DDG Summer 2023

G E A R L E AT H E R C O 

G E A R L E AT H E R 

6 5 0 E S U N N Y D U N E S PA L M S P R I N G S 7 6 0 3 2 2 3 3 6 3 G E A R L E AT H E R .C O M 

GAY 

JULY- AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 

PALM SPRINGS 

Notice 

DDG Takes a summer break! 

We will re-print this issue 

July to the end of September 

2023 as needed. 

Online at ddg,gay 

SUMMER 

50 FREE THINGS TO DO 

Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus 

(PSGMC) School Supplies Drive. 

17 th Annual Community Survey 

LOCKER GEAR 

EXCLUSIVELY AT GEAR 

SHORTS JOCKS SINGLETS SOCKS 

L E AT H E R & F E T I S H 

Now Delivering Every 2 Weeks 

1

2 DDG is always FREE ddg.gay. Available in print at select locations.


3



5

REPORTER: Adam EMAIL: adamsartexpose@gmail.com ADAMSARTEXPOSE’ 

MAN HIS GUN AND OTHER APPENDAGES HOW ARTISTS 

HAVE INTERPRETED THE OBSESSION 

Guns are a fixture of American culture. 

The right to bear arms for some is 

a key to personal identity, Guns in the 

Western culture of the U.S. were worn 

attached to the body in a holster. 

They had a practical application for 

protection from some wild animals 

and even were used as appliances. 

For example, a pistol was used as a 

hammer by a rancher repairing a 

fence. They were also used against 

other people to defend, protect, and 

sometimes discriminate justly and 

unjustly. Unfortunately today not only 

guns but guns designed for military use 

and readily available to anyone desiring 

to have one. They are being used as 

weapons of hate and retribution many 

times by people who are mentally 

disturbed. 

6 DDG is always FREE ddg.gay. Available in print at select locations. 

John Abrahamson, 

a California 

artist created a 

painting used in 

the “Provocateur” 

magazine in the 

1990s titled “Self 

Portrait” referring 

to men looking at 

themselves and 

their masculinity 

related to guns. 

Attempts to prohibit 

the purchase or 

continued on page 27

CODE 22 


SHORTS TANKS SHIRTS SWIMWEAR 






7

PALM SPRINGS 

online @ ddg.gay 

page 6 

Notice 

DDG summer break! 

We will print this issue all 

summer long from July to the 

end of September 2023 as 

needed. 

Online at ddg,gay 

If you cant find an issue 

let us know! 

Vol 27 Issue 13 SUMMER Jul- Sept 

Since 1994 

Serving Cathedral City | Coachella | Desert Hot Springs 

Indian Wells | Indio | La Quinta | Palm Desert | 

Palm Springs | Rancho Mirage 

06 ADAMSARTEXPOSE’ 

19 BAR|FOOD 

09 DDG SUMMER BREAK 

24 FREE COMMUNITY LISTINGS 

19 FEATURED BUSINESS 

14 VIRTUAL GALLERY 

28 PAGE 28 IMAGE 

Team DDG 

PUBLISHER: Will Paige 

will@desertdailyguide.com 

EDITOR IN CHIEF: AA 

AA@desertdailyguide.com 

Contributing Photographers: Marko Russell, 

David Stanfield 

National Ad Representatives 

Rivendell Media 

(212) 242-6863 

Contributing Writers 

Vic Gerami 

TheBluntPostWithVic.com 

Art: Adams’s Art 

adamsart@desertdailyguide.com 

page 14 

back 

cover 

Advertising 

Digital or printed media packs available on 

request. 

SALES: Will Paige 

will@desertdailyguide.com 

Magazine is delivered biweekly online and to 

select locations. 

Available in Print 

And right this second 

DDG Media Group creates and prints Desert Daily Guide. Opinions expressed in the DDG columns do not necessarily reflect the 

opinion of the DDG, its staff, or its advertisers. DDG is not responsible for claims made by its advertisers, or the products or services 

they offer. Listings, pictures, or advertisements in the DDG should not be construed to represent or reflect the sexual orientation of any 

business, its owners, or staff. All events are subject to change without notice. Any omissions of events are not intentional. ©2023 DDG 

Media Group , All Rights Reserved. Any likeness of any person living or dead is strictly PARODY! 


