“It’s … with great hope that I declare Covid-19 over as a global health emergency,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said today during a news conference from Geneva. While the emergency phase is over, COVID is here to stay as a disease. The WHO’s declaration comes just days before the U.S. public health emergency will expire on May 11.
We in the LGBTQ+ community have learned to live with AIDS, Monkeypox and other maladies. So COVID joins the list. I was in Purple Room this week and their staff still wear masks – by choice and by consensus. That has kept them healthy this season, and is certainly still advisable for those in contact with the public on a regular basis. But those of us who are “the public” rarely think about wearing a mask these days according to statistics.
The biggest threat to our community is, unfortunately, the spread of the disease of misinformation and disinformation. That’s been on display as the wave of anti-trans and anti-drag legislation has whipped many into a frenzy. It’s impacted Anheuser-Busch InBev for their use of Dylan Mulvaney as an influencer. Good news is that A-B will continue its support of LGBT rights organizations, said the company’s chief executive, Michel Doukeris.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide on KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
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White Party Warm-Up Sunday Funday
White Party Palm Springs is coming next weekend, May 12–14 (Click for all the details!), but this weekend, Chill Bar is the place to be for a White Party pre-party! On Sunday, May 7 join KGAY’s John Taylor and the KGAY street team from 4–6 pm for an incredible “White Party Warm-Up Sunday Funday” with drink specials and go-go boys. Plus you can win White Party weekend passes valued at $500 each. The White Party Pre-Party at Chill Bar continues on until 9 pm with DJ Dawna Montell spinning. More info
Palm Springs Hot Rodeo
The Greater Palm Springs Rodeo Corporation presents the 2023 Palm Springs Hot Rodeo all weekend, May 4–7. On Friday, it’s a Pool Party & Games from 1–5 pm and Rodeo contestant registration from 5–8 pm at the host hotel, the Days Inn by Wyndham Palm Springs. Friday night happy hours and mixers will be at various bars in Palm Springs and Cathedral City, with Line Dancing lessons on Friday at 7 pm and open dance from 7:30–9:30 pm at Dance Ranch, plus the official Hot Rodeo Welcome Party from 8 pm–midnight at Tool Shed. The Hot Rodeo events take place Saturday and Sunday at A.C. Dysart Equestrian Center in Banning, and the fun continues Saturday night with Dancing Under the Stars from 7–11 pm at Oscar’s Downtown Palm Springs. The awards ceremony will be around 7 pm (or 2 hours following the final Rodeo event) on Sunday, at the Days Inn. See our event listing for more details: Get tickets
Boozehounds’ Cinco de Mayo Parking Lot Party
You and your best friend/s (the human kind as well) are invited to Boozehounds on Friday, May 5 for their Cinco de Mayo Parking Lot Party from 2–7 pm. The Party will be hosted by your favorite drag queen, Sabryna Williams, with live music, dancing, tacos, games, (drag) performances and of course, TEQUILA. Executive Chef Aric Lanna will head up the Pop Up Taco Station while DJ Chris DeJesus provides the beats. More info
Check out the Bars/Nightlife Page of Gay Desert Guide to see what’s happening at your favorite bar or club on Cinco de Mayo, or any day of the week!
