GED MAGAZINE - May 2023

EQUALITY WINE FEST

& Food

Presented by Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs

Featuring LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and Women owned, managed, and produced wines

SAT JULY 1 SAT JULY 1 , 2023 , 2023

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LIVE MUSIC

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Photo by Robert Lawrence Johnson

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From The Editor

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Michael Westman

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Pride In Media

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Alexander Rodriguez

Jill Gover

Michael Westman

Paco Ojeda

Stan Jenson

MAY is here and it’s ACTION-PACKED! May 5-7 is the Palm Springs Hot Rodeo; May 12-14 is White Party Palm Springs; May 18 is the kickoff of DRAGaritaville Bingo at the Margaritaville Resort; and May 27 for Memorial Day Weekend, GED Magazine and LE Parties are bringing you the SunVibes Pool Party by day with the legendary THUNDERPUSS in their first and only West Coast appearance in 15 years; and Euphoria at Reforma Nightclub by night! Visit GEDmag.com for more events, tickets, and information.

As always, the GED Magazine Team is committed to bringing you the best in LGBTQ entertainment, travel, and lifestyles. Visit us on the web at GEDmag.com and sign up for our monthly insider newsletter. Insiders will also be entered into future drawings for trips, event tickets, dinners and more. And for all the updates on social media, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @GEDmagazine and tag us in your photos … #GEDmag. GED MAGAZINE is here for YOUR entertainment!

COVER MODEL: Daniel Franzese

Cover Photo by Robert Lawrence Johnson

WHITE PARTY PALM SPRINGS DOES NOT DISAPPOINT WITH ITS STAR-STUDDED LINEUP

By Michael Westman

“White Party Palm Springs has been home to some of the most iconic performances, featuring renowned artists like Deborah Cox, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga,” says Chris Diamond, Executive Producer of White Party Global. “This year, we are honored to have four legendary house divas grace our stage and create an unforgettable experience for our attendees.”

Robin S captivated the world with heartfelt anthems such as “Show Me Love” and “Luv 4 Luv,” masterfully crafting a mesmerizing collection of dance tunes that embody self-love and unity.

CeCe Peniston dazzled audiences across the globe with her melodious harmonies, transcending musical boundaries and charming listeners with unforgettable hits like “Finally” and “We Got a Love Thang.” Named one of the “Greatest of All Time Club/Dance Artists” by Billboard Magazine, International recording artist, Inaya Day delighted millions of partygoers with her soul-touching performances of club classics, including “Nasty Girl” and “Keep Pushin.” And Crystal Waters captivated generations with her iconic hits such as “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)” and “100% Pure Love,” which have become enduring anthems that celebrate self-expression and liberation.

This year’s festivities promise to be grander, more daring and exude an unparalleled thrill like never seen before.  Dylan Mulvaney, an actress, content creator, and advocate for transgender rights, will be honored as the 2023 ‘Queen of White Party’ at Saturday night’s WHITE OUT event. Mulvaney, who received the prestigious TikTok Trailblazer award in 2022, has not only shattered barriers but also inspired a younger generation to accept and celebrate diversity. “I am over the moon honored to be crowned the queen of White Party 2023!” said Dylan Mulvaney. “When I heard about their FLUIDITY event I was especially excited; the entire weekend is a space that can be enjoyed by all. I’m ready to dance the night away with my LGBTQ+ fam!”

Singer-songwriter and queer performer,  VINCINT will bring his powerhouse voice, infectious energy, and chart-topping hits to Friday night’s FLUIDITY. Joining Friday’s lineup is The Legendary  Kevin Aviance, a New York City drag queen and performance artist whose electrifying vocals on the dance hit «Cunty,» can be heard at the top of Beyonce’s hit single “Pure/ Honey.” World-renowned producer, promoter, and performer  CircuitMOM will bring her opulent, Broadway-style production to Friday night›s festivities and to Sunday’s SOAKED! Pool Party with ‘the cool MOM pool party takeover.’

Schedule of Events:

Friday, May 12, 2023

12-6pm – SOAKED! Pool Party (Hilton Hotel Pool) DJ Jeremy Dava and DJ Marti Frieson

9pm-4am – FLUIDITY (PS Convention Center) VINCINT, DJ Dan Slater and DJ Tom Stephan

Saturday, May 13, 2023

11am-7pm – SOAKED! Pool Party (Hilton Hotel Pool) DJ Lisa Rodriguez and DJ Jace M

9pm-4am – WHITE OUT (PS Convention Center) DJ Shane Marcus, DJ Mor Avrahami and DJ GSP

Sunday, May 14, 2023

11am-4pm – CircuitMOTHER’s Day SOAKED! Pool Party (Hilton Hotel Pool) CircuitMOM and DJ Nick Stacener

3pm-10pm – ORBIT T-Dance (across from PS Convention Center) DJ Dawna Montell, DJ Manny Lehman, DJ Tony Moran

10pm-4am – ESCAPE Closing Party (PS Convention Center) DJ Phil Romano and DJ Micky Friedman

Photo courtesy of CircuitMOM

WHITE HOT White Party Host Diego Barros

By Michael Westman

This Brazilian go-go dancer and one of world’s sexiest men, has found fame and fortune in the good ‘ole U S of A – now living in New York, Diego recently won the 2022 Cybersocket Go-Go of the Year Award and has become one of the biggest influencers on OnlyFans. Currently on a world tour, Diego will be stopping in Palm Springs May 12-14, 2023, as one of the Hosts of the annual White Party Palm Springs.

Diego grew up a boy scout in a tight knit family in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “I was a shy kid, but I had a good group of friends, and we would study together and go clubbing. I was a good kid but did give my parents their fair share of headaches. As a kid, I remember watching the Demi Moore movie Striptease, and I fell in love with it. Today, I still dance to the song “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics.”

Diego tells GED Magazine that his move to New York was a good one, feeling “I think I will have more opportunities to grow. I absolutely love my job, and love meeting new people.” Diego continues that the best part of his world tour is “performing live and getting to connect with people that have been following me over the years. I recently returned from World Pride in Sydney Australia, where I performed two shows for the Anaconda Party.”

Diego, while putting himself out there on social media, says, “no one is perfect. We all have to work with what we have. So, I don’t dwell on negative comments.” Well, there is plenty of social media out there to show you everything about Diego. So, you can venture forth and see why he has over one million followers on Instagram (@diego_rodrigob). Meantime don’t miss you chance to see him in person at White Party in Palm Springs, May 12-14, 2023.

All photos courtesy of Diego Barros

Jeremy Dava DJ SPOTLIGHT

Jeremy Dava started his career in 2020, but within this short amount of time he has been making a name for himself from Miami to Los Angles to Puerto Vallarta. Jeremy was born in Los Angeles, but raised in Jalisco, Mexico. Jeremy returned to Los Angeles and launched his career in 2020. To date, he has spun at LPN Miami, XION Atlanta, GPS Los Angeles, Palm Springs Pride, INDUSTRY Puerto Vallarta, and other venues in the US, Mexico, and Columbia. He will have his White Party Palm Springs debut at SOAKED! on Friday, May 12, 2023, at the Hilton Palm Springs.

GED Magazine had a quick chat with Jeremy about his upcoming White Party set.

Is this your first White Party Palm Springs?

Yes, it is my first time playing WPPS. I’m very happy and excited to be part of such an amazing line up pf great DJs.

What are you looking forward to most?

I’m looking forward to delivering a great set. I’m the first DJ to play and I want people visiting us from all over the world to feel welcome and feel like it’s going to be a great festival from beginning to end.

