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Lawmaker sued for ying Pride ag Checking in with Long Beachs gay mayor Afeck, Gareld clarify remarks on playing gay
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By REBEKAH SAGER
the homeless
FRANK MORALES
fmorales@losangelesblade.com
310-230-5266 x8095
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
TRACY PAASO
tpaaso@losangelesblade.com
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PALM SPRINGS ACCOUNT EXEC
Why the Los Angeles LGBT access to our clothing closet. In the past 12 are open 7 days a week. We can connect BRAD FUHR, 760-813-2020.
brad@gaydesertguide.com
months, the number of visits to our youth people with a case manager 15 minutes NATIONAL ADVERTISING
center needs your help center has increased by double digits. after stepping into our facility. RIVENDELL MEDIA
But more than meeting their basic needs, Make a donation via our website at sales@rivendellmedia.com, 212-242-6863
MARKETING DIRECTOR
including medical care and counseling, lalgbtcenter.org. Your contribution of as STEPHEN RUTGERS
were helping young people develop the little as $10 will fund a full day of meals srutgers@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x8077
EDITORIAL
skills, resources, and condence to make it for a young person whos depending on us NATIONAL EDITOR
on their own through GED preparation and for support. KEVIN NAFF
high school completion programs, college You probably didnt know that our youth kna@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x8088
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR
scholarships, an employment program, center oers education support to youth MICHAEL K. LAVERS
leadership development program, and who didnt nish high school through our mlavers@washblade.com
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING WRITER
LORRI L. JEAN is CEO of the Los Angeles LGBT whatever they need to get o the streets on-site GED preparation programs and KAREN OCAMB
Center, the worlds largest provider of programs for good. charter high school. If you can spare a karenocamb@sbcglobal.net
and services for LGBT people. CONTRIBUTORS
The parents of one member of our few hours a week to tutor them, contact
CHARLES KAISER, ALAN MILLER, TIM MILLER, MAER
youth center, Kenny, told him youre our Volunteer Resources department at ROSHAN, HOLLY HUGHES, KIT WINTER, BRAD LAMM,
Imagine waking up every day without better o killing yourself after he refused volunteer@lalgbtcenter.org. DAVID EHRENSTEIN, STEVEN ERICKSON, LILLIAN
FADERMAN, ORIOL GUTTIEREZ, SETH HEMMELGARN,
money, not knowing whether youll have treatment to cure him of being gay. Drop o gently-used professional ROBIN TYLER, CHRIS AZZOPARD, ALLEN ROSKOFF,
anything to eat or a safe place to lay He found out about the Centers services attire. The youth have access to a clothing JOHN PAUL KING, JOHN MCHUGH-DENNIS, MELODY
your head at night. Thats the reality for online and bought a bus ticket here, closet so that they can present well for MUNDY, ROBERT WILLIAMS, DAN ALLEN, BRAD FUHR,
WINSTON GEISEKE, RICHARD ANDREOLI, DREW
thousands of LGBT youth in Los Angeles hoping we could help. Fortunately, we job interviews. Approximately 80% of the MACKIE, JOEY DIGUGLIELMO, CHRIS JOHNSON, LOU
who are experiencing homelessness. were able to give him one of our 58 beds youth in our Transitional Living Program CHIBBARO JR., MARIAH COOPER, ABBY DEES, REBEKAH
right away, without him having to spend a are working, in school, or both. SAGER, JOHN MCHUGH-DENNIS, MIKE CIRIACO
Recently we learned just how big the PHOTOGRAPHY
problem is. single night on the streets. By giving to the Center, your support BOB KRASNER, JON VISCOTT, MICHAEL KEY
The 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless But, Kenny is one of the lucky ones. LGBT will immediately provide youth with CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION
AZERCREATIVE.COM
Count found that there are nearly 6,000 young people hit the streets with hopes of food and a hot shower, emergency and DISTRIBUTION
youth experiencing homelessness in escape and a better life. Once they spend transitional housing, education support, CHRISTOPHER JACKSON, 562-826-6602
Los Angeles County on any given night. time living on the streets, they are at risk and employment counseling. You can give 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
Nationally, it is estimated that 20%-40% of sexual exploitation or tracking and them the better life they so desperately Angeles Blade. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers,
writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor
of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. In are likely to turn to drugs to cope with it want and deserve. implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not
necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons.
a study of homeless youth in Hollywood, all. Trans youth face signicant challenges In two years, we will open the Although the Los Angeles Blade is supported by many ne advertisers,
we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.
one of the most popular destinations in entering the workforce and nding transformational Anita May Rosenstein Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Los Angeles Blade, but
the paper cannot take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve
for them, nearly 40% identied as being meaningful careers, so theyre even more Campus in Hollywood. Spanning more the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. A single copy of the
Los Angeles Blade is available from authorized distribution points, to
LGBTQ. likely to turn to sex work. Alarmingly, its than a city block along Santa Monica 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
These are young people whove estimated that nearly half of trans women Boulevard, this intergenerational campus 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
frequently been rejected by their families, nationwideparticularly trans women of will contain up to 100 beds for homeless at prockstroh@washblade.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to
the Los Angeles Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington, DC 20009. The Los
victimized by predators, and/or made colorwill become infected with HIV if youth (nearly double the number we Angeles Blade is published bi-weekly, on Friday, by Los Angeles Blade,
LLC. Rates for businesses/institutions are $450 per year. Periodical
outcasts by their communitiesall simply their livelihoods arent improved. currently have), new senior and youth postage paid at Los Angeles, CA., and additional mailing oces. Editorial
positions of the Los Angeles Blade are expressed in editorials and in
for being who they are. For nearly ve decades, the Center has centers, and up to 35 units of supportive editors notes as determined by the papers editors. Other opinions are
those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of
Many face threats of abuse, sexual been caring for homeless LGBT young housing for young people. It will be an the Los Angeles Blade or its sta. To submit a letter or commentary:
Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer
assault, and drug addictionand the Los people ages 24 and under, and I urge you iconic landmark that will serve as a beacon than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and
must include a name, address and phone number for verication. Send
Angeles LGBT Center is one of the few to help us get them o the streets. of hope and inspiration for people around submissions by e-mail to tmasters@losangelesblade.com.
places they can turn to for help. Since last If you encounter a homeless youth, the globe.
year, weve been seeing more young people tell them about the Centers services. Two years is still a long time. Together,
at our doors, turning to our youth center Our Youth Center is located at 1220 N. lets make a commitment to take care of
for three meals a day, hot showers, and Highland Ave. in Hollywood, and its doors LGBT homeless youth today. 2017 LOS ANGELES BLADE, LLC.
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Anthony Rapp goes where no man has
gone before, with Wilson Cruz
CBS Star Trek: Discovery introduces gay characters
By SUSAN HORNIK
J U L Y 2 8 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 0 1 I S S U E 1 0 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 3
Anthony Rapp talks about his gay character on Star Trek: Discovery during 2017s Comic-Con
International in San Diego.
Comic Con attendees have been During the Comic Con panel, Rapp, I can announce that Wilson Cruz will the cat is finally out of the bag... Im so
intrigued by outer space for decades, who will be playing Lt. Paul Stamets, told play my love interest, my partnermy THRILLED to be apart of the epic American
ready to boldly go where no one has gone Trekkies attending that his character will man love and were both officers on mythology that is #StarTrek!
before, as William Shatner used to say have a same sex romance. the ship. Im very proud of that. And hes Our opportunity is to take our view of
during each Star Trek episode. A wonderful actor that Ive known for a scientist. conflict today and still search for some
The latest series in the Star Trek over 20 years that you would all know and Cruz is known for his role in the much resolution that is not dystopian, but
franchise go where no other series of the are old enough to know, remember that loved TV series, My So-Called Life, and utopian, Rapp said. I promise you that we
show has gone before: CBS Star Trek: show My So-Called Life? He was in that was also Rapps co-star in Rent. passionately believe in what we are doing.
Discovery will have its first openly gay show and he was in the upcoming season After the panel, Cruz -- whose character We want to do something meaningful and
character, played by Anthony Rapp, who is of 13 reasons why and hes a friend that is Dr. Hugh Culber, medical officer of the honor whats come before.
best known for his role in the Broadway I actually did rent with previously in the Starship Discovery -- confirmed the news
musical and subsequent film, Rent. long course of my life with it. on Twitter, tweeting, Well, apparently, ContinueS ON page 22
1 4 J U LY 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM 2 0 G A Y Q U E ST I O N S F O R: J O HN HE I L M A N
By DAVID EHRENSTEIN
For a certain generation of gay men and Dukakis, Margaret Cho, and several others
women, the name Armistead Maupin will help to illuminate the far-reaching impact
always strike a deep and richly satisfying made by the author not just through his
chord in the soul. work, but through his connections and
His serialized Tales of the City, which inuence as a core gure in LGBTQ culture.
ran throughout the late 70s and early Though he maintains a tasteful humility, the
80s in the pages of the San Francisco lm makes it clear that Maupin is as big an
Chronicle (and later the San Francisco icon as any of the famous names with whom
Examiner) before being widely published he has rubbed elbows.
as a series of popular novels, captured As interesting as all this biographical
the heady atmosphere of its exciting time, information may be, though, Kroots lm
and through the intertwined sagas of its ARMISTEAD MAUPIN is the subject of a new documentary, The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin. does not use it as an end in itself; rather,
assorted characters gay, straight, and it helps her to impart a much deeper
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNTOLD TALES
in between it encouraged its readers to revelation about her subject. For by
embrace their own queerness and live an tracing Maupins path through the past
open and authentic life. Hill, and spent time after his graduation and even animated sequences that serve ve decades in the history of gay life, she
Nearly 50 years later, Maupins beloved working for future U.S. Senator Jesse as transitions between the movies various shows just how much he has given back to
stories are as relevant as ever. With three Helms, who managed a TV station in chapters. There is liberal use of excerpts the community that made him a success.
