Dirty Dishes	Dirty Dishes Archive

When town officials in Cuzco, Peru, made noises earlier this year about changing that thin-aired burg's rainbow-striped city flag, Dawn was amused. Did they really think tourists would confuse the former Inca capital for a gay Mecca?

Now comes news (forwarded to Dawn by a dear reader in Los Angeles) that Virginia's "Cox Farms," which draws 85,000 visitors to their October hayrides and pumpkin picking, has had over 200 groups cancel outings there because of two rainbow flags festooning their hay-built "tunnel of fun." Pro-family activists claim the flags "promote homosexuality in a place popular with young children."

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Farm owners Eric Cox and Gina Richard report they bought the flags many years ago before they emerged as a gay trademark. The husband and wife team add, though, that since their daughter's recently proclaimed proclivity for pussy, they've viewed the flags as more than just colorful decoration.

"It's not like we teach sex education out here," Richard said. "This is a pumpkin patch. This is not a place where prejudice and bigoted actions take place. All families are welcome here."

Julie Cipriano Litterio, who used to visit the farm with a group called Tradition of Roman Catholic Homes, aptly-acronymed TORCH, said she and the group will find another pumpkin patch to visit and warned that members of other local chapters may follow suit.