By Walt Disney Co.
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Chief Executive Bob Chapek said the company would pause all political donations in Florida, following reactions to a bill that the state’s senate passed on Tuesday that would restrict teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.
“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 statement addressed to “my fellow colleagues, but especially our LGBTQ+ community.”
On Wednesday, Chapek, who had previously said he didn’t want to weigh in on politics, said at the company’s annual meeting that he had told Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis he was concerned about the bill’s potential consequences for LGBTQ children.
In his note Friday, Chapek said Disney was increasing its support for advocacy groups to fight similar legislation in other states and that it would create a new structure for political giving “that will ensure our advocacy better reflects our values.”
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An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.
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