Yet more than having a big birthday and marking another one for the books, The Dinah 2015 cemented its place in the annals of LGBT history.

The vision that Mariah Hanson imagined a quarter century ago far surpassed her expectations. For little did she know that her Dinah would become her enduring legacy to both the city of Palm Springs and the entire LGBT community.

Today The Dinah stands tall and proud as not just the biggest lesbian event in the planet of its kind, but as well as the world’s single most successful lesbian music and entertainment mega-event.

This is why thousands of women from all over the world gathered in Palm Springs over this Easter weekend to come celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the iconic Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend.

And celebrate, they did! The Dinah 2015 was beyond epic and undoubtedly filled with memorable events and magical moments all dedicated to honor the real Dinah … Mariah.

Pop superstar Meghan Trainor who headlined the Black Party on Saturday was certainly not just all about The Dinah but very much all about that Mariah, too.

“She is the reason you are all here having the time of your life,” declared Trainor as she graciously invited Hanson to join her on stage to crown her queen in front of a screaming sold-out crowd. Lips were moving, booties were shaking and fingers were snapping pictures away as the pop sensation took a selfie before shimmying on stage with the newly appointed royal.

The symbolic crowning came on the heels of a series of recognition prizes and awards by city officials and LGBT organizations for her commitment to her craft – including the prestigious Legacy Award bestowed upon her by the NCLR along side Lilly Tomlin a short few hours before Trainor’s homage.

Continuing to cement its reputation as an industry star-maker, this year’s Dinah delivered a mind-blowing slate of performers.

From award-winning Christina Perri to cutting-edge artists Bebe Rexha, Olivia Sommerlyn, Holy Child; to old-school disco icons Crystal Waters and Royce Rose, these series of high-energy concerts were all phenomenally spectacular leaving Dinah audiences in complete awe.

Once again Hanson raised her own bar with a stellar lineup that included a few awesome surprises among which was new “it” girl Ivy Levan.

The latest in a series of big names to perform at The Dinah, Ivy Levan not only drew massive crowds but also enjoyed her Dinah experience so much that, like rap artist Eve last year, she joined the crowd on the dance floor after her electrifying show.

There is indeed something liberating about the Dinah that is extremely infectious and contagious and rises up from the crowd to the performers onstage who just can get enough.

“I’m having so much fun with you guys,” exclaimed Meghan Trainor, “Love who you love and forget the rest.”

Sure, The Dinah is known for its monumental pool parties, stunning women, hottest DJs & Dancers, not to mention celebrity sightings and terrific concerts by international Top 10 Billboard hitmakers. But there’s more to the event than meets the eyes. The real gem to be found at the Dinah are the customers who travel from all over the world to take over Palm Springs and impart a sense of belonging, and complete normalcy.

The Dinah is a freeing and life changing experience for all these lesbians.

It is difficult for some of us to fathom the idea that our lifestyle is not the same for a majority of others, but rather the exception. But once a year The Dinah makes that dream come true.

“It’s a beautiful thing when members of a minority suddenly are not in the minority anymore,” wrote Lane Moore for Cosmo.com after attending this year her first Dinah ever.

What the Dinah truly offers is a glimpse of how perfect the world would be if we could all be free to be who we truly are!

All in all, the 25th Anniversary of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend will be remembered as the most phenomenal Dinah to date.

We all came out of it profoundly moved, deeply touched, completely transformed and empowered

We can hear Christina Perri’s “Burning Gold” lyrics echoing in all of our hearts:

“I’ve had enough, I’m standing up, I need, I need a change.”

Is it Dinah 2016 yet?

“I’ve had enough, I’m standing up, I need, I need a change.”

The post The Dinah: 25 years of awesome first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Join the “Orange Is The New Black actress” and hundreds of lesbians this summer on OlaGirls’ Mediterranean getaway.

OlaGirls are thrilled to announce that Aussie DJ, actress and style icon Ruby Rose will be queen of the decks this summer at our brand-new lesbian holiday escape. Ruby Rose arrives as our main DJ fresh from the set of “Orange Is The New Black,” where she’s just wrapped season three of the hit show, due to air this June.

