Our General Manager, LEILANI REYNOLDS, Reveals Why The Dinah is Like The Hotel California: "You Can Check Out Anytime You Like, But You Can Never Leave"!

Our General Manager, LEILANI REYNOLDS, has been committing her time, effort and professional skills to Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend for almost a decade.

And even though after her first Dinah Shore Weekend "working" experience back in 2006 she nearly quit, eight years later she's still at it, working her Dinah management magic to make sure YOUR Dinah experience is successful and unforgettable.

Today she shares why Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend is like The Eagles' Hotel California:
"you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave"!

Mariah Hanson, Monica Salamy, Leilani Reynolds, Briana Stockton and Veronica Cruz-Martinez: Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend 2012

"Dinah 2013 will mark my eighth Dinah Shore event. And when I look back on the last seven Dinah events, it is the memories I have of my very first Dinah that reminds me of why I come back every year. 

Narrowing it down even further, I can tell you that my very first interaction with a Dinah guest was what hooked me. During a casual conversation with a guest about her flight to Palm Springs, she told me she was a teacher from a small town in middle-America and that she was so excited to be in Palm Springs for Dinah Shore because she was not “out” in her town. 

In fact, her town and school believed she was on the West Coast at a teacher’s conference. The look on her face was priceless and it’s a look I have seen many times over the last seven years – a look of pure excitement, wonder and … RELIEF.

Leilani Reynolds at her first Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend back in 2006

At that moment, from a conversation with one person, I felt incredibly fortunate that I do not have to hide who I am. But more importantly, I realized that outside of liberal bubbles, like the Bay Area and New York, there are so many people who don’t have the ability to express their love, or themselves, freely. 

And this changed my whole thinking around why I was at Dinah that year and why I would return year, after year. 

Leilani Reynolds, CeCe Peniston and Briana Stockton

Now don't get me wrong, my first Dinah cannot be summed up by this one great story. Honestly, my first Dinah was messy. I slept a total of four hours a night, saw numerous break-ups, there were lots of tears (not of joy), and I was threatened by guests (not just once). 

And initially, when the big boss, Mariah, asked me if I would come back the following year to help with operations I laughed because I thought she was crazy. But then I thought about the conversation I had just five days prior with a woman who came to Palm Springs so she could be completely free for one week. And in my mind I knew that no matter how crazy things could probably get (and they do), being able to see that awe-inspiring look on so many faces every year would outweigh it all.

Leilani Reynolds and Chris Lacasse at the 2009 Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend

 Looking back at Dinah 2006 I realize that I expected to see a crazy week long party, a "lesbian spring break" as it's often referred to - complete with random hook-ups, inappropriate interactions and things some people would probably wish had never happened. 

And although my expectations were met to a certain point, the love and understanding that this event exudes makes Dinah so much more than that for everyone. 

It did, and still does, for me at least."

Chris Lacasse, Leilani Reynolds, Briana Stockton, CHAKA KHAN, Mariah Hanson and Mona Elyafi at the 2012 Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend.

CLUB SKIRTS DINAH SHORE WEEKEND TAKES PLACE IN PALM SPRINGS, CA  APRIL 3-7, 2013

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW AT: www.TheDinah.com


 
 

MARIAH AND THE REAL DINAH!

Today we invite you to meet Mariah Hanson, the creative genius behind Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend.

Mariah is a woman who has perpetually been defining extreme reinvention by revolutionizing her industry, overturning tradition and raising the bar on female achievement.
They said she was crazy to dream this big but Mariah never takes NO for an answer!

We wanted to share with you her exclusive interview with Robin Lowey, editor of Epochalips.com.

Get up-close and personal with Mariah Hanson - an amazingly inspirational woman & business entrepreneur who, going from ordinary to extraordinary, continues to lead a new generation of lesbians and to make a difference in women's lives.


Mariah and The Real Dinah:

05 Dec Posted by Robin Lowey in Epochalips Interviews

I’ve known Mariah since the early Club Skirts days when we were fresh-faced blondies in our early twenties. both of us were ready to take on the world. But our paths took very different routes. Mine included a long-term relationship, two kids and a career in advertising.

Mariah’s path was one that would change the face of lesbian nightlife as we know it today—she blazed a trail toward what would become the biggest lesbian event in the world. The Dinah.
And by doing so, she helped make the world a better place for the LGBT community.

