MICKEY MOUSE v. RON DESANTIS.

• Author: Lueders, Bill
• Position: The Walt Disney Co.

It was freedom of speech that drew Mickey Mouse into the fight of his life. Way back in March 2022, when the Florida state legislature passed what has become known as the "Don't Say Gay" law, the powers that be at The Walt Disney Company did not want to make too big a fuss about it.

Bob Chapek, then the company's chief executive officer, released a memo to staff on March 7, the day before the law was passed in the state senate, saying Disney "unequivocally" stands with its LGBTQ+ employees, even though it was not publicly condemning the bill. Chapek argued that "corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds. Instead, they are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame." He added: "I do not want anyone to mistake a lack of a statement for a lack of support. We all share the same goal of a more tolerant, respectful world. Where we may differ is in the tactics to get there."

That sparked a huge backlash from Disney employees and others, some of whom noted that The Walt Disney Company had given campaign donations to all the bill's sponsors and co-sponsors. "I am deeply angered by Disney thinking it can look the other way for this hateful 'Don't Say Gay' bill," chastised documentary filmmaker Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Walt's brother, and company co-founder, Roy. "[I]t takes a seriously flawed moral compass to not see that funding the people who wrote and passed it is anything less than supporting their ugly agenda." "It is disheartening that Disney, one of the world's most successful brands with massive resources and a global platform, failed to take any action to help prevent the passage of this bill," wrote the executive board and QueerTAG Committee of The Animation Guild, which represents Disney workers. "It is time for corporations who continuously seek to engage the LGBTQ+ community to prove that their intentions are not disingenuous by backing up their words with definitive actions. To quote one of your own properties, 'With great power comes great responsibility' You have failed that test in Florida."

That reference to Spider-Man got Chapek's Spidey sense tingling. On March 9, the day after the union's rebuke, he capitulated, telling shareholders that he had called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis "to express our disappointment and concern that if [the] legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, nonbiliary, and transgender kids and families."

DeSantis, who...