Jags' Maxen is first male Amerin pro sports ach to e out as gay - ESPN

Contents:

• LGBTQ+ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR GAY DAYS FTIVAL
• THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023
• LGBTQ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR DISNEY'S GAY DAYS CELEBRATN
• GAY LONDON, LGBTQ+ CLUBS AND EVENTS
• 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
• GAY DAYS ARE BACK: A TIME-HONORED TRADN RETURNS TO AMEMENT PARKS AROUND THE COUNTRY
• NEW FLORIDA LAWS SPARK CONCERN AMONG ORGANIZERS OF GAY DAYS EVENTS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD AND OTHER S
• KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’
• OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER JAKE DANIELS, 18, MET ‘SOULMATE’ MARK, 46, AFTER HE SLID TO HIS DMS WHEN HE ME OUT
• JAGUARS’ KEV MAXEN IS FIRST MALE ACH TO E OUT AS GAY US MEN’S PRO SPORTS
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN MAK HISTORY AFTER COMG OUT AS GAY
• JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

LGBTQ+ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR GAY DAYS FTIVAL

Your journey to the #official GayDays Orlando 2024 stage starts HERE where you’ll be asked to subm a headshot, rume, availabily, mic sampl, referenc and some addnal rmatn! Don’t that submissn and maybe YOU will be spng at the hottt Land Cise of the season that n only be lled the #ORIGINAL, #OFFICIAL, GAYDAYS ORLANDO 2024!!! Tens of thoands of LGBTQ+ people are flockg to Florida's theme parks and hotels to go on thrill ris, dance at all-night parti and lounge poolsi a s-long tradn known as Gay Days.

THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023

(AP) — 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.

Polil CartoonsIt'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.

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

— recently issued a travel and relotn warng for the state, jog the NAACP, the League of Uned Lat Amerin Cizens, the Florida Immigrant Coaln and Equaly 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. 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. The term – a phemism that dat back to the 1950s – was once ed to dite gay social events on daily cise le programs, whout explicly llg out members of the muny on board.

GAY LONDON, LGBTQ+ CLUBS AND EVENTS

As travel on the high seas ntu to bounce back om the COVID-19 panmic, gay and lbian travelers should nsir settg sail on a fun-filled cise vatn as their next planng a cise, vatners should first nsir what their ial sailg looks like. Some cise operators (thk: Atlantis Events and La Demence) are known for their electrifyg, all-night parti, which may be perfect for gay groups of iends. Cisers should also thk about whether they'd like to travel aboard a gay-iendly mastream le, such as Celebry Cis or Virg Voyag, or opt for an all-gay, full-ship charter wh a third-party vatn pany.

GAY DAYS IS RETURNG TO DISNEYLAND & CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

Of VACAYA's all-gay charters, he says, "For one magil week, our muny gets to be the majory and live life out loud the blissful utopia VACAYA creat on a gay cise.

This le gets the stamp of approval om prev LGBTQ cisers, who praise the ships' genr-ntral bathrooms, onboard shows wh rint drag queens and diverse Voyag offers gay-specific sailgs through travel pani like Atlantis Events, but s more mastream erari still offer a welg, clive atmosphere that attracts LGBTQ cisers year-round.

Atlantis EventsThe world's largt gay and lbian travel brand, Atlantis Events was found 1991 and wel more than 20, 000 travelers annually on LGBTQ vatns.

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

For s all-gay cis, Atlantis charters megaships om popular l like Royal Caribbean Internatnal and Norwegian Cise Le, so cisers will have a fully immersive board, travelers n enjoy all the perks the megaships have to offer (thk: pools, hot tubs, sports urts and plenty of dg choic), pl special events like drag performanc, motivatnal speakers, LGBTQ movi on mand each b and high-energy circu parti across the ship. "As an LGBTQ ciser, you're lookg for a ship wh lots of entertament, cludg dance parti and events, " says Mars Martez, founr of Men Who Bnch, a Black gay liftyle blog. "One of the bt cise [l] for gay cisg is Atlantis, sce you'll be able to meet hundreds of attractive men and party all day and night on the ship.

Cisers will also enjoy performanc by drag queens, gay Broadway stars and more, pl more typil river cise perks like sightseeg and lavish meals. Celebry Cis(Courty of Celebry Cis)Celebry Cis sets the scene for an excellent vatn for gay travelers, om s extravagant annual Pri parti to s daily LGBTQ programmg throughout the year.

Although all erari are gay-iendly, nsir bookg a Pri Party at Sea sailg (which tak place each June) for an extra special experience.

