LGBT Meetups

[Sapphic Seafarer]

Hi all!!

 

I am wondering if Seabourn holds any LGBT+/ Friends of Dorothy meetups on each sailing. Any information you can provide is appreciated! 

[Laylam]

35 minutes ago, Sapphic Seafarer said:

Hi all!!

 

I am wondering if Seabourn holds any LGBT+/ Friends of Dorothy meetups on each sailing. Any information you can provide is appreciated! 

Yes, I am sure they are on all sailings.

[bitob]

On encore now

On today’s schedule

[xiphoid76]

I am 50 now and totally remember the "Friends of Dorothy" groups as a kid.  My mom's name is Dorothy (actually my mother-in-laws name is Dorothy as well).  I always thought it was so odd that on each cruise we went on Dorothy and Bill W always had all these friends on board.  Is it still called FOD or just LGBT meet up now?  

[johng75370]

When we were on Sojourn in December it was labelled as "LGBTQ+ Friends and Family Get-Together"; 6:30pm in the Sky Bar.  I think how many they hold per cruise depends on turnout and/or cruise director; some have had several, some just a couple.  We last saw "Friends of Dorothy" on Celebrity several years ago; glad that is now a historical reference!

[Sapphic Seafarer]

20 hours ago, bitob said:

On encore now

On today’s schedule

Thank you for the update! Nice to know it’s still happening.

[Sapphic Seafarer]

17 hours ago, xiphoid76 said:

I am 50 now and totally remember the "Friends of Dorothy" groups as a kid.  My mom's name is Dorothy (actually my mother-in-laws name is Dorothy as well).  I always thought it was so odd that on each cruise we went on Dorothy and Bill W always had all these friends on board.  Is it still called FOD or just LGBT meet up now?  

I appreciate you sharing the fun story! 

[Sapphic Seafarer]

13 hours ago, johng75370 said:

When we were on Sojourn in December it was labelled as "LGBTQ+ Friends and Family Get-Together"; 6:30pm in the Sky Bar.  I think how many they hold per cruise depends on turnout and/or cruise director; some have had several, some just a couple.  We last saw "Friends of Dorothy" on Celebrity several years ago; glad that is now a historical reference!

I appreciate the information on what to look out for. I’m going on Odyssey later this month and will keep this in mind!

[florisdekort]

6 hours ago, Sapphic Seafarer said:

I appreciate the information on what to look out for. I’m going on Odyssey later this month and will keep this in mind!

And if you don’t see one on the program, just ask Guest Services to schedule one. Easy. 

[tv24]

We have easily found gay and lesbian folks on board Seabourn, as well as very simpatico straight folks, including those with gay kids.  I do remember one LGBT meet up where my husband and I were the only 2 gay guys there, plus a lovely and enthusiastic deputy cruise director.  She made us feel very welcome.

 

BTW, the "Friends of Dorothy" term is gay history, left over from an era when gay people had to sneak around for fear of being revealed with very negative consequences.  One asked, "Are you a friend of Dorothy?"  The cultural reference is Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) in the "Wizard of Oz."  Judy, of course, was an old fashioned gay icon, and frankly who would not want to be one of her friends???  Times and the culture have moved on.  We were on a Silversea cruise a month ago and the Friends of Dorothy meet-up was every cocktail hour, well-attended.  But the young folks did not really understand the cultural reference.  Extra piece of gay trivia:  The Stonewall Riot, the start of Gay Liberation in New York, started on the night of Judy Garland's funeral.  Mourning, rioting, all pieces in a complicated puzzle of liberation.

 

Seabourn will see you and take care of you.

[torst]

Hi T

 

Glad that you included the Friends of Dorothy background.  My partner and I were recently having drinks with some twenty something gays who did not know what Stonewall was.  History is important.  We embark on our first Seabourn cruise in 26 days and are looking forward to it. 

[johng75370]

For more background (and whether FoD is a Judy Garland or a Dorothy Parker reference): 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_of_Dorothy

[tv24]

22 hours ago, johng75370 said:

For more background (and whether FoD is a Judy Garland or a Dorothy Parker reference): 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend_of_Dorothy

Great reference!  Who knew??

[tv24]

22 hours ago, torst said:

Hi T

 

Glad that you included the Friends of Dorothy background.  My partner and I were recently having drinks with some twenty something gays who did not know what Stonewall was.  History is important.  We embark on our first Seabourn cruise in 26 days and are looking forward to it. 

Mr.TV here:  Yes we all need to know and understand our history so that the problems are not lived again, which unfortunately is happening for trans people right now. 

 

On the other hand, we do love the Seabourn experience, have 2 major sailings scheduled.  And we hope that you will love it as well.

[Big Timber]

There were non scheduled on the Odyssey on my trip (April 30-May 11th).

[skybluewaters]

On the Sojourn holiday cruise this past winter, one evening there was a Friends of Bill W meeting at 5:00PM, an LGBTQ+ get together at 5:30, and a Hanukkah celebration at 6:00.

If you were a gay, Jewish recovering alcoholic you were well taken care of.

[waldorf]

We were on Encore in January/February and they had two meet-ups. Both poorly attended even though the cruise director had invited people we’d spotted on the ship. We met a nice couple in the laundry who we ended up hanging out with.

[Meander Ingwa]

On 5/3/2023 at 1:22 PM, tv24 said:

The Stonewall Riot, the start of Gay Liberation in New York, started on the night of Judy Garland's funeral. 

tv24  I did not know about the funeral connection.  Thank you for this info