FROM THE EDITOR
FALL SEASON IS HERE!
We hope you are enjoying the new fall season. We have some interesting features for you to highlight this spooky time of year: our chat with horror guru Michael Varrati, and a new podcast to fulfill all of your queer, supernatural, and paranormal needs. Our exclusive interview with cover model comedian Sam Morrison, highlights his one-man show Sugar Daddy, coming to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.
In addition, we are celebrating our one-year anniversary of Billy Francesca’s column “Advice from an Idiot,” answering all your burning questions you were afraid to ask Abby. Keep those provocative queries coming in for some sage advice in return.
Here in Palm Springs, Pride is upon us as well, and GED and LE Parties have FOUR events during Pride weekend for your enjoyment –Friday night is DRAG-A-LICIOUS, the largest Drag Show in town taking over the ballroom of the new Riviera Resort; Saturday is our highly anticipated pool party COLOSSAL, followed by the evening dance party THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, which proves to be an immersive club experience like no other; Sunday after the parade, come on back for our DISCO PLAYHOUSE pool party. Weekend passes for all the events are available at PRIDEMASSIVE.COM or visit GEDmag.com and click on the GUIDE TO PRIDE tab for more information.
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 to be featured… #GEDmag. GED MAGAZINE is here for YOUR entertainment!
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Photo by: Arin Sang-urai
KIMBERLY AKIMBO: The premise for this Broadway musical is indeed strange. Kim suffers from a disease that causes her to age four times faster than other people and though she finally finds a potential partner, she knows that she will soon outage him. Odd as that might be, Kimberly Akimbo won the 1921 Best Musical from the Tony Awards, The Dorian Awards, and Actor’s Equity Foundation Awards, plus a grammy nomination for Best Musical Theatre Album. Pretty strong credentials! San Diego Civic 10/8-13; Hollywood Pantages 10/15 to 11/3; San Francisco Curran 11/5 to 12/1; and Costa Mesa Segerstrom Center 1/21 to 2/2/25.
AMERICAN IDIOT: And speaking of odd premises, Green Day’s concept album, American Idiot, was reformatted as a musical which opened on Broadway in 2010 and ran a respectable 422 performances. This month, Center Theatre Group in conjunction with Deaf West Theatre will present American Idiot in a groundbreaking new production directed by Center Theatre Group’s new Artistic Director, Snehal Desai. It features an ensemble of both deaf and hearing actors and is performed simultaneously in American Sign Language and spoken English. This is actually the fourth such collaboration between the two companies. Their first, Big River, was thrilling, and went on to play a season on Broadway. I also saw their co-production of Pippin which frankly was not quite as wonderful. This production also marks the reopening of the Music Center’s Mark Taper Forum, a 739-seat thrust stage (audience on three sides) which is intimate and has clear views of faces from every seat. Should be an exciting experience of this punk rock and wholly American musical up close! www.centertheatregroup.org plays 10/2 to 11/10.
KRISTINE
THIS SMOOTH OPERATOR IS HEADLINING PRIDE UNDER THE PINES
BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ
his month, recording artist Kristine W headlines Pride Under the Pines in Idyllwild. No stranger to LGBTQ events, not only has she become a legend in the music business, being named the 8th Greatest Dance Artist of All Time by Billboard Magazine, but she has also become a fierce ally to our community, using her platform to entertain and as well as activate. This year has been another stellar period for the artist, appearing as a guest judge on Drag Race All Stars and releasing her take on Sade’s classic, “Smooth Operator.” She continues to prove over and over again why her star shines so bright.
Music has been a constant for Kristine, even from her early childhood. Raised in Pasco, Washington, her mother was a jazz singer and guitarist, and her grandmother was a classically trained violinist and pianist who first taught Kristine piano. She overcame her stage fright by cutting her teeth by singing at church and at retirement homes. Kristine first came into contact with house music when it was played at resorts that her mother would perform at, and she was hooked. What did her family teach her most about music?
They both taught me that music is so important to the fabric of our lives. It is to be shared to bring joy and hope to the world. It is also a portal into the past, present, and future. Music is and has been in the background as the soundtrack to human life from the beginning. The messages in the songs depict how people are feeling and had felt and what was happening in that time period. You can take people back in time by singing one song they loved 20 or 30 years ago. Never underestimate the Power Of Music… one of my album titles!
Kristine first became a success on the pageant circuit and even competed in Miss America.
I had entered and won many local talent shows and was racking up outstanding jazz vocalist trophies at the Jazz Festival Competitions. I remember Dot Schoeppach, the local Miss America, approaching me after a win and saying you could be our next Miss Tricities and potentially our Miss Washington. You can get a scholarship and be on a national stage with your singing. I changed from being a track star to fully focusing on learning about pageants and preparing for my first local pageant, and I won! Next thing I knew we were headed to the Miss Washington Pageant.
Little did she know that this would lead her to Vegas, and ultimately to her eight-year span performing at the Las Vegas Hilton. Her pageant winnings were earmarked for education, so she enrolled in the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Her lucrative Vegas career led to being recognized by the city as having performed more live shows at the Las Vegas Hilton than any other performer
“I THINK MY GAY AUDIENCES ARE VERY MUSIC-SAVVY. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE, THEY KNOW WHEN YOU SING THE WRONG LYRICS OR HIT A BAD NOTE. THEY APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT GOES INTO BEING A GREAT LIVE PERFORMER. THEY EXPECT MORE, SO YOU GIVE MORE.”
in its history, including Elvis Presley, and designated June 28 “Kristine W Day” in the state of Nevada.
I got my first Las Vegas gig by putting a band together and rehearsing at UNLV in a practice space that was really small but was free to students. We somehow crammed 4 of us into the room and set our sights on winning The Battle of the Bands at The Union Plaza. The top two bands would coheadline for two weeks and get paid. I brought the house down with a Gladys Knight and Donna Summer medley. Myself and an R&B band won.
In Vegas, she was discovered by a British label and recorded her first single “Feel What You Want” in just one day. Her debut song became her first #1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, the first of 17 #1 hits. Not only was it an international success, but it also became an anthem within the LGBTQ community. Her musical success and her connection to the LGBTQ community were born from the same song. She has always been a leading ally, consistently taking part in the queer community.
I was raised and taught that God loves us all and we are all sinners. “Let he without sin throw the first stone.” So many great passages in the Bible like the simplicity and beauty of “Love Thy Neighbour As Thy Self.” If we could just make that happen, we could solve most of the problems we see around the world. It has always been important for me to convey to the community that they are loved unconditionally. I have watched many of my friends, gay and straight, struggle with that.
I think my gay audiences are very music-savvy. They know what they like, they know when you sing the wrong lyrics or hit a bad note. They appreciate the hard work that goes into being a great live performer. They expect more, so you give more.
Her new take on “Smooth Operator” is quintessential Kristine W. She pays homage to the original, but it is clearly her song in this take. “Smooth Operator” was a staple in Kristine’s early shows in Vegas, where she would perform medleys of Donna Summer, Prince, and Sade. As with all of her music, she has her finger on the pulse of what audiences will want to hear next. What was her creative process in making “Smooth Operator” and how does she keep ahead of trends?
