Cathedral City Presents The Old Gays: In Conversation at the Mary Pickford Theatre is D’Place, 36850 Pickfair St, Cathedral City, CA 92234, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023! The program, which will last approximately an hour and is intended for mature audiences, is sponsored by the City of Cathedral City’s Parks & Community Events Commission and the Public Arts Commission.
Podcaster Jason Blitman, who co-hosts the Gays Reading podcast, will lead the conversation, followed by a book signing, which will take place after the panel discussion upstairs in the mezzanine. The book signing will be managed by The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs. A welcome reception begins at 5:15 p.m. downstairs with welcome drinks and light refreshments available.
Tickets will be available starting at 11 a.m. on Thursday Nov. 16, 2023, on a first come, first serve tickets at the Mary Pickford Theatre Box Office in Downtown Cathedral City. The box office opens at 11:00 a.m. each day and tickets are open and free to the public. The limit is two (2) per person.
The Old Gays are a group of Cathedral City residents and LGBTQ+ activists who range in age from 67-80. The group consists of Robert Reeves, Michael “Mick” Peterson, Bill Lyons and Jessay Martin. The Old Gays are an internet sensation with more than 11 million followers on TikTok, 680,000+ followers on Instagram and 500,000+ on Facebook. They have recently published a book titled The Old Gays Guide to the Good Life, published by HarperCollins. Books will be available onsite for purchase.
“I’m proud that our city is valued and respected as a community that welcomes and embraces diversity and inclusivity,” said Cathedral City Mayor Rita Lamb. “We can’t wait to host this event celebrating Cathedral City’s The Old Gays at Mary Pickford Theatre, and we’re grateful for the incredible recognition they’ve brought to our desert community through their activism and wonderful sense of humor.”
The City Council of Cathedral City approved this event at their regular meeting on Oct. 25, 2023. The Parks & Community Events Commission (PACE) heard this item at their Oct. 3, 2023, meeting and approved $800 for the facility rental and refreshments. The requested funding will be funded from the PACE Small Events budget. The Public Arts Commission (PAC) heard this item at their Oct. 10, 2023, meeting and approved $800 that can be used towards the facility rental and sound and lighting staffing but not refreshments. The expenditure will come out of the Art in Public Places Fund.
