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MotorBoat Cruiser
02-23-2004, 09:40 AM
With gay marriage being such a hot topic these days, I thought I would ask people's opinions about Gay Day at Disneyland. Are you for it, against it? Ever experienced it, either as a gay person or an unsuspecting visitor? Have you ever protested during one? I would just like to hear everyones opinions.

I'm sure this is a topic that riles some folks up but if we could attempt to keep it civil, that would be greatly appreciated.

When my partner and I got our first annual passes together this year, we were so looking forward to this. Then, much to our dismay, we discovered that we had missed it....by a day!!! Argh!! Now, we have to wait.

Nephythys
02-23-2004, 09:46 AM
As stated before-

I don't mind it and I don't hold Disney responsible for it. If there is inappropriate behavior I would expect them to deal with it, gay or straight. I think the conservative groups trying to boycott Disney are targeting the wrong people with their complaints. Disney is not going to discriminate on what groups come in, nor should they (within reason obviously).

I would personally not go during that time, but that is a personal choice. I have no problem with the event itself, anymore than I have a problem with the whole gay marriage issue.

:D

MotorBoat Cruiser
02-23-2004, 09:56 AM
Originally posted by Nephythys
As stated before-

My apologies. I haven't been here all that long and don't really know where people stand. I tried to do a search on "Gay Day" but you are limited to words with more than 3 letters, so I didn't get very far. :) Thanks for answering.



I would personally not go during that time, but that is a personal choice. I have no problem with the event itself, anymore than I have a problem with the whole gay marriage issue.

:D

Would you care to share why? Is it because it is crowded or because of a bad experience in the past? Just curious.

Lani
02-23-2004, 10:19 AM
Originally posted by MotorBoat Cruiser
My apologies. I haven't been here all that long and don't really know where people stand. I tried to do a search on "Gay Day" but you are limited to words with more than 3 letters, so I didn't get very far. :) Thanks for answering. MotorBoat Cruiser -- when you want to search for a three-letter word on MousePad, you can add an asterisk (*) after it. Our search engine will then look for both "gay" as well as any word with those three letters in the beginning.

Performing a search for "gay* day*" will turn up such a huge number of hits that you'll bonk out our engine. Instead, you can search using the following term: gay* and days.

To make it easier for you, here are the results from just such a search (link (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=312430&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending))! :)

That said, I'm afraid I'm going to have to put my moderator hat on and be very proactive about this. MotorBoat Cruiser, I will strongly encourage you to read some of those threads in the search result link. You'll notice that they are all in the Lounge forum, although they didn't start out that way, because any query about Gay Day at either Disneyland or WDW turns into a big shouting match that then gets moved to the Lounge.

You might also notice that a couple of them are locked. That is usually a sign that people couldn't be civil, or couldn't settle on the issue and kept talking ad nauseum.

I am particularly concerned about your inquiry, because by acknowledging that same-sex marriage is a hot topic, then asking people if they are for or against it, is just baiting people into expressing strong feelings that will either be inappropriate for MousePad, or will not end the discussion.

Again, please do take due care. The moderators have been made aware of this thread, and we will be keeping an eye on it to make sure it stays civil.

Thanks.

happyhaunts999
02-23-2004, 10:46 AM
This is not to offend, but i am not for same sex marriges. But that being said it does not bother me that they have a gay day at disneyland, but I would not choose to attend. But by all means everybody straight or gay has the right to do as they please. Disneyland is a public place.

MotorBoat Cruiser
02-23-2004, 11:24 AM
Lani

Thanks for the search tips and for giving me a head start. I have a lot of reading to do, apparently. :)

And thank you for the heads up on the direction that this thread could take. I still am hopeful that it can remain civil but will fully understand and agree if it needs to be locked at any time.

Why don't we do this. Rather than tell whether or not you are for or against it, perhaps people could just share experiences, either positive or negative, that they have had concerning gay day. There are plently of threads that are discussing gay marriage right now and while this thread is perhaps timely, given recent events, it isn't my intention to get into a debate as to whether gay marriages or homosexuality itself is right or wrong. My intention wasn't to bait anyone either. I just want to learn more about gay day from the people that have more experience with it.

innerSpaceman
02-23-2004, 11:28 AM
GayDay is in October.

Last year, I started the inevitable MousePad GayDay thread in August, as I was inspired by the GothDay event taking place that month.

While I'm sure it has been tempting to just have the GayDay thread year-round, I'm glad that wiser heads have prevailed and I think it safe to say that even August is too early to start this annual tradition of back-biting, in-fighting, and total nastiness.

