Disney will dress Mickey and Minnie Mouse in rainbow colours at its first ever “Pride Nite” as the company escalates its war with Ron DeSantis over Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
According to Disney, its favourite characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, will wear special rainbow costumes at the June 13 event in its California theme park to celebrate LGBTQ culture.
Those attending the after-hours Pride Month event will enjoy Pride-themed entertainment, specialty menu items, merchandise and more, according to Disney Parks Blog.
In a poster for the event, characters are dressed head to toe in the colours of the LGBT pride flag. A cartoon Minnie Mouse has a rainbow-bow in her hair while Donald wears a bucket hat and colourful jersey.
The presumptive 2024 presidential candidate, Mr DeSantis has been at odds with Disney since it publicly condemned legislation that prohibits teachings about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida primary schools.
In response, Mr DeSantis labelled the state’s single largest private employer “woke” and threatened to remove its special tax status.
The feud intensified when the 44-year-old Republican created a new board to oversee Disney World, which failed. The clash escalated further on Monday, hours before Disney announced its California Pride Month event, when Mr DeSantis vowed to stop Disney’s efforts to circumvent state oversight.
The governor said that a bill would be introduced in the state legislature next week to impose new inspection regulations on the company.
“We are a government of laws, not a government of individual men or even a government of ‘woke’ corporations based in California,” Mr DeSantis said.
Mr DeSantis has been trying to remove a decades-old provision that gives Disney special self-governing status, meaning that it has its own police and fire departments, as well as planning powers.
Disney CEO Bob Iger criticised the plan as “anti-business” and “anti-Florida” in a shareholders’ call earlier this month.
During the same press conference, Mr DeSantis, who is expected to declare his run in the coming months, also threatened to build a state prison next to Orlando’s Walt Disney World Resort.
Mr Iger had told TIME magazine last week that he wants to end the feud with the governor by sitting down and talking it out.
“I do not view this as a going-to-mattresses situation for us,” he said.
He added that he has always been a person “that typically has respected our elected officials and the responsibility that they have”. He also said there is “no reason” why he would not meet with Mr DeSantis.
Former president Donald Trump criticised his rival’s feud with Disney on Tuesday, writing in a Truth Social post that the governor is being “absolutely destroyed by Disney”.
“Disney’s next move will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor. That would be a killer. In the meantime, this is all so unnecessary, a political STUNT!” Mr Trump said.
Other Republicans were sceptical of Mr DeSantis’ seemingly anti-business stance.
“I don’t think Ron DeSantis is a conservative, based on his actions towards Disney,” added Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor.
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