Florida Senate Passes “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, Frustrating Disney Employees

Critics argue the law could strip vulnerable students their support systems by preventing any classroom discussion of gender or sexuality at any age, putting them at further risk of isolation and bullying. The bill, which allows parents to sue over these issues, could also open up already cash-strapped public schools to expensive lawsuits. It is now on DeSantis’ desk, and he has indicated he will sign it into law. It would go into effect July 1.

“If I were to have been outed to people I wasn’t ready to come out to back then and the school wasn’t a safe place for me, then there is no way I would have been able to come out in high school,” Franky Jr. added. “There is no way I would have been able to have a safety net or safe place to figure out who I am, figure out exactly what I like, exactly how I want to dress.”

Franky Jr. worked at the theme park off and on from 2015 to 2021. He said support from his fellow cast members is part of what encouraged him to medically transition and pursue hormone therapy.

Disney donating to politicians supporting the “Don’t Say Gay” bill doesn’t make sense, he said, because it would harm the cast members and their families who view the parks as an escape.

Disney has explicitly not spoken out on the bill. And in lieu of a statement to BuzzFeed News, a Disney spokesperson forwarded an email from CEO Bob Chapek that was sent to employees on Monday.

Chapek wrote that he and the leadership team support LGBTQ employees and their families and communities. But Disney has not issued a statement because “corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds.” Instead, he wrote, statements just divide.

But Abigail Disney, the grand-niece of Walt Disney who has been openly critical of the company, tweeted that Chapek is more worried about “right-wing backlash” than his fans or employees.

“The times for neutrality are long since over,” she tweeted. “That train has left the goddam station. What is Disney for? Is it for pretending what America is about, or it is for defining a vision for a world in which fantasy, love, kindness, decency and loyalty are bedrock values.”