Events
What to expect at the 2024 National Cannabis Festival
With performances by Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, and Thundercat, the 2024 National Cannabis Festival will be bigger than ever this year
WASHINGTON — With two full days of events and programs along with performances by Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, and Thundercat, the 2024 National Cannabis Festival will be bigger than ever this year.
Leading up to the festivities on Friday and Saturday at Washington, D.C.’s RFK Stadium are plenty of can’t-miss experiences planned for 420 Week, including the National Cannabis Policy Summit and an LGBTQ happy hour hosted by the District’s Black-owned queer bar, Thurst Lounge (both happening on Wednesday).
On Tuesday, the Blade caught up with NCF Founder and Executive Producer Caroline Phillips, principal at The High Street PR & Events, for a discussion about the event’s history and the pivotal political moment for cannabis legalization and drug policy reform both locally and nationally. Phillips also shared her thoughts about the role of LGBTQ activists in these movements and the through-line connecting issues of freedom and bodily autonomy.
After D.C. residents voted to approve Initiative 71 in the fall of 2014, she said, adults were permitted to share cannabis and grow the plant at home, while possession was decriminalized with the hope and expectation that fewer people would be incarcerated.
“When that happened, there was also an influx of really high-priced conferences that promised to connect people to big business opportunities so they could make millions in what they were calling the ‘green rush,'” Phillips said.
“At the time, I was working for Human Rights First,” a nonprofit that was, and is, engaged in “a lot of issues to do with world refugees and immigration in the United States” — so, “it was really interesting to me to see the overlap between drug policy reform and some of these other issues that I was working on,” Phillips said.
“And then it rubbed me a little bit the wrong way to hear about the ‘green rush’ before we’d heard about criminal justice reform around cannabis and before we’d heard about people being let out of jail for cannabis offenses.”
“As my interests grew, I realized that there was really a need for this conversation to happen in a larger way that allowed the larger community, the broader community, to learn about not just cannabis legalization, but to understand how it connects to our criminal justice system, to understand how it can really stimulate and benefit our economy, and to understand how it can become a wellness tool for so many people,” Phillips said.
“On top of all of that, as a minority in the cannabis space, it was important to me that this event and my work in the cannabis industry really amplified how we could create space for Black and Brown people to be stakeholders in this economy in a meaningful way.”
“Since I was already working in event production, I decided to use those skills and apply them to creating a cannabis event,” she said. “And in order to create an event that I thought could really give back to our community with ticket prices low enough for people to actually be able to attend, I thought a large-scale event would be good — and thus was born the cannabis festival.”
D.C. to see more regulated cannabis businesses ‘very soon’
Phillips said she believes decriminalization in D.C. has decreased the number of cannabis-related arrests in the city, but she noted arrests have, nevertheless, continued to disproportionately impact Black and Brown people.
“We’re at a really interesting crossroads for our city and for our cannabis community,” she said. In the eight years since Initiative 71 was passed, “We’ve had our licensed regulated cannabis dispensaries and cultivators who’ve been existing in a very red tape-heavy environment, a very tax heavy environment, and then we have the unregulated cannabis cultivators and cannabis dispensaries in the city” who operate via a “loophole” in the law “that allows the sharing of cannabis between adults who are over the age of 21.”
Many of the purveyors in the latter group, Phillips said, “are looking at trying to get into the legal space; so they’re trying to become regulated businesses in Washington, D.C.”
She noted the city will be “releasing 30 or so licenses in the next couple of weeks, and those stores should be coming online very soon” which will mean “you’ll be seeing a lot more of the regulated stores popping up in neighborhoods and hopefully a lot more opportunity for folks that are interested in leaving the unregulated space to be able to join the regulated marketplace.”
The national push for de-scheduling cannabis
Signaling the political momentum for reforming cannabis and criminal justice laws, Wednesday’s Policy Summit will feature U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate majority leader.
Also representing Capitol Hill at the Summit will be U.S. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) — who will be receiving the Supernova Women Cannabis Champion Lifetime Achievement Award — along with an aide to U.S. Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio).
Nationally, Phillips said much of the conversation around cannabis concerns de-scheduling. Even though 40 states and D.C. have legalized the drug for recreational and/or medical use, marijuana has been classified as a Schedule I substance since the Controlled Substances Act was passed in 1971, which means it carries the heftiest restrictions on, and penalties for, its possession, sale, distribution, and cultivation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services formally requested the drug be reclassified as a Schedule III substance in August, which inaugurated an ongoing review, and in January a group of 12 Senate Democrats sent a letter to the Biden-Harris administration’s Drug Enforcement Administration urging the agency to de-schedule cannabis altogether.
