Thestandard vol6 issue5

ALL ABOARD! TRAVEL ISSUE 2018

TOP LGBT DESTINATIONS

+ THE TRAVEL WARRIORS NUTRITION GUIDE MAY, 2018 | VOLUME 6 ISSUE 5 | THESTANDARDPS.COM

CONTENTS VOLUME 6, ISSUE 5

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FEATURE TRAVEL WARRIORS NUTRITION GUIDE Eating Right While On Vacation PAGE 35

Volume 6 Issue 5 COVER PACK YOUR BAGS TOP LGBT DESTINATIONS PSP FOCUS QUEEN OF THE DESERT ETHYLINA CANNE TELLS US ALL ABOUT IT MUSIC YASHI BARES ALL FOR HER MUSIC

PHOTO CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

MAY 2018 3

COMMENTARY

The Standard Magazine PO Box 2074, Palm Springs, CA 92263 760.831.4869 Nino Eilets Publisher Luciano McNulty Editor Maya Kalabic Art Director PHOTOGRAPHER David A. Lee CONTRIBUTORS Mona Elyafi, Dann Foley, Chris Heritage, Jill Langham, Lee Lynch, James Murphy, Adam Sinicki, Steven Henke, Paul Hutnick, Jamie Booth, Michael Khordoc, Chris Astrala, Franco Carmona & Terri Schlichenmeyer www.thestandardps.com EDITORIAL CREDITS :

BrandPoint, Huffington Post, LGBTQ Nation & Project Publicity The Standard Magazine is published monthly. Opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of the Standard or its staff, advertisers or readers with exception of editorials.

Publication of the name or photograph of any person, business or organization in articles or advertising in the Standard is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person, business or organization. The Standard disclaims any responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Advertising rates are subject to change without notice. The Standard reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any advertisement for any reason including, but not limited to poor taste. It is the policy of The Standard that we only publish letters to the editor that are signed by the author and verifiable by phone number. We can reserve the right of anonymity upon request. The letters need to be original, in good taste and free of libel as well as edited for clarity and grammar. Letters are subject to editing by The

The views and opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of The Standard Magazine staff, and/or any/all contributors to this publication.

Standard that also reserves the right to decline print. Please forward your letters to: info@thestandardps.com The views expressed is not necessarily those of The Standard. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. No portion of the publication may be reproduced in any form without the expressed consent of the publisher.

COVER

2018 TOP GAY VACATION DESTINATIONS

BY FRANCO CARMONA

PARIS Gay Paree will get way, way gayer come summer when thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered athletes from across the globe invade the city for the 10th Gay Games August 4-12, the first time the quadrennial event has been hosted in the City of Light. It will be a queer takeover in the truest sense of the word as Parisians typically ditch the city in August for the coast. That means for nearly 10 days we’ll have pleasures like morning coffee in the Latin Quarter, sunbathing at Paris Plage and steamy nights in the Marais all to ourselves. Not a strong athlete? The Games are all about inclusion and personal best. Seriously, it doesn’t matter.

CENTRAL AMERICA In Costa Rica, a case arguing for a bi-national gay couple’s right to have their marriage recognized is winding its way to the higher

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courts, and although a judge in Panama recently ruled against marriage equality, he framed it in a way to possibly allow for it down the road. Our fingers are crossed. Costa Rica remains a beloved queer vacation paradise and bustling Panama City boasts gay nightlife and thrilling coolness in its colonial “Casco Viejo.” Elsewhere, there’s beautiful Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, pristine diving in Belize, unspoiled beach towns in Nicaragua and so much more.

AUSTRALIA On October 27 2017, Australian citizens voted to legalize same-sex marriage after a long debate and you can bet Aussies are in a festive mood in 2018. You should be there to partake. Sydney is the undisputed mecca; it brims with rowdy bars, drag shows that elevate the art form to unreal levels and beaches packed with guys in Speedos (and those are the straight dudes).

Cultured Melbourne gives Sydney a fair run for its money. Beyond the cities are romantic places to tie the knot such as the Hunter Valley and Boho Byron Bay. LOST RIVER, WV P-Town. Key West. Palm Springs. These queer meccas formed long ago, but why aren’t there new ones? Has assimilation killed the gay getaway? Hardly. Drive two hours west of Washington, DC and you’ll discover Lost River, a woodsy community of only 2,500 people that has nevertheless been profiled in the New York Times and Washington Post and oft touted as a restful weekend playground for urban gays. Stay at the Guesthouse Lost River and shop at the Lost River Trading Post (both gay owned) and enjoy the fresh air. There are no gay bars as of yet, but with rainbow flags now visible on Main Street, nightlife can’t be too far behind.

MAY 2018 7

COVER

SALT LAKE CITY, UT We never thought we’d use the words Salt Lake City and gay mecca in the same sentence, but then we also never thought Will & Grace would kill off Rosario, so anything can happen. SLC has actually been trending queer for some years now. It has the 7th highest LGBTQ population per capita in the US according to Gallup and frankly we’re not surprised. Priced out of high-rent cities, queers are settling in mid-tier metros like Salt Lake where they can snag a home with a view of the mountains for under $300K. Meanwhile, the scene boasts half a dozen gay bars, a bumping Pride and Elevation Utah—one of the largest gay ski weeks in the country.

LISBON Accolade after accolade has lately been heaped upon the Portuguese capital and every bit of it is well deserved. Sunny and coastal

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Lisbon is perched upon numerous hills that have earned it fair comparisons to San Francisco. Famous for its rickety trams, decorative tiling and romantic Old Quarter, the city is every bit as captivating as Paris, Barcelona and Rome but at a much lesser cost—for now anyway. As for gay life, it’s modest but thriving. Stay at the excellent Late Birds Lisbon, tramp around the bars dotting the Bairro Alto and sample local eats at Time Out Market. When nature calls, take a ride share to famed gay and nude Beach No. 19.

SEOUL North Korea has been on everybody’s minds lately (thanks a lot, Donald), but lost in the discussion is South Korea, which hosted the Winter Olympics in February. It’s also got a gay scene. In 2000, Seoul hosted its first Korea Queer Culture Festival—and 50 people showed up. In summer 2017 the event attracted more than 50,000.

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COVER

Those numbers show growing strength in the city’s LGBTQ population and its booming scene, including thriving nightlife for the boys, but also separate bars geared toward girls and also for trans folk.

Check out ‘hoods like Jongro-3, Itaewon (Homo Hill) and lesbiancentric Hongdae.

LOMBARDY, ITALY Not since a young Matt Damon strutted around the Riviera in retro swim trunks in The Talented Mr. Ripley have we been so in love with Italy, but the butterflies in our stomachs are fluttering once again. The new coming-of-age Sundance smash Call Me by Your Name tells the story of a teenage boy falling in love with his father’s American assistant during a sun-drenched Italian summer—set during the short shorts-wearing ‘80s no less! Sure, we’re swooning for Armie Hammer (The Social Network) and his naked bum, but really the film has us falling for Lombardy and the village of Crema where the film was primarily shot.

SEATTLE, WA In a rollercoaster off-election year that saw Virginia elect a trans woman to the state legislature and New Jersey elect its first

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Sikh mayor, a lesser trumpeted story was that the Emerald City elected Jenny Durkan—its first openly lesbian mayor. Speaking of good government, the Seattle AIDS Legacy Memorial is working on a new monument to honor the late Cal Anderson, the state’s first openly gay legislator. Meanwhile, the city checks many requisite queer boxes including vibrant culture, food and nightlife, a happening gayborhood (Capitol Hill), gay sunbathing at Madison Beach and the world’s most famous gay advice columnist, Dan Savage.

THE CANARY ISLANDS Ten years ago, you’d have been hard-pressed to find North Americans in Maspalomas, a tourist magnet and gay mecca for sun-starved Europeans on the south tip of Gran Canaria—the second most populated of the Canary Islands. But cruise ships have brought new crowds to the island and that’s just fine. Tacky though it may be in places, Maspalomas boasts numerous gay-owned hotels, a giant shopping mall containing no less than two dozen gay bars, and a lively and festive gay nude beach.

Even better, the Spanish-owned archipelago is accessible via cheap flights from Europe, but its geography and terrain is sub-Saharan Africa.

Thanks to Orbitz for their contribution to this article

COVER

TRAVEL SAFE, KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

BY CHRIS ASTRALA

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender travelers face unique challenges when traveling abroad. Laws and attitudes in some countries may affect safety and ease of travel. Legal protections vary from country to country. Many countries do not legally recognize same-sex marriage. More than seventy countries consider consensual same-sex sexual relations a crime, sometimes carrying severe punishment. Research your destination. Remember you are subject to the laws of the country where you travel. In many countries, consensual same-sex sexual activity, public gathering, or dissemination of pro-LGBT material may be illegal. Read the country information for your destination for more details.

Update Your Passport. Some travelers have reported difficulties entering a country on a passport bearing a name and photo that no longer corresponds to their gender presentation. To change your name only, update the gender designation on your passport, or if you were born abroad, go to www.travel.state.gov/ for complete information and step by step guide on how to make any of these changes.

PACK IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS LGBT travelers should take copies of important documents, especially when traveling in countries where legal rights differ from those in the United States. Legal and health documents (such as a living will or health care directive) Parentage and/or custody documents for accompanying minor children (especially if your children do not share your last name).

Contact information for your family and/or lawyer in the United States, including someone who has a copy of your itinerary.

CONSIDER BUYING TRAVEL INSURANCE Travel insurance can cover your costs during emergencies, including in cases where medical evacuation may be required.

Some insurance companies have products specifically tailored to LGBT travelers. Verify that any insurance you purchase will cover all traveling family members.

OTHER POINTS TO CONSIDER Be cautious of potentially risky situations. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do at home.

• Avoid excessive physical displays of affection in public, especially in more conservative countries or regions.

• Watch out for entrapment campaigns. Police in some countries monitor websites, mobile apps, or meeting places, so be cautious connecting with the local community.

• Be wary of new-found “friends.” Criminals may target or attempt to extort LGBT foreigners.

• Some resorts or LGBT neighborhoods can be quite segregated. Be aware attitudes in surrounding areas can be much less accepting.

