Local
Generation Next
Emerging leaders generate inspiration
What is Pride? The most serviceable answer, of course, is that Pride is a commemorative event in which the LGBTQ community celebrates our triumph over adversity and the leaders who fought to make the world a more inclusive place. Historically, it was a political statement — a show of visibility and a forum for protest against homophobia.
And since the beginning of President Trump’s tenure, Pride feels political once more. This year’s celebration will pull from the civic engagement of the March for Our Lives and #Resist movements, spotlighting LGBTQ leaders while re-engaging in the community’s fight for social, legal, and political equality.
Much of that work did not begin, and it will likely not end, with the Trump administration. New research has found LGBTQ girls of color are disproportionately over-disciplined in schools, where they also face bullying and are ostracized. These challenges often push them out of the classroom and into the criminal justice system. And now that Betsy DeVos helms the U.S. Department of Education, prospects for many of our community’s most vulnerable youth are even grimmer.
At the same time, this year the country has witnessed the power of young people in bringing change. The young LGBT folks from the Los Angeles area profiled in these pages are speakers, students, advocates and artists. They have each made meaningful contributions in areas including climate change policy, battles against homophobia and transphobia, housing equality, and immigration.
As the LGBTQ community has witnessed and experienced a reversal in progress over the last two years, young leaders have offered hope for a better way forward. Another signal of the direction in which the arc of justice is headed: The decision by Boy Scouts of America to welcome girls into their ranks, and, effective next year, change the organization’s name to Scouts of BSA. Since the 1970s, women’s and LGBTQ advocates have lobbied the Scouts to adopt more inclusive policies. And in those battles, waged in and outside the courtroom, they have been ultimately victorious.
May these stories, challenges and history inspire you. Happy Pride.
(Photo courtesy of Twitter)
Casey Hoke, 21, college student, LGBTQ advocate, artist
Casey Hoke is a fine artist, graphic designer, writer, activist, and advocate who was awarded a prestigious POINT Foundation scholarship to fund his education at California State Polytechnic Institute in Pomona, where he is now a junior pursuing a B.A. in Graphic/Communications Design with a minor in Art History. His past and present leadership appointments include a Student Media Ambassadorship for GLSEN, where he also holds membership with the National Executive Board.
Drawing from his experiences as a young trans man, Casey has spoken and written about subjects including education policies that concern transgender students, the representation of transgender people in the media, and the relationship between artistic self-expression and self-acceptance. His work has appeared in MTV News, Teenlife Media, and The Huffington Post, where he has blogged since 2014. Casey has delivered speeches at forums including a TEDx conference and Intel Labs’ LGBT Youth Leadership Forum.
Casey attended high school in Louisville, Kentucky. He came out as trans during his sophomore year. While fellow students, for the most part, were accepting of Casey, he explained the school’s Principal Gerald “Jerry” Mayes was a bully. In March, The Louisville Courier-Journal published a timeline of an ongoing investigation by Jefferson County Public Schools into Mayes’ conduct that was initiated in response to his treatment of trans youth, including Casey, as well as racially insensitive comments he made to two African-American students.
During his junior year, Casey was the subject of an article in the school’s newspaper that chronicled his journey and highlighted his advocacy work. In response, Casey explained, Mayes told members of the student newspaper staff that it was “wrong to profile a misfit going through a phase. He said it would be comparable to writing about someone who wanted to shoot up a school.” The following year, in 2015, as the state’s senate introduced a bill that would require transgender students to use restrooms that match the sex listed on their birth certificates, Casey said Mayes asked a security guard to monitor him in the men’s restroom. The principal then called Casey into his office and began asking invasive questions about his body and genitalia.
“It’s hard to talk about,” Casey said, “but I came out with my story because it needed to be heard, and because his treatment of LGBTQ students in my high school was, and still is, really bad.” Those experiences strengthened Casey’s resolve to advocate for the rights of trans students.
In college, Casey and his trans peers face a variety of administrative challenges. Changing one’s name on student ID cards is a difficult process. Freshmen, who are required to live on campus, must pay more for housing that offers single-stall restrooms (which are safest for transgender students)—a difference in cost that amounts to about $10,000. Administrators outed Casey to other staff and even students, despite his request that they keep information about his gender identity private. Casey has since led petitions that demand equal and affordable housing for trans students, as well as training programs on trans identity for university staff.
“My advocacy did not stop at high school, where I had this mean principal”, he said. “Even though I’ve seen trans folks accepted a bit more, publicly, there are still battles I have to face here in California.”
Casey’s interest in media representation of LGBTQ people and subjects overlaps with his interest in art. A project and educational resource that Casey created and curates, Queer Art History (housed online at queerarthistory.com) showcases a breadth of artwork, from a homoerotic 16th century Roman fresco to a poster produced by ACT UP Los Angeles in 1990. On the project’s website, Casey has written about the cultural and historical significance of each.
This project, he said, allows him to “talk about media representation while educating people of all ages on queer visual history, art, and culture.” Through another program, Art, Identity & YOU, which Casey created and administers in coordination with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, he provides a platform for youth education on identity, art, history, and self-expression.
Must modern queer art be political? Not necessarily, Casey said—it certainly can be, but queer art can also signify something as timeless as self-expression or look as visually diverse as abstract expressionism. Plus, the treatment of queer people as inherently political, Casey said, can be dehumanizing.
At a time in which major American cities have often become canvases for anti-Trump graffiti, contemporary queer art certainly feels political. And much of it borrows from the signage of protest art produced in the 1980s and 90s (A good example: Donald Moffett’s He Kills Me, a 1987 lithograph that features a grid of President Ronald Reagan’s grinning headshot with “THIS GUY KILLS ME.” in bright orange type across his chest.)
Through the POINT Foundation, Casey was connected with a mentor who works for the Walt Disney Company, where he aims to secure a design position post-college. He is optimistic about both his future and the direction in which society is headed, despite the anti-LGBTQ policies of the Trump Administration. “I asked Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, how things are looking for young trans and non-binary folks”, Casey said. Reflecting on the progress that’s been made so far, Keisling responded: “You know what? We’ve gotten here.”
(Photo courtesy of Nunez)
Priscila ‘Pea’ Alegria Nunez, 23, documentarian and cinematographer
“The stories that I’m passionate about sharing and telling are about the Latinx community and LGBTQ community. It’s very important for me to highlight our voices, as immigrants who are fighting back.”
Pea is a documentary filmmaker, an artist whose work reflects their lived experiences as a pansexual non-binary immigrant who, at 15, left Peru with their mother for the professional and educational opportunities available in the United States.
A recent graduate of the acclaimed film program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), this year Pea was awarded a Rising Star Grant from GLAAD to fund their virtual reality (VR) project about the networks that immigrants have built to support and defend their communities. The film is led by a lesbian protagonist who left Honduras for the United States.
“Throughout the US, immigrant families they have this traumatizing event in which they are visited by [Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)]”, Pea explained. “Our protagonist is going to college, and she’s using her knowledge and her network to bring an emergency community back to her house. We will see how that event develops because of how many people will show up to help fight back.”
As an immigrant who belongs to the LGBTQ community, Pea is inspired most by the stories of people who occupy both of those identities. “I found that the projects that bring me the most fulfillment are those that find that intersection.”
Pea and their mother had green cards when they left Peru. They landed in Sacramento, where Pea says their high school was nationally recognized for the racial and ethnic diversity of its student body. “It was incredible to be surrounded by so many brown people—by so many inspiring, motivational people.”
At UCLA, Pea’s classes in gender studies opened their eyes to the identities that do not fall into the gender binary, which gave them the space to inhabit gender-neutrality, along with the freedom to dress and use pronouns in non-traditional ways. “It was another coming out for me. I’d already come out as bisexual, but then again as pansexual.” (The latter is defined by the absence of limits with regard to sexual choice in gender or activity.) Coming out to their mother—who understands Pea is attracted to both men and women—as non-binary, Pea said, is something of a work-in-progress, an ongoing journey.
Respective to both their personal life and professional work, Pea focused first on their immigrant identity and the stories of other immigrants more broadly before working to explore how sexual orientation and gender identity come into play.
Night of Cultura, a Latinx club of artists at UCLA, was a forum in which Pea found some of their closest friends and most valuable professional networks. The group creates plays, sketches, spoken word poetry, dances, and films—works that often include LGBTQ subject matter. “It was a space where I really felt like I blossomed.” After screening a 5-minute documentary at a Night of Cultura event, Pea met a UCLA alum in the audience who would later become the screenwriter for their VR project.
As a filmmaker, Pea is moved by the audience’s reaction to their work. “You can hear gasps; you can hear sniffles; you can hear laughter. I think that’s so beautiful because you wonder what’s going on in their hearts. There is a chance of really reaching people. There is hope that your project, that your work, will touch people.”
On the challenges brought forth by attacks on LGBTQ and immigrant communities from the Trump administration, Pea is optimistic about the role of the artist. “It’s important that we creators continue making work, regardless of the political climate. It’s important to keep creating, because who is going to do it, if not us?” Immigrants and LGBTQ folks should tell their own stories, Pea said, because that way the diversity within those communities will be reflected in the broader cultural narrative.
In hindsight, Pea feels they should have explored and expressed their sexual orientation and gender identity earlier in life. “I felt like I needed to be compliant to what my mom wanted—to her expectations. I could have been so much happier, if I had not waited and instead just been myself.” Pea’s message to LGBTQ teenagers: “Come out to your friends first, because there is something to be said for finding your family outside the family you grew up with. Find yourself a queer family. When you do, you’ll be amazed how powerful you’ll be.”
(Photo courtesy of Reyes)
Aris Reyes, 16, high school student, LGBTQ advocate
Aris is a 16-year-old high school student who aspires to a career in politics, business, law, or, perhaps all three.
