Last year, Disney waded into the political storm when it publically stated it opposed a bill being introduced in Florida that would impact classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues, which was dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.   Following a push from employees who disagreed strongly with the bill, then Disney CEO Bob Chapek issued a statement, which caused a chain reaction resulting in Flordia’s governor Ron DeSantis using the situation as a platform for his Presidential campaign.  The last year’s events have resulted in Disney filing a federal lawsuit about its 1st amendment rights of free speech.

During a recent interview with CNBC, Disney CEO Bob Iger was asked about the situation in Florida, including if it was impacting visitors to Walt Disney World and how Disney is being accused throughout Ron DeSantis’ campaign that the company was in favor of the “sexualization of our children.”  As Ron DeSantis previously said:

“We’ve put this company on a pedestal — in the past it has been like the all-American company.  But they’ve really embraced the idea of getting the sexualized content in the programming for the young kids. And that is just a line that I am not willing to cross.”

Bob Iger has responded to that comment from Ron DeStantis, saying:

“We are a pre-eminent entertainer in the world, and we are proud of our track record there. The notion that Disney is in any way sexualizing our children quite frankly is preposterous and inaccurate.

The last thing that I want for the company is for the company to be drawn into any culture wars. We have operated for almost 100 years as a company making product that we actually are proud of in terms of its impact on the world.  Our goal is to tell wonderful stories and a positive impact on the world.” ”

With Ron DeSantis running his campaign on an “anti-woke” message, which targets both Disney and former President Donald Trump, it’s unlikely that anything will change soon.  Bob also spoke about the federal lawsuit that is currently underway.

“We are concerned that he has decided to retaliate against the company for a position the company took on pending legislation in that state.  And frankly, the company was within its right, even though I’m not sure it was handled very well, it was within its right to speak up on an issue [of the] constitutionally protected right of free speech.  To retaliate against the company in a way that would be harmful to the business was not something that we could sit back and tolerate.”

He also said Disney would continue to try to entertain people worldwide, but they are mindful of what the audience wants and doesn’t want to get drawn into the situation any more.

What do you think about Bob Iger’s comments?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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