Disney Shareholders Reject Anti-LGBT groups Demand to drop HRC

Disney investors voted 99%-1% to reject a proposal to stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign Equality Index where it has a 100% rating.

The far-right "National Center for Public Policy Research" proposal made issue with gender diversity, however, shareholders by their vote clearly signaled that transgender people are valued.

"This vote gives us a clear statement of values from Disney’s shareholders," HRC said in a statement. "They know what we know - that despite all the noise, commitments to inclusion pay figurative dividends and help their literal bottom line. And they’re not alone. Shareholders at companies as diverse as Costco, Apple, John Deere, and others in the past months, have resoundingly rejected efforts to roll-back DEI. We know that 93% of LGBTQ+ workers believe that scoring 100 on the Corporate Equality Index communicates support of the LGBTQ+ community – those are current and future employees and customers. Disney shareholders recognize this."

In 2022, the company’s stance against Florida’s “don’t say gay” school policy prompted a two-year legal battle with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who prevailed in installing three hand-picked shills to the board. However, this wasn't a vote by political appointees. It was a vote by the people who spoke loud and clear that diversity matters.

Andry, Gay Man Disappeared By Ice Under the Alien Enemies Act

Andry a gay asylum seeker / Photo Lindsay Toczylowski

The asylum seeker who was disappeared by ICE has been identified as Andry, a gay makeup artist from Venezuela. Andry entered the US legally seeking asylum but was detained by ICE for lack of any other reason because he is gay and from Venezuela.

We have learned that Andry was one of the Ice Detainees who were illegally sent to a notorious El Salvatorian prison when Trump ignored a court order halting those flights

This is our @immdef.bsky.social client, Andry, who has been disappeared by Trump admin. Tonight, he is in a Salvadoran prison notorious for human rights violations. He is also a brother & a son, a makeup artist, & like many of us, he has tattoos. Thank you @maddow.msnbc.com for lifting up his story

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— Lindsay Toczylowski (@l-toczylowski.bsky.social) March 20, 2025 at 11:54 PM

Lindsay Toczylowski, president of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, shares a photo of her client publicly for the first time and talks with Rachel Maddow about the difficulty of getting answers about her client who the Trump administration, through ICE, has accused without evidence of being a gang member and summarily deported to a prison in El Salvador with no due process or opportunity to defend himself.