We could be in for a bumpy ride – weather-wise – this season. It started Thursday with a storm in Yucca Valley and 29 Palms with heavy rain and hail that also sparked a few dry lightning fires in the Coachella Valley. I was in the middle of it in Joshua Tree — loving every minute of the rain, the thunder, and lightning. That tends to be an anomaly for those of us who spend the majority of our time in the desert.

The real concern is the super El Niño winter we’re about to experience. It’s happening as we speak, with two hurricanes off the coast of Mexico that are expected to bring us higher humidity, a chance of rain next week, and coastal flooding. And that’s just the beginning, according to Patrick Evans, chief meteorologist at Newschannel 3.

We count on the typical dry weather of the Coachella Valley as tourists start to flock back for “season”. The way we roll is with outdoor concerts and music festivals, sporting events, mixers, and of course, Palm Springs Pride itself. So when the forecast starts to increase the odds of rainy days, we get a little nervous. We’ll all be watching the forecasts just a little more carefully and making last-minute adjustments to plans, whereas in most years we barely give it a second thought.

Maybe Palm Springs will have snow again like on January 31st, 1979. We recorded 1.5 inches that day, and it shut down the city, according to reports from The Desert Sun, which covered it extensively. A good friend of mine was here for that storm and has the newspaper clippings to prove it.

Whether that weather was an El Niño event, we may never know. But suffice it to say, we’ll be paying a little closer attention to Patrick’s forecasts this winter.

Brad Fuhr, your K-Gay Desert Guide

Here’s what’s ahead in sunny Palm Springs!

Debby Holiday‘s Tribute to Tina Turner

Simply the Best: A Tribute to Tina Turner & Friends brings Debby Holiday to the Purple Room Supper Club Friday & Saturday, September 25 & 26 (Dinner at 6 pm, Show at 8 pm). A 17‑time Billboard Top 20 artist, Debby delivers passion and powerhouse vocals while honoring Tina Turner and other legendary divas. Debby’s three‑decade career includes touring with Rod Stewart, KISS and Joe Walsh, plus appearances on David Letterman, The View and Rosie O’Donnell. More info

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Que Calor Pool Party

The Que Calor Pool Party at Arrive Hotel is an end‑of‑summer celebration on Saturday, September 26 from 4–8 pm. The event transforms the poolside into a lively oasis with music, food, and drinks, creating a fun afternoon of splashing, dancing, and unwinding. Produced by SOS Entertainers, the party also supports the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, adding heart to the festivities. Guests can enjoy general admission or reserve one of eight VIP cabanas. More info

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Perez Art District — 4th Friday Art Walk

The Perez Art District: 4th Friday Art Walk happens Friday, September 25 from 11 am–7 pm. Visitors can explore local galleries, meet artists and enjoy a full day of creativity and community across Buildings H & I. It’s an easygoing, open‑house‑style stroll through one of the valley’s most vibrant artist hubs, offering a chance to discover new work, connect with makers and experience the district’s growing cultural energy. More info

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Cinema Diverse 2026 Weekend 2

Cinema Diverse 2026 Weekend 2 at The Palm Springs Cultural Center runs all weekend through Sunday September 27. A celebration of LGBTQ+ storytelling, identity, history, love, resilience and queer imagination, the festival spans multiple theatres and screening blocks. Across documentary, narrative, comedy, drama and experimental shorts, Cinema Diverse highlights emerging and established filmmakers exploring coming out, chosen family, cultural heritage, activism, romance and the intersections of gender, sexuality and community. More info

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Mama’s Boy

Mama’s Boy starring Gregg Glaviano is Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 pm at Palm Springs Plaza Theatre. This emotional cabaret blends music and storytelling as Glaviano reflects on growing up with a mother living with chronic depression—and how those experiences shaped his journey through first love, marriage, divorce and coming out. Featuring Paul Cady, Richard Elander, Jim Gnaster and Jenny Carey, the show moves between humor, vulnerability and heartfelt musical moments drawn from Broadway, the Rat Pack and classic pop. More info

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It’s Final Round Voting Time — Best of CV

CV Independent’s Best of Coachella Valley 2026–2027 final voting round is now underway, 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

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Greater Palm Springs Spa Month

Greater Palm Springs Spa Month heads into its final days with exclusive wellness experiences throughout all nine resort cities. Slow down, breathe deeply, and embrace self‑care your way—whether through a mineral spring soak, a rejuvenating facial, a deeply relaxing massage, a sound bath under the desert sky, or a full day dedicated entirely to restoration. Participating resort spas, day spas, and hot springs spas offer limited‑time treatments and special packages through the end of September. More info

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Planned Parenthood’s Riverside County Cocktail Reception

Planned Parenthood’s Riverside County Cocktail Reception takes place Friday, September 25 from 5:30–11 pm at Avalon Hotel & Bungalows Palm Springs. Celebrating 63 years of compassionate, essential care, the evening highlights the movement to protect access to sexual and reproductive health services. Guests will hear inspiring stories about the organization’s impact, including live entertainment and remarks from Jenny Black, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. More info

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The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption at Desert Theatreworks runs September 25–October 4 in the Blackbox Theatre. This gripping stage production follows banker Andy Dufresne, wrongly convicted of murder, as he navigates corruption, brutality and the faint glimmer of hope inside Shawshank State Penitentiary. His bond with Ellis “Red” Redding and his quiet, decades‑long plan for freedom unfold in an intimate setting where audiences feel the weight of the walls around them. This is not the movie—it’s harder, closer and deeply human, launching the 2026–2027 season with a limited eight‑performance run. More info

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Films in the Gardens — At Eternity’s Gate (2018)

At Eternity’s Gate (2018) screens Friday, September 25 at 7:30 pm at Sunnylands Center and Gardens. Presented with the Palm Springs International Film Society, this free outdoor series invites guests to bring a blanket, arrive early and enjoy cinema under the stars. At Eternity’s Gate offers an intimate portrait of Vincent van Gogh’s final, prolific years painting in Arles and Auvers‑sur‑Oise, set against the serene backdrop of the Gardens. More info

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Dance Me — The Music of Leonard Cohen

Dance Me: The Music of Leonard Cohen takes the stage Saturday, September 26 at 8 pm at McCallum Theatre, performed by Ballets Jazz Montréal. Inspired by the work of Montreal‑born poet, artist and songwriter Leonard Cohen — and approved by Cohen during his lifetime — this exclusive creation evokes the cycles of existence explored in his music and poems. More info

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Heart Centered Healing Sound Bath

The Desert Sound Sessions: Heart Centered Healing Sound Bath at Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs happens Sunday, September 27 from 9:45–11 am. Led by Ashley Tiedeman, this immersive morning experience begins with tea, mingling and a gentle Quantum Heart Meditation designed to expand inner awareness and ignite the heart’s electromagnetic field. Participants then settle into a soothing sound bath where crystal bowls and healing frequencies support deep relaxation, energetic clearing and alignment. More info

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Burgers, Boys & Brews Sunday BBQ

Burgers, Boys & Brews — Sunday BBQ returns Sunday, September 27 from 2:30–4:30 pm at The Social Cafe & Lounge. This weekly backyard‑style cookout features fresh‑grilled burgers, hot dogs, sides, bottomless mimosas, bottomless draft beer, great music, and live male entertainment. It’s a lively Sunday afternoon tradition where guests can eat, drink, and enjoy the atmosphere. More info

