The Walt Disney Company is set to lay off another 7,000 employees next week, Bloomberg reported. According to the report, the firm will cut 15% of the workforce from its entertainment division, including people in the fields of TV, movies and at its theme parks. Meanwhile, Disney seems to be losing the public relations battle in its ongoing feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Disney head Bob Iger revealed the plans to make the job cuts several months ago. He recently told Disney employees, “For our employees who aren’t impacted, I want to acknowledge that there will no doubt be challenges ahead as we continue building the structures and functions that will enable us to be successful moving forward. In tough moments, we must always do what is required to ensure Disney can continue delivering exceptional entertainment to audiences and guests around the world, now, and long into the future.”
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As for the company’s fight with Ron DeSantis, a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found that most voters support DeSantis’ attempt to limit Disney’s autonomy that the company enjoys in Florida. The poll showed that nationwide 56% of all voters are on DeSantis’ side in the dispute. DeSantis is winning with 73% of Republicans and 54% of independents.
The feud between Disney and Ron DeSantis began in March 2023, when Disney CEO Bob Chapek condemned Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The bill prohibits instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
DeSantis responded by signing a bill into law that stripped Disney of its self-governing authority over its 25,000-acre theme park resort in Orlando. The bill also revoked Disney’s special tax district, which had allowed the company to collect its own taxes and provide its own services, such as fire and police protection.
Disney sued Ron DeSantis and other state officials in April 2023, alleging that the law was a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” for the company’s stance on the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The company is seeking an injunction to block the law and unspecified monetary damages.
Ron DeSantis has defended the law, saying that it is necessary to protect parental rights. He has also accused Disney of being “woke” and of trying to indoctrinate children with its views on gender identity.
