•We are the owners and the managers making it easy for you
•We’re for guests who are looking for elegance, privacy, and peace & quiet
•We offer all the little extras that make a vacation home special
•All homes are pet-friendly, Non-smoking, WiFi enabled and have Smart TVs
The men’s health services you want, where you want them.
When it comes to high quality health care, Eisenhower is here for you — now with six great health clinics in the Palm Springs area, and an enhanced focus on services that meet the unique health needs of men.
• Primary Care and Eisenhower 365
• HIV Care
• Eisenhower Desert Orthopedic Center
• Imaging and Lab Services
• Urgent Care
• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Dermatology
• Medical Specialties (Available at South Palm Canyon)
~ Eisenhower Desert Cardiology Center
~ Gastroenterology
~ Infusion
~ Neurology Oncology
~ Pain Management
Learn more at PSHealth.EisenhowerHealth.org or call 760-773-1460.
Eisenhower Health Center at Sunrise
151 S. Sunrise Way
Eisenhower Health Center at Rimrock
4791 E. Palm Canyon Drive
Eisenhower Brimble and Jones Health Center
1555-C S. Palm Canyon Drive
Eisenhower Health Center at South Palm Canyon
415 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Eisenhower Primary Care at North Palm Canyon
1401 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 202
Eisenhower Dermatology Center
1080 N. Indian Canyon, Suite 200
COMMENTARY
The Standard Magazine
400 N Sunrise Way #263 Palm Springs CA 92262 760.831.4869
NINO EILETS Publisher
LUCIANO McNULTY Editor
MAYA KALABIC Art Director
PHOTOGRAPHER
David A. Lee
CONTRIBUTORS
Ryan Turrin, Martha Tang, Steve Boyce, Billy Hill, Michael Khordoc, Harrison Burrows, Adrian Castro, Illich Mejia, Jacquelyn James, Trevor Garrison, Stacy Holmes, Greg Stillwell, Dann Foley, Jill Langham & Terri Schlichenmeyer www.thestandardps.com
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 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.
PLAY BASED EXERCISE
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
2025 TRENDS FOR HOLISTIC HEALTH & WELL BEING COVER
BY ADRIAN CASTRO
In 2025, the focus on holistic health, sustainability, and intentional living is more critical than ever. From nurturing mental well-being to making environmentally conscious choices, this year’s wellness trends encourage us to slow down, reconnect with ourselves, and embrace balance in all aspects of life. One must distinguish the difference between a trend and fad. A trend is defined as having more lasting power than a fad, which is typically met with more enthusiasm but lasts for a shorter amount of time.
Many outdated fads and practices are not only ineffective but also detrimental to our mental, physical, and emotional health.
The concept of wellness is evolving faster than ever before, blending technology, sustainability, and inclusivity to redefine how we care for our minds and bodies. Wellness is no longer a solo pursuit— it’s a collective journey encompassing individuals, workplaces, and communities. Following are the latest trends that will elevate your wellness journey and several you should eliminate to create space for a healthier, more fulfilling life.
TRENDS YOU SHOULD TRY
Digital detox hours: Carving out dedicated time away from screens can refresh your mind, improve focus, and strengthen reallife relationships. Start with an hour a day and observe the positive impact on your mental clarity.
Sound/song alarms: Replace harsh alarm sounds with calming songs or nature-inspired tones to ease into your day with positivity. This small shift sets a peaceful tone for your morning and lowers stress levels.
Journaling as therapy: Writing down your thoughts and feelings daily can help you process emotions, identify patterns, and set intentions. A few minutes each morning or night is enough to foster clarity and emotional balance.
Positive affirmations: Repeating kind, uplifting phrases to yourself, such as “I am capable” or “I deserve happiness,” can rewire
your mindset over time. Use sticky notes or phone alarms to make this practice consistent.
Emotional intelligence coaching: Develop skills to recognize, understand, and manage emotions effectively. Emotional intelligence not only improves relationships but also enhances your ability to handle stress.
Mental health days: Take proactive days off to recharge mentally and emotionally. Use this time for activities like meditation, nature walks, or simply resting to prevent burnout.
Decluttering: Clearing physical clutter not only organizes your space but also clears mental clutter. Extend this practice to digital and emotional aspects of your life to eliminate anything that doesn’t spark joy.
Quality over quantity: Prioritize meaningful activities, relationships, and possessions. This mindset reduces overwhelm and allows you to focus on what truly enriches your life.
Local farm-to-table eating: Choosing locally sourced produce not only supports small farmers but also ensures fresher, healthier meals with fewer preservatives and transportation emissions.
Sleeping well and enough: Good sleep is foundational to health, aiding everything from immune function to mental clarity. Aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night and establish a calming bedtime routine.
Play-based exercise: Infuse joy into your workouts with activities like trampoline jumping or Sanctum multi-sensorial experience workout classes with headphones, or outdoor play such as tennis. Having fun while exercising will keep you consistent while boosting your endorphins.
Regular health check-ups: Preventive healthcare is essential for long-term wellness. Routine screenings catch potential issues early, ensuring you stay on top of your health.
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Eco-friendly holidays: Go for low-impact travel, like visiting less-touristed destinations or staying at eco-conscious hotels, where quality, comfort and fun meet sustainability and wellness.
Wellness retreats over party vacations: Instead of exhausting party trips, choose destinations that prioritize rest and renewal. These retreats offer spa therapies, nutritious meals, and relaxationfocused activities.
Alcohol-free socializing: Embrace mocktail culture or sober gatherings to prioritize clarity and deeper connections with others. You’ll wake up feeling more refreshed and present.
Natural beauty: Prioritize skin health with natural skincare or practices like mesotherapy, a nutrient-rich skin treatment, and a diet rich in antioxidants rather than invasive cosmetic treatments.
Hybrid work-life balance practices: Combine the flexibility of remote work with structured routines to maximize productivity while maintaining personal well-being.
Financial wellness education: Gaining financial literacy reduces money-related stress and empowers you to make informed decisions about saving, investing, and budgeting.
AND SOME YOU SHOULD STOP
Overworking without breaks: Long hours without rest may
DECLUTTER
seem productive but often lead to burnout. Short breaks throughout the day restore focus and creativity.
Always being plugged in: Constant notifications and screen time prevent you from being fully present. Unplug regularly to prioritize your mental health and relationships.
Mindless social media scrolling: Hours spent scrolling through feeds add little value to your life. Replace this habit with reading, hobbies, or face-to-face interactions.
Oversharing on social media: Sharing less and living more prioritizes personal growth over seeking external validation. Privacy fosters deeper internal fulfillment.
Blue light before bed: Staring at screens disrupts your circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep. Replace screens with a good book to wind down naturally.
Negative self-talk: Self-criticism undermines confidence and happiness. Challenge negative thoughts and replace them with supportive and affirming ones.
Suppressing emotions: Bottling up feelings can lead to emotional strain and even physical symptoms. Learn to express emotions in healthy, constructive ways.
Toxic dynamics: Whether at work or in relationships, negativity
MOCKTAIL
drains your energy and well-being. Prioritize environments and people that uplift and support you.
Being a “yes” person: Overcommitting spreads you too thin. Saying no creates space for self-care and priorities.
Skipping breakfast: Missing this essential meal often leads to low energy and overeating later. Choose nutrient-dense options like oatmeal or smoothies.
Late-night coffee: Caffeine too close to bedtime disrupts sleep. Switch to calming herbal teas like chamomile or peppermint.
Overconsumption of sugar: Excessive sugar intake leads to energy crashes, weight gain, and inflammation. Replace sugary snacks with whole foods like fruits or nuts.
Poor diet: A nutrient-poor diet saps energy and weakens the body. Focus on balanced meals rich in whole grains, lean protein, and vegetables.
Gossip: Talking negatively about others, engaging or listening to such fosters a toxic environment and damages trust and drains your energy. Instead, focus on uplifting and constructive conversations.
Envy & competitive mindset: Comparing yourself to others breeds insecurity. Embrace collaboration and personal growth instead of rivalry.
Overconsuming the news: Constant exposure to distressing headlines amplifies anxiety. Limit news intake and focus on actionable ways to make a difference.
