The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission agreed in August to a settlement with the Christian Employers Alliance that could limit the agency’s ability to pursue certain workplace discrimination claims involving gender identity. Now, Democratic lawmakers are questioning how far the agreement reaches — and whether it could constrain the commission’s enforcement decisions for years to come.

The Los Angeles Blade obtained an early version of a letter from U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Mark Takano (D-Calif.), raising concerns about the settlement and its potential implications for workplace protections.

The agreement stems from a lawsuit the CEA filed challenging the Biden-Harris administration’s EEOC guidance on workplace harassment; including protections involving gender identity, pronouns, dress codes, and access to bathrooms and other facilities. The CEA argued that the guidance infringed on its members’ religious rights.

Under the settlement, the EEOC agreed not to pursue certain charges based on gender identity discrimination against the CEA and its member organizations. The agreement also covers future CEA members, provided the alleged conduct occurred while the employer was a member of the organization, raising questions about whether employers could receive protections from agency enforcement by joining the alliance.

Two Democratic congressional aides familiar with the EEOC’s work and workplace protections, who spoke to the Blade on the condition that they remain anonymous, said the agreement could restrict the commission’s ability to pursue discrimination complaints and potentially tie the hands of future administrations.

“They’re sort of swearing not to go after it and not exercising their own discretion, but they’re also purporting to bind future administrations with respect to exercising that discretion,” one aide said.

The aide said the agreement raises constitutional questions about whether the current administration can limit how future administrations exercise the EEOC’s enforcement authority.

In their letter to EEOC Chair Andrea R. Lucas, Scott and Takano question the legal authority for an agreement that they say would prevent future administrations from pursuing certain claims. They cite a 1986 Justice Department legal opinion concerning settlement agreements that constrain the discretion of future administrations and ask Lucas to explain the legal basis for the EEOC’s decision.

The lawmakers also ask whether the commission has entered into similar agreements, whether other federal agencies were consulted and whether the EEOC believes there are limits to its authority to make such commitments.

Scott also criticized the EEOC’s handling of workplace discrimination involving transgender and nonbinary people, arguing that the commission has failed to uphold its responsibilities under federal law.

“Discrimination against transgender and nonbinary people is a serious and ongoing issue. A recent survey found that despite the Bostock decision, 27 percent of transgender people experienced workplace discrimination in the past year. The EEOC was created under Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964 and charged with addressing discrimination against workers. Yet, under Chair Lucas’s leadership, the EEOC has abdicated this responsibility under the law when it comes to transgender and nonbinary workers,” said Scott.

The commission’s fiscal year 2026 litigation filings also reflect a shift in its enforcement priorities. The agency’s lawsuits largely tracked its National Enforcement Plan, which emphasizes religious discrimination, alleged anti-American bias, protections for women and purportedly unlawful diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.

The EEOC filed 16 religion-based lawsuits, pursued several cases involving alleged discrimination against majority-group members and continued to bring pregnancy and sex discrimination claims. However, its filings included no lawsuits brought on behalf of LGBTQ+ employees, underscoring questions about how the commission is prioritizing workplace discrimination claims under Lucas’s leadership. The filings suggest the NEP has served as a roadmap for the agency’s litigation decisions, rather than merely a statement of policy priorities.

The letter raises a further concern: whether the agreement could allow employers to obtain protection from certain discrimination claims simply by joining the CEA.

The congressional aides questioned what safeguards would prevent employers from joining the alliance primarily to shield themselves from discrimination claims, rather than because of a genuine commitment to the organization’s stated religious principles.

“What kind of oversight is going to exist to even ensure that these future employers who join […] could just lie, right?” one aide said, questioning whether employers could claim to share the CEA’s beliefs while seeking liability protection.

The aides also raised concerns about the financial incentives the agreement could create for the organization as it recruits new members.

“It’s more than a little gross that this alliance is attracting other employers to join their alliance and making a buck off of workers’ discriminations, you know, complaints not being adjudicated by EEOC,” one aide said.

Scott and Takano are asking the EEOC to explain what requirements employers must meet to qualify for CEA membership and what safeguards will ensure they continue to meet those criteria. They also want to know how the agency will handle complaints involving multiple forms of alleged discrimination when only some fall within the settlement’s terms.

The agreement does not prevent workers from filing complaints with the EEOC, according to the congressional aides. Workers may also retain the ability to pursue private lawsuits. But the aides said employees could lose the commission’s support in cases the settlement prevents it from pursuing.

“They will still have the right to bring private lawsuits, they just won’t have the EEOC in their corner,” one aide said.

The lawmakers are seeking answers about what happens when an employee files a complaint against a CEA-member employer and the employer claims the case is covered by the settlement. They ask how quickly the EEOC would issue a right-to-sue notice in such circumstances and whether workers would be told that the settlement was the reason the agency did not pursue their cases.

The letter also asks whether the EEOC has developed — or plans to develop — notices explaining when an investigation is closed or partially closed because of the agreement.

The aides said the agreement’s precise scope remains unclear, including how it could affect complaints involving conduct beyond the specific issues challenged in the CEA’s lawsuit. They also questioned whether its implications could extend to other forms of sex-based discrimination, such as discrimination based on an employee’s appearance or failure to conform to gender stereotypes.

“The scope of this seems really big. Well, actually, it seems undefined, which is really the scary part,” one aide said.

The lawmakers are also seeking information about the role of EEOC Chief of Staff Shannon Royce, who, according to the letter, was CEA president when the organization filed its lawsuit. They ask whether Royce participated in the settlement process, whether she recused herself and whether the commission will provide records of relevant communications and meetings.

Scott and Takano are requesting quarterly reports on the number of investigations involving the CEA and its members that the EEOC closes because they fall within the settlement’s terms. The aides said the letter is intended to establish a record of the lawmakers’ concerns and signal that they intend to continue scrutinizing the agreement.

One aide warned that the settlement could contribute to a broader chilling effect on LGBTQ+ workers.

“I think this is one more move by this administration to shove people back in the closet,” the aide said.

The Blade contacted the EEOC on Friday seeking comment on the settlement’s implications for workplace protections and responses to the questions raised by Scott and Takano. The EEOC has yet to respond.

The Los Angeles Blade on Monday spoke with Gui Molhallem, the executive director of VoteLGBT (Institute for Full Citizenship), a group that seeks to increase LGBTQ+ and intersex representation in Brazilian politics.

