Disney to host world LGBTQ ‘summit’

The Tampa Bay Times reports that "Disney has had a longstanding relationship with Out & Equal, the organization behind the event, and is listed on its website as one of its most generous sponsors." The conference is designed to advance "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in the workplace."

According to the Out & Equal website, "Over more than 20 years, Summit has grown to become the preferred place to network and share strategies that create inclusive workplaces, where everyone belongs and where LGBTQ+ employees can be out and thrive."

The conference, scheduled for September 11-14 at the Walt Disney World Resort, will host booths from the CIA and State Department as well as from companies such as Amazon, Uber, Apple, McDonald's, Walmart, John Deere, Boeing, Hilton, and Cracker Barrel and expects upwards of 5,000 in attendance.

The conference was held last year in Las Vegas and, according to the Tampa Bay Times, "comes after a yearlong dispute between the company and the Republican governor," Ron DeSantis.

In March 2022, video leaked of Disney executives proudly admitting they were prioritizing far-left content in the wake of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education legislation passing. The bill keeps conversations about sexuality out of elementary school classrooms between kindergarten through third grade, and was erroneously dubbed the "don't say gay" bill by activists. In the video leak, executive producer Latoya Raveneau said she added a "not-at-all secret gay agenda" to her work.

In April 2022, the Florida governor took on Disney following the emergence of those videos and promised to revoke a special privilege the company had that allowed for self-governance on the land where they built their theme park. In January, he replaced that self-governance with a state run board.

DeSantis said, "Today, the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end. This is what accountability looks like."