Sarah Palin, Voice Of The Tower Erectors

LIVE VIDEO: Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Officiates Mass Wedding At City Hall

Unswayed by the lawsuit from Liberty Counsel and the Florida Family Policy Council, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer will host a mass same-sex wedding at city hall at 9AM today. Watch the live stream below. The ceremony will take place not far from Liberty Counsel's home office. Snork!

UPDATE: Some crackpot tried to disrupt the ceremony by screaming anti-gay slogans from the audience. The speakers managed to largely ignore him. The full event is below.

FLORIDA: Liberty Counsel Sues To Prevent Officials From Marrying Gay Couples

Local hater John Stemberger is at it again with help from the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel. Via CBS Miami:

With Florida’s gay marriage ban scheduled to be lifted on January 6th, a conservative group is trying to put the brakes on the plan. The Florida Family Action Inc. filed two lawsuits Tuesday, asking a judge to prevent the officials from either officiating or issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples starting next week. The officials named in the lawsuits are Osceola County Clerk of Court Armando Ramirez, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Circuit Judge Robert LeBlanc. The conservative group argues the lifting of the ban on same-sex marriage applies to only Washington County in the Panhandle, where the legal challenge to the state’s same-sex marriage ban originated. Ramirez has promised to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Via press release from Florida Family Action:

Florida Family Action (FFA) announced today the filing of two lawsuits against three elected officials in Central Florida who have made clear public statements of their intentions to defy Florida law and either issue same-sex marriage licenses or officiate over same-sex marriage ceremonies on or after January 6, 2015. Florida Family Action is being represented by Liberty Counsel a leading constitutional advocacy group in the lawsuits which are filed in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida covering Orange and Osceola counties. One lawsuit was filed against Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Ninth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Bob LeBlanc, and a separate second lawsuit against Osceola County Clerk of Court Armando Ramirez.

John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Action organization issued the following statement regarding the lawsuits: “All three of these officials have shown great contempt and disrespect for the rule of law and are behaving irresponsibly and unprofessionally. The federal court decision is clear that it only applies narrowly to the two plaintiffs and only in Washington County. Elected officials must be held accountable to the law and to the constitution they have sworn to uphold. Part of the reason for the recent landslide mid-term election was the utter disregard and insolence shown by President Obama for the rule of law which is now infecting so many other politicians across America. Respect for law must be restored or else legitimacy in government as an institution will diminish at an even greater rate. Ultimately, if these local officials continue in this same reckless pattern of behavior, they could easily face the same fate as so many other politicians did who are now retired as a result of the last election.”

The suit against Osceola County can be seen here. The suit against Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer can be seen here.  The clerk for Osceola County is the only one outside of Washington County that has vowed to marry same-sex couples immediately upon the end of the stay. Last week Dyer announced a mass wedding to be held at Orlando City Hall on that day.

RELATED: In July, Stemberger declared that the fight against same-sex marriage "is worth dying for."

UPDATE: Liberty Counsel has issued a press release:

“In sum, the Court may not expand the Preliminary Injunction as an afterthought, to afford relief that no one requested, benefiting persons who are not plaintiffs, at the expense of clerks who are not defendants,” said Horatio Mihet, Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Litigation Counsel for Liberty Counsel, in the filing. The new lawsuits against the Osceola County Clerk of Court, Armando Ramirez, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and Circuit Judge Robert LeBlanc were filed in response to the officials’ dereliction of their official public duties. Osceola Clerk Ramirez is actively soliciting same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses to be issued “one minute after midnight” in Kissimmee on January 6, in blatant violation of his sworn oath to uphold Florida’s marriage laws. In Orlando, Mayor Dyer and Judge LeBlanc have both agreed to officiate and promote public mass wedding ceremonies on January 6, despite having no legal authority to solemnize the marriages of same-sex couples.

Orlando Loses Iconic Neon Sign

Brooklyn and Philadelphia both lost iconic neon signs this year and today the same happens in my hometown of Orlando.

For decades, the Merita Bread sign acted as a welcoming beacon to downtown Orlando for those traveling eastbound on I-4, just south of downtown. Two years ago, the bread company closed its doors when Hostess, its former parent company, went bankrupt. Tomorrow morning’s commute will be the last time the iconic neon sign greets drivers to downtown Orlando. After more than 50 years, the Merita Bread sign is coming down. The new owners of the former Merita Bread building, Maudlin International Trucks of Orlando, is giving the double-sided sign and the neon letters on the side of the building to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, which plans to fully restore the sign and add it to their growing collection of historic Orlando signs. The sign will be dismantled in sections and is anticipated to be completely wiped from our skyline by 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.