Cinco de Mayo on El Paseo
The Shops on El Paseo present a Cinco de Mayo Festival on Friday, May 5 from 3–5 pm. Take a swing at giant piñatas to win sweet treats and gift cards, snap pictures with a friendly burro to benefit All Seated in a Barn, visit the photo booth for a fun keepsake, and enjoy festive live mariachi music, a churro bar, and of course refreshing beverages. Kids can also decorate their own maracas to take home. The day will also feature food and beverage specials from The Shops on El Paseo’s newest restaurant, Molé, which specializes in authentic Mexican food, as well as Porta Via, who will be celebrating their first anniversary on El Paseo. This is a free event but Registration is suggested. More info
A Cabbello: A Little Bach/A Lotta Bacharach
A Cabbello presents A little Bach/A Lotta Bacharach at 3 pm on Saturday, May 6, Sunday, May 7 and next Saturday, May 13 at PS UNDERGROUND, a unique, cabaret-style Palm Springs venue. Get ready to experience the creative geniuses of these two amazing composers, working centuries apart, who broke ground and smashed conventional ideas of form, harmonies, and in the case of Bacharach–songwriting. For many of us, this music was the soundtrack of our younger days. Come revel in his groundbreaking, sophisticated style which he perfected along with his lyricist Hal David, and their muse Dionne Warwick. You’ll hear some of Johann Sebastian Bach’s genius in re-imagined ways, too! Get tickets
Billy Porter – Black Mona Lisa Tour: Volume One
Grammy, Emmy, and 2x Tony winner Billy Porter brings passion and joy to Los Angeles with his first-ever career-spanning pop music concert tour, The Black Mona Lisa Tour: Volume 1 on Saturday, May 6 at 8 pm at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Expect a full band, backed by a video installation, fronted by Billy Porter telling his life story through song. This 90-minute powerhouse event will feature his chart-topping hits “Love Is on the Way” and “Love Yourself,” a tinge of Broadway, a nod to Pose, and stunning performances of future pop classics from his forthcoming new album, Black Mona Lisa. Get tickets
Drag Isn’t Dangerous – A Live Telethon
The organizers of Drag Isn’t Dangerous, the biggest fundraising effort to combat recent anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation to date, present a Live Telethon Broadcast worldwide on Sunday, May 7 at 4 pm PDT at moment.co/dangerous. Hosted by a wide range of drag performers and celebrities, the event will feature a mix of live and pre-taped performances, appearances, and testimonials from drag performers, LGBTQIA+ entertainers and celebrity allies, as well as a live celebrity phone bank accepting callers’ donations. All net proceeds from the event will be divided among approved charities that support LGBTQIA+ causes and drag performers in need, especially in states where they face discrimination and bans. More info
Dante’s Drag Race Recaps Are Coming Back
Gay Desert Guide Drag Correspondent Dante Noto is back on the beat and gearing up to offer weekly recaps of the upcoming Season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Check out his preview of the thirteen queens returning from earlier seasons to compete for a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame, as well as some thoughts on why this is a time when, as Dante writes, “Now more than ever, it’s vital to stand up for and celebrate the drag and trans communities.” Read the full preview [here].
Desert Stonewall Democrats Spring Picnic in the Park
Desert Stonewall Democrats present their Spring Picnic in the Park on Saturday, May 6 from 11 am–2 pm at Ruth Hardy park. Hamburgers, cheeseburgers and hot dogs will be provided, along with a vegan option. You are invited to bring an appetizer, a side dish, or a dessert. Look for the signs and tents on the south side along Tamarisk Road; RSVP requested. More info
Equality California’s Spring Soirée
Equality California presents their Spring Soirée on Saturday, May 6, from 12–2 pm at a private home in Palm Springs for a lovely afternoon, complemented with a bright (cooling) beverage and light Sunday Brunch bites. Support of Equality California –and the greater LGBTQ+ community– has led them to nearly 25 years of protecting and advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights, but work must continue together and support a future that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people. This complimentary event is generously hosted by Sam & Ashan Leslie with featured speaker, Councilwoman (and EQCA endorsed candidate for CA State Senate), Lisa Middleton. More info
Superbloom! An Art Exhibition
The Desert Art Center presents Superbloom! An Art Exhibition, opening on Friday, May 5, from 5–7 pm. Members of the Desert Art Center submitted artwork celebrating this special season of superbloom in the desert and all are invited to the enjoy opening reception on Friday or to see throughout the weekend, May 5–7 from 10am–4pm. More info
The Boys in the Band
The BENT in association with Palm Springs Cultural Center present The Boys in the Band, performing through May 7 as the grand finale of their first season as Palm Springs new LGBTQ+ theater. Written by Mart Crowley, this is “the” play that defined gay theater when it premiered Off-Broadway in 1968. It is a ground-breaking portrayal of gay life in New York City during that era as a group of friends gather for a funny, but volatile birthday party that tests the boundaries of friendship. These iconic characters don’t always cast a pretty image of gay life in the 1960s, but they do skillfully reflect the pain, struggle and humanity of our past—much of which is still all too relevant today. Get tickets
CCBC Cinco de Mayo Pool Party
