Cross-dresser sues Cedar Point
Posted
A Cleveland man who has been cross-dressing for 32 years claimed he was unfairly removed from Cedar Point for dressing as a woman at an unofficial "gay day" last Father's Day at the park, according to a lawsuit filed at Erie County Common Pleas Court. The park, which has a policy of not allowing adults to wear costumes, said he violated that policy.
Read more from the Morning Journal.
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you people don't seem to get the point!
The park's only problem with HIM was if HE was to go in the bathroom
don't any of you watch the news? at least those in the N Ohio area (which is the majority of members)
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Since Jeff made Track Record a "perk" for CB members i'll just post my count here: Coasters:99 Parks:14
Majority of members? Not even close, dude. The Internet is a global medium, and Ohio and Michigan traffic combined only accounts for 11%.
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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"
Cedar Point should, in my opinion, eject anyone who engages in lewd acts, be they heterosexuals or homosexuals. Unfortunately, I've seen too many teens virtually having sex in line. I find that type of activity far more offensive than a man wearing a dress.
I live in Columbus, Ohio, which is generally considered to be a Mecca of sorts for GLBT people. However, I am not a big fan of the homosexual lifestyle, due to religious and other personal beliefs.That being said, I find it no more offensive to see gays holding hands than I do heteros holding hands. The line is crossed when your actions are preventing people from enjoying their day at a park. An amusement park is not, IMHO, the place to make a social statement. Why? For many reasons, but mainly that the other guests have paid for their right to enjoy themselves and no individual has the right to prevent them from doing so. If flamboyant displays of an alternative lifestyle would prevent the majority of guests from enjoying their day, then it has no place in the park.
Coincidentally, I plan to visit CP this Sunday. I fully expect the majority of the people in attendance to behave properly-honestly, I think I'll be less offended by "Gay Day" than I am by the actions of so-called "normal" park guests.
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Proud CB club member
And when people sue ITS ALWAYS about the money.
I think Cedar Point should have the right to enforce their dress code in a manner they see fit to ensure safety and to reduce possible problems at the park.
And does anybody think that picking fathers day was a accident???
And i think dave the luv monkey is correct regarding that they were trying to draw attention to themselves. I have been to wdw twice during gay days and a large amount of the crowd was wearing very bright shirts and banadanna's like they were doing so to make a political statement. They wanted to be noticed so a large majority wore clothes to stand out in the crowd. You can easily get a group of people at a park and if they wear clothing that is similiar to what everybody else is they will blend in and not be noticed, but once you dress so as to stand out then you are trying to draw attention to yourself and your cause whatever the cause may be.
*** This post was edited by Bob O on 6/14/2002. ***
Sorry peeps. Gay day is all about being proud of who you are and celebrating that for one month, Gay Pride Month, which is this month, June, btw. YOU WANNA KNOW WHY? It's so people like us (GLBT peeps) are able to tolerate attitudes that are less than agreeable. So we don't forget who we are, what we need to do to continue to gain legal acceptance, to organize groups to fight harrasment, to have a GREAT time (we're good at having fun!) plus lots of other reasons. Gay Day, however, is about having fun, sans all the political worries. Many of you don't care, b/c you're not GLBT - I mean this could make little difference to you one way or the other, but GLBT have few rights at all. And those we do have we have to continue to fight for and we have to try and gain new ones, very few will do it for us. We face lots of obstacles in our way (hence the great amount of comments on this post).
"All men are created equal" - well unless you're GLBT i guess, then your a second-class citizen, b/c well - just cause YOU think so. Sorry - that don't fly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What were you doing there on gay day twice Mr. O?- a coincidence?
*** This post was edited by coasterfreaky on 6/14/2002. ***
Why would someone sue for less than half the amount of fees. The average lawsuit will cost about $500,000 for the lawyer and other things. That just doesnt make sense.
Also how did the park know he was a guy? Unless he said, "I'm a crossdresser" he must've looked pretty trashy.
I listen to Rush every day and he has never uttered a bigoted statement at all!!!!!!! Of course those who cant debate the merits of a issue are always the ones who will name call!!
And yes it was by accident in that we went right after the kids were out of school but now go in Dec. when the crowds are smaller and the x-mas decorations are up!
Really, all law suits are about the money. Was Roe V. Wade about the money? I think not.