The Merita sign was one of the most beloved in Florida, perhaps because just as motorists rounded the downtown curve of I-4, windows would be rolled down as the sign came into into view accompanied by the delicious scent of baking bread. When my friends and I would return from excursions to South Florida, we always said that we weren't officially home until we could see the Merita sign. Heck, back in the 80s we even had a local drag queen named Merita Brioche.

FLORIDA: Major Cities File Joint Amicus Brief In Support Of Same-Sex Marriage

The cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, and Miami Beach today jointly filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs suing for same-sex marriage in a Tallahassee federal court. Also joining the brief are the popular LGBT tourism town of Wilton Manors, the tiny Miami-Dade County town of Biscayne Park, and the government of Broward County (home to Fort Lauderdale, which approved a resolution in support of same-sex marriage in June, but which is not party to the brief). Notably absent from the brief are the city of Miami and all major cities north of Orlando, but that doesn't necessarily mean that those city governments remain in support of Florida's ban.

FLORIDA: Orlando's Parliament House Nightclub/Hotel Declares Bankruptcy

Orlando's legendary/infamous Parliament House, where I made my first tentative steps into a gay bar on April 18th, 1976*, has declared bankruptcy. Via the Orlando Sentinel:

Parliament House, a gay resort and entertainment complex, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday citing $15.5 million in debt. The 4.5-acre complex defaulted on loans during the recession in 2009 and has been locked into a foreclosure and refinancing battle since then, said bankruptcy attorney Scott Shuker. “It’s clearly the intent of Parliament House to continue operating and restructure its debts, but we just couldn’t reach agreement with two secured lenders,” Shuker said. The resort is approaching its 40th anniversary. Businessman Donald Granatstein and Susan Unger, both of Toronto, have owned Parliament House for 15 years. Shuker said the business suffered cashflow problems in 2009. Both lenders that held mortgages also went under during the recession. The complex is about 1.5 miles west of downtown Orlando along Orange Blossom Trail.

As any Orlando resident will tell you, the Parliament House has swung between wildly popular and closing-at-any-minute many, many times over the decades. I'm guessing that its current woes are probably related to the failed gay timeshare complex that the owners planned for the adjacent property. (Via Towleroad)

*The drinking age at that time was 18 so it was not terribly uncommon to find high schoolers (like me) in nightclubs.

RELATED: The Parliament House's iconic neon sign is considered an Orlando landmark and the one pictured above is actually a 2004 almost-replica of the 1960 original, which was destroyed by Hurricane Charley. As you can see from the late 70s postcard below, the original sign read "MOTOR INN" not "RESORT."

FLORIDA: Majority Of GOP Orange County Commissioners Back Marriage Equality

Via the Orlando Sentinel:

A majority of Orange County commissioners have voiced support for gay marriage after activists questioned the Republican-dominated board about its stance last week before Florida's courts settle the issue. Three of the pro-gay-marriage commissioners are Republicans: Jennifer Thompson, Scott Boyd and Pete Clarke. Democrat Tiffany Moore Russell also strongly endorsed same-sex marriage rights. "I truly believe everybody has a God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Clarke said. "We're there to do right by our citizens." When asked for her stance on the issue, County Mayor Teresa Jacobs issued a statement. Jacobs said she had read the Miami lawsuit challenging Florida's gay-marriage ban and "believe[s] that a very strong case was made." However, Jacobs also reaffirmed she has "no jurisdiction on this issue," and regardless of the court rulings, "I hope that religious institutions will continue to have the freedom to define marriage according to their own doctrines."

GOP Orange County Comptroller Martha Haynie also supports equal marriage, saying, "It's the civil rights cause of our generation." 

RELATED: Two Florida county judges struck down the ban this month, but stayed their rulings pending appeal. A ruling in a federal suit that would be applicable statewide is expected at any time.

ORLANDO: Towing Company Owner Busted For Targeting Gay Days Attendees

Via Orlando's WKMG-TV:

Orange County deputies arrested on Friday the owner of a towing company who they say was illegally towing vehicles during the annual Gay Days celebration and appeared to target its attendees. The owner of ASAP Towing, Jason Combs, 44, has been charged with grand theft, failure to release vehicle, failing to maintain records, failure to post towing contracts, failure to notify the sheriff's office within 30 minutes of a tow and violating an Orange County ordinance. Deputies said Combs' arrest stems from numerous complaints against ASAP Towing for allegedly illegally towing vehicles from the Westwood Town Center June 5-9, which coincides with Gay Days. The celebration is hosted at the Doubletree Hilton across the street from the center at 10100 International Drive.

Combs has been charged with more than 100 counts of grand theft auto and is being held in the Orange County jail on a $51,000 bond.

This Is Your Final Warning

As it has done for several years, this weekend the Florida Family Association will fly anti-gay banner planes over the Magic Kingdom.