Ozempic: Quick-fix solutions for weight management ignore the importance of sustainable habits like balanced nutrition and regular exercise.
Sitting for long hours: Prolonged sitting contributes to poor posture and weakened muscles. Incorporate movement breaks and stretches throughout the day.
Unrealistic body goals: Chasing societal beauty standards often undermines health and self-worth. Focus on how your body feels and functions over appearance.
KEY AREAS OF GROWTH IN THE WELLNESS SPACE
Several of the health and wellness trends that have been identified in previous years, remain relevant today. In addition to these trends, notable pockets of growth stood out in this year’s survey results: functional nutrition, healthy aging, appearance and aesthetics, in-person wellness services, weight management, and mindfulness.
FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION
This trend has been fueled by the shift toward food as preventative medicine, as consumers are becoming more aware of how food and beverage choices affect their health. Rather than
PROPER NUTRITION
BLUE LIGHT
SLEEPING
only thinking of healthy food as foods that are free from certain components, such as gluten or sugar, consumers are now looking for foods that include high-value components, such as protein, nootropics,2 or turmeric.
From protein-packed potato chips to cognition-enhancing mocktails, a flurry of innovation has hit the functional-nutrition space. Going forward, the products likely to be most successful are not simply healthier alternatives to existing offerings (such as better-for-you candy), but those that exist at the intersection between supplements and food. The taste and texture of these products are table stakes.
BEAUTY
The lines between beauty and wellness continue to blur. A growing number of beauty products feature active ingredients that have health benefits (such as arnica to reduce inflammation or CBD to promote calmness), while more consumers say they are interested in using ingestible beauty supplements that promote wellness from within (such as collagen gummies for skin, hair, and nails).
As the overlap between beauty and wellness continues to increase, partnerships will become an important driver of relevance and growth for brands. Effective strategies include comarketing complementary products—such as skin care paired with at-home aesthetic devices like red-light therapy masks—and forging unique distribution collaborations, such as those between beauty and wellness players (supplements could be sold in beauty retailers, for example, while beauty products could be sold in fitness chains or health clinics).
LONGEVITY
Longevity-focused products and services are not only for older consumers. There has been a cultural shift among younger
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WELLNESS TRAVEL
generations to take a proactive approach to healthy aging rather than a reactive one. Longevity-focused products and services will continue to appeal to these younger consumers, but retaining these consumers is not without its challenges. Players should emphasize the short-term benefits of their products, in addition to the longer-term merits: A product that claims to improve mitochondrial function in the long term, for instance, could also highlight its immediate benefits, such as higher energy levels or reduced fatigue. Reminding older consumers of their age, meanwhile, could be off-putting to them, so longevity product marketing should focus on meeting specific needs rather than simply making consumers “feel younger.”
IN-PERSON EXPERIENCES AND WELLNESS TRAVEL
As consumers seek out opportunities to reset, digitally detox, and enhance their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being, there are opportunities for travel players (including hotels, cruise liners, and travel planners) to attract new customers. However, consumers also want to learn skills they can use beyond their stay, such as meditation, nutritional regimens, or fitness practices. In response, wellness and travel companies could create more tailored offerings, such as wellness coaches (who engage consumers pre- and post-trip), digitally enabled interventions (such as sleep tracking), and “edutainment” (educational and engaging programming, like menopause-focused retreats that teach women about hormonal health accompanied by treatments).
These wellness trends highlight a shift toward personalization, community, and sustainability. As we embrace these trends, they’re redefining what it means to be truly well—at work, at home, and in every aspect of life. By focusing on the whole self and fostering environments that prioritize health and happiness, 2025 promises to be a changing time for wellness.
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GROUNDBREAKING FITNESS & WELLNESS INNOVATIONS
BY HARRISON BURROWS
EARSIGHT FLOW
FRENZ BRAINBAND
The Frenz Brainband is this cool new AI-powered sleep headband that not only tracks your sleep but helps you sleep better and focus more during the day. The Frenz Brainband uses some seriously advanced tech to monitor your brain waves, eye movements and even tiny facial twitches while you snooze. The Brainband uses all that info to play personalized audio through bone-conduction speakers, helping you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
The Bebird EarSight Flow is an innovative ear care device that combines high-resolution imaging with advanced cleaning technology. Featuring a 1-million-pixel camera and Aquatic Ear Canal Cleaning Technology, this device allows you to safely remove earwax while providing a live view through a smartphone app, the EarSight Flow offers a modern solution to ear hygiene, enabling you to see inside your ear canal during the cleaning process.
CIRCULAR RING 2
The Circular Ring 2 introduces a groundbreaking digital sizing method that allows you to determine your ring size using only a smartphone camera and a dedicated app. This innovative approach eliminates the traditional plastic sizing kit used by competitors like Oura Ring and Samsung Galaxy Ring. A standout feature of the Circular Ring 2 is its FDA-approved atrial fibrillation detection algorithm, which marks the first such certification in the smart ring market.
AMP FITNESS MACHINE
The Amp Fitness machine is a groundbreaking $1,795 home gym powered by advanced artificial intelligence that transforms strength training. Featuring adjustable cable machine weights, an integrated camera and a smart companion app, the device provides dynamic workouts that adapt in real time to maximize your fitness gains. You can access hundreds of workout variations, participate in fitness challenges and even compete on a global leaderboard that tracks strength and progress. The machine’s AI technology continuously analyzes performance, adjusting resistance and workout intensity to ensure you are constantly challenged and making consistent progress.
ELEHEAR BEYOND PRO
The Elehear Beyond Pro is an innovative over-the-counter hearing aid that combines cutting-edge AI technology with user-friendly features. This smart hearing wearable offers real-time translation capabilities across multiple languages, making it an invaluable tool for global communication. The device also provides customizable tinnitus relief, addressing a common concern for many individuals with hearing issues.
YOCTOMAT
The YoctoMat is a smart yoga mat that transforms your practice through cutting-edge embedded sensor technology, providing realtime feedback on your posture, balance and weight distribution. By creating a visual map of your movements, this intelligent mat acts like a personal yoga instructor, helping you perfect your alignment and technique with precision and ease. The mat’s advanced IoT capabilities allow you to track your progress, analyze your performance and receive instant corrections, making every yoga session an opportunity for growth and mindfulness.
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eSIGHT GO
These cutting-edge digital glasses are designed to assist individuals with central vision loss caused by conditions like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. The eSight Go features a high-definition camera on the nosepiece that captures continuous video footage, which is then optimized and displayed on HD OLED screens for enhanced viewing.
iSLEEPAD
The iSleePad is a contactless sleep-tracking solution designed to monitor vital health data without the discomfort of wearable devices. Utilizing advanced low-power microwave sensor technology, the lightweight and foldable pad can track essential sleep metrics, including heart rate, breathing and sleep position with remarkable precision.
OMNIA
Withings has unveiled the Omnia, an innovative AI-powered smart mirror that provides comprehensive health screening through advanced sensor technology. The full-length mirror, equipped with a sophisticated base, can capture an extensive range of health metrics, including weight, heart health, metabolic data and body composition. Using integrated AI, the Omnia not only displays health data but also offers personalized insights through a voice assistant that can provide recommendations and potentially connect users with health care professionals.
TONE BUDS
NextSense has unveiled the Tone Buds, a groundbreaking biosensing smart earbud that goes far beyond traditional sleep technology by actively monitoring and improving sleep quality. These innovative earbuds use clinical-grade EEG technology to precisely assess sleep stages and depth, providing unprecedented insights into a user’s nocturnal experience. When the Tone Buds detect stage N3 sleep, the deepest stage of non-rapid eye movement sleep, they emit subtle pink noise stimulation to enhance rest. The AI-powered, closed-loop audio system responds dynamically to the user’s brain waves, providing comforting audio for falling asleep and soundneutralizing tracks to help users stay asleep.
NUANCE AUDIO GLASSES
EssilorLuxottica’s Nuance Audio glasses feature six strategically placed microphones that capture sound with remarkable precision and directional accuracy. These innovative glasses offer users two distinct listening modes — a focused directional setting that amplifies the voice of the person directly in front of you and a 360-degree audio mode that enhances surrounding sounds for complete environmental awareness.
