Disney Threatens to Boycott Georgia Over Anti-Gay Bill

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) regarding same-sex marriage. The amendment limits the actions of all state and local officials, including those acting on behalf of such an official.

Disney has the right to operate where ever it feels like. As do most companies in the US and abroad. But, they do not have the right to try to alter the legislative process of the state they work in. They can hire lobbyists to work the representatives to vote for the change they want.

McGentrix wrote:

Disney has the right to operate where ever it feels like. As do most companies in the US and abroad. But, they do not have the right to try to alter the legislative process of the state they work in. They can hire lobbyists to work the representatives to vote for the change they want.

Corporations try to alter the legislative process everywhere in the US, local, state and federal. They hire lobbyists, write model legislation, promise business in return for incentives, warn of dire consequences if certain laws are passed, etc. Disney's comments are pretty much right in line with typical business practices - make your local less friendly to our business and we will leave.

Georgia's governor veto's bill: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/georgia-anti-gay-bill-veto_us_56f93d5de4b014d3fe237e2a

, but trying to blackmail a state shouldn't be tolerated

Corporation's aren't people

Not really. I think there is a role for corporations to lobby the government. I'm not with the "corporations are people too" crowd, but clearly businesses are essential parts of the makeup of our country and they can articulate concerns that the typical American won't see.

I do worry that the ability of a corporation to influence policy is many times greater than the ability of a concerned citizen. The best we citizens can do it to elect representatives that look at the lobbying efforts of corporations and see which ones are a net positive for the community and which ones benefit a corporation at the expense of the community.

I think that Disney saying one of the considerations in deciding where they make movies is the climate for LGBT rights and if you pass this law, you effectively take yourself off the list is fine. It is the same as saying if your tax rate is too high you're off our list for a new factory. That happens all the time. Now the representatives have to decide if that "threat" outweighs the "benefit" to society of the law they passed. My opinion in this case is there is no benefit to the Georgia law (or the worse NC law that is not getting the same press coverage), so this one is a no brainer.

Does this only work for companies you agree with, or are you saying that this is OK for any business?

The law as written would have ZERO effect on Disney in any way shape or form.

Were I Georgia, I would point to the border and say "see ya." and see if a single company takes them up on it. I doubt they'd get many takers. They are in Georgia for a reason.

But, never has been for some greater good than profit.

When the people want a law passed, and it gets passed, it's no longer up for lobbying or debate. Corporations have no business worrying about the "community".

Just two weeks after announcing their plans to “open a new global operations center” in Charlotte, NC that would “employ over 400 people in skilled jobs,” PayPal has abandoned the project due to the state’s recently passed legislation that overturned every single anti-LGBT-discrimination measure in the state.

In a statement released Tuesday, PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman called their decision a “clear and unambiguous one,” explaining that “the new law...violates the values and principles that are at the core of PayPal’s mission and culture.”