In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Mariah Hanson, founder and producer of the legendary Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend that’s in its 26th year and takes place in Palm Springs, California from March 30th to April 3rd. In 1990 Mariah Hanson launched what would become her enduring legacy to both the city of Palm Springs and the LGBT community. From a small one-night event at a Palm Springs museum with 1,500 participants 26 years ago to booking lavish locations at deluxe hotels over five days of epic pool parties and world-class entertainment, The Dinah has evolved into one of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley’s largest tourism boosters. Today Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend rallies over 15,000 attendees not to mention major corporate sponsors and has cemented its status as the undisputed biggest lesbian event of its kind in the world. The legendary 5-day Palm Springs extravaganza is packed with non-stop activities, spectacular comedy shows, live concerts headlined by top 10 Billboard recording artists, activism, massive pool parties, and premier talent in music, film and television. This year pop sensation and 2016 two-time Grammy nominee Elle King known for her hit single “Exs & Ohs” headlines the White Party on Friday night April 1st at 9P. We talked to Mariah about all the festivities planned for this year’s Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend and her spin on our LGBT issues.
When asked what her personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Hanson stated, “I’ve always been very committed to our work in obtaining civil rights. I was on the board of Equality California for six years and fought with other board members to achieve the right to marry in California and that was a huge victory for all of us because it was a lot of work and had a lot of ups and downs where we felt like at times it would never happen and then at times we were so close and then we finally made it. So that was a huge achievement for me and my life but I’ve also been very concerned with bullying and we’ve done a little bullying work at The Dinah just in terms of working with organizations that have really strong messages like ‘It Gets Better’. I think when you have a venue like The Dinah when people are coming to enjoy themselves and celebrate and party for five days that we kind of weave in subtly a social message and we try to do that every year.”
Also appearing for this epic 5 day event will be “Orange is the New Black” stars DJ Taryn Manning and comedian Lea DeLaria, celebrity DJs Samantha Ronson, “The L Word” iconic star Kate Moennig and UH HUH HER’s lead singer Camila Grey who together form The X-Names, international top model Madison Paige and one of the most exciting figures of today’s rap scene Angel Haze. They’ll be joined by pop newcomer JoLivi and Hunter Valentine the all-female power pop/punk band and “The Real L Word” Season 3 cast members who will be performing their farewell show. Then there’s the “Hot as L Party” bringing back the magic of Showtime’s hugely popular lesbian drama series and reality TV show, “The L Word” and “The Real L Word”. “Hot as L” will feature some of our community’s most beloved and popular stars including Elizabeth Keener, Clementine Ford and Tracy Reyerson. tello films is also sponsoring an event that takes place Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6P pool side. It will showcase some of the community's hottest films and webseries with actors and filmmakers onsite including Bridget McManus and Fran Nichols from “Maybelle”, Amanda Bearse from “Skirtchasers” as well as Tucky Williams and Amanda Morales just to name a few. All official events take place at the Hilton Hotel, the Palm Springs Convention Center and Zelda’s Nightclub.. This will be the second year we’ll be covering The Dinah for OUTTAKE VOICES™ as an official media sponsor.
For More Info & Tix: TheDinah.com
1 comment:
I'm really excited about the Dinah after this interview and I love Mariah's message "BEGIN AGAIN"
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