D E C E M B E R 2 9 2 0 1 7 • V O LU M E 0 1 • I S S U E 2 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

Top 10 local news stories of 2017
The year 2017 will go down as a
watershed in human history with
the apparent breaking apart of
traditional European alliances,
the rise of Russia, China and the
nuclear threat of North Korea, as
well as the resurgence of white
identity populism, best signified
by the disruptive presidency
of Donald Trump. California
became a bulwark for progressive
values with the Los Angeles LGBT
community reflecting both the ills
of the larger society and serving as
a bright beacon of hope. Here are
our staff picks for the top 10 LA
LGBT stories of the year.
10. LGBT AIDS
INVISIBILITY
Donald Trump, whose mentor
and attorney Roy Cohn died
from AIDS, signed his first
World AIDS Day Proclamation
and failed to mention the LGBT
community. Out scholar Masha
Gessen compared it to Trump’s
Holocaust Remembrance Day
statement in which he neglected
to mention Jews. The Centers for
Disease Control reports that gay
and bisexual men account for an
estimated 70 percent of new HIV
infections in the U.S.; an estimated
22 percent of transgender women
04 • DECEM B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7
Despite the Moonlight win for Best
Picture, Hollywood still lags when it
comes to portraying LGBT lives.
Photo Courtesy A24
have HIV. While Trump stated
his commitment to ending the
global HIV/AIDS pandemic, he’s
threatened to cut the President’s
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR) budget by $1 billion.
Meanwhile in LA, AIDS Healthcare
Foundation celebrated its 30th
anniversary with a free concert
for staff, board and volunteers at
The Shrine Auditorium, featuring
singer Mariah Carey. AHF now
has 841,293 patients in care
in 39 countries and provided
generators, not paper towels, to
devastated Puerto Rico.
9. HoLLywooD’S
DIVERSITY PROBLEM
Feb. 26, 2017. Gasp! Oscar
presenters Warren Beatty and Faye
Dunaway accidentally name  La
La Land  as best picture. “There’s
a mistake.  Moonlight, you guys
won best picture. This is not a
joke,” said La La Land producer
Jordan Horowitz, beckoning the
stunned winners onstage. “one of
the things that I hope doesn’t get
overshadowed is this was a $1.5
million indie film about a black,
gay, poor man ... and that’s a very
significant thing,”  director Ava
DuVernay said later. “I’m proud of
the Academy for honoring that.”
GEMMEL MOORE died July 27.
Photo Courtesy Facebook
Indeed, Hollywood applauded at the
Oscars. But Moonlight was the only
film in 2016 with a gay protagonist.
An August 2017 USC-commissioned
report analyzed the top 100 films of
2016 and found that only 1.1 percent
of speaking characters were LGB
with no trans speaking characters.
Advocacy has been unsuccessful,
concluded study author Professor
Stacy L Smith. “Film paints a
distressing portrait of exclusion.”
8. THE DEATH OF
GEMMEL MOORE
Gemmel Moore died on July 27
in the West Hollywood apartment
of Stonewall Democratic Club
donor/activist Ed Buck. The LA
County coroner ruled Moore’s
death an accidental overdose
from crystal meth, prompting
concerns about the silent meth
crisis among black gay men. The
Sheriff’s Department conducted
an initial investigation and
learned that Moore, a 26-year old
escort, frequently visited Buck,
62. But local black activists and
Moore’s mother were not satisfied
with the findings and agitated
for the Sheriff to investigate
whether Buck, who is white, might
have a sexual fetish: injecting
young black escorts with drugs—
LO CA L N EW S
GABRIEL FERNANDEZ was
murdered by his mother’s boyfriend
who was convicted in 2017 and awaits
a possible death sentence.
Photo Courtesy Facebook
raising the question of murder.
Buck’s attorney vigorously
denied their allegation, but
Sheriff Jim McDonnell ordered
Homicide detectives to reopen
the investigation. “we felt it was
our obligation to look into those
issues,” McDonnell told the LA
Blade. As of mid-December no
new report was made public.
7. THE MURDER OF
8-yeAr oLD GAbrIeL
FERNANDEZ
The torture-murder of 8-year-
old Gabriel Fernandez was so
disturbing, LA County was forced
to reform its child-welfare system.
“when paramedics arrived at the
boy’s Palmdale home on May 22,
2013, Gabriel was unconscious and
had a cracked skull, broken ribs,
burned and bruised skin, missing
teeth and BB pellets lodged in his
groin. He died two days later after
being removed from life support,”
the LA Times reported. Months
before his death, Gabriel was
forced to eat cat feces and his own
vomit. He slept in a small cabinet,
his ankles handcuffed, hands
bound and mouth gagged with a
sock. On Nov. 15, Isauro Aguirre,
37, was convicted of first-degree
ERIC BAUMAN, the out chair of the
California Democratic Party
Photo Courtesy Bauman
murder for killing his girlfriend’s
son, who he thought was gay.
Jurors gave Aguirre the death
penalty; he will be sentenced
March 8. Gabriel’s mother and the
negligent social workers still face
trial.
6. THe pLIGHT oF
LGBT DREAMERS
Donald Trump ran for
president on a platform of hatred
for immigrants. Building “the
wall” and deporting anyone
who is undocumented is a base
rallying cry. But Democrats and
some Republicans in Congress
want to pass the DREAM Act of
2017 (Development, Relief, and
Education for Alien Minors)
to prevent undocumented
young people, including LGBT
youth, from being deported
to countries where their lives
are at risk from governmental
and cultural homophobia and
transphobia. A large percentage
of LGBT DREAMers (28%) live in
California and more than 75,000
young people identify as LGBT
in Los Angeles—with nearly half
of them actively participating
in the upended Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
program, according to the Williams

PRESIDENT TRUMP announced a
ban on trans troops in a July tweet.
Blade file photo By Michael Key
Institute at UCLA. “Deportation is
comparable to a death sentence
for LGBTQ people in many parts
of the world,” says Dave Garcia, LA
LGBT Center Director of Policy and
Community Building.
5. CALIFORNIA
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
RUN BY GAYS
The Republican Party is now
stained by white supremacy and
its leader is perhaps beholden to
the Russians. Aghast, Democrats
want to break the conservative
Republicans’ one-party rule by
winning back the House in the
2018 midterm elections, with help
from the California Democratic
Party. At least six vulnerable GOP
incumbents are up for reelection,
including longtime anti-LGBT
legislators Darrell Issa and Dana
Rohrabacher. Leading the charge
into electoral battle are Eric
Bauman, the out chair of the CDP
and Mark Gonzalez, the out chair
of the LA County Democratic
Party, both of whom have track
records with electoral experience.
Add to the leadership mix kickass
Toni Atkins of San Diego, the first
lesbian Assembly Speaker, who will
become the first lesbian/woman
LOCAL NEWS DE C EMB ER 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 • 0 5
Civil rights under attack, what do we do but fight back?
lA joined the resistance in 2017, with a
massive march in June.
President Pro Tem of the Senate
next year. Get ready to rumble.
4. CAlif. groupS
OPPOSE TRANS
MILITARY BAN
President Trump’s July 26
tweet announced that his
administration “will not accept or
allow transgender individuals to
serve in any capacity in the U.S.
Military.” The major policy shift
was orchestrated by Vice President
Pence with help from Family
Research Council head Tony
Perkins. Four lawsuits were quickly
filed to stop the proposed ban from
taking effect and to challenge its
constitutionality. On Dec. 11, a
federal judge in Washington State
became the third court to rule the
ban unconstitutional and issued a
preliminary injunction, allowing
trans service members to continue
serving with admission of trans
enlistees starting Jan. 1.The fourth
lawsuit filed by Equality California,
with the State of California as
a plaintiff, is pending before a
federal court in California—which
has the most active duty and
reserve military than any other
state. “Marginalizing transgender
service members or any
By KAREN OCAMB
kocamb@losangelesblade.com
HARVEY WEINSTEIN’s downfall was
followed by a flood of accusations
against other powerful men in
Hollywood and D.C.
photo By Excelentphoto; Courtesy Bigstock
transgender American who wishes
to serve our country faithfully and
courageously will not occur on
our watch,” said Attorney General
Xavier Becerra.
3. TRANSGENDER
ELECTORAL WINS
The battle for transgender
civil rights was difficult in 2017—
marked by an uptick in hate
crimes against trans people — 31
reported in Los Angeles (30 were
violent), a 72 percent increase
from 2016 with the majority, 69
perent, against trans Latinas.
But an unprecedented political
outpouring yielded positive
results: eight trans candidates
won their elections around the
country. Danica Roem’s election
to the Virginia House of Delegates
will make her the first openly
transgender woman seated in
statewide office; Minneapolis
elected two trans people of
color—Andrea Jenkins and
Phillipe Cunningham—to their
city council; Stephe Koontz,
Raven Matherne, Tyler Titus, and
Gerri Cannon also won their local
elections. And in Palm Springs,
Lisa Middleton, a lesbian, became
the first transgender person
elected to a non-judicial office
in California. Her victory, with
bisexual Christy Holstege, makes
the Palm Springs City Council the
first American city government
with an LGBT majority.
2. rESiST!
Talk about taking back offensive
words — the pink “pussy” hat,
created by two LA-area-based
women artists, was ubiquitous at
the massive Women’s March, the
day after Donald Trump’s ugly and
sparsely attended inauguration.
A multi-pronged grassroots
resistance movement sprung
up to protest Trump, his GOP
cronies, and the white nationalist/
supremacist ideas they stand for.
Resistance morphed into action,
exquisitely symbolized by the defeat
of Trump/Steve Bannon Alabama
candidate, accused pedophile Judge
Roy Moore. Locally, resistance took
the form of a refutation of CSW’s
tone-deaf approach to transgender
issues. The #ResistMarch, created
by Brian Pendleton, started at
Hollywood and Highland, invited
everyone to join, and culminated
in West Hollywood with lesbian
Black Lives Matter co-founder
Patrisse Cullors, House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Russia-
investigation-hero Rep. Adam
Schiff and impeachment-calling
Rep. Maxine Waters underscoring
how much is at stake with a Trump
presidency. LA LGBT felt the
#resist!
1. A Tipping poinT on
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
“Casting couch” allegations
leveled against Hollywood
heavyweights Bill Cosby and
Harvey Weinstein scorched the
traditional assumption that men
have the innate right to sexually
exploit women, which women
endured to get or keep their jobs.
While equally upset over the
power dynamics of the economics
of “consent,” the gay community
grappled with more nuanced
issues after gay actor Anthony
Rapp revealed that closeted gay
actor Kevin Spacey, then 26,
tried to “seduce” him when Rapp
was 14 years old. Old Gay Sexual
Liberation assumptions were
shaken: not all gay teens welcome
sex with an older man as a rite
of passage and groping is not
equivalent to a handshake. What
had been routinely dismissed
as a gay bitchy grievance is now
part of a movement for respect,
boundaries, consideration and
human dignity.

