Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday signed into law a bill, which will go into effect in June 2023, that revokes the positive status enjoyed by Disney World, after the entertainment giant championed some progressive themes that Republican-elected do not appreciate.
Le statut spécial dans le collimateur du texte fut octroyé à Disney à l’époque de la construction du site de loisirs Disney World dans les années 1960. Il lui offrait une large autonomie de gestion locale et l’exempte de la plupart des règlements ‘condition.
Relations between DeSantis and Disney recently soured after Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against a law promoted by the governor banning the teaching of subjects related to sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary school.
Opponents of this text call it “Don’t say like me” (“Don’t talk about gays”).
At first, Bob Chuck was reluctant to take a stand on the script, according to a leaked internal memo. Then Disney employees demonstrated against the group’s “apathy” and calls for a boycott began spreading on social media, eventually leading the CEO to go out against the law.
“You are a company based in Burbank, California, and you are using your economic power to attack parents in my state. We consider this a provocation and will fight against it,” DeSantis said Friday as he signed the text.
The Disney theme park near Orlando is among the most visited theme parks in the world and remains a favorite Disney brand among Americans.
With its special status, Disney has secured a number of essential public services such as garbage collection or water treatment, and some elected officials fear that revoking that status will shift debts to local governments.
