The Standard Magazine

JANUARY, 2015 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1 THESTANDARDPS.COM

The Steve Chase HUMANITARIAN AWARDS

Imagine

+ 2015 PS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Family Hospice Care applauds Nino Eilets for his contribution to our community, and his second successful year with The Standard.

Nino shared with us his heartfelt “thank you” while recognizing his amazing colleagues for their contributions to The Standard’s success!

Maya Kalabic, Andre Carthen, Christopher Heritage, Lucy Friedman, Dennis Mason, Ken Toth, George Zander, Jeff Dorta, and David Lee ...plus all of our incredible contributors!

Family Hospice Care...

Serving the Coachella Valley and Hi-Desert regions since 2006.

Family Hospice Care offers FREE bereavement support groups to anyone in the community experiencing loss due to death, even if your loved one was not a Family Hospice Care patient. Please call for the schedule, and for more information. www.familyhospicecare.com z 760-674-3344 We are looking for compassionate and caring individuals to assist patients and families. Please call our Volunteer Department for more information.

CONTENTS VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1

theStandardPS.com

twitter.com/theStandardPS THE STEVE CHASE HUMANITARIAN AWARDS DESIGN BY MAYA KALABIC

NEW *

ART VIEW

PAGES 36 - 37

facebook.com/theStandardPS

Volume 3 Issue 1 COVER THE STEVE CHASE HUMANITARIAN AWARDS IMAGINE BOOK REVIEW OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS PROFILE TRENT BLANCHARD SUCCESS STRATEGIST FEATURE PS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ART VIEW LOCAL ARTIST PROFILE EPICUREAN GLOBAL CUISINE IN YOUR OWN KITCHEN TRAVEL WINTER ACTION ON THE SLOPES

JANUARY, 2015 3

COMMENTARY

HAPPY NEW YEAR & THANKS The Standard Magazine 1111 Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs CA 92262 760-831-4869 Nino Eilets Publisher Luciano McNulty Editor Maya Kalabic Art Director Photographer David A. Lee Contributors Chris Astrala, Barry Dayton, Mark Dawson, Marcello Giron, Jared Greene, Chris Heritage, Scott Kearnan, Jimmie Newsum, Dennis Mason, Steve Roth, Terri Schlichenmeyer & Ken Toth www.thestandardps.com Editorial Credits : BrandPoint, Huffington Post, LGBTQ Nation & Project Publicity

It’s said that time flies when you’re having fun and if that is truly the case, then we here at The Standard Magazine are having a blast. It really is hard to believe that we are going into our 3rd year. From a small idea that a few people conjured up in a coffee shop, to today, we launched a different type of publication. And we knew that the public was ready for it. We could not have made it thus far without the support of an amazing staff, all of our contributors, and our loyal readers. Going into year 3 I salute you all with deep appreciation and thanks. We will continue to give our community the quality publication that they have come accustomed to. Look for some great changes in the coming year with new sections, columnists and some sprucing up here and there. I leave you with a small bit of advice. In this coming year, start something you have been wanting to start, create something, it doesn’t have to be big nor does it have to be new. It just has to be yours. And see it to completion. Let this year be the year you start and finish something great. Have an awesome New Year!

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

Nino Eilets Publisher/Owner The Standard Magazine

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

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be reproduced in any form without the expressed consent of the publisher.

COVER|SCHA

THE STEVE CHASE HUMANITARIAN AWARDS AND D.A.P. INVITE YOU TO …

IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT HIV

BY BARRY DAYTON

MARIO CANTONE, SHOSHANA BEAN, SCOTT ALAN, TRINI GARZA AND BRANDON ALAMEDA

Desert AIDS Project has long been part of the fabric of the desert cities communities … almost since the first AIDS diagnoses in 1981.

Even before it was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1984, D.A.P. was already providing essential programs and services to those living with or affected by HIV or AIDS, as a part of the Community Counseling and Consultation Center. The CCCC was staffed by volunteer nurses, social workers, and others who just wanted to help those who were so ill – many quickly dying – from this mysterious new disease.

One of those helping to lead the charge in those earliest days was internationally-known interior designer Steve Chase – truly a man of imagination. While D.A.P. likes to think he’d be proud that the gala bearing his name since 1995 has become a centerpiece of the Palm Springs social season, they’re also sure he’d say it didn’t mean much if the event hadn’t also raised millions of dollars for AIDS care, prevention, and advocacy over its soon-to-be 21 years. In fact, the gala raised $1.4 million last year alone.

Take a journey through your imagination at “The Steve Chase” on Saturday, February 7 The PSA currently running on local TV – in heavy rotation, thanks to gala sponsor Time Warner Cable – invites us all to “Imagine” a different world. The gala’s promotion is being helped by #imagineNoAIDS on Twitter and elsewhere in the online space, like the “digital wall” D.A.P. created for posting messages, photos, and videos about what that world without AIDS might look like.

D.A.P. board chair and Steve Chase gala co-chair Barbara Keller says, “We are so committed to helping bring about an AIDS-free generation that we’ve been out, all over the community – including our Desert AIDS Walk, the Pathways HIV Conference, and the inaugural Everyday Heroes event on World AIDS Day – asking people to tell us what their message of hope and imagination looks like.”

If you’re at the 21st Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards

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SCHA|COVER Mrs. Keller’s fellow D.A.P. board member and gala co-chair for seven years, Jim Casey, adds, “This year, we have an incredible team who have written a very touching story that will weave through the evening, using song and dance to interpret one couple’s story of what it means to live with HIV. We are so excited to have the incredible, combined talents of Scott Alan, whose songs have been sung by the elite of Broadway, under the creative direction of Live It Up Productions president Trini Garza and his co-creative director Brandon Alameda.”

gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center, presented by Integrated Wealth Management, you’ll see more of what it means to “Imagine.”

The hysterically funny Mario Cantone will be the evening’s emcee, injecting his special brand of humor, while Broadway sensation Shoshana Bean will be the evening’s featured performer.

The Standard Magazine is a proud Sponsor of the 21st Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards!

They join Desert AIDS Project in thanking Wells Fargo, Eisenhower Medical Center, Harold Matzner, Walgreens, One America Insurance, Annette Bloch, Desert Regional Medical Center, Helene Galen, Steve Tobin, Elgart Aster & Paul Swerdlove, Hard Rock Hotel, Donna MacMillan, Reaction Productions … and many, many more … for not only imagining a world without HIV but helping D.A.P. be a part of the solution in getting there.

Want to be there on February 7th? Reserve your tickets NOW!!

It’s as easy as calling JP Allen at 760-992-0440 or buying them online by clicking here.

MEET THE 2015 STEVE CHASE

HUMANITARIAN AWARDS HONOREES The 3 Ws” – wealth, wisdom, work – are part of the criteria that many nonprofit organizations use when deciding on the best candidates for their volunteer board of directors. After all, these are the men and women who set policy, help guide the organization, and take on a fiduciary responsibility. Of course, finding people like these who share the nonprofit’s mission isn’t just limited to the board of directors.

Each year, the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards honors two of these local community leaders, as well as others who make significant contributions to the overall cause of HIV/AIDS research, care, prevention, and advocacy. Meet this year’s honorees: HELENE GALEN 100 WOMEN AWARD FOR 2015, PRESENTED BY SENATOR BARBARA BOXER This well-known philanthropist seems to have generosity etched into her very DNA, as she continues the good works she began with her late husband, financier Louis J. Galen. Perhaps best-known is

their $50 million gift to help build the Galen Center, a 10,000+-seat arena at Louis’s alma mater, the University of Southern California.

Helene has continued supporting children, the homeless, education, the arts, and more. Locally, Helene’s recent gifts have included $1.5 million for a new theater at Rancho Mirage High School, as well as $1 million for the new Palm Springs Art Museum location in Palm

JANUARY, 2015 7

COVER|SCHA Desert. She touches many lives through her donations to the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, the McCallum Theatre, Jewish Family Services, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Helene Galen has also supported D.A.P. financially, including as an Award Sponsor at the Steve Chase gala for several years and as a member of the 100 Women annual giving program that gratefully bestows this award on her. Thanks for being on the D.A.P. team, Helene!

DAVE MORGAN 2015 PARTNERS FOR LIFE AWARD, PRESENTED BY LESLIE JORDAN If you’ve been to the Copa Nightclub recently for an evening of entertainment or enjoyed the comedy of Leslie Jordan, the drag of Varla Jean Merman, or the musical stylings of Amy & Freddy, you may not have realized that you were already “Dave Morganadjacent.” That venue and those acts … and much more … all fall under the direction of Palm Springs resident Dave Morgan, who is owner of Reaction Marketing & Promotions. As its website says, Reaction “creates and executes custom promotions that get the reaction you want. We bring together entertainment and consumer goods to create explosive results on multiple platforms.” Dave and Reaction build their clients’ business with TV, radio, and print, as well as through on-premise programs, events, and tours. So, when this long-time D.A.P. supporter said, “Hey, I have this idea for a fundraiser,” they listened … and the popular “Dancing with the Desert Stars” event was born. And for four years, it’s been raising increasingly more money for client services, as it puts smiles on the faces of D.A.P. supporters. Quite a reaction, Dave!

DR. MICHAEL GOTTLIEB 2015 SCIENCE AND MEDICINE AWARD, PRESENTED BY DR. STEVEN SCHEIBEL His discovery of the elements making up would become known as AIDS before the first diagnoses were made in 1981 reads almost like the noire detective novels of the 1940s. That’s when the young assistant professor at the UCLA Medical Center, whose specialty

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was immunology, found a strange set of symptoms in a young gay patient – unexplained fevers, dramatic weight loss, and a severely damaged immune system. Dr. Gottlieb’s sleuthing work led to a total of five cases, as he and his forensic team analyzed blood and tissue samples and eventually named their suspect: a DNA virus laying waste to immune system T-cells, the ones that defend against invading infections. Doctors and researchers worldwide were adding pieces to the puzzle but Dr. Gottlieb was one of few who spoke freely about the controversial disease. His work in the early days of the epidemic is chronicled in “And the Band Played On” and Gottlieb was physician to both the late Elizabeth Glaser, co-founder of the pediatric AIDS foundation bearing her name, and Rock Hudson.

