A U G U S T 1 1 2 0 1 7 V O LU M E 0 1 I S S U E 1 1 A M E R I C A S LG B TQ N E W S S O U R C E LO S A N G E L E S B L A D E .

C O M

An in-depth look at Trumps attack

on transgender service members. PAGE 05

DNC stands with trans service members Will & Grace cast on shows return Dunkirk an epic adventure with cast surprises

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CO V E R STO RY W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM A U G U ST 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 0 5

Trans military ban halted by war threat

LGBT groups le lawsuit
as White House reportedly
nalizes guidance

By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com

It took the threat of nuclear war with

North Korea to reportedly get the White
House to put a hold on the policy re-
instituting the ban on open transgender
service in the military.
A White House source, who spoke to
the Blade on condition of anonymity, said
A Guidance Policy for Open Transgender
Service Phase Out which had been
certied by the White House Counsels
Oce after repeated advice that it would
result in lawsuitswas expected to be
sent to Defense Secretary James Mattis
sometime during the week starting Aug. 7.
However, according to a Pentagon
source, after President Trump and North
Korean dictator Kim Jong-un got into a
ery verbal sparring match on Aug. 8,
the Defense Secretary sent a message to PRESIDENT TRUMP caved to pressure from religious conservatives and announced a ban on trans service members.
major U.S. commands letting them know BLADE FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL KEY

that the threat by North Korea was his

overriding priority and that other issues
were to be temporarily sidelined.
Additionally, the Pentagon source says
that Mattis intends to put a hold on all
personnel matters, though disciplinary
issues such discharges will continue.
However, anything that aects military
strength and readiness, specically troop
numbers, will be put on hold. Meanwhile,
the Pentagon conrmed to the New York
Times Aug. 9 that it has not yet received
the trans guidance.
More pressing is possible nuclear war. On
Aug. 5, the United Nations Security Council
imposed tougher economic sanctions on
North Korea after the isolated country
tested two intercontinental ballistic
missiles. China and Russia voted with the
United States, something of a diplomatic
coup, considering Chinas connections to
North Korea. Trump and his advisers had
been warned by President Obama and
National Security Adviser Susan Rice that
Kim Jong-un was developing a threatening
nuclear programa fact made more
concerning when the Washington Post
reported that North Korea has developed
a miniaturized nuclear weapon that can
t on top of an ICBM, which is capable of
reaching the United States. Los Angeles,
considered a prime target, is 5,935 miles
from North Korea.
North Korea best not make any more
threats to the United States, warned
Trump from his golf club in Bedminster,
N.J. They will be met with re and fury
like the world has never seen. He has
been very threatening beyond a normal
statement, Trump said of Kim Jong-un.
As I said, they will be met with re, fury
and frankly power the likes of which this
world has never seen before.
North Korea threatened a preemptive
strike creating enveloping re against
Guam, a sovereign U.S. territory thats
home to combined Navy and Air Force
forces at Joint Region Marianas, with
6,000 service members, a port for nuclear
submarines and other major military
forces and more than 162,000 Americans.
Last June, Guam held its rst LGBT Pride
parade with 150 people, including Guam
Legislature Speaker Benjamin Cruz.
While Mattis did not specically mention
tabling the transgender service ban, it can
be extrapolated that dealing with such a
major policy change would be exceedingly
disruptive during a time of crisis, especially
when a military leader would want the
ability to deploy all available troops.
Meanwhile, GLAD and the National
Center for Lesbian Rights led a Doe v.
Trump lawsuit on Aug. 9 in federal court in
D.C., seeking an injunction against Trumps
directive to reinstate a ban.
President Trump is needlessly
attacking courageous transgender service
members who put their lives on the line
for our country, GLAD and NCLR said in a
press release.Trumps eorts to reinstate
the ban are already harming service
members, who have been blindsided
and are scrambling to deal with what
this means for their families and their
futuresincluding the loss of job security,
CONTINUES ON PAGE 06
0 6 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17
Advocates le lawsuit against trans military ban
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 05
retirement benets, healthcare, and other
serious harms.
The two LGBT-focused law rms note
that the military has already carefully
studied the ban, which led to former
Defense Secretary Ash Carter agreeing
to lift the ban on open trans service
in June 2016 after a RAND Study he
commissioned indicated there would be
no problems either with service or limited
costs for medical care. Thousands of trans
service members subsequently came out
and have been serving openly without
incident. The rms represent ve of those
active duty service members.
The lawsuit asserts that Trumps
tweeted directive violates the equal
protection and due process guarantees
of the Constitution, discriminates against
one group with no legitimate purpose and
contradicts the militarys own conclusion
that there is no reason for the ban.
Transgender service members also
relied on the continuity of the policy after
Mattis Jan. 12 conrmation hearing in
which he assured lawmakers that he would
not roll back the Obama administration
rules. Sen.Mazie Hirono(D-Hawaii) asked
specically if Mattis thought there was
anything innate about being a woman
or LGBT that would disqualify them from
serving in a lethal force, Mattis said, No,
The Hill reported.
We are heartened by Gen. Mattis
stated commitment during his testimony
not to reverse the profound progress
we have made in ensuring LGBT service
members and their families are able to
serve our nation with pride, American
Military Partner Association President
Ashley Broadway-Mack and OutServe-
SLDN Executive Director Matt Thorn said
in a joint statement.
So how did the White House, the
Defense Department and the LGBT
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
community come to this point, especially
after then-candidate Trump promised to
protect the LGBT community?
Thank you to the LGBT community! I will
ght for you while Hillary brings in more
people that will threaten your freedoms
and beliefs, he tweeted on June 14, 2016.
Then there was his acceptance speech
at the Republican National Convention
on July 21, 2016. Only weeks ago, in
Orlando, Florida, 49 wonderful Americans
were savagely murdered by an Islamic
terrorist. This time the terrorist targeted
our LGBT community. As your president,
I will do everything in my power to protect
our LGBT citizens from the violence and
oppression of a hateful foreign ideology,
Trump said.
But that promise clashed with another
promise Trump made to his more reliable
base, the evangelical community, led by
Vice President Mike Pence and Family
Research Council President Tony Perkins.
The specic drive to repeal and
replace the open transgender service
commitment started behind the scenes
with a series of anti-LGBT nominations in
March and April, with the growing sense
that some military ocers were pressing
the chiefs to roll back the policy through
an amendment to the National Defense
Authorization Act. They found an opening
when on May 10, USA Today reported on
two transgender cadets at the Air Force
Academy and at West Point. That exposed
a glaring loophole in the accessions policy,
the procedure for accepting new troops
into service.
Currently, there is an Air Force Academy
cadet who has identied as a transgender
individual, said Lt. Col. Allen Heritage, an
academy spokesman, told USA Today. The
cadet can graduate. But, per the current
(Defense Department) transgender policy,
this cadet cannot commission into the
Air Force. However, we are strongly
recommending this individual for Air Force
civil service as an option for continued
service after the academy.
On May 21, USA Today reported on a May
8 memo from Deputy Defense Secretary
Robert Work instructing the service
secretaries and chiefs of the armed services
to assess the militarys readiness to begin
accepting transgender applicants on July 1,
2017. Their assessments are due May 31.
The personnel policies of this
Department are designed to enhance the
warghting readiness and lethality of the
force that protects our country, Work
wrote. We do not intend to reconsider
prior decisions unless they cause readiness
problems that could lessen our ability to
ght, survive and win on the battleeld.
Brad Carson, a top Carter ocial for
military personnel and an advocate for lifting
the ban, told USA Today he was concerned
about how the other ordinary memo, for a
new administration, could be interpreted.
This could be seen as an opportunity
to reconsider the policy, Carson said. It
is certainly possible, and it would invite
litigation. I do have full condence in
(Defense Secretary) Jim Mattis to do the
right thing here.
He was right. The articles exposing the
loophole in the accessions policy and
the May 8 memo, triggered a Religious
Right chain reaction, with the Heritage
Foundation reaching out to the Military
Times to follow up. This was also during
the same period that there was much
coverage of Chelsea Manning in the
media. On May 16, 85 conservative
leaders, many like Tony Perkins, head of
the Family Research Council, and scores of
retired anti-LGBT military ocers, issued a
statement opposing transgender service.
Conservative leaders urgently suggest
that the Trump Administration review
and rescind the Obama-era policies that
hinder military readiness and overall
eectiveness, the statement said.
Politically correct policies have been
imposed largely through administrative
at. They can be removed in like manner
CO V E R ST O RY
while further study and congressional
guidance is obtained. The most
problematic policies in this category
are those addressing the presence of
transgender individuals in the military.
That was enough to motivate a number
of religious Republican conservatives in
the House led by Rep. Duncan Hunter
of California and Rep. Vicki Hartzler
from Missouri to launch a series of
amendments to the NDAA.
By now, Freedom Caucus chair Mark
Meadows of North Carolina, Mo Brooks
from Alabama, Steve King from Iowa, and
Trent Franks from Arizona were involved.
Meanwhile, Perkins, along with his
colleagues Ken Blackwell and Lt. Gen. Jerry
Boykin (ret), went to Vice President Mike
Pence who agreed to step in and help
if he could, according to a source with
knowledge of the situation.
The LGBT movement leadership
knew what was going on but tried to
keep everything quiet. We were trying
desperately to get to May 31 because
we knew at that point the accessions
policy would be locked into place by the
Pentagon, said a source who asked to
remain anonymous. Then it was just
a simple matter of letting it ride until
Secretar Mattis signed o on it.
The LGBT coalition quietly working on
this were condent (if they could get to May
31) because there had already been one
year of open service without incident for an
estimated 15,000 trans service members in
all ve branches of service, and because of
the assumed power of the RAND Study.
But Hartzlers focus on the Pentagon not
paying for what Hartzler called transition
surgeries, as well as hormone therapy,
became a media talking point. The job
of Congress is to ensure that our military
is the most eective, ecient and well-
funded ghting force in the world. With
the challenges we are facing across the
CONTINUES ON PAGE 07
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Transgender military ban: How did we get here?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 06

