Why Are Disney And DeSantis Feuding In Florida?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill to dissolve a private government controlled by Disney that provides municipal-like services for its 27,000 acres (nearly 11,000 hectares) in the Sunshine State.

The new law is largely seen as retribution for Disney’s criticism of a new state law that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay,” which bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

The entertainment giant has not commented publicly on the proposal to dissolve its government, which has been in operation for 55 years.

WHAT DOES THE LAW DO?

The bill, which the Legislature passed on Thursday and DeSantis signed into law on Friday, would eliminate the Reedy Creek Improvement District, as the Disney government is known, as well as a handful of other similar districts by June 2023.

The measure does allow for the districts to be reestablished, leaving an avenue for Disney and lawmakers to renegotiate their deal between now and June 2023.

“By doing it this early, we have until next June or July to this put together, so we’re actually giving ourselves more time to be thoughtful,” said Republican Senate President Wilton Simpson. “I don’t know how the end will come, but I know that this is a very worthy process that we’re taking and I think whatever comes out of it will be better than what we have today.”

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Although details are far from clear, the proposal could have huge tax implications for Disney. Democratic state lawmakers who oppose the bill also have warned that it could result in homeowners getting hit with big tax bills if they have to absorb costs the company used to pay.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, whose county is partially home to Disney World, said it would be “catastrophic for our budget” if the county had to assume the costs for public safety at the theme park resort. Reedy Creek currently reimburses the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for public safety costs.

“If that district goes away, and they no longer pay for those public safety costs, and it then has to fall to the county’s other budgets, that is a net sum loss to the rest of the taxpayers of Orange County,” Demings said.

WHY DOES DISNEY HAVE ITS OWN GOVERNMENT IN FLORIDA?

The company sold the idea to Florida lawmakers in 1967 as part of its plans to build an expansive East Coast theme park that would include a futuristic city.

The city never materialized, but Walt Disney World nevertheless became an entertainment juggernaut in Orlando, while still retaining governmental powers that have allowed it to decide what and how to build and to issue bonds and provide services such as zoning, fire protection and utilities.

The Reedy Creek Improvement District, as the Disney government is known, has been allowed to build its own roads, run its own wastewater treatment plants, operate its own fire department, set its own building codes and inspect Disney buildings for safety.

The district had $169 million in revenues and $178 million in expenditures in the current budget year.

Disney is a major political player in Florida, as well as the rest of the country. The Walt Disney Co. and its affiliates made more than $20 million in political contributions to both Republicans and Democrats in the 2020 campaign cycle, the most recent year for which figures are available, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks such spending.

That same year, Disney-related entities funneled $10.5 million to the America First Action committee, which supports Republican former President Donald Trump. Disney also contributed $1.2 million to support President Joe Biden’s campaign.

In response to the gender instruction law, Disney announced it was suspending political donations in the state and would support organizations that oppose it.

WHY ELIMINATE THE GOVERNMENT NOW?

DeSantis has railed against Disney after the company’s public opposition to the gender instruction law.

This week, as lawmakers were returning to the Capitol for a special legislative session focused on congressional redistricting, DeSantis issued a proclamation allowing them to also take up legislation eliminating the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

For the governor, the attack on Disney is his latest salvo in a culture war waged over policies involving race, gender and the coronavirus, battles that have made him one of the most popular GOP politicians in the country and a likely 2024 presidential candidate.

“If Disney wants to pick a fight, they chose the wrong guy” the governor wrote in a fundraising email. “As Governor, I was elected to put the people of Florida first, and I will not allow a woke corporation based in California to run our state.”

Republican Rep. Randy Fine, sponsor of the bill to scrap the district, said it is time for a change.

“You kick the hornet’s nest, things come up. And I will say this: You got me on one thing — this bill does target one company. It targets the Walt Disney Co.,” Fine said. “You want to know why? Because they are the only company in the state that has ever been granted the right to govern themselves.”

Travelore News: U.S. Will Offer 'X' Gender Marker For Passports Starting April 11, State Department Says

WASHINGTON - The White House and State Department on Thursday marked Transgender Day of Visibility with an announcement that U.S. citizens will be able to select "X" as the gender marker on their passport application beginning April 11.