What specific party will you be spinning?

with MICHAEL WESTMAN

I will be playing the first party, SOAKED! I’m excited because I will be playing some new sounds with lots of vocals and energy.

What is your signature brand of music?

My sound is primarily Tribal House and very Mexico inspired. Colorful and full of energy. I love music with flavor and drums and playing music that allows me to connect with the people on the dance floor.

How specifically does your sound differ from other DJs?

I think all DJs have their own essence and styles. What makes me different is that I love to connect with people through my music to create a good vibe and an unforgettable time.

How has your sound evolved over the last three years?

I think I have changed a lot over the last three years, which is also the span of time I have been playing. I think you gain experience with every gig. Having played in different parties and cities you realize that you never stop learning and evolving. I will always keep my essence but add different techniques and sounds as I grow.

Listen on soundcloud.com/jeremydava. Visit whitepartyglobal.com for tickets and information.

photo by Jose Aguilar Photography

Daniel Franzese is Yassifying Faith

By Alexander Rodriguez

Photo courtesy of Daniel Franzese

We know Daniel Franzese from his work on stage and screen from his first major film appearances in Bully and of course, Mean Girls, TV shows like ABC’s Recovery Road and Conviction, to his comedy shows and stand-up appearances. After coming out on Mean Girls’ tenth anniversary, he would go on to appear in the critically acclaimed HBO’s Looking TV series and film. He has become a leading activist for the LGBTQ and body positivity communities as well as an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and LAMBDA Legal, all the while continuing to appear on screen, on podcasts, and in more stage projects. Currently, his focus is on spreading faith as a Christian through his podcast, Yass, Jesus! Dealing with the struggle of religion versus faith, he brought himself into conversion therapy. Whereas many members of the LGBTQ community have walked away from their faith, Daniel has forged his own path and he’s not afraid to spread the word.

With the stigma that the LGBTQ community has in the major organized religions, and with the stigma that religion has in much of the LGBTQ community, Daniel is taking a leap of faith in being out and proud of his relationship with God. If you know Daniel, he is down to earth, can party it up with the rest, loves conversations about the sexual world, and can give you a sassy clap back if needed. This can all co-exist in his vision of faith.

I had a promise to God. I always said to God that if I could just be in the closet and be an actor when I finally came out, my platform would be that God loves gay people too. But that’s not how it happened. My platform was more about the gay glass ceiling in Hollywood and how that affected me. It was just naturally how that happened. I still had this little itch, and I wrote articles about it. But none of those were really getting the kind of attention to what I was trying to say, because I feel like queer people are meant to make that choice between gay and God. As soon as we say, oh, we’re gay, people are like, well I want your God. And you’re like, fine, take it. I feel like we give up God too easily and God is for a lot of people a moral center.

With so much ostracism, damning to hell, and mental and physical abuse towards the LGBTQ community through conversion therapy in religion, how can Daniel still advocate for God?

Organized religion is the problem. It’s people who are using God as a weapon. What we’re dealing with now with the far right and “Christians” is that they’re using God as this weapon against people, against immigrants, against so many different things that are not the teachings of Jesus Christ and not the teachings that are in the Bible.

His podcast, Yass, Jesus!, is all about mixing comedy, Bible stories, prayer time, sexual chats, meditation, and more with a variety of guests with the bold statement that you don’t have to choose between gay and God. Daniel co-hosts the podcast with his bestie, Azariah Southworth. Azariah, a conversion therapy survivor as well, once served as a TV evangelist on The

Remix, featured on the infamous TBN network. Azariah’s entire career on Christian TV was pulled out from under his feet as he came out as gay during his time there, becoming the first Christian entertainer to do so publicly. He and Daniel met in true Los Angeles fashion - Azariah was on a horrible date at one of Daniel’s comedy shows. The two struck up a conversation after the show and started hanging out, the rest is history. The two have visceral chemistry together, presenting a variety of ideas and life shares without stepping on each other’s toes or in each other’s spotlight. Not many in the gay circle readily talk about religion, for Daniel and Azariah it was a natural conversation to have.

Whenever I need anything, he is the first person I go to. He never says no, and he never has a chip on his shoulder about it. And I try to repay that whenever I can. And I think we’re good friends because of that reason.

Azi’s experience with entertainment is extensive - working at TBN, getting fired, all of that other stuff - was extremely interesting to me as I grew up Pentecostal. I think we were smoking weed and just talking about God sometimes (we call it Bible Wondering) and we’re like, people should be hearing some of these conversations. We should really be telling other people these conversations. I had been thinking for a long time about having my next podcast be a theological kind of exploration for queer people and Azi was right along with that.

And what an exploration it is. The podcast shares many interesting facts that celebrate our community in the same book that others use to vilify us.

Some of the things that cracked our heads open were that 1946 was the first time “homosexual” was added to the Bible. When they talk about Joseph and his Dreamcoat, the original translation was actually “ketonet passim” which was a princess dress. So, Joseph might’ve been genderqueer or a trans person of color. And when we say “HE,” like with the capital “H,” a pronoun for God, a lot of people think that we’re talking about a male gender, but, the capitalized “He” was actually a pronoun that is genderless. If you think God doesn’t transcend gender, then you don’t really understand God.

We like to look at early translations. We like to try to just try to find the queer perspective, and it’s there. There’s a great story of Paul talking to a eunuch just after Jesus’ death. And the eunuch saying to Paul, “Is there anything about me that Jesus wouldn’t let me be baptized?” And Paul said, “No.” And so said, “Then baptize me right now in the lake.” And he went and did that. What a great affirming story for an intersex person or a trans folk. But I had never heard that story before. In church, they don’t bring that up.

There’s the story of David and Jonathan. If you want to talk about the nail on the head of why I wanted to do this podcast is because that’s a beautiful gay love story that’s

Photos courtesy of Daniel Franzese

in the Bible. That same Bible that tells me that gay love story is the Bible that drove me to conversion therapy. These are perspectives that aren’t told to queer people. They are gatekeeping us from this kind of knowledge.

So how do we know what to pick and choose from the Bible? For those of us that have seen those infamous Leviticus quotes from protestors at our Prides or heard the damning preaching from the pulpit, don’t we have to account for those sections as well? As Franzese puts it, everything has to be put into historical context. The book of Leviticus is a book of laws that were written for the Jews that were living amongst the Samaritans at the time and were losing their identity as Jewish people. They created this book with line-by-line laws to differentiate themselves, including not getting tattoos or eating shellfish.

Imagine a book of law that was written for our time of quarantine that then someone, thousands of years from now, says that this is how we need to live every day. We need to spray our groceries now with Lysol. LOL. That specific (Leviticus) passage was a comment on Greco-Roman culture. It was a comment about how Roman soldiers were taking young boys in so when it said, “one man lies with another,” really what it was talking about was one man lying with a young boy.

Azariah, in his research, shared that the Merit Foundation based out of Chicago did a survey amongst the LGBTQ community and found that 85% of our community comes from faith backgrounds. Have these all been positive experiences? Probably not. But Daniel attests that there is a large faction of our community that is talking about their faith in a positive way. The response the podcast has received, the number of messages they get from listeners, and the conversations the two hosts have had in the unlikeliest of places show that maybe God isn’t so far from our thoughts. Daniel believes coming out as Christian as a gay man is yet another coming out that we’re forced to do. But he believes everyone should, and maybe needs, to be open to conversation.

One thing I said to myself is I’ll never deny God. I don’t care if I’m in the middle of sex. God is funny. You don’t know where the conversation’s going to happen or where there is someone that needs to have a talk about something or needs a little support.

