Contents:
THE DAH WAS KNOWN AS ‘THE BIGGT LBIAN PARTY THE WORLD.’ HERE’S WHAT ’S LIKE 30 YEARS ON. THE FIVE-DAY EVENT CALIFORNIA — FILLED WH MIC, EDY AND POOL PARTI — HAS CHANGED WH THE TIM THE DAH 2009 PALM SPRGS, CALIF. () SHANNON CARL SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 IN 1991, MARIAH HANSON THREW HER FIRST DAH PARTY AT THE PALM SPRGS ART MM CALIFORNIA, WHICH, BY HER OWN ACUNT, WAS A DISASTER. THE PARTY WAS TEND FOR THE QUEER WOMEN ATTENDG THE NEARBY DAH SHORE NABIS CLASSIC, A WOMEN’S GOLF TOURNAMENT FOUND BY SGER DAH SHORE THE LATE 1970S THAT HISTORILLY ATTRACTED CROWDS OF LGBTQ WOMEN. (SHORE, WHO DIED 1994, REPORTEDLY NIED MORS THAT SHE WAS A LBIAN.) THERE HAD BEEN DAH SHORE WEEKEND PARTI GOG ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE LATE 1980S, BUT A LATER THEY WERE STILL THE SEMAL STAGE. HANSON, THEN A 31-YEAR-OLD RISG PROMOTER, SAW AN OPPORTUNY TO “BRG SOME HEART AND SOUL” TO THE TOURNAMENT’S UNOFFICIAL PARTY SCENE. HOWEVER, DUE TO A LACK OF SECURY AND THE OVERSERVG OF ALHOL, HER FIRST EVENT QUICKLY TURNED BACCHANALIAN, SHE SAID. SOME ATTENDANCE WERE DANCG TOPLS ON THE MM’S ROOF, WHILE OTHERS WERE UGHT PUTTG CIGARETT OUT SAND SCULPTUR, HANSON TOLD THE LILY OVER THE PHONE. “ANOTHER STOLE THE WBOY HAT OFF A PRICELS STATUE,” SHE SAID. (“ATTEN DID URATE A HAT OM A SCULPTURE,” DEBRA PRTON, THE MM’S CURRENT VICE PRINT, WHO WAS S EVENTS MANAGER 1991, NFIRMED AN EMAIL. “OF URSE, WE HAD CLEANED.”) [ HOW THREE WOMEN EXPERIENCED WOODSTOCK 1969: A RICKETY STAGE, JIMI HENDRIX AND A PSYCHELIC B] DPE S LS THAN SPIC START — HANSON WAS NOT VED BACK TO THE MM THE NEXT YEAR — THE DAH HAS BEE KNOWN LLOQUIALLY AS “THE BIGGT LBIAN PARTY THE WORLD” BY EVERYONE OM THE LOS ANGEL TIM TO VICE. IT BEME SO BIG THAT, 2000, THE GOLF TOURNAMENT DROPPED THE NAME “DAH SHORE” AS A WAY OF DISTANCG SELF OM THE ANNUAL GATHERG HELD LATE MARCH OR EARLY APRIL, WHICH THROUGHOUT THE S WAS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS “LBIAN SPRG BREAK,” MOST NOTABLY BY THE NEW YORK TIM 2007. THIRTY YEARS LATER, HANSON FDS THE SENSATNAL NICKNAME TOO LIMG FOR THE GATHERG, WHICH, THIS YEAR, WILL BE HELD VENU ACROSS PALM SPRGS OM SEPT. 29 TO OCT. 2 WH CREASED HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOLS DUE TO THE RONAVIS PANMIC. THE FIVE-DAY EVENT, FILLED WH MIC, DANCG, EDY, DJ BATTL AND POOL PARTI, NOW MARKETS SELF AS “THE LARGT QUEER/LBIAN/NONBARY EVENT THE WORLD” BEE “’S BIGGER THAN JT A PARTY,” HANSON SAID. “IT’S AN OPPORTUNY FOR OUR ENTIRE MUNY TO E TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE A PEACEFUL, LOVG AND CELEBRATORY WAY.” THOSE WHO HAVE TREKKED TO THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SERT FOR THE DAH, WHICH AVERAG MORE THAN 15,000 ATTEN OM ALL OVER THE WORLD PER YEAR, ACRDG TO HANSON, AGREE THAT THERE IS MORE TO THE FTIVAL THAN S MARKETG MIGHT LET ON. THE DAH MIC FTIVAL PALM SPRGS, CALIF., 2017. () MEG TEN EYCK, EDOR OF EVERYQUEER, A WEBSE THAT OFFERS TRAVEL ROURC FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY, NSIRS THE GATHERG A “RE OF PASSAGE” FOR QUEER WOMEN. THE DAH IS “VERY MUCH