Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a war on “woke,” which to me means a war on young people, Black people, the queer and transgender, women, books and even the Black History AP exam if it mentions anything negative about white people, particularly as it relates to slavery and discrimination.
I’m not sure how you can teach real American history without mentioning slavery and the decimation of Indigenous people, but like many other authoritarians and racists, such as the Nazis, DeSantis wants to paint history in a light that he likes as opposed to speaking truth.
The governor has turned his sights on Disney because the company openly sided with its rainbow-embracing employees in opposition to the Parental Rights in Education Law, more commonly referred to as “Don’t Say Gay.” Under this law, teachers in Florida cannot mention the word “gay” or “transgender.” I am not sure how you can teach biology or sex education without addressing homosexuality or how some people identify with the gender other than the one they were assigned at birth.
DeSantis’ attacks on gay and transgender people have even led beloved Florida sports hero Dwyane Wade to quietly leave the Sunshine State for the sake of his family because he has a transgender daughter. Trying to raise a transgender child in this anti-gay and anti-transgender state must be traumatizing. I wish the Wade family well and to my fellow Heat fans, this will always be “Wade County.”
After Disney publicly spoke in opposition of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, DeSantis declared war on “Woke Disney.” The entertainment giant has long enjoyed a good relationship with every governor, whether Democrat or Republican, since Republican legislators granted it special taxing district status to lure the company to Florida to build its theme parks in 1967.
Since the parks opened in 1971, Disney has continuously improved its property, building more theme parks, hotels and other amenities. Under the special district status, Disney’s 25,000 acres is treated like a county, and the company manages its fire, police, energy, waste management and other services. Have you noticed that Disney’s law enforcement does not have any scandals tied to police brutality? Or how well maintained the roads are, how clean and environmentally conscious the property is, and how it has been consistently managed through those lenses?
Disney is the largest single-site employer in the United States and the second-largest employer in Florida after Publix Super Markets. Disney employs 75,000 people. It pays $1.2 billion in taxes and its economic impact on Florida is $75.2 billion dollars a year. Disney attracts 50 million visitors to Florida annually who rent cars, hotel rooms and houses and purchase millions of goods. Thousands of businesses employing thousands of people benefit from the tourists brought to Florida by Disney.
An intelligent governor wouldn’t attack the largest employer in their state. For instance, you do not hear about Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer attacking Ford and General Motors, nor does California Gov. Gavin Newsom attack Apple.
DeSantis may for his raw political ambitions want to attack a “woke” Mickey Mouse, but this is an incredibly short-sighted and stupid move. California, Texas, North Carolina and now South Carolina have laid out the welcome mat to Disney. In the case of the latter, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has invited Disney to relocate its theme parks to that state. She knows better than to turn away a major generator of jobs and tax revenue.
Our governor’s rhetoric and blatant attacks on Disney has led the company to file a First Amendment lawsuit against DeSantis and his hand-picked board. Disney has a good case. DeSantis, like Trump, has a big mouth and has repeatedly made public statements against Disney because they had the audacity to oppose him. His actions reflect a clear retaliation against protected speech.
As Disney’s complaint so plainly states, “In America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind.” The lawsuit accuses DeSantis of a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation of expressing a political viewpoint.”
So now, the governor’s idiocy will require Florida taxpayers to fund the legal fees necessary to defend DeSantis and his board against a very expensive, albeit unnecessary lawsuit. The DeSantis culture wars have not only chased Wade out of Florida, but many businesses and citizens are thinking of relocating, especially those that believe in diversity, equity and inclusion. Many of our progressive young people who are away at college are also saying they can’t imagine ever returning because they don’t recognize the hateful state in which they were raised.
Republican lawmakers have enacted the crazy legislation that DeSantis has desired to the detriment of all Floridians. They’ve even changed the rules so DeSantis can keep his governorship while he runs for president. This will allow him the opportunity to spend months on the campaign trail on our dime, while he neglects his duties as governor.
Reginald J. Clyne is a Miami trial lawyer who has practiced in some of the largest law firms in the United States. Clyne has been in practice since 1987 and tries cases in both state and federal court. He has lived in Africa, Brazil, Honduras and Nicaragua.