Using a $250,000 gift from Hudson’s estate, Dr. Gottlieb was one of the founding chairs of amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, along with AIDS activist Elizabeth Taylor and Dr. Mathilde Krim, who was the Science and Medicine Award winner at the 2006 Steve Chase gala. Dr. Michael Gottlieb is a living legend in the world of HIV/AIDS!

Attention Health Care Professionals: bring your expertise and experience to an organization that welcomes diversity. Bring your skills to a community where equality is a given, and there are 330 days of sunshine each year!

As a multi-site medical provider in the Coachella Valley, and in business for more than 30 years, we are looking for your expertise to provide high quality medical care. We are looking for Physicians, Specialists, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Pharmacists and other allied healthcare professionals.

Please send your CV and letter of interest by Email to: ClinicalRecruitment@myDOHC.com

For more information about Desert Oasis Healthcare, please visit www.myDOHC.com.

COVER|SCHA

DAP’s REPORT CARD While it’s great to throw wonderful parties that raise lots of money for client services at Desert AIDS Project – and keep the message before the public that “AIDS is not over” – what’s going on at D.A.P.?

private partnership – and Sen. Barbara Boxer, who presented the Humanitarian Award to D.A.P. board chair Barbara Keller and the Vanguard Leadership Award to long-time D.A.P. supporter – and founder of D.A.P.’s Partners for Life annual giving program – at the 2014 Palm Springs Equality Awards.

Click on the hyperlinks below for even greater detail of how Desert AIDS Project is bringing its mission of “care, prevention, and advocacy” to life on a daily basis …

ADVOCACY Desert AIDS Project has been named one of the “Top 20 HIV/ AIDS Charities” for both 2013 and 2014 by About.com, the largest source for expert content on the Internet, helping 85 million users each month. This is the second year About.com has assembled the list and D.A.P. was on it for both years.

CARE D.A.P. has achieved status as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) lookalike, helping to improve the medical home created to provide integrated access to medical care and other services, all under one roof. The enhanced Medicare reimbursement this provides helps to create diversity in D.A.P.’s revenue stream for maintaining these essential services. A near-term goal is full-FQHCstatus, to even further strengthen the funding stream.

THEY HAVE CITED DESERT AIDS PROJECT FOR THEIR: • high percentage spent on programs vs. overhead – 82%

in both 2013 and 2014, • fundraising efforts – raising $100 for every $15 spent, and • financial transparency.

D.A.P. is proud to be in the company of HIV/AIDS charitable organizations like the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS, and amfAR, as well as international HIV leaders.

Truly, “it takes a village” to make success at D.A.P. happen – and they are grateful for the thousands of volunteers, donors, staff, and other essential supporters in their village who help them better serve the community each year.

PREVENTION Get Tested Coachella Valley is off to a great start in rallying support for the nation’s first region-wide HIV testing effort to bring about an “AIDS-free generation.” These efforts have been lauded by both President Bill Clinton – praising the campaign’s public/

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BOOK REVIEW

ALWAYS OVERBOOKED…

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

A toast…

You’ve been doing that often lately. A toast to friends and family around the table. To a new job, new baby, new marriage. To accomplishments made in the past and possibilities that lie in the future.

Like you, your favorite actors enjoy raising a glass, too. And in the new book “Of All the Gin Joints” by Mark Bailey, illustrated

by Edward Hemingway, you’ll see how some stars’ tippling almost toppled them.

Long before Hollywood even had a Boulevard, there were places to go for a drink. Built in the early 1900s, the Hollywood Hotel was the town’s first “proper nightspot.”

Owner and chocolate heiress Almira Hershey “policed” her hotel, intending to serve nothing harsher than cocoa but Hollywood denizens found ways to drink there anyhow. Sometimes, they did it right in front of the aging and near-blind Hershey.

Bailey says that the Hollywood was where D.W. Griffith stayed before he realized that California filming would be cheaper (and probably more fun!) than in New York. His relocation west started the Hollywood movie-making craze.

Surely, stars like Fatty Arbuckle drank at the Hollywood.

Arbuckle was a big fan of scotch; so much so that he owned a car with both bar and bathroom aboard. John Barrymore, who was “famously indiscriminate” about where he relieved himself after imbibing, likely did both in the Hollywood. And so, undoubtedly, did W.C. Fields, who was known for his love of the bottle.

Alas, the site of Tinsel Town’s first drinking establishment is now “an abominable megamall,” but the famous never let that stop them…

Joan Crawford, for instance, traveled with her own liquor supply; several bottles of it, in fact. Humphrey Bogart was happy to drink any time except New Years Eve, because it was more fun to watch everybody else then. Louis B. Mayer once assembled a “Tracy Squad,” whose sole job was to rescue an inebriated Spencer Tracy. John Wayne, says Bailey, was one of the first people to drink margaritas. And when Lee Marvin got drunk (which happened regularly), he often couldn’t remember where he lived.

As Hollywood scandal books go, “Of All the Gin Joints” is one of the more unique – and one of the more enjoyable.

From La-La Land’s first watering hole to locales in which you can still belly up to the bar, author Mark Bailey pours readers a double shot of bad behavior from Hollywood’s yesteryear. The stories you’ll read here are wide reaching (starting with Fatty Arbuckle

and ending more recently), funny and just a little snarky, with the occasional pathetic tale thrown in for balance. Bailey’s also adept at revealing tiny secrets that will surprise even the most ardent fan.

Add illustrations from Edward Hemingway, addresses of the clubs still standing, and recipes! and you’ll want another round.

Hollywood watchers, trivia buffs, and movie fans will down this book in short order. Mixologists will want to try the ideas inside. Or, if you just like a nip now and then, grab “Of All the Gin Joints.” You’ll drink to that, too. * * * If this book leaves you craving more juicy gossip, look for “Scandals of Classic Hollywood” by Anne Helen Petersen, a book about Fatty and Mae, Liz and Dick, Brando, Harlow, and Bow. And if you’re a classic movie buff, then grab “1939: The Making of Six Great Films from Hollywood’s Greatest Year” by Charles F. Adams.

Don’t forget the popcorn!

“Of All the Gin Joints: Stumbling Through Hollywood History”

by Mark Bailey, illustrated by Edward Hemingway c.2014, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill $21.95 / $27.95 Canada 336 pages

JANUARY, 2015 13

Volunteering has given me 6,000 hours of smiles.

Joel, D.A.P. client

D.A.P. treats and supports the whole person Medical issues and depression pretty much kept me homebound—until I decided to give back a little bit of what I’ve received. Since Revivals has been supporting the mission of D.A.P. by providing a big part of its revenue, I knew it would be a great way for me to get back into the swing of things, while doing something really worthwhile. Now, I’ve logged 6,000 hours as a volunteer at the Palm Springs Revivals store. And every smile I get from our customers tells me I’m helping to make a difference!

This and more...all under one roof

Thanks to your generous support, Desert AIDS Project has been saving lives for more than 30 years.

Please continue to help by donating at desertAIDSproject.org, joining one of our annual giving programs, or by saving the date for one of our upcoming fundraising events.

Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Gala | February 7, 2015 Dinner at My Place | March 22 - April 2, 2015 Dining Out for Life | April 30, 2015

760.323.2118

desertAIDSproject.org

PROFILE

SUCCESS STRATEGIST TRENT BLANCHARD

For over 20 years, Trent Blanchard, M.A. has shared words of encouragement, motivation and inspiration with others via his private executive/life coaching practice, in recovery centers, in corporate offices and in high schools around the country. He has an undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management, is an ordained Interfaith Minister, has a Masters Degree in Spiritual Psychology and is a Certified Addiction and Anger Management Specialist.

For many years, he hosted his own radio talk show “Ask the Life Coach” which assisted people in dealing with life and its challenges and was a columnist for a Southern California magazine with the same title. He is also the author of Triple As for the Soul- Your Pathway to Personal Freedom.

A successful business and personal coach as well as a training and development expert, Trent Blanchard, M.A. has helped bring direction and focus to individuals, small businesses and corporations including: DoubleClick (now part of Google), Gilt Groupe, The Tribune and Omaha Steaks.

“Working with Trent on an individual level as an executive coach and working with our leadership team on various training initiatives was an absolute benefit. He was able to act as an unfiltered mirror showing me how my actions can impact a situation both positively and negatively. Using Trent to achieve your business objectives will be one the best management decisions you can make,” said David Zucker, Vice President/General Manager Omaha Steaks, Inc. on the power of executive coaching.

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“When leaders thrive, companies thrive! A large part of what I do with my clients, is hold them accountable for their goals to reach the desired outcome. Locally, assisting the Viceroy Palm Springs’ team with their learning development program was very gratifying,” stated Blanchard.

Blanchard Consulting assists organizations with their Human Resource needs including: skills assessments, training design and facilitation along with compliance administration. Customized training programs include Management Training, Selection/Interviewing Skills Training, Diversity Training and Presentation Skills Training.

As an accomplished author, Blanchard has helped thousands of people through “Triple A’s for the Soul: Your Pathway to Personal Freedom.” With offices in New York and Palm Springs, he provides a variety of business coaching, assessment and effectiveness programs, including a mixture of one-on-one and group coaching.

We are very fortunate and excited to announce that Trent will be joining The Standard Magazine family as a contributing writer.

He will have a monthly column where he will be sharing his insight and offering advice.

For more information, please visit www.trentblanchard.com Or www.blanchardconsulting.org

JANUARY, 2015 17

FEATURE

THE PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

BRINGS HOLLYWOOD TO PALM SPRINGS

XENIA, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, HELICOPTER MOM, THE WAY HE LOOKS

Now entering its 26th year, the Palm Springs International Film Festival has a well-established reputation as one of the most prestigious and well-attended film festivals in the country. The Festival has long secured its place on the world stage as the portal for the very best in world cinema, welcoming more than 136,000 enthusiastic filmgoers to Palm Springs every January.

The depth and breadth of the program - all set against the dramatic backdrop of Palm Springs – features more than 180 films from over 70 countries and includes the largest selection Foreign Language Oscar® submissions of any Festival in the nation. In addition to having earned a reputation as a destination festival, the film screenings, special presentations, tributes, and nightly parties that constitute the Festival have a decidedly international flair and make PSIFF a cosmopolitan experience in world cinema.

