On Tuesday, ESPN took to social media to protest “legislation and actions” that “infringe on any human rights.” The comments come days after multiple ESPN employees used their platform to protest Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill. Those who oppose the legislation refer to it as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
“ESPN believes in inclusivity and denounces legislation and actions across the United States that infringe on any human rights. We stand with our LGBTQIA+ colleagues, friends, families, and fans,” ESPN posted to Twitter. “We’ll continue to partner with organizations that support the LGBTQIA+ community, be accountable where we fall short of expectations, and never stop telling stories about LGBTQIA+ athletes, like the ones that we’ll be sharing in this thread.”
On Friday, at the start of the second half between South Carolina and Howard in the first round of the women’s NCAA tournament, announcers Carolyn Peck and Courtney Lyle announced a moment of silence in protest of the “Parental Rights in Education.”
“Normally at this time, we would take a look back at the first half, but there are things bigger than basketball that need to be addressed at this time,” Lyle said. “Our friends, our family, our co-workers, the players and coaches in our community are hurting right now. At 3 o’clock, about eight minutes ago, our LGBTQIA+ teammates at Disney asked for our solidarity and support, including our company’s support, in opposition to the Parental Rights in Education Bill in the state of Florida and similar legislation across the United States.”
“A threat to any human rights is a threat to all human rights,” Peck added. “And at this time, Courtney and I, we’re going to take a pause from our broadcast to show our love and support for our friends, our family, and our colleagues.”
Over at ESPN studios, anchor Elle Duncan also spoke on the response from ESPN employees, pausing her halftime broadcast in “solidarity.”
“Many of our colleagues here at ESPN have planned and organized a walkout that will be happening at 3:00 p.m. eastern today,” Duncan said at halftime of the South Carolina versus Howard game. “And to be honest with you, we thought we were going to come here today and really celebrate a sport that has meant so much, and done so much, including for so much in the LGBTQI+ communities. But we understand the gravity of this legislation, and also how it is affecting so many families across the country. And because of that, our allyship is going to take a front seat. And with that, we’re going to pause in solidarity.”
The “Parental Rights in Education” bill, has been passed by Florida legislature, and is awaiting Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) signature. The intention of the bill is to not allow kids aged 5-9 to be taught about sexual topics such as gender identity in the classroom. The bill also gives parents more say in their children’s education by requiring schools to notify parents if there is a change in their child’s mental, emotional, or physical well-being and prohibits schools from barring “a parent from accessing certain records” about their children’s health and school curriculum.
Disney employees — Disney owns ESPN — have staged walkouts over the past several days in response to CEO Bob Chapek’s response to the bill. Chapek initially refused to condemn the bill, before apologizing and “pausing all political donations in the state of Florida.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].