Pride Month good news starts off our week! Seems that Gay Days at Walt Disney World had a record-breaking robust attendance over the weekend!
“Rainbow-hued merchandise designed by Disney — including a plush Mickey Mouse waving a Pride flag — flew off the shelves almost as quickly as it could be restocked,” The Washington Post reported Sunday. “Drag queen bingo was held. In the end, all 1,001 rooms at the host hotel were booked.”
“The birth of Gay Days was really about being visible at a time when it was dangerous to be visible,” especially in the 1990s, Equality Florida’s Brandon Wolf told the Post. “The same is true now.”
Wolf told the Post. “I think that Disney’s refusal to be bullied into submission is a good reminder to others that in this moment, there is no negotiating with people like Ron DeSantis.” Amen!
GayDays Anaheim is set for September 22-24 and we’ve been a media partner for years. I’m happy to promote the west coast version of Gay Days, especially now. See our downloadable calendar of events on Gay Desert Guide for all the upcoming LGBTQIA+ events.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide on KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
For the latest, follow our socials @GayDesertGuide and @KGAY1065 and listen to KGAY Palm Springs wherever you may be!
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Rock the Park: Britain’s Finest
The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce has added an additional concert to their free Rock the Park series, presenting Britain’s Finest on Wednesday, June 7, at 7 pm. Bring your lawn chairs and join 103.1 MeTV FM on-site with free magnet giveaways and you can sign up for our email newsletter! Come early and bring a picnic or get food from one of our downtown restaurants before you settle in for the concert. Britain’s Finest is a band of Beatles tribute all-stars who bring the look, the sound, the cheeky humor and the outright vivacity of the Beatles back to life. More info
Coachella Valley Firebirds in Western Conference Finals
The inaugural season for our local ice hockey expansion team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, keeps getting better. This season, they began play in the 2022-23 American Hockey League with the brand-new Acrisure Arena as their home ice, as an owned-and-operated affiliate of the Seattle Kraken. They’ve emerged victorious from three rounds of playoffs and now they are in the Western Conference Finals, leading 3–2 against the Milwaukee Admirals. This best-of-seven series will return to Acrisure Arena for game 6 on Monday, June 5 at 7 pm, which could secure the Western Conference title for them! The final game would be on Wednesday, June 7 (if necessary). Get tickets
DBA Networking Event at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter
Join the Desert Business Association (DBA) on Monday, June 5 from 5:30–7 pm for a fun Networking Mixer at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, a non-profit advocacy organization for the humane treatment of animals. Their Adoption Center places hundreds of animals in loving, safe, and healthy environments each year. Their facility and their model of sheltering have set a new standard for all shelters in Southern California. To support the shelter, you can bring: dry dog food (kibble), wet and dry cat food (Friskies Fancy Feast), dog and cat toys, and new or gently used sheets and towels. The DBA will also be holding their regular raffle to support LGBTQ Youth Scholarships through Safe Schools Desert Cities. More info
Palm Springs Police LGBTQ Town Hall
The Palm Springs Police Department’s LGBTQ Outreach Committee presents a Town Hall on Tuesday, June 6 from 5–6:30 pm at Hunters in the Arenas District. Chief Andy Mills and other members of the PSPD will be on hand to discuss where we have been, where we are now, and where we are headed. Join the conversation and stay later to hear Marisa Corvo (from Season 19 of The Voice) perform live from 7–9 pm! More info
Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week
Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week is underway and continues all week, through Sunday, June 11. With a variety of restaurants participating, you can refresh your palate and discover new places to eat all while redeeming great offers! Savor the start of summer — every poolside bite, every chilled cocktail, every sunset dinner with a view — with more options including prix fixe menus and exclusive special offers only available during Restaurant Week. See our event listing for a list of participating restaurants: More info
Recap: Season 8 RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Episode 5
Gay Desert Guide Drag Correspondent Dante Noto has your latest recap for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 8, Episode 5: Snatch Game of Love, and as Dante notes, “For an episode devoted to the Snatch Game of Love, love was a bit short in supply this week. Anger, hurt and betrayal reared their nasty heads.” Find out what went down, who slayed on both the challenge and the runway, and why Dante says “You can put your body in drag but not your emotions!” Read his full recap of Episode 5 [here].
