JUNE 30 2017 VOLUME 01 ISSUE 08 A M E R I C A S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE LOSANGELESBLADE.

COM

Amy Siskind is having a viral moment documenting Trump abuses, PAGE 12

Kol Ami celebrates 25 years A tale of two travel bans Best bets at Outfest

PAGE 09 PAGE 10 PAGE 22

 I know the where, when and why
to buy in West Hollywood.

I live in the city. I play in the city. I work with organizations throughout the city. As Chaiman
of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce I know what is happening now in our city,
and what is planned for the future. This deep and thorough understanding of the West
Hollywood community provides a unique base of knowledge to help clients as they
KEITH KAPLAN
consider buying or selling in this area. West Hollywood, its my hometown.
CalBRE #01933707
C 323 646 7791 | D 310 888 3714 | keith.kaplan@sothebyshomes.com | keithkaplanproperties.com Sunset Strip Brokerage
9255 Sunset Blvd., Mezzanine
A member of the property experts/powered by Sothebys International Realty | thepropertyexpertsre.com West Hollywood, CA 90069

Sothebys International Realty and the Sothebys International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sothebys International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents
affiliated with Sothebys International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sothebys International Realty, Inc. Sothebys International Realty CalBRE#: 899496
LO C A L N E W S
Party Chair Bauman on Internal Warfare, Healthcare Bill
Healing the party after
a ballot challenge
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
For a moment the dark clouds hanging
over newly elected California Democratic
Party Chair Eric Bauman parted as he
took the podium at the June 26 meeting
of the Stonewall Democratic Club in
West Hollywood. He came home to say
thank you to the club he once led for
seven years, building it into a nationally-
recognized political powerhouse within
the Democratic Party. The party activists
chuckled and applauded as Bauman
pointed that while former CDP Chair Art
Torres was gay, he was closeted, making
Bauman the rst openly gay chair who
is unabashed about publicly kissing his
husband Michael Andraychak, as he did
onstage at the Democratic convention
after his victory.
A pall lingers more than one month
after the election, however, as Baumans
opponent Kimberly Ellis refuses to
concede and continues to cultivate
media challenges as a young, progressive
African American woman representing
Berniecrats and millennials who lost to
Bauman by a mere 62 votes, when her
campaigns internal polling indicated that
she would win.
The ongoing internal clash has caused
concerns over whether the California
Democratic Party (CDP) can unify enough
to help the Democrats win back Congress
in 2018 by defeating six California
Republicans. The internal warfare has also
spread with Ellis-backers, the California
Nurses Association, urging a recall of
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon after
he pulled a California single payer bill from
being put up for a vote.
As has happened nationally, the Ellis ght
has gelled into a wishful ideological battle
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
ERIC BAUMAN (right) and SANDRA FLUKE (left).
versus stubborn factsand so far, Ellis
has failed to provide any facts to back up
her costly, ongoing challenge. Additionally,
she seems to rejoice in disparaging the
Democratic Party she wishes to lead. On
June 20, for instance, she tweeted that
the loss by two Democratic challengers
in special elections in Republican-held
Georgia and South Carolina districts
prove #dem establishment hacks worst
in biz. Time for a new coalition.
But the CDP marches along. On June 25,
the CDPs six-member Compliance Review
Commission (CRC) issued a memorandum
summing up the timeline and substance
of Ellis challenges, the CDP bylaws that
apply and an Interim Order saying the
CRC will conduct a review of ballots and
election materials starting June 28, which
candidates or their representatives can
observe. Meanwhile Bauman continues to
serve as the duly elected chair.
In its Memorandum, the CRC
underscores Ellis lack of facts. Ellis states
that over 300 ballots are potentially
questionable, the memo says, but she
has not provided any specic information
on these ballots, even with a caveat any
LOS ANGELES BLADE PHOTO BY KAREN OCAMB
such information would be preliminary
and not comprehensive.
For example, the CRC memo says, Ellis
claims approximately 200 ballots have
signatures that dont match credential
sign-in signatures or are missing
signatures. However, the CRC notes,
the challenge provides no examples of
signatures it believes do not match for the
CRC to consider.
Additionally, June 23 lings to the CRC
by Bauman and third-placed candidate
Lenore Albert refer to a June 21 Ellis
press release which cites specic ballots
the campaign questions, but the memo
says, this information has not been
submitted by the Challenger [Ellis] for
the consideration of the CRC. To date
the Challenger has submitted no specic
ballots it questions to the CRC.
The CRC also addresses Ellis calls
for an outside independent audit of
the Partys internal election materials.
Such a request is unprecedented, is not
contemplated by the Party bylaws, and,
as noted previously, the Challenger has
not provided any specic information on
potentially questionable ballots to justify
JUNE 30, 2017 05
such a request, the memo says.
In her 10-page ling, Albert said she
reviewed over 1,200 ballots on June 16
and other documents provided to team
Ellis and found nothing to substantiate her
claims. She not only formally opposed
the challenge, but wrote: Kimberly Ellis
has publicly accused voters in the Chair
election and those ballots cast to bear the
hallmarks of organized manipulation. I
am requesting that the CRC/CDP censure
Kimberly Ellis.
Others, however, want the review to
play out. After noting that Rep. Karen Bass
was among the African American women
who supported Bauman, Rep. Maxine
Waters told the Los Angeles Blade: Well,
I voted for him, also. But let me just say
this: it got nasty toward the end. You
know, politics gets nasty, sometimes. Let
her exhaust her eorts to make sure the
vote was done correctly. I dont know
what is prescribed in the bylaws of the
Democratic Party, except whatever they
are, let her exhaust them. And once thats
done, I think its over.
In an interview with the Los Angeles
Blade after the Stonewall meeting,
Bauman expressed frustration over Ellis
unsubstantiated claims. He notes that the
three names she identied as having led
fraudulent ballots were three delegates
who signed the ballots of Orthodox Jewish
voters, a traditional contingency for
religious and disabled voters.
And she had a bunch of wild accusations
about hundreds of ineligible voters and
ineligible proxies, Bauman continues.
Then, she led her formal complaintstill
no details in it. All of a sudden she put out
a press releaseand heres what I think
is happeninga lot of her supporters,
who are more traditional activists, are
seeing whats going on and they think this
is crazy because shes making these wild
accusations but not putting out any facts.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
0 6 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
Schiff reintroduces bill to regulate troubled teen industry
Measure would mandate
health, safety standards
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
Lost in the cacophony of the Russia
investigation and the newly proposed
healthcare bill is the fact that some
elected U.S. representatives still care
about governance. Among them is Rep.
Adam Schi (D-Calif.), who on Thursday
reintroduced the Stop Child Abuse in
Residential Programs for Teens Act,
legislation that would require residential
treatment programs to enforce a set of
minimum health and safety standards,
specically prohibiting discrimination
against LGBTQ youth and young people
with mental illness.
The Stop Child Abuse in Residential
Programs for Teens Act (SCARPTA),
originally introduced on July 14, 2015,
was built on a bill championed by former
California Rep. George Miller. In 2008,
Miller held hearings with painful testimony
about such abuse and neglect that he
ordered a Government Accountability
Oce report on the troubled teen
industryunregulated last resort
residential treatment facilities and
boot camps that market to desperate
parents of children deemed unruly, LGBT,
addicted, or acting out with some form of
undiagnosed mental illness.
The GAO reported that in just one
year (2005), 1,619 program employees
in 34 states were involved in incidents of
abuse, including substantiated accounts
of starvation, excessive use of physical
restraints and isolation, severe verbal
abuse and intimidation, and medical
malpractice. Survivors of Institutional
Abuse (SIA) reported 300 deaths on
their In Memorial page, deaths linked to
starvation, medical malpractice, beatings
and suicide.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Millers hearings and the GAO report
emphasized how the lack of federal
oversight and deceptive marketing,
no unied regulations among states
regarding licensing and regulations
of residential facilities put vulnerable
children at greater risk. Additionally, if a
resident died or the media got a whi of
the abuse, the unscrupulous owner would
move to another state and reopen under
another name. Often the con artists,
who prey upon deeply religious families
with anti-LGBT attitudes, cry foul when
exposed, as if scrutiny of their harsh
treatment violated their religious liberty.
Millers bill to regulate the billion dollar
troubled teen industry twice passed the
House but stopped there. But some states
have stepped up on their own, including
California where last year Gov. Jerry Brown
signed a billby out State Sen. Ricardo Lara.
Schis bill would not only protect youth
through federal minimum standards but
would also crack down on oenders who
attempt to move abusive facilities across
state lines by requiring all states to improve
their licensing and oversight processes,
and help families weed out bad programs
by requiring they publicly disclose their
LO CA L N E W S
Rep. ADAM SCHIFF has reintroduced theStop
Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens
Act.
LOS ANGELES BLADE FILE PHOTO BY KAREN OCAMB
licensing status and any history of parents so that they know their children
violations, according to a press release. are safe, and provide uninhibited access
There are hundreds of good residential to a child abuse reporting hotline
treatment programs that provide services Publicly disclose any past record of
which can truly help youth recover and child abuse and their state licensing status
transition from serious behavioral problems so families can make informed decisions
or traumatic experiences, Schi said. But about where to send their children
without stronger federal regulation and Prohibit programs from using anything
oversight, programs that engage in abusive other than safe and evidence-based
practices will continue to slip through the treatment -- meaning that any form of junk
cracks, leaving behind traumatized and science such as conversion therapy or electric
abused children and families. shock would be banned in these programs
Families that turn to treatment facilities, It is long past time for the federal
Schi says, deserve to know that their government to follow Californias lead and
children are safe and in the care of nally regulate the for-prot, Troubled
professionals. Teen industry, Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the
According to the press release, Schis Los Angeles LGBT Center, said in the
legislation would: release. Many of these facilities and
Prohibit all programs from withholding camps commit horrible physical, mental
food, water or shelter from a child, putting and sexual abuses under the guise
a child in seclusion, and all other forms of of disproven and harmful conversion
physical and mental abuse therapy for LGBT youth. Sometimes
Require licensed medical sta on hand these therapies even result in death. No
at all times in case of an emergency and purported religious aliation often
require all sta members to be properly claimed by these camps excuses such
trained in recognizing and responding atrocities. We commend Representative
to signs of child abuse and neglect, and Schi for his continued eorts to protect
mental health crises all young people including some of the
Allow youth to stay in contact with their most marginalized youth in our country.
LO C A L N E W S
AIDS Healthcare Foundation Wins Federal Lawsuit
Sues Whistleblowers
for Publicly Disclosing
Patient information
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
AIDS Healthcare Foundation has been
smeared for so long by some AIDS activists
that the Associated Press headline hardly
raised an eyebrow.
Suit claims AIDS foundation scammed
Medicare for $20M, AP blared on April 8,
2015, referring to a fraud lawsuit led against
AHF by three red former AHF employees.
But in court, facts matter more than
opinions and not only was the lawsuit thrown
out but the court added its own Statement
of Interest to underscore that the legal
argument pitched by the three about how
the Ryan White Program was incorrect.
Now the former employees, Shawn
Loftis, Mauricio Ferrer, and Jack Carrel,
face a lawsuit of their own for allegedly
stealing and making public AHF proprietary
information, including hundreds of names
of AHF clients who are HIV positive.
The lawsuit was led in 2014 by Loftis,
Ferrer, and Carrel, who all had worked at
and been red from a Florida AHF clinic at
dierent times and in dierent divisions.
They alleged that bonuses and incentives
paid to people hired to recruit subjects for
HIV testing were essentially kickbacks to
AHF since those who tested HIV-positive
were directed into care and treatment
provided by AHF. They claimed that those
payments violated a federal anti-kickback
law known as the False Claims Act, as well
as a similar law in Florida.
Since neither the federal government
nor the state joined the lawsuit, the
three called themselves whistleblowers,
as if they were acting on behalf of the
government and the public, which would
also entitle them to a portion of any
expected multi-million dollar settlement.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
MICHAEL WEINSTEIN, President of Los Angeles
Based AIDS Healthcare, said We thank the
court for its wisdom in this ruling.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AHF?
In a ruling dated June 9 and formally
unsealed June 20, 2017, Florida Southern
District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams
dismissed the case as unfounded since the
Ryan White CARE Act does allow a service
provider to pay bonuses and incentives
to employees for HIV testing and linkage
to care. AHFs outreach program used
paid AHF employees and presented each
individual who tested positive with a list
of names of providers, including AHF, to
which the person could be linked for care.
The fact that the federal government
and the State of Florida each formally
declined to intervene in the legal action
brought on behalf of three former AHF
employees spoke volumes about the
merits of the case, and todays dismissal of
these unfounded whistleblower claims by
the court is a tremendous victory not only
for AHF, but for the patients and public
we serve daily, AHF President Michael
Weinstein said in a statement. We thank
the court for its wisdom in this ruling.
Although the United States has not
intervened and is not a formal party, it
remains the real party in interest in this
action, The Court wrote in its special
Statement of Interest.
The United States also has a signicant
interest in the proper interpretation and
correct application of the False Claims Act
and the Anti-Kickback Statutewhich play
a central role in the governments ongoing
eorts to combat health care fraud,
the Statement continues. The Relators
[Loftis, Ferrer, and Carrel] do not appear
to challenge AHFs position that its linkage
coordinator was a bona de employee, or
that AHF provided appropriate services
to the patients the employee referred.
Rather, the Relators rest their claim on
the purely legal argument that a bona de
employee of a Ryan White Program grant
recipient, such as AHF, may not be paid
for referring patients to his or her own
employer to receive appropriate services.
The Relators are incorrect.
Jim Vellequette was among those
deposed during the lawsuit. He had started
working for AHF in California in 2007, moved
to AHFs Southern Bureau in 2009, and left
for another AHF assignment in 2011. He
would not speak on the record about his
perceptions of the red employees but did
talk about his deposition.
Plaintis lawyer had me read an email
I wrote 7 years ago outlining the initial
parameters of the testing program that
was sent to the AHF leadership within
the Southern Bureau, Vellequette said.
The lawyer was trying to create a point
of evidence against AHF proving that the
program was designed from the beginning
to limit the linkage incentive to being applied
only in instances where the client was linked
to an AHF HCC exclusively, and nowhere else.
I do not know if they chose the wrong
document or they had not read it fully, but
when they had me read aloud the email,
it clearly stated in my own words that two
appointments to any medical provider was
acceptable and that care was not to be
specically limited to AHF. This lawyer had
already been aggressive with me during
JUNE 30, 2017 07
my deposition, so I thoroughly enjoyed this
moment of watching as they locked, cocked
and shot a bullet right into their own foot.
Vellequette said the documents he was
shown that were numbered in unique
fashion were AHF proprietary documents
and it was made clear to him that they had
been stolen by the plaintis, and then
submitted into evidence, and the federal
record for the case.
I was handed a large multipage Excel
spreadsheet that I created back in 2009/10
that contained a long list of names and
the personal data and HIV status etc., of
individuals who been diagnosed as HIV-
positive through an HIV test at an AHF test
site, Vellequette said.
The chart served as a record of the
clients identied as HIV positive, and the
status regarding the success of the linkage
coordinators eorts to link them into
medical services at an HIV med provider. I
used this chart to determine the incentive
compensation that was to be received by
the linkage coordinators each pay period.
As I had created the rst sheet and had
worked with it for several years while I was
AHF, my mind focused on the questions at
hand, he explained.
Then the plaintis lawyer had me read a
sheet of names that was created after I had
left my position that contained multiple
pages of individuals names, personal
information and status showing them as
testing positive for HIV, Vellequette said.
Then a sudden shock in my head snapped
as realized I had read a long list of names
and personal information for individuals
diagnosed as HIV positive, and that now
this document had been entered into the
evidentiary record of a federal lawsuit.
Vellequette said personal information
was high regarded within AHF and
violation was considered a highly serious
breach of the federal HIPAA medical
information privacy statute.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
0 8 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
(Left to right): JUAN CASTILLO-ALVARADO, LEA Director of Education Programs; ARI GUTIERREZ ARAMBULA, Advisory
Board President; GIZELLA CZENE, PFLAG en Espaol; MARIO CEBALLOS, President of HONOR PAC; AL BALLESTEROS,
CEO of JWCH and publisher of Adelante Magazine; EDDIE MARTINEZ, LEA Executive Director; OSKAR RODRIGUEZ,
MC and star of HULUs original series East Los High; ELIZABETH LOPEZ and DIANA FELIZ OLIVAS, Advisory Board
Members.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEA
Latino Equality Alliance honors LGBT heroes
The Latino Equality Alliance (LEA) was created in 2008 to galvanize the Los Angeles LGBT Latino
community to combat the anti-gay marriage Prop 8. Since then, the Boyle Heights-based LEAs smart
political talent has developed a community-minded organization that educates youth and families about
the harms of homophobia and promotes healthcare.
Pride festivals, gay clubs and other venues that cater to LGBTQ individuals are fun to attend but we
want to feel safe where we live we want to be who we are where we are! says Eddie Martinez, co-founder
and Executive Director of the Latino Equality Alliance. We want for students to feel safe at school and
at home. They should not fear loss of support and aection from the people they rely on most their
parents, school peers and teachers.
The Medina family is a prime example of the success of their eorts. After coming out this year, Alex was
condent enough to become President of the GSA club at his high school while his parents, Candelaria and
Mario, have become public speakers advocating family acceptance.
As the organization expands its programing and impact, LEA paused on June 17 to acknowledge
community leaders.
The purple lily is a cultural symbol of love and passion, which is aptly represented in the honorees of
our 2017 Purple Lily Awards, said LEA co-founder Ari Gutierrez Arambula.
Al Ballesteros, CEO of JWCH, Inc. and cofounder and publisher of Adelante Magazine, played a critical
role in LEAs founding by providing non-prot scal sponsorship so it could apply for its rst grants. Mario
Ceballos was the founding President of VIVA! The Latino LGBTQ Arts Collective, and is a co-founder and
current President of HONOR PAC, a political action group supporting Latinx LGBT candidates. Mrs. Gizella
Czene is a tireless ally who runs several monthly PFLAG en Espaol meetings in the L.A. area including one
at our Mi Centro location. These individuals are invaluable to our LGBT community and they each do their
work quietly and under the radar. We are pleased to highlight their dedication and encourage them and
others to continue this type of amazing community service work.
KAREN OCAMB
LO CA L N E W S
BRIAN PERRY
PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK
Remembering Log Cabins Brian Perry
Facebook exploded with shock and sadness at the news that
gay Republican Brian Perry, a beloved xture in the California
political community, died of undisclosed causes at his home on
June 12. He was 55.
As President of the Los Angeles chapter of the Log Cabin
Republicans and as President of the statewide Log Cabin
Republicans of California in the era of Gov. Pete Wilsons 1991
veto of the gay civil rights bill AB 101, Perry upheld not only
such traditional core Republican values as smaller government
and stronger defense but the values of Republican President
Abraham Lincoln of equality and justice for all. In 1993, he
worked to elect attorney Richard Riordan as mayor of Los
Angeles, inspired by Riordans commitment to diversity. He
landed a legislative aide job with LA City Councilmember Dennis
Zine and stayed for 12 years, before he segued over to work for
Councilmember Paul Koretz, who adjourned the City Council on
June 16 in Perrys memory, emphasizing his loving obsession
with Dodger baseball.
Out Councilmember Mitch OFarrell spoke of Perrys work in
creating the Sister City relationship between Los Angeles and
Beirut, Lebanon.
Brian was one of the hardest workers for inclusion in
the Republican Party and equality for all, LCR/LA said in a
statement. Brian will never be forgotten and his legacy within
Log Cabin, the Republican Party, and the LGBT community will
be felt for generations.
KAREN OCAMB
LO C A L N E W S W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM JUNE 30, 2017 09

