Ron Desantis wanted to punish the giant of entertainment for the position of his CEO on the law so-called “Do not Say Gay”, judged homophobic and contrary to the values of the group owner of the largest amusement park of the State.
Le Monde with AFP
The governor of Florida, Ron Desantis, signed on Friday a law, which will come into effect in June 2023, suppressing a favorable status enjoyed by the Disney World amusement park, his owner who defended certain progressive themes little appreciated by elected officials Republicans.
With its special status, granted at the time of the construction of the leisure site near Orlando in the 1960s, Disney was exempt from most state regulations and guaranteed in exchange a number of services essential public such as garbage collection, firefighters or water treatment. Some elected officials fear that the revocation of this status does not result in debt transfer to local governments.
Degraded relationship
Relationships between DESANTIS and Disney have recently degraded after Bob Chapek, Disney’s CEO, spoke publicly against a law promoted by the governor prohibiting teaching topics related to sexual orientation. or gender identity in primary school. This text is nicknamed by its opponents “Do not Say Gay” (“Do not talk about gays”).
Initially, Bob Chapek hesitated to take a position on the text, according to an internal note that leaks. Disney employees then manifested against the group’s “apathy” and calls to the boycott began to circulate on social networks, finally leading the CEO to declare themselves against the law.
“You are a company with a seat in Burbank, California, and you deploy your economic power to attack the parents of my state. We consider this as a provocation and we will fight against that,” said Mr. Desantis Friday by signing the text. The Disney Amusement Park near Orlando is among the most visited in the world and the Disney brand remains one of the favorites of the Americans.