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• Billy L’Amour & The Love Notes • Singer Billy L’Amour joins The Love Notes and guest music director Paul McDonald for an intoxicating musical journey on Friday from 6–9 pm at Spirit Animal at Hotel Zoso.
• A Disco Affair • Resident DJ NRich and guest DJ Papa Trebizo spin an all-vinyl dance party on Friday from 8 pm–12 am at Saguaro Palm Springs. Music lovers can dance to disco, boogie, funk, synth rarities, and left-field club records mixed entirely by hand.
• Kevin Costner & Modern West • Actor and musician Kevin Costner and his band present cinematic storytelling and Americana-driven country-rock on Friday at 8 pm at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa.
• Are You A Humanist? • Presenters explore humanist values through video clips of American Humanist Association CEO Fish Stark on Saturday from 11 am–12:30 pm at the LGBTQ Center. Speakers Jim Barnett and Carsten Smidt share personal journeys and discuss principles that promote human dignity, freedom, and ethical responsibility.
• PS Brew Crew LA SD Brewery Takeovers • Beer enthusiasts gather for a multi-stop brewery crawl on Saturday from 1–5:30 pm at Coachella Valley Brewing Company. Visiting Bear brewery-hopping groups from Los Angeles and San Diego team up with local beer lovers to explore downtown Palm Springs craft breweries.
• A League of Their Own, Film Screening & Drag Spectacular • Celebrate pop icon Madonna with live drag performances on Saturday at 6 pm at Festival Theaters in Palm Springs. The event includes a screening of director Penny Marshall‘s beloved sports comedy A League of Their Own.
• Sloshed: National Lampoon’s Vacation — Live Shadow Cast • Moviegoers join a live shadow cast recreating scenes onscreen on Saturday from 6–10 pm at Spirit Animal at Hotel Zoso. Performers bring National Lampoon’s Vacation into the room with costumes, props, audience interaction, and improvised surprises during this interactive comedy screening.
• Night Swim at Palm Springs Surf Club • Gather for an after-hours pool party on Saturday from 6–10 pm with live DJs, cocktails at the Island Bar, and access to the Island Pool and Lazy River under the lights.
• Unbuttoned, A Boylesque Social Experience • Dancer Michael Silas, known as one of Lady Gaga‘s original dancers, delivers a bold boylesque performance on Saturday from 7–8:30 pm at The Social Cafe & Lounge.
• Dance Ranch Country Dance Saturdays • Dancers of all skill levels gather for country-western dancing on Saturday from 7–9:30 pm at Step by Step Dance Studio. Instructor Rob Ollander-Krane teaches a beginner shadow lesson before open dancing featuring two-step, waltz, swing, and line dances.
• Marni Von Wilpert for Congress Fundraiser • Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Raul Ruiz join the host committee for this political fundraising event to back candidate Marni Von Wilpert on Sunday from 11 am–1 pm at a private location in Palm Springs.
• NSFW – New Season of Work • Art enthusiasts can discover a special exhibition celebrating the opening of the Palm Springs art season through September 30 at Rubine Red Gallery. Featured artists Russ White, T. Young, Merick Reed, Don Fisher, and Terrence Payne showcase exciting new work reflecting the distinctive creative energy of contemporary art.
• A Queer Arcana: Art, Magic, and Spirit • Explore how spirituality, magic, and esoteric knowledge shape LGBTQ+ culture through October 18 at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Colombia last week withdrew from a coalition of more than 40 countries that pledges to champion LGBTQ+ and intersex rights.

The Bogotá Post, an English-language news website in the Colombian capital, reported the country officially withdrew from the Equal Rights Coalition on Sept. 17.

The Equal Rights Coalition formed in 2016.

The group’s current members are Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cabo Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, the U.K., and Uruguay. Civil society organizations from Colombia and dozens of other countries, including the U.S., work with the Equal Rights Coalition.

Colombia had co-chaired the group alongside Spain.

The decision to withdraw from the Equal Rights Coalition took place less than two months after far-right Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella took office.

El Páis, a Spanish newspaper, reported Colombian Vice Minister for Consular and Migration Affairs Pedro Agustín Roa said the Equal Rights Coalition “is not a priority” for his government and the country’s participation in it was “something from a previous government.”

Caribe Afirmativo is a Colombian LGBTQ+ advocacy group that works with the Equal Rights Coalition. Wilson Castañeda, its director, criticized his country’s withdrawal from it.

Edición Cientonce es el socio mediático del Los Angeles Blade en Ecuador. Esta nota salió en su sitio web el 17 de septiembre.

La última vez que Karlina Quiroz, una mujer trans de 57 años, salió sola a la calle en Chone, terminó encerrada contra su voluntad en un centro de rehabilitación donde intentaron “corregir” su identidad de género mediante humillaciones, amenazas y agresiones.

Han pasado cinco años desde ese episodio, ocurrido en 2021; y el 11 de septiembre de 2026 Karlina por fin obtuvo justicia. 

La Fiscalía informó, el 14 de septiembre, que el Tribunal de Garantías Penales de Chone sentenció a seis personas por actos de odio contra Karlina, al ser víctima de violencia basada en su identidad de género.

Entre los seis sentenciados están sus dos hermanos, que —según la denuncia de Karlina— ordenaron su encierro a este centro.

El caso de Karlina refleja el odio y la violencia hacia personas trans en Ecuador y vuelve a poner bajo la lupa la existencia de centros conocidos como clínicas de “deshomosexualización” o espacios de “terapias de conversión”.

De acuerdo con la denuncia presentada por Karlina, en julio de 2021 fue interceptada por varios hombres y trasladada contra su voluntad a un centro para el tratamiento de adicciones ubicado en Chone, Manabí, en la vía a Pedernales. Allí permaneció retenida y sometida a tratos degradantes, violencia psicológica y agresiones físicas.

Según su testimonio, durante el encierro recibió insultos relacionados con su identidad de género y amenazas orientadas a “modificarla”.

Karlina denunció, además, que esta no habría sido la primera vez. Según su relato, en 2019 permaneció aproximadamente tres meses internada de manera forzada en otro centro de rehabilitación, también ubicado en la vía a Pedernales, en Chone. Durante ese período habría sido sometida a dinámicas similares de aislamiento, control y presiones dirigidas a modificar su identidad y expresión de género.

Según información de la Fiscalía, en septiembre de 2021, como parte de las diligencias investigativas, se allanó el centro clandestino en Chone. Allí se recabaron indicios relacionados con el internamiento forzoso de Karlina durante tres meses.

Con esos y otros elementos de convicción obtenidos durante la investigación, la Fiscalía inició un proceso penal contra las seis personas, quienes fueron luego llamadas a juicio.

El proceso, explicó Karlina, incluyó los dos casos: el de 2019 y 2021. “El crimen se investigó desde que comenzó la primera gota de sangre”, señaló Karlina, en alusión a la violencia física que sufrió en su primer encierro.

De los seis sentenciados, tres fueron condenados como autores directos a cuatro años de pena privativa de libertad. Se trata de los dos hermanos de Karlina y un sobrino, por ordenar su encierro al centro de adicciones.

Los otros tres recibieron una pena de dos años, como cómplices.

De acuerdo con Karlina, uno de ellos es el director del primer centro al que fue ingresada contra su voluntad en 2019 por tres meses, y los otros dos son quienes la interceptaron la segunda ocasión, en julio de 2021, para llevarla al centro. Ella los señala como “capturadores” de las personas que son recluidas en los centros. 

“Cuando recibí la noticia (el viernes 11 de septiembre durante la audiencia de juzgamiento) no podía creerlo. Las piernas me temblaron y las lágrimas se me salieron. Estoy tranquila y satisfecha”, señaló Karlina en una llamada telefónica.

Para Pedro Gutiérrez, abogado especialista en derechos humanos, la sentencia es importante no solo por reconocer un delito de odio, sino también por las características de los hechos: el ingreso (por orden de sus hermanos) a un centro de “deshomosexualización” en el que se cometen actos de tortura y violencia física.

