Welcome to Ride with Pride β a space where nostalgia sparkles, fairy tales get a fresh perspective, and sequined mouse ears are always a must. More...
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Queer, Childless & Thriving in the Happiest Places on Earth
My name is Daryl and I have a confession to make⦠I am a grown adult with a deep love for theme parks. From the scent of artificially buttered popcorn wafting through the air to the inexplicable joy of waving to a character who is contractually obligated to wave back.
But being gay and without kids in these spaces is a unique experience, an intersection of identities that confuses some and delights others.
In a world where these places are branded as "family-friendly," I sometimes wonder: where do I fit?
The term family-friendly is often code for don't make anyone uncomfortable, which, letβs be real, usually means donβt be too queer.
There are still places where holding my husband's hand in a park feels like a question mark. Where the same people who cry over a heterosexual marriage proposal in front of Cinderella Castle will side-eye two women kissing on Main Street.
At the end of the day, amusement parks are about joy. About community. And for many queer people, that community isn't a nuclear family. It's a chosen one. Whether it's a gaggle of best friends bounding as their favorite characters, a couple on their hundredth ride of the day, or a solo visitor indulging in an overpriced Dole Whip, we all belong in these spaces.
If childhood is about wonder and adulthood is about responsibility, then maybe being a gay, childless theme park goer is about something in between: choosing wonder on purpose. And isn't that just a little bit magical? More...