Watch: Ariana DeBose Vows to 'Do the Work' to Counter 'Don't Say Gay'

Ariana DeBose made history when she took home Oscar gold for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Steven Spielberg's reimagined "West Side Story." DeBose is the first out queer woman of color to be awarded an Oscar, but she says she's still got work to do, starting with Florida's newly enacted "Don't Say Gay" law, Variety's Marc Malkin reports.

Interviewing DeBose on the Oscars red carpet, Malkin turned the chat to the amount of LGBTQ+ representation in the movies.

"Oh, we love to see it," DeBose said, after an aptly-timed cheer from off-camera was heard. "We're here, we're queer," DeBose added, "and we've been here."

"Do you have a message for Bob Chapek?" Malkin asked, referring to the CEO of Disney, under whose stewardship the company was slow to decry the Florida bill despite being the largest private employer in the state.

Though produced by 20th Century Fox, "West Side Story" was distributed by Disney.

"Bob and I, we're going to do the work," DeBose assured Malkin. When Malkin asked about whether she had spoken with Chapek, DeBose said, "I have."

"I'm a very hands-on type person," DeBose added, "and when I see something, I say something. And while I may not always put it on the internet, I do...I reach out. And I continue to reach out. And Bob knows that."

Disney indicated its willingness to do that work in a statement released on March 28 – the same day Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the controversial bill.

"Florida's HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law," the company said in the statement. "Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that," the statement continued.

"We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country," the statement went on to say.

Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law criminalizes classroom discussion of LGBTQ+ issues up through third grade, as well as outlawing any such discussion deemed "not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards" in any grade.

The broad wording of the bill, as well as its encouragement of lawsuits against teachers and schools, has prompted equality advocates to worry that LGBTQ+ youth will be systematically silenced and marginalized throughout the state's education system.

Disney has been hammered by critics over contributions to the lawmakers who promoted the bill, and has also faced criticism from its own employees, some of whom staged walkouts recently.

Watch the clip of Malkin's exchange with DeBose below (the subject of queer representation in film comes up at 1:30).