DeSantis Spars With Disney After Passing ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Ron DeSantis, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107762149

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis snapped back at Disney and woke Hollywood after the House of Mouse said the the “Don’t Say Gay” law should be struck down in the courts. 

On Monday, DeSantis signed Florida’s HB 1557, which aims to enforce parental rights and restrict in classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity for childen in kindergarten to third grade.

“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,” Disney said in a 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“Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that,” the company 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.” 

In a Monday press conference, DeSantis said that he wears the opposition of the entertainment industry “like a badge of honor.” 

“There’s even people in Hollywood that are opposed to providing protections to parents and enforcing parents rights,” he remarked

“If the people who held up degenerates like Harvey Weinstein as exemplars and as heroes,” DeSantis continued. “If those are the types of people that are opposing us on parents’ rights, I wear that like a badge of honor.”

Disney’s statement is a reversal from their initial position of staying mum on the legislation, which CEO Bob Chapek explained in a company-wide email on March 7.

“As we have seen time and again, corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds,” he wrote. “Instead, they are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame.”

The ensuing controversy involved employee protests, walkouts, and criticism from Disney owned entities and Hollywood heavy hitters. Chapek later relented that “Our political approach, no matter how well intentioned, didn’t quite get the job done.”


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Debra Arrigo
Debra Arrigo
1 year ago

We are not being loving by not speaking out against any actions that are according to the word of God , something That God would not do, ( sin). Please stop pushing your beliefs on children. Parents and churches should have the right to teach what is moral , not government , public schools, private businesses. Government should help parents protect there rights to guide and direct there children , that God gave them to raise for his glory, according to His word. There are ways that seem right to man, but the end of that thinking is death.
Disney means well, I hope. But their stand will be there downfall, you will never win against God. Trust in Jesus and he will guide you into all truth.

Marsha
Marsha
1 year ago

We are not being loving by not speaking out against any actions that are according to the word of God , something That God would not do, ( sin). Please stop pushing your beliefs on children. Parents and churches should have the right to teach what is moral , not government , public schools, private businesses. Government should help parents protect there rights to guide and direct there children , that God gave them to raise for his glory, according to His word. There are ways that seem right to man, but the end of that thinking is death.
Disney means well, I hope. But their stand will be there downfall, you will never win against God. Trust in Jesus and he will guide you into all truth.