Mariah Hanson, left, with Cara Delevingne at Dinah 2021. (Photo by ILDK Media)
The Dinah is much more than a party; it’s a community where people can be their authentic selves
JENNY BLOCK | Postcards From Jenny
JennyEBlock@icloud.com
people with lgbt rainbow flag standing together on tropical beach gay lesbian love parade pride festival transgender love concept horizontal vector illustration
If you haven’t heard of The Dinah, you aren’t paying attention. It’s become ubiquitous in the LGBTQ community — and for good reason.
It’s been leaving its mark for more than 30 years and shows no signs of stopping. It’s more than a party. It’s more than hooks-ups. It’s The Dinah.
It is the largest and longest-running LGBTQ event and music festival for queer women in the world. And the culture and longevity of the weekend of events known as The Dinah is due in no small part to founder and producer Mariah Hanson.
This year the festival is celebrating its 33rd year. That is an especially impressive feat with so many lesbian bars, LGBTQ spaces, festivals and publications disappearing at a terrifying rate all across the country.
Iniko
Hanson created the space for women to live out loud and be free to be their authentic selves, and, every year, she ups the ante with bigger and better special guests and events.
“The Dinah is a unique invitation to revel in the sense of unity and community that permeates the event and embark on a journey into a world of empowerment and inclusivity where true selves are celebrated,” Hanson says. “Events like The Dinah are essential to recharge and reconnect the community.”
The Dinah has been featured on a number of TV shows, including Showtime’s The L Word, ABC’s Jeopardy!, Hulu’s Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne and, more recently, Netflix’s The Ultimatum: Queer Love. It has unequivocally cemented its place in pop culture history.
It has also marked its place in the history books when it comes to making strides in LGBTQ representation. Year after year, attendees are treated to the boldest, the brightest and the most outspoken queer artists. This year is no different, with guests representing a whole new generation focused on queerness in its most unfiltered state.
Lauren Jauregui, Iniko, KiNG MALA, Lauren Sanderson (who performed live recently at Sue Ellen’s), Whitney Peyton, Lucy & La Mer and Sherrelle Holmes are all headlining this year’s event, which is filled with dance parties and pool parties, performers and DJs. It all comes together to create the kind of safe space to celebrate and connect that you can find in very few other places.
King Mala
Dallas Voice had the chance to catch up with Mariah Hanson to find out more about what makes The Dinah the ground-breaking event that it is.
Dallas Voice: What is the best way to describe The Dinah to someone who has never been? Mariah Hanson: A whirlwind of LGBT+ community, female-centric empowerment, celebrities, music, DJ’s, performers, sunshine, pool parties, night parties, beautiful people of all shapes and sizes — all coming together to celebrate our lives together in sunny Palm Springs, one of the most-gay friendly cities in the states.
Who should come to The Dinah? Anyone and everyone who celebrates diversity, community, tolerance, music, differences, commonalities and all things female identified.
What surprises can repeat attendees expect at this year’s event? Our line-up is amazing. It’s 100 percent LGBT so far, which is great. We are fine-tuning our pool parties for the ultimate experience in the Palm Springs sunshine.
Lauren Jauregui
Why is an event like The Dinah still so relevant — or maybe even more so — in the current social and political climate? As LGBT+ individuals, we share a common culture that is under attack again. So, to be together, to celebrate our lives out loud and to celebrate love — that is a beautiful, divine emotion that, when we experience it, makes all of us better people. It is a powerful thing.
The Dinah is a transcendent and joyful event that brings out the best of us, illustrated by the sweet greeting our guests have adopted that has come to epitomize the event and its feel-good nature. “Happy Dinah!” You hear that everywhere you walk at The Dinah as strangers greet each other and welcome everyone they see into the beautiful world of The Dinah.
What do you wish people knew about the Dinah? It’s so much more than a party weekend. It’s a movement of people who believe that ,for five days, we can emulate the world we want to live in where each person is valued, seen, and heard. You have to see it to believe it. It’s an amazing event. There is nothing like it.
What is the biggest misconception about The Dinah? That it is a party fest. It’s so much more than that. Sure, people party. They hook up. But mostly they celebrate their lives together; they create friendships, and they make connections that teach us that if we can be this open and welcoming and actually loving to one another for five days, we can do it for 360 more.
Lauren-Jauregui
What continues to inspire you to put on this event every year? All of the above. It’s an honor to produce.
What’s your dream for the future of Dinah? That it continues to emulate the best of who we are, the most open and accepting of who we are and the most welcoming of who we are. We need this in the world, more now than ever.
This year’s event is Sept. 25-29. Margaritaville is The Dinah host hotel. For tickets and more information, visit TheDinah.com.
Lucy & La Mer
Whitney Peyton