SANDSUSKY, Ohio — An amusement park in Ohio is canceling a wedding contest after a gay couple organized a protest against the promotion because it excluded same-sex couples.
Cedar Point amusement park initially limited the contest to male and female couples because it said state law doesn’t allow gay couples to legally marry in Ohio. A spokesman says the park decided to cancel the event once it started to take on political undertones, reported the Sandusky Register.
The amusement park that sits along Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio, had planned to select 13 couples to get married there on Friday the 13th in September for the opening of the park’s “HalloWeekends.”
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The post had advertised wedding ceremonies and a chance for already married couples to renew their vows, but included the disclaimer, “Due to marriage laws in Ohio, weddings are limited to male-female couples only.”
Akron couple Scott Kenimond, 37, and Eric Morrison, 28, who had considered holding their commitment ceremony at the park, recruited friends and strangers to send “tweets” to Cedar Point, asking them to allow gay couples to apply.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s legal or not,” Morrison said. “You should be able to have a commitment ceremony. For God’s sakes, you’re getting married by a zombie.”
Morrison also made postings on two theme park blogs and Reddit, and the response took off.
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The theme park said there was no negative intent for the contest, but that “Cedar Point does not take any official stance on political issues.”
“I’m disappointed they would choose to go that way rather than stand behind their LGBT community,” said Morrison. “Ultimately, they’re playing it safe. But it’s a cowardly choice.”
