LGBTI community in California : Palm Springs - the queerste city in the world

Bob Gross stands at six. If Palm Springs has contours, the bald mountains soar into the blue sky, the jagged spikes emerge with sharp Outlines. Bright colors, clear lines, a picture of a California Fan of David Hockney painted. The want to see Large, in natura, best at sunrise. This is the place that fascinates so many people because he had a special energy, says the 66-Year-old.

At the edge of the Californian desert, close to the San Andreas fault, so in a potentially dangerous earthquake zone, and life men as in an Idyll. Older Gays who have their professional lives left behind in the area, bought a house and under the sky blue once again re-invented. In Palm Springs, you can live the freedom that was denied them for decades: Hand-in-Hand with your Partner across the street, him in a spontaneous embrace, without the risk of insults or fisticuffs.

Palm Springs is gay, very gay, officially even really gay. The 45,000 inhabitants in the municipality has since a year, the world's first city Council, consisting of members of the LGBT Community. A gay mayor, three gay members, a bisexual and a Transgender woman. "About 40 percent of all inhabitants are part of the Community," says Bob Gross, the offering for visitors, a Gay Tour of the city. He is big, strong, sun-tanned and wearing a baseball cap. Previously, he has coordinated for the phone company AT&T call center in the entire country, and today, he is officially a tour guide, and unofficially, a "Silver Daddy". Sporty, grey company, grey, funny.

Close to the Studio, far away from the Hollywood-hype

From these men, there are many in Palm Springs. In the morning, you run your dogs in the Design District for a Walk, in the afternoon, you drink a Frappuccino in one of the cafes and talk about the all-day Breakfast in "Pinocchio in the Desert", where you get champagne at the flat rate price ($4.95 per head). In the evening, the men meet in the "Emperor of cricket" to a fine Steak while in front of the restaurant, a homeless man with a tight sequined pants and shoulder-length glitter-calls Bandana: "My helicopter has found no place to Park."

Bob Gross passes through the neighborhood of Warm Sands, in which there is a Clothing Optional Resort next to the next, hotel facilities with the possibility to run naked through corridors and walkways. In the case of gay tourists this night are popular options. Man knows what gets a man. Alone to the annual Pride week at the beginning of November 000 spectators, housing 60, and also celebrate in the Warm Sands, behind the rear-covered walls and ornate entrance gates.

Large steers the car up to Las Palmas, a colony of exclusive residences. Past the nudist bridge, an unremarkable structure with an opaque railing which connects two nudie Resorts. The Guide stops the car in front of him, a shaded driveway with a small piano as a letter box. "The reason why Palm Springs was early for the Gay interesting," he says, pointing to the hedges with the underlying property, was "Hollywood". Starting in the 1920s, the movie studios tie their actors with contracts. In each stand, the so-called Two-hour clause. No cast member was allowed to continue to stay away than two hours from Los Angeles. Palm Springs to meet this requirement quite narrowly. Close enough to the Studio, far away from the hustle and bustle.

Liberace had guys from France

In the solitude of the Coachella Valley fly-in, between the 3000-metre-high San Jacinto Mountains, were able to do the Stars, what you wanted, heterosexual as homosexual. Rock Hudson had an estate near Palm Springs, where he lived with his Partner. Greta Garbo relaxed here, it was rumored that she liked women as well as men. Cary Grant lived with his five wives in Palm Springs and around the corner, his bosom friend Randolph Scott, of which no one knew exactly whether he was perhaps a man for certain hours. "This was a time before TMZ," says Gross, and refers to in today's Hollywood dreaded gossip site.

The call also attracted the gentleman, his letter-box so designed original with a Piano: the Entertainer Liberace. For his house he ordered also an entrance with a white lion figurines, Greek sculptures, Roman pillars, and a copy of the statue of liberty. Not just an invitation to Look the other way. The Pianist with a Show in Las Vegas starting in the ' 50s for his extravagant costumes, undulating hair, and the public Denial of his sexuality known. In the spotlight, he greeted his female Fans, for the local swimming pool, he had guys from France flown in. In 1987, he died in Palm Springs at the consequences of the immune deficiency disease Aids.

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Big wave to a gardener who rakes the lawn. "Do you want to come in?", asks the old man with sunglasses and a goatee, the owners were out of town. So into the courtyard of the flat-built house, where a giant pink plastic Flamingo bobs up and down in the Pool. Through the window panes Big shows shreds on a framed Wallpaper, the music notes are printed. "Had Liberace earlier in the kitchen." Not-so-large house, 100 square feet of floor area, almost modest. He was the sun king, among the entertainers! Bob Big grins. Therefore, the artist had in the ' 70s, around the corner to a new and larger Villa.

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