Durante la audiencia, constó el testimonio de Karlina. La Fiscalía también presentó el informe de reconocimiento del lugar de los hechos, la inspección ocular técnica, el levantamiento de evidencias y los testimonios de personas que confirmaron que los actos de violencia por perjuicio hacia su identidad de género fueron ejecutados de manera reiterada por los ahora sentenciados.

El caso volvió a poner la atención sobre las llamadas terapias de conversión en Ecuador, prácticas ampliamente cuestionadas por organismos internacionales de derechos humanos y señaladas como formas de tortura o violencia psicológica. Aunque el Estado ecuatoriano ha realizado operativos y clausuras de algunos centros en los últimos años, organizaciones sociales sostienen que estos espacios continúan funcionando de manera clandestina o bajo otras denominaciones.

La legislación ecuatoriana penaliza los actos de tortura con la intención de modificar la orientación sexual o identidad de género, pero no existe una sanción contra los centros que ofrecen las denominadas terapias de conversión. 

En 2020, la Asamblea aprobó el Código Orgánico de Salud y una de sus disposiciones fue prohibir expresamente este tipo de terapias, pero fue vetado totalmente por el expresidente Lenín Moreno en medio de una campaña de sectores antiderechos. 

La sentencia también dispuso, como reparación integral a favor de Karlina, tratamiento psicológico e indemnizaciones por daños materiales e inmateriales.

Gutiérrez considera que la reparación para Karlina es limitada, pues -por ejemplo- no hay llamados de atención al Ministerio de Salud o disculpas públicas a la víctima. 

“Mi nombre es Ariel Karlina Zambrano, soy una mujer trans de Chone, Manabí. Desde niña supe que quería ser mujer, quería ser bonita, libre. Pero mi familia nunca lo aceptó. Mis hermanos y mi padre, profundamente machistas, me maltrataban constantemente”, contó Karlina en un testimonio en 2025 que recogió el Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CDH).

Para activistas y defensores de derechos humanos, el caso de Karlina evidencia además un patrón de violencia que suele permanecer oculto dentro de círculos familiares, religiosos y comunitarios. En muchos casos, explican, los internamientos forzados son promovidos bajo la idea de “corregir” orientaciones sexuales o identidades de género consideradas inaceptables.

Karlina intentó vivir en Chone, creyendo que con la denuncia y las medidas cautelares estaba a salvo, pero su hermano le pagaba a personas para que la acosaran, según su relato. Por ello, tuvo que esconderse por meses.

Las personas trans en Ecuador enfrentan altos niveles de discriminación, violencia y exclusión social, especialmente fuera de las grandes ciudades. Según la Encuesta Nacional sobre las Condiciones de Vida de la Población LGBTI+ del INEC, el 53,5 por ciento de las personas LGBTQ+ mayores de 18 años en el país ha sufrido algún tipo de discriminación o violencia a lo largo de su vida, siendo el entorno familiar uno de los principales espacios de agresión.

En materia de violencia letal, organizaciones como Asociación Silueta X y el Observatorio Runa Sipiy documentaron 30 asesinatos de personas LGBTQ+ y transfemicidios en Ecuador durante 2025. De esos casos, alrededor del 70 por ciento corresponden a mujeres trans, lo que las posiciona como el grupo más expuesto a crímenes de odio y violencia extrema.

Diversas organizaciones de derechos humanos han advertido además sobre la persistencia de centros de “deshomosexualización” o internamientos forzosos, prácticas denunciadas desde hace más de una década en Ecuador pese a prohibiciones estatales y operativos de control insuficientes.

El caso de Karlina pone a prueba algo más grande que una sentencia individual: si Ecuador está dispuesto o no a reconocer que estas prácticas siguen existiendo y que la violencia contra personas LGBTQ+ continúa ocurriendo, muchas veces con la complicidad o el silencio de sus propios entornos familiares.

“Con mi caso, debe quedar un precedente. Debemos luchar contra el odio que podemos encontrarlo dentro de nuestras propias familias. Por nuestra libertad y derechos, debemos luchar”, indicó Karlina.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on Monday visited the Stonewall Inn in New York.

“The Stonewall Inn is not just a gay bar in New York, but the place where in 1969 riots took place as a reaction to years of discrimination and police violence,” wrote Jetten on X. “This is seen as the starting point of the global LGBTIQ+ emancipation and activism. Nowadays, the bar is a national monument, dedicated to the LGBTIQ+ rights movement.”

“For me, it is impressive and moving to be here tonight. And also fitting, because the defense of human rights is an important part of our foreign policy,” he added. “The Netherlands stands alongside the Stonewall Inn community when it comes to everyone’s right to live openly, safely, and with pride, no matter who you are or who you love.”

De Stonewall Inn is niet zomaar een gay bar in New York, maar de plaats waar in 1969 rellen plaatsvonden als reactie op jarenlange discriminatie en geweld van de politie. Dit wordt gezien als startpunt van de wereldwijde lhbtiq+-emancipatie en activisme. Tegenwoordig is de bar… pic.twitter.com/hJmFYjF91Z

— Rob Jetten (@MinPres) September 23, 2026

Jetten in February became the Netherlands’s first openly gay prime minister.

He opened last month’s World Pride Human Rights Conference in Amsterdam. Jetten also participated in a panel with former Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, former San Marino Captain Regent Paolo Rondelli, and other current and former heads of government who are gay or lesbian.

Jetten is scheduled to speak to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday.

Fiji, a small Pacific island nation, on Sept. 15 declared a national emergency as it confronted one of the sharpest increases in new HIV infections globally. 

The surge had been building for years, prompting the government to begin intensifying its response two years before the emergency declaration.

In 2024, the government adopted a four-year HIV Surge Strategy, covering 2024 through 2027, and later put in place a national plan to respond to the outbreak. UNAIDS and the World Health Organization have supported that effort.

The scale of the crisis is stark. 

An estimated 9,100 people were living with HIV in Fiji in 2025, according to UNAIDS — a 12-fold increase from 2010. HIV has no cure, but effective treatment can suppress the virus, allowing people living with HIV to live long, healthy lives, and preventing sexual transmission when the virus remains undetectable.

In announcing the emergency, Health and Medical Services Minister Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu said the country recorded 2,016 new HIV diagnoses in 2025, the highest annual total on record. He called the figures a sign of the “seriousness of the epidemic and the urgent, coordinated response our country now needs.”

The crisis is also affecting children. 

Save the Children Fiji said this week that a two-month-old baby is currently the youngest patient in the country living with both HIV and tuberculosis. The organization said 59 babies acquired HIV through mother-to-child transmission in 2025, while 67 new HIV cases were recorded among children under 15.

Five years ago, about one in every 167 people in Fiji was estimated to be living with HIV, according to government figures cited by the Associated Press. Since then, Fiji has also emerged as an important transit point in the regional drug trade, with international criminal networks moving narcotics from Latin America and Asia toward markets including Australia and New Zealand. Some of those drugs are also reaching Fiji’s domestic market, where injecting drug use has become an increasingly important route of HIV transmission.

Sexual transmission has continued to fuel the outbreak, with health officials pointing to inconsistent condom use and gaps in HIV testing. Stigma and misinformation have made the problem harder to confront, according to UNAIDS Pacific adviser Renata Ram, who has warned that limited knowledge about HIV can discourage people from seeking testing and care.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Blade, Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS’ regional director for Asia and the Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, cautioned against viewing Fiji’s epidemic through the lens of a single behavior or community. Among cases where the mode of transmission is known, he said, more than half are linked to sexual transmission and more than 42 percent to injecting drug use.

“The rise in infections among women and infants also shows that HIV has reached more widely across society,” Murphy said. “What stands out is how quickly the epidemic changed compared with the pace of the response. Access to PrEP and harm reduction remained limited, Fiji did not yet have a needle and syringe programme, and stigma and policy barriers continued to keep some people away from services.” 