Though only a junior, Aris has emerged as a leader at USC East College Prep, a new high school of which his will be the first graduating class. He founded both the student government and the GSA club, where he now serves as president.
As a young trans Latino man and LGBTQ advocate, Aris has built bridges between his school’s students and staff, as well as between his peers and organizations dedicated to LGBTQ youth education and empowerment.
He helped to spearhead the LGBTQ School Climate Resolution, a comprehensive survey that collects information about a school’s educational atmosphere respective to LGBTQ issues. Aris was not entirely surprised to learn 80 percent of his classmates had either often or occasionally heard homophobic remarks from other students. On the other hand, only 10 percent of student respondents heard their teachers say something objectionable about LGBTQ people, which is consistent with Aris’s perception that educators at his school are more liberal and tolerant.
With data from the survey, Aris approached his teachers about ways they could help improve the school’s record on LGBTQ issues. He cited California’s FAIR Education Act, which, among other requirements, obligates teachers to include LGBTQ historical figures in their lesson plans. The law applies only to the state’s public schools, so teachers who work at Aris’s charter school are free to create their own lesson plans—and there, he said, there is room for substantial improvement.
Aris worked with the Latino Equality Alliance’s (LEA) youth council to coordinate a speaking engagement at his school that featured a representative from the ONE Archives of the University of Southern California (USC). “They talked about LGBT leaders and advocates”, he said, “including some people I’ve never heard of in my life.”
The organization administered 10 workshops throughout the year, including the Unconditional Love Rally, where Aris spoke about transphobia and his personal journey toward self-acceptance. The program required registrants to get prior approval from their parents, but Aris worked with school administrators who agreed to count the rally toward community service hours—which helped to bolster attendance.
Aris opened up to his mother about his gender identity in eighth grade and the following year came out to friends, teachers, and classmates. Like many transgender youth, Aris struggled with body image issues and depression. Not yet out to his father and living in a body that did not reflect his gender identity, while a freshman Aris was placed in a three-day psychiatric hold. There, he was isolated away from other patients—and told by nurses he could not be placed in units segregated by gender because he is neither male nor female. This, in spite of the fact that Aris explained he is a transgender man.
Back at school, Aris is sometimes asked probing questions by other students concerning his anatomy. “My school is in Lincoln Heights in Los Angeles”, he explained, “and Hispanic culture is not always that accepting of LGBTQ people.” Teachers, by contrast, have been more welcoming—he only needs to remind them, occasionally, to not mis-gender him.
Administratively, Aris has met challenges such as the attendance roster and the separation of girls and boys in advisory periods. “It can be isolating”, he said.
Involvement in advocacy programs and social clubs has allowed Aris to build a sense of community and work on behalf of issues that are important to him. “Even within the LGBT community”, he said, “I feel like trans people are left out a lot.” The separation of gender and sexuality in the discussion of LGBTQ issues, as well as the ways in which we introduce these topics to young people, is important to Aris. The conflation of sexual orientation and gender identity, he said, can cause misunderstanding.
Aris also hopes the Hispanic/Latino communities will begin to adopt more progressive attitudes toward LGBTQ people. He feels less tolerant attitudes exist primarily among older generations. “Friends have told me”, he explained “‘My mom doesn’t like you because you’re trans.’ It’s just sad—just because of that, like, [they don’t care] about everything else I do, what a good kid I am, my grades or my education.”
Homophobia and transphobia will always exist, Aris said, and “people are scared of things they don’t now”. Looking to the future, he is more interested in effecting change through policy. “For me, really what matters is the legislation—that’s what changes everything. If you’re a lawyer or a president or lobbyist, you’re in a position to change things.”
Aris expects to continue working on behalf of LGBTQ causes. “After I graduate”, he said, “I hope to go to college. I want to get really involved in my college.”
(Photo courtesy of Medina)
Alex Medina, 18, student journalist, LGBTQ advocate
Alex Medina is a student journalist who has authored more than 20 articles for his local newspaper, the Boyle Heights Beat, which covers news and feature stories in and around the downtown Los Angeles neighborhood.
He will soon graduate from high school and is eager to begin his freshman year at Hamilton College, a selective liberal arts university in update Clinton, New York. Then, Alex hopes to work toward a career in journalism. And he also has designs to start an organization dedicated to youth and the media.
Much of Alex’s work for Boyle Heights Beat is focused on LGBTQ issues, which he considers especially important because, particularly in decades past, LGBTQ people are often portrayed negatively. He said that spotlighting the work of advocates and activists helps to usher in progressive change while also offering role models for young people. Additionally, Alex has written about subjects important to immigrant communities—such as the census and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)—as well as local politics and business.
For two years, Alex has served as president of his school’s GSA club, where he led efforts to curb the use of derogatory language and anti-LGBTQ slurs. In conversations with the student body, Alex and members of the club worked to encourage their peers to be more conscious of the language they use. “I used to get bullied when I was younger. So, it’s important to me that we have these conversations”, he explained, especially for the benefit of young LGBTQ folks.
Beyond the GSA, Alex works on behalf of a variety of causes that reflect the diversity of the subjects he has written about. Through his involvement with the Latino Equality Alliance (LEA), for example, Alex has advocated for policies that would help to curb the school-to-prison pipeline.
Alex credits many of his accomplishments to the unwavering support he’s received at home. His parents, who immigrated to Los Angeles from Mexico, have been involved with organizations like PFLAG—where they engage with other parents, many of them Latino, to facilitate conversations about accepting their children’s sexual orientation and gender identity.
It can be challenging work, he said. LGBTQ identities are often not discussed within Latino communities. “Youth often don’t come out to their parents because they’re afraid how their parents will react,” he explained. “When Latino people [immigrate to the US], there are prejudices—often formed by the things they heard when they were growing up—and they often bring that with them. It’s also generational.”
While young people have overwhelmingly adopted more positive positions on LGBTQ issues, change can also be witnessed in traditionally-conservative milieu, such as the Catholic Church. Just a few weeks ago, Pope Francis told a gay man, “God made you like that.” Alex agreed about the direction in which organized religion seems to be heading, at least concerning Catholicism. “With the Pope being more accepting,” he said, “it’s getting better. At my own church and at the other church I’m involved with, they’re accepting of me and the pastors communicate very positively about it.”
The role played by organizations, like PFLAG, that offer programs and resources for LGBTQ youth and allies is really important, Alex said. “In schools there often isn’t much awareness, even if there is acceptance, so these organizations help to fill in and offer resources—including condoms, and healthcare referrals—that are not available in school. There are a lot of events and opportunities available through those organizations that students wouldn’t otherwise know about. It’s important for parental acceptance as well.”
Alex feels the tremendous progress the LGBTQ community has witnessed over the years would not be possible if advocates and activists were not optimistic about their odds. “We wouldn’t have the movement we have today without people who brought awareness about things like AIDS, DOMA, and [same-sex] marriage”, he said. Beyond the fight for political equality, Alex feels adopting a positive attitude is important for building friendship and community.
Another corollary goal of Alex’s: Increasing the visibility of young people who are working to effect change. “A lot of times”, he said, “youth don’t see themselves represented. It’s important to bring attention to the work young people are doing to build a better future for themselves and for future generations of youth”.
(Photo courtesy of Akbarian)
Rudy Akbarian, 28, trans-Armenian veteran, aspiring barber
Rudy Akbarian is a transgender man, the son of Armenian immigrants, and a veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 2011 to 2016. He has also worked on behalf of LGBTQ youth, specifically homeless youth, and next month will begin studying to become a barber.
Before today, Rudy has spoken out twice about policies concerning the inclusion of openly-trans men and women in the military. In 2016, he praised the historic decision by former Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to welcome transgender people into the armed forces. Then, last year, he denounced President Trump’s reversal of that policy but pledged to keep up the fight: “I’ve had too many people supporting me to just give up,” he said. “So, I don’t plan on doing that.”
Today, Rudy responded to reports from Tuesday that 100 members of Congress have submitted a letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis, urging him to reconsider the Administration’s decision to bar openly trans men and women from military service.
“That’s awesome,” he said. “But I don’t know what [Trump’s] reasoning was for not allowing trans people to serve in the military, other than ‘It would cost a lot of money.’” And this, Rudy pointed out, despite the President’s request for a military parade that The New York Times reported could total $30 million (at a time in which those funds could be better allocated to address homelessness among America’s veterans).
Importantly, Rudy added, the projected medical costs associated with treating the estimated 15,000 trans men and women in the armed services—which, according to a RAND study, would add up to $8 million—are likely even less. “Not every trans person wants to surgically or medically transition,” he explained. “That’s a stereotype we need to break.”
Rudy’s position on the capabilities of trans soldiers?
“After I conquered that battle to become my authentic self—and I did it alone—now, God only knows how many other battles and wars I can win with a team. Trans people are some of the strongest people and some of the most mentally capable people to protect and serve this country.”
Rudy said most of the transphobia he has encountered so far has been in civilian life. The men and women who served alongside him were focused on the demands of the mission before them, and close bonds were born from shared experiences and the close quarters in which they worked and lived.
Restroom and shower accommodations, particularly while Rudy was in the process of transitioning, proved challenging. Without an official gender marker that matched his gender identity he was not allowed to access the men’s facilities. Once, during a five-day range training excursion in the desert, Rudy had to use the women’s showers. And by this time, he had grown a full beard. “It was a super traumatizing experience for me, as well as for them. Because, they’re like, ‘Why is there a guy in the shower?’”
However difficult it was, as a trans man, to navigate the administrative hurdles of military life, Rudy had already weathered a lot of heartache. He came out first as a lesbian and was consequently kicked out of his home. “It was a really hard time in my life,” Rudy said. Like many young people in his position, he abused drugs and alcohol to cope. For more than six years now, Rudy has been sober—and his family eventually reconciled with him.
