Nephew of the Week: Kyle Colgan
Let the party begin! Kyle has entered the room! Kyle is a fun-loving guy who lives and works in Jacksonville. On his long weekends, Kyle makes the trip to party with his LGBT family in GaYBOR. Hope to see him again soon!
You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
The Tampa Bay Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They were playing in Tampa against the Chicago Blackhawks. Three young guys walk into the bar wearing red Chicago Blackhawks T-shirts and BIG SOMBREROS!
Tea Cup gave them a smile and said, “Great hats, guys.”
The guys actually replied… “Thanks! We are trying to fit in with the locals here.”
They were so serious! Tea Cup just smiled and thought “Hmm…these guys are going to be so easy to beat in the Stanley Cup.” GO LIGHTNING!
25 Years of Gay Days at Disney (in Orlando)
Wow! How time flies right before your eyes. We are proud to say that for 25 years of Gay Days (starting out as the themed Gay Day with the Mouse, then Gays at the Castle, then Gay Days at Disney), Mark & Carrie and MC Film have been a part of the world’s largest gay event. It started with us going to a Gay Disney Weekend Party (with us wearing red shirts for identification),with networked friends across America, at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in 1990. We worked on this event and then other events started to appear, and for the next seven years we worked with many planning groups for hoteliers and Disney (and the now-closed original Pleasure Island bar complex for Thursdays). We were a proud part of the original computer techy geek starters, Digital Queers.
Many meetings were held with Disney officials and planning around the first weekend in June. Why the first week of June? Because that was the start of the slow summer season and Disney offered an extremely low gate fee for Florida Resident Days. It was the last low-rate ticket weekend. On the first June weekend in 1994, Disney closed its admission gates because too many entrants were inside Disney’s Magic Kingdom and they were at capacity. The roads coming into Disney property were packed with visiting tourists from all over the state, country and world. But LGBT entrants had the park at capacity and ALL of the theme parks had to jump into action.
Yes, there was record gay attendance at Disney and the world now knew it. Theme parks that just laughed at us years before now took notice. It was financially positive! Companies called and wanted to buy our mailing lists. That created new national GLBT events. They offered money to sponsor events. Gay groups increased, expanded and included gay pilots, gay journalists, gay bears, gay leathermen, gay bankers, gay dancers, national performers, music singers and dancers, celebrities…and soon there were 50 major, diverse organizations formed and it continues to grow to this day. You name it, that group is there!
But now the event has evolved in those 25 years. There are super pretty boys and men in 
speedos at all the Orlando hotels’ pools. Groups meeting and members introducing themselves to people from all across the country. They all come for fun and we will all long remember those magical Disney moments, always on the first weekend in June.
Please write us about your memorable “Gay Disney Day Experience” for sharing in upcoming “Dishing with Mark & Carrie” issues. Write your story Gay Disney Day Experience and send to MCFILMFEST@gmail.com.