We’re beyond excited to welcome Ruby Rose to our packed OlaGirls’ schedule and we’re sure she’ll add a shot of glamour and undoubted talent to what is already shaping up to be the lesbian summer destination of choice.

Ruby Rose shot to fame in her native Australia as an out MTV VJ and model, but her place in lesbian folklore is assured with her starring role in “Orange Is The New Black” as Stella Carlin, whose stunning looks and sarcasm turn Litchfield heads in season three. But you don’t have to wait for that – come and watch her DJ at OlaGirls and dance the night away with Ruby!

We’ve already ordered sunshine, fabulous cuisine, drinks and relaxation for our Mediterranean getaway. But best of all, we can guarantee hundreds of lesbians for you to meet and mingle with – and you can do this while sunbathing and socializing, or through one of our many activities: hiking, water sports and beach volleyball, wine-tasting to tapas-making, speed dating to dancing and much more. With OlaGirls, our prime motivation is getting lesbians from all over Europe together, having fun and forming friendships & relationships that last
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For three days in June, Spanish holiday hotspot Calpe will be packed with lesbians, ensuring sunshine really is the new black. We’ve got all-inclusive packages to suit all budgets and we’re inviting you to join us. Book today and join Ruby Rose for a summer break to remember!

More info at: OlaGirls, the Lesbian Mediterranean Getaway.

Natasia Langfelder is just a girl, writing about girls in New York City. Read more of her work at Hot Femme in the City.

The post Ruby Rose joins cast of OlaGirls, Mediterranean getaway first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY LESBIAN.COM

Palm Springs, California — As the largest and biggest lesbian event in the world, The Dinah has been continuously delivering a spectacular slate of legendary headliners, rising pop stars and celebrities alike.

Building on its reputation as the ultimate entertainment hub, Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend has positioned itself as an event the entertainment industry’s most elite go to and a trendsetting event that entertainment industry insiders watch and jockey to book their artists’ performances.

It is the only acknowledged all-girl party that features such a phenomenal line-up of talent to ever to perform at a lesbian event.

Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Mary Lambert, Tegan and Sara, Kesha, Chaka Khan, Colbie Caillat, India Arie, The Pussycat Dolls and more recently Iggy Azalea, are just a few examples of major recording artists that have preformed at the iconic event over the past 25 years.

And 2015 will be no different. Now ready to soar to new heights, the 25th installment of The Dinah is already expected to be one of the major highlights of the 2015 Palm Springs festival season.

Already confirmed to headline the 25th Anniversary of the Dinah are international Billboard Top 40 superstars Meghan Trainor and Christina Perri; as well as pop music’s new “it” girls Bebe Rexha and Ivy Levan; and old school legends Crystal Waters and Rose Royce.

Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend is not just breaking grounds; it is making history!
And as the celebration of the milestone Silver Anniversary is already in full swing, past Dinah alumni are all proudly stepping in front of the camera to send in their best birthday wishes!

Want to know why everyone should experience the Dinah once in their lives?
Club Skirts’ got the insider scoop from our past headliners Katy Perry, Tegan and Sara, Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig, Salt’n Pepa as well as Iggy Azalea (among others) in this exclusive Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend 2015 Promo Video produced by award-winning filmmaker JD DiSalvatore.

The post Sneak peak of The Dinah’s 25th anniversary first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Pop sensation Meghan Trainor is confirmed to headline the highly anticipated 25th anniversary of the legendary Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, April 1-5, 2015 in Palm Springs, CA.

The 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Nantucket will grace the main stage of the Palm Springs Convention Center during the Dinah’s “Black Party” on Saturday, April 4th, 2015 in Palm Springs, CA.

Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, popularly known as “The Dinah”, is the biggest & largest lesbian event of its kind in the world. Founded and produced by Mariah Hanson, The Dinah has, for the past 25 years, continuously been changing minds and changing lives, offering women from all over the world the opportunity to express their true selves and gain an extraordinary amount of self worth. Considered a bucket list event by lesbians of all ages, The Dinah continues to inspire, provoke and entertain.

With The Dinah, Hanson has created a haven where acceptance and tolerance rule. More than a pop song with an infectious beat, “Bass” is a bold self-acceptance message that shares and celebrates the same life philosophy as The Dinah: be free to be who you are.

