Alota Paine, Golden Years, Senior gay life in Palm Springs, CA 2023

Palm Springs has been a queer destination for more than 50 years and it continues to attract retired gay men from all over. Unlike anyplace else in the US, these men aren’t invisible here. In fact, it’s the opposite. They have created their own culture and live large, colorful and vibrant lives in this community that supports and nurtures them. My portraits document these proud survivors who have weathered many storms including discrimination, homophobia and the AIDS plague, that wiped out a generation of their peers. Palm Springs is a place where mature gay men still are sexually active, still take care of their bodies and continue to celebrate their chosen identities and personas in vital, dynamic ways. This submission features a 10 photos of Alota Paine, one of the subjects in the Golden Years series. Blake Little