“Our policies will be based on the best interest of Florida citizens, not the musing of woke corporations.” “Companies that have made a fortune catering to families should understand that parents don’t want this injected into their kid’s kindergarten classroom,” DeSantis said. The company has given outsize amounts to state parties and politicians and holds significant influence in state government.ĭeSantis also criticized Disney at a campaign event in South Florida Thursday. Disney theme parks are a multibillion-dollar economic engine for Florida. The statement shocked Republicans and Democrats. A potential frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, he sent a fundraising email that said: “Disney is in far too deep with the communist party of China and has lost any moral authority to tell you what to do.” The bill bars prohibits instruction on “sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through grade three.ĭeSantis, who has indicated that he supports the measure, has chafed at calls for a veto. Republicans contend that parents, not educators, should discuss gender issues with children in early grades. The executive said he had called DeSantis to express Disney’s “disappointment” with the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.Ĭhapek posted a statement online and emailed staffers on Friday, saying Disney was wrong to stay silent as the Republican-majority Florida legislature greenlit a bill he called “yet another challenge to basic human rights”.
“We were opposed to the bill from the outset but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle,” he reportedly said.Ĭhapek claimed such efforts had taken place for weeks. “And because this struggle is much bigger than any one bill in any one state, I believe the best way for our company to bring about lasting change is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create, and the diverse community organizations we support.”Ĭhapek’s first public statements on the bill came in a shareholder’s meeting on Wednesday. Where we may differ is in the tactics to get there. “We all share the same goal of a more tolerant, respectful world. “I do not want anyone to mistake a lack of a statement for a lack of support,” Chapek said early this week in a memo obtained by USA Today.
The move came after the Disney chief executive, Bob Chapek, experienced extensive blowback for not using the company’s influence to thwart the controversial bill. DeSantis, who has not yet signed the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, also reportedly criticized Disney as “woke”, after the company’s leader opposed the legislation.Ĭontroversy surrounding the bill could cut off a significant fundraising pipeline for Florida Republicans: Disney said it would suspend political donations in the state.