Former Disney CEO Iger On Opposing Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill: It's Not 'Political'

Mike Letterman

Apr 1, 2022, 12:03 PM
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Bob Iger, the former CEO of Disney, criticized the bill in an interview.

Iger said that a lot of the issues are not political.

Iger, who ran Disney from 2005 to 2020, said as CEO he would decide whether to address a contentious issue by assessing the impact on Disney's employees, shareholders and customers.

He told Chris Wallace that if any one of those three constituencies had deep interest in or would be affected by the matter at hand, then it was something that he should consider weighing in on.

Iger has weighed in on the bill before. President Joe Biden pledged to fight it before Disney's current CEO spoke out against it.

If passed, this bill will put vulnerable, young LGBTQ people in jeopardy.

The bill in question allows parents to file lawsuits against school districts if they want to prevent classes on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through grade 3.

The law is unconstitutional, according to the groups and families that sued.

After initially refusing to take a stance on the bill, Chapek came under fire. Disney had an opportunity to create change through producing inspiring content, and taking a side on the issue would result in the company becoming a political football, according to the first memo addressed to the bill on March 7.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood, California.

He apologized to employees and announced the company was pausing all political donations in Florida.

Disney supports efforts to get the bill repealed after it was signed into law.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displays the signed "Don't Say Gay" bill, flanked by elementary school students during a news conference on March 28, 2022, at Classical Preparatory school in Shady Hills.

Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.

In a segment with CNN's New Day previewing the release of the interview, Wallace said that Iger didn't criticize Chapek directly.

Disney has been involved in political issues before. In January 2021, the company said it would suspend political donations to those who voted against certifying Joe Biden's election win in the 2020 election, as well as threatening to stop filming movies in Georgia in response to the state's anti-gay bill.