DDG SUMMER BREAK 

During these months we like other 

business often take some much needed 

vacations. Often Denied during COVID 

PANIC of ‘19! This year we test one 

issue covering July August September. 

We though we share our favorites, 

Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus 

(PSGMC) Launches School Supplies 

Drive. 

What: “Chorus Cares” 

is a PSGMC program 

providing Outreach 

Initiatives throughout 

the Coachella Valley. 

In an effort to help school age kids, “Chorus 

Cares” will be doing a School Supplies Drive 

for two elementary schools to gather the 

supplies needed for the 2023-2024 school year 

Sinatra and I would take a Jeep from his home to 

downtown by desert not roads. 

You can visit Frank Sinatra’s grave, in the Desert 

Memorial on DeVall Drive, take a left and it 

loops around through the middle of the cemetery 

until you find the small sign that reads “B-8.” 

All the gravestones are at 

ground level, so you can 

wander a bit an visit our 

veterans memorial. 

You can also take a 

new picture to uncover 

the mystery of Frank 

Sinatra’s grave. “The Best Is Yet to Come,” has 

become “Sleep warm, Poppa” which fits his 

mark better. 

SINATRA IN PALM SPRINGS, the popular 

award-winning documentary from Director Leo 

Zahn returns for a special summer run, every 

weekend from July 8 - September 3 at the Palm 

Springs Cultural Center. 

Items Needed: pencils, glue sticks (NOT hot 

glue sticks), plastic pencil/pen holders, child 

scissors, spiral notebooks (large rule), paper 

folders, crayons (8-24 per pack), loose-leaf 

notebook paper (large rule), index cards, 

construction paper, and erasers. 

Details can be at their face book page. 

facebook.com/PalmSpringsGayMensChorus/ 

Sumner dweller and visitors what ever way or 

day you get here and no matter how long you 

stay Summer in Palm Springs WILL Deliver! In 

my day you could locate Pride on arenas road 

and roll a bowling ball down Palm Canyon and 

not hit a pedicab. Long before Indian was a 

one-way street then converted back. Ole Frank 

The film captures the spirit of the Sinatra era and 

pays tribute to the unique lifestyle of Sinatra’s 

Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. 

The documentary has delighted locals since 

its premiere in 2018 at Modernism Week 


9

https://tinyurl.com/cmimedia 


Love Lifts Up The Dancefloor 

Debby Holiday’s New Anthem 

By Skip Sheffield 

“‘Love Lift Me Up’ is the kind of song I 

knew I could sink my emotions into 

because the lyrics of ‘embrace every 

color’ are words I stand for every day,” 

says Debby Holiday. 

The song’s message is a simple one. 

“That love really will and can lift us up,” 

explains songwriter Cameron Neilson. 

“If only everyone was allowed to love 

and express who they are authentically, 

the world would be a better place.” 

“Our hope is that music fans find joy in 

‘Love Lift Me Up’ this Pride season and 

for many Pride seasons to come,” says 

DJ Blacklow, who produced the track 

with Stephen Jusko. “This song 

deserves to be wrapped around people 

like a comforting blanket 

that helps to tune out 

negativity and serves as a 

reminder that leading with 

love is always the best 

way forward.” 

Stephen Jusko and DJ 

Blacklow’s “Love Lift Me Up” 

feat. Debby Holiday is available 

now from Swishcraft Music. 


11

featuring more than 50 clips from his movies 

and television appearances, major sequences 

dedicated to historic restaurants Sinatra 

frequented as well as exclusive interviews with 

Barbara Sinatra, Mel Haber, Tom Dreesen, Nelda 

Linsk, Bruce Fessier, Trini Lopez, Michael 

Fletcher and many others who knew and lived 

and played with Frank Sinatra. 

that gave their lives protecting our freedom. 

In 2018, the state passed California Assembly 

Bill 2439 designating the memorial as 

California’s official LGBTQ veterans memorial. 

In recognition, a second plaque was affixed to 

“SINATRA IN PALM SPRINGS is a highly 

requested film by our local audience! We’ve 

noticed a growing number of newcomers in 

town, so we thought it would be a perfect 

opportunity to introduce them to one of our 

beloved icons as well as show our appreciation 

to our loyal locals who keep coming back. 

