Palm springs lgbtq and trump
‘We’re not going back’: Queer community, allies march for justice, equality
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Members of the Palm Springs Gay community and its allies gathered Friday night in front of Hunters, the historic nightclub in the Arenas District, for a peaceful demonstration before marching to the Marilyn Monroe statue.
The event was organized by Pride Under the Pines, the group behind the popular annual Diverse festival in Idyllwild. The goal was to request justice, equality, and respect for the LGBTQ+ people under the new Trump Administration.
“We all kind of thought in the past couple years that we were all safe and we were heading in a good place, and unfortunately, everything is going backwards,” said Pride Under the Pines co-founder Jeremy Taylor. “We need to let our voices be heard.”
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Chants of “We’re not going back” and “Love is love” echoed through the Arenas District as demonstrators, dressed in rainbow capes and solidarity-themed shirts, held signs reading “Human rights for all” and “We will not be erased.”
Among them were Taylor’s mother, Lisa Moulton, 62, and her partner, Mimi Neilson, 70 — both no
With election close, politics mixes with the personal at Greater Palm Springs Celebration Parade
Parades and politics are often inextricably linked, and that was certainly the case during the Greater Palm Springs Pride March on Sunday.
Candidates for both local and national office attended, hoping their public presence at the event that attracts thousands would persuade some voters to their side. This year, however, politics loomed over the proceedings, with the election two days away and a showdown between former President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris on the ballot.
"Pride is a political activity, so the parade itself is an opportunity for folks to celebrate who want to celebrate. And it’s the opportunity for folks to raise awareness on the issues that are vital to them," said Greater Palm Springs Pride President and CEO and Palm Springs Councilmember Ron deHarte.
"People look at Pride weekend as a big celebration, but it is an act of social justice," he added. "It’s an act of political advocacy, with the LGBTQ people and their allies coming out and showing the impact that the LGBTQ community has in Palm Springs. It really demonstrates the scope and the depth
Palm Springs’ Congressman in Crosshairs as GOP Nixes Gay Funding
Rep. Ken Calvert‘s California district was redrawn at the launch of the decade to include Palm Springs, a desert oasis that’s a magnet for celebrities, golf players, retirees — and a large gay community.
The addition of the liberal resort has become a political headache these days for the conservative Republican lawmaker whose party is increasingly targeting transgender and gay rights.
This summer Calvert joined other GOP appropriators in rejecting funding for three LGBTQ centers that had been tucked into annual spending bills and adding a provision that would safeguard people with a “sincerely held religious belief” opposing gay marriage.
Such moves are being pushed by social conservatives emboldened by recent Supreme Court rulings and GOP presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has made opposite “woke culture” a central campaign theme. The rightward tilt on these hot-button issue poses risks to those in the party such as Calvert who represent swing districts that include voters uneasy with attacks on same-sex marriage and other LGBTQ rights.
“In Palm Springs, I don’t grasp how he
Can Trumpian lawmaker rep LGBTQ haven of Palm Springs?
After the once-every-decade redistricting process shook up California’s political boundaries, Palm Springs, a capital known for entity a LGBTQ haven, will be represented by a member of Congress who has previously voted against same-sex marriage.
Some members of the desert oasis people, like Palm Springs Mayor Lisa Middleton, are worried about the change.
“I'm always anxious to function with my friends in Western Riverside County, but the Coachella Valley has a specific identity,” says Middleton, who is California’s first transgender mayor.
Palm Springs has had a storied LGBTQ legacy for decades. According to Middleton, the LGBTQ community has grown particularly immense since the 1980s when many HIV-positive gay men moved into the region. In 2017, the city elected the nation’s first entirely LGBTQ City Council.
“In Palm Springs, [we get] over 5.5 million visitors per year, and the LGBTQ market is an incredibly crucial part of our brand,” explains Middleton.
Palm Springs once belonged to the reliably Democratic 36th congressional district. However, under the new finalized maps, it unified the largely conservative 41st dist
Police chief addresses rise in LGBTQ+ hate crime reports at commission meeting
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With pride flags vandalized and a transgender woman assaulted, Palm Springs residents are concerned about the grow in tensions since the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
To address these concerns, Palm Springs Police Principal Andy Mills attended Monday evening’s Human Rights Commission meeting to reassure commissioners of his department’s promise to all residents.
Less than two months into the year, Mills said his department is already handling two possible hate crime cases. The first resulted in the arrest of three people from Recent York for suspicion of battery and a detest crime after they allegedly assaulted and used disparaging language toward a trans woman earlier this month.
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The second, the vandalism of pride flags outside The Palm Springs Cultural Center, has not yet resulted in an arrest.
Counting those two incidents, the total number of reported dislike crimes against LGBTQ+ people in the city since the start of 2023 stands at nine. In 2023, there were two hate crimes motivated against LGBTQ+ people, and last ye