Red shirt weekend September

[TP2000]

Is this something new?..I know of red shirt days in Orlando…. I never knew there was a Disneyland version

In the 1980's there used to be private ticketed events that were after-hours in the park for gays and Lesbians. It was run by the Odyssey event producers up in LA, who focused on the SoCal gay community, and thus they became known as "Odyssey Night at Disneyland" during the 1980's. This also helped because back then you still had to use euphemisms for gay events in public; Odyssey was the code word for us, and fliers were posted in gay bars and ads in the gay and alternative newspapers of the time.

The Odyssey Nights stopped in the 1990's as Disneyland got busier with each passing year, and the park started closing at 8pm in the "off season" instead of 6pm. (The Odyssey Nights were often on an off-season Thursday, from 7pm to 1am, or similar).

In 1998, with the infant Internet helping, the first Gay Days were held at Disneyland. It was purely an amateur, fan driven event without any real organization. It stemmed from many of the gay posters from the old alt.disney.disneyland usenet forums of which I was a member. You just bought a ticket, or used your AP, and showed up at Disneyland on a specific Sunday. As I remember from the late 90's, it was usually a Sunday in the mid to late spring. There were a few planned events, like a "Singles Cruise" on the Mark Twain at an appointed time, or the now-traditional group photo in front of the Castle. Otherwise, it was just sort of a day to be in the park with a bunch of gays, and we all wore red shirts to denote ourselves (sometimes gaydar is stunted in large crowds, so the visual helped).

The event took off from there, and quickly started getting some organization around it. By the 2000's there were cocktail parties and mixers being held at nearby hotels, etc. It wasn't until around 2010 that Disney started getting involved officially and formally, with merchandise and character greetings, etc.

It's all rather corporate now, as Pride events generally are. But it started very organically and unofficially in the late 90's after the private parties hosted by Odyssey went away.

I'm sure I've missed a few facts and facets to that, but that's how I remember it from the mid 1980's to the present.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Is this something new?..I know of red shirt days in Orlando…. I never knew there was a Disneyland version

Before COVID, I went with friends consistently for at least three or four years in a row. Great times.

 

[DKampy]

Not new. They’ve done it for many years, but it’s smaller than WDW. Disneyland is just a two day event, while WDW is at least 4 days and includes all sorts of nighttime parties including the one at Typhoon Lagoon.

Ahhh…I was raised going to Disney World…planning my first ever Disneyland trip so I have been checking the forums for that coast…learned something new

 

[TP2000]

Ahhh…I was raised going to Disney World…planning my first ever Disneyland trip so I have been checking the forums for that coast…learned something new

It's funny, as it started at Disneyland as a quasi-official seperately ticketed event in the mid 1980's, then went away entirely for a few years. Then was reincarnated as a viral, fan-driven event that could only happen in the Internet age.

Infamously, the first Odyssey Night for gays and Lesbians was a surprise attack of sorts, and Disneyland management almost cancelled it. Back then, private companies and organizations often rented out the park after hours on weekdays; the Gas Company, Boeing, McDonnel-Douglas, Kiwanis, Rotary Club, industry trade groups, etc. The Odyssey organizers put in a request form for an after-hours private ticket event sponsored by the fictional "Los Angeles Barkeepers & Hospitality Association" (or something close to that, can't quite remember the fake name they came up with). Odyssey sold thousands of tickets through the network of SoCal gay bars, and Disneyland actually got wind of it only a few days before the party was supposed to happen. Disneyland management looked up the SCB&HA in the LA phone book and discovered they didn't actually exist, and the phone number given rang to the Odyssey office in West Hollywood. The gays had outsmarted them!

I can't remember the exact timeline if this was just before or just after two gay men were ejected from the park by Disneyland Security around 1983 for daring to dance at Tomorrowland Terrace together without any females near them on the dancefloor, but it was likely just after that incident. Disneyland management initially stood by their decision to ban homosexuals from dancing with same-sex partners, but got some flack for it in the media.

For whatever reason, likely to avoid more publicity, Disneyland management decided to let the Odyssey night happen, and the rest is history. They continued for around 7 or 10 years annually after that. I remember the Odyssey Nights even being advertised in gay newspapers as far north as Portland and Seattle then, when you could fly from Sea-Tac to LAX on PSA for $39 bucks or so. A very different era.

 

[TP2000]

Okay, I did some digging. As I suspected, my old vacuum tubes aren't as warm as they used to be and I got dates and sequencing wrong.