Molhallem pointed out 35 LGBTQ+ candidates won their respective races in the Oct. 4 election. They include Natal Municipal Councilwoman Thabatta Pimenta, a member of the Green Party who became the first transgender woman from northeast Brazil elected to represent Rio Grande do Norte state in the country’s Chamber of Deputies.

Congresswoman Erika Hilton, a travesti member of the leftist Socialism and Liberty (PSOL) party on Oct. 4 won re-election with nearly 1.6 million votes, the most any female member of Congress has received in Brazilian history. Guilherme Cortes, a bisexual PSOL member from São Paulo state, and Rick Azevedo, a gay PSOL member from Rio de Janeiro state, are among the candidates who won their respective Chamber of Deputies races.

Samanda de Lula, a lesbian member of the leftist Workers’ Party, will represent Rio Grande do Norte in the Brazilian Senate.

Molhallem pointed out there will be 14 openly LGBTQ+ members of Congress once the candidates who won their races on Oct. 4 take office in February. This number is the highest of any country in the Americas.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face off against Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round of the presidential election on Sunday after neither man received at least 50 percent of the vote on Oct. 4.

Lula, who leads the Workers’ Party, in 2022 defeated Bolsonaro’s father, then-President Jair Bolsonaro, in that year’s presidential election.

The Brazilian Supreme Court last year sentenced Jair Bolsonaro — who repeatedly targeted LGBTQ+ Brazilians and other groups while in office — to more than 27 years in prison for his role in an attempted coup that saw thousands of his supporters storm the Congress, presidential palace, and the Supreme Court itself on Jan. 8, 2023. Jair Bolsonaro is currently serving his sentence at his home in Brasília, the country’s capital, because of his poor health.

His son has pledged to pardon him if he becomes the country’s next president.

(Video by Michael K. Lavers for the Washington Blade)

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.

The annual National Trans Visibility March took place in Puerto Rico on Saturday.

The march ended at the Puerto Rican Capitol in San Juan, the U.S. commonwealth’s capital and largest city. Samy Nemir Olivares, a member of the Puerto Rico LGBTQ+ Federation’s board of directors who also works for Lambda Legal, is among those who spoke.

The march took place at the end of a three-day conference that took place in San Juan. Participants included:

• Ana Irma Rivera-Lassen, the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to the Puerto Rican Senate

• Mila Hellfyre, a trans Puerto Rican activist

• Maru Rosa Hernández, a nonbinary plaintiff in Lambda Legal’s lawsuit that challenges the Puerto Rican government’s refusal to issue birth certificates with an “X” gender marker

• Peter Manuel Shepard Rivas, a Puerto Rican HIV/AIDS activist

• Lambda Legal Senior Counsel and Health Care Strategist Omar González-Pagán

Waves Ahead, Puerto Rico’s largest LGBTQ+ organization, is among the groups that sponsored the National Trans Visibility March and conference. Other sponsors included the TransLatin@ Coalition, the True Self Foundation, the Transgender Law Center, Advocates for Trans Equality, Human Rights Campaign, Gilead, the Georgetown University Law Center’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, GLAAD, and the Hispanic Federation.

“Now it’s more important than ever to unite as an LGBTQ+ movement alongside our allies to protect the progress we have made in achieving trans and queer rights as both the federal and local governments attempt to erase and criminalize our identities,” said Olivares. “The president insists that trans identities don’t exist, yet they continue to attack our rights and existence through the laws.”

“But we are here, we are not going to be silenced or erased,” added Olivares. “As (with) any other Americans, trans and queer people deserve equal access to healthcare, housing, and nondiscrimination at the workplace and government services.”

Olivares in their comments noted the Puerto Rican government “has betrayed and undermined the LGBTQ community by signing into law more than” half a dozen anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

True Self Foundation Executive Director Miguel Vázquez-Rivera during a Congressional Hispanic Caucus briefing earlier this year noted these include a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for anyone under 21. Vázquez-Rivera also highlighted Law 26-2026, which prohibits the University of Puerto Rico and other “government facilities” from installing “mixed or gender-neutral multi-occupancy restrooms.”

Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González, a Republican who is a member of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, signed these laws after she took office in January 2025. González, who supports President Donald Trump, was Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives before she became governor.

Olivares told the Los Angeles Blade that National Trans Visibility March organizers decided to hold the annual event in Puerto Rico as a way to highlight the fact the commonwealth has “the most severe anti-trans legislation in the U.S.” and to stand in solidarity with local activists.  

The first National Trans Visibility March took place in D.C. in 2019. Next year’s National Trans Visibility March is scheduled to take place in Atlanta.

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.

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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/

For decades, John Taylor has been a witness to the evolution of the art form that is radio, all while doing his part to help shape it. From his very first taste of broadcasting as a teenager (thank you, Tom Bergeron), to stepping into his role of that lovable voice gracing KGAY 103.1 in Palm Springs, Taylor has seen the industry transformed over the years by corporate consolidation, social media, and the seemingly endless ways folks eat up entertainment today. In this cacophony of captions and quips, one thing remains the same – Taylor’s steadfast belief that quality broadcasting involves connectivity.

Affectionately known as “the voice of Palm Springs,” Taylor continues today, providing the community with warm insights and positivity. Through his weekday morning show on KGAY, Taylor’s voice reaches far past the Coachella Valley to places around the world where simply existing authentically carries consequences. Whether he’s talking on local events, spilling the tea with celebs, or simply bringing some spoken sunshine to your morning, Taylor sees his work as something much larger than banter. In our interview, Taylor takes a beat to look back on his broadcasting journey, the changing and expanding world of media, and how keeping inclusion, community, and warmth at the core of the conversation matters now more than ever.

You have been donned the title of “voice of Palm Springs.” Can you share with our readers what this means to the Palm Springs community and what this means to you on a personal level?

Who “dons” these titles?  I guess I’ll take it!  Since I have a microphone weekday mornings 6-10 am at KGAY 103.1 Palm Springs, and since we’re a small, tight-knit community, I take the responsibility seriously. I know many of our listeners personally, so I know who I am letting down if I don’t do my best. Through our worldwide streaming at KGAYPalmSprings.com, we’re in earbuds around the planet in places where life isn’t easy for LGBTQ+ people.  

