How to Find Other Friends of Dorothy on Straight Cruises by the new Gay Cruising Editor of CruiseMates An all-gay party cruise not your thing?
But, you still want meet other gay folks on your next cruise. Then check out the Friends of Dorothy meetings in your daily program. No, there won’t be any flying monkeys. Friends of Dorothy (FOD) meetings are informal gatherings for gay and lesbian passengers to meet and mingle. In gay slang, a Friend of Dorothy is a term for a gay man. The term dates back to a time in the early 20th century when homosexuality was against the law in both the United Kingdom and in the United States. Saying at a social gathering that another man was a “friend of Dorothy” was a euphemism used for discussing sexual orientation without other people knowing what you were discussing. The origin of the term is unknown and there are various theories. Most commonly it has been linked to the film The Wizard of Oz because Judy Garland, who starred as the main character Dorothy, is often noted as a major icon in the gay community, and in the film, Dorothy is accepting of those who are different, e.g. a gentle lion