Along with the Summit, Phillips noted that “a large contingent of advocates will be coming to Washington, D.C. this week to host a vigil at the White House and to be at the festival educating people” about these issues. She said NCF is working with the 420 Unity Coalition to push Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to “move straight to de-scheduling cannabis.”
“This would allow folks who have been locked up for cannabis offenses the chance to be released,” she said. “It would also allow medical patients greater access. It would also allow business owners the chance to exist without the specter of the federal government coming in and telling them what they’re doing is wrong and that they’re criminals.”
Phillips added, however, that de-scheduling cannabis will not “suddenly erase” the “generations and generations of systemic racism” in America’s financial institutions, business marketplace, and criminal justice system, nor the consequences that has wrought on Black and Brown communities.
An example of the work that remains, she said, is making sure “that all people are treated fairly by financial institutions so that they can get the funding for their businesses” to, hopefully, create not just another industry, but “really a better industry” that from the outset is focused on “equity” and “access.”
Policy wonks should be sure to visit the festival, too. “We have a really terrific lineup in our policy pavilion,” Phillips said. “A lot of our heavy hitters from our advocacy committee will be presenting programming.”
“On Saturday there is a really strong federal marijuana reform panel that is being led by Maritza Perez Medina from the Drug Policy Alliance,” she said. “So that’s going to be a terrific discussion” that will also feature “representation from the Veterans Cannabis Coalition.”
“We also have a really interesting talk being led by the Law Enforcement Action Partnership about conservatives, cops, and cannabis,” Phillips added.
Cannabis and the LGBTQ community
“I think what’s so interesting about LGBTQIA+ culture and the cannabis community are the parallels that we’ve seen in the movements towards legalization,” Phillips said.
The fight for LGBTQ rights over the years has often involved centering personal stories and personal experiences, she said. “And that really, I think, began to resonate, the more that we talked about it openly in society; the more it was something that we started to see on television; the more it became a topic in youth development and making sure that we’re raising healthy children.”
Likewise, Phillips said, “we’ve seen cannabis become more of a conversation in mainstream culture. We’ve heard the stories of people who’ve had veterans in their families that have used cannabis instead of pharmaceuticals, the friends or family members who’ve had cancer that have turned to CBD or THC so they could sleep, so they could eat so they could get some level of relief.”
Stories about cannabis have also included accounts of folks who were “arrested when they were young” or “the family member who’s still locked up,” she said, just as stories about LGBTQ people have often involved unjust and unnecessary suffering.
Not only are there similarities in the socio-political struggles, Phillips said, but LGBTQ people have played a central role pushing for cannabis legalization and, in fact, in ushering in the movement by “advocating for HIV patients in California to be able to access cannabis’s medicine.”
As a result of the queer community’s involvement, she said, “the foundation of cannabis legalization is truly patient access and criminal justice reform.”
“LGBTQIA+ advocates and cannabis advocates have managed to rein in support of the majority of Americans for the issues that they find important,” Phillips said, even if, unfortunately, other movements for bodily autonomy like those concerning issues of reproductive justice “don’t see that same support.”
(Editor’s note: Tickets are still available for the National Cannabis Festival, with prices starting at $55 for one-day general admission on Friday through $190 for a two-day pass with early-entry access. The Washington Blade, one of the event’s sponsors, will host a LGBTQIA+ Lounge and moderate a panel discussion on Saturday with the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.)
Events
Queer Latin Dance LA celebrates decade of inclusive lessons
How this small dance class turned into a decade-long organization
Queer Latin Dance L.A. hosted their Holiday Social on Saturday, celebrating their 10-year anniversary. Beginner and experienced dancers were welcomed to the night-long party that went from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. The evening featured music by D.J. K Bunny and special performances.
Arlene Santos, one of the cofounders of Queer Latin Dance L.A., said the group started when a friend who had visited Santos’ own studio invited her to teach at a meetup in North Hollywood. Through word of mouth, about 80 people showed up to the first meetup of what they called a ‘same-sex dance class.’ Chairs and tables had to be shuffled around to make space for dancing in the small, smoky dive bar.
Santos told CALÓ News that people had driven to North Hollywood all the way from Diamond Bar and Orange County. When she suggested salsa studios closer to those travelers, they told her they didn’t feel welcome in other dance spaces. One of the reasons was that gender was more strictly enforced; attending men didn’t want to dance with other men and women weren’t welcome to try and lead. Same-sex dancing couples received uncomfortable stares from others and teachers used unnecessarily gendered language to refer to class members.
