Why are Florida Republicans Sparring With Disney?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Led by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, Republicans in the Sunshine State and elsewhere are taking a stand against Disney. Why?
On Thursday, the Florida legislature passed and sent to the governor's desk a bill that would dissolve Disney’s special improvement district in Florida, which allows Disney to control its own zoning and shields it from some state regulations. Disney has been the recent subject of criticism from both sides of the culture war: some on the right say Disney is indoctrinating children with far-left ideologies, and some on the left say Disney fails to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights and representation. Recently-leaked videos of Disney executives advocating for significantly more LGBTQ+ representation in Disney content sparked debate about LGBTQ+ issues and entertainment for kids, particularly in the context of Florida's new Parental Rights in Education bill and the debate over LGBTQ+ topics being taught in schools.
Coverage from some right rated news sources frames Disney and its content as being compromised by progressive political agendas. Coverage from some left-rated outlets paints those types of criticisms as extreme, exaggerated and rooted in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. One Washington Post writer accused DeSantis of taking on Disney to "bolster his credibility with a GOP base itching for culture war victory." One writer for National Review argued that Republicans were righteous in their efforts to challenge Disney and other influential companies that "have seen their boardrooms seized by militant woke political activists."
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
DeSantis declares war on Disney
Gov. Ron DeSantis is going head-to-head with Disney.
What's happening: DeSantis added an agenda item to the Legislature's special session on redistricting this week, asking legislators to repeal the law that allows the Walt Disney World Resort to operate as a self-governing body.
DeSantis announced the move Tuesday at a news conference in The Villages.
Flashback: After pressure from employees and fans, Disney stopped political donations in Florida and vowed to help repeal the recently signed Parental Rights in Education law, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by critics.
At the bill's signing, DeSantis said that no matter what kind of...
From the Left
I went to Disney World. Ignore Twitter: The Kingdom is still magic. 
At some point during my family’s visit to Disney World, I started to wonder where I was supposed to find all the degeneracy the House of Mouse is accused of peddling. “It’s A Small World” remains a compilation of national stereotypes. The men’s and women’s rooms are still clearly marked. And Americana remains alive and well at Tom Sawyer Island, which is located across the way from the Hall of Presidents and encircled by a moat patrolled by the Liberty Belle paddleboat.
The trip wasn’t simply a reprieve from Twitter...
From the Right
Florida Republicans Are Right to Push Back against Disney
Going after Disney is the victim’s punch to the nose to correct the bully — stop attacking us, or we will defend ourselves.
Ihave to disagree with my fellow movement conservative Charles C. W. Cooke (and some others, judging from Twitter; namely, Hannah Cox and Brad Polumbo, but I’m sure there are more) about Disney’s smackdown by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature. It’s pretty indisputable that what gave rise to this effort was Disney’s vocal and unfair opposition to Florida’s parental-rights law, the one that prevented gender and sexuality topics from being taught...
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