Disney and Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act

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Since the passage of Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, commonly known as the Don't Say Gay bill, The Walt Disney Company has been involved in a feud with Florida governor Ron DeSantis and the state's Republican Party. While initially a donor to some of the politicians who voted in favor of the Act,^[1] after its passage Disney spoke out against the bill and called for it to be repealed.

The provisions of the Parental Rights in Education Act prohibit classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten to 3rd grade in Florida public school districts, or instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in a manner that is not "age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students" in any grade. On March 7, 2022, Disney CEO Bob Chapek declared that the company would not take a public stance on the bill and would instead focus on effecting change through the commercial content it produces. However, some individuals associated with Disney spoke out against its stance. Following the controversy, Disney reinstated a same-sex kiss in Pixar's 2022 film Lightyear, hosted a town hall meeting to discuss the bill's impact on company employees and their families, and promised to challenge the bill.

Responding to Disney's disapproval of the law, DeSantis and Florida lawmakers threatened to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, a special district giving Disney further authoritative control over the area surrounding Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. A bill was passed in the state's house and senate chambers which repealed the special district, which was signed by DeSantis in April 2022. In response to the bill and further legislation against Disney, the company filed suit against DeSantis, claiming that the legislation was politically motivated and limited the free speech of the company,^[2][3] however the judge ultimately ruled in favor of DeSantis on January 31, 2024.^[4] A spokesperson for Disney said the company was undeterred by the ruling and intended to press forward with their case. The next day, Disney filed an appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.^[5][6] On March 27, 2024, Disney settled it's pending state court lawsuits with DeSantis. Per the agreement, Disney put the appeal of their federal lawsuit on hold while negotiations regarding a new development agreement with Florida play out. However, no alterations to Disney's appeal of the federal lawsuit were made.^[7][8][9] The settlement came a day after DeSantis replaced two Disney critics on the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District with two Disney supporters^[10][11] and two weeks after The Parental Rights in Education Act was largely overturned by a court.^[12][13]