successful TV miniseries having brought Raleigh. Subsequently, he served multiple from the televised adaptations of Tales, After all, he made his name by giving
them to an even wider audience (and a tours of duty in the U.S. Navy (one in which astutely illustrate the parallels voice to the thoughts, feelings, and
fourth reportedly in the works), the lives of Vietnam) before returning to the states to between the authors real-life story and experiences of millions of his fellows; and
Mary Ann, Mouse, Mona, and Mrs. Madrigal begin the newspaper career that would the events and characters in his writing. in doing so he provided a touchstone for
are as famous and familiar to many of us as ultimately take him to San Francisco. Even so, the movies strongest appeal them all, a sort of emotional road map by
our own much more famous and familiar, He remained closeted throughout all comes from hearing Maupin speak for which they could chart their own journeys
in fact, than the life of their creator. this time. Though he knew he was gay himself, which he does with disarming wit through the changing social and sexual
That may soon change. from an early age, he never acted on it and candor; his expansive persona comes attitudes of the era. Quite simply, he
Maupin has penned a memoir, Logical until he was 26 years old. The details across onscreen with so much easy-going united them into a sort of extended family.
Family, which will be published in October. of that encounter are among the many familiarity that one walks away from the This point is driven home in what is
Around the same time, a documentary, biographical anecdotes Maupin shares in lm with the impression of having spent the perhaps the movies most memorable
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, interviews throughout Kroots movie. time with him in person not as an audience sequence, in which Maupin relates how he
is due to hit screens after a tour of lm A considerable portion of the lms member, but as an intimate friend. came out to his family through one of his
festivals across the country including a 90-minute run time, in fact, is made It doesnt feel like artice, either. most beloved characters. In More Tales of
recent showing at Los Angeles own Outfest. up of interview footage, but this never Though he carries the air of a genteel the City, Michael Mouse Tolliver writes a
Directed by Jennifer M. Kroot (also feels like a cop-out. This is largely due southern gentleman (theres still the letter to his mother telling her that he is gay,
responsible for 2014s documentary, To to the way Kroot pieces together her slightest hint of that accent), and though in a chapter expressly written by the author
Be Takei), the new lm takes audiences movie; instead of placing events in a he displays a well-mannered delicacy with the intention that his own parents
on a tour of Maupins storied career, of chronological sequence, she separates even as he talks openly about his own would read it and understand that it was
course, but it also delves into the life he them into sections devoted to particular sexual exploits, there is no arrogance or his personal message to them. Kroot then
lived before becoming one of the foremost subject matter, cross-referencing between pretense here. He comes across as the splices together segments of the letter being
literary voices of the LGBTQ community. time periods to make connections and genuine article, a product of his past who read (and sung) aloud, powerfully illustrating
Born into a North Carolina family with underscore recurring themes in the approaches life with an open heart. how Maupins work gave words to the
roots in the aristocracy of the American authors life and work and by extension, Though Maupins interviews form the bulk hearts and minds of an entire community
South, Maupin grew up in a deeply in the history of the LGBTQ community. of the lms talking head footage, there are and providing an unexpectedly moving
conservative environment. He became This process is facilitated by the use of a host of others oering their insights as culmination to her lm.
interested in journalism while attending archival footage, a wealth of photographs well. Appearances from Neil Gaiman, Amy
the University of North Carolina at Chapel capturing the rich history of San Francisco, Tan, Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Olympia CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
F I LM W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM J U LY 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 1 7
By DAN ALLEN
After 11 hot and heady July days of an unapologetically macho and woman- Opens late 2017, dates & theater(s) TBA
premieres, parties, stars, screenings, talks, loving belter of poignant ranchera ballads The winner of Outfests Best US
tears, laughter and applause, Outfests who was nearly silenced at one point Narrative Feature Film prize this year
fantastic 35th anniversary edition is now a by her own hard-drinking ways, only to is the lighthearted and tender story of
wrap. But if you missed any of the festivals have a late-career rebirth of even greater somewhat-repressed thirty-something
lm highlights, never fear: Many of Outfest international fame. Chicagoan Zaynab, who falls for
2017s top selections, including several of extroverted Mexican-American Alma, all
its Jury and Audience award winners, are GODS OWN COUNTRY the while discovering lucha libre wrestling
coming back soon to theaters, TVs and Opens October 27, theater(s) TBA as a release from the pressures of taking
BEACH RATS
monitors near you. In this very male romance thats care of her Pakistan-born mother (played
IMAGE COURTESY OF OUTFEST
Heres what to watch for, and when. been called the British BROKEBACK by Indian actress Shabana Azmi, who
MOUNTAIN, young Yorkshire sheep starred in the groundbreaking 1996 Indian
4 DAYS IN FRANCE (Jours de France) went to this powerful South African story farmer Johnny has resigned himself to lesbian-themed lm FIRE).