Top 10 national news stories of 2017
As many predicted, 2017 brought
an end to the progressive Obama
era and the beginning of an assault
on LGBTQ rights from the new
Trump administration. Below is a
ranking of the 10 biggest LGBTQ
stories of the year as determined
by Blade staff.
10. The push
for ‘religious
freedom’ Bills
Although anti-LGBT forces
sought to pass an anti-trans
bathroom bill in Texas, the
measure was defeated in the state
legislature following outcry from
the business community and
LGBT advocates.
The measure, which would
have barred transgender people
from using bathrooms in public
schools, government buildings
and public universities based on
their gender identity, seemed
dead when it failed to pass during
the general session, but Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott called a special
session exclusively for the purpose
of passing the bill.
major businesses — including
iBm, which has a large presence in
Texas — opposed the legislation.
Although the senate approved the
legislation, the house didn’t follow
suit and the bill finally died.
Although the bathroom bill was
defeated, the legislature passed
and Abbott signed into law an
anti-LGBT “religious freedom”
measure allowing taxpayer-
funded adoption agencies in Texas
to refuse placements to LGBT
homes. south dakota and Alabama
enacted similar laws this year.
06 • DECE M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7
Actor KEVIN SPACEY drew
widespread condemnation after
coming out as gay in the wake of
sexual assault allegations against him.
photo By Vonora;courtesy Bigstock
9. sexuAl
misconducT
scAndAls ensnAre
spacey, Takei
The tidal wave of allegations of
sexual misconduct this year that
brought down numerous public
figures beginning with hollywood
mogul harvey Weinstein also
affected gay men in media.
“star Trek” actor Anthony rapp
accused Kevin spacey of sexually
assaulting him in 1986, when Rapp
was 14. The “house of cards” star
issued a statement saying he didn’t
recall the incident and was coming
out as gay.
That didn’t stop outcry against
him and 15 more accusers from
coming forward, which essentially
ended spacey’s career. netflix
fired spacey, his gore Vidal biopic
was cancelled and he was cut from
scenes in the ridley scott film “All
the money in the World.”
Also accused of sexual
misconduct was George Takei. A
former model said the “star Trek”
actor groped him  in 1981. Takei
denied the allegation and was able
to weather it after no subsequent
allegations emerged.
8. ediTh
Windsor dies
Four years after her historic
victory at the u.s. supreme court
against the anti-gay defense of
marriage Act, edith Windsor died
this year at age 88.
dubbed the “mother of
marriage equality,” Windsor sued
the u.s. government because
under domA she was required to
pay $363,000 in estate taxes after
the death of her spouse, Thea
speyer. in 2013, Windsor’s lawsuit
led the supreme court to strike
down the law in a decision that
was a precursor to the 2015 ruling
guaranteeing marriage equality
nationwide.
After the decision, Windsor
continued her activism, serving
as grand marshal for capital
pride in 2016. Windsor supported
the democratic party and hillary
clinton in the 2016 election.
At her memorial service at
Temple emanu-el in new York
city, clinton made a surprise
appearance and honored Windsor
as someone who “helped change
hearts and minds, including
mine.”
7. hurricAne mAriA
deVAsTATes
puerTo rico
Amid a Trump administration
response widely seen as inadequate,
N AT I O N A L N EW S
much of puerto rico this year
was devastated in the aftermath
of hurricane maria, including its
lgBT residents and an hiV/Aids
organization.
An estimated 70 percent of
the island was without power
six weeks after the storm, which
claimed the lives of nearly 500
people there. more than 50,000
puerto rico residents were
displaced from their homes, many
of whom resorted to consuming
water from a contaminated site.
Also without power was the
san Juan-based organization
Bill’s Kitchen, which delivers
meals to people with hiV/Aids.
ROY MOORE has a long anti-LGBT
food and friends in d.c. donated record.
between $30,000-$35,000 to the photo courtesy twitter
organization to buy a generator
for the puerto rico organization.
san Juan mayor Yulín cruz, a anti-lgBT record. moore urged
democrat, called the situation a Alabama probate judges to refuse
“terrifying humanitarian crisis” to marry same-sex couples after
and called for the u.s. government the 2015 supreme court ruling for
to speed up its response. That marriage equality, which resulted
angered president Trump, who in him being removed as chief
tweeted puerto rico officials “want Justice of the Alabama supreme
everything to be done for them.” court.
Jones, however, was endorsed by
the human rights campaign and
6. roY moore loses supports lgBT rights. he said on
senATe Bid video president Trump was wrong
in an answer to the prayers to have rescinded Title ix guidance
of lgBT people, democrat protecting transgender students to
doug Jones defeated notorious ban transgender people from the
homophobe roy moore this year u.s. military.
in a special election for a u.s.
senate seat.
moore was defeated after
5. VegAs replAces
nine women accused him orlAndo As
sexual misconduct. six said he deAdliesT shooTing
inappropriately dated them decades
ago when they were teenagers and A deadly attack at a country
he was in his 30s. Three others music show in las Vegas this year
accused him of sexual assault. surpassed the massacre at a gay
Over the course of his long nightclub in Orlando, Fla., as the
career, moore established an worst mass shooting in modern
 10.0 in.
LO C A L N E W S W W W .LOS ANG E LE S B LADE .C OM D E CE MBE R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 • 0 7

Being covered
is the best plan.
4.625 in.

Insurance companies vary by region.

Life can change in an instant, and Covered California wants you to have coverage when it does. But, we’re not only here to help you get
health insurance. We’re here to help you get it at a lower cost. Our experts can help you find a brand-name health plan for you and your
budget. And 9 out of 10 enrollees even qualified for financial help paying for their plan, so it pays to check for yourself.

CoveredCA.com Don’t miss your chance to get covered. Open Enrollment ends January 31.

