Palm Springs, CA

On any weekend at the Gay Clubs in Palm Springs, you may see Jill Langham, the Dancing Queen of Palm Springs, moving around on the dance floor. Langham, a heterosexual woman is a local icon in Palm Springs, very popular among the gay crowds and author of the book, How I became the Dancing Queen of Palm Springs: A Memoire of Body, Mind and Spirit Transformation which came out several years ago.

I’ve had a bee in my bonnet for some time now to interview Jill Langham, and a chance encounter with her at the local grocery store enabled me to ask the question if she would allow me to interview her to which she graciously replied yes.

Here is our interview:

When did you first come to Palm Springs?
The first time I came to Palm Springs was to the 2004 White Party. I love to dance and when I was visiting with a friend in LA at a dance event, they said, “if you think this is something, you have to go to Palm Springs for Easter for the White Party!” I was 47 at the time and decided to visit Palm Springs with my then husband. 

How come you decided to move to Palm Springs after your visit?
The experience actually happened at the White Party, a big LGBT event.  I was in an altered state, and I heard the words in the music that said ‘move to palm springs and train gay men.’  Then I heard it a second time and every cell and hair on my body rose to the top and I had goosebumps and I realized I had a mission statement from my higher power.  At age 49 I moved here and have been here ever since. I wrote about the details of this in my book.

What is your book “How I became the Dancing Queen of Palm Springs” about?
I’m a story teller and there were a number of issues that affected me and my life so dramatically. The book is a coming of age story. If someone had asked me 18 years ago what I wanted my life to be about, I wouldn’t have been able to put two words together. Before coming to Palm Springs, my inner person struggled a lot to come from a place of true authenticity within the straight community. When I came to Palm Springs, I got a nod of approval from the gay community to come out and be myself. Once I did there was no turning back. The word “out” is utilized by the gay community who come out of the closet to reveal their sexuality. I feel the word out should also be used for anyone to come out to who they really are. I joke around and say, I was Jill in the Box, not Jack in the Box. My ex husband was very pivotal in seeing my transformation as well. He always said be who you are and that’s basically what happened. I am here because I feel it is my destiny to be in my role in this community which I have become a voice in, something I could never imagine. I was a mute person for the first 47 years of my life and I am no longer holding back.

The book took 6 weeks to write and allowed me to let go of a lot of pattens I didn’t realize I had. I realized, if I have these patterns, than others do as well. 

What career did you choose when  you moved to Palm Springs?
I was a nurse for 20 years before moving to Palm Springs. I then became a personal trainer in 1994 so when I came onto the scene here, I started as a personal trainer at World Gym, a gay gym.

You are very popular with the Gay Community.  How did that happen?
Literally from just showing up because of the love to dance and I love to dance. My ex would go to the dance clubs too. I was in a situation that the job I love, working at World Gym, was a gay gym.  Guys would see me at the gym, at the club, at the happy hour, at the pool party, at the restaurants.  Everything we did was gay oriented.  I guess my spirit and energy is such that it’s very full of light, people are attracted to light and wanted me to be around.

(Jill Langham, Dancing)

How do you relate to the Gay Community?
I will always be their biggest spokesperson because of the effect they had on me and on my life.  I’m so distraught by world opinion and US opinion about how somehow gay people are supposed to need approval from straight people to live their life and to be who they are.  I think that’s absurd.  I will do everything in my power to make sure that gay culture continues strong in today’s world.  This goes for the gay clubs. I see more and more straight people coming to the Gay clubs. If they are coming for the right reason, to enjoy the gay community, energy, and the gay culture that’s respectful. If they are not coming for the right reason, being obnoxious or disrespectful to the guys who are there for the safe space of who they are, not being able to handle their liquor, finger pointing and laughing, that ruins the energy to our clubs and changes the scene. 

What are you up to these days?  I hear you are starting a Happy Hour at Tool Shed?

I’m still doing personal training at Steel Gym formerly World Gym. I do this 5 days a week. I also started a happy hour at the Tool Shed for the community to come together so we can talk about where we are going as a culture. I feel like one of the guys.. I will do anything in my power to make this community last and have a direction again. I feel like Covid threw everyone’s identities to the wind and we are trying to collect our identity. I’m also getting my dance on when I go to the clubs. I’m a little older now, I get home at midnight and not 4 in the morning.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I love my community here. I’ve never been a part of a community in my life so when I came to Palm Springs, this was a really big change for me. I am very grateful to be in this position. I can’t think of any other place to live in the United States than Palm Springs.

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