Disney CEO fails to appease Pixar employees, workers demand ‘overtly gay affection’ not be cut from films

In an escalation of the war over gay rights between Pixar and its parent company, Walt Disney, Pixar employees have now claimed Disney threw “beautiful stories, full of diverse characters,” on the cutting-room floor.

The public dispute began after Disney’s new CEO, Bob Chapek, who has only been at the helm since February 2020, failed to condemn in strong enough terms Florida’s disingenuously-labeled “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

The legislation, officially known as the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, passed on Tuesday and seeks to ban classroom discussions on gender identity and sexuality with kindergarten- through third-grade students.

In a Monday memo obtained by the Hollywood Reporter, Chapek attempted to calm his woke workers.

“I want to be crystal clear: I and the entire leadership team unequivocally stand in support of our LGBTQ+ employees, their families, and their communities,” Chapek wrote to his employees. “We all share the same goal of a more tolerant, respectful world. Where we may differ is in the tactics to get there. And because this struggle is much bigger than any one bill in any one state, I believe the best way for our company to bring about lasting change is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create, and the diverse community organizations we support.”

 

But according to Pixar employees, the content is part of the problem.

As Judd Legum reported on Twitter, Pixar staff have alleged: “Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disney’s behest, regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar.”

“We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were,” the letter states.

“Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world,” it continues, “we are being barred from creating it. Beyond the ‘inspiring content’ that we aren’t even allowed to create, we require action.”

Pixar’s response went on to list some demands on Disney.

“We are calling on Disney leadership to immediately withdraw all financial support from the legislators behind the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, to fully denounce this legislation publicly, and to make amends for their financial involvement,” the Pixar rebuttal reads. “While signing on to donate to the [LGBTQ+ civil rights group] HRC [Human Rights Campaign] is a step in the correct direction, the shareholder meeting on Wednesday made it clear that this is not enough.”

The employees urged that Disney “take a decisive public stand” against this and similar legislation.

“Disney taking a stand by honoring their company values has changed the course of legislation in the past,” the response reads. “If Disney is true in its values, it will take a decisive public stand against the discriminatory legislation occurring in Florida and offer tangible support for the LGBTQIA+ communities affected by bigoted legislation sweeping the country.”

“Stand against this bill in Florida and against the similar bills in South Carolina, Arizona, Virginia, and Tennessee,” the employees continue. “Many hateful groups are attempting to eradicate us through legislation — we need you to stand with us entirely, not in empty words.”

 

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