“Meghan Trainor is the perfect artist to headline the 2015 Dinah, our milestone year. Her song is a record breaking number one billboard hit, and in addition it invokes a new social paradigm that places less emphasis on the exterior and more emphasis on the fact that we are all beautiful and that that beauty comes in many shapes, colors and sizes. I’m especially proud to join with Meghan in sending out this wonderful life-affirming message to our guests. It’s time. And it’s our time!“ says Mariah Hanson, founder and promoter of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend.

Trainor’s insanely catchy single “All About That Bass” was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks, rewriting the record for the longest-ruling No. 1 single ever released on Epic Records – dethroning The King of Pop’s “Billie Jean” in 1983 and “Black or White” in 1991, which were on top for seven weeks.

“All About that Bass” has already gone four times platinum and has also become the longest-leading No. 1 by a woman this year.

The unstoppable Trainor is kicking off 2015 with a bang embarking on her first ever North American headline tour, THAT BASS tour. In the meantime, she has already released the second single, “Lips Are Movin,’” from her upcoming debut Album “Title” out January 13, 2015, which is quickly climbing up the charts. Meghan was nominated for “New Artist of the Year” at the American Music Awards and is up for Best New Female Musician at the LOGO NewNowNext Awards.

Hanson’s natural knack for spotting the next best thing in music has transformed The Dinah into the inescapable venue for newcomers to breakthrough. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Kesha and just this year Iggy Azalea are a few examples of artists who, post-Dinah, systematically went on to hit international superstar status.

The music industry now looks at The Dinah as a pivotal indicator in the success of emerging artists’ careers, and has put the festival on the A list of all festivals. The Dinah has undeniably made a name for itself as not only an important festival landmark welcoming the biggest names in the music industry; but also the MUST-DO Spring event of the Palm Springs festival season.

Meghan Trainor is the first confirmed headliner joining the 2015 Dinah entertainment line up. Mariah Hanson will be announcing more top-notch performers by the end of the year and early 2015.

April 1-5, 2015 Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend is turning twenty-five and taking the landmark event to new heights … from EPIC to HISTORIC!

The post Meghan Trainor: All about The Dinah first appeared on Lesbian.com.

It was a warm weekend in the coastal town of Seaside on the Northern Oregon coast when women started arriving for the first annual EDEN Pacific Northwest.

The women were excited as they unpacked their cars and wheeled their luggage into the Shilo Inn Oceanfront (30 North Promenade; 503-738-9571), the host hotel for the long weekend on the beach.

The weekend attracted upward of an estimated 40 women, an intimate gathering for the first year of the all-girl getaway, but that’s what made it so unique.

The women were ready for bonfires, laughing and dancing at night and clamming, hiking and shopping during the day. They weren’t disappointed.

More >

The post EDEN lights bonfire for women in the northwest first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Get ready. A fierce spat of dueling words is coming to Oakland, California, for the first time ever and the city will never be the same.

It’s been 25 years since the National Poetry Slam! started across the bay in San Francisco and the poetry competition hasn’t been back to the bay since the 1990s.

Next month, the slam competition returns home for its silver anniversary and for the first time to Oakland.

An estimated 500 poets representing a record number of 72 slam teams from across the United States and Canada — seven from the Bay Area — will verbally battle it out for five days, August 5 – 9, in front of thousands of fans for the National Poetry Slam! trophy. More >

The post Slam Nation hits Oakland first appeared on Lesbian.com.

San Diego’s rapidly growing lesbian community is vibrant, diverse and thriving. Lesbian and queer friendly venues are popping up all over the city and provide women with places to meet, mingle, connect and party their brains out. FlawLes, with events that create unique experiences to build a stronger community, is set to make San Diego the next grrl party hub.

San Diego Pride is July 20 and FlawLes is bringing back their popular rooftop pool party for the seventh year in a row, Sunday, July 20, noon to 8pm, at Andaz San Diego. The FlawLess Pool Party has become a tradition among the queer women of California. The pre-sale tickets are available until Saturday, July 19. Listening to community feedback, this year, the drinks are cheaper with even cheaper drinks during the happy hour from 12-2pm with DJ HEABNASTY, a San Diego fave, spinning. DJ KIM ANH, currently on tour with Uh Huh Her and DJ AMARA spin as well. There are also games, contests and giveaways from Andaz San Diego, Belevedere, Moet & Hennessey, Uber, FlawLes and more.

