Ted Cruz thinks Disney's opposition to Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill means we'll soon see Mickey Mouse having sex with Pluto.
HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, was recently signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. It prohibits 'the classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity' in the state's primary schools.
While Disney's CEO Bob Chapek initially refused to comment on the legislation, the company has since publicly opposed it following backlash from employees.
In a letter to Disney workers, Chapek wrote: "It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights."
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During a live recording of his Verdict With Ted Cruz podcast, he said: "I think there are people who are misguided, trying to drive, you know, Disney stepping in, saying, you know, in every episode now they’re gonna have, you know, Mickey and Pluto going at it. Like, really?
"It’s just like, come on guys, these are kids, and you know, you could always shift to Cinemax if you want that. Like, why do you have – it used to be, look, I’m a dad. You used to be able to put your kids on the Disney Channel and be like, alright, something innocuous will happen.”
Cruz has been mocked across social media since his comments came out, with one user tweeting: "Mickey and Pluto is quite honestly amateur hour, if you wanna see the good stuff check out what those seven dwarfs get into with Goofy."
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Another wrote: "Definitely didn't have Ted Cruz fantasising on a podcast about Mickey Mouse and Pluto knocking boots on my 2022 Bingo card."
A third tweeted: "What is wrong with these people? Ted Cruz is so homophobic he's imagining Mickey and Pluto f***ing."
A fourth wrote: "Why is Ted Cruz talking about a porno where Mickey Mouse and Pluto are doing the sex? Is... is he ok?"
Unless this wasn't already obvious, Disney hasn't announced any official plans to depict Mickey Mouse and Pluto – or any other characters, for that matter – having sex.
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In a statement, Disney said: "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"Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organisations working to achieve that."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
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Cameron Frew