Cowboys, indeed as this tiny town wrastles its demons. There's controversy in the air in Palm Springs from "hypersexed gays" to mayors who won't apologize.
First the gays. Robert Julian who's lived here for two years decided he'd delve deep into the gay community here by joining organizations and acting in plays. He became well-known in some circles and well-liked. Then he wrote a book about it all. Some parts of the book were not pretty, so not pretty that the L.A. Times picked up the story, a story which describes elder gays married to lurid sex. Well...so much for gay marriage and a sneaky gay spying on other gays.
Next--the mayors who won't apologize. Way back when in the 1960s about 1000 African Americans were forced out of their homes right in the center of Palm Springs, an area of Indian owned land called Section 14. Some of the blacks relocated to the north end of the city and are scared that they'll be moved again because the high brow people are moving in. A few of the blacks who were displaced in the 60s want an apology from a couple of mayors.
Frank Bogert is one. He's in the picture above. Right now he's 99-years-old and still going strong. When asked if he'd apologize for what happened to the blacks under his watch, he won't budge.
And...the big news...the current mayor, Steve Pougnet, won't even comment on the matter. Come on guys an "I'm sorry" for past wrongs is at the very least civil and at the very most, a tiny bit of acknowledgement that, yes, indeedy, Palm Springs was a Jim-Crow-kinda place. And it might still be.
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ReplyDeleteI think its not so much people being gay and married. Its the in your face attitude with all the pride parades and the flaunting of their sexual preferences that pisses everyone off.
ReplyDeleteJust an opinion i've heard people discuss.
Maybe they don't know that, that is what others think.
Maybe they should try not to be so self ( look at me )centered.
This isn't exactly a place for gay rights debate but I cannot let a comment like that go unanswered. If gays "flaunt" their "preference" once a year, they have the right to. They have to deal with straight people "flaunting" their "preference" 364 other days of the year. I hope you get how ridiculous saying that both ways is. I know nobody comes to my house and requires me to attend the pride parade any more than I am forced to watch the Chinese New Year Parade that I enjoy as well once a year. All minorities are proud of who they are and shouldn't be chastised for celebrating it once in a while.
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