We’re heard in Odesa and Kyiv, Ukraine, where Russian drones are pounding the population. We’re aired in Antalya, Turkey, a country that doesn’t allow gay cruises to dock, and where the Erdoğan regime is arresting LGBTQ+ activists. Singapore, a country that just decriminalized sex between men three years ago and does not recognize gay marriage, is listening too. Personally, if I can showcase the sense of community, inclusion, and FUN that typifies gay life in Palm Springs as a beacon of hope to the world, then my work has meaning.

You have a significant and deep history in broadcasting. What was your introduction to the industry, and what kept you in it for so long while witnessing changes in it over the years?

As a teen, a friend, Katya Sousa, saw my interest in radio and took me to see her favorite nighttime DJ, Tom, at WHEB FM in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Tom put me on the air during his show to read a public service announcement, and a monster was created. “Tom” was Tom Bergeron, who went on to become a familiar face to TV viewers for decades as host of The Hollywood Squares, America’s Funniest Videos, and Dancing With The Stars. Blame Tom Bergeron. 

What kept me in it so long? This is it; I don’t dance; I have no other skills. All seriousness aside, I have seen corporate greed and deregulation destroy my beloved industry. Thankfully, KGAY is locally LGBTQ+ owned and operated, and connection to the community is our priority.

While witnessing the rise of social media, podcasts, and so much more, what has been the most significant or undeniable transformation in the industry that you experienced?

For me, social media and podcasts provide more outlets to get the message out. When we interview a celebrity or go to a local event, we cover it on video as well as audio. We get the eyeballs of millions of people, not just the 48,000 earballs of our local radio listeners.

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From your experience, what are the makings of great radio? 

Passion in what you do is the key. It’s contagious, no matter the medium. As the host on KGAY, you are engaging with listeners who range from longtime valley folks to people experiencing Palm Springs for their first time. 

What helps you to decide which stories and topics deserve the mic?

In my opinion, Palm Springs, per capita, has the highest concentration of brilliantly creative people. Telling their stories is fascinating to me. It’s like a lifelong continuing education course. I’m happy to shut up, listen, and learn.

Is there a celeb interview or talk from your career that has stayed with or changed you in any way? If yes, why?

Over the years, I interviewed Joan Rivers many times; I was always gobsmacked by how honest and forthcoming she was.  I also got to witness how Joan operated offstage with fans and crew; she was truly a kind and caring person. It’s great when your heroes exceed your expectations in real life.

What is one of the more intriguing things you have learned about someone during an interview that listeners might never have expected or missed altogether?

I always like to zero in on the personal passions of an interview subject. Their spouse, their kids, their pets. The things that bring them joy. When you tap into a person’s passions, they will open up to you. Recently, one celebrity felt so comfortable with me, she spilled the beans on a project that legally couldn’t be announced. I had to edit out the references. I won’t say which celebrity it was. But her name “allegedly” rhymes with Bathy Biffen. I was happy to do it because I love Bathy!

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How has Palm Springs changed from the time you first became familiar with the community to the Palm Springs we all know and love today?

Like everything, Palm Springs has gotten more expensive. We’ve seen some wonderful restaurants, bars, and resorts come and go. We’ve seen a drastic reduction in Canadian travellers, due to the idiotic policies of the current administration in Washington. On a truly positive note, I’ve seen a fantastic conversation develop between our LGBTQ+ community and our Palm Springs Police Department. In large part due to the policies and practices of our recently retired Police Chief Andy Mills. Incoming Chief Kyle Stjerne is extremely responsive and is continuing that constructive dialog. As a gay man, I have never felt safer anywhere.

You have seen broadcasting go through times of tremendous change and disruption. What worries you most about the future of radio, and what provides you with hope about its future?

FCC commissioner Brendan Carr’s threats to retaliate against broadcast entities that disagree with the current administration. Free speech is in jeopardy. What gives me hope? Voters turning out in a BLUE TSUNAMI in November.

When folks tune in and hear your voice on KGAY each day, what do you hope they take away with them?

I want them to know they have a friend, they are not alone, and everyone’s welcome in the Gayborhood!

For many years now, Brad Fuhr has been helping LGBTQ+ voices find their frequency, from the radio waves of Chi-town to the evolving entertainment world of Los Angeles, and is now in his Palm Springs chapter. A true veteran of queer media who has spent his career connecting folks through broadcasting and storytelling, Fuhr seized the opportunity to provide the Coachella Valley’s LGBTQ+ community with a comprehensive outlet that goes above and beyond the average tourist brochure. Enter Gay Desert Guide, the digital destination Fuhr launched in 2013 to assist both locals and tourists alike in discovering the people, places, and experiences that make the Palm Springs queer community so very one of a kind.

In his role with KGAY, the LGBTQ+ radio station that made its comeback under his leadership in 2021, Fuhr has helped ensure that queer voices remain part of the local soundtrack. From navigating the seismic shifts in media consumption to taking on the realities of social media censorship, Fuhr has witnessed firsthand how technology can be used to bring communities together, as well as how it can divide them. We talked with Fuhr about fostering queer spaces and what it takes to keep Palm Springs’ vitality in an ever-changing media world. 

You have spent decades in broadcasting and media, and now you’ve found yourself a major part of the Palm Springs queer community. What about Palm Springs first compelled you to start a new chapter in this LGBTQ+ desert oasis?

I had been working in LGBTQ media since the 90s in Chicago, where I managed LesBiGay radio and worked for Windy City Times. When I came to Los Angeles, I worked with the progressive talk radio station owned by Clear Channel Radio, then moved over to run Pride Radio, which was their LGBTQ streaming service. So I had a great background that included my years in radio.

After a 2009 downsizing, I went back to work for Emmis Interactive, where we consulted radio stations and print publications on digital strategy.  Frontiers Magazine in Los Angeles and Palm Springs Life became clients, and I saw how quickly the media landscape was changing.

Palm Springs Life hired me to consult them in the summer of 2012.  I brought the idea of Gay Desert Guide to them – a website focused on the large LGBTQ+ community that lived in and visited Greater Palm Springs.  They declined, but said, “If you think it’s a good idea, you should go do it yourself!” 

So I took nearly a year to build the site, populate it, and launched it Labor Day weekend  2013.

You also founded the Gay Desert Guide. What was missing in the Coachella Valley that you wanted to provide, and how have you seen it change over the years?

The print publications of the day were either going out of business or were so rudimentary as to not be useful except as “bar rags”.  I had watched Frontiers Magazine start to decline as print fell out of favor and websites started being a primary source for discovery.  That was true in Palm Springs, where we had some basic LGBT tourist information on the VisitPalmSprings.com site, but it wasn’t deep or broad enough for the amount of information that locals and visitors needed.