PSIFF has also evolved into one of the most highly anticipated preludes to the Oscars®. The Festival’s glamorous centerpiece, the Awards Gala, honors the year’s brightest talents in front of and behind the camera before a glittering crowd of 2,000 attendees.

PSIFF14 honorees included U2, Bruce Dern, Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Steve McQueen, Thomas Newman, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, and Julia Roberts. The national and international print and electronic media converge on Palm Springs and generate over 1 billion media impressions worldwide.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF LGBTQ FILMS RECOMMENDED

BY THE STANDARD MAGAZINE XENIA (GREECE), DIRECTED BY PANOS H. KOUTRAS This quirky queer road movie follows two brothers en route to a

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singing contest in Thessaloniki and, maybe, a meeting with the father who abandoned them long ago. The spirit of early Almodovar animates the mixture of hot button topics and exhibitionist fervor.

LIMITED PARTNERSHIP (USA/AUSTRALIA), DIRECTED BY THOMAS G. MILLER In 1975, Richard Adams and Tony Sullivan became one of the first same-sex couples to be legally married in the United States.

This tears-inducing story takes us through the decades with this pioneering couple: two unsung heroes who paved the way for the eventual defeat of DOMA. HELICOPTER MOM (USA), DIRECTED BY SALOMÉ BREZIMER Convinced that her closeted son needs a push out of the heteronormative nest, an overbearing mom outs him in front of his school. The only problem? He’s not sure he’s gay. Nia Vardalos shines in this hilarious story of gale force good intentions.

THE WAY HE LOOKS (BRAZIL), DIRECTED BY DANIEL RIBEIRO Leonardo is a blind, gay teenager; his best friend Giovana stands up for him against the school bullies. But then Gabriel, a new student, takes an interest in him. Giovana must try to adjust her expectations as tender feelings develop between the two boys.

Best Film, FIPRESCI Panorama, and Teddy Award, Berlin Film Festival; Audience Award, Best Film, OutFest.

MATCH (USA), DIRECTED BY STEPHEN BELBER When an inquisitive couple impose themselves on an eccentric Juilliard dance instructor (Patrick Stewart), a strained interview soon

MATCH, FUTURO BEACH, BACK OF THE BOARD, PACKED IN A TRUNK

devolves into a hostile interrogation. Devilish and droll in a gripping performance, Stewart glides gracefully through the hairpin plot twists of this sly and suspenseful three-hander.

FUTURO BEACH (BRAZIL/GERMANY), DIRECTED BY KARIM AINOUZ Two breakneck motorcycle rides bookend a tactile gay romance, told over three chapters and in the contrasting locations of sexy Brazil and frigid Berlin. Karim Ainouz’s latest feature is an astonishingly colorful and intimate look into the complexities of human relationships.

of the tracks with an exquisite sense of slow-burning passion, as a young, drifting laborer finds himself at the door of a childhood acquaintance who offers him odd jobs and a place to stay over the course of one long, hot summer.

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY (UNITED KINGDOM), DIRECTED BY PETER STRICKLAND From the director of Berberian Sound Studio, a sly, wry, but surprisingly tender account of a perverse lesbian SM relationship, played in the style of decadent Euro-porn of the 1970s but with more than a few post-modern kinks of its own. It’s the thinking woman’s 50 Shades of Grey.

AN HONEST LIAR (USA), DIRECTED BY JUSTIN WEINSTEIN, TYLER MEASOM Liar. Cheat. Charlatan. Truth teller. Confused? Meet James “The Amazing” Randi. He’s spent half a century entertaining millions with his remarkable feats of magic, escape and trickery, but also debunking those who use the same techniques to cheat others. Be prepared to be amazed.

MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW (INDIA), DIRECTED BY SHONALI BOSE Years ago, Shonali Bose was inspired to make a movie when her cousin, who has cerebral palsy, told her that what she wanted for her birthday was… sex. Charming and earthy, this film is an exhilarating story of self-discovery and a touching love story.

WHAT’S BETWEEN US (SWITZERLAND), DIRECTED BY CLAUDIA LORENZ After 18 years of marriage and three children, Frank and Annie face a major turning point in their marriage when Frank admits he finds himself attracted to men. When Frank’s newfound attraction becomes focused on one man in particular – Pablo – Annie is forced to grapple not only with her own feelings, but also with those of their children.

SAND DOLLARS, (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC/MEXICO, ARGENTINA), DIRECTED BY LAURA AMELIA GUZMÁN, ISRAEL CÁRDENAS In the Dominican Republic, an older American woman (Geraldine Chaplin, in an unforgettable performance) falls deeply in love with a young local woman who seems to be using her for her money, but more complicated motivations are gradually revealed.

BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS (USA/UNITED KINGDOM), DIRECTED BY CHERYL FURJANIC Incorporating vintage footage of diving champion Greg Louganis’ rise to greatness and intimate views of the turmoil in his personal life along with candid interviews with Louganis and those who know him best, this an engrossing portrait of the four-time Olympian.

MOTHER OF THE LAMB (CHILE), DIRECTED BY ROSARIO ESPINOSA, ENRIQUE FARÍAS Cristina is about to turn 50 and has dedicated her entire life to taking care of her manipulative mother. But when a childhood friend comes into town Cristina starts to go out, and the aftermath of a violent incident pushes her to a breaking point. “Powerful.” Hollywood Reporter

THE 10-YEAR PLAN (USA), DIRECTED BY JC CALCIANO Meet Myles and Brody: best friends, and total opposites. Myles dreams of finding “The One”; Brody revels in being single. But a playful vow made long ago will make them question what they really want and what they mean to each other.

PACKED IN A TRUNK: THE LOST ART OF EDITH LAKE WILKINSON (USA), DIRECTED BY MICHELLE BOYANER Edith Lake Wilkinson’s exuberant paintings and possessions were packed into trunks when Edith was committed to an asylum in 1925, never to be heard from again. Nearly nine decades later, Edith’s great-niece, writer-director Jane Anderson, seeks to solve the mystery of Edith’s life and restore her artistic legacy.

HAWAII (ARGENTINA), DIRECTED BY MARCO BERGER Award-winning filmmaker Marco Berger (Plan B, Absent) invests this tale of romantic longing between two men from opposite sides

For a complete schedule please visit www.psfimfest.org

JANUARY, 2015 19

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FEATURE

WAS WHITNEY HOUSTON GAY?

BY MARK DAWSON

STILL FROM LIFETIME ORIGINAL MOVIE, WHITNEY HOUSTON

There’s one thing Yolonda Ross, the actress who plays the role of Whitney Houston’s rumored lesbian lover in the upcoming Lifetime movie, knows for sure about Whitney and her gal pal, Robyn. “They were two people that deeply loved, cared for and respected one another,” she says. “Theirs could have been more than a friendship and if so, it’s really unfortunate if others got in the way of it or compromised it.”

Directed by Golden Globe® Award winner and Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett, Lifetime-TV’s Whitney Houston will focus on the singer’s rise to stardom and her stormy relationship with Bobby Brown. It’s set to air January 17.

To prepare for the role, Ross feverishly studied Houston and her longtime assistant Robyn Crawford. According to reports, the two met at 16 during a summer job in East Orange, N.J. and soon began an alleged romantic relationship. They broke up when Houston married Brown in 1992.

“Robyn seems to be a straight-up, very grounded person,” continues Ross. “Somebody who, no matter what the situation, has got your back or is gonna set you straight. She offered security to Whitney and uncompromised companionship.”

The film is the first-ever produced about the life and death of Whitney Houston. Ross predicts it will be a piece of history. “Like The Jackson’s movie, The Temptations and The Five Heartbeats: three

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YOLONDA ROSS PHOTO BY LORA WARNICK

movies every black person in America has seen at least once in their life. This will be one of those, but reach an even wider audience due to today’s global media.”

Yolonda Ross made her feature film debut in 2001’s Award winning “Stranger Inside”. The film earned the actress her first Film Independent Spirit Award nomination, along with the IFP Gotham Award for Best Breakthrough Performance.

Ross went on to appear in Denzel Washington’s Antwone Fisher, Woody Allen’s Whatever Works, David Mamet’s Phil Spector, HBO’s Treme and the independent film, Yelling To The Sky. Earlier this year, she starred in John Sayles Go For Sisters, a film that has done what no other has; featured two black women leading a buddy film. This role earned the Omaha native her second Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

She has several films slated for 2015 including the indie drama Meadowland with Olivia Wilde and Lila and Eve starring Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis.

“I’ve always been creative,” she explains. “I paint, write, sing, and play instruments.”

However, she never imagined she’d pursue a career in acting.

“I have always been painfully shy,” she admits. “Getting in front of people and acting something out was nothing I ever thought I would do.”

STILL FROM LIFETIME ORIGINAL MOVIE, WHITNEY HOUSTON

That all changed when she moved to New York City and realized she would need extra money to get by. “I was in school and friends convinced me to try commercials and music videos. The opportunity came to do extra work on Saturday Night Live. It got me my AFTRA card and an agent. I didn’t hear from the agency for a while, but out of the blue, they sent me on an audition for New York Undercover and I booked it. Months later they called me for another audition. It was for an HBO movie called Stranger Inside.”

That film, and her groundbreaking portrayal of Treasure Lee, would forever change the course of the young actress’ life.

“I had never taken an acting course,” she says. “But I was blessed with a gift and I have always studied people, and used music to help me create. I just applied that knowledge to scripts.”

When taking on a role, Ross’ objective is to embody a character to its fullest. “I aim to be that person inside and out, from the way they smell to the way they think. I want to know their ticks and personal traits. I want the character to speak through me and to make the viewer feel something,” she explains.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing. Ross describes being a young black woman in Hollywood today as “swimming upstream against the current and sometimes having rocks thrown at you.”

There are multiple hurdles. “Where roles for white actresses are endless, we only get to play limited types of characters,” she says, “and many are side roles that are only given few lines in a movie.”

She also sites lack of support from the black community. “We need black publications to help inform viewers about new content from black actors, producers, and directors. Not just the major films.

