“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.”įranky Jr. “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. It is now on DeSantis' desk, and he has indicated he will sign it into law. The bill, which allows parents to sue over these issues, could also open up already cash-strapped public schools to expensive lawsuits.
“If this bill was in place when I was growing up, I probably would not be here,” Franky Jr., a trans former cast member at Walt Disney World, told BuzzFeed News.Ĭritics 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. Even a descendant of Walt Disney’s has joined the outcry. He also said Disney tried to work behind the scenes to oppose the bill and that the company would donate $5 million to LGBTQ rights organizations.īut earlier in the week, current and former Disney employees spoke out on social media to express their disappointment in tweets and videos, as well as in interviews. Ron DeSantis to convey that the company is disappointed and concerned. On Wednesday, CNN reported Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced at a shareholders meeting that he had reached out to Gov. A Disney representative did not respond to an inquiry from BuzzFeed News regarding the donation report. Now the bill bans "classroom instruction" on sexual orientation or gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade and teaching “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”ĭisney donated nearly $200,000 over the course of two years to members of the Florida legislature that pushed forward the legislation, according to the government accountability news site Popular Information. It previously contained a provision that would have forced teachers in Florida to notify parents of students’ sexual orientation, but that amendment was withdrawn. The Florida Senate passed the legislation on Tuesday by just five votes.
Disney employees - ranging from characters in the theme parks to writers on their TV shows - are speaking out against their employer after reports the company donated money to politicians sponsoring the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill.