Over the past few years, Disney has made a much more concerted effort to make those who go to its theme parks and work for its company feel included and accepted. In 2020, Disney even added a fifth key to its legendary “Four Key” training regimen. That fifth key was inclusion. Cast members are now allowed to dress in the costume they feel most comfortable in — regardless of gender — and no longer have to hide things like tattoos.
As Disney has instituted more progressive policies, it has received a lot of backlash from the conservative ranks. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has repeatedly fought the company over its “woke” policies.
Ron DeSantis is not the only big name who is fighting Disney on its diversity, equality, and inclusion programs. SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk has famously been feuding with Disney for months. When Disney pulled its advertising from X due to the meteoric rise in hate speech, Musk told Iger, “Go f*** yourself.”
Related: Will Disney Become “Anti-Woke” If Latest Coup Attempt is Successful?
And now, the controversial CEO has found a brand-new way to fight with Disney.
On February 6, ex-Mandalorian star Gina Carano announced that she was suing Disney for wrongful termination. Carano was fired after sharing on social media that being a Republican today is like being Jewish during the Holocaust. The lawsuit seemed to come out of nowhere, considering she was fired two years ago. But, in an even more unexpected twist, it was revealed that her legal fees were being covered by none other than Musk.
But Ms. Carano’s lawsuit is only the tip of the iceberg. Musk tweeted that he would cover the legal expenses of anyone suing Disney because they were “discriminated” against when Disney instituted more diversity and inclusion policies.
Alongside the tweet, he included an internal chart, allegedly from Disney, showing how the company strives to include more underrepresented groups in its movies, television shows, and behind the scenes.
If you were discriminated against by Disney or its subsidiaries (ABC, ESPN, Marvel, etc), just reply to this post to receive legal support
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1755007753289134162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1755007753289134162%7Ctwgr%5E8a8c6453183fa6ac5d1aafbdec6f41cbe53688f6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thewrap.com%2Felon-musk-disney-discrimination-legal-expense-pledge%2F
Related: Are Disney and Elon Musk Headed to Court? Gina Carano Hopes So
X’s head of business operations, Joe Benarroch, released a short statement to TheWrap, regarding Gina Carano’s lawsuit:
“As a sign of X Corp’s commitment to free speech, we’re proud to provide financial support for Gina Carano’s lawsuit, empowering her to seek vindication of her free speech rights on X and the ability to work without bullying, harassment, or discrimination.”
This is not the first time that Disney has been attacked over its diversity and inclusion programs. Glen Gilzean — the administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District — has called the program “unAmerican.”
However, it should be noted, that just a few years ago, Gilzean praised the program for bringing more jobs and opportunities to underserved communities.
Do you think Elon Musk should fund discrimination lawsuits against Disney? Let us know in the comments!
