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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says Disney 'crossed the line' with its statement pledging to push for a piece of state legislation to be repealed or overturned
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says Disney 'crossed the line' with its statement pledging to push for a piece of state legislation to be repealed or overturned

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that Disney has "crossed the line" by declaring that it will push for a recently approved piece of legislation to either be repealed by the state legislature or rejected by the courts.

The Sunshine State's governor on Monday signed the "Parental Rights in Education" bill, which critics have been erroneously referring to as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

One of the provisions included in the measure prohibits teaching children about gender identity or sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grade: "Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards," the text states.

The Walt Disney Company issued a statement on Monday decrying the legislation, and vowing to advocate for it to be abolished.

"Florida's HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law. Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that," Disney's statement declared. "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."

DeSantis called out Disney for issuing the statement, declaring on Tuesday that Florida is run based on the interests of Floridians, not by business executives.

"This state is governed by the interests of the people of the state of Florida. It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives. They do not run this state. They do not control this state," DeSantis declared.

DeSantis: Disney 'crossed the line' over so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill | LiveNOW from FOXwww.youtube.com

The debate over the legislation highlights a deep cultural chasm. Disney's statement sparked backlash from some on social media. But leftists have been publicly decrying the Florida legislation.

Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, falsely claimed on Monday that the Florida governor had signed legislation to make recognizing the "existence" of LGBT people unlawful.

"Every LGBTQ student, teacher, parent, nurse, astronaut, mechanic, soldier, etc in Florida is still LGBTQ. The governor can sign a bill making it illegal to acknowledge their existence, but he can’t make them disappear with a pen. Love will always win, friends. Onward," Chasten Buttigieg tweeted.

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