FlawLes events are designed to be positive, uplifting events that deliver an unforgettable experience while celebrating the LGBT community. FlawLes also hopes to increase visibility for the queer community in San Diego. Their events are typically held in spaces that aren’t traditionally LGBT frequented in order to bring pride to places one wouldn’t usually find it.

If kicking-back while giving back to the community is your thing, FlawLes also raises awareness to events that give back to the community during the ramp-up to pride that will fulfill your urge to kick-back as well as give back to the community. Some of their latest events have included “Throw Down for a Cause,” which raised money for LGBT charities such as Trevor Project, It Gets Better Project, and the San Diego LGBT Center and featured women jello wrestling.

Buy a discounted pre-sale ticket for the FlawLes Pool Party now and stay on top of the latest events here!

The post FlawLes creates positive, uplifting lesbian pride events in San Diego first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The legendary Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend — the biggest lesbian event of its kind in the world — is confirmed to be hosting the only official Gay Games-sanctioned women party this summer in Cleveland, Ohio.

The announcement comes on the heels of the massive success of this past April’s Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs, California, which broke all attendance records and garnered extensive national and worldwide media coverage.

Impressed with the outstanding achievement of Mariah Hanson — the mastermind behind The Dinah — and her team in organizing for over two decades such a high profile event, featuring such an elite group of high caliber performers, organizers of the 2014 Cleveland Games handpicked the event producer extraordinaire to exclusively produce the official lesbian party for Gay Games 9 (GG9).

“We’re immensely honored to be joining forces with the entire Gay Games 9 team and have no doubt our combined efforts will turn this incredibly formidable LGBT Sport and Cultural event into the best one ever,” Mariah Hanson, founder and producer of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, said.

The bash dubbed “The Victory Party” will take place starting at 8pm eastern time on August 13 at The Velvet Dog, Cleveland’s premiere nightclub and dance destination for 15 years.

“We are thrilled to be teaming up with Mariah Hanson and beyond excited to be bringing such a staple event in LGBT culture to the Velvet Dog,” club manager Georgina Karim said.

Voted Cleveland’s best nightclub for the past five years, The Velvet Dog is located in the warehouse district, a bastion of nightlife in the heart of the city.

“The Dinah team is honored to bring our special brand of high octane event production laced with first class entertainment and music to Cleveland’s Gay Games. We couldn’t have picked a better host location than the Velvet Dog, the premiere nightclub in Cleveland. Plus we love the idea of a rooftop patio,” Hanson said. “We’re expecting a sell out crowd and plan to deliver an unforgettable event, Dinah style.”

The victory party will mark Club Skirts’ second Gay Games participation. Hanson previously produced the largest women’s event in 2006 at the navy pier in Chicago, Illinois, showing Club Skirts’ enduring commitment to securing the nicest locations available to showcase the host city.

Presented by the Cleveland Foundation, Gay Games 9 is one of the biggest sports and cultural festivals in the world and comes to the Cleveland and Akron areas August 9-16, 2014.

“Here at Gay Games 9 we are excited to welcome everyone to our region and especially all the women of the world and what better partners to collaborate with then the most amazing, Club Skirts, The Dinah. This will be the party to attend for all of the women. So, come celebrate ‘participation, inclusion and personal bests’ as we embrace and unite as one,” Michelle DeLozier, Gay Games 9 culture co-chair, said.

Open to all adults — regardless of sexual orientation or athletic ability — Gay Games 9 will host 11,000 participants from all over the world (including countries where homosexuality remains illegal and hidden), and will feature more than 35 sports, band and choral competitions, and community and cultural events.

Launched over 30 years ago, the large scale, weeklong event is about more than just an Olympic-style sporting competition with spectacular ceremonies and parties. It is first and foremost about a celebration of the LGBT community and a celebration of the spirit of unity and diversity. This message holds particular significance as Ohio, while recently ordered to recognize out-of-state gay marriages, still remains in the nationwide race to legalize same-sex marriage in its own state.

Both Hanson and organizers of the 2014 Gay Games see the event as not only a chance to show that the industrial Midwest can be gay-friendly, but also as an important potential catalyst for change.

