Javier also appeared in a cast fundraiser for the Biden campaign Friday night. Sunday night, “Divas For Democracy” hosted United We Slay, a non-partisan get-out-the-vote fundraiser with Broadway stars and drag performers. It was presented by Drag Out The Vote and we hope to have the producers on our #ILoveGayPalmSprings podcast this week. While I zoomed my weekend away, all three of these were great reminders of what’s at stake in this year’s election.
Modernism Fall Preview got underway and continues through the end of the month. And many more events dot our blog below today!
And we’re ready to announce how you can participate for “Light Up the Night” with Palm Springs Pride. Watch this space and our social channels for your chance to win two roundtrip tickets on Alaska Airlines! Find rainbow or pink lights so you can create your home display. Then look for our contest coming soon.
#ILoveGayPalmSprings
#ILoveGayCatCity
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide
Totally 80’s Trivia Party
Gay Desert Guide’s Fun & Games Dept. and TheMenEvent.com present Totally 80’s Trivia Party on Tuesday, October 20 at 4:00 p.m. We all love a good trivia party. Test your memories of everything wonderful about the 80s with fun trivia games! Big Gay Trivia is a great way to get together for a night of fun, conversations and lunacy during all the craziness. Our Trivia contests are so entertaining because we make the questions easy and enjoyable for everyone. TheMenEvent founder Hugh Hysell will be your host for this evening that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home. Get tickets
Trunk or Treat Food Drive-Thru
The LGTBQ Community Center of the Desert presents a Trunk or Treat Food Drive-Thru on Wednesday, October 21 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. at The Center’s Food Bank. This Halloween-themed food drive invites you to dress up and join the goulash fun! Bring canned goods, pasta, rice, cereal, crackers, protein bars, pet food and more to the kookie zombies who will retrieve them from your trunk as you drive through! More info
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Modernism Week Fall Preview is Here
Modernism Week presents a Fall Preview Online Experience available as online video programs beginning October 15 and concluding October 31. The pre-recorded video programs and one livestream social event will include a guided home tour series of five significant Palm Springs residences; an entertaining driving tour of Palm Springs with Charles Phoenix; “The Best of Mod with a Twist,” humorous and informative presentations about midcentury pop culture; conference sessions from “Fast Forward: Designing the Future of Palm Springs”; two new documentary-style films about the preservation of architectural landmarks in Palm Springs: “Preserving Modernism: The Town & Country Center”, and “The Restoration and Stabilization of the Cornelia White Residence” in Palm Springs, and a Zoom-based happy hour. Get tickets
Desert Stonewall Democrats October Meeting
Join the Desert Stonewall Democrats on Tuesday, October 20 at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom for their monthly meeting. The topic will be: Empowerment and challenges of running a political campaign for women and people of color. Several local women, both elected and candidates for office, will attend the meeting to tell of their experiences while campaigning. Also, there will be updates from the campaigns and election ballot news. More info
The Economic Future of the Coachella Valley
A free webinar series from the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, Palm Springs Life, and SBEMP Attorneys continues on Wednesday, October 21 at 2:00 p.m. to explore the question of how the Coachella Valley will bounce back from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this installment, “Real Estate,” presenters Michael Meade (Wilson Meade Commercial Real Estate), Peggy Sue Lane (First American Mortgage), and Brady Sandahl (Brady Sandahl Real Estate Group at Keller Williams Luxury Homes) discuss the boom in home sales and the challenge for commercial real estate. Sponsored by Franklin Loan Center. More info
Have PrEP Protocols Changed Due to COVID?
