“The LGBTQ experience is there in so many Disney stories if you really look for it,” Rodriguez-Triana said. (Or else a character is simply “coded” as gay Elsa in “Frozen” may be a queer icon, but you won’t hear Disney saying that.)
#BENNY OUT IN PUBLIC GAY VIDEOS TV#
( Fairytales and love stories are the bread and butter of the company’s animated canon, and some believe a non-heteronormative love story would be a game-changer for queer representation.)ĭisney has touted the introduction of its “first” queer characters in its films and TV shows many times over ― but some fans see it as watered down or oftentimes stereotyped portrayals of queer people. As the Pixar staff letter alluded to, Disney has yet to center the experience of a LGBTQ character or highlight a gay love story. Rodriguez-Triana and others in the community are waiting for the day Disney puts a queer character front and center. “And if Disney isn’t donating to these politicians anymore, how about rehiring people they let go of during the pandemic and putting it towards the park and delayed projects there?” “If someone ― or in this case, a company ― is going to preach allyship and sell Pride merch, then they need to do so wholeheartedly,” he said. Rodriguez-Triana and his partner are now considering not renewing their passes, though it’s not just the Chapek controversy that has them mulling saving their money rising costs of tickets, pandemic-era cost-cutting at the parks and overcrowded conditions are also of concern to the couple. Self-proclaimed “Disney gays” like Rodriguez-Triana say they’ve been let down, too, and are tired of the half measures: Yes, it was nice that the company recently donated proceeds from a Pride collection to GLSEN, a leading education organization working to create safe and inclusive schools for LGBTQ+ youth ― but then they reportedly give money to lawmakers who want to repeal protections for LGBTQ workers and legalize so-called gay conversion therapy. On Friday, Chapek issued another memo that spoke directly to the company’s employees, this time with an apology: “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. Andrew Rodriguez-Triana, a passholder for 10 years If someone - or in this case, a company - is going to preach allyship and sell Pride merch, then they need to do so wholeheartedly. The nonprofit, though, wasn’t interested, announcing that it would reject Disney’s donation until the company took more “meaningful action” toward combating the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. They also claimed Disney nixed “nearly every moment of overtly gay affection” in Pixar’s films.īy Wednesday, Chapek had reversed course, saying Disney had been “opposed to the bill from the outset” and pledged a $5 million donation to LGBTQ rights groups, including the Human Rights Campaign. In an internal company letter, “the LGBTQIA+ employees of Pixar and their allies” upbraided Chapek over the “hollow” display of support and the company’s lack of action on LGBTQ rights now and in the past. (To make matters worse for Chapek, Disney’s former CEO, Bob Iger, had already tweeted criticism of the bill a month before.) At the same time, it came to light that Disney had made prior political donations to lawmakers supporting the bill. Last Monday, Bob Chapek, the CEO of the Walt Disney Co., issued a memo to staff members stating that the corporation “unequivocally” supports LGBTQ+ rights but wouldn’t openly denounce the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Last week, Andrew Rodriguez-Triana, pictured here on the right with his partner, spoke out against Disney's lack of a statement on Florida's
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(The company is a huge Florida employer, with tens of thousands of workers at the Walt Disney World theme park.) He was reminded of that last week when Disney botched its response to the Florida Legislature passing the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, a piece of legislation that bars classroom conversations on gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten to third grade. What Rodriguez-Triana doesn’t love is what he sees as the company’s spotty record on supporting LGBTQ+ rights. He loves the friendly Cast Members ― the employees who make magic happen at both Disney World and the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. “Disney as a place has always felt like home, and what place is safer than your own home?” the theater performer told HuffPost. Growing up, his family spent every vacation at the parks, and he’s been a passholder at Walt Disney World in Florida for 10 years. He loves Disney movies and characters, of course, but what he loves most is the parks.
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Andrew Rodriguez-Triana is stuck in a love-hate relationship with the House of Mouse.