Florida parental rights bill sponsor rejects and returns Disney donations after company protests law

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Gov. Ron DeSantis responds to leaked Disney comments about parental rights bill

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., joins 'Tucker Carlson Tonight'

A Florida Republican lawmaker who sponsored a controversial parental rights bill that has been publicly opposed by the Disney corporation has announced he is giving back political donations he received from the company. 

"What has become clear to me is Disney is no longer the company Walt Disney founded," Rep. Joe Harding told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. "Disney has regurgitated the lies put out by the president and the Democratic Party and regardless of the cost I do not want any association with them. If Disney is now the enemy of parents then Disney is now my enemy."

FILE PHOTO: Fireworks go off around Cinderella's castle during the grand opening ceremony for Walt Disney World's Fantasyland  (REUTERS/Scott Audette/File Photo)

Harding said that he will be returning $3,126 in political donations associated with Disney.

"As a company whose primary audiences are young children and families, Disney has let us down through its complicity with the false narratives pushed by liberal media, who have repeatedly mischaracterized the content of my legislation," Harding added in a press release. "Some radical elements of our society are embracing an idea that parents are unsuited to be parents and that schools have a primary role in determining when and how young children are exposed to sexual topics. I invite Disney to reconsider its position and join forces with those of us who support parents first."

DESANTIS SAYS DISNEY 'CROSSED THE LINE' FOR CRITICIZING PARENTAL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION BILL

Harding’s move comes days after Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a seven-page bill into law that prohibits the instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade classrooms. 

Disney, which operates Walt Disney World in Florida, has publicly slammed Republicans over the bill and some employees of the company walked out of work last week to show their disapproval with both the bill and a perceived lack of opposition from Disney leadership when the bill was first being debated.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey DeSantis walk at Ocala International Airport in Ocala, Florida, Oct. 23, 2020.  (REUTERS/Tom Brenner)

GOV. RON DESANTIS DISMISSES DISNEY BACKLASH TO EDUCATION BILL: 'THEY WERE NOT EVEN ENGAGED' IN PROCESS

"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," Disney said in a statement on Monday after the bill was passed. "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. 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."

The bill, which passed the Republican-controlled state legislature this month, has been dubbed the "Don’t Say Gay" bill by Democrats who misleadingly claim it bans any discussion pertaining to being gay in Florida schools. 

The bill does prohibit classroom instruction on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" with children in third grade or younger, "or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."

The bill does not ban the word "gay" in school settings, and it does not ban casual discussions of topics relating to sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom.

DeSantis responded to Disney’s criticism and said the company "crossed the line."

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

(Courtesy Rep. Joe Harding)

DeSantis added, "[Disney] didn’t seem to have a problem with it when it was going through. If this was such an affront, why weren’t they speaking up at the outset? And then for them to say they're going to actively work to repeal substantive protections for parents as a company that is supposedly marketing its services to parents with young children — I think they crossed the line." 

Recent polling has shown that the bill is popular among Florida voters including 52% of likely voters in the Democratic primary who say that they oppose the kind of teaching that the bill prohibits.

Fox News’ Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report.