CCBC Resort invites you to a day-after Cinco de Mayo Pool Party on Saturday, May 6, from 12–4 pm. Day Passes are $60 per person and DJ Bobby will be entertaining poolside. More info
Fellini Retrospective: Fellini’s Casanova
Thanks to popular demand, the Palm Springs Cultural Center is extending its Fellini Retrospective series through the end of 2023, continuing on the first Friday of every month. The series is part of the Fellini 100 Tour, an international celebration of Fellini’s centennial. Experience why Fellini’s name is synonymous with the international art of cinema! On Friday, May 5 at 7 pm, the featured film will be Fellini’s Casanova (1976). A man (Donald Sutherland) uses his sexuality to find his place in life amid eccentric and strange characters. Get tickets
Secret Movie Club Returns Presents 70 MM Film Festival
The Secret Movie Club returns to Palm Springs this weekend, May 5–7, for the 2023 70MM Palm Springs Getaway Festival. The movies are screened at the Camelot Theatre in the Palm Springs Cultural Center which was built specifically for 70 MM films. On Friday, May 5, Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2012 mind bender The Master will screen at 7:30 pm. On Saturday, May 6, James Cameron’s breathtaking blockbuster romance-disaster movie Titanic shows at 7 pm, followed by an after-party at the Amigo Room at the Ace Hotel from 11 pm–2 am. Finally, on Sunday, May 7, Stanley Kubrick’s all-time sci-fi masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey screens at 2 pm. Get tickets
Sunnylands’ Films in the Gardens
Sunnylands resumes its semiannual series of free outdoor movie nights, Films in the Gardens with a selection of three culinary-themed movies presented in partnership with the Palm Springs Film Festival. On Friday, May 5 at 8 pm, they will show Big Night, set in 1950s New Jersey, where two brothers run an Italian restaurant. Business is not going well as a rival Italian restaurant is out-competing them. In a final effort to save the restaurant, the brothers plan an evening of incredible food. This year’s film series celebrates the 2022-2023 exhibition, A Place at the Table: Dining at Sunnylands. Future screenings include: The Hundred-Foot Journey on Friday, May 12 and East Side Sushi on Friday, May 19. More info
Gregory Douglass w/Monique Citro LIVE
The Palm Springs Cultural Center presents Gregory Douglass LIVE with Monique Citro (Yo Yo Mo) on cello on Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 pm. Gregory’s original songs are emotional, heartfelt, and soulful. His evocative pop sound blends “Rufus Wainwright’s opulent musicality and Justin Timberlake’s accessible soulfulness” (OUT Magazine). NPR’s Morning Edition coined him “one of New England’s best-kept secrets.” His song “Alibis” was featured on season one of Netflix original series The Rain. Get tickets
Novio Boy
The Green Room Theatre Company Presents the Award-winning Novio Boy on Saturday, May 6 at 1 pm at Grace Church in Desert Hot Springs. As a colorful, romantic comedy about the anxieties and ambitions that the main character experiences to transition from childhood to adolescence, the story centers around a first date and the concerns, anticipation, and steps to social maturity leading up to, and through the date. This traveling production brings top-quality theatre to various locations throughout the Coachella Valley, with one more Saturday performance scheduled for Saturday, May 13. Get tickets
Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man
Bus Stop Productions presents Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man in the Tropics Lounge at the Margaritaville Resort on Fridays and Saturdays through May 27, with two shows per night at 7 pm & 9:30 pm. This popular play is set at a local university auditorium where the English department holds its monthly meet the authors event. Robyn is the shy and studious moderator of the event and this month’s featured author is Dan Anderson of Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man. With the help of a hunky stage assistant named Stefan, Dan aims to turn this meet the authors event upside down with a highly theatrical, audience interactive sex tip seminar. Get tickets
Desert X – Final Weekend
Desert X wraps up its fourth biennial exhibition around the Coachella Valley this weekend, with some special closing weekend events on Saturday & Sunday, May 6 & 7, including talks with the artists and extended hours at The Smallest Sea with the Largest Heart. The site-specific installations by acclaimed international artists examines social and environmental themes. Check out our bookmarks for a closer look at Desert X from Wallpaper.com and AFAR.com. Free and open to the public, stop in at the Desert X hub at the Ace Hotel or download the app for information on artists, a map to find the installations, and interactive content. More info
Architecture Tours by Modernism Week
Architecture Tours by Modernism Week is a season-long series of high-quality, in-depth, small group tours, running now through May. The tours run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with most tours beginning at 9:30 am, departing from the Palm Springs Visitor Center. Modernism Week has partnered with PS Architecture Tours to enable participants to learn about the exciting architectural history of the Palm Springs area and experience midcentury modern culture and lifestyle. Get tickets
Annual LGBTQ Community Survey
We at KGAY 106.5 and Gay Desert Guide ask you to please take part in the Community Marketing & Insights (CMI) 17th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey! For over a decade, this survey has provided free data to help non-profits, universities, and organizations better understand and serve the LGBTQ community. The report will be published on the CMI.info website for free download on approximately August 15. Previous surveys have had over 45,000 participants from 150 countries!, Also, 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. Please [click here] to start the survey