“Shadow and Act” and Wilson Morales shouldn’t have to do it all. ” she says. “Unless you’re Halle, Angela, Kerry Washington, or Viola now, its easy to be overlooked by the community, but social networking does help.”

“Some of us keep ourselves employed by creating our own interesting content, but it takes money, time and people to do all that and not all actors want to do everything.” Fortunately for Ross, she does.

Yolonda Ross made her directorial debut last year with Breaking Night, a ten-minute short film about a young girl that, like Ross, takes control of her destiny. The film won the San Diego Indie Film Festival for Best Short Film and is currently in rotation on VH-1 Classics. It is now also the official music video for the famed Manfred Mann song, “Blinded By the Light.”

For more information, visit http://yolondaross.com

JANUARY, 2015 23

NEWS NATIONAL

FLORIDA CLERKS HAVE THE DUTY TO ISSUE MARRIAGE LICENSES TO SAME SEX COUPLES A federal judge says that Florida’s county court clerks have a legal duty to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but he has stopped short of ordering them to do so.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued a ruling Thursday in Tallahassee federal court responding to requests to clarify his previous orders that Florida’s same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional. The association representing county clerks said the ruling applies only to Washington County, where a lawsuit filed by two men became a key basis for Hinkle’s order. Gay rights groups said Hinkle’s order applies statewide. Hinkle warned Thursday that clerks who don’t start issuing the licenses when the stay expires could face future lawsuits or other legal consequences.

Hinkle said while his order doesn’t require a clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, “the Constitution requires the clerk to issue such licenses.”

The National Center for Lesbian Rights and American Civil Liberties Union in Florida cheered Hinkle’s ruling Thursday.

“We expect all clerks to respect the ruling. But if not, we are committed to ensuring marriage equality in all 67 counties in Florida and we would like to hear from any couples that are wrongfully denied a license after the stay expires,” said Daniel Tilley, an attorney on LGBT rights for the ACLU of Florida.

The law firm behind the memo that created much of the confusion for court clerks – Miami based Greenberg Traurig — reversed its recommendation Thursday after Hinkle’s clarification.

24 THESTANDARDPS.COM

“We are pleased that Judge Hinkle has clarified his original order and the responsibilities of the clerks around the state,” said Hilarie Bass, Greenberg Traurig’s co-president. “The order states that the Constitution requires all clerks to issue marriage licenses to all applicants, regardless of gender.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was pleased the court had offered “additional guidance” to clear up confusion surrounding his previous order.

“My office will not stand in the way as clerks of court determine how to proceed,” she said in an emailed statement.

While awaiting Hinkle’s clarification, a handful of Florida county clerks said they would stop offering courthouse-wedding ceremonies, partly to avoid performing those ceremonies for same-sex couples.

The clerks of court in Duval, Clay and Baker counties said they would have no choice but to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples when Florida’s ban on same sex marriage expired.

Duval County Clerk of Courts Ronnie Fussell told The Florida Times Union that none of his staff members who currently officiate at wedding ceremonies felt comfortable performing same-sex weddings.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

TWO EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR WITH MARRIAGE EQUALITY Scotland rang in the New Year by celebrating a new marriage equality law that came into effect on New Year’s Eve. The first two weddings took place just after the stroke of midnight in Glasgow. on Dec. 31, when Joe Schofield and Malcolm Brown were married in a humanist ceremony, and Susan and Gerrie Douglas-Scott were married in a civil ceremony at a private venue. The two were the first of 17 couples who celebrated their wedding. The Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill received Royal Assent in March and, following the passage of the necessary secondary legislation, the law came into effect on Dec 16 2014 for couples who wished to convert their civil partnerships to marriage. More than 250 couples have since converted their civil partnerships to marriage. “Today we are finally recognized as a married couple,” said Joe and Malcolm.

“We are very proud to be one of the first couples in Scotland to be able to officially call ourselves husband and husband. This is an amazing chapter in Scotland’s history that we are all witnessing and can be proud of.” Scottish Government Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment who had responsibility for bringing the new law into effect, and who is openly gay, said, “With a New Year nearly upon us, there really is no better way to celebrate than by watching two people get married and make that lifelong commitment to each other. “This is a big day for many couples and their families, but it is also a milestone moment for Scotland as a whole,” said Tom French of Scotland’s Equality Network. “It was an honor to be invited to one of Scotland’s first samesex weddings, which really showed what this new law is all about – love, family and equality.”

On the same day, Luxembourg legalized same-sex marriage when a new marriage equality law came into effect on January 1.

Jean Paul Olinger and Henri Lorenzo Huber were the first samesex couple to marry in Luxembourg, and despite the public holiday Thursday, the Differdange town hall opened for the ceremony, officiated by mayor Roberto Traversini. The measure combines a reform of both marriage and an adoption law, allowing not only same-sex marriage and adoption, but also provisions to prevent forced marriage, and scraps a compulsory medical exams before marriage. Luxembourg’s openly gay prime minister, Xavier Bettel, the leader of the Democratic Party, said in 2014 he expected the nation will have marriage equality by the end of the year.

Courtesy of LGBTQnation.com

THE ART OF CONVERSATION 2015 SPEAKERS SERIES PRESENTED BY

SO

LD

OU

T

Albert Berger

Michael Childers

David Zippel

January 12

January 25

February 10

MAC is proud to introduce this inaugural series presented by Eisenhower Medical Center, featuring interviews and presentations from three celebrated artists. For more details, go to psmuseum.org. $75 Adults, per event $10 Students, per event (lecture and film only).

This series will sell out quickly, reserve now by calling 760-322-4816.

101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs

760-322-4800

psmuseum.org

Betty Buckley-The Other Woman: The Vixens of Broadway January 17 An Evening with Christine Ebersole February 21 West Side Story to Wicked, Broadway with the Callaways!

March 21 The Best of Sam Harris April 11

Tickets and details online at annenbergtheater.org

JANUARY, 2015 25

PSP FOCUS GALLERY 446 HOSTS “AFTER PARTY“ A PHOTO EXHIBIT BENEFITTING ANTI-BULLYING ORGANIZATION BOO2BULLYING

Rob Lebow began his career as assistant Photo Editor at Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank, California and later as Photo Editor at 20th Century Fox in Beverly Hills, California, and remains busy working in Los Angeles, New York and Palm Springs.

Gallery 446 & Freixenet celebrate the Iconic imagery of Film, Fashion, Socialites and Celebrities during the 26th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. The exhibition runs from January 3 - February 1, 2015 the event benefits anti-bullying organization BOO2bullying www.boo2bullying.org These five renowned Photographers Patrick McMullan, Rob Lebow, Lani Garfield, David Crotty and Dimitri Halkidis join forces to display the most iconic images over three decades.

Lani Garfield is a Palm Springs based photojournalist, Her photographs are featured regularly in local magazines and newspapers, including Palm Springs Life and Desert Magazine.

Patrick McMullan is an American photographer, columnist, television personality and socialite. His photo work focuses on people, particularly A-list celebrities, Superstar fashion designers, models, actors, politicians, cultural icons and the power elite. “If you don’t know Patrick McMullan, you ought to get out more!” - Andy Warhol, 1986

Dimitri Halkidis images have appeared on the cover of The New York Daily News, Us Magazine, People Magazine, Hello Magazine U.K., Australian & Spanish Cosmopolitan, Zoom and American Photographer.

For more info visit www.gallery446.com

David Crotty is a Photographer based in Los Angeles since 2007. While in New York, David also contributed illustrations for The Village Voice, and for various PR firms and publications. David currently resides in Los Angeles and Palm Springs.

THE DESERT ROSE PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION!

introduces his young lover Ramon and his dying twin James to the company resulting in uproarious humor and abundant pathos.

Contains nudity and adult situations. The ensemble cast includes Mark Demry, John Ferrare, Terry Huber, Jason Hull, Richie Sandino, Kam Sisco and J. Stegar Thompson.

The Desert Rose Playhouse, the Valley’s live stage company serving the LGBT community, will present Terrence McNally’s LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! opening Friday, January 16, 2015 for a five-week run.

Old friends can be a blessing and a curse. When famous dancer/choreographer Gregory opens his Dutchess County summer house for three summer weekends, his old friends troop out from law offices, rehearsal studios and AIDS clinics to sun themselves by the lake. John, Gregory’s rehearsal pianist and a frustrated composer,

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LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! by Terrance McNally January 16 – February 15, 2015 Performances Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 PM; Sundays at 2 PM. $30.00 Friday & Saturday evenings; $28 Sundays matinees For tickets visit www.desertroseplayhouse.org or call 760-202-3000.

The Desert Rose Playhouse, 69620 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

PSP FOCUS 4TH ANNUAL DANCE FOR LIFE

RETURNS TO PALM SPRINGS IN SUPPORT OF AIDS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Dance for Life has grown to become the largest dance performance-based HIV/AIDS fundraising event in the Midwest, selling out every annual performance since it was founded in 1992.

Over the last two decades it has raised more than four million dollars for Chicago’s HIV/AIDS community. Returning to Palm Springs for a fourth season, the event will bring together national dance companies in a tour de force performance to help those in need.

Dance for Life Palm Springs continues the 23-year tradition set by its sister event and has invited some of the finest concert dance companies from across the country to perform. Currently confirmed to appear are ENTITY Dance Company, Giordano Dance Chicago, Phoenix Contemporary Dance Company, Scorpius Dance Theatre, and Tap Sounds Underground.

ENTITY Dance Company explores the nature of human existence through the art of movement.

Dance for Life, a showcase of spectacular performances by renowned dance companies in support of AIDS Assistance Program (AAP), will return to Palm Springs for a highly anticipated performance on Friday, January 16, 2015, at 7 pm at the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Annenberg Theater. A spectrum of dance genres – from jazz to classical ballet, and contemporary to tap – promises to thrill the most discerning dance fans.

“Dance for Life is one of the most exciting cultural and charitable events in town, continuing to draw large crowds and great accolades each year,” says Mark Anton, Executive Director of AIDS Assistance Program. “We are looking forward to a wonderful night of brilliant performances and are proud of the growing support for this annual celebration of dance.”