“That’s something that I was guilty of 20 years ago when I was teaching,” Santos said. “I’d say, ‘okay, take the ladies and rotate.’ And now it’s something I would never even dream of saying because it doesn’t even make sense to me anymore. It’s not about ladies and gentlemen, [dancing] is about leaders and followers.”
The queer-specific dance scene has grown over the past 10 years, according to Santos, who said Queer Latin Dance L.A. cross-promotes with other groups and sends students with different schedules to places that are a better fit. The company has grown in their own ways as well. Now, a few former students have become instructors who lead the group’s very own competitive dance team.
Santos said she’s hopeful about the years to come.
“I just want the scene to keep growing and for these spaces to be around so that anyone can come and dance and feel like they’re in a safe space,” she said.
Saturday night featured a salsa class at 8 p.m., bachata lesson at 8:40 p.m., and dance performances at 10 p.m. more information can be found on their site
Arts & Entertainment
GMCLA to perform concert filled with holiday magic and sugar
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles heads to the Saban Theatre on 14th and 15th December
When it comes to all-sing-and-dance musical productions, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles never fails to pull out all the stops. The festive shows make the Top Twenty LA Holiday Events List annually and 2024 looks to be no exception.
The SugarPlum Fairies Holiday Concert is set to feature “some of the most magical music ever written, filled with sugar plums, rich chocolate, and pure fantasy.”
Audiences can expect the 200-strong chorus to perform 25 songs ranging from iconic Christmas classics to a modern twist on the festive ballet. The Nutcracker’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’s Pure Imagination are among the musical repertoire, while Dolly Parton’s Hard Candy Christmas and Sia’s Candy Cane Lane represent the new holiday cohort.
“You’re going to hear some Christina Aguilera, you’re going to hear some old school [songs] from the 60s about candy, and you’re also going to hear some traditional music,” said choreographer, Ray Leeper. “Wonka is really hot right now, so you’re going to hear some of the the old Wonka and from the new movie.”
This year’s Christmas show promises to be a particularly special one, with the group celebrating its 45th anniversary of service and community.
“Everything we do is because of the incredible support we get from our singing members, who have been giving their time, energy, commitment, and activism for over 45 years,” GMCLA Executive Director, Lou Spisto explained.
The chorus continues to garner acclaim for artistic excellence while remaining deeply rooted in its service. For those who don’t know, GMCLA was founded in 1979 in the midst of the country’s gay rights movement.
Members spread a message of love and acceptance, with programs like SugarPlum focusing just as much on social justice as they do show tunes.
“The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles is well known for great music, great artistry, and great concerts that we do in these major venues around town–but it’s far more than that,” Spisto added.“Each year, we do around 43 events in high schools, community centers, and hospitals to be with our communities and support them… those who look like us and those who don’t. I’m so proud to say we’ve grown these projects over the last six years.”
Its award-winning school program Alive Music Project has served over 90,000 young people since its inception. AMP also offers an opportunity to enrich each school’s music education program, with Choral students invited to perform with GMCLA at the presentations.
Their Arts for Healing & Justice program provides introductory music classes for incarcerated youth in Los Angeles County’s juvenile correctional system. They join an interdisciplinary collaboration of outstanding organizations, providing exceptional arts programming to build resiliency and wellness, eliminate recidivism, and transform the juvenile justice system.
Concerts such as SugarPlum are helping to raise funds for this vital work on an annual basis. When the chorus isn’t working on ticketed events like their Christmas concert, their yearly free events help to expand community access even further. Past venues include the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
As for the immediate future, GMCLA’s hope is triumphing over hate. The result of this year’s presidential election is likely to affect California’s LGBTQ+ community in some way, but Spisto is only seeing upsides, not downsides.
One such upside? Using SugarPlum as the perfect opportunity to celebrate Los Angeles’ vibrant queer community for the loud and proud individuals they are.
“It’s an interesting time in our world today. GMCLA has been speaking loudly, singing loudly, and standing up for this community and others for decades, and we’re going to continue to do that,” said Spisto.
SugarPlum Fairies will be at the Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills on December 14 at 8pm and December 15 at 3:30pm. Buy tickets now at https://www.gmcla.org/sugarplumfairies. Prices range from $45-$125. If you want to support the Chorus’ ongoing educational work, you can make a donation at GMCLA.org/holidaygiving. Eligible donations of $120 or more–or new monthly donations of $10 or more–will receive an official GMCLA Holiday Sweatshirt as a thank-you gift. Donations must be made by December 31st to be eligible.
