Gay Day colors Disney World with signature red T-shirts (Hold Muh Martini Alert!)

Orlando Sentinel ^ | June 8, 2003 | Alicia A. Caldwell

[NYer]

The trickle of red-shirted Disney enthusiasts first appeared in the parking lot, more than a mile by monorail or ferryboat from their intended destination.

By journey's end, just inside the gates of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, the trickle became a sea of red. The throng of people in matching ensembles, most of whom had never met, was more than a coincidence.

Saturday was the annual "Gay Day" at Disney, attracting several thousand gays and lesbians whose choice of hue allowed them to share the experience together.

"You feel comfortable holding hands," Floridian Bernadette Comstock said of the atmosphere at Gay Day, one of a weeklong series of gay-related activities in the Orlando area. "You are not worrying if you're going to get hurt. Everybody should be this free."

Red appeared to be the single most popular color Saturday, but the crowds of visitors at the Magic Kingdom looked little different from any average group on a summer day at the self-proclaimed "Happiest Place on Earth."

Disney does not sponsor the event, which began in 1991, but company spokesmen say the company welcomes any visitor to the park.

A couple from the Netherlands, Marc Oelrich Winkelaar and Diederik Oelrich Winkelaar, said they were amazed by the welcoming environment as they toured the park with friends.

Marc Oelrich Winkelaar, who is from Amsterdam, said that Gay Days Orlando had been as comfortable as gay festivals in the Netherlands, where he said homosexuality is accepted and same-sex marriages are legal.

"In Amsterdam, it's not an issue anymore," Marc Oelrich Winkelaar said. "It's nice to see that people [here] can be themselves."

Not everyone wore red. Deja, a 24-year-old Orlando drag queen who asked that he be identified only by his stage name, sported a bright green two-piece flowered dress and matching hat. Others, including Marc Oelrich Winkelaar, were subtler.

"I don't own red and I didn't want to buy red for this one day. Besides, I heard that white was another option," he said of his white shirt.

Other park visitors wore matching shirts and shorts in a rainbow of colors or personalized T-shirts. One group of men even wandered the park wearing easy-to-spot straw sombreros adorned with Mickey Mouse ears.

Nontraditional families had a substantial presence at Saturday's event.

Nicole Ryan of Fort Lauderdale and her partner of nearly two years brought Ryan's daughter to Disney to help answer many of the questions the 5-year-old was beginning to ask about her mom's relationship.

"She was having questions about our relationship, and we wanted to bring her here and show her it's normal," Ryan said.

Not everyone enjoying the excursion wanted to have their full names printed, including Damian, a South Florida father visiting the theme park with his two children and his partner of 14 years.

"It's a great thing for our kids to be able to see how many gay people there are," Damian said as he and his family waited in line for the "It's a Small World" ride.

A few tourists found the park a bit small for them and the crowd of gays and lesbians.

[NYer]

I did several key word searches before posting this story. If it's a duplicate ... apologies.

Nicole Ryan of Fort Lauderdale and her partner of nearly two years brought Ryan's daughter to Disney to help answer many of the questions the 5-year-old was beginning to ask about her mom's relationship.

"She was having questions about our relationship, and we wanted to bring her here and show her it's normal," Ryan said

Yeah, sure .... as normal as lemmings dropping off a cliff.

[areafiftyone]

If you buy any travel books they warn about Gay week in Disney. Apparently this was not Disney's idea but the Gay organizers decided to do this one week and it caught on and Disney apparently did NOTHING to stop it. So this has been going on for years now!

[netmilsmom]

>>Yeah, sure .... as normal as lemmings dropping off a cliff.<<

Wow! You know your Disney history!!

Don't you think purple should be the color? Like Tinky-Winky?? A big triangle would help too.

[isthisnickcool]

I know someone who was at Disney last week and they said they only saw a few of the queers in their red shirts. And that they ones they did see were well behaved and "discreet".

[I_Love_My_Husband]

ping

[volchef]

I have it on good authority that there were make out sessions all over disney that day and that the lesbians were the worst. Management at disney does the best they can (with the little authority they get from upstairs) to keep it from getting out of control but it's getting worse every year.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Poor child. The child needs a normal family. However, I'm hoping the child grows up to be a serious right winger.

[Onelifetogive]

Nicole Ryan of Fort Lauderdale and her partner of nearly two years brought Ryan's daughter to Disney to help answer many of the questions the 5-year-old was beginning to ask about her mom's relationship.

