Disney theme parks have become the latest battleground in the right-wing Republican governor’s aggressive cultural war in what he calls “awakening” in the state’s LBGTQ + community. DeSantis, a close ally of Trump and perhaps an opponent, is threatening sanctions on the corporate giant after he dared to challenge a controversial law banning talk of sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom. DeSantis, however, is not a Disney comedian who is doomed to lose and learn the wrong way of life before peace is restored to the kingdom. The ambitious Trump governor, many observers say, has targeted his own presidential bid in 2024 and does not care if he steps on Florida’s largest private employer and the very diverse cast of nearly 80,000 to get there. Or if it overturns the decades-old tradition of special privileges enjoyed by Disney in Florida in exchange for the tens of millions of dollars it spent on political lobbies and campaign contributions. These privileges include the right to self-government granted to Disney by the Florida Legislature in 1967, when the Magic Kingdom was under construction in Orlando, and which DeSantis vocalists are now seeking to abolish to punish the company. “He will run for president of the GOP in the United States, which is the motivation behind every decision he makes,” said Carlos Guillermo Smith, an openly gay Democrat in Florida. “It does not make the Floridians better, unfortunately. It’s all about Ron DeSantis, what he wants and what his political future helps. They are [also] abusing their power and trying to intimidate Florida residents and businesses into not expressing any support to the LGBTQ community. “We have big problems in Florida and Governor DeSantis seems more interested in clearing up the accounts and seeking revenge against people who do not agree with his agenda.” DeSantis’s feud with Disney escalated in recent days after the company said it would work to repeal the law, which experts say stigmatizes gay and trans people and could harm children’s mental health and lead to suicides. Last week, the governor appeared to support Spencer Roots, a Republican lawmaker who proposed canceling the 1967 agreement that allowed the company to build and operate Disney World on its own. Disney, DeSantis said, had “crossed the line” by pledging to help overturn the “Do Not Say Homosexual” Act, officially known as the Parental Rights in Education Act, and that it was time to end Disney’s “special privileges.” The Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida. Photo: Walt Disney World Resort / Getty Images “They are used to having their way and they are not used to having people standing in their way,” DeSantis told a news conference in St Johns. “In fact, the state of Florida will be governed by the best interests of the people of Florida. “We are definitely not going to bend the knee to wake up executives in California,” he said, referring to Disney headquarters in Burbank. In an email to the Guardian, DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw denied that DeSantis was seeking “retaliation” against Disney for its stance. “For the whole of his political career, he has always been in the position that all companies should be able to compete on fair terms and that it is wrong for governments to do favors to politically affiliated companies,” he said. However, records show that Disney, which announced last month that it was suspending all political donations to the state as the “do not say gay” bill was in progress, contributed nearly $ 1 million to the Florida Republican Party in 2020 and $ 50,000 directly to DeSantis. Meanwhile, an analysis by Anna Escamani, a Democrat representing the central Florida area of Disney, lists decades of privileges and privileges that the company enjoys from lawmakers. They include millions of dollars in sales and property tax breaks, corporate income tax refunds and language introduced or omitted from certain laws that would affect the company, including a human trafficking bill that could expose its hotels to lawsuits and exemptions. by regulations for materials used in the construction of roads on Disney real estate. “The governor has not held the company accountable other than shouting about it on Fox News,” said Escamani, who has said she does not accept corporate campaign contributions. “Disney’s business model and tax structures have remained unchanged, and even the governor’s office has helped Disney retain special privileges. I find many of them ironic. “But that is not what he is talking about. He talks about specific, punitive punishments for a company because they dare to speak out against a homophobic and transphobic bill because they have LGBTQ + employees who fear for their health and well-being. “[Disney] needs to hire and retain a variety of staff and will not be able to do this direction that Florida is following. “As financial partners they have every right to express themselves, but under the DeSantis administration, if you dare to challenge it, it will intimidate you into submitting.” A response to DeSantis has also come from Republicans. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan told CNN: “It all sounds like a crazy fight. “The bill was somewhat absurd and not something that would have happened in our state.” For its part, Disney seems to have gotten on the wrong foot by rage. The company was accused of expressing its opposition late and of issuing its statement only after outcry and the departure of the cast members. CEO Bob Chapek apologized for the “pain, frustration and sadness” caused by his previous silence in a letter to LBGTQ + employees. “I needed to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I disappointed you,” he wrote. The mistake also allowed DeSantis to take advantage of Disney’s perceived “dishonesty”, which employs dozens of lobbyists in Tallahassee, but did not use them to speak to lawmakers. “It simply came to our notice then. That was such an insult, why did they not speak from the beginning? ” said DeSantis. In a further blow to Disney’s efforts to redress, the Human Rights Campaign is refusing a $ 5 million donation until the company proves its commitment to working with LGBTQ + supporters to overturn the “do not say gay” law. Disney did not respond to emails requesting comment. “Disney is trapped between a rock and a hard place,” said Charles Zelden, a professor of humanities and political science at Nova Southeastern University and a longtime Disney observer in Florida. “I suspect the lobbyists told them, ‘You know, stay calm about this,’ and they tried to do that, but then they failed because the cast members got up and said, ‘You have to oppose this.’ “They can not afford to alienate not only cast members but also people who support a more liberal, diverse society.” Zelden said he was curious about DeSantis’s next move. “Disney has all these lobbyists to make sure they do not lose their special tax area. “So it just means that the fight will go to the legislature and that they have a good tool with their money and their influence to repel specific attacks,” he said. “Verbal attacks will continue, but as long as it stays that way, the mouse is fine.”
