President Joe Biden called out Florida Republicans because of legislation in the state revoking Disney World's special tax status over the company's opposition to the Sunshine State's Parental Rights in Education law.
During a fundraiser event Thursday in Seattle, the president suggested that there is "nothing conservative" about Florida Republicans targeting Disney.
"I respect conservatives," Biden said. "There's nothing conservative about deciding you're going to throw Disney out of its present posture because, Mickey Mouse? In fact, do you think we should not be able to say, you know, 'gay?'"
"I mean, what's going on here? What the hell is going on? And it’s just, it's so, I don't believe it's where the vast majority of the American people are," he continued.
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Friday ending Disney World's special tax status that previously allowed the amusement park to act as its own local government. The bill was introduced by Florida state lawmakers after Disney released a statement last month condemning the state's parental rights bill, which DeSantis signed into law late last month.
The parental rights bill prohibits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in grades kindergarten through third grade and limits age-inappropriate discussions of sexuality in other grades.
Dubbed by critics as the "Don't say gay" bill despite there being no mention of a ban on the word, H.B. 1557 also allows parents to access their children's education and health records and requires schools to notify parents of changes to their child's mental, physical or emotional well-being. The bill exempts schools from disclosing information to parents if a "reasonably prudent person" would be concerned that doing so could result in abuse, abandonment or neglect.
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Legislation mirroring Florida's parental rights law has since been introduced in other states, including Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and Ohio.
Disney said in its March 28 statement that Florida parental rights legislation "should never have passed and should never have been signed into law" and that Disney's goal "is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that."
"We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country," the statement continued.
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