I started by first recording a smooth jazz version that was much like the original with all the new production sounds. Mark Matson (Emotion) is so talented at Chill Productions. We had a great musical base to plan the selection of dance producers and the styles of house that fit the song. We have an outstanding lineup of producers and remixers. I’m so proud of their creations. There is such a cohesive energy and musicality to the original and you can tell a lot of love and time was put into making it.
I try to write great songs first and then deliberate about the productions. A great song lasts forever and can be reframed in any style, remixes are challenging, and you never know how they will be embraced.
Kristine wows at every Pride event she performs. Her energy and style are
infectious and the queer community old and young can’t get enough. This performance at Pride Under the Pines will be no different.
My incredible dancers Jeffrey Debarathy and Curtis Goodman will be with me. Jeffrey will be putting together great costumes, and we are editing the show next week. I think we may have some of the Palms Springs Gay Mens Chorus perform with us if it all works out. I have heard it is a magical Pride and location so I’m excited. Pride is important every year because it’s important for the community to stay tight and support each other. It is a beautiful family reunion.
With her many accolades, career-high points, and a never-ending list of hits, what comes to mind when she looks back at her career?
I’m extremely proud of every accolade and accomplishment I’ve had because it was all so hard won. I have worked and failed and kept going in
the worst of circumstances. Grateful and blessed for surviving it all.
She continues to thrill and shows no signs of stopping. A new album is on the way and her take on “Smooth Operator” is accompanied by five remixes that are heating up the dance floor. What does she want most from the legacy of her career?
I want to leave a legacy of music that is empowering and great medicine for the soul. It has been so important in my life and the lives of so many.
And her continuing message to the community this year?
Thank you for your love and support, you are woven into all my songs and shows!! My music family is loved and appreciated so much. Kisses, KW!
Check out KristineW.com for all things Kristine. “Smooth Operator” is out on all streaming platforms.
MICHAEL VARRATI
HORROR GENRE GETS A QUEER GLOW UP
BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ
What gay Halloween season would be complete without a chat with horror guru Michael Varrati? Don’t let his boyish, innocent looks deceive you. He is a mastermind of all things horror as a filmmaker, screenwriter, columnist, podcaster, and actor. He’s rubbed elbows with horror cinema’s elite and enjoys a close partnership with Peaches Christ (the queen of horror and camp) and has had a hand in the success of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula as a writer and director, now in its sixth season.
His love of cinema, from queer to Christmas movies to horror, is as varied as his growing up.
My formative years were relatively migratory, and during that time, my parents were educators in a rural town in Arizona and the closest hospital just happened to be in the next state. I think about that repeated line from Showgirls where Nomi Malone says she’s from “different places,” because I kind of relate. My early years were in the Southwest, I went to elementary school in Colorado, junior high and high school in Western Pennsylvania, and college in Ohio. To that end, I feel connected to all of those places, while also occasionally belonging to none. But I don’t mean that in a negative way. I value getting to see so many different places and ways of life while I was growing up, because that informed so much of my own outlook. If I learned anything, it’s that there’s no single, correct path…but a collective of learned and lived experiences that you carry with you. To me, that’s what makes the world interesting.
While other kids were watching cartoons, Varrati had different tastes. Tastes that propel him on a lucrative career filled with blood and guts, camp, and monsters.
My obsession with horror unquestionably began with a show called USA Up All Night, which was relatively popular in the late 80s/early 90s. Up All Night would air on Friday and Saturday nights and was alternatively hosted by Rhonda Shear and Gilbert Gottfried. They would show double features of horror movies,
exploitation films, and teen sex comedies. I distinctly remember one week the TV Guide advertising that they were showing a double feature of Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes and Return Of The Killer Tomatoes…and for some reason, I fixated on those titles and simply had to watch. I begged my mom, and she let me stay up. I was transfixed. I always say that was my “baptism into cult,” because from that point on I became obsessed with weird cinema.
Using the Killer Tomatoes example, I think what immediately drew me to them was that they felt different in some way. These were not the movies the kids at school were talking about or that were
showing at the local multiplex. They were other. They were strange, off-beat, and in many ways felt like something that someone somewhere didn’t want you to see. I was obsessed with that notion. I didn’t have the words for it at the time, but I would later come to realize that part of the draw was that I implicitly understood that otherness, because in many ways that was me.
Queer representation in horror films is becoming more mainstream. With mainstream studios like Blumhouse releasing films with explicitly queer characters, Varrati is part of that trailblazing with his own independent film horror film projects, adding his own queer sensibility.
As I’ve alluded to, horror is ultimately a genre of otherness and queer people deeply understand what it means to be othered. When you’re outside of certain aspects of society, you sometimes, for better or worse, see things in a different way. Often, these are things the mainstream does not want to hear or confront head on. Horror allows us to take those issues and present them through a monster or some other heightened situation. I often use horror to express my frustration, but also notions of queerness that I’m not seeing discussed elsewhere. I think when utilized in this way, horror can not only be fun, but powerful and cathartic.
As Varrati has shared during his appearances at San Diego Comic-Con, his podcast Dead for Filth, and contributions to The Huffington Post, Vice, and more, there has always been a queer presence in the horror genre.
If you look at the whole of motion picture history, the intersection of queer identity and the horror genre has always been present, it’s just that creators in the past had to rely more heavily on subtext. To that end, I’ve always loved that the Universal monster movies are steeped in queerness… sometimes intentional, sometimes not. Both Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein were directed by a gay man [James Whale] and Bride specifically seems to end on a note of queer autonomy -just because society says you’re made for someone doesn’t mean you have to accept that fact.
1936’s Dracula’s Daughter is expressly about a lesbian vampire. The Wolf Man is about struggling with a truth that lives inside you. The Creature From The Black Lagoon is about society infringing upon the peace of an outsider. I mean, let’s face it - all of our foundational monsters are a little bit queer!
In producing horror content, Varrati has said yes to doing just about everything needed to make a movie. Writing? Producing? Directing? Check. As an actor, Michael networked with the cinematic community which led to his first ambitious project, Dreams as part of the Tales of Poe anthology. That has led to a long list of projects including Crash
Site (about gay aliens), horror comedy
The Sins of Dracula, Flesh for the Inferno (about demon nuns), The Office Is Mine, queer slasher A Halloween Trick, and the isolation horror film What’s Left Inside. With taking on so many different production roles, what aspect does he love about each?
I think in all aspects, it ultimately comes down to finding the story. From a writing perspective, I love cracking the plot and learning the character’s voices. When I can conceptualize what that world is going to be, I get very excited. Similarly, when I’m directing, it’s an extension of that idea. I get to work with a team of creatives to see what was on the page come to life, and also hear how they interpreted the work through their own artistic lens. That sense of collaboration can be exhilarating because it shows we all may have read the same story, but each walked away with different ideas. Then you get to try and bring the best of everyone’s response together into the strange quilt that is a movie.
Strangely enough, Varrati has also had a voice in the Christmas movie genre. He co-wrote the Denise Richardsled film A Christmas Reunion, A Christmas in Vermont starring Chevy Chase, and a handful of subsequent holiday films. How does a horror film junkie earn a place in the Christmas circuit?