V1TAL
Amazfit has unveiled its V1tal device, a compact gadget designed to revolutionize nutritional tracking. The V1tal uses a built-in camera to record your meals, automatically logging food intake and providing detailed nutritional information without manual input.
SMART PILLBOX
The Smart Pillbox HealthBuddy app, recently launched on both Apple and Google Play stores, will transform how users manage their medications. This innovative app offers features such as medication tracking, pill reminders and the ability to log missed or taken doses, making it an essential tool for medication adherence. The app can be used independently or in conjunction with the upcoming Smart Pillbox device, which is in its pilot program phase. When paired with the device, the app will sync effortlessly, providing real-time tracking and automated logging of medication intake.
BOOK REVIEW ALWAYS OVERBOOKED
BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Many. Forks.
You’re glad you’re not doing the dishes at the end of this dinner – but in the meantime, what’s protocol? If this event wasn’t a makeor-break, filled-with-repercussions kind of deal for you, you wouldn’t care; you’d use one fork, one spoon, and enjoy your meal, thank you. So please pass the salt and the new book “Just Good Manners” by William Hanson.
Dining at a restaurant not long ago, Hanson noticed a glaring difference between how his fellow Brits order a meal, and how Americans do it. We might share a language, he says, and we’re a lot alike but we’re also different in many ways. Manners are one of them.
It may seem that formal manners are archaic, even quaint, but Hanson says that they’re needed now more than ever. Manners help smooth social transactions. They leave room for grace in many situations, and they help put people at ease. “Contemporary etiquette,” he says, “is rooted in six key principles.”
Humility is what ensures that everyone at your meeting or dinner is comfortable, not just you. Hospitality welcomes everyone to the table. Knowing one’s rank shows respect. Says Hanson, “politeness takes patience” and humor, as manners evolve. And although it sounds counter-intuitive, manners are somewhat based on passiveaggressiveness, which helps you be direct, but not too much.
Here, you’ll learn how to deal with introductions in different situations and what to do with a pronoun faux pas. You’ll see that merely greeting someone can be fraught with danger, so be sure you know who’s who before you enter a room. Learn to avoid five “taboo” topics when engaging in small talk. If you’re interrupted, know how to kindly gain control of a conversation again. Find out how the use of slang tells a listener who you really are. Know how to be a good guest, and the kind of host people appreciate. And yes, you’ll learn about those many, many forks…
You do not live in a bubble. You don’t work in one, either, or smoothing ruffled feathers is needed more than ever in today’s world so maybe it’s time to learn how to do that from a very unruffled source. With “Just Good Manners,” it could even set you apart. Indeed, author William Hanson makes a case for politeness-asdiplomacy here, in a book that’s very Brit-centric but that includes anecdotes about disastrous situations in other countries. Tales like
those are fun to read, in a Schadenfreude way, but they also illustrate why it’s essential to understand other cultures in business settings as well as in many casual events. If that sounds daunting, rest assured that Hanson uses his own advice, putting readers at ease with humor and charm and by taking the scariness out of manners by making them an easy, maybe even enjoyable, challenge.
You won’t feel scolded when you read “Just Good Manners,” but you will learn enough to be someone people want around. It’ll give you confidence. Before your next big event, it’ll give you something to chew on.
“Just Good Manners: A Quintessential Guide to Courtesy, Charm, Grace and Decorum” by William Hanson c.2025, Gallery Books / $28.99/ 272 pages
So.
FEATURE THE HEALING POWER OF SALT WATER
BY BILLY CAHILL
Salt Water is a fearless and intimate examination of memory, identity, and the lasting impact of emotional trauma. Set along the strikingly beautiful Colombian coast, the story follows thirty-threeyear-old Jacobo (played by Luis Mario Jiménez) as he reconnects with José Luis, a fifty-year-old Catholic priest who sexually abused him as a child—and who is now leaving the clergy following new accusations. Queer filmmaker Steven Morales Pineda explains more from his home in Columbia.
As a queer filmmaker, how does your identity shape the kinds of stories you’re drawn to telling?
Steven Morales Pineda: It shapes everything I create. I come from a region in Columbia where storytelling is rich, but also where machismo runs deep. In places like mine, being sensitive, being different, or simply being honest about who you are can feel dangerous. Just existing authentically takes courage. And that’s where my voice comes from.
What kind of stories do you like to tell?
I’m drawn to stories that live in the margins—emotionally complex, often uncomfortable, rarely told. I care about the characters who are asked to stay quiet, who love in secret, who carry shame that doesn’t belong to them. I want to give them space. I want to say what so many of us were taught not to say.
What inspired you to create Salt Water?
Salt Water came from a memory I have carried since childhood: the first person I ever felt something for was a priest. Of course, now I see it was a child’s yearning, not adult love. But his sudden disappearance, without words of goodbye, left a deep mark. However, what’s stayed with me all these years isn’t anger, but this strange tenderness mixed with abandonment. A feeling that’s hard to explain and even harder to admit out loud. But that’s exactly why I felt Salt Water needed to be told; not to shock, but to bring honesty and humanity to something we rarely see on screen.
The film explores a deeply taboo and complicated dynamic between a survivor and his abuser.
The greatest emotional challenge in making Salt Water was to honor the survivor’s experience without reducing it to a binary of trauma. Abuse doesn’t always look like violence in the moment. It can be confusing, even tender. That makes it harder to name, and harder to live with. Creatively, the task was to hold space for that ambiguity. I struggled with the fear of being misunderstood or misread. Would people accuse the film of justifying abuse? Would they see Jacobo’s emotional turmoil as weakness? But I realized that these fears were part of the very silence the film was meant to break. To bring this relationship to the screen, I had to accept that some truths are messy, that some wounds don’t close cleanly, and that film can be a space where those contradictions breathe.
José Luis, the priest, is a complex antagonist. He’s not simply monstrous but human and flawed.
I didn’t want him to be a villain in the traditional sense, or a caricature of evil. I wanted him to feel disturbingly real: someone who doesn’t fully grasp the magnitude of what he’s done, who has convinced himself that it wasn’t wrong, or worse, that it was love. That kind of self-delusion, to me, is more terrifying than overt cruelty.
There’s a poetic quality to the way the sea functions as both a mirror of trauma and a symbol of healing. Was that symbolism always part of the script, or did it evolve during production?
Growing up on the Colombian coast, I’ve always carried with me the saying “el agua salá lo cura todo.” Salt water heals—be it the sea or our own tears. I wanted that belief to live in the bones of Salt Water, not just as a poetic idea, but as an emotional truth the film is constantly circling around.
For Jacobo, the sea is a place full of memory. Throughout the film, we see him walk to the beach, stand at its edge, look at it…
FEATURE
but he never goes in. He’s drowning, yes, but on dry land. In sorrow, in guilt, in memories he won’t let go of. It’s like grief has become his entire identity, and stepping into the water—into possibility, into cleansing, into release—feels impossible. But the ocean is always there, waiting. That’s the quiet promise of the film.
What kind of conversations do you hope the film sparks, especially within the LGBTQ community?
I hope Salt Water opens space for conversations that don’t usually happen—especially within the queer community, where so many of us carry wounds that are hard to name. Wounds that come from institutions that were supposed to protect us, or from people we once trusted, even loved. Abuse in religious spaces isn’t always loud or visible; sometimes it’s wrapped in affection, in spiritual authority, in silence.
Healing doesn’t always look like justice or revenge. Sometimes it’s just choosing to sit with yourself and say: this hurt me. I matter. That quiet kind of courage is powerful.
The film refuses to offer easy answers or tidy resolutions. What guided your choice to keep the narrative open-ended and emotionally raw?
Because that’s how real healing looks: unresolved, nonlinear, messy. Survivors rarely get closure. They often have to make peace with absence, with ambiguity. I didn’t want to betray that truth by wrapping the story in catharsis or punishment.