HomoQuotable - Pete Werner

"I don’t care if you’re straight or gay, there are some things kids don’t need to see – and trust me, two queens frenching outside Cinderella castle is really high on that list. I can’t help but think of, and feel sorry for – the unsuspecting family who saved for years for a once in a lifetime trip – only to arrive and find that Disney had in fact, been invaded by he-women and shaved down muscle boys. By itself that would not be a problem, but the sheer number of people who seem to go out of their way to rub their sexuality in everyones face during this ‘event’ is nothing short of disgraceful. Is the Magic Kingdom REALLY the place for a 5 year old to ask his father why those two men are kissing? Is it really up to any person to decide for that parent when, or if, they will have that conversation with their child? I’ve always believed the best way we, as gay men and lesbians, could further our cause was to simply live our lives openly, and with dignity. Not hide in shame, and not force our beliefs or lifestyle down anyone else's throat." - Pete Werner, posting to the popular Disney theme parks fan site that he founded and moderates.

RELATED: Porno Pete has gleefully posted a lengthy excerpt from Werner's rant on Matt Barber's hate site.

UPDATE: JMG reader Suzanne writes to note that Werner originally posted the above-linked essay in 2006. It was been republished this year with the below headlines.

Orlando Mayor: I Hope Our City Is The First In Florida To Host A Gay Wedding

"Diversity is our greatest strength and a vibrant, welcoming community attracts the kind of industries and talent our cities need. That’s why we were one of the first cities in Florida to adopt a domestic partner registry, and now we have more than 1,200 couples registered. I hope that one day we are the city that hosts the state’s first same-sex wedding. Love and commitment should be encouraged, and it should be celebrated and it should be embraced as a constitutional right for all." - Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, endorsing marriage equality for the first time at his State Of The City address yesterday.

Prior to his 2003 election as Orlando mayor, Dyer was the Democratic leader of the Florida Senate. Dyer had been touted as a leading candidate to unseat Florida Gov. Rick Scott this year, but he announced last year that he would not run.  Former governor and former Republican Charlie Crist currently leads Scott in the polls by a margin of seven points.

RELATED: Four marriage equality lawsuits are in progress in Florida. Last week a suit was filed against a panhandle county clerk. Earlier that week a Key West couple filed a marriage suit against the Monroe County Clerk. In January, Equality Florida and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a marriage equality suit on behalf of six local couples. Last month the Orlando-based Liberty Counsel, who authored Florida's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, filed a motion to intervene in the case. Also last month, the ACLU filed a lawsuit which demands that Florida recognize legal out-of-state marriages.

UCF Wins Fiesta Bowl

The University of Central Florida, my alma mater, scored a huge upset in last night's Fiesta Bowl. I don't report on many sports items, but this one is rather satisfying as UCF's opponent was the highly-ranked and highly-anti-gay Baylor University, which bans "homosexual acts" by students and which recently offered a course titled "Homosexuality As A Gateway Drug." Go Knights!

Evening View - Orlando International

Just arrived from Fort Lauderdale for the Orlando portion of my trip and these people are waiting in line to get in the line to wait in line for security. So...did anybody legalize gay marriage during my 40-minute flight?

Jagged Metal Krusty-O Not Included

Gizmodo reports:

Visitors to Orlando Universal can now quench their thirst and stuff their faces at Moe’s Tavern, Krusty Burger, Cletus’ Chicken Shack, the Frying Dutchman, Luigi’s Pizza, and even finish it all off with one of Lard Lad's gigantic donuts. For fans of the series, it's a dream come true, and the only place on earth you'll be able to order a Krusty-Partially-Gelatinated-Non-Dairy-Gum-Based-Beverage.

I still have four boxes of Krusty-O's cereal from 7-Eleven's promotion a few years back.  It was just Froot-Loops inside, sadly.

Orlando And Amsterdam Eliminated As Potential Hosts For Gay Games 2018

The Federation of Gay Games has eliminated the bids of Orlando and Amsterdam to be the host cities of the Gay Games in 2018.  The cities still in the running are London, Paris, and Limerick, Ireland.  Orlando's bid was endorsed by President Obama earlier this year.  The 2014 Gay Games will be held in Cleveland and Akron.

FLORIDA: Haters Fly Usual Gay Days "Warning" Banner Over Walt Disney World

The Orlando Sentinel reports on what has become an annual tradition during Gay Days at Disney:

The plane appeared to be making loops from as far north as Altamonte Springs to as far south as Belle Isle, but it was hard to tell from the ground. The "warning" is in reponse to "Gay Days" at Walt Disney World, a tradition where thousands of gays gather at the theme park. The "6/1" refers to June 1, the day of the event held Walt Disney World. The Florida Family Association paid $16,400 to to fly the three banners, according to a release from the Tampa-based conservative organization. "The primary objective of this project is to warn families before they expose their children to Gay Day’s revelry and before they pay Disney for parking and admission," the release states.

