![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://blogmickey.com/2022/12/disney-sued-over-dont-say-gay-response/&media=https://blogmickey.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/pride-month-disney-springs-1.jpg&description=The Walt Disney Company has been sued by an investor over their response to the "Don't Say Gay" bill and resulting fallout){kind=link}
According to a report from Bloomberg, The Walt Disney Company has been sued by an investor over their response to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and resulting fallout – specifically the action from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to essentially punish Disney by dismantling their special taxing district called the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
The lawsuit seeks to collect records from The Walt Disney Company related to the actions by executives such as then-CEO Bob Chapek to initially remain silent, and then speak out against the proposed piece of legislation that eventually became law. The lawsuit alledges that Disney created “far-reaching” financial risks by speaking out against the bill and in support of LGBTQIA+ employees and Cast Members.
The road to dismantling the Reedy Creek Improvement District is a winding one, but one that started essentially out of retaliation by DeSantis after he and Disney butted heads over the “Don’t Say Gay” law earlier this year. Here’s a timeline of the fallout:
March 2022
- March 7th – Disney CEO Bob Chapek sends out a company-wide email that says that Disney will not denounce the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and that the company will essentially try to stay out of politics.
- March 9th – Disney CEO Bob Chapek attempts to walk back his email, saying that the company has been “opposed to the bill from the outset”.
- March 10th – The Human Rights Organization rejects Disney’s donation
- March 11th – Disney CEO Bob Chapek sends a company-wide email apologizing for lack of action and advocacy on “Don’t Say Gay” bill
- March 22nd – Hundreds of Disney employees participate in a walkout at Disney Headquarters over the company’s initial apathy over “Don’t Say Gay” bill
- March 28th – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs “Don’t Say Gay” into law, Disney responds
- March 30th – Florida lawmakers begin floating the idea of dismantling the Reedy Creek Improvement District in retaliation for Disney’s support of LGBTQIA+ communities
April
- April 20th – Florida Senate passes bill to dismantle the Reedy Creek Improvement District
- April 22nd – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs bill to dismantle Reedy Creek Improvement District
May
- May 2nd – DeSantis is said to want to create his own “Lake Buena Vista District” in place of the Reedy Creek Improvement District
- May 16th – DeSantis says that he’ll make Disney pay an outstanding RCID debt of $1 billion despite no laws requiring Disney to do so
August
- August 23rd – In a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the state, DeSantis’ lawyers argue the RCID dissolution might not happen
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
It is not called DONT SAY GAY. Call it what it is actually called. Your bias is showing
Hi Joe, teacher here. I can say from experience that the bill does in fact mean EXACTLY the same as the nickname it was given. I can’t even begin to tell you how many ridiculous parents have made complaints justified by the sickening wording of the bill. Educate yourself before you choose to comment on matters that hurt people, instead of riding on the coattails of bias platforms that you choose to parrot.