ORLANDO, Fla. — A nonprofit that mentors and supports LGBTQ students has moved its biggest fundraiser of the year — an adult drag pageant titled “Miss Rose Dynasty” — from Orlando to Kissimmee just days before the annual event.
Event organizer Jason DeShazo worries that the sudden shift in plans will reduce the amount of money raised for his Lakeland-based nonprofit Rose Dynasty Foundation and other charities that would benefit from the March 4 pageant’s proceeds.
“Our organization is going to be hit very hard,” said foundation president DeShazo, but he felt he had no choice but to relocate the fundraiser, billed as the nation’s only family-friendly drag pageant, after the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando decided to implement an age restriction on who could attend.
