How Would Disney Like Gay Partner Benefits?

What a paradise Florida must be if its state Legislature has no more pressing business than to meddle in private industry’s efforts to enhance its health care coverage (“Lawmakers Condemn Disney for Gay Partner Benefit Plan,” Oct. 19).

The letter of protest in which 15 legislators call Walt Disney Co.’s enlightened new policy “anti-family” goes on to say, “We wonder what Walt Disney himself would think of your decision if he were alive today?” No doubt it would have infuriated him, but for reasons that have little to do with “family values.”

That Disney was virulently anti-labor and treated his employees like chattel is well-documented; his bigotry and racism are less common knowledge. Ironically, the legislators’ characterization of gay partner benefits as “a big mistake both morally and financially” could just as easily describe this icon of All-American virtues’ rather inconvenient anti-Semitism. His distaste for hiring or doing business with Jews would not only make him personally unpopular with much of the Hollywood community but would jeopardize his studio’s ability to finance and distribute its product at crucial points in its early history. Later, Disney himself would lobby vehemently (if ultimately unsuccessfully) to restrict attendance at his “dream project,” Disneyland, to whites only.

Clearly, homophobia would be perfectly consistent with the rest of Walt Disney’s prejudices. Surely he would oppose any expansion of workers’ benefits; just imagine how that notorious union buster would react to organized labor’s recent (and long-overdue) efforts on behalf of theme park employees.

Meanwhile, those 15 legislators obviously need to be reminded that gay men and lesbians come from families, remain members of those families and often establish families of our own, while within Walt Disney Co.--as throughout the entertainment industry--many of us are instrumental in creating the “wholesome, family-oriented entertainment” they claim to support.

NEAL S. LEIBOWITZ

Los Angeles

The article on Disney’s new domestic partners benefits quoted Disney as stating that the new benefit package was “in line with our corporate non-discrimination policy.”

Uh, excuse me, but this benefit package is only provided for same-sex partners, not for heterosexual partners who meet all the other requirements. It is hard to know if Michael Eisner is just trying to save a buck or hold on to some talented people who make him the really big bucks.

Either way, it is still blatant discrimination, and proves once again that Disney will compromise its integrity for the almighty dollar.

A. JABOUR

Santa Ana