LGBTQ+ people flock to Florida for Gay Days ftival | WUSF Public Media

Contents:

• OUR MISSIONSTAMPED FILM FTIVAL IS DITED TO PROVIDG A VIBRANT CULTURAL EXPERIENCE TO PENSALA BY G THE UNIQUE EXPRSN OF FILMS WH A SPECIFIC FOC ON THE LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, AND QUEER (LGBTQ) MUNY TO FOSTER AWARENS, CLN, AND DIVERSY.
• LGBTQ+ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR GAY DAYS FTIVAL
• FLORIDA’S PANHANDLE HOSTED THE LARGT GAY EVENT THE UNTRY FOR YEARS
• OUT THE SUN: FLORIDA’S TOP 10 GAY BEACH

OUR MISSIONSTAMPED FILM FTIVAL IS DITED TO PROVIDG A VIBRANT CULTURAL EXPERIENCE TO PENSALA BY G THE UNIQUE EXPRSN OF FILMS WH A SPECIFIC FOC ON THE LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR, AND QUEER (LGBTQ) MUNY TO FOSTER AWARENS, CLN, AND DIVERSY.

For many, ’s a safe haven where gay, lbian and transgenr people n e together and outwardly exprs themselv whout fear of ostracism.

One bill (SB 1438) that crics say will censor drag performanc and Pri events will head to DeSantis’ sk to be signed to bills pass:In one day, three bills targetg transgenr Floridians pass Hoe"Don't Say Gay" law expand:Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' (HB1557) expand to all gras. OUR MISSIONStamped Film Ftival is dited to providg a vibrant cultural experience to Pensala by g the unique exprsn of films wh a specific foc on the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer (LGBTQ) muny to foster awarens, cln, and TO OUR SPONSORS, ADMISSION IS ALWAYS FREE.

LGBTQ+ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR GAY DAYS FTIVAL

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.

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 is a bon '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.

FLORIDA’S PANHANDLE HOSTED THE LARGT GAY EVENT THE UNTRY FOR YEARS

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. While the LGBTQ+ advocy group said wasn’t llg for a boytt of all travel to Florida, said wanted to highlight new laws passed by the Republin-ntrolled Florida Legislature that they said are hostile to the LGBTQ+ muny and rtrict abortn accs, as well as make the state unsafe for many by allowg people to rry ncealed weapons whout a participants the Pri Cup athletic petns at Gay Days cid not to e, forcg the ncellatn of dodgeball and flag football tournaments.

But the multi-sport petn that is held annually at Gay Days will still have beach volleyball, golf, pickleball and before the travel advisori were issued, some regular Florida visors were rensirg their plans. “It’s ls a csa and more like, ‘I’m not gog to spend my money where bad thgs are gog on, ’” Hayn 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 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.

OUT THE SUN: FLORIDA’S TOP 10 GAY BEACH

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 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. Also clud on this last are a handful of LGBTQ Pri events that take place the Caribbean, cludg Puerto Ri and Curaç FL LGBTQ Pri/Deland Prift – Usually early Febary, but 2024 dat TBAPas County FL LGBTQ Pri Ftival/Land O’ Lak FL Pri/New Port Richey Pri – Usually early Febary, but 2024 dat TBAPri of the Ameris Fort Lrdale/Fort Lrdale LGBTQ Pri – Usually early to mid-Febary, but 2024 dat TBABranton LGBTQ Pri/Manatee Pri – Usually early March, but 2024 dat TBAPri Cape Coral/Fort Myers LGBTQ Pri – Usually early March, but 2024 dat TBAPalm Beach LGBTQ Pri/Lake Worth LGBTQ Pri - Usually late March, but 2024 dat TBATampa LGBTQ Pri – Usually late March but 2024 dat TBAEureka Sprgs Sprg Diversy Weekend/Eureka Sprgs LGBTQ Pri – Usually early April, but 2024 dat TBAVirgia Tech LGBTQ Pri/Blacksburg LGBTQ Pri – Usually early April, but 2024 dat TBAChapel Hill LGBTQ Pri/Carola Pri Week Chapel Hill - April 10-14, 2023Mobile Gay Pri/Southern Alabama Gay Pri – April 15, 2023Tallahassee LGBTQ Pri – April 15, 2023Miami Beach LGBTQ Pri/Miami LGBTQ Pri – April 15-16, 2023Port St.