Disney Gay Days Orlando Is On — and Some Atten Are Worried

Contents:

• WHAT DAYS ARE GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD? EVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT THE RED SHIRT TRADN.
• LGBTQ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR DISNEY'S GAY DAYS CELEBRATN
• DAT ANNOUNCED FOR GAY DAYS DISNEY WORLD
• GAY DAYS 2023 AT DISNEYLAND RORT CONFIRMED, DAT REVEALED - INSI THE MAGIC
• GAY DAYS AT DISNEY – CELEBRATE PRI & LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH
• GAY DAYS RETURNS TO WALT DISNEY WORLD AFTER 2-YEAR HIAT
• GAY DAYS IS RETURNG TO DISNEYLAND & CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
• THE TTH ABOUT WHAT REALLY GO ON AT GAY DAYS AT DISNEYLAND
• DISNEY GAY DAYS ORLANDO IS ON — AND SOME ATTEN ARE WORRIED
• DISNEY GAY DAYS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
• GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD AFTER TWO YEARS HIAT
• AFTER A POLIL STORM, GAY DAYS RETURN TO DISNEY
• DETAILS ON GAY DAYS DISNEY WORLD THIS YEAR
• GAY TRAVELERS GATHER AT DISNEY WORLD TO VATN AND MAKE A STATEMENT

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

'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

— 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. 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.

”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.

DAT ANNOUNCED FOR GAY DAYS DISNEY WORLD

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. 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. 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.

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

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.

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

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. 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. 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). This year’s “Gay Day” dat at Disneyland were announced last year, but more recently, the dat for Out & Equal’s workplace summ have been announced, and the Walt Disney World Rort is hostg. The Summ is takg place after Disney’s bacle wh Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who took over the Reedy Creek district and regaed ntrol of the pany’s self-erned powers as retaliatn for Disney’s disagreement wh the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

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

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.

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.

GAY DAYS IS RETURNG TO DISNEYLAND & CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

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. 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.

THE TTH ABOUT WHAT REALLY GO ON AT GAY DAYS AT DISNEYLAND

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. 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.

DISNEY GAY DAYS ORLANDO IS ON — AND SOME ATTEN ARE WORRIED

“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. After beg nceled last year due to COVID-19, the famed “Gay Days Anaheim” will fally return to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

From September 17th-19th, thoands of people will don the signature Gay Days red shirt and meet up for trivia, svenger hunts, ri takeovers, parti, photoshoots, and so much more. “And now, ” the group’s webse clar, “we are so exced to announce that Gay Days Anaheim will be the VERY FIRST GROUP to return to Disneyland!!!

DISNEY GAY DAYS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Gay Days Anaheim has been held for over twenty years, though this year marks the first time will take place September stead of October.

GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD AFTER TWO YEARS HIAT

The Southern Baptists would have you believe that Gay Days is a time when we viants brg all of our viant behavr to Walt’s sacred fay statn and try to poison wh our agenda. Rather, what happens durg Gay Days is that, for one weekend of the year, we get to be the majory stead of the mory; we get to walk down Ma Street holdg the hands of our partners whout worryg about the star we attract; we get to gather wh our fai of choice at Ameri’s favore fay statn and feel like other fai feel every sgle day. Somethg magil happens at Gay Days that you never see at Disneyland on any other weekend; on other days, people’s foc tends to be on the people wh whom they arrived.

In terms of the LGBTQ+ muny, though, Disney’s relatnship go far eper, and has veloped ways the pany self n never have Disney was never a rd-rryg homophobe but he was a steadfast nservative, and long after his ath 1966, Disney’s output ntued to promote “tradnal” and “fay” valu. That didn’t disunt “dg” Disney characters (ually villas) as queer, that they exhibed stereotypilly gay attribut such as effemate behavur or distert the oppose sex: Jafar Aladd, for example, or Sr The Ln Kg, or even Shere Khan the tiger The Jungle Book.

AFTER A POLIL STORM, GAY DAYS RETURN TO DISNEY

One of the unsung LGBTQ+ hero of Disney lore, for example, is Howard Ashman, the openly gay lyricist and producer, who died of an Aids-related illns 1991.