Opens August 11, Ahrya Fine Arts of Xolani (out musician Nakhane Tour), a bleak and loveless life, until the arrival
With Grindr as one of its main plot- who, during his annual pilgrimage to his of studly Romanian migrant worker RIFT (Rkkur)
drivers, this quirky French dramedy follows rural tribal homeland to help initiate boys Gheorghe changes everything. The lm Opens late 2017, dates & theater(s) TBA
30-something Pierre as he curiously leaves into manhood, has his deepest secret won the World Cinema Directing Award at Icelandic director Erlingur Thoroddsen
Paris to head into the countryside for a series threatened by a rebellious young ward. this years Sundance Film Festival. won this years Programming Award for
of random social and sexual encounters, Artistic Achievement for his taut and
while his distraught partner Paul tries to KEVYN AUCOIN: BEAUTY AND THE THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. beautiful thriller, in which Gunnar follows
track him via the gay dating app. BEAST IN ME JOHNSON his ex-boyfriend Einar into Icelands
Premieres September 14, Logo Opens in October, exact dates & theater(s) rugged and haunting countryside, where,
BEACH RATS Celebrity makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin TBA; later to Netix as they re-face the forces that drove them
Opens August 25, theater(s) TBA is proled in this biography thats both When the body of pioneering LGBTQ apart, someone or something is out to get
Writer-director Eliza Hittman took home fabulous and touching, largely made with rights activist Marsha P. Johnson was them.
the Outfest prize for Best Screenwriting in footage Aucoin himself shot while making found in the Hudson River in 1992, her
a U.S. Feature for this outer-edge-Brooklyn up some of the worlds top models and death was deemed a suicide by the NYPD. THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD
tale of 19-year-old Frankie (talented UK celebrities, including Cindy Crawford, This long overdue documentary, which MAUPIN
hottie Harris Dickinson), whose raging Linda Evangelista, Cher, Janet Jackson, Liza picked up Outfests Programming Award Opens late 2017, dates & theater(s) TBA
manlust is at odds with the working-class Minnelli and Tina Turner. for Freedom this year, traces Johnsons Director Jennifer M. Kroot (TO BE TAKEI)
bro life he cultivates with his boardwalk- courageous life, and reinvestigates the proles author Armistead Maupin in this
hanging buddies. STRONG ISLAND possible causes of her death. loving documentary, tracing his journey
Opens September 15, Monica Film Center from Southern aristocrat to closeted
WHITNEY. CAN I BE ME Winner of the Special Jury Award for FREAK SHOW conservative to chronicler of San Francisco
Prmeieres August 25, Showtime Storytelling at this years Sundance Film Opens in November, exact dates & gay culture, via his newspaper-serial-
This controversial documentary delves Festival, this moving doc is trans lmmaker theater(s) TBA turned book-series Tales of the City.
into some of the biggest behind-the- Yance Fords exploration of his brothers This crowd-pleasing Outfest 2017
scenes rumors about Whitney Houstons murder on Long Island 25 years ago, and closing night lm stars Alex Lawther (THE I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE
life, including her allegedly intimate its permanent repercussions on his family. IMITATION GAME) as the unapologetically (Sueo en otro idioma)
relationship with long-time assistant amboyant Billy Bloom, who shakes things Opens late 2017, dates & theater(s) TBA
Robyn Crawford, and attempts by the star CHAVELA up at his conservative Florida school by When a young university linguist travels
and others to battle her addictions. Opens October 6, theater(s) TBA running for homecoming queen. Bette to a small Mexican jungle town to save a
Iconic Mexican singer Chavela Vargas is Midler and Laverne Cox costar in the dying language, he discovers that its last
THE WOUND (Inxeba) fondly remembered in this lm winner adaptation of a James St. James story. two native speakers havent spoken to
Opens September 8, Laemmle Royal of Outfests Audience Award for Best each in decades because, he nally
Outfests International Grand Jury Prize Documentary that traces her life as SIGNATURE MOVE realizes, they were once in love.
1 8 J U LY 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM A RT
By AMY PAGNOZZI
When it comes to digital security, Robert game. Not just to deal with surveillance by
Gamboa tries to watch his back, but its the American government, but by foreign
tough. Its not just that hes a public health entities and hackers.
ocer who deals with highly sensitive Im not naturally tech-savvy. I like
data at work. Hes also a social activist, common sense systems. When I read the
perennially under siege. description of the workshop, I said this
A few months ago, he was the target was designed with me in mind.
of avowed white nationalists bent on Its an accessible course lively and
disrupting a high-prole anti-Trump rally devoid of jargon. An apt choice for the
he staged in West Hollywood. clients at the David Bohnett Foundations
They waged a Twitter attack, directing CyberCenters if theres a way to deliver it to
sympathizers to his Facebook page and them free. Paul Moore, Program Ocer for
posting cartoon gifs of Pepe the Frog in the Beverly Hills organization, dispenses
After publicizing a February anti-Trump rally in West Hollywood organizers were hacked.
