Tournament of Roses Redefines Family

Citizen Link - Focus on the Family ^ | August 11, 2004 | Trish Amason

[bboop]

Next year's Rose Parade theme is "Celebrate Family" -- and organizers say that includes homosexual families, too.

The Tournament of Roses has been roundly criticized for its plans to celebrate homosexual families at its 2005 Rose Parade, but officials are not backing down.

So far, it looks like no homosexual groups have signed up to produce a float, but there have been reports that several gay-friendly businesses that usually sponsor ornate floats in the parade are considering incorporating homosexual families along with traditional families on their floats.

The parade, which carries the theme of "Celebrate Family," will be held on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif.

Back in February, Bill Flinn, chief operating officer of the Tournament of Roses, said in an interview with the homosexual publication 365Gay.com that "the definition of family really sits with the individual and we are not defining family."

Pro-family groups couldn't disagree more.

"They absolutely are defining family," said Glenn Stanton, senior analyst for marriage and sexuality at Focus on the Family. "By saying, 'Here are all the wonderful families we are going to celebrate,' that is exactly what they are saying, so they are defining family."

Stanton dismissed as "illogical" Flinn's statement about how an individual defines what a family is.

"Family is a very specific thing," he said. "There are all kinds of different families, but we have to understand that family always brings men and women together. (Men and women help to create families by coming) together to create a marriage and to create mothers and fathers for children.

"There are families that do not always meet that ideal and standard and a good and compassionate society comes to the aid of motherless and fatherless families, but society never intentionally creates those families or celebrates them."

Ron Prentice, executive director of California Family Council, agreed.

"There is absolutely no merit to (Flinn) saying that they are not defining families by virtually opening it to any definition of family that any one might choose," he said. "We know that homosexual activists choose to promote themselves at every available opportunity."

CitizenLink's calls and e-mails to the Tournament of Roses requesting information were not returned.

TAKE ACTION It is important that pro-family groups continue to put pressure on the Tournament of Roses officials, urging them not to include homosexuals in their celebration of the family during the 2005 Rose Parade.

You can do that by calling 626-449-4100 or faxing 626-449-9066. If you would like to send an e-mail please visit our CitizenLink Action Center.

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[jocon307]

"I'll be making my call."

Me too. I have my own little tradition of watching this parade every year. This year I even had my HGTV wallpaper from their rose bowl parade website up until about 2 wks ago when I changed it to "Bush Country". These people obviously need a very loud wake up call. It is one of my life's dreams to travel to Pasadena to see this parade in person. Why must the left ruin everything. Actually I can't blame the left for this, this is traditional America commtting cultural suicide.

How'd you like your daughter to be the Rose Queen of this year's parade.

Oh yeah, pinging this. I'll be phoning them first thing (their time) tomorrow (that'll be lunch time for me, so that works out fine).

[DoughtyOne]

Good for you.

[mathurine]

I won't be watching. I could hardly stand it when they were straight.

[jocon307]

"Good for you."

Thanks, I should probably contact HGTV too, they have really made broadcasting this parade commercial-free a big thing the past few years. For all the decorating and gardening shows I have no doubt that most of their viewers are morally straight suburban Americans. People like me (even though I am a big, bad, city girl) who do not hate gay people, but who certainly do NOT want to "celebrate" their "lifestyle".

[NEW YORKCITYGOPMAN]

Post #7, my post, did the renaming from ROSES to PANSIES.

Thanks.

NEWYORKCITYGOPMAN

[ItsOurTimeNow]

- Homosexual Agenda PING -

The culture war presses on.

Resist at all costs.

(If you want on or off this ping list, please Freepmail me.)

*Use post in well-ventilated area, and only with adult supervision*

[L.N. Smithee]

I wonder if this move is motivated by the fact that for the last two years, the San Francisco [Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and-who-knows-what-all] Pride Parade claims that it has surpassed the Tournament of Roses Parade as the best-attended such event in the USA.

[sasafras]

I hope some corp, probably Disney, will sponsor their float. Most people might not care but I wont buy their crap.