Daniel feels like his destiny has always been to preach. His parents, previously Catholic, became born again Christians after a not-so-pleasant run-in with a priest who discounted their life in the church over the tab on the collection plate. His mom went where she felt God, something that didn’t sit well with Daniel’s Italian and staunch Catholic grandparents.

My mom had a miscarriage and they said, “Where’s your God now?” And my mom said, “You’ll see, He’s going to give me a special baby.” And when I was born, they named me Daniel with no middle name because Daniel means “God is my judge.” I was sort of a political statement. My life purpose has always been to fulfill this.

More than 700,000 people have been affected by conversion therapy, and that’s just what has been recorded. According to Daniel, the podcast has a number of listeners who have shared their personal experiences with it, something Daniel also personally experienced.

They’re all different ages. Everybody has a different story. Conversion therapy can be all different types of things. Mine was a therapist, I thought I was going to a Christian therapist. We didn’t have a name for conversion therapy. I was just looking for some sort of way to deal with the feelings that I was feeling and instead, I got somebody who alienated me from my allies and tried to convince me to go otherwise. I was in it for six months.

I personally wouldn’t have made it through that time without God. God was with me through that, isn’t that weird? My conversion therapist was telling me that the reason I was having these feelings is that my mom was too open about sex with me. My mom’s version of sexual education was like, “Mom, what’s a blowjob?” And she’s like, “If you’re old enough to know you’re old enough to ask.” And so, when I was explaining this in therapy, he was telling me I should alienate myself from her. For two months, I didn’t speak to my mom, and that’s the only time in my life that my mom and I weren’t close. And my mom is my greatest ally. I mean, she’s what my comedy’s about, I do one-woman shows as her. You can’t tell me anything about my mother like that. I know who my mother is and I know who God is in my life.

Daniel’s mission is to bring the gay community back to God, no matter their religious experience. He believes the faith is there, whether they know it or not.

I feel like gays find some other place to channel the energy they channel for a leader, and they end up looking towards some pop diva or money or sex or clothing, or the gym is their God, or the gym is their church, or the gym is their temple. They find some other sort of devotion and they’ve been tricked. They’ve been misguided. When you lose your God, what’s left?

I hate that gay people feel that God won’t love them. My mom was with me at DragCon, and next to us was the LGBT center. I shared my table with them so they could get a free table and do some work. My mom said something about God, and one of the guys was like, “God’s not for me. God hates me. I’m gay.” My mom said, “Who told you that? God loves you.” And he started crying and he just needed someone to tell him that. And I think that if I had heard one person just tell me that God loves me this way, that God made me this way, that’s all I needed to hear and not feel suicidal, not feel lost, not worship some false idol.

During the podcast, the duo will showcase prayers that are sent in from drag queens. In a time where drag queens and the LGBTQ community are being persecuted by politicians using the Bible as their campaign, members of our family are still finding solace and a relationship with God.

Photos courtesy of Daniel Franzese

The number one prayer that we have gotten from drag queens has been to not tear each other and our art down. That is the biggest thing I think that we face right now and that’s the biggest ask from all the queens in the world, is that we can just unite as a group of people and celebrate each other’s arts and differences.

Writing this interview was a tug of war. As someone raised in the Catholic Church for the majority of my growing up, someone who sang as a cantor concurrently at three major Churches in Southern California for 13 years and then was asked to leave those positions because I brought my boyfriend to Church, my experience with religion is tumultuous. As I dealt with the prolonged death of my grandmother, I felt a complete absence and anger with God. I currently identify as an atheist, something I never would have imagined. I still have deep respect for people who have faith and display the best elements of their religion, and I have somehow become obsessed with studying the actual history of the religious texts of many of the founding religions. It is fascinating to me how men have changed and twisted translations and stories to fit their narratives. I have deep respect for Daniel and Azariah for what they are doing in the community, who can be angry about people spreading messages of love and acceptance? They are living by example, who among us can say that? While my natural inclination when people talk about faith and religion is to get riled up and roll my eyes, maybe I need to take a moment to separate faith and religion and figure out what I am really mad at.

Daniel’s message to the community as we enter Pride?

Be yourself. Find yourself. Find God in you and where you are and who you are with. Be you without having to make any adjustments.

Check out Yass, Jesus! pod: yassjesuspod.com

Follow Daniel on IG: @WhatsUpDanny

ON STAGE

with STAN JENSON

HOLLYWOOD BOWL: One of my favorite aspects of summer is theatre under the stars and my #1 favorite venue is the Hollywood Bowl, a monstrous venue that seats around 18,000 people and has been in existence for nearly 110 years. Admittedly it takes a bit of effort to visit the Bowl. Most of the car parking is remote, but the shuttles before and after concerts are surprisingly efficient. The front third of the seating is individual boxes for two or four guests. You can order dinner there, or bring your own, including wine.

Take a look at the season’s calendar at www.hollywoodbowl.com . In addition to headliners like Janet Jackson, The Cure, Charlie Wilson, Boy George and Gladys Knight, there are a number of light classical evenings, an annual mariachi festival, jazz festival, etc. Try to schedule a performance which includes fireworks. Their pyrotechnic displays are accompanied by a symphony orchestra playing patriotic tunes that are magnificent.

As always when booking tickets make sure that you are booking directly with the bowl at HollywoodBowl.com. The re-sellers work hard to look like they are the official theatre box office and then charge a fortune!

HEAD OVER HEELS: I saw this musical on Broadway five years ago and it quickly became one of my favorite shows. When I saw that San Diego’s wonderful Diversionary Theatre was producing it, I was thrilled. The show uses songs by the Gogo’s to tell a story that dates back to the 16th century, but believe me, it is the opposite of “stuffy.” The first number is “We’ve Got the Beat” with the full company onstage. Other favorites of mine include “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” “Vacation,” and of course, “Head Over Heels.” It deals a lot with gender, but not nearly in the politically intense manner that we hear on the news every day. I don’t need much of a reason to visit San Diego, and Diversionary is the third-oldest LGBTQ+ theatre in the country, currently producing their 37th season. May 25 – June 18. Diversionary.org

A TRANSPARENT MUSICAL: Based on the hit Amazon Prime original TV show, A Transparent Musical is the ground-breaking new musical that shines a light on a Los Angeles Jewish family who are universally relatable, imperfectly human, and startlingly familiar. From the very first note, this genre-bending new musical comedy follows a trail of family secrets to unearth a story of self-discovery, acceptance, and celebration.  A Transparent Musical is the uplifting comic story of the Pfefferman family, whose patriarch is finally allowing their true selves to emerge as Maura, the transgender matriarch she always knew she was. Maura’s ex-wife is left questioning a lifetime of partnership, her oldest daughter unravels her own perfect life, her son runs the other way, and her youngest child begins to discover who they really are. If you haven’t visited the Los Angeles Music Center’s Mark Taper Forum, you are in for a treat. With only 738 seats wrapped around a stage that thrusts into the auditorium, you’re never more than a dozen rows from the stage. May 20 – June 25. CenterTheatreGroup.org

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Building Self-Esteem

By Dr. Jill Gover

Self-esteem is at the core of psychological health. When we believe we are important, we act in ways that support our belief, and it becomes a positive self-fulfilling prophecy. But so often, we’re our own worst enemy, undermining our best efforts and creating a negative self-fulfilling prophecy.

Initially, as babies, we have no judgement about ourselves or the world. As we grow older, however, we experience judgment and rejection from others, and slowly we internalize this disapproval until we come to believe there’s something wrong, not just with what we did, but with who we are. We become our harshest critic, punishing, and shaming ourselves. We end up blaming others, bragging, making excuses, turning to alcohol or other drugs, or engaging in other self-destructive behavior in order not to feel the pain caused by such self-rejection. It’s as if some invisible, mean-spirited little creature were sitting by our ears, continually nitpicking, whispering critical comments, and sabotaging our attempts to be successful. We must learn to silence this critical voice in order to build self-esteem.

