The Eight Annual Blatino Oasis

As you head east on I-10 alongside the crowded blast of eighteen-wheelers, homebound vacationers and an eclectic mix of locals, County workers and drifters transporting themselves in everything from RVs to motorcycles to oddly militaristic-looking County vehicles in nuclear green and white, you pass the San Jacinto mountains to the west before hitting the off-ramp for the 111. From there, you head another few miles east by southeast, tossed about by the powerful gush of winds that play along the base of the mountains before you find yourself, as if by a force outside yourself were guiding you, compelled to slow lazily along a one-way street lined with tall dashing palm trees and mid-century architecture. And then you know you’ve arrived.

Spread along the Coachella Valley basin, Palm Springs, Calif. is this 94-square-mile parcel of land, buttressed by the San Bernardino Mountains to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, the San Jacinto Mountains to the west and by the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the east. It has matured into an international destination which the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce estimate is visited by some 1.5 million visitors a year. So for a town whose population has steadied over recent years at about a cozy 45,000, many of whom are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, this transformation – social, economic, cultural – begs the question: Why?

Many have argued that apart from the uncompromising sunshine, array of fine dining choices, shopping for all rungs of the economic ladder and a laundry list of outdoor activities that would give camps pause, Palm Springs has always stood out for its moral laxity. There is, has been and probably always will be a sexual libertarianism that is the blood coursing through Palm Springs’ veins. While just as many people visit this “oasis in the desert” for its soothing sensory rhythms and promise of a mental getaway, one could also argue that an equal number of people come here to forget their urban, compact lives and indulge.

The social events that epitomize – in fact encourage – this abandon include Pride, The Dinah, billed as the “Largest Girl Party in the World,” the circuit White Party, dozens of clothing-optional B&Bs, Chi Chi LaRue’s world-famous All Worlds Resort (read: a bathhouse) and, since 2007, Blatino Oasis.

Founded by Joe Hawkins, this self-described ‘retreat’ caters to men of all colors and their admirers and lends much-needed shade to a town that, for all its talk of tolerance and diversity, still remains largely white. It is one more unbuttoned button in a town where clothing is frequently left behind.

How much of Blatino Oasis is known in the LGBT community is a big question mark. Racial fault lines – “microaggressions” in the lingua franca of the day – are still stark on our team and whether by coincidence or intent, Blatino Oasis has remained off the radar in the mainstream, ever-aggregating world of LGBT news, events and large public gatherings.

But in all fairness, Blatino Oasis wasn’t created as a political statement so much as, in Hawkins’ own words, a place where we “come together annually, to reconnect with old friends and to make new friends, in the beautifully scenic, upscale yet affordable, super gay friendly, relaxing and fun vibe of Palm Springs.”

But what does that mean? Is it one big party with lots of hunky, frequently muscular black and Latino men getting drunk and getting down? Is it a spiritual ‘retreat?’ San Diego LGBT Weekly set out to define Blatino Oasis, which is set to run from May 2-4, and found ourselves with conclusions, like Russian nesting dolls, that only provoked more conclusions; not the least of which is we should go. When we finally caught up with founder Joe Hawkins and his able-bodied lieutenant, Laur White, promotional partner, we spoke about their views on parties, porn-financed events and a range of other issues.

San Diego LGBT Weekly: Can you describe Blatino Oasis?

Laur White: Blatino Oasis is a relaxing getaway and retreat for gay and bisexual men of color and our friends.

You have gone to great lengths to assure your guests that this is not a Pride event; rather, it’s a “retreat.” Is it a retreat to or a retreat from?

LW: I wouldn’t necessarily say we’ve gone through great lengths to separate the two. Clearly at Blatino Oasis there is no parade, festival with stages nor is there a Pride organization involved. There are a series of events both day and night at various venues in Palm Springs and now Cathedral City.

Joe Hawkins: I wouldn’t say that I have gone through great lengths. I state it simply on our Web site. I wouldn’t say that a “Gay Pride” event is the same as a circuit party or retreat, which is basically what we are. There are no parades, no main stages or a multitude of booths. Clearly for the average gay or bisexual man of African descent in America, coming to Palm Springs is a retreat from the urban areas where the majority of us currently live.

