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Gov. DeSantis signals he'd support taking Disney's special self-governing status away

Cybersecurity Education
Posted at 4:39 PM, Apr 01, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-01 16:39:58-04

Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis has signaled that he could consider supporting efforts to strip Disney of a 55-year-old status that allows the theme park and entertainment company to operate in an independent way with self-governance around the company's Orlando-area park.

The move is the latest in a quarrel between the governor and the entertainment giant, which is Florida's largest employer. The clash comes just after Gov. DeSantis ratified a measure that bans schools in the state from talking about sexual orientation or gender identity in some classrooms.

As CNN reported, after the Walt Disney Company said in a statement that its "goal" was to get behind efforts to repeal the law through the court system, DeSantis said the company "crossed the line" with the statement.

According to the Associated Press, gay rights advocates are suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to block the new law which bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

A federal challenge was filed on Thursday on behalf of Equality Florida and Family Equality who say the law is an effort to control young minds using state censorship.

Florida's Gov. DeSantis is considered to be a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, and the law is considered to have pushed Florida into the spotlight amid what many are calling culture wars in the United States. Critics of the legislation call it the "Don't Say Gay" law.