Humorously enough, the very first Christmas movie I ever wrote was due, in part, to my work in horror. A friend of mine who produces a lot of TV movie projects had reached out because they needed a script done quickly and written with a fixed budget in mind. As it happens, that’s a skill most indie horror filmmakers have, because we rarely have the luxury of time or big budgets.
Prior to his call, I had enjoyed Christmas movies but hadn’t really considered writing one. I loved the idea and the challenge, so I seized the opportunity. And to be honest, that movie opened my career up to a whole new world. In the years since, I’ve written or co-written five or six more holiday films for platforms like Netflix, Lifetime, Ion, and others, and I’ve loved each one. There’s a coziness to those movies that’s such a lovely reset. I’m
“WE LOVE FILMMAKERS WITH A SENSE OF SHOWMANSHIP AND A FLAIR FOR SUBVERSION WHO CULTIVATE BOTH AN AUDIENCE AND AN EXPERIENCE.”
very proud of my work in that space and I’m happy to say that Christmas movie fans are often very sweet and truly passionate.
Do the two genres have anything in common?
You know, I’m sure some higher-ups gnash their teeth when I say this, but I think the commonality between them is that they both, in their way, are cult movies. Each has a dedicated fanbase who comes to these films with certain expectations and a knowledge of “the rules” of the genre.
It’s funny, when I do conventions, I’ve had people come up to the table to talk about a horror movie, only for their spouse/parent/etc. to chime in to say they are a fan of my Christmas stuff. Here are two people from the same household, attending the same event in celebration of the pop culture they love. Maybe the two genres aren’t as far apart as we think!
One of Michael’s power partners has become Peaches Christ. First meeting Peaches through doing an interview for a book, the two became friends and
have hit the road in a variety of projects, including the popular Midnight Mass podcast, the audio take on Peaches’ infamous long-running cult movie series in San Francisco. The two share horror and camp sensibilities, but come from different generations, how does their fierce partnership work?
Peaches is one of my dearest friends and collaborators and part of our connection is born out of the fact that we deeply understand one another’s cinematic language. For example, our podcast, Midnight Mass, is a celebra-
tion not only of the movies we love but the fandom of the people who worship at their altar. We love filmmakers with a sense of showmanship and a flair for subversion who cultivate both an audience and an experience. We have a shared love for the likes of Russ Meyer, Ted V. Mikels, Herschell Gordon Lewis, John Waters, etc., individuals who are pushing the envelope.
As for our differences, while we’re more alike in our tastes than not, Peaches’ years as a celebrated drag artist give her a unique lens regarding
so much of the world we inhabit. Not only has she produced countless shows and been on many of the world’s great stages, she’s also the co-creator of an annual, immersive haunted attraction in San Francisco. She’s got a natural showmanship, and an understanding of the audience’s wants and needs because she’s not just a cult leader, she’s a member of the cult. I love doing live events, but I also know when we’re on stage together, the crowd wants her to say the outrageous and they want me to provide the fact or sarcastic comment that backs it up. And I love that dynamic. We’re a good team because we play to each of our strengths while letting the other one do what they do. I think our audience feels that.
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula has become the outstanding drag competition show that could. Now a double Emmy Award-nominated show, it celebrates horror, camp, and underground drag. It has gone from being a modest show on YouTube, to Netflix, and now a grand affair on Shudder and AMC+. Drag Race who? It has quickly become a fan favorite, offering a different, and gorier, look at drag. Did Michael think the show would be such a big hit?
All credit for the meteoric rise of Dragula goes to the Boulet Brothers. One of the great things about being on set for the show is seeing firsthand how deeply committed and passionate the Boulets are to bringing it to life. They work incredibly hard. I recall many occasions where something seemed impossible, but through insistence and perseverance, they’d lead the crew into pulling it off. I’m very grateful for the time I’ve had on Dragula and for getting to see its evolution happen in real-time.
Even from the beginning, it was apparent that the show was special because it took fierce creators who maybe weren’t getting a chance in traditional spaces and celebrated what made them
different. Everybody wants a place to belong, and the Boulets said, “You’re not too weird, too spooky, too goth, too strange… and even if you are, you can come sit by us.” That’s why the show is so popular because, at Dragula, you belong. Having accomplished such a long list of credits at an early age, what has been a major, personal accomplishment thus far?
When you’re an indie artist, so much blood, sweat, and tears go into everything you do, there’s always a little bit of pride regarding each project. Perhaps the best and most recent highlight of that is our movie There’s a Zombie Outside. It’s the story of a man whose identity is tied up with cult cinema and how he starts seeing a monster from one of his movies in the real world. Obviously, there was a personal element to the story, but it was also constructed in a non-traditional way that meant if we wanted to make it, we had to make it ourselves. The film was independently produced and financed, and though I’m the writer and the director, it exists in the world now because a lot of people believed in the project and stepped up to make it happen.
Admittedly, the film is weird on
purpose and it’s not for everyone. That’s the point. Niche stories rarely get made by studios who are striving for broader appeal. But specific art is needed too, even if it’s harder to make. This movie was important to me because it was an aspect of the queer experience filtered through a genre lens I rarely see on screen. I wanted that for me and people like me. It wasn’t a quick journey, and it wasn’t easy. But we saw it through and now our deranged little baby is out there, and I couldn’t be prouder.
And looking forward, what does Varrati want most out of his career?
I guess I just want to keep finding ways to push the envelope and tell bold new stories. In many ways, I think the subcategorization of “queer horror” is something of a misnomer because in my mind, horror already IS queer. So, for me, I just want to make it as queer as possible.
And his message to the community this Halloween season?
Be the trick AND treat you want to see in the world, baby. You are enough.
You can follow Michael on IG: @MichaelVarrati
Dear Idiot,
My boyfriend wants me to sleep naked, but I can’t. I get way too aroused, and it keeps me up all night. He sleeps naked, which is sexy to me, but I just can’t.
Any advice?
Thanks Not Sleeping in the Buff
Dear “Not Sleeping in the Buff,”
Oh to have these kind of problems… the only thing in my bed, was a baby possum when I left the door open one night, but that’s a different story. I also can’t sleep naked, a full nightgown for me, made of wool. Sleep is sooooo important to me, and if anything screws that up, I am a hell cat the next day, so I understand wanting a good night’s sleep. Maybe try a tank top and underwear? Or sleep naked and when your BF falls asleep, get up and put on your sleep attire! Or maybe have one night a week that you try it? Like on a day when you don’t have to get up the next morning. This is a hard one…get it?!
See what I did there? XO BF
Hey Advice Idiot,
Some tool bag at my job, keeps swiping my lunch. No one will own up to it, but I think I know who, and we don’t get along at all. How can I deal with this dick.
Thanks Bob
Hey Bob Darlin, UGH, what a tool bag indeed! Ok, I saw some super fun things on Instagram about this! In a word, “DECOY LUNCH.” Ok that’s two words but still. Totally make a decoy lunch and use the same lunch box, or bag or whatever you usually do. Add some hot pepper, like A LOT, or laxative, or like pickle juice, something that when they take a bite, they get more than they bargained for! I saw one video where this dude kept stealing lunches and they put a condom in the salad. I died laughing. Be creative and hateful, lord knows I do! XO BF
Hey Sugar Darlings!
