I guess that money does trump the expoused moral principles of corporate management. Does allowing gays to use their wedding program mean that Disney is pro gay rights, or are they just chasing the money?
The Walt Disney Co. has changed its policy to allow same-sex couples to participate in a popular Fairy Tale Wedding program it runs mainly at its two U.S. resorts and cruise line, a Disney spokesman said on Thursday.
Disney previously had allowed gay couples to organize their own weddings or commitment ceremonies at rented meeting rooms at the resorts, but had barred them from purchasing its Fairy Tale Wedding package and holding the event at locations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World that are set aside specifically for weddings.
“We are updating our Fairy Tale Wedding guidelines to include commitment ceremonies,” Disney Parks and Resorts spokesman Donn Walker said. “This is consistent with our policy of creating a welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment for all of our guests.”
Kudos to them for recognizing gay people who want to get married are just like anyone else, even if they are only doing it for pecuniary reasons.
Hey, if everyone would think of the pecuniary reasons, this issue would be solved appropriately and morally so that we could move on to other issues. Check this MoJo article out. It’s short and worth a quick read.
http://tinyurl.com/2ls8bz
F**king Goofy.
How gay is that?
Cue fundamentalist outlash and subesequent boycott in 3…2…1…ACTION!!!
This is what makes capitalism the best economic and social system in the world today.
Sometimes big business does the right things for the wrong reasons.
Or in other words, Fred, damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Might as well make some money.
um, I am not one to leap to the defense of corporate America at the drop of a hat, but how, exactly, would Disney be considered “hypocrites” for adopting this policy? seems like part of a consistently gay-friendly corporate environment. not allowing commitment ceremonies seemed like the aberration. From the article:
“such corporate policies as giving health benefits to same-sex partners of employees, allowing “Gay Day” celebrations at its theme parks and airing a prime time television show on its ABC network featuring openly gay comedian Ellen DeGeneres.”
6. James,
I’d respond to your accurate and acute observation but if I do or if I don’t, the odds of being damned are pretty high and besides, there’s no profit to be made.
When I lived in the LA area, it was said that a person had to be gay to get a job at Disney (in the valley).
I’m in a different industry, so I don’t know if this is the case.
There is no way this is being done to make money.
The loss of religious/conservative right visits to Disney would certainly outweigh the revenue received from gay weddings.
This is another example of a minority group putting pressure on a corporation and the corp caving-in to political correctness.
#10 — sirfelix
Corporate America caving to political correctness? Would this be the same group that won’t pay a fair wage? The same group that hires three part-time employees rather than one full-timer to save on health insurance? The same group that lays off citizens in favor of H1Bs?
These people are coin-operated.
If only they’d read Mother Jones, they’d see the article I referenced in post #1 and realize they’re losing billions on the wedding industry. They’re coin operated, but not necessarily well informed or intelligent.
Does this mean they’ll allow “commitment ceremonies” for heterosexual couples?
11 – “Coin-operated” – what a great image. Especially for entertainment industry lobbying princes like Disney.
7,
The entertainment industry makes for strange bedfellows. Fox is as conservative as they come and they own The Simpsons. The overclass doesn’t care what the circuses for the proletariat consist of. Deeds speak more than actions, and I don’t remember seeing Disney get any praises for its humanitarian work.
But I will back down from my “hypocrisy” accusation as they haven’t done anything I can remember in a negative fashion. If this action is followed up by other positive actions I’ll even compliment them.
The Southern Baptists have been boycotting Disney for a decade or more because they give benefits to gay employees. I don’t see them going out of business because of that. (In fact I know more than a few Southern Baptists who have been to Disneyworld/land since the ban started.)
I don’t see Disney getting much negative backlash from this.
People stir up shit for a few months and then they get tired of boycotting.
#14. I would say in the entertainment biz doing good goes nicely with doing well. Diznee, it was noted, offers benefits to the same-sex partners of its employees. That itself increases the pool of creative people that are willing to work for them.
I would certainly be the first to castigate them for some of their tyrannical policies towards the plebs they have working at the theme parks, but I will give them props where due.
#14…Smartalix…..just what other positive actions would you like Alix?
Disney already gives gays and their partners all the bennies that hetro’s get. Technically, gay marriage isn’t allowed in California as yet. There is a domestic partner law, but Disney already gave those benifits years before the law was passed.
This link is to an article from 1997….10 years ago ……
http://www.cnn.com/US/9706/18/baptists.disney/
Better think about backing down a bit more.
This is consistent for Disney. They have had their gay nights at their theme parks and (Disney-owned) Miramax certainly has had adult themed movies.
As a liberal and as a believer in capitalism, it’s all fine with me.
It doesn’t hurt anybody and it makes some people feel good and they make a profit. It’s all groovy.
How the times have changed!. I won’t date myself too precisely, but when my sister and went to Disneyland the first time, we were turned away, because we were wearing blue jeans.
#14
That’s because Disney knows quite well that gay money is good, specially when it’s free of screaming-breaking-yelling children.
Regarding the figures on the cake in the picture, shouldn’t one be pitching and the other catching?
#21
that’s the idea 😉