The evening begins with a champagne reception at the Palm Springs Art Museum at 6 pm, followed by the Dance for Life performance at 7 pm. Tickets for the event are $95 per person, and VIP Seating is $200 per person. The VIP-level ticket includes an invitation to an intimate reception with dancers and sponsors the evening before the performance at a location to be announced in Palm Springs. To purchase tickets visit aidsassistance.org or call 760-325-8481.

Giordano Dance Chicago, the original jazz dance company, captivates audiences worldwide with dynamic performances and the diversity and wide appeal of its repertoire.

Phoenix Contemporary Dance Company was founded to enrich and provide engaging, compelling dance to its community, offering full-length concerts and educational outreach.

Scorpius combines the motifs of humor, drama, and both organic and technical movement to form a very distinct brand of dance theatre and aerial arts.

Tap Sounds Underground has been entertaining audiences all over the world for more than three decades and displays their diverse and high-energy pieces along with the rich tradition of tap history.

Since its founding in 1991, AIDS Assistance Program of Palm Springs remains dedicated to providing nutritional support to improve the quality of the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS. Initiated by a small group of concerned citizens led by the late Gloria Greene and Jeannette Rockefeller, AAP provides food to members of the community with low incomes. For more information, please call 760-325-8481 or visit aidsassistance.org.

JANUARY, 2015 27

PSP FOCUS

COMEDY NIGHT AT THE PURPLE ROOM

Start your year off right and be ready to laugh with these two dynamic comics at The Purple Room as it heads into another hilarious year of Comedy Night Palm Springs on Saturday January 17th.

Nico Santos was born and raised in the Philippines and now calls the US of A home. Though fresh off the boat, he has assimilated to American culture rather quickly by living in California by way of Portland, Oregon.

In just a short amount of time, Nico conquered the Bay Area comedy scene with his acute observations and quirky characters.

He touches on his race, family and the queer dynamic among other things. Charming audiences all across the country with his sharp, sarcastic wit and outrageous sensibility, Nico has that rare ability to be crass and snarky while at the same time remaining completely likable.

An absolute entertaining blend of silliness, sass and style. The SF Guardian has called him “perfectly inappropriate”, continually blurring the lines of what one might expect from him.

Since recently making the move to Los Angeles, Nico has already made his mark in the Hollywood comedy scene. He has quickly become a regular at The Comedy Store and The Improv.

Raised by a wild pack of Jews, otherwise known as her mother and siblings, Dana Goldberg is a force of nature on stage.

Goldberg started her comedy career in 2003 in front of 650 people in a sold out theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Seven months into her career she was invited to Scotland by Emmy Award winning writer Paul Wagner to perform with 13 other American comedians as part of the US Comedy Invasion at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.

In 2006, just three years after she stepped onto the stage for the first time, Goldberg put on a producer’s hat and started the Annual Southwest Funnyfest in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Each year Goldberg hosts the night of comedy to help benefit New Mexico AIDS Services (NMAS) raising close to $20,000. After moving to Los Angeles in the fall of 2009, Goldberg found a new comedy home and it wasn’t long before she was headlining nights at world famous clubs like The Laugh Factory and the LA Improv.

Dinner at 5:30pm show at 7:00pm Shows sell out so get your tickets now. www.purpleroompalmsprings.com The Purple Room 760-322-4422

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LEGALLY SPEAKING

GOOD NEWS – BAD NEWS

CHALLENGING THE CULTURE OF DISCRIMINATION

BY CHRISTOPHER HERITAGE The LGBT community in the U.S. has made huge gains in human rights and equality in the past few years. This brief scorecard highlights some of the major victories:

•

Federal legislation to address employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity has been pending for years in Congress. The current version has been watered down, and may not be the best • The federal government and 35 states plus Washington solution at this time. Its chances of passage are unknown

DC now recognize same-sex marriage for this coming year.

• The “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy in U.S. Military service • A majority of states who don’t specifically include LGBTQ

was repealed

youth in their anti-bullying and anti-harassment laws make • Laws against bullying and harassing students now exist it possible for a continuing culture of cruelty, intimidation

in 49 states, with at least 18 states and DC specifically and discrimination against this group. Such youth in

addressing sexual orientation and gender identity as schools are subject to verbal and physical abuse by other

protected categories

students, and sometimes by teachers and other officials as • The federal 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. well. This leads to a high rate of truancy, dropping out of

Hate Crimes Prevention Act specifically protects LGBT school, and a distressing suicide rate. Suicide is the

persons from violence

leading cause of death among LGBTQ youth.

• It is estimated that 40% of homeless youth are LGBTQ. This is great news - these advances are awesome, and we Forced out of their homes, with no family, friends or are keeping the momentum, pushing on the legal front for marriage community support, they may enter into a foster care equality in all the remaining states, inclusion of LGBT categories in all system which often perpetuates the harassment and anti-bullying laws and additional protection from hate crimes.

victimization they faced at home or in school. Or they

are forced to rely on minor crimes or sex for survival, and So where does that leave us with tolerance and equality for our eventually end up in the juvenile justice system, which LGBT community? Clearly, there is a lot of hard work ahead. How is again offers little but discrimination and abuse. it that a person in 2015, in the United States of America, can lose his • Domestic violence is, sadly, very common in the U.S., and or her job, or be disqualified from renting or buying a home, because most experts agree that it occurs just about equally of sexual orientation or gender identity? How can it be that LGBTQ in same-sex and opposite-sex relationships. But not youth are discriminated against by school teachers and school boards all states have laws or policies that provide equal simply because of their diversity? How can anyone justify continuing protection and support for both straight and LGBT to criminalize HIV when we now understand the disease and how to victims. And LGBT victims are much less likely to report prevent or minimize it?

abuse, call for assistance or receive help or support in the

community. Fear of negative attitudes and discrimination Let’s take a look at these and other serious issues that still face by agencies and officials; fear of exposure or outing us. They are the focus of individuals and organizations that hope to someone; and fear of making the LGBT community look move us forward in this new year:

bad are some of the reasons such victims fail to report

abuse, and have a difficult time escaping violent • Two of the most basic human requirements – shelter and a relationships.

job to earn a living - can be denied to people who • According to Lambda Legal, 39 states have HIV-specific

aren’t straight. 29 states and many federal agencies criminal statutes or have brought HIV-related criminal

have no laws giving equal rights in housing or employment charges in the past 2 years. There were more than

to most LGBT persons.

80 prosecutions during that period. This organization and

JANUARY, 2015 29

LEGALLY SPEAKING

others are working to challenge convictions and reform existing HIV laws to reflect and support the current scientific knowledge of HIV, its prevention and treatment.

These serious issues, and many others, affect the daily lives of everyone in the LGBT community; and reflect faults in U.S. and state human rights policies that have no place in our country. Lack of tolerance and community support for any minority affects all of us.

There is no positive value for our society when anyone perpetuates a culture of discrimination and harassment. It is our obligation to work toward equality in every part of our lives.

You can help by giving your voice, time and financial support to the many organizations that work hard for equality. Here are a few to consider:

Lambda Legal Equality California Human Rights Campaign American Civil Liberties Union Southern Poverty Law Center PFLAG GLAAD The GLBT National Help Center This article is part of an ongoing series of articles pertaining to legal issues relevant to the LGBT community, and is intended for general information purposes only – not legal advice. Christopher Heritage is an attorney in Palm Springs and San Diego, who focuses on LGBT estate planning, domestic partnerships, same-sex marriage, probate, trust administration, and bankruptcy. He welcomes questions and comments and can be contacted at 760-325-2020 or at chris@heritagelegal.com

Stressed about the Holidays?

The Center can help:

COUNSELING

FOR OLDER ADULTS

Community • Activity • Connection • Solutions • Well-being Depression needn’t be part of life.

Get reconnectedto people and interests!

If you’re nearly 60 or older, and are anxious, depressed, or isolated, you can see our counseling staff at NO COST, without using insurance.

NO PHYSICIAN REFERRAL REQUIRED. Programs funded in part by a grant from the Riverside County Department of Mental Health.

Call 760-416-7899 or visit www.thecenterps.org for more information. the

CENTER

the heart of our community

611 S. Palm Canyon Dr. #201 Palm Springs, CA

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FITNESS STAYING HEALTHY IS YOUR BEST HEALTH INSURANCE

BY DENNIS MASON, BFA, CPT Of all the elements involved with health and fitness training, nutrition is the most important part. In spite of this fact, many people pay more attention to working out and supplementation than the quality of the food they eat. When designing a total fitness program for my clients, I include progressive positive changes in meal planning as well as the actual exercise routines. Here are a few tips to help you start or restart a fitness and wellness program.

One primary method of implementation is to make changes in various aspects of your daily life slowly. If you try to make all the changes at once, you will certainly fall short of achieving your fitness goals. The reason is that your body doesn’t like to make changes quickly, nor does it like to deal with too many changes all at once.

The best way to make constructive changes is by taking them one at a time over an extended period, so that you can successfully develop new and improved lifestyle habits.

Another helpful tip for my clients is to encourage them into making notes in a training journal as to the different foods they eat on a day-by-day basis. That way they will actually see what has gone into the body; otherwise eating will become just “entertainment for the taste buds” rather than beneficial for health and disease prevention. Proper nutrition represents about 70% of your success while exercise amounts to only about 30%. Therefore, nutrition must become the main focus of your day.

Another good tip in the beginning is to start reducing and eventually eliminating foods that are actually counterproductive to your goals. Chief among those edible treats are French fries, pizza and chips of all kinds. It’s not that you can never have some again, just refrain from eating them for now, while you are setting sail on a new and healthier way of life. Think of it as trying to reconstruct your body.

As you progress, you will be able to drop other toxins to your operating system. They might include, sugars and other foods that break down quickly into sugar. See, the simpler and less complex the carbohydrate is, the quicker it will revert to sugar. And, understand that sugar is a drug…like cocaine. It is extremely addictive and a drug that is very destructive to the body. Complex carbohydrates, like oatmeal or yams, break down slowly in the body and are used for energy. Simple carbs like pizza crust, refined flour and processed pasta, break down to sugar quickly and stimulate a rapid increase in our insulin production. The result is a rapid drop in energy and an increase in new body fat growth.

