Elon Musk on Tuesday promised to cover the legal costs of Disney employees “discriminated against” by the studio’s diversity, equality and inclusion efforts, calling those standards “mandatory, institutionalized racism and sexism.”
The Tesla and SpaceX owner appealed to those “discriminated against by Disney or its subsidiaries (ABC, ESPN, Marvel, etc.)” in a post on X on Tuesday afternoon, minutes after sharing a chart detailing Disney’s internal standards for inclusivity, which he said was provided by an “anonymous source.”
According to the document, Disney’s inclusion standards include a requirement that 50 percent or more of regular and recurring characters and actors come from “underrepresented groups,” as well as significant representation in minor roles, series premise and episodic storytelling.
The standards extend to creative leadership and “below-the-line roles,” requiring significant representation and career advancement opportunities for underrepresented groups in positions ranging from production executives to key technical ranks. By doing so, Disney is reinforcing its commitment to diversity and inclusion among its employees and on-screen portrayals. It is also forbidden to ask applicants about their age, gender identity and race.
Musk has offered legal support to anyone claiming to have been discriminated against as a result of Disney’s policies, signalling a significant increase in his criticism of corporate diversity efforts.
As a sign of X Corp’s commitment to free speech, we’re proud to provide financial support for Gina Carano’s lawsuit, empowering her to seek vindication of her free speech rights on X and the ability to work without bullying, harassment, or discrimination.
The billionaire has been waging an anti-Disney campaign since the production giant suspended advertising on social network X after Musk allegedly endorsed an anti-Semitic content.
The decision prompted a profanity-laced response from Musk, who accused Disney and other brands of “blackmail” for withdrawing their advertising dollars.