Frontiers never covered entertainment or destinations very well, but I knew that’s what people wanted to know about.  So I set out to build a comprehensive website that was focused on how people could spend their leisure time.  But I built a business directory so that consumers had a place to vet LGBTQ friendly businesses. That helped sustain the site from a revenue standpoint and became a big part of why people visit.

The biggest change has been the popularity of social media and for us to compete for eyeballs on those platforms.  We had a huge Twitter/X platform – the #ILoveGay network created by Matt Skallerud and Pink Media.  That was driving lots of site traffic until July 4 weekend two years ago when Elon and his people unceremoniously pulled the plug for “community standards violations”.  We never got those accounts back.  

Recently, Meta stopped allowing us to share content to any groups – obstinately for the same “violation”.  Every time one of us shared to any group, we got put in Facebook jail for a longer period of time.  We are still fighting it, but so far no luck.

KGAY is undoubtedly a significant voice for the LGBTQ+ community in the area. What was your initial goal for the station? Has this goal evolved over time?

The radio station came out of a nonprofit formed prior to my involvement called Qchella Media. It then recruited community members to be a part of its board of directors. With my experience in radio and my connection to the community, I was hired to be general manager of the station. In fact, I  was the one who found the call letters KGAY and helped launch it in 2018. I brought on Chris Shebel as program director, as he had programmed successful dance music stations in Chicago and San Francisco.  John Taylor was brought on as morning host, and we hired local DJs to do daily mix shows.

 The initial goal of the nonprofit was to use the on-air signal for music and entertainment, and create a podcast platform for longer-form programming and interviews. After less than a year, “creative differences” between the board and station ownership caused us to resign en masse just before Pride 2019.

After the station languished through COVID-19, the owners approached me to purchase the station and keep it in LGBTQ hands. I brought back morning host John Taylor and program director Chris Shebel – we got the band back together and relaunched in July 2021. The station has grown significantly since then, with over 200,000 streaming listeners each month across the globe.  Our biggest streaming market is Los Angeles. 

On January 1, KGAY moved to 103.1, and I converted our 106.5 frequency to Sunny 106.5, an adult contemporary format which also has appeal in the LGBTQ community.

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in Palm Springs as a whole? What makes the community here distinctive?

Palm Springs is such a unique market and setting in which to do business.  We’re very seasonal – just the opposite of a summer vacation spot.  So our summers are hot and less busy.  But we have 9 splendid months of mostly great weather and opportunities to do so many outdoor activities.

 Some of the biggest changes that I have seen include an overall modernization of the city and its infrastructure. Roads have improved, the mix of retail is much better, and we have exciting restaurants and bars that serve a wide swath of the community. We’ve also added new attractions like the Palm Springs surf club and the BMW performance racing track.

The city has become more sophisticated and provides a more elevated experience for tourists. That’s not to say someone on a budget can’t enjoy a quality weekend here; it still is affordable, especially in the shoulder seasons.  Hiking trails, nearby Joshua Tree, and the plentiful gay resorts with day passes all make this place special.

As connected as you are in the local business community, what have you learned about doing business in Palm Springs that one could only learn from being involved in it?

I’ve seen so many “business people” come and go.  They typically arrive with a splash, but like a shooting star, they flame out and are gone.  It’s one of the recurring themes I see here.  That’s not to say that someone with an entrepreneurial spirit won’t thrive, but it’s a matter of having humble beginnings and learning the community.

And when you approach it from how you can contribute to the community rather than how much you can take away, people notice and reward you with their patronage.  We’ve also become polarized politically.  There’s a Facebook group – Gay Men of Palm Springs CA – that is the de facto judge and jury for businesses that are not supportive of our community.  That’s not a group to be on the wrong side of.  A number of restaurants are purported to be MAGA-owned and have been boycotted by group members, which total over 17,000. 

We have a directory on our GayDesertGuide.com website that has vetted local businesses for being supportive of our values, and we will not knowingly take advertising from unfriendly businesses. 

Media as a whole has evolved exponentially since the start of your career. What lessons from your early years have remained with you as the industry changes? 

In the early 2000s, I worked for a radio company whose CEO challenged us to determine whether the internet was a hobby or a business for our radio stations and magazines.  Technology was evolving quickly, and we answered the call by creating engaging websites, loyal listener clubs, and marketing opportunities for the sites. 

That resulted in a business unit of the company called Emmis Interactive that I worked for in Chicago at Q-101 radio and at Los Angeles Magazine. I’ve learned to carefully watch where consumer trends are going and to follow those – even at the expense of jettisoning some tried-and-true marketing ways.  We’ve had to become much more social media-forward to the point that our Out & About remote broadcasts on KGAY are now video segments shared on our socials and aired on the station simultaneously. 

Radio has survived television, podcasts, streaming, and social media. What do you think radio can offer other platforms cannot?

At our heart, we are a local medium with huge reach, and we’re free.  No barrier of owning a cell phone or having internet service.  More people listen to radio in a given week than use social media.  The demographics are certainly different – radio is reaching an increasingly older audience. But that works fine for Palm Springs and for KGAY.

We can paint a picture in the minds of our listeners, and we can give voice to our community members who have a story to tell, a fundraiser that needs help, or a fun show to see in the Coachella Valley.  We love having people on the air with us each day.  And those interviews are typically also done with video so we can share on our socials. 

In your experience, how does local radio impact its local community? Has this role it plays increased or become more significant today as opposed to 20 years ago?    

We impact the community by attending vigils for our trans community, leading the Palm Springs Pride parade, and providing marketing support to our non-profits who can’t afford to advertise.

Radio done the right way can be as significant as it was 20 years ago.  It’s just that most big corporate radio companies have cut their local on-air talent and their community involvement.  I worked for iHeartRadio and was downsized on President Obama’s inauguration day along with over 1,200 others in the company.  Those cuts have continued as these companies change focus to podcasting and digital advertising, but forget that the local on-air personality is what engaged people to listen in the first place.

What are some of the more pressing challenges that Palm Springs is facing today that you feel could be better addressed or deserve more attention? 

Climate change is affecting us like the rest of the world.  From dying Joshua Trees to flooding rains that damage infrastructure, we’re seeing that as a huge issue.

After 20 years of watching Palm Springs change and grow, what is one thing about the city that remains the same?

