The Decay of The Upper Crust

The sycamores in front of San Francisco's City Hall have received their pruning on one side of the plaza but not the other.



Under the newly poodle cut trees, the San Francisco Art Commission signage for Patrick Dougherty's "The Upper Crust" is decaying badly...



...but the willow sapling sculptures have survived quite beautifully.



The Art Commission has decided to keep the sculptures up until their one-year anniversary in February when they will be destroyed. If you're interested in photography, I highly recommend playing around this site over the next three months.

Palm Springs Pride Parade 1: Rainbow Seniors

Coincident to our annual homeowners association meeting, the Palm Springs Gay Pride weekend was taking place, including a parade on Sunday morning down the main drag of Palm Canyon Boulevard.



What is most striking about the Coachella Valley gay scene is that it seems to be ground zero for married with grandchildren people of both sexes to finally come out fully in their old age.



Ancient gay baton twirlers for the Desert Winds Band, for instance, were an unexpectedly poignant sight.



There were square dancing contingents...



..."Rainbow Senior Center" denizens marching down the boulevard twirling massive rainbow umbrellas...



...antique car afficionados...



...lesbians and their animals...



...and a gay city council member driving down the street with his lover and their two children.

Palm Springs Pride Parade 2: Pecs and Parasols

The theatrical gestures of traditional gay pride parades were also fully present...



...from fabulous drag queens...



...including representatives from various chapters of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence...



...who were playing with genderfuck in some fascinating ways.



There were also sprinklings of scantily clad young men...



...proudly enjoying their exhibitionism.



My favorite group was the Latino contingent, "BIENESTAR," who combined pretty young men...



...with drag queens and everyone else.



I wanted to join them marching up Palm Canyon Boulevard but my partner Tony chickened out. "We're not Latin," he said. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "You're of Sicilian ancestry. It doesn't get much more Latin than that," but he remained unconvinced.

Palm Springs Pride Parade 3: We Are Family

An elderly couple marched down the street proclaiming their "marriage" of 30+ years...



...along with a contingent of lesbian LAPD policewomen.



The coolest moment for me was the entrance midway of the Palm Springs High School marching band into the parade. This group plays in virtually every function that marches up Palm Canyon Boulevard, but I was surprised to see the local public high school lending their presence to a still controversial event, and they looked like they were enjoying themselves immensely.



It brought home the fact that most young people aren't as stupid about gay stuff as previous generations...



...and it was enormously heartening.



I insisted on marching in the parade with some contingent, and we ended up joining the PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) group. Half a block into our masquerade, the Canadian woman above turned to us and said, "My son and his partner couldn't make it from Los Angeles today, so you can be my sons."



The Coachella Valley is still a Republican stronghold with too many hidebound Christians...



...but watching parents supporting their teenaged gay children by marching happily past hateful signage together was seriously inspirational.

Meeting of the Tribal Council

Here in the desert paradise of Palm Springs, we are engaged in a ritual filled with treachery, double crosses, palace coups, and near fisticuffs.



I'm speaking, of course, about the annual Homeowners Association Meeting.



In a hotly contested compromise, I was installed as one of the three board members.



Pray for me.