Murphy noted only 39 percent of people with HIV in Fiji knew their status in 2025, and only 22 percent of them were receiving treatment. He also pointed out a wider system-level problem. 

“COVID-19 and the years that followed disrupted services, shifted attention and resources, and left community-led outreach operating below the scale that was increasingly needed,” said Murphy. “The epidemic moved faster than the response.”

Murphy said the immediate challenge is to bring HIV prevention and treatment closer together and make both easier to access at scale. He said PrEP, condoms, testing and harm reduction — including Fiji’s planned needle and syringe program — need to reach people earlier. At the same time, people diagnosed with HIV need a clear path into same-day treatment, care and support that helps them remain in treatment.

The tool at the center of the harm-reduction debate is hardly new. 

Needle and syringe programs provide people who inject drugs with sterile equipment, helping them avoid sharing needles and reducing the risk of HIV and other blood-borne infections. Decades of evidence have found that NSPs reduce HIV transmission without increasing drug use, and WHO describes them as a proven and cost-effective public health intervention. Such programs operate in more than 90 countries worldwide. Yet Fiji, even as injecting drug use has become an increasingly important route of HIV transmission, is only now moving toward introducing one.

“Trust is just as important as access,” Murphy told the Blade. “People most affected by HIV are more likely to use services when they are confidential, respectful and connected to organisations they already know. Community groups and peer workers are increasingly part of Fiji’s response, including the rollout of free PrEP, and that closer link with the health system can make a real difference.” 

“As UNAIDS has stated, the national crisis declaration is ‘a call for action, not fear,’” he added. “Fiji has the tools to change the trajectory; the priority now is to turn political commitment into rapid, coordinated action that reaches people at scale. The UN Joint Team is working to support the national response.”

Joeli Colati, executive director of Fiji Network Plus, a nongovernmental support and advocacy network established by and for people living with HIV, told the Blade that HIV affects people in ways that extend far beyond their health. Some people are afraid to get tested because they fear being judged or worry that others will discover their HIV status. Others fear the consequences for their families, jobs and relationships, as well as stigma and gossip. For LGBTQ+ people and other vulnerable populations, Colati said, those fears can be even harder to navigate because some already face discrimination. When people do not feel safe, he said, they may avoid testing, treatment and other HIV services.

Fiji does not have a reliable national count of its broader LGBTQ+ population. 

UNAIDS estimates that about 16,000 men who have sex with men and transgender people live in the country, though that figure should not be treated as an estimate of the entire LGBTQ+ community.

“We are also seeing a lot of HIV misinformation, especially on social media. This includes people sharing wrong information about how HIV is spread, how it is treated, and what it means to live with HIV,” said Colati. “Another serious concern is the increase in herbal healers claiming they can cure HIV. There is currently no cure for HIV. These claims can be dangerous if they make people stop or delay their HIV treatment. Herbal medicine should never be promoted as a replacement for antiretroviral therapy (ART).”

Colati said HIV peer counselors and NGO outreach workers are helping people at the community level, from supporting those newly diagnosed and helping them stay in care to reaching people who may not visit clinics, providing accurate information and connecting them with testing and treatment. He said people are often more comfortable seeking help from someone who understands what they are going through.

“As someone living with HIV myself for 19 years, I know that a person who is newly diagnosed needs more than medicine. They also need support, correct information and hope. With treatment, people living with HIV can live long and healthy lives,” Colati said. “We also need people to understand undetectable equals untransmittable, or U=U: when a person living with HIV takes treatment and maintains an undetectable viral load, they do not sexually transmit HIV. That is both a prevention message and a powerful message against stigma. Fiji Network Plus, the national network for people living with HIV, reinforced this message in our response to Fiji’s national HIV crisis.”

Asaeli Sinusetaki, acting chief executive of Rainbow Pride Foundation, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group based in Suva, the Fijian capital, in a statement to the Blade said the organization welcomed the government’s declaration because it showed officials now recognized the seriousness of the situation. 

“It is unfortunate that it took this long to respond, because the warning signs were always there,” Sinusetaki added.

“For LGBTQ+ people, experiences can differ depending on how comfortable they are accessing services,” Sinusetaki said. “At the same time, LGBTQ+ communities in Fiji have been one of the driving forces behind prevention efforts. Yes, accessing services independently can be a challenge because of fear, particularly stigma and discrimination. But because many LGBTQ people are also part of the Peer Outreach Worker network, they have established trust within their communities and networks to help people access information and services.”

Sinusetaki said access to HIV testing remains a major challenge, with testing unavailable at many local health centers, forcing some people to travel to sexual and reproductive health clinics or hospitals. He said that can be a significant barrier in a country where people often do not seek medical care unless they are already sick, making it unlikely that someone would make a separate trip simply to get an HIV test.

“The emergency has also highlighted that HIV cannot be treated as a stand-alone issue,” said Sinusetaki. “LGBTQ people need access to a broader package of sexual and reproductive health services, STI screening and treatment, mental health and psychosocial support, prevention information, condoms and lubricants, PrEP and PEP and, where relevant, harm-reduction services.” 

“For people who receive a positive diagnosis, the challenge does not end with testing,” Sinusetaki added. “We need to ensure that they are linked rapidly to treatment, supported to remain in care and treated with dignity throughout that journey.

The Blade reached out to Lalabalavu multiple times for comment, but did not receive a response.

Uncloseted Media published this story on Sept. 22.

By EMMA PAIDRA | Claire, a 25-year-old Los Angeles resident, distinctly remembers the night she and her ex-girlfriend broke up.

“She was strangling me in a CVS parking lot,” Claire recalls, adding how she was gasping for air as bystanders looked on. “I made eye contact with one man who just kept walking, and we were right behind a car that was trying to reverse out of a parking spot. No one got out of the car. They didn’t honk; they didn’t do anything.”

Claire, who asked to use a pseudonym due to safety concerns regarding her ex, says she managed to fight her way out of her then-girlfriend’s grasp. It was at this moment in 2024 she realized things had reached a breaking point.

While research on intimate-partner violence has traditionally focused on opposite-sex couples, two recent reports found that queer women, like Claire, are not immune to this type of abuse. An international research review published last year in the Journal of Media Critiques found “IPV rates in same-sex relationships are comparable to or exceed those in heterosexual relationships,” with up to 46 percent of lesbians encountering such abuse, compared to 36 percent of straight women. A separate review published earlier this year found that nearly 27 percent of lesbians surveyed had experienced IPV.

Despite the prevalence of IPV in lesbian relationships, heteronormative and outdated assumptions have left many queer women feeling like they have nowhere to turn for competent services and support, according to experts, advocates and victims interviewed by Uncloseted Media.

“Queer folks are joining the conversation to say, ‘This is happening in our communities, too, and we need the same resources and support services that straight women are offered,’” Tori Stranges, a professor of women’s studies at the University of British Columbia, told Uncloseted Media.

A frequently overlooked problem

Stranges says the false notion that only men are domestic abusers can result in violent same-sex relationships not being taken seriously.

“People assume that violence is perpetrated by men against women,” she says, adding that this “has left queer people out of the conversation.”

“If it was a man that was doing all these things, and people heard and saw it, I’m sure I would have been taken seriously,” says Claire. “People saw a 5-foot-7 woman who didn’t look that strong — and above all, she was a woman. Men, especially, don’t really see that as a threat. So they’re like, ‘If I’m not threatened, then I’m sure it’s not a big deal.’”

Outdated assumptions about IPV can even result in victims themselves overlooking their abuse.

