“I’m not entirely surprised that Disney would make a fiduciary decision over a moral one.’’ “At the end of the day, they’re in business to make money,” the Rev Steve Smith of First Baptist church in Orlando said at the time.
Mickey mouse house disney world license#
In 2007, it changed its policy to allow same-sex couples to participate in the popular Fairy Tale Wedding program, which had previously excluded queer couples from buying packages by requiring a valid marriage license from California or Florida, which did not at the time permit or recognize gay marriage. In fact, Disney’s battle with Florida goes back further than just DeSantis’s time as Florida governor and highlights the company’s unlikely role as a force in gay rights. Photograph: Alex Brandon/APīut Iger has been more outspoken, criticizing the legislation and telling employees that inclusion and acceptance are among the “core values” of the company’s storytelling. Ron DeSantis does little to dampen speculation of a presidential run at the Heritage Foundation in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Friday. Chapek later apologized: “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down.” Under Iger’s predecessor, Bob Chapek, Disney initially failed to publicly articulate its opposition to the law, opening up the company to internal and external criticism that it, too, was discriminatory. The controversial legislation – mimicked by other rightwing state governments across the US and condemned by liberals – was last week enhanced with separate bills passed by Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature on gender-transition treatments, bathroom use and keeping children out of drag shows. The DeSantis-Disney battle began with Florida’s discriminatory March 2022 parental rights in education legislation, dubbed “don’t say gay”, that banned classroom teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity. Disney’s top boss, Bob Iger – as the head of a vast corporation – wants a diverse clientele and has little interest in such positions and an active antipathy to DeSantis’s actions. DeSantis, with his eyes fixed on attracting Donald Trump’s base, has positioned himself as an extreme culture warrior. In a counterattack, an attorney for a pro-DeSantis board of district supervisors said Disney’s efforts were “riddled with procedural impropriety and illegality” and “the restrictive covenants will not withstand any judicial scrutiny”.īut at the heart of the DeSantis v Disney dispute is something much bigger than both of them: the reignited and intensifying culture wars in America. That came after DeSantis signed legislation cancelling Disney’s control of a special tax district, known as the Reedy Creek improvement district, within which Disney World sits, that allowed it to maintain its own police and fire departments, planning powers and some other public functions.Īs part of Disney’s efforts to retain control, it cited a document passed by the outgoing Disney-sympathetic Reedy Creek board stating that its privileges will stand until “21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England living as of the date of this declaration”.ĭisney said it had cited “royal clauses” to skirt rules banning legal covenants that last in perpetuity, and because the Windsor’s family tree was readily available, and because of “better healthcare available to, and longer life expectancy of, a royal family member compared to a non-royal”. DeSantis said he would try to change state law to open Disney World – the state’s largest employer – up to new inspections and threatened to build a prison next to the 43 sq mile family-friendly theme park.
0 kommentar(er)