"She was having questions about our relationship, and we wanted to bring her here and show her it's normal," Ryan said.

Rules of Life #27866 If you have to take your child to Disney World to show them that you are NORMAL...you are NOT normal!

[NYer]

Most people appeared to give little notice to the gay visitors, however.

Oh yea, just look at what happened to Micket when he refused one of them a hug!

[darkwing104]

and it caught on and Disney apparently did NOTHING to stop it.

Can you imagine what would of happened if Disney did try to stop it? The press would of had a field day with it.

[SJSAMPLE]

Referring to the Disney movie that launched the Lemmings/suicide mythology?

[thulldud]

Rules of Life #27866 If you have to take your child to Disney World to show them that you are NORMAL...you are NOT normal!

<LOL!> Good catch!

[areafiftyone]

I guess so. I truly believe that if they didn't open all those clubs and resturants in Downtown Disney they would really have no reason to go there. Apparently the dance clubs and trendy resturants are what they go for.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

And why is that gays feel compelled to dress up and alike at all? Part of the territory I guess!

[SwinneySwitch]

"I don't own red and I didn't want to buy red for this one day. Besides, I heard that white was another option," he said of his white shirt.

Shouldn't PINK be the official color of the day?

[areafiftyone]

Somehow they always have to prove a point! Apparently they have an extreme need for being the center of attention!

[MattAMiller]

Disney apparently did NOTHING to stop it. So this has been going on for years now!

All guests should be given polygraph examinations before they enter the park. Those found to be gay should be stoned by people dressed in colorful Biblical prophet costumes. It's the only way to save our culture.

[netmilsmom]

>>Referring to the Disney movie that launched the Lemmings/suicide mythology? <<

Yes!!

http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/lemmings.htm

But that was no myth!

[battousai]

Just one of the many reasons I could care less about Disney or their products for many years now. (Maybe this explains the use of such gaudy colors in all their animations now )

Poor Walt must be spinning in his grave.

[NYer]

Shouldn't PINK be the official color of the day?

Oh you're so not with it. Any of these colors is suitable for a gay event.

GAY PRIDE

[Lady Eileen]

"She was having questions about our relationship, and we wanted to bring her here and show her it's normal," Ryan said

There is nothing new under the sun.

As Pascal noted 400 years ago: Those who indulge in perversion tell those who are living normal lives that it is they who are deviating from what is natural. They think they are following a natural life themselves. They are like people on a ship who think it is those on shore who are moving away. Language is relative everywhere. But we need a fixed point for those who are moving aboard ship. But in morality, where are we going to find a harbor? (697-383)

Pensees, from The Mind On Fire, page 53,Multnomah Press,1989

[RAT Patrol]

Poor little 5-year-old. Nothing like getting a perverted sex-education before you even start kindergarten.

[jejones]

Saturday was the annual "Gay Day" at Disney, attracting several thousand gays and lesbians whose choice of hue allowed them to share the experience together.

Hmmm....Could Ms. Caldwell give me an example of sharing an experience apart? (Maybe with virtual reality hardware...)

[MineralMan]

"All guests should be given polygraph examinations before they enter the park. Those found to be gay should be stoned by people dressed in colorful Biblical prophet costumes. It's the only way to save our culture."

Yeah...how on earth is Disney supposed to know who's gay? Disney has nothing to do with this "Gay Day." They open the park that morning, just like any other morning, and take folks money to come to the park.

Want to avoid that day? Don't attend. But don't blame Disney. They didn't proclaim a "Gay Day."

[Darksheare]

Remember the pics of the LAST gay day they had?
The throngs of gays walking around without any shirts on and looking like extras from "Night of the Living Dead" set?
This is ridiculous.

[eastsider]

It's a wierd world after all.

[SJSAMPLE]

I meant that lemming suicide was a myth, not that Disney cheated. I remember seeing that movie back in the mid 1970s in grade school. Pretty cool.

[ArGee]

"She was having questions about our relationship, and we wanted to bring her here and show her it's normal," Ryan said.

Oh, absolutely it's normal. Why, anytime I want to show my kids that being married to my wife is normal I always have to look up a special event and wear special clothes.

I don't know what the word 'normal' means to a queer, but it isn't what it means to me.

Shalom.

