20 22-25 22-25 With the upcoming Blatino Oasis Men’s Getaway, event promoter Joe Hawkins hopes to prove that Palm Springs isn’t just for white folk anymore. For event promoter and Club RimShot.com owner Joe Hawkins, recently vacationing in Palm Springs turned out to be some- thing of an epiphany. “Honestly, for most African Americans, it’s just not on our radar,” Hawkins says of the popular resort desti- nation.“You tend to hear that Palm Springs is just for white people. But I went, and I felt like it was for me, too! I thought the people were so accommodating and so nice. It felt like I was on a big cruise ship, and I wanted to share that with my friends.” After receiving a call from a friend who raved about his recent stay at the Helios Men’s Resort, Hawkins was sold. “He said, ‘Joe, you really need to do a black event there,’ and that was it.” Hawkins immediately set about putting together the Blati- no Oasis Men’s Getaway, an event in conjunction with ClubRimShot that would not only gather African Americans together in Palm Springs, but Latinos and admirers of African Americans and Latinos, as well. Hawkins and his partner booked Helios for a weekend, then contacted other local establish- ments to see if they might be interested in hosting events as well.To his surprise, Hawkins says, “We really got a lot of good sup- port from people to get this thing started.” The main event is a celebration of black and Latino male erotica at Helios that will feature appear- ances from GAVYN Award-winning porn star Tiger Tyson (of Pitbull Productions fame), super star strip- per Redickulous and internation- ally known erotic illustrator Belas- co, as well as exhibits of erotic art and video and a “fashion show” featuring the underwear and swimwear of event co-sponsor Andrew Christian. Other events, including a dinner at Dale’s Lost Hideaway, an excursion to the Oasis nightclub and brunch at Azure’s are scheduled at various locations around town. For Hawkins, the reason for placing the emphasis on erotica was two-fold.“I believe most men relate to sex, and I think that in our community and in our cul- ture, it can be taboo—even though we’re obviously doing it,” he posits.“It was very important for me to make sure that African American and Latino men knew that this was about respecting that we are sexual beings. I want to give them the permission to embrace their sexuality and come together and have fun.” Having faced his share of resistance for other events he’s planned, Hawkins says that he is not sure what to expect, though he is quick to add that Helios sold out within minutes of the Blatino Getaway’s announce- ment. “When I started the Oak- land International Black Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, people said, ‘Black people are not gong to come to a film festival,’ but, it’s become the largest in the nation. I’m one of those people who thinks that you have to expose people to things before they know if they’re going to like it or not.” So far, so good. “More than anything, people just want to know if there will be nude people there,” Hawkins reports with a laugh. “And, we’re like, ‘Definitely, there will be lots of nudity!’” Beyond the excesses of skin, however,lies something much more profound for Hawkins.“I just want to see people stepping out of their comfort zones and experiencing something new,” he says. “I want them to be more adventurous and explore more. I want them to be more open. Just because you hear that a place is quote-unquote ‘for white people,’ doesn’t mean you have to keep away. Because that’s just another form of people trying to keep you in a box.” The Blatino Oasis Men’s Getaway will be held June at the Helios Men Resort and other loca- tions in Palm Springs. For more information, visit www.clubrim shot.com, or purchase tickets at www.circuiticket.com. Redickulous Tiger Tyson Blatino Oasis MenŐs Getaway June