Congregation Kol Ami celebrates 25 years of advocacy

Synagogue has had a
major impact worldwide

By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com

Fighting for social justice takes

fortitude. And sometimes nding a salve
for the wounds of war, weariness and
disappointment can itself seem a burden
too huge to bear. But then comes a voice
of love and self-assurance, tinged with
angry righteousness, aimed squarely at
inspiring that heavy next step and never,
ever abandoning the cause.
The voice emanates from Rabbi
Denise Eger, who has been vociferously
L-R, RICH VAUGHN, NATALIE BERGMAN, DR. KIM BERGMAN and TOMMY WOELFEL Celebrate Kol Amis commitment to Social Justice.
advocating for LGBT equality since the
early 1980s. Ordained in 1988, the power of LOS ANGELES BLADE PHOTO BY KAREN OCAMB

Egers presence, often alongside longtime

activist Rev. Troy Perry, reminded many of
the courageous religious leaders on the
frontlines during the dangerous battles
for African American civil rights.
In 1992, during the height of the AIDS crisis,
Eger and 35 others founded Congregation
Kol Ami, a synagogue serving LGBT and allied
Jews in West Hollywood. On June 19, about
200 people celebrated Kol Amis 25 years
of commitment to helping heal the world,
including Egers historic work bringing LGBT
acceptance to Reform Judaism. Eger just
completed a two-year term as the rst openly
gay President of more than 2300 Reform
Rabbis worldwide, which she calls one of the
most signicant events in my life.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin
Lance Black and his husband, Olympic
diver Tom Daley, presented Guardian of
Justice awards to founding members Kim
and Natalie Bergman. Founding member
Alvin Gross and temple social justice
activities chair David Glickman received
Spirit of Kol Ami awards.
One of the most signicant events
for me has been our LGBTQ ght for
equality, Eger tells the Los Angeles Blade.
She became immersed in the issue of
marriage equality, leading eorts in 1996
when Congress passed the Defense of
Marriage bill to get the Reform Rabbis to
support civil marriage. Then Eger wrote a
revolutionary resolution that passed in
her denomination. It was transformative
for Judaism to understand that marriage
was marriage and it paved the way for
other religious denomination to come to
support marriage equality both civilly and
RELIGIOUSLY, she says.
Eger calls her impactful leadership
during the ght against Prop 8 a hallmark
of my rabbinate. Kol Ami was a force for
organizing and every night we took out the
pews in the sanctuary, set up tables and
we became a hub for phone banking and
trying to defeat Prop 8.
The passage of Prop 8 was not her
only obstacle. One of my biggest
disappointments has been the tendency for
our community to get lazy, Eger says. We
think because in California we have achieved
so much equality that we dont have to be
engaged. I know that Congregation Kol
Amis presence has helped people explore
the intersection of justice and spirituality
for themselves whatever their faith journey
is and we continue at Kol Ami to be deeply
engaged in social justice work.
But some of our LGBTQ community and
our allies think especially here in California
that we achieved full equality. We have
not, Eger continues. Wherever a child
fears coming out, wherever a trans person
is red from work, wherever someone is
denied their spiritual needs the work of
equality is not done. We need more places
and more LGBTQ people to transform the
lives of all of Los Angeles and our nation.
We need our energy, our voices to engage
and transform this world. We cant rest on
our laurels. We know from the teachings
of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King: None
of us are free until all are free.
Eger has always been aware of the
intersectionality of oppression and the
struggle for liberation, especially in these
times when fear mongering, racism,
misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia,
anti-Semitism Islamophobia have raised
their ugly and immoral head, she says. I
believe it is my religious calling to combat
that wherever I am. My Judaism teaches
me to Love your neighbor as yourself.
It is a consistent message. At the core
of my religious faith is the eternal promise
of justice for all. Not for some but a vision
that one day all people of goodwill and
good faith and no faith shall sing in one
voice an anthem of peace and liberty. And
we cannot gather tonight only 35 miles
from Baltimore when there are others who
lack equality and justice. Our community
has known police brutality. After all the
Stonewall riots were a response in 1969 to
continued police harassment. And there
will be no justice and equality until all are
at the table, Eger said in an April 26, 2015
sermon at the Multi-Faith Prayer Service in
Washington, DC for Unite for Marriage.
The world needs our LGBTQ vision of
humanityequality for all, true dignity,
and love, Eger tells the Los Angeles Blade.
And we cant rest until that is a promise for
every person. Congregation Kol Ami, West
Hollywoods Reform Synagogue, anticipates
that its members and supporters will
continue to be out front, leading that spiritual
quest for true human dignity for all.
1 0 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
A tale of two travel bans
Trumps wins Muslim ban;
California bars state trips
to anti-LGBTQ states
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
The debate over Donald Trumps
Muslim travel ban and Californias travel
ban against anti-LGBT states is forcing
many Americans to examine their own
denition of humanity.
Trump campaigned for the presidency
telling LGBT voters he would protect them
from the viciousness, hatred and death
perpetrated by ISIS and followers of Sharia
law. But he failed to realize that his Muslim
travel ban denying entry into the U.S. by
applicants from Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen,
Syria and Libya includes LGBT refugees and
asylum seekers, many of whom have ed to
Turkey where they are now stuck, despite
years of vetting by the UN and U.S. The
decision by the Supreme Court to allow a
partial implementation of the ban until oral
arguments are heard after the summer
recess still leaves LGBT refugees in limbo and
subject to anti-LGBT hate crimes.
Mitra, a 27-year-old lesbian who has
been living in a conservative city in Turkey
since eeing death threats in Iran in 2014,
was granted UN refugee status more
than 18 months ago. She expected to be
resettled in the U.S. But after Trumps
initial Muslim ban in February, she told the
UK-based Guardian newspaper, the nal
interview was cancelled.
Iran doesnt want us, Canada doesnt
want us [because they are focused on
Syrian refugees] and now the US doesnt
want us either, Mitra told the Guardian. I
have seen the suicide of three friends since
2015. A gay Iranian [threw] himself o a
balcony and an Iranian lesbian hanged
herself just eight months ago.At least with
religious refugees, they have the support of
their families, we dont even have that. Our
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
families are [ashamed] of us.
The new Muslim ban does allow entry
by visa holders with bona de ties to
people or entitiessuch as employees,
students and family members. But LGBT
refugees and asylum-seekers may not
have those ties, even though, for LGBT
Iranians like Mitra, Southern California has
been home to a large Iranian community
since Ayatollah Khomeinis conservative
Islamic revolution in 1979.
In the meantime in California, Attorney
General Xavier Becerras announcement
on June 22 of a ban on ocial travel by
state employees to four more anti-LGBT
states has provoked both concern and
bemused retorts.
The announcement should not have
been a surprise. On Sept. 27, 2016,
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill authored
by out Assembly member Evan Low
that prohibits state agencies and the
Legislature from approving state funded or
sponsored travel to a state that, after June
26, 2015, has enacted a law that voids or
repeals existing state or local protections
against discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation, gender identity, or
gender expression, or has enacted a law
that authorizes or requires discrimination
against same-sex couples or their families
on these bases, according to bill sponsor
Equality California.
The California travel ban immediately
prohibited state-sanctioned travel to
North Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas and
Tennessee and ordered the Attorney
General to track states that discriminate,
thus qualifying for the prohibition list.
California has said clearly, our taxpayer
dollars will not help fund bigotry and
hatred, Low said in a statement after
Brown signed his bill. If other states try
and pass similar laws, we will work to
stop them. Our zero-tolerance policy says
there is no room for discrimination of any
kind in California, and AB 1887 ensures
that discrimination will not be tolerated
beyond our borders.
Thus, without prompting from LGBT
groups, Becerra added Alabama, Kentucky,
South Dakota and Texas to the list.
Our country has made great strides
in dismantling prejudicial laws that have
deprived too many of our fellow Americans
of their precious rights, Becerra said in a
statement. Sadly, that is not the case in all
parts of our nation, even in the 21st century.
There are consequences to
discrimination, Becerra said. Restricting
state-sponsored travel is a consequence.
The ban allows a few exceptions,
including for meetings or contracts signed
before the law went into eect on January
1. University sports teams and coaches,
for instance, are trying to gure out what
the ban means for their game schedules.
The day after Becerras announcement,
openly gay State Sen. Ricardo Lara and
West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tem John
Duran ew to Texas to attend the annual
conference of National Assn. of Latino
Elected and Appointed Ocials (NALEO).
Duran, national chair of NALEO, told the Los
Angles Times that Dallas had been selected
as a conference site three years ago.
Texas just passed one of the nations
most anti-immigrant laws with Senate Bill
4, and California went down this road with
Proposition 187 more than 20 years ago, Lara
said in a statement. With LGBT and immigrant
LO CA L N E W S
Trump supporters reject
Californias travel ban as
hypocrisy in this Facebook
post by Turning Point
USA, a conservative policy
group.
IMAGE COURTESY OF TURNING POINT USA
rights under assault across the country, I
thought it was important to join other Latino
leaders and show Californias example.
Though California is replete with
sanctuary cities, Prop 187 is still a stinging
reminder of voter-approved racism.
Some Texas business leaders fear the
backlash over Prop 187 and more recently
in North Carolina over HB2, predict dire
consequences for the Lone Star state.
What is clear, and what has been clear
for some time, is that a discriminatory
brand creates signicant and unnecessary
economic risk for the state of Texas,
Jessica Shortall, managing director of the
pro-LGBT business group Texas Competes,
told mysanantonio.com.
But reaction from state legislators has
basically been a middle nger back to
California. It seems to me the state of
California wants to weigh in and inuence
our legislation and our culture, State Rep.
Dustin Burrows said. I think most Texans,
including myself, strongly reject that.
The Tennessee Senate went further,
passing a resolution urging other states
to refrain from imposing moral judgment
on their sister states as California has done
in order to prevent escalating foolishness
and consider taking action against this
type of blackmail.
Elbows in the unending cultural wars
just sharpened.
LO C A L N E W S
AHF puts trans issues front and center with FLUX
Understanding, educating
about the transgender
experience
By REBEKAH SAGER
Los Angeles-based AIDS Health
Foundations transgender arm, FLUX,
hosted a panel discussion last week on
being trans, using the recently released
National Geographic lm, Gender
Revolution: a Journey with Katie Couric,
as a conversation starter.
Clips from Gender Revolution were
shown throughout the event and panelists
were challenged to answer the sometimes
tough and often touching questions of their
personal transition stories, and the need
for people to see them as whole people.
The panel included Michaela
Mendelsohn, activist, philanthropist, and
owner of six El Pollo Loco franchises; Laith
Ashley De la Cruz, a singer and actor;
Zoey Luna, a 15-year-old transgender
activist; Lunas mother, Ofelia Barba;
Christiaan Kier, professor at California
State University Los Angeles; Blossom,
an actress and HIV/AIDS activist; Julissa
Bermudez, Yahoos celebrity host; and Tiq
Milan, a journalist.
All of the panelists agreed Gender
Revolution could be used as a powerful tool
in the arsenal of education for those who
seek to understand the trans experience.
There needs to be other narratives
than older, white, transitioning people,
Luna told the Los Angeles Blade about
why she was excited to be a part of the
panel discussion.
Im a Latina, and a transgender youth.
I get to represent the way transgender
people are presented in the media. We
need someone of color in this ght. Im
here to help other trans kids who dont
have a voice and dont live the life Caitlyn
Jenner can. We dont come from a rich
background, and its important for kids to
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
FLUX launched in March 2017.
see that too, Luna added.
Lunas mother explained that the
greatest misconception around her
daughters trans identity is the idea that in
the Latino community theres no support
for trans children.
The narrative changes when people see
a single, Latina mom, supporting her trans
daughter. Today Im not so concerned
what others think. Im not so apologetic.
It doesnt bother me what others say. The
main challenge for us as parents of trans
kids is their safety, Barba says.
De la Cruz talked about his transition at
4 years old and how uncomfortable he felt
in the expression of girls clothing.
I knew there was something dierent
about me as a child. When I looked at
gender, I would say that it was all about
expression. From an early age, I wanted
to wear boys clothes. I knew that girls
clothes werent what I wanted, I would
want to rip them o, he said.
A lot of people associate trans-ness
with the process of transitioning, but
you are trans prior to that. Some people
choose to undergo medical transition in
order to further arm their gender, but
PHOTO COURTESY OF AHF
its not necessary or required, he adds.
One of the most dicult topics was about
how trans people feel when non-trans
people openly ask about their genitalia.
If Im out walking around in the world,
no one cares whats between my legs,
unless theyre trying to sleep with me, De
la Cruz says laughing. Until I disclose that
Im trans, and then it becomes something
that all of a sudden is super important.
Theres no need for that, he says.
Just because were trans doesnt mean
our private parts are any less private,
Milan added.
The biggest threat however to trans
people are the statistics. Trans women
are four times more likely to live under
the poverty limit, and one of the primary
reasons is the challenge of nding
employment.
Mendelsohn, a trans woman herself,
started hiring trans people in her restaurants
and then she launched TransCanWork, an
organization that provides resources for
transgender jobseekers.
Working with the National Restaurant
Association, we train employers in job
inclusivity and show them why its good
JUNE 30, 2017 11
for their businesses. We also set up job
boards where job seekers can connect
with these restaurants for work.
Trans people have two to three
times higher unemployment rates. The
workplace has to face this and needs to
work on it. The economics are so connected
to the well being of trans women. For 90
percent of the trans people weve hired,
it was the rst time working in their true
gender identity, and their self- esteem
was so low. We got to watch their lives
transform. Instead of wondering if they
were worthwhile, and worrying about ever
getting another job and having to maybe
turn to sex work or suicide, they started
seeing themselves in the customers eyes
as who they really are and they started to
get married, and truly their lives started to
normalize. Thats our mission, to make this
the new normal, Mendelsohn said.
Jessey Zambrano is featured in Gender
Revolution. She moved to the U.S. from
Mexico City and was working in a Los
Angeles restaurant where she was severely
mistreated even beaten by a customer.
Her life changed when she began
working at one of Mendelsohns El Pollo
Loco restaurants. Today, shes a manager.
When a trans person is unemployed
that could lead to them to sex work
because its all about survival. And when
they do that, they become at a higher risk
for HIV/AIDS, Blossom said.
HIV rates in the U.S. for the trans
community are about 24 percent, despite
the progress made in research and
prevention education in the community.
If that number is surprising, its because,
as Queen Victoria Ortega, a trans woman
and the head of AHF FLUX says, Because
we have no political or economic clout and
thats why visibility is so important and the
cornerstone of FLUXs existence. If you dont
acknowledge or measure peoples existence,
their thoughts and needs, and understand
the gaps in services and resources, then you
simply dont care, she said.
1 2 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
Amy Siskind is keeping a list
Lesbian journalist goes
viral tracking Trumps lies
By TROY MASTERS
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
Amy Siskinds work is the kind of genius
historians will refer to in the next decade
as the denitive chronicler of what went
wrong and how.
Experts in authoritarianism advise to
keep a list of things subtly changing around
you, so youll remember, she likes to say.
Each day brings a bombshell that
in ordinary times would dominate the
news cycle for months with sweeping
investigations. Trump takes to Twitter over
the slightest perceived slight, promoting
the fakest narrative he can spell out in
140 characters about news he wants his
followers to ignore.
But that, like so much else, is just a
charade that masks a whole spate of
other alleged crimes and misdemeanors
now under multiple investigations. While
we are hyperventilating about a Tweet,
something else much darker is happening.
And thats where Siskind comes in. For the
past seven months she has taken note and
