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!
Posted on 06/11/2003 9:09:23 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
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.
"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!
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!
Can you imagine what would of happened if Disney did try to stop it? The press would of had a field day with it.
<LOL!> Good catch!
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.
Oh you're so not with it. Any of these colors is suitable for a gay event.
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