Joe Biden slams Republicans targeting Disney amid ‘Don’t Say Gay’ backlash
President Joe Biden has condemned Republicans for targeting Disney over its opposition to Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. The legislation, which is officially called the Parental Rights in Education bill, states that “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through [third grade]” or “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards” in other grades.
It was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, on 28 March in a staged ceremony which saw him surrounded by a group of children, some of which held signs saying “protect children, support parents”.
Disney came under fire for initially remaining neutral on the bill, but has since condemned it several times – as well as promising to join the fight against it.
The Florida Legislature has since passed a bill seeking to strip Disney of its special district permissions that allow it to self-govern its operations at Disney World – something that is typically the responsibility of local municipalities. “I would say any special privileges that are in law I would like to get rid of generally,” DeSantis said.
