Marshall Weinbaum, a senior publicist and 15-year veteran at The Co., saw his name on Friday morning as he became the first person to win publicist of the year. The announcement was greeted by huge applause and arrived on Weinbaum's lap as he launched what he believed to be the first in the category, something he did as a way to "have fun" with the nod and be proud of his accomplishments.
An emotional Weinbaum started his speech by admitting that "other than my wedding day and the time Brad Pitt asked me a question backstage two years ago, this is the best moment of my entire life." He also thanked the media, including his "wonderful" husband Josh and his sister Carlee Weinbaum, who works for Lede Company.
Despite Chapek's initial remarks that Disney would steer clear of such issues, he closed his speech with an exclamation point. In the wake of his initial comments that Disney would let the corporation behemoth steer clear of such issues, Chapek apologized for his handling of the situation, avoiding criticism from artists and causing scheduled employee leave. In the following days, Hulu, Disney+, National Geographic, FX, Marvel, and Disney Parks have all expressed their support for their LGBTQ employees, denounce
"To every kid who grows up feeling different, who has more bad days than good days, this is proof that it progresses," Weinbaum said. "Please keep saying the word "gay," it is a fantastic word.
During a really sweet, heartfelt and teary acceptance speech, he even addressed the swirl around the "Don't Say Gay" bill by yelling out people who may be struggling. "It gets better," he said, and say gay...
Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner)