Arts & Entertainment
Comedian Adam Sank knows he’s just as damaged as his ‘Bad Dates’
In his “one-man show about many men” Adam Sank comes to terms with a lifetime spent searching for ‘the one’
At 54 and single, comedian Adam Sank is as much a veteran of the gay dating scene and of the stage, so when he was challenged to put together his new show, he did what came natural: he mined his lifetime of hookups and dates gone wrong, for an hour of laughs.
Now he’s bringing that award-winning show, Bad Dates: A One-Man Show About Many Men, to Southern California for a pair of dates in Los Angeles and San Diego Dec 6-7.
“The show opens with me saying, ‘I’m 53 years old and single,’ and fortunately, I haven’t had to change the script in the last year and a half that I’ve been performing this,” Sank said with a wry smile over a Zoom call from his New York apartment.
If that sounds like a hint of bitterness about the single life coming through, Sank is quick to dismiss it.
“I think there’s this notion in our culture, it’s sort of ingrained in us that if you’re not married, if you don’t find your person, you’re somehow lesser. You’re somehow leading a less full life,” Sank said. “It’s taken me a long time to be able to say I truly believe that’s bullshit.”
“Finding your person does not equal happiness and being single does not equal sadness,” he continued.
Sank has been rising through the comedy trenches for twenty years. He says he got a late start in stand-up at age 32, after getting burned out working as a television news producer. Over the years, he’s competed on Last Comic Standing and appeared as a commentator on shows like I Love the 2000s and Best Week Ever.
Bad Dates marks something of a departure, with a stronger focus on long-form narrative as Sank goes deeper into what a life spent single means. And it’s a departure that’s won him many plaudits from critics such as two Broadway World Cabaret Awards for the show’s original run at the Stonewall Inn in New York last summer.
“There’s a cost to spending your entire adult life searching for the one, the perfect love story, when we expend so much energy and time and resources into that one thing we neglect everything else,” he said.
But Bad Dates at least proves there’s one benefit to trudging through the dating trenches across decades: the stories. And boy, does Sank have stories. Twinks, injuries, being invited to orgies, not being invited to orgies–Sank’s dating life has proven a goldmine of hilarious material.
“We like hearing about any misfortune because we identify with so much of it and it makes us feel less alone. You know, I think a lot of people out there–especially people who are not necessarily young and single–relate to this show because they’re like, ‘Oh my God, I’m not the only one who has been through these situations,’” he said.
Which isn’t to say Sank doesn’t have those romantic notions. He’s just maybe become a bit more realistic about the pursuit of partnership.
“When I was younger, I don’t think I was ready. I think I had so much work I needed to do on myself, and I had this very false idea about what a relationship should look like and what it would do for me. I basically bought into the whole rom-com idea that you would meet your person and you would live happily ever after. And that’s just not true for anyone. Even if you have the world’s greatest relationship, you have to constantly be doing work on yourself and on your relationship to keep it going,” he said.
If Sank reveals any regret, it’s that he didn’t figure all that out sooner.
“I really need a guy in my age range who’s single and they’re almost always really damaged–which is why they’re still single at my age,” he said. “I’m sure I’m just as damaged as they are, but the point is, it’s a lot harder.”
Adam Sank’s solo show Bad Dates goes on at The Broadwater Main Stage, 1078 Lillian Way, Los Angeles, on Friday, December 6 at 9pm, and at the Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Boulevard #101, San Diego, on Saturday, December 7 at 7:30pm. Tickets here.
Events
Botitas World: the business brand aimed at building community
Cafécito and Comunidad, the event to gather in QTBIPOC community
Zizi Bandera and Ty Curiel, came together to form what is now Botitas–a small business brand and organizing space for Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous and People of Color to celebrate and embrace identity, ethnicity and community.
The co-founders of Saturday’s Botitas event Cafécito and Comunidad, say they had to close the RSVP’s because they reached capacity and were afraid of having issues with the Parks and Recreation Department that issues parking permits and sets a limit for the number of people allowed to gather at Elysian Park in Los Angeles.
“It’s our first event here and it’s an amazing turnout,” said Bandera. “TikTok blew us up.”
Bandera referenced the TikTok video they posted announcing the event and says that they woke up the next morning to see that they had well over a hundred RSVP’s for the event that they expected would only have a couple dozen people.
“We had someone who is part of our community call up the councilmember for this district and was able to talk to whoever is in charge of Parks and Rec to OK more capacity,” said Bandera. “[Eunisses Hernandez, Councilmember CD-1] also got us the tables and permits.”
Bandera stresses that the amount of people who reserved a spot for the event comes to show the need for space like Botitas.
