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

Contents:

• AFTER A POLIL STORM, GAY DAYS RETURN TO DISNEY
• WHAT DAYS ARE GAY DAYS AT DISNEY WORLD? EVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT THE RED SHIRT TRADN.
• WHY ARE LGBTQ+ PEOPLE HEADG TO ORLANDO THIS WEEKEND? EVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT GAY DAYS
• LGBTQ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR DISNEY'S GAY DAYS CELEBRATN
• GAY DAYS AT DISNEY – CELEBRATE PRI & LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH
• DISNEY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ADMS TO ‘GAY AGENDA,’ ‘ADDG QUEERNS’ WHEREVER SHE COULD
• GAYS FLOCK TO DISNEY FOR PRI MONTH EVENTS
• GAY DAYS IS RETURNG TO DISNEYLAND & CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

AFTER A POLIL STORM, GAY DAYS RETURN TO DISNEY

— Last Friday eveng, about 6, 000 people — almost all of them gay men — poured to a Walt Disney World water park near Orlando, Fla. 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.

)Disney has never endorsed Gay Days, a versn of which tak place the fall at Disneyland California. The planng is handled by private pani like One Magil Weekend, Gay Days Inc., and the lbian-foced Girls Wonrland. I had long heard stori about Gay Days, but I was nfed about what was.

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

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. Vrl that has surround Disney recent months spill over to Gay Days?

Anizatns and a torrent of pani cricized the bill, wh opponents llg “Don’t Say Gay. ” they like … a fun place to be gay?

Simmons for The New York Simmons for The New York Simmons for The New York TimGay Days hasn’t always gone smoothly. Shapiro said, Disney even hand out whe shirts to straight people who had shown up wearg red and were terrified of beg mistaken for gay.

WHY ARE LGBTQ+ PEOPLE HEADG TO ORLANDO THIS WEEKEND? EVERYTHG TO KNOW ABOUT GAY DAYS

“People would be at the entrance wh Bibl and signs sayg we were gog to hell, ” said Robert Mathison, 59, who began attendg Gay Days wh the man who would bee his hband and their son the early 1990s. Protts culmated 1997, when the Southern Baptist Conventn announced a formal boytt, spurred, part, by Disney’s refal to block Gay Days.

) Would Gay Days 2022 mark a return to that divisive time? Unls you unt a few hairy, heavyset men — bears, gay slang — bbg belli at the Ripti party a pool area emed “bear lagoon” while wearg bootleg “Ltle Mermaid” tnks. )On Saturday morng, as “Let’s Go Fly a Ke” om “Mary Popps” played on the loudspeakers, Gay Days participants streamed to Disney World.

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

Many of them wore red shirts wh the words “SAY GAY” on the back, a reference to the recent ntroversy.

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

”Both women said a favore part of Gay Days volved nng to alli, cludg volunteers om Free Mom Hugs, an L.

Although Disney do not sponsor or promote Gay Days, s Parks & Rorts divisn celebrat Pri month wh a barrage of rabow merchandise s shops, cludg a button featurg Mickey Moe and a rabow along wh the slogan “Belong, Believe, Be Proud. Yet homophobia has not disappeared. The only tensn I saw me om a gay man who was cranky that a Disney manager had told him that his shirt uld be viewed as appropriate.

DISNEY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ADMS TO ‘GAY AGENDA,’ ‘ADDG QUEERNS’ WHEREVER SHE COULD

”There were loads of people red shirts who were not at Disney World for Gay Days — and none seemed to re when they learned of the lor’s signifince on this day. “About 10 years ago at Gay Days, we were all le our red shirts at Big Thunr Mounta, ” Mr. If you’re wearg red, means you’re gay!

GAYS FLOCK TO DISNEY FOR PRI MONTH EVENTS

McKeown Simmons for The New York TimSeveral longtime Gay Days atten shared a siar wistfulns for Gay Days gone by, addg that the -agast-the-world pr rps that was such an important part of the event has waned.

GAY DAYS IS RETURNG TO DISNEYLAND & CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

Society has bee more acceptg, and some younger Gay Days atten don’t even bother to show up red shirts at the Magic Kgdom, preferrg to party poolsi. “There is ls of a stigma, which is posive, ” Richard Holley-Byrd, 45, told me as we exed the Country Bear Jamboree, a rny mil review that tak on a double meang durg Gay Days. McKeown, who liv Qucy, Fla., to help me make sense of somethg: If nservativ were so upset about Disney’s supposed “gay agenda, ” why was none of that nasts visible durg Gay Days?

More about Brooks BarnA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn ST, Page 10 of the New York edn wh the headle: After Polil Storm, Gay Days Return to Disney. 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 Orlando started three s ago wh a group of iends who cid to meet up at Disney World red shirts.