I hope everyone is doing fantastic and hoping for an extended summer like me…UGH. Yes I have tons of Faux Fur for fall, but damn it, I want it to stay sexy summer for a few more months! Anywho… I get some super fun, short messages that crack me up, so, I thought I would share these with you. People are a riot, and I love that I get to read all these messages, with a glimpse of what goes on in your minds!
BY BILLY FRANCESCA
Hey Advice Idiot, I can hear my neighbors having wild sex. I mean like alley cat barbed dick sex. They are super loud and I don’t think they care that everyone can hear them. I am not sure which neighbor it is, so I can’t ask them to tone it down a bit, but they live in a nearby complex and go at it like wild sex starved nuts, any suggestions on how to handle this?
Thanks Loud in Pound Town
Hi “Loud in Pound Town,”
BAHAHAHAHAHAA, This cracked me up and I have the best plan for you! You need a loud portable speaker and when they start to go at it, you blast, and I mean BLAST the song, “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye. I don’t care what time of day, I don’t care how long you play it, I would just let it ride and blast that music so they hear it. It will probably give other neighbors a laugh, and maybe, hopefully, will let your neighbors know to be a little more courteous.
Sidebar, I heard my neighbor yell out the window the other night to other neighbors (who I couldn’t hear having sex, but something was going on), into the darkness, “hey buddy, you almost finished? Some of us have to get up in the morning…” I about died laughing in my apartment. Hope this helps. XO BF
Just a few fun wacky notes I got from you all! Send in your questions and stories, I love them! theadviceidiot@gmail.com
Thanks for the love and friendship you crazy daisies. XOXO
SAM MORRISON THE BLINDERS ARE OFF AND IT’S A BIG GAY WORLD
BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ
This season, the Lovelace Studio Theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills will play home to Sugar Daddy, a one-man show from comedian Sam Morrison about the unlikeliest of funny themes, death, and grief. The critically acclaimed show is both hilarious and heartfelt and details Sam’s romance with an older man he met in Provincetown.
Jonathan, the love of his life, tragically died from COVID during the pandemic. Though it sounds heavy, it takes a lighter look into loss and exemplifies the power of love and laughter to work through grief.
For those of us who have lost loved ones, the initial grief response can be debilitating. And for those of us who lost loved ones to COVID, it is still unbelievable that some unknown virus could creep into our lives. Sam’s only way to work through his grief was to go to his roots, comedy.
That first grief response. Oof, it’s so personal and traumatizing. I really don’t know how to articulate that. I do remember just how disorienting it felt. I think for a little while it felt like my body was just catching up to my brain. And then my brain catching up to my body. And so on….
The show just kind of happened. As a comedian, I write about what I’m thinking and it honestly felt crazier to not
talk about it onstage. So, I started doing grief material mostly as a coping mechanism (it still is, just different), and eventually, it all came together. I tried it for seven people at Pete’s Candy Store (in Brooklyn) and it felt like a grief group where I’m the only one who’s allowed to talk. The dream.
The show has become a critical success. Originally a hit at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it was extended three times at Off-Broadway’s SoHo Playhouse, receiving Outer Critics Circle and Off-Broadway Alliance nominations, and being heralded by The Daily Beast, The Guardian, The New York Times, and the list goes on. Was Sam surprised that a one-man show about his lover’s death would be such a hit?
HONESTLY IN AN IDEAL WORLD, I BELIEVE COMEDY CLUBS SHOULD BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY WHATEVER THEY WANT IN THE NAME OF COMEDY.
Yes. Especially last year when it first took off at SoHo Playhouse I was like, “Where are these people coming from???” I hoped people would connect with it, but I’ve been truly surprised by how much it has resonated with audiences. The show has evolved as my own relationship with my grief has evolved - in that I’ve allowed it to change myself and others. The so many unique ways in how folks connected to it - their raw reactions and stories are such a big part of that. I do feel like grief is so uncomfortable but also ever-present that when you acknowledge it and open the space for people to talk about it, the floodgates open.
Sam has created Sugar Daddy to make grief surprisingly fun and bearable, with the belief that with laughter you can overcome the impossible. But having gone through it personally, how does he manage to relive that grief with each performance? Working through mental health is an ongoing process, how does he also deal with having to be the funny guy while his real emotions may not be matching?
For the most part, I LOVE doing the show. It’s a joy. I hope that comes across during the show. It’s very silly and very gay. It’s also not as heavy of a show as one might imagine. Yes, I’ll be telling a series of stories relating to grief but I’m still an immature, horny, catty man-child with an affinity for unnecessary lighting changes.
And the benefits from catharsis and personal grieving and ‘I get to share Jonathan with others’ places are really powerful. Any opportunity to share Jonathan with people in an authentic way, live, in person, is precious to me. But yes, there are times when I’m not in the right headspace. I try my best. Meditate. Connect to my purpose. I spend time with Jonathan in my head. Talk to him. I remind myself of the joy of being present on stage with an audience. I write out gratitude for the space to grieve and to play, for the audience’s time and attention, for the stage time to be a better performer, and to myself for writing this show.
Sam’s relationship with his queerness has been a journey, even throughout his early career and his beginning comedy days in Brooklyn.
I feel like I knew I was different right away, but the journey to get where I am today took a bit more selfrealization and exploration. Coming out was a subtle, lengthy process for me and became much easier as I found my people and - as shown in Sugar DaddyProvincetown, MA!
When I first started, I had big, beautiful blinders on, and don’t think
I realized how homophobic the world was. As I started to perform outside of liberal bubbles I experienced a ton of homophobia. From other comedians sometimes, but mostly from drug tourists. I had to learn how to introduce myself in more hostile environments. I’ve always tried to perform for a wide array of audiences, but I really struggled, especially just out of college. I was a bit too insecure and defensive to thrive in those situations at first. It took a long time to learn how to approach the more hostile crowds with
all the love and energy I give any other crowd. On the positive side, there’s a wildly talented and active queer comedy community in Brooklyn that virtually didn’t exist when I started seven years ago. It’s been so fun to watch the gays take over.
Not only does Sugar Daddy challenge dealing with grief, but it also challenges queer norms. He is unapologetic about his love of bigger, older men.
Since as young as I could remember I have only ever found myself attracted to fat old men (fatter and older than you’re imagining). Some can struggle with that, but I’ve tried my best to drop the guilt and justifications to those who question it. I love talking about it in the show because people always come up to me after and whisper, “Me too.” Makes me want to scream about it on stage is worthwhile.
The Los Angeles production is being directed by Stephen Brackett, who received a Tony Award nomination for A Strange Loop. After the show closes at the Wallis, it heads to Broadway. A long and successful journey from its first iteration at the Edinburgh Festival. The show has been in constant evolution.
The show is finally catching up to what I’ve always imagined it be in my head. I became a theatre gurl in college and a fan of solo shows even before then. I’ve always been interested in finding the line between theatre and stand-up from a narrative and emotional point of view as well as set, props, lights, and sound. My first two solo shows were both even more theatrical than Sugar Daddy with a combined budget of around $10. The show also went Off-Broadway when it was not even ten months old. Now I’m getting to realize some of the scenes closer to how I’ve always imagined them but haven’t been able to pull them off because of a lack of capital, creative team, and time to experiment. So, it’s just pretty friggin cool to get this opportunity and I’m having a ton of fun with it!
