LOS ANGELES
Over 150 LGBTQ Films Throughout The City
Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival—eleven days of not to be missed world-class films, panels, and parties—takes place this month, July 12–22, at state-of-the-art venues around the city of Los Angeles.
Screening more than 150 feature and short films to an audience of more than 40,000 people. Outfest Los Angeles is considered the preeminent LGBTQ film festival in the world.
The annual festival will open with Matt Tyrnauer’s vibrantly nostalgic documentary, Studio 54, featuring interviews with many of the legendary nightclub’s famous patrons, as well as those who worked behind the scenes during its heyday.
The festival will close on July 22 at The Theatre at the Ace Hotel with Desiree Akhavan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, The Miseducation of Cameron Post.
For a compete list of screenings and locations visit: www.outfest.org.
PALM SPRINGS
State Legislature Recognizes All-LGBT Council
California’s State Senate and Assembly recognized the city of Palm Springs for electing the nation’s first all-LGBT city council last month. Palm Springs’ city council consists of Mayor Robert Moon, Mayor Pro Tem J.R. Roberts, and Councilmembers Geoff Kors, Lisa Middleton and Christy Holstege, who make up three gay men, a transgender woman and a bisexual woman.
The council members traveled to Sacramento for their recognition ceremony with City Manager David Ready. They met with state politicians about city-related issues including pensions, housing, transportation and land use.
HOLLYWOOD
Transgender Woman Repeatedly Stabbed
Police are investigating the attack of a transgender woman who was stabbed repeatedly last month in Hollywood. NBC Los Angeles reports that the victim was walking alone and talking on a cell phone when she was stabbed twice in the right arm and once in the left. She was treated at the scene of the crime, which occurred around 2am near Franklin Avenue and the 101 Freeway entrance ramp.
The woman told police the man was wearing a dark brown jacket and made a threatening remark before the assault. No arrests were reported as of yet. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
WEST HOLLYWOOD
LA Pride Festival Oversold, Shut Down By Fire Marshals
The LA Pride Festival in West Hollywood last month was oversold, which prompted fire marshals to step in and shut down the venue two hours before it was supposed to end. People waited for upwards of three hours before they were turned away. A lot of them had already purchased their tickets.
Christopher Street West promised to honor the unscanned tickets the following day, however, Sunday’s festival was sold out by noon and tickets holders were once again turned away.
LA Pride released the following statement after the fiasco: “We know that we made mistakes and we are sorry. Yes, we oversold tickets, and we accept responsibility for all the issues that caused at the door.”
Anyone seeking a refund should contact help@seetickets.us or call 323.908.0607.
LONG BEACH
Black Bar Takes Over Former Gay Bar Paradise Grill
Black Bar, a skater bar that also serves food and caters to a straight crowd, is taking over the LGBT watering hole, Paradise Grill space, which closed on March 20. New owners and business partners Shannon McManus, 51, Bethany Black, 41, and former professional skateboarder Heath Kirchart, 40, also operate the very straight Black Bar in Hollywood.
Q Voice News reports that there are no queer nights in the horizon for the former Paradise space. Black Bar has no plans for specialty nights of any kind as of yet. The owners are concentrating solely on opening for business.
