Walt Disney World has found itself threatened with a major change, due to the company’s opposition of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Deadline reports that Florida State GOP Representative Spencer Roach recently stated that state legislators have met multiple times to discuss statute repeal which would impact the way Disney is allowed to invest in its Florida theme parks. In a statement, Roach said, “Yesterday was the 2nd meeting in a week w/fellow legislators to discuss a repeal of the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which allows Disney to act as its own government.”
The Reedy Creek statue gives Disney more control over land use oversight “and environmental protections within the District, and [providing] essential public services such as regulation of the EPCOT building code and maintenance of roads,” per Deadline. In his statement, Roach continued, “If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County.” The move appears to be retaliation over Disney taking a firm stance against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which as signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
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In early March, Disney boss Bob Chapek issues a statement on the bill that did not receive a lot of praise. He subsequently issued a new statement, during a meeting with shareholders, taking a much firmer stance on the bill. The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law effectively bans Florida public school teachers from discussing the LGBTQ+ experience and “sexual orientation or gender identity” with students from kindergarten through third grade.
“While we have been strong supporters of the community for decades, I know that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill. We were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we felt we could be more effective working behind the scenes, engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle,” Chapek said. “And we were hoping that our longstanding relationships with those lawmakers would enable us to achieve a better outcome. But, despite weeks of effort, we were ultimately unsuccessful.
He continued, “I called Governor DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if the legislation becomes law it could be used to target [LGBTQ+} kids and families. The governor heard our concerns. He agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss ways to address that. Certainly the outcome in Florida was not what many of us were hoping for – especially our LGBTQ+ employees. And unfortunately legislation targeting their communities is being considered in many other states, which means this fight will go on.”
Chapek later added that Disney is doing what it can to support the LGBTQ+ community, such as “signing the human rights campaign statement opposing such legislative efforts around the country and pledging $5 million towards organizations including the HRC working to protect LGBTQ rights.” He added, “We are committed to supporting community organizations like these so they are equipped to take on these fights. Meanwhile, we are also reassessing our approach to advocacy, including political giving in Florida and beyond. I understand our original approach, no matter how well intentioned, didn’t quite get the job done. But we are committed to supporting the community going forward.