globe, we are asking the American people

to invest their hard-earned money in
national defense. Each dollar needs to be
spent to address threats facing us, she
said in a July statement.She threw out wild
estimate that the surgeries would cost a
billion dollars over the next ten years.
The RAND study at contradicted
that, underscoring that not all of these
transgender service members would
be expected to seek medical treatment
related to their gender status or become
non-deployable.
Only a small portion of service members
would likely seek gender transition-related
medical treatments that would aect their
deployability or health care costs, saidAgnes
Gereben Schaefer, lead author of the study
and a senior political scientist at RAND.
RAND estimated that between 30
and 140 new hormone treatments could
be initiated a year and 25 to 130 gender Secretary of Defense JAMES MATTIS was
reportedly caught o guard by President
transition-related surgeries could be Trumps tweets on the trans military ban.
utilized a year among active component
service members. Additional health care
costs could range between $2.4 million and
$8.4 million, representing an approximate amendment to the bill on House oor. While Trump was on his way to a rally by the tweets. And everyone was caught
0.13-percent increase. Speaker Ryan agreed. in Ohio, Pence, Dearborn, Steve Bannon, o guard by the swift backlash from such
Hunter, Hartlzer, Brooks, Franks and Hunter and Hartzler, Brooks and Franks and others held a conference call with conservatives as Sens. Orin Hatch of Utah
Meadows approached White House lined up as many votes as they could get, the Republican legislators. At some point, and Joanie Ernst of Iowa. The consensus
Deputy Chief of Sta for Legislative Aairs as did the pro-LGBT side. the source says, Pence made a call to the was that this is not how policy is done.
Rick Dearborn to get involved. Dearborn The day before the vote, on Wednesday, plane and discussed the situation with Reversing the policy of inclusion for
has the ear of Vice President Pence. So he July 12, the Pentagon source says Mattis Trump. About ve hours later, Pence transgender service members has been
and the VP talked about it, the source said. reached out to Hartzler herself. Late that called the plane again as it was on its way a priority of Pences basethe religious
This same week, there was a meeting night, the source said Hartzler, in a very back to Joint Base Andrews. rightsince the ban was lifted on June 30,
of evangelical leaders at the White House polite way, told him to fuck o. The issue was brought up again the 2016.Just because of the possibility of war,
and they briey discussed the transgender The LGBT side needed all the Democrats next morning during the morning brieng a lawsuit seeking an injunction against the
issue. But when Pence got back to his and at least 25-30 Republican moderates and 25 minutes after that came the rst expected White House guidance, and the
oce, he made a call over to Meadows to cross over, which happened after it was tweet. There was a nine-minute gap, then fact that Mattis does not want the anti-trans
and they had another discussion about it, conrmed that Mattis had lobbied against came the second tweet, and then that was policy should not mean the LGBT community
the source says. the amendment. Though it was a narrow quickly followed by the third tweet. should drop its guard. Trans service may be
It was at this point that Rep. Pete vote214-209the amendment was Mattis and the Pentagon were told constitutional but its still under attack in a
Sessions, who is chair of the House Rules defeated. But the issue didnt die, even after something was going on the day before, war of the Religious Rights making.
Committee, was basically saying were Mattis spoke directly to Ryan and others. but not what it was. They were told to The Blade is producing a detailed timeline
not going to let it in on the nal rule, Hunter, Hartzler, and Meadows would not stand by for a change of direction in policy. on the transgender military issue that will be
its basically going to have to go as an take no and eventually went to Pence. They were all reportedly caught o guard posted online.
0 8 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
PRESIDENT OBAMA greets the New York
City cast of Hamilton. In Los Angeles, two-
time Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry
will play Aaron Burr, Michael Luwoye
will be Alexander Hamilton and former
Book of Mormon star Rory OMalley will
assume the role of King George III.
Hamilton comes to the
Hollywood Pantages Theatre
The Tony-winning historical musical Hamilton about Americas Founding
Father Alexander Hamilton comes to the Hollywood Pantages Theatre starting
Aug. 11 running through Dec. 30. Ocial opening night is Aug. 16.
The story could not be more relevant. Defying stereotypes, the cast is intentionally
diverse both as the historic characters and in real life: openly gay, openly HIV-positive
actor Javier Muoz replaced Hamiltons brilliant creator-star Lin-Manuel Miranda.
But Miranda wrote the musical to reect society, and that includes a bit of a gay love
story and a woman who cross-dressed in order to ght for the Continental Army. Hamilton
fought alongside General George Washington, became the new countrys rst Treasury
Secretary and died scandalously in a duel with fellow revolutionary Aaron Burr in 1804.
Oh, and by the way, Hamilton was an immigrant from the West Indies.
For information on Hamilton, visit www.HamiltonOnBroadway.com, www.
Facebook.com/HamiltonMusical, www.Instagram.com/HamiltonMusical and
www.Twitter.com/HamiltonMusical.
KAREN OCAMB
Gay white men still dominate
LGBTQ representation in lm, TV
When it comes to LGBTQ characters on the small screen, theres still a lot of work to be done.
On July 28, GLAAD hosted two panels with the Television Critics Association (TCA) to
discuss LGBTQ representation in television.
According to GLAADs recent research, of the 895 series regular characters on broadcast,
cable and streaming platforms, only 278 are LGBTQ 71 on broadcast television, 142 on
cable, and 65 on streaming platforms with the majority of them being gay white men.
Last week, NBC announced also the return of the hit show, Will & Grace.
NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt, executive producers David Kohan and
Max Mutchnick, executive producer and director James Burrows and the Will & Grace
cast Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes gathered as Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti read a proclamation announcing Will & Grace Day.
Its so important to bring back the characters represented on this show now more than
ever, said Garcetti. No one makes change by yelling at the news coming through their
Facebook feed. They make it by embracing and celebrating the diverse face of America.
Wherever there are two men married who cant get a cake with two grooms on top,
well be there. Whenever theres a transgender person who is not able to pee where they
LO CA L N E W S
want or serve in the military, well be there. And wherever theres a straight guy who
doesnt know how to cu his pants, well be there, said Mutchnick.
Over at the Beverly Hilton, the GLAAD panelists included Lena Waithe, of Master Of
None, Stephanie Beatriz, of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Danger & Eggs, Wilson Cruz of
My So-Called Life, and 13 Reasons Why, Emily Andras, Wynonna Earps executive
producer), and creator and EP, Pete Nowalk of How To Get Away With Murder as well as
GLAADs Director of Entertainment Research & Analysis Megan Townsend.
Cruz, a former GLAAD board member, talked a lot about the value of LGBTQ actors
being out and visible on TV.
Twenty-ve years ago when I came out ... I was adamant about being out, Cruz said.
Cruz will be featured as half of the rst gay couple in the history of the show, when CBSAll
Access premieres Star Trek: Discovery next month.
Therewasnt anybody out on TV at the time playing a series regular character,he added.
I wanted to send a message directly to young people that they could be themselves, have
a wonderful life and love someone of the same sex.
The second panel was titled Transgender Trends on TV Today, and was hosted by
Nick Adams, GLAADs director of Transgender Media & Representation. GLAADs research
shows there are merely 11 transgender characters on broadcast, cable, and streaming
television series and three are on the Amazon hit show, Transparent.
The panel featured Laverne Cox of Orange is the New Black, Alexandra Billings, of
Transparent, Jill Soloway, creator of Transparent and I Love Dick, Shadi Petosky,
creator of Danger & Eggs, and Rhys Ernst, producer and director of Transparent.
Eighty-seven percent of people know someone who is lesbian, gay or bisexual and only
16 percent know someone who is trans, Adams said. And everything they know about
the trans community, they are getting it from media, which is why we need authentic
representation.
Adams, a transgender man, talked about the constant focus on the transition narrative,
comparing it to non-LGBTQ being constantly inculcated with stories about puberty.
My life got way more interesting after I transitioned, Cox added.
Cox spoke passionately about how important it is for the stories of trans people to be
told; saying essentially its about life and death.
With 16 murders of trans women of color so far in the U.S. in 2017, We have to tell
these stories because lives are on the line, Cox said.
During a recent episode of radio show The Breakfast Club, activist Janet Mock
was ridiculed and comedian Lil Duval, made the comment that he would kill a
transgenderwomanif hed unknowingly slept with one.
Billings said the radio show represents the feminization of the American male and
the stigma attached to the trans community that fuels ends up dangerously fueling
transphobia.
If you want us to come out as who we are, create a space where when I divulge my
history so I dont get killed, said Billings.
Theres never an advantage of killing trans people, said Cox. Theres a lot of
misconceptions about who trans people are. Its crucial to have representation on TV to
go beyond those tropes and its a crucial part of making policy.
Master of None writer and actor, Lena Waithe, the rst African American woman
ever to get an Emmy nomination for comedy writing, says too many LGBT characters are
treated like props. Treat us as people, like everybody else.
Waithe says it isnt important for gay people to be perfect, obviously she says, gay
people, like everyone, are simply humans.
I want the freedom as a writer to let all these characters be interesting and layered and
complex. ... When they can start seeing us literally as equals, thats when we can move
forward.
REBEKAH SAGER
LO C A L N E W S W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM A U G U ST 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 0 9

A new look for Equality California

LGBT civil rights
organization rebrands,
opens oce in D.C.

By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com

Change is a rejuvenating theme in the

California LGBT political community and
this week, Equality California announced its
changing, too, boosting its mission and prole.
Equality California was born in 1985 as the
LIFE AIDS Lobby, in response to the horric
AIDS crisis. In 1998, with the new miracle
HIV medications kicking in and a Democrat
nally winning election as governor, the
community thought life would becomes
less fraught with hatredand LIFE Lobby
ran out of money and folded.
EQUALITY CALIFORNIA has a new mission, a new logo and an expansion into Washington, DC.
Out of the ashes, with an anti-gay
marriage ballot initiative looming in the PHOTO COURTESY OF EQUALITY CALIFORNIA

distance, California Alliance for Pride

and Equality (CAPE) emerged with the
late longtime San Francisco politico Jean
Harris as executive director. Geo Kors,
a graduate of Stanford Law School and a
lawyer in private practice in Palm Springs,
sat on CAPEs Board of Directors and
was talked into taking over when the
organization was in trouble.
In 2002, Kors joined the wave of statewide
LGBT lobbying organizations changing their
name, logo and mission to Equality. Kors
built Equaity California up and created a
model for other state equality organizations.
After some ups and downs after Kors left,
attorney Rick Zbur is now at the helm and
on Monday, August 7, announced another
major change: a new logo and a new visual
identity, as well as the adoption of a rened
mission statement and tagline.
Our new logo, mission statement and
tagline embrace Californias leadership as
a beacon of hope for LGBTQ people and
the role Equality California has played and
will continue to play in creating a world
that is healthy, just and fully equal for all
LGBTQ people, said Rick Zbur, executive
director of Equality California.
Equality Californias new logo represents
the leadership role California is playing in
advancing LGBTQ civil rights and social
justice for Californians and for the rest of
the country and world, says a press release.
The new logo embeds an equal sign
and the letters e and c in an icon shaped discrimination and lack of acceptance,
like California, says a press release. The
icon also can be seen as a speech bubble
or microphone, symbolizing Equality
Californias role in amplifying the voices
of the LGBTQ community and taking
them to institutions of power in California,
Washington, D.C. and across the country.
The phrase for all indicates the LGBT
movements own intersectionality and
therefore the necessity of focusing on
social justice for all communities where
LGBT people live.
Equality Californias new taglineis Until
the work is done, underscoring that there
is still much work to be done to achieve
equality and basic civil rights at the state
and federal level.
Equality California remains dedicated
to achieving full lived equality and social
justice for all LGBTQ people, wherever
they live, says the press release. LGBTQ
people still face stark disparities in
health and wellbeing compared to the
general public, including widespread
by bringing the voices of LGBTQ people
higher rates of depression, substance
abuse, suicide, homelessness, violence
and interaction with the criminal justice
system, and lower rates of health
insurance coverage and school and
economic success. These disparities are
even greater for LGBTQ people who
are also people of color, immigrants or
transgender. Our new tag line reects
our organizations determination to work
vigorously on the signicant priorities that
remain to be accomplished.
While logos and tag lines might change
over the years, mission statements rarely do.
Here EQCA is rening their mission to reect
the fact that the organization is expanding
and oering itself as an organizational
model and to help other LGBT organizations
fulll their missions, as well
Equality Californias new mission
statement rearticulates our guiding
objective to create a world that is healthy,
just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people,
and how we accomplish that work. Namely,
to institutions of power in California and
across the United States. Equality California
advances civil rights and social justice by
inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through
an inclusive movement that works tirelessly
on behalf of those we serve.
The rened mission, the press release
says, reects the organizations existing
programmatic focus which includes work
in California, Washington D.C. and in
states outside California.
With about 800,000 members, Equality
California has already helped with phone
banking and other political grassroots
campaigns and lobbying eorts in other
states in 2016and is gearing up for 2018.
1 0 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM LO CA L N E W S