When we hear the same negative self-talk repeatedly, day after day, the thoughts become so automatic we don’t even realize we’re thinking them. Catching the nitpicker in the act requires focused attention. We must monitor our thoughts the way a security guard monitors a TV screen. Every time we identify a self-criticism, we need to write it down. By putting the nitpicker’s attacks into words that spotlight the negative thoughts, we make it easier to examine them and conclude they are filled with lies, tricks, and exaggerations.

Our self-esteem can’t improve until we talk back and counterattack the nitpicker. One way to disarm a phony is to call its bluff. Look at the facts. Does goofing up one time mean you always mess up? If you fail at one thing, does this negate everything at which you are good? If you did something wrong, does this mean you are a terrible person, or does it mean you made a poor choice? Putting things in perspective diffuses the power of the nitpicker who loves to lie, exaggerate, and distort reality.

Affirmations also weaken the nitpicker. We need to give ourselves permission to celebrate who we are. There are so many myths in our society about acknowledging our strengths. We’re taught to believe that positive self-talk is bragging, and that patting ourselves on the back will reduce motivation to achieve. This “stroke deprivation” mentality fuels the nitpicker and erodes our self-esteem. When we’re able to replace the critical voice with positive affirmations of self-worth, we destroy the pathological inner critic in our head.

There are no magic wands that instantly eliminate this critical voice, but over time, these techniques will lower it until it’s barely audible. The good news is that we can increase our

self-esteem by learning to love and forgive ourselves in the same way we love and forgive others. When we expose that nasty nitpicker as a liar, we free ourselves from the chains of cognitive distortion and denial, opening the doors to myriad wonderful possibilities.

Loud, proud, and Latina Salina EsTitties

By Alexander Rodriguez

Photo courtesy of Salina EsTitties

This SoCal diva has made her way into Drag Race fans’ hearts, oftentimes stealing the spotlight during this last season. Whereas some queens were focused on getting camera time, spewing out one-liners for the editors, or becoming viral memes, Salina was there to compete. Her sincerity leapt off the screen as we celebrated her highs, her lows, and her sorrows. A sober, gay, Latino, Weho fixture, she unabashedly challenges the norms in all those categories. From being homeless to winning the Golden Boot (all in good fun) on Drag Race, she promotes self-confidence, hard work, body positivity, and activism through example. This month she will take part in the Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon, a monumental event in drag history, especially in the face of political oppression.

How did you recover from filming the season? What did you do when you first got home?

Not even kidding, I was just so in my feelings. I was so sad, I thought I did horrible. I thought my drag was horrible. But I called my friends, and they lifted me up. And then the first thing I did after the tears was a trip to Palm Springs. I was like, we need to get away. Let’s go lay by the pool. Let’s just not think about drag for a minute. And that’s what I did. I got a nice little tan. [Laughs]

There was sincerity to Salina’s exit. She wasn’t playing for the camera, she wasn’t trying to leave the funniest one-liner, she was genuine…a rarity in reality TV. This down-to-earth, real quality has made her a standout among the fan favorites.

Watching it back, I was like, wait, I’m completely myself. I’m being vulnerable. I’m being who I am, and that is something to celebrate. People can relate to that. So, there was nothing to be ashamed of or cry about watching it back. I had to really reroute my thinking and my feelings of what happened and be like, wait, everything’s fine. It happened the way it’s supposed to. There’s a bigger picture involved, and it came out great, you know?

What did she learn most about herself from doing the show?

What I learned most about myself is that I am enough. I’m fine. Things are okay. I don’t know why, but I have this thing where I feel like there’s always someone trying to get me. I feel like I always must watch my back. I don’t know if I’ve seen too many horror movies or what, but I have to just tell myself and what I’m learning is, no one’s coming after me, and I’m fine. Just keep doing you. And that’s enough.

What did she learn most about drag from doing the show?

I learned that my drag is fine. Being on the show, I was thinking like, oh no, it’s not good. They don’t get it. But the fans’ reactions and my Latino community have been reaching out saying, we see you, girl. We get it. And I’m like, okay, work. Y’all do get it. So, it feels incredibly beautiful to know that what I’m doing matters and is necessary right now.

When I went in, I didn’t want to be a cookie cutter. I could have given you beautiful gowns, but I was like, let’s push the envelope. It’s my one chance on Drag Race. There’ll never be another one after this. So, let’s go balls to the wall, throw a streetlamp on your head and call it a dick!

Salina owes her first drag bug bite to a landmark and important show right here in Los Angeles. The rest is EsTitties herstory.

I had watched Drag Race here and there, like in college when the first couple of seasons came out, but I didn’t really dive into drag or get a taste of it until I went to this show called Best in Drag here in Los Angeles – a big fundraiser for HIV/AIDS. Huge. I was newly sober at the time, and was invited to sit front row at a big charity event where everyone throws money on the stage and if the money can’t reach the stage, it falls on the front row. So here I am, 21 years old, newly sober, broke little gay boy looking at all this money on the ground, like what is going on? So, from the get-go, drag to me has always been campy, glamorous, hilarious, and for a worthy cause - that was my first exposure.

I graduated from this dance professional dance program in Hollywood after getting my BFA in musical theater and was out here trying to make it as a boy but, you know, I got little chichis as a boy, so I wasn’t getting booked for the male roles because they want body and abs and I didn’t have that. So, I put on a wig because a friend of mine was doing drag and she said, go do this competition, girl. I worked the competition, and used all my little skills. I weaponized my BFA, as they say, and the children were throwing money at me like they were throwing at Best in Drag. So, I was like, oh baby, I’m gonna make more money here than I am at my paycheck making smoothies. Let’s keep going.

Salina has celebrated 11 years of sobriety. Being sober in the LGBTQ community is not easy to balance, as she knows all too well.

In gay culture, especially gay boys, it can be all about doing drugs at the circuit party and that. As a gay person, you long for community and friendship and men and those boys. To “get in with those boys,” you have to play along with what they’re doing. And that’s how I felt when I was 18, 19, trying to find my way in Hollywood, running around West Hollywood, feeling like, where do I fit in? I don’t know where to go. Well, look at these guys over here who are hot, I want to be hot, let me do all this sniff, sniff, snort, snort, smoke, smoke. The party was over, but I kept going on my own, and I think that’s a common situation that happens to a lot of lost souls and people in general, we just don’t know where to go. It’s easier to check out and just do this and do that, and you find yourself alone one day. I was homeless with all my belongings in a Bed, Bath, and Beyond shopping cart at one point. That’s how

Photo courtesy of Salina EsTitties

low and bad it got for me. Thankfully, I met someone who had gone to an AA meeting, and they said, “Would you like to come with me? You sound like a broken record every time you talk to me. It’s the same sad story.” And I was like, well, let me try this. Then I got sober. My best friends are I are all sober… it’s kind of our mission to advocate that you don’t have to do this or that to have a good time. Look how much fun we have sober.

The recent attack on the values and qualities of our minority communities is not new to Salina who not only had to deal with the themes of masculine and feminine as a member of the machismo Latino community (he’s first generation on his mom’s side, second on his dad’s), but also had to deal with diversity issues within the gay community.

