LGBTQ+ muny flocks to Disney and Florida for Gay Days | Fortune

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Disney Gay Days - Walt Disney World Theme Park Guis for gay and lbian

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WHAT DAYS ARE GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD? EVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT THE RED SHIRT TRADN.

Gay Days at Disney World is the world's most popular gay and lbian celebratn, attractg over 150,000 gay and lbian travelers to Orlando Florida. It started out as a sgle day the Magic Kgdom has grown to one of the largt gay and lbian events to clu a bs expo, parti, theme park and attractn events and much more. Gay Days tak place the first weekend June Orlando Florida. Gay Days will feature The Gay Days Expo, ncerts, edy events and parti. Schled days for Gay Day at the Parks are also a part of this huge Lbian and Gay celebratn. * gay weekend disney world *

'We have to be on guard a lot':Why safety first for so many LGBTQ travelers'I jt want to see more of ':The importance of seeg people like you while travelgHow did Gay Days get started?

It has sce ballooned to an annual, multiday event, which draws upwards of 180, 000 people to the Orlando area om across the Fai:LGBTQ people need of stand- parents at weddgs, holidays fd 'fay' Facebook groupWhen are Gay Days 2023? Arguably the most proment part of Gay Days, red shirt daysare when participants wear red shirts to specific parks to celebrate their inty or support others. For stance, June 1 is a red shirt day at Disney's Animal Kgdom and SeaWorld Orlando and June 2 is a red shirt day at Disney's Hollywood Studs and Universal Islands of attends Gay Days?

Many Gay Days atten vis theme parks, but there are a host of other activi cludg popular pool parti, Drag Bgo, expos and more at the event's host hotel Orlando. Some events are adults-only, but most are open to all ag, cludg the Miss GayDays pageant, which this year will be hosted by CoCo Montre, who peted on "RuPl's Drag Race, " and Miss GayDays 2019 Twila actually par the event to a fay rnn, specifilly "the fay that gets along rnn. Given the polil climate the state and last year's enactment of what crics ll Florida'sDon't Say Gay law rtrictg discsns of sexual orientatn and genr inty primary schools, Clark said some people have asked him if this year's event would still happen.

LGBTQ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR DISNEY'S GAY DAYS CELEBRATN

LGBTQ people are flockg to Florida this weekend to take part Gay Days, Disney's Pri celebratn. * gay weekend disney world *

This also means the annual 'Gay Days' have begun at Walt Disney World for LGBTQ+ muny members and theme park lovers alike.Dpe an tense legal battle between the entertament pany and Gov. Ron DeSantis after they spoke out agast the state's 'Don't Say Gay' bill last year, atten om across the globe are headg to the theme parks to kick off Pri Month.Insi sop on Gay Days om CEO:What days are Gay Days at Disney World?

Disney fd sparks onle morsHere's what to know about the annual LGBTQ+ gatherg Orlando:What are 'Gay Days' at Disney World?Gay Days Orlando is where lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) dividuals, their fai, iends, and supporters go to Walt Disney World.

Along wh days at the theme parks, lol hotels and tablishments hold events to mark the six-day event.What is the signifince of the red shirt durg Gay Days?Arguably the most proment part of Gay Days, participants wear red shirts to specific parks to celebrate their inty or support others.Back at the origal gatherg, attendants wore red shirts to make their prence more visible to other members of the muny.Now, the red shirt self has bee a movement, wh LGBTQ nonprof Kdred Pri Foundatn g as a symbol for s missn to spread diversy and kdns.When did the event first start?The first documented event was held June 1991 where roughly 3,000 LGBTQ+ people om central Florida went to the area's theme parks on one day wearg red shirts.

DISNEY WORLD WEL THOANDS OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE GAY DAYS: ‘WE ARE HERE, WE ARE QUEER AND WE AREN’T GOG ANYWHERE’

Here are the dat for Gay Days Disney World this month! * gay weekend disney world *

Some reports claim was held even before then wh only a handful of people startg the event.In 1995, the event had grown to over 10,000 gays and lbians travelg for 'Gay Day' at Disney.By the 2010s, the event had reached over 150,000 LGBT people, their fai, iends and supporters attend the six-day gatherg Orlando.When are Gay Days happeng this year?This year, Disney Gay Days is takg place om May 31 to June 4.Gay Days Orlando weekend lendar 2023FridayWalt Disney World's Hollywood Studs - 8:30 a.m.