I went to visit Mariah at her new home near Idyllwild, in the majestic mountains above Palm Springs. I thought it would be fun to interview her on horseback—and after an extensive grilling as to my horsewoman capabilities, I was finally deemed worthy.

So this is what happened on top of that mountain, amongst the steep trails, rattlesnakes and granite boulders.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW AT:  EPOCHALIPS
http://www.epochalips.com/?p=756



Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend takes place April 3-7, 2013 in Palm Springs.

Get your tickets now at: TheDinah.com

OUR GENERAL MANAGER, BRIANA STOCKTON, HAS DONE IT ALL, SEEN IT ALL AND TODAY ... TELLS IT ALL!

Our general Manager BRIANA STOCKTON has more than a decade of Dinah experience and memories! 

She's done it all, seen it all and today ... she tells it all:

"I am coming up on my 11^th year working with Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs, and every year is just as memorable as the first one! 

My Dinah experiences are innumerable to say the least!

Overall what keeps touching me the most - and my favorite thing to share about this incredible weekend - are the stories I hear year after year from the many lesbians in attendance.

Women from all around the world travel to Palm Springs for the same reason: FREEDOM and of course GIRLS!

The Dinah is not just a family among the staff; it is also, and most importantly, a place where everyone is alike and equal; where we all feel related in a special way – WE LIKE GIRLS – and its ok! 

It's always an unforgettable, gratifying noble few days of being openly GAY. I think it's easy for those of us who have the freedom to walk in public hand in hand with our girlfriend to forget that in some other parts of the country and the world, public display of affection is still a big NO NO. 

To see all these women being free to be themselves without fearing what others will say or think is what I love the most about the Dinah. 

To me what makes the Dinah special is that the event is able to provide for each and every woman HERstory - from wedding bells, breakups to fellowships and pen pals, The Dinah delivers it all!
It truly puts a human face on our Lesbian community.

I feel immensely proud to be part of this ever growing family that puts together such a magical event for our community to embrace, enjoy, and experience. Nothing compares to feeling completely loved and accepted.

Every Dinah, I look forward to seeing YOU: our Dinah family members - old and new! 

Briana Stockton and Mariah Hanson

We want to hear from YOU!
Send us your own Dinah Story and be featured on our blog:
Info@TheDinah.com

CLUB SKIRTS' PUBLICIST SPILLS THE BEANS ABOUT THE DINAH :)

Because we want you to get to know us better, we're turning this blog over to our staff members so they can share with you their own stories about what The Dinah represents for them and how it has changed their lives.

Today, our publicist, MONA ELYAFI, breaks the news about her own Dinah experience! 

"They say “things happen for a reason” and I never really fully grasped the meaning of it until the Dinah came into my life.

The first time I ever attended the Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs was in 1999.  Back then I was on disability suffering from severe back pain and just a few months shy from undergoing a major back surgery. It was also the early phase of my coming out and evidently I was still very confused about this whole lesbian thing.

To be honest, I was more afraid of what my family, my friends and society would say about it.   I come from a rather complex cultural/religious background with a Catholic mother and a Muslim dad, so needless to say, I was mentally struggling with the idea, and still trying to figure out what was the right thing to do morally speaking.

So how did I find myself at The Dinah?

Well, simply because a few of my friends got tired of me complaining about my back pain all the time and thought that a little escapade in the sunny oasis bathing in a sea of women would be a good distraction. 

Now I’ll confess that instead of checking out all these gorgeous women, I actually spent the entire time staring at everybody lower back and wondering what it was like to be able to walk, dance and move pain free.

But although I might have missed out on some potentially successful cruising action, The Dinah gave me something much more valuable. It showed me that I was not the only one – that there was a huge community of women out there who were exactly like me and that made me feel safe. It was such a freeing experience.

Ironically for someone who was mortified to go in the first place and very much on the fence about spending 5 days with a bunch of lesbians, I ended up crying like a baby when we left.  I just didn’t want to go back to my reality.

It was the same nostalgic sadness as when I used to come back from summer camp.

Cut to 2006. By then I was fully healed and had successfully resumed my PR career.

So there I were attending The Dinah in Palm Springs for the second time, although this time I was not a customer but a publicist attending an “industry” function with a client! I’ll skip all the professional details of my attendance and jump right into the personal juicy stuff: I fell in love!