• If you need help, contact the U.S. embassy or consulate; they may be able to help if you run into problems overseas, especially if you feel you cannot approach local police or have had difficulties already. Consular officers will protect your privacy and will not make generalizations, assumptions, or pass judgment. Let them know about any inappropriate treatment or harassment you experience. If you are arrested, immediately ask the police to notify the U.S. Embassy.

These points may seem to be a bit of a downer, but believe me it is better to do your homework to make sure you have an amazing vacation and that they only problem you have while away is a hangover from drinking too many drinks with umbrellas in them.

MAY 2018 11

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Robert Farran

COVER 5 WAYS TRAVEL WILL CHANGE IN 2018

BY CHRIS ASTRALA As international travel gains popularity each year, new destinations are added to bucket lists and new travel gadgets and accessories appear on the market. The way we travel has changed in the past few decades, but that age-old itch to explore and discover new places and experiences remains the same. So how and why are people traveling now? The results of Visa’s recently released Global Travel Intentions (GTI) Survey reveal some interesting travel trends and tips - to keep in mind for 2018.

Simplifying payments abroad - For as long as anyone can remember, a standard part of traveling to a foreign country involved exchanging currency. Carrying cash involves time, planning, and anxiety about losing money and often, wondering what to do with leftover cash once you return home. In fact, loss or theft of cash is the number one money concern for travelers while on trips. And 72 percent of people say working to get their hands on foreign currency prior to departure is a waste of time. With more than 46 million merchants accepting Visa around the world, a Visa card is the most important travel accessory you can carry.

TIP: Use your Visa card and pay in local currency for a competitive exchange rate. Avoid wasting money by sticking to your Visa card and only pulling out cash when needed.

People travel because of culture - Of all the places to go in the world, why is it some people choose one place over another? According to Visa’s GTI survey, 41 percent of people cite “rich culture” and “friendly locals” as reasons to pick a destination. Although famous monuments, great museums and spectacular palaces continue to draw in visitors, the people who live in a traveler’s destination are hugely important.

TIP: Hang with the locals. Check out fun events such as festivals and concerts to make sure you’re not missing the best events in the city you’re visiting.

Ideal vacations look a little different to everyone - What do you want to get out of travel? Is it to meet new friends, see something in person you saw on television, or fulfill a longtime dream? When vacationing, 63 percent of travelers are motivated by a combination of reward and achievement. That means to them, an ideal vacation has some combination of relaxation and experiencing new cultures or exotic locations.

TIP: Block out time on your trip to relax and reflect on the experience. It can be easy to plan activities and sights to see, but it’s important to rest in between.

People are feeling optimistic about travel - Though they may be excited to get out of their comfort zone, some people have reservations about the safety of traveling to far-off locations, or worry about affording such a trip. However, according to the GTI Survey, people are not letting these factors keep them at home.

TIP: Budget your trip accordingly. A better understanding of what you can spend can help keep your mind at ease during travel.

According to the GTI Survey, global travelers spend an average of $1,793 per trip. While on vacation, look for Visa or PLUS logos at point-of-sale terminals or ATMs to ensure international payment cards are accepted.

Technology is the new travel companion - The traveler’s wellfolded map and dog-eared guidebook might be a thing of the past.

As more travelers adopt digital technology, virtually everything they need to navigate fits right in the palm of their hand. What’s more, 88 percent of travelers have online access while abroad and almost half, 44 percent, use ride-sharing apps to get around once they are on the ground.

TIP: Research apps or technology that might be helpful on your travels. Downloading your bank or credit card apps can help track your money while traveling. As technology continues to revolutionize our daily lives, so it will continue changing how we travel.

Staying on top of trends can allow travelers to plan accordingly.

By budgeting, planning, avoiding cash and finding out the best ways to track spending, travelers can get the most from their dream travels - and their wallets.

MAY 2018 13

INDESIGN TRAVEL: A LIFE WELL LIVED

BY DANN FOLEY

Travel and exploration has always been a mainstay in my life.

I lovingly referred to my grandparents as nomads, because they traveled the globe on a regular and extensive basis. My parents are the same kind of people and instilled in me, and my siblings, the wanderlust that fuels my travel cravings today.

Travel often goes hand-in-hand with collecting. The homes of my grandparents and parents were filled with items culled from travel to all corners of the world. One of my earliest memories of summer was sitting at our breakfast room table as my mother would read to us from my grandparents itinerary, it would tell us where they were on that day and what they would be doing or seeing.

Summer was the time when they would take world tours. They would leave for two to three months at a time and circle the globe.

Within weeks of their departure we would begin to receive packages and crates of everything you can imagine; furniture, paintings, sculptures, fabrics, antiques‌and on and on. I learned a great deal from the contents of those boxes. Even as a child I was learning about the world through the treasures my grandparents collected.

When they returned home we would have another treat. My parents would take us to my grandparents home, where my brothers,

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sister and I would lay on the living room floor with popcorn as we were shown the slides of everything they did and everywhere they went and where all of those amazing pieces came from, who made them and why they decided on buying those particular items. I really felt like I had already traveled the world because my grandfather was not only a world traveler but, he was a master storyteller and could immerse us in their experience through his travel logs and pictures. Both of my grandparents kept travel diaries. Those notes only enhanced their and our experience of those wanderings and explorations.

It was weeks later when I would see changes in their home dĂŠcor, as they added these new pieces to their existing collections.

I always found it so exciting experience to see how they fit in. I wanted to see how my grandparents and their decorator made the new items work. How they seemed to flawlessly fit with the rest of the collections that inspired my own creativity in design. Their home was a perfect reflection of who they were. It grew, it changed, and it evolved just as they did. They way they lived and traveled was the prototype for me to create a life for myself as I matured.

My exposure to the world of design was equal to my exposure to the world at large. Through my parents and grandparents I learned about different ways of living and the varied lifestyles of

different parts of the world and different peoples, from the most humble to the most dramatic. That has always influenced my work and me. Today I love to mix different periods and styles of objects.

I love to mix the “high and the low�, in other words the refined with the simple. When things are meaningful, they never clash. It is in their relationship and juxtaposition that you find deeper beauty.

If you follow my column here at The Standard, you know I often talk about design as being personal and telling your story.

Travel is an amazing way to create a home full of personal things of meaning and beauty to you. No one else has to agree, it only has to matter to you. Design is just another path to self-awareness and so is travel. When you immerse yourself into something or some place that is foreign to you, when you take the time to learn new ways and people, they leave an indelible mark on your psyche and your soul.

By bringing home pieces of your travels you get more than just mementos of your trips, you add another layer to your life through experiences you could not have had by staying home or simply watching the Travel Channel. If our lives are enriched by our experiences, than travel has been the lifeblood of my creativity and never-ending desire to explore the world, the people and the places different from my own. And each time I bring home a little piece of those places I am transported back to those moments to reflect on that time and share the experience with those who are important to me. Your home, as a reflection of who you are, is meant to be shared and part of sharing your life are the stories that brought you to where you are today.

Travel often, travel far and Live Well!

MAY 2018 15

FEATURE

“HAPPY WIFE HAPPY LIFE” SEASON 2 OUT NOW ON YOUTUBE

BY MICHEL KHORDOC The one and only talk show that offers marriage advice from happily married non-experts!

We’ve all heard that “marriage is hard” but what if it weren’t?

Two married lesbian couples, Cat Davis and Kristen Smith (married for 2 1/2 years) and Bridget McManus and Karman Kregloe (married for 10 years), discuss and debate relationship topics in this fun, if not accidentally informative, show.

These non-experts offer a fresh, funny and uniquely gay perspective on how to make the most out of married life. A never-beendone before talk show that changes the narrative about (gay) marriage and offers a refreshing take on married life for lesbian couples.

Created and produced by Cat Davis & Bridget McManus, “Happy Wife Happy Life” just returned for a second season. All six episodes were recently released for free on YouTube. Season 1 is also available on tellofilms now.

Bridget McManus is a screenwriter, producer, director and awardwinning performer. She created and hosted two television shows for the Logo Network, “Bridget McManus Presents: That Time of The Month” and the award-winning comedy talk show, “Brunch with Bridget.”

McManus had a recurring cameo in season 4 of the Emmy-Award winning series Transparent and garnered a Best Actor nomination at London’s Raindance Web Fest for her starring role Maybelle, which McManus penned and co-produced.

She also produced and starred in the series Happy Wife, Happy Life, McManusLand, We Have Issues, Buyer Beware and was featured in Universal’s blockbuster film Wanted, MTV’s sketch series Acting Out, the romantic comedy November Rule and was the host’s sidekick on CBS’s The Queen Latifah Show.

Cat Davis is an LA-based TV writer and performer, originally from Greenfield, Indiana. She has worked as a writer for the Disney Channel and has appeared on Showtime, Lifetime, LOGO and the CW. She performs improv regularly as a Main Company member of ComedySportz and as part of the improvised musical, “U-sical!”

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Stand-up credits include LOGO’s “One Night Stand-Up” and “One Night Stand-Up After Dark,” LA Comedy Festival, Eagle Rock Comedy Festival (winner “Best of the Fest”), The Laugh Factory, The Improv, Ventura Harbor Comedy Club and the Here/Queer Comedy Tour.

Cat was the host of the popular AfterEllen vlog, “Cat on the Prowl” and the co-host of “Is This Awesome!” with Fortune Feimster, and the satirical news show “We Have Issues” with Bridget McManus.

The first live taping of “Happy Wife Happy Life” was recently shot at ClexaCon in Las Vegas and garnered massive success – more shows with a live audience will be shot in the future. “Happy Wife Happy Life” was also submitted for an Emmy Award in the “Outstanding Short Form Variety Series” category.

For more information go to: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happywifehappylifeseries/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HWHLseries tello Link for season 1: https://www.tellofilms.com/series/happy-wife-happy-life

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FEATURE

ABRAMOV LEX IS

“UNCOVERED”

BY JAMIE BOOTH

for more than 5000 pictures at multiple locations with celebrated Russian photographer Dima Bocharov. “I knew it would be a long process, but as a person who has never been a professional model and also never published a book before, I had no idea it would be this challenging.”

Alexander developed the idea for “Uncovered” three years ago when he first moved to New York City from Moscow. He had three motivations: the first was his love and passion for photography.

