Delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in New Orleans voted overwhelmingly Wednesday (June 12) to urge its members to boycott Walt Disney Co. theme parks, films and other products because of the company’s”promotion of homosexuality”and adult-themed movies.”In recent years, The Disney Company has given the appearance that the promotion of homosexuality is more important than its historic commitment to traditional family values and has taken a direction which is contrary to its previous commitment,”said a resolution adopted by a show of hands of the 13,000 delegates attending the meeting.

The resolution condemned a Disney policy that extends insurance benefits to companions of gay employees, its”hosting of homosexual and lesbian theme nights at its parks,”and its distribution, through subsidiaries, of controversial movies.

The Walt Disney Co., in response, said,”We find it curious that a group that claims to espouse family values would vote to boycott the world’s largest producer of wholesome family entertainment. We question any group that demands that we deprive people of health benefits, and we know of no tourist destination in the world that denies admission to people as the Baptists are insisting we do.” A Disney spokesman has said Disney had no official role in the gay-theme nights.

As first presented, the resolution expressed only the delegates'”deep disappointment”with Disney while urging the nation’s 15.6 million Southern Baptists to”give serious and prayerful reconsideration”to supporting Disney products.

The resolution, however, was amended from the floor by Pastor Wiley Drake of First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, Calif., to encourage Baptists”to boycott the Disney theme parks and stores if they continue this anti-Christian and anti-family trend.” Herb Hollinger, a spokesman for the meeting, stressed that the resolution”is an opinion spoken by this convention”and it”has no binding authority on the churches. Southern Baptists will have to decide for themselves.” The motion also cited”objectionable material”such as”Priest,”a film about a gay Roman Catholic cleric that was distributed by Miramax, a Disney subsidiary.

In other action at the meeting, delegates passed a resolution criticizing President Clinton, who is a Southern Baptist, for his veto of a bill outlawing a controversial late-term abortion procedure called”partial-birth abortion”by its critics.

The resolution urged Clinton to reverse his veto, or failing such a move, that Congress vote to override the veto.

The resolution also criticized Clinton for saying that he prayed about his decision to veto the bill.”… We express our disapproval of the president’s suggestion that God would reveal to him in prayer that any abortion method, particularly one so barbarous in technique and so cruel in effect, would ever have God’s approval,”the resolution said.

Clinton sent a letter to Baptist leaders June 7 strongly defending his veto after receiving a letter of complaint from outgoing Southern Baptist President Jim Henry and 10 former presidents. Clinton said the procedure sometimes”represents the best hope for a woman to avoid serious risks to her health.”

MJP END RNS