The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said March 9 that it plans to refuse the donation Disney CEO Bob Chapek pledged to the organization until meaningful action is taken to ensure laws like Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill aren't passed, per The Hollywood Reporter.
"The Human Rights Campaign will not accept this money from Disney until we see them build on their public commitment and work with LGBTQ+ advocates to ensure that dangerous proposals, like Florida's Don't Say Gay or Trans bill, don't become dangerous laws, and if they do, to work to get them off the books," HRC Interim President Joni Madison said in a statement.
While Disney "took a regrettable stance by choosing to stay silent amid political attacks against LGBTQ+ families in Florida," Chapek's pledge during the shareholder meeting was "the first step" in the right direction, HRC added. According to Variety, Chapek announced the company would pledge $5 million to HRC and other LGBTQ+-rights organizations, and said he will meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to discuss Disney's "concerns" about the legislation, after first connecting earlier on the phone.
This action happened on the heels of news about a letter attributed to "the LGBTQIA+ employees of Pixar, and their allies" that Variety obtained. The letter reportedly stated that employees of the animation studio allege that Disney corporate executives have demanded cuts from "nearly every moment of overtly gay affection … regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar."
The stunning claim is part of a wider reaction to the company-wide memo sent to Disney employees by Chapek on March 7 regarding its response to the "Don't Say Gay" bill. In the memo, Chapek said the "biggest impact" the company can make "in creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce."
To date, Pixar has only included a few LGBTQ characters in its feature films, most prominently in the 2020 fantasy film Onward, which features a cyclops police officer named Specter who Lena Waithe voiced.