Yep, as cheesy as it sounds, my second Dinah is where I met my (now) ex-girlfriend and discovered the meaning of being so insanely, truly, madly, deeply, and obsessively in love.  Of course two years later she dumped my booty and brutally broke my inconsolable heart into pieces.

As much as going through this breakup was/is the worse pain I have ever known (believe me the back surgery was nothing in comparison), again the Dinah provided for another life-changing experience for me: it not only confirmed what and who I now know I truly am, but it also made it psychologically and morally OK for me to be gay because I finally realized that I could only have that kind of connection with a woman.  

Suffice to say that getting over the breakup was excruciatingly painful. I spent the bulk of 2008 trying to convince myself that this was not the end of my world and buried myself into my work. I just needed to distract my mind from the usual mind-torturing questions “Where is she?”, “Who is she with?”, “What is she doing?”, “has she already forgotten about me?”, etc.

Clearly the universe heard my cry for help (or maybe it felt sorry for me) because out of the blue I got a phone call from Mariah Hanson (founder and producer of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs), wanting to meet with me to discuss my potentially handling the PR campaign for The Dinah 2009.

Long story short, ten years after my first Dinah ever, I was back at The Dinah but this time I was attending as not only a new member of the Dinah Team but also as the new publicist.  That was HUGE for me - especially considering that was the year Mariah had booked Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

But in spite of the colossal amount of work that was involved in handling an event of that magnitude, and in spite of the prestige of working with international superstars like Gaga and Perry, what really and profoundly affected me was how the entire team (from the top down) so graciously welcomed me into the Dinah family. 

For the first time I felt like I finally belonged somewhere and was part of something bigger than me; something that was genuinely making a difference not just for me but also for so many others.   Such a priceless feeling!

The Dinah holds a very special place in my heart. Being from France where to date my parents still live, what Club Skirts The Dinah has accomplished for me is become my substitute family." 

 Share with us your own special Dinah moment! 

Email us your story at: Info@TheDinah.com

     

HALLOWEEN "PET-A-PORTER" ... DINAH STYLE!

Happy Halloween Ladies!

Tonight's the night ... time to boost your candy stash for the coming weeks!

And if you're anything like Jeanette Moya's Chihuahua dog, TINKERBELLE, you'll know where to go trick or treating to find the goodies ... and the hotties to!

"I dream about going to The Dinah every year....My dog Tinkerbelle wants me to go too....She is a big L-Word fan like myself....She sticks out her tongue to all the hotties at the biggest candy store ever...The Dinah"

GOT A SPECIAL DINAH MOMENT? SHARE YOUR STORY ON OUR BLOG!

A big THANK YOU to twenty-three year-old LISA LEE from the Bay Area who sent us this super cute Halloween photo of her dog ECHO.

Lisa also sent us her story of her own Dinah experience.
Here's what she is sharing with us:


"I've attended Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs twice and plan on joining the festivities in 2013 again.

Dinah is fun! It's like a Pride just for lesbians! Especially in SF there are always soo many gay boys during Pride or just in the Castro  at Dinah I can just be around my Lesbians ^_^

I always go with a group of friends..it feels like we take the club to Dinah every year. I go with a group of like 10 girls but of course you see all the girls you would see in the club around the city.
Originally some girls asked me if i was going and I didn't know what she was talking about so I googled it and I was like OMG HEAVEEEEEEN!

I have had a lot of great times at Dinah. It's great cause you meet a lot of women from all over the place but somehow where ever I am at Dinah I'm always surrounded by NorCal girls. Which is great cause then I make new friends or new dating possibilities.. haha The vibe at Dinah is amazing! Everyone is just trying to have a good time. From the pool party to random hotel room parties. 

Dinah is amazingggg! I love it!"

Send us your story of your special Palm Srings Dinah Shore Weekend moment and receive a FREE official Club Skirts T.Shirt: Info@TheDinah.com


We love to hear from YOU and want to feature YOU on our blog!

WHO'S PACKING WHAT: CELEBRITY TIPS & TRICKS

Celebrities are sharing their Dinah weekend getaway packing essentials.