18CCN0057_B-CCP
CC/Print/2017 10 4.625 18CCZ0053 LM
145034 resize
12/05/17 13:35
4C Magazine Internal 1/0 1 of 1

R. Plafker A. Lapuz M. Calderwood L. Marschall S. Chabala


Top 10 national news stories of 2017
U.S. history.
The shooter, Stephen Paddock,
killed 59 people by converting an
assault rifle into an automatic
weapon and firing upon concert-
goers from a room in Mandalay Bay
hotel. An additional 546 individuals
were wounded.
The motive for Paddock, who
killed himself as law enforcement
officials entered his room, remains
unknown.
Among the victims was a Utah
gay couple: Cameron Robinson
and Robert Eardley. Robinson
died after being struck in the
neck. Eardley was wounded after
being shot in the back.
The tragedy — and an additional
shooting this year at a church in
Sutherland Springs, Texas — did
nothing to influence Congress to
advance gun control legislation
amid ongoing efforts from activists
like Gays Against Guns to convince
lawmakers to act.
4. NATioNAl EqUAliTy
MARCh dRAws
ThoUsANds
Tens of thousands of protesters
took to the streets this year for
the National Equality March on
washington, including many
demonstrators who waved
Pride flags and carried signs in
opposition to President Trump.
An estimated 50,000-80,000
people demonstrated in the
streets of d.C. and marched in
front of the white house before
emptying onto the National Mall.
The women’s March on
washington, which drew between
440,000 to 500,000 people as well
as 5 million supporters worldwide,
served as the inspiration for
08 • DECEM B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7
Thousands protested the Trump
administration in June.
Blade File Photo By Michael key
the Equality March. The idea
came about after New york gay
activist david Bruinooge started
a Facebook page scheduling the
march for d.C. on June 11.
Although protesters were
energized, the media attention to
the march was scant in comparison
to coverage of the women’s March.
some insiders said the event was
haphazardly organized and saved
at the last minute by contributions
from the human Rights Campaign
and Planned Parenthood. The
washington Blade also made
a financial contribution to the
march.
3. sUPREME CoURT
hEARs MAsTERPiECE
CAkEshoP CAsE
in its first major consideration
of a gay rights case since the ruling
for marriage equality, the U.s.
supreme Court this year heard
arguments on whether the First
Amendment allows a Colorado
baker to deny making wedding
cakes to same-sex couples despite
a state non-discrimination law.
The supreme Court agreed to
take up the Masterpiece Cakeshop
case after state courts determined
Jack Phillips violated the Colorado
Anti-discrimination Act by
refusing to make wedding cakes for
Charlie Craig and david Mullins,
who sought to purchase a custom-
made cake for their wedding in
2012, but were denied service.
U.s. Associate Justice Anthony
kennedy gave conflicting signals
during oral arguments. At times,
Kennedy expressed concern about
the dignity of the same-sex couple,
but Kennedy also expressed
consternation Colorado wasn’t
tolerant of Phillips’ religious
beliefs.
oral arguments yielded no clear
indication of how the court will
rule. A decision is expected in
June.
2. TRANs CANdidATEs
sCoRE hisToRiC wiNs
Transgender candidates won a
slew of historic victories in local
races this year on Election day, a
milestone that could lead to more
wins in 2018.
The most prominent win
belonged to danica Roem, a
transgender journalist in Virginia
who unseated notoriously anti-
lGBT del. Bob Marshall. Roem
was set to become the first openly
transgender person elected and
seated in a state legislature in the
United States.
other transgender candidates
— Andrew Jenkins and Phillipe
Cunningham — claimed notable
victories in the election for the
N AT I O N A L N EW S
Minneapolis City Council. Both were
the first transgender candidates
elected to a major U.s. city council
and the first transgender people of
color elected in any public office in
the United States.
Meanwhile, Tyler Titus won
election to the Erie school Board in
Pennsylvania, lisa Middleton won
election to the Palm springs City
Council and Stephe Koontz won a
spot on the doraville City Council
in Georgia.
DONALD TRUMP took office this
year and almost immediately began
attacking lGBT rights.
Blade File Photo By Michael key
1. TRUMP TAkEs
oFFiCE, BREAks
PRoMisE To sUPPoRT
lGBT AMERiCANs
Although President Trump
campaigned in 2016 on being a
friend to lGBT people, his first year
in office was marked by an erosion of
lGBT rights after significant gains in
recent years.
The infuriation within the lGBT
community over Trump’s hostility
to lGBT rights spanned the
entirety of 2017 and stood in stark
contrast to progress during the
obama years. The attacks helped
fuel the “resist” movement against
him, making the “year of Trump”
the washington Blade’s No. 1 story
for 2017.
A ban on transgender people in
the military, withdrawal of Title
iX guidance assuring transgender
students access to the bathroom
consistent with their gender
identity, arguments in litigation
lGBT people aren’t protected
under existing civil rights law and
intervention on behalf of an anti-
gay baker before the U.s. supreme
Court are a few high-profile ways
the administration undermined
lGBT rights in Trump’s first year
at the white house.
Rea Carey, executive director
of the National lGBTq Task
Force said the first year of the
Trump administration has
been “horrendous, horrific and
hellish when it comes to this
administration’s actions toward
lGBTq people and our families.”
“he has turned back the clock on
decades of progress, or is attempting
to turn back the clock on decades of
progress that we have made not only
in our community, but also for people
in this country who are women, who
are black, who are immigrants, who
are Muslim, who are poor — and he
has been a disaster for democracy,”
Carey said.
The first major rollback from
the Trump administration on
lGBT rights was the revocation in
February of obama-era guidance
that assured transgender kids
have access to school restrooms
consistent with their gender
identity. Bucking the views of
numerous courts, the Trump
administration asserted the

Top 10 national news stories of 2017
prohibition of sex discrimination
under Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 doesn’t apply
to transgender discrimination.
As a result of the decision,
the U.S. Supreme Court nixed
consideration of transgender
student Gavin Grimm’s lawsuit
against his Virginia high school,
which barred him from the boys’
room. Grimm graduated without
relief, although his lawsuit
remains pending in lower federal
courts.
The Education Department
issued a new memo asserting
discrimination and harassment
against transgender students
in school may amount to sex
discrimination under federal law,
but the issue of bathrooms isn’t
necessarily covered Title IX.
A few months later in July, Trump
announced via Twitter transgender
people won’t be able to serve in the
U.S. military “in any capacity.” That
tweet and subsequent guidance
to the U.S. military reversed the
Obama-era change scrapping
medical regulations against their
service and enabling them to serve
in the armed forces.
As a result of four separate
lawsuits and court orders against
the ban, the Pentagon was barred
from enforcing Trump’s policy,
which meant the administration
was blocked from kicking out troops
for being transgender or denying
payment for gender reassignment
surgery. The U.S. armed forces were
also required to admit qualified
transgender enlistees starting Jan.
1 consistent with a target date set
by Defense Secretary James Mattis
in a June 30 letter prior to Trump’s
tweet.
The Trump administration
went after the other components
NATIONAL NE WS DE C EMB ER 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 • 0 9
of the LGBT community after
the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of
Appeals ruled Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, which bars sex
discrimination in the workplace,
also prohibits employment
discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation.
When the issue came before
the U.S. Second Circuit Court of
Appeals, the Justice Department
voluntarily filed a friend-of-
the-court brief and sent a high-
ranking attorney to argue existing
civil rights law doesn’t protect gay
people from discrimination. That
move put the Justice Department
at odds with another U.S. agency,
the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, which
has determined Title VII protects
gay people.
Transgender people came
next. U.S. Attorney General Jeff
Sessions in October issued a
memo declaring anti-trans
discrimination also doesn’t amount
to sex discrimination under existing
law, reversing a memo from U.S.
Attorney General Eric Holder
asserting transgender people are
covered.
That wasn’t the only the
time Sessions issued a memo
endangering LGBT rights. In the
aftermath of Trump’s “religious
freedom” executive order, Sessions
issued a memo asserting broad
protections from individuals and
businesses under the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act. Without
limiting principle in the document
against discrimination, a Social
Security worker could refuse to
process applications for same-sex
spousal benefits, or an employer
could refuse to grant family and
medical leave to LGBT families.
The Justice Department also took
the side of “religious freedom” over
LGBT rights at the U.S. Supreme
Court when justices considered
the Masterpiece Cakeshop case.
A Colorado baker seeking a First
Amendment right to refuse to
make wedding cakes for same-sex
couples brought the case.
The Trump administration
sent to argue on behalf of the
baker U.S. Solicitor General Noel
Francisco, who indicated during
oral augments a shopkeeper
should be able to put up a sign
saying no wedding cakes for
same-sex couples — a belief the
White House said Trump shares.
The Supreme Court would
likely not have even taken up the
Masterpiece Cakeshop case if U.S.
Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch
wasn’t confirmed to the bench.
Appointed by Trump in January,
Gorsuch was opposed by major
LGBT rights groups. Since his
confirmation, the Supreme Court
took up the Masterpiece Cakeshop
case and he has issued dissents
arguing the fight for marriage
equality isn’t over after the 2015
Obergefell decision.
Trump also ignored the LGBT
community in more symbolic
ways, such as neglecting to issue
a proclamation recognizing June
as Pride month. The Trump
administration has been found
to have eliminated questions
in federal surveys allowing
respondents to identify as LGBT
and reportedly barred the Centers
for Disease Control from the using
the word “transgender” among
other science-related words from
budget documents.  four LGBT appointments, although
Additionally, the
administration’s budget request
would have restricted funding for
civil rights enforcement and cuts
HIV/AIDS programs and research
by billions of dollars.
Carey said these items —
especially the “religious freedom”
guidance, which she said is
“extraordinarily damaging, and
will have long-term impacts for
the country” — are among the big-
ticket items, but “there are dozens
and dozens of things that have
happened that aren’t in the news.”
“I’ve been working in
Washington, D.C., since 1989, and
I have worked with Democratic
and Republican administrations, I
worked through Bush 1 and Bush 2,”
Carey said. “And this is nothing like
those administrations. We always
have policy differences, but I think
the kind of haphazard and harmful
nature of so-called governing by
this administration is certainly
something that our community
hasn’t seen.”
The actions against LGBT people,
Carey said, are consistent with the
Trump administration’s efforts
targeting other communities, such as
the travel ban on Muslim countries,
the elimination of deferred
deportation for DREAMers and the
elimination of the contraception
requirement in health care.
Defenders of Trump on LGBT
issues will point to a statement
issued earlier in the year in which
the White House said Trump is
“respectful and supportive of
LGBTQ rights” and would keep in
place a 2014 executive order signed
by President Obama barring federal
contractors from engaging in anti-
LGBT workplace discrimination.
Trump also made at least openly
they’re few and far between
compared to the hundreds former
President Obama appointed to
the administration at all levels of
government and the judiciary. 
The highest-profile openly
gay Trump appointee is Richard
Grenell, a Fox News commentator
and foreign policy expert who was
nominated as U.S. ambassador to
Germany. Democrats are blocking
his confirmation over comments
he made about the appearance of
women on Twitter. 
Other openly gay appointments
are James Abbott, who was
confirmed to the Federal Labor
Relations Authority; David Glawe,
under secretary for intelligence
and analysis at the Department of
Homeland Security; and Claudia
Slacik, who was nominated,
but not yet confirmed, to the
board of the U.S. Export-Import
Bank. Trump also re-nominated
lesbian Democrat Chai Feldblum
to the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, which
by law requires appointments of
both parties.
Gregory Angelo, president of
Log Cabin Republicans, noted
his organization withheld its
endorsement from Trump as a
candidate in 2016, but also pledged
to call “a ball a ball, and a strike a
strike” if he became president. 
“This administration has
done things that are worthy of
praise like maintaining the LGBT
non-discrimination executive
order, like acknowledging the
human rights abuses of gay
men in particular in the refugee
executive order that was put
out earlier this year and the
appointment of openly gay
individuals, several of whom
are members of Log Cabin,
to prominent posts in his
administration,” Angelo said.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

