CEO Bob Chapek Confirms Disney Will Have An “Increased Commitment” To LGBT Characters And Stories Moving Forward

CEO Bob Chapek Confirms Disney Will Have An “Increased Commitment” To LGBT Characters And Stories Moving Forward

During The Walt Disney Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, CEO Bob Chapek confirmed the company will have an “increased commitment” to LGBT characters and stories.

Chapek’s confirmation came after he was questioned by Caroline Farrow of CitizenGo.

Farrow asked, “Now, as you may be aware almost 700,000 people have signed a petition asking Disney to reconsider the way in which you currently promote LGBT ideology in many of your products for children. Now, the numbers of people signing this petition are rising.”

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She continues, “We’ve heard a lot about diversity which is important and Disney is a company that represents communities all around the world. Now, there are families like mine, we grew up with Disney, we love Disney, we want to introduce our families to Disney’s product, we want to trust your brand. But we no longer feel safe.”

Farrow then asks, “At a time when your stock is down by 20%, is it perhaps time to reconsider what you can do to make Disney more family friendly? To make it safe for people around the world, not just one particular minority? And also what would you say to those 700,000 people who signed our petition saying, ‘Please let’s not have the gay prides in the Disneyland parks.’?”

Chapek responded, “Well, thank you for your question. At Disney we strongly believe we should reflect in our creative content the diversity that we find in our fanbase and our audience. And I believe that will continue with an increased commitment as we move forward. We want to represent our audience. We believe we want to tell stories that our audience wants to hear that reflects their lives.”

Related: Disney To Introduce First Pixar LGBT Character In Onward – Internet Reacts

He added, “Secondly, in terms of the stock price. I think there is a lot of reasons why the stock price might be down 20% and it has nothing to do with the issue that you have raised. It might have more to do with coronavirus and the worldwide pandemic that we are facing.”

A petition on CitizenGo has been signed by 403,478 people to “STOP LGBT Indoctrination at Disneyland.” The petition is specifically aimed at Disneyland Paris.

The petition, which was created in May 2019, reads in part:

“Please sign this petition to ask Disney to protect children and cancel the Gay Pride Parade on Saturday. I’m sure the LGTB lobby is already counting this as a victory for their dangerous agenda. We cannot sit by and allow a gay pride parade to be held in this purportedly family-friendly venue. We cannot allow Disney to indoctrinate our children in an entertainment area that is intended for all audiences.”

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A separate petition created in July 2019 on CitizenGo calls for Disney to “STOP LGBT indoctrination around the world.“

The petition reads in part:

“Disney may think it’s safe to pander to the loud voices of LGBT activists, but the company’s finances and stock value are built on the support of families. By signing this petition and encouraging others to sign, you send a clear message to the Disney company — stop promoting homosexuality or lose your good name … and our money.”

It has been signed by 647,063 people.

Related: One Million Moms Calls For Boycott Against Marvel Studios’ The Eternals

CitizenGo are not the only ones calling for changes at Disney. Chapek’s comments come amid an ongoing boycott against their latest Pixar release, Onward.

One Million Moms has also launched a boycott against the upcoming The Eternals film from Disney’s Marvel Studios. That boycott follows a petition from Life Site News requesting Disney and Marvel remove the inclusion of an LGBT character from the film.

What do you make of Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s response?

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