The Past and Present of Pensacola Beach’s Annual LGBTQ+ Gathering
May brings Memorial Day, a time to celebrate freedom and honor those who bravely served. Here in Pensacola, the holiday also marks a powerful moment of celebration for the local LGBTQ+ community. The city’s largest Memorial Day gathering takes place throughout the weekend on the East side of Pensacola Beach, where LGBTQ+ individuals and allies gather to celebrate love, joy and resilience.
This annual celebration has deep roots in Pensacola’s queer history; with the beachfront tradition tracing back to as early as the 1950s. It all started with Ray and Henry Hillyer, two LGBTQ+ Pensacola locals who wanted access to queer magazines and literature. This mission wasn’t as easy as going to a library or accessing it online, though. At that time, a man reading gay literature would have been heavily condemned, so the Hillyers opened a post office box under the name “Emma Jones,” and had a female friend retrieve the mail for them. The female pseudonym decreased suspicion, allowing the papers to be delivered without any interception from postal employees.
Eventually, the Hillyers began inviting other members of the local LGBTQ+ community over to their home to share and read the literature they received through their undercover post office box. These regular gatherings would become known as the Emma Jones Society (EJS). Founded in 1957, EJS grew steadily over the next few years, eventually going on to host public gatherings for the local LGBTQ+ community, including on Pensacola Beach.
Though these gatherings weren’t held only during Memorial Day weekend, they are attributed as starting the tradition of the annual LGBTQ+ Memorial Day celebration. The EJS beach parties continued on for years, and even grew to be hosted throughout the city, most notably at Pensacola’s Hotel San Carlos. These events would often include dancing, socializing and drag performances.
Unfortunately, in 1974, the celebrations came to a halt when EJS and the queer community were met with local backlash. Since the parties had continuously grown and were receiving more media attention, locals were worried that Pensacola would gain a reputation of being a gay destination, which was heavily stigmatized and denounced by many in the community during this time.
After the shutdown of EJS, Pensacola’s LGBTQ+ community sat quiet for a few years. The Memorial Day tradition reignited with small gatherings in the 1980s, which progressively got larger again. By the 1990s, the weekend-long celebration was back in full swing on Pensacola Beach. The parties included all of the elements of original EJS parties—socializing, dancing and drag—as well as music from DJs and other live entertainment.
As the celebration gained popularity, more and more LGBTQ+ people from Pensacola and beyond began flocking to the beach. This significant influx of both locals and tourists spending money on Pensacola Beach provided a significant boost to local businesses.
In 1993, the LGBTQ+ gatherings were once again under attack, with prominent locals and politicians voicing their concern that Pensacola would become the “gay capital of the south. “
Thankfully, many business owners stood with the LGBTQ+ community, likely incentivized by the amount of profit that they made from queer customers. Several businesses and LGBTQ+ visitors themselves began to stamp their cash with a pink triangle or the words “gay money” as a way to symbolize their contributions to the local economy—an estimated $25 million in 1993 alone. This piece of history is how Pensacola’s popular STAMPED Film Festival received its name.
Since the 1990s, the queer community’s Memorial Day celebration has continued to draw tens of thousands of people to Pensacola Beach. The weekend continues to be one of the most lucrative weekends for Pensacola Beach, largely in part due to the spending of the LGBTQ+ community.
According to Visit Pensacola, in 2023, 88 percent of event attendees reported that the Memorial Day LGBTQ+ event was their main reason for traveling to the Pensacola area. More than 33 percent of these visitors traveled from other counties, with a majority frequenting local bars and restaurants throughout their stay. With travel parties spending an average of around $600 per day—about $145 a person—the financial impact of this event has served as a significant boost to the local economy.
With more widespread acceptance and support for the LGBTQ+ community, this festive weekend celebration is here to stay. Today, queer people of all ages flock to the beach to gather in celebration of their love and individuality. These celebrations still take place on the East side of Pensacola Beach, primarily centered around Park East near Portofino Island Resort.
Today, Memorial Day weekend consists of daytime relaxation and socialization and, of course, plenty of nighttime fun. Daytime is focused on leisure and community. Beachgoers typically set up tents to provide themselves with the shade needed to endure the beach conditions all day long. Throughout the day, attendees can be seen lounging on the beach, playing games in the sand and splashing in the Gulf.
Long after the sun goes down, the real parties begin to kick off. The weekend’s nightlife centers around “circuit parties,” run by promoters who host rave-inspired all-night parties with DJs, pulsing music, flashing lights and plenty of dancing.
Johnny Chisholm, co-owner of the now-defunct gay nightclub, Emerald City, has served as the primary host of these local Memorial Day parties since the 1990s. Chisholm initially began hosting the parties because he himself enjoyed attending the annual celebration at the beach. Today, these popular parties attract national entertainers and thousands of lively attendees each year.
The parties are typically hosted under a large white tent at Park East. Many of the parties are alcohol-free for sober partygoers. The events typically start in the late night and run until the early hours of the morning. It is common for the party to still be rolling on while daytime attendees claim their spots in the sand!
From the silenced secrets of the EJS in the 20th century to the high-flying rainbow flags of today, Pensacola’s Memorial Day gatherings are a testament to the enduring strength and resilience of the local LGBTQ+ community. Whether you are an up-all-night party type or just want to connect with your community, there is a place for you at a Memorial Day weekend gathering.
This year’s Memorial Day Weekend celebration will run from May 22 to 26. For tickets and information on Chisholm’s upcoming parties and events, visit johnnychisholm.com and follow @memorialweekendpensacola on Facebook and Instagram.