Posted in: Disney, Disney+, Movies, streaming, TV | Tagged: disney, florida, LGBTQ, ron desantis, walt disney

Disney Takes Off The Four-Fingered Gloves, Sues Gov. Ron DeSantis

The Walt Disney Company is suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, alleging "retaliation" in a lawsuit filed in federal court earlier today.

Well, it looks like The Walt Disney Company is taking off its four-fingered white gloves and looking to fight back against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But this time, it won't be in the press. It's going to be in court with a federal lawsuit alleging that DeSantis has waged "a targeted campaign of government retaliation—orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney's protected speech—now threatens Disney's business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights." The lawsuit continues, "Because the Legislative Declaration retaliates against Disney for its protected speech, Disney is entitled to a declaratory judgment that the Legislative Declaration is unconstitutional and an order enjoining Defendants from enforcing it."

The basis of the lawsuit is rooted in DeSantis' attempts to take away Disney's control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which the company has held for over a half-century and which allows Disney to pretty much control what happens on the lands that their parks are housed on. But DeSantis' Reedy Creek bill moved control of that land back to the state – at least, that was until DeSantis' board learned that the previous board had approved a series of development agreements with Disney that would still keep control of the lands with the company (with the agreements approved in open meetings).

But the divide between DeSantis and Disney allegedly goes much deeper than that, finding its foundation in a serious difference in societal policies. As part of its lawsuit, Disney claims that DeSantis' "retaliation" is in response to the company speaking out against the state GOP's push for the "Don't Say Gay" law, with DeSantis repeatedly attacking the company as "woke" and working against the best interest of Floridians, the company claims. "We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state. This lawsuit is yet another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters and operate outside the bounds of the law," shared DeSantis' communications director, Taryn Fenske, in a statement.

"Disney regrets that it has come to this," the company said in its complaint (which you can check out here). "But having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain state officials."

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