The culture wars have torn the United States apart – and one of America’s biggest and most famous companies has been caught in the crossfire.
The entertainment giant Walt Disney is being punished for intervening in one particular cultural row.
Early last month, the state of Florida passed legislation restricting teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in its schools, labelled ‘Don’t Say Gay’ by critics.
Bob Chapek, Disney’s chief executive, decided initially to keep his head down.
But this angered the LGBT community which argued that, as Disney is Florida’s biggest single taxpayer and one of its biggest private sector employers, it could have spoken out. Some employees walked out.
AdvertisementPossible boycotts of Disney and its services were discussed on social media and Disney’s three most important studios – Lucasfilm, Pixar Animation and Marvel Studios – all issued statements in support of the LGBT community.
Mr Chapek subsequently apologised for not publicly opposing the legislation, which he said he had lobbied against in private, promising to oppose similar legislation elsewhere.
More on Disney Related Topics: DisneyNow Florida is hitting back.
Overnight it has passed a bill that would remove the special status enjoyed by Disney on the near 40 square miles of land near Orlando on which Walt Disney World sits.
The area, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, is effectively run by Disney with little interference from the state of Florida and frees it from certain taxes and regulations.
Disney is allowed to put up new buildings and extend its four theme parks and two water parks on the land without being governed by state regulations – and could even, if it were so minded, build a nuclear power plant there.
The district, hailed for the efficiency with which it has run, dates back to Disney’s arrival in Florida in 1967 and the desire of the company’s founder, Walt Disney, to operate with more freedom than it had been able to in California.
Not long after Disney’s death, in December 1966, a deal was struck to create the new district.
Under the legislation passed by Florida, any special district created before 1968 and not renewed since then would be dissolved in June next year, although Disney could seek to re-establish it.
The perception is that Disney is being punished by Florida for taking a stand against the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws.