The Worlds Gayest Theme Parks

[Sir Clinksalot]

http://www.planetout.com/travel/article.html?sernum=9475

 

Don't ask me how I found it ...

[PhishyBrewer]

Cedar Point didn't make the list!

 

If you ever worked there, you know what I'm talking about. Love ya all!

[CoasterFanatic]

What?

 

No "Out at Holiday World"?

[Token Yankee Guy]

Yeah, Out in the Park at SFNE made it into the list.

[Movieguy]

SFOG made the list?...

 

Funny, I didn't know there were still gay people who dared to live in The South.

 

No offense to any southerners who post here, but it just doesn't seem like a particularly accepting region when it comes to homosexuals. When I think of that place, guys like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson immediately come to mind for me.

[shepp]

^ Well, not everybody is able or willing to move to San Francisco. (Luckily...since housing prices here are already abominable enough.) There are indeed places in the South - Atlanta, Austin, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans, even Hattiesburg - where queers live in relative freedom. We are, yes, everywhere. Even amongst libidinally constipated folks who think they're going to Heaven but ain't.

[Tomizzle For Rizzle]

Ghey!

Homosensual!

 

BTW, I avoid WDW like the plague on Ghey Days. It's gay enough on regular visits, but the last thing I want to see is a bunch of lisping queens! I have Brian for that.

 

ELL OH ELL

[Jew]

Why am I not suprised Gregg found this?

[coaster1]

Yeah I worked at Six Flags on a Gay Day .. that was interesting to say the least.

 

And my mother called me the other day to get tips on a WDW visit and they were going on Gay Weekend .. they changed that pretty quick after I told them ... not the best enviroment for my 7yr old sister to say the least.

[SharkTums]

They're pretty well behaved! It's not like all the gay men are having some sort of orgy in between the Innoventions buildings!

 

I've seen worse from the skanky teens making out all over the place!

 

That being said, I do understand their position, as it might be hard to explain why all the people are holding hands to a 7 year old!

 

Elissa "BACK IN THE PILE!" Alvey

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ LMFAO!!! I loved that episode.

 

And what is Jew talking about? I found it on a Disney website, where else???

 

Go pick up some change in your ride area!!!

[coaster1]

I'm sure it would be fine .. but Explaining that is right .. plus I don't blame them avoiding the crowds that weekend as well ... although with the 50th I doubt they'll avoid much of anything.

[AllisonY2K]

that link was sssssuper. um, Jerry Falwell is out in the midwest - in Kansas I think. I went to Gay Days at WDW many years ago. I was okay with it, my rather conservative parents weren't. I'm sure that trip is partly to blame when I broke the news to them years later. heh. anyway, my roommates want me to go, I don't. but I would just to see the number of protestors you pass on the way into the resort.

[Movieguy]

^ Actually, I think the Kansas guy you're thinking of is Fred Phelps. Falwell's from Virginia I think.

 

Again, seeing stuff like the Matthew Sheppard incident, which ended up in Phelps and his followers having that demonstration outside of his funeral, not to mention the gay night club that got bombed in Atlanta back in the 90's, again makes me wonder why any gay man would want to risk even going out into the Red States.

 

As for WDW, I think it's awfully brave of them to be doing something like this. I remember going to Intercot.com and seeing certain people complaining about the gay days there.

[disneygurlz2s]

That being said, I do understand their position, as it might be hard to explain why all the people are holding hands to a 7 year old!

 

 

No more difficult than explaining to Sammi why Lynn called Alex "honey" and kissed him at the end of their run on "Amazing Race"!! That was funny!

 

Seriously, I worked at PKI for 4 seasons here in good old conservative, white bread Republican Warren County, Ohio, and let me tell you, the week before and three-four days after Gay Day were a NIGHTMARE for us (Guest Services). The local talking heads on the radio would get the controversy going about mid-week before (it was always first Sunday in June) and the complaint calls would start. Then they day after, people who were "supposedly" in the park the day before would call in to complain about what they saw (most probably weren't even in the park but found out that if you complained enough, you got free tix for another visit.....). Others called just to complain that the "event" was even held.

 

The fact was, it wasn't a park "event", it wasn't even a scheduled "group"... it was people from the gay community getting together on their own and coming into the park. Obviously, there was nothing you could do from a corporate standpoint that would not be considered discrimination and open up another whole can of worms.

 

I agree with Elissa in that overall, on a daily basis, you see worse (sexual) behavior out of skanky teens or trailer trash in most parks... and I told one caller exactly that. After she got done describing to me (in GREAT detail) what she had supposedly seen between several male guests in the park, I asked her if she approached any employees or security guards in park to make a complaint. Of course, she hadn't. I said "Ma'am.... I wouldn't have cared if it was a man and a man, a man and a woman or two squirrels.... if I had seen that kind of behavior going on in the park, I wouldn't have waited a day and half to report it."

 

Shari "sorry about the squirrel comment, Elissa.... I am not squirrelophobic" Shoufler

[maeryk]

Face it, it all comes down to individual responsibility and behavior. Thats it.

 

As the poster above said.. if two people want to do things best done in their own home in public, tell the park and pitch a fit. Period. I have no issues with people holding hands, or a quick smooch.. the extended tonsil hockey periods in the middle of the midway blocking pedestrian traffic get on my nerves.

 

When I was on Steel FOrce two weekends ago with my 12 year old son and the city-dweller two seats in front of us spun around to announce "I Lost my virginity on the main drop of steel force!" at the top of his lungs (the mechanics of which I cannot even BEGIN to imagine) I was a bit perturbed. Those are questions I do not need my child asking at this point.

 

Maeryk

[edboxer]

not the best enviroment for my 7yr old sister to say the least.

