Anti-Gay Christians at Disneyworld

[Crossbow]

Q: What is an anti-gay Christians favorite wine?

A: I want to go to Florida and protest the gays!

But seriously, those whacky Anti-Gay Christians are seeking permission to tow aireal banners over Disneyworld in order to advertise their web site to those attending the 13th Annual Gay Days celebration.

Oh! Thats is soooo sweeeet! For more details, please refer to the below account.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=718&e=10&u=/ap/20030604/ap_on_re_us/disney_flight_restrictions

Christian Group Seeks Disney Flyover OK

ORLANDO, Fla. - A conservative Christian organization wants the no-fly zone over Walt Disney World to be removed so it can fly banners touting an anti-homosexuality Web site over a gay festival this week.

...

The group hopes to include as part of its outreach planes pulling banners reading: "JESUS CHRIST: HOPE FOR HOMOSEXUALS.COM," according to Joe Glover, the organization's president.

[c4ts]

Here's a bit of advice for tourists. Never go to Disney on Gay Day, not because of the celebration itself, but because of the religious homophobes in the parking lot marching around with signs that say "Homosexuality Is A Sin" [sic] while singing "God hates fags" to the tune of Three Blind Mice.

[Yahzi]

I'm all for it, as long as the homos can bring anti-aircraft guns. It will be like another theme ride: shoot down the wacky freaks!

[Blue Monk]

Is anyone else as impressed as I am with Disney’s decision to have Gay day at their park in the first place?

I was amazed when I first heard this. I knew that Disney had long extended medical benefits to gay partners but I think that openly having a Gay day at their park is quite courageous.

Disney has always represented ‘wholesome’ and ‘family’ entertainment and is exactly the kind of enterprise one would expect to shy away from such a controversial subject. I for one, considering the nature of their business, would have understood if they had been reluctant to take a stand on this issue.

Yet here we have an example of a large corporation, with a great deal to lose, actually taking a stand for what they believe is correct.

One would expect some backlash but I for one am relieved to see that it is not more than it is. Disney has gone a long way, at great risk, to put forth the idea that ‘wholesome family values’ and ‘gay’ are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

[c4ts]

Originally posted by Yahzi
I'm all for it, as long as the homos can bring anti-aircraft guns. It will be like another theme ride: shoot down the wacky freaks!

So that's what's under the lake where the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride used to be!

[Crossbow]

I think it was former presidental canidate, and continous butt muncher, Pat Robertson who said that god would punish Florida with earthquakes, metor strikes, and hurricanes because Disney extended health benefits to life-partners as opposed to spouses.

One should expect such brave talk from the person who used his father's influence as a US Senator to bail him out of combat duty during the Korean War.

[Dancing David]

Maybe we can fly over the Vatican at the next election of a Pope

God may be Dead

[Barkhorn1x]

Originally posted by Blue Monk
Is anyone else as impressed as I am with Disney’s decision to have Gay day at their park in the first place?



Err...I may be wrong here but I don't think Gay Day is sanctioned by Disney. It is put together by gay groups who all travel to DW on the same day wearing t-shirts that proclaim their lifestyle.

I don't think the Disney company does anything to discourage them however - as they can claim that they have nothing to do w/ it but still get the buisness of this segment of the population.

Barkhorn.

[c4ts]

Originally posted by Dancing David
Maybe we can fly over the Vatican at the next election of a Pope

God may be Dead

And we'll hire a tightrope walker!

[neutrino_cannon]

Originally posted by Yahzi
I'm all for it, as long as the homos can bring anti-aircraft guns. It will be like another theme ride: shoot down the wacky freaks!

Hey, some SA-7's and 37mm ack ack, we'll have a day of it! I'm usualy against wholesale slaughter, but it's just too tempting, I mean, could you ask for a better target?

I would really like to meteor strikes that only hit one state. Hey, if they're that accurate maybe they could take out Pat Robertson! Shoot, with all those meteoriods floating around up there (another one of God's gifts, no doubt the almighty has some sort of asthetic feeling for lethal fragments hurtling about) I could assign targets at a one to one ratio! This will be fun.

[wert]

Originally posted by Barkhorn1x


Err...I may be wrong here but I don't think Gay Day is sanctioned by Disney. It is put together by gay groups who all travel to DW on the same day wearing t-shirts that proclaim their lifestyle.
You are correct. There is no "official" gay day at disney. They don't discourage it tho'.

[SortingItAllOut]

Hi,

Strange how some sins are singled out as more important and more sinful than others. Why do we not see big protests and demonstrations when the park is full of gossips? Certainly most of us have engaged in gossip before - most of us do it all the time.

It would seem to me that if god exists and god loves all humans, god would frown on this protesting. What is the goal of the protesting? Is it to change a person's heart? Seems like a backwards way of doing that!

I have no clue whether homosexuality is the result of something genetic or environmental. It doesn't really matter much to me. My babysitter growing up was gay - he took really good care of my siblings and me and was a wonderful human. The world would be a much better place with more folks like him in the world. I know a few gay guys at work and really couldn't care less about it - probably no more than they care about my private life. It saddens me when people can only see a person as "gay" or "black" or "poor" or whatever. Why must we try to pigeon-hole people?

