1-0 Disney – Watching America

Florida is the Sunshine State. However, ever since ultra-conservative Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has been in office, things have not been so sunny for certain parts of the population. He tightened abortion law and made it easier to access guns. He also enacted the “Don’t Say Gay” bill banning discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in the classroom. The fact that the Walt Disney Company with its famous theme parks in Florida opposed this bill and, among other things, cut off its political donations infuriated DeSantis to such a degree that he stripped Disney of its self-governing tax status. From a distance, this dispute is fascinating. Although Disney was long considered family friendly in the conservative sense, founder Walt Disney was not exactly a liberal. But the entertainment company has adjusted swiftly with the times and expanded its understanding of the word “family.”

Just this week, we learned that a teacher who showed a Disney film featuring a homosexual character in class was dismissed. This may have been the last straw, as Disney announced on Thursday that it no longer intends to go forward with a large construction project in Florida. All the things that politicians usually find very attractive — jobs, taxes, etc. — will not be created in Florida but will instead stay in California. It seems the governor has blown his chances in Florida.