The moment that I decided to cross that line and speak about being a lesbian myself... there’s so much freedom there, and life on that side is so much clearer, and stronger, and just a better place to be.
-MELISSA ETHERIDGE
On Thursday, June 21, from 12 noon1pm, author Garrard Conley presents his memoir: Boy Erased at the Google campus (601 N 34th St). Boy Erased is a beautiful, raw and compassionate memoir about identity, love, and understanding.
The son of a Baptist pastor and deeply embedded in church life in small-town Arkansas, as a young man Garrard Conley was terrified and conflicted about his sexuality. When Garrard was a nineteenyear-old college student, he was outed to his parents, and was forced to make a lifechanging decision: either agree to attend a church-supported conversion therapy program or risk losing family, friends and the God he prayed to every day of his life.
By confronting his buried past and the burden of a life lived in shadow, Garrard traces the complex relationships among family, faith, and community. At times heart-breaking, at times triumphant, this memoir is a testament to love that survives despite all odds.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman and Lucas Hedges.
There is limited seating available for this FREE event. For TICKETS, email boyerasedtickets@gmail.com.
by Terri Schlichenmeyer
Special to the
SGN
WILD MARES: MY LESBIAN BACK-TO-THE-LAND LIFE BY DIANNA HUNTER UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA PRESS
You were going to change the world.
It’s true that you were one small voice, just one person with a vision but you were sure it could be done. You were going to change the world, one corner at a time –starting with the one you called home. And in the new book Wild Mares: My Lesbian Back-to-The-Land Life by Dianna Hunter, that’s sometimes all it takes.
Growing up in rural South Dakota, Dianna Hunter learned what “queer” was long before she understood her own sexuality. She was “seventeen, cosseted, closeted, and clueless” then but, once enrolled in college and living in Minneapolis in an atmosphere of early-1970s feminism and LGBT activism, she “surprised” herself by coming out.
By then, classmates had introduced her to new friends, who introduced her to a lesbian community that raised her consciousness. Hunter learned how to be an activist, and she helped to create safe places for lesbians to socialize; when friends began to think about establishing a collective farm in Minnesota, she was highly intrigued.
“We were headed toward our dream and our vexation,” she says. “Women’s Land, Open to All Women.”
And it felt like the right “path to freedom.”
At the first farm Hunter lived on, women and children shared the work and the bounty; “Voluntary poverty and group living” taught them that they “didn’t need much money to get by,” and they didn’t need men to care for livestock or outbuildings. Hunter soaked up every bit of information she could, and when it was time to move on, she and her next housemate rode their own horses more than 200 miles to another farm.
Through the years, there were other farms and other horses. Friends and lovers came and went, societal attitudes changed and, though now retired, Hunter was eventually able to buy and manage a dairy farm near Lake Superior.
“To many onlookers,” she says, “our lesbian-feminist back-to-the-land dream must have seemed strange and unrealistic, but we were far from the only ones who dreamed it.”
“Utopia” is a word that author Dianna Hunter uses when recalling the first fifteen years after coming out as a lesbian. No word could be more apt because, despite tales of lack and hardship, Wild Mares makes that life sound positively serene.
And yet, there’s angst here, starting with a constant stream of people who move in and out of Hunter’s narrative, taking their drama with them and re-inserting it. After awhile, that seems like just more of the same and character fatigue may begin to set in; it doesn’t help that there are several farms involved, adding to the consternation.
Even so, Hunter’s introspection, her eagerness to do anything to find her “utopia,” and her love of the land take over and make this book palatable. Overall and in the end, it turns out to become a worthwhile look at non-traditional twentieth-century farming, and at Midwestern lesbian history. Yes, Wild Mares is a little relentless in its overly-peopled telling, but it’s also some
thing different, for a change.
by Ed Walsh
SGN Contributing Writer
I escaped the Palm Springs midday desert heat earlier this month in a UFO. Okay, not a real UFO, but in the dome-shaped quirky desert landmark known as the Integratron. While it kind of looks like a 1950s Sci Fi spaceship, the 38-foot tall white cupola was constructed by ufologist George Van Tassel in 1959 to attract extraterrestrials and was funded in part by billionaire Howard Hughes.
While ET never paid a visit to the Integratron, desert tourists regularly pay to take a “sound bath” in the wooden building that is billed as an acoustically perfect structure. For $30, participants lie on cushions on the floor of the upper level of the building and listen to a concert of sorts by someone playing a series of huge round glass bowls, using a wand around the inside of the glass to put out a series of tones.