Second was his desire to share stories from his life that he thought a lot of people, especially the LGBTQ community, might identify with and would find interesting and inspiring. Lastly, he wanted to create; something he has loved to do his entire life. “I’m a man who is not afraid to open his soul,” he says. “Аfter all, I always remember, life only gets better when we are able to be honest and when we are willing to give something to others, especially our spirits.”

Russian artist and producer Alexander Abramov, widely known on Instagram as Abramov Lex, releases first two volumes of five-part series of revealing art photography books. Abramov Lex bares all in “Uncovered,” his coming of age story about a man who isn’t afraid to speak his truth, follow through with his vision and be exposed, both body and soul. The five part series of art books tells the story of Alexander Abramov. The Russian artist and producer portrays different characters in unique worlds full of action and emotion. Through images and notes from his personal diary, Alexander explains to the world who he really is.

“I started keeping journals 18 years ago. My diary is about awareness of my homosexuality, about my experiences and explorations of the world: first feelings, first love, and first sexual encounter… It is also about human imperfection and struggle, drugs and fears, scars and past troubles. On the whole, it tells of becoming the man I have wanted to be: a man who is able to inspire others to makes changes for the better.”

In “Uncovered,” Alexander depicts five characters: a Wrangler, a Mercenary, a Woodsman, a Journeyman, and a Seafarer. He posed

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Revealing his body for the book wasn’t as easy. “I grew up a very sick child,” he reflects. “I had problems with my lungs and at the age of 13, I underwent a serious operation on my intestines, which left me hospitalized for four months and put an end to my normal existence as a man. I was tall, 6’2, but very skinny, probably around 130 pounds.”

It wasn’t until Alexander was 20 that he started to think about going to the gym. It took over 10 years to get to his current weight of 230 pounds. He is finally at a point where he feels confident with his body. Still, posing for nude photos was something he had never done before. Alexander was careful and selective about using his nudity in a tasteful way. “Because I have known Dima for many years and he and I have done many photo projects together, it was not hard for me to take my clothes off. What was hard was to be naturally sexy, appear relaxed and to not pose too much. Of course, it is very difficult to surprise people in the age of universal exhibitionism, but these nude images that we captured definitely deserve some attention.”

Taking clippers to his head for the second book, “Mercenary,” also required courage but he did it for the sake of the story. “I

hope these beautiful images will resonate and inspire people to be the best versions of themselves, inside and out, as well as inspire them to travel to gorgeous places and live outside of their comfort zones.”

Alexander Abramov began his career in media business as an assistant in a PR agency specializing in corporative events in his hometown of Karaganda, which is in Central Kazakhstan. After he moved to Moscow, he got a job at a magazine as a producer of photo projects. While there, he dabbled in fashion, creating a few collections that appeared on the runways of Russian Fashion Week. Russia, however, experienced a financial crisis and Abramov was forced to leave fashion for a more lucrative career back in PR, again as a photo producer. It eventually led to an opportunity in TV where Alexander Abramov became an executive producer of a makeover reality show on one of the biggest entertainment TV channels in Russia. He remained in TV for five years until he decided to move to the USA. “It’s been a long, winding road to where I am now but all of my past experiences in magazines, fashion and TV have contributed enormously to the making of this series. They are all part of the fabric of the man that I’m excited to reveal in ‘Uncovered’”.

As a gay man who was born in the Republic of Kazakhstan and lived his young adult life in Russia, Alexander Abramov knows from experience the horrible situation with gay rights in these countries. For this reason, he is donating 10% of proceeds to the Russian LGBT Network, to help protect the gay youth of his native countries. The Russian LGBT Network is an interregional, non-governmental human rights organization that promotes equal rights and respect for human dignity, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

MAY 2018 19

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BOOK REVIEW

WOULD YOU RATHER?

BY KATIE HEANEY You’re late!

Oops, you overslept, got caught in traffic, the elevator was slow.

Phone lines were down, email was down. You forgot, and you’re late, sorry. Or, as in the new book “Would You Rather?” by Katie Heaney, your understanding was just a bit delayed.

Where do you go when you’re looking for love?

For Katie Heaney, it was, well, pretty much anywhere. She’d always wanted a boyfriend and she’d had lots of crushes in her life but she was never meaningfully kissed. At age twenty-one, she went to Madrid for a semester with the hopes of meeting someone, but there were only seven men in the group of a hundred students.

In Spain, though, after binge-streaming The L Word and falling for Shane, she began to think that maybe she might be a lesbian.

Musing, she messaged her best friend, who let Heaney talk it out and decide that there was a big MAYBE involved.

Even so, she never saw herself with a girlfriend.

She grew up in the cold of Minnesota, had planned on spending the rest of her life close to home, and moved into an apartment near Minneapolis with her straight best friend but that was too cozycomfy. Heaney on-and-off flirted with the possibly being gay and she met a woman who was, no question, lesbian, which made her decide to shake herself out of her complacency. She visited New York, and then moved there.

Being in The Big Apple was a big deal, but Heaney remained frustratingly dateless. By age twenty-four, everyone she knew had dated and she began blogging about it, she wrote a book, and she noticed that that affected the way men acted toward her. Four years later, her “attraction to men was just… gone” and picturing herself with a woman came “pretty easily,” which was all it seemed to take: shortly thereafter, Heaney met Lydia online, and her almost-thirtyyear dating desert became an oasis. She not only imagined herself with a woman, she was with a woman and nothing felt more right.

And now, says Heaney, “I am living with the best roommate I have ever had.”

Sometimes funny, sometimes self-depreciatingly cringe-worthy, “Would You Rather?” is a refreshing change over the “I’ve-knownsince-I-was-a-child” LGBTQ memoirs. Readers may also notice that it’s a bit overboard.

Author Katie Heaney writes of her journey with a charming awkwardness that endears her to any reader who’s ever felt as though the different drummer they’re marching to is actually playing the bongos: same beat, different crowd. This book will resonate with all who feel left behind in a world where peers are hooked up solid, and frustration mixes with indecisiveness mixes with self-questioning.

Once readers have gotten to the happy not quite ending, though, Heaney continues to examine her situation, which, while it doesn’t completely ruin the books’ earlier allure, bruises the story somewhat.

Still, this book is worthy, if nothing but for its unique coming-out POV. For that, “Would You Rather?” fits perfectly for memoir-lovers, Heaney fans, and those who bloom late.

“Would You Rather? A Memoir of Growing Up and Coming Out” by Katie Heaney. c.2018, Ballantine Books / $16.00 / $22.00 Canada 256 pages

MAY 2018 21

THE AMAZON TRAIL

THE TERLET

BY LEE LYNCH

This data, whether in the hands of Snapchat or the federal government, is especially fraught for gays and other target groups.

When I objected, starting around the age of four or five, to commercials on the radio, I had no idea what the future of marketing would hold for us all. Why, I asked, was “The Lone Ranger” interrupted to sell Silvercup Bread? Was it because of his silver bullets? Well, yes, it was considered a terrific marketing tie-in. I hated ads then and I hate them now when the once open Internet has become a mammoth shopping mall for which we pay with our privacy.

At a rummage sale yesterday, I snagged a couple of Red Star Lilies. When I asked Google to tell me about the plant, what I got were sellers who shared some information along with their big fat clickhere-to-order ads. The same happened with browser DuckDuckGo, but at least no companies grabbed my height, weight, and IQ to use in further marketing. You really have to know to use sites like Wikipedia and WikiHow (and support them directly with donations) so they don’t have to push ads or sell your information to survive.

Some of my favorite lines from the poet Wordsworth can be found at www.poetryfoundation.org. “The world is too much with us; late and soon, /Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; —/little we see in Nature that is ours;/ We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”

Now, doesn’t that just sound like Facebook, which has been carelessly selling our affectional and political preferences for years and years? I used to think, what the heck, I have nothing to hide. I can’t get much more out than being a lesbian writer who proudly uses

22 THESTANDARDPS.COM

her legal name. As the Internet has gotten more powerful, though, anyone who’s read George Orwell’s prophetic 1984, is noticing the potential for extremely sordid uses of our information. Like electing the Unfortunate Current Occupant (UCO). Unfortunate for us, that is. And now, the census wants us to bare all. According to pewresearch.org, the US Census will ask if we’re married to or in a domestic relationship with a person of the same binary gender. Given that UCO, his all too “competent” V.P., his narrow-minded Attorney General, and the wacko conservatives in Congress, are in power, this data, whether in the hands of Snapchat or the federal government, is especially fraught for gays and other target groups. I’m going to fess up on the census, but not without feeling like I’m signing up for Saddam Hussein’s Golden Hit List.

It’s like a neighbor said of our community newsletter, “No religion!

No politics!” From the state of our planet, getting along is not something we’ve got down pat at all. Parents who considered both subjects to be private brought me up. I’m of a generation that shouts our politics and spiritual beliefs on bumper stickers and t-shirts. Who knows what’s next? If we don’t at least try to vote, we’ll be forced to show our colors: pink or black triangle badges and tattooed ID numbers, if our votes count any more. How about, in this consumerist society, we get receipts—paper ones—for our votes so no one gets into office through a back door. If little mom and pop stores can manage this, if the cash register industry has made it so very easy… Never mind, just because we pull the right levers and get accurate receipts, doesn’t mean the hackers won’t hack us over into the column that pays the most.

My sweetheart and I, a bit despairing, switched obsessing about the state of the world to spiffing up our home a little, making equipment more accessible and shrinking our footprint. Not that it can get much smaller, as we own an infinitesimal fraction of an acre just large enough for our manufactured home, a one-car garage, and a margin of space for the birdbath, some bushes and young trees.

NEED FOOD?

We’re quite excited about our shiny new faucets, though. They have lever handles that don’t require twisting and grasping. It’s much easier now to decrease the flow of water. One is deliciously art deco.

After that, my sweetheart tackled what we came to affectionately call our bathroom fixture, with a nod to Norman Lear’s Archie Bunker: the terlet. With back and knee problems, it’s not as easy as it once was to sit down and get up from anything.