Getting yourself into shape is not about working out at the biggest or fanciest gym in town; it’s about developing the level of discipline, determination and dedication that you put into your work that makes the difference. Focus is paramount! That’s why I specialize in working with trainees who seriously want to make a big change in their life for whatever the reason; be it health, athletic performance, post physical therapy and so on. The client/coach relationship is a very close one; beyond that of just a “trainer”. So, if you really want to make a significant change in your appearance, health, and a robust lifestyle, I do have openings at this time. My professional career spans four decades and I can give you the results you want. Got questions or want more information? Contact me from the listings below.

Dennis is a certified Personal Trainer and Master Fitness Coach with over 40 years’ experience. NPC bodybuilding competitor, charity cyclist, health and fitness motivational speaker and author. Body Sculpting - Nutritional Guidance - Aquatics & Post Rehab Conditioning Web: www.dennismasonfitness.com Email: dennis@dennismasonfitness.com Phone: 760-219-5877 Home Base: World Gym Palm Springs. Please join Dennis on his Internet radio program, FITNESS & MORE, on demand at: www.BlogTalkRadio.com/FitnessAndMore.

Also on Facebook and Twitter as fitnessradio.

JANUARY, 2015 31

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WELLNESS

ATTAIN, THEN MAINTAIN

BY DR. KENNETH TOTH, BA, MAT, DC, RN, CPT

So here it is again, January of the New Year, and New Year’s Resolutions are upon us!

Let’s start with eating habits. I’ve always said that bad eating habits are ten times more difficult to correct than establishing good ones in the first place. I am so weary of hearing the same people complain year after year about all the weight (aka fat) they gained from Thanksgiving on, and how they have to try to get rid of it, now that the holidays are over.

If you’ve been in the habit of eating very healthily and working out very consistently for the past year, you have nothing to worry about. There’s really nothing to fix from having some extra goodies during all the holidays. Why? Because your good habits about food, exercise, and health, as well as the good feelings about yourself that came out of those good habits, superseded any compulsion you might have had to take a food shovel with you to every buffet or party that you were invited to during the holidays. Everyone knows who I’m talking about: those guys who always seem to get to the buffet table before everyone else so they can load, and I do mean load, up their plates with as much food as possible. Then, when the food quickly runs low, not from poor catering planning, but from gluttony, they have the chutzpah to just stand there (are they afraid that some other guests might be able to sneak in between them to get a little salad or some veggies?) and wait for the staff to bring more huge refills for the enormous samovars, caring nothing about those behind them in line with manners and sans big bellies.

Humorous but true, right?

For those of you who have talked the talked, and walked the walk, the fun little culinary excesses during the holidays cause, by and large, no harm at all. That is because their bodies have already recalibrated their metabolism over the last year whereby they won’t store it as fat, or have just been maintaining their good health and increasing their wealth all along. Yes, they’ve saved a nice chunk of money from not having to pay for so many medications to manage an unhealthy or diseased state over the past year that was probably due to gluttony in the first place.

So, what’s the good news if you haven’t gotten the message year after year, and now, miracle of miracles, have seriously decided to drop off your food shovel at Revivals? If you’re finally serious about a health change this year, go for it! You’re still alive, and you can do

it! Go for it! Throw open your cupboard and refrigerator doors!

Read those labels! Go, on, start by pitching out what even you know is killing you! Throw out the old high glycemic, hydrogenated, sugary stuff and make room for some new healthy stuff! (You can’t eat what you don’t have available, right?) Make a pilgrimage to Clark’s or Whole Foods and spend an afternoon meeting and making friends with some good, healthy eating! I challenge you! I know you can do it! So go for it! You’ve got a whole year to change your eating and exercising ways! Attain that sublime state of greatly improved health, and then all you have to do is maintain, which you will find is really a snap! See you next year, a healthier and better looking you!

Dr. Kenneth Toth, BA, MAT, DC, RN, holds multiple degrees and credentials as a Science Educator, Chiropractor, Registered Nurse, and Personal Trainer. He is currently limiting his professional activities to Personal Training / Nutritional Coaching, and is accepting new clients exclusively at World Gym Palm Springs.

You may contact Dr. Ken at 949-235-9408 or ken@kentothfitness.com For more information on Dr. Ken’s results-producing approach to personal training, please visit his website at KenTothFitness.com.

JANUARY, 2015 33

34 THESTANDARDPS.COM

JANUARY, 2015 35

ART VIEW

MAYA KALABIĆ Maya Kalabic was born in Yugoslavia. Maya’s family immigrated to the United States in 1996 in hope of finding a new life of possibility in America.

After landing in Chicago, Maya immersed herself and took full advantage of the possibilities she found—after graduating High School she attended The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago and graduated in 2001 with a BA in Fine Arts with a major in multimedia.

Soon after receiving her degree, and drawn to the warmth and allure of the desert, Maya relocated to the Sonora desert where she currently resides and works in Palm Springs Ca. Maya’s unique life experiences inspire and influence her work in many layered ways. Her fond childhood memories of the scenery, symbolism and her innocence as a young child in Yugoslavia; her experiences as a foreigner in a strange land; the rich urban culture of Chicago; and the influence of desert life, in all of its infinite textures and color, are all present in her work.

On the surface, Maya’s work is graphic, easy and effortless.

Upon further contemplation her work is almost secretly layered and pushes the viewer to explore the deep emotional response it evokes.

Her medium is most often acrylic on canvas but also includes acrylic on wood, collage, maps and other uniquely inspired backdrops.

Maya has exhibited her work in several galleries in Chicago and Southern California.

In addition to her contribution as a fine artist, Maya is a much sought after Graphic Designer, Art Director and Multimedia Designer.

To see more of Maya’s work please visit mayakalabic.com

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ART VIEW

EPICUREAN

TAKE A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT LEAVING THE KITCHEN

BY MARCELLO GIRON

Exploring different cultures has become increasingly mainstream in today’s culinary world. Fusion cuisine has claimed its stake on restaurant menus and can make an appearance in home kitchens for less effort than you might imagine. By utilizing popular and emerging ethnic flavors, home chefs can experiment with dishes to bring an international flare to their food.

GET EDUCATED ON ETHNIC EATS If you think the international food aisle at your local grocery store seems to be growing, you’re not imagining things.

Between 2015 and 2017, sales of ethnic foods in grocery stores will increase more than 20 percent, predicts market research firm The Mintel Group.

South American cuisine is particularly hot - in flavor and popularity - with its spicy combination of native and European influences in indigenous foods like corn, peanuts, avocados and all types of potatoes and peppers.

38 THESTANDARDPS.COM

Peruvian cuisine, which blends ancient traditions with aspects of European, African and Asian cultures, offers incredible diversity and is high on the radar of culinary professionals. In a recent survey by the National Restaurant Association, 57 percent of professional chef respondents named Peruvian food as a top ethnic cuisine for 2014.

While ceviche - marinated raw fish and a staple dish in Peru - is just gaining momentum

in the U.S., quinoa is another Peruvian favorite that may already be in your pantry.

Experimentation into less-familiar ethnic cuisine, from Korean to Scandinavian, is partially why pickled and fermented foods are getting more attention, according to research firm Technomic. Fermented foods pack a flavor punch and health benefits, as they can aid in digestion and nutrient absorption.

JANUARY, 2015 39

EPICUREAN

SPICE THINGS UP IN THE KITCHEN Intimidated by unfamiliar foods?

Experimenting with different ingredients can take practice to find the best combination for your taste. Start with an ethnic side dish or garnish to introduce new flavors, then work your way up to a multi-course meal.

Looking to jazz up the bland chicken or pork that is a regular in your family’s meal rotation? Create a fusion dish that incorporates a delicious, Asian-inspired condiment like blackberry five spice sauce, which can quickly and easily be whipped up in a highpowered blender.

Add a taste of Scandinavia to your cuisine with spices like allspice, black pepper and nutmeg. These flavors come together with garlic, onion, white bread and ground beef to create perfect Swedish meatballs. Fresh dill is also extremely popular in Nordic countries.

Incorporate this fresh herb into a creamy sauce for fish or a tangy vinaigrette for salad and vegetables.

A great way to introduce fermented foods is through kefir, a lactose-free milk naturally fermented from kefir grains that originate from the Caucasus Mountains in Eastern Europe. Try it in your morning smoothie. You can also join top chefs in fermenting your own vegetables at home. Utilize them for grilled sandwiches or as a tasty side. Kimchi, a fermented Korean cabbage dish, is gaining popularity as a spicy garnish for burgers and tacos.

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TOOLS TO FURTHER ELEVATE CUISINE You can take your growing international expertise to the next level by investing in the right culinary tools.

A high power blender is great for mixing flavors for a sauce, emulsifying ingredients for a salad dressing, and grinding spices for a rub. It can also make appetizers and entire meals, from a traditional Middle Eastern hummus to curried carrot soup.

If you’re experimenting with maki sushi, consider investing in a rolling mat and sushi grade knives. Some cooking stores even sell a sushi kit for beginners.

For Chinese and Thai specialties like stirfry dishes and steamed dumplings, a stovetop or electric wok is a must-have.

Other ethnic recipes can be created utilizing cookware that is already standard in your kitchen. While you may never invest in a traditional tandoor oven for Indian food, you can still create a delicious flatbread with a baking stone in your oven. A slow cooker can be an asset when making curries, dal and other sauce-based dishes.

If you can’t afford to hop on a plane to an exotic locale, cooking brings culture straight to your kitchen. Do your homework, don’t be afraid of adventure, and pick up the right tools along the way. You’ll be exploring the world in no time.

TRAVEL

LGBTQ WINTER ACTION IN THE SLOPES 2015

BY GEORGE W. ZANDER

OK, snow bunnies, it is time to escape to winter climates for a great ski trip. And, better yet, surrounded by LGBTQ and allies, to make the vacation even more relaxing and comfortable. Here are some of the most renowned options!

ASPEN SKI WEEK COLORADO 10-19 JANUARY, 2015 This is a favorite event attended by local folks and LGBTQ travelers from around the globe. Aspen itself is a draw. Sophisticated restaurants and shopping abound and the town is packed with festive and fun folks with plenty of events to keep you hopping. See www. gayskiweek.com. And see www.aspenmeadows.com for special rates.

