Gay Desert Guide Weekend: June 11-13, 2021

New airline services, Marilyn’s behind arrives and parklet controversy dominated the news cycle this week.  It’s a relatively quiet weekend but with much anticipation for the June 15th “reopening” that will arrive with much fanfare in the Coachella Valley.  From Arenas A Pride Mixer) to El Paseo, celebrations are being planned.  However, the mask rules are still in flux and we say “better safe that sickly”.
We bid a fond farewell to the regular cohost of the #ILoveGayPalmSprings podcast, Shann Carr, on episode 101 this week. Shann’s been planning for her post-COVID re-emergence into the world of entertainment and outlined many of her projects on the podcast.  I will personally miss her sharp tongue, quick wit and her drive for inclusiveness that has resonated over the past few years.  We’re looking for a new co-host, so please reach out to me if you know of someone who can join our weekly cast of characters!
Happy Pride Month!  Our plans for November Pride are in full swing!
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide 
#ILoveGayPalmSprings
#ILoveGayCatCity
#ShopLocal and … #WeArePalmSprings

I Love Gay Palm Springs Podcast – Episode 101

John Taylor, comedian Shann Carr and Gay Desert Guide Brad Fuhr with special guests: Steven Biller of Palm Springs Life, restaurantHER Mindy Reed, artist Dylan Smith, Kim Kieler from the LGBTQ Center of the Desert and Executive Producer of the film “Forgive Us” Alex Woodruff.
The #ILoveGayPalmSprings Podcast is broadcast on Facebook Live, Fridays at 11:00 a.m. The#ILoveGayPalmSprings Podcast is also available on Apple TV, Roku TV, Amazon, FireTV and Android devices via OutAt.tv. Tune in Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m. (or later on-demand) to stream us to your TV. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and more!

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Palm Springs Pride 2021: You Are Included

Palm Springs Pride Week organizers have announced a traditional slate of in-person Pride events for the 35th annual LGBTQ celebration scheduled for November 1–7, 2021. The Pride parade and festival, featuring multiple stages of live entertainment and a vendor marketplace, will return to downtown Palm Springs. As the COVID-19 crisis subsides, the stage is set for California’s only large-scale, in-person Pride event to move forward in 2021. Providing a space for the community to gather after the stress, uncertainty, and isolation of the pandemic is expected to attract record attendance to Palm Springs. Read more about the scheduling and timing of events, as well as a look at the motivation behind this year’s Palm Springs Pride poster designed by Shag: [here].

Remembering the Golden Girls: Second Show Added!

The Fun & Games Dept of Gay Desert Guide SOLD OUT our first presentation of An Evening on the Lanai: Remembering the Golden Girls, so we bring you a second show on Thursday, June 24 at 7:00 p.m. at Oscar’s! Join season one writer Stan Zimmerman for fun trivia, clips from favorite episodes, prize giveaways, sing-alongs, and Q&A. Hosted by on-air personality Alexander Rodriguez from On the Rocks with Alexander and a regular guest on the #ILoveGayPalmSprings podcast. Check out Palm Springs Life’s interview with Zimmerman [here]. Act fast before this one sells out too! Get tickets
And we’re going to be hosting a meet and greet with Stan and Alexander on Wednesday, June 23rd at PS Homeboys, just across the street (in the former Peepa’s space).  Details in our Monday blog and on our events calendar.  We’ll giveaway a pair of tickets to the show and you can have your photo taken “in bed with” the hosts!

ShortFest Official Selection Announced, Tickets on Sale Now

The 27th Palm Springs International ShortFest is returning for in-person screenings from June 22–28, and passes are on sale now. General Ticket are on sale now and the official selection of films is available for viewing on the ShortFest website. LGBT+ shorts that will be screening at the Camelot Theatre (Palm Springs Cultural Center) and competing for the Best LGBT+ Short category include: “Break In,” “Bruised Fruit Tastes Sweeter,” “Club Quarantine,” Complicated,” “F1 – 100,” “Fervor” (World Premiere), “Forgive Us” (World Premiere), “Her Dance” (North American Premiere), “The Lights Are On, No One’s Home,” “Our Bed Is Green,” and “Water.” New programs include “Power to the People,” “Codes of Conduct,” “Nights to Remember’ and more. The ShortFest Forum returns with virtual classes and panels to make it more available to all, including international filmmakers unable to attend. More info

“In the Heights” at Mary Pickford Theater

Mary Pickford Theater – D’Place Entertainment in Cathedral City is welcoming moviegoers back to indoor screenings, following the CinemaSafe industry guidelines adopted by theaters large and small across the country. This weekend, you can go dark with “The Conjuring” or “A Quiet Place Part II,” or more upbeat with the opening weekend of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights,” the brand-new film version of the stage musical he produced before “Hamilton.” Get tickets

LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Dodger Stadium

The Los Angeles Dodgers and LA Pride present the 8th Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Dodger Stadium on Friday, June 11 at 7:10 p.m. The game against the Texas Rangers is a special night celebrating the LGBTQ+ community with drink specials in the pavilion bars, a recognition of First Responders from Los Angeles LGBTQ+ community, and additional surprise guests featured during pregame ceremonies. Friday Night Fireworks will also return that night, set to a special mix by DJ Bowie Jane. Get tickets

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The Pettybreakers – A Tribute to Tom Petty

Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage’s The Show presents The PettyBreakers – A Tribute to Tom Petty on Saturday, June 12 at 8:00 p.m. What started out in 2010 as a regional band is now the Nation’s #1 touring tribute to Tom Petty. The PettyBreakers have played in 22 states and Washington D.C. ­with more being added constantly. “The World’s Greatest Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers!” So say Katie Daryl, Mark Cuban and Ryan Seacrest of AXS-TV as they selected the PettyBreakers to perform on their hit TV show in 2014. Get tickets

Cinema Under the Stars

The Palm Springs Cultural Center continues to run their outdoor Cinema Under the Stars program, but just two weekends remain before they close it for the season on June 19. Camp-out in your own chairs or reserve one of the available picnic tables; you may also pre-order a boxed dinner from Mildred’s Chicken & Waffle Dinners! On Friday, June 11 the film will be “Back to the Future: Part II” (with Part III to follow next Friday, June 18), and on Saturday, June 19, it’s Best Picture Oscar winner “Moonlight” in honor of Juneteenth. Get tickets

Eve Adams: A Daring Life and Dangerous Times for a Radical Lesbian

Gay Desert Guide’s Fun & Games Dept. and TheMenEvent.com present Eve Adams: A Daring Life and Dangerous Times for a Radical Lesbian on Sunday, June 13 at 11:00 a.m. Join acclaimed historian Jonathan Ned Katz for an exploration of the incredible life and times of radical lesbian Eve Adams. She changed her name, befriended famous anarchists, sold radical papers, and ran lesbian-and-gay-friendly speakeasies in Chicago and New York. Then, in 1925, Adams risked all to write and publish a book titled “Lesbian Love.” In a repressive era, Adams’s bold activism caught the attention of the young J. Edgar Hoover and the US Bureau of Investigation, leading to her surveillance and arrest. Get tickets

Certified Farmers’ Market Opens Indoors for the Summer
Now that we’re firmly in triple-digit territory, the Palm Springs Farmers’ Market has moved to their summer location, indoors at the Palm Springs Pavilion, Saturdays from 8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. from June through September. The market features a variety of California Farmers and Value Added Vendors who will be selling fresh summer fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, cheeses, honey, organic coffee, flowers, rugelah, prepared foods, soups, herb-infused chocolates, soaps, and more!  The two sister markets in Palm Desert and La Quinta are closed for the summer, set to return in October. More info

15th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey

Please take part in the Community Marketing & Insights (CMI) 15th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey! Participation in this survey gives important feedback to our LGBTQ community media and organizations, and provides data to companies interested in serving our community, sponsoring our charities, and supporting their LGBTQ employees. The survey should take about 12 to 15 minutes to complete. Make your voice heard! [Click here to take the survey]

LOOKING AHEAD

Palm Springs Chamber Pride Mixer

Please join the Palm Springs Chamber for their Pride Mixer on Arenas Road on Tuesday, June 15. This will be an in-person Pride mixer, with happy hour drink specials, prizes and entertainment, starting at Chill Bar at 5:00 p.m. and ending at 6:30 p.m. at Hunters Nightclub with a business card drawing. Please also take this time to visit all your favorite businesses on Arenas Road. More info

Mini VillageFest and El Paseo Re-Opening Celebrations

The Palm Springs Council approved a one-time MIni-VillageFest on Tahquitz Canyon Way between Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon from 5:00–8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15 to celebrate “Palm Springs Back in Business” and the re-opening of California. Join NBC Palm Springs as they go live in the heart of downtown during their evening newscasts. More info
At the El Paseo Shopping District in Palm Desert, it’s “Time to Thrive,” where participating restaurants and stores will offer June 15– themed specials with various retail and dining discounts, and/or having individual store celebrations, from 3:00–6:15 p.m., concluding with a toast to the reopening at 6:15 p.m. and a grand prize of $615 awarded for an El Paseo Shopping Spree. More info

NEXT WEEK: Virtual Events at The Center

The LGBTQ Community 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 their programs:
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. Returns June 14
Managing Emotions During a Pandemic with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.
Fifty+ Fit with Lynn Simonson – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.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.
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.
LGBTQ+ Youth Virtual Hangout with Miguel Navarro – Fridays at 2:00 p.m.
Who Cares: Caregiver Support Group with Perry Wiggins – Fridays at 3:00 p.m.
Full list of The Center’s Zoom programs [here]