“We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination,” the governor said, per the AP. CEO Bob Chapek acknowledged that it was a mistake not to do so, after earlier saying that the company preferred to work behind the scenes.ĭeSantis signed the legislation while surrounded by children. The company had been criticized - from activists to employees - for not speaking out earlier to try to stop the legislation as it made it through the statehouse. 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.” “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. “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.,” a spokesperson for the company said. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a new law that bans instruction of gender identity and sexual orientation for public school children from Kindergarten to the third grade, drawing condemnation from one of the state’s largest employers, The Walt Disney Co. PREVIOUSLY on Monday at 10:33 a.m.: Florida Gov. "If the people who held up degenerates like Harvey Weinstein as heroes are opposing us on parents rights, I wear that like a badge of honor." #RETWEEET /GgPQE2fTNq It is unclear whether DeSantis’ Weinstein reference was specifically aimed at Disney, which purchased Miramax from Weinstein and his brother Bob in 1993 and remained in business with them until 2005, or rather a condemnation of Hollywood as a whole.ĭeSantis drops the hammer on Hollywood for their criticisms of Florida at the Oscars last night: He continued: “If the people who held up degenerates like Harvey Weinstein as exemplars and as heroes, if those are the types of people and all that that are opposing us on parents’ rights, I wear that like a badge of honor.” The Walt Disney Company, one of the state’s largest employers, said today through a spokesperson that the bill “should never have passed and should never have been signed into law” and committed to fighting its implementation.ĭeSantis shot back at “people in Hollywood that are opposed to providing protections for parents and enforcing parents’ rights.” Ron DeSantis fired back at Disney and others who condemned his signing today of Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. PREVIOUSLY on Monday at 12:33 p.m.: Florida Gov. It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives." /4NToMU84bR Ron DeSantis fires back at Disney after media giant says its "goal" is repeal of Parental Rights in Education Act: "This state is governed by the interests of the people of the state of Florida.
Of course, DeSantis failed to mention that he himself spoke with Disney representatives about the bill weeks ago, a fact that the governor’s office confirmed in early March.ĭeadline reached out to Disney and will add any comment we receive. If this was such an affront, why weren’t they speaking up at the outset? They didn’t seem to have a problem with it when it was going through. The governor continued, “I also thought it was interesting, I talked to the Speaker of the House yesterday afternoon, and he said Disney never called him when they were putting this through the house. It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives. “This state is governed by the interests of the people of the state of Florida. He then explained how Democracy is supposed to work. “For them to say that they’re going to work to repeal substantive protections for parents, as a company that’s supposedly marketing its services to parents with young children, I think they crossed the line.”
Disney CEO Bob Chapek To Host Parks-Focused Orlando Investor Event As Wall Street Turns To Business Amid Controversy