PATED AS THIS WILD SEX-FILLED LBIAN SPRG BREAK,” SHE SAID, BUT THAT IS CLICKBA HER OPN. WHILE SHE BELIEV “WE SHOULDN’T TAKE THE SEX OUT OF SEXUALY,” SHE SAID WHAT STANDS OUT TO HER ABOUT THE DAH ISN’T THE POOL PARTI, BUT THE MUNY. THE 34-YEAR-OLD ATTEND THE DAH EVERY YEAR BETWEEN 2010 AND 2019, SHE SAID. WHEN SHE FIRST STARTED GOG, THE CROWD SKEWED HEAVILY WHE AND LBIAN DUE LARGELY, SHE BELIEV, TO THE POPULARY OF THE TV SHOW “THE L WORD.” THE GROUNDBREAKG SHOWTIME SERI DITED AN ENTIRE EPISO TO THE DAH, WHICH “FURTHER RERCED THIS IA THAT THERE’S A PLACE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ,” EYCK SAID. IN RECENT YEARS, THE NEW YORK-BASED TRAVEL NSULTANT HAS SEEN MORE QUEER WOMEN OF LOR, AND TRANSGENR AND NONBARY PEOPLE THE CROWD. SHE BELIEV THE CHANGE IS LARGELY DUE TO A MORE ACCEPTG QUEER GEN Z MUNY; A RECENT GALLUP POLL THAT FOUND 1 6 GEN Z ADULTS INTIFY AS LGBTQ. SHE ALSO ATTRIBUT THAT DIVERSIFITN TO “A LOT OF WELL-MEANG LIBERAL WHE QUEER WOMEN WHO LOOKED AROUND AND SAID, ‘WOW, THIS ISN’T THE BASTN OF EQUALY WE WANT TO BE.’” FOR EYCK, THE NSTANTLY CHANGG DAH IS A LIVG, BREATHG ARTIFACT THAT N BE “REALLY FORMATIVE A PERSON’S VIEW OF OUR MUNY AND WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE’RE ABOUT AS PEOPLE.” IT’S ALSO THE RARE QUEER WOMEN SPACE “THAT IS PLETELY MA FOR AND BY AND EXCLIVE TO ,” SHE SAID, THAT HAS “A MUCH BIGGER CULTURAL IMPACT THAN JT THAT WEEKEND.” ALICE Y. HOM, THE HOST AND PRODUCER OF THE UPG PODST “HISTORILLY QUEER,” QUTNS THE DAH’S MMENT TO DIVERSY AND CLN. “THEY’RE SAYG, ‘WE’RE OPEN TO GENR NONNFORMY, NONBARY, ALL QUEER WOMEN,’ BUT ARE THEY TRYG TO GET POLICIANS TO CHANGE THEIR MDS?” THEY ASKED. THE OAKLAND, CALIF.-BASED MUNY HISTORIAN, WHO HAS NEVER ATTEND THE DAH, DON’T BELIEVE THE EVENT IS TRYG TO MAKE ANY REAL POLIL CHANGE. WHILE IS A SPACE FOR LBIANS AND QUEER WOMEN, HOM, WHO INTIFI AS A QUEER PERSON OF LOR, ARGUED THAT THE DAH IS NOT “CHANGG THE DYNAMICS” OF THE EVENT TO MAKE MORE EQUABLE FOR EVERYONE THE QUEER MUNY. “THEY’RE JT FOLLOWG A VERY PALISTIC LE OF WORK.” IN RECENT YEARS, THE DAH HAS BEE MORE CLIVE S LANGUAGE AND MSAGG, ACRDG TO HANSON. OVER THE PAST , THE EVENT HAS ALSO PARTNERED WH CHARABLE ANIZATNS THAT ADVOTE FOR LGBTQ , CLUDG GLAAD, EQUALY CALIFORNIA AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN. SHE SAID SHE WAS “SENSIVE TO THE RPONSIBILY THAT I HAVE TO OUR MUNY” TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE ATTEN N “LIVE OUT LOUD AND PROUDLY.” THE DAH 2009. () TAI BELL-ROTHWELL SAID SHE FELT “LIBERATED AND EE” THE FIRST TIME SHE ATTEND THE DAH 2013, LS THAN A YEAR AFTER SHE HAD GOTTEN OUT OF THE ARY. SHE HAD SERVED THE AIR FORCE FOR SIX YEARS, OM 2006 TO 2012, MOST OF WHICH WAS UNR “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL,” A CLTON-ERA POLICY THAT, BEFORE S REPEAL 2010, PREVENTED GAY ARMED SERVICE MEMBERS OM SERVG OPENLY. THE DAH WAS THE FIRST LGBTQ EVENT SHE ATTEND AS A CIVILIAN, SHE SAID: “I JT HAD AN AMAZG TIME BEG ME.” THAT SAME YEAR, BELL-ROTHWELL MET HER NOW WIFE, PAIGE BETH-ROTHWELL, AT THE DAH. PAIGE HAD PREVLY ATTEND PRI PARTI NEW YORK, BUT HER FIRST TRIP TO THE DAH FELT LIKE AN “OPPORTUNY TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE LIKE .” THE BLACK LBIAN UPLE, WHO CHRONICLE THEIR LIV RAISG TWO CHILDREN ON THEIR LIFE WH MAMAUX INSTAGRAM ACUNT, OFTEN FEEL LIKE OUTSIRS WHEN THEY TRAVEL. HOWEVER, THE DAH “BRGS WOMEN OM ALL WALKS OF LIFE,” PAIGE SAID. “IT MAK YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A PART OF SOMETHG BIG.” THE L.A.-BASED UPLE HAS RETURNED TO THE EVENT TWICE SCE 2013, BUT THAT FIRST YEAR HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE TAI’S HEART. “IT WAS LIKE HEAVEN,” SHE SAID. “I’LL NEVER FET THAT FEELG, WAS THE MOST FUN I’VE EVER HAD.” WHILE MAY BE A LIFE-CHANGG EVENT FOR SOME, ’S LONG BEEN MARKETED AS A MIC FTIVAL. HANSON, WHO DO ALL THE BOOKG HERSELF, HAS EARNED A REPUTATN FOR GETTG UP-AND-G ARTISTS RIGHT BEFORE THEY H BIG. PAST HEADLERS CLU LIZZO, KHA, LADY GAGA AND KATY PERRY, WHO ED A STIR WHEN SHE HEADLED 2009, THE SAME YEAR GAGA PERFORMED. [ MIC FTIVALS HAVE A GENR PROBLEM. SO THE IENDS PLOTTED TO FIX .] SOME DAH FANS WERE UPSET BY PERRY’S 2008 SGLE “I KISSED A GIRL,” WHICH THEY SAW AS A QUEERBAG H OM A STRAIGHT SGER. “A FEW WANTED TO BURN ME EFFIGY,” HANSON SAID OF THE BOOKG THAT LED SOME TO BOYTT THAT YEAR’S PARTY, WHICH, SHE CLAIMS, IS ONE OF THE BIGGT SHE EVER THREW. (THE BIGGT DAH, TERMS OF TICKET SAL, WAS 2014 WHEN THE LP CLUD TEGAN AND SARA, MARY LAMBERT, EVE AND A THEN-UNKNOWN IGGY AZALEA, HANSON SAID.) IN RECENT YEARS, THE LPS HAVE SEEN AN CREASE PERFORMERS WHO ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ MUNY. THIS YEAR’S LP CLUS BISEXUAL RAPPER YUNG BABY TATE, THE QUEER POP VOL VER GROUP BOI BAND, AND NONBARY SGER AND DANCER KAT CUNNG, WHO SE THEIR BOOKG AS A STEP FORWARD FOR THE FEMALE-CENTERED FTIVAL. THE EVENT IS A “CELEBRATN OF WHATEVER WE NSIR AND VALUE BEG FEME,” CUNNG SAID. “AS LONG AS EVERYONE THERE IS SUPPORT OF AND GIVG SPOTLIGHT TO THAT, I THK ’S REALLY EXCG TO EVOLVE WHAT KD OF EXPRSNS YOU WELE.” THE DAH’S WEBSE STAT THAT TRANS PEOPLE ARE WELE AT THE EVENT. ADDG THIS RMATN TO THE FTIVAL’S F.A.Q. PAGE GOT SOME PARTYGOERS UPSET; THEY FELT SHOULD GO WHOUT SAYG. HOWEVER, HANSON SAID, SHE HAD HEARD OM TRANS WOMEN AND MEN WHO WERE UNSURE OF THE DAH’S STANCE. THE GATHERG, WHICH WAS ORIGALLY BILLED AS AN ALL-FEMALE EVENT, “WEL ANYONE WHO INTIFI WH BEG FEMALE AND THEIR IENDS,” SHE CLARIFIED. “IT’S NEVER BEEN AN ALL-WOMEN EVENT, AND NEVER WILL BE.” FOR EYCK, THE EVERYQUEER EDOR, THE DAH IS A RARE SPACE THAT CELEBRAT QUEER WOMANHOOD ALL S VARIATNS. SHE SUGGTED THAT THOSE THE LGBTQ MUNY WHO ARE APPREHENSIVE ABOUT THE EVENT’S POLICS OR MSAGG CHECK OUT FOR THEMSELV — WHILE THEY STILL N. “THE ENERGY OF A SPACE THAT IS ALL QUEER WOMEN IS SO TRANSFORMATIVE,” SHE SAID. “TO BEAR WNS IS IMPORTANT BEE EVENTS LIKE DAH WILL NOT LAST. THE MORE WE ARE ACCEPTED BY SOCIETY, THE LS SPAC THERE WILL BE FOR JT .” SHANNON CARL SHANNON CARL IS A EELANCE REPORTER WHO LIV BROOKLYN. REMEND BY THE LILY POLICS FOR THIS 24-YEAR-OLD, FIGHTG FOR PALTIAN RIGHTS IS ‘THE MOST RE PART OF MY INTY’
It’s an important piece of our gay culture now.