Top 10 international news stories of 2017
Here are the top 10 international
LGBT news stories of 2017, as
ranked by the Washington Blade’s
editorial staff.
10. Trump rolls back
normalized u.s.,
cuba relaTions
president Trump on June
16 reinstated travel and trade
restrictions with cuba.
The directive that Trump
signed at a theater in miami’s
Little Havana neighborhood bans
individual “people-to-people”
trips to the communist island. it
also says americans who travel
to cuba on organized trips must
“engage in a full-time schedule
of activities that enhance contact
with the cuban people, support
civil society in cuba, or promote
the cuban people’s independence
from cuban authorities.”
Then-president obama in 2014
announced the u.s. would begin to
normalize relations with cuba.
mariela castro, the daughter
of cuban president raúl castro
who spearheads lGbT-specific
issues, is among those who remain
highly critical of the u.s. embargo
against cuba that remains in
place. The cuban government said
Trump’s policy favors an “extreme
minority” of exiles who live in
Florida.
10 • DECEM B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7
MARIELA CASTRO, the daughter of cuban president
raúl castro, spearheads lGbT-specific issues.
blade File photo by michael key
9. lGbT candidaTes
around The world
win elecTion
a number of prominent lGbT
elected officials took office around
the world in 2017.
Gay irish prime minister leo
Varadkar assumed office on June
14. ana brnabić on June 29 became
serbia’s first woman and openly
lesbian prime minister.
michelle súarez, who is the
first openly transgender person
elected to the uruguayan senate,
was officially sworn in on oct. 11.
diane rodríguez earlier this year
won a seat in ecuador’s congress
when she ran on the ticket of
current congressman carlos Vera.
8. lGbT-inclusiVe
colombian peace
aGreemenT
implemenTed
The colombian government
and the revolutionary armed
Forces of colombia in 2017 began
to implement an lGbT-inclusive
peace agreement that ended a
decades-long war.
representatives of caribe
afirmativo and colombia diversa
— two lGbT advocacy groups —
are among those who took part
PEDRO SANTOS, who’s gay, told the Blade his father,
former Vice president Francisco santos, strongly
opposes the peace agreement.
photo courtesy santos
in peace talks that took place in
havana. caribe afirmativo has
opened four “houses of peace” in
northern colombia in support of
the agreement.
Voters in october 2016
narrowly rejected the agreement
in a referendum. The country’s
congress later ratified it after
president Juan manuel santos
renegotiated it.
santos’ gay nephew, pedro
santos, told the washington blade
in september during an interview
in the colombian capital of
bogotá that his father, former
Vice president Francisco santos,
strongly opposes the agreement.
pedro santos nevertheless said
he is willing to support the
agreement’s implementation.
“i can just cry about it and try
to deny it happened or help people
and try to make it work,” he said,
referring to the war that killed
more than 200,000 people.
7. hurricanes
deVasTaTe caribbean
lGbT communiTies
hurricanes irma and maria
caused widespread destruction
throughout the caribbean in
september.
irma caused widespread
destruction in barbuda, st. barts,
st. martin, anguilla, the u.s. and
I N T ERN AT I O N A L N EW S
san Juan mayor CARMEN YULÍN CRUZ has criticized
the Trump administation’s response to the hurricanes
blade File photo by Tom hausman
british Virgin islands, the Turks
and caicos and the Florida keys. it
also damaged an lGbT community
center in santo domingo, cuba,
when it made landfall on the
island’s north central coast on
sept. 9 with 160 mph winds.
maria made landfall in puerto
rico on sept. 20 with 155 mph
winds. The hurricane caused
widespread damage in dominica
and st. croix before hitting the
u.s. commonwealth.
people with hiV/aids who live
on the hurricane-battered islands
were unable to access medications
in the aftermath of the storms.
activists in puerto rico with
whom the blade spoke after maria
said the hurricane has made lGbT
people even more vulnerable to
discrimination because of their
sexual orientation and gender
identity. san Juan mayor carmen
Yulín cruz — who champions lGbT
rights in the u.s. commonwealth
— remains among the most vocal
critics of the federal government’s
response to maria.
6. anTi-lGbT
Violence persisTs
Violence based on sexual
orientation and gender identity
remained pervasive throughout
the world in 2017.
david Valle, a prominent lGbT
rights advocate in honduras,
was brutally attacked inside his
home in the country’s capital
of Tegucigalpa in July. karla
avelar, executive director of
comunicando y capacitando
a mujeres Trans, a salvadoran
trans advocacy group, in october
sought refuge in ireland after she
received death threats.
she spoke with the blade
on sept. 22 in her office in the
salvadoran capital of san salvador.
“To work in the fight for the human
rights of my community is part of my
conviction,” she said. “This is the
vision that i have for the future, to see
that my country gets better.”
u.n. high commissioner
for human rights zeid ra’ad
al-hussein earlier this month
acknowledged during a capitol
hill panel that anti-lGbT violence
persists around the world. he
specifically cited a slovenian activist
who told him in september that
homophobic attacks have increased
“very suddenly” in his country,
despite efforts to extend rights to
the country’s lGbT community.
“when you’re fighting for rights,
you don’t relax for one moment,”
said al-hussein.
CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM
 #1 IN
CALIFORNIA,
#1 IN AMERICA,

Sa Ja at 9
49 LOCATIONS

le nu pm
New Year's

Hu ds y 8t
En ar !
TO SERVE

rry Mo h
In! nda
YOU!

y,
Celebration
%
5
years 15 off • no interest* • no money down
• no minimum purchase
plus

On purchases with your Ashley Advantage™ credit card from 12/26/2017 to 1/8/2018. Equal monthly payments required for 60 months. Ashley HomeStore does not require a down
payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase. *See store for details.
‡‡

