In March, the board hired a team of law firms to represent the district in “potential legal challenges” with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, signaling that DeSantis’ appointees anticipated the fight was headed to the court room.ĭisney CEO Bob Iger hinted at the entertainment giant’s case against the state when he told shareholders earlier this month that “the company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do.” The board’s move Wednesday was expected, and board members in previous meetings had previewed its argument over why it saw the agreement as invalid. In America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind.” “But Disney also knows that it is fortunate to have the resources to take a stand against the State’s retaliation - a stand smaller businesses and individuals might not be able to take when the State comes after them for expressing their own views. Disney wishes that things could have been resolved a different way,” the lawsuit says. Val Demings, a Democrat from Florida whose district includes Walt Disney World, responded by saying she is “proud to represent a community that is welcoming, tolerant, and always evolving to offer the best possible experience.“Disney finds itself in this regrettable position because it expressed a viewpoint the Governor and his allies did not like. TWTR had plenty to say about VanBoskerck’s op-ed. “And we want our cast members - and future cast members - to feel a sense of belonging at work.” “We want our guests to see their own backgrounds and traditions reflected in the stories, experiences and products they encounter in their interactions with Disney,” D’Amaro wrote. “The parks are less fun because immersion and thus the joy is taking a back seat to politics,” VanBoskerck wrote, later adding that an immersive experience “should not be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness and appeasing the Twitter mob.”ĭisney has made some of these changes in an effort to make its parks more “inclusive,” the chairman of Disney’s parks division, Josh D’Amaro, said in a recent blog post. Originally, it showed women being sold into slavery in front of a banner that read, “Take a wench for a bride.” In the new version of the scene, the women are themselves pirates. A few years back, a Disney changed a scene on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. VanBoskerck, who described himself as “a Christian and a conservative Republican,” also took issue with changes the theme park has planned in recent years for some of its most popular rides.ĭisney has made other changes in a similar vein in the past. “I’m not traveling across the country and paying thousands of dollars to watch someone I do not know express themselves,” VanBoskerck argued.īut the new dress code for employees wasn’t the only target of his ire. (Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the op-ed.) In the past, employees couldn’t have any visible tattoos, and facial hair could be no longer than one inch. Disney is also allowing workers to grow longer facial hair, and the parks’ “cast members” can have visible tattoos if they are small and not located on or above the neck. The company rolled out more gender-inclusive rules that allow workers to have a broader range of hairstyles, paint their fingernails and wear jewelry, regardless of their gender identity. Most directly in response to changes the company recently announced to the “Disney Look,” which comprises guidelines for dress and appearance that the company’s theme-park employees must follow. VanBoskerck appears to have written his screed against Disney
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