Nazi drag, which he tried to ignore. Robert millions to set up the labs at gay and
felt safe enough. The WeHo Sheri would PHOTO BY JON VISCOTT
lesbian community centers nationwide, but
be at the rally and his online accounts the funding doesnt cover internet service
were, to his way of thinking, inviolable, rise exponentially, but you have to take a person assigned to buy them, a person we or operating costs, which are borne by sites
secured by a maze of letters, numbers, step back and breathe. already trusted. It prevented inltrators that may lack resources for training. Digital
special characters and case combinations. Alan a founding member of both Act from masquerading as ACT UP members. Safe Space presents information thats
Yet there he was the day of the rally, Up and Queer Nation has designed There are similar analog analogies for critical to our well being at this time and it
logged out of Facebook involuntarily, just an educational program geared to the other Digital Best Practices, many of them does so smartly, said Paul.
as he was poised to live-post and liaise digital security needs of the social justice enabled by the same skills we use in the According to Javelin Strategy & Research,
with print, online and TV reporters. movement. Digital Safe Space, created physical world. 15.4 million consumers were victims of
His password was refused, as were his in collaboration with the tech company Our instincts are sharp when it comes identity theft or fraud last year, up 16%
attempts to set a new one. Uninstalling Macktez, is oered free of charge. to safety and security, says Alan. We from the year before, at a cost of $16
the Facebook app then reinstalling it He asked whether Roberts Facebook know someone is standing uncomfortably billion. Los Angeles isnt the worst US city
three times did nothing. account had been set up for unauthorized close. Digital threats arent always as in terms of losses, but its bad enough to
How had it happened? A key logger? login alerts and 2-step verication. It had not. visible, but you dont have to see them to merit the biggest county-level Cyber Crime
Unlikely. Robert doesnt send attachments, You have dive into the menu Setting up sense them. unit in the country.
let alone click them, preferring protected extra security to nd those options, which Lock your devices, as you would the Again, a warming from Alan: Despite
links with end-to-end encryption. might have alerted him to Trump supporters door to your house. Disable auto logons the endless attacks and endless security
Hes a touch paranoid about hackers, random login attempts so many attempts, and require passwords when they wake up measures you could adapt to deal with
having witnessed the destruction identity they tripped Facebook security, forcing a from sleep. If an email doesnt look right, them, you dont want to be ruled by your
theft brought down on an ex-boyfriend. He security lockdown of the account. pick up the phone. And be realistic. paranoia. If youre not Edward Snowden,
probably gives too much credent to news Alan, whos normal in every other Some password youll never remember. you dont need to pull a blanket over your
reports. There was a story about thermal respect, loves 2-step verication! Instead, write out a full sentence, Alan head before entering a password.
apps that discern your 4-digit credit card You turn it on and you never have to suggests -- for example, i-resolve-to-use- Or as Alex Garner, Senior Health
pin from the residual warmth of your worry again that someone in Russia is STRONGer!-passwords-in-2017. Innovation Strategist at Hornet. puts it,
ngers. Ever since, he fondles the keypad secretly reading your email. And 2-step Simple, eective, free. No proprietary Under Trump were forced to be vigilant
after entering his selection to disguise it. I verication is not a modern invention, by software, online subscriptions or technical and take whatever precautions we can to
actually rub my ngers on all the buttons. the way, he notes. consultants required. protect our privacy.
I guess it could work. In ACT UP, we used the old school So many activists are under-resourced But we also have to decide which
Tech consultant and media maven Alan version. Marshals or peacekeepers at that a plan such as Alans is essential, says risks were willing to live with, which we
Klein winces. Even the tech-literate tend protests were identied by the armbands Richard Burns, Interim Executive Director arent and which we will resist, to foster
to panic when their devices and services they wore, however the only person who at the Johnson Family Foundation, a major a community where people can express
are compromised. For activists, the stakes knew what color they would be was the backer of LGBT causes. We must up our themselves, free of stigma and fear.
THEATER W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM J U LY 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 1 9
To the packed house that welcomed are inseparably infused with and informed of all this, Felder demonstrates that
Hershey Felder to the stage for his by his sexuality. The inuence exerted on the admiration of his fans is more than
performance in Our Great Tchaikovsky his work by his oft-tortured relationships warranted. The Tchaikovsky he gives us
at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the with other men and with himself remains true contemporary descriptions
Performing Arts, he commands almost the are expounded upon in both his own that praise his kind and gentle nature,
same kind of adulation one expects from a words and in Felders, and the inevitable but he nevertheless provides glimpses
crowd of teenage girls at a concert by the eects of societal repression the guilt, of the temperamental traits petulance,
hottest boy band of the day scaled down shame, and self-loathing that are the all- arrogance, ego, and the like that seem
to an age-appropriate level, perhaps, but too-familiar hallmarks of internalized to go hand in hand with genius. He
HERSHEY FELDER plays the truth of Tchaikovsky
no less enthusiastic. as Putin would prefer you not know him. homophobia, as well as the constant fear captures snapshots of the composers
Watching him perform in the latest of his of exposure form a thematic pattern that emotional life, some exuberant and
PHOTO COURTESY OF WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER
long line of self-created, one-man musical is woven throughout the performance like others heartbreaking, with succinct
biographies, its easy to see why. Warm, a recurring motif in a concerto. authenticity. It is during these glimpses
erudite and sincere, he quickly forms his homosexuality or at least his Many details are necessarily left to of unltered honesty that the show is
a connection with the audience before homosexual tendencies as historical fact. speculation, forever obscured from history at its most aecting, and they pay o in
starting his journey through the life and Tchaikovskys desire for secrecy was by lack of documentation; and of course the transcendent moments when Felder
work of the beloved Russian composer, understandable; in the Russia of his there are explorations of other aspects of sits wordlessly and plays the masters
and never loses it even as he steps in and time, of course, homosexuality was a the composers life that have nothing to work on the imposing grand piano which
out of character throughout the piece. punishable oense, and those found guilty do with who he was or was not attracted dominates the stage, allowing Tchaikovsky
Its no wonder that he has managed to were often sent to Siberian work camps, to on the surface, at least. Even so, the to communicate his own truth for himself.