The first "Gay Night" at Disneyland hosted as a private after-hours event by Odyssey took place in 1978. They snuck it in by claiming to be a party for the innocent sounding "Los Angeles Bar & Restaurant Association". For the first event in 1978 when Disneyland realized it was a party crawling with thousands of practicing homosexuals, they immediately cancelled all planned entertainment and music for the event to prevent anyone from dancing or reveling in any way.

Even though they cancelled the dancing, it's unclear how they handled the seating on Matterhorn Bobsleds that night.

The Tomorrowland Terrace dancefloor incident took place in September, 1980 during regular park operation. The two men were told by Security CM's to find young ladies to dance with immediately, to which the two gay men responded that they didn't know any young ladies. (The joke fell flat with Security). They were eventually escorted off the dancefloor, processed backstage by Security, and kicked out onto Harbor Blvd. and told they could not re-enter the park.

The gay couple, two young boyfriends in their late teens, eventually got the ACLU to help and took Disneyland to court over the case as a violation of their civil rights under an obscure California law from 1959. The case finally went to trial in 1984, the jury was made up entirely of older, white, conservative voters from Orange County's suburbs. Dick Nunis testified to the jury on Disneyland's behalf that Walt wouldn't have approved of homosexuals dancing together in the park.

The jury took very little time and unanimously sided with the two gay men on every count, the jury agreed that Disneyland had violated their civil rights, and they unanimously ruled in the gay men's favor. The judge quickly agreed, and the court case was over. Disneyland had lost. But Disneyland insisted it only lost in this one case, and that same-sex dancing was still not allowed in the park. Here's the check Disney awarded to the two gay men for their case; legal fee damages of $25,000.

I love the Mickey smiling logo on the check, as if he's saying "Here You Go Gays! You Won This Time!"

Disneyland relaxed its rules on same-sex dancing when Videopolis opened in 1985, as the dance styles became looser and teens were dancing in big groups together instead of strictly as couples. But in 1988 Disneyland was in the news again when Disneyland Security ejected two gay men from the park for "slow dancing" together at Videopolis. By the late 80's fast dancing was okay, but slow dancing was still off limits for homosexuals at Disneyland.

Videopolis closed around 1990, about the same time Disneyland Security finally stopped harassing homosexuals dancing together. The Odyssey Nights private parties at Disneyland continued until 1994, which is the last one I can find record of.

 

[Communicora]

Okay, I did some digging. As I suspected, my old vacuum tubes aren't as warm as they used to be and I got dates and sequencing wrong.

The first "Gay Night" at Disneyland hosted as a private after-hours event by Odyssey took place in 1978. They snuck it in by claiming to be a party for the innocent sounding "Los Angeles Bar & Restaurant Association". For the first event in 1978 when Disneyland realized it was a party crawling with thousands of practicing homosexuals, they immediately cancelled all planned entertainment and music for the event to prevent anyone from dancing or reveling in any way.

Even though they cancelled the dancing, it's unclear how they handled the seating on Matterhorn Bobsleds that night.

The Tomorrowland Terrace dancefloor incident took place in September, 1980 during regular park operation. The two men were told by Security CM's to find young ladies to dance with immediately, to which the two gay men responded that they didn't know any young ladies. (The joke fell flat with Security). They were eventually escorted off the dancefloor, processed backstage by Security, and kicked out onto Harbor Blvd. and told they could not re-enter the park.

The gay couple, two young boyfriends in their late teens, eventually got the ACLU to help and took Disneyland to court over the case as a violation of their civil rights under an obscure California law from 1959. The case finally went to trial in 1984, the jury was made up entirely of older, white, conservative voters from Orange County's suburbs. Dick Nunis testified to the jury on Disneyland's behalf that Walt wouldn't have approved of homosexuals dancing together in the park.

The jury took very little time and unanimously sided with the two gay men on every count, the jury agreed that Disneyland had violated their civil rights, and they unanimously ruled in the gay men's favor. The judge quickly agreed, and the court case was over. Disneyland had lost. But Disneyland insisted it only lost in this one case, and that same-sex dancing was still not allowed in the park. Here's the check Disney awarded to the two gay men for their case; legal fee damages of $25,000.

I love the Mickey smiling logo on the check, as if he's saying "Here You Go Gays! You Won This Time!"