At first, he explained, the subject of his sexual orientation was off the table, but then Rudy journeyed closer to accepting his gender identity. “It was undeniable when the hormones kicked in,” he explained. “Then, I gave my family the choice to be there for my top surgery, and they showed up.” Rudy said they are now 120 percent supportive.
“One time, I discovered that my mom, who has this heavy Armenian accent and types the way she talks, was responding to these negative comments about me on social media. [Imitating her accent] ‘That’s my son and I love him and he’s very handsome!’ She was totally there in support, doing all of this emotional labor. It was so incredible to see that.”
These days, Rudy is incredulous about the policies introduced and supported by the President, especially those concerning transgender men and women in the armed forces. At the same time, he has witnessed tremendous progress in both his family and community—especially among young people—which, he said, signals movement in the direction of justice and equality.
Through social media, Rudy has comforted other LGBTQ folks, including Armenians who are struggling with coming out to their families. It’s just another form of advocacy, he said—a way to build and strengthen community.
Recently, Rudy was invited, by his former art teacher, to speak before a high school group called Students Advocating Gender Equality (SAGE). “When I was [a student] there,” he said, “there were three students in GSA, and I was one of them. At this event, I was talking to, like, 50 kids. They were all embracing and accepting each other—and it’s students in high school who are creating these clubs and programs.”
News
Byers, Krieger win seats on WeHo City Council; race for third too close to call
John Duran, Kyle Brazeal, and Stephen Post battle for final seat
Chelsea Byers and Helen Krieger have secured the first and second spots in the race for West Hollywood City Council. After an eventful campaign season, with 13 candidates running to fill the three seats up for grabs, Byers and Krieger have come out on top. Each holding a wide lead ahead of their challengers, they are all but guaranteed to each win a seat.
However, the race for third has shaped up to be an incredibly close contest among John Duran, Kyle Brazeal, and Stephen Post. Duran currently holds third, Brazeal fourth, and Post fifth, but they are all within 100 votes of each other, meaning their positions could easily swap as more ballots are counted.
The Winners
Byers and Krieger both ran on progressive platforms, with focuses on building more housing, creating biking and transit infrastructure, and opposition to Flock cameras in the city. The two are also both housing advocates. Byers works at the non-profit Welcoming Neighbors Network which aims to end the U.S. housing shortage and Krieger helped build affordable housing in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
They were both backed by the progressive Unite Here! Local 11 union, which represents service worker employees around L.A. The union has become a major influence in West Hollywood elections in recent years, providing resources and support to many progressive candidates.
Byers and Krieger have been friendly with each other on the campaign trail, and with other countywide progressives. Byers even earned a shoutout in L.A. Mayor-elect Nithya Raman’s election night speech. Their campaigns were also supported by former WeHo Mayor and current L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.
Byers was the only incumbent running for re-election, with Mayor John Heilman and Council member Lauren Meister term limited. Heilman and Meister supported the campaigns of Duran and Brazeal for Council, who are now battling each other and Post for the third and final seat.
The Race for Third
California counts ballots slowly compared to other states and with the margins between third, fourth, and fifth so narrow, it may be a while before the race can be called conclusively.
Duran and Brazeal’s campaigns focused on public safety, opposition to adding bike lanes on Fountain Avenue, and creating a Transit Oriented Development Alternative Plan in West Hollywood. Both argued that the city’s politics had become too ideological and called for a return to common sense decision making that they claimed was absent in new city leadership.
Duran is a longtime civil rights attorney and West Hollywood politician, serving on the City Council between 2001 and 2020. Duran’s time in elected office ended in scandal as he was accused of multiple accounts of sexual harassment, first in 2016 and then again in 2019. He lost his re-election bid in 2020.
Brazeal is a political newcomer, working in a career in finance before joining the Council race this year. His campaign was rattled by allegations of transphobia in a story reported by the Los Angeles Blade, with a transgender woman accusing him of calling her a slur in 2024.
Post, currently in fifth, is a progressive backed by many of the same organizations as Byers and Krieger, and was the only candidate backed by the L.A. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. He made anti-flock policy a cornerstone of his campaign and argued that it compromised WeHo residents’ privacy and the city’s values.
A Majority Voting Bloc
With the incoming Council members, and Erickson’s unsuccessful run for state Senate keeping him in his position, the Council is guaranteed to have at least a three-vote majority to pass progressive policies in line with Krieger and Byer’s campaign promises. This means Flock cameras are most likely coming down and the plan for bike lanes on Fountain Avenue will likely proceed unchanged, regardless of who wins the final seat.
Caleb Kaufman is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
California
Nithya Raman wins Los Angeles mayoral election, ousting Karen Bass
Mayor-elect commits to protecting queer Angelenos from Trump attacks
Nithya Raman is the projected winner of the Los Angeles mayor’s race, beating out incumbent Karen Bass in a contentious campaign to lead the second largest city in the nation. Raman has won 52% of the vote with 75% of precincts reporting.
Earlier in the year, City Council member Raman’s chances of pulling off a victory seemed slim. Mayor Bass won handily in the June mayoral primary, and Raman came in a distant second, inching out the bombastic former reality TV star Spencer Pratt to secure a spot in the runoff.
Raman ran on a progressive platform that promised to address chronic issues in Los Angeles, like homelessness, affordability, and lack of housing supply. Raman made the case that the Bass administration had not confronted these challenges effectively and that Los Angeles needed new leadership that could.
A newcomer to politics, Raman first ran for office in 2020 when she won a seat on the Los Angeles City Council, the first time a challenger had defeated an incumbent for a city council seat in nearly two decades. Her election was a shock to the L.A. political establishment and taught Raman how to effectively organize a grassroots campaign, a skill that would be invaluable to her 2026 mayoral victory.
Despite lacking establishment backing, earning no endorsements from her fellow council members, Raman was supported by many progressive organizations and unions, including the L.A. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, Unite Here! Local 11, and the Western States Carpenters union. They provided her with thousands of eager canvassing volunteers and organizers. These canvassing efforts helped sway public opinion and introduce Raman to voters who had likely never heard of her.
Homelessness was a particular flashpoint in the election. In April, reporting by the L.A. Times showed 40% of the people who participated in Mayor Bass’s signature anti-homelessness program ended up back on the streets within a year, and overall homelessness levels increased across the city in the last year. Raman pointed to her district’s near 50% decline in unsheltered homelessness between 2025 and 2026 as proof she could confront the issue more effectively. But time will tell if she can translate this success city-wide.
Mayor Bass served a hectic and tumultuous term as the first woman mayor of Los Angeles. In early 2025, she had to deal with the fallout of the Palisades fires, one of the most destructive wildfires the city has ever seen. Only a few months later, Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids shocked immigrant communities around L.A. and subsequent protests shut down the city. In response, President Trump deployed the National Guard to the streets in a move many saw as federal overreach, further inflaming tensions.
These remarkable challenges ingrained anti-incumbent sentiment among some voters who believed Mayor Bass could have done more to help Angelenos in both instances.
Raman spent her campaign painting the mayor as insufficiently proactive in countering the policies of the Trump-Vance administration. Raman has promised to protect L.A.’s queer community from federal actions that could harm them, especially emphasizing her support for the transgender community, which has been the target of numerous attacks from President Trump.
The Mayor-elect said she would pressure Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to reevaluate its ending of gender-affirming care services. The hospital’s center for Transyouth Health closed in 2025 following federal pressure to end trans healthcare for minors, impacting more than 2,000 patients who were receiving care when the closure occurred. Despite federal threats, gender-affirming care remains legal in California.
Speaking with the Blade last month, Raman said she would “reach out to [CHLA’s] board and speak to them about that decision and see how we can push them to do better [for] trans patients,” outreach she said had not happened under the Bass administration.
In her election night speech to an energized crowd at the Greek Theater, Raman reiterated her support for the queer community, committing to “show up for our gay and trans siblings,” across Los Angeles.
Caleb Kaufman is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
California
Xavier Becerra wins California governor’s race
Governor-elect has long track record of LGBTQ support
Just minutes after polls closing, Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra was named the projected winner of California’s governor’s race by the Associated Press, beating out the Republican Steve Hilton. Becerra has a long history in elected office, serving as a congressman representing parts of Los Angeles and East LA, then as California Attorney General, and most recently as the Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. He also has a long history of supporting pro-LGBTQ policies.
As a congressman, he voted against the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which banned same-sex marriage on the federal level. As California attorney general, he sued the Trump-Pence administration in 2017 over a policy that aimed to ban transgender people from serving in the military. As HHS Secretary, he publicly defended access to gender-affirming care for transgender patients, including for minors, noting that it has been shown to reduce suicidality among transgender youth. This is a major contrast to the current HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has since made the agency’s official policy that it “rejects gender ideology and condemns the harms it causes to children.”
In his campaign for governor, Becerra has continued to support gender-affirming care, saying in a statement on X that “as Governor, I will stand firm to secure California’s status as a sanctuary state for trans youth and their families,” and posting an image with the phrase “protect trans youth.”
Becerra’s opponent Steve Hilton made LGBTQ issues a small but loud part of his campaign.
He opposed transgender participation in women’s sports, attending and speaking at a “Save Girl’s Sports” rally that called for a ban on transgender people playing in women’s sports in California. In an interview with the San Francisco Standard, Hilton was asked about his favorite girl’s sport, responding “I don’t follow girl’s sports,” and declined to make any commitments to further women’s competition in sports beyond calling for an end to transgender participation.