“When it comes to abuse in heterosexual relationships, there are national campaigns, there are resources that you can access,” Stranges says. “There are people coming into the school systems to talk about relationship violence. We don’t have similar recognition and the same conversations about queer people.”

Claire says the violence she was subjected to was paired with moments of intense affection, which made it harder for her to recognize the abuse.

“We would get into a fight, and she would physically abuse me, and then apologize. She was actually also very gentle with me sometimes,” Claire recalls. “That kind of cycle can be really addicting. I would always wait for the good parts.”

The role of mental illness

K.P., a 47-year-old lesbian living in Maine, was with her abusive ex-girlfriend for five years before ending the relationship in 2023. During their time together, K.P. says her ex, who struggled with panic disorders, ADHD and depression, experienced a decline in her mental health, which contributed to more frequent outbursts of rage. When it comes to the link between rage and violence, one 2022 meta-analysis found that “anger was a significantly stronger correlate of IPV perpetration for women than men.”

K.P., who was working from home at the time and felt like she had no escape, says her ex’s verbal abuse spiraled into physical violence.

“I was on the couch with my laptop, trying to work, and she was just being belligerent,” recalls K.P., who asked to be identified by only her initials because of safety concerns. “I tuned her out, but when she realized I wasn’t giving her the attention that she expected, she went to the kitchen, grabbed two knives and started coming at me.”

K.P. ran outside, trying to get away. Her ex ran after her and then chased her back inside to avoid being seen by neighbors.

Once inside, her partner hid her phone. K.P. used this brief window to message a co-worker on her laptop, asking him to call the police.

“I was confused and afraid,” K.P. told Uncloseted Media. “I’d never been chased with a knife before, let alone by someone who I cared about.”

Research shows LGBTQ people have higher rates of mental health conditions than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. A study published last year in JAMA Network Open found sexual and gender minorities had “significantly higher odds of at least four of 10 commonly diagnosed mental health conditions,” including post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.

IPV may also contribute to negative mental health effects, with research finding that victims experience an increase in depression, anxiety and PTSD and a reduction in life satisfaction.

“After we broke up, I was messed up,” K.P. says. “It took me a good six or eight months to feel like I could breathe again.”

Trapped in a ‘double closet’

In addition to mental health, the stigma of being queer may affect a victim’s response to being in an abusive relationship. When Claire first came out to her family, she says they kicked her out of their home until she returned to the proverbial closet. They eventually accepted her sexuality, but Claire says the residual shame she carried afterwards led her to avoid the added stigma she feared she’d experience if she admitted to being in an abusive relationship.

“All of that combined made me feel so trapped. I just thought, ‘Oh my god, I’m being judged from every single angle,’” she says. “There was just nowhere to go.”

Letícia Yuki de Araujo Furukawa, a clinical psychologist specializing in supporting survivors of IPV, says this kind of thinking is not uncommon among queer women in abusive relationships.

“Sometimes lesbian women who are experiencing IPV relationships start to isolate themselves, to prevent themselves from the shame and judgment they think they are going to suffer,” she says.

Furukawa says this impulse is rooted in the layers of stigma queer women face.

“It comes down to two things that make it like a double closet: We have the closet of being a lesbian, and you have the other one that comes from being in a violent relationship.”

According to Furukawa, having a supportive family can decrease the risk of entering an abusive relationship. Unfortunately, strained familial relationships are common among queer people: A 2022 study in the Journal of Marriage and Family found that 32 percent of gay and lesbian adult children — compared to 22 percent of their heterosexual counterparts — were estranged from their fathers.

Because of the shame Claire faced from her family when she came out, she was reluctant to admit there was a problem in her relationship when her mother and sister expressed concern. She worried that if her family knew her lesbian relationship was abusive, they would stop accepting her queer identity.

“My mom and sister would say to me during the relationship that they thought my ex looked evil, and that I changed so much. I used to be such a bubbly girl, and my personality made a complete 180,” she remembers. “In my head, I was like, ‘I can’t admit that it’s true.’”

‘Gaps in, policy, care, and services’

When queer women have the courage to report IPV, some don’t receive the response they’re hoping for. When police arrived at K.P.’s home following the knife-wielding incident, she says they opened a case file and wrote an incident report but said there was nothing else they could do because her ex had fled the scene.

“It was a little frustrating that since my ex-girlfriend drove away, the police couldn’t do anything,” K.P. explains.

Laura Elizabeth, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Virginia Union University who researches IPV, says there may have been additional steps police could have taken to support K.P., including connecting her with resources for domestic-violence survivors.

“It is vital that [police] make the proper referrals, and that it not just be limited to handing the victim a brochure,” she says. “There needs to be an active discussion with victims about what their options are in terms of who they can reach out to, who can offer what services.”

Kimberley Jackson, an associate professor at the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at Western University, says lack of research on same-sex domestic violence also impacts the support services available to lesbian victims.

“The intersection of IPV and the LGBTQ community is really not well understood,” Jackson told Uncloseted Media. “What we can tell you based on really limited evidence, is that there are huge gaps in policy, care and services. And with respect to shelters, we haven’t really moved the needle very far.”

One area in which shelters may be failing lesbian victims has to do with both the perpetrator and the victim being able to access the same shelter.

“This issue is further compounded in rural areas, where there’s likely only one shelter,” Jackson says. “There’s a chance they won’t be able to turn someone away, even if they’re the perpetrator.”

Jackson says queer victims of domestic violence who aren’t open about their sexuality may face additional obstacles.

“With respect to anonymity, in a lot of rural places, you’re going to know people in the community,” she says. “There are issues with accessing help if you’re worried about outing yourself.”

Calls for change

Experts and victims say LGBTQ+ training for shelter workers and law enforcement, as well as funding for research, could help prevent same-sex IPV and address the damage done by such abuse.

But under the Trump-Vance administration, these funding resources are slipping away. In March of last year, the administration canceled at least 68 grants, totaling nearly $40 million, that were focused on LGBTQ+ health. A second round of cuts followed two months later, during which $800 million worth of grants dedicated to researching LGBTQ+ health were terminated.

Rebecca Hobbs, co-executive director of Through These Doors, a domestic violence resource and advocacy center in Portland, Maine, says LGBTQ+ training materials are essential to ensuring shelters can support lesbian victims.

“LGBTQ people will not come to us unless they see themselves reflected in our materials,” Hobbs says. “We want our advocates to be well versed in understanding the additional barriers and challenges that LGBTQ people might experience.”

Advocates say police departments could also benefit from LGBTQ+-awareness training.

The state of California and a number of large cities — including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, and D.C. — have implemented some form of LGBTQ+-sensitivity training.

But Greg Miraglia, founder and CEO of Out to Protect, a national organization supporting LGBTQ+ police officers and equipping all officers to serve queer people, says these programs are the exception, not the rule.

“Most other states do not require any type of LGBT awareness training,” Miraglia, a retired police officer who is based in California., told Uncloseted Media “There are over 18,000 law enforcement agencies out there, and I don’t think we’ve scratched the surface.”

“The problem comes about when law enforcement goes into a domestic violence incident with a same-sex couple without any training, carrying a lot of stereotypes that are common,” Miraglia adds. “They’re not picking up the fact that this is a couple that’s involved in an intimate relationship, and therefore domestic violence laws in that state apply.”

Claire says she wishes someone had intervened when her ex abused in the CVS parking lot and on her college campus. “The police had the biggest missed opportunity to intervene, as well as campus security,” she says. “A lot of our fights were in public, and she would get very loud. I made a promise to myself that if I ever saw anything like that in public, I would say something, because that’s all I needed at the time.”

UNITED NATIONS — U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Monday said there is a “comprehensive onslaught” against LGBTQ+ and intersex rights around the world.