documented every instance of the abnormal
or bizarre, spending 15-20 hours a week and
talking to thousands of people to synthesize
events as they happen.
She publishes her work (dubbed the
Weekly List) chronicling the bad deeds of
the Trump administration on social media
platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and
Medium, attracting hundreds of thousands
of weekly readers. Her work has been
highlighted by The Washington Post and
The Independent and Siskind is considered
a rising journalistic star. A NYU journalism
professor called her work thoroughly
journalistic and much needed.
Siskind said her work on Trump
originated from her post-election reading
about how authoritarian governments
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
AMY SISKINDs List of Trumps lies and attacks has gone viral, attracting hundreds of thousands of
weekly readers.
take hold behavior that seems shocking
at rst quickly becomes normal.
And on LGBT rights, she has a particularly
urgent message, especially if you continue
to believe that Trump hasnt really gone
after the LGBTQ community.
The Blade spoke with Siskind by phone
from her home in Westchester County, N.Y.
BLADE: Whats the motivating force
behind your work tracking Trumps lies and
the administrations bizarre behavior? You
told The Washington Post that it developed
when you read about the process of
normalization, that we come to accept
things that are abnormal because we get
lost in this slow drift of bizarreness. So I
guess my question is, what strikes you so far
as the most bizarre thing thats happened?
AMY SISKIND: Though there are too
many to mention, I think what strikes me
most is that we are living in a constant
state of chaos. There are so many items
each and every day that are, in and of
themselves, shocking. In normal times
these things would be individual stories
that would be covered by our media for
weeks or months. But, because there
are so many of them, weve lost track of
PHOTO COURTESY OF SISKIND
accountability for these items or being
able to even remember them. As a result,
weve in a way normalized things that in
any other time in our country or in our
lifetimes would be shocking and deserving
of outrage around the country. Were
bombarded with so many of these each
and every day weve become desensitized.
Thats led to a sort of acceptance
because we are sort of plowed over by all
thats not normal.
BLADE: Even journalists are plowed
over. Theres tacit endorsement when
they do not properly challenge him.
SISKIND: The bar was set pretty low by
our media I have myself been a critic of
the media early on about some journalists
complimenting him for reading o a
teleprompter or covering him like you
would a normal candidate, talking about
things like infrastructure when it was
pretty obvious even before he took oce
that he was not going to be normal.
Even though it started out that way, I am
grateful to see a shift.
I think the media has realized they are
under siege now and being silenced. I
see mainstream journalists beginning to
NATIONAL NEWS
form a community and protecting one
another. Journalists from the right are still
amplifying authoritarian messages and
giving credence to news thats not true
news. I am starting to see change.
What The List does that our media is
not able to do because they need to
cover every story as if it were a traditional
administration (or in Trumps case its a
regime) is give some perspective week
by week about whats happening.
What mainstream journalists are
reporting is very in the moment but it
doesnt, with the exception of a few like
maybe Rachel Maddow, trace back the story.
For example, The List can follow the
Deutsche Bank over weeks or months
whereas most of the reporting is just here
we are in this moment and today. So what
I really hope to accomplish with The List
is to access all the stories about Deutsche
Bank that have happened over the last
several months since Ive been doing The
List. Its a journalistic way of tying things
together that our media is not doing.
Typically, I spend 15 to 20 hours a week
on each list because so many of the things
I put in the list are not widely seen, but to
me are really important.
I spend a lot of time covering treatment
of dierent subsets of people because
thats part of authoritarianism; I mean how
you treat one then how do you treat the
LGBTQ community how you treat people
of dierent religions and people of color
so I make sure to highlight things that are
really not normal.
I cover the way citizens are acting but
also the way the administration is acting.
BLADE: What do you make of gay
Republicans and Trump supporters
who say he hasnt really done anything
specically bad to LGBTQ people?
SISKIND: Thats an uninformed
argument. I think the LGBT community
CONTINUES ON PAGE 13
NATIONAL NEWS
Siskind goes viral with weekly List of Trump lies
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
is in grave danger with Trump and the
overriding thing is that we are invisible to
the Trump administration.
And Ill give specic examples of ways
that he is hurting our community, but the
overall theme is were invisible thats never
good for any community.
Lets start with the fact that theres no
recognition of LGBTQ Pride month. When
we are made invisible you take away
our identity. Trump is doing that by not
recognizing Pride: hes doing that by not
including LGBTQ people in the Census.
Thats a really big deal and I have it in
my weekly list 32 that just came out; NPR
did a Freedom of Information Act request
on work that was done by HUD and they
said Census data was essential for the
inclusion of the LGBT community to be
part of the Census. Trumps response
is that they dont think its appropriate
to ask questions of sexual orientation
and gender identity topics, which is an
argument that makes us invisible.
BLADE: That Census information is used
throughout government to implement
civil rights protections and to ensure
representation and equality.
SISKIND: Point is that if youre invisible
you dont need protections or rights. So,
you can see the path down which he is
taking the nation.
This was in week 31. In week 32, his
Secretary of Education DeVos said she wont
go after schools that discriminate against
transgender students amongst other things.
They are not going to push on the civil rights
issues. That was just one week!
Not protecting transgender people is an
issue. Theyve also already taken away - in
certain government departments - worker
protections on the basis of sexual orientation.
So when you make people invisible,
you dont need to protect them against
discrimination in housing and workplace
discrimination. So, in many parts of the
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Trump administration its legally acceptable
to discriminate against people based on
their sexual orientation or gender.
And thats that headline worthy!!! That
should scream out with three exclamation
points at the end.
People who dont think he hasnt
done anything against LGBT people are
missing the point hes slowly eroding
our protections and making it legal to
discriminate against us because of our
sexual orientation and gender identity.
BLADE: Its very much like what you said
about authoritarianism a slow erosion
of normalcy.
SISKIND: Exactly! And end of rights for
dierent subsets of people. You can see
the dierent subsets of people that are
under attack. Its pretty much everyone
thats not white, straight, Christian and
male. We can have the same conversation
about ways women are being attacked or
Muslim Americans or Jewish Americans or
Latinos or immigrants or black Americans
or something for everybody.
BLADE: Those, of course, include LGBT
people...
SISKIND: Yes, we are under assault in so
many ways. Lets talk about Gorsuch. Just
this week his Supreme Court appointee
argued against gay adoption. And the
scariest part of that to me is that its not
based on fact. Theres study after study
showing gay and lesbian parents are
actually superior parents to heterosexual
parents! So, its not based on any factual
study, its based on his own bias.
These are the people that Trump is
bringing into power and into authority. If
that doesnt scare you! Theres now, I think
eight states, since he took power that are
making it illegal for gay couples to adopt.
I know California now has banned
ocial government business travel to
those eight states.
But theres eight states since he took
power that are making it illegal in their
state for gay people to adopt. Between
workplace discrimination, gay adoption,
and what happened to transgender people,
transgender students being excluded from
protection under the Civil Rights Act and in
college too. I mean, this is something that
impacts the LGBTQ community.
BLADE: They have taken away the right
to sue for those things.
SISKIND: Yes! They wont pursue that
under DeVos and our Department of
Justice.And were just at the start of things!
Im looking here at week 20. Trump
signed an executive order which legalizes
discrimination against LGBT federal
employees. Yes, thats one of the two
items that week. And then the Census.
But thats really a huge thing I mean it and
then in a later week you have (Commerce
Secretary) Wilbur Ross removing
LGBT protections from the Commerce
Departments handbook. That anotherreally
big item to include in week 20.
BLADE: So much for the idea that Trump
has done nothing to hurt LGBT people.
SISKIND: Yes, we are under assault and
I think the communitys in great danger;
hes not going to stand up on stage and
say I am a bigot. Hes going to slowly
erode our rights and make us invisible.
Thats what he is doing.
BLADE: What happens if Pence replaces
Trump?
SISKIND: Whats going to happen, in
either scenario, is that were going to
be in chaos. I mean Trump isnt getting
anything done legislatively. And if he faces
impeachment hearings or if he faces other
criminal proceedings, nothings going
to get done legislatively. But he still can
slowly erode things.
Will Pence be any better or worse?
We dont know. We dont know if Pence
himself will be ensnared by whats going
on I nd it hard to believe he wont be.
Regardless, I think it has to be a goal for
JUNE 30, 2017 13
everybody, every American. Any normal
Republican is a better alternative than losing
our democracy, which is whats happening.
The basic rights that were aorded,
including our voting rights and fair
elections are, under Trump, under siege.
When people ask me that question you
dont know exactly how anythings going to
play out; you know its going to be chaos.
Would I rather have Pence?
Ill deal with that option when it comes
to it, but I can tell you right now were in
danger and I dont think theres anything
that could be any worse than what were
currently living in.
BLADE: With the Supreme Court decision
to take on the wedding cake case on the
same day it basically erased the line between
church and state, its really hard to imagine
we arent about to face a signicant setback.
It looks like the threat to LGBTQ people is
spreading throughout government.
SISKIND: Well, if hes able to appoint
another Supreme Court judge we just
have to pray for our Ruth Bader Ginsburg
that she stays alive until the 2020 election.
I worry about all of it. But I think we get
sort of distracted if we just focus on whats
happening in the judicial branch because
Trump is doing so much damage in the
executive branch already, that people are just
kind of numb to...that, I think, is the biggest
purpose with what Im doing with The List
and the conversation you and I are having.
We need to raise awareness that already
we are becoming invisible and that our
rights are being eroded.
Its hard to imagine exactly what will
happen with the Supreme Court cases.
You know, weve lost Scalia and gained
somebody whos maybe even further right
than him.
I think probably the only issue that is
NOT currently on the table is gay marriage,
and thats only because generations are so
decidedly pro-gay marriage.
Everything else, though you can be
married and have every other right taken
1 4 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Senate delays vote on Trumpcare
The U.S. Senate shelved on Tuesday a plan to vote this week on a measure
seeking to repeal and replace Obamacare as LGBT rights supporters continue
to raise the alarm about its impact both for LGBT people and America at large.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced the chamber
would no longer hold a vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act on Thursday,
delaying the vote until after lawmakers return from July 4 recess.
Were going to continue the discussions within our conference on the
dierences that we have that we continue to try to litigate, McConnell said.
Consequently, we will not be voting on the bill this week, but were still working
toward getting at least 50 people in a comfortable place.
Five Republican senators, the latest of which was Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah),
declared they couldnt support the bill in its current form not because it would
dramatically cut coverage, but because it doesnt go far enough to repeal the
Aordable Care Act.
LGBT rights supporters held a conference call with reporters on Tuesday to
raise awareness about the bill, which seeks to phase out the Medicaid expansion
under Obamacare to pay for a tax cut mostly for the wealthiest Americans.
Human Rights Campaign President Chad Grin said the legislation would
have a devastating impact on LGBT people because theyre disproportionately
aected by health disparities.
Both the House and Senate versions of the bill gut core provisions of the ACA,
cut o tens of millions of Americans from life-saving health care coverage while
increasing out-of-pocket costs, Grin said.
On Monday, the Congressional Budget Oce unveiled its score for the Senate
version of Better Care Reconciliation Act, estimating 15 million more people by
2018 would be uninsured under the legislation than under Obamacare and 22
million more people in 2026.
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender
Equality, said during the conference shes deeply concerned about the bills
impact on transgender people and their very lives.
We are outraged that congressional leaders and the president would disrupt and
endanger so many lives just apparently to say that they passed a bill and to give
hundreds of billions of dollars to the people who need it the least, Keisling said.
On Tuesday, President Trump held a roundtable with Republican senators at
the White House and said they were very close to coming to an agreement to
pass a measure to undo Obamacare.
CHRIS JOHNSON
Trump: testing crucial in defeating HIV
President Trump issued a statement Tuesday observing National HIV Testing Day,
calling the disease one of the worlds most signicant health challenges and encouraging
Americans to learn their HIV status.
Thanks to concerted eorts to diagnose and treat more and more people, Americans
NATIONAL NEWS
living with HIV today are living longer, healthier lives than ever before, Trump said. My
administration is determined to build upon those improvements and continue supporting
domestic and global health programs that prioritize testing and treatment for HIV/AIDS.
The statement obtained in advance by the Blade marked the rst time President
Trump has explicitly addressed HIV/AIDS either during the campaign trail or during
his administration. The presidents statement comes shortly after six members of the
Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS resigned in protest, asserting the president
doesnt care about the epidemic.
Trump calledtesting crucial in combating HIV/AIDS, adding wevenever been closer
to conquering the epidemic.
HIV carriers who do not know they have the virus put themselves and others at risk,
missing out on life-saving treatment and possibly, inadvertently aecting others, Trump
said. People who are not currently receiving treatment transmit more than 90 percent of
infections, as they do not benet from treatments that dramatically reduce the amount
of virus in their bodies. That is why the key to interrupting the transmission is a simple,
routine HIV test.
Trump supports legislation pending before Congress that would repeal Obamacare,
which HIV/AIDS advocates seeking to combat HIV/AIDS have criticized. The Congressional
Budget Oce estimates it would lead to an estimated 22 million losing health care
coverage under the proposal. Most of the loss of coverage would be the result of cuts to
Medicaid, which provides care to an estimated 40 percent of people with HIV.
Trumps scal year 2018 budget request also proposes steep cuts in HIV/AIDS programs.
Among them is a $150 million cut to the Centers for Disease Control for HIV testing and
prevention initiatives.
CHRIS JOHNSON
Rep. DelBene calls for LGBT Equality Day
On the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of marriage
equality, Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) took to the House oor to call for the institution
of an LGBT Equality Day honoring the occasion.
DelBene recognized Monday, June 26 as LGBT Equality Day on the basis of historic
decisions from the Supreme Court on that date not only on marriage equality, but other
LGBT issues.
Today, we mark the anniversary of landmark victories at the Supreme Court that
moved our country toward one that is more fair, more equal and more inclusive of all
Americans and we are a better, stronger nation for it, DelBene said.
The Supreme Court struck down state bans on same-sex marriage in the Obergefell
v. Hodges decision handed down June 26, 2015, but on the same date the high court
delivered other milestone LGBT decisions.
On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court in two separate decisions ruled against the anti-
gay Defense of Marriage Act and restored marriage equality to California after passage of
Proposition 8. Ten years earlier on June 26, 2003, the Supreme Court struck down state
bans on same-sex relations in the Lawrence v. Texas decision.
On the same day DelBene recognized LGBT Equality Day on the House oor, she
reintroduced in the House a resolution calling for recognition of the occasion and the
need for further legislation to ensure people in the United States are free from all forms of
discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
Meanwhile, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the only out lesbian in Congress introduced
a companion resolution in the Senate on the same day.
CHRIS JOHNSON
LO C A L N E W S W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM JUNE 30, 2017 15

