The personages of Moon Knight and Raven’s Home have joined others in showing their support for House of Mouse’s dissenting employees.
Among several other Hollywood stars, Oscar Isaac and Raven-Symoné are raising their voice in support of a protest by Disney employees on Tuesday over the response of CEO Bob Chapek regarding the “Don’t Say Gay” bill of Florida.
Isaac, who plays the lead role in Moon Knight, the forthcoming Marvel TV miniseries of Disney+, spoke to Variety on Tuesday at a virtual junket for the TV series and stated,
“I guess my comment [on the bill] would be, [singing] ‘Gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gay gayyyyyy!’ Yeah, it’s an absolutely ridiculous law. It’s insane. It’s insanity. And I hope that Disney as a company comes out as forcefully as possible against this idea. It’s astounding that it even exists in this country.”
Moreover, Raven-Symoné, who is right now in the production phase of Disney’s Raven’s Home, revealed on social media that she, along with her co-stars of the show, partook in the walkout. She took to her Instagram and wrote, “In support of our LGBTQ+ family and all of those who will be damaged by the ‘don’t say gay bill’ we the cast of Ravens Home are walking out.”
She continued, “In todays world it is imperative that we take stands, show support, and move forward not backwards. Every family every person and every child deserves to be recognized no matter their race, gender, or sexual orientation. Education that reflects the truth and the world we live in is something we must fight for.”
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In the meantime, other stars currently associated with Disney, including the likes of Mark Ruffalo and Kerry Washington, along with the creator of Grown-ish, Larry Wilmore, also expressed their solidarity on social media in response to the protests. These celebs motivated others to sign a petition earnestly persuading Disney to do more.
Standing proud and in solidarity with our LBGTQIA+ family! #SayGay #DisneyWalkout https://t.co/DdYsOVFxw9
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) March 22, 2022
The walkout on Tuesday took place at several Disney locations covering its different divisions, like Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. The protest came just after a few days in response to Chapek’s internal memo in which he said that he was disappointed with his response to the vexed legislation and also that all the political donations in the Sunshine State by Disney would stop.
He also stated that Disney would be “increasing our support for advocacy groups to combat similar legislation in other states.”
House Bill 1557, also known as the Parental Rights in Education bill, which has passed the House and Senate of Florida, is only a signature away from approval by Gov. Rick DeSantis.
The said bill states that sexual orientation and gender identity discussions “may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” In the case of higher grades, just “age-appropriate” conversation would be allowed, and parents would be given the right to prosecute schools or teachers that undertake such topics.
According to the latest buzz that Disney, which operates the theme park of Walt Disney World near Orlando, pledged nearly $300,000 to DeSantis and other legislators who voted in favor of the bill, attracted the anger of the employees.
The company’s delayed response and lack of appropriate action regarding the public condemnation of the legislation also added insult to injury.
Isaac and Raven-Symoné are a part of a protesting group of various notable stars who have conveyed their support for the walkouts, which as per the website of the organizers, demand that Disney must commit to halting political donations to the politicians who voted for the bill.
They also call for publicly committing to an actionable strategy that shields employees from loathsome legislation and reaffirms the company’s dedication to protecting and supporting its LGBTQIA+ staff. Moreover, they also want to make an LGBTQIA+ brand just like the Onyx Collective, focusing on LGBTQ+ producers and insufficiently presented opinions, and more.
The “Don’t Say Gay” bill forbids conversations in elementary schools of Florida related to gender specification and sexual orientation.
Disney’s sister concerns, including Disney+, ABC, Marvel, ESPN, and Hulu, also posted statements on Twitter in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) March 22, 2022
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) March 22, 2022
We'll continue to partner with organizations that support the LGBTQIA+ community, be accountable where we fall short of expectations, and never stop telling stories about LGBTQIA+ athletes, like the ones that we’ll be sharing in this thread.
— ESPN (@espn) March 22, 2022
We stand with our LGBTQIA+ colleagues, storytellers, families, friends, and fans who are targeted by laws that marginalize and diminish their identities and lives. We remain committed to telling inclusive stories that unite us and celebrate the diverse LGBTQIA+ community.
— Hulu (@hulu) March 22, 2022
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The forthcoming Pixar movie “Toy Story” and “Lightyear” reportedly reinstated a same-sex kiss in the wake of the repercussions to Disney’s support of “Don’t Say Gay.” Disney creative heads reportedly have also tried to repress Pixar’s efforts to depict an array of intimate on-screen relationships, also disclosing that LGBTQ+ themes were also inhibited in animated flicks like “Soul,” “Luca,” and “Inside Out.”
In recent years, the LGBTQ community has experienced a rapid rise in the number of members coming forward with their related beliefs. As per a study by Gallup, the percentage of LGBTQ adults in the United States has multiplied to double over the past decade.
As per a Gallup poll, the percentage of adults in the US who identify themselves as something else except being heterosexual has doubled from 3.5% in 2012 to 7.1% in 2022.
Gallup also found that the growth in percentage is because of “high LGBT self-identification, particularly as bisexual, among Generation Z adults,” who are between 18 and 25.
Chris Mack