Director Leo’s unique and wonderful gift to 

our community deserves a special screening, 

and we’re excited to bring it back!” - said Tim 

Rains, Marketing Director for the Palm Springs 

Cultural Center. 

Speaking of Veterans 

Visit the Nations 

First and currently 

only LGBT veterans 

Memorial. 

In 2001 American 

Veterans Post 66 with 

support from the DDG 

magazine and others 

dedicated a memorial at 

the cemetery honoring 

all LGBTQ veterans 

photo by AA 

Air force Vet Will Paige and Charlie Sharples lay with 

Tom Swan commemorate each year. 

the monument. The memorial is an obelisk of 

South Dakotan mahogany granite with the logo 

of American Veterans for Equal Rights on it. 

The Veterans Parade is held ever year Nov 11. 

Where you cam march with your military branch 

or group, If you believe the best way to keep our 

troupes safe is to keep them home, you have the 

Veterans For Peace. 

Desert Memorial Park is a great side trip in 

Cathedral City, Opening in 1956 and maintained 

by the Palm Springs Cemetery District.[ The 

District also maintains the Welwood Murray 

Cemetery in Palm Springs serves as a resting 

spot for many of the earliest residents of the 

village of Palm Springs with grave marker that 

reads simply “unknown” and one that says 

“Mexican Woman.”. It is located at the corner of 

Chino Drive and Vine Street at the top of Alejo 

across from Temple Isaiah. 



More Guides 

Adult & Seniors $85 

Summer Splash Pass 

Availavble at 

visitpalmsprings.com/summer-splash/ 

Download the FREE Summer Splash savings 

pass to save money at your favorite locallyowned 

and operated Palm Springs boutique 

hotels, attractions, and boutiques from 

June 1-September 15, 2023! Also download the 

Visit Greater Palm Springs Summer Eats Pass 

for deals on meals on at your favorite restaurants 

in Palm Springs and beyond! 

Palm Springs Art Museum was founded in 

1938 as the Palm Springs Desert Museum at 

La Plaza in downtown 

Palm Springs. Natural 

science exhibits, 

Cahuilla Indian 

artifacts, and hiking 

excursions dominated 

the institution’s 

programming. 62+ $14,00 All visitors are 

recommended to make a reservation online 

before arriving at the Museum. 

Child (ages 3-10) $45 

Valid for parking and unlimited Tram rides 

till July 31,2023.—the world’s largest rotating 

tram car—travels over two-and-one-half miles 

along the breathtaking cliffs of Chino Canyon, 

transporting riders to the pristine wilderness 

of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. During 

your approximately ten-minute journey, tram 

cars rotate slowly, offering picturesque and 

spectacular vistas of the valley floor below. 

Once you reach the Mountain Station—elevation 

8,516 feet—enjoy two restaurants, observation 

decks, natural history museum, two documentary 

theaters, gift shop and over 50 miles of hiking 

trails. 

The Indian Canyons 

Fifteen miles long, Palm Canyon is one of 

the areas of great beauty in Western North 

America. Its indigenous flora and fauna, which 

the Cahuilla people so expertly used, and its 

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway 

Summer Pass Ticket 

continued on page 23 


13

VIRTUAL GALLERY 

The Virtual Gallery in coming issues will feature some celebrity 

politicians made up in Drag with a Drag name assigned to them. This 

one is a depiction of acclaimed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis featuring 

some of his most infamous and unconstitutional proclamations. He 

seems to most loathe citizens who are in the LGBTQ community and 

fondness of the gun lovers. He finds books to be dangerous as they may 

cause people to think. He also has a fright of mice and of the Disney mice 

especially those who currently reside in his state. His drag title is Ronda 

Santis, queen of the swamp alligators. Here is Ronda in his full drag. 

Florida Governor 

Ron DeSantis 


and the living is easy... 

LIVE MUSIC · COCKTAILS · FREE POPCORN 

5pm · Weekends 

$20 Entry 

Buy Tickets 

On Eventbrite! 

Featuring All New Shows! 

