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DeSantis Threatens to Strip Disney of Special Status in Florida Over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Feud

The Republican, who many believe will run for president in 2024, is taking aim at the entertainment behemoth over a new “Don’t Say Gay” law Disney has chosen to ignore.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken his disapproval of Disney’s condemnation of his “Don’t Say Gay” legislation to new heights, threatening to strip the entertainment behemoth of a special status that allows it to run like a city-state around its Orlando theme park. The status, which has been in place for 55 years, has allowed Disney to ignore a law that DeSantis pushed through that bans schools from teaching young children about sexual orientation or gender identity. Disney immediately said it would work to get the law repealed, drawing heavy criticism from the Republican governor, who said the company “crossed the line.” Late Thursday DeSantis suggested he had the power to strip the company—Florida’s largest employer—of its privileges. “Disney has alienated a lot of people now,” DeSantis said at a West Palm Beach press conference, according to CNN. “And so the political influence they’re used to wielding, I think has dissipated. And so the question is, why would you want to have special privileges in the law at all? And I don’t think that that we should.” Disney has not yet responded.