My dad put me in football, and I did karate for 13 years when I was younger. I was never put into dance class because Latinos are very macho - you’re going to be a cop, you’re going to do this, you’re going to do that. I had these cousins who were very masculine, and it was always kind of a competition with them too. I felt the pressure from my dad to step up to the plate as the masculine macho boy. Thankfully, my dad is so loving and caring that when I came out, he was so supportive and that’s when I found theater. And that’s when I started getting into being myself. Like, woo. It’s interesting because you go through life not realizing this internalized racism that we have as Latinos where my mom’s always like, look good. Why are your pants ripped? Why are you wearing that? My mom’s always like, make sure you look good for the white man out there, so we don’t look like poor Latinos - which is just something you grow up with. You don’t realize that that’s what’s happening.

When I moved to “white” West Hollywood, I realized quickly, oh, I’m not like the other boys here. I used to have so much internalized racism that I wouldn’t like to tan because I get brown very quickly. And I knew that doesn’t sell. People look at me a little differently. That is all part of my journey with my internalized racism. I did this shoot for Vida on Starz and the whole production staff is women, Latina women, and Latino cast. I got booked for this as Salina, who allows me to embrace my Latin culture. Everyone there on set was just so proud to be Latino, everyone was talking Spanglish and Spanish and English, and they were talking about things that I grew up with that I don’t hear about in Weho. My culture’s actually something to celebrate, nothing to be ashamed of.

I have a perception of what I’m supposed to be and how I’m supposed to act. But the truth is, I’m fine just as I am, and I get to embrace who I am in all parts of who I am. Gay, feminine, masculine, Latino, brown. I’m good as I am. Let me learn to embrace this and shed away the shame that I’ve grown up with. Salina allows me to do that 1000%. So, when I went to Drag Race, I wanted to showcase Latina culture the best I could based upon my experiences. And I

feel like I did that. And to hear other people say that they see themselves in me means the world because maybe if I would’ve seen a queen like me when I was younger, I’d have a little less shame, you know?

On Sunday, May 7th, Salina will take part in Drag Isn’t Dangerous, a one-night-only telethon where all net proceeds go to relevant causes helping drag performers and trans people. Salina will join an all-star cast that includes other drag and LGBTQ luminaries that include Alaska, BeBe Zahara Benet, Bob The Drag Queen, Brandon Stansell, Darienne Lake, Desmond Is Amazing, Divina De Campo, Eureka O’Hara, Frankie Grande, Ginger Minj, Jackie Beat, Jiggly Caliente, Jinkx Monsoon, Jujubee, Justin Martindale, Katya, Kerri Colby, Laganja Estranja, Manila Luzon, Miz Cracker, Monét X Change, Nina West, Peppermint, Sherry Vine, Trinity The Tuck and Trixie Mattel, with more names being added daily. Though being part of the drag community made her an activist by proxy, it’s our recent political administrations that have inspired her to take arms.

I’m someone who was never deep into politics. When I was growing up, I didn’t know anything about the President, politics, or anything. My parents were just trying to hustle and make money so they could pay rent, they were not teaching me these things. And I wasn’t necessarily learning anything in school that’s teaching about this. I was just trying to listen to my Beyonce, you know what I mean? So, I was never a political girl. It wasn’t until the Obama times when I was like, oh, this is important, and I should be paying attention. Then when Trump happened, it was like, oh girl, it’s time to wake up and start acting up and start getting into what this means, and realizing how important my vote is.

When Biden was elected, I thought, “yay, Trump’s out of office, I can go back to living my life.” I don’t have to worry about politics anymore is how I felt. Then with the drag ban happening, at first, I was like you know what? It’s just another chingadera that’s happening in the world, I don’t really have to worry. Aura Mayari lives in Tennessee, and I started seeing her post and I was like, oh wait, no, this is serious. Wait, wait, wait, no, no, this is serious. Personally, it affected me because I’m a drag queen and this is my career. I could go to jail for doing what I’m doing. Hello? No, ma’am. Let’s get to work! So, I really woke up when I started realizing how dangerous this all is.

According to Salina, it’s not just the LGBTQ community that needs to come together and fight political oppression, it’s the straight community that comes to our drag shows, that celebrates their bachelorette parties in our clubs, who ask the gays to go to brunch with them.

Since the beginning of time, the LGBTQ+ community has been trying to be trying to get our allies on board. And they say they are, but then when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, where are they? Are they marching with us, are they doing this with us? Because, at the end of the day, if

they’re coming for our rights, they’re gonna come for women’s rights. It’ll go back to the olden days when only rich white men had a say in rights. So, they come for us? That’s how everything begins for them to start coming for everyone else. So, straights, we’re all in this together at the end of the day.

In addition to her activism, what does Salina want her legacy to be?

Selena Quintanilla was asked this question in a popular MTV interview and her answer was: “That I was sweet and that I was kind,” and I want to say that’s my answer. But I’ve done things that aren’t sweet and aren’t kind, very recently, so, my legacy that I want to leave is that - baby, at the end of the day, I’m human and I did my best!

And her message to her fans?

Oh my God, I can’t wait to see them all. I can’t wait for them to own their body, love themselves, and love others because, at the end of the day, that’s what I’m trying to do. And if you have a slip-up, baby, it’s okay. You jump back on the pony and you keep on riding!

For information on the Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon, head to: dragisntdangerous.com

Follow Salina EsTitties on IG: @EsTitties

Check out our chat with Salina on our companion podcast, US of Gay, as we chat about her body positivity journey, creating our own brand outside of Drag Race, and taking accountability for your actions.

Photo courtesy of Salina EsTitties

Tony Sweet

By Alexander Rodriguez

Photo courtesy of Tony Sweet

Over the last few years, the paranormal world has become less stigmatic, and dare we say even cool. From the first UFO sightings that people were afraid to report in fear of being labeled crazy to the grainy footage of bigfoot sightings to the gothic ghost stories of yesterday, they have evolved to aliens now being figured into our civilization’s history, financially funded scientific bigfoot research, and University degrees for ghost hunting. How far the paranormal world has come. One of the figures at the forefront is from our very own community. Using his power in podcasting, Tony Sweet has become a celeb in the paranormal world bringing some mainstream media flair to the industry.

Born and raised in a small town (literally his town had 200 people and one stoplight) in Kansas, he did every odd job he could to raise money to build his brand. He became the 5th ranked All-American collegiate track athlete as well as a consummate singer, earning a runner-up win for Gospel Dream on the Gospel Music Channel. His popularity led to his first radio show, then to internet radio, and now dominating the filmed podcast market. Always a step ahead in the industry, he started podcasting before it was popular at the famed Sunset Gower Studios, the place where Golden Girls, Saved by The Bell, Funny Girl, Six Feet Under, Scandal, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, and so many more were filmed. Now, under UBNGO Studios, Tony oversees 70 podcasts garnering over 1 million downloads per month at his high-tech office of studios in Burbank, across from Warner Bros & Disney. Always ahead of the industry, he has been doing filmed podcasts for over a decade, something that is just now booming in the podcast market. He hosted his own show, On Air With Tony Sweet, which gained him a massive following as listeners tuned in to hear his provocative interviews with notable guests like Melissa Etheridge, Mo’Nique, Debbie Reynolds, and many more. His most recent endeavor is establishing LGBTQiGO Studios, a spinoff of his network, featuring a bevy of LGBTQ podcasts for and by the community.

Throughout his successful career, the world of the paranormal has always been on his mind. From his early experiences in his youth to his avid research into the genre, he has always been fascinated. He shifted focus from his entertainment talk show to his newest show, Truth Be Told, which seeks answers from the world’s leading experts in the field of UFO investigations, abductions, the Paranormal, secret societies, and historical moments and figures in history. The show has become a leading pioneer for the paranormal as a podcast and on WebTV with a total of 10 million downloads to date. Some of his interesting topics so far? People who live their lives as vampires, activating your healing power, cloning of ancient animals, the identity of angels, and of course the usual mix of ghost, bigfoot, and UFO chats. That’s not even scratching the surface of his topics.

