Especially for young people who might be struggling with their identity. Gay Days, just like other kinds of Pride type events, can serve an important purpose in fostering a sense of community. Even here in NYC, home of Stonewall where we only recently hosted World Pride, anti-LGBT hate crimes are on the rise. The narrative that we've "overcome" as a community simply doesn't reflect the current reality, again without getting into politics which are not allowed on the boards, we are seeing rights being chipped away at. Trans acceptance is lagging considerably in the US and trans women of color in particular face horrific levels of discrimination and violence. My gf is very butch presenting and has experienced harassment from cishet women in restrooms in the most accepting places you can think of, including at Disney.Īlso, acceptance varies wildly depending on what letter of the acronym you are. Where we are accepted, a lot of that acceptance is really conditional on perceived gender conformity. As others have mentioned, there are many places where LGBT people are still discriminated against and are not able to be safely out. I think it's pretty great and I hope it continues for many years to come.Įven at Disney parks, some of the most accepting places on earth where a lot of CMs are "family", we still experience microaggressions.
There's something pretty special about seeing the Mark Twain riverboat cruise around the Rivers of America i Disneyland full of people wearing red shirts during Disneyland's Gay Days. Even if it's just for a few days on your WDW or DL trip, it can be a wonderful respite and safe haven from the craziness of the rest of the world.
There are also still places in the world in which being LGBTQ can land you in prison or sentenced to death.įor all of those reasons, I think it's essential for every LGBTQ+ person to have something like this in which they can all let down their hair for a few days, feel free to hold hands with their spouses/significant others, and just be who they have always been deep down inside and to not have to hide it or put on a mask. Consider the individual who feels they have to keep part of themselves under wrap in order to stay under the radar, in order to not be discriminated against at work, with their family/extended family, at their places of worship (if applicable), etc. However, one should consider that not everyone lives in such an environment. If one is living in a part of the world and in a community which is open, accepting, and supportive of LGBTQ+ individuals, then it might seem like WDW/DL Gay Days is an antiquated concept. “You look like an uptight soccer dad, and it’s not a good vibe.I think it's an important yearly tradition that should continue.
I stood among the revelers wearing a black Polo shirt and khaki shorts, which led to an impromptu intervention from a stranger, Jose Rodriguez, 27. Later, a squadron of go-go boys ceded the stage to drag queen Trinity the Tuck. A few ticket holders turned up in wrestling singlets, while others had outfitted themselves in bondage-scene chest harnesses. But the party was not a Disney-orchestrated event, not by a long shot. “Be part of the magic!”īandwagon builds for LGBTQ diversity on children’s TVĪn actual rainbow arched over the park’s thunder-shower-soaked parking lot as the sun set, prompting several attendees to joke that Disney had outdone itself with Pride theming this year. “For one night, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park becomes entirely yours for the party of the year,” online ads had promised. Each had spent $100 or more on tickets for a private, adults-only Pride bacchanal called Riptide. Last Friday evening, about 6,000 people - almost all of them gay men - poured into a Walt Disney World water park near Orlando, Florida.