Hamburger Mary’s to host bingo fundraiser
Hamburger Mary’s in downtown Orlando is hosting a bingo fundraiser to bring in money for the Come Out With Pride Orlando’s pride parade.
Seating for bingo is at 6:30 p.m. today, with the game starting at the Church Street restaurant at 7 p.m. The parade itself is Oct. 21.
Hamburger Mary’s co-owner John Paonessa said his business is hosting the fundraiser after hearing the pride event might not be getting as many sponsorships as it has in the past. Large companies have been caught in the so-called culture wars, with Anheuser-Busch facing backlash for transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoting its beer.
Come Out With Pride Orlando’s support from corporate partners is lower this year than usual, said executive director Tatiana Quiroga.
“Unfortunately, we are in this current climate,” she said.
But for Hamburger Mary’s, the fundraiser comes after the restaurant scored a victory in court this summer in a legal battle over a Florida law that a federal judge says is aimed at limiting the rights of drag performers.
U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell temporarily blocked the law that contains penalties for any venue allowing children into a sexually explicit “adult live performance.” The law includes potential first-degree misdemeanor charges for violators.
The Orlando Hamburger Mary’s sued, noting its negative effect on First Amendment rights.
Their attorney, Brice Timmons, has pointed out part of the law that signals out “lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts.”
Timmons has said there are only two people who would have prosthetic breasts: women who had undergone mastectomies or drag performers.
Presnell temporarily blocking the law also gives Orlando’s pride parade protection as drag performers are part of the event, Quiroga said.
“This should be the year for us to have a great parade because of everything that’s going on,” Paonessa said.