The LGBTQ Center of the Desert presents “Have PrEP Protocols Changed Due to COVID?” on Wednesday, October 21 from 5:30–6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Join Alex del Rosario, MD (Eisenhower Health); Rob Finatnilla, PA (Borrego Health) and Andy Ansell, PrEP Negotiator (Desert AIDS Project) for an informative panel discussion regarding PrEP and PEP care services here in the Coachella Valley during COVID. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, also known as PrEP, is a powerful prevention tool in the form of a pill, taken daily to prevent HIV. More info
Social Justice and Black Lives Matter: A Path Forward
The United Nations Association of the Coachella Valley presents Social Justice & Black Lives Matter: A Path Forward on Wednesday, October 12 at 5:00 p.m. Join like-minded leaders for an honest conversation with Tim Vincent and Dr. Keyphan Sheppard, moderated by Bryan Gallo, about race, equality and social justice here in the Coachella Valley. Vincent is co-founder and first board president of Brothers of the Desert, formed in 2018 with a purpose of reducing isolation and disconnection that many Black gay men experience in the Coachella Valley. Dr. Sheppard is the pastor at Word of Life Fellowship Center, where he has organized thousands of meals for the homeless, acted as an on-call chaplain to the DHS Police Department, and is an advisor to the Desert Hot Springs High School’s Black Student Union. More info
Virtual Desert AIDS Walk is Oct. 23–24
For the past thirty-four years of walking, the Desert AIDS Walk has ensured that those living with HIV and AIDS continue to thrive. Register today for the 2020 edition, which will be presented virtually on Friday and Saturday, October 23 & 24. The reason for “The Walk” has never really been about balloon arches or walker t-shirts. It has always been about the collective power of community and our shared vision of a future. This year, you register as always, create or join a team if you like, and then you can walk the traditional route or any neighborhood or trail of your choice! More info
Theatre Thursdays: Solo Composers
CVRep presents Theatre Thursdays: Solo Composers featuring Glenn Roseblum on Thursday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy hearing songs of the talented few Broadway composers who did it all – from music to lyrics – by themselves. Listen to the work of Cole Porter (Anything Goes), Frank Loesser (The Most Happy Fella), Stephen Sondheim (Company), Irving Berlin (Annie Get Your Gun), and Jerry Herman (Mame). Explore the composers who created some of Broadway’s biggest shows. More info
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.
Managing Emotions During a Pandemic with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.
Conversational Spanish with Guillermo Biro – Tuesdays at 2:00 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]
I Love Gay Palm Springs Podcast – Episode 67
John Taylor returns with co-host comedian Shann Carr, Brad Fuhr of GayDesertGuide.com, food blogger Charles Drabkin, Dr. Laura Rush, Comedian Selene Luna (seleneluna.com) and community advocate Jeff Taylor on Aging Positively!
**Use discount code GDG10 to save 10% when you order from our podcast sponsor Out & About CBD.**
October is LGBT History Month:
31 Days, 31 Icons
LGBT History Month celebrates the achievements of 31 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender Icons. Each day in October, a new LGBT Icon is featured with a video, bio, bibliography, downloadable images and other resources. Come back to our LGBT History Month Page each day to learn something new! [See today’s Icon Here]
THIS WEEKEND
Lesbian Virtual Speed Dating for Women of All Ages
Gay Desert Guide’s Fun & Games Dept. & TheMenEvent.com presents Virtual Lesbian Speed Dating for Women of ALL Ages on Saturday, October 24 at 4:00 p.m. Speed dating has never been more fun! Hosted by Comedian Shann Carr, who will make introductions before you go on several short one-on-one dates (each lasting 5-6 minutes), you’ll then mingle with everyone with a fun game and have real conversation about dating. Enjoy this opportunity to meet a lot of great ladies! Get tickets
Strut Your Mutt Virtual Fundraiser Walk
Animal Samaritans presents Strut Your Mutt Day on Saturday, October 24. This virtual community walk and fundraiser benefits homeless dogs and cats, making Animal Samaritans’ life-saving programs possible. Register early and take part in one of many virtual events, hosted by Best Friends, leading up to Strut Your Mutt Day. More info
LGBT Secrets of the Louvre Museum
Gay Desert Guide’s Fun & Games Dept. and TheMenEvent.com present LGBT Secrets of the Louvre Museum on Sunday, October 25 at 11:00 a.m. The Classical tradition of the world’s largest and most-visited museum has always gone hand in hand with homoerotic tradition, of which the Louvre contains a number of the greatest examples. On this fun and informative 75 minute Zoom tour (led by Professor Andrew Lear, with Q&A), you will learn about: Love in the Greek gymnasium, the Hermaphrodite, myth and sexuality, the Emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinous, Michelangelo’s Dying Slave and his love poetry, Gay lib in the French revolution and much more! Get tickets