Gay Desert Guide: Week of Aug 24, 2020 - Gay Desert Guide Palm Springs

As first reported here last week, Palm Springs Pride will be happening in 2020! Ron DeHarte confirmed some details as he and the city continue to cement the plan. But we will be able to participate in a 5 mile long Pride Parade – inside our own vehicles. It’s a car caravan and something very different from the floats and contingents of people typically in the parade.

Plus, the giant Rainbow flag is back downtown, and Desert Regional Medical Center is tentatively planning their Pride flag on the El Mirador tower.

We have a few months until Pride, and those months will be mostly spent keeping socially distanced. You can have some fun and meet new people as the New Gay Desert Guide Fun & Games Dept keeps a full slate of Zoom events. From Shann Carr’s Trivia night, to the “un-hung heroes” of museum statues, we have events planned from now through the end of September. Oh and dating events too – one for the Bear community, one for lesbians and a few M4M. Check below for details!

Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide

Shann Carr’s Big Gay Trivia

The Fun & Games Dept of Gay Desert Guide and TheMenEvent.com present Shann Carr’s Big Gay Trivia on Tuesday, August 25 at 7:00 p.m. Our online Virtual Gay Trivia party is a great way to get people together for a night of fun, conversations and learning during all the craziness. It’s so entertaining because we make the questions easy and enjoyable for everyone! Up to 20 attendees will be on your screen at once, with a few rounds of 10 questions each. The top winner from each round will win some special prizes, including gift cards to local restaurants and shops! Get tickets

Stonewall Democrats August Meeting – Endorsements

Join the Desert Stonewall Democrats for their General Meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, August 25 at 6:00 p.m. Candidates seeking DSD endorsement will make their case and answer questions. Registration required, donation suggested. More info

This Week’s Virtual Events at The Center

Looking for connection in this time of self-isolation? The LGBT Center of the Desert continues to connect people, using the technology of group-meeting platform Zoom, which you can use on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Here’s just a taste of the programs they are hosting:

Social Caring in the Face of Quarantine with Alexis Ortega – Mondays at 11:00 a.m.

Zumba for Beginners with Shaun Samaro – Mondays at 10:00 a.m.

Knit Together with Doug Morris – Mondays & Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m.

Managing Emotions During a Pandemic with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.

Dating and Sex in the Age of COVID with Arlen Keith Leight LCSW, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.

Conversational Spanish – Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m.

Virtual Beginner Tap with Keith Mottola – Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m.

Prostate Cancer Support Group – 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m.

Trans Tuesdays with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.

LGBTQ+ Youth Virtual Hangout with Miguel Navarro – Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m.

Seated Wellness with Lynn Simonson – Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.

Women’s Chat with Kim Kieler – Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

Men’s Chat with Stuart Huggins – Fridays at 10:30 a.m.

Who Cares: Caregiver Support Group with Perry Wiggins – Fridays at 3:00 p.m.

Full list of The Center’s Zoom programs [here]

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More Fun & Games with Shann Carr

The Fun & Games Dept of Gay Desert Guide, along with TheMenEvent.com, has more fun virtual events coming, hosted by Shann Carr, from Trivia and Game Nights on Tuesdays to Speed Dating Saturdays where you could meet a date, a friend, or a business connection!

Speed Dating Events (also hosted by Shann):

Race Matters for Black LGBTQ People

Race Matters for Black LGBTQ Community Members returns on Tuesday, August 25 at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom. This is a virtual space created by the LGBT Community Center of the Desert to come together and share how we approach the burden of racism in this country and in our own lives. Facilitated by Lorenzo Taylor, a Center activity facilitator and member of Brothers of the Desert. Registration required. More info

Community Conversations: An Affinity Space for Non-Black LGBTQ+ People

The LGBT Community Center of the Desert presents Community Conversations: An Affinity Space for Non-Black LGBTQ+ People hosted by Lex Ortega on Thursday, August 27 from 5:00–6:00 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space for non-Black LGBTQ+ people to come together and work through issues of racism and anti-Blackness specifically. Registration required. More info

Opiates, Pain & Addiction

The LGBT Center of the Desert and Eisenhower Health present The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: Opiates, Pain and Addiction on Wednesday, August 26 from 5:30–6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Join K.D. Thrasher, DO, for discussion regarding the use and abuse of drugs used to treat pain. Learn what opiates have been shown to treat, how should doctors be recommending their use and what to do when they become a problem. More info

Theatre Thursday: Inside an Actor’s World

CVRep presents New York actor and playwright Jim Brochu on this week’s installment of Theatre Thursday, hosted by Ron Celona, on Thursday, August 27 at 6:00 p.m. Fans will recognize Brochu from his multi-award winning play, Zero Hour, where he personifies the great Zero Mostel. Hear how Ethel Merman influenced his life, leading him from a path of the priesthood to the stage, and much more. Free event, registration required. More info

