The ongoing dispute between The Walt Disney Co. and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is also running for president, continued on Monday. DeSantis has asked a federal court to dismiss Disney’s lawsuit against him. The lawsuit alleges that the governor’s decision to revoke Disney’s oversight of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, after the company voiced opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, was politically motivated and infringed upon Disney’s free speech rights.
According to ABC News, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Co., DeSantis is seeking immunity from the charges brought against him in the lawsuit. His lawyers claim that he is entitled to legislative immunity, which protects the actions of governors and legislators involved in the proposal, formulation, and passage of legislation.
The Disney-DeSantis feud began when DeSantis signed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law in Florida, a move that Disney publicly criticized. It escalated further when DeSantis sued Disney and sought to terminate the company’s oversight of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. Disney contends that there is a contractual agreement in place guaranteeing its autonomy until the end of the British monarchy.
In late April, Disney filed the lawsuit that DeSantis is now seeking to dismiss, accusing the governor of retaliating against the company for its opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
In addition to the legal battle between Disney and DeSantis, several organizations have cautioned travelers against visiting or relocating to Florida due to these issues as well as DeSantis’s stances on immigration, education, and gun control. Equality Florida, the NAACP, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) have all issued travel advisories discouraging African Americans and Latinx travelers from visiting the state.
The Human Rights Campaign also updated their travel information for Florida in late May, highlighting the passage of six anti-LGBTQ bills but stopping short of explicitly discouraging travel to the state.
The Disney-DeSantis feud shows no signs of resolution and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
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