The Big Gay Battle of Disney World

You may have heard of Disney World, Orlando's unofficial 'Gay Day' events.

Gay Days began in 1991 as a single designated day (always the first Saturday in June) when the LGBT community and friends were encouraged to "Wear Red and Be Seen" while visiting the world’s most popular theme park. Today the event isn't just one day but a series of events all around Orlando and draws in over 150,000 gay and lesbian visitors.

But this year, yet again, it looks like there are anti-gay groups looking to spoil the fun and laughter and start a fight.

Last year, the inappropriately-named "Florida Family Association" (click here send them your love) took it upon themselves to protest the event by flying a banner over Orlando for 20 hours which read "Warning: Gay Day at Disney 6/4" (pictured below on the right).

On their official website, the FFA says that they estimated the drop in regular families attending at around 60% during last year's Gay Day, thanks to their efforts and subsequently "spared tens of thousands of children from the unexpected exposure to this coming out party."

The FFA's banner flying above Orlando in June 2011

This year they're going to do it again to warn "American" families that the Gay Day is fast approaching, so that they can keep their children inside and avoid having to talk to them about such incendiary topics as two men or two women being in love. According to the Huffington Post, the organization has over $4,000 to spend on a plane to fly a banner over Orlando. That's enough for 10 hours, but they're planning on flying it for another 10 hours the day before the event too. In all, the FFA will spend an estimated $8,400 in donations to fly the plane for 20 hours over 2 days.

The group claims the banner is "the most cost effective manner" to warn families before they "expose their children to same-sex revelry" and "commit a day for fun now ruined" by entering the theme park during the unofficial event.

But the gay and lesbian community isn't going down without a fight! A pro-LGBT group called the "Average Americans Against Hatred" who have dubbed themselves the "Non A-Holes" are going to launch a counter-protest against the intolerance of the FFA. They are fundraising to pay for a plane to fly a banner reading "WARNING: Homophobes Loose in Orlando. Hide Your Kids" on June 2nd.

In an awareness video, the group said, "Let's show them that this one isn't theirs. Haters can be haters, but to quote 'The Lion King II: Simba's Pride' - 'Love is never wrong, so it never dies.'"

The plan is simple - to raise $1,200 to fly a plane over Orlando for 2 hours on June 2nd, thus counter-attacking the bigoted plans of the FFA. So far, they have 21 days left to get to their target and have currently collected a total of $1,162 donated by this bunch of lovely people.

You can donate by clicking here.

Even though Disney has never officially sanctioned Gay Days and has asked employees to treat the first Saturday in June just like any other day, Christian-right groups have scolded the company for doing nothing to stop the event. For eight years after Gay Days began, the Southern Baptist Convention boycotted Disney. But it's unclear what, specifically, conservatives wanted park officials to do - ban anyone in a red shirt on the first Saturday in June?