Hilton came under further criticism from the LGBTQ community for releasing an innuendo-laced campaign advertisement in October that appeared to show two women in an intimate setting before revealing that one is trying to convince the other to vote for Hilton. Jorge Reyes Salinas, communications director at Equality California, called the ad “a disgusting attempt to exploit lesbian intimacy for political attention” in an interview with the Blade. It was also unpopular among conservatives, with Evangelical Pastor Jack Hibbs stating that the ad was distasteful and that “lesbianism among college girls and some high school girls right now is an actual pandemic of social ill.”
Becerra’s victory in the governor’s race is no surprise in California where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans nearly 2:1. The real challenge was making it past the primary election. After former Congressman Eric Swalwell dropped out of the Democratic primary amid allegations of sexual misconduct, Becerra seized on the opportunity and became the frontrunner. He later beat out billionaire Tom Steyer in the June primary to become the Democratic nominee.
In the general election, Becerra ran a quiet campaign for governor, counting on support from the overwhelmingly Democratic California electorate. As a result, Becerra has been sparse on many specific policy commitments on the campaign trail. However, his track record indicates that California’s next governor will likely support pro-LGBTQ policies.
Caleb Kaufman is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
California
L.A. LGBT Center used canvassing effort to reframe conversation around trans healthcare
‘Gender affirming care access as part of health care access for all’
The Los Angeles LGBT Center has seen the impact of fearmongering rhetoric about transgender people firsthand so it set out to change the narrative.
The L.A. LGBT Center this year began a new deep canvassing initiative to combat misconceptions about transgender healthcare. The volunteer canvassers are encouraged not only to share facts and voting information, but also to connect with voters by using personal experiences to frame their political engagement. “The key components of deep canvassing involve getting vulnerable and curious with the voter and exchanging stories to show how political issues are tied to personal real lived experience,” said Maria Do, the community mobilization manager at the L.A. LGBT Center.
The campaign focused on speaking to voters in the San Gabriel Valley, a working class and ethnically diverse area on the far east side of Los Angeles County. The deep canvassing campaign targeted the city of Monterey Park in particular, a neighborhood home to large Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian immigrant populations. The goal was to connect with infrequent voters who may be uninformed or misinformed about LGBTQ issues. They focused mainly on informing voters about gender affirming care and then encouraging them to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
“There have been a lot of attacks and just a lot of misinformation around gender affirming care,” Do said. This campaign aimed to dispel misconceptions about transgender care and to treat it like any other kind of healthcare. “We’re trying to frame gender affirming care access as part of health care access for all,” Do said.
Deep canvassing
Deep canvassing at the LGBT Center has its origins in the political battle over the 2008 ballot proposition to ban gay marriage in the state of California. After the ballot proposition passed, the center organized volunteers to knock on doors and have conversations with voters who supported it. These conversations surprised advocates.
“Concerns voters had about same-sex marriage weren’t rooted at all in lived experience, but were fed through media misinformation and their own biases,” Do said. This convinced organizers at the LGBT Center that having face-to-face interactions with voters would be the most productive way to combat narratives that dehumanized and politicized queer rights. This same technique is being utilized by the center today to target rising anti-trans sentiment and policy.
Do says that many people are unaware of reduced access to gender affirming care and threats against health systems, patients, and providers from the federal government. Many did not know that Children’s Hospital Los Angeles shut down the largest gender affirming care clinic for trans youth in the country following pressure from the Trump-Vance administration. When canvassers inform people about these challenges, they often get into conversations about a voter’s own struggles with healthcare access.
“They have shared a lot of stories about Medi-Cal access being cut,” Do said. Voters have also expressed concerns over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in their communities. These similar concerns over healthcare access and federal overreach can help build solidarity across demographic communities. “To share that attacks are also happening on the transgender community has allowed space to sort of see the through line between different efforts to help protect various marginalized communities,” Do said.
What’s on the ballot
The L.A. LGBT Center is non-partisan and has not officially endorsed any candidates on the ballot. But the organization still views this election as consequential for queer people across the state and decided to weigh in on six of the statewide ballot propositions, emphasizing an opposition to Proposition 44.
The proposition would mandate that community health clinics spend 90% of their annual income on patient care. While proponents of the measure say that it would ensure that clinics are prioritizing services over profits, critics say that its definition of patient care is too narrow, that 90% is an unrealistic goal, and it would end up hurting patients more than helping them.
LGBT Center officials have said that it would harm community clinics around the state, including others that specialize in queer healthcare.
“Community clinics who fall short [of spending 90% of revenue on program expenses]… would face severe penalties, an estimated $1.7 billion in the first year alone. At a time when the federal government is seeking to strip people of healthcare, this measure will lead clinics to close and make matters worse,” the L.A. LGBT Center’s director of advocacy Joey Hernández said in a written statement.
“It isn’t always going to be a win”
Ricardo Sebastiań has volunteered for two of the deep canvassing actions with the LGBT Center and said it is an effective way to change people’s minds.
“Canvassing is a tried and true tactic for advocacy,” Sebastián said.
They think that a face-to-face conversation with someone can humanize what can otherwise feel like abstract political issues. “Even if you’re meeting somebody who has a different worldview, there is an opportunity there to find middle ground, and that shifts people. You never know the type of impact you’re going to have on somebody when you’re having an open dialogue,” Sebastián said.
Do said that volunteers have spoken with people who had never met a transgender person before and that these conversations around trans healthcare can drastically change these people’s perspectives. “Folks started to see themselves and started to empathize,” when they spoke about transgender healthcare with canvassers with the LGBT Center, Do said.
When out knocking on doors, the most common response for canvassers is, well, nothing. Most of the time, knocks go unanswered and volunteers simply leave behind pamphlets provided by the LGBT Center. And even when canvassers get someone to the door, they can often be preoccupied and dismissive. But this doesn’t discourage volunteers like Sebastián. They feel like the productive conversations they have make it all worth it.
“It isn’t always going to be a win,” Sebastián said. “There’s always going to be somebody who doesn’t want to talk to you or doesn’t care or is very staunch in opposing views. But you can’t let that discourage you from getting to the next door.”
Caleb Kaufman is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
Palm Springs
Here’s your Palm Springs look at the weekend: Oct 30-Nov 1, 2026
I was attempting to find a way to write about the opening of The Eagle bar in Cathedral City, the La Bola Negra film, and the upcoming election in one blog. As I awoke this morning from a night of fitful dreams about this very subject, it hit me:
These are the times that try men’s souls. The quote comes from the opening line of The American Crisis, a series of patriotic pamphlets written during the American Revolutionary War by Thomas Pain in 1776.
First and foremost, our election is just days away and the headlines are hopeful that the democrats may take one or both chambers of Congress. Trump is brooding in the White House, and bizarrely talking about the anatomy of Sen. Jon Husted, whose ass may be hard but his poll numbers are soft.
Those of us who pay attention are biting our nails and hoping that the polls are correct this time. There have been so many odd incidents that the theory of an October surprise seems to have given way to an avalanche of revelations that we have become numb to.
Then there’s the beautifully shot La Bola Negra film that opened in Palm Springs on Thursday night. I’m still in awe of this cinematic masterpiece that is so complicated as to deserve a second viewing — before it comes out on streaming. The film weaves three generations of gay men from the Spanish Civil War to modern day. It takes concentration and you almost need a scorecard to keep track, but it helps to read the synopsis and see the trailer a few times (with some good eye candy included!)
You may remember that Fresh Air’s Tanya Mosley was the keynoter for the Coachella Valley Media Hall of Fame luncheon last year. She interviewed the directors — dueling Javiers — who tell her, “Filmmaking is ‘our weapon against intolerance.’”
Last, but not least, The Eagle Bar opened last evening as VIPs ducked under scaffolding while the finishing touches were still being applied. If you drove by the storied building in Cathedral City over the last number of months, you saw lots of trucks and workmen. It appeared that they weren’t going to hit the mark to be open for Leather Pride.
But Phillip and Jeremy Nalwalker proved everyone wrong and have transformed the space formerly known as the Barracks into a sleek, welcoming space. We’re glad to have them in the Gayborhood and look forward to many of the signature events that were once held at the previous iteration. Their souls were certainly tried by finances and delays. But it was well worth the wait.
So there, all tied up in a nice little blog bow I was able to report on the top things on my mind this weekend.