Erectile dysfunction or bladder leakage may affect

your confidence and intimacy. Join us to get the facts
aboutErectile
the latest treatment options
dysfunction or bladder leakage may affect
your confidence and intimacy.
Meet with anJoinAMS
us to get the facts
Men's
aboutHealth
the latest treatment options
Representative to Learn
Erectile dysfunction or bladder
More:
Meet with leakage
an AMS Men'saffect
Erectile dysfunction or bladder
may effect your confidence leakage
and intimacy.
Health Representative
mayto Learn
your
Join confidence
us to get the andabout
facts intimacy.
the Tuesday
Join
latest us toJuly
get18,the
treatment
More: 2017 facts
options.
SERVICING THE LGBT COMMUNITY OF LOS ANGELES
MeetErectile about the latest
BY APPOINTMENT
with an dysfunction
AMS Mens Healthtreatment
orONLY-
bladder options
Tuesday July
WEST leakage
HOLLYWOOD
Representative tomay
Learn
18, 2017
AREAaffect
More:
SERVICING THE LGBT COMMUNITY OF LOS ANGELES
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY- WEST HOLLYWOOD AREA
your confidenceTuesday
and intimacy. 25, Join
JulyMeet with
2017 us an
to AMS
get the facts
Men's
Call 8558896286
about
SERVICING THEto
Call the
register, or
Health
latest treatment
LGBT COMMUNITY
8558896286
go
OF to
Representative
options
LOS
to register, or ANGELES
go to
to Learn
www.edcure.org/events
BY APPOINTMENT More:
ONLY - WEST HOLLYWOOD AREA
www.edcure.org/events
Meet
Call 855-889-6286 to register, or go with anTuesday
AMS Men's
to: www.edcure.org/events
July 18, 2017
Boston Scientific Corporation has sponsoredSERVICING
Health Representative to Learn
THE LGBTseminar COMMUNITY OF LOSmaterial.
ANGELES
Boston Scientific Corporation has sponsored funding for this patient seminar and accompanying educational material.
funding for this patient and accompanying educational
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY- More:
WEST HOLLYWOOD AREA

Tuesday July 18, 2017

Call 8558896286
SERVICINGto register,
THE or go toOF LOS ANGELES
LGBT COMMUNITY
www.edcure.org/events
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY- WEST HOLLYWOOD AREA

wherever you are ...

Call 8558896286 to register, or go to
Boston Scientific Corporation has sponsored funding for this patient seminar and accompanying educational material.

www.edcure.org/events
Boston Scientific Corporation has sponsored funding for this patient seminar and accompanying educational material.

... so are we.

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
1 6 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
Reassessing what it
means to be different
Is queer identity erased
by marriage equality?
By HAROLD FRANCISCO
As Pride month comes to a close, its
time we take a moment and consider the
path down which our social progress has
taken us.
We are under assault, as Amy Siskind
points out in the cover story of the Los
Angeles Blade, and so we must rely on
the resilience that has always sustained
the LGBT+ community. That requires
an honest assessment of where we are
now on the road to equality and how it is
aecting us.
There are some important cultural
questions we should be asking ourselves.
Can we really preserve our otherness?
Do we want to? Is marriage equality really
the zenith of our movement? Does the
traditional (heterosexual) denition and
institution of matrimony t within queer
culture? Or does it inhibit queer culture?
In the essay, Americas Outsider, Audre
Lorde said, Somewhere, on the edge
of consciousness, there is what I call a
mythical norm, which each one of us
within our hearts knows that is not me.
Marriage equality may have created a
queer mythical norm.
Marriage equality is based on a
heterosexual paradigm that inuences our
notions of equality. The LBTQ+ community
has borrowed heterosexual ideals that
center around the image of that mythical
norm, which Lorde described as white,
thin, male, young, heterosexual, Christian,
and nancially secure.
If I were to describe the mythical norm
of marriage in 2017 it would follow Lordes
description closely. The only dierence is
that it now includes gay: gay male, white,
thin, and young.
Lorde calls the norm mythical because
it implies that the norm is unconsciously
made up and inuential. Its the new ideal,
WWW .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
HAROLD FRANCISCO lives in Los Angeles and is a UCLA Department of Classics, Latin and Ancient
Greek scholar.
the mythical norm that is imposed on us
by degrees.
Mythical implies that equality could have
been achieved in a dierent way.
While marriage equality grants us equal
rights, it creates a normative image of
what a couple should look like. Could
queer love still be dierent or even better?
Our community has always been
dened by its otherness, our dierentness,
if you will. Marriage equality assumes the
heterosexual tradition is the correct model
of civility and decency and abandons
aspects of dierentness.
For many of us who identify as queer, it
feels as if there is little choice.
In todays LGBT+ community, the plus
sign denotes the outsider. It expresses
underrepresentation and focuses on the
needs of the most marginalized among us.
The story of the marginalized community
continues to be about oppression. And
VIEWPOINT
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANCISCO
while we all feel an existential threat from
the Trump administration, we have not
spent enough time examining how some
in our movement have given up the ght
because they believe we have achieved
full equality now that we can get married.
We have so much more to ght for.
Age, disability, ethnicity, economic
status, and sexually transmitted disease
are still stigmatized. We need to recognize
dierences in our community. We also
need to recognize the way we describe
dierences in the LGBT+ community.
While the LGBT+ community struggles to
bridge the gap between the us and them,
we should also bridge the gap between the
us and them from within.
Addressing the challenges from within
the LGBT+ community will make us more
resilient.
The LGBT+ community still has a chance
to create its own path.
VOLUME 01 ISSUE 08
ADDRESS
5455 Wilshire Blvd #1505, Los Angeles, CA 90036
PHONE
310-230-5266
E-MAIL
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
INTERNET
losangelesblade.com
PUBLISHED BY
Los Angeles Blade, LLC
PUBLISHER/EDITOR
TROY MASTERS
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
310-230-5266 x8080 (o), 917-406-1619 (c)
SALES & MARKETING
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FRANK MORALES
fmorales@losangelesblade.com
310-230-5266 x8095
PALM SPRINGS ACCOUNT EXEC
BRAD FUHR, 760-813-2020.
brad@gaydesertguide.com
NATIONAL ADVERTISING
RIVENDELL MEDIA
sales@rivendellmedia.com, 212-242-6863
MARKETING DIRECTOR
STEPHEN RUTGERS
srutgers@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x8077
EDITORIAL
NATIONAL EDITOR
KEVIN NAFF
kna@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x8088
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING WRITER
KAREN OCAMB
karenocamb@sbcglobal.net
CONTRIBUTORS
CHARLES KAISER, ALAN MILLER, TIM MILLER, MAER
ROSHAN, HOLLY HUGHES, KIT WINTER, BRAD LAMM,
DAVID EHRENSTEIN, STEVEN ERICKSON, LILLIAN
FADERMAN, ORIOL GUTTIEREZ, SETH HEMMELGARN,
ROBIN TYLER, CHRIS AZZOPARD, ALLEN ROSKOFF,
JOHN PAUL KING, JOHN MCHUGH-DENNIS, MELODY
MUNDY, ROBERT WILLIAMS, DAN ALLEN, BRAD FUHR,
WINSTON GEISEKE, RICHARD ANDREOLI, DREW
MACKIE, JOEY DIGUGLIELMO, CHRIS JOHNSON, LOU
CHIBBARO JR., MARIAH COOPER, ABBY DEES, REBEKAH
SAGER, JOHN MCHUGH-DENNIS, MIKE CIRIACO
PHOTOGRAPHY
BOB KRASNER, JON VISCOTT, MICHAEL KEY
CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION
AZERCREATIVE.COM
DISTRIBUTION
CHRISTOPHER JACKSON, 562-826-6602
All material in the Los Angeles Blade is protected by federal copyright
law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Los
Angeles Blade. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers,
writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor
implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not
necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons.
Although the Los Angeles Blade is supported by many ne advertisers,
we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.
Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Los Angeles Blade, but
the paper cannot take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve
the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. A single copy of the
Los Angeles Blade is available from authorized distribution points, to
any individual within a 50-mile radius of Los Angeles, CA. Multiple copies
are available from the Los Angeles Blade oce only. Call for rates. If
you are unable to get to a convenient free distribution point, you may
receive a 26-week mailed subscription for $195 per year or $5.00 per
single issue. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Phil Rockstroh
at prockstroh@washblade.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to
the Los Angeles Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington, DC 20009. The Los
Angeles Blade is published bi-weekly, on Friday, by Los Angeles Blade,
LLC. Rates for businesses/institutions are $450 per year. Periodical
postage paid at Los Angeles, CA., and additional mailing oces. Editorial
positions of the Los Angeles Blade are expressed in editorials and in
editors notes as determined by the papers editors. Other opinions are
those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of
the Los Angeles Blade or its sta. To submit a letter or commentary:
Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer
than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and
must include a name, address and phone number for verication. Send
submissions by e-mail to tmasters@losangelesblade.com.
2017 LOS ANGELES BLADE, LLC.
V I E W PO I NT W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM JUNE 30, 2017 17

