chapek apologized for the company’s initial position, writing in a statement: “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry.”
Chapek also noted that the company would be suspending political donations in Florida and reassess its criteria for political giving to “ensure our advocacy better reflects our values.”
But Chapek’s apology hasn’t stopped Disney employees from staging both virtual and in-person walkouts to protest the company’s response and call on the company to take more meaningful action against similar pieces of legislation.
“Cast Members’ identities are not “political issues,” our safety and well-being is crucial to the success of this company, no cast member or their families should be forced to live in fear, and it is unacceptable to use the profits of our labor to take our human rights away,” organizers wrote in an open letter announcing the protests. “We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in Florida, who will be directly harmed by this new law and yet still required to perform their duties for a company that not only failed to prevent, but also tacitly funded it.”
The LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD has previously argued that corporations seeking to cast themselves as LGBTQ-friendly, like Disney, need to be more aggressive in opposing anti-LGBTQ legislation.
“Companies that do business in Florida, Texas, and the dozens of other states considering anti-LGBTQ legislation not only have a responsibility to speak out for their LGBTQ customers and employees, they also have a real opportunity to educate the public about these unpopular and harmful bills and stop them from becoming law,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told the New York Post in an interview last week.
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