Sitting at the throne of the San Jacinto Mountains, Palm Springs proudly wears its crown as the ultimate destination for queer luxury vacation and leisure.
However, unlike other affluent hotspots, Palm Springs boasts a unique origin story—it was not gentrified but founded by LGBTQ+ stardom as a comfortable escape from their closeted careers.
The liberal resort town welcomes all, celebrating sexuality and diversity, but unapologetically caters to the discerning tastes and pockets of the wealthy and elite. Let’s sashay away into the historic glamour and secrecy of ‘Hollywood’s Waiting Room for Heaven.’
Palm Springs is the modern pinnacle of queer luxury
You might not consider the desert a desirable reprieve, but Palm Springs’ tourists and residents will tell you otherwise. It’s a tale as old as time: If you build it fabulous, the gays shall come.
Palm Springs never loses its charm, unlike many resort towns that fade into oblivion during the off-season. LGBTQ+ travelers, retirees, and Los Angelinos flock here because its warm climate and indulgent habitability don’t go out of style.
The city’s proximity to Los Angeles is akin to Fire Island‘s appeal to New York during the summer—except its hot springs, stylish resorts, golf courses, and spas thrive as a permanent getaway from the metropolitan hustle and bustle.
Hollywood’s homophobia turned the city into a gay celebrity hideaway
The Golden Age of Hollywood wasn’t so glamorous for closeted actors. Studios contractually forbade them from partaking in homosexual activity, not unlike selling your soul to the devil upon getting your big break. Signed away on the dotted line.
In the early 20th century, the notorious ‘Morals Clause’ earned its name, becoming a predatory tool for studios to control actors. This contract provision granted management the authority to intrude into their personal life, specifically targeting any performer suspected of being gay.
Actors were limited in how far they could travel from Los Angeles, and it just so happened that the then-unknown Palm Springs conveniently lay at the peak of this two-hour limit. Good luck tracking someone 107 miles east!
Word got around about a city in the Sonoran Desert that offered privacy with the perks of paradise, even if it was a diamond in the rough. You didn’t need to identify as queer to desire running away from prying eyes; Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Dinah Shore, Lily Tomlin, and Elizabeth Taylor all purchased secret homes here.
For actors used to being unavoidably trailed by paparazzi and private investigators, this was like stepping into a different world.
The wealthy desert oasis gradually came to fruition and kept its popularity for its opulence and seclusion from the claws of the spotlight.
The Arenas District is the epicenter of SoCal queerness
Palm Springs is more important than a proverbial mecca; it’s a real-life queer civilization. For starters – with nearly 50,000 residents and half who identify as LGBTQ+ – you will find the town is not just gay-friendly but came out of the closet long ago; a large portion of residents retired yet still werk.
Seriously! Palm Springs was the first city to elect an all-LGBTQ+ council without anyone in the town batting an eye. Anywhere else in America, that would’ve been considered a revolution. But here, council members said they were more concerned with addressing issues like roads and homelessness than the bedmates of those who govern.
Of course, if you want to be specific, the Arenas District of Palm Springs is considered the center of gay culture. Get ready for more LGBTQ+ hotels, bars, dining, pools, shopping, and relaxation than you can handle.
You’ll find more gay men’s resorts (clothing options) than any U.S. city. Some new ‘It Girls” on the block include Trixie Motel, Twin Palms, and Descanso Resort.
Entertainment is all around, but the cabaret bar Oscars is having a moment!
Gay celebrities still make Palm Springs their playground
Long gone are the closeted days of Hollywood being the status quo. But the current queer celebrity renaissance still favors Palm Springs as their getaway.
Trixie Mattel knows how to lure the gays to her bougie barn
Fire Island star Nick Adam proves diversity in gay resort towns is the spice of life
When Bianca del Rio is not getting checks, Roy Haylock is spending them
Jonathan Bennett looks sexy with his hair pushed back… in Palm Springs
Get in, queers! We’re going to the hottest parties in Palm Springs
Don’t let the ‘gays of leisure’ vibes fool you – come sundown, the fun begins. In fact, the city hosts some of the most sought-after parties of the year, obviously the most popular being Palm Springs Pride in November. Get your rainbows and credit cards out, hon.
Other notable events include:
Palm Springs White Party: Taking place in May, the iconic desert festival is a jam-packed weekend of shirtless dance parties. Put it at the top of your list if you’re looking for the who’s who of circuit queens.
Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend: September is for queer women, and this 5-day festival brings femme fatale to another level of fun.
Palm Springs International Film Festival: Palm Springs is so beloved by celebrities that they brought their work here. The A-listers frequent this festival, and it has debuted a long list of award-winning films.
Heaven can wait! Live it up in Palm Springs
As they say in Hollywood, mind your business! Or is it do it for the gram?
You can do both in Palm Springs, where queer excellence merges with unabashed indulgence. Despite its mainstream visibility, the city’s vibrant evolution has kept it a staple of gay culture for celebrities and regular folks.
No matter where in the world, gays work hard for their careers and survival. It’s encouraging to know utopias like this exist, where equality and success flourish, so all you have to focus on is having a good time.
Don’t worry, darling; the best things in life are free! But subscribe to the Queerty newsletter to experience it all – on us.
correctio
at this point I am basically fine with using “queer” instead of “gay” in most instances, but Palm Springs is not one of those. Palm Springs is GAY, it’s a mecca for GAY MEN. It’s the epicenter of SoCal GAYNESS.
S.anderson
I’m all for historical accuracy. The founders of Palm Springs were most certainly acquainted with the word ‘Queer’ as a slur which they hated. ‘Queer’ remains a slur word for hundreds of millions of LGBT folk who didn’t agree to be assigned this label. Who have pointedly asked not to be assigned this label. Who have been laughed at scornfully by The Best People(TM) who shrug off the obvious hypocrisy of it all.
abfab
You two (the same person) have some sort of blockage (a stick up your ass). Historical accuracy is not your forte so stay away from trying to look smart. And yes, there were Queer Native Tribal People. Lots of them. Open a book at least try wiki.
The first humans to settle in the area were the Cahuilla people, who arrived 2,000 years ago.[9][10][11] Cahuilla Indians lived here in isolation from other cultures for hundreds of years prior to European contact.[12] They spoke Ivilyuat, which is a Uto-Aztecan language.[13]
Numerous prominent and powerful Cahuilla leaders were from the area, including Cahuilla Lion (Chief Juan Antonio).[14] While Palm Canyon was occupied during the winter months, they often moved to cooler Chino Canyon during the summer months.[15]
S.anderson
@abfab: PROVE that the Cahulia People had members who used the modern slur label “queer” or any other slur word which means something like “strange, odd, peculiar or eccentric”.
Back to troll school for you in a week or so.
dbmcvey
So lesbians don’t exist in your world.
abfab
No correctiosanderson. I do not toss my pearls before swine. Do your own research.
still_onthemark
I suggest going to the Cahuilla Casino (52702 Highway 271 in Anza, Calif.) and asking to talk with any queer Cahuillas there.
abfab
GAYNESS
LAGuy
As PS becomes more and more expensive…I’ve noticed a lot of retired gay men overflowing into Tucson. And even more are headed to a small victorian town south of Tucson called Bisbee, AZ. They have some of the best Pride events.
abfab
If you enjoy hob-nobbing with Karin Lake and the other republican bitches. No thanks. No water.
dbmcvey
Lucky Tucson and Bisbee.
abfab
See the AZ home of Linda Rondstat in AD. Wow. It is an amazing part of the world, which we raped and pillaged and made promises.
Now it’s filled with the Ladies Of The Red Hat Society. Careful boys.
Rikki Roze
Tucson is a cowboy town with too many pickup trucks and American flags flying everywhere. You could spend a week here without ever seeing anything that would make you think that there is any gay presence at all. It’s boring. Bisbee may have been popular for awhile in the 1970s but now is an ugly, dried up heap of mostly closed store fronts and art galleries. The mining industry ruined any beauty that may have at one time been there. The entire 2023 Pride parade lasted approximately 15 minutes with the most activity and excitement being created by a small group of christians carrying banners with antigay quotes from the bible.
abfab
PS is WONDERFUL to visit but I woudn’t want to ……….. I need WATER.
FRE0
Water? No problem. In my neighborhood here in Palm Springs, practically every house has a private swimming pool, including mine. Also, most of our back yards are totally private. If you need a really huge pool, you’d be happy with the city pool. It is so big that lap lanes go across the pool. When my brother visited he used the city pool to swim laps for 3/4 mile.
Mister P
To sum it up. Palm Springs: More than just a bunch of queers.
abfab
Old Blue Eyes.
Fahd
Mid August is a funny time of year to highlight Palm Springs. The daily maximum temperatures in Palm Springs this week will range between 110 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit (43 to 45 degrees Celcius). It´s really, really hot in Palm Springs between Easter (mid April) and Columbus Day (mid October).
Gay friendly for older, especially retired gay men, no doubt, if that´s your type, and the lesbian community loves Dinah Shore events, but adjoining communities where you´ll find Gerald Ford Boulevard, for example, can be tediously Republican. Also there´s so many hetero baby boomer retired couples from the U.S. and Canada at winter events like the Film Festival that there´s nothing particularly ¨queer¨about any of those events anymore.
Imo, I´d keep Palm Springs in the rotation (circuit), but a special trip at the wrong time of year can be disappointing.
mz.sam
So true. Going to PS during these summer months is like taking the first flight to Maui now just to visit the famous historic banyan tree currently standing.
abfab
Joshua Tree National Park. Picture it. The end of the White Party week. Circuit Queens navigating the terrain and rocky trails.
Thank you (?) Bono/U2.
1898
“You didn’t need to identify as queer to desire running away from prying eyes; Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Dinah Shore, Lily Tomlin, and Elizabeth Taylor all purchased secret homes here.”
did you guys already forget that Lily Tomlin is a lesbian?
S.anderson
Also, those Hollywood gay men and lesbians didn’t “identify as queer”. That language is revisionism.
Man About Town
I think the author knows about Lily and that his point was to highlight the inclusiveness and diversity of the public figures who spend or spent time there.
abfab
Lily is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Diplomat
To call oneself queer is nothing short of self loathing. You can’t transform dog shit into candy. Once a word is trashed, that’s it.
Thank the Ts for that huge mistake they laid on us to bother with, as if they aren’t enough.
abfab
You can’t transform dog shit into candy. You’ve tried, we get it. You always paint such pretty pictures with your choice of lower class words.
Who should we thank for laying you on us?
If anyone around here is Queer, it’s little old you, the angry diplomat.
S.anderson
@Diplomat: if an individual or group feel that they embody the slur label “queer” and wish to identify as that, good for them. If an individual or group decides to appropriate all LGBT people, past and present under their new slur label, then that’s going to be a problem with those who do not accept the slur label, most of whom were offered no choice. Especially with those who fought against being labeled such slurs AND clearly tell this spiffy new clan to stop assigning the slur label upon them. Then there is the issue of this spiffy new clan making sport out of poking the nonbelievers with sticks and then narrating their reactions as various kinds of “self loathing”.
abfab
@shaversandersoncorrectiodiplomat, etc GOPTROLLS
”most of whom were offered no choice”. I suppose you’d like your choices handed to you on a silver platter.
Remain uptight and dreadful to be around. Oh boo hoo, I’m the poor sad victim here! Get lost, queers.
dbmcvey
Being a gay conservative is nothing short of self loathing.
Diplomat
Abcess the straight homophobia,
Says the self loathing rage entrapped str8 boy with tits and testes running through women’s showers. You collected the word queer for yourselves and infected the gay community with it. No one wants your bs or your type for that matter. You’re the queerest things on earth, no question. Bummer you Ts are losing your psycho battle.
But seriously Abless, an A cup?
abfab
Call 911. Tits an testes…beautiful. Check yourself in diplomat…….they may have a room for you……..your very own room.
abfab
Now.
Back to Palm Springs!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s a Mid-Century Design MECCA! Incredible style. GO!
Diplomat
You’re not welcome in PS. You’re anti gay. The gays don’t like you psycho angry str8 boy. Live with it.
abfab
You’ve never been there, Diplomat. You couldn’t afford it.
LifeinShaw
Palm Springs is so overrated. If it were on the ocean, I’d be all for it. But going to spend time the in desert is not for me. I’ve been one time and it was lovely. Cool houses and beautiful mountains.
Diplomat
It’s awesome in the winter. But I think a big draw is the night life. If that’s not your gig etc.
abfab
You think the big draw is the nightlife. So convincing.
toddlicious
I was in PS for my birthday in March for the first time and I found it fairly unwelcoming and weird. I was ready for a super gay weekend that would be easy to navigate but it was kinda lame and no one talked to the guy from out of town. When I tried to engage I got so much attitude I just stopped trying to meet people.
Rikki Roze
Can anyone comment on what life is like in PS for elderly gays who are not interested in the bar/party scene, drag brunches and clothing optional poolside parties? I’ve considered moving there for several years now but its image of a year round party town scares me. Is there any cultural or other reasons for a non-party older gay guy to move there? Please advise…..
Rikki Roze
No one responded to my request for non-party PS scene info so I guess it’s only attraction is the gay bar and club scene.
ridgelineranger
I have vacationed in Palm Springs many times over the years, and I always found fun and interesting (non sexual) things to do there, that’s not to say I was always an angel. I’ll be 67 this nov. so I presume I am in the same age group as you. I have many interests, hiking, there are many trails with various skill levels. Museums, art, history and aviation. Shopping of all sorts for any taste. The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert is a wonderful resource for finding activities and meeting like minded people. Check out their site, at a glance this month they are offering yoga classes, learning the guitar, and healthy shopping and eating lectures. And last, just because one lives in Palm Springs doesn’t mean you are trapped there, there is a wealth of people and activities just a short car drive away. Were it not for family obligations, I would have moved there years ago.
rand503
Last time I was in PS, a friend of mine took me bar hopping. What a let down! It used to be active, fun and loaded with gay men of all sorts. Now it’s just sort of sad. Most of the bars have closed up, and even on a weekend, they were rather empty.
I guess I’m not invited to the parties?
abfab
But wait! How can that be? According to Diplomat..”it’s a mecca for GAY MEN. It’s the epicenter of SoCal GAYNESS.”
GAYNESS? Another new word, oh god. The GOPTROLL drama queen has never been there. You can tell.
correctio
diplomat didn’t say gayness, I did. stop huffing glue, you know wayyyy too much about conservative media
Diplomat
Rand,
PS isn’t for everyone depending on time of year. Having lived there year round I wouldn’t do it again. It’s much a town for elderly snow birds Oct thru March. The summer i was there the temp hit 123. And the hot talent only flies through on the weekends in winter Weho etc. The local talent has always been slim. Summers it’s a Ghost town. But it bustles in winter. Hunters, Streetcar, Lulu’s, Warm Sands sex clubs galore etc, very hot.
abfab
It’s much a town for elderly snow birds Oct thru March.
Not true.
Diplomat
Rand,
This is a very lonely confused trans dude (a straight male) with rage issues who can’t get any attention bc gays can’t stand his vile rhetoric he spews. Just ignore him.
abfab
Yes George Santos.
modcityman
My husband and I have loved living in Palm Springs for the past 6 years – there is no gayer place, with something for every type of queer.
Check out my popular queer-made, very professional, Palm Springs-centric Midcentury art;
@mod.city.gallery