“I thought it was going to be maybe fifteen, twenty people,” said Bandera.
The space is held intentionally for the BIPOC community within the broader LGBTQ+ community, with the intention of centering BIPOC voices that can otherwise be erased, marginalized, sidelined or silenced in broader community conversations.
“Our focus is to have these community spaces and to serve our trans Latine community in Los Angeles and beyond,” continued Bandera. “We thought about making this project a nonprofit, but we wanted to really have full agency and control over, in terms of the needs of our community.”
Bandera says that going the nonprofit route has its own challenges and obstacles because of different stakeholders. They stress the importance of their community being the stakeholders in this business journey.
Though the day was a bit gloomy with some light rain, many people gathered to mingle, chat and yap, along with some coffee at Elysian Park in Los Angeles this past Saturday (Photo Credit Gisselle Palomera).
“I’ve been working in community organizing, mobilizing around LGBTQ and immigrant issues for almost fifteen years now and I’ve always wanted to create something that was for us, led by us–queer, trans, Latine and intergenerational.”
Bandera says that they were inspired to create this space for QTBIPOC because of a report released earlier this year pointing to a loneliness epidemic that disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ people over their heterosexual peers.
The report states that ”…LGBTQ+ youth exhibit higher rates of loneliness, social isolation, and depressive symptoms than their heterosexual peers. Moreover, LGBTQ+ youth grappling with loneliness are less likely to reach out for help regarding their mental health concerns.’
The other co-founder of Botitas has different reasons to have started this business journey.
“Botitas is one day today and another thing tomorrow,” Curiel said. “Our idea came from wanting to create a brand–something that you can wear when you’re out and about in the city. A brand that is backed by people who resonate with you as Latine folks, queer, trans and that’s what we are.”
Curiel also states that the current state of politics also plays a major role in his idea to create Botitas. “We want to [create these spaces], especially in this time and age where there’s a rhetoric of people spreading hate.”
This event is in a public space, encouraging people who show up, to gather in a space that supports sobriety. The offerings included cafécito, pastries and games.
Earlier this year during pride month, Curiel says he and Bandera were looking at historic news articles and photographs of LGBTQ+ life in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 60s, from an exhibit at the Central Library in DTLA, and that’s when it hit them both that none of the people in the photos looked like them. They did not feel represented.
This moment urged them to reconsider what it means to them to feel represented, heard and seen–thus bringing about the idea for Botitas.
Follow @Botitas.World on Instagram and TikTok to get more information on upcoming events.
Events
LA events to attend in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance
If you’re looking to pay your respects or be in community with others, here are a few events to attend
Content Warning: Mentions of hate, gender-based violence.
Trans Day of Remembrance is coming up this Nov. 20, preceded by the Trans Week of Awareness from Nov. 13 to 19.
This year has been full of grief for the transgender community across the country. In 2024 alone, the Human Rights Campaign has kept track of 27 transgender and gender-expansive people across the United States who died of violent causes, such as gun or intimate partner violence. According to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office Hate Crime Report on data from 2022, 44 anti-trans hate crimes were the highest number ever recorded in the county, surpassing 42 in 2019. The county crimes had a large rate of violence as well at 91 percent. TDOR seeks to honor the lives of people lost to this type of circumstance.
For those unfamiliar with the history, Trans Day of Remembrance started in 1998 with Gwendolyn Ann Smith. According to Vogue Magazine, the trans writer and activist heard of Black trans woman Rita Hester’s murder in Boston in an online forum, and found the case was greatly similar to that of another Black trans woman who had been killed in Boston in 1995, Chanel Pickett. Realizing a need for documentation, Smith created the Remembering Our Dead web project to track instances of violence against the trans community.
In 1999, trans community members in both San Francisco and Boston used the web project as source material to coordinate candlelight vigils, creating the November holiday.
“I am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost,” Smith said. “With so many seeking to erase transgender people — sometimes in the most brutal ways possible — it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.”
If you’re looking to pay your respects or be in community with others, here are a few events to attend. Allies welcome.
November 15, 6 p.m.: The Trans Advisory Board in West Hollywood is hosting a small reception and ceremony at the WeHo City Council Chambers. For more details, visit weho.org/lgbtq
November 20, 3 to 6 p.m.: Cal State L.A., is hosting a resource fair with music, vendors, and more to celebrate and commemorate the trans community. Find more information on their event page.
November 20, 4 p.m.: L.A. Civil Rights Department, Trans Advisory Council and the office of Councilwoman Traci Park are hosting a gathering at City Hall. Guests are invited to join an evening of reflection and community. Register for free through this form.