“We know that progress for human rights has never been linear … but today’s backlash is deep and it is coordinated and the persecution of LGBTIQ+ people around the world is escalating at an alarming rate,” he said during an U.N. LGBTI Core Group event that took place on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

The Core Group is a group of U.N. member states that have pledged to support LGBTQ+ and intersex rights.

Mexico and Norway are the current co-chairs. The U.S. withdrew from the Core Group shortly after the Trump-Vance administration took office in 2025.

“We know that across every region, LGBTIQ+ people continue to live and to love in the face of hostility and exclusion,” said Türk. “Their rights, safety, well-being are under attack … it’s a comprehensive onslaught.”

The event took place days after Turkish authorities carried out raids in Istanbul and in other cities across the country that targeted the country’s LGBTQ+ community.

Türk in his remarks specifically referenced Turkey and Senegal, which further criminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations earlier this year. He also noted some countries have deemed LGBTQ+ and intersex rights groups as “terrorists, extremists, or national security threats.”

The Trump-Vance administration’s anti-terrorism strategy that it released in May specifically references “radically pro-transgender” groups.

Türk noted “more and more candidates and political parties … use bigotry in order to promote anti-LGBTIQ+ sentiments” during election campaigns. He pointed out trans people and women are often targeted.

“These attacks are designed to confuse and to distract,” said Türk. “They cloak bigotry in the language of decency and morality. They evoke the protection of children against manufactured threats, while real and growing dangers to children’s lives and futures, including those linked to technology, to inequality and to the climate disaster remain unaddressed.”

“More broadly those who seek to erase difference and independent thought, expression, and voices from our societies often begin this by erasing LGBTIQ+ people from books and classrooms, from film and culture and from our streets,” he added. “So, this is always the beginning. It’s a wedge issue that unfortunately is used politically to erase other portions of society eventually.”

90 percent of LGBTQ+, intersex groups have lost funding since 2025

The event took place less than two weeks after Outright International released a report that found 90 percent of LGBTQ+ and intersex rights groups around the world have lost funding since January 2025.

The Trump-Vance administration froze nearly all U.S. foreign aid shortly after it took office.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March 2025 announced 83 percent of U.S. Agency for International Development contacts had been cancelled, and the State Department would administer the remaining programs. USAID officially shut down on July 1, 2025.

Rubio issued a waiver that allowed PEPFAR and other “life-saving humanitarian assistance” programs to continue to operate during the funding freeze. The Los Angeles Blade has previously reported PEPFAR-funded programs in Kenya and other African countries have been forced to suspend services and even shut down because of gaps in U.S. funding.

Dutch Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma in his remarks at the Core Group event noted his government — openly gay Prime Minister Rob Jetten took office in February — will pledge €50 million ($57.29 million) to support LGBTQ+ groups around the world. British Under Secretary of State Chris Elmore pointed out his government has pledged £21 million ($28.05) from 2026-2029 to bolster LGBTQ+ and intersex rights around the world.

“Equality benefits everyone,” said Elmore.

(The British Supreme Court in 2025 ruled the legal definition of a woman is limited to “biological women” and does not include trans women.)

Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Velasco Álvarez, Norwegian International Development Minister Åsmund Aukrust, Icelandic Foreign Affairs Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Maltese Foreign and European Affairs Minister Chris Fearne, Brazil’s National Secretary for the Promotion and Defense of the Rights of LGBTQIA+ People Symmy Larrat, Irish State Minister for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond, South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation Director-General Zane Dangor, Uruguayan Multilateral Affairs Director María Noel Beretta, French Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights Isabelle Rome, Cabo Verdean Permanent U.N. Representative Tania Romualdo, Estonian Department of International Organizations and Human Rights Director General Käthlin Saluveer, and Swedish International Development Cooperation Director-General Camilla Nevstad Bruzelius also spoke at the event that Outright International Executive Director Maria Sjödin moderated.

Other speakers included Jon Tilli of Deutsche Bank, UN Women Civil Society Division Director Lopa Banerjee and two activists: Gloria Quaye of Ghana and Nhuun Wannapong Yodmuang of Thailand.

Quaye was among the 21 people who Ghanaian authorities arrested in 2021 during a human rights workshop for LGBTQ+ activists. She was detained for three weeks until a court dropped the charges.

“In times of adversity, countries can often be tempted to turn inward at precisely the moment when international cooperation is needed the most,” said Sjödin. “The United Nations, of course, brings together sovereign states, but sovereignty cannot be used to decide whose rights count.”

Then-first lady Jill Biden in 2024 spoke at a Core Group event that took place on the sidelines of that year’s U.N. General Assembly. Then-Vice President Joe Biden in 2016 headlined the Core Group event that coincided with that year’s U.N. General Assembly.

The U.S. did not send any representatives to this year’s event.

Jessica Stern, the former special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ+ and intersex rights under the Biden-Harris administration, and former U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Eric Nelson were among those from the U.S. who attended.

“The movement for the equal rights of LGBTIQ+ people has much to teach the world, particularly at this moment, but some seek to erase or reject those lessons,” said Türk. “The history of the movement for the equal rights is full of courage, dignity, and solidarity and it is an integral part of the human rights movement.”

“It’s not something separate; it’s an integral part of the full human rights movement,” he added. “In claiming their freedom, the LGBTIQ+ communities helped free our societies. We need to see it as a broader strive for freedom.”

The executive director of the world’s oldest LGBTQ+ Catholic organization has announced she will retire once her successor has been chosen.

Marianne Duddy-Burke has been with DignityUSA for more than four decades. She has been the group’s executive director since 2007.

DignityUSA announced Duddy-Burke’s retirement on Sept. 17.

Duddy-Burke during her tenure has urged the Vatican to do more to welcome LGBTQ+ Catholics. She has also, among other things, championed marriage equality and advised the State Department on LGBTQ+-specific issues. (The Trump-Vance administration’s decision to freeze nearly all U.S. foreign aid shortly after it took office in January 2025 has had a devastating impact on the global LGBTQ+ and intersex rights movement and efforts to fight HIV/AIDS around the world. A report that Outright International released earlier this month notes 90 percent of LGBTQ+ and intersex rights groups around the world have lost funding since 2025.)

Duddy-Burke met with Pope Francis in 2023.

She traveled to Rome in 2025 for the papal conclave to choose the Argentine-born pope’s successor. Pope Leo XIV, who was born in Chicago, succeeded Francis.

DignityUSA in the press release that announced Duddy-Burke’s retirement notes she expressed “particular appreciation to people who spoke honestly about the reality of being a queer Catholic or family member.”

“I have been inspired every day by your stories and have done my best to lift them up,” said Duddy-Burke. “It is your lives, your faith, your struggles, your hopes that I have strived to reflect in my work, and doing this has been a great honor.”

DignityUSA President Meli Barber praised Duddy-Burke.

“It is almost impossible to sum up the scope and depth of Marianne’s achievements and contributions to DignityUSA over her more than four decades of service,” said Barber. “Under her wisdom and leadership, DignityUSA has only grown in stature as an advocate for LGBTQIA+ Catholics and as a visionary thought leader for LGBTQIA+ ministry and spirituality.

“Marianne has been more than an extremely able executive director,” added Barber. “Her care for and ministry to chapters, her deep personal relationships with countless Dignity members, her connections to LGBTQIA+ Catholics around the world, the relationships she has built with other progressive Catholic organizations, her skill as a public representative, the respect with which she is universally regarded, and her tireless devotion to service all leave an indelible mark. It is not an exaggeration to say that she has shaped not only Dignity but a generation of LGBTQIA+ Catholics.”

Barber said DignityUSA will “soon begin a search for a new executive director.” Barber added Duddy-Burke “will assist with the transition.”