carve an entire career path for himself never to be heard from again. Though overall picture Felder presents to us of Our Great Tchaikovsky is not, strictly
with these unique explorations part in modern Russia it is technically not a his subject is ultimately, and undeniably, speaking, a play, and its easy to forgive a
theatre, part lecture, part concert of crime to be homosexual, the countrys clear. Tchaikovskys life, his music, and minor quibble about format when there
famous musical lives, or that he continues Gay Propaganda law has made it one to even his death, are inseparably linked to are so many other reasons to appreciate
to delight audiences with them after a openly represent a homosexual lifestyle in his sexuality; to pretend otherwise would the work being done here. In confronting
decades worth of performances. public making it an insuperable task to not only be a betrayal of the great mans the challenge faced by the Russians
With this particular piece, he has tell Tchaikovskys story truthfully without legacy, but of truth itself. invitation, Felder has taken a stand against
chosen to tackle the complex inner life of fear of nes and imprisonment. Felder carries the bulk of the the pernicious rise of alternative facts,
one of his personal favorites, Pyotr Ilyich Add to this the fact that ocials from the responsibility for conveying all this, of and chosen to speak up for a man whose
Tchaikovsky. The man responsible for composers motherland have repeatedly course, but he is given considerable authentic self would be erased from history
such masterworks as The Nutcracker disputed any evidence that he was gay, support by a superb production. The stage by those who embrace a post-truth world.
and Swan Lake was also a man who and you can see why Felder considers the design (by Felder himself) is sumptuous, If, in telling Tchaikovskys story, Felder
lived a life shrouded in secrecy, and one invitation a dilemma. In order to comply blending classicist and modern aesthetics has taken on a political agenda, his focus
that continues to generate considerable with the law, not only would he have to on a set combining a 19th century salon is nevertheless more humanitarian than it
controversy more than a century after his suppress historical facts in favor of a state- with a giant rear projection screen which is ideological. By evoking compassion for
mysterious death. sanctioned narrative, he would have to (thanks to lighting/projection designer this great man from a now-distant past, he
Its the controversy, coupled with his present a hetero-normatively whitewashed Christopher Ash) provides shifting visuals evokes it for all who are forced to hide behind
own real-life invitation from the Russian version of Tchaikovskys career, which to reect changing setting and moods. a socially-approved mask in our own time.
government to perform as Tchaikovsky separated his musical output from the There is also a framed portrait which Its just speculation, of course, but Id
in Moscow, that provides Felder with the inner struggle that dominated his life. morphs to represent various important like to think Tchaikovsky would have been
through-line that serves as a backbone In Our Great Tchaikovsky, he has made gures in Tchaikovskys life, and a carefully pleased.
for his show. Though the great composer it his priority to prove that doing so would modulated lighting scheme which
struggled throughout his lifetime to hide it be utterly impossible. arguably does as much to orchestrate the HERSHEY FELDERSOUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing
from the public, his own private writings, Aided by his gifts as a pianist, Felder productions emotional landscape as the Arts
as well as numerous accounts from his demonstrates throughout the show the omnipresent music itself. Bram Goldsmith Theater
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills
contemporaries, have long since established ways in which Tchaikovskys compositions As for the performance at the center Tickets: $35 $100
2 0 J U LY 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM G O SSI P
By BILLY MASTERS
I always try to dance when this song chance to feel good? If its OK with her, its icky sex part? Well, he feels his comments
comes on, because I am the Queen and I OK with me. were taken out of context. Thats of course
like to dance! John Barrowman appeared onstage at not what I meant at all. That discussion was
Queen Elizabeth II allegedly made San Diego Comic-Con in a dress. Why? He about this play and how deeply grateful
this proclamation when ABBAs Dancing was applauding the powers-that-be at the I am that I get to work on something so
Queen was played at a recent dinner party. BBC for choosing a female Dr. Who. John profound. Its a love letter to the LGBTQ
Whether true or not, isnt it an absolutely used this as an opportunity to say what he community. We were talking about,
delicious vision? Particularly if you picture thinks should happen next on Dr. Who. How do you prepare for something so
her trying to coax Prince Philip to join her! Give the Doctor a transgender important and so big? and I was basically
One usually thinks of the Brits as a companion, give him a boy, give him a girl, saying, I dive in as fully as I possibly can.
courteous group of people. But I believe give him a little boy or a little girl; we could My only longing is to serve and to keep
they may be going overboard. In an eort have many dierent combinations. It can be the world spinning forward for the LGBTQ
to avoid oending anybody, the London open to a lot. Then, Barrowman launched community in whatever way Im meant to.