November 20, 5 to 7 p.m.: The queer and trans connect team at Latino Equality Alliance is hosting a special event inviting community members to bring photos for their TDOR altar and enjoy light refreshments. Find more details and register for the event for free through their online form.
Arts & Entertainment
Infinity Festival Kicks Off Today: A Celebration of Creativity, Innovation and AI
The founders are a gay couple who met in the tech industry
Infinity Festival brings together art, innovative technology and creative thinking, to the intersection of the Hollywood entertainment industry. This year, the event is taking place at The Avalon Hollywood, Nov 6 through Nov 9.
The event founders, Mark Lieber and Adam Newman, created this space to bring together Hollywood’s creative visionaries, with Silicon Valley’s cutting-edge technology.
Mark and Adam are not only business partners, but life partners too.
“We met at a party in the Paramount lot and that was 28 years ago,” said Adam. “We worked separately for many, many years and when our careers started to change a bit, we came together to develop projects in television through a company that we formed.”
The two decided to marry in 2014, soon after it became legal to do so in California after Prop 8 was successfully ruled unconstitutional and same-sex couples were allowed to marry.
“We live together, so work is 24/7 and we often get into situations where I have to ask Mark not to talk about work after one o’clock in the morning because I need to go to sleep,” said Adam.
The two set out on a mission to unite their complementary strengths and creative visions, to bring together this innovative festival that spotlights the foremost cutting-edge technologies in the entertainment industry.
This year’s festival will feature prominent voices from the technology, gaming and entertainment industries. The festival will also feature Julien’s Auction, presenting over 200 collectibles from Star Trek on exhibition throughout the festival and then culminating in a live auction on Saturday at 10AM.
The festival’s purpose is to display and discuss the future of technology and its intersection with the gaming and entertainment industries using Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.
The festival features keynote speeches, collaborative demonstrations with partners like Sony, HP, Verizon and Intel.
The panels will feature discussions on the evolution of animation, cross-media development, virtual effects, gaming production and many other topics.
“We’re not there to talk about how scary AI is, but to talk about how it’s going to be a wonderful tool to push the entertainment business into a broader scope of technology,” said Adam in an interview with Los Angeles Blade.
Mark addressed the concerns that many people have regarding AI taking jobs in the entertainment industry, specifically Hollywood.
The major points of discussion and demonstration at Infinity Festival include: Generative AI, Utility AI, Procedural AI, Mini Labs- Scripted & Unscripted, Machine Learning, Ethics, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision (AR, Spatial Computing), Deep Learning and Expert Systems.
Earlier this year, Gov. Newsom singed AB 896, the Generative Artificial Intelligence Accountability Act, into law.
“We are talking to people who are using it in a way that won’t eliminate creative jobs, but maximize efficiency,” said Adam.
There is a lot of fear and anxiety surrounding job loss to AI, but Adam reassures festival attendees that learning about how to work in tandem with AI, will be beneficial to productivity and that this is a good thing for many of these industries and their many job functions.
“I look forward to seeing everybody, I mean really, it’s just a great group of people and bring these two groups of tech and production together,” said Mark.
(Photo Courtesy of Mark and Adam) Adam (L) and Mark (R), have been married for over 10 years and together they dedicate their careers toward making Infinity Festival a success for the entertainment, gaming and tech industries.
Mark and Adam created the festival in 2018, but they have been married for 10 years. They got married shortly after it became legal in California in 2013.
They both came from a background in entertainment, Mark has experience in executive roles and Adam had experience in Hollywood production. They came together, married and in 2017, when both of their careers were taking a different path, they decided to start Infinity Festival.
Since then, they have worked together to bring forth the best and latest technology to their events and bridge the gap between industries that will continue to incorporate AI into their systems.
The Monolith Awards this year will happen on Friday, Nov 8 at 7:30PM at The Aster. There are various categories for the Monolith Awards; Gaming Tech: Audio-Driven Narrative, Excellence in User Experience, Visionary Innovation, Live Engagement, Jurors Choice: New Media Fine Art, Audience Award for Best of Fest Popular Vote, Next Gen: Student + Teacher, and the Nexus Award: Excellence in Applied Technology.
Events
Beverly Hills Pet Festival returns with doggy adoptions, family activities
Even the dogs know 90210 is the zip code that offers the best treats.
Beverly Hills is known for high-end shopping, $500 haircuts, pampering at every turn and a few famous and infamous celebrity homes. But this Sunday it’s going to the dogs — at least for one day.
Beverly Hills will host its annual Doggy Daze 90210 festival next Sunday at Roxbury Park, transforming the grassy expanse known as “Wiggly Field” into a hub for pet adoptions, entertainment and family activities.
