To celebrate our fabulous 14th season, the Kansas City Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is changing its name to OUT HERE NOW and getting a new, more inclusive title — the Kansas City LGBT Film Festival. But our June 2013 schedule is packed with all the great entertainment that area audiences have come to enjoy.

OUT HERE NOW kicks off with a series of short-film showcases at the LIKEME Lighthouse throughout June. Our screening team has selected some of the best LGBT short films from around the world, and they will be shown in three Tuesday night programs at the Lighthouse. Audiences will have the opportunity to rate these short films just like the festival’s screening team does. The top-rated films from the first two showcases -- on June 4 and June 11 -- will be shown at a third showcase, on June 18. These showcases are presented free, with a donation to the Lighthouse welcomed at the door. Thanks to Elizabeth Andersen, coordinator of the weekly movie nights at the Lighthouse, for hosting these short-film programs.
The film festival returns June 20-27 to the Tivoli Cinemas in Westport. More than 24 films will be featured in the seven-day showcase, including new comedies, dramas and documentaries, as well as world cinema and film classics. A record number of filmmakers will be coming to the festival for the Midwest premieres of their movies, including three world premiere screenings.
The film selected for this year’s Opening Night Celebration of Courage honor is "The Rugby Player". Winner of the 2013 HBO Audience Award from the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, "The Rugby Player" explores the lives of Mark Bingham, one of the passengers of United Flight 93 on 9/11, and his mother, Alice Hoagland, a former United Airlines flight attendant. Within the shadow of a national tragedy, "The Rugby Player" is an intimate portrait of how a young gay man’s heroism can inspire a nation and how a mother’s love can turn unfathomable loss into unshakable resolve. Alice Hoagland will be in attendance at the screening, which is co-presented by the Kansas City Human Rights Commission’s Gay & Lesbian Task Force, and the local gay rugby team, the Kansas City Carnivores.
On Friday, June 21, we celebrate our Fabulous 14th Premiere Night with a trio of highly entertaining films. Up first is the world premiere of "One Third the Terror", a beautifully shot comic spoof of the horror classic "Trilogy of Terror". It is impressively acted by Scott Presley, best known in West Hollywood as the legendary Bell Aire. Filmmaker and Kansas City native John McCrite will be here to share his fresh new take on the cult classic.
The Premiere Night fun will continue with the Midwest debut of "I Am Divine". This lively and celebrity-packed documentary follows Harris Glenn Milstead, aka Divine (1945-1988), from his humble beginnings as an overweight, teased Baltimore youth to an internationally recognized drag superstar, through his collaboration with filmmaker John Waters. Spitting in the face of the status quo of body image, gender identity, sexuality, and preconceived notions of beauty, Divine was the ultimate outsider turned underground royalty. With a completely committed in-your-face style, he blurred the line between performer and personality, and revolutionized pop culture. Advance ticket purchases are strongly recommended.
Premiere Night will conclude with the Midwest premiere of a timely, feel-good comedy about two closeted high school seniors who want to make their coming out special. In "G.B.F. (Gay Best Friend)", director Darren Stein steers his brilliant comedic ensemble through the trials and tribulations of teendom with a script chock-full of hilarious one-liners. Check out the film’s trailer at the festival website to see the likes of Megan Mullally, Natasha Lyonne, and a top-notch cast of familiar faces at their funniest.
The first film produced by the OUT HERE NOW Short Film Project and funded by our festival’s kind and generous supporters will have its world premiere on Saturday, June 22. "Outwrite" profiles three local writers — Philip blue owl Hooser, Mark Manning and David Wayne Reed — whose life stories and creative work are a vital part of both Kansas City’s gay history and its current dynamic arts scene. Director and Kansas City native Lisa Marie Evans and the featured trio of performers will be in attendance at the screening.
Sunday’s Centerpiece Screenings include "White Frog", a universal story of the power of family, friendship, and love, featuring Harry Shum Jr. from "Glee", and B.D. Wong from "Law & Order". Also featured is "Tennessee Queer", a hilarious feature film where politics, religion and gay pride clash in a small Southern town. Call it Mayberry LGBT. "Tennessee Queer" director Mark Jones will be attendance.
Our Comedy Night on Monday, June 24, features the concert film of transgender comic (and Margaret Cho’s frequent opening performer) Ian Harvie, called "Ian Harvie Superhero", and the world premiere of "Birthday Cake", a mockumentary about all the wonderfully funny and heart-warming mishaps around a gay couple’s first birthday for their daughter.
We partner with UMKC on Tuesday, June 25, for a night of screenings that will include "Break Through", an eye-opening documentary about a group of impassioned theater students who come together to produce a play aiming to shed light on the many stigmas and equality-rights issues faced by LGBT youth in the United States today.
GLAMA -- the Gay & Lesbian Archives of Mid-America -- joins us to host the premiere of two richly historic films on Wednesday, June 26. "Lesbiana" takes us on a journey to meet the lesbian writers, philosophers and activists who were key players in creating a revolutionary sisterhood in the 1970s. In "Continental", Malcolm Ingram ("Small Town Gay Bar") returns in person to Kansas City to premiere his new documentary that takes viewers back to New York City’s legendary and notorious Continental Baths.
To watch film previews, get film descriptions and download the festival schedule, visit our new website, www.OutHereNow.com.
And thanks for coming out to the movies.
Jamie Rich is the director of the Kansas City LGBT Film Festival.
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.