Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, at an event with supporters in Boca Raton, slammed Disney for pushing a “woke” ideology while ignoring human rights abuses in China in a Fox News interview, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Yesterday at The Walt Disney Company’s annual shareholder meeting, CEO Bob Chapek denounced the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, also known as the Parental Rights in Education Bill, which DeSantis is expected to sign.
Chapek announced that he had reached out to Gov. DeSantis to meet with him along with LGBTQ+ senior leadership at Disney to discuss ensuring the bill wasn’t being weaponized against LGBTQ+ children and their families. Later in the day, DeSantis announced that he had just heard from Chapek that day and no meeting had been scheduled as of yet.
Today, DeSantis said of Disney, “You have companies, like at Disney, that are going to say and criticize parents’ rights, they’re going to criticize the fact that we don’t want transgenderism in kindergarten in first grade classrooms,” DeSantis said. “If that’s the hill they’re going to die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationship from the Communist Party of China? Because that’s what they do, and they make a fortune, and they don’t say a word about the really brutal practices that you see over there at the hands of the CCP.”
Disney has received criticism for filming the live-action remake of “Mulan” in Xinjiang Province, China, where an extensive government crackdown and reported human rights abuses has been underway on the local Uyghur population, including “re-education” concentration camps.
Opponents to the bill say its scope is too vague and targets the human rights of LGBTQ+ children and their families.
Disney is a major political donor to Florida politicians, being the largest employer in the state. According to the Orlando Sentinel, campaign finance records show that Disney has donated more than $100,000 to DeSantis’ political action committee since May 2019.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
If DeSantis doesn’t like you, you’re probably doing something right.
The Governor is absolutely right–Disney and Chapek are the ultimate hypocrites.
“If that’s the hill they’re going to die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationship from the Communist Party of China.”
DeSantis is 100% correct on this. Disney conveniently overlooks their ties with the CCP. Hard to take them seriously when that skeleton keeps falling out of their closet.
Except,you know, those 2 things have nothing to do with each other.