DeSantis says Disney 'crossed the line' for criticizing Parental Rights in Education bill

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has fired back at Disney after the entertainment giant said it would support efforts to have the Parental Rights in Education bill repealed by the state legislature or struck down in the courts after it was officially signed into law on Monday.

WALT DISNEY ‘WOULDN’T APPROVE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW' AT HIS COMPANY, REP. MULLIN SAYS

The Parental Rights in Education bill prohibits Florida educators from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, with a provision that enables parents to sue if they allege schools or instructors have been in violation. It is slated to go into effect on July 1. 

"Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law," Disney said in a statement. "Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that. 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."

In a press conference on Tuesday, DeSantis called Disney's statement "fundamentally dishonest" and said it "crossed the line."

"This state is governed by the interest of the people of the state of Florida. It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives," he argued. "They do not run this state. They do not control this state."  

DeSantis added that Disney never called Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls when the bill was being considered. 

"[Disney] didn’t seem to have a problem with it when it was going through. If this was such an affront, why weren’t they speaking up at the outset?" he continued. "And then for them to say they're going to actively work to repeal substantive protections for parents as a company that is supposedly marketing its services to parents with young children — I think they crossed the line." 

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
DIS	THE WALT DISNEY CO.	117.47	-0.13	-0.11%

A Disney spokesperson did not immediately return FOX Business' request for comment on DeSantis' remarks. 

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Disney's statement follows criticism from employees and fans over the company and CEO Bob Chapek's initial silence on the bill. 

Chapek publicly spoke out against the bill during Disney's annual shareholder meeting and in a memo to staff earlier this month, pledging that the company would pause all political donations in Florida and contribute millions of dollars to LGBTQ+ causes. He also promised to meet with DeSantis to express his and Disney's opposition to the legislation.

"You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down," Chapek said in a statement on March 11. "I am sorry."

However, it was not enough to stop an employee walkout on March 22, when workers demanded that the company do more to protect its LGBTQ+ staff. 

In addition to Disney's public condemnation of the bill, several of the company's social media accounts have released statements showing support for LGBTQ+ employees, colleagues, families, storytellers and fans. 

Disney also reinstated a same-sex kiss into Pixar’s next feature film, "Lightyear," according to Variety, and donated $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign, which said it would reject the money "until we see them build on their public commitment and work with LGBTQ+ advocates to ensure that dangerous proposals, like Florida’s Don’t Say Gay or Trans bill, don’t become dangerous laws, and if they do, to work to get them off the books."