September 26, 2007
Disney to Apologize Over Gay PDA Ruckus
From Gay.com:
Disney to apologize over gay PDA ruckus
The Walt Disney Co. is issuing a formal apology to a San Diego man for an incident Saturday at Disneyland that the company claims was a misunderstanding but which the man asserts was anti-gay bias.
Wil Kenney claims he was targeted and harassed by Disneyland security — as well as roughed up by Anaheim, Calif., police — because a Disney staff member overreacted to Kinney’s holding another man’s hand.
. . .
Security claimed Kenney had threatened someone with a gun; Kenney denied it. Anaheim police were called; according to Kenney, they forced him face-first into a wall and then frisked, searched and interrogated him in front of hundreds of Disney guests.
Kenney said officers left after finding no weapons on anyone in his party. He said he may have been targeted by police because a Disney employee grew nervous seeing Kenney holding hands with his partner, which he believes then led to the chain reaction of events.
Rob Doughty, vice president of communications for Disneyland … claimed Kenney made a hand gesture that a Disney crew member interpreted as threatening. Doughty said security came over and detained Kenney and his group, who grew angry. …
. . .
… Doughty, who heads Disney’s employee gay group, said Disney staffers were not even aware Kenney was gay until two hours after the incident. “Our policy is, everyone is welcome,” Doughty said. “If a same-sex couple wants to hold hands at our park, that’s fine.”
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