"Every American deserves the freedom to be themselves," the White House said in a statement. "But far too many transgender Americans still face systemic barriers, discrimination, and acts of violence."

The definition of the X gender marker will be “unspecified or another gender identity,” and it will become available for other documents next year, according to the State Department.

In June, the State Department announced the initiation of the X gender marker on passports and said it would more immediately allow Americans to self-select their own gender marker between "male" and "female," meaning transgender travelers would no longer have to provide medical certification if their gender identity doesn't line up with the marker on their birth certificate or other documents.

Making history:First US passport with a gender 'X' designation issued: When others will get that option

FAQ:The State Department is adding another gender option on passports. Here's what you need to know.

“This is an important step toward achieving meaningful progress for transgender Americans and will empower and enable millions of citizens to travel domestically and internationally with greater confidence that the United States recognizes their gender identity," Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said at the time.

Millions of nonbinary, transgender, intersex people affected

The Human Rights Campaign said in June that more than 1.2 million nonbinary adults in the U.S., plus the 2 million transgender people in the country and 5.5 million people born intersex, could be affected by the changes.

The U.S. issued its first passport with an X” gender designation in October to Dana Zzyym, an intersex Colorado resident who had previously been denied a passport for failing to check male or female on the application.

“I almost burst into tears when I opened the envelope, pulled out my new passport, and saw the ‘X’ stamped boldly under ‘sex,’" Zzyym said at the time. "It took six years, but to have an accurate passport, one that doesn’t force me to identify as male or female but recognizes I am neither, is liberating.”

The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday also announced a number of advancements for transgender Americans while traveling, including more advanced screening technology, less invasive screening procedures and an update to the TSA Pre-Check program to include the X gender marker.

Source: Ella Lee USA TODAY

Contributing: Marina Pitovsky, Associated Press

Disney Finds Itself In Balancing Act With Walkout Threat

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — With some workers across the U.S. threatening a walkout Tuesday, The Walt Disney Co. finds itself in a balancing act between the expectations of a diverse workforce and demands from an increasingly polarized, politicized marketplace.

On the one side are LGBTQ advocates and Disney employees calling for a walkout in protest of CEO Bob Chapek’s slow response in publicly criticizing Florida legislation that opponents dubbed as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The legislation awaiting the governor’s signature bars instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

On the other are politicians like Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who accuse the entertainment conglomerate of bending to cancel culture after a Disney decision to temporarily suspend political contributions in the state. According to Disney’s conservative critics, the company should be in the business of making profits, not pushing an agenda.

It was unclear how many employees would walk out or what might happen to those who do. Union leaders for the tens of thousands of unionized workers at Disney theme parks in Florida and California said they saw no momentum among their members for a walkout, and advised them not to do so because it would defy contractual obligations. Organizers said they expected some participation from production, marketing, IT and other non-unionized jobs.

Evan Power, the Republican Party chairman in Leon County, said he believes a strident minority of Disney employees are pushing the issue and DeSantis has more to gain by taking the side of parents who want more control over education and “sexual conversations” in early grades at school. DeSantis is viewed as a likely Republican presidential candidate in 2024.

“I think it pays dividends with parents across the state of Florida regardless of political divisions,” Power said.

Romualdas Dulskis, a Teamsters official in Orlando whose local represents costumed characters who portray Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Stich at Walt Disney world, plus bus drivers and other Disney workers, his union did not support the walkout.

“That’s just not the way we are going to go about this,” he said.

Union leaders said contracts prohibits work stoppages or disruptions.

“I don’t want to downplay anyone’s efforts, if someone feels what they are doing is the right way to make an impact,” said Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here! Local 362, which represents custodians, housekeepers and other Disney World theme park workers. “We aren’t part of that. It would violate our contract if members of our union participated, though we are concerned about the issue, of course.”

One of the organizers of the walkout, a New York-based employee, said they were expecting participation by workers with the “privilege” to be able to protest to stand up for those who can’t, the employee said. The worker spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being targeted online and because organizers didn’t want a single organizer taking the spotlight.

Workers participating in the walkout plan to meet up with each other at locations in Orlando, New York City, Anaheim and Burbank, California, where the company is headquartered.