United Healthcare drops harmful PrEP policy

Pushback from AIDS
activists helped
spark change

By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com

The pushback against UnitedHealthcare

went viral after James Krellenstein posted
an outrageous letter to an HIV-positive
man denying him a renewal for his Truvada
prescription because of his presumed
High risk homosexual behavior.
The request for coverage for Truvada
is denied. This decision is based on health
plan criteria for Truvada. The information
sent in shows you are using this medicine
for engaging in High risk homosexual PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN, OHIO

behavior, the letter on United Healthcare

(UHC) letterhead read. This determination
is considered to be a determination that
the requested coverage is not medically
necessary under New York State Law for
the purposes of your appeal rights.
HIV activist Jeremiah Johnson pointed
out the insurance carriers new policy
created several barriers to access the
best known FDA-approved treatment and
prevention to reduce the risk of HIV.
This was a malicious attempt
to discourage PrEP (pre-exposure
prophylaxis) uptake by people who need
it most, Johnson, of the Treatment Action
Group, told Raw Story. Johnson also
noted that the mans doctor appealed
and the drug was eventually covered. But
the intricate doctors reports, ordering
Truvada online and having it delivered
through the mail is an enormous barrier
for some people, he said.
The controversy raged for a month
after Thomas Ciganko, the New York
man whose physician-prescribed pre-
authorization was denied on July 11.
Ciganko told NBC News that he was very
angry after reading the UHC letter. I felt
like they were saying, You people are
dierent, and your behavior is not within
our moral code.
Ciganko took the letter to ACT UP New
York and Treatment Action Group, which
spread the word. Krellenstein started
a petition to the New York State Health
Commissioner asking for an investigation.
If nothing is done to stop
UnitedHealthcares blatant homophobia,
we will allow a dangerous precedent to
be established, Krellenstein wrote on his
Facebook page. There is no justication
for denying a patient access to Truvada
because of their sexual orientation or
gender identity, except simple bigotry. In
fact, because gay guys and trans people are
more vulnerable to HIV infection, Federal
and State guidelines explicitly recommend
prescribing PrEP to these populations.
And he added ominously, We dont
know how many other people have been
denied PrEP by United (or other health
insurers) due to their sexual orientation or
gender identity.
The HIV Healthcare Access Working
Group of the Federal AIDS Policy
Partnership, which includes APLA Health,
sent a letter to UnitedHealthcare Friday,
April 4, asking for a meeting and urging the
insurance giant to reverse the utilization
management requirements that took
eect July 1, 2017 for PrEP.
Specically, continued the letter from
the HIV healthcare advocates, we believe
requiring detailed documentation to
request prior authorization every three
months for Truvada prescribed for PrEP
and requiring all members to use UHCs
mail-order pharmacy, BriovaRx, violates
the Aordable Care Act (ACA)s non- for ourselves, we can achieve victories,
discrimination protections and federal
and state laws barring mandatory mail
order policies.
The reaction to UHCs barriers to access
for PrEP prompted a swift apology and
retraction:
In a statement, UHC National
Communications Director Lynne High said,
We apologize for the insensitive language
appearing in the letter and regret any diculty
it caused. We have corrected our letters,
removed the prior authorization requirement
for Truvada and members can ll their
prescription at the network pharmacy of their
choice. This is eective immediately.
For 10 years, Truvada has been used to
treat people with HIV. Without insurance,
PrEP costs about $1300 per month, plus
the added expenses of oce visits and lab
work. But most insurance providers cover
at least part of the drugs cost, since it is
generally cheaper to pay for prevention
than to cover the costs of treating people
infected with HIV, PBS reported in 2015.
This proves activism and resistance
works. If our community gets involved
and we stick together and advocate
and we can ensure these unnecessary
restrictions will not be there, Krellenstein
told NBC News.
But, he added, we might have won this
battle, but the war isnt won.
We need to at some point deal with the
base cause of these restrictions, which is
abusive pricing practices, Krellenstein said.
UnitedHealthcare is also the preferred
insurance carrier for AARP members on
Medicare, many of whom are both HIV
positive and HIV negative baby boomer
survivors of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the
1980s. But UnitedHealthcare does not
include sexual orientation or gender
identity in its non-discrimination policy.
 14PIECE
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*Ashley HomeStore does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase if the purchase is made with your Ashley Advantage Credit Card. Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on the promo purchase if you pay the promo purchase amount in full
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Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. Ashley HomeStore does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase if the purchase is made with your Ashley Advantage Credit Card. No interest will be charged on promo purchase and equal monthly payments are required equal to
initial promo purchase amount divided equally by the number of months in promo period until promo is paid in full. The equal monthly payment will be rounded to the next highest whole dollar and may be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a non-promotional purchase. Regular account terms apply to
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1 2 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17
Theyre baaaack!
Anti-LGBT groups resurgent
with Trump in White House
By CHRIS JOHNSON
Social conservative advocates and
groups seeking to undermine LGBT
rights once thought to be waning in
inuence appear to have experienced
a resurgence with President Trump in the
White House.
The growing power of anti-LGBT
groups, such as the Family Research
Council, Alliance Defending Freedom and
the Heritage Foundation, can be seen in
the policies enacted by Trump against
the LGBT community as well as the close
interaction between social conservatives
and his administration.
Prior to his August vacation, Trump
announced his intent to ban transgender
people from the U.S. military in any
capacity, unilaterally instituting the anti-
LGBT policy after the U.S. House under
Republican control, no less rejected
a narrower measure to undermine
transgender service by denying military
funds for transition-related health care.
Trumps declaration came after intense
lobbying by anti-LGBT lawmakers and
groups, who threatened to withhold
support from major defense spending
legislation unless the White House acted.
That bill includes funds for Trumps wall
on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family
Research Council, said in a statement after
Trumps announcement on transgender
service his organization would withdraw
its opposition to border wall payments.
Now that we are assured that the
Defense Department has its scal
priorities in order, Family Research Council
withdraws our opposition to increasing
the budget of the Department of Defense
through the Make America Secure
Appropriations Act and looks forward to
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
IVANKA TRUMP and notorious homophobe RALPH REED together at the White House.
seeing that legislation pass, Perkins said.
Although Trump despite entreaties
from social conservatives hasnt
signed an executive order circulating
among federal agencies and advocacy
groups that would enable sweeping
anti-LGBT discrimination in the name of
religious freedom, he did pen his name
to a directive empowering U.S. Attorney
General Je Sessions to issue guidance
ensuring religious liberty.
Critics say thats a red herring that could
lead the U.S. government to give the OK for
discrimination among federal contractors,
private employer denial of family and
medical leave to same-sex couples and
federal workers refusing to process
paperwork for LGBT people. Sessions had
already stated the directive would be based
on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,
a 1993 law meant to preserve the rights of
religious minorities thats now used as an
excuse for anti-LGBT discrimination.
It remains to be seen when the
administration will issue the guidance and the
nature of the policy. On his weekly radio show
late last month, Perkins said action would
PHOTO COURTESY OF TWITTER
come soon and the U.S. government will be
on notice that they have to respect religious
freedom code for social conservatives to
mean anti-LGBT discrimination.
Also in line with the goals of anti-LGBT
groups was the recent ling by the Justice
Department asserting lesbian, gay and
bisexual people have no protections
under Title VII of the Civil Rights of Act.
That voluntary brief rejected a growing
consensus among federal district courts and
the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
that sexual orientation discrimination is a
form of sex discrimination.
Daniel Pinello, a political scientist at the
City University of New Yorks John Jay College
of Criminal Justice, is among those who say
theres a resurgence of anti-LGBT-group
inuence under the Trump administration.
People like Tony Perkins of the
Family Research Council gure far more
prominently in White House policy making
now, Pinello said. Indeed, Perkins
personally crafted the Republican Partys
2016 national platform with regard to social
issues. President Trump is delivering on
that documents promise through actions
I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S
such as the (gestating) transgender military
ban and the Justice Departments legal
brief arguing against sexual orientation
discriminations being encompassed within
the 1964 Civil Rights Acts prohibition of sex-
based discrimination.
These anti-LGBT actions would
be unheard of during the Obama
administration, which sought over the
course of eight years to enhance LGBT
rights and never acted to inhibit them
(although the progress was sometimes
too slow for LGBT rights supporters
demanding immediate change.) To nd
similar anti-LGBT policy, one would have
to look back to the anti-gay administration
of former President George W. Bush, who
used his bully pulpit to advocate for a
nationwide ban on same-sex marriage.
Moreover, these anti-LGBT acts from the
Trump administration subvert the will of
the public at large, which consistently voices
majority support for LGBT rights. On the issue
of transgender military service, for example,
a Quinnipiac poll earlier this month found
U.S. voters say by a margin of 6827 percent,
including 5539 percent among voters in
military households, that transgender people
should be allowed to serve.
Also seeing a rise in inuence among
anti-LGBT groups is Heidi Beirich,
intelligence project director for the
Southern Poverty Law Center, which has
included groups like the Family Research
Council and Alliance Defending Freedom
among its list of hate groups.
There is no question that they have
access to this administration and are
getting policies passed that are their
preference in a way that we havent seen
maybe ever, Beirich said.
Invoking Trumps own unique terminology,
Beirich said, If anybody is winning big-ly from
Trumps policies, its these folks, right? Its the
anti-LGBT hate groups and their various allies
among conservatives.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
NATIONAL NEWS
Okla. gay man sues town for allowing house to burn down
Family faced threats
based on anti-gay bias
and racial enmity
By CHRIS JOHNSON
A gay man in Oklahoma raising a black
son has led a civil rights lawsuit against
his local sheri for allegedly allowing
fellow residents to burn down his home in
an attempt to run him out of town.
The complaint, led on Aug. 3 and made
public Sunday, was led in federal court
by Randy Gamel-Medler, who formerly
resided in Blaine County, Okla.
The town clerk, Gamel-Medler lived in
the City of Hitchcock with his seven-year-
old adopted son whom he brought there
in August 2016. The citys population is just
121, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
Gamel-Medler alleges he faced continual
threats of violence based on anti-gay bias
and racial enmity after moving his son
to Blaine County because of his sexual
orientation and his sons race. These
threats came before an apparent eort
by locals to burn down his home as they
looked on upon its destruction.
According to the lawsuit, Meradith
Norris, a trustee of the Town of Hitchcock,
upon learning Gamel Medler had a black
son, said at a town meeting in the presence
of city ocials, Whats going to happen
when your house burns down and we
dont send out the re trucks? Afterwards,
Gamel-Medler led a police report with
the former sheri of Blaine County, but no
action was taken, the lawsuit says.
Months later, when Gamel-Medler
was performing his duties on the road
as town clerk, he was allegedly assaulted
by convicted felon Jonita Pauls Jacks who
came up to Gamel-Medlers truck and tried
to enter it. When Gamel-Medler locked the
door, Jonita Pauls Jacks started shaking
the truck, called him a fucking queer,
and said, Im going to grab your little boy,
rip his nigger head o, and shit down his
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
RANDY GAMEL-MEDLER (left) with his partner Ralph and son.
throat, the lawsuit says.
Afterwards, Gamel-Medler went to
the oce of Blaine County Sheri Tony
Almaguer to le a report, but the sheri
allegedly refused to take it and told him,
Thats just how they how they are out
there and its free speech.
Other actions were allegedly taken
against Gamel-Medler. They include
gravel being thrown at his home by a
townsperson on a motorcycle; the erection
near a post oce where Gamel-Medler
and his son walked of a three-by-four-foot
sign reading The town clerk is a fucking
queer; and a physical altercation after a
townsperson ran Gamel-Medler and his
friend from the road.
Deputy Sheri Bob Kissimee allegedly
took Gamel-Medler aside after the last
incident and warned him, These people
are serious. Theyre going to kill you,
theyre going to kill your son and theyre
going to burn your house down.
Other town authorities, including
PHOTO COURTESY OF FREEDOM OKLAHOMA
Hitchcock Mayor Rick Edsall, took no
action, the lawsuit says. Blaine County
Undersheri Dave Robertson allegedly
wouldnt allow the ling of a police report
after the incident.
In May 2017, Gamel-Medler, who had
just sent his son to a neighbors house,
heard a noise in his garage like glass
breaking and called the sheris oce to
report a burglary, then saw a re in his
garage and called for the re department.
Although Gamel-Medler lived one block
from there station, the re department
allegedly did nothing for an extended
period of time, resulting in his home
burning to the ground.
While Gamel-Medlers house was
burning, three townspeople Patsy
Meier, Kenny Meier and Joey Pauls
allegedly watched nearby. The mayor and
his family were allegedly watching from
their lawn chairs, the lawsuit alleges. A
person believed to be the re marshal
allegedly told Gamel-Medler the recorded
A U G U ST 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 1 3
minutes from a town council meeting
in which ocials threatened to burn his
house down were in his home, adding
words to the eect of, I guess that takes
care of that.
The named defendants in the lawsuit
are Blaine County Sheri Tony Almaguer,
Under Sheri David Robertson, Edsall and
townspeople that allegedly threatened
Gamel-Medler. The lawsuit calls on the
court to assess damages Gamel-Medler
incurred as a result of the threats and loss
of his home as well as punitive damages
against the defendants.
Troy Stevenson, executive director of
Freedom Oklahoma, said in a statement
the threats to Gamel-Medler and the loss
of his home demonstrate after years of
progress, crimes of bias still exist.
The allegations in Hitchcock are horric,
and show the intersection of hate aimed
at both the African-American and LGBTQ
communities, Stevenson said.
Stevenson said the threats and property
loss Gamel-Medler faced also demonstrate
the need for Oklahoma to pass legislation
against hate crimes. A federal hate crimes
law, the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr.
Hate Crimes Prevention Act, is in place as a
result of former President Obama signing
the measure in 2009.
The lawsuit asserts federal court is the
appropriate jurisdiction for adjudication
under the Fourteenth Amendment
because of a 1983 federal law making
local ocials liable for denying civil rights
to U.S. citizens. The lawsuit also makes
claims under other federal laws against
conspiracy and denial of equal protection
of the law.
Gamel-Medler also asserts claims
under state law against assault, battery,
destruction of property and intentional
iniction of emotional distress.
The sheris oce for Blaine County
referred Blade inquiries on the lawsuit
to Blaine County District Attorney Mike
Fields, who didnt immediately respond to
a request for comment.
1 4 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
TONI REIS (second from left) with his children after their baptism at a Roman Catholic
cathedral in Curitiba, Brazil, on April 23.
PHOTO COURTESY OF REIS
Pope congratulates gay couple
for baptizing children
Pope Francis has congratulated a gay Brazilian couple for baptizing their three
adopted children in the Roman Catholic Church.
Toni Reis and David Harrads three children Alyson, 16, Jessica, 14 and
Felipe, 11 were baptized on April 23 at a cathedral in the city of Curitiba, which
is located in southern Brazil.
Reis, who is president of Grupo Dignidade, a Brazilian LGBT advocacy group,
told the Blade this week that he sent a letter and pictures to Francis telling him
about the baptism in June. Reis, Harrad and their family then took a month-long
vacation to Europe.
Reis told the Blade a letter on ocial Vatican letterhead with a signed picture
of Francis were waiting for us when he and his family returned home.
The letter was dated July 10.
Pope Francis wishes you happiness, invoking for your family the abundance
of divine graces in order to live steadfastly and faithfully as good children of God
and of the church, wrote Monsignor Paolo Borgia of the Vatican Secretariat of
State in Portuguese.
Borgia also wrote that Francis asked Reis and his family to pray for him.
We are extremely pleased to have received this unexpected message and
what it means for families with same-sex parents, Reis told the Blade.
The Vaticans tone toward homosexuality and other LGBT-specic issues has
become more moderate since Francis became pope in 2013.
The Argentine-born ponti in July 2013 told reporters in response to a question
about gay priests as he returned to Rome from a trip to Brazil for World Youth
Day that gay men and lesbians should not be judged or marginalized.
The church last December rearmed its ban on gay men in the priesthood.
The Vaticans position on marriage rights for same-sex couples, homosexuality
and other LGBT-specic issues has not changed under Francis papacy.
A Vatican ocial on Tuesday told the Catholic News Agency the letter that Reis
received was a standard model of courtesy response that the Vatican sends to
all the people who write to the pope. The ocial added it was not a letter (that
was) expressly thinking about them.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
I N T E RN A T I O N A L N E W S
KHUDOBERDI NURMATOV, a gay reporter for the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta who writes
under the pen name Ali Feruz, says he would face torture in his native Uzbekistan if Russian
authorities deport him.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALI FERUZS FACEBOOK PAGE
Russian court stops deportation of gay journalist
A Russian court this week stopped the deportation of a gay journalist who claims he
would be tortured in his native Uzbekistan.
Police on Aug. 1 detained Khudoberdi Nurmatov, a reporter for the independent
Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta who writes under the pen name Ali Feruz, in Moscow.
Novaya Gazeta reported Nurmatov, who was born in Russia but grew up in Uzbekistan,
ed the former Soviet republic in 2008 after authorities kidnapped him from his home
and tortured him because of his political views. Nurmatov has been trying to receive
asylum in Russia for more than two years.
The European Court of Human Rights on Aug. 4 blocked Nurmatovs deportation,
pending the outcome of his appeal. Radio Free Europe reported the Moscow City Court
ruled Russian authorities cannot deport Nurmatov until the European Court of Human
Rights issues its ruling.
Russia, which is a member of the Council of Europe, is a signatory to the European
Convention of Human Rights that created the European Court of Human Rights. A law
that President Vladimir Putin signed in 2015 allows Russias Constitutional Court to decide
whether the country should comply with rulings from the European Court of Human
Rights and other international judicial bodies.
Nurmatov last week reportedly tried to take his own life inside the courtroom after
a judge ordered his deportation, but bailis stopped him. Novaya Gazeta reported
Nurmatov has been beaten, Tasered and insulted with anti-gay slurs at the detention
center outside of Moscow in which he is being held.
Nurmatovs lawyer, Philip Shishov, on Tuesday in a statement said he saw huge bruises
on his clients body. Shishov added Nurmatov has formally accused a police ocer who
escorted him to the detention center after his arrest of beating and Tasering him.
Shishov also said Nurmatov fears for his life and provocations that would lead to
reports of his alleged suicide.
The authorities must clearly ensure his security, said Shishov.
Novaya Gazeta in April began reporting on the anti-gay crackdown in Chechnya, which
is a semi-autonomous Russian republic in the North Caucuses.
Nurmatov will remain in custody until the court rules in his case.
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
LO C A L N E W S W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM A U G U ST 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 1 5