The Integratron is in the high desert, near Joshua Tree National Park, which stays about 10 degrees cooler than Palm Springs. The building itself has AC, making it comfortable no matter how hot it gets outside. The high desert, including Joshua Tree, is still doable in the summer, but hike before 11am, bring plenty of water and avoid any long or strenuous walks. The summer nights in Joshua Tree are popular for stargazing. August is the best month for viewing the Perseid Meteor Shower. If you don’t want to drive the 45 minutes to get to the high desert, perfect summer
hiking can be found around the summit of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. Summer temperatures shed about 30 degrees in the tenminute ride to the top in the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
Greater Palm Springs is seeing more summer visitors than ever before and businesses are not taking that for granted. Hotels, spas and restaurants are offering deals to entice you to head to the desert in the summer. If you are looking to escape coastal Washington’s frequently overcast June, the Greater Palm Springs area has another inducement: Restaurant Week. It has become such a big hit that it runs for over two weeks: June 1-17. Over 100 participating restaurants offer fixed-menu lunch and dinner deals ranging from $15 to $49. Some restaurants are also informally continuing those specials all summer. For details on participating restaurants check out https:// www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/dinegps/ LGBT businesses have banded together again this year to offer a “Summer Splash” program showcasing hotel and restaurant deals. The site http://palmspringssummersplash.com/ spells out the offers. An example of some of the bargains include the fabulous InnDulge, which offers $99 rooms for weekday stays. InnDulge deservedly stays very busy throughout the summer. La Dolce Vita throws in free spa treatments with room stays. Escape Palm Springs has $99 rooms and if you pay for two nights, you get the third free.
Palm Springs has more gay resorts than any place on earth and the biggest concentration of gay hotels is in the Warm Sands neighborhood. Earlier this month on Tuesday, June 5, “A Walk on the Warm Side” included self-guided tours of the neighborhood resorts 4-7 p.m. A suggested donation of $10 was asked and funds benefited the Warm Sands Neighborhood Organization.
Of the city’s 15 gay resorts, all are for men and clothing optional. All but Cathedral City Boys Club (CCBC) are in Palm Springs proper. Sadly, the city’s formerly lesbian resorts Casitas Laquita, Queen of Hearts and its sister property Desert Hearts Inn, have been sold and have gone mainstream.
If you have been to CCBC recently, you would have noticed room renovations and redone play spaces. But the resort’s big change will be unveiled in July when its brand-new restaurant and bar called Runway will open. The bar will aptly feature a runway that will showcase drag shows and other live entertainment. The resort plans to offer all-inclusive options that will
include all meals and beverages. Plans are in the works to add 20 condo-style units in a five-story building on the back of the property where the waterfall is now. If the final plans are approved, that could be up and running in a couple of years. The hip new building will be lit up in Pride rainbow colors at night.
New owners took over the La Dolce Vita resort last fall and they are continuing to make big improvements to the property that was already in good shape. Among the improvements, the owners completely remodeled the sauna that now bears a literal translation of its name spelled out in the tile: “The Sweet Life.”
Nightlife
Old timers will remember that gay nightlife in the desert was centered just south of Palm Springs in Cathedral City. But that began to change in the early 1990s when Street Bar, Palm Springs’ oldest gay bar opened on Arenas Road. There are still three gay bars in Cathedral City and soon to be four with the addition of CCBC’s Runway. Cat City’s other bars include the piano lounge bar, Studio One 11, the leather/bear bar Barracks, and Trunks, formerly Digs
and with the same ownership as the WeHo institution by the same name.
Almost all of Palm Springs’ nightlife is on Arenas Road. The newest bar is Stacy’s, with the same owner of the popular Stacy’s in Phoenix. It’s next to Bongo Johnny’s which is still closed after its kitchen was destroyed in a fire in March. Another newer Arenas Road addition is the restaurant and bar, BlackBook. The video bar QUADZ, formerly Spurline, is newly remodeled. Streetbar’s beloved owner Dick Haskamp passed away in March but Haskamp left the business to a couple of employees who continue to run the bar in the same way that has made it a Palm Springs mainstay. The other popular bars on the block include Chill, Hunters, Score and around the corner on Indian Canyon, Tryst. Since the closing of Delilah’s years ago, there are no lesbian bars in Palm Springs, but all the Arenas nightspots are lesbian friendly.
The leather/bear bar Tool Shed is on the edge of Warm Sands on E Sunny Dunes Road, next to the cool LGBT-themed store Q Trading and nearby Gear leather shop and Townie Bagels.