LOOKING AHEAD
DBA Networking Mixer at BLACKBOOK
The Desert Business Association presents their next Networking Mixer on Monday, May 8 at 5:30 pm at BLACKBOOK in Palm Springs. BLACKBOOK serves up award-winning craft cocktails and classic American comfort food that was named Palm Springs’ best restaurant in 2020. The BLACKBOOK name was inspired by the Nevada Gaming Commission’s “black book” of excluded persons. BLACKBOOK was named as an acknowledgment that everyone has felt exclusion at one time or another. BLACKBOOK is an inclusion establishment where everyone is welcome. Join in for some great food, drinks, and networking! DBA will also have their regular raffle that supports their LGBTQ Youth Educational Scholarships through Safe Schools Desert Cities, so bring an item to raffle, and some cash to buy tickets! More info
Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast
The Harvey Milk Coachella Valley Diversity Breakfast takes place on Thursday, May 11 from 8:30–11 am at the Palm Springs Convention Center, starting with coffee welcome and breakfast, and a program beginning at 9 am. Gather to honor Harvey Milk and celebrate his legacy as a political and community leader who stood for justice and equality across the intersections of oppression, self-identity, and self-determination. Proceeds from this event benefit Coachella Valley youth through Gay-Straight Alliance clubs and LGBTQ youth-related programs. Commissioner Nicole M. Ramirez, Queen Mother of the Americas International Imperial Court System U.S.A. – Canada – Mexico will receive this year’s Harvey B. Milk Legacy Award. Get tickets
Visitor Map & Guide Spring Edition
The Spring 2023 edition of our Gay Desert Guide Visitor Map & Guide (great for locals too!) is available now around town and online. We help you find everything you need to know while visiting or living in the Coachella Valley, featuring the top places for Food & Drink, Nightlife, Shopping, Attraction, Gay Resorts with passes, Dispensaries and other services. You can also view it online, and download the PDF [here].
Click below to sign up for our Gay Desert Guide Oasis Insiders Newsletter to get our Weekly Blog, Top 3 Events for the weekend, Hot Deals and Cool Events all delivered to your inbox every Friday!
On the Air at KGAY 106.5
Win a Brand g Columbia River Cruise from KGAY
KGAY 106.5 wants to send YOU on a Brand g LGBT+ vacation to the Pacific Northwest sailing down the Columbia River! Listen Weekdays At 8 am, 1 pm or 5 pm for the KGAY 106.5 Song Of The Day. Then visit the KGAY Contest Page to enter the song name and you’re registered to win our Brand g Columbia River Cruise, sailing in June 2024. You’ll start your 8 day trip in historic Spokane and then enjoy breathtaking scenery from the luxury of your private veranda onboard the American Empress through Oregon and Washington…plus Brand g signature entertainment! Increase your chances to win by entering every weekday!
The KGAY Sunday Tea Dance with DJ Modgirl airs every Sunday from 4–6 pm (right after the Retro Brunch). DJ Modgirl (AKA Kellee McQuinn) is not only the life of the party, she’s also a cover girl on magazines and billboards, a television entertainer, and an award winning producer, director, lyricist and performer. Her moniker is “Music! Dancing! Fashion! Fun!” and she throws down the most irresistible, uplifting beats each week on the KGAY Sunday Tea Dance from 4–6 pm. Listen online
Ross Mathews hosts his popular weekly radio show on KGAY 106.5 airs on Saturdays from 11:00 am–2 pm. That’s 50% more Ross because now it’s a three-hour show! Ross is a part-time Palm Springs resident and currently working on The Drew Barrymore Show, RuPaul’s Drag Race and many other projects. He brings celebrity gossip and news, plus a rundown of what’s happening each weekend in #ILoveGayPalmSprings as he plays some of his favorite dance hits each weekend on KGAY. Listen Online
The KGAY 106.5 Retro Lunch airs Monday through Friday at noon, with DJ Galaxy (Vincent Corrales) and DJ Eric Ornelas playing an hour of their high-energy throwback mixes. On Sundays, we put all five hours together for the Retro Sunday Brunch from 11 am–4 pm. Perfect party music! Listen Online
- White Party Warm-Up Sunday Funday at Chill Bar
Sun. May 7 from 4–9 pm - Palm Springs Hot Rodeo
May 5–7 at various locations in Palm Springs and Banning - Boozehounds’ Cinco de Mayo Parking Lot Party
Fri. May 5 from 2–7 pm - Billy Porter – Black Mona Lisa Tour: Volume One
Sat. May 6 at 8 pm at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre - Reforma’s Official White Party Warm Up
Sat. May 6 from 9 pm–2 am - A Cabello Presents: A Little Bach/A Lotta Bacharach
Sat. & Sun. May 6 & 7 at 3 pm, and Sat. May 13 at 3 pm at PS UNDERGROUND - Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast
Thu. May 11 from 8:30–11 am at the Palm Springs Convention Center - White Party Palm Springs
May 12–14 at the Hilton Palm Springs and Palm Springs Convention Center - The Last Five Years: A Modern Musical – presented by Desert Theatreworks
May 12–21 - John Lloyd Young – Broadway’s Jersey Boy
Fri. & Sat., May 12 & 13 at The Purple Room Supper Club - House Party PS: White Lotus Hawaii
Sat. May 20, from 5–8 pm at a private home in Palm Springs - Annual Memorial Day Air Fair and Flower Drop
Mon. May 29 from 10 am–5 pm at the Palm Springs Air Museum - Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week
Jun 2–11 at various restaurants throughout Greater Palm Springs - Gay Wine Weekend
Jul 14–16 in Sonoma Wine Country - Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend
Sep 20–24 at Margaritaville Resort
Welcome New Partners!