To 5 p.m.See the rt of the lendar and other events here.What n you do durg Gay Days outsi of the parks?Many Gay Days atten vis theme parks, but there are a host of other activi cludg popular pool parti, Drag Bgo, expos, and more at the event's host hotel Orlando.This year, there will also be a new Beach Ball waterpark party at Aquati Orlando, which is an event sponsor.Do Disney sponsor Gay Days?Disney do not sponsor or promote Gay Days, however, s Parks & Rorts divisn celebrat Pri Month by lnchg a themed llectn ahead of time.Are there preutns this year wh recent anti-LGBTQ legislatn?Dpe the current turmoil between Gov. Ron DeSantis, Disney, and recent legislatn passed, the event is still gog on and many regular Gay Day atten have ma the trek to Orlando this year.In April, the natn's largt LGBTQ advocy group Equaly Florida issued a travel advisory for the LGBTQ+ muny warng members not to e to the state.

DAT ANNOUNCED FOR GAY DAYS DISNEY WORLD

Early Bird Special: Rerve your 2024 host hotel room for jt $100! Gay Orlando at s bt! Celebrate 4 days of gay at Walt Disney World® Rorts durg June Pri Month 2024! DJs, drag queens and more! LBGT LGBTQIA LGBT+ All are wele! * gay weekend disney world *

Florida HB 1521 - requir people to e bathrooms that le up wh their sex assigned at birth.What special merch do Gay Days have this year?On May 15, Disney released s 2023 Pri Collectn, which they claim was created by members and alli of the LGBTQIA+ muny. — Tens of thoands of LGBTQ people are flockg to central Florida this weekend to go on theme park ris, mgle wh stumed performers, dance at all-night parti and lounge poolsi at hotels durg Gay Days, a s-long though Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers have champned a slew of anti-LGBTQ laws — spurrg the most proment gay rights group the U.

GAY DAYS AT DISNEY – CELEBRATE PRI & LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH

Wh Pri Month jt around the rner, here’s everythg you n look forward to for Gay Days at Disney World and the Disneyland Rort.  * gay weekend disney world *

And other civil rights anizatns to issue warngs the Sunshe State may no longer be safe — Gay Days anizers are still enuragg visors om around the world to e to one of Florida’s largt gay and lbian say a large turnout will send a msage that LGBTQ people are not gog away Florida, which is ntually one of the most popular stat for tourists to vis. If the hoped-for 150, 000 or more visors e to the half-week of pool parti, drag bgo and thrill ris at Orlando’s theme parks and hotels, then “that’s the pot, ” said Joseph Clark, CEO of Gay Days Inc.

GAY DAYS RETURNS TO WALT DISNEY WORLD AFTER 2-YEAR HIAT

After a two-year spensn due to the ronavis panmic, Gay Days is returng to Central Florida. * gay weekend disney world *

”It’s not lost on the anizers that the highlight of the weekend will be a Saturday meetup of LGBTQ visors at the Magic Kgdom at Walt Disney World, where the first Gay Days started as a sgle-day celebratn 1991. Currently, Disney is embroiled a legal fight wh DeSantis over the ernor and Republin lawmakers’ takeover of Disney World’s erng district — after Disney officials publicly opposed legislatn that crics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay. “It’s ls a csa and more like, ‘I’m not gog to spend my money where bad thgs are gog on, ’” Hayn Days has survived past challeng, cludg the early years when Disney posted signs at the Magic Kgdom’s entrance warng visors there was a large gatherg of gays and lbians and offerg pass to other parks for guts who might be offend.

Over the last three s, though, the theme parks and rorts have thrown down the wele mats as Gay Days has bee a profable bounce between the sprg break and out-of-school summer crowds. Durg Gay Days the 1990s, hundreds of anti-abortn activists wh Operatn Rcue protted outsi Walt Disney World, and the Southern Baptist Conventn ced the gatherg llg for a boytt of all thgs Disney. Some Christian groups tried to buy air time durg Gay Days the late 1990s to prsure people to renounce their sexual orientatn, but mastream TV statns Orlando rejected the ads.

