APRIL 24TH - APRIL 30TH, 2019 THE ULTIMATE QUEER GUIDE

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by hotels and restaurants during white
party, we filled the city coffers with tax
revenue. We learned that gays are a
commodity, not just filled with reckless
“anything goes” life styles with a death
watch over their heads. But transformed
into double income, no kids, endless cash
cows. And that’s when gays knew they
made it, suddenly our money was so good
it made us look better. By 1994, gays began
to see HIV as a manageable disease and
our life span matched most people’s. When
that happened, gay currency began to
rise and the stronger Palm Springs local
business community began to woo our
favor, offering more and more services
dedicated to us. Palm Springs, for gays had
it all, name recognition, a Glitzy Hollywood
vibe, and months frolicking in the art deco
sun. No one else but gays take a vacation
in November or March but we have good
weather between all those months and
closet gays flocked to the Springs for
conventions and golf.
“They came for the golf, but stayed for the
balls”, Says publisher Will Paige.
and musicians and is known for bringing
world class entertainment to the desert,
who then became strong gay allies and have
used their celebrity to promote our cause.
All these things changed the landscape of
our gay mecca and created an international
impact on tourism. Those that know the
history of the Desert Daily Guide, we
started our magazine in 1994 as well.
We bore witness to and we documented
our history like no other. We even helped
with the development and establishment
of many groups and services that provide
our world class support today. From Gay
Games, Mr. Gay, The Desert Daily Guide
Queen of the Desert (we gifted to the DAP)
as well as Prides and so on. And even
last week, I was at a meeting of a new gay
business association for Catherdal City that
has been doing a great job of promoting the
local businesses and will be doing lots more
in the coming months. Richard Altman is
the current president and has been a model
of community support, not only to the gay
community but to the boys club and other
civic betterment groups.
Robust mountain backdrops with palmlined
fairways and rustic desert routings, The point is, all of us rode hard on the
the Palm springs area provides an
shoulders of Jeffrey Sanker. We salute him
unparalleled golf excuse. Partly because it and his team as they gave us the power and
was not known as the gay mecca it would proof that gays can stop taking baby steps
become and that made it perfect for the and reach for the sky and start climbing.
closet fags that dominated much of the US.
No matter if it’s a drag show, Pride or event,
White Party has also promoted many DJs for those of us that do it, we know we have
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