I came across an article titled, "Disney Threatens Bad News for Georgia If State Adopts Anti-LGBT Law," which talks about how the Walt Disney Company will nix all plans to film future movies in Georgia if Gov. Nathan Deal signs the deal. Gov. Deal has until May 3 to either veto or sign the bill, which will determine the actions of Disney. There are currently 2 films being shot in Georgia, "Ant-Man" and "Captain America: Civil War," but a Disney spokesperson has said that they have had great successes filming in Georgia but will take there business somewhere else because they are an inclusive company that will not tolerate discrimination.
Disney is the first major Hollywood name to speak out against this anti-LGBT law, and they are urging other big corporations to do the same. It has also been reported that other Atlanta based companies such as Coca-Cola, Home Depot, the NFL, and UPS have also opposed the bill. You can find a news coverage video about it here.
Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, has an openly gay brother and advocates gay rights. He strongly opposes this law that has been introduced in Georgia and they are trying to sack the law. It has been even said that football is practiced in Georgia "like a religion," so we will see if this has a big impact, because sports usually do.
With huge companies advocating against this law, I think it will make a big impact in the Governor's choice, or at least we can hope. The entertainment industry has a huge impact in Georgia, and it has been reported that Gov. Deal is under huge pressure to make a decision. More than 400 local companies have also added their names to the list of opposing this bill. This kind of oppression reminds me of the struggles that African American's went through. I feel as if history is repeating itself, did our country not learn anything? We have made so many strides forward, but this issue is setting us back. We can only wait and see what Gov. Deal's decision will be. See below to see how Twitter is helping spread the word!
This is really interesting because it's not something that we've talked a lot about in class. We talk a fair amount about how individuals can influence public opinion such as the Kesha/Demi Lovato/Taylor Swift discussion and we've also talked about the NFL doing things for breast cancer awareness but what we haven't discussed is corporate backing. Personally, it isn't something I have thought a lot about until now. If such iconic large companies are taking proactive steps in issues such as this I think it could make a big impact. Not only is Georgia not going to want to lose potential income from Disney films, but Disney has an incredibly massive following. However, one question I do have is why hasn't Disney, being a content producer, made more LGBT-friendly/educational content if they are so invested in this issue of equality?
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