The White Party Begins

Gerry Kelly's party at The Shelbourn Hotel on Saturday.

The White Party began many years ago as one event, a fund-raiser at the Deering mansion, Vizcaya. Eventually, it became a week-long series of parties attended by thousands of people, gay and straight, dressing in white and partying day and night. I really don’t know how people get through a week like this without collapsing; in addition to the nightly bacchanals, there are dances on the beach, gay volleyball tournaments, lavish pool parties, luscious lesbian shindigs, and the extravagant party at Vizcaya. It marks what is the beginning of Season and is the starting bell for a non-stop race to party that ends on Easter. I watch from my box seat, behind my fan, dropping a hanky every now and then for—what The Viceroy of the Southern Hemisphere calls—“Latino scum”.