ORLANDO | GayDayS, Inc. stirred up controversy within the community as it announced new dates for their annual LGBTQ celebration in Central Florida from the first weekend in June to mid-August starting in 2019.
Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom began the first Saturday in June 1991 when a group of LGBTQ people came together wearing red shirts for a day of celebration and visibility at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Over the last three decades several organizations—including GayDayS, One Magical Weekend, Girls In Wonderland and Tidal Wave—have been formed surrounding Gay Day increasing the one-day celebration to nearly a week of theme parks, pool parties and vendor fairs.
Chris Alexander-Manley, co-owner of GayDayS, Inc., announced the organization’s move with Watermark April 24, also announcing a new host hotel for its 2019 events. GayDayS will call the Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive home Aug. 13-19, 2019.
“GayDayS is a vacation event. I think a majority of those attending nowadays follow our lead of what dates we put out there,” Alexander-Manley said. “A majority of people are not coming in for that Saturday at the Magic Kingdom. There are some that do come every year for that, which is great, but Magic Kingdom will be open for the Saturday of our event. I always say it’s not a national holiday like Christmas or New Year’s Day that do fall on the same day every year. Change is good sometimes. Some won’t be happy but a majority will be very, very happy.”
While several organizations have built up around the original Gay Day, Alexander-Manley admits GayDayS did not reach out to any of them to tell them they were moving before the announcement was made.
“I’m sure they are hearing the fact that we have the dates and the hotel, so it will be up to them,” Alexander-Manley said at the time of the announcement. “If they stay on the other dates it will just be beneficial for Central Florida tourism, but I think their success has been basically riding the coattails of what we bring into the city and the exposure and promotion that we do for GayDayS overall.”
One Magical Weekend took to social media after the announcement to address GayDayS, Inc. moving.
“Let’s be clear – a private company that started seven years after the initial gathering does not own the tradition – neither do we,” they wrote. ”Girls in Wonderland Orlando and One Magical Weekend are committed to the first weekend of June chosen by the LGBT community in 1991 to celebrate LOVE and PRIDE MONTH! We will always kickoff Pride Month the first weekend of June at Walt Disney World Resorts! So put these dates in your calendar!”
The post included a picture of the Magic Kingdom, an Orlando Pride event and a “Save The Dates” graphic with dates for the first weekend of June through 2027.
Girls In Wonderland co-founder Alison Burgos, who spoke with Watermark at the time of the initial story, agrees and says they will not be moving dates either.
“It has always been the first weekend of June, at least for us, and it will continue to be the first weekend of June,” said Burgos. “Moving the dates does not make sense for us or our brand, or for the history of what’s been created.”
Burgos continued, saying she felt disappointed that GayDayS did not reach out to anyone at Girls In Wonderland about the move and is saddened that the events will not be sharing the same weekend in June.
GayDayS 2018—with the DoubleTree by Hilton at Sea World’s final year as the host hotel—will be May 29-June 4. One Magical Weekend 2018 will be at the B Resort Hotel & Spa June 1-4 and Girls In Wonderland 2018 will be at the Grand Orlando resort at Celebration May 31-June 4.