Pride, prejudice and teachable moments

Our republic is built
on bridging the divide
By RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

We awake in an upended age. Past gains

are at risk. Greedy men appeal to the worst
in people. Members of the long-dominant
racial group, feeling under threat as their
numbers wane, aggressively move to lock
in their power at others expense. Crude
demagoguery wins the day, hate crimes
spike, and members of Congress respond
to a narrowly averted massacre by
insisting on more and more guns. America
teeters on an abyss.
The values we were raised to uphold,
like faithfulness and compassion, and
constitutional principles like due process
and equal protection, are not self-
implementing. They live or die by how we
govern ourselves. Experience teaches that
if we seek justice, we must act with justice.
Yet we can barely talk to one another,
barely see one another.
Last week saw the release of the police
dash cam video of the 2016 murder of
Philando Castile in Minnesota, as well as
a video of Castiles girlfriend Diamond
Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter in
the back of a police cruiser shortly after
Castile was shot in front of them. The
girl comforted her mother and urged her bookkeeping, where only one side of the a particular person who has made Our actions must honor the predecessors
to be calm because I dont want you to ledger counts. a particular journey. I will not be who bequeathed us freedom.
get shooted. The videos are almost too Dogma, whether from right or left, pigeonholed. Please extend to me the Special Agent Crystal Griner, a married
much to bear. Their release followed the blinds us to the nuance that lls our daily same honest gaze that you demand for black lesbian, was one of the Capitol Police
acquittal of Jeronimo Yanez, the ocer lives. Messy details get in the way of simple yourself. ocers who saved Rep. Steve Scalise and
who shot Castile seven times during a solutions; but when we force a comforting President Obama last week pointed other Republican Congress members and
trac stop. His family received a $3 million narrative upon the events in front of us, to foundational values in criticizing the staers on June 14 by taking down shooter
settlement. we falsify. It is pernicious whether in juries Senate healthcare bill: [T]his debate has James Hodgkinson. Will Scalise be moved
These incidents betray our values. An or activists. We cannot resolve a problem always been about something bigger than to re-examine his racist and homophobic
assumption of black criminality too often we fail to see clearly. And we cannot work politics. Its about the character of our past? Will his supporters use this teachable
undergirds them. We must confront with people we are busy demonizing. countrywho we are, and who we aspire moment to learn and grow?
this, build on reform eorts, and ensure We do not undercut justice but advance to be. Reach across the chasm of dierence
better police training in de-escalation it when we recognize that some police Whether we are addressing problems and look your neighbor in the eye. The
methods. When we fall into the trap of use techniques that minimize deadly in policing or healthcare or corporate and ame of recognition may not bridge the
reducing community-police relations to shootings, or when we recognize that environmental abuses, we must appeal gap, but it never will without eort. Our
a zero-sum game of us vs. them, we all some members of privileged groups to shared valuesthe same values that republic is at stake. We must take the leap.
lose. When our outrage prompts broad- have long worked for justice for those inspired generations of African Americans
brush responses like barring police from marginalized by race or gender. We to pass down the artifacts now on display Copyright 2017 by Richard J.
Pride parades, we fall into the pit of have to look for the people behind the at the National Museum of African Rosendall. All rights reserved.
responding to dehumanization of victims categories. As Fred Rogers put it, we have American History and Culture. Those are
by dehumanizing police. Dale Carpenter to look for the helpers. sacred objects preserved in a heroic mass
RICHARD J. ROSENDALL is a writer and activist.
refers to this as single-entry moral Like you, I am not generic. I am struggle against erasure. As then, so now. He can be reached at rrosendall@me.com.
 Neal Bledsoe and Augustus Prew.
Photo by Kevin Parry.

HAUNTING
ideas crackle in
The Pride. - Los Angeles Times

Beautifully written
The Pride is convincing,
moving, funny, smart,
inventive and just about
AS GOOD AS
IT GETS!
- Stage and Cinema

Remarkably subtle, refined
and emotionally astute
direction of Michael Arden
THE WALLIS PRODUCTION OF and a flawless cast.- Daily News

WOW! Riveting theater

the plays Los Angeles
Premiere weaves a
provocative spell.
- Stage Scene LA

POIGNANT
BY ALEXI KAYE CAMPBELL AND POWERFUL
DIRECTED BY THE WALLIS ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE - On Stage & Screen

MICHAEL ARDEN
REMARKABLE a worthwhile
FEATURING NEAL BLEDSOE, JESSICA COLLINS,
trip to the theater. - Los Angeles Blade
AUGUSTUS PREW, MATTHEW WILKAS

NOW THRU JULY 9, 2017 310.746.4000

TheWallis.org/Pride

wallis1617_pride_ads_LAblade_1.indd 1 6/23/17 2:27 PM

J U N E 3 0 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 0 1 I S S U E 0 8 A me r i c a s L G B T N e w s S ou r c e L O S A N G E L E S B L A D E . C O M 1 9

From left are CHANCE KINGSMYTH as Phil, RAUGI YO as Nate and NYLA ROSE as Su in The Switch.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TREMBLING VOID STUDIOS

Time for a Switch

New comedy features trans actors, personnel

By MARIAH COOPER

In todays media, transgender characters
are seen on screen more than ever before.
Gone are the days of small roles in Law
& Order featuring transgender characters
who have dismal storylines. Now,
transgender representation in media has
advanced into the world of comedy with
shows like Transparent and Orange is
the New Black and films like Tangerine.
While there are funny moments for
transgender characters, there is still an
underlying theme of darkness surrounding
these shows as they fight for acceptance,
or more often, simply fight to stay alive.
Transgender sitcom The Switch:
Work, Love, Mortal Danger is another
transgender slice of media thrown onto
the growing pile but its lighthearted,
sitcom format places it in a different lane
than the rest.
The Canadian series follows S, played by
D.C. native Nyla Rose, as she loses her job
for coming out as transgender. S moves in
with her ex Chris (Amy Fox), an oil lobbyist
assassin with a good heart and a messy
apartment. Her neighbor, Detective Sandra
McKay (Andrea Menard), is a cis-gender
woman and a lesbian who is the guardian
of Zoey, a feisty, transgender genderqueer.
Despite being overqualified, S is forced
to accept a job in data entry and placed
in the trans corner of the office with
her transgender co-worker, Phil (Chance
Kingsmyth).
Rose says The Switch stands out from
other transgender shows or films because it
puts comedy at the forefront of its message.
Far too many times in media we see the
ContinueS ON page 29
2 0 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
By TROY MASTERS
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
Mike Aguilera, 30, is almost as ubiquitously
present in Los Angeles LGBTQ community as his
boss, Congressman Adam Schi is in the news.
Aguilera is a quiet force in the community
who has an amazing ability to work a room. At
the recent Mayors Pride event near Runyon
Canyon in Hollywood, Aguilera seamlessly
worked the room, greeting people with a smile
or a nod, a hug or a handshake.
He is famously earnest and devoted.
At 29 years old, as an out gay man, he joined the
California Army National Guard out of a sense of
duty to democracy. He continues to serve.
While president of the Gay Straight Alliance at
Loyola Marymount University he stared down
a series of homophobic incidents on campus,
hosting educational events, socials, and
mounting a campus-wide public information
campaign to raise LGBT awareness. Instead
of shirking away from animosity, he said we
grew and were able to advocate for a number
of changes that are still in place today.
Prior to joining Schis oce as District
Representative, he worked for Congresswoman
Janice Hahn and LA City Controller Wendy
Greuel and the No on 8 campaign.
He is a member of the West Hollywood
Beverly Hills Democratic Club where he serves
as vice president. He is a member of the
Democratic State Central Committee, where
he is the vice chair of the Los Angeles Region
of the Filipino American Democratic Caucus of
the Party.
Aguilera says his work for Schi has been
an inspiration. He has shown me that quality
of life issues can only be considered because
of our commitment to our national security,
he told the Los Angeles Blade. Congressman
Schi has also taught me that freedom of
speech, expression, and association are only
possible because of men and women that
work tirelessly to ensure a world where those
values are upheld.
Aguilera aims to become an Army ocer.
I have grown from a kid with very little
condence, who lost his role model in life,
his mother, at 17. I am now a man who sees
opportunities in challenges, he said.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
How long have you been out and who
was the hardest person to tell?
Well, I had a boyfriend in high school, but
I didnt come out to my dad until much
later. He was the hardest person to tell.
Whos your LGBT hero?
Jesse Brune-Horan. He taught me the
importance of kindness and self-care.
Through his openness, he has been able
to make tangible and lasting change in the
lives of so many in the LGBT community.
Whats Los Angeles best nightspot,
past or present?
Gym Bar on a dodgeball night.
Describe your dream wedding.
Stories about our relationship and
making a commitment in front of those
who will help us keep it. Oh, and cake.
Lots of cake.
What non-LGBT issue are you most
passionate about?
Transportation. When we get out of our
own cars and walk, bike, or take rail or bus,
or even carpool there are so many more
opportunities to engage with one another.
What historical outcome
would you change?
2 0 G A Y Q U E ST I O N S F O R: M I K E A G UI L E R A
queery
The federal governments initial reaction
to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Whats been the most memorable pop
culture moment of your lifetime?
The rst thing that came to mind was Christina
Aguileras music video for Beautiful.
On what do you insist?
I insist on generosity of spirit.
What was your last Facebook
post or Tweet?
Huepu! Celebrating 20 years of Harry
Potter with my Hogwarts House.
If your life were a book, what would
the title be?
Where Did I Leave My Phone? A
Reection on Lost Items.
If science discovered a way to change
sexual orientation, what would you do?
I would ask why resources were devoted
to such a thing.
What do you believe in beyond the
physical world?
I believe in love.
Whats your advice for LGBT movement
leaders?
MIKE AGUILERA
PHOTO COURTESY OF AGUILERA
Sure, a perm sounds like a great idea! But in
seriousness, it would simply be to listen before
you act, consider what binds us together, and
think about our day-to-day worries.
What would you walk across hot coals for?
Exfoliation.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
That gay men are weak, and that
femininity is not something to aspire to.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?
The Broken Hearts Club:
A Romantic Comedy
Whats the most overrated social custom?
Shaking hands. Id much rather hug.
What trophy or prize do you most covet?
World Universities Debating
Championship 2009. My debate partner
and I lost in the quarternals, and I still
think about it.
What do you wish youd known at 18?
Write more. It helps me work through my
thoughts and serves a great reminder later on.
Why Los Angeles?
Because its the greatest city in the world.
I was born here, and it is my home.
F I LM
AIDS generation faces a new day in After Louie
Its a rare thing when a lm comes along
that precisely captures the zeitgeist of a
generation, and within the insular world
of queer cinema, its even rarer.
This is not to say there arent a lot of
great gay lms out there. Most of these
chart the ongoing concerns of queer life:
nding acceptance, nding a place in
the world, nding love essentially, the
same things movies about straight people
explore, except from a gay point of view.
After Louie is something dierent.
Though its narrative touches on all those
universal subjects and more, its primary
purpose is to confront an issue that is
unique to the LGBTQ experience in the
early years of this millennium.
Directed by veteran activist-turned-
lmmaker Vincent Gagliostro (whose days
on the protest lines as a founding member
of ACT UP make him an essential voice of his
generation), it is both a powerful personal
statement and a thoughtful examination
of the crossroads at which queer culture
stands at this particular moment in history.
Rife with autobiographical overtones,
Gagliostros movie centers on Sam (Alan
Cumming), a middle-aged New York artist
and former AIDS activist still haunted by
the anger and sorrow of his younger days.
Frustrated by complacent peers and
contemptuous of an unappreciative
younger generation, he is attempting to
channel his feelings into a documentary
about a close friend who died during the
epidemic a project which meets with
resistance at every turn.
Seeking solace in a one-night-stand
with Braeden (Zachary Booth), a young
man he meets at a bar, he nds himself
unexpectedly drawn into a relationship
which challenges him to re-examine his
understanding of modern gay life.
This premise reads like the pitch for a
love story, but After Louie does not fall easily
into that (or any) category. Though their
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
A SMASHING DIRECTORIAL DEBUT FOR VINCENT GAGLIOSTRO
By JOHN PAUL KING
VINCENT GAGLIOSTRO on set in New York City directing his rst feature, After Louie.
age gap is more-or-less unsurprising, there
are other factors which make this romance
anything but typical; for instance, Sam
initially assumes that Braeden is a hustler,
and the younger man is already in and
stays in a committed relationship with
someone else. Any of these circumstances
might, in themselves, become the focal
point of an entire movie, but here they are
all just details to be taken in stride.
This is not just because Gagliostro has
a bigger target in sight, although he does;
its the natural view from a community in
which variations from expected cultural
models are actually the norm.
Though other audiences might raise
their eyebrows over such situations, to
most gay viewers they are commonplace
and refreshingly familiar. Such a matter-
of-fact attitude towards the otherness
of LGBTQ couplings is a welcome touch
which grounds After Louie in a relatable
day-to-day reality and allows it to focus on
a more important relationship.
That, of course, is Sams relationship
own deeply personal passion to the screen
PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGLIOSTRO
with himself.
The feelings with which he grapples
mirror those of so many gay men and
women in his age bracket; the lingering
grief and outrage, the resentment at seeing
hard-won freedoms taken for granted by
those who never fought for them, the guilt
over having survived when so many friends
and loved ones were lost these are the
psychic scars left by a life interrupted by
hellish plague, and they are communal.
Just because the lm embraces the
experience of one demographic doesnt
mean it isnt equally comfortable with others;
as refreshing as its ease with unorthodox
relationships is the fairness with which it
treats the other voices within its narrative.
Though Sam has conicts with multiple
antagonists throughout, their viewpoints
never seem born of malice; most
importantly, instead of demonizing its
millennial characters, After Louie presents
them with compassion and makes it clear
they are doing their best to navigate a
world they have inherited from their elders.
JUNE 30, 2017 21
Part of this is attributable to the
screenplay, co-written by Gagliostro and
Anthony Johnson (who also gives a sweetly
sympathetic performance in the lm as
Braedens other partner, Lukas); but the
determination to oer such a balanced view
comes from the movies creator himself.
Gagliostros direction is not ashy, but
its not documentarian, either. There is
a stylish elegance to his lm that bets
the sensibilities of a man who has spent
a lifetime as a visual artist. Likewise, he
captures the feel of the New York setting
with the instinct of someone so intimate
with it as to forego the travelogue approach
others might be tempted to oer.
His greatest strength, though, is his
ability to transfer what is obviously his
through his cast.
Most obviously, this exudes from the
movies star. Sam is not always a likeable
character hes arrogant, confrontational,
judgmental, petulant but Cumming
beautifully navigates the contrast between
his misanthropic demeanor and the deep
compassion and humanity that underlies
it, and his commitment to the honesty of
that conict is present in his every moment
onscreen. Booth is equally honest as
young Braeden, conveying a generosity of
spirit that provides a perfect counterpoint
to his leading mans gruness.
Rounding out the cast is an ensemble of
diverse players, each bringing the weight
of their own truth to the screen; peppered
among them are such faces as Wilson Cruz,
Justin Vivian Bond, and the legendary Joey
Arias, connecting the lm with a powerful
tradition of queer expression and giving it
a stamp of authenticity.
AFTER LOUIE will be screened as part of
Outfest Los Angeles, 8 PM on Saturday July 15
at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
2 2 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM F I LM