Manufactured homes are notorious for small bathrooms. Not as small as the one in the twenty-seven-foot trailer I used to live in, but palatial it ain’t. The terlet is lower than the standard fifteen inches tall, a so-called normal height designed to accommodate everyone from kids to basketball players, all able-bodied. Ridiculous! To our good fortune, a friend down the street, who recently fractured his leg in a few places, extolled his seventeen-inch commode. Ours is now on order.

Then there’s the outside. We added cinderblock pavers to the driveway, so passengers will no longer step out into the Oregon mud.

We moved the birdbath to replant, in a sunnier spot, the three-foot Western hemlock we’ve been nurturing since it wasn’t much more than a twig. Now that I can’t use a shovel anymore, we’ve been scouting garage and store sales for big, colorful flowerpots our Red Star Lilies can inhabit.

Our little toothpick house, as my sweetheart named it, is shaping up, maybe not a showplace, but a homey, lived-in, always in progress, sometimes higgledy-piggledy, much beloved Pacific Northwest homestead.

Making all these decisions has given us months of distraction from the UCO. Advertising had not a whit of influence on us; we did it all without resorting to Internet coaxing. We did use the web to comparison shop and order what we needed since nothing we wanted was available in our rural community. The Internet, like the government, should belong to the people, not corporations and marketers who offer top dollar for our consumer profiles.

Commodifying everything from the halls of Congress, to supposedly private messages to loved ones, to “The Lone Ranger,” “we lay waste our powers.” When our very identities are for sale, really, so little is ours.

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MAY 2018 25

PSP FOCUS

QUEEN OF THE DESERT

A CONVERSATION WITH 2018 HOST ETHYLINA CANNE

BY STEVEN HENKE

I sat down with Ethylina Canne to spill the tea over coffee and had a lot of questions for the host of Queen of the Desert 2018, the annual So-Cal Lip Synch competition happening June 1 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.

Q. Have you always loved performing?

“I have. The first time I ever did drag was in Jr. High School.

They were doing a Ma and Pa kind of play in drama class.

My class decided to switch the roles so a girl played Pa and I played Ma. I of course took inspiration from Vicki Lawrence’s “Mama” character from “Mama’s Family”. I fell in love with drag immediately.”

Q. You’re doing stand-up now in drag - How did that start?

“I did stand up with the help of Samantha Hale who is Alan Hale’s granddaughter. Alan played the Skipper in Gilligan’s Island.

And she asked if I would like to host rotating gay comedy night at Laugh Factory. I was terrified the first time and I now absolutely love it. It turns out that Miss Canne is very funny.

Q. You’re hosting Queen of the Desert again this year. What changes can we expect to see in the show?

“First and foremost we’re at a new venue with theatre seating.

Jeffrey Drew is directing and he also directs Best in Drag. It will be a tighter show with multi-media because of the large screen at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. It’s going to be Queen of the Desert 2.0” Q. What does drag mean to you? How do you feel when dressed in drag?

“Drag is a way for me to express a whole another side of me.

I get to be this entity that is a fantasy and fabulous and helps me express my feminine side” Q. Tell me about winning Best in Drag last year. What went thru your mind when they announced you as a winner and which celebrity judge gave you the nicest compliment after you won?

“I did not think I was going to win. I was amazed that I did because the Christmas theme was iffy, as everyone doesn’t love

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Christmas as much as I do. We raised over $500,000 that night for people living with HIV \ AIDS in Los Angeles County. Dot Jones from Glee gave me the nicest compliment. I’m excited to return this year doing color commentary with Dee W Ieye. This years pageant takes place October 7 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles hosted by Kay Sedia.”

Q. How do you feel about day drag?

“Day drag is a very interesting situation. I host a brunch outside in the daylight and being a 44 year old man, you pray it all holds up throughout that time, and that nobody gets too close. Nighttime is much more forgiving.”

Q. What advice would you give to someone doing drag for the first time?

“Be yourself. And have fun, because if you’re not having fun, neither is the audience.”

Q. You watched the Super Bowl with Kathy Griffin and I loved all the photos of the gays posting to social while she watched the game. How big do you think her come back will be this year?

“I think her comeback is going to be HUGE. She’s selling out venues and adding extra shows. It’s going to be EPIC and she deserves every bit of it” Q. If Miss Canne were on the Real Housewives of Palm Springs, what would her housewife tag line be?

“If I can’t do it…nobody Canne.”

Q. You’re working on a one-woman show. Will you sing live and will we hear background stories of a young Miss Canne making her way in life?

“Yes. You will hear back-stories about growing up on a 10-acre farm in the quaint town of Morro Bay, CA, about how a young boy made it from the farm to center stage. The premier will be at the Annenberg Theatre in Palm Springs and then perhaps a tour or a TV special like Liza with Z. I’m also doing a two women show with Kasha Davis called “Everything’s Coming up Roses” in July at Oscar’s, which will be all live singing”

PSP FOCUS

MAY 2018 27

PSP FOCUS Q. What is World of Wonder and what were you doing there recently with Miss Kasha Davis?

“World of Wonder is the production company that produces Drag Race, Million Dollar Listing, and many other series. We shot a web series called “Pets for Pets” which includes Kasha Davis and Devin Green highlighting people and their amazing pets. Fun Fact: Season One of Drag Race was filmed in the basement of the building- a very small space compared to the studio they currently film.”

Q. What drag legend is Miss Canne’s biggest inspiration?

“Lypsinka. I remember watching her growing up and thinking she’s phenomenal. I’m also inspired by Doris Day, Ann Margaret, Ann Miller, Liza Minnelli, Shirley Bassey— They all had that mesmerizing stage presence and could command the stage.”

Q. What are your favorite lyrics?

“I do love ‘don’t say why, say why not’ from Liza’s song ‘Say Yes.’” Q. Can you describe an experience you felt most nervous? What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in drag?

“Competing in Best in Drag where I had to create a new character and persona from the one I normally portray.”

Q. How do you handle fans who fall in love with Miss Canne?

“I’m so grateful that I have fans, period. I love fans. I reach out.

I say thank you to all compliments and let them know how grateful I am for the love.”

Q. How big is your drag family?

“It’s just me. I never had a “Drag Mother” growing up and I’m too young to have children…”

Q. What do you do after your perform?

“I go home and take it all off, and EAT” Q. How has your look evolved over the years?

“My look in the early 90’s was all about the labels and designers, before that it was craft and glue guns on a dime. My look has evolved into a more custom polished product these days that I’m very proud of” Q. Who should have won Drag Race All Stars Season 3?

Shangela. She was the girl that never gave up and kept coming back to give it another go. I’m so happy to see all the success that has come her way due to her hard work and dedication and I’m also happy for Trixie Mattel who did take home the crown.

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Q. What’s your favorite city to perform?

Palm Springs Q. Can you imagine a time when you would retire from drag?

What would Miss Canne do if she weren’t performing?

“I see a lot of performers that are in their golden years and still do it. The show must go on.”

See Ethylina Canne June 1 when she hosts the Fifth Annual Queen of the Desert. For tickets go to www.desertaidsproject.org/events

PSP FOCUS THE PALM SPRINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY PRESENTS DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR FEATURING BELLA DA BALL On Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. the Palm Springs Public Library will be hosting one of two planned Drag Queen Story Hour events for families in the Youth Room featuring our very own local diva Bella da Ball! There will be a fun craft, a story or two read by Bella da Ball and then a dance party to end the evening.

Kids of all ages are invited to attend; it will be a fun evening for the whole family! The second scheduled event will occur on Wednesday June 6, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Youth Room.

Founded by Michelle Tea and RADAR Productions out of San Francisco, Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is just what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores. DQSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models. Hosted at libraries across the country, from New York to Los Angeles, new events are popping up all over and Palm Springs is now the newest location!

Bella da Ball is Palm Springs’ area social ambassador, hostess with the mostest, and drag personality. Bella da Ball is a recipient of a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, received Safe Schools Desert Cities Champion for Youth Award for LBGTQIA, PrideNation Best Entertainer People’s Choice Award for years, Community Service Award from AAP, Volunteer of the Year from Greater Palm Springs Pride, named Desert Outlook’s Best of the Valley Ultimate Pride drag personality for years, received honors from Desert AIDS Project celebrating Everyday Heroes, received Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce P.S. I Love You award.

Bella was the inaugural “Community Sweetheart” at the Palm Springs 25th Festival of Lights parade last December. Other involvement includes Rainbow Youth Summit and Youth Prom, Palm Springs Pride and its Cabaret Stage, Film Festival and ShortFest, Modernism Week, Palm Springs Animal Shelter, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs Air Museum M.A.S.H. Bash, Arenas Road Halloween celebrations, AAP Oscar’s Night, D.A.P. events including Queen of the Desert pageant emcee and Desert AIDS Walk, Rancho Mirage Women’s Club, Palm Springs Women’s Club, Cathedral City LGBT Days, Desert Winds Freedom Band, and others on social and community calendars, as well as private functions and staffing events. Bella presents a weekly show Thursdays at Copa and hosts Game Night Mondays at Ace Hotel.

For more information about the Library call 760-322-READ (7323) or log on to www.palmspringslibrary.org.

MAY 2018 29

LEGALLY SPEAKING

ON THE GO LGBTQ TRAVEL 2.0

BY CHRISTOPHER HERITAGE

Travel is refreshing and exciting, but can sometimes be risky.

I wrote an article several years ago with some advice for LGBTQ people on the go. I’m looking again at the issues, and sadly, there has been little change in most of the problem areas of the world.

Even more concerning, the change in the political atmosphere in the U.S. has made travel here less safe and comfortable in many ways.

In 2015, when the Supreme Court affirmed the right of U.S. same sex couples to marry, most of us sighed with relief. A hard-fought battle for equality was won, and we hoped for and expected many other LGBTQ problems to start fading away and be replaced by acceptance and tolerance. But shortly after, the climate changed. An increase in support for hate and bigotry of all kinds began to grow in conservative areas of the country. Talk show hosts and politicians grew bolder in their condemnation of diversity and equality. Some advocated a return to a time when gays were excoriated and treated as criminals. Some religious groups began to push for exclusion of LGBTQ people from participation in daily commercial life and normal

30 THESTANDARDPS.COM

human activities. Hate groups have multiplied. Hostility and prejudice is becoming the norm in some areas.