GAY DAYS 2023 AT DISNEYLAND RORT CONFIRMED, DAT REVEALED - INSI THE MAGIC

Gay Days returned to Disneyland Rort last weekend. If you missed the event, don't worry, bee Gay Days 2023 is nfirmed! * gay weekend disney world *

Tens of thoands of LGBTQ+ people are flockg to central Florida this weekend to go on theme park ris, mgle wh stumed performers, dance at all-night parti and lounge poolsi at hotels durg Gay Days, a s-long tradn. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers have champned a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ laws — spurrg the most proment gay rights group the U. And other civil rights anizatns to issue warngs that the Sunshe State may no longer be safe — Gay Days anizers are still enuragg visors om around the world to e to one of Florida’s largt gay and lbian celebratns.

It’s not lost on the anizers that the highlight of the weekend will be a Saturday meetup of LGBTQ+ visors at the Magic Kgdom at Walt Disney World, where the first Gay Days started as a sgle-day celebratn 1991. Currently Disney is embroiled a legal fight wh DeSantis over the ernor and Republin lawmakers’ takeover of Disney World’s erng district — after Disney officials publicly opposed legislatn that crics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay. But the anizers of Gay Days and their supporters say that Orlando is as gay-iendly a cy as they e, earng a perfect sre on the Human Rights Campaign x, which measur how clive ci are of LGBTQ+ rints and visors.

“We live a bubble here Orlando, where even wh the chaos Florida, we feel safe here, ” said Jeremy Williams, edor--chief of Watermark Publishg Group Inc., a Florida-based media pany that is one of the sponsors of Gay Days. Gay Days has survived past challeng, cludg the early years when Disney posted signs at the Magic Kgdom’s entrance warng visors there was a large gatherg of gays and lbians and offerg pass to other parks for guts who might be offend. If Clark, the CEO of the Gay Days bs, had his wish, DeSantis would accept an open vatn to see one of the drag shows durg this year’s ftivi.

GAY TRAVELERS GATHER AT DISNEY WORLD TO VATN AND MAKE A STATEMENT

* gay weekend disney world *

Note that you mt have a valid park ticket, as well as a park pass rervatn to attend any of the Gay Day celebratns the parks.

Way before the teemg Red Shirt-wearg mass began scendg upon the Disney Parks for Gay Days, queer people have long had a love affair wh Disney. From the eedom to jt be yourself at the place Where Dreams Come Te to Disney characters like Ursula and Gaston who have bee gay ins, magic happens when Disney and the LGBT+ muny une.

ORLANDO'S GAY DAYS DRAWS LGBTQ CROWDS TO DISNEY WORLD AMID DESANTIS ANTI-LGBTQ PH

There's a battle gog on between Disney and Florida, but was mostly bs as ual durg Gay Days. * gay weekend disney world *

From the st members that make magic for guts every day to the Imageers that work behd the scen to dream up beloved experienc, you’d be hard-prsed to turn the rner a Disney theme park whout g face-to-face wh somethg or someone that hasn’t been touched by or isn’t a part of the gay muny. A gifted dtrial signer, Bob, then a closeted gay man, was ved to jo Walt Disney Imageerg – lled WED Enterpris at the time – by Walt himself.

Although, Disneyland Paris did host the first-ever Disney-sponsored gay pri event, the Magil Pri Party, 2019 and, for 2023, Disneyland Rort is offerg s very first Disneyland After Dark: Pri Ne. Each year (except for 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19), lbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and other queer people – along wh their fay, iends, and LGBTQ+ alli – make the annual pilgrimage to Central Florida to celebrate Pri Month wh Gay Days at Disney World and other area theme parks, cludg Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and Disvery Cove.

DISNEY GAY DAYS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Orlando’s Gay Days brgs over 150,000 people to the cy and s theme parks. * gay weekend disney world *

What started as a sgle-day event June 1991 wh around 3, 000 members of the lol LGBT muny at Disney’s Magic Kgdom, Gay Days has sce expand to a massive near-weeklong, cywi extravaganza wh over 180, 000 atten om around the world. Origally anized by the Gay, Lbian, and Bisexual Communy Center of Orlando (GLBCC), today the celebratn is a team effort wh parti, special events, and the GayDays Expo thrown by a number of different queer anizatns at GayDays Host Hotels and other lotns throughout Orlando. While the unofficial uniform of Gay Days was origally jt a practil suggtn, makg easier to fd each other among the crowds, the sea of red is now a way of sayg to the world, “We’re here, we’re queer, get ed to .