However, I just did a small work-inprogress presentation in Denver and after, went up to my friend who saw the Off-Broadway version and was like,
Sam Morrison with his boyfriend, Jonathan
“Isn’t it so different?” And he looked at me a little like I was crazy. Sometimes I forget how casual the stand-up process seems on the outside. But when you’re really perfecting a routine, changes that seem small to an audience might seem humungous to me. So come to the Wallis and see for yourself!
In addition to his stage success, he earned the title of New Face at the 2023 Just for Laughs Festival, he’s made his late-night television debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers, and he’s appeared on Comedy Central, The Drew Barrymore Show, Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live, Tamron Hall, and more. As his presence grows, does he feel the pressure to limit or change his comedy to fit the pressures of social and political climates and cancel culture?
I think it changes so much depending on the context - who, when, what, and what platform the comedian has. Honestly in an ideal world, I believe
comedy clubs should be a place where people should be able to say whatever they want in the name of comedy. I find a lot of audiences are hesitant and scared to laugh at the wrong thing, so they will overthink the jokes. For the punchline to really hit and elicit that completely impulsive instinct, you simply can’t be thinking that much. With live comedy, you need to have a high degree of trust in the performer, especially in a small comedy club environment. But then if you go on a podcast and say some crazy stuff and then “I’m just a comedian” that’s different. Context matters. I’ll just say the very brave take that I don’t like social media and most conversations there are bad (the crowd goes crazy).
Sam is now a proud resident of Los Angeles from the East Coast, just to head back to Broadway. With the continued critical and audience success of the show, there are probably a number of addi-
tional accolades waiting for Sam and the show. As far as the Los Angeles run goes, he says that any audience will be better than that one performance of Sugar Daddy he played to a non-English speaking audience. As if heading to Broadway wasn’t a big enough task for this comedian, he has other irons in the fire.
I’m writing a movie and have a new YouTube series where I go thrifting with other comedians. My wardrobe could always use some more sleeveless grandma blouses and that’s basically top of mind right now.
Sugar Daddy runs at the Wallis through October 13th. Visit www.thewallis.org
For everything Sam, head to www.SamuelMorrison.com.
OCT 2024
WEDNESDAYS Brian Scott Keisha D
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6:30-8:30P Tony Grandberry 27 Rebecca Clark Rebecca Clark
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M
arking 40 years of advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community, the nonprofit outlines seven celebratory October and November events to coincide with the city’s Greater Palm Springs Pride celebration.
In heartfelt tribute to its 40-year legacy of advocacy, DAP Health is proud to announce its “30 Days of Pride” commemoration. The nonprofit will either host or participate in a series of eight related events throughout October and November, each of which will mark DAP Health’s unwavering commitment to every member of the LGBTQ+ community.
October 2: The Pride Honors Awards at the Hilton Palm Springs
Kicking off the series, DAP Health will be honored with the Spirit of Stonewall Advocate of the Year Award at Greater Palm Springs Pride’s Pride Honors Awards at the Hilton Palm Springs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This award recognizes DAP Health’s decades-long dedication to providing expert health care and social services to members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Coachella Valley and beyond. Speaking to the impact of this year’s honorees, Greater Palm Springs Pride President and CEO Ron deHarte says, “Their work inspires us all to strive for a future where everyone can live authentically and without fear.”
October 11: National Coming Out Day at Revivals Palm Springs
To mark National Coming Out Day, Revivals Palm Springs will host its all-day Gender-Affirming Sales Event, during which the entire store will replace gender-specific rack signs with ones that say, “Fashion Has No Gender.” Revivals will also offer 50% off all pre-loved apparel. Stressing the importance of this event, DAP Health Chief of Brand Marketing Steven Henke says, “Coming out is a lifelong process as we get to know and express our authentic selves. We want to celebrate that journey of self-discovery by inviting the entire community to shop for fashion without the limits of labels.”
BECAUSE PRIDE MATTERS:
DAP HEALTH ANNOUNCES ITS “30 DAYS OF PRIDE”
October 18: Revivals After Dark Back Alley Event at Revivals Palm Springs
Revivals Palm Springs will host its biannual Revivals After Dark Back Alley Event from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., raising funds to support both health equity and the Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert. Since its inception in 2022, the insanely popular outdoor affair has raised more than $130,000 on behalf of LGBTQ+ health care services, and to foster community connection. This year, more than $25,000 is projected to be raised through the sale of leather gear, underwear, and other clothing, plus adult-themed art, books, magazines, novelties, and collectibles.
October 22: Vista Sunrise II Ribbon-Cutting
At 10:00 a.m., DAP Health will proudly commemorate the official opening of Vista Sunrise II, its latest onsite affordable housing complex, developed in tandem with the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition. The structure on DAP Health’s Sunrise campus in Palm Springs features a total of 61 units, with 30 dedicated to rapid rehousing, 30 for individuals with chronic illnesses and/or low incomes, and one for an onsite case manager. The ribboncutting will be in partnership with major donor Desert Care Network, which donated a gift of $2.5 million toward DAP Health’s Vision Forward Capital Campaign.
October 26: DAP Health Equity Walk
Presented by Desert Care Network, the 35th Annual DAP Health Equity Walk (founded in 1989 as the Desert AIDS Walk) will kick off from Ruth Hardy Park at 8:45 a.m. Celebrating its 40th anniversary of protecting and expanding health care access, DAP Health looks forward to another successful and impactful fundraising event, whose slogan for 2024 is “Because Health Care is a Human Right.” “All of us at DAP Health are so proud that we can put the invaluable lessons we have learned over the last four decades to use in improving the lives of members of the rainbow of communities that exist throughout Southern California,” says longtime DAP Health CEO David Brinkman. “Every dollar
raised by our generous participants and their supporters will go to fund health equity for all people.”
October 26: Equality California’s Palm Springs Equality Awards
Later that day, DAP Health will receive the Community Leadership Award at Equality California’s 2024 Palm Springs Equality Awards. Since 1984, DAP Health has remained committed to protecting and expanding health care access for the LGBTQ+ community. Today, guided by the voices and needs of every one of the diverse communities it serves, the nonprofit provides medical and social services to people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, orientations, and socioeconomic statuses at 25 fixed locations and eight mobile units from the Coachella Valley to the San Diego coast. This marks Equality California’s 25th annual event, whose theme is “Our Journey for Equality.”
November 2 – 4: Greater Palm Springs Pride Festival & Parade
DAP Health’s Community Health team will participate in the 38th Annual Greater Palm Springs Pride, providing health information, free STI testing, and vaccinations. “Participating in Greater Palm Springs Pride is always a personal highlight of the fall season, not just for me, but for everyone who calls DAP Health home in one fashion or another,” says CEO Brinkman. “At DAP Health, we have always fought for the LGBTQ+ community, championing health care access for more than four decades. Our recent expansion hasn’t weakened our commitment; it’s fortified our resolve.”
