Posted on 01/13/2005 9:15:02 AM PST by presidio9
Telluride's Mountain Village will host Gay Ski Week next month, an event that has stirred debate among residents of the posh ski -resort and the funky Victorian town a few miles away.
In a community that prides itself on diversity, a controversy erupted last month when a resident of Mountain Village wrote a letter to the editor of a local newspaper, questioning why the ski village would promote the gay ski event, which takes place Feb. 26 to March 6.
The letter struck a nerve in the community.
"It was definitely vociferous. It's to be expected," said Suzanne Cheavens, editor of the Telluride Daily Planet. "We're a progressive, liberal sort of place."
Many residents, and even former residents, wrote to voice their support for the village's sponsorship of the ski week, which coincides with the Telluride AIDS Benefit.
"This community is so accepting of absolutely anything," said Ron Gilmer, a letter writer and AIDS activist who spoke by phone Wednesday from Telluride, where he has lived for 13 years.
After the flurry of letters was published, a Web site that publishes an online guide to Telluride, posted a warning to alert families considering a ski vacation about the Gay Ski Week event.
"We weren't trying to be judgmental. The issue isn't having a gay ski week," said Al Heirich, a longtime local resident who operates the site. "Anybody has a right to informatively let folks know what's going to be going on in a small town."
Heirich says he posted the alert after visitors to his site had inquired about the controversy they had seen on the local paper's Web site.
Now he's in a dispute with the ski area.
Telluride ski resort has asked the site to remove links to its Web site. Heirich says he has done so.
"It was unauthorized, and we felt he really didn't represent Telluride or the Telluride ski resort," said Maryhelyn Kirwan, ski resort spokeswoman.
Kirwan said the ski resort expects to host a variety of groups throughout the season, including many Christian and religious groups, college groups and youth groups.
Mountain Village spokeswoman Kerri Cardin said the resort's first gay-oriented ski week in 2004 attracted about 250-300 people, although the village was not a sponsor that year.
Aspen is among the ski resorts hosting gay ski weeks. This year's event runs Sunday to Jan. 23.
"However, that's beside the point because Disney does not in fact HAVE a gay day. Gays take it upon themselves to descend en mass.
"
That's very true. Disney, does, however, officially sponsor the Night of Joy Christian celebration. I don't suppose Disney could keep gays out of the park, as long as they buy tickets. The local hotels, etc., probably don't mind the revenue of these announced events, even if they don't sponsor them.
What's funny is that this Telluride thing drew 350 people, at most, last year. That number would be dwarfed by all the other visitors to the ski areas there. You'd hardly notice them at all.
I'm sure that's not the case at Disneyworld's unofficial event. I'd guess the park is pretty much swarmed by gay visitors. I wouldn't go to the park that day, either, because I dislike loud noisy crowds, whatever their affiliations.
My favorite convention experience happened at a hotel in Pomona, California. I was there to attend a trade show at the fairgrounds. But...booked into the hotel was a conference of deaf people. It was the quietest convention I had ever seen, but I felt left out of all those interesting conversations you can normally eavesdrop on at conventions. I don't understand ASL.
Quote: NAAWP - Nat'l Assoc. for the Advancement of White People you'll never see it.
You will also never see WET. White Entertainment Televsision
Well the straights still have "The Breeders Cup".
You are one sick a$$hole, no pun intended.
Why would an atheist like you attend a Christian "outfest"?
It's not that us conservatives don't like gays, we just don't like having their agenda forced upon us with their hate-crime b/s legislation in the name of tolerance.
You see what these gays do is PUT THERE PRIVATE PARTS INTO EAHC OTHER'S FECAL MATTER, AND THEN PUT IT IN THEIR MOUTHS.
But I'm sure you know and approve of that. I'll sit back and wait for your reply comparing that behavior with the behavior of those who follow Christ.
Since you did not read my post carefully, allow me to summarize:
Disney bills itself as the home of wholesome entertainment. So a young Christian festival would tend to make SOME sense. There is nothing intrinsically gay about skiing.
I imagine, if someone found a way to market to Catholics, they would do so.
"You are one sick a$$hole, no pun intended.
Why would an atheist like you attend a Christian "outfest"?
"
Wow! Thanks for the kind words.
I attended that revival on the invitation of my mother-in-law. The music was good, and the leader was a good speaker. Do Christians not want atheists to attend such events? I thought that was the idea...
Based on viewer demographics, C-Span is WET.
From your personal page:
" hate it when FReepers can't be civil to each other. But I'll get in your knickers if I must. "
"Disney bills itself as the home of wholesome entertainment. So a young Christian festival would tend to make SOME sense. There is nothing intrinsically gay about skiing.
"
I understood your post. You're right, there is nothing intrinsically gay about skiing. There's nothing intrinsically heterosexual about it either. I guess I fail to see the problem of some business organization hosting a "gay day" if they deem it useful. If they're wrong, it will backfire on them and prove to be a poor decision. If they're right, then they'll probably do it again.
I also see no problem with people protesting such things, if that's what they want to do. If they prevail, then the "gay day" thing will end. If they do not, then they don't get what they want.
There's a large church in my community that advertises its acceptance of gays and lesbians into its congregation. It's quite successful and has one of the largest congregations in the city. If it didn't work, they'd be out of commission. There are also churches here which don't welcome gays and lesbians. They're doing OK, too. Seems a wash to me.
Please. Do you really believe that nobody markets to Catholics? How are gays marketed to? Are you unaware of the fact that there are many more Catholic media outlets that gay ones? This is stupidity or a conscious decision that more people would be offended by a Catholic week than a gay week. And I think there's something wrong with that.
Skiing is the most fun you can have with your clothes on...
"I'm waiting for "Gay Days" at this festival"
I doubt you'll find "Christian Days" there, either. I went to the site and checked out the photos and some of the novelty items they sell there. It's borderline porn.
But then, they don't HAVE a "hetrosexual week," do they?
I think it crossed the border miles ago...
"But then, they don't HAVE a "hetrosexual week," do they?"
Not officially, certainly, but every week is heterosexual week at the ski resorts. To understand that, you have only to go into any restaurant or bar at any time during ski season. Testosterone and Estrogen hang heavy in the air all the time.
The mating dance at ski areas is continuous, making it heterosexual week for the whole season.
What I am trying to say is this: Did the website have the right to publish the gay week and let people know? Yes, they did. Do straights have the right to know what is going on in the way of special events such as a gay week that they feel might expose their children to a life style they don't necessarily agree with ? IMO yes, they do.
This is all the article is about, not if you like gays, don't like them, but about freedom of speech and choice.
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