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1 6 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17
Its the demographics, stupid
GOPs new immigration
policy is about elections
LESTER F. APONTE is a lawyer and an activist.
He is a founding member of the Latino Equality
Alliance and was recently elected president of
the Stonewall Democratic Club.
President Donald Trump on Aug. 2
threw his support behind a proposal by
two Republican senators to reduce legal
immigration to the United States by half.
Trump wants to: 1) limit the types of
family members of American citizens and
legal residents that can be brought to
the U.S. to primarily spouses and minor
children, 2) eliminate the international
diversity visa lottery, and 3) limit the
number of annual refugee admissions.
The proposed bill would also implement a
merit-based system that grades possible
immigrants based on their skills and ability
to speak English.
In announcing the policy, White House
spokesperson Stephen Miller claimed that
these changes are necessary to protect
U.S. workers, protect U.S. taxpayers, and
protect the U.S. economy.
But the real motivation is about the long-
term cultural and political implications
of Americas changing demographics.
The true goal is to drastically reduce
immigration by low-income and minority
workers, especially from Latin America
and Asia, and to increase immigration by
wealthier, mostly white European workers.
Sadly, this eort, with its racist
undertones, nds echoes in our history.
One of the most shameful chapters in that
WWW .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
history occurred when Congress passed
the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. That
law was implemented because, much like
Latino workers today, Chinese workers
were being blamed for taking the jobs
of American-born workers and bringing
down wages. The fear by some that places
like California would be overrun by non-
Europeans with a very dierent culture
was also a driving force.
The ocial preference for white
immigrants continued well into the 20th
century. Before 1965, U.S. law severely
restricted immigration from most Asian and
Pacic Island countries and immigration
from Latin American countries was subject
to strict quotas. Then Congress adopted
a system based on family reunication,
which allowed U.S. citizens to sponsor
not just their immediate families but
their extended ones and applied a similar
standard to refugees.
Over the last several decades these
policies led to a dramatic increase in
the number of immigrants from Latin
America and Asia. As a result, the share
of the U.S. population that is Latino and
Asian has continued to rise. And, while
the percentage of Latinos and Asians who
are registered to vote and do vote still lags
behind their respective shares of the U.S.
population, these groups are becoming
a larger and larger percentage of the
electorate.
These trends have not gone unnoticed
in Republican or Democratic circles. It is
a common refrain in politics today that
demography is destiny, and, in recent
years, Democrats have been counting
(perhaps too much) on the increasing
ethnic diversity of our nation to deliver
them victories. After all, 66 percent of
Latino voters and a similar percentage
of API voters voted for Democrat Hillary
Clinton in 2016.
Younger ethnic voters are even more
likely to support a Democratic candidate.
VIEWPOINT
For Republicans, it is imperative to reverse
these trends. Change our immigrants,
change America seems to be their mission.
That the rhetoric around this approach
appeals to white nationalists in the GOP
base is a not insignicant incentive.
There is an important reason to oppose
these Republican proposals. Throughout
our history, people eeing persecution,
famine, war and other calamities have
found refuge in the United States. Each of
them has brought his or her unique talents
and contributed to the rich diverse culture
that is the real America. To refuse so many
that refuge now would be to abandon
them to terrible fates and deprive our
nation of their unique perspectives.
LGBTQ people, in particular, would be
severely aected. They are discriminated
against, persecuted, and often murdered
in many countries throughout the world
and many are desperately trying to come
here. Transgender people are at particular
risk for violence, often sanctioned or even
carried out by their own governments.
America is not perfect of course. But it is
a lifeline and a hope for them. Unless they
have spouses here, or are the children of
current US residents, their hopes would
be forever dashed.
Conventional wisdom says these
proposals do not have enough support
in Congress to become law anytime soon.
But similar proposals have long been a
staple of conservative politicsand the
Republican Congress is facing increasing
pressure to fulll promises to its base.
The White House may also use its power
to interpret and implement immigration
policy under current law or issue additional
executive orders. So speaking out, being
vigilant, and pressuring members of
Congress to reject these proposals is
desperately needed.
The very nature of who we area
compassionate nation or a selsh nation
is at stake.
VOLUME 01 ISSUE 11
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V I E W PO I NT W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM A U G U ST 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 1 7

