By Valerie Milano
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 1/8/25 – On Saturday, January 10, 2026, the Coachella Valley will once again come together for an event that is as urgent as it is uplifting: THRIVE: A Path to Well-Being, the second annual health and wellness fair produced by the L-Fund in collaboration with Eisenhower Health. Designed specifically for cis, trans, and queer-identifying lesbians, THRIVE will take place at the Annenberg Health Sciences Building on Eisenhower’s Rancho Mirage campus and will offer a full day of education, community, and care, including a light lunch, breakout sessions, and access to vital resources.
As media partners, The Hollywood Times is proud to amplify this work and to share highlights from our recent in-depth conversation with Karyl Ketchum, PhD, Department Chair of Gender & Sexuality Studies at California State University, Fullerton; board member of the L-Fund and DAP Health; and incoming first Director of the L-Fund following its forthcoming merger with the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert on July 1, 2026.
Dr. Ketchum steps into leadership at a pivotal moment. The L-Fund’s mission is to empower cis, trans, and queer-identifying lesbians in the greater Coachella Valley with financial assistance during immediate crises, as well as support in health and wellness, the arts, and education. What began years ago as a small group of Coachella Valley friends informally gathering money to support other women in the community has grown into a powerful engine of care. In the past year alone, the L-Fund has distributed more grants than ever before.
Those grants have been life-changing: helping a lesbian community member obtain an oxygen machine needed to survive extreme desert heat; ensuring a young student could continue college with access to a laptop; and supporting lesbian artists whose work keeps cultural dollars and community rooted locally.
With the merger, the L-Fund will remain a distinct organization while gaining expanded capacity. Two designated seats on the Center’s board will be filled by long-time The L-Fund leaders Robbin Burr and Mei Ling Tom, ensuring continuity, institutional knowledge, and vision. As Dr. Ketchum shared, “The stars aligned. This is about taking care of the women we love, right here in the community where we are growing together.”
Dr. Ketchum’s talk at this year’s THRIVE, “What’s Killing Us Isn’t Aging,” confronts a stark truth: Harvard Nurses’ Study data show that lesbians live about 20 percent shorter lives than heterosexual women, and bisexual women up to 37 percent shorter. She argues these disparities are driven not by aging or individual choice, but by institutional neglect, bias, and “toxic social exposures,” with masculine-identified lesbians facing even higher risks and greater barriers to care.
THRIVE 2026 will feature a robust schedule of speakers, exhibitors, and breakout sessions, including self-defense, movement, sound-bath experiences, and fitness coaching. Among the speakers is Azadeh Elmi, MD, a renowned breast cancer specialist affiliated with Eisenhower Health. Last year, Dr. Elmi’s presentation on advanced imaging for dense breast tissue led directly to an early cancer diagnosis for an attendee, an outcome that quite literally saved a life. This year, that community member will share her story before Dr. Elmi speaks, a powerful testament to what can happen when information meets access.
At just $10 per ticket, including lunch, THRIVE is intentionally accessible. More than an event, it is a living expression of the L-Fund’s core commitment: lesbians and queer women taking care of one another, filling the gaps left by systems that too often overlook them.
Click below for our exclusive interview:
