I remember the first time I went to the Chute. I had just come out about twenty minutes earlier, and...well, let me back up.
I've always been a planner. I'm sure I could fill a bus with people, friends, former employers, coworkers who could vouch for how important it is to me that as much groundwork be in place as possible before I take any significant chances.
So I came out in 1997 (yes, it's been ten years now) and so much preparation went into making that announcement that, in some respects, and to a few people, it wasn't much of an announcement. In fact, I have an old friend named Mary Beth, who I've since lost touch with, and to her I fully morphed from this closeted acquaintance when we met into a full-on queer a few years later when she moved away. It all happened so slowly, seemingly methodically, and she was present for it all, that I think formally "coming out" to her somehow didn't have to happen.
I had read a few issues of the Advocate and Out, along with Andrew Sullivan's still brilliant book "Love Undetectable" and Michelangelo Signorile's "Life Outside." I'd come to fully, comfortably define myself, but I still didn't know any other gay people.
That's not quite true. I didn't know any gay people at Belmont, where I was a student (we were all closeted during our Belmont years back then, remember), but I did know a couple gays at the restaurant where I worked part-time (of course, I did).
Trouble was: they weren't the kind of gay I had fancied myself to be. In fact, I look back now and realize how much an idealist I was back then. I didn't want to associate with the waitin'-tables, goin'-to-the-bars, Jack-McFarland gays. I styled myself as one of the fully integrated, anti-ghetto, buttoned-up, we're-just-like-you, Will-Truman gays.
I suppose (I say this now to conserve my ego) that's how many of us start out when we come out, convincing ourselves its most important to know and be prepared to explain ourselves to all these straight friends and relatives who may or may not want to comprehend our newly uncovered identity.
Anyway, I suppose it was a Friday or Saturday and I had nothing else planned so I found my way to OutLoud!, which was almost brand new back then. Remember the very first OutLoud! store, one block over from where it is now, just past 18th Avenue on Church Street, right where that Indian restaurant is now, with those two tiny little parking spaces out front?
I remember that I was just so out-and-proud of myself that I didn't hesitate to take one of those spaces right out front (funny, I know, yet to this day--or, at least up until I moved away a couple months ago--it was still fairly routine for someone to park one or two blocks away and walk the distance, all the while passing who-knows-how-many empty spaces in front of the gay store, and the gay bar, and the other gay bar).
Once in the store I found a copy of Xenogeny, or was it Query? I dunno. Remember Query? (For that matter: remember Xenogeny?). Always with the bar listings, and the advertisements of all sizes with the smiling, sometimes devastatingly attractive people, imbibing and ... well, gaily enjoying themselves, or so we were led to believe (even at the slummy bars). Never a mistake, though, the Chute was on the back page, selling to us its six bars, its show lineup, its drink specials.
I know that first time I visited the Chute that it wasn't bear night or leather night. I look back now and see it was just a regular ol' night at the gay bar. I walked in, paid my cover and what with all that idealism pent up in me for so long, I was destined to have a terrible time.
What was I looking for: love? Sex? A friend? I didn't know. These were my people, I figured, and it was time to take this next step, to engage with my people. I suppose, now when I look back, that I was likely looking (though I must have convinced myself otherwise) for all of the above.
The one vivid image to be forever locked in the vault of my memory, the one that proved (whether I was cognizant of it or not) that I wasn't gonna find love, sex, or a friend that night was the vision of this older man who was just off-his-ass drunk. Practically off-his-barstool drunk. I'm talking dah-ruuunk. I knew he wasn't my people.
I didn't even make it back to the show bar when I knew it was time to go home.
It took more time, and a lot more relaxing of my idealism, my expectations of myself and to understand that an acknowledged identity doesn't demand that I "represent" that identity to everyone the world over at all times, before I ventured out into gayland.
I suppose there are a lot of us, and I say this for the sake of my ego, who needed to learn how to just give up, and relax, before everything made sense.
Over the past few years I've come to love my visits to the Chute; now that it's gone, I suppose my memory will tell me I always loved it.
I'll miss sitting in the piano bar with a glass of wine, complaining under my breath to nobody that I seem to be the only person who enjoys a good country song, muttering quickly under my breath when the room goes silent: "play some Dwight Yoakam."
I'll miss the twenty minute eardrum-busting prelude to the show in the Rainbow Room, when it's so loud you wonder if maybe you should go back outside and risk not getting a seat by coming back in when the entire bar flocks in.
I'll miss how those shows, and some of the pageants, tended to run far too long, but for the sake of providing equal time to each performer (we're all liberal gays, right?), we all understood and just continued to sit there. Or not.
I'll miss bartender Timmy acknowledging me by name when I came in. I'll be honest now: I don't believe I hang at the bars that often so I can't say I was at the Chute all that much, yet that one gesture unfailingly assured that I'd add the Chute to my list the next time I went out.
The bad news: I won't miss the bathrooms and I won't miss that there was only one bar that accepted credit or debit cards. If those two things had been different, I guarantee you that I, at least, would've spent a lot more and pee'd a lot more.
I could tell as many stories as I want right now but the truth is I'm not of the generation that will remember the heyday of the Chute.
Find someone now in his (I dunno) mid-40s who was out in Nashville twenty-ish years ago. I guarantee he will talk your ear off about how hip, citywide, the Chute was, as well as its then neighbor the Warehouse. I've heard stories of stars, cool people across the southeast and the nation traveling here from larger, major cities to be at the Chute.
While you're at it, ask one of your older lesbian friends about the various "women's only" incarnations of that bar on 2nd Avenue where DeVil's was located before it closed. That one small building I hear is filled with just as much history and, as these years pass on, I'll bet less and less people know about it.
It's our history, so if we don't take the time to learn about it, who will?
WhistlePig and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Wind Tunnel-Trialed Whiskey Is a Ryed You Don’t Want to Miss
SHOREHAM, VT (September 13, 2023) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the leaders in independent craft whiskey, and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake are waving the checkered flag on a legend-worthy release that’s taking whiskey to G-Force levels. The Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high Rye Whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel to ensure a thrilling taste in every sip.
The third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series, the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77, and the precision of racing. Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this Rye Whiskey is finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% Rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice.
Like Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s signature C43 racing vehicles, trial barrels were tested in the team’s wind tunnel in Switzerland before hitting the track. Select barrels then endured varying levels of G-Forces at the WhistlePig farm and distillery for the finishing touch, accelerating the interaction between the whiskey and the wood, staying true to the physical nature of Formula 1.
“Partnering with WhistlePig has been a very exciting experience. Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake is dedicated to being the best on the track, and the crew at WhistlePig is fearless in their pursuit to create the best whiskey out there,” said Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s driver. “We’re really looking forward to fans tasting our custom Rye Whiskey and raising a glass to the rookies, veterans, legends and the exhilarating sport of F1.”
"Joining forces with WhistlePig to release a Single Barrel Rye Whiskey that represents my culture and team has been an honor,” said Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s driver. “Formula 1 brings together fearless, thrill-seeking motorsports professionals, and WhistlePig has a shared passion for boundary-pushing innovation. Together, we’ve selected something alarmingly good for fans to enjoy this season when the cars are not on track.”
The Limited Edition Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel will be available for purchase online starting around September 13 for $49.99 MSRP per 750ml bottle and sold in select stores across the U.S. Consumers can win VIP merchandise by scanning the QR code on the back of each bottle.
"We're taking our third Legends Series release on a ryed like never before,” said Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig Head Blender. "Our experiments with dynamic aging went full throttle during finishing trials at the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake wind tunnel, in turn inspiring new ways to expose barrels to G-forces back at the WhistlePig Farm. The herbal and floral notes of the lychee and tea barrel selected with the team create a new, podium-topping experience for PiggyBack Rye."
Fans and collectors have followed WhistlePig PiggyBack Legends Series, celebrating those who give 100% in the name of greatness, since its launch in March 2022 with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, David Ortiz (“Big Papi”), followed by Country Music Duo Brothers Osborne in November 2022.
To learn more about WhistlePig Whiskey, visit whistlepigwhiskey.com. You can also check out WhistlePig Whiskey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About WhistlePig Whiskey
Located off the grid on a 500-acre Vermont farm, WhistlePig Whiskey is crafted by a new generation of whiskey distillers and blenders driven to reinvent and unlock the flavor of Rye whiskey. Through their rebellious pursuit of experimenting and pushing boundaries in the industry, WhistlePig has become the leading independent craft whiskey brand for innovation. WhistlePig is committed to becoming the best whiskey on and for the planet, starting with its locally sourced ingredients and sustainable supply chain and distilling process. For more information, head to whistlepigwhiskey.com.
Nurse Practitioner Ari Kravitz
When I started medical transition at 20 years old, it was very difficult to get the care I needed for hormone replacement therapy because there are very few providers trained in starting hormones for trans people, even though it’s very similar to the hormones that we prescribe to women in menopause or cisgender men with low testosterone.
I hope more providers get trained in LGBTQ+ healthcare, so they can support patients along their individual gender journey, and provide the info needed to make informed decisions about their body. I’ve personally seen my trans patients find hope and experience a better quality of life through hormone replacement therapy.
If you don’t have a primary care physician who specializes in LGBTQ+ care in your community, you may need to educate yourself (and your provider). But, before you seek such therapy, here are five things you should know!
