It’s no secret that Disney has been criticized for claiming to support the LGBTQ+ community under its Inclusion Key, while quietly donating money to politicians behind Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. And while Disney remained silent at first, the outrage from employees and customers forced the company to finally make a belated apology and promise to do better. But Comcast/NBC Universal also donated to those lawmakers while touting “diversity, inclusion, and respect” among its core values – and yet, Universal has been conspicuously silent.

, Why Haven’t We Heard From Universal?

With four theme parks, two water parks, and more than 25 hotels, Walt Disney World has a larger footprint in Florida than Universal’s three parks and eight hotels (although it will be more when the Epic Universe expansion opens in 2025), doesn’t Universal have the same responsibility to speak up for its employees and guests, or do we only expect Disney to live up to its pledges?

, Why Haven’t We Heard From Universal?
Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

It’s especially puzzling since Universal has previously spoken up when they thought something was wrong. In 2020, Universal Parks & Resorts – home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – released a statement in response to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s controversial tweets about her views on cisgender and transgender women.

“Our core values include diversity, inclusion, and respect for all our guests, as well as our team members,” Universal’s statement said. “Our theme parks are places where people and families of all types are welcome to enjoy their time together.”

, Why Haven’t We Heard From Universal?
© Universal Orlando

And in fact, this wording appears on the Universal Orlando jobs website:

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – Our unique backgrounds, stories, skills and perspectives within our culture of inclusion help to ensure that Universal Parks & Resorts is an Employer of Choice. We offer programming for our Team Members to engage, connect and learn more about different cultures, ethnicities, generations, gender and varying abilities. We are One Universe.

So, why is Universal staying quiet now? As with most corporate decisions, it likely has to do with money.

Both companies obviously have huge financial stakes in Florida and therefore take advantage of favorable tax benefits for doing business there. We know Disney is getting $570 million in tax breaks for moving 2,000 jobs from California to Florida (and building an $800 million campus for those employees).

, Why Haven’t We Heard From Universal?
Rendering of Lake Nona Town Center, proposed future home of Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Parks, and Disney Products

The Orlando Sentinel reported in 2019 that Universal Orlando expects to receive about $350 million worth of state tax breaks plus $125 million from Orange County to build a new Universal Creative headquarters on the 750-acre “Epic Universe” property.

, Why Haven’t We Heard From Universal?

On the flip side of that money math, it’s reported that Disney donated $249,000 to sponsors of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and Comcast donated $28,000. Disney CEO Bob Chapek recently stated that Disney will “pause” donations to all Florida lawmakers; Universal (again) has said nothing.

Both companies made the same decisions, but somehow Universal has managed to sidestep the public outrage that has rained down on Disney – at least so far.

Recently, Ben Siemon, an LGBTQ+ writer at Disney Animation took to Twitter to voice his opinion about Disney’s “pause” on donations to Florida lawmakers.

“We’re very scared of the word ‘pause’ when it comes to these political donations,” Siemon said. “Companies love to pause political donations when something’s unpopular, but then when people aren’t paying attention, they start to quietly give that money back. We would love the word to become ‘permanent’ – we’re permanently not going to give these politicians that passed hateful, cruel bill money anymore.”

But Siemon didn’t stop at his own employer. In another tweet, he called out Comcast/NBC Universal for also “letting down their LGBTQ+ employees” when they donated to “Don’t Say Gay” bill supporters, and like Disney, he said Comcast should speak out against the bill and stop making donations.

— Benjamin Siemon (@BenjaminJS) March 22, 2022

This morning, social media influencer 4 Town 4 Lyfe amplified the call for Universal to make a statement.

And yesterday, Disney employees in California supported their Florida colleagues by staging walkouts.

Both Disney and Universal claim they value inclusion and diversity while at the same time contributing to politicians who sponsor legislation contradicting those principles. But so far, only one of those companies has been forced by the public and its own employees to answer for it.

, Why Haven’t We Heard From Universal?

It’s time for Universal to take a stand.  

Samantha Davis-Friedman
Samantha Davis-Friedman
Samantha was born and raised in Southern California. She spent ten years working in television production; however, her English degree from UCLA was finally put to good use in 2011 when she began writing about family travel and theme parks. She has enjoyed sharing her adventures with readers ever since.
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