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Dorothy


simonpjd
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We notice that the LGBT community get an hour a day for meeting up in the Commodore Club. No longer as Friends of Dorothy.

But why do they get an hour in the best bar at a prime time for themselves. Surely they are now treated just like everyone else. Or do they think they still need their own space and time.

 

 

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Have you ever been to the commodore club at 3pm?

 

Its usually very quiet and the group sit in the corner - I wouldnt call it “primetime” like when at say 745 there are no seats some nights

 

They dont ake over the entire club so what does it matter?

 

Theres scarf folding meetings; solo meetings and various other groups that meet and if you want to attend you do so - you dont need to be a fully paid up lbgt person to attend the friends of dorothy much like you do need to be a scarf folding aficionado

 

If you want to spend an hour with them in the best bar at “primetime” go for it

 

Its nothing to do them wanting their on space and time its about a like minded group of people wanting to spend an hour with other people who happen to be lbgt as well

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Have you ever been to the commodore club at 3pm?

 

Its usually very quiet and the group sit in the corner - I wouldnt call it “primetime” like when at say 745 there are no seats some nights

 

They dont ake over the entire club so what does it matter?

 

Theres scarf folding meetings; solo meetings and various other groups that meet and if you want to attend you do so - you dont need to be a fully paid up lbgt person to attend the friends of dorothy much like you do need to be a scarf folding aficionado

 

If you want to spend an hour with them in the best bar at “primetime” go for it

 

Its nothing to do them wanting their on space and time its about a like minded group of people wanting to spend an hour with other people who happen to be lbgt as well

 

 

Good answer!

If a person's LGBT membership expires, do they become straight??

So long as I remain a "fully paid-up" Canadian my tolerance includes anything except ignorance.

PJ

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First of all they don't get the whole Commodore lounge for themselves, it's just a small part of the lounge where the can sit together and socialise. So plenty of space for everybody to use the lounge too.

 

Your post comes across as a little ignorant. Homosexuality is still far from accepted globally and many LGBT would like to meet up and socialise. Cunard has a relative high percentage of LGBT passengers and the cocktail hour at the Commodore is always very well attended( with high bar revenue.) And everybody, gay or straight is welcome to join!

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So long as I remain a "fully paid-up" Canadian my tolerance includes anything except ignorance.

PJ

 

Who do I send my membership fee for this club?

Nobody is forced to support what LGBT people do, it's not even necessary to like it. The only thing a well mannered Gentleman (or Woman, or Furry Creature from Alpha Centauri) should do, is keep his mouth shut and remember the manners he learned.

In my opinion, the sexual orientation of another person is absolutely none of my business.

 

But then, if Dorothy goes, does Bill W. stay?

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On one cruise when travelling on my own I decided to go to the solo gathering at one of the bars. This group welcomed me very warmly, chatted, laughed, generally had a great time. I eventually realised I was at the wrong venue for solo travellers, I had joined the LBGT group. I explained this to my companions who couldn’t care less, and they invited me to join them at future gatherings. Always greeted me warmly when they saw me around the ship. A lovely group of people.

 

 

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Who do I send my membership fee for this club?

Nobody is forced to support what LGBT people do, it's not even necessary to like it. The only thing a well mannered Gentleman (or Woman, or Furry Creature from Alpha Centauri) should do, is keep his mouth shut and remember the manners he learned.

In my opinion, the sexual orientation of another person is absolutely none of my business.

 

But then, if Dorothy goes, does Bill W. stay?

 

 

Turns out that Human Rights don't require unanimous approval (nor any individual's permission) but they could sure benefit from regulatory protection and societal support .

 

I had to look up the "Bill W" reference ... wasn't aware that it referred to the founder of AA.

Makes sense, though; it's a low-key way to meet up for companionship and mutual support.

 

And to maintain status in the Canadian Club, please send envelopes of cash to my home address.

In return I will send poutine, Beavertails and a sensible toque.

 

PJ

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So when did Dorothy go and LGBT appear. It was still D a couple of years back. I wonder if Bill W will change to AA.

 

 

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LGBT is pretty much universal today. FOD (Friends of Dorothy) is not. It's old school and dated. In fact many young LGBT folks have no clue what FOD means. If you really want to be PC, the acronym LGBTQ+ is very much in vogue.

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On one cruise when travelling on my own I decided to go to the solo gathering at one of the bars. This group welcomed me very warmly, chatted, laughed, generally had a great time. I eventually realised I was at the wrong venue for solo travellers, I had joined the LBGT group. I explained this to my companions who couldn’t care less, and they invited me to join them at future gatherings. Always greeted me warmly when they saw me around the ship. A lovely group of people.