Best bets from Los Angeles Outfest

VIEWING ON A BUDGET AND ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE

By JOHN PAUL KING

LUIS FERNANDEZ and PRAKRITI MADURO in Tamara

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIA SCHNEIDER

Hey all you queer cinemaphiles
out there, Los Angeles Outfest is just
around the corner, ready to showcase
an impressive array of new and exciting
LGBTQ lms.
We know you want to t as many
screenings as possible into your schedule
and your budget- but with so many
exciting titles on the program, how can
you ever know which ones to choose?
No need to fret, weve got you covered.
Though every movie in the festival is
undoubtedly worthy of your attention,
weve compiled a list of highlights that can
serve as a jumping o point for any taste.
Weve mostly stuck with feature-length
narrative lms here, with a couple of
important exceptions thrown in; but it
should be noted that Outfest also oers
a host of short lms, documentaries and
special events that are highly recommended
to round out your Outfest experience.
In any case, once youve got your bases
covered, you can dive deep into the
schedule (available for perusal, along with
specic venues and ticket info, at https://
www.outfest.org/) and add as many more
selections to your gay agenda as your time
and money will allow.
GODS OWN COUNTRY (July 6th)
Kicking o the festival at the Opening Night
Gala is this Sundance favorite from rst-
time lmmaker Francis Lee. A gritty tale of
unlikely romance between an English sheep
farmer and Romanian migrant he takes on
as a hired hand, this drama is described as
an uninching and compassionate plea for
unity in these divisive times.
THE PASS (July 7th, July 9th) Another
Brit drama, this one features Russell Tovey
and Arinz Kene as a pair of rising soccer
stars whose encounter in a hotel room the
night before a big game triggers a cascade
of consequences. Toveys status as a gay
heartthrob is sure to make this one a hot ticket.
THE CITY OF THE FUTURE (July 7th)
A Brazilian oering, this bold drama
follows the eorts of a polyamorous
bisexual trio as they shun convention and
build their own vision of a happy family
as they prepare for the birth of their
child. Directed by Claudio Marques and
Marilia Hughes Guerreiro, its a must-see.
RIFT (July 7th) This Icelandic entry for
horror fans, this is a story of two boyfriends
being terrorized by someone (or something)
in a secluded cabin. Promising to keep
you guessing and leave you haunted, this
CONTINUES ON PAGE 23
F I LM W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM JUNE 30, 2017 23

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22
Erlingur Thoroddsen-directed thriller looks
like a real nail-biter.
100 MEN (July 8th) A documentary
by New Zealander Paul Oremland, who
looks up 100 men hes had sex with over
the past 40 years. Tracking the changing
attitudes towards homosexuality over the
years, its described as a personal, often
humorous look.
THE REVIVAL (July 8th) Jennifer Gerbers
drama takes on religious fundamentalism
through the story of a young preacher
whose eorts to open the minds of his
Arkansas congregation are complicated
when a handsome drifter enters his
life. With its simmering resentments
and repressed emotions, its sure to be
controversial in all the right ways.
SATURDAY CHURCH (July 8th) With its
clear debt to the iconic Paris Is Burning,
this lm about a Bronx teen who ees
his sternly religious aunt and nds refuge
in a West Village church where voguing
is more important than sermons, is
threaded with dream-like musical
interludes. With its message that a holy
space is somewhere you can be yourself,
this will surely be another crowd-pleaser.
THE WOUND (July 8th) A South African
drama about a young man undergoing a
tribal rite of passage into manhood, this
one explores the diculties of reconciling
traditional expectations of masculinity
that is at odds with individual sexual
identity. Oering a thoughtful performance
by Xhosa singer Nakhane Tour, promises
to be less harrowing than inspiring.
BECKS (July 9th) Starring Lena Hall
(who won a Tony for the recent revival
of Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and Mena
Suvari, this romance by Liz Rohrbaugh and
Daniel Powell is the story of a down-and-
out singer songwriter who moves back
into her childhood home and nds herself
in a whirlwind romance with a lonely
housewife from the neighborhood. It
also features original songs by Hall herself.
4 DAYS IN FRANCE (July 9th) A
French movie with subtitles, directed by
Jerome Reybaud, its a road picture in
which a young man tracks his boyfriend
across the countryside by following him
on Grindr. According to the description,
its full of charming and unexpected
moments, as the two men make their
way through a series of anonymous
encounters towards an unexpected
destiny. It sounds delightfully Euro.
THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P.
JOHNSON (July 9th) Sure to be another
hot ticket, this documentary by David
France (How to Survive a Plague) explores
the mysterious death of Stonewall heroine
and trans icon Johnson, using it as a
springboard to address the risks that still
face the trans population today.
IN BETWEEN (July 9th) Maysaloun
Hamouds multi-lingual lm pushes against
a lot of taboos with its story of three very
dierent Palestinian women sharing an
apartment as they attempt to break free of
societal expectations. With its cast described
as charming, this is likely to be a smartly
iconoclastic exploration of clashing cultures.
A MILLION HAPPY NOWS (July 9th)
The bittersweet story of a soap opera
actress with early-onset Alzheimers who
retires to spend the time she has left with
her longtime partner, this Albert Alarr-
directed lesbian tear-jerker promises to
provide a million reasons why we all need
to appreciate love to the fullest.
PATHS (July 8th) This German lm
with subtitles follows a pair of longtime
male partners who grow apart as their son
grows up, despite their continuing love for
one another. Directed by Chris Miera, it
promises to avoid ashy melodrama in
favor of a tender and moving portrayal of
the couples deteriorating relationship.
PROM KING, 2010 (July 9th) The story
of a 20-year old college boy whose pursuit
of love is hampered by the idealized vision
of romance in the classic lms he loves,
this feel-good entry is probably a sure-re
hit for gay cinema nuts. The sumptuous
widescreen cinematography of its New York
locations makes it even more appealing.
BODY ELECTRIC (July 10th) Brazilian
Marcelo Caetano, another rst-time director,
takes us on an odyssey through his countrys
changing sexual landscape with this story
of a young factory worker named Elias who
spends his nights contemplating his future
and exploring his sensuality as he learns to
enjoy lifes eeting pleasures. This one is in
Portuguese with subtitles, though it sounds
as if not much translation will be needed.
CHERRY POP (July 10th) Fans of
RuPauls Drag Race will enjoy this comedy
featuring Bob the Drag Queen and
Tempest DuJour (among other Drag Race
alumni), about the backstage hi-jinks at a
drag dive bar where dreams go to die.
GIRL UNBOUND: THE WAR TO BE
HER (July 10th) A joint Canadian-
Pakistani production, this documentary
focuses on Maria Toorpakai Wazir, an
androgynous Muslim Pakistani squash
champion who struggles to persist and
endure in the face of persecution and
threats from Al-Qaeda. Directed by Erin
Heidenreich, its a timely and challenging
look at the eects of religious fanaticism.
HELLO AGAIN (July 11th) Musical theatre
fans will want to jump on this one, a screen
adaptation of Michael John LaChiusas
acclaimed 1994 o-Broadway work which
is itself an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzlers
classic play, Der Reigen. Directed by Tom
Gustafson and featuring a wide variety of
musical styles, it leapfrogs ten characters
through ten clandestine sexual encounters,
exploring the reasons why people hook
up while showcasing the talents of such
performers as Audra McDonald, Martha
Plimpton, Nolan Funk, and Rumer Willis,
among others.
TOM OF FINLAND (July 11th) The
much-anticipated biopic about iconic gay
artist Touko Laaksonen is likely to draw
a huge audience here in the city where
he eventually made his home. Get your
tickets while you can.
BOYS FOR SALE (July 12th) A Japanese
documentary about the Urisen, young
male sex workers who cater to men in the
Tokyo underground, this Itaio-directed
lm oers an illuminating look into a
rarely seen world that tantalizingly shows
the humanity of sex work.
THE LADIES ALMANACK (July 12th)
Shot on Super 8 lm, Daviel Shys
adaptation of Djuna Barnes book about
lesbian Casanova Natalie Barney
explores the intertwined secrets of the
Gertrude Stein, Colette, and others in the
Parisian queer femme literary circle of
1928. A sumptuous feast for acionados
of the Jazz Age, this period tell-all looks like
a scandalous delight.
I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE (July
13th) Another Sundance winner, this
moving romance is the story of a linguist
who travels deep into the Mexican jungle to
study a disappearing indigenous language
only to discover that the last two people
who know it are a pair of former male
lovers who refuse to speak to each other
because of a 50-year-old quarrel. Directed
by Ernesto Contreras, I recommend
bringing some tissues to this one.
TAMARA (July 13th) The true story of
Venezuelas rst transgender politician,
this queer biopic documents her journey
from her pre-transition days as a family
man through her rise as a trans activist
and her resulting run for oce. Directed
by Elia K. Schneider and boasting powerful
performances, this Spanish-language
entry is yet another must-see.
AFTER LOUIE (July 15th) Already
featured in the pages of the Blade, this
thought-provoking romantic drama
from activist-turned-lmmaker Vincent
Gagliostro features Alan Cumming as
a middle-aged artist whose creative
energies are blocked by his xation on
the past until a handsome millennial
challenges his perspective. Important for
lots of reasons, its also moving, funny, and
highly entertaining. A must-see.
QUEERCORE: HOW TO PUNK A
REVOLUTION (July 15th) Yony Leysers
German documentary takes us through
the cut-and-paste queer anarchy of the
early days of homocore to the punk-
pop peak of queercores Pansy Division,
exploring the rise of and inuence of such
iconoclastic queer artists as Bruce LaBruce,
John Waters, and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge,
among others. It looks like a wild ride.
FREAK SHOW (July 16th) The festivals
closing night selection, this adaptation of
a novel by James St. James tells the story
of a amboyant new student who shakes
up his military academy by running for
homecoming queen. With a cast featuring
Bette Midler and Laverne Cox, its sure to
be an audience favorite.
2 4 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
Whenever the subject of The Gay
Experience is addressed within our
entertainment culture, with it also comes
a heavy burden of expectation. To put it
simply, you just cant please everybody.
Thats not a value judgment; its simply a
matter of fact. How can any single vehicle give
expression to the multi-faceted perspectives
of the entire LGBTQ community? No matter
how well intentioned, large segments of
the population inevitably end up feeling left
out. Remember the polarizing reactions to
HBOs Looking?
On its surface, The Pride, with its
tiny cast of white cis-gender actors, may
not appear to aspire toward inclusivity;
nevertheless, this remarkable 2009 play
by British wordsmith Alexi Kaye Campbell
(currently onstage at the Wallis Annenberg
Center for Performing Arts) not only
undertakes such a goal but endeavors
to convey a particularly wide perspective
through an unusually intimate microcosm.
Set mostly in a single London apartment,
its a piece that juggles three characters
between two distinctive time periods, 50
years apart. In 1958, Philip (Neal Bledsoe)
is married to Sylvia (Jessica Collins), an
illustrator who is collaborating on a
childrens book with Oliver (Augustus Prew);
the two men are attracted to each other, but
the restrictive societal mores of their time
and place are insurmountable obstacles
to their union. In 2008, the two men are a
couple, but their relationship is threatened
by Olivers indelity; addicted to kinky sex
with anonymous partners despite his deep
love for Philip, he turns to his best friend
Sylvia for guidance as he tries to overcome
the inner demons that drive his behavior.
The premise is immediately fascinating,
evoking myriad implications. The most
obvious, of course, is that these three
characters, obviously dierent and yet
somehow the same in both settings,
parallel and echo each other as their
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Embracing The Pride
A PLAY BEST ENJOYED WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE
By JOHN PAUL KING
The Pride, a remarkable 2009 play by British
wordsmith Alexi Kaye Campbell, is currently
onstage at the Wallis Annenberg Center for
Performing Arts.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOVELACE STUDIO THEATER
separate stories play out; they want the
same things, but their roles shift, their
dynamics change, and the actions they
take reect events in both time periods. All
of this serves to underscore a symmetry
across (or perhaps outside) time, with
ripples within it emanating from a singular
traumatic event at its center.
So, how does all this reect a larger view
of the aforementioned Gay Experience?
The Pride moves back and forth in
time, from an era in which homosexuality
was illegal to one in which two men could
live openly as a couple; yet the repression
of one still casts deep shadows upon
the other. The modern characters are
haunted by the pain endured by their
earlier counterparts; it fuels their fears
and shapes their choices, even when a
happier life is within their reach.
Within this ctional framework, the
connections between past and present take
on something of a mystical signicance,
stretching the characters linked destiny
across lifetimes until it reaches a kind of
closure or at least the possibility of a
new beginning. With this carefully-woven
tapestry, The Pride suggests that our
ever-evolving cultural identity is similarly
connected through time to the hardships
of our history; but it also reminds us that
there is a similar thread which pulls us
forward to the promise of a better future.
Weighty ideas notwithstanding, there is
a light tone to Campbells script. Crackling
with the witty banter of a Nol Coward
comedy, yet laced with the pregnant
subtext of Harold Pinter, it is an inherently
English play; and true to its heritage, it
revels in its use of language. Its literate
text bristles with wordplay, and a keen
ear is essential to mining the play for the
riches contained within its depths.
Unfortunately, the cast struggles with
this aspect of the dialogue; the words y
surely enough from their lips, but often
seem separated from any intention besides
the need to speak them quickly. They dont
seem to be talking with each other so much
as at each other, and this impairs them in
building the kind of chemistry which is
necessary to provide the emotional payos
that come later in the play.
That doesnt mean that they fail; though
their technical prociency may be lacking,
their commitment to honesty in their
roles is not. The Pride delivers its most
powerful moments when the characters
are stripped of artice and allowed to exist
as their truest selves, and this cast proves
well capable of that challenge.
Collins stands out in her ability to
communicate between the lines; her two
Sylvias are distinct, yet bound by an inner
reality that makes her (them?) arguably the
most likable character in the mix. Bledsoe
seems out of his depth, at times, and
THEATER
Prew has a tendency towards one-noted
nebbish-ness; but each of them rises to the
occasion when it counts the most, eloquently
portraying their awed characters emotional
pas-de-deux and ultimately making us care a
great deal for each of them.
A fourth player deserves special
mention: Matthew Wilkas, who portrays
three peripheral characters throughout.
Free from the burden of carrying a story
arc across two separate timelines, he
creates complete and engaging personas
for each of his roles; alternately hilarious
and moving (often within a single beat), he
also displays a dexterity with the scripts
linguistic challenges that is a much-
appreciated bonus.
The real champion of The Pride, though,
is director Michael Arden. Its a potentially
murky piece, with profound and swirling
themes wrapped inside an exterior that is
both cerebral and stylish, but he identies
the elements of deepest importance and
brings them to light with his steady guidance.
Part of this is achieved by helping the
actors navigate their way through the
characters esoteric journey, to be sure,
but his staging is equally essential; by
mounting his production in the round (an
intimate choice seemingly at odds with
such elevated material) he breaks down
the barrier of theatricality and gains an up-
close and personal advantage in peeling
back the shows stylistic conceits to reveal
the powerful insights at its core.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
THE PRIDE
Performances continue through July 9
Lovelace Studio Theater at the Wallis
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets:
Single tickets: $40 $75
(prices subject to change)
Online TheWallis.org
By Phone 310.746.4000
Box Oce Wallis Annenberg Center
for the Performing Arts Ticket Service
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd,
Beverly Hills, CA, 90210
 ADV E RT ORI AL

