Gay Days at Disneyland Draw Conservative, Hispanic Ire

In promoting its 3rd Annual Fiesta Latina, California's Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., urges consumers to "Celebrate with us during these great days of family fun" over four consecutive weekends ending Oct. 4 and 5.

But it is the final weekend of Fiesta Latina, which coincides with the annual Gay Days at Disneyland, that has cultural conservatives and at least one Hispanic organization complaining that the resort will exude something other than a family-friendly environment.

Gay Days at Disneyland, now in its sixth year, began Friday and lasts through the weekend. Thousands of red-shirted homosexuals are expected to attend. The website devoted to the event advertises "Queens in the Kingdom, the Ultimate Gay & Lesbian Guide to the Disney Theme Parks." Among other things, the guide promises "details on the best place to steal a private moment" at Gay Days.

Fiesta Latina features Latin music, dancing, crafts and cultural foods. Critics of Gay Days accuse the Disney Corporation of using the homosexual event to boost attendance at Fiesta Latina, which last year concluded on the last weekend of September instead of the first weekend of October.

The Christian Action Network, a non-profit, pro-family organization, recently launched a a href="http://www.StopGayDays.com website to publicize what it called "an outrage that Walt Disney World in Orlando is allowing the open display of offensive and illegal homosexuality during 'Gay Days at Walt Disney World.'"

During the Gay Days event at the larger Disney World in June, members of the Christian Action Network videotaped activities and released an edited compilation of the video to the press, labeling it "an orgy of depravity." Gay Days at Disney World has been held each year since 1991.

Martin Mawyer, president of the Christian Action Network, said the launch of the website was timed to inform the public about the homosexual event at Disneyland.

"In the wake of this upcoming homosexual event at Disneyland, we felt the strong need to get this website up and running to warn and educate families," Mawyer stated in a release.

David Padilla, chairman of the Republican Alliance of Orange County, Calif., which includes Anaheim, also criticized Disney's decision to hold the two events on the same weekend.

"[Disney is] not as culture sensitive as [it] purports if they're bringing in Latino families" at the same time the Gay Days event is taking place, Padilla said.

The Hispanic population in Orange County is "very traditional, very religious," Padilla added, pointing to the heavy Catholic and evangelical segments of the Hispanic community.

Most Hispanics, Padilla said, do not focus on homosexuality as a political issue. "They're too busy putting food on the table...or educating their kids." However, "the values they embrace are conservative and traditional." Many Hispanics oppose the "gay lifestyle because of their beliefs...like a lot of pro-family organizations," Padilla added.

Telephone phone calls to the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) seeking comment for this story were not returned.

Disneyland spokeswoman Jeannine O'Malley said the Disney resorts do not sponsor Gay Days or Gay Days-related events. "They are organized by private groups and held at various locations throughout the nation at different times of the year. Our resort is open every day to everyone, and we do not discriminate against any person or groups on any basis," O'Malley said.

Gay Days time again, huh? This is the text of our letter to Disney after we were ambushed last year. We recieved a standard "legalese" reply from Disney distancing themselves from the whole thing. We'll never go back. The only thing these people will understand is the bottom line. $$$

__Original Letter__________________________________________

Walt Disney Company
Guest Relations
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA
91521                                                            9 October 2002

RE: Disney’s “Gay Day” ~

To Whom It May Concern:

        On October 5, 2002, our family visited, after more than a decade, Disneyland in Anaheim, California. After arriving, getting through the gate, and being committed to the day, we were chagrined and greatly annoyed to find out it was “Gay Day” at the park. In the planning for this event, we utilized the Disney.com website numerous times, and nowhere on the site were we warned of this event.

        Since then, we have made the effort to research this. To this point, we have found absolutely no reference to this event on any server or Internet resource connected to Walt Disney Company, yet there is an expansive GayDay.com website which chronicles this event extensively. Not a few Disney executives have been involved in and supported militant groups involved in the homosexual community.

        Some commentary from organizations and sites state Disney public relations people state, “we had no official dealings with the members of this group [Gay Day] and they were afforded no special privileges or considerations ... Disney neither condones or endorses this event.” This is simple double-speak. If Disney permits this type of event on their property, the endorsement is tacit. If the planning is this extensive, it’s obvious Disney administration has to deal in a comprehensive manner with the planners.

        Although the mass media, corporate America, and elitist social engineers and cultural Marxists of every stripe are broad in their efforts to “recondition” American culture to accept the homosexual lifestyle, a harmful life-style we believe is a choice through ignored scientific evidence and mocked and derided personal testimony from those who have left the gay culture, there are many parents who go to great lengths to protect and shield their children from this moral excess.

        Cultural Marxists, not able to prevail in the public marketplace of ideas, have since resorted to legal force, adroit manipulation, and coercion to constrain mainstream America to accept their “progressive” agenda. It is nothing of the sort. It is tyranny, and to be denounced and condemned.

        It is logical to assume, in light of the evidence, that Walt Disney Company intentionally “overlooks” publicizing this event through their extensive media resources and outlets because, no doubt, the “gate” for that weekend would be substantially smaller, as parents elect to spend their hard earned entertainment dollars in other venues. We certainly would have elected so. But Disney denied us that.

        If Walt Disney Company feels either compelled or at liberty to exploit their hammerlock on American culture through their previous history and vast marketing and media resources, to advance just such a militant agenda, especially in the manner they did with us, they can certainly endure the detriment of doing so publicly.

        To our generation, Disney, Disneyland, and indeed Walt Disney as the founder of this American cultural phenomenon and a member of the “Greatest Generation,” has represented wholesome and sound family principles, integrity, and forthrightness. It is unfortunate it no longer represents any of that.

        We don’t appreciate being ambushed in this manner. Walt Disney Company could at least have had the decency to warn parents about this weekend, and we will be observant to see that they do in the immediate future.

        Thanks for your time,

        [signed]

"Great letter. Did you ask for your money back...and did you get it?"

Actually, no, not directly. The Wife said she wasn't going to let Disney and the militant gay community ruin the day, so we stayed. Personally, I wanted to observe what was going on. I figured at that point Disney would have argued if we wanted a refund, why did we stay the whole day. I heard this was the argument given to others.

After I wrote the letter, I figured I would just wait for the situation to "reach a head" in the So. Cal community and then offer any help from there, exposing it. Most people who heard about our experience thought it was amusing. Our schedule is so tight we have to prioritize our time and resources and "picking a fight" with Disney Corporation at the time just wasn't viable. Something like this has to be a grassroots uprising, because of the size and cultural influence of Disney.

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