Im sick of the Trump circus

Longtime attorney
wonders, Wheres the
LGBT leadership?
By DIANE ABBITT

The other night I had dinner with a

friend of mine. I hadnt seen her since
shortly after the election last year.
How are you doing? I asked. Any better?
No, she said. I still cant believe it. I
still cant sleep. I keep asking myself how
did this happen? I cant believe we lost the
election! Now what?
Indeed, now what! We all keep following
the new reality series The Trump Circus,
waiting to talk about, write about or tweet
about the next outrageous Trump tweet,
the next betrayal of a Trump supporter, the
money being made by the Trump family,
the undying support of his followers, the
Trumpettes, Fake News, or the changing
of the guard in the Trump White House.
But while the media and the public are
fascinated by the Trump Circus, were
missing the real news thats impacting our
real lives.
Attorney/activist DIANE ABBITT speaking at a marriage equality rally in West Hollywood.
Personally, Im sick of the Trump Circus LOS ANGELES BLADE PHOTO BY KAREN OCAMB
and Im looking for leadershiptrue
leadership! But where?
If youre like me and youve registered as Ann Kirkpatrick, Bill Nelson, Judy Chiu, feared a gabby accountant, too. By 1979, realize how much until the Trump Circus
a Democrat or given money to an LGBTQ Alex De Ocampo, etc, etc, etc.you get our group had become so successful, not announced via Twitter that he was
organization or an LGBTQ endorsed the idea. I know a few of these people. A only did candidates openly accept and banning open transgender service in the
candidate, youre probably receiving daily few Ive even supported. But for the vast solicit our money, but Gov. Jerry Brown military. Something that was almost a
emails from every LGBTQ organization, majority of them, I have one question: keynoted a major fundraising roast for gay done deal was suddenly taken awayby
every supporter of LGBTQ rights and, if WHO ARE YOU and what have you done mega-donor, Sheldon Andelson. Twitter! Lives were ruinedby Twitter.
youre a lesbian, every womens rights to earn my support? In the early 1980s, we started a new And no one in LA marched or got arrested
organization. The lists are overwhelming In the old days, before marriage equality, group, The Book Club, where we met or did anything.
organizations that are doing good work: before Equality California and before AIDS monthly to talk about AIDS and how to All that money I contributedfor what?
Human Rights Campaign, The Victory decimated the community we loved, there pressure elected ocials into becoming And now, this Tuesday night, Aug. 8, the
Fund, NARAL, EMILYs List, the Democratic was a small group of friends who knew advocates for research into AIDS drugs Trump Circus has brought us to the brink
Senatorial Campaign Committee, the each other and worked together in the and ending discrimination. By the late of war with North Korea. No marches. No
BOLD Democrats, Planned Parenthood, rst PAC (political action committee). It 1980s, we started speaking out loudly protests. No leadership. But at least the
Equality California, Honor PAC, the LA was the 1970s and we were devoted to and demanding political recognition from trans military ban is on hold so those brave
LGBT Center, Gay Mens Chorus of Los achieving civil rights for the gay and lesbian presidential candidates as an organization service members can ght and maybe die
Angeles, The Trans Chorus, Vox Femina, community by making and changing city named ANGLEAccess Now for Gay and for the countrythat still treats them like
GLAAD, and The Williams Institute. laws and in defeating the horrible anti- Lesbian Equality. There was ACT UP, second-class citizens, just like the rest of
Im sure Ive left some out, but Im too gay Briggs initiative. We called ourselves Queer Nation, LIFE Lobby, the Center, us LGBs.
overwhelmed to check my deleted emails. MECLA, a non-descript acronym for the MCCand us, the checkbook activists at What now? Indeed. I dont think Ill sleep
And lets not forget the candidates running Municipal Elections Committee of Los ANGLEand we all marched together and tonight, either.
for oce and the electeds running for Angeles so people would feel comfortable got arrested over AIDS, the veto of AB 101,
reelection all sincere supporters of in writing a check to a gay group their and Dont Ask, Dont Tell. DIANE ABBITT, an attorney based in West
LGBTQ rightsGavin Newsom, Kamala accountant wouldnt questionchecks we I miss those days, those associations, Hollywood, is former co-chair of MECLA, co-
founder of ANGLE and former PAC Chair for
Harris, John Chiang, Kosper for Congress, would bundle for a pro-gay candidate who that LGBT and AIDS activism. I didnt Equality California.
1 8 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM VIEWPOINT

DNC stands with transgender Americans

Grassroots organizing
can stop Trumps
trans military ban

By JESS OCONNELL

One of the rst campaigns I ever worked

on was in Colorado against a woman who
thought nothing was more important
than preventing gay people from getting
married. She won that race. And for a
time, she used her position of power to
stand in the way of marriage equality.
But thanks to countless organizers and
activists who have worked over many
years to advance LGBTQ rights, last fall I
returned to Colorado to marry my wife.
Elections always have consequences for
us all. Progress, if taken for granted, can
be undone. Every day were seeing the
tragic consequences of the 2016 election.
With a recent tweet, President Trump
used the power of the presidency to
launch a new assault on the LGBTQ
community a sudden announcement
that he would ban transgender Americans
from our military without any consultation
from military experts.
Like most LGBTQ Americans, I was
deeply saddened but not shocked by the
presidents decision. Under President
Obama, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
welcomed trans people in the military PHOTO BY PELLEBO; COURTESY OF BIGSTOCK
to come out of the shadows and serve
openly. The DoD also announced it would
begin studying how it could eectively
incorporate openly trans recruits into protections for transgender students; Americans. Our support for trans rights together, not as Democrats or Republicans
our ghting forces, once and for all theyve argued in court that a landmark has been enshrined in our party platform but as Americans, we can do the same to
dismantling the militarys previously civil rights law doesnt protect gay and for years now. And last summer, Sarah this transgender ban.
sanctioned discrimination. lesbian people from discrimination in the McBride, a transgender activist, made Go to makecalls.democrats.org/
More than two million Americans workplace; and now they want to kick as history on stage at our national convention militaryban and let your member of
serve in the armed forces. Some of them many as 15,000 capable service members in Philadelphia. Congress know that you support an
happen to be transgender, but all of them out of the military because apparently But we can always do more. Thats amendment to the National Defense
regardless of their gender identity these brave warriors are a burden in why Im calling on you to join me in this Authorization Act that rearms the rights
ght every day to protect our country Donald Trumps eyes. ght. Grassroots organizing helped stop of transgender Americans in our armed
and its citizens, including Donald Trump Weve come too far to let this the latest eort by Republicans to take forces. Congress has the power to do
and Mike Pence. Those soldiers deserve administration trample on the rights of health care away from millions. Now we what is right. But its up to us to hold them
better, and so do the other members of our friends in the transgender community. need to summon that same energy to accountable and to ensure that were
the LGBTQ community who have been We need to keep mobilizing, organizing, push back against the presidents latest standing up for those who are willing to
treated with nothing but hostility by this and lifting up the stories and voices of discriminatory actions. sacrice everything to protect us.
administration. trans service members. We already defeated the anti-trans
Over the past seven months, the Trump Here at the DNC we are determined Hartzler amendment with a bipartisan
JESS OCONNELL is CEO of the Democratic
administration has withdrawn federal to achieve equality for transgender majority last week. And if we stand National Committee.
 Join us for these
#BHHealthyCity activities & explore BOLD Beverly Hills

Acro-Yoga S.O.U.L. Session with Travis Brewer & Leah Russell

Sunday, August 13 11 a.m.
Beverly Caon Gardens
241 N Caon Dr., Beverly Hills
Bring a hat and a yoga mat. This is an outdoor event; for security, please do
not bring large backpacks and bags to the program.
Please RSVP at www.beverlyhills.org/SOUL
First two hours free parking is available in the City structure at
241 N. Caon Dr. - 242 N. Beverly Dr.

Bike with the Mayor

Sunday, August 20 9 a.m.
Crescent Steps of City Hall
450 North Crescent Dr., Beverly Hills
The ride will depart from City Hall and end at the Farmers Market.
Bring your bike, a helmet and a water bottle. For information on the Citys
bike share program visit www.beverlyhills.org/bikeshare.
Please RSVP at www.beverlyhills.org/mayorbike

#BHHEALTHYCITY
 Its like Will & Grace never left
16 ne w epi s ode s set for fall 2017

By SUSAN HORNIK

A U G U S T 1 1 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 0 1 I S S U E 1 1 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 2 1

Did somebody say encore? A decade after their unforgettable eight-season run, comedys most fabulous foursome is back. Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes
reprise their infamous roles as Will, Grace, Jack and Karen in a 16-episode season.

