Walt Disney goes full woke, jumps in to oppose Ron DeSantis’ Florida bill that aims to prevent small children taught sexual orientation at school

Director Carlos López Estrada put a rainbow mickey mouse toy at the Academy Awards as a sign of protest against Disney. Source: Carlos López Estrada Instagram

The Walt Disney company has finally made an official stance on the controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay‘ bill passed in Florida state. This came after LGBTQ+ employees and activists groups targeted the company for not condemning the allegedly ‘homophobic’ bill officially, after which it had to take a political stand.

The Walt Disney Company was under fire by its own employees over the alleged ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill in Florida. Its employees took to protest on Disney campuses across the USA for not taking an official stand against the bill. On March 8, The Florida State Senate passed the alleged ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill that prohibits teaching concepts like ‘Sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ to primary and kindergarten school children with an intent to regulate age-inappropriate content in accordance with the state standards. LGBTQ+ activists, Democrat politicians and activist groups across America criticised the Bill stating that it will discriminate against ‘gay’ children and teenagers.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis has been vocal in support of the legislation, asserting that schools and teachers exposing little children to ‘woke’ concepts like sexual orientation and gender identities hampers the rights of parents and children.

Disney campuses faced the wrath of woke gender fundamentalism after the protestors criticised the supposed ‘anti-LGBTQ’ policies of Disney for not standing against the bill. Agitators pointed out that the bill affects them personally since the company funds many of the legislators in their political campaigns who supported the bill. From March 15, the workers organised planned ‘walkouts‘ from the company during breaks from the official schedule. 

While Disney issued many statements in support of the protestors, it was finally forced to take a political stand against the state legislated bill. On March 28, The Walt Disney Company issued an official statement against the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill passed in Florida. Disney effectively asked for the bill to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts. “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,” the statement read.

Republican senators including Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis have been criticising Disney for buckling under the ‘woke’ pressure. Passed by the legislation on March 8, the controversial bill was finally signed by Governor DeSantis on Tuesday. Speaking on Disney’s political stance, he said, “This state is governed by the interests of the people of the state of Florida. It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives. They do not run this state. They do not control this state.” 

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia