@ ETHYL’S PLACE @ ETHYL’S PLACE
SUNDAY, DEC 14 • 12:00PM
BENEFITING: PRIZES BY:
GED
FROM THE EDITOR
PEACE, PROSPERITY, AND THE SIMPLE JOYS
As the year comes to a close, we reflect with gratitude on the wonderful journey we’ve shared together with you, our readers, advertisers, and supporters, throughout 2025. Your support has been the cornerstone of our success, and we extend our heartfelt thanks.
GED Magazine is more than a mere collection of pages; it’s a community brought to life by a talented team of individuals, ALL members of our LGBTQ+ community. Each story, article, and image is a testament to the shared passion for knowledge, creativity, and exploration. As we ring in the new year, let’s celebrate the love, resilience, and diversity that make our community vibrant, and continue to make our voices heard.
All of us at GED Magazine wish you and your loved ones a holiday season filled with peace, prosperity, and the simple joys that make life beautiful. Thank you for being an integral part of our magazine family, and we hope that you will continue to enjoy the magazine monthly and join us for the many exciting events we have planned for 2026. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok @GEDmagazine and tag us in your photos to be featured… #GEDmag
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
— MICHAEL WESTMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Stan Jenson Will Dean
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Jaymes
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THE KEEPERS OF THE FLAME
TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE AIDS GENERATION, HERE’S A MESSAGE FROM THOSE WHO SURVIVED, TO THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW...
BY EDWARD KIMBLE
Dear young LGBTQ+ community:
When you see us — the older gay men in our 60s and 70s — you might wonder why we sometimes seem distant, why we carry ourselves with a particular kind of caution, or why our eyes hold shadows you can’t quite understand. Let us tell you about a time you’ve only read about in history books, but which lives in our bodies and memories every single day.
THE BEFORE TIMES
In the 1970s, we were like you. We were young, fearless, and full of dreams. We had just begun to taste freedom after centuries of hiding. Stonewall had happened, gay liberation was blooming, and for the first time in history, we could imagine a future where we didn’t have to live in shame.
We formed families of choice — groups of friends who became brothers, lovers, and confidants. We had thriving communities from coast to
coast — the Castro in San Francisco, the Village in New York, West Hollywood, Fire Island, Provincetown, South Beach. We danced, we loved, we planned futures together. We joked about growing old as fabulous old queens, rocking on porches, and telling stories about the wild times.
We thought we were unstoppable. We thought the party would never end.
THE
PLAGUE
YEARS
Then came the 1980s, and with
Edward Kimble (right) with his friend Jason at restaurant Havana’s in New Hope, Pennsylvania, in 2024.
Edward Kimble, age 6, in Beverly, New Jersey, in 1964.
Edward Kimble and his husband Eric at gay bar
The Cub Room in New Hope, Pennsylvania, in 2017.
it, a plague that had no name at first. It started as whispers — someone looking thin, strange purple spots, a cough that would not go away. Then it became a roar that drowned out everything else.
One by one, our chosen families began to disappear. Not from accidents or old age, but from a mysterious illness that seemed to target us specifically. The government ignored us. The media blamed us. Religious leaders called it God’s punishment. Even our own families often turned away.
We watched our lovers, our best friends, our chosen brothers waste away in hospital rooms where nurses were afraid to touch them. We held their hands as they died, often becoming their widowers at 25, 30, 35. We scattered ashes of men who should have lived to see their grandchildren.
Most of us didn’t just lose one or two friends. We lost dozens. Entire social circles. Whole communities. Many survivors are the last ones standing from their groups of friends, their chosen families. Some lost everyone they came out with, everyone they grew up with in the community.
THE TRAUMA THAT REMAINS
We who survived carry what’s called “survivor’s guilt.” We live with PTSD from watching so many people we loved die horrible deaths. We have panic attacks triggered by memories of hospital rooms and memorial services. We struggle with depression, anxiety, and a profound loneliness that’s hard to describe.
Many of us have difficulty forming new close relationships because we learned that loving someone means preparing to lose them. We’re hypervigilant about health symptoms. We sometimes seem overly cautious about risky behavior because we lived through a time when a single decision could mean death.
We often feel like dinosaurs, relics from a time that younger people can’t understand. The vibrant communities we helped build were decimated, and the new communities that grew up in their place are full of people who didn’t live through what we lived through.
WHAT WE NEED YOU TO KNOW
We are not just history book foot-
notes. We are your elders, carrying the memories of your community’s nearextinction and miraculous survival.
Our caution comes from love, not fear. When we worry about hookup apps or party drugs, it’s because we’ve seen what can happen when a community lets its guard down.
We are living libraries. We remember the before times, the during times, and the slow, painful after times. We carry the stories of thousands of people who didn’t live to tell their own.
We are often alone in ways you might not understand. Many of us never had children because we were too busy caring for the dying. Our chosen families were decimated. Dating at 65 when most of your peer group is dead is a special kind of challenge.
We need connections. When you see us at Pride, at community events, or just in the world, know that a simple “hello” or acknowledgment can mean everything to someone who often feels invisible.
We are not asking for pity, but for understanding. And perhaps, for you to help us ensure that the people we lost are not forgotten.
THE GIFT WE GIVE YOU
Because of what we endured, you live in a different world. You have marriage
equality, anti-discrimination protections, medical advances that make HIV a manageable condition rather than a death sentence. You have representation in media, politics, and culture that we could never have imagined.
You get to be young and gay without the sword of Damocles hanging over your heads. You get to plan futures that we never thought possible. You get to be boring, ordinary, and safe in ways we never were.
This is our gift to you, paid for with the lives of our friends, our lovers, our chosen families.
REMEMBER THEM
When you see us at events, when you pass us on the street, when you encounter us in gay spaces, remember that we are the keepers of the flame. We carry the memories of a generation that was nearly wiped out. We are the witnesses to both the worst and most beautiful parts of LGBTQ+ history.
Their names are fading from memory. Their faces exist only in old photos. But their love, their courage, their insistence on living authentically even in the face of death — that lives on in every freedom you enjoy today.
What is remembered lives.
— From those who survived, with love and hope for your future
Edward Kimble, 67, is a musician, poet, philosopher, and writer living in New Hope, Pennsylvania — a town that has been a welcoming haven for the LGBTQ+ community for generations. He lived through the AIDS crisis and witnessed the devastating loss of an entire generation of gay men. He is also a widower who lost Eric, his husband of 40 years, three and a half years ago. He was moved to write this article after discovering that some younger gay men have little to no knowledge of the history that shaped the community they’ve inherited. Through his words, he hopes to bridge the generational divide and ensure the memories, struggles, and resilience of those who came before are never forgotten.
Edward Kimble and his husband Eric in Beverly, New Jersey, in 1983.
Put on your fabulous party attire and don a festive mask. It soon will be time for Carnival in Palm Springs.
Brothers of the Desert has merged two holidays to present its annual gala-fundraiser on Dec. 31. Guests can expect to experience a joyful New Year’s Eve celebration with a colorful, sexy Carnival theme at the Riviera Resort & Spa.
There will be dinner, champagne, entertainment, dancing, and a tribute to four trailblazing members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community (details below). However, the centerpiece of the event is its purpose: to fund scholarships for Black LGBTQ+ students and other Brothers of the Desert (BOD) programs.
The gala supports BOD’s mission to nurture and support Black gay men and allies in the Coachella Valley through education, mentorship, social networking, philanthropy, advocacy, and volunteerism.
“As one of two signature annual events, the New Year’s Eve gala is a great opportunity to introduce guests to a community of Black gay men who value advocacy, allyship and inclusion,” said Tim Vincent, Brothers of the Desert Board President. “We welcome likeminded residents and visitors from across the region and nation to come out and enjoy the festivities.”
Each New Year’s Eve celebration brings a full-circle moment for founding members of Brothers of the Desert. The seeds of brotherhood were planted in 2017 in response to feelings of isolation and disconnection among Black gay men in the Coachella Valley – both desert pioneers and newcomers. They were encouraged to officially organize by the fellowship and connections they experienced during a New Year’s Eve dinner at a private home in Palm Springs.
Driven by a motivation to provide meaningful support to the Black LGBTQ+ community, the founding members began by assessing the needs and dreams of longstanding Black gay residents in the Coachella Valley. In 2019, they partnered with the LGBTQ+ nonprofit called Better Brothers
BUILDING COMMUNITY IN THE DESERT BLACK GAY MEN’S NONPROFIT TO HOST HOLIDAY-THEMED GALA
BY WILL DEAN
of LA to raise money for local scholarships, which led them to formally incorporate as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization in 2020.
Since its inception, Brothers of the Desert has dedicated over $20,000 in scholarships to LGBTQ+ and Black students in the Coachella Valley. In addition to its own BOD scholarship, the nonprofit has contributed funds to Palm Springs’ longstanding Negro Academic Scholarship program.
BOD is governed by a seven-member
board of directors and currently has more than 120 members.
2025 NEW YEAR’S EVE HONOREES
Gil Gerald — A naturalized U.S. citizen of Afro-Caribbean ancestry who was born in the Republic of Panama, Mr. Gerald began a journey in LGBTQ+ activism shortly after graduating from the Architecture School at Pratt Institute. During a storied career, his many achievements include co-founding the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays; founding board member
ORIGIN STORY
Gil Gerald
for both the Human Rights Campaign Fund and National Minority AIDS Council; and steering committee member for the 1987 National March on Washington for LGBT Rights, among many others. Mr. Gerald is a member of Brothers of the Desert and is writing his memoir.
Grace Garner — A secondgeneration Palm Springs resident, Ms. Garner is serving her second term as a Palm Springs City Council member representing district one. Ms. Garner made history as the first Latina elected to the City Council. During her tenure on the council, she has championed increasing affordable housing; improving community facilities; creating more youth-focused programming; and addressing neighborhood needs. Ms. Garner is proud to serve the vibrant and diverse residents of Palm Springs.
Joe Hawkins — A community organizer based in Oakland, California, Mr. Hawkins has helped to create impactful services for the state’s LGBTQ+ community over 40 years. His achievements include co-founding Oakland Pride and co-founding and serving as CEO at the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center. His work has brought numerous accolades including an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and recently the Visionary Award from Horizons Foundation and a Oakland mayor’s proclamation naming a day in his honor. Mr. Hawkins is a military veteran, husband, father and grandfather.
Lauren Joichin Nile — An author, keynote speaker, organizational development trainer-consultant, and retired attorney, Ms. Nile has used her counseling skills to aid the disenfranchised through the Maryland Legal Aid Society, Women’s Equity Action League, and National Treasury Employees Union in Washington, D.C. Ms. Nile also was deployed by the U.S. State Department to speak about cultural diversity abroad, conducted sexual harassment training at the White House during the Clinton administration. As Director of Training for the National MultiCultural Institute, Cal State Northridge and Cal Poly Pomona, her emphasis was in the areas of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She has authored numerous articles, two books, and was recognized in 2019 with the Greater Palm
EVENTS
The New Year’s Eve gala is one of several events BOD presents. Others include: Wellness Summit
This annual signature event aims to provide connection, education, and opportunities to share stories and hear from thought leaders on how to support BOD members and their community. The summit’s objective is to be interactive, engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking. An array of guest presenters and workshop leaders convene on various relevant topics that support the overall health and well-being of Black gay men.
In March 2025, the summit drew more than 240 attendees, which was a 54 percent increase over the prior year. The next summit, which will be BOD’s seventh, is set for March 28, 2026. It is expected to be another successful event to promote health and wellness in the Black community.
SPEAKERS SERIES
This quarterly speaker series presents a variety of relevant topics that interest and impact our community. This program came out of an expressed need to continue offering educational and emotional support stemming from feedback at our annual wellness summits and monthly membership meetings.
The series features a respected thought leader and provides opportunities to interact with the participants, engage in discussions, and offer questions to the presenters. Topics have included practicing mindfulness, responding to systemic racism, acknowledging microaggressions, and mental health and wellness for Black queer communities.
On Nov. 15, 2025, the Brothers hosted Real Talk, Real Health as a part of the series. It featured Dr. Daniel Driffin. Other event speakers have included mindfulness teacher Christopher Burton, filmmaker Nathan Hale-Williams, author Lorenzo Taylor, CEO of the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective Yolo Akili Robinson, and Dr. Leo Moore, the Medical Director for Clinic Services at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
(Note: There is a Barbershop logo)
The monthly discussion group known as “Barbershop: A Black Men’s Space for Honest Talk About Wellness” began in October 2023. Its objective is to build upon the tradition of barbershops in Black communities, providing an inclusive and safe space for open and honest conversation.
Co-facilitated by a BOD Board member and general member, the meetings welcome the full spectrum of Black men — gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, and straight allies. The wellness topics discussed are diverse, ranging from dating and intimacy to aging considerations, prostate cancer, navigating cultural and societal shifts, providing and receiving support, and exploring identities as Black men.
There is no charge to attend Barbershop, which includes dinner.
Carnival in Palm Springs is presented by Brothers of the Desert. A 15 percent discount is applied to the ticket price, using the code BOD2025, if purchased before Dec. 15, 2025. Please scan the QR Code for tickets and details.
Springs Pride Spirit of Stonewall Advocate of the Year Award.
Grace Garner
Joe Hawkins
Lauren Joichin Nile
“YOU CAN HAVE LOVE; YOU CAN HAVE HAPPINESS; YOU CAN HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, BIG LIFE.”
WESTMAN
JAYMES VAUGHAN HAVE YOURSELF
A VERY COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
BY KEVIN PERRY
Why be just one thing when you can be everything? Just think about how layered the LGBTQ community is. We’re friends and forces of nature. We’re strong and sensitive. We listen, we laugh, and we love out loud. Versatility is in our DNA.
And nobody flexes his range of remarkability like Jaymes Vaughan.
“I’ve lived 1,000 lives,” Vaughan narrates. “I’ve been fortunate enough to perform all over the world… I’ve gotten to tour Europe, Asia, everywhere.”
And it all started with a provocative stint in Sin City.
“I moved to Vegas for a show - and it’s gonna sound worse than it is - it’s called Bareback. It was a topless country show, which is just exactly how it sounds. There was no need for those poor girls to be topless doing that kind of dancing. It was just rude to them.”
A warm chuckle reverberates through Vaughan’s bass/baritone voice as he continues our tour through the past.
“When I was signed to a label many lifetimes ago, we won’t even put the years on it, everything was really dictated because it was very early 2000s and everyone was like, ‘Well you look a certain way so you’re going to be in a boy band’ and it’s like, well that’s not what my voice says.”
His tantalizing twang continues, “At my heart, I’ve always been a country singer. When I write music, it’s country. When I have the radio on, it’s country.”
Vaughan’s soul alights every time he purrs the word country. “I tried to fit my voice into the pop category, but I am just me. It’s how I sing in the shower.”
Now, before you go fantasizing about joining Vaughan in the aforementioned shower, you’ve gotta know … he’s taken.
“My husband, Jonathan, met me when I was in the TV host phase of my
life,” recounts Vaughan. His meet/cute with Jonathan Bennett is a match made in man-heaven, and it plays like a scene from one of Jonathan’s Hallmark movies. Vaughan was interviewing Bennett for a segment on Celebrity Page, an entertainment news show. They flirted over a conversation about Bennett’s series Halloween Wars and Jonathan famously joked that his wedding would be CorpseBride-esque. Little did he know he was making the quip to his future hubby.
“I never in 1 million years thought I would have what I have with my husband,” Vaughan swoons. “I never believed I would have it because I was told over and over and over I wouldn’t.”
In order to be heard, Vaughan had to rise above the noise of an unsupportive upbringing. “It was a struggle for me. I grew up in a super conservative, very religious household. I went to a church that told me I was going to hell for who I
was, and I learned to really hate myself, and I did a lot of self-harm along the way. I ended up in a really terrible relationship with someone that refused to even acknowledge me publicly and that made me feel really bad about myself.”
The best way to break the cycle of pain? With a big bear hug.
“Jonathan and I say all the time‘What did our younger selves need? What did we need to save ourselves from hurt?’ I don’t want anyone to go through what I went through, so if me being super loud and visible about how happy you can be just being yourself and how successful you can be and how you can find love? If me doing that will help even one person not go through what I went through, heck yeah I’ma be as loud and vocal and visible as I can be!”
Vaughan had found his voice, so it was finally time to share it in the most meaningful way possible.
“I got back in the studio when I wrote a song to propose to [Jonathan]. When I did that, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I realize you don’t know this side of me at all.’ I wanted him to know this part of me that was such a huge part of my life and a huge part of who I am. But also, when I went back into the studio to record this song for him, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I miss this!’”
The music bug had nestled its way back into Vaughan’s heart, so he fanned the flames of inspiration into a holiday serenade.
“I started to work on a Christmas album with a song that was about a previous relationship - like a Christmas breakup song - ‘Well, this is gonna be my jump-off because the heart of my music is country and I was like that’s perfect.’ When I went in and started working with my musical director Mark Vogel, it didn’t feel right. I thought, ‘this is not where I am in life right now at all.’ I’m happy. Christmas is a joyous time for me. Christmas is kind of a big deal in our house because my husband is in a gazillion Hallmark Christmas movies!”
Vaughan quickly shifted gay gears from jilted and jaded to joy-to-theworld!
“It’s just brought a whole side of
joy back to me that I forgot I was missing,” he beams. “I’m in love. I’m seeing Christmas through a lens of ‘I’m in love’ and this is a beautiful holiday, so I scratched all of it and I was like, ‘Let’s start over from the beginning.”
The reset was a revelation, and the resulting Feels Like Christmas EP *will* make you swoon throughout the season.
“Most of the songs are about being in love at Christmas and Christmas being a happy time. Literally You Made It Christmas is about Jonathan,” coos Vaughan. “To have this person that made Christmas for me and made everything make sense is what that song’s about: all the little things to get excited about for Christmas.”
But don’t worry, rural emo fans! “There still is a little bit of ‘country break-up Christmas’ on there ‘cause SOS is deep country. Y’know that classic 80s country sound that I grew up hearing in my daddy’s truck.”
Downhome meets delightful on Feels Like Christmas, a project painstakingly crafted and passionately delivered.
“When I think of Christmas music, I think of big horns, I think of magical sounds. There’s a very specific sleigh bell. There’s a very specific jingle bell sound that we use for percussion on several of the tracks. We went to LA,
and my musical director just grabbed those jingle bells and we recorded those. That was the most authentic Christmas bell we could have.”
The authenticity rings true.
“At its heart, it’s country, but it’s produced to be much more Christmas,” assesses Vaughan. “Let’s go with big band country Christmas, if that is even a genre.”
It is now!
The perspective pivot paid off, and fans are flocking to Feels Like Christmas. “This album was really just something that was for my love of music that I wanted to just get back in the studio and do something for me and to share with my husband so he could learn about one of the many lifetimes I’ve lived, so for it to get legs and get picked up and be played on Sirius XM and hearing it on the radio is crazy. I’ll be watching a movie or TV show and hear it - that’s crazy because that was never my intention, so to see it have these legs, honestly, I’m really grateful, surprised, and it’s really unexpected in a great way!”
Vaughan wears many hats on his handsome head, but one of his roles enriches him more than any other.
“The part that I care the most about is the songwriting,” he declares. “When I performed
the Hallmark Christmas Cruise, people were posting videos and I’m watching the videos of people singing along to the songs - ‘cause they know them - like, that’s the coolest thing to me and I’m just super grateful that people have embraced it and I’m super grateful that people care enough to listen.”
And Vaughan is listening back.
“We were just on the Hallmark Christmas Cruise. This mom came up to me and she said, ‘So my daughter came out… and we did not do a good job the first couple of months and then I saw you and Jonathan together and I realized that all my dreams I had for her could still come true I just had to reframe the way I was looking at things.’ And I was like, oh my gosh that’s all it is. Us being visible about having a successful relationship together changed the experience not only for this mom, but more importantly to me, it changed it for a kid, which is all you can ask for… I was tearing up; I was a mess because like that’s what you want.”
But it wasn’t always such a harmonious relationship between queer expression and mainstream acceptance. “A lot of people have opened doors for us now to realize that country music isn’t just one thing,” analyzes Vaughan. “As much work as we still have to do, I’m so glad the world is catching up to the fact that I can be a gay country singer now - I couldn’t then.”
Breaking the fourth wall and shattering all expectations, Vaughan declares, “How cool is it that right now, I’m talking to a gay magazine about a country Christmas album? This wouldn’t have happened 20 years ago.”
Before Orville Peck and others developed their mass appeal, there was mass confusion about our place in pop/ country/crossover. “We didn’t have any other examples in the past and the kids are kind of doing it for us now, right? It’s cool … they’re opening doors for us … ‘Well if y’all got that door open, can I step in too?’”
Jaymes Vaughan has his foot in the door and he’s stepping out in style.
“This is our time to change things for the next generation by showing that you can be unapologetically your gay self and you can be successful. You can have love;
you can have happiness; you can have a beautiful, big life.”
Size does, in fact, matter, and Vaughan has a massive catalogue of music just waiting to burst onto the scene. “I have tons more stuff to put out, but I’ve never gotten to do it and so now I’m just doing it. Maybe it’s a little bit of a midlife crisis, who knows? But if it is, I’m having fun with it!”
Fun is at the top of the agenda as Christmas fades into New Year, and Vaughan is ready to rock.
“I mean, let’s not sugarcoat it. I absolutely will be riding my husband’s coattails into the New Year’s Eve ball drop again, absolutely!” Bennett and Vaughan are the perfect double date for your end-of-year YAASSS! “We’re the first gay couple to host a Times Square New Year’s Eve show and think about the visibility of that. So absolutely, I’m gonna take the opportunity to go up and do that
with him because you never know who’s seeing that, that just needs to see it.”
Weaving his mirth into a mission statement, Vaughan announces, “Visibility saves lives. At the very least, it definitely can help change lives for the better.”
Wearing his identity like a cozy Christmas sweater, Vaughan concludes, “If I’m writing it and my name is on it, and it’s my music, then it’s gonna be who I am at the core, which is country.” Feels Like Christmas is the ultimate yuletide love letter, and the man behind the merriment is beyond gracious about its success. “I’m honestly just super grateful for the way people have embraced this EP.”
Crystalizing his festive philosophies into one final coda, Vaughan signs off. “Remember, you only get one life, so do it.”
Or, in the case of Jaymes Vaughan, you get 1,001 lives. Thanks so much for sharing them with us, Jaymes.
GAY CHORUSES – Various Venues. It will come as absolutely no surprise if I say that gay men like to sparkle in front of other people. It seems that the budgets of most gay men’s choruses are devoted to sequins and rhinestones. More importantly, the men’s choruses allow the guys to not only scratch their performing itch but also to socialize with a group of men somewhere other than a bar.
Most gay choruses do two or three concerts per year, and it’s a certainty that one of them will be a Christmas show. Their concerts usually combine a lot of humor with some surprisingly good music from both the group and induvial performers. And invariably they are peppered with plenty of laughs. Attending these Christmas concerts with family is an excellent opportunity for your relatives to join you in “something gay,” without it being an X-Rated drag show (in states that still allow drag shows.) Buying your friends or family tickets and including one for yourself is an easy way to take care of presents and seasonal socializing at the same time.
A FEW SHOWS THROUGHOUT THE STATE INCLUDE:
Los Ángeles Gay Men’s Chorus: “Holiday Legends” 12/13 – 14
San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus: “Jingle 40” 12/13 – 14
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus: “Holiday Spectacular” 12/12 – 21 at various locations, and their traditional Christmas Eve Special, “Home for the Holidays” 12/24
Orange County’s Men Alive: “Yuletide Radio Hour” 12/6
Palm Springs Modern Men: “Cool Yule 12/13 – 14, also in the newly renovated Plaza Theatre
Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus: “Bells, Brass & Sass” 12/19 – 21, also in The Plaza Theatre
Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus: “Make the Yuletide Gay!” 12/12 - 14
Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus: “It’s Giving Light” 12/12 - 14
Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus was in late November
ATTENDING THESE CHRISTMAS CONCERTS WITH FAMILY IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR RELATIVES TO JOIN YOU IN “SOMETHING GAY.”
SANTA’S SECRET – Los Angeles: I’m always excited when I discover something new in live entertainment which I previously didn’t know about. This time it is a series of live, gay-centric productions by a national production company called Voss Events.
In October, I gave in to a barrage of Facebook ads describing Haunted Hollywood, a sexy celebration of the holiday. I was absolutely delighted with every aspect of it. This month they are producing an event (“show” is too restrictive) called Santa’s Secret and I can’t wait to see it!
Santa’s Secret is presented on the 8th floor of Los Angeles’s Beverly Center. Warning: most of the Beverly Center has only seven floors so you take an elevator to the 7th floor, then find an escalator near the middle of the center which takes you to the 8th floor. Once you pass the box office, you then enter a maze which will take you to eight unique interactive installations, each featuring new sets and surprises. Much of the evening involves burlesque, so some of the installations will include scantily clad women as characters such as flirtatious gingerbread ladies, but they also include a muscular lumberjack who’s sure to warm even the chilliest winter nights. The models are all very cooperative as you take pictures with them.
Eventually you find your way to Santa’s Secret Speakeasy, a very large room that has dozens of tables and chairs, and a traditional stage at one end. That stage includes a long runway to the middle of the room. There is a large square stage in the middle of the room where much of the action takes place, especially the arial acts. With the audience surrounding the runway and central stage, there isn’t a bad seat in the room (though the front rows fetch a slightly higher price).
The waiters are all shirtless with scrubs or fireman pants to bring fantasies right to your table. They offer a variety of season-themed cocktails as well as light bites which are delicious and much larger servings than you might expect. The production starts with a singer who entertains for 20 minutes or so, including plenty of naughty dialogue. Then the variety production starts with a collection of burlesque strippers, some truly hot acrobats -- both men and women, production numbers, and specialty acts. They all blur any lines of sexual orientation, and all truly hot. Each act reveals another of Santa’s secrets. The Halloween show I saw featured a drag Pennywise the Clown as the Mistress of Ceremonies, and a sword swallower with plenty of innuendo about things a man could stick down his throat. I had to remember to breathe when a dude with buns-of-steel, clad only in a thong, started hanging from a long ribbon about 10’ from my table. Wow! I don’t have a list of which acts are included in this year’s production of Santa’s Secret, but I’m counting the days until I can see this show. The show runs through December 31. Tickets and further info are available at www.SantasSecret.com
DEAR EVAN HANSEN – Cathedral City: Wonderful news from Coachella Valley Rep: They typically produce five shows per season, one musical and four book shows. This year they are just presenting four musicals, and I couldn’t be happier! Queens and musical theatre are a tighter match than bagels and cream cheese.
They are starting their season this month with Dear Evan Hansen, the 2015 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. This will also be the show’s regional theatre preview (regional theatres are fully professional companies located outside New York City). It’s an accolade to CVRep to have been entrusted with this honor.
Dear Evan Hansen is about a socially anxious high school senior who fabricates a friendship with a classmate who recently committed suicide. He hopes to create a world for himself in which he can be ‘someone’ and count for something. As lies beget more lies and suspicions grow, Hansen becomes entangled in his web of deceptions, and his feeling of isolation grows worse. Eventually, he is forced to face the consequences of his actions and lies.
The production with be directed by CVRep’s Artistic Director Adam Karsten, a vibrant and youngish artist who has been able to match the company’s output to Coachella Valley’s taste. Almost every performance in the 200-seat auditorium is sold out!
The season continues with One Man, Two Guvnors in January; Frank Loesser’s evergreen Guys and Dolls in February/ March; and Ernest Shakelton Loves Me in April/May. The relatively small size of the theatre (formerly the Desert Imax) ensures that no one has a bad seat. Faces are visible from anywhere in the auditorium. There are also a couple of great restaurants within a couple of blocks, and The Roost, a favorite watering hole for the boys, is a very short walk from the theatre.
Dear Evan Hansen plays 12/3 – 21. Tickets and further information are available at www.cvrep.org
DEAR EVAN HANSEN IS ABOUT
A SOCIALLY ANXIOUS HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR WHO FABRICATES A FRIENDSHIP WITH A CLASSMATE WHO RECENTLY COMMITTED SUICIDE. HE HOPES TO CREATE A WORLD FOR HIMSELF IN WHICH HE CAN BE ‘SOMEONE’ AND COUNT FOR SOMETHING. .
JUDY GARLAND -- WE NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS – Various: Beloved singer and celebrated Judy Garland tribute artist Debbie Wileman is spreading holiday cheer nationwide with her brand-new concert experience, Judy Garland – We Need a Little Christmas. Although this artist is a woman and we frequently celebrate impersonators in this column, her choice of performance cities includes San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Springs and Los Angeles. In short, she knows who her audience is.
Blending storytelling, humor and holiday magic, this concert showcases Wileman’s remarkable ability to channel the voice and spirit of the legendary gay icon, Judy Garland. The result is an uplifting journey through the golden age of Hollywood, wrapped in the warmth of the holiday season.
The songs are pure Judy, but Wileman confides that in between the songs, she has funny and heartwarming stories about her own childhood in Grand Rapids, including her close relationship with her grandmother with whom she spent every Christmas until her nanna’s passing in 2008. Their favorite Judy song – and mine as well – was “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” a melancholy ballad that somehow brings a tear to my eye whenever I channel Judy’s rendition in my mind.
In addition to the familiar Judy favorites, Wileman has dug up some lesser-known songs such as “After the Holidays,” which she performed live on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson in 1968. It was never recorded in a studio. She has also dug up plenty of stories about La Garland in the recording studios, movie sets, and Hollywood parties and most of us gay gents have heard more than a few scandalous stories about her. Hope she’s got more!
“Christmas is such a happy time of year,” Wileman reminds us. “When you celebrate it by listening to Judy’s music, you can forget your troubles and just get happy!”
Judy Garland – We Need a Little Christmas plays San Franciscos American Conservatory Theatre 11/6 & 7; Palm Springs’ newly renovated Plaza Theatre on 11/26; and North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre on 11/28. Tickets and information are at www.TheStanderGroup.com
“CHRISTMAS IS SUCH A HAPPY TIME OF YEAR,” WILEMAN REMINDS US. “WHEN YOU CELEBRATE IT BY LISTENING TO JUDY’S MUSIC, YOU CAN FORGET YOUR TROUBLES AND JUST GET HAPPY!”
IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®
This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY
BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:
Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.
ABOUT BIKTARVY
BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.
BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.
Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:
dofetilide
rifampin
any other medicines to treat HIV-1
BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY
Tell your healthcare provider if you:
Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.
Have any other health problems.
Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.
Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks of breastfeeding during treatment with BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:
Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.
BIKTARVY and other medicines may a ect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY
BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:
Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.
Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.
Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.
Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.
Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.
The most common side e ects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).
These are not all the possible side e ects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.
You are encouraged to report negative side e ects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.
HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY
Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.
GET MORE INFORMATION
This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.
Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5.
If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.
MILAN THE ICONIC
STYLE AND
FASHION OF GIORGIO ARMANI
BY MARK A THOMPSON
Giorgio Armani Milano, Per Amore Pinacoteca di Brera
photo by GettyImages
Milan and Armani are nearly synonymous.
Over the course of a fifty-year career, Giorgio Armani’s sleek design sensibility has embodied the rise of Italy’s fashion and economic capital. Most of us can still recall when we first encountered Armani style, the signature drape of his clothing, the louchely elegant jackets, the color he defined as “greige.”
For me, it was the opening night of American Gigolo, a sold-out screening in San Francisco. There had been rumors for weeks about Richard Gere’s nude scene but the 1980 film became far more revolutionary for its impact on men’s fashion. It was a film that propelled both Armani and Gere into the stratosphere where Armani remained throughout his career.
It’s easy to imagine Armani on Milan’s grand Piazza del Duomo where the city’s 14th-century cathedral, constructed entirely of marble, flanked by Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s oldest and most opulent shopping arcade. And you can easily imagine Armani strolling across the piazza toward Teatro alla Scala, Milan’s 18th-century opera house. It was Armani’s genius to fuse Milan’s three most notable landmarks into an Italian business model that manifested the intersection of the ecclesiastical, the mercantile, and the dramatic.
That sense of drama is immediately apparent upon entry at Armani Hotel Milano where guests are greeted at reception seven floors above the city. It was Armani’s objective to create an entrance that rose above the quotidian and lifted guests into the ethereal. Armani spent a lifetime creating red carpet entrances, and guests who enter Armani Hotel Milano are guaranteed their catwalk across the hotel’s polished marble floors.
Armani Hotel Milano is the second of Armani’s hotels, the first opened in 2010 in Dubai in the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. For his hotel in Milan, Armani chose a classic 1937 building designed by the Italian Rationalist architect Enrico A. Griffini. Armani designed a dramatic two-story glass addition that rises atop the building like a panoramic conservatory. Throughout the day, the play of sunlight and shadows create a
cinematic chiaroscuro setting for guests while the unobstructed views offer a bird’s-eye perspective on the city skyline. One of the many marvels of this glass structure is evident only from an aerial view which reveals Armani’s signature A.
Centrally located in the heart of Quadrilatero della Moda, Milan’s fashion district, Armani Hotel Milano welcomes guests with a personalized host and concierge known as a Lifestyle Manager who arranges customized spa treatments, personal trainers, dinner reservations, and tickets to special events. After an overnight flight from the States, the choice was breakfast or a treatment at Armani/ Spa. I chose both. Located on the hotel’s top floor, Armani/Spa overlooks the city with a relaxation pool and personalized
treatments from professional massage therapists. At breakfast, I filled my plate with buffalo mozzarella which I slathered on Italian breads, followed by Italian dolci. Restraint is not an option when eating in Milan.
Armani loved Milan’s Brera neighborhood for its bohemian charms and vibrant street life. Imagine an amalgam of Paris’ Montmartre and London’s Bloomsbury, buzzing with a variety of caffès and boutiques, galleries and ristorantes. Armani Hotel Milano is a short stroll away from Pinacoteca di Brera where 120 of Armani’s creations are displayed amidst the museum’s collection of Italian paintings that span the 13th to the 20th century.
For the first time since Pinacoteca’s opening in 1809, painting and fashion
Giorgio Armani Milano Per Amore at Pinacoteca di Brera photo by @agnese bedini @melaniadallegrave @dsl studio AB 5257
are juxtaposed to highlight fashion’s role in shaping cultural and aesthetic narratives. As you wander through the galleries, it becomes increasingly apparent how Armani drew upon the history of Italian fashion for his own creations. The exhibition features numerous dresses and suits worn by Armani’s many celebrity ambassadors. True fashion aficionados will be inclined to play Name That Star before reading the placards that detail the backstory behind the garments. And yes, Richard Gere’s gigolo sport coat is included.
For a 21st-century viewpoint on Milan, Porta Nuova is Milan’s hightech center, home to Italy’s highest skyscraper and some of Milan’s most exclusive residential towers. What was previously a neighborhood of industrial wastelands and obsolete railroads was transformed in the late 1990s into a $2.5 billion mixed-used district of star-chitecture. The widely acclaimed Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) is a two-tower residential and office complex, notable for its vertical façade planted with 5,000 shrubs and more than 800 trees. On the short walk back to Armani Hotel Milano, visitors pass through Corso Como, a neighborhood widely celebrated for its nightlife and entertainment options.
At the base of the block-long Armani Hotel Milano, Emporio Armani beckons like a siren with its own ristorante and Caffè Milan. On the opposite corner of the building, there’s a NOBU restaurant with an underground private members club. In addition to the hotel’s 95 rooms and suites, Armani Hotel Milano features an in-house florist known as Armani/Fiori as well as a well-curated bookstore, all of which are elegant exemplars of Armani’s clean minimalism.
The hotel’s expansive junior suites are sleek urban spaces which include a circular vestibule with its own curvilinear pocket door. There’s also a separate living room with Juliet balcony, a kingsized bedroom with adjoining walk-in closet, and a spa bathroom. Rooms are furnished in Armani’s signature “greige” with polished surfaces, lustrous textiles, and iPad room controls for lighting, windows, draperies, in-room dining,
Armani Hotel Milano Lounge
Armani Hotel Milano Spa
Armani Hotel Milano Welcome Area. Photos courtesy of Armani Hotels
and concierge. The marble bathrooms are large enough for yoga practice while the soaking tub and rainforest shower could easily host a thruple.
In the evenings, well-heeled Milanese gather at Armani/Bamboo Bar where Armani’s signature A floats atop the ice in the house’s white Negroni. At Armani/Ristorante, twilight glistens across an onyx checkered floor that recalls the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. There’s elegance in the air as the city lights sparkle.
As for the food, as Executive Chef Francesco Mascheroni states, “I cook what I like to eat: traditional recipes… inspired by international cuisine but drawing on Italy’s gastronomic heritage.” A perfect example is the chef’s tajarin pasta dish, a tangle of noodles rich with egg yolks and sea urchin and nori seaweed. For dessert, it was tiramisu with mascarpone ganache, whipped white chocolate, and meringue. After such delicious decadence, a plate of Italian confections and friandises seems almost unnecessary, but, like me, you’ll probably eat them all anyway.
In keeping with its high levels of service and hospitality, Armani Hotel Milano is a Legend member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. For those guests seeking a legendary experience in Milan, Armani Hotel Milano and Preferred Hotels & Resorts have created Tailored by Armani: A Dream in Design which offers front-row access to an Armani fashion show along with a private fitting at the Armani atelier, as well as a threenight stay for two guests in the Presidential Suite at Armani Hotel Milano. The exclusive experience includes spa treatments, signature cocktails, and an in-suite dinner for two created by chef Mascheroni. It’s the sort of once-in-alifetime gift designed for that extra nice and naughty person in your life.
As I wandered through Quadrilatero della Moda on my last night in Milan, I marveled at how the city has evolved since my first visit as a university student. Back then, Armani was just getting started and now his touch is evident throughout the city. His life serves as a reminder for all of us to follow our dreams.
Giorgio Armani Milano, Per Amore Pinacoteca di Brera
Armani jacket worn by Richard Gere in American Gigolo,1980, as part of Armani exhibition at Pinacoteca di Brera
Photo by MRNY
Porta Nuova. Photo by MRNY
ERNIE WESTMAN
Jonathan Bennett (R) with his husband Jaymes Vaughan (L) and fur-baby Bradley
S
ome legacies are measured in dollar signs while others are passed down from generation to generation. But our LGBTQ+ amazingness exists on a virtual plane all its own. Most queer people are born into a straight family, a straight town, and a straight society, so we must create our legacy from scratch and etch it into history ourselves.
Jonathan Bennett has been writing his stellar story ever since his days as a self-described “musical theater freak” from Ohio. Now, that triumphant tale is forever carved into the landscape of Palm Springs, California. Walk of the Stars is honoring Bennett with his own place in a pantheon of icons that includes such luminaries as Liberace, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley.
When asked about the epic accolade, Bennett flexes his wit, followed quickly by some stunning insights about how he wants future visitors to view his Palm Springs star.
“Well first, I hope they make sure that it’s clean, so if it’s dirty, I hope they get some Windex and clean it off. Next, I hope they say, ‘Oh my gosh, that was the guy that we watched on TV who was making queer content mainstream.’”
He makes it sound so simple, but Bennett’s influence on pop culture is profound. The Groomsmen recently became the Hallmark Channel’s first foray into focusing primarily on marriage equality. Bennett’s character gets hitched to his same-sex beau, and the nuptials aren’t just the center of the story… they’re the center of an award-winning trilogy!
“I’ve been lucky enough to be recognized by HRC and Equality California,” Bennett explains humbly, “and I won a GLAAD award for my work, but I never did any of this for awards. I did all of this because when you don’t see something that looks like you in the media, then it is your job to create it.”
Now get ready to get gagged. All of the achievements listed above have happened since the year 2020, when Bennett shared a groundbreaking, brand-bending smooch with his male co-star.
“After I did my first gay kiss on Hallmark Channel,” he recounts, “everyone
JONATHAN BENNETT JOINS PALM SPRINGS’ WALK OF THE STARS
BY KEVIN PERRY
Jonathan Bennett and Ron deHarte
was saying, ‘Oh my gosh, for the first time I’m watching Hallmark Channel, the place where they tell love stories, and I feel seen for the first time. I feel like my love story belongs with all the other love stories.’ And it’s true.”
Being seen is one of Bennett’s superpowers. He is *the* gold standard in rom-commery, starring in scores of holiday hits such as The Holiday Sitter, Christmas on Cherry Lane, Happy Howlidays, and his current merry masterpiece Keller Family Vacation. But his charm isn’t limited to fiction; he also hosts everything from Cake Wars to NYE’s Times Square Ball to Finding Mr. Christmas, a series he created to gamify the search for the next Hallmark hunk. It’s his passion project with a capital PASSION, and Bennett jumps at the chance to discuss every facet of the fabulous reality competition.
“Anything to help promote this show is the best thing ever!” He even jokes about the images accompanying this article. “As long as you use hot, hot pictures of me.”
When we respond (quite truthfully) that Bennett always looks great, he playfully references other media outlets and their sometimes-questionable taste levels. “Oh please, are you kidding? They’ll pull a photo from a red carpet from like three years ago where I’m sweaty and have a double chin and I’m like, ‘That’s the photo you used?!?’”
Pressed for more details, Bennett refuses to name names, instead preferring to laugh at himself. Jovial and joyful, he has earned his nice-guy reputation. Bennett’s team-player aesthetic set the stage for his Broadway debut last year in Monty Python’s Spamalot, a production fueled by camaraderie and collaboration. He speaks so lovingly about his stage, tv, and film families that it’s hard to tell where the romantic lead ends and the real Jonathan Bennett begins.
Perhaps if we take a stroll with him, we’ll find that elusive intersection of dreams and reality.
“When you walk down Palm Canyon in Palm Springs and and you’re looking down at all the stars on the street, you see names like Chevy Chase,” Bennett narrates. “Chevy Chase is my number one idol for acting; he’s the reason I wanted
to become an actor - watching Chevy Chase movies.”
Reverence reverberates through Bennett’s voice as he circles the convo back to his induction into eternity. “So, to have my star next to Chevy Chase in front of the Plaza Theatre, which is like one of those iconic landmarks in California, it’s just such a huge honor and I can’t believe I get to have a star next to Chevy Chase? That’s - it’s crazy to me!”
Blending big-time charisma with aw-shucks humility, Bennett embodies the ideals of Palm Springs. “There’s no place like it in the world. It is an oasis of safety and inclusion for the LGBTQ community.”
When you find your happy place, you want to share it. Bennett swoons when he speaks of his co-pilot in paradise: this month’s GED cover artist and Bennett’s real-life hubby, Jaymes Vaughan.
“Back when we wanted to move, we knew we wanted Palm Springs to be the
place that we lived,” Bennett reminisces. “We were sitting at Koffi and Just Fabulous and Chicken Ranch in the back yard there and we were looking at how many other gay couples were all around us with their dogs.”
That’s when the splendor of his citywide safe space captured Bennett’s heart. “It just made us feel so normal and so welcomed and I said, ‘This is what every straight couple feels like in every other small town in America. And this is the time when we can feel just as embraced.’”
Hugs are a two-way street. Bennett’s deep devotion for Palm Springs is more than mutual. By becoming a permanent fixture in the Walk of the Stars, his destiny dovetails with the place he calls home, the place he adores, and the place he belongs.
So, look for Jonathan Bennett’s star on your next journey through gorgeous, gay Palm Springs… and remember to bring your Windex.
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MOVIES ARE HO-HO-SO GAY!
DECEMBER 5TH
BY KEVIN PERRY
WFILL YOUR SACK WITH CINEMA, COURTESY OF THESE DECEMBER FILM RELEASES hy bother with crowded airports, delayed flights, and fellow passengers who pick their feet while loudly eating a rancid tuna sandwich (you know who the hell you are, Brenda). Get away from the horrors of holiday hideousness with a true escape: movies! December brings a bevy of Oscarbait, odd celluloid gems, and OMG aplenty. Films are the ultimate gift, so don’t wait for some mythical fat dude to slide down your chimney - treat yourself! We’ll wait… OK, the wait is over. Let’s movie!
Nothing says ‘Season’s Greetings’ quite like a murderous squad of animatronic amusement park creatures possessed by the souls of kidnapped children. But enough about Downton Abbey. That was so last month; this month is made for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. Cutey McCuterson, aka Josh Hutcherson, is back to battle beasts and bad dreams by the mile, and this time he’s bringing Scream alums Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard into the malevolent mix. Horror hunks unite!
Armie Hammer sinks his teeth into Frontier Crucible. The controversial heartthrob devours the role of an outlaw… what a stretch. HE BITES PEOPLE IRL.
But here’s something that doesn’t suck: Merrily We Roll Along is coming to the big screen! Fueled by the genius of Sondheim and framed as a 20-year character study told in reverse, this epic musical soars. Tony winners Daniel Radcliffe, Lindsay Mendez, and our *actual* boyfriend Jonathan Groff star in the story of success and star power stretched to the limit. How can their friendship survive the rigors of the Broadway spotlight? How do camaraderie and creativity clash over time? How many times are we gonna see this damn movie? Answer: Not a Day Goes By that we won’t!
If you like sophisticated slapstick and pervy priest jokes, check out the sleeper comedy Fackham Hall. It’s as if Knives Out and The Naked Gun had a sassy British baby and then raised their awkward child on a steady diet of sight gags and potty humor. And yes, those are compliments. Pass the bangers and mash, spill the high tea, and laugh your arse off!
DECEMBER 12TH
And the award for worst use of spellcheck goes to… Hamlet Hamnet! Apparently, the filmmakers were too cheap to pay for the rights to Hamlet, so they fudged the title. Jessie Buckley front runner for every major acting trophy this year, but here’s the real winner: shirtless Paul Mescal! To squee or not to squee? That is the question. And the answer is: squeeeee! This bard’s bod is bangin’. He can get into our pantaloons anytime. Oh, and Hamnet is a touching exploration of love and loss and yada, yada– sexy Shakespeare!
Ella McCay tells the tale of a young politician who makes the world a better place. It’s the fantasy hit of the year! Written and directed by the god of dramedy, James L. Brooks, the film’s cast is a pantheon of pros, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Albert Brooks, Kumail Nanjiani, and Ayo Edebiri. They’ll make you laugh through the tears, cry through the absurd, and squeeze butts at a funeral. Seriously - old white people are horny with a capital honky.
Are your kids huge fans of the gorgeously grisly serial-murder series Hannibal? Well then, take the whole brood to see Dust Bunny, the inspirational journey of a deranged little girl who hires her creepy neighbor to slaughter the monsters under her bed. Make sure you bring paper towels because your children are guaranteed to wet themselves… with delight!
DECEMBER 19TH
Decades of technological wizardry and visionary storytelling yield a theatergoing experience that brings audiences to the cutting edge and beyond. We’re referring, of course, to The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. Oh, and the new Avatar also drops this weekend.
Navigate the outer limits of creativity and shatter your earthly expectations until you are transported from the depths of despair to the shimmering shores of heroism.
Or you could watch Avatar 3 SpongeBob plays a modern-day Odysseus, braving the turbulent waters of Bikini Bottom to prove his status as a “big guy” amidst the uncertainty of an ocean in turmoil. Patrick accompanies him on a quest to the Underworld, a diabolical realm where the only merciful escape from an arduous, excruciating death at
the hands of The Flying Dutchman is the quick, lethal sting of a bloodthirsty jellyfish.
And Avatar has smurfs this year (probably).
Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried go blonde-to-blonde in The Housemaid, a psycho-hygienic thriller filled with double crossing and triple scrubbing. They brood, they scheme, they disinfect! Honestly, the only thing more tedious than *actual* housework is watching a movie about it. But the main dude is hot enough to tantalize our unclean minds. Gosh, hope he doesn’t turn out to be secretly evil. Cleanup on aisle inappropriate!
Pivoting from primal fear to crushing social anxiety, please enjoy Is This Thing On? The narrative revolves around a man whose life is falling apart, so he turns to standup comedy to share his misery with the lucky, lucky audience. Fun fact: the working title of this film was Cringe: The Movie
DECEMBER 25TH
Stuff your stocking with sentimentality, because Song Sung Blue is the surprisingly moving true story of a Neil Diamond tribute act that went viral (before “viral” was even a thing). Hugh Jackman struts his sexiness, Kate Hudson tugs our heartstrings, and they both flex their popstar pipes as Lightning and Thunder. The duo became a next-level nineties phenomenon, so much so that Pearl Jam invited them to join their tour to sing Forever in Blue Jeans at Milwaukee’s Summerfest. But naturally, tragedy strikes and their dreams hang in the balance. This is why we can’t have nice things! Did you want us to cry for Christmas, you demented filmmakers? Well then, mission accomplished!
The original Anaconda was the Citizen Kane of campy killer-snake flicksss. Sorry, my “S” key keeps sticking. Well now, a group of superfans is remaking the classic bomb… and, in the process, making hissstory. Damn you, “S” key! Paul Rudd and Jack Black play wannabe auteurs who bite off more than they can chew when a rogue reptile attacks their film production and really tips the scalesss. That’s it, I need a new keyboard. And while we smooth out our technical difficulties, you be sure to have a merry movie month and a happy (as in GAY) new year!
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DECK THE PALMS!
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S MOST FESTIVE HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
BY MEGAN VENZIN
t is almost 2026 and your last opportunity of 2025 to get out and show off your sparkle! So, whether you are having a stay-cation or planning a NYE road trip, here are some Southern California events sure to bring you holiday joy!
Una Latina Christmas December 7-21, 2025
The Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N McCadden Pl Los Angeles, CA 90038
The star behind the critically-acclaimed Latina Christmas Special is back with a hilarious new one-person run down of the first-generation holiday experience. In this extended run, queer comic Diana Yañez offers a bilingual, full-throttle night of outrageous stories that will warm your heart and leave you gasping for air. ¡¡Feliz navidades!! and ¡¡Ay dios mios!! — we sure could use a laugh to cap off this crazy year. Understand the true meaning of Latina Christmas at https://lalgbtcenter.org/event/una-latinachristmas/
Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles Presents: Holiday Legends December 13-14, 2025
Saban Theatre 8440 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90211
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) always packs in the hits, and their two-night Holiday Legends engagement promises to be among their greatest gifts yet. With 200 voices strong, the beloved collective will unleash renditions of classics by titans like Irving Berlin, Johnny Mathis, and of course, the Christmas Queen, Mariah Carey in a stunning choral presentation that covers a wide range of
eras, melodics and sounds. Drawing from holiday traditions to corners of the mythical realm, they’ll charm and enchant you with showstopping numbers that touch on other folklore faves — friends like Santa, Rudolf, the Grinch and more. Their powerful timbres are sure to infuse magic into your schedule so save some room and prepare to sing-along. There’s magic in the music at gmcla.org
Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show 2025
December 14, 2025
Dolby Theatre
6801 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Also:
December 18, 2025
Balboa Theatre
868 4th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101
The holidays are about love, family, connection — and if we’re being real — a sugar plum-dusting of yuletide dysfunction. Audiences will find all of these elements and more at the Jinkx & DeLa Holiday show when the award-winning twosome makes their triumphant return to Southern California. This time, Ben DeLeCreme and Jinkx Monsoon bring their wacky new “wintertide wonder” to the Dolby Theatre in LA followed by a stop off at San Diego’s Balboa Theatre. In these cool spaces they’ll unleash a bomb cyclone’s worth of humor, heartfelt stories
and jaw-dropping fashions that proves after eight hysterical years, why the show’s beloved creators are still the “reigning queens of Christmas”. Have a gay old time at jinkxanddela.com
Horribly Funny
The Comedy Store
December 18, 2025 8433 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069
Does the “most wonderful time of year” have you feeling frazzled, frenzied and, okay we’ll say it, f*ed up? Well, you’re in good company. Come commiserate with a room full of people who are just as horrible as you. In this edition of Horribly Funny at the The Comedy Store catch some of the world’s most renowned comics — names
like Margaret Cho, Patton Oswalt, Iliza Schleschinger, Marc Maron and Nicole Tran — amped up and ready to bring their worst selves to one of the west coast’s most hallowed stand-up stages. Be a bad person at thecomedystore.com
STEAM Towel Party:
Nightmare After Christmas December 26, 2025
The Rail 3796 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103
The dress code for this foggy event is simple: just wear a towel. Of course, if you’re feeling finer in your harness, jock strap or robe — do you. Hump Parties — the naughty producers behind this dripping gathering — don’t discriminate, adding “if it makes you feel HOT, it’s the right choice.” So, don your gayest apparel and come for some post-holiday decompression at STEAM’s Nightmare After Christmas event sponsored by MISTR. You’ll be rewarded with all the things that couldn’t fit under your tree this year — namely beats, bodies and “towel-clad chaos”. Consensual snapping awaits at humpevents.com/steam-towel-party-sd
Rich’s Massive NYE
December 31, 2025
Rich’s San Diego 1051 University Avenue San Diego, CA 92103
If you must be a slave to the NYE tradition (we get it, it’s literally the last day to let it all loose), then you must close out the year at Rich’s San Diego, awarded the coveted title of best nightclub by San Diego Magazine. This queer SoCal institution always sets the right tone with their massive NYE bash featuring a star-studded lineup of DJs across two rooms, an immersive midnight balloon drop and a champagne toast that says, “honey, this party is just getting started.” Here’s to starting 2026 on a roaring high note! Your resolutions await at richssandiego.com
Countdown to 2026 with ADA VOX
December 31, 2025
The Roost Lounge 68718 E Palm Canyon Dr #203 Cathedral City, CA 92234
Looking for some earlier fun in the desert? Head to The Roost Lounge for their Countdown to 2026 with ADA VOX. This will be an ALL-LIVE show with piano, for an unforgettable night of music and celebration! All with
Reserved Seating, Party Favors, and a Champagne Toast at 9pm. Who doesn’t like to ring in the New Year on East Coast time?
• 3-course Dinner from Trilussa at 6pm
• Show at 7:30pm
• Ball Drop and Champagne Toast at 9pm
Ada Vox gained widespread recognition as a historic semi-finalist on ABC’s American Idol, becoming the first drag queen to reach the Top 8. Her successful run, which included a standout performance of “House of the Rising Sun” and praise from judges like Lionel Richie, was a triumphant return after a challenging previous attempt on the show in 2013. Ada has since released her debut single, “Because of You,” and continues to tour globally. Visit theroostcc.com for tickets and more information.
Bass n Babes Presents:
New Babe New Year
December 31, 2025
Secret Location
Los Angeles, CA
With the dawn of 2026 comes fresh potential, possibilities and purpose. Let your inner light go full kablooey at Bass n Babes’ next big bash — New Babe New Year — featuring a stacked lineup from the west coast collective’s resident DJs, plus a handful of surprise guests. Bass n Babes — the brand behind LA’s best queer and femme raves — had an all-star year which included the launch of their new record label as well as takeovers at major festivals like Same Same But Different. Be ready to celebrate with these queens at their fullthrottle NYE party. It kicks off at 10pm at a secret location in Los Angeles and it primed to keep roaring well into the morning hours. By sunrise you’re guaranteed to feel like a brand new person. Details are loading at instagram.com/ bass.n.babes
Open Daily at 4pm
BARS & CLUBS
AKBAR
4356 W. Sunset Blvd
Silverlake, CA 90029
323.665.6810 akbarsilverlake.com
BEACHES WEHO
8928 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.360.0395 beachesweho.com
FIESTA CANTINA
88565 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.652.8865 fiestacantina.net
FUBAR
7994 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
323.654.0396 fubarla.com
GYM SPORTSBAR
8919 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
424.313.8202 gymsportsbar.com
HAMBURGER MARY’S
8288 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
323.654.3800 hamburgermarys.com
HEART WEHO
8911 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069 heartweho.com
HI TOPS
8933 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069 hitopsbar.com
MICKYS
8857 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.657.1176
mickys.com
ROCCO’S
8900 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
424.343.0123 roccosweho.com
LOS ANGELES DIRECTORY
SAINT FELIX
8945 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.275.4428
saintfelix.net
THE ABBEY
692 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.289.8410
theabbeyweho.com
THE CHAPEL
692 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.289.8410 theabbeyweho.com
THE EAGLE
4219 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323.669.9472 eaglela.com
REVOLVER VIDEO BAR
8851 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
424.382.1108
Revolverweho.Com
STACHE
8941 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.402.0770 Stacheweho.Com
THE BAYOU
8939 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.273.3303
Thebayouweho.Com
TRUNKS
8809 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.652.1015
west.hollywood.trunksbar.com
CLOTHING & LEATHER
BLOCK PARTY
8853 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 blockpartyweho.com
665 LEATHER & FETISH
20810 Lassen St Chatsworth, CA 91311
818.678.9193 665leather.com
BRICK & MORTAR
8713 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.652.6605 shopatbrick.com
CIRCUS OF BOOKS
8861 Santa Monica Blvd and West Hollywood, CA 90069 323.337.9555 circusofbooks.com
LOVE CONNECTION
8244 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90046
ROUGH TRADE LEATHER
3915 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029 323.660.7956 roughtradegear.com
THE PLEASURE CHEST
7733 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90046 323.650.1022 thepleasurechest.com
HAIR SALONS
BLADE
801 N. Larrabee St, Ste #1 West Hollywood 310.659.6693
SHORTY’S BARBER SHOP
755 N Fairfax Ave West Hollywood 323.297.0554 shortysbarbershop.com
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
HEALTH/COUNSELING
AID FOR AIDS AFA
8235 Santa Monica Blvd #200 West Hollywood, CA 90046
323.656.1107 aidforaids.net
AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION/MENS WELLNESS CENTER
• 6255 W Sunset Blvd, 21st Fl Los Angeles, CA 90028
888 AIDS CARE
• 1300 N Vermont Ave, Ste 407 Los Angeles, CA 90027
866.339.2525, 800.367.2437 inspotla.org
AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION PHARMACY
8212 Santa Monica Blvd The David Geffen Center West Hollywood, CA 90046 323.654.0907 ahfpharmacy.org
APLA HEALTH
CLIENT & COMMUNITY SERVICES
• 611 South Kingsley Drive Los Angeles, CA 90005 213.201.1600 213.201.WALK (9255) • 3743 S. La Brea Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90016
323.329.9900
• 5901 W. Olympic Blcd. #310 Los Angeles, CA 90036
• 1043 Elm Avenue #302 Long Beach, CA 90813
562.247.7740 apla.org
BEING ALIVE PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS ACTION COALITION 621 N San Vincente Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 310.289.2551 beingalivela.org
LA FREE CLINIC
• 5205 Melrose Ave Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.653.1990 – appts 323.653.8622 – admin lafreeclinic.org
• 6043 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
• 8405 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
LA Public Health reallycheckyourself.org
•
323.848.9760
• 3500 East Pacific Coast Hwy Long Beach, CA 90804
562.494.0340
PALM SPRINGS DIRECTORY
• 1726 East Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91106
626.440.1719
• 360 North Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.934.1956
PROJECT ANGEL FOOD
922 Vine St
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.845.1800 angelfood.org
THE TREVOR PROJECT
9056 Santa Monica Blvd #100 West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.271.8845 thetrevorproject.org
VALLEY COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE
6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave North Hollywood, CA 91605
818.301.6314 - HIV testing
818.301.6390 - Medical Services smarthealthla.com
LEGAL
LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATION FUND INC.
Western Regional Office
3325 Wilshire Blvd #1300
Los Angeles, CA 90010
213.382.7600 lambdalegal.org
NATIONAL G & L TASK FORCE
5455 Wilshire Blvd #1505 Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.954.9597 thetaskforce.org
REACH THE LA LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND ADVERTISE WITH GED MAGAZINE
COMPETITIVE RATES
STATEWIDE PRINT DISTRIBUTION
sales@gedmag.com
ATTRACTIONS
THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS
47900 Portola Ave
Palm Desert, CA 92260
760.346.5694 livingdesert.org
PALM SPRINGS AIR MUSEUM
745 N Gene Autry Trail
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.778.6262 palmspringsairmuseum.org
PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM
101 Museum Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.322.4800 psmuseum.org
PS AERIAL TRAMWAY
1 Tram Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
888.515.8726 pstramway.com
BARS & CLUBS
BLACKBOOK
315 E. Arenas Rd
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.832.8497 blackbookbar.com
CHILL BAR
217 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.327.1079 chillbarpalmsprings.com
DICK’S ON ARENAS
301 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.327.0753 eagle501bar.com
HUNTERS
302 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.323.0700 hunterspalmsprings.com
ONE ELEVEN BAR
67555 E Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234
760.537.3111 oneelevenbar.com
OSCAR’S
125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 108 Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.1188 oscarspalmsprings.com
QUADZ
200 S. Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.778.4326 Spurline.com
STREET BAR
224 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.320.1266 psstreetbar.com
REFORMA
333 S Palm Canyon Dr Unit 2, Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.902.6630 reformaps.com
THE ROOST LOUNGE
68718 E Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234
760.507.8495 theroostcc.com
TOOL SHED
600 E. Sunny Dunes Rd. Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.320.3299 pstoolshed.com
TOUCANS TIKI LOUNGE
2100 N. Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.416.7584 toucanstikilounge.com
CLOTHING OPTIONAL RESORTS
CASA OLIVER
535 S Warm Sands Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264 760-323-7505 casaoliverhotel.com
DESCANSO
288 E. Camino Monte Vista Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.320.1928 descansoresort.com
DESERT PARADISE
615 S. Warm Sands Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.320.5650 desertparadise.com
EL MIRASOL VILLAS
525 Warm Sands Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.327.5913 elmirasol.com
INNDULGE PALM SPRINGS
601 Grenfall Rd Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.327.1408 inndulge.com
SANTIAGO RESORT
650 San Lorenzo Road Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.322.1300 santiagoresort.com
THE HACIENDA
586 S. Warm Sands Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.327.8111 thehacienda.com
TRIANGLE INN PALM SPRINGS
555 San Lorenzo Rd. Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.322.7993 triangle-inn.com
TWIN PALMS
1930 S. Camino Real Palm Springs, CA 760.841.1455 twinpalmsresort.com
VISTA GRANDE RESORT
574 S. Warm Sands Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.322.2404 vistagranderesort.com
CLOTHING & LEATHER
EL TUGGLE
388 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.880.4338 eltuggle.com
GAYMART
305 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.416.6436
GEAR LEATHER & FETISH
650 E Sunny Dunes Rd #1 Palm Springs, CA 92264 760.322.3363 gearleather.com
ROUGH TRADE LEATHER
321 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.699.7524 roughtradegear.com
PALM SPRINGS DIRECTORY
GIFTS
DESTINATION PSP
170 North Palm Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.354.9154 destinationpsp.com
GREETINGS PALM SPRINGS
301 N Palm Canyon Dr # 102 Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.322.5049 greetingspalmsprings.com
JUST FABULOUS
515 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.864.1300 bjustfabulous.com
MISCHIEF CARDS & GIFTS
226 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.322.8555 mischiefcardsandgifts.com
PEEPA’S
120 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.318.3553 peepasps.com
PS HOMEBOYS
108 S. Indian Canyon Dr
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.318.7388 pshomeboys.com
Q TRADING COMPANY
606 E Sunny Dunes Rd Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.416.7150
HAIR SALONS
CUT BARBER
1109 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.322.2999 cutbarber.com
DADDY’S BARBERSHOP
192 S Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.537.1311
daddysbarbershop.com
MEN’S GROOMING SPOT
68487 E Palm Canyon Dr Suite 43 Cathedral City, CA 92234
760.992.0028 mensgroomingspot.com
PS FINE MEN’S SALON
750 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 3 Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.904.0434 psfinemenssalon.com
REALTORS
3 BEARS REALTY
2905 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.699.6175 3bearsrealty.com
PALM SPRINGS HOME TEAM
Conrad Miller (DRE #01973983)
760.464.9559
Brandon Holland (DRE # 01986968)
760.413.1220 Palmspringshometeam.com
RESTAURANTS
1501 UPTOWN GASTROPUB
1501 Uptown Gastropub 1501 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, 92262
760.507.1644 1501uptown.com
BLACKBOOK
315 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.832.8497 blackbookbar.com
BOOZEHOUNDS PS
2080 North Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.656-0067 boozehoundsps.com
EIGHT4NINE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE
849 N Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.8490 eight4nine.com
FARM
6 La Plaza Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.322.2724 farmspalmsprings.com
JOHANNES
196 S. Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.778.0017 johannespalmsprings.com
RICK’S DESERT GRILL
1596 North Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.2127 ricksdesertgrill.com
THE SOCIAL CAFE AND PLAY LOUNGE
2825 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Bldg C, Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-808-8588 thesocialcafeps.com
TRILUSSA
68-718 E Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234
760.328.2300 trilussarestaurant.com
TRIO RESTAURANT
707 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA. 92262
760.854.8746 triopalmsprings.com
WILMA & FRIEDA’S
155 S Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.992.5080 wilmafrieda.com
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
DAP HEALTH
1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.323.2118 daphealth.org
DESERT CARE NETWORK
760.561.7373 desertcarenetwork.com
DESERT OASIS HEALTHCARE
275 North El Cielo Road Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.DOHC (3642) mydohc.com
EISENHOWER HEALTH
39000 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760.340.3911 eisenhowerhealth.org
PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER
4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.416.5718 psanimalshelter.org
PALM SPRINGS FRONT RUNNERS & WALKERS frontrunners.clubexpress.com
PALM SPRINGS TEST
140 N Luring Drive, Ste D Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-299-6487 healthypstest.org
STONEWALL GARDENS
2150 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.548.0970 stonewallgardens.com
LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE DESERT
1301 North Palm Canyon Dr, 3rd Floor Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.416.7790 thecentercv.org
SAN FRANCISCO DIRECTORY
BARS & CLUBS
440 CASTRO 440 Castro, San Francisco, CA the440.com
BEAUX
2344 Market St., San Franciso, CA beauxsf.com
HI TOPS
2247 Market St, San Francisco, CA
415.551.2500 hitopsbar.com
LOBBY BAR
4230 18th St. Unit A, San Francisco, CA lobbybarsf.com
LOOKOUT
3600 16th St., San Francisco, CA
415.431.0306 lookoutsf.com
MAC’S CLUB
39 Post St., San Jose, CA
408.288.8221
MIDNIGHT SUN
4067 18th St., San Francisco, CA
415.861.4186
midnightsunsf.com
MOBY DICK
4049 18th St., San Francisco, CA
415.294.0731
OASIS
298 11th St., San Francisco, CA
415.795.3180 sfoasis.com
RENEGADES
501 W Taylor St., San Jose, CA
408.275.9902 renegadesbar.carrd.co
SF EAGLE
398 12th St., San Francisco, CA 415.200.2002 sf-eagle.com
SPLASH
65 Post St., San Jose, CA
408.292.2222 splashsj.com
THE CINCH SALOON
1723 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 415.776.4162
THE MIX
4086 18th St., San Francisco, CA 415.431.8616 thesfmix.com
WHITE HORSE BAR
6551 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 510.652.3820
HAIR SALONS
HEALING CUTS
2350 Market St., San Francisco, CA 415.286.2970 healingcutssf.com
SPUNK SALON
4147 19th St., San Francisco, CA 415.701.7865 spunksalon.com
THE CASTRO BARBER LOUNGE
2265 Market St., San Francisco, CA 415.678.5942 thecastrobarberlounge.com
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
HEALTH/COUNSELING/SUPPORT
API WELLNESS CLINIC
726 Polk St. SF LGBT Center 1800 Market Street San Francisco, CA apiwellness.org
BILLY DEFRANK
LGBTQ CENTER
938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 408.293.3040 defrankcenter.org
LYRIC CENTER FOR LGBTQQ YOUTH
127 Collingwood St (@ 18th St), San Francisco, CA 415.703.6150 lyric.org
OAKLAND LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER
3207 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland, CA 510.882.2286 oaklandlgbtqcenter.org
PACIFIC CENTER FOR HUMAN GROWTH
2712 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA 510.548.8283 pacificcenter.org
QUEER LIFESPACE
2275 Market St, San Francisco, CA 415.358.2000 queerlifespace.org
RAINBOW COMMUNITY CENTER
2380 Salvio St., Concord, CA 925.692.0090 rainbowcc.org
SF AIDS FOUNDATION
470 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 415.437.3400 strutsf.org
SF LGBT CENTER
1800 Market St, San Francisco, 415.865.5555 sfcenter.org
STONEWALL PROJECT
1035 Market St, #400, San Francisco, CA 415.487.3000 stonewallsf.org
THE TREVOR PROJECT
866.488.7386 Text: 678.678 thetrevorproject.org
UCSF ALLIANCE HEALTH PROJECT
1930 Market St, San Francisco, CA 415.476.3902 ucsf-ahp.org
LEGAL
AIDS LEGAL REFERRAL PANEL
1663 Mission St, #500, San Francisco, CA 415.701.1100 alrp.org
OASIS LEGAL SERVICES
1900 Addison St, #100, Berkeley, CA 510.666.6687 oasislegalservices.org
TRANSGENDER
LAW CENTER
510.587.9696 transgenderlawcenter.org
HOTLINES
THE GLBT HOTLINE OF SAN FRANCISCO: 415.355.0999
GLBT NATIONAL HOTLINE: 1.888.843.4564
GLBT NATIONAL YOUTH TALKLINE: 1.800.246.7743
TREVOR PROJECT HOTLINE (Queer Youth Suicide Prevention): 866.488.7386
CALIFORNIA AIDS, STD, & HEPATITIS HOTLINE: 1.800.367.2437
SEXUAL ASSAULT - COMMUNITY VIOLENCE SOLUTIONS: 800.670.7273
CONTRA COSTA CRISIS CENTER for Suicide & Crisis Intervention: 800.273.8255
