Three former staffers at Blue Sky Studios say Disney pushed back against the same-sex kiss and queer themes present in the animated film Nimona, which was ultimately canceled when Disney shuttered Blue Sky entirely.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, three former staff members at Blue Sky Studios -- a studio that Disney acquired in its buyout of 21st Century Fox -- told Business Insider that Disney shut down the studio after 34 years of existence. This effectively canceled the production of Nimona, the film adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by writer and artist ND Stevenson. The film centered on a gender non-conforming character and contained many LGBTQIA+ themes that allegedly made Disney uncomfortable. The staffers say they felt enough pressure from Disney about the kiss that they left it out of presentations to Disney, even though they eventually planned to leave it in the movie.
This revelation comes at a bad time for Disney, which is already facing criticism for its handling of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. The bill's official title is the Parental Rights in Education Bill, and it would ban "classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels." Supporters of the bill say these topics need to be discussed at a family level. Opponents fear it would further stigmatize LGBTQIA+ youth, especially with its vague wording.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek sent out a memo to Disney employees saying that while they wouldn't condemn the bill publicly, Disney still supports its LGBTQIA+ employees. "The biggest impact we can have in creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create here, and the diverse community organizations we support, including those representing the LGBTQ+ community," Chapek wrote. This led to many pointing out Disney's hypocrisy since the company has made donations to all of the bill's sponsors. Additionally, the claims that Disney supports LGBTQIA+ people through the content they produce are contradicted by accusations from Pixar that the multimedia company would censor nearly all forms of affection between same-sex characters in their films.
Disney apologized for its response and pledged $5 million to LGBTQIA+ charity the Human Rights Campaign. However, HRC refused Disney's donation until the company takes "meaningful action" against the bill. Disney later announced that it would be pausing all political donations in the state of Florida, with Chapek promising to be a firm ally moving forward.
Some individual studios within Disney, such as Marvel Studios, have pledged their support for the LGBTQIA+ community. "We strongly denounce any and all legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community," Marvel Studios said in a statement. "Marvel Studios stands for hope, inclusivity and strength; and we proudly stand with the community."
Source: Business Insider