This means that travel in some parts of our country can be risky and uncomfortable. In general, cities and other areas with strong equal rights laws are welcoming and easy to navigate. But rural areas and many smaller towns can harbor hate groups and other folks who dislike us and may look for ways to harm us. From bullying on social networks to actual violence in the streets, they have an arsenal of weapons that we need to look out for and avoid if at all possible.

When it is necessary to travel in such areas, the wise traveler will plan carefully to avoid businesses and areas that are likely to support bigotry. The smart move is to behave just like the locals, and appear, as they want you to appear. In your own hometown, you might hold hands with or kiss your partner or same-sex spouse in public. That is the wrong behavior to exhibit in areas where prejudice may be rampant. Calling attention to yourself in any way is not smart. Plan to spend as little time as you can in those places. Move on quickly.

Travel abroad is another story. Most of Western Europe is welcoming to LGBTQ folks, and spending an enjoyable time there should not be a hassle. As in the U.S., it is likely that the larger cities are more congenial than smaller ones and rural areas. But outside of these countries, being LGBTQ can be very risky, and in some places downright scary.

Mexico has made some progress with marriage equality and other gay rights issues, but many parts of the country are not up to speed. Even some urban and resort areas still experience an unsettling level of hate crimes.

There are more than 75 countries that criminalize homosexual and gender nonconforming behavior. The bias is so strong in some areas that penalties include capital punishment; and officials tolerate murder. Hate crimes and violence are common in many of these countries, and authorities rarely intervene. You could ask, “Why in the world would I choose to go any of these dangerous countries?”

But many of us don’t always have a choice. Your job might require it.

Or you might have to pass through one or more of these countries on a trip to another destination.

As a wise traveler, you will check out the LGBTQ tolerance and acceptance status of countries you might visit. Study the current laws and events that could impact your trip or your stay. As in the U.S., behave as the locals want you to behave and be very wary of being drawn into unknown events or locations. They could prove to be harmful.

Here are a few tips that may help you avoid problems in your travels: • Join the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) that is offered by the U.S. State Department. They have their finger on the pulse of world affairs, and will contact you with information if there is a serious issue or emergency in any of the countries to which you are travelling.

• Carry a copy of your advance health care directive and medical emergency information (or subscribe to LegalVault, which stores your legal documents in the cloud, available for you to access from anywhere in the world).

• If you are a transgender traveler, check all your documents to make sure your sex designation is the same on all of them, and matches your physical appearance. Carry medical documents in English and in local languages so they can be easily reviewed wherever you are.

This article is part of an ongoing series of articles pertaining to legal issues relevant to the LGBT community, and is intended for general information purposes only – not legal advice. Christopher Heritage is an attorney in Palm Springs and San Diego, who focuses on LGBT estate planning, domestic partnerships, same-sex marriage, probate, trust administration, and bankruptcy. He welcomes questions and comments and can be contacted at 760-325-2020 or at chris@heritagelegal.com

MAY 2018 31

FITNESS

KEEPING FIT WHILE TRAVELING

BY JILL LANGHAM

Well, White Party 2018 is behind us for another year. And what a party it was. Kylie Minogue was over the top. It was great to see her doing so well after her cancer scare. Hopefully she is out of the woods and will remain cancer-free! I’d be curious to know how she deals with good nutrition and exercise while traveling on the road. Perhaps she has personal chefs and a traveling personal trainer. But, I am not so fortunate to have either of those when I’m on the road so I thought I would share with you some of my tricks and secrets!

of us don’t get much of a chance to do if you live in a city where the temperatures rise to nearly 100 degrees by mid morning. In my situation, I could easily walk to work at 6am when its warm but not too hot, however 6 hours later it can be over 100 degrees out and it’s way too hot to walk for 45 minutes especially if I have to be back at work by 2 hours later. So, I tend to drive back and forth which I dislike. But, when I’m on vacation, I walk as much as I can. At times it drives my friends crazy, but they know me by now and put up with my need to walk.

I’ve talked in the past about how I choose to carry my own food with me when I fly so I won’t re-hash (smile) that but instead want to focus on how I exercise especially when I’m abroad.

But. I also go to the gym when I’m on vacation because my BFF and travel companion is gay and loves to work out with me, so we find the closest gay gym and head over to see who else is around. It’s a lot like being at World Gym in Palm Springs. You will see people in the gym and low and behold, will see them later that night at a circuit dance or at a club, making you instantly feel like you are not alone or a stranger in a strange land! I love that part of it! And, many of the gay gyms have a very affordable weekday or weekend pass that makes it all worthwhile.

There are so many apps and YouTube segments available that we can no longer use the excuse that there was “no gym” on the remote island or hilltop resort that you visited. However, apps might not be your thing. Sometimes when we are on a holiday or vacation it’s an opportunity to “vacate” the daily grind and do something different, which is what I like to do.

For me, Europe is that place. I love to walk around the old cities enjoying the sights, sounds and smells that make up these historic places, oh, and the cardio benefits are great as well. Between Fitbit, Apple watch, smartphone apps or one of the 325,000 apps on health that are available, you can now know the exact number of steps/miles you’ve walked on any given day. They will also tell you your heart rate and how many calories you’ve burned, allowing you to perhaps imbibe in a few extra sips of a cocktail or enjoy an extra appetizer or dessert! Gotta’ love that But, mainly, it’s just a refreshing and inexpensive way to really “feel” the city you are in. Walking is a fantastic exercise that many

32 THESTANDARDPS.COM

I usually pack a pair of old sneakers that are wearing out. I do this so that I have something to wear when I’m in a foreign gym because many of them will not let me train in my boots! Big Shock there! But, when the trip comes to an end, I leave the sneakers in my hotel room and replace them with either a new pair of sneakers that remind me of my trip or even better, buy a new pair of boots since I now have extra room in my suitcase! Either way, I have a memento of a fantastic trip and can sport my new fashion item back here in PS!

Here’s to your health! XOXO Jill

MAY 2018 33

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NUTRITION

THE TRAVEL WARRIORS NUTRITION GUIDE

BY CHRIS ASTRALA

U.S. residents logged 1.7 billion trips for leisure purposes in 2016, according to the U.S. Travel Association, and this number will likely grow in 2018. Whether you’re traveling for leisure or business, you shouldn’t lose sight of nutrition. It’s common to think, “Hey, I’m on vacation, so I can throw my healthy diet out the window.” Wrong. Traveling can throw the body for a loop with time zone changes; shifts in sleep schedules and the availability of fast, convenient and highly processed foods.

Five easy steps to make sure you stay healthy while you’re on the go: 1. PACK HEALTHY SNACKS. Dining while on the go usually translates to getting a quick hunger fix that involves processed, high-fat foods. Make a conscious effort to pack healthy snacks. Apples and nut butter, pretzels and hummus and dried, no-sugar-added fruit are a few healthy options.

2. LIGHTEN YOUR LUGGAGE. It’s all too common for travelers to try to max out the weight of their checked luggage, which often weighs in at 50 pounds. Carting around heavy luggage and bags can take a toll on the body. One easy way to lighten your load is to condense cumbersome toiletries.

For instance, look at the prescription medications and dietary supplements you’re packing. A 2018 Wakefield Research study, conducted for Vitamin Packs, found that more than half - 51 percent - of respondents tote along five or more different types of pills when they’re traveling. And with age comes ailments. Baby boomers are the pill pack mules, with 64 percent taking five or more types of pills along for the ride when they travel, compared to only 35 percent of millennials who bring the same amount.

The good news - you can leave dietary supplement bottles and days-of-the-week pillboxes at home. Look for personalized vitamin subscription services, like Vitamin Packs (www.vitaminpacks.com), that combine customized dietary supplements into individual daily packs that can easily tuck into your carry-on luggage.

3. DON’T FORGET ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS. The introduction of personalized nutrition has made it much easier (and lighter) to bring your vitamins and supplements with you when you travel. It may not always be convenient to grab a

bright orange pepper or a bowl of fresh spinach while on the go.

Therefore, your body may be craving folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A, lutein, and just about every other phytonutrient.

“We shouldn’t sacrifice our nutrition simply because we’re away from our kitchen,” commented Elizabeth Somer, registered dietitian, author of “Eat Your Way to Happiness” and Vitamin Packs medical advisory board member. “I always pack nutritionally rich go-to snacks when I’m away from home and pack a multivitamin that delivers the essential nutrients my body needs to perform at its best.”

4. KEEP YOUR BLOOD FLOWING. If you’re planning a U.S. cross-country flight this year, direct flights can leave you sitting for five hours or more. These long periods of sedentary travel can lead to blood clots. Before you go, check with your doctor about adding an omega-3 supplement to your diet to maintain healthy blood flow.

5. HYDRATE. HYDRATE. HYDRATE. Water should be your No. 1 travel companion. Pack a reusable water bottle, so you can quickly fill up at water fountains located in many airports, train stations and bus stops. As you take to the air, road or track this year, make nutrition a top priority. Your body will thank you and it will give you the energy you need to enjoy your time wherever your travels take you.

MAY 2018 35

SOCIAL COMMENTARY

“MY MOTHER GETS ON MY DAMN NERVES”

BY DR. STEPHAN M. SCOGGINS

We live in a world filled with true diversity, religions, ethnicities, genders, etc.; one of the universal triggers is our mother. With so many sons being a “momma’s boy”, the slightest insult towards our mother will result with a swift response and depending on our upbringing possibly a downright ass kicking. As we use the month of May to celebrate mothers, I would like the explore the??? of a mother.

I think it is safe to say that many mothers get a bad rap.

Many psychologists, at some point during the therapy session, will eventually say, “Tell me about the relationship with your mother.” The truth of the matter is, a mother’s love is our first love. Scientists have established that even in utero a bonding develops. After delivery, our mothers nurse us, change us, rock us, and dote over us. So, when did it happen? You know. When, for some people, did their very existence irritate the hell out of you? When did the compliments about your mother turn into complaints? When did she become the one person you couldn’t stand to be around?

Whether you want to believe it or not, I think some children come to resent their mothers because that is the one person you cannot bullshit. She knows your strengths and weaknesses. She knows if you were or are potty trained. (Smile) She knows if you are a leader or follower and according to many movies, she knows if you are straight or gay. Sadly, because a mother’s love is the first love and has an expectation of unconditional love, when some people experience extreme discipline, rejection, physical or mental abuse or observe a mother’s drug/alcohol addiction, it shapes the foundation for many of their future relationships.