Palm Springs at its heart remains a small town of 44,000 people, with roughly half made up of LGBTQ+ citizens.  I love that about our city – you can walk down the street and see people you know and have developed friendships with.  But it feels like a big city when you factor in the 5 million people that pass through our city.  So you get the best of both worlds – the small-town feel with big city entertainment, retail, and dining options.

The sports they are a changin’. With apologies to Bob Dylan (whose concert at Acrisure was disappointing), the phrase describes how our valley is adapting to changing tastes in sports — both in participating and watching.

I’ve been learning about these changing trends and how they will positively affect tourism and our economy. When the LA Lakers announced a new Coachella Valley Lakers team as part of the NBA G League, it brought yet another sport to the area. There will be 24 regular-season home games, with the Acrisure staff doing some quick changes between Firebirds ice and the wooden court for basketball.

This comes at a time when the Firebirds are facing challenges with ticket sales as the current administration raises costs for families on everything from fuel to food. We’re all feeling the pinch and it’s not helping that we pissed off Canadians, too.

On Thursday, Visit Greater Palm Springs brought together many of the region’s biggest sporting events organizers at Acrisure for a dog and pony show. We know well how the BNP Paribas Open brings people and money to the valley, but new this year is the WTA Finals in November. The top 8 women of tennis will start on Pride Sunday, November 8th and be in town through the 15th, with the winner taking away one of the most prestigious trophies in tennis.

Greater Palm Springs used to be known for its golf tournaments. The LPGA Dinah Shore put us on the sports map long before the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens. And lesbians flocked here for a concurrent “The Dinah”. Both have gone through major changes with the golf tournament relocating to Texas and new promoters for The Dinah.

So while golf courses are turning into nature preserves, we are now trying to make the desert into a surfing destination? Counter-intuitive, I know. But the new Palm Desert DSRT Surf will host the ISA World Para Surfing Championship. Who knew?

Then there’s the proliferation of Pickleball, a favorite past time of our former police chief Andy Mills. It’s been growing for both participants and in drawing tournaments here. A major turning point occurred when the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) partnered with Desert Champions to move the decade-old National Championships tournament to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, bringing thousands of players and national broadcast attention.

And lest we forget there are the LGBTQ+ specific sports tournaments that come to the valley each year — from tennis to softball and hockey. There’s no doubt that the valley is changing with the times and drawing in new audiences that help contribute to our tourism economy. Game on!

Brad Fuhr, your K-Gay Desert Guide

Palm Springs Pride Equality Walk

Show your pride and support community equality at the Palm Springs Pride Equality Walk on Saturday, October 17. Gathering in the historic Arenas District with an official kickoff at 8:30 am, this inspiring community walk leads participants through downtown Palm Springs before returning to Arenas Road for a festive celebration with music, food, and drinks. The morning will also feature the City of Palm Springs’ proclamation of Palm Springs Desert Winds Day, honoring the Palm Springs Desert Winds Symphonic Band and its 25th Anniversary Season with a free performance by the PSDW Pop Band. The annual walk champions LGBTQ+ visibility and helps keep the upcoming November Pride Festival free and accessible to all. More info

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Modernism Week – October

Midcentury architecture and design take center stage as Modernism Week – October returns October 15–18 with an expansive lineup featuring over 50 tours, talks, parties, and design-driven experiences. Highlights of this four-day festival include the Fall Dining Series, Modernism Week After Dark social events, and premier double-decker architectural bus tours. Attendees can also enjoy exclusive home tours, a new Palm Springs Aerial Tramway excursion, and a celebrity homes tour hosted by Bella da Ball. Many activities are free or low-cost, offering midcentury enthusiasts endless opportunities to celebrate iconic desert style at various venues across Palm Springs. More info

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Randy Rainbow

Viral satirist and Emmy-nominated comedian Randy Rainbow brings his razor-sharp musical comedy to the McCallum Theatre on Saturday, October 17 at 8 pm and Sunday, October 18 at 7 pm. Performing live, Rainbow skewers current events, pop culture, and politics through glittering Broadway-style song parodies. Known worldwide for his hit web series and best-selling albums featuring collaborations with Marc Shaiman and Alan Menken, his show blends musical theater flair with hilarious stand-up comedy. More info

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Center Stage 2026

Celebrate unity and community impact at The Center’s 2026 Center Stage gala on Friday, October 16 from 5:30–10 pm at the Palm Springs Air Museum. This powerful evening supports the essential, life-saving work of the Coachella Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center, with 100% of proceeds directly funding local programs. The event proudly honors the founders of The L-Fund—Betty Berrysmith, Barbara Carpenter, Ruth Debra, Sharon Siegel, and Kate Ullman—with the 2026 Legacy Award for their groundbreaking dedication to empowering cisgender, transgender, and queer lesbians. More info

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Casual Concours – Swinging 60s on Route 66

Automotive enthusiasts can admire more than 170 classic automobiles at the 38th annual Casual Concours – Swinging 60s on Route 66 on Saturday, October 17 from 9 am–2 pm. Hosted by Great Autos of Yesteryear at Mission Hills Country Club, this year’s charity car show celebrates iconic 1960s vehicles and the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Guests can view vintage models ranging from the 1930s through the 2000s, enjoy free parking, and purchase lunch at the clubhouse. Proceeds benefit The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert and Safe Schools Desert Cities. More info

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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. Three women must navigate the chaos to stop the carnage in this dangerously sexy production. More info

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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat runs October 9–18 at Palm Canyon Theatre, bringing Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s beloved musical to life with humor, heart, and choreography. This family‑friendly production celebrates resilience, forgiveness, and the power of dreams through colorful characters and a score that has charmed audiences for decades. More info

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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

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Desert X Pops Up

Join Desert X for the opening session of the Parker Sessions series on Friday, October 16 from 6:30–8:30 pm at Parker Palm Springs. The evening features board member and contemporary artist Nicholas Galanin in conversation with art collector Nancy Magoon, moderated by Artforum editor Bryan Barcena. Following the discussion, Nicholas Galanin performs live with his indie pop and electronic project, Ya Tseen, blending indigenous perspectives with contemporary soundscapes. Ticket proceeds benefit Desert X’s upcoming 10th anniversary celebration. Optional VIP tickets include an exclusive dinner hosted by leadership. More info

