Universal Orlando Resort To Donate Pride Merch Profits To Local LGBTQ+ Organizations
Pride Month is just around the corner. But in Florida, it’s not all rainbows. “Love is love” has ignited a monumental battle—Disney versus DeSantis.
Last March, the Walt Disney Company put out a statement, condemning the Parental Rights in Education Act, or the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which sharply restricted instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida public schools. Since then, DeSantis has fought to nullify the mega-company’s power.
Disney is now suing the Florida governor, accusing DeSantis and a five-member board of a “targeted campaign of government retaliation.” In contrast, Universal Orlando Resort has remained quiet.
A former Universal Orlando Resort team member even took to Twitter to discuss the company’s lack of support for LGBTQ+ employees. Now Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, is allowing merch to make its statement. The company is donating 100% of the proceeds from this year’s “Love Is Universal” merchandise.”
The spirit jersey is the latest addition to the annual collection which includes everything from stickers to shot glasses. One of the organizations that will receive the months-long donation is the onePULSE Foundation, founded by the owner of Pulse nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting.
Five Universal Orlando team members were killed in that mass shooting. A window in Universal Studios pays tribute to those individuals.