The free event, running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 3, aims to connect homeless pets with potential owners while celebrating the bond between humans and animals.
“This is more than just a pet festival — it’s about building community and helping animals in need,” said Dana Besen, spokesperson for the City of Beverly Hills, which organizes the event.
Five rescue organizations, including The Amanda Foundation and Wags and Walks, will bring adoptable pets to the festival. A highlight of the day will be a pet parade featuring costumed animals, followed by a talent contest.
30 vendors will line the park, offering everything from luxury pet spa services to gourmet pet food. Even Shake Shack is getting in on the action, selling special “pup cups” for four-legged attendees.
For children, the festival will feature an arts and crafts zone, face painting, and library story time sessions. Food trucks will be onsite throughout the day.
The event has attracted notable local support, with Beverly Hills residents Lili and Jon Bosse serving as gold sponsors. Owen Care and Foo Dee Doo Press have also signed on as sponsors.
To manage the expected crowds, organizers have arranged free parking at Beverly Hills High School, with pet-friendly shuttles running to and from the park from 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Last year’s event drew hundreds of attendees and resulted in so many pet adoptions, according to city officials, that the event is now one of the most popular the city hosts. They expect an even larger turnout this year.
The festival comes as animal shelters across Los Angeles County report high numbers of pets needing homes, making events like Doggy Daze increasingly important for connecting animals with potential adopters.
Roxbury Park is located at 471 S. Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills. More information about the event can be found at beverlyhills.org/csevents.
Arts & Entertainment
This Bunny is not for everybunny
Lady Bunny Warns ‘Don’t Bring the Kids’ to her LA Show
Drag legend Lady Bunny is back in Los Angeles in “Don’t Bring the Kids,” her laugh-out-loud comedy show that has been selling out venues nationwide. Known for her towering wigs, sharp wit, and fearless attitude, Bunny’s latest revue delivers everything fans love about her—and more. On Saturday, October 19, at 6 p.m., “Don’t Bring the Kids” lands at The Vault in the Beverly Center, promising an early evening of pure, unfiltered entertainment that’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
So, what can fans expect from Lady Bunny this time around? True to form, “Don’t Bring the Kids” is packed with jaw-dropping moments, from parodies of pop icons like Adele and Cardi B to an original dance tune called “Is It Ozempic, Or…”, based on Bunny’s distorted views of the popular weight-loss drug. “The show is a mix of musical styles,” Bunny explains. It even includes a dishy number about some of your favorite queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race. “I tease Trixie Mattel for stealing my look, call out Willam for being a whore, and do a remake of ‘Big Dick Energy’ about Yvie Oddly. Let’s just say the rumors are true,” she says.
“Drag Race has given me plenty of material,” she reflects. “I love poking fun at the queens, and I always update my act with topical humor.”
“Don’t Bring the Kids” isn’t merely about drag celebrity gossip. Bunny tackles serious issues, like defending drag queen story hours in the face of conservative backlash. “As I say in the show, ‘Look at my wig. I can barely groom myself!’” Bunny quips.
There’s also a parody of the viral spat between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Representative Jasmine Crockett, and Bunny takes the opportunity to unveil her brand-new bitch track, “Pussy This Good”, out now on all platforms.
The performance pushes boundaries, and Bunny admits that’s exactly the point. “I came up in the late-night NYC club scene where we were encouraged to be as wild and dirty as possible. My humor isn’t for everyone, and it’s certainly not for kids — hence the title.”
“Don’t Bring the Kids” is both a warning and a promise. Bunny makes it clear that her comedy is strictly for mature audiences, with jokes and performances that might be too much even for some adults. “I’ve always felt it’s important to be upfront,” she continues. “I love dark, raunchy humor, and that’s what my audience comes for. Every show so far has gotten a standing ovation, and we’ve sold out in Philly, DC, and San Francisco.”
For Bunny, bringing her show to LA, particularly at The Vault, is an exciting opportunity. “I’ve worked with Voss Events (the show’s producer) for years, and they found this fantastic space. I DJed there this past New Year’s Eve, and it’s perfect — great stage, excellent sound. I’m excited to be back in LA, a city that always knows how to appreciate a little twisted drag humor.”
Of course, no Lady Bunny interview would be complete without a few words about her longtime friendship with Troy Masters, publisher of LA Blade. “Troy and I go way back,” Bunny recalls. “One of my first magazine covers was for Outweek, a publication he ran back in the ’80s. I was still thin then and working my own blonde hair! He’s been such a supporter, even hiring me to work as a phone monitor for his boyfriend’s sex line. I’d pop onto the leather line in a queeny voice, calling myself ‘Humphrey Davenport, dominant top.’ The leather guys hated it, but I thought it was hilarious.”
