Shoppg Tracy Poarch (left) and his partner Keh Inman shopped for souvenirs at Dollywood while participatg "Gay Day 2004." Photo by Stanley Leary PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (BP)--Add Dollywood to the theme parks across the untry where annual "Gay Days" are beg held. The theme park owned…
Contents:
- ‘GAY DAY’ AT DOLLYWOOD BRGS ‘RED SHIRTS’ TO SMOKY MTNS.
- WHAT DAYS ARE GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD? EVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT THE RED SHIRT TRADN.
- DISNEY WORLD WEL THOANDS OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE GAY DAYS: ‘WE ARE HERE, WE ARE QUEER AND WE AREN’T GOG ANYWHERE’
- GAY DAYS AT DOLLYWOOD - PIGEON FE FOM
- DOLLYWOOD: THE “GAY MEC” TENNSEE’S BACKYARD
‘GAY DAY’ AT DOLLYWOOD BRGS ‘RED SHIRTS’ TO SMOKY MTNS.
(BP)–Add Dollywood to the theme parks across the untry where annual “Gay Days” are beg theme park owned by untry sger Dolly Parton the Smoky Mountas was advertised as the se of “Gay Day at Dollywood” earlier this year. But the May 22 gatherg’s name was changed to “Gay Day 2004” when Dollywood officials asked the sponsor, Tri-Ci Pri, to stop g the Dollywood name and remove the tramarked logo om a webse promotg the event. A Dollywood spokman said the park was not tryg to stop anyone om attendg but was tryg to prevent tramark Salyer, executive director of the Tri-Ci Pri homosexual group, based Johnson Cy, Tenn., enuraged atten to wear red shirts to intify themselv and to surpass the 1, 300 who attend the gural gatherg last year.
”This year, on a Saturday when Dollywood attendance might range om 15, 000-20, 000, red shirts were ed visible most every directn but the homosexual turnout was far om massive, perhaps rivalg or fallg short of the mark event is patterned after “Gay Day Orlando, ” which began at Disney World 12 years ago and now draws nearly 100, 000 people each year. “The gay muny is everywhere, ” Salyer told Baptist Prs durg the Dollywood event.
“You uld be standg le somewhere next to a gay person and not know . You uld make an anti-gay remark or a hateful remark and they uld be standg right next to you. ” He went on to expla that he hoped that the display of red shirts would help sensize people to the homosexual muny and lsen tolerant ments.
WHAT DAYS ARE GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD? EVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT THE RED SHIRT TRADN.
“It is more of a rpect issue, ” he Whe, director of missns for the Sevier County Baptist Associatn Pigeon Fe, Tenn., told Baptist Prs he did not know of any Southern Baptists the muny who protted the Gay Day event at Dollywood. He noted there is a Southern Baptist chapla on se at Dollywood, and he said he is que sure homosexuals would be wele church the associatn.
“I thk most all of our church here — as far as the gay people themselv — I thk they would be willg to tell you that they love people, anybody and everybody, ” he said. One of the lbian participants was asked to turn her shirt si out before g to the park due to s offensive nature, while a man wearg an anti-homosexual statement was asked to change before enterg the park.
DISNEY WORLD WEL THOANDS OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE GAY DAYS: ‘WE ARE HERE, WE ARE QUEER AND WE AREN’T GOG ANYWHERE’
A Dollywood spokman said the park, acrdg to s missn statement, is operated a manner nsistent wh Christian valu and Dollywood event followed by two weeks another homosexual gatherg east Tennsee, wh about 450 attendg a “Gay Day” Dayton, Tenn., se of the historic Sp Monkey Trial. Joseph Clark will never fet his first Gay Days.
"There was no 'Oh my God, they're gay. '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?
GAY DAYS AT DOLLYWOOD - PIGEON FE FOM
Gay Days Orlando started three s ago wh a group of iends who cid to meet up at Disney World red shirts. 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? Gay Days Orlando ns om May 31 through June 4 this year.
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? Gay Days are open to everyone unr the LGBTQ+ umbrella as well as alli. "How much do Gay Days st?
DOLLYWOOD: THE “GAY MEC” TENNSEE’S BACKYARD
GayDays Drag Bgo sts $15 advance and $25 at the door. The Taste of GayDays food and we event starts sts $40 advance and $50 at the door. Addnal events and tails n be found on Gay Days Orlando's is there to do at 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. "Are Gay Days fay-iendly? 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.
" Are there any ncerns about havg Gay Days Florida this year? 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. 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.