A second banner is delivering the same message in Spanish. (Photo by JMG reader Austin)

ORLANDO: Rainbow Merchandise Appears In Disney World Shops For Gay Days

Disney has always rebuffed complaints about Gay Days by pointing out that the events are unofficial and that everybody is welcome to enjoy their parks. The Orlando Sentinel points out that this year rainbow-themed official Disney items have appeared in the parks' gift shops.

Earlier this week, Disney began to sprinkle merchandise throughout its parks with designs including rainbows, symbol of the gay-pride movement. Red tank tops with rainbow-colored Mickey Mouse heads began arriving in shops along Main Street USA a few days ago. They were paired in store displays with other rainbow items usually found in the parks year-round, such as rainbow pins and antenna toppers. A rainbow mug can be had for $12.95; a rainbow wallet for $14.95. Mickey Mouse Vinylmations in rainbow — $12.95 apiece — were also prominently displayed. "We offer a wide range of merchandise items that appeal to guests of diverse backgrounds," said Walt Disney World spokeswoman Bernadette Davis.

Haters are pouring into the comments at the above link, of course. Gay Days are this weekend.

OMM Against Disney Gay Days

"Dear Joe, Homosexuals will be celebrating the 23rd anniversary of Gay Day wearing matching Gay Day merchandise, such as T-shirts. There will also be transvestites dressed in drag showing their support for the event. This event is planned with the intent to expose and desensitize children to this lifestyle by same-sex couples holding hands, hugging and kissing. In short, a Gay Day participant's main goal is to be seen versus seeing Disney World. In past years when we have contacted Disney representatives about this same issue, their response was simply that they do not sponsor this event.

"On June 1, unsuspecting families will witness a well-orchestrated event that Disney says they have no control over. Disney has taken no action to stop this, which leaves families stunned and offended. So instead of a normal day at this popular theme park, parents will be angry at the harm this causes families. Disney has been irresponsible for far too long. Disney should monitor this day and event for public displays of affection and require proper conduct and appropriate attire." - One Million Moms head Monica Cole, calling on straight people to boycott Disney that day.

RELATED: That's me on the right (with my eyes closed, darn it) at the third Gay Day in 1993. Our red Dade County Fire Department t-shirts were supplied by a Miami fireman in our group. I'm wearing my prized 1993 March On Washington pin. That "warning" sign outside the main gates got a lot more pleasant in the following years. Somewhere I have a photo of a later version that said, "While today's gay-lesbian event is not sponsored by Walt Disney World, all are welcome to enjoy the park." Do they still bother with a sign at all?

Obama Backs Orlando For Gay Games

Orlando wants to host the 2018 Gay Games and President Obama seems to think that's a good idea. Via Lou Chibarro at Washington Blade:

“I am pleased to voice my support for the City of Orlando’s bid to host the Gay Games 2018,” the president said in a letter to Orlando 2018, the organization working on the bid. “As President of the United States, I am committed to advancing equality for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community, both in America and around the world,” he said. Mikael Audebert, project director for Orlando 2018, said Obama’s endorsement letter is believed to mark the first time a U.S. president has expressed support for the Gay Games or any LGBT event of that size.

Cleveland will host the 2014 Gay Games and some observers believe it's unlikely that an American city would be chosen twice in a row. The most recent Games were held in Cologne, Germany and previous host cities include Chicago, Sydney, Amsterdam, New York City, Vancouver, and San Francisco.

Obama's letter includes this message: “Orlando’s vibrant tourism industry makes it ideally suited to host a record-breaking number of more than 200,000 attendees – including over 14,000 athletes – and the city would be honored to provide the guests and athletes a wonderful, unique experience. I strongly support Orlando’s bid, and I urge the Federation of Gay Games to approve it.”

Walt Disney World Gets Gay President

The gayest place on earth now has an openly gay president. Orlando's Watermark reports:

One of Walt Disney World’s first employees now has 66,000 cast members calling him “boss.” In August 1971, George Kalogridis scored a job bussing tables at The Walt Disney Company’s new theme park, set to open that October. Now, as of Feb. 1, Kalogridis is Walt Disney World’s fifth president, taking over for Meg Crofton, who will fully assume her role as president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, U.S. and France. According to his official Walt Disney World bio, Kalogridis, 59, has been with the company for 41 years. He comes to his new role in Lake Buena Vista from Disneyland Resort, where he has served as president since 2009. Kalogridis’ job titles also include CEO for Disney Resort Paris, vice president of Travel Operations at Walt Disney World in Orlando, and vice president of Epcot.

Kalogridis also has an impressive volunteer resume and has served on the board of directors of Out & Equal.  His partner works for a separate division of the Disney corporation. (Tipped by JMG reader Tom)