Embracing the rainbow

Exer More Than

Urgent Care
welcomes you.

Exer More Than Urgent Care
committed to helping everyone we can
From Discover Card to Target, Chase ATMs across the nation to Google Maps
outlining the route of #ResistMarch in Los Angeles, marketers have chosen to be
out, loud and proud about marketing to the LGBTQ community, even altering their
logos with the colors of the rainbow flag.
These companies and many other Fortune 500 companies are investing significant
resources into developing branding and advertising messages for print and online
media that reach LGBTQ audiences head on and year round, not just for Pride.
According to a May 2016 article in Ad Age, corporate mentality about reaching
LGBTQ consumers has progressed from Were not ready for gay marketing to reach and support all communities it serves with a message of inclusion, comfort and
We dont want to be left behind. ease, particularly given the turbulence and uncertainty of healthcare in America.
A survey by Community Marketing shows that LGBTQ consumers are loyal,
spend more money, and feel more positive about companies that speak directly to
them. Seventy-eight percent of LGBTQ adults, their friends, family, and relatives
would switch to brands that show they are LGBTQ friendly, according to the study.
Such marketing is not limited to national brands. Local and regional advertisers
are also increasingly embracing LGBTQ customers and addressing them directly.
Los Angeles-based Exer More Than Urgent Care, a healthcare startup staffed
with ER doctors, recently took to Facebook and posted a rainbow logo design
on the companys page. No matter who you are or who you love, we are fully
committed to helping everyone we can, in every community we serve. Happy
National #LGBT Pride Month from your friends and family at Exer More Than
Urgent Care! #LGBTPride #ExerMoreThanUrgentCare, the post read.
The post was an instant hit with the community of 7,000 followers since
November, which showed appreciation with three times the usual levels of likes,
loves, shares and comments.
We welcome our LGBT friends, family and all patients with open arms here at
Exer, because we are all people, too, said Gary Turner, vice president of Marketing,
Communications & Patient Experience at Exer.
Exer is one of the first Urgent Care companies in the United States to embrace the
LGBTQ community directly and one of the first companies regionally to incorporate
rainbow colors into its logo. The company says it wants to continue finding ways to
Helping people to feel better, faster when they need it most is the focus of our
expert medical teams and the DNA of our people. This month and all year long,
were proud to reinforce a vital message of inclusion to the LGBT community and
all those in the communities we serve around Los Angeles, said Turner.
Exer More Than Urgent Care has six facilities across Southern California including,
Beverly Hills near La Cienega Blvd. and Wilshire Blvd. Other facilities include
Sherman Oaks and Redondo Beach, Calabasas, Northridge and Newbury Park. For
more information and new clinic openings, visit www.ExerUrgentCare.com.
2 6 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7
Billy Masters says, You better work!
RUPAUL GETS A STAR AND WHY IS AARON CARTER PERFORMING AT PRIDE?
Well, I hope he doesnt, because I wont
perform if he does. Because I hate the
motherfucker. Hows that? So said Patti
LuPone, when asked on the Tony Awards
red carpet why President Trump should
come see the show shes in, War Paint.
She was then asked why she wouldnt
perform for him. You dont ask LuPone a
question if you aint ready for the answer!
Heres a question many of you have
asked me: Why is Aaron Carter performing
at Pride festivals? Not that he shouldnt. I
think its ne. Not only am I unclear why a
gay organization would hire Aaron Carter
to sing, Im not sure why anyone would
pay to see him!
Leading up to LA Pride, someone asked
him if he was worried about any terrorism or
violence.He said, No, Ill shoot back! Well, this
caused quite a bit of concern - as someone
who hosted LA Pride more than anyone in
the festivals history, I can tell you I would not
have been too thrilled to have someone with
a pistol in his pocket on my bill.
He was pressured to retract the
statement. I wont pack heat at LA
Pride. Emotions got me, he said.
Days after the event, he landed in the
hospital looking like Spawn of Skeletor -
should anyone be making such a movie. This
led to some skinny shaming yeah, like thats
a bad thing. A grown woman was gossiping
about me when I have a eating disorder,
telling people I need to eat 5 cheeseburgers
cause I look like Im dying. This is body
shaming. You guys are bullying me.
At least they didnt have a gun!
No word on whether Aaron or his
brother Nick Carter are participating in
The Lou Pearlman Story, which is being
produced as a limited series by Desmond
Child and Andreas Carlsson.
You remember Big Lou as the guy
(literally) behind Backstreet Boys, NSync,
O-Town, and oodles of other pre-
pubescent boy bands. He had a particular
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
By BILLY MASTERS
Sweet Cheeses! My heart is beating so fast right now! RUPAUL to get star on Hollywood Walk of
Fame.
fondness for Nick Carter, which his mom
says is still dicult for Nick to talk about.
Steve Grand has released a new single,
just in time for the summer. Walking is a
fun, poppy song. According to Steve, I am
donating 100% of the net proceeds of my
new song Walking to Rainbow Railroad - a
charity with the mission to help Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Trans individuals nd a
safe haven from state-sponsored violence,
murder and persecution.
Needless to say, the promotional video
includes a fair number of skin shots youve
come to expect from Grand, which led one
gay website to take an interesting poll:
Do you think Steve Grand is successful
because he has real talent or because
hes so sexy? I dont need to tell you the
answer, do I?
But, do catch Steve in what Id call
minute 12 of his career all summer
long at the Provincetown Art House
(PTownArtHouse.com).
Remember Charice Pempengco? She
played the Filipino exchange student on
Glee. Oprah called her the most talented
girl in the world. Well, shes gonna have to
revise that sobriquet.
Charice, who previously identied as
a lesbian, has just announced that shes
PHOTO COURTESY OF RUPAUL
transgender. He will now be known as
Jake Zyrus.
Someone who doesnt discuss his
sexuality is little Garrett Clayton.
He recently gave one of those gay Pride
messages that really doesnt say anything:
Love yourself and fuck what anybody else
thinks. Thats what matters.
Over the past year, he portrayed porn
pup Brent Corrigan in King Cobra, Link
Larkin in Hairspray: LIVE, and even acted
onstage opposite Al Pacino in God Looked
Away. And through July 22, hes in an
unauthorized musical parody called The
Last Breakfast Club at Rockwell Table &
Stage in Los Angeles.
On one of his o nights, when the
renowned Skivvies (the quirky band
made up of sexy Nick Cearley and Lauren
Molina, who perform in their underwear)
were performing at Rockwell, Garrett
was coaxed - perhaps at Aaron Carters
gunpoint - to sing Stitches in his drawers.
Its certainly worth seeing on
BillyMasters.com.
Congratulations to RuPaul, who will receive
a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sweet Cheeses! My heart is beating so
fast right now! said Ru.
Congrats.
G O SSI P
ASK BILLY
Our Ask Billy question comes from
Steven in Long Beach: Ive been hooked
on American Gods ever since you ran
that nude clip. I heard theres a sex tape
of Ricky Whittle oating around. Have
you seen it? Do you have it?
I have, and I do.But it isnt exactly
a sex tape. Its yet another one of
those jerk-o videos of a celebrity that
routinely gets leaked. In this case, Ricky
was communicating with someone
via Skype and decides to pleasure his
monstrously large appendage.
Its pretty hot, and hes in
incredible shape - as youll see on
BillyMasters.com.
Could it be that a certain champion
is keeping a secret as big as his cup?
Its certainly not that he usually goes
commando - everyone can see that!
Nope, our sources tell us that he
prefers the company of other men.
Hes pretty quiet about his personal
life, which I can respect. Instead
of making passes, he has a special
someone who is another giant with
a similar Adonis-like physique. In
the past, hes publicly supported
colleagues who are in same-sex
relationships.
But while his career is in limbo,
the last thing he wants to do is rock
the boat.
When were featuring both gods
and monsters, its denitely time
to end yet another column. With
summer here, its not only steamy
outside, but also at www.BillyMasters.
com - the site thatll make you all hot
and bothered.
If you need my assistance, feel
free to drop a note to me at Billy@
BillyMasters.comand I promise to get
back to you before someone explains
what Sweet Cheeses means (I
assume its a play on Sweet Jesus,
but Im lactose intolerant).
Until next time, remember, one
mans lth is another mans bible.
CA L E N DA R
E-mail calendar items to
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
two weeks prior to your event. Space is
limited so priority is given to LGBT-specic
events or those with LGBT participants.
Recurring events must be
re-submitted each time.
JUN 29
Jeanne Cordova: Butches, Lies, and
Feminism (One City One Pride screening),
Thu Jun 29 @ 7:30 PM (West Hollywood
City Council Chambers, 625 North San
Vicente Boulevard). Join The City of West
Hollywoods One City One Pride LGBTQ
Arts Festival for the premiere of Jeanne
Cordova: Butches, Lies, and Feminism,
a new documentary on the life and
accomplishments of activist & author
Jeanne Cordova, directed by Gregorio
Davila. Jeannes partner, Lynn Harris
Ballen, and the lms director.
JUN 30
Stardom, Fri Jun 30 @ 10 PM (Project Club
LA, 6356 Hollywood Blvd). Hosted by TiTi
(Blameitonkway) with special performance
by Kash Doll, its a must see performance
that will leave you wide awake.
JUL 1
Drag Daze: Amateur Drag Competition
for Charity, Sat Jul 01 @ 7 PM (Hamburger
Marys WEHO, 8288 Santa Monica Blvd.).
Hosted by WENDY HO! 50% of Proceeds
benet APLA HEALTH. Organizers are
looking for Queens. Email Kim Weekes
(kimmymweekes@gmail.com) and you
could win cash prizes. Contestants will
have one hour to transform.
Amazon Studios Presents Cinespia,
beginning Jul 1 @ 7:15 PM (Hollywood
Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica
Blvd.). Watch classic and cult lms
projected on a mausoleum wall during this
popular Amazon Studios-sponsored lm
series at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Also on hand are pre-movie DJs and
themed photo booths. July highlights
include screenings of Dirty Dancing
and Jurassic Park, both of which will be
followed by reworks, and Superbad.
$16 to $35. Parking $12-$20. Event held
throughout July visit cinespia.org.
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Wallis Annenbergs The Pride is some of the most riveting gay theater to hit Los Angeles in years.
We said it was REMARKABLE a worthwhile trip to the theater. Runs through July 9.
JUL 2
4th of July Pool Party & Potluck, Sun
Jul 2 @ 12 PM (Laurel Canyon private
residence at Mulholland Dr.). The Annual
CalComMen 4th of July Pool Party & Potluck
Extravaganza returns to LA this year. Its a
back to nature sober party that rivals any
similar event you ever attended. Limited
to 50 attendees, by private invitation.
Email Info@CalComMen.com for details.
JUL 4
Fireworks with Americafest at the
Rose Bowl, Jul 4 @ 2 PM (Rosebowl, 1001
Rose Bowl Dr). An explosive celebration of
all things red, white and bluefrom the
classic American food, to a motorcycle
stunt show, to the world-renowned
reworks display. The reworks wont
shoot o until 9 PM, but the Rose Bowl
will open at 2 PM and you can enjoy an
Independence Day goldmine of inatable
rides, games and crafts. Parking is $20.
Fireworks at Pacic Palisades, Jul 4
@ 2 PM, (Pacic Palisades beachfront,
PHOTO COURTESY OF WALLIS ANNENBERG
Sunset Boulevard, between Via de la Paz
and Drummond Avenue). Cruise on up to
the Palisades for a beachy Independence
Day extravaganza. Enjoy a band of patriotic
skydivers who will descend from the
stratosphere, kicking o the neighborhoods
colossal parade. The baton twirlers and
marching trombonists will begin their
promenade.. The festivities continue with a
concert and reworks. $10 adults, kids free.
JUL 6
Outfest Opening Night, Jul 6 @ 8 PM
(Orpheum Theatre, 842 South Broadway).
The 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT
Film Festival will open with Francis Lees
poignant and masterful feature debut,
Gods Own Country starring Josh OConnor
and Alec Secareanu. The Achievement
Award Ceremony honoring Bryan Fuller
will take place at the Orpheum Theatre
in Los Angeles on July 6, followed by the
screening of Gods Own Country. Outfest
runs thru 16 @ various times and venues.
Visit Outfest.org for details.
JUNE 30, 2017 27
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Chamber
of Commerce mixer, Jul 6 @ 6:30 PM (The
Abbey Food & Bar, 692 N. Robertson).
Get properly connected with other LGBT
professionals and entrepreneurs. Its the
best way to get connected to a network of
like minded business folk.
JUL 8
Live to Dance at the 1 Life Festival, Jul
8 @ 9 PM til dawn (The Belasco Theater,
1050 South Hill Street). Fall in love with
the boys of summer at a special showcase
event. Its a spectacle of lights and sound
celebrating summer in the city. Tickets
start at $30.
JUL 9
Mr. C Beverly Hills Poolside Cinema,
Jul 9 @ 7PM (Cipriani Hotel, 1226 Beverwil
Drive, 12th Floor). The beloved Poolside
Cinema Series at the Italian-inspired hotel
is returning for its fourth year in a row.
Hotel guests and locals alike are invited
to enjoy a range of classic, contemporary,
and family-friendly movies at sundown
every Tuesday from June 6 until August
22. Set under the stars on the Venetian-
inspired pool deck, you can relax in style
and enjoy a Prix-Fixe Menu ($35-45 per
person).
Closing Night of The Pride, Jul 9
@ 07 PM (Wallis Annenberg Center,
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd). The Wallis
production of THE PRIDE, a play by Alexi
Kaye Campbell abd Directed by Michael
Arden is a gorgeous production that The
Los Angeles Blade called REMARKABLE
a worthwhile trip to the theater. Closing
night. From $50.
JUL 13
Downtown LA Art Walk, Jul 13 @ 12 PM
(Downtown Los Angeles Historic Core, Sixth
St. and Spring St.) This self-guided tour,
which started in 2004 and has ourished
as much of Downtown has cleaned up,
encompasses more than 40 galleries and
museums spread throughout the areas
many sub-districts, including Bunker Hill,
Little Tokyo and Gallery Row on Main and
Spring Streets in the Historic Core. About
10,000 visitors regularly take the tour.
2 8 J U NE 3 0 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM O U T & A BO U T