Brad Fuhr, your K-Gay Desert Guide
Here’s what’s happening in sunny Palm Springs:
Halloween Palm Springs 2026
Downtown costumed revelers gather for Halloween Palm Springs 2026, taking over the Arenas District on Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31 from 4–10 pm. This massive two-night street party offers live music, dancing stages, and a VIP Lounge. Friday’s lineup features sets by DJ K-Swift, Meaty Beats by Juan, MODGIRL, and DJ Jeffree. Saturday brings a performance from singer-producer MkX, a costume contest at 7:30 pm, and headline sets by legendary R&B group KLYMAXX. Suggested donations support local charities including DAP Health, Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus, Greater Palm Springs Pride, and the LGBTQ+ Community Center. More info
Palm Springs Leather Pride: Valhalla
Leather vikings and valkyries gather for Palm Springs Leather Pride: Valhalla, hosting a community celebration across Palm Springs all weekend. Presented by The Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert, this multi-day festival highlights kink, fetish, and leather culture with inclusive programming. Festivities include clothing-optional Plunge pool parties at CCBC, BDSM skill labs, pup play, Dark Alley Marketplace, cigar social, BATE party, Eisenhower Health speaker series, and the Mr. Palm Springs Leather 2027 Contest. See our event listing for a detailed schedule: More info
FRI–SUN: Halloween Weekend at Toucans Tiki Lounge
Halloween Weekend at Toucans Tiki Lounge kicks off on Friday, October 30 with “FREAKQNCY,” hosted by Athena Kills and featuring show-stopping drag performances by Aria S Williams and Mayday at 8 pm and 10 pm. On Saturday, October 31, dance the night away at the free 80s vs 90s Halloween Party with a costume contest and beats by MODGIRL. Visiting NYC comedian Jack Sullivan wraps up the fun on Sunday, November 1 at 7 pm and 9 pm with his solo comedy show, “Leather and Loads.” More info
& Juliet
Experience a hilarious and empowering theatrical twist on Shakespeare’s legendary love story with & Juliet at McCallum Theatre from Tuesday–Sunday, October 27–November 1. This Broadway sensation asks what might happen if Juliet chose a second chance at life and romance instead of her tragic ending. Packed with pop icon Max Martin’s chart-topping anthems, including “Since U Been Gone” and “Roar,” the romantic comedy delivers a high-energy stage spectacle full of joy and unforgettable musical moments. More info
La Bola Negra
Acclaimed international cinema arrives onscreen as La Bola Negra premieres at Festival Theaters on Friday, October 30 at 7 pm. Winner of the Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice Award and Best Director at Cannes, this sweeping drama stars Guitarricadelafuente and Carlos Gonzáles alongside screen icons Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close. Spanning three distinct eras—Republican Spain in 1932, the Spanish Civil War in 1937, and modern Spain in 2017—the narrative traces interconnected lives centered on three young men whose political and emotional choices echo across generations. More info
The B-52s & DEVO: Cosmic De-Evolution Tour
Two iconic new-wave powerhouses join forces for a spectacular Halloween concert when The B-52s & DEVO: Cosmic De-Evolution Tour hits Acrisure Arena on Saturday, October 31 at 7 pm. Featuring special guest DJ Cummerbund providing signature mashups, this art-driven double bill brings legendary hits, theatrical visual production, and retro energy to the desert. More info
Scoop Ice Cream Festival
Sweet treats meet community fundraising as the 2nd Annual Scoop Ice Cream Festival gathers at Palm Springs Downtown Park on Sunday, November 1 from 12–4 pm. Local artisans, gelaterias, and paleta makers from across the Coachella Valley will serve signature frozen creations throughout the afternoon. All proceeds from the annual gathering directly benefit the LGBTQ Center’s Community Food Bank, making it a delicious way to give back to neighbors in need while enjoying top-tier local desserts. More info
The Minutes
A small-town city council meeting turns contentious when a new member questions previous recordkeeping in The Minutes, playing at CV Rep October 28–November 15. Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Tracey Letts, this razor-sharp political satire peels back the polished surface of local democracy to uncover hidden secrets, raw power plays, and chilling truths. Our theatre reviewer Stephen Radosh says “What starts as civic satire evolves into something much deeper and more unsettling, forcing the audience to confront uncomfortable truths about collective memory and national identity.” Read his full review and Get tickets
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors
Gothic horror meets fast-paced farce in Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, running at Revolution Stage Company through Sunday, November 1 (special added performance). This gender-bending stage parody blends classic monster lore with Monty Python-esque physical humor. The plot follows a meek British real estate agent who accepts a wealthy new client, only to discover he is an ancient, bloodthirsty vampire. Complications multiply quickly when the creature sets his sights on the agent’s fiancée, forcing three clever women to take charge and halt the bloody mayhem. Our theatre reviewer Stephen Radosh calls the production “A wildly entertaining theatrical experience… a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud comedy.” Read his full review and Get tickets
This Weekend at The Purple Room
On Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31, globe-trotting powerhouse Meghan Murphy presents The Big Red Show! with dinner at 6 pm and show at 8 pm, channeling Jessica Rabbit and Bette Midler with belt-busting vocals from Broadway to Beyoncé. Then on Sunday, November 1, celebrated entertainer Michael Holmes hosts The Judy Show! with dinner at 5 pm and show at 7 pm, delivering hilarious camp parodies of Judy Garland alongside Golden Age icons accompanied by Joel Baker on keys. More info
Sordid Lives
Southern eccentricities and family chaos take center stage in Sordid Lives at Palm Canyon Theatre from October 30–November 15. Written by Del Shores, this beloved cult-classic dark comedy follows a colorful Texas clan assembling after the absurdly unexpected death of their family matriarch. As relatives converge, long-held secrets emerge alongside outrageous personalities, sharp hilarity, and heartfelt reflections on acceptance and redemption. More info
Dog & Cat Food Drive
The Dog & Cat Food Drive Benefiting Palm Springs Animal Shelter takes place on Friday, October 30 from 1–3 pm. Hosted in the Community Room at Palm Springs Animal Shelter, neighbors can drop off unopened wet or dry pet food, clean gently used towels, blankets, and monetary donations to help keep shelter animals comfortable, warm, and well-fed. Guests are invited to enjoy light bites, refreshing drinks, and meet adoptable dogs and cats during their visit. More info
Dog Days: Pups & Pumpkins and Howl-O-Ween
Celebrate spooky season at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens during a festive two-day Halloween lineup. The festivities kick off with the first-ever Halloween edition of Dog Days: Pups & Pumpkins on Friday, October 30 from 9 am–12 pm, where dogs and their humans can trick-or-treat through the grounds and join a 10 am costume parade led by Mayor Max followed by a costume contest. The fun continues as the annual Howl-O-Ween returns on Saturday, October 31 from 9 am–1 pm, offering pop-up surprises, face painting, fall photo ops, keeper connections, and limited-edition animal trading cards alongside 600+ resident animals.
Ladies of Rock Festival
Groundbreaking female rockers take the stage during the Ladies of Rock Festival, performing at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa on Saturday, October 31 from 6–10 pm. Doors open at 5 pm as platinum guitarist Orianthi kicks off the evening, followed by glam metal favorites Vixen and former Runaways lead guitarist Lita Ford. More info
Pride: ’26 Edition
Explore fine art interpretations of the male form at Pride: ’26 Edition, displaying at Rubine Red Gallery from November 1–15. Featuring four interconnected collections by artist Troy Schooneman, the exhibition combines classical references, photography, constructed imagery, and imagined artifacts. Visitors will experience a contemporary lens on fine art nudes that examines memory, identity, and physical aesthetics across centuries of artistic tradition. More info
Burgers, Boys & Brews Sunday BBQ
Wrap up the weekend with a sizzling poolside-style cookout during Burgers, Boys & Brews Sunday BBQ, hosted at The Social Cafe & Lounge on Sunday, November 1 from 2:30–4:30 pm. This all-inclusive Sunday afternoon gathering combines backyard grill favorites with upbeat music and high-energy live male entertainment. Guests can feast on hot-off-the-grill burgers, dogs, and savory sides while sipping bottomless draft beers and bottomless mimosas. Designed as the ultimate social brunch party, the weekly event offers a fun, welcoming atmosphere for friends to eat, drink, and socialize before the new work week begins. More info
Daylight Saving Time Ends
As you enjoy an extra hour of sleep this weekend, don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour before bed on Saturday night. Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 am, meaning brighter mornings and earlier sunsets. It’s also a great reminder to check and replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Dance Ranch / Country Dance Saturdays • Instructor Lise Baadh leads a beginner Two-Step lesson during a lively evening of country-western dancing at Step by Step Dance Studio on Saturday from 7–9:30 pm. Dancers of all skill levels can participate in two-step, waltz, shadow, swing, and line dances throughout the night.
- Unbuttoned: A Boylesque Social Experience • Star performer Michael Silas delivers an intimate boylesque showcase blending dance, personal storytelling, and comedy at The Social Cafe & Lounge on Saturday from 7–8:30 pm.
- Día de los Muertos Celebration • Community members gather to honor ancestral traditions during a festive cultural event at Demuth Community Center on Sunday from 10 am–1 pm. The seasonal gathering features traditional decorations, vibrant music, and family-friendly activities celebrating life and memory.
- Charged Stillness Exhibition • Local artist Tina Roy showcases vivid paintings reflecting the beauty, drama, and delicate ecosystems of the wild desert from through October 29 at Rubine Red Gallery.
Bookmark This: Gay Desert Guide Pride Planner
Getting ready for Palm Springs Pride next week? Our Pride Planner 2026 is your one-stop resource for parade details, stage guides, dining recommendations, weekend schedules, FAQs, and more as Palm Springs celebrates 40 years of Pride. Check it out and start planning!
Preview: Limited-Edition Pride Tees
Next weekend, celebrate Palm Springs Pride and support a meaningful cause with KGAY 103.1’s Threads for Hope fundraiser. Starting Friday, November 6 at 3 pm, stop by the KGAY 103.1 booth on Arenas Road to grab a limited-edition 40th Anniversary Pride T-shirt with a $20 donation, with all proceeds benefiting the Palm Springs AIDS Memorial (while supplies last!). While you’re there, enter to win the Ultimate Palm Springs Getaway Package featuring a two-night stay at Hotel Zoso, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway passes, and $500 in dining and shopping gift cards.
California
City Attorney candidate Marissa Roy to Children’s Hospital L.A.: ‘You still have to comply with state law’
Roy said CHLA’s ending of trans healthcare could be illegal under California law that bars discrimination on the basis of gender identity
California Deputy Attorney Gen. Marissa Roy is in a race against Deputy District Attorney John McKinney to be the next City Attorney of Los Angeles. The election for City Attorney has been overshadowed by L.A.’s Mayoral election and the national midterms that will determine control of both chambers of Congress. However, the City Attorney has the power to interpret national, state, and local laws in Los Angeles, set guidelines for enforcement of laws, and represent the city in civil and misdemeanor capacities. This means the winner of the election will shape the city’s legal priorities from law enforcement to civil rights and consumer protection.
Roy spoke with the Los Angeles Blade in an exclusive interview discussing her campaign priorities and her plans if elected as the L.A.’s next City Attorney.
