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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: calgal who wrote (471459)	10/5/2003 5:02:32 PM
From: calgal	Respond to of 769670

Gay Days at Disneyland Draw Conservative, Hispanic Ire (CNSNews.com) - 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. E-mail a news tip to Melissa Mullins.