Disney: I Stand In Solidarity With LGBTQ Walkout

The Walt Disney Company CEO, Bob Chapek from the Investor Day 2020 presentation. Courtesy of Disney.

I am standing in solidarity with all of the Disney LGBTQ employees who are walking out in response to the recent comments from Bob Chapek.

What this means is that I will certainly not be doing watching any of the following today:

  • Anything owned by The Walt Disney Company
    • Disney+
    • Hulu
    • ABC
      • ABC owned-and-operated stations
    • Disney Channel
    • Disney XD
    • Freeform
    • FX Networks
    • Marvel
    • Lucasfilm
    • Pixar
    • 20th Century Studios
    • National Geographic
    • ESPN
    • The list goes on and on
  • Disney series or film screeners…I don’t expect Moon Knight to be sent today but if it is, it can wait
  • Posting press releases
  • Participating in junkets, not that I have any on the schedule for today
  • Rewatching any of their films during the pandemic for the upteenth time, whether it is on streaming or I own them on physical media.

All of this can wait until Wednesday. The LGBTQ employees have demands of Bob Chapek and the company and you can find all of it here.

Please stand in solidarity with the Disney LGBTQ employees today. Whether you’re LGBTQ or an ally, show the company’s employees that you’re also standing with them. It’s not much but there is a rise in bigoted legislation across the country. They religious conservatives lost their fight on gay marriage a few years ago so now they are targeting the trans community and LGBTQ youth. As a transgender American, this legislation also has an impact on my life. I left a lot of money on the table this month by not attending the SXSW Film Festival in Texas. No matter how blue the city of Austin is, the actions of the Texas state government have shown that it is not safe to be transgender in Texas. Thankfully, there are judges who disagree with Greg Abbott.

What is happening today is no different than the Netflix trans employee walkout in October. Hate is hate is hate. We must stand up against hate when we see it!

Please stand in solidarity with the Disney LGBTQ walkout.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.