Glad to hear it. Yes, the FOD gathering has always been one of the friendliest and liveliest daily events. Looking forward to joining them on our crossings in September. (Last year, they were still FOD, but I know many lines have adopted LGBT... Primarily because, as noted, many young gays have never heard of Dorothy)

 

...and while it's not uncommon for unused chairs near the raised starboard area to be pressed into service for especially large groups, there is always more than enough seating and service for the rest of the passengers elsewhere in the Commodore Club.

Edited by MarkBearSF
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It's a tangent, but an interesting one.

In the 80s, when the US Navy was in the middle of an anti-gay purge, investigators kept on hearing the term "friends of Dorothy" and spent millions of dollars searching in vain for this mysterious Dorothy who seemed to be in the center of a "homosexual ring."

 

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2017/01/u-s-navy-hilarious-multi-million-dollar-fruitless-search-wizard-ozs-dorothy-friends/

 

- Mark

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Basically it is just a meeting at the said venue where many in attendance are gay but it is not closed shop. I suggest that the meeting is likely to over run the hour and it does not impede anyone else using the venue and might not even be noticed if one was unobservant.

 

As an aside I did see a TV programme about a US aircraft super carrier where they showed a large number of sailors looking for FOD on the flight deck, makes you think!

 

Regards John

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On various cruises on QM2... over the past few years--- I often pop into the Commodore Club at various times of the day / afternoon to enjoy the comfortable seating and the great forward views . Its always 90 % empty...….and around 5 pm I'm aware the "Dorothy" group assembles. A tiny portion is occupied...… they smile / wave "hi" and I sit near the windows. Trying to figure out why poster # 1 is feeling stressed over this. ???????????????

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On various cruises on QM2... over the past few years--- I often pop into the Commodore Club at various times of the day / afternoon to enjoy the comfortable seating and the great forward views . Its always 90 % empty...….and around 5 pm I'm aware the "Dorothy" group assembles. A tiny portion is occupied...… they smile / wave "hi" and I sit near the windows. Trying to figure out why poster # 1 is feeling stressed over this. ???????????????

 

I suspect "poster #1" is looking at getting a rise out of posters which is why its worth ignoring.

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Why is the meetup called our used to be called friends of dorothy as in Dorothy the wizard of oz?. What is gay about Dorothy? I know on once upon a time Dorothy was revealed as being gay. But why is not named after one of the icons like Quentin Crisp or Ellen DeGeneres?

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Why is the meetup called our used to be called friends of dorothy as in Dorothy the wizard of oz?. What is gay about Dorothy? I know on once upon a time Dorothy was revealed as being gay. But why is not named after one of the icons like Quentin Crisp or Ellen DeGeneres?

 

 

Our American Cousins believe the term FOD was derived from Dorothy's friends in the wizard of oz , However, here in the UK, the term FOD was used long before it was 'internationally' associated with the film) Friends of Dorothy ( uk) was/is associated with Dorothy Squires a gay icon who often sang in the underground London clubs in Soho in the early 60's.

 

The doors of those night clubs were often closed to the general public, however, to gain access and to reassure the management of the club, a password was often used .... 'I'm a friend of Dorothy'. ;)

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Our American Cousins believe the term FOD was derived from Dorothy's friends in the wizard of oz , However, here in the UK, the term FOD was used long before it was 'internationally' associated with the film) Friends of Dorothy ( uk) was/is associated with Dorothy Squires a gay icon who often sang in the underground London clubs in Soho in the early 60's.

 

The doors of those night clubs were often closed to the general public, however, to gain access and to reassure the management of the club, a password was often used .... 'I'm a friend of Dorothy'. ;)

 

Fair enough.

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I had heard that the usage preceding the movie was because of some lines that Dorothy had in the book. While, that has long been assumed to be, and indeed became the reference, once the move became popular, I suspect the etymology is lost in the mists (myths?) like "Mary" (as in "Get over it, Mary").

 

...and, returning to the theme of this site, it's not dissimilar to the different stories of the origin of "POSH."

 

- Mark

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Simon: You are welcome to join us anytime. There are often non-gay folks in attendance and we are always happy to expand the cocktail party. It's not exclusive.

 

Bell Boy: Thanks for the history lesson! And I thought I was such a know-it-all! And I always thought the reference was to Saint Judy Garland, the ultimate old-fashioned gay icon in the States.

 

And I might add that the Cunard folks are not business fools. Staging this cocktail party at this time of day in the Commodore is a definite income-producer, and supporting LGBT cruisers is certainly good business.

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True enough. FOD or 'Dorothy' are probably meaningless to these younger ones. Which , in a way is a pity.

Younger LGBTQ generations won't know of -or- largely unaware of our historical usage of slang /code words..

Edited by dfwguy
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