Take care,
Sort:)

[Blue Monk]

Originally posted by Barkhorn1x


Err...I may be wrong here but I don't think Gay Day is sanctioned by Disney. It is put together by gay groups who all travel to DW on the same day wearing t-shirts that proclaim their lifestyle.

I don't think the Disney company does anything to discourage them however - as they can claim that they have nothing to do w/ it but still get the buisness of this segment of the population.

Barkhorn.

That's not entirely accurate.

While it is true that Disney had no part in it's conception it has however officially recognized the event since '93 and since that time has allowed it's cast members who wish to volunteer, to participate in costume.

It also allowed a documentary film crew a 1st time access to the park to document the event. It has also allowed promoters of the event access inside the park to distribute flyers promoting the event and has also provided promoters with special event tickets for that day.

While Disney does not rent the park out for private parties it has been clear for years that they openly welcome the Gay community and are not merely tolerating it, a point not missed by their detractors.

Disney has always responded to criticism concerning their cooperation in this event rather directly. They have never responded with safe legalese such as hiding behind the fact that they have no legal right to deny access based on someone's perceived sexual preference but have dealt with the issue head-on, repeatedly stating that everyone was welcome. Period.

A few years back there was an attempt by some stockholders to force their hand but Disney refused to back down.

While Disney may not have had a hand in Gay Day's actual organization they have been a leader in tolerance in it's hiring practices and it's support for the Gay community to attend it's parks, openly and in celebration and in the face of harsh criticism from it's core target customers and stockholders.

I do not believe that the revenues generated by this single day, as large as they may very well be, could ever come close to what Disney risks in backlash from it's world wide film distribution.

Corporations so often act inappropriately (and Disney has not always been a saint) that I think we really should applaud a business that take what I still feel to be a quite courageous stance and put what is morally right ahead of profits.

[consumptive_womble]

I almost want to admire Disney for their stance here. It is wonderful that they are being so progressive when faced with car parks full of protestors (Unless, as is probably the case, they keep nipping into the park for an overpriced drink).

Disney, however, is not a pleasant company. Time and again they have used their lobbying power to do obscene things to intellectual property laws every time Mickey Mouse reaches another big birthday. Their lawyers have very, very thin watches. There is an excellent online lecture in and around the subject by Prof. Lawrence Lessig here:
http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/

In any case... It's probably bad that when I visited hopeforhomosexuals.com my first thought was, "Hrmm.. the guy in the banner's pretty cute." Perhaps a design rethink is in order.

[Frostbite]

I don't get this. It's nobody's business what other people do in private, nor should they wanna even know.

[Blue Monk]

Originally posted by consumptive_womble
Disney, however is not a pleasant company.

Oh, I'll buy that.

They have been bullies when it comes to some certain land deals. If I remember correctly they were recently leaning pretty heavy on some people trying to acquire a civil war battle site. I think they lost but I'm not sure.

I also remember an article about how some cast members had to go to court to get the right to wash their own costumes under garments. Disney had insisted that it be done in house but were doing a bad job and some of the folks were getting rashes and crabs, hehe.

I'm just of the mind that if I'm going to b*tch about these corporations when they do wrong(and I do) I should be fair and applaud them when they do right.

[aggle_rithm]

Originally posted by Dancing David
Maybe we can fly over the Vatican at the next election of a Pope

God may be Dead

When the Vatican has a Gay Day, it's time for the Apocolypse. :D

[consumptive_womble]

I'm just of the mind that if I'm going to b*tch about these corporations when they do wrong(and I do) I should be fair and applaud them when they do right.

Actually that's a very balanced perspective. I suppose what I should have said was more something along the lines of, "well, I welcome this, but on the whole I'm still not a huge Disney fan."

[Barkhorn1x]

Originally posted by Blue Monk


That's not entirely accurate.

Disney has always responded to criticism concerning their cooperation in this event rather directly. They have never responded with safe legalese such as hiding behind the fact that they have no legal right to deny access based on someone's perceived sexual preference but have dealt with the issue head-on, repeatedly stating that everyone was welcome. Period.



Thanks for more complete info. Blue - I had a feeling i didn't know the whole story.

Barkhorn.

[Crossbow]

- UPDATE -

To those of you who have been following this story, I just wanted to pass on that a judge who has been reviewing the flight restrictions over Disneyworld has upheld these restrictions. In other words, the anti-gay Christians will not be able to tow their banners over the park.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030605/ap_on_re_us/disney_flight_restrictions_4

Judge Refuses to Lift Disney No-Fly Zone

ORLANDO, Fla. - A federal judge Thursday refused to lift the no-fly zone over Walt Disney World so that an anti-homosexuality group could fly banners over the amusement park during the annual Gay Days celebration

...

[c4ts]

I remember when, before 9-11, they used to fly banners over Disney all the time.