Friday, April 3, 2009

Palm Springs California Hosts The Largest Lesbian Event In The World

Yesterday marked the first full day of Dinah Shore Weekend (April 2-6), where the wild women roam.
The event is a series of parties, concerts and brunches held during the Kraft Nabisco Championship golf tournament, which was once named after the late entertainer and desert resident Dinah Shore.

The party began 1991 as a modest, grassroots event. It has since grown into the largest lesbian gathering in the world. More than 15,000 women from around the globe are expected to attend this year's festivities. Revelers include fashionable power lesbians, scantily clad go-go dancers, A-list celebrities and scores of corporate sponsors.

“This weekend means so much to my community,” says Mariah Hanson, Club Skirts party promoter. “It's a beautiful and organic celebration of our lives. We're making a powerful statement just by getting together.”

For 14 years, Hanson worked with Sandy Sachs and Robin Gans of Girl Bar Inc. to produce the annual Dinah events. The trio split in 2005.
Since then, there have been two sets of Dinah parties — Club Skirts and Girl Bar — for double the fun.

Recession revelry

The economy is this year's uninvited guest, says Gans, Girl Bar's promoter.
“I'm not going to lie. It's made things tough this year,” she says. “It's obviously something that affected every one of us, and so it's affected every part of the planning.”

To combat the recession, Gans and partner Sachs pulled in the reins. They reduced ticket prices, created special package deals and chose more intimate venues.
“Our weekend has always been about the girls, and that's our top priority,” Gans says. “Everything else is icing.”

DINAH IN COLOR

Partners Gail P. Christian and
Lucy A. Debardelaben host "Dinah In Color" which focuses on providing women of color (particulary African American women) with events that cater to their taste.

As an alternative to the traditional Dinah circuit, Christian and her partner, Lucy Debardelaben, started their own parties six years ago and promoted them on their Web site, LucyandGail.com.

The first year was a simple gathering at their house, a place for lesbians of color to relax and hang out. It has since expanded to seven events at three venues, with 500 to 600 women expected to attend this weekend.

Their events include a jazz brunch, a blues barbecue, Korean drummers, Hawaiian dancers and readings by African-American writers.
It attracts a diverse crowd of younger and older lesbians representing many different ethnic groups.

Christian and Debardelaben hope to expand their "Dinah in Color" offerings next year to include theater, seminars and panel discussions.
"We can't out-party the big promoters. Instead, we see our Dinah Shore going in the direction of an arts and cultural festival," Christian said. "We want to have a party with a purpose."

Have fun ladies and fellas...see you at Blatino Oasis in Palm Springs, California in May 8-11.
Joe

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

does mariah do barbque or just chorizo?she is such a priss and wont speak about gspot days, really old sanfrancisco days!where is she?running adrift about femmes who do not meet her so called "profile"?where in the ^^%$*(^%&*%*is mariah?