BAKERSFIELD HAWTHORNE LOS ANGELES OXNARD SAN MARCOS WEST COVINA

8915 Rosedale Hwy East of 405, South of the 10, Located in the 1050 Los Vallecitos Blvd Located in the
Bakersfield, CA 93312 Rosecrans Exit Exit Convention Center Market Place at Oxnard San Marcos, CA 92069 Eastland Shopping Center
661-588-7953 14600 Ocean Gate Ave 1810 S Broadway Shopping Center 760-539-4663 2753 E Eastland Ctr Dr #2050
Hawthorne, CA 90250 Los Angeles, CA 90015 1721 E Ventura Blvd West Covina, CA 91791
BURBANK SANTA ANA
310-349-2083 213-745-2980 Oxnard, CA 93036 626-938-1480
NOW East of the 5 Located in the
MONTCLAIR 805-981-0284
Exit Burbank Blvd Westfield MainPlace Mall YORBA LINDA
LAGUNA HILLS Located South
HIRING!
401 N. 1st St PALMDALE 2800 N Main St., #2100 Just North of Fwy 91
Just North of of Montclair Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92705
Burbank, CA 91502 Across from the AV Mall 22705 Savi Ranch Pkwy
the Laguna Hills Mall 5055 S. Montclair Plaza Ln 714-558-5300 Yorba Linda, CA 92887
818-840-5620 39626 10th St West
Sales COLTON
24001 El Toro Rd
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Montclair, CA 91763
909-625-4420
Palmdale, CA 93551
661-225-9410
SANTA CLARITA 714-363-9900

Associates Exit Mt. Vernon Ave.

855 Ashley Way
949-461-0829
MURRIETA
Center Point Market
Place Across From Sam’s
PALM DESERT
Club and Super Walmart
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK:
Colton, CA 92324 LONG BEACH 25125 Madison Ave Desert Gateway Plaza
909-433-5303 26520 Carl Boyer Dr Monday - Sunday 10am - 9pm
West of the 605 Murrieta, CA 92562 34740 Monterey Ave
Santa Clarita, CA 91350
FOUNTAIN VALLEY in Long Beach 951-894-7988 Palm Desert, CA 92211
661-284-7200 “Se Habla Español”
Just East of 405 Fwy Towne Center 760-202-3052
18060 Euclid St 7410 Carson Blvd NORTHRIDGE VICTORVILLE
SAN DIEGO North of
Fountain Valley, CA Long Beach, CA 90808 Just East of the
7770 Miramar Road Victor Valley Mall
92708 562-766-2050 Northridge Mall
San Diego, CA 92126 12704 Amargosa Rd
714-549-3200 9301 Tampa Ave, Ste 1401
Northridge, CA 91324
858-408-1701 Victorville, CA 92392 www.AshleyHomeStore.com
818-717-1740 760-261-5386

*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 non-promotional purchases. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2.
Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Promotional purchases of merchandise will be charged to account when merchandise is delivered. Subject to credit approval. ‡Monthly payment shown is equal to the purchase
price, excluding taxes and delivery, divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded to the next highest whole dollar, and only applies to the selected financing option shown. If you make your payments by the due date each month, the monthly payment
shown should allow you to pay off this purchase within the promo period if this balance is the only balance on your account during the promo period. If you have other balances on your account, this monthly payment will be added to the minimum payment applicable
to those balances.
††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 within 18 or 6 Months. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo purchase from the purchase date. Depending on purchase amount, promotion length and payment allocation, the required minimum
monthly payments may or may not pay off purchase by end of promotional period. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases and, after promotion ends, to promotional balance. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2.
Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Promotional purchases of merchandise will be charged to account when merchandise is delivered. Subject to credit approval.
§Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. See store for details.
‡‡Previous purchases excluded. Cannot be combined with any other promotion or discount. Discount offers exclude Tempur-Pedic®, Stearns & Foster® and Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid™ mattress sets, floor models, clearance items, sales tax, furniture protection plans, warranty,
delivery fee, Manager’s Special pricing, Advertised Special pricing, and 14 Piece Packages and cannot be combined with financing specials. Effective 12/30/15, all mattress and box springs are subject to an $11 per unit CA recycling fee. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS. Stoneledge
Furniture LLC. many times has multiple offers, promotions, discounts and financing specials occurring at the same time; these are allowed to only be used either/or and not both or combined with each other. Although every precaution is taken, errors in price and/or specification
may occur in print. We reserve the right to correct any such errors. Picture may not represent item exactly as shown, advertised items may not be on display at all locations. Some restrictions may apply. Available only at participating locations. †DURABLEND® upholstery
products feature a seating area made up of a combination of Polyurethane and/or PVC, Polycotton, and at least 17% Leather Shavings with a skillfully matched combination of Polycotton and Polyurethane and/or PVC everywhere else. **Leather Match upholstery features
top-grain leather in the seating areas and skillfully matched vinyl everywhere else. Ashley HomeStores are independently owned and operated. ©2018 Ashley HomeStores, Ltd. Promotional Start Date: December 26, 2017. Expires: January 8, 2018.

