JUDGMENT DAYS; SOUTHERN BAPTISTS TO WEIGH DISNEY BOYCOTT.Byline: Madeline Baro Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Last June, the Southern Baptists gave Disney one year to change its ways. Instead, Disney offered the coming-out of ``Ellen.'' At a three-day meeting beginning today, the 15 million-member Southern Baptist Convention Noun 1. Southern Baptist Convention - an association of Southern Baptists association - a formal organization of people or groups of people; "he joined the Modern Language Association" Southern Baptist - a member of the Southern Baptist Convention will decide whether to boycott the Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966) Disney, Walter Elias Disney Co. because of its ``gay-friendly environment.'' Leaders of the nation's largest Protestant denomination Noun 1. Protestant denomination - group of Protestant congregations Protestant Church, Protestant - the Protestant churches and denominations collectively said Disney dug its own grave when Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres (born January 26, 1958) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and currently the Emmy Award-winning host of the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show. DeGeneres has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. and the character she plays on Disney-owned ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. disclosed that they are lesbians. ``There seems to be a feeling that Disney has ignored us, and the crowning blow was the out-coming of Ellen,'' convention spokesman Herb Hollinger said. Riled rile tr.v. riled, ril·ing, riles 1. To stir to anger. See Synonyms at annoy. 2. To stir up (liquid); roil. [Variant of roil.] Adj. 1. by Disney's offering of health benefits to partners of gay employees, ``Gay Days'' at Disney theme parks and some Disney movies, the Southern Baptists last year put the Rev. Richard Land Richard D. Land (born 1947) is the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the public policy entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, a post he has held since 1988. in charge of monitoring Disney. He is president of the convention's Christian Life Commission. Land said he will recommend a boycott of Disney theme parks and stores. ``We heard complaints, from Disney employees even, that there was a corporate change on top to move Disney from a family-friendly environment to a gay-friendly environment,'' he said. The boycott is among several resolutions that delegates will consider as some 15,000 people from around the country gather in Dallas. The boycott issue must pass a resolution committee before being presented to the general assembly. Any resolution adopted this week is not binding on the 40,613 churches affiliated with the convention. Officials with Disney in Burbank declined comment Monday, but the company previously said the Southern Baptists' condemnation has not hurt business. ``The company has enjoyed record profits this year,'' Disney spokesman John Dreyer told The Orlando Sentinel. Land said Southern Baptists represent a good portion of the Disney theme park-going public because many are married and have children. He said it would be better to target Disney theme parks and the megastores popping up at malls across the country rather than try to hit all Disney movies and TV shows. ``It would take not going to a lot of Disney movies and not looking at a lot of Disney cartoon videos to equal the economic impact of a family of four deciding not to spend a week at Disney World,'' Land said. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (Color) De Generes |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion