SEA OF #RED
ORLANDO’S BIG GAY
WEEKEND IS HERE TO STAY
BY JEREMY WILLIAMS There was some concern with what would happen
to this weekend when it was announced by GayDayS
that they would be moving their events from the
traditional fi rst weekend of June to mid-August. Would all of
the other promoters follow suit? Would the fi rst Saturday of
June become just another day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
without a sea of red shirts fl ooding Cinderella’s Castle?
The answer to those
questions by the folks behind
One Magical Weekend,
Girls In Wonderland, Tidal
Wave Party and the LGBTQ
community in Orlando was
no. The fi rst weekend of June
is historical and bigger than
any one person or group.
With the name of GayDayS
moving to another month,
a new name was needed for
this weekend which kicks
off LGBTQ Pride Month.
Something that called to
mind the color that became
a marker that became a
symbol—the red shirt.
Red Shirt Pride Day
recognizes the stand those
early LGBTQ pioneers took
nearly 30 years ago to be
seen and heard at a time
when doing so could cost
you your job, friends, family
and, for some, your life.
The birth of the name also
led to the creation of the
KindRED Pride Foundation.
It’s a nonprofi t organization
whose mission is to support
the endeavors of like-minded
charities for the education,
promotion and celebration
of diversity, inclusion,
equality, safe expression and
kindness—because who
doesn’t benefi t from a little
extra kindness?
The KindRED Pride
Foundation also looks to take
the idea of unifying with a
red shirt at Disney’s Magic
Kingdom and go global
with it. The fi rst Saturday of
June is being declared “Red
Shirt Pride Day Around The
World,” with a goal to have
1 million people around the
world wear red. Spread the
word near and far: on June
1, 2019, encourage everyone
you know to wear a red
shirt, take a photo and post
it on whatever social media
platform you fancy and tag it
#RSPD and/or #RED.
Along with remembering
what this weekend means to
the LGBTQ community, the
KindRED Pride Foundation
also wants to take this
weekend to help out other
nonprofi ts out there, so at
KindREDPride.org you can
purchase a red shirt with
the logo of a local nonprofi t
on it to show your support.
Whichever nonprofi t shirt
you choose, $9 from the cost
of that shirt will be donated
to that nonprofi t. If you
operate a nonprofi t, there
is an option to upload your
logo and be a part of that
KindRED spirit.
This weekend is also
still about celebrating and
having fun in the sun, so
along with philanthropy
we are bringing you all
the information on the
weekend’s biggest concerts,
events, pool parties and
more. So get your red shirt,
swimsuit and caff eine ready
because it is going to be a
big weekend!
GD2018 WATERMARK’S COMPLETE GUIDE TO ORLANDO’S BIG GAY WEEKEND 7
/KindREDPride.org