Last month, he successfully debuted Parapod Festival – a twoday series of workshops, fan gatherings, meditation, ghost hunts, psychic sessions, vendor booths, and an awards show. Even in its first year, it was a nearly sold-out success, featuring some of the top names from the paranormal world. He ran all of this with his small team and his husband. Though there were

eccentric personalities as speakers and attendees, the crowd also featured very mainstream folk that were along for a ride, proving that this genre is not just for nerds anymore.

Tony’s plans are to incorporate more of the LGBTQ community into his paranormal world, with an LGBTQ-focused paranormal pod, and more presence from our group at next year’s Parapod Festival. We were able to catch up with Tony in between podcasts for a quick chat about the paranormal, podcasting, and of course, our community.

When did your fascination with the paranormal begin?

It all started when I was young and experienced some paranormal events. When I was around 6 or 7 years old, I grew up in a house that was haunted. That is where I saw my first ghost - an old man that we think built the house back in the early 1900s. I can tell you that there is nothing like being visited by a spirit at that young age. It was terrifying and equally exciting. Around the same time my mom, sisters, brother, and I encountered a UFO that was hovering over a lake outside my hometown. We know from UFO history that UFOs love small towns, and my town certainly fits the MO. Experiencing these events at such an early age, I wasn’t affected by the attitude towards stuff like that. I was open-minded and fully accepting. Ever since then, the paranormal has just been a normal part of my life. I’ve always been in tune with the oddities around me.

Photo courtesy of Tony Sweet

Why do you think the genre has had such a boom in recent years?

Well, I believe due to shows such as Ancient Aliens and Ghost Hunters have made it mainstream and more people are open to talking about their own encounters and don’t feel like they are the only ones. I feel that the stigma of the paranormal was brought up by the fear of the unknown. Now we have science backing up a number of occurrences from this genre. With social media and even TV jumping on the bandwagon, it is something less to be fearful of and more to be fascinated by. Paranormal experiences can also bring people of all types together, sharing common stories no matter where they are from, their class, ethnicity, or even sexuality.

We haven’t seen a lot of LGBTQ personalities in the paranormal world…why do you think that is? Is that changing?

Like most any genre, it has been predominantly white, older men. But yes, it is slowly changing, and LGBTQ people are

being represented in the paranormal genre mostly in the psychic world. Still, most are not comfortable about being out to the mainstream for fear of being rejected. From my own experience, people are changing and more accepting, we just have to be brave and take the chance. We are also finding a number of pioneers in the paranormal world actually come from the LGBTQ community, we just didn’t know it. And again, to share that the paranormal world doesn’t care about sexuality, we are all one in these phenomena. We are also seeing younger and younger generations getting involved in the genre, these generations are unaffected by the bigotry our community has received prior. There are many gender non-conforming and fluid ideas brought up in the world of psychic experience, other dimensions, as well as witchcraft. And ghosts aren’t really telling us their sexuality just yet. Wink, wink.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about paranormal fans?

I giggle because a lot of people think if they share their

Photo courtesy of Tony Sweet

experiences, they will be considered weird, odd, or crazy. We are the ones who are normal because most science is considered impossible until proven possible. Yes, there are always those extreme personalities within our faction –just like any fan base – but when you spend time with each other, like at my Parapod festival, you find we aren’t all that different.

From the paranormal world, what do you most believe in?

I do believe in the spirit world. When my mother passed away, she told me her mother and other beings started visiting her a few weeks before she died, and I knew they were coming to celebrate her entrance to the new realm.  Having experienced spiritual visitations myself, I know they are real. Most of us are shut off from receiving spiritual energy because of the business of our lives or our inability to take a moment and hear the world that is going on around us. Put your phones down, try some meditation, and you will be surprised how attuned you can become to what’s just beyond your reach.

From the world of UFOs, I do believe the 1947 crash at Roswell was a military/government coverup. I believe that aliens have been coming here since the beginning of humanity. One of the reasons I believe this is true is because after the 1947 crash, our technology increased extremely fast with the help of unknown technology before this event.

What from the paranormal world do you NOT believe in?

Flat earthers. I mean, come on.

Your podcast, Truth Be Told, has become a big hit. What do your listeners love most about your show?

Most feedback I get from listeners is that I have topics from all paranormal topics, not just focused on one topic, and people seem to love it. There’s so much more to the paranormal world than ghosts, UFOs, and bigfoot. Much more. I also find listeners feel comfort in knowing others are out there that have the same beliefs, they are not alone. Plus, we cover some very interesting ground with some undeniable facts that would be thrilling for even a non-believer to eavesdrop on.

What has been one of the most surprising things you’ve learned from one of your guests?

That bigfoot might be more of an interdimensional being instead of an ancient primate. It’s an interesting theory that makes sense. We aren’t just regulated to the grainy videos of bigfoot from decades ago. There have been scientific studies and more proof collected. It is truly fascinating to think visitors to our Earth are not just from the sky.

Congrats on putting together the first-ever ParaPod Festival! What were some of the biggest challenges in producing the event?

Well, the biggest challenge is proving your event to convince people to attend and show that you bring something different to the table. The paranormal family is very loyal to their trusted brands. Because of the increase in popularity in paranormal-related content, there are some people out there that are just trying to make a buck from the community that are not part of it and don’t know how to provide quality content. Though I knew we put together a great event, I was humbled and pleasantly surprised with the guests that we were able to book and the number of attendees that came in from all over the nation. In addition to Truth Be Told, it is an honor to be accepted into the realm of live paranormal festivals. Can’t wait for next year! If you are part of the paranormal world or have a show or podcast, you’d like to pitch, let me know!

Who from the paranormal world would you love to meet the most, and what would you ask them?

I am honored to say that I have interviewed most of the main players in the paranormal world, but I think if I could ask one person a question, I would ask the late Edgar Casey if Atlantis was real, and what could we learn from their faults to save our own future. For those who don’t know, Edgar Casey is believed to be America’s greatest 20th-century psychic who gave more than 14,000 readings and drew on some of those readings, placed within the context of reincarnation, to offer evidence of the civilization of Atlantis.

What do you think the future of podcasting will look like? How do you successfully highlight a podcast when there are so many out there?

Between social media and podcasting, it will take over as the #1 source of entertainment even though it will get over-saturated. The ones that stick with it and create amazing, consistent content will have remarkable success. My advice is to find your uniqueness and not try to replicate someone else.  Find your passion and bring it to the world and don’t hesitate and don’t alter it because someone gives you negative remarks. Just be yourself and do it!

UBNGO has an LGBTQ wing on the network called LGBTQiGO. What is your message to the LGBTQ community for this Pride season?

I ask you to be strong. Be you and don’t let your activism go idle. There is still much work to be done and, as you can see, there are still people that want to take away rights from us that have already been given to us. I don’t know about you but that ain’t gonna happen! We won’t allow it.  Happy Pride Season!

Check out more about Parapod Festival at www.Parapodfestival.com

Check out Tony’s Truth Be Told show at www.truthbetoldparanormal.com

Live Entertainment Abounds in Gay Puerto Vallarta

By Paco Ojeda

Over four dozen bars, a gay-friendly beach, spectacular swimming pools and impressive restaurants—all within walking distance— make for a great LGBTQ+ destination and Puerto Vallarta scores high points when it comes to all these features. But what about live entertainment? For returning visitors, you’ll be happy to know that the venues and entertainment choices you’ve come to love are still here, featuring shows you may be already familiar with along with the arrival of new performers each year. If you are scheduling your first trip, you will be happy to know that there is some overlap here with other popular LGBTQ+ destinations you may have visited in the past. Let’s break it down.