Edith Windsor, Gilbert Baker among notable 2017 LGBT deaths
EDITH WINDSOR
Blade File Photo By Michael Key
Many acclaimed LGBT people
died in 2017 from the world
of politics, the entertainment
industry and beyond. They include:
Acclaimed British actor Alec
McCowen died, at 91, on Feb.
6 at his London home. He was
renowned for playing Mark in
the one-man show “St. Mark’s
Gospel.”
Max Ferra, founding director of
New York City’s INTAR Hispanic
American Arts Center, died at
79 on February 4 in Miami. The
Center nurtured numerous Latino
playwrights, including Pulitzer
Prize winner Nilo Cruz, Lisa Loomer
and Milcha Sanchez-Scott. Ferra
left Cuba, his native country, in
1958. “There were a bunch of young
Latino playwrights coming of age
who were writing plays in English
that had a Hispanic essence,” he
told the “New York Times, “but
there was no arena for them.”
Turner Classic Movies host
Robert Osborne, a lifelong
aficionado of Old Hollywood and
its movies, died at 84 on March 6
in his Manhattan home. During his
25 years at TCM, he told viewers
intriguing stories about stars from
Bette Davis to Audrey Hepburn. “I
love those people,” Osborne told
“CBS Sunday Morning.” “These
12 • DECE M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7
Robert Osborne, Liz Smith, ‘True Blood’s’ Nelsan Ellis also died this year
JIM NABORS
Photo Courtesy Cbs Television Distribution
were people that once ruled the
world.”
George Weinberg, the
psychotherapist who coined the term
homophobia in the 1960s, died on
March 20 in New York City at 87 of
cancer. “As long as gay people suffer
from homophobic acts, the word
(homophobia) will remain crucial to
our humanity,” Weinberg wrote in the
Huffington Post.
Gilbert Baker, creator of the
rainbow flag, known as the “gay
Betsy Ross,” died at 65 at his New
York City home on March 31. The
first rainbow flags were unveiled
during the San Francisco 1978 gay
pride parade. “We ... watched and
saw the flags, and their faces lit
up,” gay rights activist Clive Jones
told the New York Times. “It needed
no explanation. People knew
immediately that it was our flag.”
William M. Hoffman, who wrote
the groundbreaking play “As Is”
during the height of the AIDS
epidemic and the libretto for John
Corigliano’s opera “The Ghosts of
Versailles,” died at 78 of cardiac
arrest in the Bronx on April 29.
Gay attorney Jim Graham,
who was elected to four terms on
D.C. Council, died at 71 on June
11 at George Washington Hospital
following complications from
By KATHI WOLFE
an intestinal infection. “LGBT
activists ... say he played a key
role in advancing the city’s fight
against HIV/AIDS during the
early years of the epidemic while
serving as executive director of
Whitman-Walker from 1984-1999,”
the Blade reported.
Queer actor Nelsan Ellis, who
played Lafayette Reynolds, a gay
cook, on the HBO vampire series
“True Blood” died at 39 on July
8 of heart failure due to alcohol
withdrawal. Ellis waged a long
battle with alcohol and drug
addiction.
Tony Award-winning producer
Stuart J. Thompson died at 62
from complications of esophageal
cancer in Manhattan on Aug.
17. He produced and served as
general manager to more than
70 Broadway, Off Broadway and
national touring productions.
Gay Republican operative Arthur
J. Finkelstein, who helped boost the
careers of conservative Republicans
from James. L. Buckley to Jesse
Helms, died at 72, from metastasized
lung cancer on Aug. 18 at his
Ipswich, Mass., home. He “sells his
talents to lawmakers who would
outlaw his family’s very existence,”
a New York Times columnist said of
Finkelstein in 1996.
I N MEMO RI A M
ROBERT OSBORNE
Photo Courtesy Tcm
Gay novelist Mark Merlis died
on Aug. 15 at 67 from pneumonia
associated with amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis at a Philadelphia
hospital. In his debut 1996 novel
“American Studies” and three
subsequent works, Merlis wrote
sensitively about the joy, turmoil
and pride of American 20th
century gay life.
Kate Millett, the queer,
groundbreaking second wave
feminist writer, whose iconic 1970
book “Sexual Politics, transformed
our cultural understanding of
gender roles, died at 82 from
cardiac arrest while on vacation in
Paris with her spouse Sophie Keir.
When “Sexual Politics” came out,
the New York Times called the work
“the Bible of women’s Lliberation.”
Marriage equality icon Edith
(Edie) Windsor died at 88 in
Manhattan on Sept. 12. In her
landmark case the Supreme
Court for the first time granted
federal recognition to same-sex
married couples. The Windsor
decision struck down the Defense
of Marriage Act, which prohibited
same-sex couples from receiving
the 1,138 federal benefits available
to heterosexual married couples.
“I had the privilege to speak with
Edie a few days ago, and to tell her
one more time what a difference
she made to the country we love,”
former President Barack Obama
said.
Gossip column doyenne Liz
Smith, died on Nov. 12 at 94 at her
Manhattan home. For decades,
Smith on New York City TV and in
the tabloids (from the Daily News
to the New York Post) regaled
viewers and readers with tidbits
about the lives of the rich and
famous. She had relationships
withe men and women, including
archaeologist Iris Love.
Drag pageant impresario Jack
Doroshow died at 78 in Manhattan.
As drag queen Flawless Sabrina,
Doroshow began organizing
shows in 1959. “The Queen,” a
documentary about his 1967 Town
Hall show in New York, is a queer
cultural touchstone.
Actor Jim Nabors, known for
playing Gomer Pyle on the CBS TV
shows “The Andy Griffith Show”
and “Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C.,” died
at 87 on Nov. 30 at his home in
Honolulu. Stan Cadwallader, his
husband, said he had been in
ill health for more than a year.
Nabors said that he “never made a
big secret” about being queer, but
he didn’t officially come out until
he married Cadwallader in 2013.
 VIEWPOINT DE C E M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 • 1 3
Our own free press is how we fight back
We will not be erased
TROY MASTERS is publisher of the
Los Angeles Blade. Reach him at
tmasters@losangelesblade.com.
This morning as I was walking my
dogs Lilly and Cody, I was mulling this
editorial over and honestly not certain
what I should write about.  I could write
a litany of clichés about the coming
New Year and chirp about how our
new venture, the Los Angeles Blade, is
thriving (and it is) and I could have then
launched into praise of my colleagues
(and I will) and I could also tell you about
our goals for the paper (and I will) and
maybe a little bit about who I am (I will).  
But as I rounded the corner I saw
the daughter of my friend Benjamin, a
94-year-old Beverly Grove neighbor, who
I have seen around just about everyday
for the past couple of years. Benjamin,
his daughter told me, had passed away.
Benjamin loved the dogs and was
genuinely fascinated by the existence of this
paper.  He gave me a profound insight about
the paper and the mission we all share as
people who cherish our civil rights.
“What is LGBT,” I recall him saying when I
first told him about the newspaper.  I thought,
“here we go,” but to my utter amazement,
after my explanation I remember him telling
me “My father was the editor of a newspaper
when I was growing up, but the Nazis made
it impossible for him to work.  Jews were not
allowed to be journalists.” I was rapt and of
course from then on, I spoke to him every
time I saw him.
Over the past two years I learned so
much about Benjamin’s experience. His
entire family was rounded up during
the Holocaust and scattered to different
camps around Germany.  “It happened so
fast after my father lost his job,” he said. He
showed me his faded tattoo. “I tried to have
it removed, but my wife grew furious.” He
carried a lot of anxiety still about Germans
but had a great sense of humor, asking
“You aren’t German, are you?” “No,” I said,
“but the dogs are a German breed.” He
laughed. “Oh, but I love them.”
Every trip past Benjamin’s house was
instructive. He taught me that fascism is
real and that every threat we perceive to
our civil rights is serious. “It all happened
so fast. One day we were not allowed to
cross the street. And we weren’t allowed to
tell our story.” There was nothing he didn’t
notice. “I saw news about the homosexual
people on TV. I want you to know I support
you. My father was an editor. Did I tell you?”
Those exchanges are seared in my
brain as lessons. We can lose everything
so quickly and we can even lose the ability
to tell our story and guard our own truth.
We have to embrace who we are.
And that’s what the Los Angeles Blade is
supposed to be for the LGBT community of
Los Angeles. A guardian and watchdog of
our rights for our people. A voice of strength
that is unafraid of telling truth to power.
I believe the press that serves the LGBT
community should be owned by LGBT
people. Perspective is everything and it must
be informed by experience, nuance and
reality. It needs to be flexible and robust in
its points of view and be fully committed to
the diversity of our community. A newspaper
needs to be deeply rooted in the history
of the community, professionally run by a
committed team willing to investigate, reach
out to businesses, to tell neglected stories
and to go the extra mile to be of service.
After publishing Gay City News, the
LGBT newspaper in New York City, for
most of the past 30 years, I relocated to Los
Angeles to join my partner Arturo who was
already living here.  After Frontiers folded
and the election of Donald Trump proved
that LGBT progress was truly in jeopardy,
I became determined to establish the
strongest possible newspaper for the
LGBT community here.
And so, in February of this year, I called a
trusted colleague, Lynne Brown, publisher
of the Washington Blade in D.C. and told
her I wanted to develop a partnership here
as the Los Angeles Blade.
She and her partners, Kevin Naff,
editor-in-chief of the Washington Blade,
and Brian Pitts, its advertising director,
enthusiastically embraced the project
and our new paper was born.  BRAD FUHR, 760-813-2020.
The team in D.C. has done a superior job.
James Neal, our creative director, has created
an amazingly fresh newspaper design;
Stephen Rutgers, our marketing director,
has developed outstanding sales materials;
Phil Rockstroh has coordinated our accounts
flawlessly; Joe Hickling has been an innovative
salesperson and inspiration to our Los
Angeles-based salesperson, Tracy Paaso.
I am proud of what we have put
together.
The Washington Blade is a 50-year-
old LGBT newspaper and an American
treasure. It has a legendary reputation
and has survived every challenge put
before it, including a transition to staff
ownership that has enabled it to grow so
successfully.  It is a top-shelf newspaper—
just the affiliation I wanted.
Karen Ocamb is a legendary journalist
in Los Angeles.  Her pen has followed
every outline of the LGBT community’s
rise and growth here since 1988, so
meticulously documenting the AIDS
crisis and that documentarians will refer
to her work for years to come. Karen’s
ability to tell a story is unparalleled and
her commitment to diversity of sources
and getting it right is just mind-boggling.  does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons.
That is the kind of editorial voice an
LGBT newspaper needs.
I have learned one very important
lesson during my career.  This can’t
be done without people with a proper
passion for it. It can’t be done without
community interest and support from
the business community.   the paper’s editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily
I think we are doing it for all the right
reasons.
I’ll remember Benjamin’s story for the rest
of my life. Vigilance is the lesson he taught
me. We must be able to cross the street. And
we must be able to tell our own story. We
must be able to publish, not perish.
VOLUME 01 ISSUE 21
ADDRESS
5455 Wilshire Blvd #1505, Los Angeles, CA 90036
PHONE 310-230-5266
E-MAIL tmasters@losangelesblade.com
INTERNET losangelesblade.com
PUBLISHED BY Los Angeles Blade, LLC
PUBLISHER
TROY MASTERS
tmasters@losangelesblade.com
310-230-5266 x8080 (o), 917-406-1619 (c)
SALES & MARKETING
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
FRANK MORALES
fmorales@losangelesblade.com
310-230-5266 x8095
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
TRACY PAASO
tpaaso@losangelesblade.com
310-230-5266 x9459
PALM SPRINGS ACCOUNT EXEC
brad@gaydesertguide.com
NATIONAL ADVERTISING
RIVENDELL MEDIA
sales@rivendellmedia.com, 212-242-6863
MARKETING DIRECTOR
STEPHEN RUTGERS
srutgers@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x8077
EDITORIAL
MANAGING EDITOR
KEVIN NAFF
knaff@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x8088
NEWS EDITOR
KAREN OCAMB
karenocamb@losangelesblade.com
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR
MICHAEL K. LAVERS
mlavers@washblade.com
CONTRIBUTORS
CHARLES KAISER, ALAN MILLER, TIM MILLER, MAER
ROSHAN, HOLLY HUGHES, KIT WINTER, BRAD LAMM,
DAVID EHRENSTEIN, STEVEN ERICKSON, LILLIAN FA-
DERMAN, ORIOL GUTTIEREZ, SETH HEMMELGARN,
ROBIN TYLER, CHRIS AZZOPARD, ALLEN ROSKOFF,
JOHN PAUL KING, JOHN MCHUGH-DENNIS, MELODY
MUNDY, ROBERT WILLIAMS, DAN ALLEN, BRAD
FUHR, WINSTON GEISEKE, RICHARD ANDREOLI,
DREW MACKIE, JOEY DIGUGLIELMO, CHRIS JOHN-
SON, LOU CHIBBARO JR., MARIAH COOPER, ABBY
DEES, REBEKAH SAGER, JOHN MCHUGH-DENNIS,
MIKE CIRIACO
CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION
AZERCREATIVE.COM
DISTRIBUTION
CHRISTOPHER JACKSON, 562-826-6602
All material in the Los Angeles Blade is protected by federal copyright law and may
not be reproduced without the written consent of the Los Angeles Blade. The sexual
orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein
is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation
Although the Los Angeles Blade is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot
accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial material
is accepted by the Los Angeles Blade, but the paper cannot take responsibility for its
return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. A sin-
gle copy of the Los Angeles Blade is available from authorized distribution points,
to any individual within a 50-mile radius of Los Angeles, CA. Multiple copies are
available from the Los Angeles Blade office only. Call for rates. If you are unable
to get to a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 26-week mailed
subscription for $195 per year or $5.00 per single issue. Checks or credit card
orders can be sent to Phil Rockstroh at prockstroh@washblade.com. Postmaster:
Send address changes to the Los Angeles Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington, DC
20009. The Los Angeles Blade is published bi-weekly, on Friday, by Los Angeles
Blade, LLC. Rates for businesses/institutions are $450 per year. Periodical postage
paid at Los Angeles, CA., and additional mailing offices. Editorial positions of the
Los Angeles Blade are expressed in editorials and in editors’ notes as determined by
represent the opinion of the Los Angeles Blade or its staff. To submit a letter or
commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be
fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must
include a name, address and phone number for verification. Send submissions by
e-mail to tmasters@losangelesblade.com.
©2017 LOS ANGELES BLADE, LLC.