As a recipient of the Spirit of Stonewall Advocate of the Year Award, DAP Health’s employees will walk alongside the car in which Brinkman — who celebrated 18 years of service to the organization on August 2 — will ride during the Pride Parade at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 3. Landmark achievements under the CEO’s leadership include onsite affordable housing complex Vista Sunrise (for people living with HIV) on the Sunrise campus, the first adult HIV specialty dental clinic in Riverside County, an official visit to the
White House to celebrate the pioneering Get Tested Coachella Valley initiative, a sexual wellness clinic in Indio (eradicating barriers to accessing free STI testing and treatment in the eastern Coachella Valley), the absorption of the Borrego Health system and its 24 locations and 70,000 patients, and the recent unveiling of second onsite affordable housing complex Vista Sunrise II, also on the Sunrise campus.
November 7: Partners For Life Season Open Party
Rounding out “30 Days of Pride,” DAP Health will host its major donor Partners For Life Season Open Party from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the legendary Bob Hope House. Fans of architecture refer to it as a John Lautner house, in reference to the celebrated Los Angeles architect who designed it, but locally, it’s known as the Bob Hope House, a circular, 24,000-square-foot residence built 40-plus years ago for the entertainer and his family. Many observers have said the structure, with its sweeping, gravitydefying roof and 60-foot-wide oculus, looks like a spaceship parked on a rugged hill. When Hope first saw Lautner’s architectural model, he quipped, “Well, at least when they come down from Mars, they’ll know where to go.”
About DAP Health
Founded in 1984 at the dawn of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, DAP Health has been a pillar of support for the LGBTQ+ community in Palm Springs and beyond. With a focus on cultural competence and patient-centered, whole-person care, the nonprofit has expanded its reach across Southern California, offering a wide range of programs and services from the Coachella Valley to the San Diego coast. DAP Health remains committed to honoring its past while forging a future of health equity for all.
For more information about “30 Days of Pride,” or to get further involved, please visit DAPHealth.org/Pride.
BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ
T QUEER FROM THE OTHER SIDE HALLOWEEN JUST GOT SPOOKIER
his Halloween season, there’s a new podcast to fulfill all of your queer, supernatural and paranormal needs. “Queer from the Other Side” delves into the mysterious as the hosts uncover the secrets of the unexplained with their perspectives and personal experiences with the paranormal. The show is a platform for open-minded conversations and exploration of the queer side of all things unexplainable. Ghosts? Demons? UFOs? Angels? We got you. Truth be told, this is the latest addition to my podcast world. And I’m obsessed. As the resident skeptic, I have joined the show to question and challenge all that we unearth. I’ve always been obsessed with everything paranormal and supernatural but have been hardpressed to truly believe. Leading the way into the unknown are my co-hosts Intuitive Shana, a real-life witch, an initiated priestess, paranormal investigator, author, and podcaster with psychic and medium abilities, and Spiritualist Derek Jameson, a Consciousness Coach and Past Life Practitioner who through mind, body, and spiritual development he has helped guide
leaders on their path of healing and awakening their power potential. Together, we have talked to witches, psychics, practitioners in the Akashic Records, UFO specialists, an Egyptologist, and even a celebrity exorcist and a haunted doll. This show is for believers and non-believers alike who have always been interested in exploring the other side of things. I sat down with my co-hosts for this GED deep dive.
When did you first realize that you had the ability to see life from a paranormal/supernatural perspective?
Shana: The first time it became apparent that I was different was during the 1994 earthquake in Los Angeles. My dog had recently had puppies, and we had Mamma and babies situated against a wall with a mirror above it. I kept telling my parents that we needed to move their bed or else the earthquake was going to kill the puppies. After some back and forth, my parents realized I wasn’t going to give in to the idea that there wasn’t going to be an earthquake, and they moved the dog bed into the room with me. The day after the earthquake hit, my parents took me with them into our home to
assess the damage and they realized that the mirror had fallen and shattered right where our dog and puppies would have been. I can still remember my mom looking at me and saying “Okay, what else is going to happen?”
Derek: As a kid, my parents said I would speak to people who weren’t there. When in middle school and high school, I was drawn to supernatural and paranormal realms. I worked as a tour guide at The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. I was always drawn to this type of work. When reading tarot cards for a Halloween event at a theme park I worked at, I discovered how we can attract spirits and they can engage with us. That was a scary experience for me, so I shut it off until I was truly ready to open the spiritual world back up as an adult.
How does being part of the queer community influence or support your abilities?
Shana: A very large part of the queer and pagan communities overlap. In one way or another, I knew that I was different from an early age and both parts of me (my witch and queer sides) took time to fully figure out. I feel like I was fortunate to figure out who I was and come to an understanding with it at an early age, but it was an eye-opener to realize that not everyone is comfortable or can accept who I am as easily. Being part of the queer and pagan communities give me a sense of community and strength. There is a saying that there is strength in numbers and when you are around folks who can accept and celebrate you for exactly who you are, you begin to thrive
and flourish. There is no limit to the strength you can attain when there is no limit to the love and support you have around you.
Derek: I think being a part of the queer community encompasses anyone who doesn’t subscribe to the suppression of fear. Queer means being different and standing in that power. When a person can stand in their authentic power, they can access abilities. Those who resist their authenticity will never activate their true potential. It was by allowing myself to be myself that awakened the abilities I now have.
What are the biggest myths people have about what you do that you’d like to debunk?
Shana: Witches throwing black magic and hexes around with reckless abandon seem to be a rumor that we just can’t shake. Don’t get me wrong, dark times can call for dark magic once in a while but in general, witches use digression when weaving more sinister spells. Many magical practitioners believe that there is a price to pay for working magic - spells costing more than others- and they may not be chomping at the bit to help you get back at your ex. A lot of times there may be other avenues to explore before turning to hexes and curses. Sometimes we just need some healing or some solar joy to rain down on us to fix the situation.
Derek: Well, I talk about dragons, sexually inclined spirit beings, and sending angry spirits to the light. I am sure people think I’m a whack-a-doodle, but I do believe when people judge anything it is part of their process of evolution through their own separation of love. So, I don’t mind if people think whatever they choose to think. It is all a part of the process.
What has been one of your biggest paranormal/supernatural experiences to date?
Shana: When you have been to some of the most haunted places in the country, cleansed demonically infested homes, or watch things move on their own, it’s hard to say that there has been one instance that stands out above the
others. What stands out the most at this moment are the two run-ins I have had with Robert the Doll, who possessed my friend on a cross-country road trip, and Peggy the Doll, who decided to throw a party in an empty room and tempt someone from a tour I was on to join her.
Derek: My entire life. [Laughs] It’s all one big paranormal experience. While at the Winchester House one time, all the windows started violently shaking. There was no earthquake, just the windows. I ran down screaming from the 4th floor. I receive messages from higher consciousness daily, get threatened by aggressive spirits weekly, and get vibrational energy into my body from somewhere in the universe. It’s all wild and still surprising to me.
What made you want to do the Queer from the Other Side podcast?
Shana: I literally spoke this opportunity into existence. I woke up one morning and said, “I need to get back into the paranormal community. That’s where I was most passionate and that’s where I thrived. I just need to find a way to get back to it.” Later that day Alexander sent me a message saying he had a new project he was working on and the following day we had our first meeting scheduled. It was meant to be, and I am so excited at what mischief we are going to stir up.
Derek: To share knowledge and experience so other people feel safe and trust themselves. I never want people to live in fear from spirit, but instead to work with spirit to enhance their lives. Any way that I can be of service is incredible.
