Let’s talk news-business realities for a moment.
If you do an online search for the following terms — “Parental Rights in Education,” Florida — you will get about 43,000 hits on Google News (as of Thursday afternoon).
Then again, if you run a search for these terms — “Don’t Say Gay,” Florida — you will get 6,820,000 hits on Google News and 24,100,000 hits on Google (period).
That’s a pretty big difference. What’s going on?
On this week’s “Crossroads” podcast (CLICK HERE to tune that in) I argued that the real name of this bill sounded way, way too much like a whatever it was that parents in Virginia wanted during that recent election that left the Democratic Party establishment in shock.
As it turns out, a new Public Opinion Strategies poll (.pdf here) found that registered voters — a majority of Democrats, even — liked the contents of this controversial Florida bill when shown its key, defining language:
“Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in Kindergarten through third grade or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
Clearly, “Don’t Say Gay” worked much better for political activists who wanted to keep the focus on LGBTQ-era sexual education for prepubescent children. The whole idea was that way too many parents are burdened with religious, moral and cultural beliefs that were on the wrong side of history. Thus, “parental rights” and classroom transparency are not helpful concepts.
What does this have to do with the many religion-angle stories that journalists could be chasing linked to this legislation and variations on this bill that are sure to show up in other states? Hold that thought.
First, let’s look at what the mainstream coverage looked like, care of the world’s most influential newsroom. Here is the overture in a typical New York Times report:
MIAMI — Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed legislation … that prohibits classroom instruction and discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity in some elementary school grades, a law that opponents have called “Don’t Say Gay.” …
The law, titled “Parental Rights in Education,” has drawn national criticism from L.G.B.T.Q. organizations that fear it will have a chilling effect among teachers and young students.
Workers at Disney, one of the state’s major employers and corporate political donors, staged walkouts in protest after the bill passed the Legislature, even after the company’s chief executive had apologized to employees for not taking a stronger stand against the legislation and paused contributions to political campaigns. On Monday, Disney released a statement condemning the new law and urging lawmakers to repeal it or the courts to strike it down.
On Sunday night, the Oscar hosts Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes chanted “gay, gay, gay,” in a nod to the Florida legislation. President Biden called the proposal “hateful.”
Yes, the bill’s real name is included. Yes, that vague “in some elementary school grades” language will anger the bill’s supporters, who focus on the ages of children who will be affected by this debate. Yes, the story is completely framed as a political shouting match between DeSantis (a Roman Catholic, by the way) and the voices of cultural, political and high-tech heavyweights who are pro-LGBTQ rights.
There isn’t much room for religion-news context inside that framework, even though I would imagine that a high percentage of the supporters of the bill will talk about faith and family while defending their views on “parental rights.”
However, let’s do a narrow focus on the phrase “workers at Disney,” in that reference to protests against the bill.
Does anyone know what percentage of ordinary Disney “cast” members actually oppose this bill, as oppose to those that support it? How would reporters — religion-beat pros, maybe — research stories based on this kind of question? During the podcast, I offered a few ideas:
* It is very common for Catholic leaders, or individual parishes, to create ministries for Catholics who are active in major institutions and industries. Are there Catholic clergy who are actively involved in ministry to the hundreds (maybe thousands) of Catholics who are “Disney workers”?
For example, in the past, the Disney Contemporary Resort has hosted Masses in its ballroom for travelers at Christmas and Easter. Also, the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Queen of the Universe is a few miles from Walt Disney World. Surely there are other parishes that contain significant numbers of Disney personel.
* What about Southern Baptists and members of other cultural conservative flocks with large numbers in Florida, such as the Assemblies of God, the Church of God in Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? The Orlando area is known as a hub for massive, thriving megachurches of various kinds and they play a major role in civic life.
Do any of these flocks have ministries for the thousands of evangelical and charismatic Protestants who work in the wide, wide world of Disney? What about other faiths that include scores of people with conservative values on issues linked to family life, such as Orthodox Jews and Muslims?
* What about churches on the moral and doctrinal left? There are at least 10 Episcopal churches that encircle the Disney kingdom. Is there a specific parish that hosts the work of the official LGBTQ Episcopal network known as “Integrity”? What kinds of ministries do Episcopalians offer Disney personnel?
The same question can then be asked about other doctrinally progressive Protestant bodies, such as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church (or the liberal side of that body) and others.
* It’s clear that there are powerful LGBTQ networks inside the Disney establishment (based on vague references to them in news coverage). How “official” are some of these groups? Do they have names and officers? Official spokespersons, perhaps?
If so, what are these people actually saying and doing right now, both in terms of work to oppose the Parental Rights in Education bill and work to shape the products produced by Disney, Inc.? I think it would be shallow and simplistic to assume that these networks are strictly “secular,” in terms of their goals and motivations. Are these groups making statements that are, in fact, valid “news” in and of themselves?
Consider this story from The Daily Mail, concerning the views of a key Disney executive on matters of gender and sexuality.
A Disney executive in charge of content vowed to up the ante on gender politics during an all-hands meeting, promising that at least half of the characters in its productions will be LGBTQIA or from racial minorities by the end of the year.
General entertainment president Karey Burke said during a company-wide Zoom call that Disney must do more to be more inclusive. The call was part of Disney’s 'Reimagine Tomorrow' campaign which promises that 50 percent of characters and content would be from underrepresented groups by 2022.
Meanwhile, Disney's diversity and inclusion chief Vivain said that they no longer address theme park visitors as 'ladies and gentleman, boys and girls' but instead as 'dreamers' and 'friends'.
Burke choked up during Monday, saying the issue hit close to home because of her children.
'I'm here as the mother of two queer children, actually, one transgender child and one pansexual child, and also as a leader,' she said.
During the same all-hands meeting, television animation executive producer Latoya Raveneau gushed about Disney's inclusivity and boasted about 'adding queerness' to shows and productions.
Yes, I realize that this story ran in The Daily Mail. Has any other newsroom covered this angle of the story — which is relevant because of Disney’s high-profile role in the entire “Don’t Say Gay” campaign?
I would assume not, since this appears to be a “conservative news” angle that could stir emotions on the cultural right, even though it centers on public (or social media) comments by powerful leaders on the cultural left.
I would also assume that all of the religion-news hooks I described above would be shoved into the same “conservative news” niche (even when covering religious groups on the left), in part because I am assuming that religious beliefs and traditions have something to say about these “parental rights” debates. These stories do not fit the political template that shapes this coverage.
Let me state the question directly: Are the views of “Disney workers” relevant if (a) they are linked to religious beliefs and traditions, on the left or the right, and (b) conflict in any way with “Don’t Say Gay” themes in this story?
Just asking.
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