Morning Brief: Disney Walkout, Police Killing Database, POC Lending Library

Good morning, L.A. It’s March 23.

They walked out.

On Tuesday, several dozen workers at The Walt Disney Company’s Burbank headquarters stood up and stepped out. And the group wasn’t an outlier — they were part of a larger walkout companywide, coordinated in response to what employee advocacy groups say is insufficient action against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

The legislation severely restricts teachers from instructing students on gender identity and sexual orientation in the Sunshine State. At first, Disney released statements supporting LGBTQ+ employees, but it later pulled donations from all Florida politicians after strong public and internal backlash.

Dana Terrace, the creator and executive producer behind Disney Channel’s animated series The Owl House, says that her employer’s response has not been enough.

"I believe actions speak louder than words, and so far they haven't shown any action," Terrace said. "All they've said is, 'we're here for you, we're listening to you, oh, you guys are so brave.' And it's like, I don't need to be told I'm brave. … We need Disney to stop giving money to these people who want to see queer kids disappear."

Terrace also wants Disney to address an issue brought up in a letter from Pixar employees last week — the alleged censoring of same-sex affection on-screen.

“They need to stop censoring queer content in their movies," Terrace said.

It’s unclear how many employees walked out at other properties, but Terrace said she knows of many workers unwilling to walk out due to fear of repercussions.

"They're terrified of losing their jobs and terrified of not being able to get a job afterwards," Terrace said. "A lot of those people aren't in leadership positions which is extra awful because no one, no matter what their position, should feel unsafe voicing their support or even expressing their identity to their employer."

Read my colleague Jill Replogle's full reporting on the Disney walkouts here.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• USC researchers have created a database tracking police killings over the last 20 years.
• A long-awaited standard for tracking a cancer-causing water contaminant has been unveiled by California’s  Water Resources Control Board.
• In El Monte, a new lending library opened. Its aim? Highlight authors of color.
• An Orange County Judge’s ruling could give the go-ahead for the sale of Anaheim’s Angel Stadium.
• Los Angeles has the worst air quality out of any major city in the United States. And pollution is only increasing. 
• A pilot program that would provide free menstrual products at six L.A. public libraries has been approved by the City Council

Before You Go...How Examing Our Regrets Can Make For A More Meaningful Life

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Kiersten Essenpreis for NPR

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My last day on the job was Feb. 28, 2020.

I could have stayed if I wanted to. No one was pushing me out the door. But I knew that it was time, after more than two years, to do what I intended to do: get out of the desert and head toward the coast. I was a finalist for two jobs in L.A., my stuff was sitting in a storage unit, and I was set to head back to the Northeast for a month to soak in some family time and load up on carbs.

But I’m no clairvoyant, you see. Two weeks later I’d be fleeing New York for someplace safe to quarantine for two weeks, it’s just two weeks, right?

Over that next year, a whole lot of things didn’t shake out how I predicted. Those two jobs evaporated — pandemic budget cuts. That apartment I was eyeing in L.A. just didn’t make sense — why move without work? And suddenly, that job I left on February 28 looked awfully cushy.

I beat myself up for a bit. I wanted to lean into that raw emotional regret, let it consume me. But I knew it would be fruitless — I needed to dodge the dwelling and embrace examination. That’s the only way that I could take this perceived negative, learn from it, and grow.

This notion is hammered home by author Daniel H. Pink, who wants people to embrace their regrets to live a more full life. Read all about his research in this piece from NPR’s Elise Hu and Andee Tagle.