Cruise Lines Say Bon Voyage to 'Friends of Dorothy'

"Cruising has become more and more popular for the LGBT community," according to global LGBT travel expert Ed Salvato. So why has Princess Cruises dropped "Friends of Dorothy" from its scheduled activities? Writer Rick Foster set sail on the Ruby Princess in Seattle, bound for Alaska, to find out.

Cruising has become a safe and gay-friendly way of vacationing for my social circle. After settling into my stateroom, I went exploring to familiarize myself with this mammoth ship's seventeen decks and went in search for "Friends of Dorothy."

My first stop was to inquire about the "Friends of Dorothy" ("FOD") meetings, an LGBTQ social gathering that has been popular on Princess Cruises. My inquiry led me to Caroline "Frenchie" Desbuquios, Entertainment Director, on the Ruby Princess. She explained that the cruise lines were no longer offering "Friends of Dorothy" meetings, but as an alternative to "FOD," has started LGBT Get-Togethers.

"FOD" had been synonymous with LGBTQ travelers for years and a go-to-meeting for any seasoned gay traveler on cruise ships. When asked why "Friends of Dorothy" had been removed from the scheduled events, Frenchie replied that "the name has been changed to accommodate the younger LGBT travelers who were not familiar with the label and is now more inclusive to all."

In the early 1980s, the cruise ship industry exploded and offered a one stop-no fuss travel to exotic locations and ports of call while pampering its guests aboard floating cities of delight and amusements on the ocean. It was common for passengers to meet and communicate with other travelers via community bulletin boards.

These bulletin boards led to daily printed postings of special interest groups and meeting locations. These early printed daily rosters would come to your stateroom as a complete list of the following day's planned activities. The early lists of activities included knitting clubs, bridge groups and social meetings that sprang up organically as passengers began making requests.

As gay travelers began cruising more regularly, they began to request "Friends of Dorothy" meetings as a way to meet and socialize with other gay travelers. The code word "Friends of Dorothy" harkens back to the 1950s when gay men discovered Judy Garland as a gay icon and paid homage to her starring role in "The Wizard of Oz."

Acknowledging you were a friend of Dorothy was to acknowledge you were part of the gay community. During the McCarthy era of the 1950s, many were obsessed with weeding out communism and anything deemed not to be Red, White and Blue. Senator Joseph McCarthy and his followers had instilled fear in Americans of being taken over by communists. "Morality Laws" were born, often targeting the gay community and resulting in harsh penalties and repercussions, forcing many to hide in their imaginary closets, cloaking themselves in fear for decades.

McCarthy had preached that gays and lesbians would harm our nation and be easily influenced by Communist and Fascist desires to infiltrate our society, corrupt our children and take over our government. In fear of losing one's job, home and friends, "Friends of Dorothy" became useful to help identify other gay people.

If your gaydar was on the fritz, you would ask your fellow stranger, "are you a Friend of Dorothy's?" An affirmation would signal you were gay whereas a "who's Dorothy?" response would give the inquisitor an easy way out of further incriminating identification. "Friends of Dorothy" was so popular and such a well-kept secret in the gay community that in the 1980s, the U.S. Navy Investigative Service spent a million dollars to find out who was Dorothy and why was she recruiting so many sailors to be her friend.

Princess Cruises, in recognition of their gay and lesbian customers, was one of the first cruise lines to make "Friends of Dorothy" meetings a staple activity on their daily "Princess Patter" events calendar. Princess was proactive in supporting and promoting safe venues for the LGBT traveler on not only their charter cruises but their regular scheduled cruises as well.

Now, Princess Cruises has once again taken the lead by dropping the "Friends of Dorothy" code and offer these get-togethers as simply the LGBT meeting. But do these meetings even serve any value anymore to the LGBTQ community?

With the younger generation of LGBTQ out and proud, from politicians to celebrities, to talks show hosts, to writers and the mainstream public, there is perhaps less of a need to hide behind secret code words or societies to meet others. Much like the list of scheduled activities and entertainment on these ships has changed, so has the cruise experience. The list of activities today includes passenger participation in "The Voice of the Ocean," Broadway-like production shows, and comedy, singing, and magic acts that are more reflective and inclusive of the new generation of cruisers.

According to FOX News, cruise ship giant, Carnival Corporation, has announced that three of its cruise liners -- P&O, Princess and Cunard -- are going to start conducting same-sex marriages on board. It is clear that times are changing for a new generation of travelers and perhaps the younger LGBTQ generation doesn't need a social meeting or a label to express who they are.

Maybe the time has come for Dorothy to take her final bow, as we close the curtain on an old friend and takes her place in gay history. Today's LGBTQ traveler is seeking inclusive and specialized activities that simply satisfy their interests and taste while enjoying high sea adventures, and maybe even a wedding.