Pri 2023: LGBTQ people flock to Florida for Disney's Gay Days celebratn

Contents:

• ‘WE SAY GAY’: FLORIDA’S LARGT PRI PARA DRAWS HUNDREDS OF THOANDS
• MIAMI BEACH GAY PRI
• FLORIDA GAY PRI PARA NCELED AFTER ANTI-DRAG SHOW LAW PASS
• LGBTQ+ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR GAY DAYS FTIVAL
• LGBTQ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR DISNEY'S GAY DAYS CELEBRATN
• FLORIDA TOWN NCELS ANNUAL GAY PRI PARA AS DESANTIS SET TO SIGN ANTI-DRAG BAN
• FLORIDA GAY PRI PARA NCELED AFTER ANTI-DRAG SHOW LAW PASS

‘WE SAY GAY’: FLORIDA’S LARGT PRI PARA DRAWS HUNDREDS OF THOANDS

“Florida is excement, ’s sunshe, happs, relaxatn … and all really hot-lookg people, ” said Carrie Wt, Print of the GaYBOR District Coaln Tampa’s Ybor Cy. Year-round, gay tourists om all over the world e to Florida to enjoy everythg om paras to film ftivals to roo events terg to the LGBTQ muny. While the foc of this ftival is the dozens of documentari and short films chroniclg the liv of gay, lbian, bisexual and transsexual people, some e jt for the fancy soire.

What began 1991 as an unofficial weekend where LGBTQ visors show up at Disney World and wear red has blossomed to one of the world’s most popular and well-known weekends for gay and lbian tourist.

MIAMI BEACH GAY PRI

“We were voted the number one global statn 2013, which we’re exced about, ” said Chris Alexanr-Manley, Print of Gay Days, Inc. The Tampa Bay Bs Guild, the Bay Area Human Rights Coaln, and the Tampa Bay Gay Men’s Chos e together to host this film ftival, screened at the historic Tampa Theatre. Petersburg’s first LGBTQ Pri march sce the onslght of the Covid-19 panmic, and jt three months after Florida’s ernor signed what crics ll the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Along wh rabow hats, eye makp, clothg and flags, there were prott signs the sea of Pri revelers, cludg those that said “We say gay” and "Bans off our bodi.

FLORIDA GAY PRI PARA NCELED AFTER ANTI-DRAG SHOW LAW PASS

The measure, which crics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, prohibs classroom stctn on genr inty and sexual orientatn Florida classrooms for stunts “ krgarten through gra 3 or a manner that is not age appropriate or velopmentally appropriate for stunts acrdance wh state standards.

LGBTQ+ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR GAY DAYS FTIVAL

McKeon hosted a booth where he sold water bottl, T-shirts and stickers wh “Jt Say Gay” emblazoned across the ont of each em. In the week until the “Don’t Say Gay” law tak effect — and a moment time that for many queer people has brought a sense of unease about their future — the ever-faiar “pri as prott” rea lored how many celebrated the largt event of s kd Florida, a state that has propelled self to the center of the latt culture war.

Dpe the 90-gree heat and humidy that ntued to the early eveng hours and a smatterg of anti-gay protters holdg signs that said “J Lov You” and “How Can I Pray for You, ” patrons stayed for hours after the para, visg vendors and lol bs, and dancg North Strb Park.

Petersburg om Tampa, said that neher the protters nor the “Don’t Say Gay” law uld ter her. Gay Miami has some of the bt beach the world, so mak sense that the cy's celebratn of LGBTQ life would be held right there, ont of the sea. In 2008, the former Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower tablished Miami Gay Pri, wh the first event and para transpirg the followg year.

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

Between 2009 and 2013, the number of people attendg Miami Gay Pri creased om 18, 000 to 80, 000. For full tails on Miami Beach Gay Pri & Ftival 2023, be sure to check out the official event program. 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.

30-May 6, 2023Memorial Weekend Pensala/Pensala LGBTQ Memorial Day Weekend – May 25-28, 2023Gay Days at Disney World Orlando – May 31-June 5, 2023 (at Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at Seaworld)Mid-South Pri/Memphis LGBTQ Pri – June 1-4, 2023One Magil Weekend Orlando/Walt Disney World – June 1-5, 2023 (at Walt Disney World Rorts)LowCountry LGBTQ Pri (South Carola)/Bluffton LGBTQ Pri/Befort LGBTQ Pri - June 2, 2023CenLA Pri/Central Louisiana LGBTQ Pri/Alexandria LGBTQ Pri – June 2-3, 2023Athens GA LGBTQ Pri – June 3, 2023Charlton SC LGBTQ Pri – June 3, 2023Columb GA LGBTQ Pri/ColGay Pri of Columb – June 3, 2023Gulf Coast LGBTQ Pri/Biloxi LGBTQ Pri – June 3, 2023Kissimmee LGBTQ Pri – June 3, 2023Outft Columbia/Columbia SC LGBTQ Pri – June 3, 2023Loudoun County VA LGBTQ Pri – June 4, 2023Northern Kentucky LGBTQ Pri/Covgton LGBTQ Pri/Newport LGBTQ Pri – June 4, 2023Puerto Ri LGBTQ Pri/San Juan LGBTQ Pri – June 4, 2023Napl FL LGBTQ Pri – June 10, 2023Key Wt LGBTQ Pri/Florida Keys LGBTQ Pri – June 7-11, 2023Natnal Ain Amerin MSM Learship Conference on Social Jtice and Health Dispari – June 7-11, 2023 Atlanta, GA)Curao LGBTQ Pri – June 7-12, 2023New Orleans LGBTQ Pri – June 9-11, 2023NOLA Black Pri/New Orleans LGBTQ Black Pri – June 9-11, 2023Bay Pri/Panama Cy LGBTQ Pri – June 10, 2023Fernanda Beach LGBTQ Pri/Amelia Island LGBTQ Pri/Nass County FL LGBTQ Pri – June 10, 2023Northeast Arkansas Prift/Jonboro LGBTQ Pri – June 10, 2023Central Alabama LGBTQ Pri/Birmgham LGBTQ Pri – June 10-11, 2023Montgomery Black Pri/Selma LGBTQ Pri (AL) – June 15-17, 2023Tri-State Black Pri ( Memphis)/Memphis Black LGBTQ Pri – June 15-18, 2023Kentuckiana Pri/Louisville LGBTQ Pri – June 17, 2023Lakeland FL LGBTQ Pri/Polk County LGBTQ Pri – June 17, 2023Stonewall Pri Wilton Manors/South Florida LGBTQ Pri – June 17, 2023Duned FL LGBTQ Pri – June 17-25, 2023Port Cy Pri/Wilmgton LGBTQ Pri (NC) – Usually late June, but 2023 dat TBAVero Beach LGBTQ Pri - Usually late June, but 2023 dat TBAAugta GA LGBTQ Pri – June 23–24, 2023Hampton Roads LGBTQ Pri/Norfolk VA LGBTQ Pri/Virgia Beach LGBTQ Pri – June 23-25, 2023St.

Lucie gay pri para has been nceled and other pri events have been rtricted to people 21 years and olr anticipatn of Republin Gov. -- 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.

FLORIDA TOWN NCELS ANNUAL GAY PRI PARA AS DESANTIS SET TO SIGN ANTI-DRAG BAN

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. 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.

— 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.

FLORIDA GAY PRI PARA NCELED AFTER ANTI-DRAG SHOW LAW PASS

“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.