screen capture via youtube
10. AARON CARTER COMES OUT,
GETS BUSTED FOR POT
Pop singer Aaron Carter, at the
time 29 though he’s since turned
30, came out as bisexual in an open
letter posted on Twitter in August.  GOES DOWN
“There’s something I’d like
to say that I feel is important for
myself and my identity that has
been weighing on my chest for
nearly half of my life,” Carter
writes. “This doesn’t bring me
shame, just a weight and burden
I have held onto for a long time
that I would like lifted off me.”
The star revealed he has been
attracted to both genders since he
was 13. He also shared that he had
a sexual experience with another
man when he was 17. Carter
claimed that Madison Parker, his
girlfriend at the time, broke up
with him when he told her he was
bisexual. Parker denied his sexuality
was the reason for their spilt. He
also said that his older brother Nick
Carter had not reached out to him
since he came out.  speak at the university. President
Carter brought his struggles
with drug addiction, plastic
surgery and his family on a
tumultuous September episode
of “The Doctors.” On the show,
Carter learned he weighed
only 115 pounds at 6 feet tall.
He said he feared his weight
loss was due to being HIV-
positive. However, he tested
negative for all STDs. His drug
test revealed he tested positive
for marijuana,  Benzodiazepines
(Xanax) and opiates
(hydrocodone). After initially
refusing to go to rehab on the
14 • DECEM B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7
Top 10 pop culture stories of 2017
Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key
show, Carter entered rehab in
October and was released in
December.  company
9. MILO YIANNOPOULOS
Milo Yiannopoulos’ swift
descent from rising alt-right
media personality to a defamed
journalist shunned even from his
own conservative community was
peppered with controversy.  best films
The year started out
promisingly for the British political
commentator who secured an
autobiography book deal with
Simon & Schuster and was invited
as a guest on “Real Time with Bill
Maher.” He kicked off a university
speaking engagement tour which
drew numerous protesters to
University of California, Berkley.
The protest became violent
as protesters refused to let
Yiannopoulos, who has made
racist, misogynistic, transphobic
and xenophobic remarks, to
Donald Trump even weighed in
on Twitter threatening to cut the
school’s federal funding for not
allowing free speech.  17-year-old son of his employer
Yiannopoulos’ success came to
a halt when an old interview clip
surfaced of him saying that sexual
relationships between 13-year-
old boys and adult men could be
positive. His comments caused him
to lose his job as senior editor for
Breitbart News, to have his book deal
with Simon & Schuster revoked and
to be disinvited from the Conservative
Political Action Conference.  It’s up for three Golden Globe
Despite the negative press,
Photo courtesy Sony Pictures Classic
Yiannopoulos tried to keep his
career afloat. His publishing
Dangerous Books
published his book “Dangerous.”
Yiannopoulos closed out the
year on a personal note marrying
his boyfriend, identified only as
“John,” in Hawaii.  home VH1, the queens went
8. ‘CALL ME BY YOUR NAME,’ ‘TOM
OF FINLAND’ AMONG YEAR’S
It was a strong year for LGBT-
themed movies but two especially
stand out — “Tom of Finland” and
“Call Me By Your Name.”  and Carson Kressley assess the
“Tom,” a Finnish biographical
drama directed by Dome
Karukoski, stars Pekka Strang as
Touko Laakosenen, better known
as the titular artist who specialized
in mid-century homoerotic art.
The film inspired a Tom of Finland
renaissance of sorts with books
and an extensive line of home
products like shower curtains and
throw pillows featuring Tom art.  Bo’nina Brown. She said later she
“Call Me By Your Name,” a
leisurely paced gay romance
story between a 24-year-old
intern (Armie Hammer) and the
(Timothee Chalamet) in Italy circa
1983, has drawn strong reviews
for its taste and restraint.
“(Director Luca) Guadagnino
and his actors emphasize
tenderness and feeling capturing
the magic of first-time dalliance
in a way that makes it seem, if
not wholly innocent, at least
wholesome,” a Blade critic wrote.  Trinity Taylor for the title of
Awards including nods for both
A RT S & EN T ERTA I N MEN T
Photo courtesy VH1
its leads.
7.  SeaSon 9 of ‘RuPaul’S DRag
RACE’ MAKES ‘HERSTORY’
It was a banner year for
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” in several
ways. Debuting in March on new
apeshit when Lady Gaga walked
into the work room and was
featured as the guest judge.
Seeming to genuinely enjoy
herself throughout the episode,
Gaga helped series regulars
Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews
queens’ interpretations of classic
Gaga looks.
It turned out to be an unusually
dramatic season, though. Latina
diva Valentina emerged early on
as a strong contender but was
sent packing on episode nine after
pissing off Ru for initially declining
to remove a veil during the lip-
sync against Debbie Downer Nina
was in shock and hadn’t bothered
to learn the words to the song,
which all the queens are given in
advance should they land in the
bottom two.
The drama continued, though,
on perhaps the bitchiest reunion
episode of the series’ entire run
with several queens calling out
Valentina on her fake charm.  The Blade said it was “packed
The finale, despite featuring
no clear standout winner, went
to Sasha Velour who bested
Peppermint, Shea Coulee and
America’s Next Drag Superstar.  capacity for both love and hatred.”
RuPaul won his second consecutive
Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Emmy Award for hosting.
6. ‘WONDER WOMAN’ LASSOS
BOFFO
box office
Although she’d been seen in
2016’s “Batman v. Superman:
Dawn of Justice,” Wonder Woman
finally got her own film this year
with a June release starring Gal
Gadot as the titular character
and winningly helmed by Patty
Jenkins (“Monster”) who won
universal praise for her effort.
Filmed over a six-month period
starting in November 2015
(development started in 1996), it
set numerous box office records.
It was the fifth highest-grossing
superhero film in the U.S. and the
20th highest-grossing film ever
stateside. It made more than $800
million internationally and is the
best-ranked superhero film on
Rotten Tomatoes. The American
Film Institute called it one of the
best 10 films of 2017.
Gadot plays the Amazon
princess Diana, a highly trained
fighter who’s been raised on the
hidden island of Themyscira by her
mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie
Nielsen). The island’s security is
breached when American pilot
Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes
his plane on the island.
with gripping action sequences
but also leavened with generous
doses of comedy and deepened
with serious considerations about
the horrors of war and mankind’s
 ARTS & ENT E RTA I NM E NT DE C EMB ER 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 • 1 5

