A Disney Heir Comes Out as Trans, Condemns ‘Don’t Say Gay’

A Disney heir has came out publicly as trans.

Their name is Charlee Corra Disney (they/them) and they are the great-grandchild of Roy O. Disney, who co-founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923 with his brother Walt Disney.

Charlee Corra Disney is a high school biology and environmental science teacher. They publicly identified as gay for most of their life and then came out privately as trans four years ago. They told the Los Angeles Times that despite their privilege and famous last name, “I had very few openly gay role models. And I certainly didn’t have any trans or nonbinary role models. I didn’t see myself reflected in anyone, and that made me feel like there was something wrong with me.”

While the family only owns about 3% of the company today, having a Disney family member come out as transgender is remarkable, especially amidst the Walt Disney Company being ground zero in the culture wars about Florida’s Don’t Say Gay Bill.

Charlee Corra Disney condemned the bill and had already announced a $250,000 donation to the Human Rights Campaign in March; last week their immediate family pledged to double that amount and match up to $500,000 in donations to HRC.

In the family’s announcement, Charlee Corra’s father Roy P. Disney, said, “Equality matters deeply to us, especially because our child, Charlee, is transgender and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.”