Group Equates Gays With KKK: Vows No More Disney Gay Days
Sat. August 9, 2003 12:00 AM by 365gay.com
Washington, D.C. -
A conservative Christian lobby group is vowing to put an end to the popular Gay Days at Disney World in Florida.
The Virginia based Christian Action Network has been demonstrating against Gay Days for nearly a decade with little success, but now it says its campaign is gaining momentum.
The group has a video that it made of this June's annual party at the Florida theme park and at clubs in the Orlando area that it says shows "orgies and depravity".
CAN announced Friday it will distribute the tape to news organizations across the country, and show it to Christian groups and encourage them to lobby against the popular event. The group says Disney is promoting "debauchery" and though it has not called for a boycott, it carefully lists in a news release all of the companies owned by the Disney Corp. including ABC television.
"I want to point out that this event is not called 'Gay Days in Orlando,' it's called 'Gay Days at Walt Disney World,'" CAN President Martin Mawyer said. "And as such, we believe Disney is responsible for all the activity that takes place under the umbrella of this event, whether it takes place on Disney property or off Disney property." Many of the parties and other events that make up Gay Days take place in venues throughout the Orlando area.
In a media release CAN says the videotape "depicts homosexuals kissing and fondling each other and engaging in public nudity, simulated sex acts and alleged drug use at Disney theme parks" but a clip provided shows only gay men kissing and enjoying water rides at the park. The clip did not contain nudity or drug use.
"It's absolutely impossible to describe the depth of depravity we saw," said Mawyer who claims Disney officials tried to have him arrested for making the tape.
"Not only did we see men kissing men, but these shirtless homosexuals were twisting the nipples of each other and fondling the butts and groins of their 'lovers.' And all this occurred right out in the open at a Disney theme park."
Mawyer said his organization plans to tour 24 cities in 12 southeastern states, showing the video to local media, church leaders and public officials.
The group is demanding that Walt Disney World prevent Gay Days organizers from using the Disney name, that the company post signs warning parents of the event, that it arrest any Gay Days participant who "engages in unlawful acts of lewdness", that it warn parents before they make reservations at Disney-owned hotels, and that it reimburse expenses for guests who are offended by Gay Days.
Disney spokesperson Rena Callahan said the company rejected the demands saying "Disney does not sponsor Gay Days, it's simply a time of year when people come to Central Florida."
Mawyer then equated Gay Days with a meeting of the Ku Klux Klan. "Let's be honest. Disney would never allow an event to be called 'KKK Days at Walt Disney World'...Disney would use every legal muscle within their power to have their name removed from that event."
by Doreen Brandt
365Gay.com Newscenter
Washington Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2003
The Virginia based Christian Action Network has been demonstrating against Gay Days for nearly a decade with little success, but now it says its campaign is gaining momentum.
The group has a video that it made of this June's annual party at the Florida theme park and at clubs in the Orlando area that it says shows "orgies and depravity".
CAN announced Friday it will distribute the tape to news organizations across the country, and show it to Christian groups and encourage them to lobby against the popular event. The group says Disney is promoting "debauchery" and though it has not called for a boycott, it carefully lists in a news release all of the companies owned by the Disney Corp. including ABC television.
"I want to point out that this event is not called 'Gay Days in Orlando,' it's called 'Gay Days at Walt Disney World,'" CAN President Martin Mawyer said. "And as such, we believe Disney is responsible for all the activity that takes place under the umbrella of this event, whether it takes place on Disney property or off Disney property." Many of the parties and other events that make up Gay Days take place in venues throughout the Orlando area.
In a media release CAN says the videotape "depicts homosexuals kissing and fondling each other and engaging in public nudity, simulated sex acts and alleged drug use at Disney theme parks" but a clip provided shows only gay men kissing and enjoying water rides at the park. The clip did not contain nudity or drug use.
"It's absolutely impossible to describe the depth of depravity we saw," said Mawyer who claims Disney officials tried to have him arrested for making the tape.
"Not only did we see men kissing men, but these shirtless homosexuals were twisting the nipples of each other and fondling the butts and groins of their 'lovers.' And all this occurred right out in the open at a Disney theme park."
Mawyer said his organization plans to tour 24 cities in 12 southeastern states, showing the video to local media, church leaders and public officials.
The group is demanding that Walt Disney World prevent Gay Days organizers from using the Disney name, that the company post signs warning parents of the event, that it arrest any Gay Days participant who "engages in unlawful acts of lewdness", that it warn parents before they make reservations at Disney-owned hotels, and that it reimburse expenses for guests who are offended by Gay Days.
Disney spokesperson Rena Callahan said the company rejected the demands saying "Disney does not sponsor Gay Days, it's simply a time of year when people come to Central Florida."
Mawyer then equated Gay Days with a meeting of the Ku Klux Klan. "Let's be honest. Disney would never allow an event to be called 'KKK Days at Walt Disney World'...Disney would use every legal muscle within their power to have their name removed from that event."
by Doreen Brandt
365Gay.com Newscenter
Washington Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2003
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.