Disney Censors Same-Sex Affection in Pixar Films, Employees Say

As Florida passed its discriminatory "don't say gay" bill, critics say Disney was too silent as the bill made it through the state's legislature. The company's silence over the bill seems to have resulted in pressure mounting from inside the company to publicly condemn the law.

Disney's first response was to send an internal memo to staff, in which CEO Bob Chapek not only didn't outright condemn the bill but instead told employees, "The biggest impact we can have in creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create here, and the diverse community organizations we support, including those representing the LGBTQ+ community."

The statement fell short for many, and, as it turns out, might not even be true. In an open letter from "the LGBTQIA+ employees of Pixar and their allies" obtained by Variety, the group claims Disney's corporate offices have demanded the removal of "nearly every moment of overtly gay affection ... regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar."

Employees point to the hypocrisy of the company claiming it's creating positive change through inclusive content while, in reality, excising queerness at every opportunity. "We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were," the letter states. "Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it."

This may explain why the LGBTQ+ representation in Pixar films has been criticized as being largely composed of blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments, like Lena Waithe's character in Onward mentioning a girlfriend, or the unnamed lesbian moms in Finding Dory and Toy Story 4. (Pixar's latest film, Turning Red, arrives on Disney+ Friday.)

In the letter, the employees also call for Disney to end its donations to all the Florida legislators who sponsored or support the "don't say gay" bill, in addition to taking a clear stand against laws like it being passed across the country.

During Disney's shareholder meeting Wednesday, Chapek took his first public stand against the legislation. While not pledging to cease donations to anti-LGBTQ+ legislators, he announced that the company would be pledging $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign and other LGBTQ+ rights organizations. Chapek also stated that he'll be meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign the bill into law, to discuss Disney's concerns over the measure. "Gov. DeSantis committed to me that he wanted to make sure that this law could not be weaponized in any way by individuals in the state or groups in the state to unduly harm or target gay, lesbian, nonbinary, or transgender kids and families," he said.

The displeased Pixar employees stated that while this pledge is a step in the right direction, it still falls short of their expectations. "The shareholder meeting on Wednesday made it clear that this is not enough," they wrote in their letter. "Disney did not take a hard stance in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, they instead attempted to placate 'both sides' -- and did not condemn hateful messages shared during the question and answer portion of the meeting."

HRC also rejected Disney's donation.

"The Human Rights Campaign will not accept this money from Disney until we see them build on their public commitment and work with LGBTQ+ advocates to ensure that dangerous proposals, like Florida's 'Don't Say Gay or Trans' bill, don't become dangerous laws," Joni Madison, interim president of the HRC, said in a statement. "Businesses have had and continue to have a major impact in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, from marriage equality to the defeat of House Bill 2 in North Carolina and beyond. While Disney took a regrettable stance by choosing to stay silent amid political attacks against LGBTQ+ families in Florida -- including hardworking families employed by Disney -- today they took a step in the right direction. But it was merely the first step."

The LGBTQ+ rights group encouraged Disney's employees to continue to fight and speak out against their CEO's silence.

Read the full statement from Pixar staff to Disney's leadership below.

A Statement to Leadership from the LGBTQIA+ Employees of Pixar & Their Allies

We are writing because we are disappointed, hurt, afraid, and angry. In regards to Disney's financial involvement with legislators behind the "Don't Say Gay" bill, we hoped that our company would show up for us. But it didn't.

Monday's email, "Our Unwavering Commitment to the LGBTQ+ Community", rang hollow. It began with the claim that Disney has a long history of supporting the LGBT community, but Disney Parks did not officially host Pride until 2019, in Paris alone. Disney has a history of shutting down fan-created Pride events in the parks, even removing same-sex couples for dancing together in the 1980's. Additionally, Disney began capitalizing on Pride in 2018 with The Rainbow Mickey Collection, (while de-emphasizing the terms like LGBTQ+ and not even featuring explicitly LGBTQIA+ pieces such as Pride flag pins until 2021). To this end, it feels terrible to be a part of a company that makes money from Pride merch when it chooses to "step back" in times of our greatest need, when our rights are at risk.

The second claim stated that "corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds". However, the very email making this claim opened with a corporate statement regarding the ongoing situation in Ukraine. Eight days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Disney paused the release of theatrical films in Russia and announced "We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation." Following the siege on the capital in 2021, Disney stopped all political donations to members of Congress who had objected to the presidential election results. In 2016, Disney told the state of Georgia: "We will plan to take our business elsewhere should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law" in response to the controversial Religious Liberty bill. By taking a stand, Disney directly affected the legislative outcome in Georgia. It has been proven that Disney's corporate statements can and do make a difference.

Finally, we come to the push for Content as the answer. We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were. Nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut at Disney's behest, regardless of when there is protest from both the creative teams and executive leadership at Pixar. Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it. Beyond the "inspiring content" that we aren't even allowed to create, we require action.

We are calling on Disney leadership to immediately withdraw all financial support from the legislators behind the "Don't Say Gay" bill, to fully denounce this legislation publicly, and to make amends for their financial involvement. While signing on to donate to the HRC is a step in the correct direction, the shareholder meeting on Wednesday made it clear that this is not enough. Throughout the shareholder meeting, Disney did not take a hard stance in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, they instead attempted to placate "both sides" -- and did not condemn hateful messages shared during the question and answer portion of the meeting. This is not what it means to "unequivocally stand in support of our LGBTQ+ employees, their families, and their communities."

Disney taking a stand by honoring their company values has changed the course of legislation in the past. If Disney is true in its values, it will take a decisive public stand against the discriminatory legislation occurring in Florida and offer tangible support for the LGBTQIA+ communities affected by bigoted legislation sweeping the country. Stand against this bill in Florida and against the similar bills in South Carolina, Arizona, Virginia, and Tennessee. Stand against the transphobic legislation in Texas, Iowa, Utah, Kansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, and Alabama. Many hateful groups are attempting to eradicate us through legislation -- we need you to stand with us entirely, not in empty words.

This matter is not something that can wait until Reimagine Tomorrow in April, or Pride Month in June. This matter needs to be addressed now. This is urgent. 42% of LGBTQIA+ youth seriously considered suicide in 2021, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth, with a large factor being the lack of support that these discriminatory legislations enable. Disney claims to care for the welfare of children, but supporting politicians like this directly hurts one of their most vulnerable audiences. There are lives at stake and Disney's support could save those lives. "We still have more work to do," your email said. This is that work.

Signed with Pride,

The LGBTQIA+ employees of Pixar, and their allies