“Queer employees have been pushing for years to make this company better -- it shouldn’t have taken all this for us to get the attention of people up the food chain. Our voices mattered before all this,” organizers tweeted Tuesday.

A Disney spokesman didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. Disney employed 190,000 workers as of last October, with roughly three-quarters working in its theme parks division.

Disney, whose movies and properties shaped generations of children around the world, has spoken out several times in recent years about contentious social and political situations.

It was one of a slew of U.S. companies that in January 2021 said it would suspend political donations to lawmakers who voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. It also spoke out early against a 2016 anti-gay bill in Georgia, threatening to pull its business from the state, which has become a favorite of movie and TV studios. The bill was vetoed by Georgia’s then-governor.

And the company has not been immune to changing societal expectations. It has said it would revamp the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain rides at its theme parks to remove racist and sexist elements and put short warnings in front of some of its classic movies on its streaming service, Disney+, alerting viewers to “outdated cultural depictions.”

This time, Chapek, who became CEO in 2020, has drawn fire for speaking out about the gender identity bill only after it passed the Florida Legislature.

Republican lawmakers pushing the Florida legislation had argued that parents, not teachers, should be the ones talking to their children about gender issues during their early formative years.

The legislation attracted scrutiny from Biden, who called it “hateful,” as well as other Democrats who argue it demonizes LGBTQ people. It has been sent to DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.

Chapek apologized earlier this month for not coming out more forcefully and publicly against the bill, saying Disney officials had been working behind the scenes to stop it. Chapek also announced a pause to all political donations in Florida and more support for advocacy groups fighting similar legislation in other states. Chapek reiterated those points during a company-wide discussion with employees on Monday.

Disney has long been influential in Florida politics, tending to be conservative and supporting Republicans who have been in control of Tallahassee, the state capital, for two decades, but also being more open on social issues, said Patricia Campos-Medina, co-director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University. “That’s why people felt surprised that they wanted to stay quiet on this issue,” she said.

Organizers of the walkout maintain that withholding political contributions isn’t enough.

On a website calling for the walkout, the group says that until the legislation is repealed, Disney leaders need to stop investments in Florida, including the relocation of 2,000 mostly professional jobs from its California headquarters to Orlando. They also say Disney needs to develop an LGBTQ brand similar to the Onyx Collective, an initiative aimed at developing content by and for people of color.

Power, the GOP official in Tallahassee, said he’s confident that Disney and Florida Republicans will get past this flashpoint and restore their relationship, eventually.

“It’s good that we’re pushing back, because the purpose of a publicly traded company is not to push an agenda,” Power said. “The people at Disney know they need to work with the Legislature and the governor, and they’ll come back around.”

California Bans State Travel To Florida, 4 Other States, Because Of Laws That Discriminate Against Members Of The LGBTQ Community

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California added five more states, including Florida, to the list of places where state-funded travel is banned because of laws that discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community, the state attorney general announced Monday.

Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta added Florida, Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia to the list that now has 17 states where state employee travel is forbidden except under limited circumstances.

“Make no mistake: We’re in the midst of an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country — and the State of California is not going to support it,” Bonta said.

Lawmakers in 2016 banned non-essential travel to states with laws that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The 12 other states on the list are: Texas, Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee.

The five states newly added to the list have introduced bills in their legislatures this year that prevent transgender women and girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity, block access to health care and allow the discrimination of the LGBTQ community, Bonta said.

Florida, Montana, Arkansas, and West Virginia passed laws that prevent transgender women and girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity.

North Dakota signed into law a bill allowing certain publicly-funded student organizations to restrict LGBTQ students from joining without losing funding.

Arkansas passed the first law in the nation to prohibit physicians from providing gender-affirming healthcare to transgender minors — regardless of the wishes of parents or whether a physician deems such care to be medically necessary.

These lawmakers “would rather demonize trans youth than focus on solving real issues like tackling gun violence beating back this pandemic and rebuilding our economy,” Bonta said.

The state law has exemptions for some trips, such as travel needed to enforce California law and to honor contracts signed before the states were added to the list. Travel to conferences or out-of-state training are examples of trips that can be blocked.

It’s unclear what effect California’s travel ban will have. Bonta did not have information about how many state agencies have stopped sending state employees to the states on the list or the financial impact of California’s travel ban on those states.