Disney World Will Host LGBTQ Workplace Conference Despite Wishes of Conservative Governor

Disney is making it clear what they support whether Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wants them to or not! According to the Miami Herald, the company has been bumping heads with the Conservative politician, who has led a long campaign against diversity training and supports Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill. 

Disney has had an ongoing relationship with the organization Out & Equal and will be hosting the organization’s major conference promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in the workplace in Central Florida from September 11-14, 2023. This news was confirmed by  Michael Chamberlain, chief marketing officer for Out & Equal. Though this may surely upset the governor, who wants LGBTQ people to remain quiet and unseen, Disney does not support this ideology at all. 

DeSantis is very open about how much he disagrees with Disney’s ideologies in his new book, how, in which he insists that “Disney declared war on Florida families” by opposing the Parental Rights in Education/”Don’t Say Gay” bill and “currently indulges in woke activism.” He hasn’t always disliked Disney World, however. DeSantis and his wife were married at Walt Disney World in 2009. 

Last year, the conference was held in Las Vegas but Walt Disney World is its new home. Not only is Disney hosting the conference in both 2023 and 2024, but next year the conference will run nearly at the same time as the 2024 presidential election campaign, where DeSantis is expected to run against Donald Trump. 

The Out & Equal Workplace Summit is being sponsored by huge American corporations, such as Apple, McDonald’s, Uber, Walmart, Hilton, Amazon, Boeing, Cracker Barrel, and John Deere, just to name a few. Over 5,000 people are expected to attend the summit. 

Squaring off against Disney was “a political battle that would reverberate across the nation,’’ wrote DeSantis in his book. Though Conservative legislation has definitely challenged Disney, most of Disney’s special powers are still in place despite the governor’s attempt to destroy them. 

The summit is “the largest LGBTQ+ conference in the world,” according to Out & Equal. The summit “brings together executives, employee resource group leaders, human resource professionals, and experts in diversity, equity, and inclusion together to promote equality.” 

Last year’s Out & Equal conference in Las Vegas featured an array of speakers who advocated for the rights of transgender youth and provided attendees with guidance on how to navigate anti-LGBTQ bills at every state level, something that has proven crucial during this time. 

Past attendees have commented that the summit is one of the most trusted and reliable sources of LGBTQ+ workplace equality learning and development because of its unique framework for addressing important topics and providing attendees with amazing networking opportunities.

Over more than 20 years, the 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.

2023 Summit Details

The 2023 Out & Equal Workplace Summit will take place in Orlando, Florida, USA, Monday, September 11th – Thursday, September 14th. Registration launched this month and will continue through May. 

Call for Workshop Proposals is now open with a submission deadline of Friday, May 19, 2023. Click HERE for detailed workshop proposal information.

For more information about Out & Equal’s Workplace Summit, visit outandequal.org/workplace-summit.