The controversy continues. Florida’s legislature passed a law Thursday that would remove the Disney World theme park’s favorable status as the entertainment giant championed certain progressive themes that were disliked by elected Republicans.
The text would now be signed by conservative Florida governor Ron DeSantis, whose relationship with Disney has deteriorated of late, though the company acts as a tourist magnet in its sunny state.
Mr. DeSantis does not understand that Bob Chapek, the CEO of Disney, has publicly spoken out against a law from which it originates, a ban on teaching subjects related to sexual orientation or gender identity in primary school. This text has been nicknamed by its opponents “Don’t say gay” (“Don’t talk about gays”).
The two chambers of parliament in the capital Tallahassee each voted in favor of the bill: the Senate on Wednesday by 23 votes to 16, followed by the House of Representatives on Thursday by 70 votes to 38. A double vote is synonymous with setbacks for Disney, which remains an economic heavyweight in the region.
55 years of favorable status
The special status in the crosshairs of the text was accorded to Disney at the time of the construction of the Disney World recreation site in the 1960s. It gives the entertainment giant great autonomy from local management and exempts it from most state regulations.
This theme park near Orlando is one of the most visited in the world and the Disney brand remains one of the favorites of Americans. But, caught up in this controversy, the giant sees an accumulation of criticism that it could have done well, as the stock market title fell 2.4% after the vote, ending at its lowest point in months.
The controversy surrounding Ron DeSantis’ law on LGBT issues in schools has turned out to be a source of headaches for Disney after an internal memo was leaked showing Bob Chapek was reluctant to take a stance on the law. Employees of the group then protested the group’s “apathy” in March and calls for a boycott began circulating on social networks, ultimately leading to the CEO declaring himself against the law.
75,000 jobs
But with the current return of the pendulum, criticism is now strongest on the Republican side. “Disney doesn’t say a word about the dictatorship in China because it would cost them billions of dollars. But he has no problem using his power to lie about laws passed democratically by Florida lawmakers,” Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican tenor, said this week.
As for Randy Fine, an elected Republican at the forefront of the parliamentary initiative aimed at limiting Disney World’s exemption status, he recalled that Disney was just a “guest” in Florida.
Relations have not always been tense between Ron DeSantis and Disney, who notably employs more than 75,000 people at Disney World and contributed financially to the Republican candidate’s campaign, not to mention the Democratic camp. But they have now turned sour and the giant has suspended these election funding.
