Vito - 2012 Opening Night Selection
Friday, June 22 | 6:30 p.m.
Be here for the Heartland premiere of an inspiring and empowering film about Vito Russo, one of the most articulate, charismatic voices for gay rights and the founding father of the modern gay liberation movement. Russo was best known for The Celluloid Closet, his book about Hollywood’s portrayal of LGBT people on the screen. This moving film tells his story through the voices of many of his friends, such as Lily Tomlin, Armistead Maupin and Larry Kramer. The Gay & Lesbian Archives of Mid-America (GLAMA) will be welcoming donations of documents and artifacts for inclusion in their collection. Learn more at www.kcgayfilmfest.com.
Wish Me Away
Friday, June 22 | 8:30 p.m.
Kansas City’s LIKEME Lighthouse joins us for an encore screening of the poignant story of Chely Wright, the first country music star to come out as openly gay. The very brave Kansas native and Nashville musician reveals both the devastation of her own internalized homophobia and the transformational power of living an authentic life. Emerging from a life of hiding, she exposes her truth. Don’t miss this chance to see her powerful story with a like-minded audience. Early ticket purchase strongly recommended.
Entry Denied
Saturday, June 23 | 1 p.m.
The first of four films showing as part of KKFI-FM 90.1 Day at the Festival is a powerful new documentary that brings you up close and personal to the immigration struggles faced by gay and lesbian Americans in relationships with foreign citizens. What would you do if you had to choose between the person you love and your country? Receive a free copy of Gay & Healthy in a Sick Society at this screening.
Trans
Saturday, June 23 | 2:30 p.m.
An extraordinary feature documentary about the transgender community, perhaps the most misunderstood and mistreated minority in America and around the world. Inspired by the incredible story of Dr. Christine McGinn and her important work as a transgender surgeon, Trans provides an up-close and very personal vision into the lives, loves and challenges of a remarkable cast of characters of all ages and from all walks of life. Hosted by TransTalk program on KKFI’s The Tenth Voice.
The Tenth Voice Shorts Showcase
Saturday, June 23 | 4:45 p.m.
Three fresh and uniquely original short films are brought to you by the equally fresh and uniquely original folks behind _he Tenth Voice, the Kansas City area’s only weekly radio show created by and for the LGBTQIA community. Learn more about the featured films at www.kcgayfilmfest.com/tenthvoiceshorts.html. Meet The Tenth Voice hosts and co-hosts, as well as Chad Darnell (director/star of Groom’s Cake) who will be here in person to introduce his film.
A Perfect Ending
Saturday, June 23 | 6:45 p.m.
KKFI-FM 90.1 Day at the Festival concludes with acclaimed director Nicole Conn’s (Elena Undone, Claire of the Moon) passionate and provocative contemporary romance. A repressed, uptight socialite has an unusual secret that not even her best friends know about. What begins as a comedy of errors ends up as a uniquely erotic journey. A Midwest premiere hosted by KKFI’s WomanSong.
I Want Your Love
Saturday, June 23 | 9 p.m.
On his final night in town, Jesse’s friends and ex-lovers gather for a going-away party that promises to heighten his already bittersweet feelings about leaving. This bold, intimate film is an unapologetically voyeuristic look into the sexual and emotional interactions of Jesse and his extended group of friends, as he struggles to take responsibility for himself after years of treading water in San Francisco. Rated NC-17 (no one under 18 will be admitted).
Nate & Margaret
Sunday, June 24 | 1:45 p.m.
Our Sunday Coffeehouse Matinees begin with a cinematic treat from a young Chicago filmmaker that some are calling a fresh take on the screen classic Harold & Maude ... with a gay twist. Nate, a 19-year-old film student, and Margaret, a 52-year-old would-be stand-up comic, are best friends in an odd, quirky, totally working kind of way ... until Nate gets set up on a date with James. Enjoy coffee drinks and sweet treats from LattéLand, available only during these Sunday matinees.
Men to Kiss
Sunday, June 24 | 3:30 p.m.
Although it’s true that opposites attract, a respectable banker, Ernst, is often unsure whether the bubbly and always cheerful Tobias takes their relationship as seriously as he does. Just as they are rising to meet the challenges that every couple must face, the sudden appearance of an old school friend changes everything. A sweet German comedy about love and friendship in Berlin, brimming with charm, wit and fun that will capture your heart from the very first frame. Pick up a LattéLand coffee drink to sip or sweet treat to nosh on.
Kiss Me
Sunday, June 24 | 5:30 p.m.
A beautifully told love story of what happens when one woman finally follows her heart. This new Swedish film pushes into the unexpected, as two stepsisters-to-be find each other at a precarious time. Thrown together by circumstance, the pair finds it hard to resist acting on their desires for each other, despite the consequences. Beautifully shot and warmly humorous, Kiss Me tells a strong, probing and passionate story and features a fantastic soundtrack. A piping hot finale for our LattéLand Coffeehouse Sunday Matinees.
Keep the Lights On -- 2012 Critics Pick Screening
Sunday, June 24 | 7:45 p.m.
