‘GayDays’ kicks off in Orlando despite pro-LBGTQ group’s travel advisory
ORLANDO, Fla. (FLV) – “GayDays” kicked off in Orlando Thursday despite Florida’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights group issuing a travel advisory for the state.
The multi-day festival will be comprised of events staged at attractions, gay and lesbian nightclubs, and unique venues “secured for the purpose of creating an inclusive LGBTQ atmosphere,” according to the website.
“We will not be stopped. Our event is still happening, our drag shows will still go on and we will continue to be a welcoming event for all members of the LGBTQ plus community and our allies,” CEO of GayDays Inc. Joseph Clark said in a Facebook post on May 21.
The website said in past years, GayDays has had over 180,000+ people from across the nation and around the globe attend the event.
“Right now is not the time to run. It’s not the time to go away. It’s time to show we are here, we are queer and we aren’t going anywhere,” Clark told the Associated Press.
The travel advisory from Equality Florida was issued on April 11 in response to a “wave of safety inquiries Equality Florida has received following the passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum.”
Some events on the agenda include pool parties, Disney World meetups, Miss GayDays pageant, GayDays Expo (18+), porn star bingo, drag bingo and more.
One event, Taste of GayDays, has been canceled due to the “current political climate.”
“We’re deeply sorry to announce the cancellation and “reimagining” of Taste of GayDays® due to challenges caused by the current political climate in Florida which recently caused concerns for a large group of our restaurant partners,” the GayDays group said on Facebook.
“Because of these circumstances, and though we adamantly tried to recruit additional vendors, it became clear that we would be unable to provide the exceptional experience that our guests have come to expect at the Taste of GayDays® Event,” they continued.
In May, DeSantis signed a bill into law to that authorizes the state to fine, suspend, or revoke the license of any public establishment that admits a child to “adult live performances” that depict or simulate nudity, sexual conduct, or lewd exposure.
Following the signing, Tampa Bay canceled a pride event, along with a pride event in St. Cloud and parade in Port. St. Lucie.
In this past legislative session, DeSantis also signed a bill that penalizes people who enter bathrooms designated for the opposite sex at certain entities and publicly-funded facilities and refuse to leave once asked.
