Gay Days at Disney prompts values group to post warning

The annual Gay Days celebration held this past week at Disney World has prompted a Florida-based family organization to accuse the Walt Disney Co. of “preferential treatment” for gays and lesbians and to warn families to stay away from Disney parks during such events.

Gay Days is a widely publicized multi-day event that encourages gays and lesbians to openly celebrate their lifestyle. It is not sponsored by Disney; it’s arranged by private organizations to include events inside Disney parks.

Resort officials have said they book hotel rooms and conference space like they would for any other group. In a statement Monday, Disney officials said they have no plans to get involved by making it a sponsored after-hours event. Nor do they have any plans to discourage it.

During Gay Days, gay and lesbian participants typically wear bright red shirts inside the parks to declare they are part of the event. Participants have said the event empowers them to celebrate their homosexuality and feel comfortable holding hands and showing affection to their same-sex partner – even on Main Street U.S.A.

The 19th annual Orlando event was held June 2 through Monday, with events at Disney World and Epcot Center.

This year’s celebration at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim is scheduled for Oct. 2-4.

Those events have prompted David Caton, president of the Florida Family Association, to call for “mainstream American to stay away during those events” and for his supporters to write letters to Disney officials expressing their concerns.

Caton said other “specialty events” at Disney parks, including Christian-themed events are held after park hours. That should also be the case with Gay Days, he said.

“We have witnessed this first-hand and we don’t believe it’s right for a family expecting a normal day at Disney to walk in and see thousands of same-sex couples holding hands, hugging and wearing T-shirts promoting their lifestyle,” Caton said.

He started Family Association in the late-80s and has successfully pressured oil companies to stop selling adult magazines at convenience stores and advertisers to pull ads from television shows his organization has deemed pornographic or supporting homosexuality.

Members of his organization, which has a mailing list that tops 40,000, have attended the event and, he said, many attendees seem less interested in seeing Disney World than being seen. Caton said it’s an issue that should concern many people, beyond just his membership.

Disney officials had no specific comment on Caton’s campaign.

In a statement Monday, Disneyland Resort spokeswoman Suzi Brown said: “Disneyland Resort is a place where guests of diverse backgrounds can enjoy a broad range of entertainment experiences. Our business is hospitality and we are committed to fostering a welcoming environment for all of our guests. Disneyland Resort does not organize nor publicize Gay Days or any other private events for outside organizations.”

Kayla Clayton, 31, who has attended several Gay Days over the years at Disneyland, said she doesn’t understand the concern.

“We’re not recruiting,” she said, laughing. “We’re just showing our pride. And I don’t think there’s any harm in children – or uptight adults for that matter – seeing people in love.”

The Orlando event typically draws more than 100,000.

The Anaheim event, which began with about 2,500 participants in 1998, now routinely draws 30,000 and more.