Toucans Tiki Lounge continues to be very popular on N Palm Canyon Drive, on
the north end of town. It regularly hosts a lesbian party known as Velvet. For information on the next Velvet search on Velvet-PS on Facebook. By the way Toucans is next to the fabulously gay WorkOUT Gym. The facility is small but has all the equipment you need and has reasonably priced day, week and weekend passes, If you are staying at the Vista Grande, Bearfoot Inn, or InnDulge, you can work out there for free.
Alaska Airlines flies nonstop to Palm Springs from SeaTac. The Palm Springs Airport is very conveniently located about two miles from downtown. Generally fares to Los Angeles International and Burbank are at least $100 cheaper and rental cars are almost always less expensive at those airports The drive time from the LA and Burbank airports to Palm Springs is about two hours in good traffic (Burbank is about 10 minutes closer). The Ontario airport is about an hour’s drive to Palm Springs, but fares to Ontario are generally only a little less than Alaska’s direct flight to Palm Springs.
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by Joey Amato
SGN Contributing Writer
In the past decade, I have traveled around the world, visiting three continents in the past five years alone. The one destination that always seemed to elude me for one reason or another was my motherland, Italy. For the past decade, I have attempted to organize a visit, but life, or in this case, other destinations, got in the way.
When I received an email last September from the Italian tourism bureau asking me if I wanted to spend a few days in Milan and Turin, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. The two cities wanted to invite LGBT journalists and travel professionals to experience the destinations. It was probably the most spontaneous international trip I had ever been on. Usually, I have a few months to prepare, both physically and mentally, but this time, I had about three weeks.
I decided to travel with only a carry-on and backpack, which is a bit atypical for me but given the short duration of the trip, I thought it would be easiest. Plus, it saves time at the airport.
Flying in to Milan is actually quite simple. There are many non-stop flights from the U.S., however, the airport itself is located about 45 minutes outside the city, so plan accordingly.
Duomo di Milano is the focal point of Milan, an absolutely enormous Gothic structure located in the heart of the city, surrounded by classic roman and baroquestyle buildings. As my taxi driver snaked through the narrow, winding cobblestone streets, I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to see. Luggage in tow, I was determined to check in to my hotel and freshen up before venturing out, but as I turned the
corner, I found myself in the center of the piazza surrounded by some of the most beautiful buildings I had ever seen.
I literally didn’t know which way to look. Every building was more beautiful than the next. The piazza was bustling with energy. Ironically, a group of young musicians were performing U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” but in this case, I found it. It was around noon and locals were chatting with each other while sipping cappuccinos, loving life and making memories along the way.
Luckily for me, I was staying at STRAFhotel, which was located less than a block off the piazza. The property was modern and minimalist, with much attention given to the sleek lines and use of space.
Milan is a shopper’s paradise. Home to arguably the most important fashion week in the world, designer names are as common as Starbucks is here in the states. Versace, Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Cavalli…the list goes on and on. Aside from its fashion, Milan is also known for interior design in addition to being pioneers in the automotive industry. Alfa Romeo was founded in Milan in 1910 and is still headquartered in the city. Alfa Romeo is part of what locals call the Big Six, which also includes Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Lancia, and Maserati. All have a presence in Milan.
Art enthusiasts will be interested in visiting the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, which houses Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” Tickets sell out months in advance, so be sure to purchase yours ahead of time. History buffs will also take interest in a tour called “The Footsteps of Leonardo,” which highlights destinations influenced by the great artist.
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Foodies should note that the cuisine featured in this region is not what most expect when they think of Italian food. Whereas Southern Italy is known for its olive oil and tomato-based cuisine, Northern Italian fare is rooted in cream sauces and risotto. Even the risotto varies from region to region.
The next morning, my group departed for Turin, which is a little under two hours from Milan. We were greeted by our wonderful hosts at Visit Turin who led us through the city pointing out architectural wonders along the way. Being so far north, you can notice influences of France, Germany and Austria in its architecture, as well as the culture.
Our first stop was the Mole Antonelliana, the city’s most iconic structure and home to the National Cinema Museum, an interactive experience showcasing Italy’s rich heritage in cinematography. Guests can journey
to the top of the spire in a glass elevator for an unobstructed panoramic view of the city.
The following morning, we took part in an LGBT history tour called Tuttaltra Storia (The Whole Story), a walking tour which shines light on historical figures with an LGBT past including Julius Caesar, Christina of Sweden, Princess Marie Louise of Savoy, Michelangelo and, of course, Leonardo Da Vinci. We stopped at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (home of the Holy Shroud), Porte Palatine, the Royal Library and Armoury as well as The Royal Residences, which are considered a “World Heritage Sites” by UNESCO.
