Conservative commentator Candace Owens called for a boycott of Disney a day after The Daily Wire announced plans to invest millions of dollars into children's entertainment.
The move is in response to the company's opposition to Florida's new "Don't Say Gay" law. Supporters of the legislation say it prevents children from learning about topics regarding sexuality, however lawmakers received backlash from many who said the law will prevent any discussion of LGBTQ people in schools. After Disney announced its opposition of the bill, many conservatives began denouncing the company.
On Thursday, Owens—whose weekly talk show is hosted on The Daily Wire, which is a conservative news outlet, slammed Disney in a tweet calling for a boycott in response to its statement condemning the law.
"Child groomers and pedophiles. They have now openly admitted they have a not so secret agenda with your children," she wrote. "This is the death of Disney. #BoycottDisney."
Child groomers and pedophiles.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) March 31, 2022
They have now openly admitted they have a not so secret agenda with your children.
This is the death of Disney. #BoycottDisney https://t.co/VPT4i6WS6i
Her call to boycott the company comes as The Daily Wire announced it would pour at least $100 million into children's entertainment over the next three years. The money will go to creating live-action and animated children's entertainment on the company's streaming platform, according to a press release last week.
"Americans are tired of giving their money to woke corporations who hate them," the company's CEO Jeremy Boreing wrote in the statement. "They're tired of giving their money to woke media companies who want to indoctrinate their children with radical race and gender theory."
Disney, after facing backlash from LGBTQ advocates for its silence on the new law, eventually condemned the bill, writing in a statement that its goal is to see the law either be repealed or struck down. The company has also announced measures aimed at inclusivity for the LGBTQ community, including removing gendered greetings in its parks, located near Orlando.
For example, the phrase "dreamers of all ages" has replaced its original saying: "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls" for announcements during the Magic Kingdom fireworks show.
The company's opposition to the legislation has sparked criticism from Republicans, with some lawmakers threatening to reverse government favors that have helped Disney operate its parks in Florida since it opened in 1967.
"If it were up to me, I'd call a special session and Disney would lose all of it. If they're governed by local authorities, it's not going to be pretty for them—they'll be subject to all sorts of crazy taxes, rules and regulations. It will make life a living hell for them. They'll be regulated like everybody else," Florida state Representative Anthony Sabatini told Newsweek.
Initially, the company remained quiet about the law while facing criticism for its donations to lawmakers who voted for it, with opponents of the law calling for a boycott at first.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
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