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Reprinted from The Orlando Sentinel, June 1, 1998.
Protesters ready to stir things up during Gay Days
By Cory Lancaster
of The Sentinel Staff
Orange County deputy sheriffs are expected to stand by in riot gear. Elementary schools
are rescheduling field trips. And religious protesters may try to preach to gay visitors.
This Saturday won't be a typical day at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
For seven years, gays and lesbians have visited the Magic Kingdom on the first Saturday
in June for a social gathering. Aside from complaints by some offended tourists, the event
has been relatively trouble-free.
But that changed last week when the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue announced it would try to protest Saturday inside the
Magic Kingdom, handing out religious leaflets and ministering to gay visitors.
Disney does not allow those activities in its parks, and the sheriff's emergency
response teams may arrest protesters if they follow through with the plan.
Operation Rescue is known for staging confrontational protests at abortion clinics.
Just recently, the Dallas-based group has branched out to other issues concerning
"family values," including pornography and the Walt Disney Co.'s stance on
homosexuality.
"You have a number of people who are coming in and shaking their fists at God.
Those are the homosexuals," Operation Rescue National Director Flip Benham said last
week. "The church is not going to be silent."
At a news conference Sunday at a Kissimmee church, Benham said that starting today, his
group also will protest at four abortion clinics and two Barnes & Noble bookstores.
"Orlando is a microcosm of everything that is pathetic in America," he said.
The news conference to announce what is being called Operation Push Back was disrupted
by an abortion-rights supporter. William Turnbull was escorted by police across the road
from the church where he joined a half-dozen other abortion-rights supporters.
Mike Smith, Refuse and Resist southeast coordinator, said he and his supporters will
shadow Operation Rescue wherever it goes in Orlando.
"There's no way they are going to push their poisonous propaganda without us
setting the record straight," Smith said.
Gay Days organizers said they never meant for the annual gathering to be a forum for
protests and political debate.
"My opinion was when we started Gay Day at Disney, every thing was a fund-raiser
for AIDS," said organizer Doug Swallow of New Jersey, who lived in Orlando when the
event began in 1991. "There was never an opportunity to go do something fun and enjoy
it."
Swallow estimates 120,000 gays and lesbians will attend the event from Wednesday
through Sunday, up from 80,000 last year. At last count, 41 parties were scheduled at
Central Florida theme parks and businesses, 17 more than last year.
"It's an unfortunate thing," he said of the Operation Rescue protest.
"It detracts from everyone's enjoyment, having that kind of protest and
counter-protest."
At least one gay-rights group, the Oral Majority, will picket outside the Disney World
gates Saturday morning, said its President Bob Kunst of Miami Beach.
Another clash could come this afternoon at Orlando City Hall when City Council members
vote on allowing rainbow flags associated with gay pride to fly in downtown Orlando during
June. Both gay-rights supporters and religious activists say they will attend.
Most publicized is the Saturday visit to the Magic Kingdom. Kunst said it makes sense
for gays and lesbians to crowd the park because Disney was among the first big companies
to extend health benefits to partners of homosexual employees.
"Our relationship with Disney isn't just that we're there to party," Kunst
said. "Disney is a role model on a lot of levels."
Disney does not officially sponsor Gay Days. But Operation Rescue's Benham says the
company could take steps to discourage the event.
The event does offend some parents. Two weeks ago, three schools in Palm Beach County
rescheduled field trips for 280 fifth-graders after parents complained that the trip
coincided with the gay gathering.
Enterprise Elementary School in Volusia County followed suit last week. Tim
Huth,
Volusia's deputy superintendent, said school officials weren't worried about gay visitors.
They wanted to keep the 30 kids, members of the school's safety patrol, clear of
protesters.
Such changes are not out of the ordinary during the gay event, Disney spokesman Bill
Warren said.
"Every year, there seems to be a couple schools that reschedule," he said.
Lori Horvitz and Robert Perez of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
Gay Days events
Here's a partial list of what's happening for Gay Days. For the complete schedule,
visit the Web site http://www.gayday.com.
Wednesday
- The Ultimate Animal Kingdom Theme Party, "Welcome to Orlando," 9 p.m. to 2
a.m., Parliament House, 410 N. Orange Blossom Trail.
Thursday
- Visit Disney's Animal Kingdom, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Gay Night at Mannequins Dance Palace, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., Disney's Pleasure Island,
Downtown Disney.
- The First Gay Day '98 Party, 4 p.m. to 3 a.m., Southern Nights, 375 S. Bumby Ave.,
Orlando.
- Martha Wash Live!, 7:30 and 10 p.m. show, House of Blues, Downtown Disney's West
Side.
Friday
- Visit Disney-MGM Studios or SeaWorld Orlando during the day.
- Gay Day 1998 Hospitality Suite, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Hyatt Orlando, 6375 W. Irlo
Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee.
- The Mr. and Miss Gay Day USA Contest, with $15,000 in cash and prizes, 5 to 7 p.m.,
Church Street Station Presidential Ballroom, 129 W. Church St., Orlando.
- Tea Dance/private dinner at Arabian Nights, 7 to 11:30 p.m., 6225 W. Irlo Bronson
Memorial Highway, Kissimmee.
- Beach Ball '98, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Disney's Typhoon Lagoon.
Saturday
- Gay Day at Disney's Magic Kingdom, 9 a.m. to midnight.
- The fourth annual Block Party, 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., The Club at Firestone, 578 N.
Orange Ave., Orlando
- The RuPaul Dance Party, midnight show, House of Blues, Downtown Disney's West Side.
- One Mighty Party 2, The Official After Gay-Day Party, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., on
Hollywood Boulevard inside Disney-MGM Studios.
- A Night of Pleasure, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., Disney's Pleasure Island, Downtown Disney.
Sunday
- Visit Disney's Epcot or Universal Studios Florida during the day.
- Sunday Gospel Brunch, House of Blues, various times from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Circuit Boyz Pool Party, 6 to 8 p.m., Enclave Resort, 6165 Carrier Drive, Orlando
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