“Read the Room”: Honey Davenport’s Palm Springs Experience Sparks Conversation About Race, Music, and Belonging in LGBTQ+ Nightlife

A public statement and video released by performer and DJ Honey Davenport is igniting difficult but necessary conversations about race, cultural expression, and inclusion within LGBTQ+ nightlife spaces — particularly in Palm Springs, a city often marketed as a welcoming queer destination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRqIsQhg-fs

Davenport, a former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant and current Mr. Palm Springs Leather, shared their account following a recent event produced by Men of ONYX Southwest at Tool Shed Palm Springs. According to Davenport and organizers, what was intended to be a celebration of People of Color instead became an experience that left some participants feeling culturally unwelcome.

At the center of the controversy is a statement Davenport says was directed toward them while DJing the event:

“If you are in a room full of white people, maybe you should play white music.”

The remark, which Davenport said came from a patron during their set, quickly spread online and became symbolic of broader frustrations many Black queer organizers and performers say they continue to face in predominantly white LGBTQ+ spaces.

According to Davenport’s video statement, the event had been promoted for months as a house music-centered gathering celebrating People of Color. However, Davenport says they were contacted by Tool Shed ownership hours before the event and asked to incorporate country music into the set due to overlapping programming tied to Palm Springs’ Gay Rodeo weekend.

Davenport said they attempted to accommodate the request while still preserving the spirit of the event.

“I told him that there were very few intersections between music that I would play at a house music POC event and country music,” Davenport explained in the video. “But I was going to download music and try.”

According to Davenport, they opened their set with a house remix of music by Black country artist Shaboozey before blending country, pop, and house tracks together in an effort to satisfy multiple audiences.

But tensions reportedly escalated throughout the night.

Davenport alleges that venue owner Rob approached them early in the set to reiterate expectations around country music. Later, Davenport says a patron approached the booth and made the now-viral “play white music” comment after asking whether more country music would be played.

Following the interaction, Davenport chose to leave the event early.

“I decided that I would remove myself from the situation because I wasn’t appreciated and didn’t feel like I had a sense of belonging,” Davenport said.

The situation has resonated deeply because it touches on issues larger than one event or one venue.

For many Black queer organizers, nightlife is not simply entertainment — it is cultural space-making. House music itself was born from Black queer underground communities, and events centered around that culture are often viewed as rare opportunities for community affirmation and visibility.

That is part of why Men of ONYX Southwest’s accompanying statement struck such a nerve online.

“We were invited to produce an event celebrating People of Color and spent the night feeling like we were being asked to stay in the background,” the organization wrote.

The group also alleged that agreements surrounding funding and event logistics shifted repeatedly leading up to the event. According to the statement, an agreed-upon donation connected to the event was reduced after concerns were raised about Davenport’s DJ fee.

Davenport addressed that issue directly in their video, explaining that they offered the venue a discounted local rate specifically because they wanted to support their community.

“It’s a very low rate,” Davenport said. “But I do that to make sure that I am spinning music for the people I love.”

The controversy has also sparked conversations about Palm Springs itself.

Over the last several years, Palm Springs has become an increasingly visible LGBTQ+ tourism destination, particularly for older gay men and seasonal visitors. But some Black and Brown queer residents and visitors have long described tensions around representation, inclusion, and cultural comfort within local nightlife spaces.

Critics argue that diversity is often welcomed aesthetically or symbolically — but can become more complicated when it meaningfully shifts the atmosphere, music, or cultural norms of a space.

Supporters of Davenport and Men of ONYX Southwest say that appears to be part of what happened here.

Still, Davenport has been notably measured in their response.

In the video, Davenport repeatedly emphasized that they are not calling for a boycott of Tool Shed Palm Springs or seeking to “cancel” the venue. Instead, they say they hope the incident opens dialogue around how LGBTQ+ nightlife spaces can become more welcoming and culturally aware.

“I legitimately just want to create safe spaces for people of color in my community,” Davenport said. “Places where we feel belonging.”

As of publication, Icon City News has not independently verified all allegations made by Davenport or Men of ONYX Southwest.

Icon City News reached out to Tool Shed Palm Springs for comment. This article will be updated if a response is received.

For many watching the situation unfold online, however, the conversation has already moved beyond one venue or one difficult night.

The larger question being asked is this: What does inclusion actually look like when Black queer culture enters spaces that say they want diversity — but may not be fully comfortable with the culture that comes with it?

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