Unlike the recently successful Gay Marriage thread which reached its maximum 1000 posts in a record 8 days and miraculously without being locked, the actual GayDay thread is notorious for inspiring such poor behavior that it is inevitably locked long before GayDay even happens. With that in mind, I think it is folly to start a Gay Day thread any earlier than mid-September and - with apologies to Motorboat Cruiser- urge all to reconsider participating in this thread at this time.

Nephythys
02-23-2004, 11:48 AM
ism has a very good point. I joined the Pad in September of 2003 and came in on some of those threads early on. He is right that these threads do tend to deteriorate, I am not sure why, especially given how well behaved (most) people were on the thread about gay marriage.

When I said "as stated before", I hope you did not get the impression that I was impatient, it was just a small acknowledgement that I have said this before, but I had no problems answering your OP.

Why would I not go? Because I personally have issues with the gay lifestyle. I also have children, and while they are young and I have authority over some of the input into their lives I simply choose to not attend at a time such as Gay Days. At the same time I am actively teaching my children that even if we do not approve of something in someone elses life, does not mean that we dislike the person. This is important to me about race, sexuality, gender, disability, whatever makes someone different does not mean they are not great people and would make good friends.

We all can choose who we associate with, and while I have gay friends and co-workers, it is not something I choose to expose my kids to, at least to any great extent. I feel that these days children have so much going on, and my children in particular have enough issues to deal with, that I do limit some things in their lives. I know there are some who think I am being intolerant and maybe even bigoted to make that choice, but we do what we think is best.

Would I attend DL during the event, probably yes. Would I bring my kids, at this point no. There have been some disturbing stories from Gay Days at WDW, I hope they don't come from DL as well.

I hope you understand my response- I think you were looking for people with actual experience at the event, so I know many others who can help you there. But in response to your question-:D .....

I'm sure you will have a great time when you go!

MotorBoat Cruiser
02-23-2004, 12:02 PM
Nephythys,

Thanks for your response and I appreciate your input. :)

Mods,

Upon reflection, I am thinking that I can probably learn everything I need to know from the threads you linked to. At this point, rather than making the mods jobs more difficult by having another volitile thread to monitor, could I request that this thread be closed?

I think ISM's suggestion that it is too early to start a thread like this, is good advice. Besides, this is such a hot topic in the news that it is bound to disintigrate into something quite un-disney. That isn't the kind of thing I want to be responsible for contributing to these boards.

innerSpaceman
02-23-2004, 12:31 PM
But before it is, I think I should say that practically nothing in any of those previous threads will speak to anyone's actual experience at Gay Day, since 99% of the posting takes place before that year's Gay Day.

So, in short, it's a blast. Lots of red shirts is about all anyone will ever notice who's not in-the-know (and one particular year, a full quarter of those red shirts were worn by Angels fans).

Public displays of affection are pretty much limited to hand-holding and pecks on the cheek. I would say that the gay people in attendance are super extra careful to not display even the level of pda that straight people do on a regular basis inside the Park.

There are usually a handful of people in attire you might consider inappropriate for Disneyland - - or should I say a handful of Gay Day participants, since there are also at least a dozen to 50 'regular' guests also in inappropriate attire on any particular day, Gay Day included.

It's just a fun group day at Disneyland, no different than cheerleader day and such. There are a few gatherings for photos, meals, rides on attractions and such where participants congregate at their option, and that's about the extent of it.

A fun, fun, fun day with no more offense caused to anyone, or uncomfortable questions raised by children to their parents, than at any other Disneyland day.

Lani
02-23-2004, 12:31 PM
Originally posted by MotorBoat Cruiser
[Rather than tell whether or not you are for or against it, perhaps people could just share experiences I don't have much to contribute, but this year I anticipate seeing couples wearing bride/bride mouse ears or groom/groom mouse ears. :)

Not Afraid
02-23-2004, 12:38 PM
Originally posted by Lani
I don't have much to contribute, but this year I anticipate seeing couples wearing bride/bride mouse ears or groom/groom mouse ears. :)

OK, that would be just FUN!

Oh, and, you can't start a Gay Day thread before the Bats Day thread has been started. It's just polite.:p

THE REF
02-23-2004, 01:27 PM
Gays need some sort of medical or pshycologial help to find out why they act the way they do. It's not the norm.

Andrew
02-23-2004, 01:31 PM
Originally posted by THE REF
Gays need some sort of medical or pshycologial help to find out why they act the way they do. It's not the norm. The preceeding is an example of a comment which, if repeated, will get this thread closed and the member who posted it warned.

Keep it on-topic, please.

3894
02-23-2004, 01:35 PM
Originally posted by MotorBoat Cruiser
At this point, rather than making the mods jobs more difficult by having another volitile thread to monitor, could I request that this thread be closed?


Request granted.

For those interested in Gay Day at Disneyland, there are many lively discussions in the MousePad archives.

-Helen/3894