Let’s start with great news: about all the live entertainment you’ll wish to pursue in town is located within walking distance in Emiliano Zapata, the neighborhood where all the aforementioned bars, beaches, pools and restaurants can be found. There are six or-so venues in the ‘hood, from bars with performance spaces to small theaters, which attract audiences on a nightly basis, sometimes offering different shows on any given evening.

For the longest time, Puerto Vallarta has been a magnet for drag performances and this is very much the case today. An increasing number of Drag Race alumni are now making stops here and raising the bar for other drag queens, resulting in better, more entertaining shows.

If cabaret singers are your thing, you’d be amazed at how well the New York cabaret scene is represented here, thanks to seasonal performers such as the talented pianist Mark Hartman who has a great nose and ear for vocalists with Broadway credits that are likely to succeed here. And venues are casual enough that it’s easy to interact with the performers after their shows, or bump into them at the beach the day after. At least one venue—Act II—stages entire musicals, and whether you’ll enjoy these productions will depend on where you are visiting from, and the entertainment offerings in your own hometown.

Slowly but surely, a new type of entertainment is taking root in Puerto Vallarta: comedy shows. In the last few months, a couple of improv comedy troupes have made stops in town with moderate success, but the trend seems to be catching on, and it’s nice to have a broader variety of choices. And while we’ve had our choice of stripper clubs for years, a couple of more sophisticated male burlesque shows are now available throughout most of the year.

Will you be exposed to a lot of local talent? Yes and no. As a tourist destination, Puerto Vallarta is dedicated to welcoming you with an environment as familiar as possible to help you settle in comfortably. This translates into a large number of local performers invested in music from north of the border—there is no shortage of ‘tribute’ shows. To enjoy traditional Mexican performances (mariachi and other types of folkloric music, for example) you may have to leave the comfort of the gayborhood and explore a few restaurants that feature this type of entertainment.

And speaking of entertainment, Puerto Vallarta celebrates Gay pride in May and not in June as is the case in many other places around the globe. A full schedule of events has not been announced yet, but many of the large circuit parties are already announced on eventbrite.com and on Facebook’s own events calendar. As usual, Gay Pride in Puerto Vallarta will feature a number of parties for men and women along with the now traditional Pulpito Drag Derby, in which Pulpito St. transforms into a drag racetrack in which queens in heels have to complete a number of funny tasks in a hurry to win fabulous prizes.

Catch up with Paco Ojeda live Monday - Saturday at 10:30 am local time, on his talk show, “Coffee & Headlines,” where he shares headlines and stories for Puerto Vallarta’s local English-speaking community. facebook.com/pacoojedalive

Photos by Paco Ojeda]

LOS ANGELES DIRECTORY

BARS & CLUBS

AKBAR

4356 W. Sunset Blvd

Silverlake, CA 90029

323.665.6810

akbarsilverlake.com

BEACHES WEHO

8928 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069

310.360.0395

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FIESTA CANTINA

88565 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069

310.652.8865

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FUBAR

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West Hollywood, CA 90046

323.654.0396

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GYM Sportsbar

8919 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069 424.313.8202

gymsportsbar.com

HAMBURGER MARY’S

8288 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069

323.654.3800

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Heart Weho

8911 Santa Monica Blvd

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HI TOPS

8933 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069

hitopsbar.com

MICKYS

8857 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069

310.657.1176

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ROCCO’S

8900 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069 424.343.0123

roccosweho.com

SAINT FELIX

8945 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 310.275.4428

saintfelix.net

THE ABBEY 692 N Robertson Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 310.289.8410

theabbeyweho.com

THE CHAPEL 692 N Robertson Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 310.289.8410

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THE EAGLE

4219 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90029 323.669.9472

eaglela.com

REVOLVER VIDEO BAR

8851 SANTA MONICA BLVD. WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 90069 424.382.1108

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STACHE

8941 SANTA MONICA BLVD WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 90069

310.402.0770

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THE BAYOU

8939 SANTA MONICA BLVD

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 90069

310.273.3303

THEBAYOUWEHO.COM

TRUNKS

8809 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069

310.652.1015

west.hollywood.trunksbar.com

CLOTHING & LEATHER

665 Leather & Fetish 20810 Lassen St

Chatsworth, CA 91311

818.678.9193

665leather.com

BRICK & MORTAR

8713 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069

310.652.6605

shopatbrick.com

CHI CHI LARUE’S

8861 Santa Monica Blvd and 8230 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069 323.337.9555

circusofbooks.com

ROUNDERBUM

802 N San Vicente Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069

844.284.2968

rounderbum.com

ROUGH TRADE LEATHER

3915 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90029

323.660.7956

roughtradegear.com

THE PLEASURE CHEST

7733 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90046

323.650.1022

thepleasurechest.com

HAIR SALONS BLADES

801 N. Larrabee St, Ste #1

West Hollywood

310 659-6693

LOS ANGELES DIRECTORY

SHORTY’S BARBER SHOP

755 N Fairfax Ave

West Hollywood

323 297-0554

shortysbarbershop.com

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

HEALTH/COUNSELING

AID FOR AIDS AFA

8235 Santa Monica Blvd #200 West Hollywood, CA 90046

323 656-1107 aidforaids.net

AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION/MENS

WELLNESS CENTER

• 6255 W Sunset Blvd, 21st Fl Los Angeles, CA 90028

888 AIDS CARE

• 1300 N Vermont Ave, Ste 407 Los Angeles, CA 90027

866 339-2525

800 367-2437 inspotla.org

AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION PHARMACY

8212 Santa Monica Blvd

The David Geffen Center

West Hollywood, CA 90046

323 654-0907

ahfpharmacy.org

APLA HEALTH

CLIENT & COMMUNITY SERVICES

The David Geffen Center

• 611 South Kingsley Drive

Los Angeles, CA 90005

213.201.1600

213 201-WALK (9255)

• 3743 S. La Brea Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90016

323.329.9900

• 5901 W. Olympic Blcd. #310

Los Angeles, CA 90036

• 1043 Elm Avenue #302

Long Beach, CA 90813

562.247.7740

apla.org

aidswalk.net

AIDS RESEARCH ALLIANCE

1400 S Grand Ave Ste 701 Los Angeles, CA 90015 310 358-2429

www.hopetakesaction.org aidsresearch.org

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

3333 Wilshire Blvd #900 Los Angeles, CA 90010 800 227-2345 cancer.org

BEING ALIVE PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS ACTION COALITION

621 N San Vincente Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069 310 289-2551 beingalivela.org

GAY & LESBIAN CENTER

Orange County

1605 N Spurgeon St Santa Ana, CA 92701 714 953-5428 thecenteroc.org

HOLY FAMILY SERVICES, ADOPTION & FOSTER CARE

840 Echo Park Ave Los Angeles, CA 90026 213 202-3900 hfs.org

LA FREE CLINIC

• 5205 Melrose Ave Los Angeles, CA 90038 323 653-1990 – appts 323 653-8622 – admin lafreeclinic.org

• 6043 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90028

• 8405 Beverly Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90048 LA Public Health reallycheckyourself.org

OUT OF THE CLOSET

THRIFT SHOPS

• 8224 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90046

323 848-9760

• 3500 East Pacific Coast Hwy

Long Beach, CA 90804

562 494-0340

• 1726 East Colorado Blvd

Pasadena, CA 91106

626 440-1719

• 360 North Fairfax Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90036

323 934-1956

PROJECT ANGEL FOOD

922 Vine St

Los Angeles, CA 90038

323 845-1800

angelfood.org

THE TREVOR PROJECT

9056 Santa Monica Blvd #100

West Hollywood, CA 90069

310 271-8845

thetrevorproject.org

VALLEY COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE

6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave

North Hollywood, CA 91605

818 301-6314 - HIV testing

818 301-6390 - Medical Services

smarthealthla.com

LEGAL

LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATION FUND INC.