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Shoshana Bean

Broadway star and Tony and Grammy Award winner Shoshana Bean graces the stage at McCallum Theatre on Friday, October 16 at 8 pm. Known for powerhouse roles in Broadway hits like Wicked, Hell’s Kitchen, Mr. Saturday Night, and Waitress, she brings her astounding vocal range and chart-topping artistry to Palm Desert. Audiences will be treated to a sensational concert featuring Broadway classics, jazz favorites, and soulful melodies from her Billboard #1 albums. More info

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Chris Isaak

Singer, songwriter, and actor Chris Isaak brings his signature blend of rock ’n’ roll, smooth romance, and cinematic style to Rancho Mirage on Friday, October 16 at 8 pm. Performing at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, the GRAMMY-nominated icon delivers a hit-filled set featuring multi-platinum favorites like “Wicked Game” alongside timeless tracks from his four-decade career. More info

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Black Market Trust & Elvis: The Early Years

Enjoy world-class dining and live entertainment from Friday–Sunday, October 16–18 at The Purple Room Supper Club. On Friday and Saturday, October 16–17, vocal jazz quintet Black Market Trust returns with their high-energy blend of American crooner classics and Gypsy jazz guitar. Then on Sunday, October 18, it’s the return of Elvis: The Early Years, featuring Scot Bruce and his award-winning band. More info

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No Kings Rally: Vote Early

Make your voice heard at one of five Coachella Valley locations participating in the No Kings – Vote Early! Rally on Saturday, October 17. Community members are invited to gather throughout the morning for peaceful civic engagement and solidarity. Whether you attend at Palm Springs City Hall, Smoketree, Cathedral City Hall, Monterey Avenue and Highway 111 in Palm Desert, or the Indio rally location, there are several opportunities to participate and encourage early voting.

• Palm Springs City Hall: 9 am–Noon
• Palm Springs Smoketree: 9–11 am
• Cathedral City Hall: 9–10:30 am
• Palm Desert (Monterey & Highway 111): 9–10 am
• Indio: 9–10 am

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Bea Arthur: The Documentary – “I’ve Done Everything Except Porn”

Discover the remarkable life and career of a television and stage legend during a special encore film screening at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on Saturday, October 17 at 7 pm. Bea Arthur: The Documentary – “I’ve Done Everything Except Porn” features a never-before-seen interview with Bea Arthur herself, offering an intimate self-portrait alongside reflections from famous friends and colleagues. More info

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Dolly – The Legacy Tour

Enjoy an evening of sparkling country music, humor, and classic hits when Dolly – The Legacy Tour comes to Rancho Mirage on Saturday, October 17 from 8–10 pm. Taking the stage at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa Rancho Mirage, acclaimed tribute artist Rhonda Medina captures the charm, warmth, and iconic vocals of Dolly Parton. With three decades of professional performance experience, Medina delivers heartfelt renditions of country favorites. Admission to this special tribute performance is completely free with general admission seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. More info

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Journey On: Songs of Travel & Self Discovery

Embark on an inspiring musical voyage with Journey On: Songs of Travel & Self Discovery on Sunday, October 18 from 3–4:30 pm at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Cabaret vocalist Bill Spera hosts an intimate afternoon concert exploring the thrill of new adventures and personal growth through song. He is joined by special guests Kevin Casey, Keith M. Cornell, Mark Duebner, Kim Schroeder Long, and Gene Strange, with musical direction by Chip Prince, Dominique Torres on drums, and Denise Briese on bass. More info

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10,000 Maniacs

Legendary alternative rock group 10,000 Maniacs takes the stage on Sunday, October 18 from 7–10 pm for a career-spanning concert at the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre. The band celebrates 45 years of poetic songwriting, lush melodies, and folk-rock classics including “These Are Days,” “Like the Weather,” and “Because the Night.” Lead singer Mary Ramsey performs alongside founding members Jerome Augustyniak, John Lombardo, Dennis Drew, and Steven Gustafson, plus guitarist Ben Medina. More info

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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

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Native Painting, Ritual and Resilience in the 20th Century

The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum has unveiled A Beauty That Endures, a sweeping new exhibition curated by Tony Abeyta (Diné/Navajo) featuring more than 50 masterworks of 20th‑century American Indian painting. Spanning tribal traditions and artistic lineages shaped by boarding schools and mission institutions, the show highlights the resilience, innovation, and cultural continuity expressed through Native painters across the century. 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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• Second Annual La Quinta Fall Festival • Families can celebrate autumn with live music, children’s activities, face painting, and local food trucks on Friday from 4:30–8:30 pm at La Quinta Park.
• 1966! Time Capsule – Music Variety Show • Vocalist Tod Macofsky and The Gand Band perform a sing-along musical showcase on Friday from 7–8:30 pm at Spirit Animal at Hotel Zoso.
• Palm Springs Modernism Show • Design lovers and collectors can discover top-tier midcentury furniture, decorative arts, lighting, and contemporary creations from Friday–Sunday at Palm Springs Convention Center.
• Palm Springs Tram Road Challenge • Runners and walkers tackle a 3.7-mile course ascending nearly 2,000 vertical feet on Saturday at Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
• Medicare Round Table • Insurance broker Charise Karjala leads an educational seminar answering health coverage questions on Saturday from 1–2:30 pm at her office in Palm Desert.
• Unbuttoned: A Boylesque Social Experience • Dancer Michael Silas, former performer for Lady Gaga, presents a bold boylesque show blending dance, storytelling, and comedy on Saturday from 7–8:30 pm at The Social Cafe & Lounge.
• Dance Ranch / Country Dance Saturdays • Dancers can enjoy two-step, waltz, swing, and line dancing on Saturday from 7–9:30 pm at Step by Step Dance Studio. The social evening begins with a Beginner Waltz lesson taught by Alicia Henneck.
• Indio Halloween Trunk or Treat Celebration • Families can celebrate Halloween with trunk-or-treating, bounce houses, face painting, and food trucks on Sunday from 9 am–12 pm at I-10 Auto Mall.
• Sips & Psychics • Guests can enjoy wine or coffee, delicious bites, and personal psychic readings on Sunday from 1–4 pm at Sottovoce Cafe. The fundraiser welcomes pets and supports the Coachella Valley Cat Club and Desert Paws Sanctuary.
• 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.
• A Queer Arcana: Art, Magic, and Spirit • An intergenerational group of artists explores esoteric knowledge, witchcraft, and spiritual traditions in a compelling exhibit on view through October 18 at Palm Springs Art Museum.