First and foremost, Roy views Los Angeles as a city under siege by the Trump-Vance administration and believes that the current City Attorney, Hydee Feldstein Soto, could have done more to insulate the city from harm.
“I think the thing to remember with the Trump administration at the end of the day is that they’re bullies,” Roy said. She believes that the city should be fighting the Trump-Vance administration in court more aggressively and more frequently. “We need to be really active in this litigation because it is what works,” she said, adding that when the National Guard was deployed in L.A. amid protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, California state sued for their removal, not the city.
A particularly prominent example of the Trump-Vance administration’s policies impacting Los Angeles came last year when Children’s Hospital L.A. ended its gender-affirming care services amid federal pressure. Roy said that if elected, she would work to get the hospital to reinstate the “life-saving care” the hospital provided for transgender youth. She said that regardless of executive orders to end gender affirming care for minors, it still remains legal in California and that it may be a violation of the California Unruh Civil Rights Act to deny trans patients care on the basis of their gender identity.
“As city attorney, I would want to work with the California Department of Justice to say that you still have to comply with state law, which bans that discrimination,” Roy said. She also said that the city could join numerous other lawsuits against the Trump-Vance administration, as it has targeted gender-affirming care and transgender rights across the country, something current City Attorney Feldstein Soto has not yet done.
Roy said another priority of her campaign was to wield the City Attorney’s office to protect Angelenos from predatory employers, landlords, and companies. She wants to scale up the public rights branch of the City Attorney’s office from 25 to 100 lawyers to help the city proactively prosecute workers’ rights, tenant rights, and consumer protection cases. When the city wins these cases, they not only get back pay and restitution for the litigants, they also get civil penalties from whoever violated the law, which can then go towards fighting more cases. “These are revenue-generating sections, and they operate based on the penalties they win, so that is how we are able to scale up the work,” Roy said.
But more important than any individual issue, Roy wants to show Angelenos that the city is actively working for them, not just waiting and watching. “I know that this office can be a fighter and that people deserve their government to be fighting with them,” Roy said. “It shouldn’t always fall on their shoulders … this should be an office that is your lawyer.”
For more information, head to www.MarissaRoy.com.
Caleb Kaufman is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
Palm Springs
Here’s your Palm Springs look at the weekend: Oct 23 – 25, 2026
Vote Early, Vote Often. That phrase was bandied about from the days of Chicago politics. The catchphrase ironically encourages voting multiple times under the guise of promoting voter participation. It gained widespread popularity in the early 1900s through organized crime led by Al Capone and was always invoked when I lived in the Windy City.
Today, it’s just the opposite. The Trump administration is working hard to suppress the vote ahead of the November midterms in hopes that it will help the Republicans cling to power.
I remember learning civics lessons about the importance of voting in elementary school. We held mock elections to parallel what was happening in real politics.
In high school, I participated in YMCA Youth in Government, where we went to the state capital in Lansing, Michigan, and spent most of a week sitting in chambers, drafting bills, and passing legislation that was important to us.
The trouble is, they didn’t tell us the full story of how the legislature really worked. There were no lobbyists currying favor with us, no large corporations taking us out to dinner or on exotic trips. We learned the pure version, the way our forefathers intended.
That encouraged me to run for mayor of my high school, with my girlfriend as vice-mayor. We lost, but I remained on student council. That’s probably why I’ll never run for mayor again. Scarred for life, lol!
I’m often referred to as the “unofficial mayor of Palm Springs”, an honor I’m pleased to hold. When asked about why I don’t actually run for public office, my answer is always the same: Government moves at a snail’s pace; the court of public opinion moves at internet speed. As the old saying goes, “You can’t win for losing.” The amount of vitriol that our politicians must endure is truly disgusting. Just look at your social media feed and you’ll go down a rabbit hole of half truths, false claims and piling on just for the blood sport of it.
Then there are the campaign ads. Nearly $12 billion is being spent on these ads and most is Super PAC money. This cycle we are seeing some of the worst ever. They bring deeply personal and painful experiences like sexual abuse to damage the credibility of a candidate as in Ohio’s governor’s race.
In less than two weeks, our election will take place. My upbringing taught me to take my responsibility seriously to participate in the democratic process. My hope is that the guardrails put in place by our forefathers will be enough to weather the storm of election tampering we’re seeing this cycle. I’m voting early, but not often…
Brad Fuhr, your K-Gay Desert Guide
Here’s what’s happening in sunny Palm Springs:
10th Annual East Coachella Valley Pride Festival
Gather for an inspiring afternoon of community connection, culture, and equality at the 10th Annual East Coachella Valley Pride Festival. Head to Coachella Library Park & Gardens on Saturday, October 24 from 3–8 pm for a free, family-friendly celebration and health resource fair. The event features live local entertainers, queer art displays, food vendors, and community organizations dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth, families, and allies. Come honor a decade of progress and regional pride in the East Valley! More info
Reel Women’s Film Festival
See inspiring stories of trail-blazing women at Planned Parenthood’s Reel Women’s Film Festival. Gathering cinema lovers at Palm Springs Cultural Center on Sunday, October 25 from 12:30–11 pm, this 13th annual festival benefits Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. Featured films include The Inquisitor, highlighting congresswoman Barbara Jordan and her longtime partner Nancy Earl, alongside inspiring documentaries telling the powerful journeys of Somali runner Samia Yusuf Omar and Israeli activist Efrat Tilma. More info
62nd Annual Golf Cart Parade
Colorful floats, marching bands, and whimsical decorations roll down El Paseo during the 62nd Annual Golf Cart Parade. Head over to El Paseo Shopping District on Sunday, October 25 to experience this beloved community tradition. Festivities start early at 8 am with a marketplace, food vendors, dance groups, and a dedicated kids zone, followed by the main parade processional at 12 pm. Keep an eye out for KGAY’s Brad Fuhr and John Taylor, taking part in the parade aboard the all-electric OPTIQ from Jessup Cadillac! More info
Best of CV – Final Round Voting Final Day is Friday
CV Independent’s Best of Coachella Valley 2026–2027 final voting round is wrapping up and this is your chance to help crown the winners across the valley’s most‑loved radio stations, personalities, DJs (and many more categories). Thank you for showing us the love already with a strong nomination phase! Our finalists include KGAY 103.1 and Sunny 106.5 for Best Radio Station; John Taylor, E.J. Tyler and Patrick Evans for Best Local Radio Personality; and the dynamic DJ trio — DJ Galaxy, DJ Eric Ornelas, and MODGIRL — for Best Local DJ. Voting continues through Friday, October 23, so cast your vote and help celebrate your favorites in this year’s Best of Coachella Valley! Vote Today
Naked Yoga
Marvel at fine art photography during Naked Yoga, a stunning exhibition featuring thirty rare silver gelatin prints by renowned photographer Michael Childers. This free three-day event runs Friday–Sunday, October 23–25 at Stephen Baumbach Gallery. Opening night on Friday, October 23 from 5–7 pm offers wine and a live Yogi flow demonstration. On Saturday, October 24 from 3–5 pm, enjoy tea, cookies, and conversation with the artists. The showcase concludes Sunday, October 25 from 5–7 pm with a final meditation session. Sales of signed framed prints directly benefit yoga teacher certification scholarships. More info
Perez Art District: 4th Friday Art Walk & “Conversations with the Land” Show
Immerse yourself in Cathedral City’s creative scene during the 4th Friday Art Walk featuring the special “Conversations with the Land” show. Stroll through open working studios at Perez Art District on Friday, October 23 from 4–7 pm to meet talented local artists, watch live demonstrations, and purchase original art directly from creators. This multi-media exhibition features desert-inspired works by twenty local artists exploring nature, highlighted by a special 5 pm performance by the Bird Singers from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and poetry recitations by Cathedral City Poet Laureate Clare Chu.