Western Regional Office

3325 Wilshire Blvd #1300

Los Angeles, CA 90010

213 382-7600

lambdalegal.org

NATIONAL G & L TASK FORCE

5455 Wilshire Blvd #1505

Los Angeles, CA 90036

323 954-9597

thetaskforce.org

PALM SPRINGS DIRECTORY

ATTRACTIONS

THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS

47900 Portola Ave

Palm Desert, CA 92260 760 346-5694 livingdesert.org

PALM SPRINGS AIR MUSEUM

745 N Gene Autry Trail Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 778-6262 palmspringsairmuseum.org

PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM

101 Museum Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 322-4800 psmuseum.org

PALM SPRINGS AERIAL TRAMWAY

1 Tram Way

Palm Springs, CA 92262 888 515-8726 pstramway.com

BARS & CLUBS

BLACKBOOK

315 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262

760.832.8497 blackbookbar.com

CHILL BAR

217 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262

760.327.1079 chillbarpalmsprings.com

DICK’S ON ARENAS

301 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.0753 eagle501bar.com

HUNTERS

302 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.323.0700 hunterspalmsprings.com

ONE ELEVEN BAR

67555 E Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234 760.537.3111 oneelevenbar.com

OSCAR’S

125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 108 Palm Springs, CA 92262

760.325.1188 oscarspalmsprings.com

PS AIR BAR

(Speakeasy inside Bouschet) 611 S. Palm Canyon Dr, Suite 22 Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.327.7701 psairbar.com

QUADZ

200 S. Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.778.4326 Spurline.com

STREET BAR

224 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.1266 psstreetbar.com

THE BARRACKS

67-625 E. Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234 760.321.9688

REFORMA

333 S Palm Canyon Dr Unit 2, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-902-6630 reformaps.com

THE ROOST LOUNGE 68718 E Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234 760.507.8495 theroostcc.com

TOOL SHED

600 E. Sunny Dunes Rd. Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.320.3299 pstoolshed.com

TOUCANS TIKI LOUNGE

2100 N. Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.416.7584 toucanstikilounge.com

CLOTHING OPTIONAL RESORTS

BEARFOOT INN

888 N. Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA. 92262 760.699.7641 bearfootinn.com

DESCANSO

288 E. Camino Monte Vista Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.1928 descansoresort.com

DESERT PARADISE

615 S. Warm Sands Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.320.5650 desertparadise.com

EL MIRASOL VILLAS

525 Warm Sands Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.327.5913 elmirasol.com

INNDULGE PALM SPRINGS

601 Grenfall Rd Palm Springs, CA 92264

760.327.1408 inndulge.com

SANTIAGO RESORT

650 San Lorenzo Road Palm Springs, CA 92264

760.322.1300 santiagoresort.com

THE HACIENDA

586 S. Warm Sands Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264

760.327.8111 thehacienda.com

TRIANGLE INN PALM SPRINGS

555 San Lorenzo Rd. Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.322.7993 triangle-inn.com

TWIN PALMS

1930 S. Camino Real Palm Springs, CA 760-841-1455 twinpalmsresort.com

VISTA GRANDE RESORT

574 S. Warm Sands Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.322.2404 vistagranderesort.com

CLOTHING & LEATHER GAYMART

305 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.416.6436

GEAR LEATHER & FETISH

650 E Sunny Dunes Rd #1 Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.322.3363 gearleather.com

ROUGH TRADE LEATHER 321 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.699.7524 roughtradegear.com

GIFTS

DESTINATION PSP

170 North Palm Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 354-9154 destinationpsp.com

GREETINGS PALM SPRINGS

301 N Palm Canyon Dr # 102 Palm Springs, CA 92262

760 322-5049 greetingspalmsprings.com

JUST FABULOUS 515 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262

760 864-1300 bjustfabulous.com

PALM SPRINGS DIRECTORY

MISCHIEF CARDS & GIFTS

226 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262

760 322-8555 mischiefcardsandgifts.com

PEEPA’S

120 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262

760 318-3553 peepasps.com

PS HOMEBOYS

108 S. Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262

760.318.7388 pshomeboys.com

Q TRADING COMPANY

606 E Sunny Dunes Rd Palm Springs, CA 92264

760-416-7150

HAIR SALONS CUT BARBER

1109 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262

760 322-2999 cutbarber.com

DADDY’S BARBERSHOP

192 S Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264

760 537-1311 daddysbarbershop.com

MEN’S GROOMING SPOT

68487 E Palm Canyon Dr Suite 43 Cathedral City, CA 92234

760 992-0028 mensgroomingspot.com

PALM SPRINGS FINE MEN’S SALON

750 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 3 Palm Springs, CA 92262

760.904.0434 psfinemenssalon.com

REALTORS

3 BEARS REALTY

2905 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262

760-699-6175 3bearsrealty.com

PALM SPRINGS HOME TEAM

Conrad Miller (DRE #01973983)

760.464.9559

Brandon Holland (DRE # 01986968)

760.413.1220

Palmspringshometeam.com

RESTAURANTS

1501 UPTOWN GASTROPUB

1501 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, 92262

760-507-1644

1501uptown.com

BLACKBOOK

315 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262

760.832.8497 blackbookbar.com

BOOZEHOUNDS PALM SPRINGS

2080 North Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.656-0067 boozehoundsps.com

EIGHT4NINE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE

849 N Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.325.8490 eight4nine.com

FARM

6 La Plaza Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.322.2724 farmspalmsprings.com

JOHANNES

196 S. Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.778.0017 johannespalmsprings.com

NICOLINO’S CATHEDRAL CITY

35325 Date Palm Drive, Unit 111, Cathedral City, CA 92234 760-324-041 nicolinos.com

RICK’S DESERT GRILL

1596 North Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.325.2127 ricksdesertgrill.com

ROLY CHINA FUSION

1107 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.548.0041 rolychinafusion.com

SAMMY’S PLACE

69034 E Palm Canyon Drive Cathedral City, CA 92234 760.770.4030 originalsammysplace.com

SHAME ON THE MOON

69950 Frank Sinatra Dr Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 760.324.5515 shameonthemoon.com

SHERMAN’S DELI 401 E Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.325.1199 shermansdeli.com

TRILUSSA

68-718 E Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234 760.328.2300 trilussarestaurant.com

TRIO RESTAURANT

707 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA. 92262 760.854.8746 triopalmsprings.com

WILMA & FRIEDA’S 155 S Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.992.5080 wilmafrieda.com

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

DAP HEALTH

1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 323-2118 daphealth.org

DESERT CARE NETWORK 760 561-7373 desertcarenetwork.com

DESERT OASIS HEALTHCARE 275 North El Cielo Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 325-DOHC (3642) mydohc.com

EISENHOWER HEALTH 39000 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 760 340-3911 eisenhowerhealth.org

MICHAEL’S HOUSE 1910 S Camino Real Palm Springs, CA 92262 844 768-0633 michaelshouse.com

PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER 4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs, CA 92264 760 416-5718 psanimalshelter.org

PALM SPRINGS FRONT RUNNERS & WALKERS frontrunners.clubexpress.com

STONEWALL GARDENS

2150 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 548-0970 stonewallgardens.com

LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE DESERT 1301 North Palm Canyon Dr, 3rd Floor Palm Springs, CA 92262

760 416-7790 thecentercv.org