OlderAriana DeBose Reveals She Talked to Disney CEO Bob Chapek About 'Don't Say Gay' Response
Ariana DeBose has spoken to The Walt Disney Company’s CEO Bob Chapek in regards to the company’s response to the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, aka the Parental Rights in Education bill.
The Oscar-winning West Side Story actress won one of the six awards that the company won at the ceremony last weekend.
While on the red carpet, she was asked about the queer representation at the awards show, and if she had spoken to Bob about his and the company’s response to the legislation, which was signed into law the next day.
Click inside to see what she said…
“Bob and I, we’re gonna do the work,” she told Variety‘s Marc Malkin. “I have [spoken to him]. I’m a very hands-on type of person. And when I see something, I say something. And while I may not always put it on the internet, I do that. I reached out. And I will continue to reach out and Bob knows that.”
Ariana won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Anita in West Side Story, and actually made history as the first openly queer woman of color (she’s Afro Latina) to be nominated, and win.
In her acceptance speech, Ariana said, “To anybody who has ever questioned your identity ever, ever, ever, or you find yourself living in the gray spaces, I promise you this: There is indeed a place for us.”
Another big win for The Walt Disney Company was Jessica Chastain for Best Actress for her work in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, which was produced by Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures. She also used her speech to support the LGBTQ+ community.
“We’re faced with discriminatory and bigoted legislation that is sweeping our country, with the only goal of further dividing us,” she said. “In times like this, I think of Tammy and I’m inspired by her radical acts of love. I’m inspired by her passion. I see it as a guiding principle that leads us forward, and it connects us all in the desire that we want to be accepted for who we are, accepted for who we love, and to live a life without the fear of violence or terror.”
