Disney Corporate President Says She Supports Having ‘Many, Many, Many LGBTQIA Characters in Our Stories’

BURKE I m here ░░░░░░░░ a mother of two ░░░░░░░░ children actually one transgender ░░░░░░░░ and one pansexual child ░░░░░░░░ and also as a ░░░░░░░░ And that was the ░░░░░░░░ that really got me ░░░░░░░░ I have heard so ░░░░░░░░ from so many of ░░░░░░░░ colleagues over the course ░░░░░░░░ the last couple of ░░░░░░░░ in open forums and ░░░░░░░░ emails and phone conversations ░░░░░░░░ I feel a responsibility ░░░░░░░░ speak not just for ░░░░░░░░ but for them To ░░░░░░░░ of us we had ░░░░░░░░ we had an open ░░░░░░░░ last week at 20th ░░░░░░░░ again the home of ░░░░░░░░ incredible groundbreaking LGBTQIA stories ░░░░░░░░ the years where one ░░░░░░░░ our execs stood up ░░░░░░░░ said You know we ░░░░░░░░ have a handful of ░░░░░░░░ leads in our content ░░░░░░░░ I went What That ░░░░░░░░ t be true And ░░░░░░░░ and I and I ░░░░░░░░ Oh it actually is ░░░░░░░░ We have many many ░░░░░░░░ LGBTQIA characters in our ░░░░░░░░ and and and yet ░░░░░░░░ don t have enough ░░░░░░░░ and narratives in which ░░░░░░░░ characters just just get ░░░░░░░░ be characters and and ░░░░░░░░ have to be about ░░░░░░░░ stories And so that ░░░░░░░░ been very eye opening ░░░░░░░░ me And and I ░░░░░░░░ can tell you it ░░░░░░░░ something that I feel ░░░░░░░░ had this moment not ░░░░░░░░ I as a leader ░░░░░░░░ me as my colleagues ░░░░░░░░ not have focused on ░░░░░░░░ and going forward I ░░░░░░░░ will be more so ░░░░░░░░ know that we will ░░░░░░░░ and and I hope ░░░░░░░░ is a moment where ░░░░░░░░ the 50 percent of ░░░░░░░░ tears sorry are coming ░░░░░░░░ don t we just ░░░░░░░░ t allow each other ░░░░░░░░ go backwards BURKE I ░░░░░░░░ here as a mother ░░░░░░░░ two queer children actually ░░░░░░░░ transgender child and one ░░░░░░░░ child and and also ░░░░░░░░ a leader And that ░░░░░░░░ the thing that really ░░░░░░░░ me because I have ░░░░░░░░ so much from so ░░░░░░░░ of my colleagues over ░░░░░░░░ course of the last ░░░░░░░░ of weeks in open ░░░░░░░░ and through emails and ░░░░░░░░ conversations And I feel ░░░░░░░░ responsibility to speak not ░░░░░░░░ for myself but for ░░░░░░░░ To all of us ░░░░░░░░ had a we had ░░░░░░░░ open forum last week ░░░░░░░░ 20th where again the ░░░░░░░░ of really incredible groundbreaking ░░░░░░░░ stories over the years ░░░░░░░░ one of our execs ░░░░░░░░ up and said You ░░░░░░░░ we only have a ░░░░░░░░ of queer leads in ░░░░░░░░ content And I went ░░░░░░░░ That can t be ░░░░░░░░ And I and I ░░░░░░░░ I realized Oh it ░░░░░░░░ is true We have ░░░░░░░░ many many LGBTQIA characters ░░░░░░░░ our stories and and ░░░░░░░░ yet we don t ░░░░░░░░ enough leads and narratives ░░░░░░░░ which gay characters just ░░░░░░░░ get to be characters ░░░░░░░░ and not have to ░░░░░░░░ about gay stories And ░░░░░░░░ that s been very ░░░░░░░░ opening for me And ░░░░░░░░ I I can tell ░░░░░░░░ it s something that ░░░░░░░░ feel perhaps had this ░░░░░░░░ not happened I as ░░░░░░░░ leader and me as ░░░░░░░░ colleagues would not have ░░░░░░░░ on And and going ░░░░░░░░ I certainly will be ░░░░░░░░ so I know that ░░░░░░░░ will be and and ░░░░░░░░ hope this is a ░░░░░░░░ where shoot the 50 ░░░░░░░░ of the tears sorry ░░░░░░░░ coming we don t ░░░░░░░░ just don t allow ░░░░░░░░ other to go backwards.”