photos courtesy of nbc

Hollywood loves nostalgiahead to
Youtube or Netflix and you can stumble
onto a variety of much loved shows from
yesteryear. But what if your much loved,
much missed show could actually return
to television? Thats exactly what has
happened with NBCs successful series
Will & Grace, which in its heyday 11 years
ago, had 83 Emmy nominations and 16
wins for Best Comedy.
The successful series followed a gay
man (Eric McCormack) and his straight,
female best friend (Debra Messing) and
ran on the network from 1998 to 2006.
How could this unprecedented revamp
possibly happen? It all started when the
cast reunited for a 10-minute episode
about the U.S. presidential election, as
the two candidates, Donald Trump and
Hillary Clinton, were about to debate. An
outpouring of love from the fans came in
and prestothe show was brought back
to life.
At the TV Critics Press Tour, the cast
Messing, McCormack, Sean Hayes and
Megan Mullallytalked about how good it
felt to be together again at their first table
read.
When we sat down together, it just
came to life in a way that I had never
experienced with anything else or since,
said Messing. Because we all started
out in the theater and we sort of grew
as artists, as collaborators, it very quickly
became a place that was very safe to try
things and to fail.
I think funny happens when you take
risks. I like to think of the four of us as I
think of comedy as musicEach one of
us is a different instrument. And when we
play together, were at our best, Messing
acknowledged.
The veteran actress likened the
experience to coming home.
We laughed so hard. For the last year,
its been a confusing time and I havent
ContinueS ON page 30
2 2 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17
queery
ROBERT GAMBOA
PHOTO COURTESY OF GAMBOA
By TROY MASTERS
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
Robert Gamboa knows what happens
when you lift people up and help them get
on the road to life again.
With a slight twinkle in his eye, the
minute you meet him you know him and
you can feel pretty sure he loves you. Hes
just that kind of guy. \New Yorkers would
call him a mensch. In LA, hes just about
the best person you could hope to meet.
Gamboa has his hand in everything
West Hollywood: HIV/AIDS advocacy,
sobriety, healthcare, homeless youth,
social services, LGBT issues, and more.
Hes simply and sincerely an advocate
for whats right.
One prominent WeHoan, who asked
not to be named, said, Robert is the one
person in West Hollywood I would trust
with my life. Hes a powerful and loving
man and I am grateful to him for all that
he has done and does.
We agree.
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?
Ive been having sex with men my whole
life but came out to my friends when I
was 22. No one was surprised, except my
ex-girlfriend. My mom was the hardest
person to tell.
Whos your LGBT hero?
Harvey Milk is my LGBT Hero. Harvey Milk
had that ne balance of eective activism,
charisma, and civility.
Whats Los Angeles best nightspot,
past or present?
I dont drink alcohol. But I do like to go
out to the Eagle, Faultline, Oil Can Harrys,
Bullet and The Abbey from time to time.
Sometimes I just wanna let loose and
shake it down. I hope Im not too old to
still do that. LOL
Describe your dream wedding.
My dream wedding would be looking into
my husband-to-bes eyes, saying I do and
being totally and completely in love with
him.
What non-LGBT issue are you most
passionate about?
Healthcare. HIV/AIDS. Homelessness,
substance abuse, mental health.
Immigration. Public safety. They all
intersect at some point.
What historical outcome would you
change?
I wish Trump hadnt been elected
president. America isnt perfect. But the
mess Trump is making now seems to be
growing exponentially.
Whats been the most memorable pop
culture moment of your lifetime?
Marching with the Lesbian and Gay
Band Association in President Obamas
inauguration in 2013 and playing my
saxophone for the president. He st
pumped as we were passing by with a
beautiful smile. We played Lady Gagas
Edge of Glory and Pitbulls Tonight. Ill
never forget that experience.
2 0 G A Y Q U E ST I O N S F O R: R O B E R T G A M B O A
On what do you insist?
That everyone has amazing potential to
bring each other up.
What was your last Facebook post or
Tweet?
Chaos? What chaos? Nothing to see here.
Move along. All is ne in Trumplandia.
LOL #DominoesFalling #WhosNext?
#ScaramucciOut was my last Tweet with
a picture of dominoes falling.
If your life were a book, what would
the title be?
A Blessing Is Not A Blessing Unless Its
Shared
If science discovered a way to change
sexual orientation, what would you do?
LOL! My attraction to men is so strong,
not even the smartest scientists or most
powerful of the gods could take me away
from men. I love men. I love everything
about men. The physique. The smell.
The sex. The love. The romance. The
heartbreak. The butteries. The intimacy.
The kindness. The crazy. The power. I love
it all. Besides, science cant x what aint
broken!
What do you believe in beyond the
physical world?
I believe there is some kind of central
energy that connects all living things.
Whats your advice for LGBT movement
leaders?
DO SOMETHING! Use your powers for
good and help our community become
even stronger.
What would you walk across hot coals
for?
#TrueEquality.
What LGBT stereotype annoys you
most?
That we are weak and less than. The
strongest people I know are LGBTQ and
everyone better move out of our way.
Whats your favorite LGBT movie?
Beautiful Thing. Its a British coming of
age love story between two young men
growing up in hard times. I saw it many
years ago. It melts me every time.
Whats the most overrated social
custom?
I hate it when people wait for someone
else to make the rst move. Just do it
already.
What trophy or prize do you most
covet?
My most prized possession is my
saxophone. My dad bought it for me in
9th grade. We didnt have a lot of money.
It took him many years to pay it o. My
twin brother was always mad at me
because our rst car ended up being a
lemon instead of a nicer car because of
that saxophone. My dad made a lot of
sacrices to get me that sax because he
knows how much I love playing it and
making music. I still play it to this day, 25
years later, and have had some pretty
incredible performances and experiences.
If there is one thing I would take with me
to the grave, it would be my saxophone.
Mostly because it was given by my
fathers love and what it means to me.
What do you wish youd known at 18?
To not eat so many burritos.
#PutYourHandsUpAnd
StepAwayFromTheTaco! LOL!
Why Los Angeles?
I used to hate Los Angeles. I never wanted
to come here. A small-town Texas boy like
me didnt want anything of the supercial
and crazy LA lifestyle. But I got a great job
oer in 2004 that I couldnt refuse. So, I
left San Francisco and came to LA. I fell
into a near-fatal addiction. Life was pretty
grim. But, in 2009, I got sober. I made a
ton of friends who showed me a quality
of life I had never known. They gave me
purpose. There is so much awesomeness
and opportunities in this beautiful town.
So, I love LA. =) <3
O U T & A B O UT
DRAG RACE FINALIST GEARS UP FOR WAR ON THE CATWALK TOUR STOP IN LA
Trinity Taylor, one of the nalists from
season nine of RuPauls Drag Race, is on
the War on the Catwalk tour, which is
slated to stop in LA.
The queens come to LA on Aug. 12
at Orpheum Theatre. Trinity spoke with
the Blade by phone from her home in
Orlando, Fla.
BLADE:Where are you right now?
TRINITY TAYLOR: Im in my bedroom. Are
you gonna ask me what Im wearing next?
BLADE: Sure, why not?
TRINITY: A grungy T-shirt and were
leaving it there (laughs).
BLADE: Tell us about the tour.
TRINITY: Yeah, well, I was very fortunate
that they asked me to host the tour which
is kind of nerve wracking because Ive
hosted tons and tons and tons of shows
but this is a major tour this season nine
tour, so theres a lot more pressure. So
hopefully I do OK. I am, you know, Ill do
what I do best show my tuck, hopefully
make some people laugh and the biggest
thing is just entertain because thats what
I am, an entertainer.
BLADE: I thought Trixie was hosting.
TRINITY: Were both hosting. Maybe
certain dates. I dont know that shes doing
the whole thing.
BLADE: How did you like the format
for the Drag Race nale this year?
TRINITY: Well obviously I thought it was
terrible because I didnt make the top two
(laughs). Im just kidding. I think it was great
for the show. Its something the show needed
because the show was very predictable the past
couple of years, you know, the person who wins
the most challenges wins. So this was denitely
something that was shocking and something
dierent which is good, change is good. I think
it got a lot of attention and exposure and thats
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
Trinitys tricks of the trade
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
TRINITY TAYLOR (aka Ryan Taylor) says her season was one of the tightest competitions in the
history of RuPauls Drag Race.
good for the show and whatevers good for the
shows gonna be good for me.
BLADE: Charlie Hides said during the
reunion she only got two hours of sleep
one night. Is the competition really that
intense? Did you sleep well during the run?
TRINITY: So, um, Charlie, I love Charlie,
but the reason why Charlie was saying all
these excuses was people were putting her
on the spot for her terrible lip sync. So she
was just grasping at straws. As far as sleep
goes, rst of all, this is a competition. Youre
not signing up to go to a weekend spa. When
they say it is RuPauls Drag Race, it is really I didnt know what she did. I kind of just
a race. You have very little time, the schedule
is grueling, the challenges are not easy. If
youre watching it and you go, Yeah, I could
do that, well yeah, you maybe could do that
if you had the time but when youre on a
time crunch, you dont have a lot of time and
so, you might not do your best. Or you may
do phenomenal, but it is a race. So as far as
sleep goes, you got plenty of hours to sleep
because there was a schedule of when we
PHOTO COURTESY OF VH1
were done and when we were picked up. But
when you had your alone time in the hotel
rooms, you did have to make sure you knew
your lip sync songs, make sure if you had
anything last minute you needed to work on,
prepare for, you know, all thats on your own
time. So for her to say she didnt have enough
sleep, thats really on her.
BLADE: Could you tell she was
phoning it in on that lip sync or were
you too busy concentrating on your
own performance to realize that?
TRINITY: Until I watched it on the episode,
notes. Then we leave and then the person
zoned out, I was just like, Im in the bottom,
Ive got to stay, and it didnt matter who I
was lip syncing against, I was going to stay,
that was my focus. So she wasnt even there
to me, I was just performing.
BLADE: What struck you most
watching the show vs. experiencing it
in person? Do you see it at all before it
airs or you see it with everybody else?
A U G U ST 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 2 3
TRINITY: Oh, no thats the rst time we
see it. Whats shocking is Ill give Alexis
as an example. On the show, Alexis didnt
I liked Alexis, she was not annoying at
all, I didnt see this like person who made
excuses and blamed us for not doing well.
For some reason it didnt click in my mind
while I was there that she was complaining a
lot like that. And then watching the episodes
Im like, Dang, she really tried to come in
for us. And so seeing it from a dierent
perspective from actually being there, it just
registers dierently. And also seeing how
everything is edited together. Not that they
edited stu that was not true, but just seeing
how it all tells a story, its very interesting.
BLADE: On Untucked theres often
notes for the girls who are leaving in
the workroom but it looks like theyre
taken in there as soon as they get their
makeup o. When do you have time to
write notes if youre it appears still
out there on the main stage?
TRINITY: Um, what happens, um I
dont know if Im allowed to tell you this but
Im gonna tell you anyway what happens
is after they have the person sashay away,
that person goes and is sequestered for a
short period of time, not long. For us to lm
the rest of it when she says, If you cant
love yourself and then they play music
and we leave. When we leave, we go directly
back to the work area, take o our makeup
and thats when we are allowed to do the
whos eliminated is allowed to come back
and thats when they actually pack to leave.
But the reason why we get our makeup o
is they still have lming to do and they want
to get us out of there quickly because we
have to be up the next morning.
WAR ON THE CATWALK
Aug. 12, 8 p.m.
Orpheum Theatre
Los Angeles
2 4 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17
Hope and despair in wartime
Christopher Nolan may be one of the
most prominent modern lmmakers, but
he is surprisingly old fashioned.
Consider his newest lm, the highly
anticipated WWII drama, Dunkirk. In
tackling a war movie (one of the oldest
cinematic genres imaginable), he relies
mostly on tricks of the trade established
since the silent era, eschewing dialogue
in favor of visual storytelling and favoring
practical eects over computerized ones.
He continues to champion the use
of lm over digital cinematography.
Dunkirk is one of the rare contemporary
lms to be shot on widescreen lm stock
and presented in 70 MM format, delivering
an experience that feels like one of those
classic big screen extravaganzas of old.
Despite his tried-and-true approach,
though, Nolan also brings his own
contemporary perspective to the mix;
this combination results in not only the
most immersive, visually impressive war
lm in recent memory, but also the most
thoughtful and challenging.
For those who need a brief history
lesson, Dunkirk is a town on the French
coast of the English Channel where
hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers
were trapped in the summer of 1940.
Surrounded by Nazi forces, these
combined English, French, and Belgian
troops awaited evacuation on the beach
while being pummeled from air and
sea. Nolans lm tells the story of their
miraculous rescue from this dire situation.
Challenged with the task of capturing
such an epic event in a way that brings it
to his audience as concisely as possible,
Nolan has chosen to split his movie into
three interwoven stories.
In one, we follow a young English soldier
on the beach as he struggles to survive; in
another, a civilian boat captain answers
the call for private vessels to assist in the
evacuation and sets sail across the Channel
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
THE OUTSIZED AND EPIC ADVENTURE THAT IS DUNKIRK
By JOHN PAUL KING
BRIAN DARCY (left) and KENNETH BRANAGH in Dunkirk.
with his son and a young deckhand; and in
the third, British ghter pilots attempt to
fend o attacks against the rescue ships
and stranded troops by engaging Nazi
planes in dogghts above the beach.
Through these separate plotlines, Nolan
raises the individual stakes within each
story while building the tension that drives
the larger narrative, providing a cumulative
payo when they nally come together for
the climactic sequence they all share.
Its this structure where Nolan most
notably breaks from traditional style.
Although the interwoven narrative
is not, in itself, an unusual device, the
director adds an extra layer by playing
tricks with the passage of time. The result
is a disorientation which contributes to
the overall sense of being in the midst
of battle. Its a challenging conceit, and
although Nolan plainly sets up the rules
early in the lm, some viewers are bound
to nd it confusing.
Like any auteur lmmaker, Nolans be possible without the sheer scope
entire of body of work explores recurring
themes and repeated elements which
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROTHERS
make them distinctly and unmistakably his
own. He has always been preoccupied with
time in his movies, so its no surprise that
he brings this obsession into Dunkirk.
If one doesnt like Nolans trademark blend
of mind-bending narrative style and coldly
philosophical thematic underpinnings, one is
likely to nd all of his movies unsatisfying. For
that reason, Dunkirk will almost certainly
frustrate those who are unimpressed with its
directors creative quirks.
For those who appreciate Nolans
vision, Dunkirk is a truly magnicent lm
possibly his best work to date which
embraces the form of the traditional war
picture while simultaneously re-inventing
it. Its full of tropes, but the complexity
with which Nolan infuses them makes
them feel fresh, allowing him to use them
as comfortable touchstones as he takes
us on an intense journey through the
harrowing and hellish landscape of war.
That journey would certainly not
and size of his imagery (captured by
cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema);
F I LM
but equally important is Hans Zimmers
remarkable electronic score, which blends
the thundering, sternum-shaking noises
of combat so seamlessly into the ever-
ascending music that it creates a kind of
aural cocoon in which inner and outer
realities merge. This, combined with
the expert editing by Lee Smith, allows
Nolan to deliver a movie which avoids
overt manipulation and sentimentality yet
oers sublime moments of accumulated
empathy that may require a tissue or two
from some viewers.
As for the cast, its a true ensemble, in
which established stars (Tom Hardy, Mark
Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy)
serve side by side with lesser-known faces.
The entire company deserves equal praise,
but for reasons of space I will limit myself
to singling out One Directions Harry
Styles, in his rst screen role as one of the
soldiers awaiting rescue, who belies any
notion of stunt-casting with an ego-free
performance that stands on its own merit
alongside those of his on-screen cohorts.
Dunkirk has received some criticism
for its lack of diversity. While the majority
of personnel involved in the real-life
evacuation were undoubtedly white
men, there were also men of color
on that beach, none of whom appear
onscreen. In addition, though the lm
does feature a few eeting glimpses of
women, they are more or less relegated
to the background. Its necessary to take
note of such oversights as part of the
important ongoing conversation about
whitewashing in the lm industry.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
DUNKIRK (Warner Brothers, Syncopy
Productions)
Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan
Now playing at Arclight Cinemas (Hollywood
and Sherman Oaks), TLC Chinese Theater, AMC
Universal Citywalk, AMC Century City, Vintage
Vista Theater, others.
THEATER
Curious Incident sparks magic
Based on its title alone, you might
assume that The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night-Time is a detective story.
You would necessarily not be wrong.
Indeed, within the rst few pages of
Mark Haddons bestselling novel, upon
which this multiple Olivier and Tony
Award-winning play is based, its 15-year-
old narrator, Christopher (who says he
never lies), states quite plainly that it is a
detective story.
It may not be a lie, but its not quite the
whole truth, either. For Christopher is
himself the detective, and the case he sets
out to solve will only lead him into a mystery
he nds much more perplexing, because he
faces challenges most of us do not.
Although his condition is never specically
stated, he exhibits the behavioral and
cognitive quirks of someone on the autism
spectrum, with symptoms most closely
resembling Aspergers Syndrome. Although
he is highly intelligent enamored with
math, equipped with an encyclopedic array
of knowledge, and adept at using logic to
solve complex problems he is at a loss
when it comes to human connection. Unable
to relate through empathy or to read non-
verbal signals, he nds himself continually
confused and mistrustful of others, and their
contradictory behavior and statements seem
an existential threat to him.
To put it simply, he is completely
bewildered by the world of human beings.
The brilliance of Curious Incident in its
original book form was that it managed
to convey the unique perspective of this
character, an outsider to the normal
world which most of us take for granted,
by communicating in his voice and allowing
us to be inside his experience of that world
one which confuses and terries him
with its deception and inconsistency. In
adapting it for the stage, playwright Simon
Stephens was faced with the challenge of
recreating this eect in a dierent way, and
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
E XPLORING A CONSTANTLY CHANGING STATE OF MIND
By JOHN PAUL KING
L-R: MARIA ELENA RAMIREZ as Siobhan, GENE GILLETTE as Ed (rear) and ADAM LANGDON as
Christopher Boone in the touring production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time..
the method he chose to turn Christophers
story into a sort of multi-layered puzzle
box presented as a play-within-a-play
succeeds in the highest degree.
Played out on Bunny Christies
innovative, theatrical set, Stephens
smartly funny script takes us through a
journey that begins as Christopher nds a
neighbors dog murdered in a garden and
decides, against his fathers wishes, to nd
out who killed it.
Elaborate animated projections
(created by Finn Ross) illustrate the young
protagonists thought processes, with
some help from a spritely techno music
accompaniment (by Adrian Sutton); and
the clever use of primary colors in the
lighting (Paul Constable) and costumes
(Bunny Christie) help to organize things
into the kind of clear patterns that help
him make sense of the world.
An ensemble of players, most stepping
in and out of multiple roles, helps him
to act out his story while his para-
professional mentor, Siobhan, guides him
through the confusing task of navigating
PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS; COURTESY OF AHMANSON THEATRE
the world. They create and inhabit every
situation in which Christopher nds
himself, whether an amusing fact-nding
expedition through his neighborhood or
the terrifying London Underground, with
clear specicity and theatrical panache.
Lastly, the whole package is expertly
staged by Marianne Elliott, earning her Best
Director in both London and New York; she
takes all the swirling threads of Christophers
world and arranges them into a visually
arresting and engrossing multi-media game,
in which the audience is invited not only
to investigate the titular mystery (which is
really not dicult, after all, for those of us
not facing the same perceptual obstacles as
Christopher), but to root for this young man
as he struggles to comprehend the deeper
enigmas in his own life story.
Adam Langdon delivers an outstanding
performance. His Christopher is
mesmerizing; capturing the physical and
vocal peculiarities of the character as he
conveys a full spectrum of emotional
response, from terror to exuberance
(sometimes within a heartbeat), he carries
A U G U ST 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 2 5
the piece squarely on his young shoulders
with clarity and consistency and never lets
it slip for a moment.
Maria Elena Ramirez, whose Siobhan
exudes patience and compassion yet
never becomes cloying, delivers an
exceptional performance. Gene Gillette
and Felicity Jones Latta negotiate subtle
complexity with their respective portrayals
of Christophers father and mother, whose
heartbreakingly human drama lies at the
core of the incident.
Its that familiar humanity that makes
The Curious Incident of the Dog in
the Night-Time so much more than
just a clever and creative exercise in
stagecraft. For underneath all the
entertaining and intricately plotted fun is
a sense of melancholy, a longing. Through
Christopher we can recognize our own
frustration with the sometimes seemingly
insurmountable obstacles we face in
connecting to each other; and when he
retreats into the comfortable security
of facts and numbers, with their reliable
constancy and their inability to present
themselves as anything other than what
they are, who among us cannot relate?
We all need a safe space, after all.
However, retreat is not the answer, and
Christopher knows it. His detective story
ultimately teaches us that the only way to solve
a problem is to make an eort, no matter how
impossible it may seem to us. To connect, we
must communicate, and if Christopher can
learn to do it, with the diculties he faces,
what excuse do any of us have?
In the end, Curious Incident is not
a play about broken connection, but a
play about nding ways to repair it. Life-
arming, profound, and joyful, its a
triumph of theatrical imagination and an
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE
NIGHT-TIME
Aug 2 - Sept. 10
Ahmanson Theatre
135 N. Grand Ave.
2 6 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17 W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM G O SSI P

