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| While Disney trolls Florida Gov Ron DeSantis with the announcement of a huge LGBTQ Pride event, one of his most prominent allies committed suicide after accusations of sexual misconduct with an underage girl. |
Florida Gov Ron DeSantis is banking on his culture war attacks to pave his road to the presidency. Two recent events underscore the messes he may have put himself in by accepting the mantle of conservative culture warrior.
The first involves his ever increasing war against Disney. From The Business Insider:
Disney publicized its first LGBTQ event at Disneyland shortly after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference that he could build a state prison next to Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort. Disney tweeted on Monday afternoon that "Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite" would be coming to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, during Pride Month. The two-night event, which will be held on June 13 and 15 inside the amusement park, will celebrate the LGBTQ communities and allies, Disneyland said in a blog. The move was seemingly the latest development in a public spat between Disney and DeSantis, which began in early 2022 when Disney said it would work to repeal Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law. DeSantis has strongly defended the controversial legislation — which limits classroom instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation — and has pushed his administration to expand the law to all grades.
From The Independent:
Disney's pride event will be an after-hours celebration and will require a separate ticket to attend. “The first-ever Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite is coming to @Disneyland during Pride Month in June! This separately ticketed event celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community & allies will have themed entertainment, Disney characters, specialty menu items & more,” Disney announced in a Twitter post featuring its iconic characters in rainbow-themed costumes.
Disney is obviously using the event to troll DeSantis and that can be seen as funny. However, the next trouble for DeSantis isn't so hilarious. And it speaks to the irony of him targeting the LGBTQ community as he implies that he is shielding kids from sexual abuse.
According to an exclusive report from the Daily Mail, a prominent donor to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis committed suicide after he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an underaged female teen. Kent Stermon killed himself in December shortly after the victim's father turned down a "five-figure" hush-money offer and reported him to the police instead, the Mail reported."The prominent DeSantis ally and GOP donor, who was based in Jacksonville, Florida, was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the girl, for whom he obtained highly sought-after Taylor Swift concert tickets which he said he'd give her if she sent him a photo of her breasts," the Mail's report stated."After the girl reluctantly complied, Stermon insisted she collect the tickets at his office – but when she turned up he refused to let her leave until she 'showed him the real thing,' law enforcement sources say. The teenager balked at the idea and he eventually let her go." After the girl told her father and boyfriend about the encounter, her father angrily confronted Stermon at an arranged meeting at a diner, according to the report. When Stermon offered the father a hush payment, the father refused.
Thus far, DeSantis has not addressed the situation with his deceased ally. But no doubt when and if he does, expect him to play the victim and blame the press for it all.
