Nov. 20 Daily Briefing: Day of remembrance, Pride art proposal, more film awards announced, and more

Happy Monday, where we’re happy to announce we’ve launched our end of year fundraising campaign. If you’re a longtime reader you already know that The Post is a fully independent newsroom – we’re not owned by a hedge fund or financed by a billionaire. Instead, we’re supported by our community! That’s why we run campaigns like this. In the next couple of weeks you’ll hear more about what your contributions support, but right now, if you want to help us get a strong start, please consider chipping in to fund neighborhood news for Palm Springs!

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IN THE NEWS

🎨 Pride sculpture pitched to commission

Artists Karen and Tony Barone, well known for their playful and colorful sculptures seen throughout the Coachella Valley, have proposed creating an illuminated, 10-foot-tall piece of art representing the LGBTQ community in Palm Springs. 

• At a Public Arts Commission meeting last week, local LGBTQ+ activist Richard Noble explained to commissioners that the sculpture would include five figures, representing each of the letters in LGBTQ, as well as a sculpture of a dog to represent the love residents have for their pets.
  
  
• As proposed, the sculpture would be 10-feet high, illuminated, and installed at Frances Stevens Park at an estimated cost of between $125,000 and $150,000. It would join a pair of other sculptures by the couple — Dalmatian puppies named “R. Hero” — that stand at the city’s library and Fire Station 3.
  
  
• Bottom line: Commission Chair Gary Armstrong noted his fellow commissioners are busy with numerous large projects and that are each hitting roadblocks, which could indicate that the Pride sculpture may have to be considered at a later date.

🎥 Another honoree announced

Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy will be honored with this year’s Desert Palm Achievement, Actor Award at the Palm Springs International Film Fest, it was announced last week.

• Murphy will be honored for his portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in a film directed by Christopher Nolan. Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi called the performance a stunning, career-best for Murphy.
  
  
• Also announced recently were awards for Poor Things star Emma Stone  would receive the actress award at the festival and that Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon would be honored with the Vanguard Award. 
  
  
• Details: The film awards will take place on Jan. 4, 2024, with the festival running through Jan. 15. Complete details, including ticket options, can be found here.

IN OTHER NEWS

⚖️ A 40-year-old man who was convicted again of killing a Palm Springs retiree in a financial enrichment scheme and dumping his body by Interstate 5 was sentenced Friday to life without the possibility of parole.

🧸 The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus kicked off its annual holiday fundraiser and toy drive over the weekend, with another chance to give coming up on Nov. 25.

🛬 Unhoused residents seeking refuge at public airports isn’t just an issue in Palm Springs. This Axios report says it’s happening in Miami and elsewhere as well.

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FEATURED EVENTS

Holiday shopping at DAC
9 a.m. until close | Desert Art Center
You’ll find fine ornaments and decor, jewelry and wearables, prints and wall art, greeting cards, and much more. The sale runs through Dec. 31.

Golden Era walking tour
9:30 a.m. | Vine Ave. and West Alejo Road
Tour the Old Las Palmas neighborhood with the Palm Springs Historical Society as docents share tales of the stars who lived and martini-ed there. ($40)

Transgender Day of Remembrance
5 p.m. | City Hall
Participate in a candlelight vigil where the names of trans individuals who have passed away in 2023 will be read.

Mon Petit Salon
5 p.m. until 7 p.m. | PS Cultural Center 
Each week features unique arrangements and renditions of French Swing, Classical, Eastern European, and Jazz Manouche genres.

SAVE THE DATE

• Palm Springs Wild Turkey Trot  on Nov. 23.
  
  
• Toy Drive  benefitting Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs starting Nov. 29.
  
  
• Sounds of the Holidays  chorus performance at the Tram starting Nov. 30.
  
  
• Palm Springs Police Officers’ Association  24th Annual Memorial Golf Tournament on Dec. 1.
  
  
• Tree lighting and banner awards  on Dec. 1 at Frances Stevens Park.
  
  
• Wine ‘n’ Wags  wine tasting benefit event on Dec. 2.
  
  
• Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade  on Dec. 2 along Palm Canyon Drive.
  
  
• American Legion  toy giveaway from Dec. 7 through 11. Donate toys now at The American Legion and The Purple Room.

AND FINALLY …

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, observed annually to memorialize those who have been murdered because of transphobia and hate and draw attention to the continued violence endured by transgender and nonbinary individuals.

Driving the news: The Transgender Health and Wellness Center will hold a candlelit vigil at Palm Springs City Hall this evening starting at 5 p.m. During the vigil, the names of trans individuals who have passed away in 2023 will be read.

• City Hall is located at 3200 East Tahquitz Canyon Way.

Why it matters: The Human Rights Campaign reports that more than two dozen transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals were violently killed in 2023. Of those, the vast majority were people of color, and half were Black transgender women.

• Studies have shown that transgender people are four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crimes, including rape and assault.