Gay Days at Walt Disney World: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom - Gay Day - 2007.jpg|thumb|People attending Gay Day dressed in red, in front of the [[Cinderella Castle]]]] |
[[File:Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom - Gay Day - 2007.jpg|thumb|People attending Gay Day dressed in red, in front of the [[Cinderella Castle]]]] |
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'''Gay Days at Walt Disney World''' is a [[gay pride]] event held at [[Walt Disney World]] near [[Orlando, Florida]] the first week in June. Various circuit parties and dance events comprising the majority of the schedule, culminating in a park-sanctioned (but not park-organized) "Gay Day" at the end of the week, in which gay travelers wear red to let others know why they patronized the park that day. |
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'''Gay Days at Walt Disney World''' is a loosely organized event where lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered individuals ([[LGBT]]), their families, friends and supporters go to [[Disney World]] on a single day each year. Held on the first Saturday in June (with numerous other events in the area during the preceding week), it is now one of the largest [[gay pride]] events in the world. |
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Gay Days was created in 1991 and were originally a single designated day, the first Saturday of June. It began as a suggestion by a man named Doug Swallow and his companions. They brought up the idea of meeting at [[Disney]] in a group of 15-20. Doug put some more of his effort into it by promoting the idea in gay night clubs. Since the proposed date to gather at the theme park was a few months away, the newspapers and some radio talk stations decided to broadcast the plans.<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.disney.parks/msg/be1658dbe7727a8f?hl=en</ref> On this day, the gay community was encouraged by outside organizers to come to the park and "wear red and be seen" At its beginning, there were over 1,000 people who identified as part of the LGBT community who showed up at Disney looking to enjoy this day. Over time as people went home and told their friends and their friends told their friends, Gay Day turned into Gay Days and is now a week long celebration. This event now attracts over 135,000 members of the LGBT community to spend the week in the Magic Kingdom. |
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<ref name=time>Cloud, John. ''Time'', 21 June 2010, "[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1995839-1,00.html How Gay Days Made a Home at Disney World]"</ref> |
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==History== |
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However, the Gay Days are not an event that is hosted by Disney. Gay Days is an unofficial event at the Magic Kingdom that is organized by private groups. |
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The first event, in 1991, had 3,000 lesbians and gays from central Florida going to area theme parks on one day wearing red shirts to make their presence more visible. By 1995, the event had grow to 10,000 gays and lesbians traveling for the gay day at Disney. As of 2010 approximately 150,000 LGBTs, their families, friends and supporters attended the six-day gathering (including various pool parties, conventions, festivals, a business expo, activities for kids, etc.) with 20,000 to 30,000 going to Disney on the final day.<ref name=time/> |
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The popularity of the event is seen by some attendees as a way of "reclaiming" normal joys of childhood lost to [[homophobia]] in their earlier years. Growth in attendance also reflects the growing number of [[LGBT parenting|LGBT families with children]].<ref name=time/> |
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==Reactions== |
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While Disney does not sanction Gay Days (and officially tells employees to treat it as any other summer day), [[conservative]] [[Christian]]-[[Right (politics)|right]] groups accuse Disney of not doing anything to stop the event.<ref name=time/> The [[Southern Baptist Convention]] [[boycotted]] Disney for eight years. Another organization flew banner planes one year "warning" families of gay events at Disney that weekend. |
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A local [[Doubletree]] resort has dubbed itself the "official" hotel for the event, with convention space rented to various businesses (bathroom remodelers, gourmet cooking suppliers, sex toys, etc.) and organizations (free health tests, vaccinations, etc.) pitching to attendees.<ref name=time/> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.gaydays.com/calendar/ Calendar at GayDays.com] |
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* [http://www.gaydays.com/about/history.html History at GayDays.com] |
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* [http://mediamatters.org/items/200408060012/ MediaMatters.org] |
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* [http://www.accesshollywood.com/miley-cyrus-and-gay-days-organization-to-hold-concurrent-celebrations-at-disneyland_article_11481/ AccessHollyWood.com] |
* [http://www.accesshollywood.com/miley-cyrus-and-gay-days-organization-to-hold-concurrent-celebrations-at-disneyland_article_11481/ AccessHollyWood.com] |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2011}} |
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* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.disney.parks/msg/be1658dbe7727a8f?hl=en/ "Gay Day (A word or two from the guy who started the event)" by Doug Swallow via groups.google.com] |
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[[Category:LGBT events in the United States]] |
[[Category:LGBT events in the United States]] |
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Revision as of 14:31, 27 July 2011
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (June 2011) |
Gay Days at Walt Disney World is a loosely organized event where lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered individuals (LGBT), their families, friends and supporters go to Disney World on a single day each year. Held on the first Saturday in June (with numerous other events in the area during the preceding week), it is now one of the largest gay pride events in the world. [1]
History
The first event, in 1991, had 3,000 lesbians and gays from central Florida going to area theme parks on one day wearing red shirts to make their presence more visible. By 1995, the event had grow to 10,000 gays and lesbians traveling for the gay day at Disney. As of 2010 approximately 150,000 LGBTs, their families, friends and supporters attended the six-day gathering (including various pool parties, conventions, festivals, a business expo, activities for kids, etc.) with 20,000 to 30,000 going to Disney on the final day.[1]
The popularity of the event is seen by some attendees as a way of "reclaiming" normal joys of childhood lost to homophobia in their earlier years. Growth in attendance also reflects the growing number of LGBT families with children.[1]
Reactions
While Disney does not sanction Gay Days (and officially tells employees to treat it as any other summer day), conservative Christian-right groups accuse Disney of not doing anything to stop the event.[1] The Southern Baptist Convention boycotted Disney for eight years. Another organization flew banner planes one year "warning" families of gay events at Disney that weekend.
A local Doubletree resort has dubbed itself the "official" hotel for the event, with convention space rented to various businesses (bathroom remodelers, gourmet cooking suppliers, sex toys, etc.) and organizations (free health tests, vaccinations, etc.) pitching to attendees.[1]
References
External links