“Disney has gone too far. The people of Florida have revolted, and it’s going to cost Disney big time.”
So said Franklin Graham regarding the controversy surrounding the formerly family-friendly corporation in its battle with Florida over sexuality explicit and immoral teaching for very young children.
Graham, son of the famed late evangelist Billy Graham who heads the Samaritan’s Purse humanitarian organization, made his comments over the weekend on Facebook.
Graham praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who led the state legislature to revoke the special status of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the quasi-government institution overseeing Orlando-area properties of the Walt Disney Company.
“Thank God for Governor Ron DeSantis who is willing to take a bold stand,” Graham said. “We need more leaders like him. God bless him and the Florida legislature.”
Recent conflict between the Disney corporation and DeSantis stems from Florida’s passage of the Parental Rights in Education Bill, which prohibits teaching of sexual orientation and identity concepts to children from kindergarten through third grade.
Pressured by LGBTQ activists — primarily Disney employees — the entertainment company’s CEO, Bob Chapek, publicly advocated against the parental rights bill, misnamed the “don’t say gay bill.”
Chapek’s actions prompted DeSantis to go after the Reedy Creek arrangement, which dated back to the late 1960s just before the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971.
Graham accused Disney of being a “moral failure.”
“Walt Disney had a vision for wholesome family entertainment,” Graham said. “He was committed to the family. The morals of the corporate leadership of Disney today are in the gutter, and they want to redefine family counter to God’s original design and flaunt sin.”
Graham also said, “LGBTQ activists are using corporations to force their agenda on the public, and companies may want to take another look at what they are allowing to happen.”
In what may or may not be a coincidence, ExxonMobile announced it will not allow flying of rainbow flags outside of its facilities in June, which has been designated LGBTQ Pride month, according to Forbes.
The energy company also will not publicly advocate for groups like Black Lives Matter.
There’s been some pushback against ExxonMobile’s new position as members of its Houston chapter of PRIDE say they’ll not participate in gay pride activities in Houston in June.
Graham also received criticism for his Facebook post regarding Disney and DeSantis, with repeated comments questioning his Christianity and accusing him of hatred.
The critics show no awareness that Christians reflect God’s true love by adherence to his moral law.
And people are forgetting the carefully guarded family image Disney once had.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
