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Credit: DisneyAt an internal meeting, Disney recently stated how it helps families obtain “gender-affirming” procedures.
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As reported by Komo News, a Disney official said during a virtual conference for the company’s “Reimagine Tomorrow” initiative that the company will be working to assist employees and their children in obtaining “gender-affirmation procedures” for employees and their children.
Put simply, this means that Disney is planning to offer some type of assistance to employees wanting surgeries that may help them to feel more comfortable with their own gender identity.
Specific procedures in this field typically include puberty blockers and genital reassignment surgery, according to Manhattan Institute senior fellow and a contributing editor at City Journal Christopher Rufo, who reported on the comments Thursday.
You can see the full video from Christopher F. Rufo (@realchrisrufo) in a tweet below:
NEW: Disney has adopted a benefits program to assist employees and their minor children with “gender affirmation procedures.” This type of treatment typically includes puberty blockers, breast removal, and genital surgeries for “kids who are transitioning.”
NEW: Disney has adopted a benefits program to assist employees and their minor children with "gender affirmation procedures." This type of treatment typically includes puberty blockers, breast removal, and genital surgeries for "kids who are transitioning." pic.twitter.com/a2zSSboe0S
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) April 7, 2022
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This announcement comes after an intense month-long storm of backlash and controversy surrounding The Walt Disney Company’s stance (or initially, a lack thereof) on Florida’s new highly-contested bill.
Commonly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, this piece of legislation is as simple as the title. As stated by NPR, “The legislation prohibits any instruction about sexuality or gender between kindergarten and third grade, or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
The comments on gender-affirming surgeries also come amid a heated debate on a national level surrounding LGBTQ+ issues as some states, like Florida, seek to prohibit the discussion of sex and gender identity among children and limit access to these “gender-affirming” procedures.
On Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki called these controversial procedures “lifesaving”, saying the Department of Justice and Health and Human Services has put legislators who seek to limit their availability may violate federal law. “Across the country Republican elected officials are engaging in a disturbing, cynical trend of attacking vulnerable transgender kids for purely partisan political reasons,” Psaki said, adding that “every major medical association agrees that gender-affirming health care for transgender kids is a best-practice.”
Disney will surely face backlash from a portion of its fans on this decision, with the company’s recent decision to ditch gender-specific language in its Parks earlier this month also sparking big debates.
How do you feel about this choice from Disney?
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