- Monitor closely. At Spectrum Medical Care Center, we screen patients for certain risks before starting anyone on hormones. We frequently monitor patients in the first year to ensure there are no adverse reactions and lab results are within safe ranges. Follow-up care is also important to assess your comfort with the transition as well as the social impact and social support you’re experiencing.
- Some changes are permanent, some temporary. For transmasculine individuals going on testosterone, they’ll experience these permanent changes: deepened voice, clitoral enlargement (also known as bottom growth), more body, facial hair, and male pattern baldness. Reversible changes include cessation of menses, increased muscle mass and strength, body fat redistribution, and skin oiliness or acne. For those going on estrogen therapy, the most permanent change is breast growth. Feminizing hormone therapy can also cause atrophy (shrinkage) of the genitals and loss of erectile function that may not be reversible. Estrogen will thin body hair, soften the skin, can increase scalp hair, and decrease muscle mass and strength, all of which are reversible.
- You can’t pick and choose results. Unfortunately, you can’t pick and choose the physical changes you want, which may feel challenging. Some of my patients will say, ‘Okay, ‘I’ve seen the permanent changes I want, and I don’t want it to go any further,’ and so at that point, we stop therapy. Low-dose hormone therapy can slow down the rate of changes, allowing for a more gradual physical transition. We counsel patients in advance about the common changes, and it’s up to the individual as to when they’d like to scale back and determine whether some benefits are worth the potential risks.
- Be aware of risks. Like any medical treatment, there are potential risks involved. Some risks with testosterone therapy include increased red blood cell mass, acne, hypertension, sleep apnea, weight gain, and dyslipidemia (increases the chance of clogged arteries). Cardiovascular disease is likely increased with additional risk factors for testosterone and estrogen therapy. Transfeminine patients going on estrogen therapy may experience weight gain, thromboembolic disease (when a blood clot breaks off and blocks another blood vessel), and a high level of triglycerides in the blood.
Descanso Resort swimming pool and lounge area
Descanso Resort, Palm Springs' premier destination for gay men, just received Tripadvisor's highest honor, a Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" award for 2023. Based on guests' reviews and ratings, fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings around the world receive the coveted "Best of the Best" designation. Descanso ranked 12th in the top 25 small inns and hotels category in the United States. Quite an accomplishment!
Open less than two years, Descanso Resort offers gay men a relaxing and luxurious boutique hotel experience just minutes away from Palm Springs' buzziest restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping. Descanso has quickly established itself as a top destination for sophisticated gay travelers, earning hundreds of 5-star guest reviews and consistently ranking in Trapadvisor's top positions alongside brother properties Santiago Resort and Twin Palms Resort.
"Our entire team is honored to be named Best of the Best. To be the only gay men's resort recognized in the Top 1% is incredibly humbling," said Kent Taylor, General Manager at Descanso. "We appreciate Tripadvisor and we're grateful to all our guests who gave us such high marks and reviews to help us reach this achievement."
“Ranking among the Best of the Best demonstrates that you have provided exemplary experiences to those who maZer most: your guests,” said John Boris, Chief Growth Officer at Tripadvisor. “With changing expectations, continued labor shortages, and rising costs, this is no easy feat, and I am con6nually impressed with the hospitality industry’s resilience and ability to adapt.”
Santiago Resort was once again honored by Tripadvisor with a 2023 Travelers’ Choice award, placing it among the top 10% of travelers’ top reviewed des6na6ons. Twin Palms will become eligible for ranking in 2024.
Check out all the reviews, and discover more about Descanso Resort on Tripadvisor here. We have an excellent library of resort imagery available to accompany editorial and additional resources on our press page. Please contact Descanso Resort’s General Manager, Kent Taylor, at kent@descansoresort.com for further information.
About Descanso Resort
Inspired by Palm Springs’ history as a des6na6on for Hollywood stars to unwind in privacy, Descanso offers guests a casual yet modern take on the legendary style of that 6me. Created by the same hospitality team that revitalized Palm Springs’ much-loved San6ago Resort and recently launched the all-new Twin Palms Resort, the Descanso property opened in 2022 featuring 15 spacious guest rooms with custom-designed furniture, dreamy King-size beds, and luxe details. Ameni6es include continental breakfast, poolside lunch, welcome snack basket, and lots of special touches. For guests who need to stay connected, the entire property is equipped with blazing-fast Wi-Fi. Mul6-speed bikes are available for exploring the surrounding midcentury neighborhoods and public art installations. Like the Hollywood stars before them, guests at Descanso are encouraged to unwind, relax, and rest in style.
About Tripadvisor
Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby.