Conservative employees at Disney are asking the company to stop wading into politics as it draws nationwide attention for its response to controversial education legislation recently passed in Florida.
A group of employees, wishing to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, wrote an open letter to Disney leadership that claims the Walt Disney Company has become an “increasingly uncomfortable place to work for those of us whose political and religious views are not explicitly progressive.”
“We watch quietly as our beliefs come under attack from our own employer, and we frequently see those who share our opinions condemned as villains by our own leadership,” the letter reads, noting the company’s antagonistic response to the Florida legislation, named the “Parental Rights in Education” bill and has been branded the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by detractors.
A current Disney employee who was one of those behind the open letter told the Washington Examiner during a Wednesday interview that some Right-leaning Disney employees have been discussing their concerns with each other outside of work channels. The employee said they don’t want to see the company become “a political arm of the Democratic Party.”
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“This opposing of legislation, in particular, I find very distasteful for a company to do on behalf of politically minded employees,” the insider said. “That just strikes me as really gross because we’re talking about a multibillion-dollar company deciding to use their assets to subvert the democratic process.”
The employee, whose identity was confirmed by the Washington Examiner but who requested anonymity to avoid retaliation, noted the open letter doesn’t emphasize conservatism but rather lobbies Disney to stay out of politics and remain neutral on these hot-button political issues in a more general sense.
“We help people find joy and community, and the more that we stick our noses into issues that should rightfully be resolved through the democratic process, the more we are going to alienate people and we divert from our core goal, which is delivering high-quality entertainment in a way that everyone in the world can enjoy,” the employee said.
At first, Disney did not take a position on the legislation, which would prohibit classroom instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity through the third grade. CEO Bob Chapek initially said in a memo to staff that “corporate statements do very little to change outcomes” and are often divisive.
Later, under an intense public pressure campaign that included Disney employees, Chapek shifted course, telling shareholders the company was “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.”
Disney also put out a public statement this week, alluding to its condemnation of the legislation as employees staged a walkout over the company’s response to the bill.
“Disney Parks, Experiences and Products is committed to creating experiences that support family values for every family, and will not stand for discrimination in any form,” the statement read. “We oppose any legislation that infringes on basic human rights, and stand in solidarity and support our LGBTQIA+ cast, crew, guests and fans who make their voices heard today and every day.”
Statement from @WaltDisneyWorld in regards to today’s planned employee walkout @WPTV pic.twitter.com/aAQSTLbiOx
— Derek Lowe WPTV (@DerekLoweNews) March 22, 2022
The Disney source said there are hundreds of Slack channels within the company, with some liberal employees openly pushing for more corporate activism while on company time.
In the open letter, the conservatives at Disney wrote that left-wing political statements are encouraged, but workers who want the company to remain politically neutral “can say so only in a whisper out of fear of professional retaliation.”
The source said a simple acknowledgment from leadership that there are people in the company who hold different views than many of their more liberal peers would be welcome, as well as a statement Disney won’t retaliate against its employees for having different political opinions.
The employee said the politically aligned group that seems to be driving the entire conversation on the Florida legislation has been talking openly about corporate retaliation for workers who might support the bill.
Those who pushed for Disney to issue the statement opposing the Florida legislation are still unhappy with the response, the source said, adding those employees think the statement is all words and no action.
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The Washington Examiner asked Disney for a comment on the open letter but did not receive a response.
“There is a sort of head-in-the-sand, if we don’t admit that it’s happening then we don’t have to respond to it,” the employee said about Disney’s lack of acknowledgment for the open letter.
