Disney sues Florida Governor amid 'Don't Say Gay' feud
Disney has sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis amid a months-long feud sparked by the company’s opposition to the state’s 2022 anti-LGBTQ+ ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.The mass media and entertainment conglomerate filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, April 26, only minutes after an oversight board appointed by DeSantis voted to scrap a development deal which gave Disney design and construction control over its Disney World resort and theme park complex.
The Republican Florida Governor has urged state legislators to target Disney and its Florida theme park — the state’s largest taxpayer and nation’s largest single-site employer — with a multitude of hostile measures.
Last week, he announced plans to subject Disney to new ride inspection regulations.The First Amendment lawsuit filed by Disney on Wednesday is against DeSantis and the oversight board.
Filed in federal court, the lawsuit claims “a targeted campaign of government retaliation.”DeSantis has been accused of “a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint.” The lawsuit adds that the governor’s reprisal “now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region and violates its constitutional rights.” The “political viewpoint” Disney expressed was a statement released last year condemning the governor’s signing of the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, an anti-LGBTQ+ bill labelled by opponents as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.