What are you most excited to explore on the podcast?
Shana: It goes without saying that I am excited about the opportunities that will allow us to explore notoriously haunted places. I’m going to be like a kid in a candy shop prancing around the cemeteries and haunted dolls. However, I know that this show will also give me the chance to explore many different taboo topics and expand not just my own knowledge but also that of our listeners. Where we can spread light and
understanding we are also able to spread empowerment and banish fear.
Derek: I just love learning things I don’t know about yet. I also love being faced with certain aspects that create fear within me so that I can begin to work with that fear and clear it once and for all. Fear is the anchor to the past and when we are hooked on the past we can’t move forward.
What has been one of the most interesting chats so far on the podcast, what was your takeaway?
Shana: Some of the chats we have, even amongst ourselves, are pretty epic. I don’t think our discussion of dragons will soon leave my mind… but we have been fortunate enough to sit down with an Egyptologist to discuss pagan gods and ancient aliens, and talk to an exor-
cist about the different classifications of entities a different day. I feel like it’s just too hard to pick one out of these to call the most interesting.
Derek: The levels of entity attachments with (exorcist) Rachel Stavis was one of my favorites. It helped me reflect on different energies I experience as well as when I can tell there are attachments with other people and how to help people handle it better. People can get confused. What is doing what and how do we know? This episode helped to break down the entity attachments.
It seems over the last few years, people have become very interested in aliens, ghosts, the afterlife…why is that?
Shana: The presence of the paranormal and supernatural has become a huge source of interest in recent years
through the masses being exposed to it through different avenues of entertainment. It’s become so much easier to access and therefore interest has grown. Once you start searching it’s easy to stumble upon a ghostly breadcrumb, and then another, and then another.
Derek: Our human collective is expanding their consciousness. With an expansion of consciousness, there naturally comes an expanded sensitivity. These faculties begin turning on and people have experiences and want to understand these experiences more. It is simply a reflection of the expanded human consciousness. People become aware that they are more than the physical body they animate. The true Self is becoming known as we evolve.
There is the assumption that delving into the paranormal or supernatural goes against religion. Where does that basis come from, is there some merit to that?
Shana: There are a lot of different things to be said about religion condemning the supernatural but time and time again we also see it mentioned in different religious texts. Magic, ghosts, psychic premonitions; it’s all there. I think that by condemning it, religion has been able to limit the freedom for people to build and maintain their own relationship with a higher power and therefore maintain control and power. When you realize you can talk to God/Spirit/Source on your own you begin to realize you don’t need another person to dictate how you do it or how you live your life.
Derek: People love power and control. You can control people if they are afraid. It is disempowering. Keep people from their abilities and they can be controlled or manipulated. If everyone was in their own power, then those who think they have all the power would be dethroned. As long as people agree to fear, they will never experience their own true sovereign divinity.
We are in the Halloween season, why is this considered a spooky season and is it just a myth that there is more reported paranormal/supernatural activity around this time?
Shana: This time was originally
observed as what some traditions refer to as Samhain or Shadow Fest. It’s a time where the veil between worlds is at its thinnest and those who have passed on can come and visit us once more. It’s a beautiful and somber time where the living and the dead coexist in a fractured way, lost spirits can cross over, and people’s psychic Sight opens up and sharpens. Now we call it Halloween or spooky season but for centuries it has been the season where the living intermingle with the ghosts of the past. Derek: It is true that more paranormal activity awakens in spooky season. When the energy field is high among the collective, there is bound to be much more spiritual activity. People’s beliefs are the most powerful creators of reality. We are all here together, so we will all experience more spooky phenomena. These traditions have roots in history, but the excitement of the people is what really activates the power of it.
What do you say to skeptics of your work?
Shana: Come join me for a ritual, let’s see what you believe after that. Derek: “Okay.” (with a smiley face)
What can non-believers get out of still doing spiritual work?
Shana: Spiritual work isn’t just about communicating with spirits or attaining power. The first step is always about gaining a broader understanding of yourself, your fears, and your strengths. Even if you don’t believe in spiritualism, you should at least believe in yourself and better the relationship between you and your inner self.
Derek: A better sense of self, peace, harmony, connection to love, joy, and happiness. A sense that they are supported, taken care of, and guided. Knowing that all is well and a part of the process. That there is something so much greater that we are all aspects of and that every single person is just as important in the evolution of the universe.
How can we best become in tune with our spiritual selves?
Shana: There are so many amazing resources and teachers out there to learn from. To be a good spiritual student you must have a thirst for knowledge and a sense of adventure. Practice mediation, learn a divination system, or attend a ritual with a local coven. The opportunities to spiritually expand yourself are limitless and much more within your grasp than you may think.
Derek: Sit in silence and allow yourself to see yourself. The beauty and the horror of yourself. It is when we allow ourselves to see the dark and the light of truth, that we stop experiencing pain. We must integrate all parts of us to truly uncover the self-love that rests deep within.
What is your message to your listeners?
Shana: Come to everything with an open mind and see what speaks to you. Never stop exploring the great unknown or yourself. There is a wide-open road full of magic, mystery, and creatures out there and it would be a shame not to see what any of it has to offer.
Derek: Give yourself permission. Give yourself permission to trust yourself. Give yourself permission to receive love. Give yourself permission to free yourself of the past. Give yourself permission to experience all things that call to you, even when they don’t make sense. This is the life you came to live. Give yourself permission to live it.
Listen/Watch/Engage with Queer from the Other Side at www.QueerfromtheOtherSide.com or wherever you get your pods.
October! The time many local businesses begin shifting gears to prepare for the fall and winter season in Puerto Vallarta. Restaurants that have renewed their menus or amenities are putting the finishing touches on their new offerings. Entertainment venues are lining up their schedules for the coming months, and hotels are preparing special promotions to entice new and returning visitors.
Fall is always an exciting time in Puerto Vallarta. First of all, the mysterious natural forces that dictate our weather seem to flick a switch towards the end of October. Suddenly and overnight, the humid air is replaced by a dry, comforting breeze. And for those of us that live here year-round, we begin bumping into snowbirds on the street we hadn’t seen for a few months.
But cooler fall weather (for us, anyway) is not the only thing that entices return visitors along with many first-timers. Mexico’s Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, celebrations (November 1 and 2) keep getting better every year, with more cultural and musical offerings available to visitors and locals. Made even more popular by Coco, the 2017 animated film by Pixar Studios, Day of the Dead has been celebrated in Mexico since pre-Columbian times. A celebratory parade along Puerto Vallarta’s scenic Malecón is a must-attend with hundreds of people walking along the boardwalk, their faces painted with traditional catrina skulls. And if you wish to join the fun, you don’t even need to bring makeup, as many local artists are willing to provide the service for a small fee.
At this time, many local LGBT hotels are also unveiling their special promotions for US Thanksgiving weekend, and even for New Year’s Eve, as these are two of the most popular weekends in town. If celebrating Thanksgiving abroad seems strange to you, please know that many local restaurants offer special dinners as good as those back home! You may very well think it’s too soon to start making Thanksgiving plans, but if they involve traveling to Puerto Vallarta, the ideal time to find good airfare and lodging deals is now.