Sat · Leanna and Friends · Sun · Keisha D. 


15

Our mission is to 

provide an open 

and welcoming 

environment for 

all members of 

the LGBTQ family. 

DONATE 



17


BUSINESS 

BAR| FOOD | RESORTS 

Cathedral City 

BARS|FOOD 

The Barracks 

Runway 

Sunshine Cafe 

AMP Sports Lounge 

Roost 

Trunks 

Studio One 11 

Desert Hot Springs 

BARS|FOOD 

Playoffs Sports Bar 

Palm Springs 

BARS|FOOD 

Dick’s on Arenas. 

Rio Azul 

Tool Shed 

Toucan’s 

Streetbar 

Oscar’s 

Chill bar 

Hunters 

Stacy’s 

BlackBook 

QUADZ 

RetroRoom 

Resorts 

CCBC 

Triangle Inn 

Descanso 

All Worlds Resort 

Desert Paradise 

Resort 

LA DOLCE VITA 

RESORT & SPA 

THE HACIENDA 

AT WARM SANDS 

Shopping 

Q trading 

Gear 

Off Ramp Leathers 

Gay Mart 

PICK UP A DDG 

Our online ePaper 

1.7m readership is 

popular and effective 

in reaching a wide 

audience. Our print 

version offers more 

benefits of micro 

marketing at the Point 

Of Sale 4 

Active Consumers! 

Caution only accept 

legitimate email 

addresses with a 

“valid company name” 

Directory 

FEATURED 

LISTINGS 

TOOL SHED LEVI/LEATHER In the 

Warm Sands District in central Palm Springs. 

600 E Sunny Dunes Rd , PS 

TRIANGLE INN 760-322-7993 

555 E. San Lorenzo Rd Palm Springs CA 

Romantic and relaxing or fun and frisky. At the 

Triangle Inn Palm Springs, the choice is yours. 

Historic Palm Springs Resort is a feast for all your 

senses, with a special flair for Southern (California) 

hospitality. triangle-inn.com 

Gear Leather and Fetish 760-322-3363 

We carry only the finest quality leather and fetish 

goods, gym wear, toys and furnishings, all designed 

to get you off and make you look good while you’re 

doing it. gearleather.com 

650 E. Sunny Dunes 

Off Ramp Leathers 760-778-2798 

offrampleathers.com New and used leather and 

fetish/BSDM gear. 

Alterations and repairs handmade item by Paul. 

Great selection of consignment items. 650 E. Sunny 

Dunes Rd., Unit 3,Palm Springs, CA 

DDG drops twice a month 

FULL PAGE Ads under 

$100.00/mo FREE PRIDE!* 

*ask about details 

Due to the current unstable nature of Social media. Inquire only at 

our secure private email server only at will@desertdailyguide.com! Thanks 



19

BUSINESS 

DAVE MAY 

Directory 

and building synergistic relationships. 

If you are interested in either position, 

please send a cover letter and resume 

to Sam at sam@skgla.com. 

PATIOS | SIDEWALKS | DRIVEWAYS 

|KOOL DECKS 

760-327-4849 

JOBS 

HOME HEALTHCARE AGENCY IS HIRING 

FOR SEVERAL POSITIONS IN CATHEDRAL 

CITY 

RECEPTIONIST 

Temporary with possible full-time 

position at a home healthcare 

company’s office in Cathedral City. The 

ideal candidate will have office work 

experience, computer proficiency, 

good organizational and phone skills, 

and the ability to multitask. 

We are looking to fill the position ASAP. 

The hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

MEDICAL MARKETERS 

We are hiring two experienced and 

well-connected medical marketers 

to represent our agency. The ideal 

candidate will have well established 

relationships with hospitals, medical 

groups, and doctors. They will be selfmotivated, 

with excellent follow-up skills 


NATURIST 

Family DeAnza Desert Sun Resort 

Starland Community Desert retreat 

Sea Mountain Luxury Nude Resort and 

Spa Hotel DHS 

SOCAL Nude beaches which are also 

called “free beach”, or “clothingoptional”. 

Blacks Beach Nude Beach in San Diego 

is located just north of La Jolla Shores 

and beneath the Torrey Pines bluffs. 

Pirate’s Cove, Avila Beach 

Corona Del Mar is one of California’s 

best nude beaches. 

Transgender Community Transcc.Org 

Palm Springs Gay 

Men’s Chorus 760-219-2077 

Palm Springs Leather Order of the 

Desert 760 272-5553 

Palm Springs Pride 

Pspride.Org 

26620 Saddle Dr. 

Idyllwild, CA 92549 

(951) 659-2696 

Located less than a 

mile south of downtown 

Idyllwild, Bluebird 

Cottage Inn offers cozy 

economical rooms, to 

independent cabins. 


Tom Goss Serves the Feels 

In New Album, Remember What It Feels Like 

By Tyler Winn 

“The only thing we can control is how 

we feel in the moment,” says out 

singer Tom Goss. “In life, there will be 

sweet times and sad times, highs and 

lows. I want to remember what every 

experience felt like, even those that 

weren’t pleasant, because ultimately, I 

am happy with who I am today.” 

In his new album, Remember What It 

Feels Like, Tom reflects on being a 42- 

year-old man, living in Los Angeles, 

who has loved and felt the heartbreak 

of infidelity and being conned by a 

lover with a secret life. The album is a 

15-track collection of summery pop 

songs punctuated by beautiful ballads 

and raucous rock and includes 

“Enemy of Good,” his new single 

about how achieving perfection does 

not always produce happiness. 

“I’ve learned that joy and creativity 

flow when I allow myself to be flawed,” 

he adds. 


Tom Goss’ “Remember What It 

Feels Like” is available on all 

major digital platforms. 

21

Welcome! 

WORSHIP WITH US IN PERSON 

SUNDAYS AT 10 AM 

3601 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs 

Demuth Community Center 

God’s Love & 

Good Works. 

760.327.3802 

www.bloominthedesert.org 

WORSHIP WITH US ONLINE 

SUNDAYS AT 10 AM 

Facebook 

Bloom in the Desert Ministries UCC 

REPLAY ANYTIME 

YouTube 

Bloom in the Desert Ministries UCC 

Mass over Zoom every SUNDAY at 4 PM Pacific. 

Call or 442-282-8389 or visit stgilesaltadena.org for more details. 


abundant Washingtonia filifera (California Fan 

Palm) are breathtaking contrasts to the stark 

rocky gorges and barren desert lands beyond. 

A moderately graded foot path winds down 

into the canyon for picnicking near the stream, 

meditation, exploring, hiking or horseback 

riding. For more information call 760-323-6018 

www.indian-canyons.comlocated at 38520 S. 

Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs 

Hours 

Oct. 1 - July 4: daily 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

(Last vehicle in at 4 p.m.) 

July 5 - Sept. 30: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

(open only Friday, Saturday, Sunday - Last 

vehicle in at 4 p.m.) 

No animals allowed. 

Uber/Lyft Drivers are required to display 

company stickers in their windshield for drop off 

and pickup. 

questions and provide the historical back drop 

for the aircraft you are sitting in. 

BOOK A FLIGHT? 

Like a North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is 

an American long-range, single-seat fighter and 

fighter-bomber used during World War II and the 

Korean War, among other conflicts. 

Some Special require additional fees or donation 

If you have questions or concerns, please email 

giftshop@palmspringsairmuseum.org 

745 North Gene Autry Trail Palm Springs, 

California 92262 

760-778-6262 

Also the museum will be bringing three vintage 

warbirds to participate in the races this year! 

Each year we struggle to make the costs of 

insurance for the aircraft. Your donations can 

make a difference and we will provide you with 

some cool merchandise as a thank you! 