I Love Gay Palm Springs Podcast – Episode 59

2 lesbian comedians, a doctor, 2 online publishers, a chef and a voice actor walk into a zoom room…
Join John Taylor, comedian Shann Carr, Brad Fuhr of GayDesertGuide.com, Jimmy Boegle of CVIndependent.com, Dr. Laura Rush, food blogger Charles Drabkin & comedian Mina Hartong to find out what happens in this week’s episode of the #ILoveGayPalmSprings Podcast! [Listen] or [Watch]

**Use discount code GDG10 to save 10% when you order from our podcast sponsor Out & About CBD.**

Outfest Virtual, Streaming Now

Outfest 2020 will take place from August 20–30, bringing over 160 films to their streaming platform, as well as a series of outdoor drive-in screenings in Malibu. One All-Access Pass will serve as your ticket to new centerpiece films, premieres, and hand-curated programs debuting daily. Select packages of Festival Favorites will also be available for direct purchase. Outfest’s mission creates visibility to diverse LGBTQIA+ stories and empowers storytellers, building empathy to drive meaningful social change. Cheryl Dunye, John Cameron Mitchell, Lily Tomlin and newcomer country artist, Brandon Stansell, will headline special events and the festival has announced their full livestream and “Under the Stars” drive-in screenings schedule. including “Nowhere Inn,” pictured above. And check out the trailer below! Learn more

The Nicholas Snow Show Celebrates Desert AIDS Project

On the occasion of the 36th Anniversary of Desert AIDS Project, Producer/Host Nicholas Snow – a grateful client of D.A.P. himself – is dedicating a week of broadcasts of The Nicholas Snow Show to spotlight the beginnings and transformation of this lifesaving organization. Nicholas speaks with case manager John Machado, Director of Community Health C.J. Tobe, Charge Nurse (and COVID survivor) Kimmie Miller, and CEO David Brinkman. View here

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

While many of us have been staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Palm Springs Police Department is reminding everyone who does need to drive to do so while sober. Impaired driving continues to be a problem. Driving while impaired is illegal, whether it is alcohol, prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or marijuana. Palm Springs Police Department will have additional officers on patrol from Aug. 21 through the Labor Day weekend (Sept. 7) looking for suspected impaired drivers.

THIS WEEKEND

Virtual Speed Dating for Men Who Love Tattoos and/or Leather

Gay Desert Guide’s Fun & Games Dept. and TheMenEvent.com bring you Virtual Speed Dating for Men Who Love Tattoos and/or Leather on Saturday, August 29 at 6:00 p.m. Speed dating has never been more fun! We will make introductions, and you go on several short one-on-one dates (each lasting 5-6 minutes) then mingle with everyone with a fun game and have real conversation about dating. You could end up with a date, a friend or a business connection. This event is exclusively for Gay Men Of All Ages who love Tattoos and/or Leather (see our other speed dating events for other ages and themes). Get tickets

KGAY 106.5 Virtual Summer Concert Series – Brian Scott

Gay Desert Guide is pleased to be a Media Sponsor of KGAY’s 106.5 Virtual Summer Concert Series.
This virtual concert series is designed to keep you entertained and safe this summer, while benefiting our local artists. The series is hosted by Ben Patrick Johnson and Shann Carr. This Sunday, Aug 30 at 5:00 p.m. the featured artist is Brian Scott, and future performances include: Emily West on Sept 6, Bill Lohnes on Sept 13, and Kristine W on Sept 20. Get tickets

Drive-In Experience at Palm Springs Cultural Center

The Palm Springs Cultural Center has turned their parking lot into a temporary Drive-In Experience, complete with concessions like popcorn and frozen treats and radio-tuned sound! They are planning a Labor Day weekend of great documentary films, including House of Cardin on September 4 [Get tickets] This rare peek into the genius of Pierre Cardin is helmed by Palm Springs filmmakers P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes. They are scheduled to appear on Episode 60 of the I Love Gay Palm Springs Podcast, coming this Thursday! [Listen] or [Watch]

Drive-In Concerts on the Mesa

In these trying times, we can all use a little bit of music to lift our spirits and remember that this too shall pass. While in-person concerts seem impossible right now, there’s one way it can work: in your car! Every Saturday and Sunday at sunset, Jacqueline and Jeremie Levi Samson present a socially-distanced Drive-In Concert Experience at the Mon Petit Mojave ranch, a 15-acre private property located on the Yucca Mesa in Yucca Valley, CA. The shows are free but tips are accepted. More info