Another favorite pastime for visitors and many locals is walking the streets around the gayborhood, where there are always surprises involving new businesses or remodeling projects. Art lovers can stroll the Galleria Dante along Basilio Badillo Street not far from the semi-new Starbucks on the same street. Galleria Dante is now the largest and most eclectic fine art gallery in Puerto Vallarta, exhibiting the works of more than 60 artists –from emerging to well established museum artists (both painters and sculptors). Of these artists 85% are Mexican born. And with but with over two dozen bars and other gay establishments located in an eight-by-eight block radius, there is plenty of nighttime fun for all to enjoy!
But there is so much more to Puerto Vallarta beyond the gayborhood. As you get to know our destination, befriend a local that can show you around, go on a street food walking tour such as those offered by VallartaEats.com, or ask your concierge about the many leisurely activities available to you in Banderas Bay.
Enjoy the season!
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 beachesweho.com
FIESTA CANTINA
88565 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.652.8865 fiestacantina.net
FUBAR
7994 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
323.654.0396 fubarla.com
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 hamburgermarys.com
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 mickys.com
ROCCO’S
8900 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
424.343.0123 roccosweho.com
LOS ANGELES DIRECTORY
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 theabbeyweho.com
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 Revolverweho.Com
STACHE
8941 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.402.0770 Stacheweho.Com
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
BLOCK PARTY
8853 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069 blockpartyweho.com
BRICK & MORTAR
8713 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.652.6605 shopatbrick.com
CIRCUS OF BOOKS
8861 Santa Monica Blvd and West Hollywood, CA 90069 323.337.9555 circusofbooks.com
LOVE CONNECTION
8244 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90046
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
YMLA
8594 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 ymla.com
HAIR SALONS
BLADE
801 N. Larrabee St, Ste #1 West Hollywood 310.659.6693
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
• 5901 W. Olympic Blcd. #310 Los Angeles, CA 90036
• 1043 Elm Avenue #302 Long Beach, CA 90813 562.247.7740 apla.org BEING ALIVE PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS ACTION COALITION 621 N San Vincente Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 310.289.2551 beingalivela.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
• 8224 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90046 323.848.9760
• 3500 East Pacific Coast Hwy Long Beach, CA 90804
562.494.0340
PALM SPRINGS DIRECTORY
• 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
WITH GED MAGAZINE
COMPETITIVE RATES
STATEWIDE PRINT DISTRIBUTION
sales@gedmag.com
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
PS 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
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
EL TUGGLE
388 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.880.4338 eltuggle.com
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
PALM SPRINGS DIRECTORY
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
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
PS 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 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 PS
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
RICK’S DESERT GRILL
1596 North Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.2127 ricksdesertgrill.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
REACH THE PS LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND ADVERTISE WITH GED MAGAZINE
COMPETITIVE RATES
STATEWIDE PRINT DISTRIBUTION
sales@gedmag.com
SAN FRANCISCO DIRECTORY
BARS & CLUBS
440 CASTRO
440 Castro, San Francisco, CA the440.com
BEAUX
2344 Market St., San Franciso, CA beauxsf.com
HI TOPS
2247 Market St, San Francisco, CA
415.551.2500 hitopsbar.com
LOBBY BAR
4230 18th St. Unit A, San Francisco, CA lobbybarsf.com
LOOKOUT
3600 16th St., San Francisco, CA
415.431.0306 lookoutsf.com
MAC’S CLUB
39 Post St., San Jose, CA
408.288.8221
MIDNIGHT SUN
4067 18th St., San Francisco, CA
415.861.4186
midnightsunsf.com
MOBY DICK
4049 18th St., San Francisco, CA
415.294.0731
OASIS
298 11th St., San Francisco, CA
415.795.3180 sfoasis.com
RENEGADES
501 W Taylor St., San Jose, CA
408.275.9902 renegadesbar.carrd.co
SF EAGLE
398 12th St., San Francisco, CA 415.200.2002 sf-eagle.com
SPLASH
65 Post St., San Jose, CA 408.292.2222 splashsj.com
THE CINCH SALOON
1723 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 415.776.4162
THE MIX
4086 18th St., San Francisco, CA 415.431.8616 thesfmix.com
WHITE HORSE BAR
6551 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 510.652.3820
HAIR SALONS
HEALING CUTS
2350 Market St., San Francisco, CA
415.286.2970 healingcutssf.com
SPUNK SALON
4147 19th St., San Francisco, CA 415.701.7865 spunksalon.com
THE CASTRO BARBER LOUNGE
2265 Market St., San Francisco, CA 415.678.5942 thecastrobarberlounge.com
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
HEALTH/COUNSELING/SUPPORT
API WELLNESS CLINIC
726 Polk St. SF LGBT Center 1800 Market Street San Francisco, CA apiwellness.org
BILLY DEFRANK
LGBTQ CENTER
938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 408.293.3040 defrankcenter.org
LYRIC CENTER FOR LGBTQQ YOUTH
127 Collingwood St (@ 18th St), San Francisco, CA 415.703.6150 lyric.org
OAKLAND LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER
3207 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland, CA 510.882.2286 oaklandlgbtqcenter.org
PACIFIC CENTER FOR HUMAN GROWTH
2712 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA 510.548.8283 pacificcenter.org
QUEER LIFESPACE
2275 Market St, San Francisco, CA 415.358.2000 queerlifespace.org
RAINBOW COMMUNITY CENTER
2380 Salvio St., Concord, CA 925.692.0090 rainbowcc.org
SF AIDS FOUNDATION
470 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 415.437.3400 strutsf.org
SF LGBT CENTER
1800 Market St, San Francisco, 415.865.5555 sfcenter.org
STONEWALL PROJECT
1035 Market St, #400, San Francisco, CA 415.487.3000 stonewallsf.org
THE TREVOR PROJECT
866.488.7386 Text: 678.678 thetrevorproject.org
UCSF ALLIANCE HEALTH PROJECT
1930 Market St, San Francisco, CA 415.476.3902 ucsf-ahp.org
LEGAL
AIDS LEGAL REFERRAL PANEL
1663 Mission St, #500, San Francisco, CA 415.701.1100 alrp.org
OASIS LEGAL SERVICES
1900 Addison St, #100, Berkeley, CA 510.666.6687 oasislegalservices.org
TRANSGENDER
LAW CENTER
510.587.9696 transgenderlawcenter.org
HOTLINES
THE GLBT HOTLINE OF SAN FRANCISCO: 415.355.0999
GLBT NATIONAL HOTLINE: 1.888.843.4564
GLBT NATIONAL YOUTH TALKLINE: 1.800.246.7743
TREVOR PROJECT HOTLINE (Queer Youth Suicide Prevention): 866.488.7386
CALIFORNIA AIDS, STD, & HEPATITIS HOTLINE: 1.800.367.2437
SEXUAL ASSAULT - COMMUNITY VIOLENCE SOLUTIONS: 800.670.7273
CONTRA COSTA CRISIS CENTER for Suicide & Crisis Intervention: 800.273.8255
50% Off 50% Off
Purchase one spa treatment at regular price and receive a second of equal or lesser value at 50% off* in the month of October when you mention this offer.
*Services must be consumed on same day, but may be shared among two people