With the November midterm elections inching ever closer, Equality California is preparing to release our final round of endorsements for local candidates, as well as prepare for major get-out-the-vote operations. 

We’re also still waiting on Governor Newsom to sign our 2026 legislative package. The governor has until September 30 to sign or veto hundreds of bills from this legislative session. That means we have just a short window to make our voices heard and ensure these vital protections become law. And with the onslaught of attacks from the Trump administration, particularly against transgender youth and their families, the stakes couldn’t be higher. LGBTQ+ people deserve strong laws that affirm our dignity and protect our rights. Send an email to his office and tell him to stand up for LGBTQ+ Californians by signing our bills today!

To read more stories, join our mailing list, and sign up for the weekly Equality Brief, visit eqca.org/equalitybrief.

DOLLY PARTON: ICON. ARTIST. UNAPOLOGETIC LGBTQ+ ALLY.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of musical icon and humanitarian Dolly Parton. As legendary for her exaggerated glamour as her hit songs — “It costs a lot to look this cheap,” she often joked — Dolly was a longtime ally and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community whose message of love without limits crossed generational and political lines. In addition to her iconic musical legacy (and still the only musician to ever have their own theme park, Dollywood), Dolly also founded the Imagination Library, which promotes childhood literacy and provides free books to children from birth to kindergarten. And at the height of the COVID pandemic, she personally donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University to help with development of vaccines. If ever anyone embodied the phrase “angel on earth,” it was Dolly Parton. 

Dolly, we will always love you.

• Equality California Endorses in 8 Ballot Proposition Campaigns:
  Equality California announced its positions on eight statewide ballot propositions appearing on the November midterm election ballot. “Our positions reflect our commitment to advancing equality, protecting civil rights and building a California where every LGBTQ+ person can live with dignity, safety and opportunity,” said Executive Director Tony Hoang. Read the statement announcing the endorsements here.
  
• Federal Judge Upholds Injunction Against Chino Valley Anti-Trans Policy:
  A federal judge in San Bernardino County denied a request from Chino Valley Unified School District to dissolve his previous injunction blocking them from enforcement of a policy that requires school employees to forcibly out students if they identify as transgender or use different names and pronouns at school. Chino, whose board is led by anti-LGBTQ+ extremist Sonja Shaw, brought the challenge following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta, where a majority of Justices ruled a school cannot purposely withhold information about a student’s identity from a parent. Because there is no such withholding requirement in the Chino case, Judge Michael Sachs allowed the injunction to stand and specifically differentiated it from the Mirabelli case.
  
• New Report From HHS Alarms Civil Rights Groups, Advocates:
  A new HHS “study” — inherently untrustworthy, originating as part of the Trump administration — posits that those who support transgender people may be more likely to justify political violence. Experts are extremely skeptical of the study’s veracity and underlying methodology, noting that it uses disproven pseudoscience as a basis for its findings. This is just the latest in the administration’s messaging war to assign blame for violence, hate crimes, and similar incidents to what they refer to as “ support for transgender ideology.”
  
• Federal Court: IRS Cannot Share Data with ICE
  A federal appeals court unanimously upheld a lower court ruling to block the Internal Revenue Service from turning over confidential taxpayer information of non-citizens who pay taxes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The challenge, Center for Taxpayer Rights v. IRS, was supported by an amicus brief filed by 115 Members of the Congress including Senator Padilla and Reps Sánchez and Gomez of the California delegation.
  
• Flailing Ahead of Midterms, Republicans Turn to Tried and True Transgender Attacks:
  With their prospects for victory in the midterms growing dimmer by the day, far-right MAGA Republicans are turning to attacks on transgender people as a way to motivate their base to get out the vote. States including Missouri, Colorado, Washington and Arizona will have ballot issues around banning trans youth from sports and/or prohibiting healthcare access for transgender youth (in the case of Colorado, both are up for voter approval). The efforts smack of cynicism, and are reminiscent of anti-marriage equality attacks deployed to increase Republican turnout in 2004.
  
• Federal Judge Strikes Down Texas Drag Ban:
  On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge David Hittner struck down a 2023 Texas state law that sought to restrict drag shows. Judge Hittner ruled that Texas Senate Bill 12 was an overly broad, unconstitutional attack on free speech, offering in his ruling a solution to anyone opposed to drag shows: “Just don’t go.”
  

UPCOMING EVENTS

Our premier event of the year, the Los Angeles Equality Awards, is happening on Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 6:00-10:00 PM at the gorgeous Fairmont Century Plaza. And this year, we’re making Monét moves — Drag Race All-Stars winner, comedian, actor, and presenter Monét X Change will serve as emcee! We’ll also honor Asm. Rick Chavez Zbur with the Equality Leadership Award and entrepreneur Tristan Schukraft with the Equality Trailblazer Award. Tickets are on sale now! 

The cat is out of the bag: Alice B. is handing the reins over to Gertie permanently. You know I’m a Living Out resident and spokesperson, so I tend to know the inside scoop on what’s happening. While the announcement was released by Chef Susan and Mary Sue yesterday, it was in the works for some time.

In fact, Coachella Valley Independent food writer Charles Drabkin was in just last week to sample the new menu and talk with Living Out management about the permanent change. His column will appear soon with more clarification and a look at the changes under the new management.

I’ve known Susan and Mary Sue since my days in LA when they volunteered their time and food to Outfest each year. And I spent time with Susan as we recorded radio commercials for KGAY and did social media posts for Alice B. She had a vision that wasn’t always accessible to all. But creative differences are a thing in the culinary world just as they are in any creative endeavor.

It’s great to have recognition by the Michelin Guide, but making the space work for both residents of Living Out and the community was a challenge. There were only so many nights one could feast on Steak Diane. But it was a great experiment and there were many highlights including hosting Michelle Obama! Susan promises that there will be a Thanksgiving dinner-at-home offering, and they will still do catering under Border Grill.

The handoff to Gertie’s Salon & Bar has been seamless with most of the staff remaining. The live entertainment now in the dining room itself, the accessible and varied menu items and some decoration changes make it very welcoming.

We tend to react to news like this looking for a pattern: Does it indicate that other restaurants will close? How will “season” be this year” There’s always an ebb and flow, but times are difficult in our tourism economy today due to you-know-who. Our Canadian friends are going to continue to stay away, and international tourism is down across the USA.

Let’s continue to support our LGBTQ+ friendly spaces with our dollars and our recommendations to friends and visitors. We curate a list on the Dine & Sip section of GayDesertGuide.LGBT. Let’s let ’em know that you found them here.

Brad Fuhr, your K-Gay Desert Guide

Here’s what’s ahead in sunny Palm Springs!

