Throwback Posting – Hometown of Longmeadow Totally Not Gay

Old School/Grade school Longmedow, Massachusetts friend Matt Friedman (Longmeadow High '94, Univ of Missouri ' 98 , Nascar '99, Golf Channel '06) married Michelle DeLoach (Univ of Florida '99) in Orlando on June 3. In a break from the usual Deerfield, Hollywood, or Miami press coverage usually seen at this time, this is a special presentation of public school, suburbia, "Michael Glazer from the Bar Mitzvah years" posting.

After many years, the Glenbrook Middle school political elites gathered together to reminisce. Pictured from Left: Myself, (School Secretary ’88, defeated for President ’89), Matt (opposing winning campaign manager ’89, Groom ‘06), Longmeadow legend and lifer Brent Thomas (LHS ’94, Colby Lax Coach ’06), and music prodigy Michael Atheneos (Glazer Campaign Manager ’88, Victorious Presidential Opponent to Glazer ’89). A Friday rehearsal dinner preceeded this shot of kamikaze shots at Adobe Gilas bar in Pointe Orlando (site of world record 2200 person Fear Factor Casting Call, August ’01).

Early Saturday morning, Melissa and I rallied to hit the Magic Kingdom and unconsciously trespass on the annual “Gay Days” celebration at Disney World. For someone who has spent years living with male roommates in West Hollywood and South Beach, vacationing in Key West, and working for leftist Democartic Senators and in entertainment, it would be hard to find a couple more friendly and supportive. We embarrassingly forgot to wear our reds, the universal uniform for the massive event that Disney does not officially recognize….so we tried our best to make sure there were no perceived slights emanating…. Our co-visitors at the park truly elevated the day to a unique level of festiveness, people watching, and Small-worlding, Thundermountain Railroading, and Jungle Cruising….

Intellectual inclinations did rear their head with my mandate for a 10:15 AM showing of the Hall of Presidents. We paid homage to the replica portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, to show the love for his lineage.

As you may know, the sitting president in gets a “solo” in the animatronics show to deliver a bland evergreen speech about “The American Spirit” that is attentively watched by the other presidents. Sitting amongst a sea of red shirts listening to electronic George talk about “freedom and tolerance for all ethnic, religious, and social groups” elicited a well deserved wave of snickers, ssssssssssss’s, and general sarcasm – which was group bonding experience.

We filled up an autograph book like the ones we used at overnight Camp to have our new best bro’s like Gepetto sign, talked our way Hollywood style past a line of 50 people to somehow get VIP access to this meet and greet with “Chip”, and marveled at Disney’s production efficiency of queing people perfectly for trams, lines, rides, and food…there are thousands of Assistant Director’s hiding in that theme park.

So after 7 hours of that Saturday’s truly “happiest place on earth” it was a race back to the Rosenplaza Hotel to scrub up for some republican approvable festivities – the “I do’s” of Matt and Michelle, followed by lots of eating, drinking, and talking to a lot of people you don’t know well.


Full Disney World album of photos here.