The night before I left for the biggest lesbian party in the country, I headed off to West Hollywood for a tiny taste of gay LA. Vivek, my hetro hero, went willingly to WeHo with myself and PR Girl. He is from India, a country where homosexuality is considered a taboo subject (as is the discussion of sexuality in general), and where "Sexual acts 'against the order of nature' remain illegal". However, Vivek, of open mind and open heart, embraces a more progressive view of life and love, and seems to be an example of a reformation of views in his home country, one that is more willing to the exploration of all aspects of human culture, even those outside of traditional values.
He and his roommate Leanne met us at The Abbey in West Hollywood, a gorgeous posh and brick building on Robertson between Santa Monica and Melrose. PR Girl and I were already sipping on our second berry-based cocktails, the kind that come in long-stemmed martini glasses and just make fruits silly. After The Abbey we proceeded to an intimate loungy bar called East|West with couches and an outdoor patio (they all have outdoor patios). I love bars that feel like you are walking into a rich uncle's apartment loft. This one had an upstairs VIP room that looked out over the entire bar through an all-glass wall and a huge unisex bathroom downstairs. I remember there was a poor girl puking in one of the stalls and two friends helping her out. It was only Wednesday. My, did she have a long weekend ahead!
But then again, didn't we all?
I was up early again the next day and fully packed when DannyBSmooth picked me up to take me to my next destination of Palm Springs -- to be known that weekend as Pleasure Island. I was to attend the Dinah Shore Event, self-proclaimed as 'The Greatest Women's Weekend on Earth.' (They're not just a weekend anymore).
DannyBSmooth was conveniently heading for a (hetro) wedding, which gave us a full two hours to chat and share stories. He dropped me off at Desert Lodge, my new home for four full days of dykes, discos and debauchery. I had a few hours to unpack and start my blog about Venice Beach until the party girlz Mxxx and DJ Trinitron showed up at the Desert door from their long drive after flying into San Diego from Seattle.
After hello hugs and dibs on beds, we decided to tour around the area in the rental car in search of the non-northwest choke 'n puke, In-N-Out Burger. We found one way outside of Palm Springs and into Indio, where a few short weeks later I would be attending the Coachella Music Festival. After a tasty burger and greasy fries we found an organic grocery store to stock up our lil' fridge inside the hotel room. We didn't have a microwave or a coffee maker, but we made due with sandwich fixin's, spinach salads and the liquor store next to us that served a decent coffee roast.
We stayed in at the hotel the first night, chatting in the 24-hour hot tub for a while (which was actually more like the luke warm tub). I knew the two girls as acquaintances from out on the town in Seattle, specifically at Dollhouse where DJ Trinitron has been known to tear up the front room with her saucy selection of dance beats. And Mxxx, an aspiring DJ and long-time clubber, is always lighting up parties with her outrageous smile. I'm blessed to have really gotten to know the these amazing girls over this fantastical weekend of females and fun.
Friday morning we were up bright and early, ready to hit 1 of the 3 impending pool parties. Our first pool stop was the 'TGIF Pool Party' sponsored by GirlBar, the first of two outfits to throw parties during Dinah Shore Week. We walked into the Wyndham Hotel and stopped at a booth to pick up some passes for all the parties to be attended that weekend. Unfortunately, the mammoth 'All Event Pass,' which is the most cost effective (a ticket for the main event GirlBar party on Saturday is $90 alone!) had been sold out weeks before. Which meant in order to stay within financial reason, we had to force ourselves to stick with one group of parties and wouldn't be able to pick and choose from all of the above. We decided on the GirlBar EZ Pass, which we hoped would have a more inveigling effect on our evenings, but actually just gave us entrance into the 'Pure White' dance party on Friday, the 'Wet N' Wild Pool Party' on Saturday and the main event 'Masquerade Ball' on Saturday night.
Still, it was all worth it. After having our bags checked for liquids (including water), weapons and food, we strutted into the huge pool area packed with women of all shapes, sizes and priorities. There were bars located in every direction, entangled with small hot tubs and long lawn chairs, most of which, at 11am, were already taken. We snagged the last of the low chairs from waaaay in the back and set them up at the side of the large pool in the middle of the scene. We said hello to our neighbors, a couple from Chicago handing out drinks to their friends basking in the sun or swimming at the side of the pool. They were also accompanied by a girl from Las Vegas in a large cowboy hat and a lovely woman in her 60's wearing a sun visor and a grin that stretched through years of oppression.
Set up at the head of the pool was a stage with delicious dancers and a large yellow tiger print banner naming the hosts of the party, Girlbar. Though that day there was a DJ spinning House beats from a small side tent, the stage would be filled throughout the weekend with dancers, MC's, and bands, one of which happened to be sitting directly to our left. That weekend we kept running into LA-based Corday everywhere we went. They rocked out on Sunday, but were basking in the sun in their tatoo's and mesh caps on Friday.
I stared, mouth open, at the thousands of women partying at the pool for at least an hour. I've never been in any place so stacked with estrogen. It was heaven! Or, if not heaven, then at least the L Word.
After pulling my jaw up off the ground, I joined a few ladies in the pool who were doing what they do best -- sports. Someone had brilliantly brought a small football to toss around and splash a few who were sitting on the sidelines. It was such a great way to break the ice, I thought about bringing one to dance parties! What a way to cut through expectation than to toss a nerf through a crowd of satin'd stiffs!
We enjoyed the pool for a few hours, chatting with our Chicago neighbors and drinking $9 red-bull vodkas. I wished I had snuck in the turkey sandwiches that I made in the morning. Our hunger finally pulled us away from the billions of bikini's and we wished our new friends fun for the weekend. I was sure to give my card to the girl in the cowboy hat, hoping for a lift to my next destination, Las Vegas, but not until after the weekend of mayhem was awash.
Stay Tuned for O Dinah, My Dinah, Part(y) II