A transgender woman claims that West Hollywood City Council candidate Kyle Brazeal called her a “tranny” and threw a purse at her at Gym Bar in 2024. 

The Los Angeles Blade spoke with the alleged victim and two people who say they witnessed Brazeal’s actions that night. The Blade has also obtained timestamped video that places Brazeal at Gym Bar that evening and text messages from the following day describing in detail what allegedly occurred on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024.

Brazeal said in a written statement that “I categorically deny the allegations.” He added that while he was involved in “a disagreement” at Gym Bar that night, that “this incident is being deliberately misrepresented and weaponized for political purposes in the final weeks of this election.” Addressing the transgender community in West Hollywood, Brazeal said, “I will continue to stand with you as a Council member, just as I did before I was a candidate,” citing his donation to a GoFundMe for gender affirming surgery as evidence of his support.

Upon requesting comment, Brazeal referred the Blade to Rolandos Liatsos, his current campaign treasurer and friend of Brazeal’s who was with him at Gym Bar that evening. Liatsos gave his account of the night and said he never witnessed Brazeal use any slurs or throw the purse. 

‘Get out of my way, tranny’

On Dec. 29, 2024, Amber says she went to Gym Bar with a group of friends, including Tommy Craven and Rick Turpin. Amber’s real name is not being used to protect her privacy. 

The group arrived at Gym Bar around 5 p.m. The evening started out well. “Just being around friends that night was really good,” Amber said. “There was no problem whatsoever.”

Turpin also recalls having fun. “We were having a good time,” he said. Amber came out as trans a few years earlier and was still adjusting to life as an out transgender woman. “It was nice to see [Amber] embracing her transition and … it seemed like she was feeling herself,” Turpin said. 

After chatting with her friends for an hour or so, Amber left to use the bathroom. At the time, Gym Bar had only two single-occupancy restrooms, so there was a line of people waiting to use them. After a few minutes, the line advanced and Amber went into an open restroom. 

Soon after entering, Amber said she heard knocking on the bathroom door. She yelled, “Hey, there’s someone in here.” A minute later, the knocking began again. It was a “really rude knock,” Amber said. “So, I felt like I needed to rush through. I felt really uncomfortable.” 

For Amber, the situation was especially stressful because of her identity. “I’ve had situations in the past as a trans woman where I have been attacked for using the ‘inappropriate restroom,’” she told the Blade. 

Flustered, Amber said she quickly left the bathroom, leaving her purse inside. After exiting, she asked the line of people waiting, “Who was knocking?” she said. 

“Me,” she said a man replied while looking down at his phone. He then brushed past her and entered the bathroom while saying, “Get out of my way, tranny,” Amber said. She said she later learned the man’s name was Kyle Brazeal. 

Amber was stunned. She had faced transphobia before but not at an LGBTQ bar. Not in West Hollywood. 

“I was in a full moment of just frustration, anger,” she said. Amber said she slammed her palm on the bathroom door and stormed off, going back to her friends who were still chatting at their table.

Amber’s friends saw she was upset. “I sat down, and my friends knew something was wrong,” she said. Then Amber told her friends she was called a slur. 

“They were, like, wait, what?” she said. “Everybody was in fun-drinking mode, so they didn’t understand what had occurred.”

Amber sat watching the bathroom. As soon as Brazeal exited, she walked over to confront him about what he said.

“What did you call me?” Amber loudly asked him. 

At this point, Craven and Turpin heard the yelling coming from the restrooms. The two walked toward the commotion to see what was happening. They saw Amber confronting Brazeal by the door to the bathroom. Craven knew Brazeal beforehand from other community spaces they were both involved with. “I could recognize him right away,” he said. Turpin also said he recognized Brazeal.

Amber said that Brazeal took the purse that she left inside the bathroom and threw it at her, saying, “You left your tranny purse in there.” Craven and Turpin both corroborated Amber’s account of the events, saying that they heard Brazeal use the slur and saw him throw the purse at Amber. 

After Brazeal threw the purse and used the anti-trans slur, Amber shoved him and the two got into a shouting match, according to Amber. Craven also recalled seeing “shoving” but did not specify who did what. The two were soon separated by security and staff. 

Craven quickly called the owners of Gym Bar, Erik Braverman and Jonathan Cottrell, to inform them of what happened. (Cottrell is also currently running for West Hollywood City Council). Craven had known Cottrell and Braverman for years and considered them friends. The owners then told Gym Bar’s general manager about the incident.

Soon, the general manager spoke with Brazeal and “Kyle was asked to leave the bar,” Craven said. Upon being asked to leave, Brazeal began yelling profanities and “used the word ‘tranny’ toward Amber again,” Craven said. Turpin also recalls Brazeal using the slur as he was asked to leave. “He kept saying ‘tranny,’” according to Turpin. 

Video footage taken by Tommy Craven shows Kyle Brazeal outside Gym Bar on Dec. 29, 2024. Craven says the video shows Brazeal after he was asked to leave by security.

The incident left Amber shaken. Afterwards, she sat down with her friends, and Craven and Turpin tried to cheer her up by making jokes about the situation. It didn’t improve her spirits. 

“She was jarred; it happened at a bar that she considers a safe space,” Craven said. He described Amber as “a very private person” and said that she was satisfied with how Gym Bar handled the situation and did not file any complaints with law enforcement. 

Amber said that time constraints also factored into her decision to not speak to the police. She was living in a housing program with an enforced 10 p.m. curfew, meaning she had to leave the bar soon after the incident occurred to get home in time. 

Amber took an Uber to go home and did not see Brazeal again. 

‘No throwing of the bag, no hate speech or anti-trans stuff’

But according to Rolandos Liatsos, the incident that evening played out very differently. Liatsos said he went to Gym Bar with Brazeal and a few others to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The two have known each other for more than a decade and are good friends. Liatsos is also Brazeal’s campaign treasurer.

According to Liatsos, after hanging out at the bar, Brazeal went to get in line for the bathroom and was on the phone. Once Brazeal entered the bathroom he saw Amber, whom he had never met before, return to a table with her friends. She seemed very upset. 

Brazeal soon exited the restroom, carrying the purse Amber had left. Brazeal walked up to the table and attempted to hand the purse back to Amber but was stopped by her friends who moved to stand between them. Then they started arguing and yelling at each other. 