More fun than a barrel of monkeys ;)
Cricket - Again, thanks for the kind words. I am faced with the knowledge that, throughout my short 21 years on this planet, I have lived a very, very different life than what most people might expect - or understand. My opinion, therefore, is sometimes really difficult to relate to, and I won't get anywhere with anyone if we don't all understand this. And, should you get to know me better, you'd quickly realize I am nuts - but in any bad way. I'm very goofy and fun and free and stuff. That's all. And, for what it's worth, it's probably safest to say I'm a bi-girl, with a leaning toward heterosexuality.
HurricaneGeauga - As I live in the Greater New York City area, this hasn't made the news, and somewhat thankfully. There must be more important things going on in the world. So, from that perspective, I'd heard nothing about restrooms being involved in this at all. If they are, it further complicates things to a great extent.
Your capitalization of male pronouns is noted, though your exact motivation is unclear. Are you trying to suggest that this individual was not a woman? I don't think that's been an argument here. They've self-identified as a cross-dress, and in a majority of cases, cross-dressers do not consider themselves to be doing anything other than participating in a hobby. They do not believe themselves to be women. So, with that in mind, what would be the problem should they want to use a bathroom? They're entitled, after all, to the same services as any other paying guest. Does Cedar Point allege that this individual was *going* to use a women's restroom? Can they prove that? Or, was Cedar Point concerned about the guest's safety should they use a male restroom? Can the prove *that*? Where other people who were dressed in clothing incongruent with their biological sex treated in a consistent and documented manner? These are questions of law, not of moral judgement or personal belief. I can't speculate any more on this, however, without seeing something a bit more concrete. The entire is issue is way too loaded for me to walk into blindly. Sorry.
How did the park know he was a 'guy'? Well, barring his declaration, "I am woman, here me roar!" which I've seen on more than one occasion, my guess is that his method or style of dress wasn't flattering, and that he looked like a guy in a dress. Sorry, but you can't penalize people for being ugly. If you care to claim that there was some other motivation at work, beyond what I believe, which is that no matter how obviously male this individual may have been, their style of dress would've been inappropriate for anyone; I can't see what other motivation the park might have. If you can, please set me straight. But, as I outlined in an earlier post, short of checking genetic karyotypes, there's simply no consistent and fair way for the park to adequately determine sex, gender, and appropriate attire.
Mr. Baruth, you write that, "other guests have paid for their right to enjoy themselves and no individual has the right to prevent them from doing so," and while I agree, you must also realize the inherent difficult in enforcing any such policy. Just as such "flamboyant displays of an alternate lifestyle," might curb guests' enjoyment of the park, it's not unfair to suspect that being asked to fit into a broader, widely accepted social attitude may curb still other guest's enjoyment. To whom do you prescribe the implicit importance to decide which is more important? Do you just acknowledge the wishes of the largest group? American government has measures in place to specifically prevent the tyranny of the majority. Should Cedar Point follow similar measures? Where does their exemption begin? Was this person making a social statement, or were they wearing something that falls in line with what they'd wear on any other day? It's impossible for you to say. When I get dressed each morning, my intention isn't ever to make a social statement. It's to not be naked. It's to be comfortable with myself. It's to present an intelligent and attractive image to those who interact with me. I should note, immediately, what's attractive is highly subjective, so don't even think about talking some more about how highly unattractive a guy in a dress might be, okay? ;)
These are all questions that are difficult to answer, no doubt. I don't really have the slightest as to how to answer them myself. But, in time, they are questions that need to be answered, both by Cedar Point, and by society. I wish I could offer more than that, and I am happy to see that you share the same sort of disgust over all public displays of affection, regardless of their nature, as I do.
Consistency is key, here, folks. That's all I'm trying to say. That's all a court of law should be looking for. Unfortunately, I feel as if some of the comments I've been reading only apply in specific situations, and that isn't the solution here. But, if Cedar Point isn't the place to making social statements, or if it isn't the place to be engaging in an unusual and socially unaccepted lifestyle, it in no way deserves to be the one to decide what is or isn't appropriate.
So, that's this afternoon's installment of chicken soup for coaster enthusiast's soul. Today's topic? Poltical activism and roller coasters. . . is there room for both? Discuss. ;)
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~~~ Maddy ~~~
Being from Michigan, the only information I received was the news article posted here. If, indeed, CP's only reason for asking him/her to change was to prevent confusion in a restroom, it wasn't mentioned in the article.
But I still don't really see the problem unless he/she was very VISIBLY a guy in a dress. In which case I'd say if you've got the male parts, go to the men's room. The looks he'd get there wouldn't be any less nasty than the ones he'd get on the midway or standing in line.
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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
I listen to Rush every day and he has never uttered a bigoted statement at all!
