Florida GOP leaders are vowing to yank Disney’s quasi-governmental privileges at its Orlando theme park over its opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.
Florida Rep. Spencer Roach tweeted Wednesday that meetings have been convened to “discuss a repeal” of the Reedy Creek Improvement District agreement that “allows Disney to act as its own government.”
The arrangement was created to attract Disney to Florida in 1967 and gives the company control over some operations like law enforcement and fire units.
The new “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which bans instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, has drawn criticism as being hostile to the LGBTQ community.
Backers assert that it seeks to shield young children from inappropriate subject matter.
Disney — which runs a wildly popular theme park in Orlando — has bashed the legislation as discriminatory.
“Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts,” the company said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmaker Joe Harding, the bill’s sponsor, said he was returning $3,000 in campaign contributions from Disney in light of its position.
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