Hanson has been sending a strong message of inclusion through the Dinah.

The event has not only come to embody the very notion of living life out loud, but has also been systematically transforming lives.

“Club Skirts has been passionately committed to extending its involvement beyond the actual Dinah in promoting and showcasing the rich diversity of our LGBT talents by engaging in and supporting events that create and enhance opportunities for our community,” Hanson said. “We look forward to Gay Games week and can’t wait to ignite Cleveland’s lesbian nightlife.”

Stay tuned as Mariah Hanson will be announcing the headlining act in the coming weeks.

Tickets to the event are $25 per person or $50 for VIP, which includes bottle service opportunity, and access to all VIP areas in all three floors as well as the spectacular roof top patio that overlooks the entire city of Cleveland.

For more information about Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend’s Victory Party, click here.

The post The Dinah hosts only Gay Games women’s party first appeared on Lesbian.com.

San Francisco Pride can be overwhelming. It’s the largest Pride in the states, boasting about 500,000 attendees each year. There’s a lot going on in San Francisco during Pride weekend, so we’ll make it easy for you: Eden.

Eden is like a queer female pride within SF Pride, and Thursday, June 26, through Sunday, June 29, marks Eden’s 5th anniversary. You’ll be among 5,000 other queer women during the weekend-long event.

Last year, actress and Grammy-winning singer and rapper Eve performed at Eden. This year boasts more talented performers, as well as celesbians, top notch DJs, go-go dancers and hosts.

Thursday, June 26, at 9pm kicks off Eden weekend at the Supper Club. Lauren Bedford Russell from Showtime’s “The Real L Word” and MTV’s Brittney Duet from “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild N’ Out” will be hosting the fashion show turned DJ dance party. This event will be filmed for an up and coming reality show, and San Francisco native rapper and singer-songwriter Oh Blimey will be performing.

Friday marks the Eden All White Everything party at 9pm at The Factory with three dance rooms, a variety of DJs, go-go dancers, a photo booth and performances by pop-rapper and singer Colette Carr and emcee, poet and songwriter Aima the Dreamer. Jessica Clark of HBO’s “True Blood” and Nicole Conn’s “A Perfect Ending,” along with Ari Fitz of MTV’s “The Real World Ex-Plosion” will be hosting the evening, along with Rose Garcia from “The Real L Word” and Eden’s very own Mona Webb, the executive director of the EDEN LGBTQ Youth Foundation.

Watch Jessica Clark describe the weekend’s debauchery:

On Saturday, Eden is hosting their first ever, and only, Eden 5th Year Anniversary Party at 9pm at the Mezzanine. Clark, Fitz, Garcia and Webb will be hosting again, on top of the great music, go-gos and photo booth, there will also be body painting, a free champagne toast, a $1,000 balloon drop at midnight and Oakland native, neo-soul singer-songwriter Goapele, called the “spiritual love child of Sade and D’Angelo,” by Rolling Stone magazine, will be performing for your pleasure.

Sunday is the final party sendoff at the Parliament. The Eden After Pride Party is the only Oakland-based event (Oakland has the largest number of lesbians per capita in the United States) and will kick off at 7pm. This will be the time for you to woo the women you’ve been eyeing all weekend or to solidify your connections before you head back out into the real world.

You can purchase tickets to individual events, or you can buy passes. The All Access VIP Pass gets you in to all of the events, plus access to the Eden VIP Lounge, exclusive access to the celesbians and recording artists, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, private bar, private waitresses, VIP hosts, exclusive entrance so you don’t have to wait in line and photo ops with the celesbians, musical artists and models. Details.

The post What to expect at Eden’s lesbian SF Pride weekend first appeared on Lesbian.com.

It already feels like summer is here, but you can’t seem to make up your mind about where to go on vacation. Not helping the situation is the fact that there are so many great all-girl getaways, unlike five years ago when the choices were much, much slimmer.

The posters are slick bursting with celebrities and hot chicks, boasting about the latest must not miss girl bands and artists and laugh out loud funny ladies. We know you are biting your lip and wondering what to do and where to go?

Read more

The post Top five summer fests for lesbians first appeared on Lesbian.com.