Gay Daze...Recapping The Happiest Weekend on Earth!

Yes...It took me a week to recover from my recent visit to Orlando for the annual Gay Days takeover of Disney's Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios. The event encompassing the entirety of the weekend, is an unofficial pilgrimage to the by thousands of members of the LGBT community. When the event began, more than a decade ago it was little more than a blip on the gay radar and immediately generated support from Disney World and the surrounding theme parks, who happily agreed to work with producers to make Gay Days into a seasonal celebration.

Proving this year beyond any doubt that we were born this way not even an ill-rallied coalition of protestors could keep hundreds if not thousands of red shirts from descending on Disney for a well-earned holiday and visit to the Magic Kingdom. All of the host hotels sponsored pool party events catering to every like and taste. The ladies splashed along poolside to the rapturous tempo provided by DJ Marilyn. Celebrity DJs ranging from Joe Gauthreaux to David Knapp kept the boys bopping to the beat and wet and wild.

At the center of the weekend Saturday night dominated with two of the most beautifully engineered events of this year's Gay Days Orlando celebration! Girls in Wonderland lived up to the expectation turning the House of Blues in Downtown Disney into a ladies paradise. Hot go-go dancers writhed to the rhythms supplied by DJ Lisa Pittman. The crowd was gorgeous enough to draw out members of the cast of Showtime's "The Real L Word". For the hardcore partier Matin�e Group and Mark Baker turned the stage at Universal Studio into a tropical European rave without comparison for their Ibiza Rising dance party. DJs Taito Tikaro and Hector Fonseca held court amidst a brilliantly lit stage of sophisticated video monitors surrounded by masked avengers. The combined efforts of these two DJ maestros whipped the crowd into a frenzy well into the final hours of the Saturday night excursion.

The Beat Plays On...

DJ Randy Bettis mastered the turntables at the impressively attended Riptide event at Typhoon Lagoon. Even the wave pool appeared to be orchestrated to match Bettis' beats, the soundtrack of which is again being released as a CD compilation on Centaur Records. The CD features a wonderful selection of festive tracks ranging from popular original remixes of "On The Floor" and "Rolling In the Deep" to some of Bettis' own remix productions like "We Belong" performed by Matt Zarley and what is certain to become the anthem of the Gay Pride season, "Love Conquers All" with Marty Thomas on vocals. Thousands of Speedo clad Adonis' danced the night away, or laid out on the sandy beaches, while others took a ride around the park's Lazy River. Muscles and music made this the must see party of the Gay Days scene, and still the ticket price included a donation to support local Florida based HIV/AIDS charities.

With a well-attended expo with dozens of exhibitors proving the endless marketability and revenue that the LGBT community is capable of generating, it is more than certain that with the continuing acceptance and visibility of gays and lesbians sponsors will rally around to keep Gay Days the annual visit to Orlando alive and kicking! And with Gay Days continuing to draw such an incredible number of visitors, this singular festival is becoming an enchanting way to kick-off Gay Pride. Remember...when you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are. Until next year Orlando - we'll see you real soon!