WINTER RENDEZVOUS STOWE VT 21 JAN-25 JAN 2015 This will be the 31st anniversary of this classic LGBT winter fun time. Complete with down hill and cross country skiing, snowboarding, après ski, pool parties, ice sculpture, and fabulous fun for all. Attended by over 2000 folks from around the globe, this event has set the stage for all the other LGBT winter events. Check them out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WinterRendezvous.

WINTER PRIDE AND SKI FESTIVAL WHISTLER BC CANADA 24-31 JANUARY 2015 This will be the 23rd Annual LGBT Festival. It’s a celebration of diversity both on and off the slopes. This is a huge 8-day event that includes sports, culinary, wellness and cultural happenings. All this

and Margaret Cho headlining on Jan 28th For all the info visit www.gaywhistler.com ELEVATION LAKE TAHOE CA FEB 5-8 2015 Tom Whitman, the promoter who has successful runs at Mammoth and Park City has added another event at Lake Tahoe. It will be chockablock full of skiing, après ski parties and entertainment. The slopes at Tahoe, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1960, are still is great shape and the snow is returning in abundance. Great hotels and vacation rentals are available. Check out www.tahoegayski.com.

ELEVATION PARK CITY UTAH 19-22 FEBRUARY 2015 This is the fifth year for this festive and fun event. It is a bit like White Party and the Dinah with skiing around the beautiful slopes of Utah. Great music, food and fun are everywhere in town. Special events abound the many of Utah’s LGBT organization are sponsors.

Check it out at www.utahgayski.com.

TELLURIDE GAY SKI WEEKEND COLORADO 22 FEB-MAR 1 2015 For twelve years now this uber popular ski event is held in what in definitely the best, friendliest, most amazing ski resort in the country.

And if you start in Park City, it’s just a quick drive, or flight between the two destinations. Wonderful restaurants and shopping but the slopes and the après ski parties are the reason to spend time here.

See www.telluridegayskiweek.com.

JANUARY, 2015 41

TRAVEL

ELEVATION MAMMOTH SKI WEEK CA 18-22 MARCH 2015 Thirteen years ago this event started with about 200 folks coming from West Hollywood to the mountain. Now over 3000 LGBT folks attend the event with great skiing, après ski parties, with world class DJs, and entertainment. Meet skiers from around the globe who attend this great time. Check out www.mammothgayski.com.

events, entertainment and accommodations for all. It will combine the skiing activities with a music festival. The world class Espace Killy is huge and well connected to famous Tignes and Val d’lsere. It combines slopes for all aptitude skiing and show boarding. Thanks to the high altitude it is the first to open and the last to close in Europe. Their website is very festive. Looks like a very good time! www.europeangayskiweek.com.

EUROPEAN SNOW PRIDE TIGNES FRANCE 21-28 MARCH 2015 This will be the third annual event and will already have nearly 1000 people coming to this gorgeous venue, great skiing, restaurants,

Do not miss these golden opportunities and get out of town into the snow. Not all of us desert rats love snow but I know many of you do. Happy New Year!!

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the3D’s RESTAURANTS WANG’S IN THE DESERT 424 S Indian Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 Phone: (760) 325-WANG (9264) www.wangsinthedesert.com NATURE’S HEALTH FOOD & CAFE 555 S Sunrise Way Suite 301 Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 323-9487 www.natureshealthfoodcafe.com SHERMAN’S DELI & BAKERY 401 E Tahquitz Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 325-1199 www.shermansdeli.com ACQUA PAZZA / THE RIVER at Rancho Mirage 71800 Highway 111 Suite A167 Rancho Mirage, CA Phone: (760) 862-9800 www.acquapazzabistro.com AZUL RESTAURANT 369 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 325-5533 www.azultapaslounge.com CASA DE FRIDA 450 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 459-1681 www.casadefrida.com COPLEY’S ON PALM CANYON 621 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 327-9555 www.copleyspalmsprings.com

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DINE | DRINK | DANCE { Coachella Valley } LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA 222 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 325-2794 www.lascasuelas.com

ZIN AMERICAN BISTRO 198 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 322-6300 www.pszin.com

LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO 200 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 327-5858 www.lulupalmsprings.com

BIRBA 622 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 327-5678 www.birbaps.com

POMME FRITE 256 S Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 778-3727 www.pomme-frite.com

CHEEKYS 622 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 327-7595 www.cheekysps.com

RIO AZUL MEXICAN BAR AND GRILL 350 S Indian Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 992-5641 www.rioazulpalmsprings.com

EL MIRASOL 140 E Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 323-0721 www.elmirasolrestaurants.com

THAI SMILE PALM SPRINGS 100 South Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262 Phone: (760) 320-5503 www.thaismilepalmsprings.com TRIO RESTAURANT 707 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 864-8746 www.triopalmsprings.com THE TROPICALE 330 E Amado Road Palm Springs, CA Phone: (760) 866-1952 www.thetropicale.com

RICK’S RESTAURANT 1973 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA Phone: (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

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 Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-416-7584 www.toucanstikilounge.com RAINBOW BAR AND GRILL 216 South Indian Canyon Palm Springs, CA 92262 760-325-3989 www.rainbowbarngrill.com TRIO RESTAURANT 707 N Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262 Phone: (760) 864-8746 www.triopalmsprings.com STUDIO ONE 11 COCKTAIL LOUNGE 67-555 East Palm Canyon Drive, Suite A103, Cat. City CA 92264 760.328.2900 www.Studio-One-11.com THE TOOL SHED 600 E. Sunny Dunes Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.320.3299 www.toolshed-ps.com SPURLINE VIDEO LOUNGE 200 Indian Canyon Drive Palm Springs CA 92262 760-778-4326 www.spurline.com

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COMING UP NEXT MONTH MODERNISM WEEK 2015 PS INTERNATIONAL BEAR CONVERGENCE

JANUARY, 2015 45

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EVENTS CALENDAR artists comprise this exhibition for a total of ninety-two works. www.psmuseum.org

JAN 17 4TH ANNUAL MAYOR’S RACE AND WELLNESS FESTIVAL. PALM SPRINGS The City of Palm Springs, as part of their Healthy Planet Healthy You initiative will be presenting the 4th Annual Mayor’s Race and Wellness Festival, Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the Wellness Park adjacent to Ruth Hardy Park. World-renowned fitness speaker and wellness expert, Scott Cole, will return as Master of Ceremonies for the festival. www.healthyplanethealthyyoups.com

JAN 23 - 25 SOUTHWEST ARTS FESTIVAL. INDIO Southwest Arts Festival, Indio 2015 is one of the area’s largest and longest running juried art festivals. Featuring over 250 artists showing traditional, contemporary and abstract fine works of art and quality crafts, the Festival’s reputation for first-class quality and professional integrity, make it one of the country’s finest. As one of Indio’s largest non-profit fundraisers, more than 200 community leaders and volunteers will contribute numerous hours to ensure the Festival’s success. www.southwestartsfest.com

FEB 6 - 8 24TH ANNUAL WINTER CLASSIC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT AIDS Assistance Program, in cooperation with the City of Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Gay Softball League, presents the 24th annual Palm Springs Winter Classic Softball Tournament. Eighty teams and hundreds of LGBT softball players will compete. The public is invited to attend an opening reception Friday, February 6 from 7-10 pm at Hunter’s Nightclub. www.pswinterclassic.com NOW THRU JAN 25 LINKS - AUSTRALIAN GLASS AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LINKS is the first museum exhibition in the United States dedicated to the wide spectrum of Australian studio glass and the connection between artists and institutions in Australia and the Pacific Northwest. This is an overdue project given the excellent quality of work being produced and its prominence in important American public and private collections. Approximately four artworks each from an impressive list of twenty-three Australian and four American

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NOW THRU JULY FIRST WEDNESDAY ART WALK, BACKSTREET ART DISTRICT PALM SPRINGS Please join us for the First Wednesday Artwalk at the Backstreet Art District. Enjoy beautiful art and meet the artists. Located off highway 111, behind the Mercedes

Benz Dealership, on South Cherokee Way. www.backstreetartdistrict.com SUNDAYS THE SUNDAY BAND W/ SPECIAL GUESTS. PAPPY & HARRIET’S PIONEERTOWN The Sunday Rock + Roll Service is a Pappy and Harriet’s institution celebrating the healing powers of music and community!

Every weekend the club’s favorite singers and players get together and trade songs.

Come join us to see Victoria Williams, Gar Robertson, Carol Ann Crandall, Damian Lester, Bob Furgo, Rachel Dean, Ryan Norman, Caleb Winn, Danny Frankel and other talented locals performing for your drinking and dancing pleasure. With a come-as-you-are vibe, Sundays have seen great special guests like Robert Plant, Lucinda Williams, The Jayhawks, Rickie Lee Jones to name a few. www.pappyandharriets.com DBA DECEMBER EVENTS Jan 12 Mixer 6:00pm – 8:00pm HOSTED BY CABOT’S PUEBLO MUSEUM 67616 E. Desert View Ave. Desert Hot Springs Jan 26 Mixer 6:00pm – 8:00pm HOSTED BY RENOVA SOLAR 75181 Mediterranean Ave. Palm Desert www.desertbusinessassociation.org ONGOING >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

COPA In a throwback to old Palm Springs’ nightclubs, the Copa is fashioned around an elevated performing stage and a stunning u-shaped bar lined with leather barstools, upholstered booths, and gilded cocktail tables. Sink into the sexy lounge, sip a

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EVENTS CALENDAR DJ in the sound booth. Every Sunday Complete list of events www.toucanstikilounge.com

cocktail, and enjoy the lineup of local and guest entertainers. For weekly schedule visit www.coparoomps.com

THE PURPLE ROOM Supper club, drinks and live music. It’s where Palm Springs plays. Great entertainment nightly and dinner specials. You never know whom you might see at The Purple Room.

