Molly Ostertag — a Disney TV Animation writer known for her work on Dana Terrace’s The Owl House — has discussed The Walt Disney Comapny‘s response to the controversy surrounding Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, vowing that creatives will hold company CEO Bob Chapek to his promise to be an ally the LGBTQ+ community can count on.
HB 1557, nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, recently passed the Florida Senate after previously passing the Florida House of Representatives. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law. The bill prohibits “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels.”
Disney faced backlash for making donations to the sponsors the bill and declining to publicly condemn the legislation until after it had already passed. Amid the controversy, Chapek issued a company-wide email, saying, “I believe the best way for our company to bring about lasting change is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create, and the diverse community organizations we support.”
This response was met with further pushback, including from LGBTQ+ creatives working under the Disney banner — such as the aforementioned Terrace and Marvel Comics writer Christopher Cantwell — seeing as how the company had no stated plans to cease its donations. “I am someone who honestly had a hard time coming to terms with my queerness ’til my mid-20s, because of stuff like this,” said Terrace, referring to the bill. Additionally, Pixar employees released a statement accusing Disney of censoring affection between gay characters in the animation studio’s films.
Chapek later claimed that Disney had always been opposed to the bill and was working against it behind-the-scenes. He also stated that the company would be donating $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign and other LGBTQ+ charities. However, the HRC actually refused Disney’s donation until such time as the company took “meaningful action” against the bill. Similarly, another LGBTQ+ Disney creative named Benjamin Siemon, who worked as a writer on DuckTales, praised Disney for its pledge, though implored the company to take a firmer stance and to stop giving money to the politicians in question.
All of this culminated in Disney doing just that, pausing all political donations in the state of Florida. “Thank you to all who have reached out to me sharing your pain, frustration and sadness over the company’s response to the Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill,” Chapek said in a public apology. “Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was. It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights… I missed the mark in this case but am an ally you can count on — and I will be an outspoken champion for the protections, visibility, and opportunity you deserve.”
This brings us back to Ostertag, who has written several episodes of Disney Channel’s The Owl House, a show that has been praised for its positive LGBTQ+ representation, featuring a bisexual girl as its lead character, another main character with same-sex parents and Disney’s very first non-binary character.
“All corporations are involved in things like this,” Ostertag told The Hollywood Reporter prior to Chapek’s apology. “I think people are responding to the hypocrisy of Disney. They’re established as being a place safe for children, inspiring for children and accepting of children. This goes against all of that.”
Following Chapek’s apology, Ostertag said she was proud of “everyone inside and outside Disney who came together.” “This is a start, and we are going to use that solidarity and energy to hold Chapek to his promise to be ‘an ally we can count on,'” she said. “I hope this stands as a clear message that a company cannot claim to be a positive force in the world and then be neutral on issues of discrimination and human rights happening in their backyard. I expect the fight will be ongoing, and I encourage everyone to hold the line and admire what we can do when we work together.”
Speaking on the bill itself, Ostertag said, “Every time this happens, the line of what is acceptable to do and say to queer people gets pushed farther into a dangerous place. So, when are you going to stand up for us?” Ostertag also called Disney’s initial attempts to justify its silence by citing the LGBTQ+ representation in its content “insulting,” especially given the alleged censorship Pixar creatives have had to deal with.
“It’s hurtful to see Disney not standing up to it and, instead, just saying they are making inspiring content,” Ostertag explained. “I was a part of making that inspiring content, and it really sickens me to feel like I helped give them an excuse to not take tangible action in the real world because they allowed a storyline on an animated show to go forward.”
The Owl House returns on March 19.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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