Disney Reportedly Signs on to Partner in 'Family Outfest' Event for Gays and Lesbians

The Walt Disney Company is gaining some attention this week after officially attaching its name to "Family Outfest," a week-long vacation planned in Orlando this summer for gay, lesbian and transgender families, according to WFTV-TV.

Disney is reportedly partnering with the initiative to host a modern family fun experience for hundreds of children and adults the first week of July.

"We are just parents," said "Family Outfest" director Gabrielle Shulruff. "You know, it doesn't matter who you are or what your sexuality is, regardless, you are people and people with families like anybody else."

Disney has been known in the past to host gay events and nuptials, but none of these initiatives have carried the company's official support; the family entertainment giant has never officially associated its name.

With Family Outfest, though, that dynamic has apparently changed, according to WFTV-TV.

"The mission of Family Outfest, is to celebrate the shared cultural heritage of what all families look like, regardless of who you are, how you identify or whom you love," reads a description of the event. "Our purpose is to celebrate our diverse and authentic kin while exploring the wonders of Orlando."

The website advertising the event refers to Disney as a "main partner" for the event and praises the company for bring "committed to all inclusiveness and full diversity within their company and with their guests for over 20 years."

Screen shot from the Family Outfest website

Other "participating members" include  Nickelodeon Suites Resort, Macy's and Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista.

One thousand families are expected to attend and $2 million in spending is predicted to flow into central Florida as a result of Family Outfest.

News of Disney's seemingly official participation in the event comes at a time when some social conservatives and people of faith are questioning some of the company's recent decisions.

Earlier this week, the Disney Channel, a popular children's TV network, introduced its first ever same-sex couple on the show "Good Luck Charlie."

And late last year, as TheBlaze previously reported, Disney came under fire for its removal of “One Solitary Life,” a powerful essay about Jesus’ life, from its annual “Candlelight Processional” Christmas show at both Epcot and Disneyland.

Screen shot from the Family Outfest website

While the company said that operational needs and concerns over timing drove the decision to cut the essay, two sources with knowledge of the show exclusively told TheBlaze they doubt the authenticity of the explanation and believe that the removal was religiously motivated.

On the flip side, some have claimed that Disney's latest animated film "Frozen" actually has Christian themes and imagery.

TheBlaze has reached out to Disney to learn more about its participation in Family Outfest.

(H/T: WFTV-TV)

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Featured image via screen shot of Family Outfest website