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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday that the Walt Disney Company "crossed the line" when it declared it would push to repeal a sexual identity and gender education bill that critics have dubbed "Don't Say Gay."
"For Disney to come out and put a statement and say that the bill should have never passed and that they are going to actively work to repeal it, I think, one, was fundamentally dishonest but, two, I think that crossed the line," DeSantis said at a press conference.
"This state is governed by the interests of the people of the state of Florida. It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives," he continued.
"They do not run this state. They do not control this state," DeSantis added.
The legislation, officially named the Parental Rights in Education bill, will limit teachers' instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for classes from kindergarten to the third grade. It is set to take effect on July 1.
On Tuesday, DeSantis also noted that Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls did not receive any calls from Disney while the bill was being put through the House.
"They didn't seem to have a problem with it when it was going through. If this was such an affront, why aren't they speaking up at the outset?" he said.
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DeSantis had signed the bill into Florida law on Monday, amid a national backlash and after President Joe Biden had called it "hateful."
At the signing ceremony, DeSantis said the US has seen "a nationwide trend to cut parents out of their children's education."
In response, Disney issued a statement saying the bill "should never have passed and should never have been signed into law."
"Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that," Disney's statement read.
"We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country," the statement continued.
Disney's flagship amusement park — The Walt Disney World Resort — employs some 77,000 people in Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Earlier this month, Disney's CEO Bob Chapek apologized for the company's initial lack of response to the bill and vowed to halt all political donations in the state.