There are dozens of Web sites (and even some books) that tend to demonstrate otherwise. He's not dumb enough to come out and say stupid things, but he has made enough sweeping generalizations that, yes, he has made more than a few bigoted statements in his day.
And besides... he's an entertainer. Why would you agree with his every whim as the Gospel? Doesn't anyone think for themselves anymore?
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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"
Getting a bit too tree huggy, hipppie crap, liberal in here for me.
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Def Leppard - "X" - July 30, 2002.
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Where are the example's from Rush's show??? The silence speaks for it self!!! Of course Roe vs Wade had a money component, you dont think the people killing the unborn are doing it for free do you???
Jeff did i say i agree with everything?? But making claims of someone being a bigot is easy and typical liberal rhetoric, but proving it is another. And of course people are going to write books and try to gain attention attacking somebody who has been enormously successful created modern talk radio. And because we think for ourself he is the most listened to person on radio!!
And back to the story Cedar Point should have the right as a business to have its own polices and enforce them in the manner they think is proper. What do you think would happen if as a result of the persons attire he became injured in a ride accident??? They would be sued either way.
If people want to cross dress or not it doesnt matter to me in the least but a business has to have the right to enforce its own rules/policies and if people dont want to abide by them the park should have the right to refuse service to that individual.Its seems that when business's make a decison they are damned if they do or damned if they dont and will get sued either way by people trying to make money off of them.
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*** This post was edited by Ghostrider2001 on 6/15/2002. ***
Where are the example's from Rush's show??? The silence speaks for it self!!!
As a matter of fact, I just listened to the fat little blowhard's entire show Tuesday as he railed against a California bill which would let lazy shiftless little people (employees) take 12 paid weeks off work under FMLA. He puffed and wheezed about this coming at great expense to employers and the American economy. Two points he avoided discussing much: The proposed program would be underwritten by employee contributions and would only cover 55% of an employee's wages. Doesn't sound like the great liberal vacation plan anymore.
Then he wasted airtime whining about his air-conditioning unit's cooling tower and digging a well so no one could say he was draining scarce water supplies for it during drought conditions. A careful listener would note that he's never actually dug the well, filed permits for said well or even set a timetable for actually lifting a finger. He just rambled and blubbered about thinking about doing it, that's all.
So if you think people are generalizing about Rush, think again. I love to hear the little factoids the dittoheads believe support their presupposed biases.... 'cause then I can use them to smack the right-wingers at work around like rag dolls. So much fun to watch them scurry away like little vermin.
As for Rush generalizing and making bigoted statements, don't take my word for it....click for yourself
News reporters...oops...'Liberal media' people...are all stupid
While he's a little too smart to don the hood and robe himself, ask him the assumed name of the head of the NAACP and listen to him roll it on his tongue in contempt--"Kweisi Mfume....Kweisi Mfume" and ask yourself why.
While he carefully tiptoes around the ugly hatred he foments, he'll put callers who do the dirty work for him on the air in a New York minute. Nobody's fooled.....which is why his fans are all too happy to sell his ties alongside those of the Confederate flag, (look in the left column) discriminate against minorities, and these links only represent about 6 minutes worth of effort. I'll get more if I need to.
Rush is right.....very, very right. But there's a big difference between right and correct.
-'Playa
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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.
*** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya on 6/15/2002. ***
*** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya on 6/15/2002. ***
In the event of being non politiclly correct and having worked in the mental health community for 20 years including having at one point majored in theater, I will say this: People do disturbing things for disturbing reasons.
Despite all the hype that gay people are happy, I am yet to meet one who can honestly claim they are happy with their lives. They want to fit in sooo badly and cram legislation through various levels of government in an attempt to do so. But all the legislation in the world forcing "not disturbed" people in the world to pretend that those that are disturbed are not as well is fantasy. Such fantasy promoted over and over again by the politically correct crowd has taken on an urban legend myth, that one can be disturbed in their lifestyle and still be just like someone who is not disturbed.
I assure you that I feel no ill will towards any anyone who is gay, and I am no homophobe as I know and I am friends with plenty who practice and endorese such a lifestyle, I feel sorry for all those who wish to defend such behavior and want more of it in a public setting.
If Ceader Point wishes to be known as homosexual friendly park then that is their right (such as Disney), but if they choose to be know as a family friendly park (as they have defined it in this case) then that is their right. And I as a parent have a right to take my family and spend my money in an atmosphere that does not promote disturbed people as normal.
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Not All Coasters are Created Equally
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