The emotional rawness of the film is part of its resistance to dominant narratives. I wanted the viewer to sit in the discomfort Jacobo lives with—to feel the weight of the silences, the tension between what is remembered and what is buried. Letting the story remain openended was my way of honoring the lived experience of people who are still searching for words, for justice, or even for forgiveness.
Salt Water is available to rent or own on all major digital platforms.
LGBTQ people are among the many subgroups of Americans known to experience high rates of food insecurity.*
*The Williams Institute
The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert provides food for 30,000+ people annually.
PROFILE MARIAH HANSON TO TAKE HER FINAL BOW AT THE DINAH AFTER 34 ICONIC YEARS
BY MICHEL KHORDOC
For more than three decades, Mariah Hanson has been at the heart of queer culture. As the founder and producer of The Dinah — the world’s largest and longest-running music festival for queer women, nonbinary people, and allies — Hanson has built far more than a party. She created a legacy.
Now, after 34 groundbreaking years, Hanson is preparing to take her final bow. The upcoming edition of The Dinah, taking place
September 24–28, 2025, at Palm Springs’ Riviera Resort, will mark the last time she helms the event she launched back in 1991.
“After 34 unforgettable years, I’m stepping away from producing this world-famous celebration of queer joy, freedom, and connection,” says Hanson. “It’s been the honor of a lifetime to help create space where our community could be bold, wild, and unapologetically ourselves.”
DINAH 2014 MARIAH HANSON WITH KATE MOENIG, LEISHA HAILEY & LAUREL HOLLOMAN
DINAH 2015 MEGHAN TRAINOR & MARIAH HANSON ON STAGE
DINAH 2021 MARIAH HANSON SIDE STAGE
Though she’s ready to move on, Hanson isn’t closing the door on The Dinah’s future. In fact, she’s actively looking for the right person or team to carry the torch and continue building on its legacy. “It’s time for a new generation to bring their vision, energy, and heart to this event,” she says. “That’s my deepest hope.”
The Dinah’s history speaks for itself. What began as a grassroots gathering has grown into a globally recognized five-day event — one that attracts thousands of fans from around the world. Known for its high-energy pool parties, iconic live music, and unmatched sense of community, The Dinah has long been a beacon for LGBTQ+ celebration and visibility.
But its impact goes beyond the dance floor. Hanson has earned a reputation as a tastemaker, with an uncanny eye for talent on the rise. Over the years, she booked artists like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Lizzo, Bebe Rexha, and Doechii — often before they became household names. “I’ve often been asked when I would pass the torch,” she says. “I never had a specific answer — only that I’d know when the moment felt right. And now, the time is right.”
Hanson’s final Dinah will be a celebration worthy of its legacy. One of the weekend’s most anticipated moments will see The L Word stars Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey return to Palm Springs, in what promises to be a full-circle moment for fans. The show helped
catapult The Dinah into pop culture history, and now Moennig and Hailey will be back to sign copies of their new book So Gay for You, meet fans, and make appearances throughout the event.
“The Dinah isn’t just about the parties — it’s about community, chosen family, and visibility,” Hanson says. “That’s what’s made this event so special for 34 years.”
She also emphasizes that while she’s stepping back, this isn’t goodbye. “If The Dinah has ever touched your heart, brought you joy, or helped you feel seen — I invite you to join me one last time,” Hanson says. “While my Dinah chapter is ending, the future is full of possibility. My hope is that this beloved torch is carried forward — so The Dinah can thrive for another 34 years and beyond.”
Plans for the Grand Finale are already in motion, with a powerhouse lineup of artists and celebrity guests set to be announced this summer. The goal: to deliver one of the most unforgettable editions in Dinah history.
For Hanson, this final edition is a love letter to the community she’s helped build. “This last edition isn’t just an event — it’s the culmination of 34 spectacular years of joy, liberation, visibility, and love,” she says. “Come raise a glass, dance under the sun, and help write this extraordinary last chapter with me.”
Tickets and event details are now available at www.thedinah.com.
DINAH 2023 PRINCESS NOKIA AND MARIAH HANSON WITH MAUREEN VANDERPOOL (RED CARPET)
DINAH 2017 MARIAH HANSON ON STAGE
Coachella provides
THE NEW DEZART PLAYHOUSE TO OPEN NOVEMBER 2025
Dezart Performs has chosen Architect Susan Secoy Jensen with Landscape Architect JC Miller and TheatreDNA consultant, Michael Ferguson to convert the First Church of Christ, Scientist at 605 Riverside Drive into the NEW Dezart Playhouse. “I’m absolutely thrilled to open the doors to our new playhouse this fall. This is just the beginning of an incredible journey, and I’m deeply grateful to our community for their unwavering support in making this dream a reality.” …Michael Shaw, Founding Artistic Director.
Season 18 will open with Phase ONE of the NEW Dezart Playhouse in November 2025 with a fully functioning state-of-theart theater designed by Susan Secoy Jensen and Michael Ferguson, with 131 seats, a multi-purpose rehearsal hall/green room/event room, event prep room and individual cast dressing rooms. As customary at Dezart Performs productions, beverages and snacks will also be available. Phase TWO in Season 19, will include a full remodel by Susan Secoy Jensen including new theater seating, indoor and outdoor bars, box office and fully upgraded restrooms
in addition to a full Season of plays, musical events and productions from a wide net of theater family and friends. JC Miller will be using native desert flora and fauna, utilizing original landscape designs, to provide a pleasing exterior enhancing the visual appeal of the historical property.
In an effort to retain the mid-century modern aesthetic and applying for Class 1 Historical Landmark status of the 1957 Robson Chambers and Albert Frey designed building, the Dezart Playhouse Planning Committee is working with the City of Palm Springs Offices of Economic Development and Planning & Historic Preservation to retain the mid-century modern aesthetic and design focusing on adaptive re-use with the ability to meet the needs of a state-of-the art theatrical experience. Additionally, since Dezart Performs announced the purchase of the First Church of Christ, Scientist in December 2024, there has been an outpouring of support for the church, in continuous operation since 1957, from the community, the City of Palm Springs and the historical preservation community including the ModCom
Board and Staff, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, Palm Springs Architectural Alliance and Modernism Week.
‘Have a Seat Campaign’
The ‘Have a Seat Campaign’ will ensure everyone has an opportunity to be part of Palm Springs history with the purchase of a custom designed theater chair to share in the legacy of Robson Chambers, Albert Frey and the mid-century modern architectural movement. To complement the Dezart Performs Capital Campaign, Platinum seats are available for $2,500, Premium seats for $1,000 and Preferred seats at $500. The ‘Have A Seat Campaign’ includes an engraved plaque with your name or a loved ones and invitation to the launch of Dezart Performs Season 18. For more information contact: Gailya Brown at gailya.brown@dezartperforms.org.
For additional information about Dezart Performs’ 2025/26 season, visit www.dezartperforms.org
THE CENTER ANNOUNCES ALL OUT, A NEW & INCLUSIVE LGBTQ+ SUMMER DANCE PARTY
The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert is proud to announce the summer dance party ALL OUT, a new event to foster meaningful fun and vibrant connections for LGBTQ+ people. ALL OUT will feature a live DJ and dancers, retro music and video games, a best dressed contest, and an opportunity to support The Center’s Community Food Bank. All money raised benefits The Center, which hopes to make ALL OUT an annual mid-summer Coachella Valley mainstay event.
Saturday, July 19, 2025, 7 pm – 10 pm at The 4707, a new Palm Springs event space, 4707 E. Sunny Dunes Rd. Go ALL OUT with The Center during their first summer dance party! DJ Galaxy will be playing your favorite hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, plus your favorite dance club tunes. Come dressed in your favorite decades look and enter the Best Dressed Contest! See a performance by Desert Studs! To celebrate his 50th birthday, DJ Galaxy’s invites
you to bring a non-perishable food items to benefit The Center’s Community Food Bank. This event is for everyone 21 and older. Tickets can be purchased at thecentercv.ticketspice.com/allout25 and at the door.
DAPHEALTH
VOLUNTEER, MAJOR DONOR… AND NOW, BOARD MEMBER
BY JIM MACAK
As both a volunteer and major donor for the last 30 years, Mark Adams remembers when DAP Health was known as Desert AIDS Project. “The organization’s always been a trailblazer,” he says. “It’s always had a desire to grow while continuing to provide on behalf of the underserved, the needy, the poor. I have a lot of respect for the board and the directions it’s taken over the years.”
This great respect for the board is partly what prompted Adams to take a seat on it in June 2024. “I’ve really enjoyed being involved in DAP Health from the outside for all of these years,” he maintains. “But in talking to members of the board — and to CEO David Brinkman — a very compelling case was made for me to become a member. And so, I did! It’s high time I put in the hours of service and answered the call of duty.”
“Speaking on behalf of my fellow directors, I can say we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Mark onto our very hardworking board,” says longtime Board Chair Patrick Jordan. “Thanks to the very successful businesses he runs, he brings a breadth of experience in many sectors. All that in addition to the fact that, through his philanthropic family, he was brought up with the mindset of always giving back to one’s community.”
Adams spent his first 12 months observing. “I wanted to take it all in,” he says, adding that that’s how figured out how best to make a major, lasting difference. “My background is in finance. Financial security has always been important to DAP Health, but now, with our recent expansion, that’s even more crucial going forward. I currently sit on the finance committee, and I think that’s where I can make the greatest impact.”
A MEDIA DYNASTY
Like DAP Health, in recent decades, Adams — who, as one newspaper put it, is part of a third-generation media family — has also undergone a significant evolution.
Once upon a time, Grandfather Cedric was a newspaper columnist with a popular radio show and a lucrative sideline voicing radio and TV ads. But neither Cedric’s son nor grandsons started out following in his footsteps.
Mark’s father, Stephen, made his fortune running outdoor advertising companies, community banks, and a network of RV dealers that sold camping equipment. For 20 years, Adams worked for a private equity firm specializing in media.
Then, about a decade ago, he and his father decided to found Adams Publishing Group, which currently owns some 35 daily newspapers, more than 100 non-dailies (weeklies, bi-weeklies, etc.), and other media-related products and websites in 19 states.
“Newspapers were really struggling at that time,” remarks Adams, who serves as APG’s co-founder, president, and CEO. “We decided this was an area that needed some help. We thought we could make a difference. And it was just him and me until a couple of years ago, when his health began to decline. Eventually, my brothers and I bought him out.”
Despite The New York Times recently reporting that traditional media’s collapse “seems to be accelerating,” Adams claims this hasn’t affected APG, what with the company’s focus on small-city publications. “It’s still a very challenged industry,” he admits, “but I would say smaller-community newspapers are in much better health than big-city newspapers, where there’s so much competition with broadcast television, bloggers, and websites.”
In 2018, the Poynter Report — a newsletter issued by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Florida — reported that “in contrast with other big consolidators, they [APG] often leave existing management in place, do not impose cookie-cutter content templates, and do not start by stripping down newsrooms of editors and reporters.” Adams reveals this is still APG’s approach.
APG’s corporate headquarters are in a suburb of Minneapolis,
Minnesota, where Adams was born and raised. The overarching family business (of which APG is a part) is anchored in Connecticut. And yet, Adams and his husband Tyler Wibstad — together 10 years, married since February 2023; “He was the holdout,” reveals Adams with a chuckle — consider their homes to be New York City and Palm Springs.
Their grandparents used to bring Adams and his three brothers to the desert during spring breaks. His closest friendships were developed and nurtured there. “You’ve got so many things going on,” he says, “museums, hiking, arts and entertainment.”
FINDING DAP HEALTH
Palm Springs was certainly hit hard by the AIDS crisis, but that didn’t put a damper on Adams’ decision to move there part-time in 1993. “I lost many, many friends to AIDS in the ’80s and ’90,” he says. “I really wanted to do something to honor their memory. Becoming involved at DAP was the perfect way to do so.”
In the late ’90s and early aughts, Adams was part of a group of supporters who helped restructure The Chase. “There were probably 15 of us who just jumped in because the event was failing,” he recalls, adding that the effort included launching a silent auction
ADAMS AND WIBSTAD AT 2024’S 30TH ANNUAL STEVE CHASE HUMANITARIAN AWARDS. (PHOTO BY DAVID A. LEE)
DAPHEALTH
and recruiting star headliners to perform. “It was an enormous undertaking, but that first year we doubled the attendance.”
Through it all, Adams kept putting his money where his heart is, making regular donations, including a particularly generous one that significantly contributed to the 1998 purchase of the structure now known as the Barbara Keller LOVE Building, the cornerstone of DAP Health’s Sunrise campus in Palm Springs.
A PHILANTHROPIC PAS DE DEUX
As for his handsome husband and partner in philanthropy, Adams says he met Wibstad at a Minneapolis restaurant not long after he and his father launched APG. At that time, Wibstad was pursuing a degree in business administration at the University of Northwestern while serving as an assistant editor for the campus newspaper. He also worked in marketing and advertising for the local Annandale Advocate. Adams and Wibstad acknowledge their mutual interest in
the newspaper industry contributed to their eventual match.
Wibstad now works as a freelance marketing consultant and digital marketing manager. He notes that DAP Health is his primary care provider, adding he’s very pleased with the service he receives. While he volunteers and contributes to several New York City organizations, he does what he can to also support Adams’ activities on behalf of DAP Health and other Palm Springs institutions such as the Palm Springs Art Museum, the Palm Springs International Film Society, the Palm Springs Friends of the Philharmonic, and Palm Desert’s McCallum Theatre.
Adams, though, still gives DAP Health a significant edge in terms of admiration and backing. “When you’re supporting DAP Health, you’re saving lives,” he concludes. “I’m really happy to be involved.”
To learn more about DAP Health, or to become a patient, please visit daphealth.org.
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because LGBTQ+ health matters
PERSPECTIVE FOREVER IN MY HEART
BY JILL LANGHAM
Life is strange, isn’t it? Over the last 2 months, my life, mind and mood have totally changed. When I wrote a two-part article for May and June at the end of April, I found that I had a lot to say, that wasn’t all that positive. I was still reeling from my friend, Gerard’s death in January and found myself to be disillusioned by Palm Springs and even found myself talking about moving away.
Right after I submitted it, the funniest thing happened. I began going out and having a blast with all of you. The bar scene had really begun to change once ‘season,’ was over and suddenly the locals came out of the woodwork. The DJs were once again playing great music, the crowds were less full of screaming bridezilla’s, the straight guys were less obnoxious and you, my wonderful gays, were even more fun than usual. My mood was steadily improving, raising it to an all-time high in many years.
Well, that is until I received the life-changing phone call from Officer Rowe of the Palm Springs Police Department informing me that a friend to all, and a best friend and confident to me, Glenn Soukesian, was no longer in the land of the living.
It is still hard for me to digest this information, but it is my new reality. Although his physical form is no longer, I am super happy to report that he is very much alive inside of me.
I know that death is final here on this planet and that it is our role here on Earth to process each loss. But it is never easy and with each death, we can learn all we can from it. Sometimes the task is next to near impossible, other times we find a strength in ourselves that we weren’t privy too, until now.
That is what happened to me. I have become a happier and better individual since Glenn took flight. I’m a better personal trainer. I’m stronger both mentally and physically and as I walk into my 7th decade, I feel more solid and grounded than ever. And for all of that, I thank my friend.
He was so much more than a Porn Star, but I know millions of you only knew him that way. His gifts were enormous and on top of all of that he was a genuine and authentic guy who just wanted everyone to be happy. Like me and you, he had his own demons which sometimes emerged in his personal love life. But he attempted at every turn to be authentic, do his work, and try with his big, beautiful heart to
move through his feelings and not get stuck. Sometimes it worked, other times not so much.
But as a friend, Glenn was magical.
I will never forget the time he lived with me when he was in between living arrangements. We shared the most intimate moment that will forever remain as number one. We are both nudists at heart and loved the freedom of not wearing clothes indoors. Up until this point, I had only been naked in swinger’s groups, typically wearing only my boots and jewelry, or the nakedness that comes with lovers, but had never been naked in front of a bestie for more than a few moments. I had never sat around for hours and chatted or read, or watched TV or a movie, but did with Glenn.
We fell into a rhythm of comfort that was so easy that it felt like we’d been friends and confidants for decades, not a mere 6 or 7 months. We sang, we danced, we laughed, and we cried. One time
that moment, I felt truly satiated and needed nothing else except perhaps the hope that I was helping him feel to better.
MUSTSEE THE FABULOUS SHOW WITH FAY AND FLUFFY
BY ILICH MEJIA
Hit Canadian preschool Storytime variety show, The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy is back for season 2 and it is packed with more fabulousness, more inclusivity and more fun for the whole family!
Hosts Fay and Fluffy, along with their beloved puppet friends and studio guest favorites are back with new friends, more books, laughter, can’t-miss musical performances, and heart-filled conversations with their young studio audience. With their big, colorful wigs and dazzling fashion, dynamic drag duo Fay and Fluffy continue their mission to spread joy and kindness, be fabulous and, of course, “read the house down.”
“I Can Get Through It!” the first episode of the second season is streaming now on YouTube! During the episode, Fluffy must tell Fay they can’t go to their planned beach outing. The hosts take that opportunity to teach their young audience about how to deal with disappointment and letting a friend down. During Story Time, the group dives into Kevin the Unicorn: It’s Not All Rainbows, Jessika Von Innerebner’s picture book about embracing imperfections and keeping a positive outlook in the face of difficulties.
Winner of the 2023 Shaw Rocket Fund Kids’ Choice Award, Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence for Best Preschool Series, Finalist of the 2023 Japan Prize, and nominee of 5 Canadian Screen Awards, The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy sashayed its way into the hearts of preschoolers and their families across Canada,
quickly becoming a top-rated children’s show nationwide. The series is created and produced by Canada’s Lopii Productions and is distributed globally by Canada’s Sinking Ship Entertainment, known for bringing high-quality children’s and family content to audiences around the world.
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy is a Storytime cabaretstyle variety show for preschoolers, filled with new books, puppet friends, animated characters, musical guests and lots of love. Hosted by dynamic, entertaining drag artist duo, Fay & Fluffy, and featuring an interactive audience of young children. Each episode is bursting with silliness, songs and community. The show shares the message of inclusivity, cheering on all the kids who watch to be proud of who they are, love themselves, and be kind to one another.
MEET THE HOSTS
Fay (played by JP Kane) brings joy, laughter and hope to her audience. Fay loves working and learning alongside kids, loves puppies, forests, peanut butter, Springtime, mushy peas and children’s books. Bright, bold and proud, Fay hopes to inspire children to love themselves, be brave and celebrate their uniqueness. Fay is most happy when sharing stories, creating with others and building community.
Fluffy (played by Kaleb Robertson) is non-binary and uses they/ them pronouns. They love bright colors, fun sneakers, and all animals, but especially cats. And unicorns. They love to accentuate their outfits with big sparkly jewelry. Any chance they get, they love to hold babies. Their favorite books to read are silly ones, funny ones, and ones with unicorns and animals. While they love a laugh, they also have a serious side when it comes to trans rights, body positivity and supporting LGBTQ+ families and creating inclusive spaces.
MEET THE TALENT
JP Kane (he/him) has been a teacher since 1997 and is currently teaching Kindergarten. He was recently nominated for Outstanding Teacher of the Year. He’s performed in a variety of cultural institutions including The Royal Ontario Museum, Can Stage and the Art Gallery of Ontario. JP loves to create and inspire kids to be the best they can be.
Kaleb Robertson (he/him) is a cultural producer based in Toronto. He is a queer, trans, and body positive activist who produces and hosts events, DJs and does workshops and speaking engagements. As a continuation of the community work, he does, he is also a licensed wedding official, providing LGBTQ+ couples a safe, non-judgmental official for their wedding.
ABOUT THE CREATORS & LOPII PRODUCTIONS
Identical twin sisters and award-winning TV producers Georgina and Rennata López founded Lopii Productions Inc., a Toronto-based company, in July 2018. Their vision is to create high-quality, inclusive, and diverse children’s programs that allow every child to see themselves represented on television. Lopii Productions has produced live-action series for children in both English and French, working with networks such as TVO, CBC, and Sesame Street.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66M2Tky_6Yc
while doing a split and experimenting in strange, contorted positions. I especially love taking nudes and creating content. It’s simply how I express myself both sexually and creatively. I wasn’t playing a character or chasing what I thought people wanted to see. I wanted to be proud of the work I put out, whether I won or not. If I had done something that didn’t feel like me just to try and win, and then didn’t, I would’ve felt ridiculous.
How did you keep yourself centered under pressure?
I won’t lie. I had moments where I worried how I’d be received. Putting yourself out there, naked and ranked against other men, can feel very vulnerable. But the support from the BateWorld.com community reminded me why I was there: to connect, express myself, and get involved in something exciting.
Masturbation is still considered taboo in some circles. What would you say to people who view self-pleasure as shameful or unhealthy?
I know what it’s like to feel shame or guilt around masturbation. I used to feel that way too. But eventually, I started thinking for myself and questioning the things I was told. What’s so wrong with it? It doesn’t hurt anyone. I mean, I’m not actually choking any chickens! (Laughing)
The show highlights both performance and personal growth. What did you learn about yourself throughout the season?
I learned that I’m an artist and I care about the content I put on the internet. To some, these videos are just dudes rubbing one out, but we put a lot of time and sweat into planning, recording, and editing them. My biggest takeaway from the competition was learning to be proud of my work. It’s fun, sometimes funny, and sometimes weird; and I’m proud of that!
What was the hardest moment for you behind the scenes?
The Handsfree and Mirror competitions were the toughest for me. In Handsfree, I felt pressure to deliver a top-tier selfsuck video since that’s what I’m known for. I didn’t get as deep as I wanted but I’m proud of how I did. The Mirror challenge was another beast. I scrapped my original frotting/mirror makeout concept when I came up with a better idea: layering versions of myself into the mirrors so it looked like I was interacting with a mirror twin. One scene even had dialogue between me and my reflection, which took precise timing and planning. It’s one of my coolest videos that really shows my creativity. The response was overwhelming, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
How do you hope to use your platform post-win?
I’ve long been an advocate through my own channels for solo experimentation. I’ve posted stretch tutorials so that others can learn to do what I do, because learning to self-suck wasn’t luck,
it was determination. It’s important to me to be a friend, not just a ‘pornstar’, and I think anyone that reaches out to me on BateWorld. com understands that very quickly. It can be difficult to keep up with so many messages, but I do because I value connection and I want people to feel safe with me, especially at a time when the LGBT+ community is being targeted by anti-trans and anti-gay legislation. Banning trans service members, drag queens, porn, health access… These efforts are meant to erode our culture and shove us back in the closet. I hope that I can inspire others to be more comfortable with themselves by watching me do what I do, unapologetically—and that we become louder and prouder of who we are.
What advice do you have for aspiring Bators hoping to compete next season?
Be real. Don’t perform for what you think people want. Do what turns you on. Create the content you wish existed. If you’re having fun and creating from a place of authenticity, it’ll come through to the right audience. You don’t need to be the most muscular, have the biggest dick, or be so performative. You just need to be you. Be proud of what you put out, no matter the outcome. BateWorld is such an incredible space for us to connect and share. Don’t take this community for granted. And for the love of cock—don’t beat yourself up, just beat yourself off.
Visit BateWorld.com
MUSIC THE BEATS
BY MARTHA TANG
ISABELLA LOVESTORY SHARES NEW SINGLE “EUROTRASH”
Fresh off the frenzy surrounding the announcement of her sophomore album, Honduran experimental popstar Isabella Lovestory shares her new single “Eurotrash,” a synth driven electro-trap ode to flying ornate carriages, Europe’s trashiest alleyways, tiny pink French poodles biting European white girls’ asses and purchasing a first-class airplane ticket while wearing a fake LV bag. The track, produced by Kamixlo and Chicken, comes alongside the Vanity’s full track list. Vanity was released on June 27th via Giant Music / Lovestory inc.
Last month, Isabella released two singles: the R&B-infused
“Gorgeous”, that flips into a reggaeton nightmare, and her camp body-horror drama, “Telenovela”, which has already amassed over 1 million streams on YouTube. Isabella began the year with the single “Putita Boutique” featuring Argentina’s TAICHU, pouring gasoline on the flame that she started with last summer’s standout singles “Botoxxx”, “VIP” and “Puchica”.
Vanity subverts the expectations of an overly polished sonic facelift that its title might suggest, instead reflecting the intoxicating nuances of beauty and its inevitable decay. Isabella’s new album finds
her running free, empowered to experiment with different sounds and palettes, and imagine a grandiose, garish world to build around it, down to creative directing each of her videos and designing the sets.
“‘Vanity’ is the struggle that I’ve experienced with having my image be so out there,” Isabella says of the album. “ I wanted to romanticize that darkness and turn it into storytelling. Each song is a different side of me dealing with vanity itself, in all its beautiful darkness.”
Born in Honduras before moving to the US and then Canada at 17 years old, Lovestory has positioned herself as a trailblazing force paving her own way at the cross-section of pop and reggaeton, making her an icon in experimental music. In 2022, she made her mark with her debut Amor Hardcore, which Pitchfork characterized as “playful, maximalist, and flirtatious to the core.” With an experimental reggaeton sound equally influenced by Spanish trap and goth electronica, Isabella’s forthcoming body of work extends her maximalist sonic experiment even further outside the lines, drawing on her beloved Y2K pop influences, textured synth-wave, her K-pop peers, and the defiant unapologetic women she looks up to, such as Lady Gaga and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon.
Connect with Isabella Lovestory: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
RITA ORA TURNS
UP THE TEMPERATURE WITH HER NEW SINGLE, HEAT
MUSIC
Produced by Peter Thomas (P!nk, Selena Gomez, Teddy Swims), who co-wrote the song alongside Leland, Michael Matosic, and Troye Sivan, Heat is bold, playful, and filled with sun-soaked energy.
Rita says: “Dropping “Heat” on the same day as my World Pride performance feels like the perfect way to kick off summer — it’s such a special moment for me and for my fans who have supported me over the years. I’m obsessed with this track, and honestly, I just wanted to have fun with it! It’s bold, cheeky, and totally drenched in golden, feel-good energy. For me, it’s all about celebrating freedom, joy, being unapologetically yourself and owning who you are!”
Rita first gave fans a taste of “Heat” on stage in Miami while supporting Kylie Minogue on the US leg of her Tension tour — and it’s already set to become a standout in her live set, with a sizzling appearance at Capital’s Summertime Ball on 15th June in London.
The accompanying video for “Heat”, directed by Justin Daashuur Hopkins, was filmed on a vibrant, sun-drenched stretch of Miami Beach and plunges us into a surreal, high-energy day in the lives of the city’s most eclectic beachgoers. Shot in rich technicolor tones inspired by legendary photographer and photojournalist Martin Parr, the visuals celebrate the wild, sweaty, and gloriously eccentric
spirit of Miami’s beach culture — a world where it’s always summer. Rita Ora’s multi-platinum music career has won her commercial and critical acclaim with 13 UK Top 10 singles and four UK Number One singles. In the UK she was among the first to receive a BRIT Billion award after surpassing the landmark of one billion career UK streams. While in the US, her acclaimed singles and star-studded collaborations have earned her a #3 Billboard Hot 100 song, 7 Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs Chart, 5 of which reached #1, and 6 Top 20 singles on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart. Rita’s most recent studio album, You & I, (released in 2023) landed the coveted #1 spot on the UK Official Independent Albums Chart and was the highest new entry from a female act in the UK Official Albums Chart (debuting at #6).
Follow Rita Ora
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JOLIN BRINGS THE WORLD SOME “PLEASURE”
Global pop icon and Queen of C-pop JOLIN shares the sumptuous music video for her latest single Pleasure. The cinematic clip was directed by Christian Breslauer (The Weeknd, Doja Cat, Ariana Grande), choreographed by Robbie Blue (Rihanna, Olivia Rodrigo), and produced in collaboration with The Squared Division. Shot on location at Universal Studios with six custom-designed sets and over two months of post-production, the video is a mythic descent through the Seven Deadly Sins, reimagined as moments of human vulnerability rather than moral failure. The visual narrative, rich with high fashion and surreal symbolism, reflects JOLIN’s commitment to pushing artistic and cultural boundaries.
Pleasure is the lead single from her forthcoming album, her first full-length release in six years via WM Taiwan / East West Records on July 4th. Co-written with Ross Golan (Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5) and Richard Craker (JOLIN’s longtime collaborator), Pleasure is a genre-bending techno-house anthem that dives headfirst into the duality of desire and shame. The track pulses with a serpentine synth bass and lyrics that challenge repression with a whisper and a roar. From its opening command of “Call me Mommy,” JOLIN transforms into a dominant, maternal guide through a labyrinth of liberation, guilt, and self-discovery.
“Some songs are written. Others demand to be born. ‘Pleasure’ was the latter,” says JOLIN. “I wanted to explore the voice inside me that had been silenced. The woman I am now no longer needs permission to feel joy, power, or hunger. ‘Pleasure’ is about reclaiming that.”
Pleasure recorded more than 100,000 digital sales in China in the first 12 hours post-release, and almost half a million global streams on Spotify within 32 hours, the highest debut ever for a Mandarin female artist. The single also secured top chart placements across Asia.
JOLIN’s upcoming album is the culmination of nearly a decade of journaling, reflection, and personal evolution. Building on the inner reckoning of her Ugly Beauty era, the new record channels influences ranging from Dante and medieval poetry to modern psychology, transforming the Seven Deadly Sins into metaphors for emotional need and spiritual longing. “Through that lens,” JOLIN says, “every flaw becomes fertile ground. Pleasure isn’t about indulgence. It’s about truth.”
Spotify / Instagram / Facebook / Website
YouTube / TikTok / Weibo
CALENDAR
JULY 12-19
BEAR WEEK PROVINCETOWN.
