The Blue Fairy advised Pinocchio to “always let your conscience be your guide.” Unfortunately, this advice failed Disney in the last few weeks. After Florida passed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Disney came out against the bill and the company became swallowed up in controversy.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, alongside Republican state lawmakers, revoked an arrangement that gave Disney special tax status and the ability to manage its 25,000-acre amusement park. In March, the governor signed a bill banning any discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation with students in kindergartern through third grade. The “Parental Rights in Education” law, most commonly referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, led to an uproar in Florida and worldwide, pressuring big corporations, such as Disney, to make a statement opposing the bill.
Initially, Disney, who has its largest amusement park in Florida, didn’t comment on the bill. After receiving pressure from staffers, Disney’s CEO, Bob Chapek, addressed the situation, swinging against the bill and Governor DeSantis. The Florida legislature retaliated, and DeSantis, a self-proclaimed faithful believer in free speech, punished Disney World in Orlando, Florida’s biggest private-sector employer.
Although it may seem like a loss for Disney, they made the right choice in listening to their employees’ demands. Big corporations need to uphold moral principles and prioritize the well-being of their staff and those influenced by their company.
In more recent years, efforts to show diversity on-screen have been more significant, and Disney is a leading example for other companies. There aren’t a lot of characters or movies, including characters in the LGBTQ+ community or conversations about these topics in films; consequently, now is the time for Disney to stand up for what it believes in.
The “Don’t Say Gay” bill stigmatizes various family structures. As a result, children in the classroom will internalize the ideology that gender and sexuality are inappropriate topics. Many children will likely feel embarrassed about their families and themselves because it has been deemed inappropriate to discuss in classrooms.
It’s dehumanizing to ban these crucial conversations that are a pathway to understanding one another, especially at an impressionable young age. Big corporations, like Disney, demonstrate that we need to follow our conscience and adhere to our moral principles regardless of the outcome; the Blue Fairy was right. People aren’t wooden and hollow like Pinnochio. Disney’s comment on social justice issues as a corporation is influential in Florida and worldwide, and I hope other companies will step up and follow Disney’s example.