For 24 years, Q Trading Company is the go-to place in Palm Springs for LGBT shoppers and their friends. Always affordable and friendly, Q Trading offers a wide selection of adult toys, lubes, gifts, cards and clothing, plus a large curated collection of LGBT books, and exclusive Merman ornaments from Christopher Radko and December Diamonds. Q Trading is Palm Springs’ Gay Shopping Mecca, open every day 10 am–6 pm, next door to Tool Shed on Sunny Dunes. Learn more
At Palm Springs Cleaning and Disinfecting, they provide the Coachella Valley with professional, confidential biohazard cleanup services, commercial cleaning and janitorial services. Backed by more than 20 years of experience, their team of Coachella Valley cleaning professionals will provide service to bring peace of mind, regardless of what the situation is or what type of business it may be. Learn more
- The Empowering Impact of Palm Springs Drag Queens
- Documentary About Palm Springs Resident André Chambers Premieres at the 2023 Tribeca Festival
- The Bent’s Production of ‘The Boys in the Band’ Is a Magnificently Cast Marvel
- How to Create the Ultimate Circuit Party Outfits
- A Palm Springs Mother’s Day
Kitchen 86 is a fantastic, welcoming spot to gather and enjoy an eclectic menu of modern, curated small plate continental cuisine. Using local, organic ingredients, offerings include a tableside cheese wheel pasta, house-made curry, ramens, wood-fired pizzas, plenty of entree selections, and shareable small plates. Come enjoy this locally-owned and locally-grown modern eclectic small plate restaurant and bar and save 40% with our Hot Deal: Get a $50 Kitchen 86 gift card for just $30! Get Your Deal
We also have Hot Deals at Zin American Bistro, Willie’s Modern Fare, Coachella Valley Coffee Co., Palm Springs Fine Men’s Salon, Hunters Nightclub, V Wine Lounge & Martini Bar, Low Desert Modern Mexican, Boozehounds, Desert Mischief, Jolene’s, Rick’s, Trevor Wayne Pop Art, AMP Sports Lounge, Monster Shakes, Eight4Nine and more! See All Deals
Find out what’s happening on any given day by browsing our Gay Desert Guide Online Event Listing Calendar, and for the big picture, take a look at major upcoming events in our 2023 Coachella Valley Calendar of Events.
Listen to KGAY 106.5 over the air, stream it [here], or listen on TuneIn Radio with Alexa or Siri by saying “Play K-GAY 1065 from Tune In Radio.” Ross Mathews is on Saturdays from 11 am–2 pm, John Taylor is on mornings 6–10 am and program director Chris Shebel is on afternoons. Our Retro Lunch with DJ Galaxy and DJ Eric Ornelas is now heard on Sundays as the Retro Lunch & Sunday Brunch from 11 am–4 pm, followed by DJ Modgirl spinning the KGAY Sunday Tea Dance from 4–6 pm.
Don’t miss “This Way Out,” Sundays at 6:30 a.m. on KGAY 106.5. “This Way Out” is the only internationally distributed weekly LGBTQ radio program, currently airing on some 200 local community radio stations around the world. Listen to the latest episode as a podcast on our streaming page (click “Podcasts” in the upper right hand corner)