But never at any point did Brazeal throw the purse, according to Liatsos. “There [was] no throwing of the bag, no hate speech or anti-trans stuff,” Liatsos said. 

He also claims that he did not see anyone get shoved, or the two parties getting physical in any way. “There was no physical contact,” he said. 

After the arguing between Brazeal and Amber’s friends, Gym Bar staff asked Brazeal and his friends to leave. “Good, let’s just go, … let’s defuse the situation,” Liatsos recalled thinking. Soon after, he, Brazeal, and their friends left the bar. 

Liatsos later learned from Brazeal that he knocked on the bathroom door as Amber was inside, which he believed upset her. “I see this as a situation escalating from knocking at the door, feeling rushed,” and nothing more, Liatsos said. 

He said the claims of transphobic and aggressive behavior were not consistent with what he saw that night and contrary to who he knows Brazeal to be. “I’ve known Kyle for so many years and we’ve been out so many times,” Liatsos said. “I’ve never seen him attacking … any individual.”

Aftermath

The next morning, Dec. 30, Craven sent a text message to a group chat that included Jonathan Cottrell describing what happened and naming the alleged perpetrator as “Kyle (seen in video),” referring to the video that shows Kyle Brazeal outside Gym Bar on Dec. 29.

Screenshot of an excerpt of the message sent by Tommy Craven to a group chat with Jonathan Cottrell on Dec, 30, 2024. Identifying details have been redacted.

Braverman and Cottrell told Craven that Brazeal was banned from Gym Bar. However, both Craven and Turpin claim to have seen him at the establishment multiple times after the incident. Cottrell said in a written statement that “it was a temporary ban,” but would not discuss why or when the ban was lifted because Gym Bar “(doesn’t) share internal incident matters.”

This temporary ban is contradictory to a message from Cottrell’s Instagram account that was sent to Amber on Dec. 30, 2024. In it, he states that he would make sure that the “individuals” involved in the incident “don’t ever come back” to Gym Bar. 

Screenshot of a message sent by Jonathan Cottrell’s Instagram account to Amber’s account on Dec. 30, 2024. Identifying details have been redacted. 

The race for City Council

Brazeal announced his candidacy for City Council in April 2026. Craven heard about his campaign in June. “I was aware it was the same person,” he said, immediately recognizing him as the man who allegedly berated his friend a year and a half ago. 

Later that month, Craven reached out to Braverman and Cottrell, who had recently announced his own campaign for City Council, to inform them that Brazeal was the same man from the night. “They were definitely surprised by it,” Craven said. 

After being made aware that Brazeal was allegedly the same man from the transphobic incident at their bar, the owners did not state anything publicly, following Amber’s wishes. Cottrell has not mentioned anything on the campaign trail even as he and Brazeal have been endorsed by some of the same organizations like Equality California and Sunset West Alliance. 

“At the time of the incident, our staff asked the woman involved whether she wanted us to take any further action, and she said she did not,” Cottrell said in a written statement. “This was never our story to tell. Gym Bar has always been a safe space for everyone in our community, and that will never change.” 

Craven and Turpin waited to talk publicly about the incident because they wanted to keep their friend’s experience private.  

“Ricky and I thought … something [else] would be said to kind of give light to the kind of person that Kyle is without us having to use our friend’s story,” Craven said. “But now because it’s closer to the election [and] stuff has not come to light, I feel the community would be safer knowing.”

Amber did not hear about Brazeal’s candidacy for City Council until last week, when she was informed by friends that a reporter for the Los Angeles Blade was investigating allegations of a transphobic incident involving him. These days, she splits her time between the Los Angeles area and other parts of the country so she has not been following local politics closely. But when she looked up his campaign, she instantly realized that this was the same man from that night. “I saw the face and pictures … and I made the connection,” she said. 

“This is something that I need to address,” she added. She said that it can feel “impossible” as a trans woman to call out people who express bigotry without facing “repercussions.” Brazeal’s bid for City Council motivated Amber’s decision to speak publicly about the incident. “He is seeking a position of power in the city,” she said. “He needs to understand that this is stuff that just doesn’t go away.” 

Reflecting on the incident, Amber said she’s still shocked and upset. “I was floored that he would use that word in that bar,” she said. By speaking out, she hopes to heal some of the pain caused by Brazeal’s alleged actions and regain her confidence. 

“Words do matter and they do hurt and the T-word [used] toward me hurt,” Amber said. “Now I’m trying to use my words to share my story.” 

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.

House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will receive the Chris Abele Impact Award at the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s 2026 conference in D.C. in December.

The Victory Institute, a national nonprofit that works to get LGBTQ+ elected officials and appointed leaders at every level of government, will honor Pelosi for her work supporting the LGBTQ+ community during her nearly 40 years in public office.

Pelosi has a long history of working with the LGBTQ+ community.

As the representative for San Francisco, a city with a long LGBTQ+ history, she directly pushed legislation to help the LGBTQ+ community.

Pelosi led multiple landmark pieces of LGBTQ+ legislation through Congress, including the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and multiple U.S. House of Representatives approvals of the Equality Act. She also played a central role in congressional efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and oppose restrictions targeting transgender Americans.

The award will be presented during the Victory Institute’s International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference. This year, it will take place Dec. 3-5 at the JW Marriott in D.C. This will mark the 43rd annual International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference, which includes three days of networking and skills-building to “strategize the year ahead in our movement for equality.”

During her interview with the Washington Blade earlier this year, Pelosi emphasized that it was the community — specifically, those passionate about fighting for LGBTQ+ acceptance and action — that made her work possible on Capitol Hill.

“Anything that we accomplished, whether it was fighting HIV and AIDS, ending discrimination, passing hate crimes legislation, or ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ would never have happened without outside mobilization,” Pelosi told the Blade. “Our inside maneuvering was important, but we couldn’t do our best job without the community. Every chance I get, I thank them for their patriotism because they make democracy function.”

She also touched on the importance of codifying marriage rights for same-sex couples in federal legislation in the event that the issue is take up by the conservative U.S. Supreme Court.

“We passed it in the House again and again,” she said. “The Senate is more difficult because of the procedural hurdles, but we’re not stopping. We’ll stick with it until the job is done.”

Last year, the Victory Institute gave the Chris Abele Impact Award to former President Joe Biden for his outspoken acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community well before it became a mainstream part of the Democratic platform.

Registration for the International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference is open now on the Victory Institute’s website at victoryinstitute.org/conference.