Disneyland relaxed its rules on same-sex dancing when Videopolis opened in 1985, as the dance styles became looser and teens were dancing in big groups together instead of strictly as couples. But in 1988 Disneyland was in the news again when Disneyland Security ejected two gay men from the park for "slow dancing" together at Videopolis. By the late 80's fast dancing was okay, but slow dancing was still off limits for homosexuals at Disneyland.

Videopolis closed around 1990, about the same time Disneyland Security finally stopped harassing homosexuals dancing together. The Odyssey Nights private parties at Disneyland continued until 1994, which is the last one I can find record of.

Thanks for sharing this history. It's interesting how much things have changed in such a relatively short amount of time.

I found a little article about it from the Escondido Times-Adovocate, September 15, 1980. [I included the Swedish meatballs ad just for you @TP2000 ] Coincidentally, there's an article about the opening of the Crystal Cathedral on that same page.

I also found a related article in the LA Times from 1988.

Article clipped from The Los Angeles Times

Clipping found in The Los Angeles Times published in Los Angeles, California on 2/26/1988.

www.newspapers.com

[I might have shared these before, but I always do enjoy a quick trawl through newspapers.com]

 

[TP2000]

Thanks for sharing this history. It's interesting how much things have changed in such a relatively short amount of time.

I found a little article about it from the Escondido Times-Adovocate, September 15, 1980. [I included the Swedish meatballs ad just for you @TP2000 ] Coincidentally, there's an article about the opening of the Crystal Cathedral on that same page.

View attachment 746202



I also found a related article in the LA Times from 1988.

Article clipped from The Los Angeles Times

Clipping found in The Los Angeles Times published in Los Angeles, California on 2/26/1988.

www.newspapers.com

[I might have shared these before, but I always do enjoy a quick trawl through newspapers.com]

Those news clippings are a fabulous find, thank you!

I don't think you've shared them before, or at least I've never seen them. I was not aware of the 1980 incident at the time as I was living up north and my SoCal family members probably didn't dare mention it because it was already well known in the family that I was of "that sort". But I do remember the news of the 1984 trial when I was living back East, because it made big news in all the gay papers, the Advocate, etc. at the time. I guess I just didn't realize the incident itself took place in 1980 and it took 4 years for the gay couple to finally have their day in court over it.

As for Swedish meatballs, my grandmother (with an accent so thick she made the Swedish Chef sound normal) regularly cooked up the very best. Her secret ingredient was... deglazing the pan with a healthy splash of dry vermouth. Thinking back, that might have developed the taste buds of a very young TP2000 to more fully appreciate later lifestyle choices.

 

[TP2000]

Thanks for sharing this history. It's interesting how much things have changed in such a relatively short amount of time.

I found a little article about it from the Escondido Times-Adovocate, September 15, 1980. [I included the Swedish meatballs ad just for you @TP2000 ] Coincidentally, there's an article about the opening of the Crystal Cathedral on that same page.

View attachment 746202

One more thought on that article... I had forgotten when Disneyland Security used to post guards at the entrances to the Tomorrowland Terrace dance floor! I hadn't put that together before, but now I remember them. There was always one posted at the dance floor entrance across from the Lunching Pad and PeopleMover station.

They were always friendly, and would nod and smile at you. But now I realize they were only doing that because I was dancing with my younger sister or my favorite Aunt Ingrid!

They made it very clear just by their presence that you had to have a date to be allowed onto the dancefloor.

Aunt Ingrid was a real hoot. And she could always cut a rug. Those were the days when Tomorrowland was THE place to be from sundown to park closing. We'd hang out there all night as a family; dancing, eating, going on Space Mountain and Inner Space, riding the PeopleMover or America Sings to cool off or catch our breath before we went back on the dance floor. The Space Stage across the way also had musical groups perform, in between the sets of the dance bands that would come up from underground on the automatic bandstand.

A magical era, truly. But only if you had a young lady to dance with.

 

[Parteecia]

A magical era, truly. But only if you had a young lady to dance with.

I'm not 100% sure but I think I remember that girls/women were allowed to dance together.

 

[TP2000]

I'm not 100% sure but I think I remember that girls/women were allowed to dance together.

You're kidding?!? That was Disneyland Security's rule? I'm suddenly offended, 45 years later.

Not that I didn't love doing The Hustle with Aunt Ingrid while we laughed our butts off in Tomorrowland on a summer night, but there were other people in my life back then that I would have asked to dance, but knew I couldn't in public.