Pensacola beach memorial day weekend gay party

In the early s, Pensacola couple Ray and Henry Hillyer had a simple plan: Invite some out-of-town friends to spend a weekend at the beach. Nearly 60 years later, the Hillyers are credited with starting Pensacola's annual Memorial Day weekend parties and with helping other gays struggling with their identities in a time when many lived hidden lives in fear of legal prosecution and ostracism.

The Hillyers were civil rights pioneers who created an event where gay, lesbian and transgender people could come together openly and celebrate their lives and culture, said Jay Watkins, who teaches U. The Hillyers began networking with other gays in the s when they created a book club, the Emma Jones Society.

Florida's biggest LGBTQ Memorial weekend party in Pensacola not deterred by travel advisory

Watkins said the couple used the name Emma Jones to weekend books and magazines that might have been flagged as pornographic by the postal inspector. The fictional Emma Jones conjured an image of an memorial Southern woman above suspicion from prying postal workers, he said. Memorial Weekend parties return with pride. An early invitation to the party features Abraham Lincoln and George Washington in an embrace with the phrase "Let's Come Together" underneath the image.

The parties grew throughout the early s, drawing estimated crowds gay more than 4, The popularity of the summer gatherings has ebbed and flowed through the years, but the events have been a constant influence on LGBT culture along the Gulf Coast, he said. The region's tourism-driven economy helped the parties to succeed in Pensacola during an era when gays were often shunned.

The beach gatherings were on the remote swath of Pensacola Beach near the eastern entrance to Gulf Islands National Seashore where people could gather away from other residents and tourists, he said. As the beaches swelled to tens of thousands in the s and s, they garnered push back and protests from church groups and conservative leaders.

Organizers devised a unique way of letting locals know the importance of the event to the local economy — having visitors stamp the cash they used during the annual weekend to let people know it was "gay money. It made a big impact," said Ashley Rupp, president of the film festival.

The name is a unique way to recognize the efforts of LGBT pioneers in the city, she party. Johnny Chisholm, owner of the Emerald City nightclub, began organizing and promoting local Memorial Day LGBT parties in the early s after having participated in the events in previous day.

The massive beach parties featuring stage acts with drag queens and dance music drew tens of thousands of visitors every Memorial Day. With more widespread acceptance of the LGBT community, events such as the Memorial Day weekend parties have become less popular because people can go to so many other clubs and events, Chisholm said.

But Chisholm, Watkins and pensacola said the Memorial Day gatherings continue to have a special place in the hearts of many because they helped open the doors for the acceptance the LGBT community has today. We are in an interesting time now because a lot of gay bars and places where people used to go are disappearing," he said.