'Don't Say Gay' Row: Shareholder Speaks Against Disney Financing 'Political Crusades'

The standoff between Disney and the Florida state government continues as the Republican-led "Parental Rights in Education" bill (widely dubbed "Don't Say Gay") was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in late March.

As Disney continues to oppose the controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill, one of its shareholders Ray Keating called on the entertainment company to maintain its own business, not dive into politics.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Keating, who is also an economist and an editor of DisneyBizJournal.com, said that shareholders should not be involved in political squabbles.

"Here's a suggestion for Disney CEO Bob Chapek: Get back to business, that is, excellence in storytelling, and stop wasting shareholders' money on political crusades that have nothing to do with Disney's business", Keating said. "We all have the right to have our voices heard on issues, but not on the shareholders' dime".

Chapek was initially reluctant to engage in what he deemed the "political football" around the "Don't Say Gay" bill, but later U-turned on Disney's stance, saying that activists "needed [him] to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and [he] let you down". Following the statement, Disney halted its political donations in Florida (the majority of the company's donations traditionally went to the GOP).

In his article for DisneyBizJournal.com, Keating wrote that the entertainment giant needs to "stop stealing from shareholders" and "stop playing politics with the shareholders' company". Conservative Disney employees have rolled out an anonymous open letter calling for Disney to opt for "political neutrality".

Commenting on the "Parental Rights in Education" bill itself, Keating blasted it as "both poorly written by the legislative authors, as well as misrepresented by opponents". Left-wing activists have blasted the legislation as potentially violating the rights of the LGBTQI+ community. Conservatives, led by Governor DeSantis who championed the bill, hit back with assertions that the "Don't Say Gay" label is wrong itself, as the legislation only bans discussions of gender and sexual identity for kids from pre-K to grade 3.

"Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards", the legislation reads.

Disney's stance on the controversial bill has repeatedly been grilled by DeSantis, who believes that the legislation prevents kindergarteners from being "sexualised". According to Disney, however, the bill itself poses a challenge to "basic human rights". The White House also weighed in on the controversy, siding with left-wing activists and describing the bill as "designed to attack LGBTQI+ kids".

On 28 March, DeSantis signed the bill into law, with the legislation set to go into effect in July 2022.

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