Find out what stand-up comic and actor, Bridget McManus, who stars in the popular web series "McManusLand" and pens the daily "Afternoon Delight" column on AfterEllen, puts in her bags to head out to Palms Springs Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend:

 

BRIDGET McMANUS:























1.  My wife.  (Safety in numbers)

2. Advil and lots of it.  The best thing about Advil is it's great for hangovers and for an injured groin.  When I dance I dance hard!

3. Tons of cash.  Especially $1 bills to tip the staff and the "dancers."

4. Bring your sense of humor.  You might see some naked women who shouldn't be naked or witness your friend making out with someone they wouldn't if they weren't at the Dinah but it's all in good fun so get ready to laugh.

5. Ear plugs. If you attempt to get some sleep over the weekend you'll need ear plugs because some women don't know when to stop fighting in the hallway and shut off the Tegan and Sara.



Article originally published by SheWired

OUR CUSTOMERS SHARE THEIR STORIES & PACKING TIPS!

As we continue to feature some of your favorite celebrities who have attended Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs in our special blog series dubbed “Celebrities Survival Kit Guide, now we’re also opening the checklist to you, our customers, to get your packing tips!

Here’s what Chelsey Weber from Canada shared with us.

My name is Chelsey from Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. I moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada 4 years ago. I am 25 years old.

This  year I was a Dinah virgin! Ha ha! I am going again for 2013! When I first came out 6 years ago I was introduced to the L word . Who hasn't seen it right? Well that's how I saw Dinah Shore! I always said one day I'm going to go! So this year my best friend was going through a hard break up and time. We decided we need to go away!

So this was the year we were going to Dinah! Why not a vacation, sun, and great times! So me my girlfriend Heather and Amber away we went! I would recommend everyone has to go! ( and no you don't need to be single to go) ha ha . It was the best time for a couple or if you were single. I met so many great friends that I still keep in contact with.

It was such an amazing experience for myself ! That many people in one spot but not a single person I met was unfriendly to meet you! Everyone was great and so happy to meet you! It gave me a great positive outlook and energy. It's the one thing i'm looking forward to next year is that great positive energy!

So this next year the same people I went with are coming and a great big group from my friends in Saskatchewan are coming! So Kat, Amber, Heather, Nikki, Keeley, Lauren, Nicole, Treena and Cindy lets get this party started !
Dinah Shore 2013!


My five must-have items are:

1. Different bathing suit for each pool party!

2- an out fit for all the parties plus extra ha ha

3- a hangover remedy

4- mouth wash for that extra fresh breath!

5-and your great attitude to have fun !

_____________________________________________________________________


We encourage and welcome other customers to submit their Top 5 items part of their Dinah Survival Kits. We'll gladly post your stories and packing tips on our blog.
Email us at:  info@thedinah.com

Thank you!

DINAH CHECKLIST: HOW CELEBRITIES PACK FOR PALM SPRINGS DINAH SHORE WEEKEND!

Continuing our Dinah Shore "Celebrity Survival Kit Guide" series, take a look at the top 5 MUST-HAVE items selected by Showtime The Real L Word stars Romi Klinger and Rose Garcia (hosts of the Romi & Rose Show on LATalk Live Radio):


ROMI KLINGER:

1. Casa Por Vida sunglass chain for sunglasses
2. Wake up call tee ripped up to throw over a bikini
3. Canteen for my H20
4. Sun block for my skin
5. Waterproof mascara

ROSE GARCIA:

1. ALL of my hot friends. I believe in the law of attraction!
2. Sunglasses and Advil!
3. Protein bars for me and my friends. Food kind of becomes irrelevant at The Dinah.
4. Lollipops to suck on.
5. Condoms.

Article originally published by SheWired

Our First Blog!

Welcome to the Dinah Shore Weekend blogspot.
We're finally live!

This is exciting and I can't wait to share with you all the behind the scenes action; give you useful tips on how to prepare for The Dinah, how to survive it; provide you with updates on our past and upcoming headliners, celebrities and "celesbians"; give you information about Palm Springs (our beautiful host city), and let you meet the incredible talent and creativity of the wonderful people I work with to bring you this unique and original event year after year.

It truly is a Dinah family and we want you to be part of it.Basically this blog is for you!

We want to know what's on your mind whether you're new to the Dinah or have already been! No question is off limit, so fire away! Everything you ever wanted to know about the Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs is on this blog.

We look forward to getting to know you!


Mariah Hanson
Founder & Promoter of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend Palm Springs