Cinema Diverse 2026

Cinema Diverse 2026 runs all weekend at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. The LGBTQ+ film festival spans multiple days and screening blocks, celebrating queer storytelling through documentaries, narratives, comedies, dramas, and experimental shorts. Across three theatres, audiences can explore films that examine identity, chosen family, activism, romance, and the intersections of gender, sexuality, and community. The festival continues for a second long weekend, September 24–27. More info

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Live! Laugh! Lust! Positively Aging Project Conference

The Live! Laugh! Lust! Positively Aging Project Conference takes place Saturday, September 19 from 9 am–3 pm at the Mizell Center. The day begins with registration and a complimentary breakfast at 9 am, followed by programming from 10 am–3 pm including a complimentary lunch. Attendees can visit resource tables featuring healthcare providers, nonprofits, advocacy groups, and support services. Keynote speakers Mark S. King, Shann Carr, and Nina Grace Ruedas explore aging, resilience, intimacy, and authentic living. More info

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Contour Dermatology Day of Beauty

Contour Dermatology hosts its Day of Beauty on Saturday, September 19. This culmination of a weeklong celebration marks the practice’s 25th anniversary with casino‑themed specials, premium filler deals, discounts on esthetician services, skincare products, select procedures and more. Guests can enjoy virtual or in‑office consultations and Saturday’s Winning Look Jackpot Party from 9 am–1 pm features demonstrations and product showcases. John Taylor will be Out and About with the KGAY Prize Wheel from 10 am–Noon! The event benefits the McCallum Theatre. More info

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Gay Days Anaheim 2026

Gay Days Anaheim 2026 runs Friday–Sunday, September 18–20 at Disneyland Resort, bringing shows, special theme park tickets, and LGBTQ+ community magic to The Happiest Place on Earth. Featured performances include Alyssa Edwards, Irene the Alien, Cheyenne Jackson, Zach Noe Towers, Jan Sport, Jackie Cox, and Kay Sedia. Attendees can explore Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, three resort hotels, and Downtown Disney, with access to limited‑time theme park ticket offers. More info

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Greater Palm Springs Spa Month

Greater Palm Springs Spa Month unfolds across the Greater Palm Springs Area all month long, with exclusive wellness experiences throughout all nine resort cities. Slow down, breathe deeply, and embrace self‑care your way—whether through a mineral spring soak, a rejuvenating facial, a deeply relaxing massage, a sound bath under the desert sky, or a full day dedicated entirely to restoration. Participating resort spas, day spas, and hot springs spas offer limited‑time treatments and special packages all September. More info

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Palm Springs Summit on Extreme Heat

The Palm Springs Summit on Extreme Heat happens Friday, September 18 from 9 am–5 pm at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Registration runs from 8–9 am before a full day of panels and discussions with climate experts, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and community leaders. The summit focuses on strategies for staying safe during extreme heat events and building a more resilient community, offering education, action planning, and local engagement. More info

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Living Over the Rainbow

The Rainbow Connection hosts a special screening of Living Over the Rainbow on Friday, September 18 from 6–8 pm at the Spiritual Center of the Desert in Palm Desert. This exclusive showing features the NYC staged reading of the new original musical by Roz Esposito, inspired by true events. The story follows a slain transgender student guided through the afterlife to explore the cost and power of living authentically. Esposito will be present for the event, with a Q&A session following the screening. More info

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SPEAK – A Collection of Five New Plays

At Spirit Animal at Hotel Zoso, SPEAK: A Collection of Five New Plays presents a new works showcase Friday, September 18 from 6–9 pm. Featuring five original plays performed by five casts, the evening blends comedy, drama, memory, and movement within a unified, ever‑shifting set. Pieces include The One About the Letter, Violet, Hide and Peace, Stay Right Here, and Miss Erica’s Acting Class. More info

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Radical End of Summer Pool Party

The Radical End of Summer Pool Party splashes into the Palm Springs Surf Club Friday, September 18 from 6–10 pm. Guests can hang by the pool, dance to throwback hits from the ’80s and ’90s, and enjoy food and drinks throughout the night. This 21+ event invites attendees to bring a swimsuit and towel for a starry evening of music, friends, and community spirit. More info

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Jason Graae, Miss Peggy Lee & The Judy Show!

The Purple Room packs a full weekend of cabaret brilliance from Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20, beginning with Jason Graae’s razor‑sharp wit and Broadway‑polished vocals in It’s a Graae Night for Singing! on Friday. Saturday brings Chuck Sweeney’s award‑winning homage FEVER! An Evening with Miss Peggy Lee, blending humor, nostalgia, and impeccable musicality. The weekend wraps with Michael Holmes’ iconic The Judy Show! on Sunday, a high‑camp, fast‑paced parody of Judy Garland’s 1964 variety series featuring surprise celebrity impressions and nonstop laughs. Each ticket includes an automatic dinner reservation. More info

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Sketch Comedy Writing Intensive

Sharpen your comedic voice with a three‑day Sketch Comedy Writing Intensive at CVRep, running Friday, September 18 from 7–10 pm, and Saturday–Sunday, September 19–20 from 10 am–1 pm. Instructor Darren Held leads this collaborative, hands‑on workshop where participants learn to generate ideas, heighten effectively, and build strong sketch structure in a supportive writers’ room environment. You’ll explore character‑driven humor, complete five different types of sketches, and gain tools used at The Groundlings, Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade, and Held2gether. More info

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Burgers, Boys & Brews Sunday BBQ

Burgers, Boys & Brews — Sunday BBQ returns Sunday, September 20 from 2:30–4:30 pm at The Social Cafe & Lounge. This weekly backyard‑style cookout features fresh‑grilled burgers, hot dogs, sides, bottomless mimosas, bottomless draft beer, great music, and live male entertainment. It’s a lively Sunday afternoon tradition where guests can eat, drink, and enjoy the atmosphere. More info

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DUI Checkpoint Friday

The Palm Springs Police Department will conduct a DUI Checkpoint on Friday, September 18 from 8 pm–2 am at an undisclosed location, part of ongoing efforts to reduce impaired‑driving crashes in the city. Impairment can come from alcohol, certain medications, or marijuana, and a first‑time DUI can cost roughly $13,500 plus a suspended license.

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• Films in the Gardens: Big Fish (2003) • Moviegoers enjoy a free outdoor screening presented in partnership with the Palm Springs International Film Society on Friday at 7:30 pm at Sunnylands.
• Coachella Valley Community Blood Drive • Donors support local patients and help strengthen the regional blood supply during a community drive on Saturday from 9 am–2 pm at the Palm Springs Police Department Training Center. Organized alongside LifeStream Blood Bank, each donation also generates support for FIND Food Bank.
• David Farnsworth Bon Voyage Party & Sale • Ceramicist David Farnsworth showcases new ceramics and paintings during a send-off exhibition on Saturday from 12–5 pm at Ernesto Ramirez Fine Art Gallery.
• Sloshed: Spelling Bee — A Musical Comedy Under the Influence • Performers present an unpredictable, improv-filled musical production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Saturday at 7 pm at Spirit Animal at Hotel Zoso. Audiences will enjoy interactive comedy, surprise competition moments, and nightlife fun where nothing goes according to plan.
• Unbuttoned, a Boylesque Social Experience • Dancer and choreographer Michael Silas blends dance, storytelling, and sharp comedic flair on Saturday from 7–8:30 pm at The Social Cafe & Lounge. The former Lady Gaga dancer delivers a bold boylesque performance designed specifically for Palm Springs audiences.
• Dance Ranch / Country Dance Saturdays • Country dancers of all skill levels join Jan Alden for a beginner waltz lesson and open dancing on Saturday from 7–9:30 pm at Step by Step Dance Studio.
• Tommy Emmanuel, CGP • Virtuosic acoustic guitarist Tommy Emmanuel performs a solo concert showcasing pop, jazz, classical, and roots influences on Saturday from 7–10 pm at Palm Springs Plaza Theatre.
• The Who Generation – A Tribute to The Who • Tribute band The Who Generation channels guitar-driven energy and classic rock anthems on Saturday from 8–11 pm at Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City.
• Matt Mathews: Not What I Ordered World Tour • Stand-up comedian Matt Mathews brings his signature raw humor to the stage on Saturday at 8 pm at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa Rancho Mirage. Enjoy an evening of unapologetic comedy from this fast-rising Southern star.
• NSFW – New Season of Work • Featured artists Russ White, T. Young, Merick Reed, Don Fisher, and Terrence Payne showcase exciting contemporary artwork through September 30 at Rubine Red Gallery.
• A Queer Arcana: Art, Magic, and Spirit • An intergenerational group of artists explores esoteric knowledge, sacred power, and alternative spiritual traditions through October 18 at Palm Springs Art Museum (currently open Thursday–Sunday).