Gay Desert Guide Weekend: June 18-20, 2021

And a Happy Father’s Day Weekend to you and yours! Julia Scotti was standup comedian Rick Scotti, and appeared on bills with Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock. Now, the trans comedian returns to the stage as “the crazy old lady of comedy” and shares a touching story of estrangement and reconciliation from her son and daughter. As we celebrate Father’s Day, she shares her story on the #ILoveGayPalmSprings podcast.
We also look forward to the first official National holiday of Juneteenth with a few events on our calendar.
Next Monday, DBA returns to in-person mixers hosted by newcomers PS Homeboys. We have a Gay Desert Guide Fun & Games Dept. event there on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s reprise of “An Evening on the Lanai: Celebrating  the Golden Girls. It’s also the start of the Cat City Pride celebration at their many #ILoveGayCatCity bars.
I’m escaping the heat for a bit for a midwest vacation and class reunion. Some big news is on the horizon for August, and I can’t wait to share!
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide 
#ILoveGayPalmSprings
#ILoveGayCatCity
#ShopLocal and … #WeArePalmSprings

I Love Gay Palm Springs Podcast – Episode 102

John Taylor and Gay Desert Guide Brad Fuhr are joined by special guests Barry Dayton from Desert Oasis Health Care, Gary Saperstein of Gay Wine Weekends, “Break In” Producer/Writer/Director Alyssa Lerner, and Trans-comedian and AGT comedy star Julia Scotti!
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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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, less than one week away! 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 the night before, on Wednesday, June 23 from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at PS Homeboys, just across the street from Oscar’s (in the former Peepa’s space). Step on the Lanai to relive the Golden days with a meet-and-greet, photo op, and cocktails. Guests are invited to come as they are, or come as their favorite Golden Girl for a chance to win tickets to the show! More info

Juneteenth Events: Discussion and Wine Tasting Fundraiser

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, is on Saturday, June 19, and we have some local events to mark the day. First, Lucy and Gail present a Juneteenth Day Facebook Live discussion event: The Myth of Freedom–Black Life After Juneteenth from 10:00–11:00 a.m., with journalist Gail Christian and writer and cultural activist Alexis DeVeaux [More info]. Then at 4:00 p.m., Bouschet hosts a Juneteenth Wine Tasting Fundraiser for Brothers of the Desert, featuring Tierra y Vino, a Black-owned winery, whose owner Caren Rideau will be on hand to walk you through five varietals. [More info]

Brothers Got Talent feat. Nhojj

Brothers of the Desert present a hybrid Brothers Got Talent event on Friday, June 18 from 7:00–8:00 p.m. on Zoom with a watch party at Bouschet, featuring singer/songwriter and poet Nhojj. Raised in Guyana and Trinidad, he has recorded 6 albums and published 3 books. Winner of 4 Outmusic awards, Nhojj has shared stages with Norah Jones, Regina Belle and Estelle. Free event. More info

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Welcoming Back “Forever Marilyn”

Join PS Resorts and the city of Palm Springs for the unveiling ceremony of the monumental sculpture “Forever Marilyn” by Seward Johnson on Sunday, June 20 at 7:00 p.m. on Museum Way. The dramatic sculpture’s unveiling will be handled by the Palm Springs Fire Department and there will be a fly over by the Palm Springs Air Museum. Celebrate by wearing white. More info
Forever Marilyn’s return to Palm Springs has not been without controversy, about both the placement and content/message of the piece. A #METOOMARILYN peaceful protest organized by the Women’s March Foundation is set to take place before, during, and after the unveiling, going from 6:00–8:00 p.m. More info

Get Your ShortFest In-Person Tickets Now

The 27th Palm Springs International ShortFest is returning for in-person screenings next week, from June 22–28; passes and general tickets 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” (pictured here). 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

Cinema Under the Stars Final Weekend

The Palm Springs Cultural Center presents their final weekend of the season for their outdoor Cinema Under the Stars program. 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 III,” and on Saturday, June 19, it’s Best Picture Oscar winner “Moonlight” in honor of Juneteenth. Get tickets

LGBTQ History Through the Voices of Those Who Lived It

Gay Desert Guide’s Fun & Games Dept. and TheMenEvent.com present LGBTQ History through the Voices of Those Who Lived It on Sunday, June 20 at 11:00 a.m. on Zoom. Join Eric Marcus of the Making Gay History Podcast as he draws on his archive of rare recorded interviews with LGBTQ trailblazers to tell the early years of the LGBTQ rights movement. In more than a hundred interviews in the late 1980s, Eric set out to capture the stories of the movement’s largely unsung heroes before old age or AIDS claimed them. The resulting book was published in 1992 under the title Making History; the revised 2002 edition was titled Making Gay History. Get tickets

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]

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LOOKING AHEAD

CCGBA Open House Tour of Cathedral City LGBTQ Bars

In celebration of National Pride Month, as well as COVID-19 restrictions being lifted in California, The Cathedral City Gay Business Association (CCGBA) welcomes you back to Cathedral City with a week-long Open House Tour, and Gay Desert Guide is proud to be a media sponsor! Starting Monday, June 21 at One Eleven Bar, enjoy $4 Happy Hour Specials each day of the tour from 6:00–8:00 p.m., continuing at a different location each day: The Barracks, Trunks, Runway, AMP Sports Lounge, and wrapping up Saturday, June 26 with simultaneous specials at all participating bars. A “Cat City Cocktail” for $6 will donate $1 back to the CCGBA to bring tourism to Cathedral City and provide great entertainment for the LGBTQ community. More info

DBA Mixer In-Person!

The Desert Business Association (DBA) celebrates a return to in-person events and June Pride Month with a Networking Mixer on Monday, June 21 at 5:30 p.m. at PS Homeboys Furnishings and Home Decor. Browse the store, meet the owners, and hear fellow DBA members’ announcements and success stories. RSVP requested as capacity is limited. Register here

The Miss Firecracker Contest at Desert Rose Playhouse

The Desert Rose Playhouse presents their first in-person production since the COVID shutdown: The Miss Firecracker Contest, opening Wednesday, June 23 and running through Sunday, July 4. This Southern Gothic comedy written by Beth Henley, introduces us to Carnelle, an irrepressible young woman who thinks that winning the local beauty contest will restore her soiled reputation and make her somebody in her small Mississippi community. The family and friends who help her along the way are a dysfunctional bunch who tackle life in their own peculiar ways. VIP couches, high-top tables, and individual seats available. Get tickets

Agua Caliente Casinos Job Fair

Residents from all around Coachella Valley are invited to join Agua Caliente Casinos’ Job Fair being held on Monday, June 21 from 1:00–5:00 p.m. at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage. They are looking to fill 100 plus positions between all three casino properties: Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City, and Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs. The positions include, but are not limited to, the following departments: Food & Beverage, Security, Engineering, Cash Handlers, Accounting, IT, Housekeeping, EVS, and more. More info

FREE Tadasana Yoga at Agua Caliente

Starting Tuesday, June 22 (for 6 weeks) Agua Caliente Casinos is offering a free weekly Tadasana Yoga class from 8:00–9:00 a.m., powered by Power Yoga Palm Springs at the Agave Terraza outdoor pavilion space at Agua Caliente Cathedral City. Book your (free) space ahead of time! Attendees will also receive coupons and promos. 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.
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]