Turin is home to Museo Egizio, the Egyptian Museum, which houses the largest number of Egyptian artifacts outside of Cairo. Archeological wonders include numerous hieroglyphs, sarcophagi, stone statues, tablets and the oldest mummy ever discovered in the world. Guests can spend hours in the museum but it was time for that part of the trip I was looking forward to the most, wine country!
The Langhe region is Northwest Italy’s answer to Tuscany, known for the Nebbiolo grape which is used to produce Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Gattinara and Ghemme wines. The region is surrounded by rolling hills and medieval castles. We were fortunate enough to visit Castello di Guarene, the 18th century home of Count Carlo Giacinto, a member of Piedmontese aristocracy. Guests will admire the fine antique furniture, ranging from 17th-century carved wooden chests to exquisite examples of Louis XVI design, in addition to the family portraits and other artistic attributes.
My favorite part of the castle is the spa level, an underground cavern of stone so beautiful it is really difficult to put into words. A long stone hallway, which the Count would use if he needed to escape his palace unnoticed, leads to the pool, which is carved into the hill and lit in a blue and green hue. The restaurant is led by 32-yearold Davide Odore and gives guests the opportunity to dine like royalty. As we gathered around a large round table, sipped
fine Italian wine and savored the flavors of the region, we recounted the tales of our quick, but memorable trip.
And so it goes, all good things must come to an end. We arrived at the Golden Palace hotel in Turin in time to pack and catch a few hours of rest before boarding my flight back to the U.S. I feel like I got a small taste of Italy on this voyage. Not enough to fully satisfy my desire, but just enough to make me want to return and discover a different region of the country. There’s always next year.
Ciao!
A special thank you to Sonders&Beach http://www.sondersviaggi.com/
For more travel articles by Joey Amato, visit https://www.pridejourneys.com/destination
by Joey Amato SGN Contributing Writer
The last time I visited San Diego, I was about 7 years old and I remember frolicking around Sea World looking on in awe at the wildlife, especially the orca whales. Fast forward 30 years, yes, I just revealed my true age, I returned to the city with an eagerness and excitement that I haven’t felt in a while.
I’ve always heard of the vast dichotomy between Los Angeles and San Diego. However, it isn’t until you visit both cities that you begin to realize their differences and identities. Everything I don’t enjoy about Los Angeles, I found to be the opposite in San Diego. The most obvious difference, the traffic, is seemingly more bearable.
Much of San Diego is easily accessible via rideshare apps or the city’s trolley system. Although I didn’t have a chance to ride the trolley, I heard of its efficiency from talking with the locals.
On my first full day in the city, my sister and I decided to visit the famed San Diego Zoo. We got to experience a behind-thescenes tour of the new Africa Rocks exhibition, more specially the penguin encounter. As we stood within inches of these beautiful animals, we got to observe their fun and sometimes quirky behavior. One of the penguins was even observed to be polyamorous, a trait not typical among South African penguins.
Next, we visited with the wildly popular giant pandas. Lines to view these cute and cuddly animals can stretch up to two hours, so be sure to include enough time in your trip. Our tour guide noted that two full days are needed to appreciate the zoo in its entirety. Unfortunately, we only had about two hours, so it was time to move on to feed the okapi, a member of the giraffe family, but visually similar to a zebra in terms of size and appearance. Okapi love interacting with guests, especially when they are being fed a leafy head of lettuce.
The San Diego Zoo is located in Balboa Park, a sprawling complex made up of dozens of attractions for almost every taste. Some standouts include the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts and a Japanese Friendship Garden, among others.
One of the city’s newest and hottest restaurants, Born & Raised invited us for dinner. The massive restaurant appears as if you were walking into something out of the pages of The Great Gatsby. The restaurant has a casual formalness to it. Certainly not stuffy, as the wait staff can be seen rockin’ a pair of Converse shoes with their tuxedo.
The attention to presentation and detail is something I found most appealing about Born & Raised from the caviar and champagne we were served at the beginning of our meal to the delectable seven-layer carrot cake adorned with gold leaf to complete the meal. I found the restaurant to be a bit pricey for my taste and some of the dishes missed the mark. The uni spaghetti had a very interesting flavor profile, but neither my sister nor I seemed to favor the dish. However, we were pleased with the tableside Caesar salad as well as the steak Diane, which was also prepared tableside. This is a restaurant that loves to serve the classics, including lobster thermidor. We found the tail meat to be a bit tough, but the claw meat to be succulent and juicy, probably due to the cooking process of the dish.
Overall, I would make Born & Raised a special occasion restaurant and definitely not one of my go-to favorites. That being said, I would add Tiger! Tiger! to the list of establishments I would frequent on a regular basis. Certainly not as fancy as Born & Raised, and significantly less expensive, Tiger! Tiger! is a rustic gastropub located about 10 minutes from downtown. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, nor the inside for that matter. But what the restaurant lacks in appearance, it makes up in flavor.
I began my meal with a hearty side of Brussels sprouts, which were probably the best I have ever tasted. The dish also incorporated baby bok choy and bacon for a salty, savory explosion in my mouth. Also noteworthy is their take on clam chowder. No, it’s not New England, nor Manhattan. I guess, you can call it Pacific Coast chowder, and it was delightful. The white wine broth is to die for and the clams are presented still in the shell. It is light, flavorful and the perfect dish for seafood lovers.
see SAN DIEGO page 28
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While in San Diego, check in to The Bristol Hotel. The boutique property offers luxurious, but trendy accommodations. One of the highlights in this hotel is the massive electronic coffee machine in the lobby, which can instantly prepare anything from a vanilla latte to a chocolate cappuccino. Being a coffee lover, this was a call for excitement. It’s the little things in life that impress me!
The hotel would be a good place to stay if you plan to visit during San Diego Pride, which takes place from July 13 to July 15. According to Alex C. Villafuerte, Marketing & Communications Manager of San Diego Pride, the festival attracts over 200,000 people annually, making it one of the largest civic events in the county. He also mentioned that the organization has given out over $3,000,000 in grants to other LGBT-serving non-profits and organizations worldwide. Profits from the parade and festival go right back to the LGBTQ community.
Speaking of Pride, San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood is home to many LGBTQ restaurants, bars and clubs and is where Pride takes place every year. Hillcrest is also home to the San Diego LGBT Community Center. The Center is the second oldest LGBT community center in the country and employs more than 50 paid staff. The Center provides program services to the many different facets of the LGBTQ community and those living with HIV.
Visitors to the region who wish to be a bit adventurous can opt to drive to the U.S.-Mexican border and head to Tijuana for the day. LGBT owned and operated Turista Libre leads small groups on tours of the city, each with variant themes. During my visit, we got to experience the different types of local markets. Derrik Chinn, our tour guide and one of the owners is very friendly and knowledgeable about the local culture and history of Tijuana.
We spent the day exploring the city in a retro-fitted school bus complete with disco lights that synch to the beat of the music. We got to see where the locals shop, and eat, as well as do a little shopping and eating of our own. The people of Tijuana are friendly and willing to help those with limited Spanish language knowledge, as myself.
I’m not sure Tijuana warrants more than a day visit at the moment, although the city is trying to transform itself and attract more tourists across the border. If you are looking for a quick, inexpensive experience, I would head south of the border to Tijuana or even the Baja California wine country.
La Jolla
If street tacos, ceviché and margaritas aren’t quite your fancy, head north of San Diego to La Jolla, a beautiful coastal village with so much charm and character that I stopped into a local real estate office to inquire about the cost of apartments.
While in La Jolla, be sure to visit the Tony Award winning La Jolla Playhouse. During the time of my visit, they were staging a performance of The Cake, a very timely story about a lesbian couple who wish to marry in North Carolina but run into a hurdle when a local baker “politely declines” to make their cake due to religious beliefs. I won’t divulge the entire story, but if you have a chance to catch this play, it’s well worth it.
La Valencia Hotel is a great starting point for your stay in La Jolla. The historic property is centrally located in the village and has unobstructed views of the Pacific. The 90-year-old property features Mediterranean-influenced architecture, hand painted murals and Spanish mosaics. While in La Jolla, be sure to visit the dozens of art galleries and cafes throughout the village. One of my favorite galleries on the strip is Legends Gallery, which houses an incomparable collection of Dr. Seuss and Mackenzie Thorpe artwork.
If weather permits, consider renting a kayak and exploring La Jolla from the ocean. Fitness buffs will enjoy this experience as it proves to be one hell of a workout. If you are lucky, you may even get to visit one of La Jolla’s many caves and say hello to dozens of sea lions that mingle on the shoreline.
After a physically draining day, head to A.R. Valentien, located in The Lodge at Torrey Pines for a romantic sunset dinner. The food, service and, of course, the view are incredible and serve as the perfect way to bring your vacation to a close and reminisce on all the memories you’ve had during the past few days in San Diego.
