The Walt Disney Co. initially took heat for not taking a public position on Florida’s so-called “don’t say gay” bill — and now they are under fire for doing just that.…
Others studios, though, have largely steered clear of the furor in the Sunshine State., with its rival theme park presence in Orlando, has had no public comment on the new law. Paramount, Sony and Netflix also have not weighed in publicly.
On Tuesday, departing WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar told CNBC, “I think this is a business issue. Yes there’s politics involved but it’s also a business issue, in that we strongly believe that anti-LGBTQ legislation is anti-business, and we don’t think that one person’s life or one person’s identity or one person’s love is any less than or less worthy of another. So we feel very strongly about this one, and we feel that this is about business as much as it is about politics.
During Saturday’s GLAAD Awards, CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said, “In this moment of crisis, what’s different is our community is holding companies accountable. So I have a message for the industry: Don’t wait until you’re in the hot seat. There’s no more time to sit on the sidelines. We need Hollywood on the front lines, fighting for our rights and telling our stories.”
That set off a backlash by DeSantis and conservatives. Suddenly, Disney wasn’t just a corporation opposing a statewide bill but, in the words of commentators on the right, a “woke” company seeking to indoctrinate kids with the agenda of the LGBTQ left. Rep. Lauren Boebert tweeted that “next year, the woke Disney lobbyists will ask Congress to extend Micky [sic] Mouse’s trademark. I think not.
“There is no evidence that I know of that right wing backlash results in corporate bottom lines being hit,” said Martin Kaplan, professor of entertainment, media and society at USC Annenberg. “Boycotts are more powerful as public relations tools than they are at economic sanctions. I don’t think there is any risk at all in following Disney’s lead.”
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