The Palm Springs Air Museum is a living FRIENDS OF THE DESERT MOUNTAINS 

history museum dedicated to educating the Discover how the desert comes alive after dark! 

public about the role Air Power played in Do you know which animals change colors when 

preserving American liberties and way of life. you use a blacklight? Using our blacklights, we 

The Museum preserves, will take a short walk along the Art Smith Trail 

exhibits, and flies basin looking for the many nocturnal creatures 

aircraft from World that inhabit our desert. And a week-long Summer 

War Two, Korean War, BioBlitz. desertmountains.org 

Vietnam War and the 

Global War on Terror. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, 47900 

A good portion of the Portola Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260 

aircraft in the collection The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in PalDesert 

are in flyable condition. is a unique zoo and botanical garden that 

Open Cockpit Saturdays 

specializes in the deserts of the world. Open 

Museum guests are treated to the extra special daily from 8:00am-5:00pm, with last admission 

experience of being allowed to sit at the controls at 4:00pm. For the most current information, 

and pose for pictures. From 10:30-12:30 each please visit www.livingdesert.org 

Saturday, a selected aircraft will be opened up 

and made accessible to the public. Museum 

Its all happening at the Zoo! 

Volunteers will also be on hand to answer 



23

BUSINESS 

Prime Timers of the Desert 

info@ptod.us 

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS 

Thursday nights VILLAGEFEST takes place 

in downtown Palm Springs on Palm 

Canyon Drive every. villagefest.org 

June through September from 7:00 p.m. 

until 10 p.m. 

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum 

760-329-7610 

McCallum Adobe 760-323-8297 

Indian Canyons 760-323-6018 

Palm Springs Aerial Tram 

760-325-1449 

Palm Springs Air Museum 

760-778-6262 

Palm Springs Art Museum 

760-325-7186 

Sunnylands 

760-328-2829 

Patton Memorial Museum 760-227-3483 

Joshua Tree National park 760-367-5500 

Directory 

FREE COMMUNITY LISTINGS 

AAP - Food Samaritans (760) 325-8481 

Eisenhower HIV Clinic (760) 834-7930 

DAP/ DOCK Clinic (760) 992-0492 

Borrego Health (Stonewall Medical 

Center) Cathedral City 760-507-3310 

Veterans Records https://vetrecs. 

archives.gov/VeteranRequest/home. 

html for vet or family or with written 

authorization. 

Lgbt community center 

760-416-7790 thecenterps.org 

American cancer society 

800-227-2345 

Coachella Valley sexual assault 

(760) 568-9071 

Desert Legal aid: 760-832-9770 

Stonewall democrats: 

desert-stonewall.org 

Desert winds freedom band 

760 776-2700Gay artists -760 835 0727 

Transgender Community Transcc.org 

Palm Springs Gay 

Men’s Chorus 760-219-2077 

Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert 

760 272-5553 


50 FREE THINGS TO DO 

1. Please verify all data with Search terms only. 

2. VillageFest on Thursdays 

3. Coachella Valley Preserve This area is very 

hot during the summer - be prepared. Open 

seven days a week. Ultimate wildlife watching 

is viewing animals without interrupting their 

normal activities. 

4. Palm Canyon Drive 

5. The Rodeo Drive of desert after the The Shops 

on El Paseo Both are walk-able 

6. Palm 

7. Palm Springs Art Museum Every Thursday 

8. Palm Springs Outdoor Public Art Forever 

Marilyn, 

9. The Rainmaker Fountain at Frances 

10. Stevens Park, or the 

11. Woman in Glasses mural on North Palm Canyon 

Drive, 

12. Coachella Walls project, Los Cosecha del Futuro, 

Indio Food Park, 

13. Self-guided architecture tour by Visit Greater 

Palm Springs visitpalmsprings.com 

14. The Palm to Pines Scenic Byway is 0ne of the 

most beautiful driving routes in California, 

covering San Bernardino National Forest on 

winding mountain roads, from the sandy desert 

floor to lush mountain forests. From Palm 

Desert take Highway 74 into the Banning Pass 

on Highway 243, appears in the 1963 American 

comedy film It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World 

15. Hike and explore some of the towns along the 

way or stop only at the scenic overlooks. Some 

of the highlights include Lake Hemet and of 

course Idyllwild. 

16. Visit Shields Date Garden Free film “the sex life” 

Best and originator of the first Date Shake! 

17. Polo Anyone? Live like it was the 1920’s 

arrange a gold cart Polo Match 

18. Painted Canyon see colorful walls of Painted 

Canyon of the unique geological formations, 

which reveal their historic past with exposed 

continued from page 23 

rock layers. Approximately 15 miles southeast 

of Indio in the Mecca Hills, located between 

Interstate 10 and Highway 111. 