Kathy, Olivia, Aaron, Trump and other tawdry bits

NO ONE IS SAFE FROM BILLYS SCRUTINY

By BILLY MASTERS

Yeah, were still friends. Look, I said what

I said...I didnt think what she said was
appropriate. I wish her the best and I hope
she bounces back and is back on the road.
Shes incredibly funny, and a lot of people
love her. - Anderson Cooper tells Andy
Cohen about the status of his friendship
with Kathy Grin.
Its over - our great national tragedy is
coming to a close. Kathy Grin is back.
Well, not back as in working. But back as
in ready to work. I am no longer under
federal investigation. The case is closed. I
have been completely exonerated. Finally,
tweeted the funny lady. The statement was
meant to shoot down a report that Grin
was not only still under investigation but
also facing jail time.
Although shes not in the big house,
shes having trouble with a big house.
Although she recently moved into palatial
digs within spitting distance of Kim and
Kanye, her old house, Wings (which was
featured in her D-List show), has been
in limbo. Nothing squelches sales like a
Secret Service investigation. Kathy paid
$2.85 million for the house in 2004, so she
listed it for $6.5 million. Then the scandal
happened, and she took it o the market.
Now, its for sale again, for the marked-
down price of $5 million.
Aaron Carter is making lots of
announcements for someone with virtually
no career. A few weeks ago, he tearfully
told Entertainment Tonight he has an
eating disorder and actually gets llers in
his face - and if thats what he looks like
with llers, it must be REALLY bad. I have
a hiatal hernia. I have a stress condition its
an eating disorder....How would you feel
every two seconds seeing a Tweet, You
have AIDS. Go die. Oh, look at this meth
head. Oh, meth kills. Crack kills. Im not a
meth head. Ive never touched it in my life.
Then this week, another revelation - hes
bisexual. He might have considered revealing
KATHY GRIFFIN is back and bald!
this when he headlined LA Pride in June!
I grew up in this entertainment industry
at a very young age and when I was around
13-years-old I started to nd boys and girls
attractive. There were years that went by
that I thought about it, but it wasnt until I
was 17-years-old, after a few relationships
with girls, I had an experience with a
male that I had an attraction to who I
also worked with and grew up with. Let
the guessing game begin. My moneys on
someone with the initials PS.
Screen legend Olivia de Havilland is
eager to have her day in court. As you
know, the 101-year-old, two-time Oscar
winner was less than thrilled with the
way Ryan Murphy and the FX Network
portrayed her in Feud. She led suit
against the network and the auteur for an
undetermined amount. The network shot
back, saying, The law on this is very clear:
No permissions of any kind were required
in order to tell the tale. Docudramas,
such as this one, are original narrative
works, based on real, veriable facts and
events. Undaunted, Livvy is moving the
case to court - and quickly. Her lawyers
have requested a speedy trial: Based
on her unusually advanced age, Olivia
de Havilland moves for preference in
the setting of trial of this matter under
California Code of Civil Procedure and
asks the Court to set this case for a jury
trial in November 2017, or in any event on
a date within 120 days of the granting of
this motion. The case has been assigned
to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Holly
Kendig, who will formally hear the motion
on Sept. 13. Were told de Havilland,
who lives in Paris, will not be attending.
Perhaps shell send Catherine Zeta-Jones!
Our brief Ask Billy question comes
from Justin. Thanks for the video of both
parts of Angels in America from London.
But, heres one better - Bette Midler in Hello,
Dolly! Nobody has any footage. If anyone
can get it, you can.
I can, and do. Many people have
attempted to lm clips of Bette Midler
in Dolly. Those who posted footage
online found it quickly removed due to
the vehemence of pit bull producer Scott
PHOTO BY GDCGRAPHICS; COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
Rudin. There has been an embargo on
any clips of Bette in the role - the rationale
being, if you wanna see her, spend $600
and buy a ticket. But, the wait is over.
There are a couple of tantalizing videos
on BillyMasters.com. Well, the word
video might be a misnomer. Yes, there
are eeting images of Midler, but most
of the time shes onstage, the spotlight is
so bright it almost completely washes her
out. Still, you can hear her perfectly and
see glimpses of a ghostly Divine Miss M on
our website. And if you want to see Bette
in Dolly in person, you better act fast -
she leaves on Jan. 14.
When our answer to an Ask Billy
question is You Bette, its denitely time
to end yet another column. Your best bet
is to check out www.BillyMasters.com -
the site that never holds anything back.
Of course, keep sending your questions
to me at Billy@BillyMasters.com and I
promise to get back to you before Caitlyn
Jenner replaces Bette Midler in Dolly!
So, until next time, remember, one
mans lth is another mans bible.
AUTOS W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM A U G U ST 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 2 7

Fun, four-door sedans

MIXING FUNCTIONALITY WITH PROFESSIONAL PANACHE

By JOE PHILLIPS

In this town of celebs and powerbrokers,

INFINITI Q50
sedans are a perfect match. They mix
four-door functionality with professional
panache, especially when automakers
add special trim levels like Executive,
Premium orin the case of the new
Lincoln ContinentalBlack Label. But
such buttoned-down monikers dont
prevent these rides from being lots of fun.