Underground has made a decision. After into Copacabana. Why? Why not? Its important to a community that I feel so
over 100 years of greeting people as Director Kevin Smith was hosting welcomed by. The intention was to speak
ladies and gentlemen, they will now a screening of the 20th anniversary of to that, speak to my desire to play this
switch to a more gender-neutral greeting. Chasing Amy at LAs Outfest, and he part to the best of my ability and to fully
From now on, people will be referred to as made a startling revelation. Ben Aeck immerse myself in a culture that I adore.
everyone, which begs the question: Who, said, A man kissing another man is the And this leads perfectly into our Ask
exactly, is being oended by the terms greatest acting challenge an actor can Billy question.
ladies and gentlemen? In addition to ever face. Funny, I never found it dicult Harry in Chicago wrote, I just saw
wanting to be more inclusive, some felt in the slightest. Of course, Aeck made National Theatres production of Angels
that ladies and gentlemen was too this revelation years before he went out in America at the cinema and was
polite and outdated. Well, we wouldnt and enthusiastically promoted Gigli - talk mesmerized. Are there any plans to
want to accuse the people who brought us about your acting challenges! After he release it on DVD?
Downton Abbey of being either of those! lmed the Amy scene, Aeck is said to No announcement has been made
Someone who has been addressed as have quipped, Now, Im a serious actor. about releasing Angels in America on
STEVEN TYLER and CAITLYN JENNER may be
both a lady and a gentleman is Caitlyn lookalikes, but one of them really is a lady. After hearing all this sturm und drang, DVD, and I doubt it will happen. But if you
Jenner. And she is getting some ak after PHOTO COURTESY OF CAITLYN JENNER; COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM
one actress was less than impressed. Evan missed it, youre in luck. Someone leaked
posting a photo with Steven Tyler on Rachel Wood tweeted: Try getting raped your humble scribe a copy of it - well, of
Instagram and captioning it, @iamstevent in a scene. Also, grow up Ben. Also, you Part One: Millennium Approaches. I
and I are working on our duet for Dude met him once briey, years and years ago, think us ladies like kissing all the guys we assume well get Part Two: Perestroika
Looks Like a Lady. One of my favorite songs! but Im sitting there and I got to go and kiss? Just cause its a straight kiss doesnt after it airs next week. Head on over to
Well, some trans people took oense to this, say hi. So I go backstage after and I say mean we enjoy it. Ahem. BillyMasters.com for a peek.
but I may be on Caits side. One of the things to Steven, I have had some really, really Liam Payne - formerly of One When Im bringing you gossip from both
we always say when it comes to oensive tough times in my life. For six years at one Direction - is willing to do whatever it sides of the pond, its denitely time to end
terms is that they are OK when they come point I stayed in my house, and every once takes for people to pay attention to him as yet another column. And whether youre a
out of the mouths of the people they are in a while, I would sneak out, get dressed a solo artist. While making an appearance lady, a gentleman, or an other, you can
talking about. We dont want heteros calling and drive around in the dark. I always on Virgin Radio in Paris, he started to sing always check out www.BillyMasters.com,
us fags, but gay people can say it. So if used to take your song, Dude Looks Like Strip That Down and decided to take his the site thats never outdated - or polite!
Jenner wants to make a bit of a joke at her A Lady, and that became my theme song. own advice. People who were previously If you have a question, dash it o to Billy@
own expense, why not? Driving around in my little car with my unimpressed with his vocals perked up BillyMasters.com and I promise to get
She explained her feelings on the little CD in there, whipping up the tunes and took notice - and you will too when back to you before Caitlyn and Steven
subject a while ago with Jimmy Kimmel: and stu. And I just wanted you to know you check him out on BillyMasters.com. Tyler make a music video for Love in an
I was at a fundraiser in Minneapolis and that it made me feel good. Remember Andrew Gareld telling Elevator! Until next time, remember, one
[Steven Tyler] was the entertainment. I And who am I to deny Caitlyn Jenner the people hes like a gay man just without the mans lth is another mans bible.
CA L E N DA R W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM J U LY 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 2 1
E-mail calendar items to Desert AIDS Project and PAWS (Pets Are and contemporary ne art. A one-stop Also Aug 11.
tmasters@losangelesblade.com Wonderful Support). destination for all art lovers here in the
two weeks prior to your event. Space is
limited so priority is given to LGBT-specic Coachella Valley. AUG. 5
events or those with LGBT participants.
