Walt Disney World announced on February 28 that they will no longer fund Boy Scouts of America’s Orlando chapter because of the organization’s sustained ban on permitting LGBT troop leaders.
The Walt Disney Company’s Standards of Business Conduct reportedly guarantees protection against discrimination and harassment based upon sex, sexual orientation and gender identification, among other things.
Robert Utsev, president, Boy Scouts’ Central Florida Council, wrote an email to local members to inform them about the loss of funding, mentioning that they are “sad to let it go.”
“The National BSA Council has reached out to WDW to try to resolve the situation, however, according to WDW, their views do not currently align with the BSA and they are choosing to discontinue this level of support. We will continue to keep an open line of communication with them, but at this time, are unable to reverse their decision,” wrote Utsev.
Last spring, Boy Scouts of America voted to permit openly gay youth scouts but maintained their ban on openly gay troop leaders. Disney has been condemned for their pro-gay stance for years, beginning with the unofficial Gay Days, which are celebrated by tens of thousands of LGBT individuals, who gather at Walt Disney World and other theme parks and resorts in Orlando on the first weekend in June.
Recently, the company came under attack for their animated feature film titled Frozen, which has been believed to promote the “gay agenda to normalize homosexuality.”