Serving up Black Pride in Los Angeles

IN THE MEANTIME MENS GROUP OFFERS A FULL MENU OF EVENTS

By JEFFREY KING
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MEANTIME MENS GROUP

The tradition conditions and the legacy
of Los Angeles Black Pride lives on as In
The Meantime Mens Group, Inc. hosted
its 15th annual Pre-Pride Celebration on
Saturday, June 15, with a packed room
of more than 250 LGBTQ community
members and allies.
The downtown REDLINE Night
Club was the site of this monumental
intergenerational community celebration
serving up food, a champagne bar,
naughty dancers, LAS hottest DJ Ben and
comic genius, Sampson McCormick. The
purpose was to bring ALL of the Black
LGBTQ community and allies together to
pay tribute to the pastwhile celebrating
the creation of something new in 2017.
Ocial Black Pride events start June
29 and run through July 5. Los Angeles is
bracing itself for the whirlwind of exciting
events and activities tailored to the diverse
palates of the LA Black LGBTQ community.
Todays activities are much dierent
from the days of yesteryear when there
was a more centralized Pride organization
at the helm. This year, individuals,
organizations, non-prots and club
promoters have created BLACK PRIDE
receptions, cultural events, pool parties,
day parties, Balls, barbeques and evening
club events. Some of the most notables
at the helm of this years Celebration
are Brandon Anthonys Socialite House,
In The Meantime Mens Group, the Los
Angeles Kinks, Icon, Mother Devine
Chanels Legends Ball, LA Black Pride, Club
Seduction and much more.
This years Black Pride lineup can
be viewed on the Black LGBT Network
Facebook page.
JEFFREY KING is executive director of In The
Meantime Men.
A R T S & EN TE RTA I N MENT
Non-trans actors have upper hand
landing trans roles, director says
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
same exact story of a trans person being
told the exact same way. With The Switch
you get many trans stories told dierently
than youre used to in a humorous and
enjoyable way. Even though our characters
are trans and dealing with trans issues they
are also dealing with everyday life issues,
something anyone can relate to, Rose says.
The Switch includes the challenges
transgender people face but with a
comedic twist. The series take on the
issue of trans people being forced into
sex work comes as S works part-time as
a text message dominatrix to make ends
meet. In one episode, she discovers one of
her clients is her data entry boss and ends
up in a text dominatrix competition with
Phil to prove who is best at the job.
Fox, who also serves as the shows
creator and writer, says she wanted the
series to be relatable for transgender
people but also for cis-gender viewers.
I think its really important to show there
is a range of people whose stories are worth
telling. It also allows trans people to see
themselves on the screen. For cis-people
watching this, its like, Oh, hey this trans
person has mostly the same problems I do
plus one or two extra, Fox says.
For Fox, the importance of sharing that
message led her to work on making this
series for seven years. While working as
a metal worker in British Columbia, Fox
was invited to participate in a comedy
routine about gender dysphoria. The
routine inspired her to create a TV
show that featured transgender actors,
producers and writers. However, Fox had
no experience making lm.
She signed up for a lm camp and then
took courses at a community college in
Vancouver. After acquiring the skills, Fox
says she immediately set to work making
the web series and starting a Kickstarter
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM JUNE 30, 2017 29
for funding. The web series grabbed the community, Fox says she feels other Theres something denitely broken about
attention of OutTV and the online show projects arent trying hard enough to get their outreach. (Bomer) is denitely not the
became an actual TV show starring a transgender talent. Matt Bomers casting best person because I would know from the
Native American transgender woman. as a transgender woman in the upcoming scuttlebutt in the trans acting community
The casting is unusual for a eld that is lm, Anything is the latest example of a that people would be talking about going
more often telling transgender stories but cis-gender takeover. out and auditioning for this thing, Fox says.
rarely placing transgender actors in the Trans people would be like, Oh yeah, A second season for The Switch is
roles. Fox says she and her team made an I tried out for that. Sorry I wasnt the best uncertain. The rst season is currently
eort to nd talented transgender actors. person. But most trans actors will say, available for streaming on iTunes, Google
From working in the transgender acting What? I havent heard anything about this. Play, Revry and Amazon.
More Than T oers trans lives from trans perspectives
Avoiding cinematic clichs is one pitfall any decent
lmmaker tries to avoid but there was one point in
More Than T, a new 53-minute documentary from
trans director Silas Howard (Transparent, This is Us)
when diving right into the clich made sense.
In this case, it pertained to Joanna Cifredo whos seen
in the lm applying makeup.
Showing trans women putting on makeup is one
of the worst clichs, says Jen Richards, a creative
consultant on the lm who helped Howard make it.
You see that in so many lms and its just such a clich.
But Joanna has some really nuanced, deep thinking on
the role of beauty in the lives of women. She grew up
in a Latina culture so for her, showing her applying
makeup became a way for her to claim that power. We
didnt want her to be reduced by it, but we wanted to
JOANNA CIFREDO in More Than T, a new documentary from director Silas show it so we were sort of leaning into the clich we
Howard.
wanted to avoid. The lm is full of these little surprises
PHOTO COURTESY OF PRAYTELL
between whats expected and whats revealed.
More Than T, commissioned by MAC Cosmetics
and its philanthropic arm, the MAC AIDS Fund, features seven transgender subjects from diverse walks of life. It premiered at
Frameline, a San Francisco LGBT lm festival, and can be found on Showtime Anytime and Showtime On Demand.
Elsewhere, though, Richards, whos trans herself, says the lmmakers purposefully avoided trans clichs like surgery obsession
and what she calls pity porn a prurient interest in the tragedy of trans lives.
So often, trans portrayals on lm have been made by non-trans people, she says. They often take a perspective that reects
their own interest rather than that of trans people. We didnt want to reduce them. With these seven subjects, youll see their
whole, complicated selves.
JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
LO C A L N E W S W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM JUNE 30, 2017 31

Erectile dysfunction or bladder leakage may affect

your confidence and intimacy. Join us to get the facts
aboutErectile
the latest treatment options
dysfunction or bladder leakage may affect
your confidence and intimacy.
Meet with anJoinAMS
us to get the facts
Men's
aboutHealth
the latest treatment options
Representative to Learn
Erectile dysfunction or bladder
More:
Meet with leakage
an AMS Men'saffect
Erectile dysfunction or bladder
may effect your confidence leakage
and intimacy.
Health Representative
mayto Learn
your
Join confidence
us to get the andabout
facts intimacy.
the Tuesday
Join
latest us toJuly
get18,the
treatment
More: 2017 facts
options.
SERVICING THE LGBT COMMUNITY OF LOS ANGELES
MeetErectile about the latest
BY APPOINTMENT
with an dysfunction
AMS Mens Healthtreatment
orONLY-
bladder options
Tuesday July
WEST leakage
HOLLYWOOD
Representative tomay
Learn
18, 2017
AREAaffect
More:
SERVICING THE LGBT COMMUNITY OF LOS ANGELES
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY- WEST HOLLYWOOD AREA
your confidenceTuesday
and intimacy. 25, Join
JulyMeet with
2017 us an
to AMS
get the facts
Men's
Call 8558896286
about
SERVICING THEto
Call the
register, or
Health
latest treatment
LGBT COMMUNITY
8558896286
go
OF to
Representative
options
LOS
to register, or ANGELES
go to
to Learn
www.edcure.org/events
BY APPOINTMENT More:
ONLY - WEST HOLLYWOOD AREA
www.edcure.org/events
Meet
Call 855-889-6286 to register, or go with anTuesday
AMS Men's
to: www.edcure.org/events
July 18, 2017
Boston Scientific Corporation has sponsoredSERVICING
Health Representative to Learn
THE LGBTseminar COMMUNITY OF LOSmaterial.
ANGELES
Boston Scientific Corporation has sponsored funding for this patient seminar and accompanying educational material.
funding for this patient and accompanying educational
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY- More:
WEST HOLLYWOOD AREA

Tuesday July 18, 2017

Call 8558896286
SERVICINGto register,
THE or go toOF LOS ANGELES
LGBT COMMUNITY
www.edcure.org/events
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY- WEST HOLLYWOOD AREA

Call 8558896286 to register, or go to

Boston Scientific Corporation has sponsored funding for this patient seminar and accompanying educational material.

www.edcure.org/events
Boston Scientific Corporation has sponsored funding for this patient seminar and accompanying educational material.

losangelesblade.com
@LosAngelesBlade
The
hookup site
TOO HOT
for the
app store
 we take pride
in our communities
Proudly serving homebuyers and sellers from San Diego to Santa Barbara

BEVERLY HILLS 310.777.7800 | BRENTWOOD 310.207.7080 | CALABASAS 818.223.9100 | ENCINO 818.501.4800 | LOS FELIZ 323.671.1200 | MONTECITO 805.969.5026
MONTECITO SOUTH 805.565.4000 | PACIFIC PALISADES 310.230.3700 | PASADENA 626.440.5100 | SANTA MONICA 310.829.0629 | SANTA BARBARA 805.687.2666
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY 805.688.1794 | SHERMAN OAKS METRO ART 818.528.3200 | STUDIO CITY 818.933.2400 | VENTURA 805.677.7300

bhhscalifornia.com
2017 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC. CalBRE 01317331