Golden Con invited everyone they knew to celebrate ‘The Golden Girls’ and it was a big gay ol’ party
The Golden Girls was back in Chicago for its second year.Following a successful 2022 event at Navy Pier in Chicago, this year’s conference kick-started on Friday, March 31, and concluded on Sunday, April 2, 2023, and was hosted at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk.For three days, fans celebrated the legacy and spirit of The Golden Girls with special guests, activities, and exclusive merchandise.With the passing of Betty White in 2021, all of the main Golden Girls cast members – Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty – have now left us.
But their legacy of love, laughter, and LGBTQ+ advocacy lives on through this annual celebration.One of our favorite sessions was “Rue’s Wish: The life and wishes of Rue” as told by the late star’s only sister Dr.
Melinda McClanahan. During the presentation, Melinda shared many family photos, handwritten notes, and memories of her and Rue.
She even showed off a quilt she made from a collection of Rue’s shoulder pads:We also heard from the actors and actresses who played Rebecca Devereaux, Carol Weston, and Sven during a panel entitiled “Golden Gabfest with Shawn Schepps, Dinah Manoff, Stan Zimmerman, and Doug Cox.”Bea Arthur’s personal assistant Dan Watt even spilled the tea on how Bea never really talked about the show when she wasn’t on set, the sustained relationships she had with the other girls after the show ended, as well as her disdain for shoes.