ICONS 

19. Palm Springs Welcome Sign 

20. Windmill Farm 

21. Isabelle 

22. Graffiti Yard 

23. Statue of Lucille Ball sitting 

24. Palm Springs Walk of Stars 

25. Palm Springs Visitor Center (not a tourist trap) 

26. Palm Springs Museum Trail 0.8 miles and is 

one of the steepest paths in the San Jacinto 

Mountains. 

27. Antique Galleries of Palm Springs. 

28. Giant VW Spider 

29. Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National 

Monument & Visitor Center 

30. 51-500 Highway 74 Palm Desert, CA 92260 862- 

9984 

31. The Purple Room Supper Club 

32. Palm Springs: Legends and Icons Tour 

33. Statue of Sonny Bono sitting 

34. Backstreet Art District 

35. Ruddy’s General Store Museum 

36. Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium 

37. Marilyn Monroe mural 

38. ‘The Babies’ 

39. From A Distance 

40. Joshua Tree National Park 

41. Agua Caliente Cultural Museum 

42. Cod Street Fair 

43. Cactus Mart in Morongo 

44. Gubler Orchid tour Landers 

45. BEAUTY BUBBLE SALON AND MUSEUM 

46. SKY’S THE LIMIT OBSERVATORY AND 

NATURE CENTER The campus is always open 

for pedestrians 

Joshua Tree Coffee Company 

47. Pioneertown 

48. Salton Sea 

49. Bombay Beach Ruins 

50. Salvation Mountain 


25

Independence Day is our 

only sacred holiday 

Some say e are living on the edge of 

dark times again. We are in a downward 

turmoil, with the drumbeat of hate 

getting louder and louder. Some of us 

know what that is like; I sure do. Some 

are sure we will never return to those 

times, and they ignore all warning 

signs. While others do not believe it 

ever existed, like some myth of racism 

with troubling ideas. Then there are the 

MAGA, who tell on themselves. To know 

the history of man is to know any taste 

of freedom will make you hungry for 

more. The loss of independence can be 

discouraging and make you fight like 

hell to keep it. 

Swamp is the largest freshwater swamp 

in Massachusetts. It comprises almost 

17,000 acres and several cities. In these 

swamps, we raised our Nation’s first flag 

and developed an extraordinary array 

I was born near Cape Cod in a town 

that shined brightly around 1776 and the 

Revolution, a town carved out of some 

dry spots in a swamp. The Hockomock 

Swamp Yankee soul. 


of 

(Illustration from the 

Executive Office of 

Veterans Services) 

historical locations 

and men of 

history, even 

a Continental 

Army 

transgender 

man, Robert 

Shurtleff 

(Deborah 

Sampson). 

Later, she married 

Benjamin Gannet 

from Sharon and had three children, so 

history misgendered them. All around 

the town are remnants of the past. 

But for a 10-year-old to hear a relative 

tell extraordinary stories of thoughtful 

leaders of men, naked savages, pirates, 

and stories of courage and bravery by 

Ralph Davol, an American writer and 

painter. Member Massachusetts House 

of Representatives. Writer of Two Men of 

Taunton, in the Course of Human Events, 

1731-1829. 

My house and the backwoods became 

a wonderland of adventure. A child’s 

dream world of backyard paths worn 

deep by ancient peoples in a land with 

scattered tribes camped and raised 

their families. Nearly every hike yielded 

evidence of the past. These sights and 

sounds of my childhood solidified my 


ownership of military-style weapons 

have been aggressively fought by the 

NRA (National Rifle Association), rightwing 

organizations, and now even a 

right-wing majority Supreme Court which 

has put gun rights ownership above 

the rights of the safety of the general 

public. The pop artist Lichtenstein did 

several paintings illustrating guns as 

ominous objects. The comparison to the 

male penis and weapons of destruction 

is obvious, 

swords, cannons, 

submarines, 

torpedoes, and 

bullets, all are 

similar shapes 

to the male 

member. Some 

psychologists 

associate the 

veneration of guns 

to what they call 

“toxic masculinity”. 

The NRA has 

promoted a social identity of Frontier 

Masculinity” as shown in the advertising 

for Bushmaster, one of the companies 

manufacturing the AR-15, one of the 

military weapons most used in mass 

shootings in the U.S. 

