Florida: Disney employees force freeze on donations
Reuters reported on March 11 that Walt Disney Co. will be pausing its political donations in Florida, after employees protested the company's donations to Florida state senators who support the controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill. The bill, which awaits approval by Gov. Ron DeSantis, would limit discussion of LGBTQ issues in classrooms.
Chief Executive Bob Chapek announced the decision in a memo to staff. "Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was," he wrote. "It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida but instead another challenge to basic human rights. You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights, and I let you down. I am sorry."
Disney animation writer Benjamin Siemon, who publicly criticized the company for its donations, said of the announcement, "We have more to do as a company in helping make Disney a place the LGBTQIA+ community can be proud of again, but it's a start."
Arkansas: Trans models walk runway for rights
On March 14, NBC News put a spotlight on 13 Trans models that walked in a fashion show to protest Arkansas' recent anti-Trans laws, such as the ban on gender-affirming care for Trans minors (currently blocked by a federal judge), and the law that limits Trans participation in school sports.
Trans activist Lisa Stuart organized the fashion show and participated. "We really want to promote this awareness and this visibility that Trans people are part of the community," she said, "that we are everywhere, and that we are in every aspect of society, any hobby, any occupation."
Clothes for the fashion show were provided by the Transition Closet, an Arkansas-based nonprofit that provides clothes for the LGBTQ community. The show's proceeds went to the organization, which was formed in response to the state's anti-Trans legislation.
"Luckily, we're able to do our part to make it a little less scary for the community," Transition Closet founder Amare Roush said, "because that's what we truly need right now."