So now the crescendo starts for the “I hate my mother campaign”.

Your words, your actions, your absence are all, I guess, is to “fix” that bitch. Here’s the catch. You only get ONE mother.

Absolute fact, I call my mother at 7am every single day that I am alive. We fix all of the political problems, teach each other a few hymns and occasionally have some heated conversations that end with, “Let me get back with you.”(Smile) Nonetheless, I truly cherish hearing her answer my call every single day.

36 THESTANDARDPS.COM

There is a song called, “Wildflower” and I think of ALL mothers, certainly my own, when I hear the line, “She’s faced the hardest times you could imagine. Many times her eyes fought back the tears. Do you think it was easy for her to be a mother? Where are the classes? Where are the role models; the ones on television are not sufficient enough.

Many mothers, whether they are 4feet tall or 7 feet tall, they were our protectors. I realize that there are those situations where some suffered from mental illnesses and drug addictions and were not even able to protect themselves. Why carry the hatred towards someone who wasn’t even capable of loving himself or herself? Oh yeah, here is another consideration. If you now have become so grown and wise, why don’t you become the teacher

and teach your mother how to love? How to love you? How to love herself? And, of course, only IF you can.

When I was single and dating, if I met someone who started bad mouthing their mother, it didn’t tell me about their mother, but rather it told me about who THEY were. Any adult who uses their daily life to point out the flaws of their old mother or dead mother, needs to pay for some professional counseling and damn grow up! As horrific as some childhood experiences were with an addict mother or mother with mental illness, that was still your mother.

Now, the gloves are off! Get a piece of paper and write this down. “What is the REAL thing that has me so angry with my mother?

If there anything that can be done about it now? Is the growth in my life being hindered because of my constant parading of my ancient history? Am I seeking sympathy? After you write out all of the answers, allow that paper to be your swan song and throw that shit in the trash and allow yourself to take flight.

Visit my website at www.StephanScoggins.com and join the many readers who write a monthly response. Be honest with yourself and let us know, “What about this writing exercise made you feel better?” Email your response to esteem@roadrunner.com and as always, your name and accompanying information will remain completely confidential.

If your mother is alive and you think that you are healthy enough to set boundaries for how you require to be treated, then call her on mother’s day and simply say, “Hi mother. While we don’t have a history with the ease of communication, I am simply calling to say that you are on my mind.”

If your mother is deceased, let it damn go!

Only a mother could have gotten you here and the one who did was yours. Happy Mother’s Day.

MAY 2018 37

MUSIC

SUPERSTAR ARTISTS

REIMAGINE ELTON JOHN’S BIGGEST HITS

BY RYAN TURRIN

Some of the world’s biggest pop, rock and country artists are celebrating Elton John’s most beloved and legendary catalogue of hits with the release of Revamp (Island Records). The superstar lineup features artists both new and iconic reinterpreting the timeless songs of the over 50 year writing partnership that Elton and Bernie Taupin share. These renditions and artists show the depth of the catalogue these two icons have created, which can easily cross musical genres and their unparalleled influence across popular music of all styles. A second album with additional reimagined Elton John and Bernie Taupin hits, Restoration (Universal Music Group Nashville), is also available.

Revamp features the hits reimagined by the best in pop, rock and urban with Mary J. Blige, Alessia Cara, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Florence And The Machine, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Mumford and Sons, P!nk and Logic, Q-Tip ft. Demi Lovato, Queens of the Stone Age, Ed Sheeran, and Sam Smith.

“It’s always a huge compliment when an artist loves your song enough to take the time and effort to rework it,” adds Elton John. “As songwriters, Bernie and myself are thrilled when singers we admire and respect as much as those on Revamp & Restoration choose to add their own unique twist in the process. It means that our music is still relevant and ultimately that our songs continue to reach new audiences. We’re humbled and thank them all for their generosity.”

“Because of our love of all kinds of music, we’re not stuck in

38 THESTANDARDPS.COM

one genre,” said Bernie Taupin. “From day one we borrowed from everything that’s good about American music - whether it’s blues, country, gospel, pop, pure rock - everything got thrown in the mix.

I think that’s why our music over the years has been so varied. It would be tiring if you just got stuck in one niche your entire career, especially when it’s one as long as ours.”

Revamp has a pop art cover based on the Terry O’Neil photograph of Elton that was recreated in neon. Bernie created the album art for Restoration. The covers are very different from each other because they represent totally different albums.

“We have two completely different albums; Revamp being the pop one and Restoration being the country one and God we have so many great artists doing our songs, it’s quite incredible,” said Elton John. “Restoration was Bernie’s project and he’s a huge country fan. The Revamp was more my project. He came up with an astonishing list of country performers both new and legendary. On Revamp I wrote out a wish list of people that I would love and asked them and to my surprise most of them said yes and we have quite an astonishing eclectic crew.”

The caliber of names contributing to Revamp and Restoration is another reminder of Elton’s enduring popularity at a busy and prolific time for the superstar. Last month Elton announced his ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. Comprising of over 300 dates across five continents over three years, the tour kicks off in the US in September and marks the finale of 50 years on the road. The first 60 dates sold out immediately after going on general sale, confirming that the farewell tour will be some of, if not the, hottest gig tickets of the coming three years.

MUSIC II

TRACY YOUNG SPRINGS INTO

FULL SCALE PRODUCTION MODE

BY JEFF DORTA

Over the last twenty-five years, Tracy Young has built a reputation as Clubland’s hottest remixer with her slew of Billboard #1s featuring Madonna, Cher, Lady Gaga and more. Earlier this year, she announced she would be shifting her focus to producing original music, and now, as her first works begin to emerge in time for spring, Young is showcasing a spectrum of musical styles that are sure to heat up a wide array of dance floors throughout the summer and beyond. First up is “SCOPA,” a tech house track with a dark, driving rhythm that sounds like the sequence track for an action film. In fact, if it were a movie, it would be two parts Atomic Blonde and a dash of The Matrix. On the flip side are Young’s celebratory tracks, the underground sounding “Get ‘Cha There” and throw-your-hands-in-the-air Pride anthem, “Let It Go.” Both mark Young’s first ever collaboration with legendary dance diva, Suzanne Palmer. “SCOPA” is available now on iTunes and all major online retailers and streaming services, through Young’s F-Region label, a division of Ferosh Records. “Let It Go” is available on iTunes and all major online retailers and streaming services as well as “Get ‘Cha There” “I actually finished ‘SCOPA’ five years ago, while I was living in New York,” reflects Tracy Young from her Miami home. “I was evolving musically and I think I my tastes were maybe even a little ahead of what was playing in clubs at the time.”

‘SCOPA’ was originally titled “Scopami,” the Italian f-word.

Young changed the title in order to appeal to mainstream. “With tech house being so popular today, the song has a real shot at being added to EDM radio rotations and streaming stations,” she says.

Her other two releases are intended for club and house music stations. “Get ‘Cha There” is a whimsical, high-energy track about the various distractions many couples face today. It’s a gentle reminder that dance diva extraordinaire Suzanne Palmer can soothe bodies and souls with her voice and help clubbers through whatever pain they’re trying to overcome. “Let It Go,” on the other hand offers listeners a much-needed break from all the world’s issues.

It’s a reminder to not sweat the small stuff and stay focused on the larger, more important, picture.

Young and Palmer have known one another for years but aside from sharing the stage at performances with Peter Rauhofer and Offer Nissim through the Star 69 camp, they’ve never had the pleasure to collaborate on music together. “We connected at a show in Mexico last year and discussed the idea of doing something.”

They created both tracks in a single studio session in Chicago this past winter. “It was amazing how easy the lyrics were to write together,” Young explains. “In one day, we laid down the melody and vocals and knew right away we had some hits.”

Tracy Young celebrates 25 years behind the turntables this year.

When she began her career, she said she didn’t give much thought to how male-dominated the field was. “I just had this passion inside me to play music,” she told Billboard’s Patrick Crowley last year.

She credits a large part of her early success to Miami’s Ingrid Casares who introduced her to Madonna in the mid-nineties. Young would go on to spin numerous events for the Material Girl, from movie premieres to album release parties; even Madonna’s wedding to Guy Ritchie. Her work with Madonna soon led to remixing and producing other big names in the music industry from Gloria Estefan to Katy Perry. To date, Young has released seven albums and racked up 48 #1 Billboard Club hits.

“From my empowering anthems and remixes for over 100 artists, my goal has always been to send positive messages of peace, love and music for everyone,” she says.

MAY 2018 39

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MUSIC

UNIVERSAL LOVE BECAUSE LOVE + MUSIC ARE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGES

BY MARTHA TANG

MGM Resorts International has released UNIVERSAL LOVE, a collection of reimagined wedding songs for the LGBTQ community, celebrating the enduring and overwhelming power of love and music to unite.

MGM Resorts is a global entertainment company with a deepseated belief that entertainment is fundamental to human fulfillment.

The company’s passion for the UNIVERSAL LOVE project reflects its profound commitment to embracing humanity and the impact music can have on the human experience.

UNIVERSAL LOVE offers six newly recorded versions of iconic love songs that give same-sex couples a soundtrack for their own love stories and feature pronouns changed to reflect the world of LGBTQ relationships.

The album includes boundary-changing songs from some of today’s most-beloved artists. Bob Dylan, one of the most influential and successful recording artists in American history, is among the visionary artists participating in this unprecedented project. Dylan re-recorded “She’s Funny That Way” as “He’s Funny That Way.” The album features five additional stellar artists whose involvement is a testament to the urgency of equality in entertainment: Kesha (“I Need a Woman to Love Me”), St. Vincent (“And Then She Kissed Me”), Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie (“And I Love Him”), Kele Okereke of Bloc Party (“My Guy”), and Valerie June (“Mad About The Girl”).

Phyllis James, MGM Resorts’ Chief Diversity & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, said, “We believe projects like this will help all of us reach a point where seeing the world through the lens of people who happen to be different from us becomes natural and commonplace. It is an immense honor for MGM Resorts to spearhead this inspirational project which celebrates LGBTQ dimensions of the universal emotion of love.”