I looked through your sponsor list. How generous have you found the LGBT community to be in supporting and promoting Blatino Oasis?

JH: Up until this year, very difficult. But I expected that. Even when you look at Black Pride events in America, even they have a difficult time finding sponsors. I have also been criticized for allowing porn companies to sponsor Blatino Oasis, which is ridiculous since I honor porn stars at our event. This year and for the first time, we have four platinum sponsors, Get Tested Coachella, Jack’d, Tiger Lubrication and Dawgpoundusa.com (a NSFW gay adult Web site). I appreciate support from those who support our vision of creating a safe space for gay men of color to just be themselves without being under attack or constantly judged because of who they are.

In 2007, you featured Tiger Tyson, the popular gay porn performer, and you have had contests sponsored by gay porn studios. How has Blatino Oasis changed throughout the years?

JH: As I stated above, porn companies continue to support Blatino Oasis. Our kickoff party is sponsored by Dawgpoundusa.com, a porn company, and the two models on our main marketing are two porn stars that will be honored at Blatino Oasis – Jordano Santoro and Hot Rod (Both of whom, it should be noted, have performed in bareback gay adult fare.) The “sexual” aspect of Blatino Oasis will always stand out because it’s sex! However, we have always honored gay men of color making a difference in our community as well, to include health care workers, politicians, authors, artists, etc. What changes each year is our growth and the fact that as more people become aware of us, the more people love or hate what we are doing, which is to be expected. But the basic format is still the same

Some of your critics, find your promotions that include perfectly-chiseled men, as the demographic you’re most comfortable marketing to. Where are the men who missed the opportunity to feature their bodies? What do you say to them?

LW: What you see is what you get. However this does not limit our attendance to a specific demographic. Instead, it attracts many different types of gay and bisexual men. If you like what you see then this event is for you.

JH: No one event can ever please everyone. Especially not an event like ours, which caters to a niche market. All kinds of gay and bisexual men of color (and some white men too), with all types of bodies attend Blatino Oasis. All gay and bisexual men are welcome who want to experience what we offer.

How do you promote an event that features a ginormous amount of alcohol and sexual activity, while still keeping it real?

JH: We are not even a “ginormous” event, so how can we feature a “ginormous” amount of alcohol? I only have one small liquor sponsor, Buzz Ballz. I wish that we did have big alcohol sponsors like most of the events in Palm Springs, but we don’t so, I don’t feel like I am “featuring large amounts” of alcohol at all. Sexual activity, at a getaway for gay men, is par for the course. It’s nothing new. I am fortunate to be able to “keep it real” as you say, by always partnering with organizations such as Get Tested Coachella and the Desert AIDS Project to keep a high profile of safer sex resources and information for attendees. As for our attendees, the men that you see in the videos on our Web site are the men that attend Blatino Oasis. It is what it is. If these are the men of some peoples fantasies then so be it.

How bad do you think racism is when it comes to the LGBT community? And I’m talking about all forms: between blacks, Latinos, Asians and whites.

LW: Having an African American, Native-American and Latin background, I feel that we have come a long way as the newer generations have evolved. However, racism is a deeply rooted seed in America’s history and is very relevant in today’s LGBTQ community. It just isn’t as raw and direct as it has been in the previous generations, which I believe is even more dangerous for American LGBTQ communities.

JH: Well, I hope that I understand your question correctly, but as a black man who is also gay this is one of the best times to be alive in America ever. I would think the worst time was when my ancestors were slaves, or when Mexican-Americans were only used for cheap labor, or when Native-Americans were being slaughtered or when Asian immigrants were placed in “internment camps”. But yes, racism is very prevalent in the LGBTQ community today.

I’ve never been to Blatino Oasis. What will be my experience?

LW: It all depends, as it really boils down to what your expectations are. I would hope that overall you would find it to be a unique, relaxing and fun experience. There simply isn’t anything like it on the West Coast!

JH: I can’t answer that question for you specifically. However, for gay men of color (and our friends) who are attending for the first time and those who are returning, we plan to offer them our unique desert experience to help them relax, have fun and enjoy themselves.

For more information on Blatino Oasis, visit BlatinoOasis.com