The new feature film by award-winning director Ira Sachs (which generated quite the buzz at its premiere in the Sundance Film Festival) chronicles an emotionally and sexually charged journey of two men in New York City through love, friendship and addiction. A documentary filmmaker and a closeted lawyer meet through a casual encounter, but soon find a deeper connection and become a couple. Individually and together, they are risk-takers compulsively fueled by drugs and sex.
Local Heroes
Monday, June 25 | 6 p.m.
Two rising young filmmakers one on the West Coast and one from the East Coast — return to showcase their latest films here in their old hometown. (And, boy, do they make us proud.) New York-based actor/director/writer Steven Tylor O’Conner returns with a just-completed and hilariously insightful new comedy, Welcome to New York. And Lexington, Mo., native Nick Corporon is back to share his 2011 love story, Empire, and offer a hometown preview of his latest short, Barbie Boy.
Gayby -- 2012 Centerpiece Comedy Screening
Monday, June 25 | 7:45 p.m.
This year’s Centerpiece Comedy is a hilarious story about two former college buddies — a gay man and a straight woman -- who decide to have a child together ... the old fashioned way. Single by choice, she spends her days teaching hot yoga and running errands for her boss. He suffers from comic-book writer’s block and can’t get over his ex-boyfriend. Can they navigate the serious and unexpected snags they hit as they attempt to get their careers and dating lives back on track in preparation for parenthood?
Ballroom Rules
Tuesday, June 26 | 6 p.m.
A fun, flamboyant, inspiring and decidedly different kind of sports documentary that will have you on the edge of your seat. Come along with a courageous and colorful group of Australian same-sex ballroom dancers as they pursue their dreams to compete in the Gay Games. Filmed over two years, it follows several gay and lesbian couples, competitive or life partners, as they battle homophobia, injury and personal fears to succeed on the global stage.
Morgan -- 2012 Jury Prize Screening
Tuesday, June 26 | 7:45 p.m.
Join us for the Midwest premiere of a genre-defining film about a young gay man whose spirit and drive prevent him from accepting his new life as a paraplegic. This inspiring story of redemption and finding one’s way after all seems lost is also a powerful film about perseverance, determination and, of course, love. A chance encounter on a basketball court with a sensitive, awkward young man leads Morgan, trapped in his own self-imposed exile, to make a life-changing decision in hopes of vanquishing his demons.
Still Around
Wednesday, June 27 | 6 p.m.
This feature-length compilation of 14 short films about surviving and thriving with HIV/AIDS weaves together a diverse slate of powerful personal stories into an unmatched portrait of courage and hope. It creates a video tapestry of personal narratives, poetry, dance, cinéma vérité and more -- each capturing the spirit and personality of the individual whose story the film tells. Learn more about a post-screening benefit at Californos in Westport for Good Samaritan Project, the KC Free Health Clinic, the Hope Care Center and SAVE Inc. at www.kcgayfilmfest.com.
Elliot Loves -- 2012 Director’s Showcase Screening
Wednesday, June 27 | 7:45 p.m.
This just-named Audience Award Winner from the 2012 Miami Gay Film Festival, is a charming comedy-drama that shows that you can survive anything life throws at you -- just “keep it cute, papi.” Enjoy the story of a lovable romantic, Elliot Ayende, at two stages of his life: as a 9-year-old who is sidekick and confidant to his barely keeping it together single mom, and as a 21-year-old looking for love in New York City. Meet director/writer Gary Terracino (who will also introduce his film) at a pre-show gathering at Californos in Westport. Get details at www.kcgayfilmfest.com.
Stonewall Uprising
Thursday, June 28 | 4 p.m.
NO ADMISSION CHARGE -- Donations welcomed at the door.
Shown here on the 43rd anniversary of the Stonewall riots, this remarkable new film is both a riveting up-close look and a joyous celebration of the courageous men and women who, perhaps unbeknownst to them, started the fight for LGBT equality that we continue today.
Out Here Now Short Film Competition
Thursday, June 28 | 6 p.m.
NO ADMISSION CHARGE -- Donations welcomed at the door.
At this very popular closing-night event, you will have the opportunity to watch this year’s finalists and pick the winner. Each film is less than 15 minutes. The audience will rate each film, and the filmmaker whose film has the highest overall ranking will be awarded a $100 cash prize. (May I have the envelope, please?)
Cloudburst -- 2012 Closing Night Selection
Thursday, June 28 | 7:45 p.m.
Our closing-night film has it all: Oscar-winners, a beautiful love story, a daring road trip, laugh-out-loud humor, and an unforgettable journey of the heart. Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck) and Brenda Fricker (My Left Foot) star as an aging couple who escape from a nursing home in Maine and drive to Canada on a quest to be legally married. Along the way, they pick up a young pseudo-hustler hitchhiking to Nova Scotia to deal with his troubled home life. As they share past troubles — and create new ones— this improbable trio forms an unlikely kinship on a rollicking, life-changing road trip.
Tickets
Tickets are $8.50 for all evening shows and $6.75 for all matinees. A limited number of festival passes are also for sale. To get tickets, watch previews, and order festival passes, visit www.kcgayfilmfest.com. Tickets are also on sale at the Tivoli box office in Westport.
Information provided by the Kansas City Gay &Lesbian 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.