For monthly schedule and info visit http://purpleroompalmsprings.com

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

You can beat the heat any time of year and enjoy the views of Palm Springs. And our patio is dog friendly for your leashed four-legged family members! On Saturday and Sunday from 8am – 2pm, enjoy a $9 Bottomless Mimosas (juice included), a single $2 mimosa or a $5 Bloody Mary with brunch, during which both our full breakfast and lunch menus are available. Also join us for Sunday Funday Weekly Tea Dance 4pm-Close! www.oscarspalmsprings.com

FLIRT AT HARD ROCK HOTEL Thursday nights in downtown Palm Springs got a little hotter and a little more exciting with a new show/new dance party/ new venue/new room/new night/new international brand…Flirt at Hard Rock Hotel. Doors open each Thursday at 7:00 p.m. to the new Flirt Showroom, located inside the Hard Rock Hotel, Indian Canyon and Arenas. Two shows each Thursday, 7:30 and 9:00 p.m. No cover charge.

21+. Entrance is immediately off the Porte Cochere. Two item minimum (food and/or drink per person per show). Check out Hard Rock Hotel and Bella da Ball on Facebook. www.HRHPALMSPRINGS.COM

HUNTERS NIGHTCLUBS® Palm Springs, Palm Springs’ go-to gay bar and dance club, has been leading the way in full-out fun for 13 lucky years now! We enjoy having the desert’s most sought-after and friendly DJs, full-on themed events, and a staff that has it all without the attitude. And of course, we are proud to hold the longest happy hour in the entire Valley. Remember: Size Matters. Come by for our happy hour from 10am – 7pm. Yes, that’s right: 9 hours long! For a list of all events and specials visit www.huntersnightclubs.com

SUNDAYS “The Playgirls” at Toucans Tiki Lounge featuring Tommi Rose. Performances 8, 10pm.

These darling Divas of drag really deliver with their very own brand of entertainment to packed houses. Special guests appear weekly.

Wang’s in the Desert. The weekly Wang’s Live Entertainment series features the best in local and regional musical talents.

Guests can relax from cabaret and Broadway show performances to upbeat, jazzy showcases on the Zen Patio, with its beautiful stone outdoor fireplace, giant red Buddha statue and lush tropical surroundings. The Sunday series is becoming the new performance showcase for weekends and holidays in downtown Palm Springs. It’s the perfect, casual venue for great music, cool cocktails and of course, a fantastic crowd.

For more information about Wang’s in the Desert, visit www.wangsinthedesert.com TUESDAYS Bella da Ball Cabaret Variety Dinner Revue at Azul features a different show each week with a cast of male and female vocalists and drag personalities. The highly popular show is hosted and produced by Palm Springs’ area social ambassador, Bella da Ball, and features music-comedysong-dance-costuming-headdresses-photo ops-door prizes-audience participation and more. The 95+ minute production features musical numbers ranging from show tunes to country to pop and everything in between.

Don’t miss the fun every Tuesday at 7:30pm! No cover.

FOR A COMPLETE CALENDAR OF EVENTS VISIT OUR MEDIA PARTNER, GAY DESERT GUIDE. CLICK ON LOGO

JANUARY, 2015 47

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EVENTS CALENDAR

JAN 2 - 12

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PALM SPRINGS, CA Now entering its 26th year, the Palm Springs International Film Festival has a wellestablished reputation as one of the most prestigious and well-attended film festivals in the country. The Festival has long secured its place on the world stage as the portal for the very best in world cinema, welcoming more than 136,000 enthusiastic filmgoers to Palm Springs every year. www.psfilmfest.org

in LGBT music & entertainment. Our mission is to educate, raise awareness and ensure that the contributions and achievements of marginalized LGBT artists and creative industry professionals are acknowledged, documented, celebrated and archived into media, music and entertainment history. www.outmusicawards.com

and media. For years, the Queer community is kept silent or unrecognized in the world of film; and our struggles are kept limited and hidden from public eye. www.reelitout.org

FEB 1 - 8

JAN 11 - 18

GAY AND LESBIAN SKI WEEK ASPEN, COLORADO Aspen Gay Ski Week is the premier gay & lesbian winter travel vacation event in Colorado. Not only is it a great vacation destination but also it is a fundraising event for local and national LGBTQ organizations. Aspen Gay Ski Week has gained the reputation of hosting the most exclusive and explosive winter entertainment. World-renowned DJ’s, indoor & outdoor pool parties, debauchery that will take you into the morning hours just in time to hit the slopes. www.gayskiweek.com

JAN 19

OUTMUSIC AWARDS NEW YORK, NEW YORK The Outmusic Awards is the biggest night

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ATLANTIS CARIBBEAN CRUISE FORT LAUDERDALE HARBOR, FLORIDA All gay cruise through the Caribbean Sea by Atlantis Events on the beautiful Celebrity Silhouette, with a capacity of 2800 guys! This cruise is the biggest floating party on the ocean. With all night long entertainment, Dog Tag Tea dance, Classic Disco parties, Treasure Island party and the biggest on sea White Party. The cruise will start and end in the popular gay destination Fort Lauderdale. It’s also only a 40-minute drive from Miami, so you can also fly there and take a taxi or rent a car. www.atlantisevents.com

FEB 3 - 7

REEL IT OUT FILM FESTIVAL NORFOLK, VIRGINIA The Reel it OUT Queer Film Festival of Hampton Roads is a community focused event with the goal and purpose of exposing, educating, and introducing the lifestyle, struggles, joys, and hardships of the Queer community through the world of film

FEB 12 - 16

INTERNATIONAL BEAR CONVERGENCE PALM SPRINGS, CA International Bear Convergence (IBC), hopes to become the premier winter event for Bears & admirers in Palm Springs, California, February 12-16, 2015. This desert oasis turns into a winter den during Presidents’ Day Weekend at the beautiful Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel for thousands of frisky, furry bears, their friends & their fans. The four-day event includes four themed pool parties in the Renaissance Hotel’s expansive 24,000 squarefoot Grand Courtyard that features a 5,000 square-foot heated pool, gorgeous palm trees, multiple bars, cabanas and outdoor lounge areas with fire pits. The event will come to life with DJs, live entertainment and thousands of bears from around the globe. www.ibc-ps.com If you have an event you want to promote please email us at info@thestandardps.com

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EVENTS CALENDAR JAN 18 - FEB 8 JAN 11 - 18

AROSA SKI WEEK AROSA SWITZERLAND The annual Gay Ski Week in Arosa, one of Switzerland’s most enchanting winter resorts, is in its 9th year and constantly growing with people participating from all over the world.

Come experience Swiss hospitality, the charm of a true mountain resort and glamorous parties while you’re enjoying yourself with various activities throughout the week. There is a wide range of accommodations. Don’t forget to order your event pass for the week, or do you want to miss the foam party, a fondue night at the mountain hut, a classical piano concert, the pool party, our cabaret-night or the drag- queen ski race? So what are you waiting for? www.arosa-gayskiweek.com

MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Midsumma has been Melbourne’s annual Queer Celebration since 1988 - with a smorgasbord of queer arts and cultural events spread over more than 85 different venues throughout Melbourne and Regional Victoria.

Midsumma Festival brings a diverse mix of artists and performers together under a single umbrella for an impassioned celebration and innovative presentation of queer arts and culture. The festival program is made up of a wide range of events and activities including visual art, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, film, live music, parties, sport, social events and public forums. www.midsumma.org.au

QUEER CONTACT MANCHESTER, ENGLAND Each February, as part of LGBT History Month, Contact brings you a festival of events spanning performance genres and including both emerging artists and the best of established UK and international work. The 2015 program is our biggest yet. It includes stunning music from British soul sensation David McAlmont (opening the festival), and the UK premiere of Love is Crazy from New York’s Justin Vivian Bond as a part of a Valentine’s weekend to remember. www.contactmcr.com

FEB 10 - 18

JAN 17 - 18

GAY STAR TRAVEL EXPO 2015 LONDON, ENGLAND Showcasing the hottest destinations for gay travel in 2015, the expo will host tourist boards and top travel brands ready to help you plan the best year of your life in travel.

Once you’ve discovered your trip(s) of a lifetime, stick around as the daytime expo transforms into a holiday-themed club night with competitions, giveaways and more – you could even win a mystery getaway! For tickets visit www.eventbrite.co.uk

FEB 5 - 15

JAN 28 - FEB 2

ARENA MUSIC FESTIVAL PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO ARENA is Mexico’s biggest gay and lesbian dance music festival. It will be 6 days of all out fun, music and much more with 13 special parties! Come join us on the beautiful beaches of Playa del Carmen as we celebrates ARENA’s 4th year with a blow out.

This is the 2015 winter event you won’t want to miss. www.outuniquetravel.com

SITGES CARNIVAL SITGES, SPAIN Carnival has to be Sitges’ wildest party. Even though it is on in February it is still the hottest party in town! On the most popular days you will find thousands of partygoers dancing on the major streets across the town. The busy months of July and August look positively dead! Gay boys and girls from the 4 corners of the world descend on our little town and party the week away! Sitges Carnival is one of the world’s top 10 carnivals and attracts more than 250,000 people to Sitges over 7 days with amazing parades, shows and parties. This is one Winter festival you don’t want to miss! www.gaysitgesguide.com

Our international media partner, FNQ Magazine, Cairns gay lifestyle and travel publication that gives Australia and the world a taste of gay life in the tropics, sponsors the International Calendar. www.go2gaycairns.com

JANUARY, 2015 49

PHOTO REWIND FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE

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FOUR DAYS OF POOL PARTIES, DANCE EVENTS AND WOOFY MEN!

Hosted at the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15

MONDAY FEBRUARY 16

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15

Weekend Passes & Hotel Reservations at www.ibc-ps.com

~Benefiting AIDS Assistance Program~

PHOTO REWIND HRC TRINA TURK PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID A. LEE

Family Medicine That Treats You Like Family At Desert Family Medical Center, excellence in patient service is the cornerstone of our practice, and we look forward to exceeding all of your expectations regarding your family’s health care. Established in 2001 by Dr. Erik Palmer, and now working with Desert Regional Medical Center, we are fully equipped in providing primary health and minor emergency care for your entire family. From annual physicals to complex problems, we operate an enhanced facility with modern technology to ensure every condition is treated expertly and compassionately. Your health is our priority.

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COCKTAILS 5:30 PM DINNER 7:30 PM THE O’DONNELL GOLF CLUB 301 N. BELARDO ROAD, PALM SPRINGS TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AIDSASSISTANCE.ORG 760• 325• 8481 BENEFITTING

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