WaPo: “Disney announced on Friday that it would pause all political donations in Florida in the wake of a controversial state bill that restricts discussion of LGBTQ issues in public schools. Over the last few weeks, the company had received criticism for remaining silent about what critics call the “don’t say gay” bill, which is expected to be signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
In a statement sent to employees on Friday, Disney CEO Bob Chapek also announced that the company would increase support for advocacy groups fighting similar laws elsewhere (such as one recently introduced in Georgia) and would reassess Disney’s political donation policies. Chapek apologized to the company’s workers for not making a statement sooner, writing, “You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down.” In response, DeSantis criticized what he called the company’s “woke” ideology.”