PROVINCETOWN, MA
Provincetown Bears prepares a special welcome for Bears to one of North America’s most famous gay resort towns. We work with local club managers to program different music and an atmosphere for a week of parties. We also allow time to relax and have a true vacation. Our events leave plenty of free time to enjoy the town, restaurants, cabaret shows, National Seashore Park, beaches, and the daily gatherings at hotel pool decks. www.ptownbears.events
JUL 16-20
SAN DIEGO PRIDE. SAN DIEGO, CA
San Diego Pride celebration promises to be the biggest event to date with recordbreaking community participation with an estimated 40,000 festival participants and close to 100k parade attendees this year will be huge. Pride is the biggest weekend of the year to champion, celebrate, and support our community. For more info visit www.sdpride.org
JUL 23-26
GIRL SPLASH. PROVINCETOWN MA
A fun filled schedule of events featuring parties, performers, special activities on land and sea, plus everything that makes Provincetown so special in summer - beaches, shopping, great food, biking, clambakes, dance parties, lesbian comics, and more. New for the tenth anniversary is a foodie tour, a garden party, an inn stroll, movies under the stars, and a daylong tour of Cape Cod. www.provincetownforwomen.com
JUL 28 - AUG 4
LAZY BEAR WEEKEND. GUERNEVILLE, CA
The Lazy Bear fund puts on one of the largest and most successful bear gatherings in the world. Lazy Bear Weekend is our annual, signature event. Enjoy pool parties, dance parties, bonfires, live entertainment and amazing DJs. Stay in local lodges, campgrounds and cabins, or avail yourself of any number of nearby towns and cities. Eat at gourmet restaurants, local diners, cookouts and unique pop-ups. Drink worldclass wine near the vineyards that produce it. www.lazybearweekend.org
AUG 8-10
NORTHALSTED
MARKET DAYS
CHICAGO, IL
Northalsted Market Days® is a weekend long, live music street festival celebrating community in Chicago’s landmark Northalsted / Lakeview neighborhood. The 1/2-mile-long summer festival features all-day lineups of live music on 5 stages, 250+ vendors, food and drink, dance exhibitions, drag performance, and more! www.northalsted.com
JULY 24-27
HEAVY HITTERS PRIDE
HOUSTON, TEXAS
Welcome to the Heavy Hitters Pride where we celebrate the Urban Man of Size, Admirer and Ally. We invite you to return/ rejoin and or join us for your first time to one of the largest Man of Size pride events in the South West region. Over past HHPride weekends, more than 500 individuals throughout the weekend participated in one or more of our events. We are so grateful and appreciate the growing support and recognition Heavy Hitters has gained since its 2013 creation. www.heavyhitterspride.com
JULY 10-13
BRIGHTON BEAR WEEKEND
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND
The UK south coast’s biggest annual bear event! We proudly support the Rainbow Fund, a grant-giving fund for LGBT/HIV community groups in Brighton and Hove. We also host fun events throughout the year such as club nights and pub quizzes. www.brightonbearweekend.com
JULY 11-20
PRIDE LONDON. LONDON, ONTARIO CANADA
Pride London Festival provides an annual opportunity to generate celebratory, cultural, artistic & educational events that affirm the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, Transsexual, transgender, two-spirited people & our allies through activities that promote unity, inclusion, & awareness of sexual & gender diversity. For info go to www.pridelondon.ca
JUL 18-27
BELFAST PRIDE. BELFAST IRELAND
Belfast Pride is one of the biggest festivals, Ireland’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender festival and ranks in the top
ten largest Pride parades in the UK! We celebrate Diversity with a ten-day long celebration, and we will have a diverse program of events which we hope appeals to all tastes and fully represents our community. Belfast Pride is a protest and a celebration – a stand for equal rights and a proud and inclusive celebration of LGBTQ+ lives. A broad coalition comes together under the Pride rainbow, and we want to encourage more people than ever before to join to make Belfast Pride even bigger and even more inclusive. It’s time to make a stand and it’s time to join in the celebration. www.belfastpride.com
JUL 28-AUG 2
STOCKHOLM PRIDE.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Stockholm Pride remains the largest Pride Festival in Scandinavia since 1998. Stockholm Pride strives to raise awareness for LGBT+ issues and create a safe zone for LGBT+ people and the gender expressions within the LGBT+ community. We believe that love and equality should exist everywhere. www.stockholmpride.org
JUL 26 – AUG 3
AMSTERDAM GAY PRIDE. AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Gay Pride Amsterdam is one of the most fun prides in the world. Amsterdam will have street parties all weekend long, as well as the best club circuit parties, and the famous Canal Parade. Gay pride is always one of the busiest times of the year in Amsterdam. The main gay events and parties all take place in the center of Amsterdam. The highlight of the Amsterdam Gay Pride weekend is the famous Canal Parade. Where most parades use trucks, Amsterdam has boats! 75 spectacularly decorated boats with beautiful boys and girls will sail through the Prinsengracht and Amstel rivers. www.amsterdampride.nl
AUG 6-11
REYKJAVIK PRIDE REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
Reykjavik Pride has become a festival which not only promotes LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer & Intersex) visibility but is also a festival where the whole nation comes together in celebrating the fact that in Iceland you can enjoy the freedom of being and living as you are. Six-day festival filled with exciting events, lectures, queer cruise, gay walks, a family festival, concerts, gallery openings, parties, big queer dance on Saturday after the parade and of course the Pride parade. www.inspiredbyiceland. com/events/reykjavik-pride-2025
the3D’S DINE | DRINK | DANCE
RESTAURANTS
GRAND CENTRAL
160 La Plaza
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.699.7185
www.grandcentralpalmsprings.com
KOFFI NORTH (3 Additional Locations)
515 N Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.416.2244
www.kofficoffee.com
BOOZEHOUNDS PALM SPRINGS
2080 N Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.656.0067
www.boozehoundsps.com
1501 UPTOWN
1501 N Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.320.1501 www.1501uptown.com
TAC/QUILA
415 N Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.417.4471
www.tacquila.com
PS AIR BAR
611 S.Palm Canyon Dr. #22 Palm Springs CA 92262
760.327.7701 www.psairbar.com
TOWNIE BAGELS
650 E Sunny Dunes Rd #5 Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.459.4555
www.towniebagels.com
ON THE MARK
111 N Palm Canyon Dr. #155
Palm Springs CA 92262
760.832.8892
www.onthemarkpalmsprings.com
SHERMAN’S DELI & BAKERY
401 E Tahquitz Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.1199
www.shermansdeli.com
849
849 N Palm Canyon
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.8490
www.eight4nine.com
THAI SMILE PALM SPRINGS
100 South Indian Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.320.5503
www.thaismilepalmsprings.com
TRIO RESTAURANT
707 N Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.864.8746
www.triopalmsprings.com
THE TROPICALE
330 E Amado Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.866.1952
www.thetropicale.com
ZIN AMERICAN BISTRO
198 S Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA
760.322.6300
www.pszin.com
LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO
200 S Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.327.5858
www.lulupalmsprings.com
EL MIRASOL
140 E Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.323.0721
www.elmirasolrestaurants.com
RICK’S RESTAURANT
1973 N Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.416.0090
www.ricksrestaurant.biz
PINOCCHIO IN THE DESERT
134 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.322.3776
www.pinocchiops.com
BLACKBOOK BAR
315 E Arenas Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.832.8497
www.blackbookbar.com
BARS AND NIGHT CLUBS
HUNTERS NIGHTCLUB
302 East Arenas Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.323.0700
www.huntersnightclubs.com
TOUCAN’S TIKI LOUNGE
2100 North Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.416.7584
www.toucanstikilounge.com
CHILL BAR
217 E. Arenas Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.327.1079
www.chillbarpalmsprings.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
QUADZ
200 S Indian Canyon
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.778.4326
AMP SPORTS LOUNGE
68-718 E. Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234
760.699.7090
www.ampcatcity.com
ROOST BAR LOUNGE
68718 E Palm Canyon Dr #203 Cathedral City CA 92234
760.507.8495
www.theroostcc.com
ONE ELEVEN BAR
67555 E Palm Canyon Dr A103 Cathedral City, CA 92234
760.537.3111
www.oneelevenbar.com
RUNWAY
68300 Gay Resort Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234
760.537.7800
www.runwayccbc.com
REFORMA
333 S. Palm Canyon #2 Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.902.6630
www.reformaps.com
DICK’S
301 E Arenas Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.327.0753
www.dicksps.com
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2025 EVENTS
DATE EVENT
July 3-5
July 4
July5, Aug 9&16
July 6
July 10,17, & 24
July 18-20
July 19-20
July 19
Aug 8-10 & 15-17
Aug 14-17
Aug 22
Aug 22
Aug 27
Sept 6
Sept 12-14
Sept 24-29
Oct 4
Oct 4
Oct 4
Oct 9-12
Oct 10
Oct 11
Oct 16-19
Oct 17
Oct 18
Oct 21-25
Oct 24
Oct 26
Oct 30-Nov 2
Oct 31
Nov 6 - 9
All American 4th of July Weekend / Palm Springs
4th of July Fireworks / Big Bear Lake
Que Calor Pool Party / The Velvet Rope
Women’s Tea Dance / Palm Springs Surf Club
Cocktail Cinema / Palm Springs Art Museum
Gay Wine Weekend / Russian River
San Diego Pride 2025
Mid-Summer Dance Party / The Center
Splash House 2025
Big Bear Romp
Out on the Mountain / Six Flags
Dogust Birthday Bash + Bingo / Rowan Hotel
The August Center Social / Gay Desert Guide
Celeb Lip Sync Battle
Gay Days Anaheim 2025
The Dinah / The Riviera Resort
One Night Out Paris / PS Art Museum
Singing With The Desert Stars III
Pride Under the Pines / Idyllwild
Joshua Tree Music Festival
The Life and Music of George Michael / The Show
RuPaul Werq the World Tour 2025 / The Show
Modernism Week - October
Center Stage Gala / The Center CV
Casual Concours / Great Auto’s
IGLTA Convention in Palm Springs
Palm Springs Pride Equality Walk / Arenas District
