Disney is in a feud with Florida

The Disney-DeSantis Correspondence: A Case Study of the Reedy Creek Improvement District Overturning a “Don’t Say Gay” Law

This is the most recent development in the feud between Disney and DeSantis. After the company pushed back against the governor’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, which bars public school teachers from talking about sexual orientation, DeSantis took away power from the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the special entity that grants Disney self-governing abilities — a move largely viewed as a punishment for the company’s political stance.

The board that oversees the Reedy Creek Improvement District will be replaced with DeSantis’ own members in June. He ordered an investigation into the current board members after they implemented a new rule that would effectively make the new board powerless. The declaration, which the Reedy Creek Improvement District passed weeks before DeSantis signed his takeover into law, requires the board to give Disney the chance to “review and comment” on proposed property changes.

It’s the latest action in a feud that began more than a year ago when Disney’s former CEO said he’d work to overturn a law banning discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the schools. Critics refer to the Parental Rights in Education Act as Don’t Say Gay.

Debra Mcdonald, a resident of Celebration, a community originally built by Disney that is adjacent to the theme park told the board that, because of the ongoing feud, “many in our community are afraid.” McDonald said, “It has hurt us deeply. It’s not just between the Governor and Disney. Everyone around him is affected by it.

Taryn Fenske, the communications director of the party, said they were unaware of any legal right that a company needed to operate its own government or have special privileges not held by other businesses. This lawsuit is an example of how they hope to undermine the will of Florida voters by operating outside the bounds of the law.