Recurring events must be JULY 30 ELECTRICITY - The Hit Gay Play, @ 09:00
re-submitted each time. Liquid T Dance At Chill Bar & Scorpion AUG. 4 PM to 11:00 PM (Oscars Caf and Bar, 125
Room, @ 5 PM - 08:30 PM. (Chill Bar West Hollywood Project Focus Groups E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA)
Palm Springs and Scorpion Room, 217 E @ 3:30- 5 PM (location will be provided ELECTRICITYis a hilarious / sexy / powerful
JULY 28 Arenas, Palm Springs, CA) Theres a new on sign up) The West Hollywood Project new comedy-drama that explores the
CalComMen Summer Camp Returns! T-Dance in town. Photographer Luis is looking for LGBTQ people 21-29 years journey of two gay men who hook up in a
Jun 28, 29, 30 @ 24 hours. (Tortuga del Sol, Gavela presents this weekly mlange of old who actively drink alcohol in West motel room after their tenth high school
715 E. San Lorenzo Road, Palm Springs, funky disco tunes courtesy of DJ Galaxy, Hollywoods fabulous clubs and bars to reunion in small town in Ohio. Also Aug 8.
CA) CalComMen brings sobe SUMMER incredible go-go dancers and drink participate in a focus group. The anonymous Hot August Biker Night, @ 6:00 to 10:00
CAMP to Palm Springs. Swimming, pool specials in The Scorpion Room at Chill Bar. focus group is about prevention and PM (Dillons Burgers and Beers, 64647
races, arts & crafts, mocktail parties, plus a developing eective marketing strategies. Dillon Rd, Desert Hot Springs, CA) Dillons
giant BBQ with all the xings Saturday night! AUG. 1 The focus groups are in West Hollywood Burgers and Beer - a happening bar and
Party - A Comedy By David Dillion, National Night Out West Hollywood, and will be 90 minutes long. You will burger joint on Dillon Road in Desert Hot
@ Jun 28, 29, 30 @ 8 PM. (Desert Rose Aug 1 @ 4-10 PM (various locations receive a $25 Target gift card for your Springs is teaming up with DiversityDHS to
Playhouse, 69-620 Highway 111, Rancho throughout West Hollywood). Nearly 2,000 time. Email thewesthollywoodproject@ raise funds for the rst-ever Pride event in
Mirage, CA) The wildly popular comedy West Hollywood residents are expected to publicstrategies.org or call 310-870-1267. Desert Hot Springs, CA.
depicts a group of gay men getting celebrate in the streets in a show of unity
together for their monthly evening of against crime. For more information call
drinks and games. This production is 323-848-6414.
recommended for mature audiences due Phillip Moore, @ 7 PM - 9 PM (The
to nudity and sexual situations. Streetbar, 224 E. Arenas Road, Palm Springs,
Summer Lab (S/LAB) at the A+D CA) Join Phillip Moore and Philly Joe on the
Center, thru Aug 6 @ 10 AM to 5 PM. guitar for a fun evening of great music.
(Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture
and Design Center, 300 S Palm Canyon AUG. 2
Dr. Palm Springs, CA) S/LAB will engage HRC Connect with Congresswoman
the community in workshops and design Linda Sanchez, Aug 2 @ 7 9 PM (Mi
exercises related to the new park planned Cielo Restaurant Rooftop, 11040 Downey
for downtown Palm Springs. Ave., Downey, CA) Join HRC Los Angeles
at Mi Cielo Restaurants Rooftop lounge
JULY 29 and hear Sanchez talk about her work
PoolWatch, Jul 29 @ 12 5:00 PM in Congress and as a Vice Chair of the
(Location revealed when you buy a ticket) Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus.
Join us for the summers TOP Fundraiser/ The Curious Incident of the Dog in
Pool Event at the home of David Cooley, the Night-Time, Aug 2 - Sep 10 @ 8 PM
owner of The Abbey and The Chapel. The (Ahmanson Theater, 135 Grand Avenue)
date is right around the corner! Remember A National Theatre production, this
last years PoolWatch awesomeness... Tony-winning play follows 15-year-old
its gonna happen again! Sweet summer Christopher, who has an extraordinary
tracks provided by DJ AARON ELVIS! brain; he is exceptionally intelligent but
All proceeds support the Educational ill-equipped to interpret everyday life.
programs of GMCLA in Los Angeles County When he falls under suspicion for killing
Schools. Tickets available at bit.ly/2uv599L his neighbors dog, he sets out to identify
Mid-Summer Dance Party 2017, @ the true culprit, which leads to an earth-
8 PM - 2 AM (Chill Bar Palm Springs and shattering discovery and a journey that will
Scorpion Room, 217 E Arenas, Palm change his life forever. Visit Ticketmaster.
Springs, CA) Chill Bar & Gay Desert Guide First Wednesday Art Walk, @ 5 PM -
bring back the most fun event of last 8 PM (Backstreet Art District, 2688 South
summer!Get your 80s on and come ready Cherokee Way, Palm Springs, CA) Open
to dance till the Last Dance! Benets galleries and studios featuring modern
2 2 J U LY 2 8 , 2 0 1 7 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM A RT S & E N T E RT A I N ME N T