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Some employees of The Walt Disney Company walked off the job Tuesday to protest what they said was 

restrict discussion of gender and sexuality

Hundreds of employees were seen marching out of the company's headquarters in Burbank, Calif., Tuesday morning, 

according to CNBC field producer Steve Desaulniers

 came after Disney employees planned a series of smaller walkouts during their 15-minute breaks to urge the company to take a stronger stance against the 

 legislation, which advocates have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

"The recent statements by The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) leadership regarding the Florida legislature's recent 'Don't Say Gay' bill have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation," 

"Primarily, those statements have indicated that leadership still does not truly understand the impact this legislation is having not only on Cast Members in the state of Florida, but on all members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the company and beyond," the letter added.

 Disney to stop making political donations to certain Florida politicians — including Gov. Ron DeSantis — and commit to a plan to protect LGBTQIA+ staff from such legislation, among other demands.

The discord inside the entertainment giant grew until, earlier this month, Disney CEO Bob Chapek 

 against the bill, saying he should have been a "stronger ally in the fight for equal rights."

said he called DeSantis to express his concerns

 about the bill becoming law and said the company was "reassessing our approach to advocacy," including political donations in Florida, where Walt Disney World is located.

Company executives announced during a Monday town hall meeting with employees that Chapek would embark on a "listening tour" with workers in an effort to assuage their concerns over Disney's response to the legislation, 

Still, organizers claimed that some employees of Disneyland in California who did not feel safe to walk out Tuesday 

were told they couldn't wear "pride/trans Mickey pins"

 — which they said Disney itself sells — to show their support.

, both of which are controlled by Republicans, passed the legislation. To become law it now needs the signature of DeSantis, who has signaled his support.

Business and Economic News

Politics and Government News

Joe Hernandez

Author

The full-scale walkout is a bid to urge the company to take a stronger stance against the Parental Rights in Education legislation in Florida, what critics have called the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

Disney workers walk out over the company's response to so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill

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