REAF House Party PS
Celebrate in grand style at the REAF House Party PS – Pride in Paradise 2. Set for Saturday, October 24 from 5–8 pm at a private address in Andreas Hills, this tropical cocktail party features spectacular live entertainment. Billboard recording artist Debby Holiday performs alongside drag superstar Billy L’Amore, jazz diva Keisha D, the SOS Entertainers dance troupe, and the Desert Studs gogo dancers. KGAY Morning Show host John Taylor is hosting, and KGAY’s own spin master DJ Galaxy provides high-energy music throughout the evening. Don festive tropical or Pride attire to enjoy an unforgettable evening of music, dancing and community celebration surrounded by stunning desert views. More info
This Weekend at the McCallum Theatre
Sensational live stage entertainment fills the lineup this weekend at McCallum Theatre. On Saturday, October 24, the dazzling circus spectacular C!RCA: Duck Pond reimagines Swan Lake with breathtaking acrobatics, humor, and an energetic duck army. Closing out the week on Sunday, October 25 at 2 pm, Broadway favorite Megan Hilty delivers a powerful vocal concert featuring beloved musical hits. More info
This Weekend at The Purple Room
On Friday and Saturday, musical comedy duo Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley strip down to their underwear as The Skivvies for The Rocky Horror Skivvies Show, delivering mash-up arrangements of Richard O’Brien’s cult musical classics. Then on Sunday, celebrated entertainer Michael Holmes takes the stage in The Judy Show! to deliver a hilarious, razor-sharp parody of Judy Garland hosting Hollywood legend guest stars. More info
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors
Get ready for a hilarious, bloodthirsty night of entertainment as Revolution Stage Company kicks off its fourth season with Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. Running October 15–31, this fast-paced, 90-minute gender-bending stage farce combines gothic horror with Python-esque humor. The story follows a meek British realtor who takes on a terrifying vampire client whose deep pockets are irresistible and whose attraction to his fiancée is concerning. Our theatre reviewer Stephen Radosh calls the production “A wildly entertaining theatrical experience… a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud comedy.” Read his full review and Get tickets
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof runs October 9–24, presented by THE BENT. Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize‑winning masterpiece holds deep significance for LGBTQ+ audiences, exploring repressed homosexuality, internalized homophobia, and the destructive nature of the closet. This production highlights the hidden desire between Brick and Skipper, offering a fresh interpretation of Williams’ groundbreaking work. More info
Bound 4K Screening w/ Local Queer Erotic Short ‘Bite the Boot’
Experience a special one-night-only film event as Festival Theaters Palm Springs host a special screening of Bound on Friday, October 23 from 7–9:30 pm. Three years before The Matrix, directors the Wachowskis unleashed their iconic sapphic heist thriller starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon. This stunning 4K re-release is paired with the high desert queer erotic short film “Bite the Boot” by XilaMonstrr Productions. Attendees can also participate in an exclusive Q&A session with the creators of the short film immediately following the showing. More info
Into the Woods
Fairy tales collide in magical ways as Stephen Sondheim’s award-winning musical masterpiece Into the Woods comes to life outdoors. Running Friday–Sunday, October 23–25 at Rancho Mirage Amphitheatre, this whimsical production features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine. The talented cast stars Lizzie Sosa, Jacob Lozano, and Catrina Teruel following a baker and his wife on a quest to reverse a curse. Experience an unforgettable theatrical journey about courage, consequence, and community. More info
Burgers, Boys & Brews Sunday BBQ
Every Sunday from 2:30–4:30 pm, The Social Cafe & Lounge hosts Burgers, Boys & Brews, a backyard‑style cookout featuring fresh‑grilled burgers, hot dogs, sides, bottomless mimosas, bottomless draft beer, and live male entertainment. Come for great music, cold drinks, and a lively crowd ready for a fun, all‑inclusive brunch experience. More info
- Joy’n Us • VR filmmaker Travis Hutchison showcases newly discovered 1970s archives from photographer Frank Diernhammer at Materias Primas, opening Friday. The multimedia exhibition includes vintage prints, 8mm film, and virtual reality honoring Antonio Lopez and Juan Ramos, with proceeds benefiting DAP Health.
- Floating Sound Bath Experience • Guests float in an outdoor saltwater pool for a restorative guided meditation session launching Friday at 6:30 pm at JW Marriott Spa and Resort. The 60-minute experience combines soothing sound frequencies and serene mountain views.
- Life Without Limits Sock Hop Luncheon • United Cerebral Palsy of the Inland Empire hosts a retro 1950s-themed fundraising luncheon on Friday from 11:30 am–1:30 pm at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa Rancho Mirage.
- Perez Art District: 4th Friday and 2nd Saturday Art Walk • Local art lovers gather to explore working studios and meet creative talent on Friday from 4–7 pm at Perez Art District. Conversations with the Land • Twenty local artists showcase desert-inspired artworks during a multi-media exhibition during the Art Walk. The event features a special 5 pm performance by the Bird Singers alongside poetry recitations by Clare Chu.
- 38 Special – Milestone • Southern rock band 38 Special performs classic platinum hits and fresh tracks on Friday at 8 pm at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa.
- La Quinta CV Link Day • The City of La Quinta invites residents and visitors for a morning walk or ride on Saturday from 8–10 am at Jefferson Street & Vista Grande. Participants can explore the 40-mile CV Link pathway with free e-bike rentals, water, and snacks.
- Miralon Community Blood Drive • LifeStream and the Miralon community host a lifesaving blood drive on Saturday from 9 am–2 pm at MiraBar. Donors can walk in or schedule appointments to help save lives while receiving a limited-edition Halloween-themed T-shirt while supplies last.
- An Evening at COPA: Where Rhythm Meets Philanthropy • Hanson House Foundation presents a Copacabana-inspired gala dinner on Saturday from 5–10 pm at Palm Springs Air Museum. The evening honors community leaders Dick Shalhoub, Gerald “Jerry” Keller, Linda Evans, Oliver Jack, and Sherman Tam, with special recognition for Dr. Ercoli.
- Atomic Pink Bash • Metropolitan Fashion Week hosts a high-fashion fundraiser supporting earthquake relief on Saturday from 6–10:30 pm at The Velvet Rope. Highlights include a presentation styling breast cancer survivors, runway shows, fine art, vocalists, and a dessert table, with tunes from KGAY’s DJ Galaxy!
- Unbuttoned: A Boylesque Social Experience • Performer Michael Silas, former dancer for Lady Gaga, delivers an intimate boylesque show on Saturday from 7–8:30 pm at The Social Cafe & Lounge.
- Dance Ranch – Country Dance Saturdays • Country western dancers of all skill levels gather for an inclusive dance social on Saturday from 7–9:30 pm at Step by Step Dance Studio. Instructor Rob Ollander-Krane leads a beginner shadow lesson at 7 pm followed by open social dancing.
- Charged Stillness Exhibition • Local artist Tina Roy showcases vivid paintings reflecting the beauty, drama, and delicate ecosystems of the wild desert from through October 29 at Rubine Red Gallery.
California
Nithya Raman makes her case for LGBTQ voters in the race for LA Mayor
The mayoral candidate said she would use ‘every tool that the city has to protect trans Angelenos’
On a cool evening, around a hundred people gathered at the Black Cat’s outdoor seating area in Silverlake. The crowd was full of precisely trimmed mustaches, sleeveless cardigans, and colorful rainbow pins that read “Nithya Raman for Mayor of Los Angeles.”
This was the “Coming out for Nithya” LGBTQ fundraiser for Nithya Raman’s mayoral campaign.
The event which took place on October 8th, was hosted by gay comedian Joel Kim Booster and Pickles the Drag Queen. The pair encouraged the queer audience to support Raman and to donate money to her campaign. The event ended with over $20,000 raised to support Raman according to an organizer of the fundraiser.
Raman is locked in a tight race to become the next mayor of Los Angeles with current incumbent Karen Bass. After coming second in the mayoral primary in August, defeating right-wing provocateur and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, Raman and Bass advanced to the general election. Since then, current City Councilmember Raman has been steadily gaining in the polls, with most showing her now maintaining a consistent lead over Bass. But the race is far from over, as many of the same polls show a large portion of voters are still undecided. Mayor Bass did not respond to multiple requests to comment on this story.
After an hour of the audience ordering drinks and snacking on appetizers, Raman took the stage. She addressed the audience in an impassioned speech where she invoked the history of the historic Black Cat venue where the event was taking place.
In the early hours of New Year’s Day 1967, undercover police officers raided the gay bar, arresting and beating patrons for kissing people of the same gender as the new year rolled in. The raid left many queer community members badly injured, and others were permanently placed on the sex offender registry. The bar would soon have its liquor license revoked and was forced to close only a few months later.
“Six weeks after the raid, hundreds of people stood right where we are right now on Sunset [Avenue] and peacefully protested,” Raman said in her speech. “In 1967 being seen on that sidewalk could cost you your job, it could cost you your home, it could cost you your family, and they showed up anyways,” she said. “How remarkably brave.”
She then tied the historic oppression of queer people in Los Angeles to contemporary issues, highlighting the Trump-Vance administration’s targeting of transgender people. “Right now, Donald Trump and the people around him are running a coordinated attack on trans people,” she said. Raman remarked on how this targeting of trans people has impacted Los Angeles. “Last year, under pressure from the Federal government, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles shut down the largest clinic for trans youth in the country,” she said, referring to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ decision to suspend gender affirming care services.
“As mayor, I will use every tool that the city has to protect trans Angelenos,” Raman said to ecstatic applause from the audience.
After her speech, Raman spoke with the Los Angeles Blade about the specific actions she would take to protect Angelenos from the federal government.
According to Raman, the federal administration is conditioning funding to the city “in ways that undercut some of the values of inclusiveness that we have here,” she said. “Going through the courts is very powerful… I would do more of that. This city has actually not filed as many cases as other cities have.”
Speaking about CHLA’s ending of gender affirming care services, Raman said, “There are other hospitals that have not stepped back from their services as quickly as CHLA did.” If elected as Mayor, Raman said she would “reach out to their board and speak to them about that decision and see how we can push them to do better [for] trans patients,” she said, adding that she doesn’t think “that outreach has happened yet” under Mayor Bass’ administration.
She added that her campaign’s focus on affordability and affordable housing is particularly important for queer people. She said that if elected, she would create “an office of tenant protections” to help renters most vulnerable to being priced out of the city.
“Housing is what makes LA a haven for people,” Raman said. “If you can’t afford to live here, then LA is not a place that is inclusive anymore.”
Caleb Kaufman is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Los Angeles Blade. The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Learn more about it at fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
AIDS and HIV
AIDS Walk Los Angeles takes to the streets in West Hollywood while raising money for HIV/AIDS Care
The annual fundraising event was attended by thousands and raised over $850,000
Hundreds of yellow shirts and thousands of people took over the streets of West Hollywood during AIDS Walk Los Angeles on Sunday, October 18th. Organized by APLA Health, the event raised over $850,000 for HIV/AIDS healthcare and prevention. Oakwood School raised the most money of any organization, with over $62,000 in donations.
Before the march began, participants gathered at West Hollywood Park, where speakers addressed the crowd from a large main stage. City officials and celebrity guests spoke before the march began, including Mayor John Heilman, County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath, comedian Joel Kim Booster, and singer David Archuleta.