 

And what is it exactly that your 7 year old sister needs to be protected from? Seeing loving families with two parents of the same sex together? I would venture that your 7 year old sister knows someone in school who has two parents of the same sex.

 

Seeing two men or two women kissing or holding hands? Or is that you don't know how to explain homosexuality to a seven year old?

 

Aren't you in fact fdstering homophobia, instilling in her that there is something wrong with gay people if she can't go to a park on gay day?

[CoasterFanatic]

As for WDW, I think it's awfully brave of them to be doing something like this.

 

WDW does not plan, promote, or organize these events in any way, and neither do any other parks (that I know of). The article was most likely found on a Disney "Fan" site.

[Sir Clinksalot]

edboxer, I think you are taking the post the wrong way.

 

It's not that 7-year olds need to be 'protected', but it's something they may not understand.

 

Take my kids as an example. They know LOTS of Gay people, their Grandmother for one. They are almost 9 and 7, and don't know. Of course when that day arrives and they are curious about it we will explain it to them. They don't need to be 'protected', it's just something that may not be explainable at a young age.

 

I wouldn't take my kids to Gay Days either. Because I want to be able to explain it to my kids at my pace, not have it shoved in their face. I think that's what coaster1 was trying to say.

 

I'm not an Admin, but I can tell you right now, Robb and Elissa won't let this turning into a flame the flamers thread. Just remember, we are all human's, and at least on these boards we need to respect peoples lifestyles.

[Movieguy]

Yeah, let's not let this discussion turn ugly. I've seen too much of that garbage on other forums. I really don't want it to creep into this place.

[SharkTums]

Yeah...

 

Let's go back and talk about those two Squirrels kissing like Shari was talking about!

 

Elissa "all about squirrels" Alvey

[shepp]

As for WDW, I think it's awfully brave of them to be doing something like this.

 

WDW does not plan, promote, or organize these events in any way, and neither do any other parks (that I know of). The article was most likely found on a Disney "Fan" site.

 

I spoke with someone involved in Gay Day planning at a queer travel expo out here last fall. He told me then that Universal was being added to the official Orlando gay weekend, and that the folks at Uni, including their Diversity Department or whatever, were in fact anxious to become part of the event, and were going out of their way to make that happen. (Which it has.)

 

Yet another reason to prefer IOA to WDW, I suppose.

 

That having been said, the only outright homophobia I've experienced at a park has been at HHN, both from patrons (young male drunks muttering "fag" at me) and from the stage (antigay schtick from a comedian, some pretty dubious crap at a B&T show).

 

I don't go to Gay Day events myself, but for those of you wondering why there are queer events, here's a little experiment. (This works best for males.) Next time you're at a park, hold hands with your same-sex friend. Don't hug, kiss, nothing. Just hold hands and be aware.

 

Now you get it?

 

It's not WDW that's "brave," it's those of us who don't knuckle under to America's obsession with allowing assault weapons but banning gay marriage. You might want to explain that to your 7-year-old relatives.

 

(And as for the other, why wouldn't "Well, some people love people of the same sex" be sufficient? After all, explanations of straight love aimed at 7-year-olds rarely go into the particulars of vaginal sex...)

[SharkTums]

There's controversy over all of these 'organized events'. Anyone remember the craziness last year over the 'Arab' day at SFGAd??? Hey, at least that took the spotlight off of some of the Gay Days!

 

Having worked in ticketing I can tell you that we more people call and complain about 'Arab' day that was happening at another park across the country than we ever had about 'Odyssey Night'. We also have had complaints about 'Country Music' day, 'PurimFest', hell even gospel and hallelujah jubilee!

 

Again, let's keep it civil and remember that here in America, everyone hates everyone that's different than they are!

 

Elissa "finds the country days much worse than the gay days!" Alvey

[shepp]

We also have had complaints about 'Country Music' day, 'PurimFest', hell even gospel and hallelujah jubilee!

 

Welllll, since we're going there....

 

I do not go to theme parks to be lectured on what my belief systems should be. Yet I rarely go to a park without seeing some T-shirt that tells me quite explicitly Jesus is the only way to salvation. (No, I'm not talking "I heart Jesus" slogans. I'm talking about the "Jesus had nails put through his wrists because you're a miserable sinner and unless you worship Him, you're screwed" variety. And yes, I've seen those more than a few times at parks.) IMO, that's no more acceptable than if I went up to a straight couple standing in a queue and said, "You'd be happier if you tried queer sex." And let's face it, the varieties of faith most often seen at Christian days at parks are generally of the proselytizing Christian-supremicist variety.

 

I like the "music" part of gospel music, yet when I went to KBF on Gospel Day, I was uncomfortable knowing that in this country, Black and/or Baptist churches form a major power base for homophobic politics. I felt, in other words, as comfy as an African-American would be at (fictitious) Confederacy Celebration Day at SFOG.

 

If I took a Jewish 7-year-old niece to a park, I'd find it tougher to answer "Why does that man's T-shirt say I'm going to burn in Hell?" than "Why are those two ladies holding hands?"

 

But that's just me...

[CoasterFanatic]

I am kind of suprised that Universal would "officially" promote a gay day at their parks. The religious right would throw a boycott at them before they even knew what happened. I mean ... they threatened Disney and it wasn't even a park sponsored event. I don't think (at least as of now) that any of these larger corporate parks (Disney, Universal, Busch, etc) would be able to justify sponsoring these type of events for fear of the backlash that will be experience in the so-called "Red States".

 

The "arab" day was a little different, because it was coordinated with the park and was even supposed to be exclusive to muslims (they ended up backing out of this). Another thing that threw a lot of controversy into it was the group that was organizing it (ICNA).