Artists have depicted in various ways 

the relationship between the male 

penis and guns. Robert Mapplethorpe, 

photo of a gun and penis is obvious in its 

comparison. 

In Gay society the male member is 

not looked at as a weapon but as a 

distinguishing characteristic of maleness. 

A characteristic that relates to the male 

physique and pleasure. Yes, there are 

size queens and comparisons in that 

category but not related to masculinity 

as violence and destruction. 

Unfortunately, there are some proven 

examples of the relationship between 

the penis and guns that relate to toxic 

masculinity. In Gay society the male 

member is not looked at as a weapon 

but as a distinguishing characteristic of 

maleness. A characteristic that relates 

to the beauty of the male physique and 

pleasure. Yes, there are size queens and 

comparisons in that category but not 

related to masculinity as violence and 

destruction. 

This a topic for another issue. 


27

July 4 th 

Heroes 

#1 

I am apt to 

believe that it will 

be celebrated, 

by succeeding 

Generations, as the 

great anniversary 

Festival. It 

ought to be 

commemorated, 

as the Day of 

Deliverance by 

solemn Acts of 

Devotion to God 

Almighty. It ought 

to be solemnized 

with Pomp and 

Parade, with Shews, 

Games, Sports, 

Guns, Bells, Bonfires 

and Illuminations 

from one End of this 

Continent to the 

other from this Time 

forward forever 

more. 

Third page of threepage 

letter from 

John Adams to 

Abigail Adams, July 

3, 1776. 

July 4 th Heroes #1 


Today I am outing myself as a proud gay 

Swamp Yankee, my chosen pronoun “a 

rural New England 

dweller who 

abides today as 

a steadfast rustic, 

whose stock has 

endured since the 

Colonial days.” 

My Dad was an 

original swamp 

Yankee, with many 

Statue to Massachusettsasoit, Plymouth, 

Massachusetts.], portrait of 

american indian man 

receipts, being one 

of an estimated 

35 million people 

who can trace their ancestry to one of 

the 51 “firstcomers.” His Swamp Yankee 

roots came years before the Revolution 

as well, including King Philip’s War, 

A war named for Native Metacom, a 

Wampanoag chief who adopted the 

name Philip because of the friendly 

relations between his father Massasoit 

and the Mayflower Pilgrims. Later he 

turned many Indigenous communities 

throughout New England against the 

United Colonies of New England and 

all their Native allies because of an 

ever-changing “yellow hair” peace 

agreement and the surrender of Indian 

guns. 

the war; most Narragansetts killed in the 

swamp were non-combatant families. 

Colonists too quickly learned the 

swamps helped fight and hide from any 

enemy, like an oppressive British king. 

Being clear-headed about this is 

essential to being a good Swamp 

Yankee who is obligated to patriotism 

and doesn’t subscribe only to lore. 

By the 1970s, Swamp Yankees were 

accused of being old-fashioned hill folk 

stuck in their ways. Few families flew old 

glory or had a backyard garden. My 

Dad raised farm animals and always 

maintained a garden, and when we 

refused to eat, our pet chicken he 

served in an old Kentucky Fried chicken 

box. 

I remember we restored an old wagon 

to display his excess bounty in our front 

yard every harvest. Hence, he made 

them available for free and welcomed 

donations which he gave to the church 

and bought us ice cream. He was an 

“ecologist.” Before the word “ecology” 

gained prominence in the 1970s, he also 

worked in technology at Raytheon on 

a team that released the first consumer 

microwave. But his big difference was 

how he saw his eco work as essentially 

apolitical. Saving the planet, he said, 

was saving us. 

This war started when several 

Wampanoag men attacked and 

killed colonists around Swansea, 

Massachusetts, and the United Colonies So it was no wonder Independence Day 

attacked a Narragansett stronghold in would be a big deal. A big deal indeed; 

a large swamp in what is now known as 

Rhode Island. Indigenous peoples often A Swamp Yankee tale of a Liberal 

used swamps as areas of refuge during 


29


LOCKER GEAR 


SHORTS JOCKS SINGLETS SOCKS 






31

DDG Summer 2023

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