Lady Bunny presents “Don’t Bring the Kids” at The Vault in the Beverly Center on Saturday, October 19th at 6pm. For ticket’s visit VossEvents.com.
AIDS and HIV
40th anniversary AIDS Walk happening this weekend in West Hollywood
AIDS Project Los Angeles Health will gather in West Hollywood Park to kick off 40th anniversary celebration
APLA Health will celebrate its 40th anniversary this Sunday at West Hollywood Park, by kicking off the world’s first and oldest AIDS walk with a special appearance by Salina Estitties, live entertainment, and speeches.
APLA Health, which was formerly known as AIDS Project Los Angeles, serves the underserved LGBTQ+ communities of Los Angeles by providing them with resources.
“We are steadfast in our efforts to end the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. Through the use of tools like PrEP and PEP, the science of ‘undetectable equals intransmissible,’ and our working to ensure broad access to LGTBQ+ empowering healthcare, we can make a real step forward in the fight to end this disease,” said APLA Health’s chief executive officer, Craig E. Thompson.
For 40 years, APLA Health has spearheaded programs, facilitated healthcare check-ups and provided other essential services to nearly 20,000 members of the LGBTQ+ community annually in Los Angeles, regardless of their ability to pay.
APLA Health provides LGBTQ+ primary care, dental care, behavioral healthcare, HIV specialty care, and other support services for housing and nutritional needs.
The AIDS Walk will begin at 10AM and registrations are open for teams and solo walkers. More information can be found on the APLA Health’s website.
Arts & Entertainment
LGBTQ+Ñ Literary Festival kicks off this week in Los Angeles
The festival will bring together authors, readers, academics and activists to discuss their experiences and share perspectives about the LGBTQ+ community.
The first LGBTQ+Ñ Literary Festival in Spanish – the first of its kind – will kick-off six days of panels, short film screenings, book signings, performances and a photo exhibit starting today, at different locations across Los Angeles.
The LGBTQ+Ñ Literary Festival will bring together Spanish-speaking and Latin American writers who explore and celebrate a variety of themes in their work, including sexual diversity and perspectives on identity.
“Feminist culture and LGBTQ+ culture have been the movements that have most transformed modern societies in recent decades, and therefore deserve special attention,” said Luisgé Martín, director of Instituto Cervantes of Los Ángeles. “There was no stable forum that brought together creators from across the Spanish-speaking world, which is why we have organized this literary festival. It aims to serve as a framework for reflection and a meeting point for LGBTQ+ writers.”
The festival will bring together authors, readers, academics and activists, to discuss their experiences and share perspectives about the LGBTQ+ community and its academic intersections.
The first stop for the literary festival is at the Instituto Cervantes of Los Ángeles, from 7 PM to 9 PM on Tuesday, to screen short films that are part of FanCineQueer.
The festival will feature authors like Myriam Gurba Serrano, Alejandro Córdova “Taylor”, Felipe J. Garcia, Boris Izaguirre, Nando López, María Mínguez Arias, Felipe Restrepo Pombo, Claudia Salazar Jiménez, Pablo Simonetti, and Gabriela Wiener.
There will also be a photo exhibit and featured photographers such as Gonza Gallego and Liliana Hueso.
The festival will take place at multiple venues including the Instituto Cervantes of Los Ángeles, The Student Union at Los Angeles City College and Circus of Books.
For more information on the event visit the Instagram page for Instituto Cervantes of Los Ángeles.
-
Los Angeles1 day ago
Los Angeles Blade publisher Troy Masters dies at 63
-
National7 hours ago
Colleagues, politicos mourn death of Los Angeles Blade publisher
-
World4 days ago
Out in the World: LGBTQ+ news from Canada, Europe, and Asia
-
Events4 days ago
Queer Latin Dance LA celebrates decade of inclusive lessons
-
Montana2 days ago
Montana Supreme Court blocks ban on healthcare for trans youth
-
AIDS and HIV4 days ago
Bienestar commemorates World AIDS Day
-
State Department2 days ago
State Department honors Ghanaian LGBTQ+ activist
-
Opinions3 days ago
Is Pete Hegseth’s nomination Trump’s sick joke?
-
Ghana3 days ago
Activists: Ghanaian presidential election results will not improve LGBTQ+ rights
-
Politics2 days ago
Heritage Foundation praises effort to ban transgender healthcare for military families