UNIVERSAL LOVE is a natural extension of MGM’s two decades of advocacy work with the LGBTQ community and the company’s desire to advance initiatives that unite humanity. More than a decade before

42 THESTANDARDPS.COM

same-sex marriage was legalized, same-sex commitment ceremonies were performed at chapels at MGM Resorts’ properties. In 2004, MGM Resorts became the first company in the gaming and hospitality industry to offer same-sex health benefits to employees, and MGM was a founding partner of the Las Vegas chapter of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in 2004.

MGM Resorts is a leader in all aspects of the entertainment industry (hospitality, gaming, live events, etc.) and believes in the transformational power of entertainment for all. MGM’s launch of UNIVERSAL LOVE reinforces an inclusive vision of unions that more closely mirrors the incredible diversity of today’s relationships.

The compilation album was produced by MGM Resorts in conjunction with global advertising agency McCann and will be distributed by Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music.

UNIVERSAL LOVE is available on all streaming platforms today. For more info visit www.universal-love.com

MUSIC II

PANSEXUAL POP ARTIST YAYSH BARES BODY AND SOUL

BY PAUL HUTNICK

Openly pansexual pop artist Yaysh is asking people to give her — and love — a chance in “Get 2 Kno Me,” her provocative new pop/reggae summer track, releasing this week. It’s a sweet, gentle, relaxing song where Yaysh invites listeners to open up and embrace a higher quality of life.

“I want to encourage people to be honest, vulnerable and willing to take that fearless leap into life’s unknown,” she says. “Leap. Enjoy. Relax. Love. You might be surprised at what happens.”

She takes a leap in the song’s music video, appearing fully nude, along with fifteen other Gen Z’ers. “We are all so afraid of being judged and letting people see our flaws. It prevents us from feeling good about ourselves and allowing others to love us for who we are.” Yaysh explains the video, in essence, was an exercise in confronting and conquering her own fears of nudity. “Sometimes we have to jump into our phobias so that our thinking doesn’t get the best of us.” “Get 2 Kno Me” is available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon, and all other major retailers as well as through streaming on Pandora and Spotify. The censored music video is in Vimeo and uncensored music video is on Youtube.

Yaysh understands that she presents a unique challenge to many people. She is an androgynous-looking female, white MC and a singer who often crosses musical genres. “People often want to label me a lesbian but I prefer pansexual because I occasionally find sexual chemistry with men,” she explains, clarifying, “usually black men.”

She believes sex is healthy, good for the soul, and may be the answer to many of life’s problems. “We are so good at war, why haven’t we mastered love yet?” she wonders. “If people’s sex lives were better, they would feel loved and be more willing to release love to others.”

She hopes her music helps to launch a movement that inspires human connectivity and the embracing of diversity. “I want my fans to be friends with each other and to be motivated into being kinder, more daring and open to learning about others, rather then assuming they know them based on preconceived notions. I hope my music stimulates hard conversations around our own personal biases.”

Yaysh found a new community in Shambhala Buddhism. She became an avid meditation practitioner and found that it, combined with music, enabled her to care for her mind and express her thoughts freely. “I found freedom through music and meditation,” she says.

She later moved to LA where she met her producer, Troy “R8dio” Johnson (Solange, Chris Brown, Why Don’t We). They connected on their mutual interest of spirituality and began making music together.

Today, Yaysh takes special pride in writing all of her own lyrics and music. “I am completely, thoroughly and fully myself in my music. I don’t think about it. I just make it. Sometimes I’m feeling soft and sweet, deep, and romantic and sometimes I want a club banger. Sometimes I’m pissed off and sometimes I want to be sexual and spicy.

“I’m weird,” she laughs. “I’m a spiritual person who maybe doesn’t immediately appear that way. I’m a circle that refuses to fit in a square box. I’m a deep bish and every one of my songs has meaning and intention. Get to know me. I think you might get woke to the bigger reality that no one truly is how they appear.”

Yaysh’s new single, “Get 2 Kno Me,” is available on iTunes, Spotify and all digital platforms. The music videos are available on Vimeo and Youtube.

Follow on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @ yayshplz

MAY 2018 43

the3D’s

RESTAURANTS VILLAGE PUB 266 S. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.323.3265 www.palmspringsvillagepub.com NATURE’S HEALTH FOOD & CAFE 555 S Sunrise Way Suite 301 Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.323.9487 www.natureshealthfoodcafe.com SHERMAN’S DELI & BAKERY 401 E Tahquitz Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.325.1199 www.shermansdeli.com RÍO AZUL 350 S. Indian Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.992.5641 www.rioazulpalmsprings.com 849 849 N Palm Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.325.8490 www.eight4nine.com COPLEY’S ON PALM CANYON 621 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.9555 www.copleyspalmsprings.com WORKSHOP KITCHEN & BAR 800 N. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.459.3451 www.workshoppalmsprings.com

44 THESTANDARDPS.COM

DINE | DRINK | DANCE Palm Springs LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO 200 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.5858 www.lulupalmsprings.com

CHEEKYS 622 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.7595 www.cheekysps.com

PURPLE ROOM 1900 E. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.322.4422 www.purpleroompalmsprings.com

POMME FRITE 256 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.778.3727 www.pomme-frite.com

EL MIRASOL 140 E Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.323.0721 www.elmirasolrestaurants.com

CHILL BAR 217 E. Arenas Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.1079

THAI SMILE PALM SPRINGS 100 South Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.5503 www.thaismilepalmsprings.com

RICK’S RESTAURANT 1973 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.416.0090 www.ricksrestaurant.biz

TRIO RESTAURANT 707 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.864.8746 www.triopalmsprings.com

PINOCCHIO IN THE DESERT 134 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.322.3776 www.pinocchiops.com

THE TROPICALE 330 E Amado Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.866.1952 www.thetropicale.com

BARS AND NIGHT CLUBS

ZIN AMERICAN BISTRO 198 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 760.322.6300 www.pszin.com LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO 200 S Palm Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.327.5858 www.lulupalmsprings.com

HUNTERS NIGHTCLUB 302 East Arenas Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.323.0700 www.huntersnightclubs.com TOUCAN’S TIKI LOUNGE 2100 North Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.416.7584 www.toucanstikilounge.com

STREETBAR 224 E. Arenas Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.1266 www.psstreetbar.com THE TOOL SHED 600 E. Sunny Dunes Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.3299 www.toolshed-ps.com STACY’S AT PALM SPRINGS 220 E Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.620.5003 BLACKBOOK BAR 315 E Arenas Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.832.8497 www.blackbookbar.com QUADZ 200 S Indian Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.778.4326

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COMING UP NEXT MONTH TIME TO SHAPE UP SPORTS & FITNESS ISSUE 2018

MAY 2018 45

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EVENTS CALENDAR always be in two places at once as we get called out on a variety of business items.

Please check with any gallery regarding specific hours. All galleries are open during our monthly First Wednesday Art Walk from 5 to 8 pm. www.backstreetartdistrict.com

NOW THRU MAY 20 COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY THEATER 2 ACROSS, A comedy by Jerry Mayer. Two strangers board a San Francisco BART train at 4:30 a.m. They are alone in the car, each is married, and both are doing the New York Times crossword. When he tosses his puzzle away, she snaps, “Crosswords are a metaphor for life, those who finish, succeed, those who don’t, fail.” This starts an eighty-minute ride described by critics as “Hilarious,” “Witty,” “Romantic,” “Poignant,” and “Wonderfully entertaining.” Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7:30 PM, Matinees Saturday & Sunday at 2:00 PM. Plus Tuesday 5/8 and 5/15 at 7:30 PM. For tickets call the box office at 760-296-2966

MAY 11-14 PALM SPRINGS HOT RODEO The annual rodeo festival, produced by the Greater Palm Springs Chapter of the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association (GSGRA), will welcome hundreds of rodeo enthusiasts and fun-seekers for a full weekend of dancing, drinking, pool parties, contests and a real country fair. Rodeo Competition, Festivities and Country Fair will be held on May 10 - 13 at the AC Dysart Equestrian Park in Banning, CA. The remainder of the Hot Rodeo events will be held in Palm Springs and Cathedral City and at host hotel Baymont Inn & Suites. www.psrodeo.org

46 THESTANDARDPS.COM

CURRENTLY THROUGH – MAY 28TH, 2018 MICHAEL CHILDERS: HAVING A BALL. PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM, CLAYES III WING In tandem with the exhibition Andy Warhol: Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation, the museum will present a new exhibition of work by Michael Childers. During the 1970s, Childers was a photographer for Andy Warhols’ Interview Magazine, giving him access to the artist and his famous New York studio, The Factory. Childers’ photographs of Warhol from the 1970s use subtle strategies of gesture, props, and doubling devises to go beyond the inscrutable icon that the artist cultivated, bringing to light his complicated personality below the surface persona. www.psmuseum.org

DBA MIXERS FOR MORE INFO VISIT WWW.DESERTBUSINESSASSOCIATION.ORG ONGOING >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BACK STREET ART DISTRICT The Backstreet Art District boasts a diverse collection of galleries & businesses where you may meet artists, visit working studios and enjoy fine art all in one location. You can find most galleries open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm, but nothing is set in concrete. We are a collective of boutique galleries and regretfully cannot

TG MONDAYS. TRANSGENDER SOCIAL EVENT Every second Monday of the month, Transgender Social Hour discussing advocacy, transitioning & HRT. Allies, respectful admirers, and transgender umbrella all welcome. Portion of proceeds to benefit the Raina Chessman Fund.

For more info www.transcc.org PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM The Palm Springs Art Museum offers free admission every Thursday night from 4-8 p.m., sponsored by the City of Palm Springs. This provides an excellent way to start a trip to the City’s VillageFest, the popular weekly street festival held every Thursday night along Palm Canyon Drive. www.psmuseum.org

CHILL BAR PALM SPRINGS A warm and fabulous twenty first century modern venue located on Arenas, suited with multi faceted rooms for any celebration.

The gorgeous island bar is surrounded by hi-definition video entertainment and a comfortable designer lounge. Chill on the patio enjoying music and refreshing beverages with friends after a game of pool, or come by and say hello to our friendly staff.