CEO of APLA Health, Craig E. Thompson, took the stage and addressed the state of HIV and AIDS care in America. He spoke about the first AIDS Walk LA in 1985, which began when there was a “federal administration that stayed silent when thousands of our friends, partners, and neighbors were dying.” “We’ve been there before, and here we are again,” he said, referring to the federal cuts to HIV prevention programs, Medicaid, and more. According to Thompson, Medicare provides more healthcare to more people living with HIV than any other provider.
But despite these federal cuts, Thompson was hopeful for the future of HIV care, drawing on lessons learned early on in the epidemic by the original AIDS activists. “We didn’t wait for permission,” he said. “We showed up, we raised our voices, we walked, and we protected our community.”
APLA Health CEO Craig E. Thompson speaks at AIDS Walk Los Angeles in West Hollywood Park on Sunday, October 18th, 2026.
Actress Michaela Jaé Rodriguez was honored with the first-ever Voice of Visibility Award for her work fighting stigma around HIV and AIDS. Known for her Golden Globe-winning performance as Blanca Evangelista in Pose, Rodriguez told the crowd that those living with HIV “are not statistics.”
“We are not disposable. Instead we’re daughters. We’re mothers. We’re sisters. We’re brothers. We’re fathers. We’re artists. We’re creators. We’re actors. We’re award winners,” she said to a roaring audience.
People walk down Santa Monica Boulevard during AIDS Walk Los Angeles on Sunday, October 18th, 2026.
The mood was joyful as the walk began. Many people carried signs with the names of loved ones living with HIV. Multiple musical groups performed, including a drumline, a pep band, and a mariachi group. People laughed, cheered, and danced as they strutted up and down Santa Monica Boulevard.
As the walk looped back to West Hollywood Park, people sat around talking with friends and community members. I walked past the lines for free ice cream and flu shots and wandered over to the AIDS Monument, which opened recently in 2025. Designed by artist Daniel Tobin, the monument is unlike most others. It is abstract, made up of tall and narrow metal poles and marble blocks.
A young tour guide in a baseball cap and chic sunglasses was giving a tour of the monument to a group of about five people. The guide’s name was Jude Schoenfeld, the Director of Public Programs for One Institute. Schoenfeld spoke, and the group walked through the metal beams emerging from the ground. At first, the poles were spread out organically like trees in a forest, but as the group wandered further, they unified into an organized grid towards the far end of the monument. This is where they stopped.
Jude Schoenfeld gives a tour at STORIES: The AIDS Monument after AIDS Walk Los Angeles in West Hollywood Park on Sunday, October 18th, 2026.
Quotes from the gay poets Gil Cuadros and Essex Hemphill were inscribed on a bronze plaque. Schoenfeld read them and remarked on how the artists died so young from complications with AIDS, both passing away in their late thirties. An older member of the tour group interjected, saying that living that long actually felt old for gay men at the time. “No one from that era that was gay expected to live beyond forty. We thought we were all gonna die of AIDS,” he said. “So thirties, that’s a whole life. We lost everybody when they were in their twenties.”
After the tour ended, I asked Schoenfeld what it’s like to give tours to people who lived through the early years of the AIDS epidemic, when you could lose a friend in a few months with hardly any warning. “Oftentimes, it’s emotional for people to be here,” they told me. “The great aspect of the tours is that they become a conversation and a place for folks to share memories.”
“People who’ve been in Los Angeles and West Hollywood for decades have just such a rich understanding of the history here. I’ve learned so much from just talking to folks who come on the tours,” Schoenfeld told me.
As we stood next to the monument with music blasting and kids playing a few hundred feet away, Schoenfeld told me about why they think it’s so important to learn the history of AIDS activism. “It’s never been more important,” they told me. “Especially as we’re seeing threats all around from different institutions that want to take funding away and want to take these resources that we’ve spent so long building.”
“I think this is a really important juncture in history,” they said. “We want this to be a site of continued activism.”
Flowers are laid on a plaque at STORIES: The AIDS Monument in West Hollywood Park on Sunday, October 18th, 2026.
Palm Springs
A quick visitor’s guide to Palm Springs before the winter
Traveler Ed Walks shares his Palm Springs highlights to check out this fall
by Ed Walsh
Palm Springs is gearing up for a busy fall highlighted by the 40th anniversary of Pride planned for the weekend of Nov. 6-8th. The Pride festival on Saturday, Nov. 7 is free and the Pride parade steps off on Sunday, Nov. 8. If you can get there early, the Pride block party will be on Arenas road starting at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6.
Before Pride, women took center stage with The Dinah, which ran this year from Weds, Sept. 30 to Sun., Oct. 4. The Dinah 2026 included headliner Hayley Kiyoko, alongside Da Brat, Sasha Keable, and The Aces.
Leather Pride kicks off the weekend before Pride, Thurs. Oct. 29- Sun., Nov.1. Leather will overlap with Halloween this year. Arenas Road will host its annual Halloween block party on Saturday, Oct. 31, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The desert rewards those who can brave the heat in September with the Greater Palm Springs Spa Month. Check out the Greater Palm Springs Website (visitgreaterpalmsprings.com) for the deals. If you have never been to Desert Hot Springs, spa month is a good time to relax in mineral water for which the city is named. Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis is one of the best with indoor and outdoor mineral baths and famous pebble-lined stream “reflexology” walkway giving you a foot massage and soak.
Another good day trip outside Palm Springs city limits is Indio. Its downtown is undergoing a major resurgence, highlighted by its new City Hall and library. Indio unveiled a public art installation last summer in the heart of downtown. The 65- and 75-foot colorful robot-like sculptures called “The Messengers” were first displayed at the Coachella music festival in 2023 and are now permanently on display in Indio. Be sure to check out “The Place.” It is an indoor collective of local, independent, and inspiring artists. Two of those artists are Indio native Adolfo Vasquez and his husband, former LA resident Vincent Sandoval. They run the Chicano Candle company, which includes a candle bar where you can put together a unique scent that inspires you.
Palm Springs has two new queer landmarks put up over the past year. In October, a 65-foot Pride flagpole was installed at the corner of Arenas Road at Indian Canyon Drive, across from the Arenas District. Also in October 2025, the 8-foot-tall multicolored Pride Monument was unveiled at Frances Stevens Park at 500 N. Palm Canyon Drive, about a 15-minute walk from Arenas Road.
The Greater Palm Springs area has more gay resorts than any other place on the planet. Palm Springs offers 10 gay male resorts in city limits and neighboring Cathedral City has the largest resort in the area, Cathedral City Boys Club (CCBC). Sadly, Palm Springs’ only downtown gay resort, Canyon Club Hotel, closed in December and is being converted into a mainstream property.
All the gay resorts are clothing optional. Most provide free continental breakfast and some throw in a free lunch. The fabulous Santiago resort has the largest pool of any of the gay resorts and like its sister resorts, Twin Palms and Descanso, has a 24-hour free canteen where guests can help themselves to snacks and beverages. All three properties offer a free lunch and are known for pampering guests.
The Triangle Inn is kitty-corner from Santiago and is an historic property in the mid-century modern motif for which Palm Springs is known. It has a well-deserved loyal following.
The other gay resorts are in the Warm Sands neighborhood and include Palm Springs first gay resort, El MIrasol Villas, Casa Oliver, Desert Paradise, Vista Grande, Hacienda Palm Springs and InnDulge. CCBC, Desert Paradise Resort and Casa Oliver are the only gay resorts that offer day passes.
The space occupied by the legendary Barracks bar in Cathedral City will soon be reborn as the Cathedral City Eagle. Major construction has been underway at the property for months and it is scheduled to be open some time in October. Although the address is on E Palm Canyon Drive, it is a little hard to find even with GPS, because it is set back off the street behind the Arco station.
The other two gay bars in Cathedral City are One Eleven, Roost and Runway, which is part of CCBC. The nightlife on Arenas Road has remained stable and on the north end of town, Toucans Tiki Lounge is going strong on Thursdays through Sundays.
If you can get to Palm Springs by October 18, be sure to check out the exhibit “A Queer Arcana” at the Palm Springs Art Museum. The exhibit explores queer art and culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. The museum is free on Thursdays 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. You can combine it with a visit to the Palm Springs Village Fest street fair on Palm Canyon Drive that runs 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
No visit to Palm Springs would be complete without a visit to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The summit has great hiking trails where you can comfortably hike even in the summer with temperatures as much as 40 degrees cooler than the city.
The Palm Springs restaurant scene doesn’t disappoint. Boozehounds, on the north end of town, across from Toucans, is one of the more unique restaurants in town. They welcome dogs on the expansive patio, and the huge restaurant feels spacious even during the busiest times of the year. Be sure to try the pastrami sandwich.
The other PS mainstays are the fab Trio, the upscale but down-to-earth Eight4Nine, and in the heart of downtown, Lulu’s, Pinocchio’s and the weekend drag brunches at Oscars, which is also famous for its Sunday Tea Dance. If you are looking for a late night bite, check out BlackBook on Arenas Road for casual gourmet bar food.
For a uniquely queer overall tour of Palm Springs, check out Drag & Fly Tours, which features stadium-style sideways seating on a bus. A drag queen shows off highlights and history of the city. Red Jeep Tours is another great option if you want to explore the desert’s natural beauty.
If you want to avoid crowds and enjoy lower hotel prices, summer through October is a good time to visit. It’s also slower in the desert in the weeks just after Thanksgiving. Crowds pick up in Christmas week through New Years and then things usually slow down in January until around Valentines Day.
For more information, the Greater Palm Springs official Web site is https://www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/
Escritora trans venezolana reivindica una fe sin exclusiones ante la visita del papa a Sudamérica
LGBTQ+ elected officials, activists around the world welcome U.S. election results
Byers, Krieger win seats on WeHo City Council; race for third too close to call
Nithya Raman wins Los Angeles mayoral election, ousting Karen Bass
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Australia’s first gay state governor takes office
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