Compose: Guardian DignIn the early years, Disney would warn “straight” visors when was Gay Day and hand out whe T-shirts to non-participants who had advertently turned up wearg red. There is no end of rabow-loured Disney merchandise on sale, and Disney acmodat and facilat the Gay Day schle of events, cludg a week-long ftival takg place across the cy, wh club nights, drag shows, pool parti, and special hotel his first Florida Gay Day 1998, Shapiro found a sister Gay Day Anaheim at the Los Angel Disneyland.

Even if s “openly gay character” proclamatns rarely live up to the billg, there have been fleetg referenc to same-sex relatnships movi cludg Toy Story 4 (two women drop off their dghter at krgarten); Onward (Lena Wahe’s p refers to her girliend); the live-actn Bety and the Beast remake (the character LeFou, played by Josh Gad, is telegraphed as gay and danc wh another man, although not even Gad was particularly proud of that one; “I don’t thk we did jtice to what a real gay character a Disney film should be, ” he admted). Photograph: Chris Livgston/Getty ImagWhen DeSantis first announced the “Don’t say gay” bill early March, Chapek’s rponse was to stay silent. Pixar employe released a statement allegg that Disney executiv had mand cuts om “nearly every moment of overtly gay affectn” s movi.

DETAILS ON GAY DAYS DISNEY WORLD THIS YEAR

But potentially more harmful than the attacks on Disney is the “Don’t say gay” bill self, which is likely to e long-lastg harm to Florida’s young LGBTQ+ people and their wh prev ocsns when nservativ have “gone after Mickey Moe”, this latt attack is likely to blow over.

Hundreds of thoands of LGBTQ+ revelers are expected to scend on Orlando for Disney Gay Days, a four-day schle of parti and meet-ups not officially sanctned by the Moe timg is prer, wh anti-LGBTQ+ ernor (and Republin printial ndidate) Ron DeSantis wagg a high-profile war agast the behemoth media and entertament pany, mostly bee s learship dared to stand up for LGBTQ+ ctomers and employe by speakg out agast DeSantis's "don't say gay" law. The suatn for LGBTQ+ people Florida is so dire that the Human Rights Campaign, Equaly Florida, and even the NAACP issued travel warngs for the Sunshe of the events of Gay Days beg Thursday, the begng of Pri Month, wh the start of Red Shirt Days, where LGBTQ+ Disney fans wear red to the var Disney theme parks to intify themselv as queer (some Red Shirt Days occur at neighborg amement parks, like Florida's Universal Studs and SeaWorld). At the sold-out Gay Days host hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton at SeaWorld, there are also var pool parti and even drag shows, even though DeSantis signed a bill limg such performanc.

“We ntue to be that blue speck a sea of red, but ultimately laws are laws, and that is the tertg suatn we are , ” Joseph Clark, the CEO of Gay Days, told Deadle, addg that many have reached out to ask whether 's safe to vis Florida.

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

A reprentative om the Orange County sheriff told Deadle that secury measur will be place, cludg unmarked police officers and vehicl, but cled to offer more the full schle of Disney Gay Days Orlando, click here. I was there on a fact-fdg Ripti event was part of what is rmally known as Gay Days, a four-day Pri extravaganza at Disney World and nearby hotels that attracts tens of thoands of L. Visors each started 1991, when a smatterg of gay adults — Disney obssiv all — ed ter msage boards to plan a gatherg: Let’s buy tickets to Disney World’s Magic Kgdom theme park on the first Saturday June and wear red shirts a display of uny.

And, of urse, ri Space Mounta and pose for photos wh Simmons for The New York Simmons for The New York Simmons for The New York TimGay Days soon expand to other Disney World parks cludg Ept, Animal Kgdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studs, and a number of adult-oriented events sprang up at non-Disney hotels the area, cludg pool parti, dance nights and drag petns. I’m admtedly the uptight-soccer-dad variety of gay man, but the ponents did not seem to f year, another qutn arose: Would the anti-L.