Samuel Case, FISM News
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In an open letter a group of Disney employees condemned the company’s open support for left wing political causes, calling instead for a “politically neutral Disney.” The letter was written by conservative employees who say Disney’s increasingly progressive stance only serves to alienate those who disagree.
Specifically, the letter addressed the “company’s evolving response to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation in Florida,” which the employees say has “left many of us wondering what place we have in a company actively promoting a political agenda so far removed from our own.”
“Over the last few weeks, we have watched as our leadership has expressed their condemnation for laws and policies we support. We have watched as our colleagues, convinced that no one in the company could possibly disagree with them, grow increasingly aggressive in their demands,” the letter reads. “They insist that TWDC (The Walt Disney Company) take a strong stance on not only this issue but other legislation and openly advocate for the punishment of employees who disagree with them.”
Some Disney employees have been staging daily 15-minute walkouts in opposition to the Florida law this past week. These protestors have also threatened an all-day walkout Tuesday, March 22. In addition, Disney has reportedly restored a same-sex kiss in the upcoming Lightyear film that had previously been cut from the movie and has stopped all political donations in Florida.
Initially, Disney CEO Bob Chapek chose not to publicly condemn the bill, saying that “corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds. Instead, they are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame.” Chapek called corporate statements “counterproductive,” adding that they “undermine more effective ways to achieve change.”
Chapek later walked back these comments and apologized. “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry.”
The open letter said, “Bob Chapek had the right idea in his original statement,” adding, “Disney is far more important and impactful to the world by avoiding politics than it will ever be by embracing a political agenda.”
“Disney shouldn’t be a vehicle for one demographic’s political activism. It’s so much bigger and more important than that. More than ever, the world needs things that we can unite around. That’s the most valuable role The Walt Disney Company could play in the world at this time. It’s a role we’ve played for nearly a century, and it would be a shame to throw all of that away in the face of left-wing political pressure. Please don’t let Disney become just another thing we divide over,” the letter concludes