[Ol' Sox]

#@%@! A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to get a pic of myself with Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale. Its a pretty rare thing to get a picture with that many characters at once. Wouldn't you know, I was wearing a bright red shirt! I suppose I'll have to burn it now. :(

[BritExPatInFla]

Quote:
I have it on good authority that there were make out sessions all over disney that day and that the lesbians were the worst. Management at disney does the best they can (with the little authority they get from upstairs) to keep it from getting out of control but it's getting worse every year.
endquote

As a long time annual pass holder and former cast member, I have to disagree. Gay Days has never presented much, if any problem or complaints in the parks. The hype that is built up by the organizers (and those who fear a mass orgy in Small World) causes more commotion than the event itself. The ironoc thing is that the annual "Nights Of Joy" (Christian Concerts) events at the Magic Kingdom result in more removals from the park and calls to the Orange County Sherrif's Department by Disney security than Gay Days and Grad Nights combined.

[ArGee]

Check out #21.

Shalom.

[stuartcr]

Why would they, it generated revenue.

[stuartcr]

Orlando is also home to the 15acre Holy Lands Theme Park!!! There's something for everyone in central FLA.

[Ghengis]

Disney does not sponsor the event, which began in 1991, but company spokesmen say the company welcomes any visitor to the park.

In 2004, Disney will be introducing Gerry Gerbil, a new companion for Mickey Mouse. The envious hijinks between Gerry and Minnie (with an occasional Gerry's visit at Goofy's house) will provide years of wholesome, comic pleasure for the kids.

Not that they are endorsing any kind of lifestyle or anything like that.

[MineralMan]

"Gay Days has never presented much, if any problem or complaints in the parks. The hype that is built up by the organizers (and those who fear a mass orgy in Small World) causes more commotion than the event itself. "

That sounds about right. Why this is such a big deal, I don't understand. A bunch of gay people go to Disney World, dressed in red shirts. So? If they break the rules there, they can be expelled. If they don't break the Disney rules, then who cares?

It's not as if the date of this "event" is unknown. If it troubles someone, why do they simply not attend Disney World on that day?

Sorry, but I just don't get it, to be quite frank. I'm an atheist, so I probably wouldn't attend one of those "Nights of Joy." But I wouldn't suggest that Disney not allow them.

[EdReform]

Disney Nightmare

[EdReform]

Bumping # 21

[Clint N. Suhks]

Those who indulge in perversion tell those who are living normal lives that it is they who are deviating from what is natural. .. They are like people on a ship who think it is those on shore who are moving away.

Great analogy.

[jethropalerobber]

They think they are following a natural life themselves.

homosexuality comes naturally to homosexuals.

[presidio9]

http://toogoodreports.com/column/general/chapin/20030319.htm

[Salman]

Apparently this was not Disney's idea but the Gay organizers decided to do this one week and it caught on and Disney apparently did NOTHING to stop it.

Disney is known to be a "gay friendly" employer, but suppose they were not? How could they stop it? They couldn't very well inquire about "sexual orientation" at the ticket booth.

[TonyRo76]

ferryboat = fairyboat

[areafiftyone]

True. They really couldn't stop it. All you can do is just be wary of bringing your kids on that week if you don't want to expose them to alot of kissing and handholding between the same sex! Actually though I have never heard of any bad incidents happening during that time. They seem to really enjoy Disney and that week is a big hit with them. I guess its good business for Disney too because they are guaranteed a large turnout on that week!

[L.N. Smithee]

Can you imagine what would of happened if Disney did try to stop it? The press would [have] had a field day with it.

It's already happened once.

Back in the late early-to-mid 80's, a pair of men were asked to leave the dance floor at the original Disneyland in Anaheim, the explanation being that Disneyland was 'a family place,' and the couple sued. I don't remember if the case went to trial or if it was settled, but the bottom line is that long before Disney became the multimedia conglomerate it is now, it backed down to homosexual activists.

The Disney Company as we knew it pretty much died when Walt's inept son-in-law Ron Miller abandoned the helm to Michael Eisner, who steered it to incredible success and profit. Of course, to get that done, Eisner had to pretty much give Mickey a soul transplant, making him just as salacious and perverted as the rest of Hollywood.

[headsonpikes]

"Apparently they have an extreme need for being the center of attention."

But they're 'normal', right?

;^)

[finnman69]

Butt Pirates of the Carribean?

[1Old Pro]

Boy do I feel sorry for the poor souls who scheduled their vacation not knowing this was Gay week and accidentally wore their Red shirts. I can just see the look on the guy's face after getting an unsolicited pinch on the a*s.