AIDS LifeCycle® Underway This Week
The AIDS LifeCycle® set off on Sunday, June 4 for the 545-mile ride from SF to LA (concluding Saturday, June 10), and participants have raised more than $11.7 million. We wish all the cyclists and support staff the best on this epic challenge! Locals of note who are participating include: Brett Klein from Eisenhower Health and Dr. Jim Cox, chiropractor, Co-produced to raise funds for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, AIDS/LifeCycle advances these agencies’ shared interest in reducing new HIV infections and improving the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Positive Life Series – CROI Conference Update
The HIV+ Aging Research Project Palm Springs presents the Positive Life Series on Tuesday, June 6 at 6 pm at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. This month, the topic is a CROI Conference Update (Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections). The speaker is Golkoo Morcos, PharmaD / Chief Medical Officer, Bios Clinical Research. More info
Gender & Sexuality: The Basics
The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert presents Gender & Sexuality: The Basics on Tuesday, June 6 at 6 pm on Zoom. This free community education workshop is for parents, caregivers, community members, teachers, and anyone who wants to learn more about LGBTQIA+ identities. It examines basic ideas and definitions about gender, sexuality, and allyship. More info
PALS Circle
Planning Ahead for LGBTQ Seniors (PALS) presents PALS Circle this summer on Tuesday evenings from 6–7 pm via Zoom. PALS Circle is an informal weekly drop-in for connection, support, and planning ahead before a health issue. There is no agenda, no topic…like getting together at Grandmother’s house every week. Enjoy! It’s powerful. Hosted by Allen Luke from Los Angeles. More info
Plaza Theatre Open House – Final Week
The Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation is holding the last in a weekly series of free Open House events at the theatre to display plans and renderings of the renovations to the historic building. The informal Open House is Tuesday, June 6 from 7–8 pm. Foundation board members and other volunteers will greet attendees and answer questions about the project to provide attendees with an opportunity to see firsthand the restoration plans for the iconic building as it enters its next act. Reservations are not necessary. More info
Nate Fakes Book Signing and Wine Happy Hour
The Nate Fakes Comic Book Signing & Wine Happy Hour takes place on Wednesday, June 7 at 5 pm at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. Meet the talented comic artist Nate Fakes and if you buy one of his comic books, he will sign the book and sketch your pet. Sip and sample some of the 9 different delicious wines provided by Kelsey’s Wine At Home and enjoy the happy hour with your friends and family, and wine purchases will support the shelter. RSVP required. More info
OutBook Club June Meeting
The Palm Springs Cultural Center and the Palm Springs Public Library present the OutBook Book Club on the first Wednesday of the month from 6:30–8:30 pm (with the first half hour being a social mixer) in the upstairs VIP room at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Selections are chosen by group members and highlight a mix of new LGBTQ+ releases and influential classics. The selection for the Wednesday, June 7 meeting is Perpetual West by Mersha Maren. More info
Creative Sizzle – First Wednesday Art Walk
The Stephen Baumbach Gallery is making this summer even hotter with a special collection of original works from some of the hottest Artists in the Desert with “Creative Sizzle,” running June 7–July 29 in the Back Street Art District. There’s an Opening Reception during the District’s First Wednesday Art Walk, on Wednesday, June 7 from 5–7 pm. Summer gallery hours are weekdays from 10 am–2 pm). More info
CVRep Summer Cabaret: Alix Korey & Teri Ralston
CVRep presents their Summer Cabaret Series on Thursdays at 7 pm, and this week it’s Alix Korey and Teri Ralston on Thursday, June 8. These Broadway luminaries have performed in more than 15 Broadway shows between them and have worked with some of the greatest composers of all time, including Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz and Cy Coleman. During Alix Korey & Teri Ralston: Our Broadway, A Memoir in Song, this dynamic entertainment duo will share treasured stories and experiences as they sing iconic songs from their illustrious careers. Get tickets
Pride is Universal
LA Pride and Universal Studios Hollywood present Pride is Universal on Thursday, June 8. Your General Admission tickets gets you access to the park starting at 4 pm along with the general public, and then when the park closes to the public at 9 pm, the Pride-only after-hours experience with rides and attractions stay open through 2 am. DJ Brynn Taylor takes over the Main Stage along with an epic Drag Show featuring performances by Morgan McMichaels, A’keria Chanel Davenport, Jessica Wild, Angeria Paris VanMichaels, and Kerri Colby. The retail stores, select restaurants, and cash bars will be open and ready to serve, and 14 of your favorite characters will be available for photo ops 📸. Get tickets
Visitor Map & Guide Summer Edition
The Summer 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].
ShortFest Individual Tickets on Sale Now
The Palm Springs International ShortFest is almost here, running June 20–26, and they have just released the line-up of screenings [Read more]. This year’s festival will showcase an impressive selection of 299 films from 65 countries, including 53 World Premieres, 10 International Premieres, 33 North American Premieres, and 18 U.S. Premieres. The films were curated from over 6,000 film submissions. Passes and individual tickets are on sale now: Get tickets
🙌 You can also enter to win tickets to ShortFest 2023 on our KGAY Contest Page 🙌
Boyz Night Out is Back
On Friday, June 9—and every Friday night!— Zoso Fun presents Boyz Night Out at Hotel Zoso from 4 pm–8 pm. This legendary pool party and happy hour is hosted by Snatch and feature music from K-Gay’s own multi award-winning deejay Vincente Corrales as DJ Galaxy! Come and enjoy go-go boys, awesome drink specials, pop up drag events, PS Flaggers and more, and kick off the weekend! More info
Villagefest & PS Tramway Summer Hours
VillageFest, the Coachella Valley’s most popular weekly street fair which takes place every Thursday night along Palm Canyon Drive between Baristo and Amado Roads, runs year round, but with slightly adjusted summer hours starting Thursday, June 1, beginning an hour later to help beat the heat, running from 7 pm–10 pm. VillageFest attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world and offers more than 200 booths featuring eclectic art, handcrafted items and unique food. Shops, restaurants and galleries also stay open late. More info
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is also running summer hours now through September 3: Every Friday and Saturday, the last tram up will be at 9 pm and the last tram down will be at 10:30 pm. In addition, Peaks Restaurant will extend the last seating to 8:30 pm and Pines Café will remain open until 9:30 pm. “Our extended summer schedule provides guests the opportunity to spend more time outside in cooler weather during the hot summer months,” says Tramway General Manager Nancy Nichols. “Visiting the Tramway after dark is a truly unique experience when guests can have dinner and enjoy seeing the city lights across the Coachella Valley from 8,516 feet.” More info
