DeSantis wants to strip Disney of 'special privileges' after 'Don't Say Gay' opposition

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is stepping up a war of words with Disney.

The Florida governor has expressed his support for stripping Disney of its "special privileges in the law" following the company's opposition to the state's "Don't Say Gay" bill, CNN reports.

"Disney has alienated a lot of people now," DeSantis said. "And so the political influence they're used to wielding, I think has dissipated. And so the question is, why would you want to have special privileges in the law at all? And I don't think that we should."

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Some Republican legislators in Florida have discussed repealing a 1967 law establishing the Reedy Creek Improvement District, allowing Disney to operate as its own government around Walt Disney World, CNN notes. "If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County," Republican state Rep. Spencer Roach tweeted.

This "would be a disaster for Disney," News 6 political analyst Jim Clark said, noting "one of the reasons they came here in the mid-60s was the legislature's promise that they could have self-government."

Disney earlier this week vowed to push for the repeal of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill after DeSantis signed it into law. The bill bans schools from teaching young kids about gender identity or sexual orientation. Initially, Disney intentionally did not weigh in on the bill, and CEO Bob Chapek defended remaining silent on it. But after backlash, Chapek apologized and condemned the bill.

"Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that," Disney said this week. "We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country."