Open for business seven days a week. Get out of the heat, and come join us! Happy Hour (From Open to 7pm) and Late Happy Hour (From Midnight to Last Call) www.chillbarpalmsprings.com

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EVENTS CALENDAR THE SUNDAY BAND W/ SPECIAL GUESTS. PAPPY & HARRIET’S PIONEERTOWN The Sunday Rock + Roll Service is a Pappy and Harriet’s institution celebrating the healing powers of music and community! Every weekend the club’s favorite singers and players get together and trade songs. Come join us to see Victoria Williams, Gar Robertson, Carol Ann Crandall, Damian Lester, Bob Furgo, Rachel Dean, Ryan Norman, Caleb Winn, Danny Frankel and other talented locals performing for your drinking and dancing pleasure. With a come-as-you-are vibe, Sundays have seen great special guests like Robert Plant, Lucinda Williams, The Jayhawks, Rickie Lee Jones to name a few. www.pappyandharriets.com THE JUDY SHOW. PURPLE ROOM SUPPER CLUB PALM SPRINGS The spirit of Judy Garland is alive and well and in Palm Springs at the famed Purple Room Supper Club every Sunday at 7:00! This blend of hysterical comedy and outstanding music explode into an evening of nonstop belly laughs, glamour and high camp, as celebrated entertainer Michael Holmes parodies Judy Garland, who in her 1964 television variety show, played host to some of the greatest female icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood. www.purpleroompalmsprings.com

RETRO ROOM LOUNGE Nestled near the center of gay nightlife in Downtown Palm Springs, Retro Room Lounge is the must-see neighborhood gay bar to visit in Palm Springs. With daily happy hour until 7 pm and reverse happy hour from 9pmmidnight, there’s always a deal for you. As an added bonus, our bartenders have hand crafted a drink menu that features specialty cocktails that you won’t find anywhere else.

Oh, and did we mention we have Jell-O shots too. Karaoke and Happy Hour every night! www.retroroomlounge.com.

OSCAR’S CAFÉ & BAR Located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs on the corner of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Indian Canyon, Oscar’s has a huge outdoor patio with lots of umbrellas for shade and misters to keep you cool, too.

You can beat the heat any time of year and enjoy the views of Palm Springs. On Saturday and Sunday from 8am – 2pm, enjoy a $9 Bottomless Mimosas (juice included), a single $2 mimosa or a $5 Bloody Mary with brunch, during which both our full breakfast and lunch menus are available. Also join us for Sunday Funday Weekly Tea Dance 4pm-Close! Live entertainment weekly visit our website for details. www.oscarspalmsprings.com LIPSTICK AT COPA Thursday nights at Copa just got a little hotter with a new show at the new showroom inside Copa. The Hot New Lipstick show is a raucous affair where the audience is encouraged to participate in singing, clapping, dancing, partying and celebrating special events. Featuring performances by Charles Herrera, Pinkie Meringue Shimmer, Marina Mac, Sassy Ross, Dion Khan, and Cherilyn, and emceed by the fabulous Bella Da Ball, this show will not disappoint. For ticket info and schedule of performers visit www.coparoomps.com HUNTERS NIGHTCLUBS® Palm Springs, Palm Springs’ go-to gay bar and dance club, has been leading the way in full-out fun for 16 years now! And we keep it pumping, making it better for you all the time with our unparalleled event line-up. We enjoy having

the desert’s most sought-after and friendly DJs, full-on themed events, and a staff that has it all without the attitude. And of course, we are proud to hold the longest happy hour in the entire Valley. Remember: Size Matters.

Come by for our happy hour from 10am – 7pm. Yes, that’s right: 9 hours long!

For a list of all events and specials visit www.huntersnightclubs.com

SUNDAYS AT TOUCANS “The Playgirls” at Toucans Tiki Lounge featuring Tommi Rose. Performances at 8 & 10pm.These darling Divas of drag really deliver with their very own brand of entertainment to packed houses. Special guests appear weekly. DJ in the sound booth. Every Sunday Complete list of events www.toucanstikilounge.com FOR A COMPLETE CALENDAR OF EVENTS VISIT OUR MEDIA PARTNER, GAY DESERT GUIDE. CLICK ON LOGO

MAY 2018 47

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EVENTS CALENDAR

MAY 11-14

THE PURPLE PARTY DALLAS, TEXAS Dallas’s award- winning charity dance weekend, The Purple Party, is excited to bring you our biggest and best party yet. We’re outdoing ourselves this year with the hottest international DJs, famous Texas hospitality, and other developments to continue the evolution of America’s favorite HIV/AIDS dance fundraiser. www.purplefoundation.org

MAY 18- 20

SINGLE WOMEN’S WEEKEND PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS Single Women’s Weekend, May 19-21, 2017 The only weekend for single lesbians on the planet, Single Women’s Weekend takes place over three days and offers nearly 20 diverse events - including Speed Dating, dance parties, a wine tasting, and a single’s scavenger hunt. Single Women’s Weekend makes finding other single lesbians easy. Many couples found each other at Single Women’s Weekend. www.provincetownforwomen.com

MAY 19-20

LONG BEACH GAY PRIDE LONG BEACH, CA Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride was established in 1983, and produced the first annual Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival & Parade in 1984. It’s now the 3rd largest in the US, with more than 75K participants over two days, and more than 200 marching groups and floats in the parade. www.longbeachpride.comround trip from majestic Honolulu, as we party on Norwegian’s spectacular ship, Pride of America! As a special bonus prior to boarding the Pride of America, we will spend a few days in Honolulu for an exclusive pre-cruise getaway. www.alohagaycruise.com

MAY 17-20

TEXAS BEAR ROUND-UP DALLAS, TEXAS We are proud to announce our new Host Hotel - the Hyatt Regency Downtown Dallas.

The Hyatt Regency and Reunion Tower are Dallas skyline icons. Our new host hotel will bring to life the dreams and aspirations we have had for TBRU for many, many years.

A spacious hotel, awesome guest rooms, a one-hotel configuration, plenty of socializing spaces and lots more.

We are putting together a fabulous weekend. We will have many of the familiar traditions you have grown to love at TBRU and now with our new space we can add some new features and events. www.tbru.org

48 THESTANDARDPS.COM

MAY 18-20

FIRE ISLAND LEATHER WEEKEND: ERECTOR! FIRE ISLAND, NEW YORK Join Excelsior M.C. for ERECTOR! The 15th annual Fire Island Leather Weekend. Enjoy a weekend of parties, demos, camaraderie, and the Mr. Fire Island Leather contest on legendary Fire Island! www.excelsiormc.com

JUN 1-9

CONNECTICUT LGBT FILM FESTIVAL HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT In its 31st year, the Connecticut LGBT Film Festival, Connecticut’s longest-running film festival, holds a special place in our state’s cultural landscape, bringing the community together to introduce, celebrate and rediscover the ideas and values that make the LGBT community unique. www.outfilmct.org

int l

EVENTS CALENDAR MAY 8 - 12

MAY 3- 13

MASPALOMAS PRIDE MASPALOMAS GRAND CANARY ISLAND For those who have never experienced the Pride of Maspalomas, a surprise awaits you! The days are filled with various events: festivals, exhibitions, parades, tours, shows, and concerts, along with your favorite restaurants and bars in and around the Yumbo Centre joining in the fun! So make yourself look fabulous and join in the Pride celebrations with us, together with dancers, singers, and drag queens! Are you ready for the craziest and most fun Pride festival in the World? www.maspalomaspride.es

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST LISBON, PORTUGAL The most watched, loved, hated, talked about, campiest, overdressed entertainment show in the world: Eurovision. Lisbon has the honor to host the 63rd edition of Eurovision Song contest in 2018. The Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest are set to take place on Tue 8 and Thur 10 of May, with the Grand Final scheduled for Sat, the 12th of May 2018. Thousands of European fans will come to Lisbon for a long week full of bad or exciting songs, hotshot parties and Eurovision fun! www.eurovision.tv

MAY 26 – JUN 2

GAYSAIL ATHENS-MYKONOS-SANTORINI ATHENS, GREECE A wonderful gay sailing cruise in Greece to the gay Island of Mykonos! A sailing holiday that starts in Athens, on this gay sailing trip you can join one or two weeks. The second week we sail from Mykonos Island to the Island Santorini and back to Mykonos. Both weeks have a distinct route with different ports, bays and islands. Let our gay skipper guide you over the Greek seas. www.gailsail.com

MAY 30-JUN 4

MAY 7-20

INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN GAY THEATRE FESTIVAL. DUBLIN, IRELAND The Dublin Gay Theatre Festival is an annual event, celebrating contribution of gay people to theatre, past and present. The Festival was founded in 2004 to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Oscar Wilde, in his native city. With an emphasis on new or recent international and Irish works with a broadly gay theme or relevance, the Festival has grown to become the largest event of its type in the world. www.gaytheatre.ie

MAY 20-27

PUERTO VALLARTA PRIDE PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO For the sixth consecutive year, Puerto Vallarta will welcome the largest LGBT Pride event in the region: Vallarta Pride. Associations, companies and the entire LGBT community have joined together again to organize this event that celebrates the lifestyle diversity of our city in an 8-day festival that will offer arts and culture events, concerts, entertainment, films, fun, lots of partying and our fabulous Pride Parade. www.vallartapride.com

LISBON BEAR PRIDE. LISBON, PORTUGAL Lisbon Bear Pride is an international encounter for bears and friends in the spectacular city of Lisbon. The long weekend includes parties and fun with optional gastronomic and cultural experiences. www. lisbonbearpride.com Our international media partner, FNQ Magazine, www.fnqmagazine.com Cairns gay lifestyle and travel publication that gives Australia and the world a taste of gay life in the tropics, sponsors the International Calendar. www.go2gaycairns.com

MAY 2018 49

PHOTO REWIND NCLR GARDEN PARTY PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE

50 THESTANDARDPS.COM

PHOTO REWIND LGBT CENTER OCOTILLO CLUB BRUNCH PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE

MAY 2018 51

PHOTO REWIND JOSLYN IN BLOOM JOSLYN CENTER FASHION SHOW PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE

52 THESTANDARDPS.COM

PHOTO REWIND PS ANIMAL SHELTER FAUX FUR BALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE

MAY 2018 53

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