An old saying holds that if you’re being run out of town, you jump in front of the mob and claim you’re leading the parade.
Perhaps we can now call this pulling a Chapek.
In a move anyone on the right could have predicted, Disney CEO Bob Chapek ended a week of silence and appearing above the fray and formally denounced the Parental Rights in Education bill.
The bill, which liberals misleadingly call “Don’t Say Gay,” would ban school districts from teaching gender politics and sexual orientation issues to children up to, and including, third grade.
Chapek had declined to comment publicly over the past week as the Republican-led Legislature chugged toward adopting the measure.
For his stand on not taking a stand, Chapel faced ugly criticism from LGBT activists, Disney employees, and liberals generally. Calls for boycotting the Magic Kingdom were issued.
As Newsweek reported on Tuesday, the left-wing social media chorus called for boycotts after Chapek said in a memo to employees that Disney “‘unequivocally’ stands with its LGBTQ+ employees, but wouldn’t directly condemn the controversial bill making its way through the Florida legislature.”
Signaling his position, despite his silence, Chpaek added in the memo, “I do not want anyone to mistake a lack of 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.”
On Wednesday, he revealed those tactics.
“While we’ve been strong supporters of the (LGBTQ) community for decades, I know that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill. Now, we were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes, engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle,” Chapek told shareholders during the meeting, according to WKMG in Orlando.
He also mentioned that he had appealed directly to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who heard his “disappointment and concern” about the education bill.
“The governor heard our concerns in agreeing to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss ways to address them,” Chapek added. “Certainly the outcome in Florida was not what many of us were hoping for, especially our LGBTQ+ employees.”
He also defended Disney’s stance as a political necessity and criticized critics who claimed Disney’s silence equated to support for the measure. He also vowed that Disney’s thinking on giving change – indicating Republicans should not expect any campaign contributions from Disney going forward.
“As you know, when we donate money to different political candidates. We have no idea how they’re going to vote going forward into the future,” said Chapek.
“But what I will say is that we give to both sides of the aisle to candidates across the board, in all states in all jurisdictions, therefore, anybody can pretty much take any issue and do a cross-sectional slice of it and say, Disney supports this group.”
“As I wrote to our employees earlier this week, we are committed to supporting community organizations like these so they are better equipped to take on these fights. And then well we’re also reassessing our approach to advocacy, including political giving in Florida and beyond,” Chapek continued.
“I understand our original approach, no matter how well-intended, didn’t quite get the job done. We’re committed to support the [LGBT] community going forward.”
Apparently, no shareholders asked Chapek why he feels it is appropriate for public school teachers to discuss their sex lives, or those of other adults, or gender-orientation politics generally, with members of one of Disney’s prime customer demographics.
DeSantis’ spokeswoman, Christina Pushaw, did not let that pass, however.
In a statement after Chapek’s comments, Pushaw said, “Governor DeSantis has always been open to hearing from Floridians and having conversations about legislation – as long as those discussions are grounded in facts, not false media narratives.”
“Anyone who has questions or concerns about the Parental Rights in Education bill is encouraged to read the bill, rather than the distorted coverage in mainstream media, which regurgitates false partisan talking points.”
Pushaw continued, “Disney is a family-friendly company that creates wholesome entertainment for kids. The same Florida parents who take their families to Disney also support parental rights in education, because they do not want their young children exposed to inappropriate content about sex and gender theory at school. This should not be controversial.”
Pushaw also torpedoed Chapek’s narrative about backstage lobbying. She said DeSantis took a call from Chapek on Wednesday, which was the first time the governor’s office heard from him about the bill.
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