VW PASSAT SEL PREMIUM

$31,000
Mpg: 23 city/34 highway
0-to-60 mph: 7.7 seconds
While VW oers an Executive trim level
for its CC agship sedan, the high-end
version of the midsize Passat is called the
SEL Premium. The Passats styling is a bit
datedthe latest design debuted in 2012
but it still holds its charms. Thats also true
inside, where the layout is clean yet aunts
many Audi-chic elements. The bolstered
seats, especially, are a delight. Theres also
plenty of headroom and legroom, even in
the backseats. But the touchscreen is dinky,
and the infotainment system isnt very
intuitive. Still, theres a choice of two ne
engines: a fairly quick four-cylinder turbo
or a more spirited V6 that lets the Passat
scoot from 0 to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds. The
German engineering also shines through
on the road, with responsive steering
and braking. Another plus: a long list of
standard features, including heated seats,
LED headlights/taillights, power-folding
mirrors, automated parallel-parking
system, hands-free trunk opener with foot
sensor, high-end Fender stereo and more.
INFINITI Q50
$34,000
Mpg: 19 city/27 highway
0-to-60 mph: 6.9 seconds
If the old-school exterior on the VW
Passat evokes a dad jeans sensibility,
then the Inniti Q50 is channeling a
skinny-jeans vibe: its form tting, with a
tight and sassy rear. This shapely sedan
drives just as nice, too, with solid handling
and superb body control. A four-cylinder
engine comes standard. But its hard to
resist choosing one of the two zippier V6
optionsone of which comes with 400 hp
to help rocket the Q50 from 0 to 60 mph
in just 4.5 seconds. There also are four
trim levelsbase, Premium, Signature
and Sportwith various mix-and-match
packages. But all trims come with push-
button start, smartphone-app integration
and an infotainment system with voice
recognition. The backup camera also
oers a 360-degree, birds-eye view that
really helps when parking. While there
are other nicetieslike an eight-inch
upper touchscreen and seven-inch lower
touchscreenthe interior hasnt kept up
with the times. And though there is a hybrid
version, the Q50s other engines arent as products. Yet the new Continental proves
fuel-friendly as what many competitors
oer. But this Inniti still scores when it
comes to the long warranty, aordable
price, and top-notch ratings for safety and
reliability.
LINCOLN CONTINENTAL BLACK LABEL
$65,000
Mpg: 18 city/27 highway
0-to-60 mph: 5.5 seconds
Many millennials probably dont
understand the hoopla surrounding the
rebirth of the Lincoln Continental. After
all, its been 15 years since this sedan
basically an also-ran for rental-car
companiesgraced dealer showrooms.
And it doesnt help that Lincoln has a
confusing lineup: MKC, MKS, MKT, MKX,
MKZ (and the giant Navigator SUV), which
are basically gussied-up versions of Ford
how silver foxes can reinvent themselves.
With a stunning grill and other styling
borrowed from Bentley, the Continental
is much more than a replacement for
the MKS sedan. This is a full-size agship,
measuring 117.9 inches in length and
weighing a hefty 4,555 lb. Luckily, any of
the three available V6 engines have plenty
of pep to power this land yacht. And there
is opulence everywhere, with the much-
ballyhooed 30-way power seats, rear-seat
climate controls, dual sunroofs and all
the latest safety gear. The four trim levels
include a base-model Premier, Select,
Reserve and high-end Black Labelwhich
also comes with a concierge program for
pickup and delivery, complimentary car
washes (anytime/anywhere) and other
services. Perhaps the only thing this car
doesnt do is pump your gas for you.
2 8 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17
Think of Glitter Run as a gay Holi Festival but with sparkles and fabulosity at breakneck pace.
Hollywood Boulevard will glitter with more than just stars. See Aug. 20 listing below.
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.
AUG. 11
HAMILTON, Aug 11 - Dec 30 - @ 8
PM (Sat/Sun matinees, 2 PM). (Pantages
Theater, 6233 Hollywood Boulevard).
HAMILTON is already a legendary
Broadway sensation. And it is the story
of our time, told in todays voice, about
one of Americas Founding Father
Alexander Hamilton. Featuring a score
that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B,
and Broadway, HAMILTON is the story of
America then, as told by America now.
Tickets range from $85 to $750.
Los Angeles LGBT Center Out Under
the Stars Presents: Clue, @ 8:30 PM.
(Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa
W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM
PHOTO COURTESY OF GLITTER RUN
Monica Blvd). Remember the board game
Clue? Remember the 1985 movie? Thirty
years later, the mystery murder, screwball
comedy is a cult classic. The Los Angeles
LGBT Centers outdoor summer lm series
and the Los Angeles Womens Network
and Young Professionals Council present a
screening on the lawn in Hollywood Forever
Cemetery, a spooky-cool place where
half the cast is buried! Except Lesley Ann
Warren, who will be there to liven things
up. Enjoy a picnic and DJ performance
before the mystery begins. Tickets are $25.
AUG. 12
The B-52s @ 8 PM. (Pershing Square,
532 S. Olive Street). Join the whacky stylings
of Fred Shneider, Cindy Wilson and Kate
Pierson set against the famed strumming
of guitarist Keith Strickland. Free.
Diana Krall @ 8 PM. (Hollywood Bowl,
2301 N. Highland Avenue) With her
sultry, expressive vocals and evocative
piano playing, Diana Krall returns to the
Hollywood Bowl to mesmerize you with
her take on the American Songbook.
Tickets are $29 - $72.
AUG. 13
Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for
Trans*Unity @ 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM. (Founders
Metropolitan Community Church, 4607
Prospect Avenue). Founders MCCs
Transformation*Unity group, in cooperation
with Azania, will host a festive pancake
breakfast - complete with bacon, scrambled
eggs and other tasty morsels! All proceeds
will benet the Christine Daniels Scholarship
Fund. Requested donation, $10.
Calient Nude Pool Party, @ 12 PM -
6 PM (Villa Valhalla, 6026 St. Augustine
Drive, Riverside, CA) Its denitely hotter
in Riverside than it is in Central LA, so
mens only nude pool party just might be
the place to be. Enjoy nakedness (or not)
on this lush tropical estate where there
are lots of nooks and crannies to hide out
with someone special. Youll love the pig
roasted BBQ! Door policy, $20.
AUG. 15
YPC:Queens - The Business of Drag @
7:30 PM - 10 PM. (Village at Ed Gould Plaza,
1125 North McCadden Place). Fiercer than
ever, YPC:Queens will feature some of the
most iconic drag superstars in Los Angeles,
and explore what it takes to be dedicated
to the profession of drag. Moderator Jason
Wimberly will present a thoughtful (and
outrageous) discussion with some of the most
well-known local queens around. Donation.
AUG. 16
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Chamber
of Commerce Networking Luncheon, @
11:30 AM - 1 PM. (Ocean Prime Restaurant,
9595 Wilshire Boulevard). Featured
Speakers: Jennelle Hamilton & John
Erickson of LA World Airports on How to
Do Business with LAX. Each attendee is
allowed 60 seconds to tout their business.
Ticket includes meal, up to $40.
AUG. 17
The Glitter Run Kick-o Party @ 6
PM. (Macys Mens Store at the Beverly
CA LE N D A R
Center, corner La Cienega and Beverly
Boulevards). Dont miss The Glitter Run
Kicko Party on Thursday, August 17
at the Macys Men Store at the Beverly
Center with special guests, tantalizing
refreshments, and so much more! The
fabulous Glitter Run is nally here and at
Beverly Center it will start sparkling with
wild color just like Macys reworks. Free.
AUG. 19
Walking to Wellness Class at Los
Angeles LGBT Center Learning Curve
@ 1 PM - 3 PM (The Village at Ed Gould
Plaza, 1125 North McCadden) A class that
guarantees a fun, supportive setting for
increasing physical and mental wellness
through walking and learning to adopt
healthy habits. Free.
AUG. 20
The Glitter Run, @ 8:30 AM - 12 PM.
(Hollywood Boulevard and Highland to
La Brea). The Glitter Run is not a timed
competition, its a run/walk thats fun for
people of all ages, sizes, and abilities. The
5k route will take you through seven glitter
stations where volunteers will sprinkle a
dierent color of non-toxic, washable and
fabulously vibrant glitter on you and the
thousands of other participants.
West Hollywood Dance Festival, Aug
20 - @ 9 AM - 4 PM. (West Hollywood Park,
Santa Monica Boulevard at San Vicente
to Melrose). The West Hollywood Dance
Festival (or WHDF) explores concert
dance as contemporary dance. Enjoy free
community workshops, a contemporary
dance intensive for professionals and
aspiring professionals, and public
performances. The week-long festival
celebrates all things dance. Free.
AUG. 22
AIDS/LifeCycle Taco Tuesday, Aug 22
- @ 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM. (Mi Centro LGBTQ
Boyle Heights, 553 South Clarence Street).
Latino Equality Alliance and Mi Centro
present a taco fundraiser for the famous
fundraiser. Come learn about the bike ride
from SF to LA and how you can make a
world of dierence in the ght against HIV/
AIDS. RSVP at aidslifecycle.org/tacotuesday.
3 0 A UGUST 1 1 , 2 0 17 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

Will & Grace set to return for new season

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
laughed very much, and to come back
together and to laugh out loud and to
be surprised by one another and to have
new stories to tell and to have another
opportunity to do it, its a no-brainer.
McCormack was thrilled by the response
from the fans and co-creator/executive
producers, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.
Theres been a very non-cynical, non-
judgmental response, just a positive glass
more than half full response that made
me think, well, then, we have a place for
this show. Were not going to be ghting
an uphill battle, And I thought, Why not?
Why would we not?
But dont expect the series to pick up
where the show left o during the nale
all the characters will be single.
Calling the ending more or less a
fantasy, Mutchnick said that the last
episode was a projection into the future.
One of the things when we thought
about bringing this back was what was it
that we missed? And I think we missed the
dynamic between the four of them more
than we missed the possibility of seeing
what their lives would be like as parents.
During the panel, a critic brought up
that the show has often been credited
with educating TV audiences about the
LGBT community.
Weve always said that the good eects
that we had were fantastic gravy, that we
set out to be funny to be a sitcom that
brought as many people in as possible,
noted McCormack.
When the series rst started, it was
considered revolutionary to have two
gay characters, said Messing.
So what we were able to address at
the time was LGB. We stopped at B, and
my hope is that now we can nish the
alphabet. And with gender identity, theres
so many things that are being discussed in
our culture now, she said.
Added Mutchnick: This show is always
about inclusionthats what we started
with and thats the type of people they
areI think when we come back, we will
get to it again.
But its just going to be about trying to
make the funniest shows that we can with
these characters passing through the life
that you all know that is taking place out
there right now.
In 2012, Vice President Joe Biden made
headlines when he endorsed equal
marriage rights for gay and lesbian people,
and said the show did more to educate
the American public more than almost
anything anybody has done so far. People
fear that which is dierent. Now theyre
beginning to understand.
Since the show aired, Hayes has publicly
come out as gay.
About Hayes being in the closet while
the show was on air, Mullally said: Its
nobodys business what anybodys sexual
orientation is, and I felt that Sean really
took a lot of heat and was under a great
amount of pressure to come out. And I
was oended by that on his behalf.
I just dont have the DNA at the time, I
didnt have the DNA to speak for an entire
community, said Hayes. I didnt know
how to do that, and I wish I did. But now I
nd words come easier.
The Will & Grace reboot is in production
for 16 episodes and has already been
renewed for a second season. Check out
its NBC premiere on Sept. 28.
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Looking for a good old-fashioned house

party to meet mature men 35+?
HOS is hosting a private party.
Open bar and food buffet.
If youre interested in M4M
meeting face to face, come to this
Singles Party 2017.
**THIS IS NOT A SEX PARTY **

Sept. 23 7 pm - 1 am
South Plainfield, NJ
Close to all public transportation from NYC/Newark airport.
This is a nationwide invitation.
$30
Contact Tony for more information!
Call or text: (908) 930-9204
Email: tyleeking@aol.com

You must register to be invited to this private event.

** DRUGS ARE NOT ALLOWED **
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