Disney boss accuses Florida of ignoring free speech

Disney Chairman Robert Iger on Monday condemned the end of the company’s special status in Florida, an “anti-trade” move he said was taken by Gov. Ron DeSantis to punish the US giant for exercising its right to free speech.

• Read more: Disney Educates Kids on LGBT+ Issues, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Says

Mr. DeSantis revoked Disney’s special status in his state in February, ending benefits the Disney World theme park has enjoyed since the 1960s.

A new chapter in the ongoing culture wars in the US has been sparked by a company’s stance against a bill that would have restricted the teaching of sexual orientation subjects in Florida elementary schools.

The governor, Donald Trump’s main Republican rival in the race for the White House in 2024, “seeks to punish a corporation for exercising a constitutional right,” Mr. Iger estimated.

“A corporation has the same right to freedom of expression as individuals,” the Disney boss added.

Disney plans to invest more than $17 billion in Disney World over the next decade, create more than 10,000 jobs and attract even more tourists to Florida, Iger said.

“Any move to thwart these efforts is simply retaliating for the company’s stance that is not only anti-business, but anti-Florida,” he stressed.

The president drew parallels with some of the positions American corporations took in support of the civil rights struggle in the United States in the 1960s.

“I will continue to be guided by a sense of dignity and respect,” Mr. Igar warned. “And we will trust our intuition: when we take action, we will do so because the issue is truly relevant to our business and the people who work for us. »

The boss recalled that Disney tried to convey the belief that “good triumphs over evil” in his films.

A populist right-wing figure in the United States, Ron DeSantis has yet to officially declare his presidential aspirations, but is widely seen as a serious challenger to Donald Trump in the Republican primary.

The Governor willingly poses as the defender of “Wokism”.

Clearly, the forty-year-old accuses a group of “elite” of imposing their progressive ideology on a society that rejects them, and has vowed to build a stronghold in his state.