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

Private travel pani like VACAYA also charter Celebry ships for all-gay voyag throughout the (Getty Imag)Specifilly marketed toward lbians and LGBTQ women, Olivia has hosted more than 350, 000 travelers by land and sea over almost five s. The popular cise le equently partners wh Atlantis Events to offer all-gay voyag throughout the year, but even the standard sailgs earn praise.

Outsi of the sailg experience, Royal Caribbean has also publicly mted to support the LGBTQ muny throughout the year, and was the first cise le to earn the tle "Gay Traveler Approved" om GayTravel 2023, nsir a Royal Caribbean voyage that sails to gay-iendly statns. ]The Cise Wh La Demence(Courty of The Cise wh La Demence)Acrdg to past cisers, if you're lookg for one of the bt party scen on the open seas, nsir an all-gay cise wh La Demence. Powered by a popular gay nightclub Bssels wh the same name, La Demence – French for "the madns" – primarily ters to a European crowd.

Prev cisers had high praise for the erari – which exclively vis gay-iendly lotns – as well as the uy cktails, themed nights (stum strongly enuraged), glamouro entertament, and unique events like drag bgo and high heel Demence sails every summer to statns like Rome; Athens and Mykonos, Greece; Kotor, Montenegro; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and more.

GAY DAYS ARE BACK: A TIME-HONORED TRADN RETURNS TO AMEMENT PARKS AROUND THE COUNTRY

Wh over 20, 000+ atten, the Gay Days Orlando Expo is one of the largt gay & lbian expos the world and a great place to meet new iends.

NEW FLORIDA LAWS SPARK CONCERN AMONG ORGANIZERS OF GAY DAYS EVENTS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD AND OTHER S

The Gay Days Orlando Expo, loted the Gay Days Host Hotel, offers an exceptnal opportuny for Gay Days atten to view and sample goods and servic specifilly targetg our muny durg their vatn. It is also perfect for lols to e and enjoy this Expo as part of Orlando's annual Gay Days celebratn & Gay Day the Magic are many other great events happeng at the Gay Days Host Hotel that you n attend before or after you vis the Expo. — 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.

KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’

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.

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.

OPENLY GAY FOOTBALLER JAKE DANIELS, 18, MET ‘SOULMATE’ MARK, 46, AFTER HE SLID TO HIS DMS WHEN HE ME OUT

Holot Remembrance Day, January 27, is a day to remember all the victims of the Nazi era – cludg the gay men killed ncentratn mps. Day of Silence, held on April 17, is the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network’s annual day to prott the bullyg of LGBT stunts and their supporters.

Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, observed on May 17 to raise awarens of anti-LGBT vlence and reprsn worldwi. Created by Adam Steward 2009 and celebrated on July 16, Internatnal Drag Day to give drag artists a chance to showse their creativy and ntributns to gay culture. Started 2010 by Canadian teenager Brtany McMillan, and promoted by GLAAD, was created rponse to a seri of bullyg-related suicis of gay stunts like Tyler Clementi.

JAGUARS’ KEV MAXEN IS FIRST MALE ACH TO E OUT AS GAY US MEN’S PRO SPORTS

Disneyland’s announcement as the Burbank entertament pany ntu to face backlash Florida for opposg the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.

“Better late then never, ” wrote Twter er posted homophobic and transphobic ments, wh some statg that they would not attend Disneyland on those Ne will clu a dance party wh characters “special attire” and photo opportuni wh “pri-themed backdrops, ” Disneyland officials Ne more than 25 years after the unofficial but immensely popular “Gay Days, ” which began as an after-hours event when the park uld be rented out for private Days is now held durg park hours and attracts thoands of LGBTQ atten each year. “In the wake of everythg that’s happeng to the untry, that Disney is g out support of the muny and vg the muny , this way, I thk is a great thg, ” said Eddie Shapiro, anizer of Gay Days Anaheim. Although Shapiro exprsed some ambivalence about Disney steppg to a space Gay Days has been fillg succsfully for more than two s, he also said the events n and will n put on lavish and theatril productns wh LGBTQ them, Shapiro said, while Gay Days n host s own events and parti outsi the parks.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN MAK HISTORY AFTER COMG OUT AS GAY

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!!!

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

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

The change was the works before the panmic and was requted by Disney as a way for Gay Days to avoid overlappg wh Halloween crowds.

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

“What exactly is that, ” the uniated sometim say when we tell them that the twenty-third Gay Days at Disneyland is g up September. 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.

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.

JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

“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. 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. Disney World Orlando might be the first park that to md when to Gay Days, but several other amement parks across the untry officially or unofficially wele the LGBTQ+ muny each year for smaller, but jt as Priful, events.

From Six Flags Magic Mounta Los Angel to Cedar Pot and Kgs Island Oh and Knoebels Amement Rort Pennsylvania, many amement parks across the untry celebrate Gay Day every year.