There’s even the Gay Biz Expo wh exhibors toutg everythg om fashn, travel, and weddgs to fancial planng servic, healthre, and home renovatns. Girls jt want to have fun, and for over 20 years, Girls Wonrland has been helpg queer women do jt that durg Gay Days Orlando. Lunchtime get-togethers and ri meetups for gay fai and different LGBTQ muni, like lunch at Hungry Bear Rtrant or a plunge down Grizzly River Run for the bears, let atten spend some qualy time wh their tribe.

GAY DAYS IN FULL SWG AT DISNEY WORLD AS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN DISNEY AND DESANTIS CONTU

Acrdg to the event webse, the LGBTQ+ celebratn is prised of multiple events staged at world-famo attractns, gay & lbian nightclubs, and unique venu secured for the purpose of creatg an clive LGBTQ atmosphere. “Gay Days began 1991 as a sgle signated day (always the first Saturday June) when the LGBTQ muny and iends were enuraged to ‘Wear Red and Be Seen’ (aka #RedShirtDay) while visg the world’s most popular theme parks, ” lears scribed on the event’s return to Walt Disney World amid ntroversy surroundg the recent signg of Florida’s Parental Rights Edutn law, known to s crics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. “Recently the CEO of the Walt Disney Company ially rpond to the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill which he thought bt to oppose the legislatn ‘behd the scen’ and has sce faced tremendo cricism and backlash for how the pany has rpond to such an impactful bill, ” the anizatn said a statement.

“We hope that the recent events will enurage our atten more than ever to attend Gay Days Orlando 2022 this g June as now is the time to e together and show the world the immortal words of Queer Natn ‘We’re here. In the 1990s, the gural Gay Days h Disneyland and Walt Disney World Rort – thoands of members of the LGBTQIA+ muny held an unofficial meetup at Magic Kgdom and Disneyland Park.

Gay Days might be an unofficial event, but Disney has long taken a progrsive stance toward gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ issu.

AFTER A POLIL STORM, GAY DAYS RETURN TO DISNEY

In the 1990s, before the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage natnwi, The Walt Disney Company offered gay and lbian employe surance for their partners. Other nservative Republin policians like Senator Josh Hawley and Senator Mar Rub publicly attacked Disney for s stance on the law and refal to censor a gay kiss Pixar’s Lightyear (2022). By Allison Pohle and Erich SchwartzelJune 4, 2022 5:30 am ETTens of thoands of visors arrive at Walt Disney World this weekend for an unofficial gatherg of gay parkgoers.

GAY DAYS RETURNS TO DISNEY WORLD AMID ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ NTROVERSY

This year’s Gay Day, as the event is known, as Disney navigat polil, ctomer and employee tensns over lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr issu.

Gay Days, an annual celebratn at Walt Disney World the first weekend of June, went on as planned this year spe — or fiance of — a raft of anti-LGBTQ legislatn signed by Gov. " Gay Days, which began as a one-day event at Disney World 1991, has faced opposn om nservative groups before and persevered.

GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD AFTER TWO YEARS HIAT

"The birth of Gay Days was really about beg visible at a time when was dangero to be visible, " pecially the 1990s, Equaly Florida's Brandon Wolf told the Post. '"DeSantis has ed his power to retaliate agast Disney for s opposn to his "Don't Say Gay" tn bill, which the Legislature expand this year to ban all discsn of sexual orientatn or genr inty K-12 schools; their fight is now  urt.

DeSantis has also recently signed legislatn prohibg the e of preferred pronouns for stunts and teachers, targetg drag shows, and makg a felony to provi genr-affirmg health re to transgenr mors — and barrg such re for many adults has never officially sponsored Gay Days, but over the years Disney World and other nearby theme parks "have thrown down the wele mats as Gay Days has bee a profable bounce between the sprg break and out-of-school summer crowds, " The Associated Prs reported. — Last Friday eveng, about 6, 000 people — almost all of them gay men — poured to a Walt Disney World water park near Orlando, Fla.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY WEEKEND DISNEY WORLD

Dat Announced For Gay Days Disney World .

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