Epic Oscar mistake, Bette and Joan return in wild, wacky year
by JoeY diguglielmo & maRiah cooPeR

Photo courtesy FX Networks Photo courtesy ABC Photo by Tim Travers Hawkins via Wikimedia Photo courtesy NBC Photo courtesy a24

5. ‘FEUD’ REVIVES COMPLICATED
PARTNERSHIP OF
Davis, Crawford
“Feud,” an FX series from Ryan
Murphy, devoted its maiden
season of eight episodes to the
rivalry of Bette Davis and Joan
Crawford, co-stars in the 1962
cult classic “Whatever Happened
to Baby Jane.”
Jessica Lange starred as
Crawford and Susan Sarandon
played Davis. Both were
nominated for Emmys, though
the show won none of the 10
Primetime Emmys for which it was
nominated (it won two Creative
Arts Emmys). The series was
praised for its period detail and
grand, sweeping recreations of
pivotal moments such as a long
tracking shot showing Lange
walking backstage at the 1963
Academy Awards.
Though declining somewhat
in ratings after a strong start, the
series fared decently overall. Its
debut was the most-watched
program on FX that week.  were switched out to play their
The series had an unexpected
coda with Olivia de Havilland,
a real-life friend of Davis who
replaced Crawford in their
planned follow-up “Baby Jane”
movie “Hush … Hush Sweet
Charlotte,” sued the creators
claiming in a lawsuit filed a day
before her 101st birthday that she
was inaccurately portrayed and
her likeness was used without her
permission. Catherine Zeta-Jones
played her in the series.  thereafter. Scheduling was shifted
A second season of 10
episodes devoted to Charles and
Diana will premiere in 2018.  Helmed by multiple directors
4.  ‘When We Rise’ dRaWs
mixed RevieWs  episode arc was framed as an
“When We Rise,” an ABC
miniseries about LGBT rights that
aired Feb. 27-March 3, drew so-
so reviews from the mainstream
press but was sharply criticized in
the gay press.
Writing for the Blade, columnist
Brock Thompson, said it had
serious problems.  May 17 after nearly seven years
“Though I very much appreciate
what ‘When We Rise’ was
attempting, I couldn’t see past its
problems,” Thompson said. “Its
tone was preachy. Its messages
about unity and strength in
diversity landed like anvils. I
stopped counting the clunky
cliched lines like ‘we are stronger
together,’ or ‘you don’t know
how strong we are,’ or perhaps
‘strength. let’s get some and be
strong with it together.’ All this
gave way to some melodramatic
moments. Beyond that, actors
role’s older counterparts, making
the timeline rather confusing.”
Ratings, too, were weak for the
series starring Guy Pearce, Mary
Louise-Parker, Whoopi Goldberg
and Rosie O’Donnell as Cleve Jones,
Roma Pauline Guy, Pat Norman
and Del Martin, respectively. Its
first episode drew 3.26 million
viewers to come in last of the
four major networks for its time
slot. Viewership dropped sharply
after President Trump addressed
Congress live on Feb. 28.  McCormack, Debra Messing,
including writer Dustin Lance
Black and Gus Van Sant, the eight-
epic, 45-year survey of the entire
gay rights movement.  the show since 2006 found the
3. CHELSEA MANNING
makes glam debut  Jack discovering he’s a grandfather
After being released from
prison at Fort Leavenworth on
in prison for leaking 750,000
documents (some classified) to
WikiLeaks, many were curious to
see how Chelsea Manning would
segue into civilian life.
Manning, 29, made her glam
debut in the September issue
of Vogue in a red Norma Kamall
swimsuit and other high-fashion
outfits with low-key styling by
Phyllis Posnick and was praised
for not being as sexualized and
in-your-face as Caitlyn Jenner
was when she made her debut in
Vanity Fair in 2015.
“This is a far cry from the
haughty, hyper-feminine
Hollywood unveiling of Caitlyn
Jenner,” wrote Robin Givhan in
the Washington Post. She called
Manning’s photos a “message of
… accessibility, normalcy, calm.”
2. ‘Will & gRace’ and
‘DYNASTY’ RETURN
After 11 years off the air, “Will &
Grace” returned to NBC Thursday
nights in September to launch a new,
16-episode run and ninth season.  those nice little Oscar moments
The original cast — Eric
Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally
— were back after a planned one-
off mini-episode that ran last fall
timed to the presidential election.
The first new episodes of
familiar gang at the White House,
navigating middle-aged gay dating,
(with a gay grandson), Will making
senior partner, an appearance by
Beverley Leslie (Leslie Jordan) and
many more hijinks.  of the evening. “La La Land” was
Ratings have been solid —
averaging more than 10 million
viewers per episode — and reviews
have been mostly positive.
A 10th season has already been
approved.  themed “Moonlight” was the true
Much less successful, however,
has been the “Dynasty” reboot,
which debuted in October on the
CW with an all-new cast featuring
James Mackay as Steven Carrington,
Fallon’s (Elizabeth Gillies) gay
environmentalist brother. Now his
being gay is no big issue to dad
Blake and gold digger Sammy Jo is
now a gay man. Oh, and the Colbys
are black this time.  Dubbed the biggest gaffe in
Reviews have been highly
mixed with Variety saying it “barely
gets out of the gate before it
begins to lose steam.” Ratings
have been anemic, averaging less
than a million viewers per episode.  copies of the evening’s envelopes,
1. ‘moonlight’ Wins
BEST PICTURE IN SHOCKING
ENVELOPE MISTAKE
It was supposed to be one of
longtime fans of the Academy
Awards cherish — beloved stars
of yesteryear stride onstage
reunited to give an award. Many
stars have done it over the years
— Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak,
Paul Newman and Elizabeth
Taylor. This year it was Warren
Beatty and Faye Dunaway, stars of
1967’s “Bonnie and Clyde.”
On the 50th anniversary of
their cinematic classic, they came
on stage at the Dolby Theatre on
Feb. 26 to hand out the top prize
announced as the winner but
it quickly became apparent as
its producers were giving their
acceptance speeches that a
mistake had been made and gay-
winner. 
Beatty and Dunaway had been
handed the wrong envelope, a
duplicate of the Best Actress envelope
(“La La Land’s” Emma Stone had won
that award). Upon seeing its contents,
Beatty was flummoxed; Dunaway,
thinking he was joshing for suspense,
saw “La La Land” and announced it as
the winner. 
Oscar history, it turned out to be the
mistakeof PricewaterhouseCoopers’
managing partner Brian Cullinan
who’d been Tweeting backstage.
He and Martha Ruiz, who each had
were later relieved of any future
Oscar duties though they kept their
jobs. 
“Moonlight” became the first
LGBT-themed film and first film with
an all-black cast to win Best Picture. 
 16 • DECE M B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 Q U EERY

By TROY MASTERS
queery IVY BOTTINI
tmasters@losangelesblade.com How long have you been out and who was “Give ‘em Hell”? I’m looking for a
the hardest person to tell? publisher.
Ivy Bottini was born on Aug. 15, 1926, I have been out out since 1968.
and at a very early age it was clear she was The hardest person to tell was my If science discovered a way to change
going places. husband. sexual orientation, what would you do?
She has spent a lifetime captivated by Everyone could be sexually fluid.
imagery — Charles Lindberg’s flight was Who’s your LGBT hero? People could swing either way and
an an absolute obsession for her. “I was Jeanne Cordova, she was an no one would yell at ‘em.
transported by the idea of movement amazing woman. I miss her.
and meaning; what does it mean to have What do you believe in beyond the
a destination, a purpose. We have to fight What is Los Angeles’ best nightspot, past physical world?
for that,” she told me on her 90th birthday or present? Two things: there is either a god
in 2016. Little Frida’s was a small cafe on or the universe is in charge. Or
She has devoted her life to the West Knoll, very simple food, a maybe we just call the universe
intersections of art, feminist theory and hang out for lesbians from all over. god; something is in control. My life
activism. She was THE first lesbian activist They wanted to expand but the city has been a series of things I never
to demand inclusion in the powerful 1960s made that too hard so they closed. decided on. It just happened. I
women’s movement and her work with Lesbians are still angry about that. planned to be a comedian.
Lavender Menace was groundbreaking.
Ivy is the original template from which Describe your dream wedding. What’s your advice for LGBT movement
much LGBT activism was born. Photo Courtesy Bottini Not in a white gown or a Tuxedo. leaders?
In 1966, she embraced her lesbian I’m not fond of weddings… The Never forget what we’ve been
identity and quickly became a leading feminist voice, establishing and serving as president word and the institution comes with through and always be ready to
of the New York Chapter of the National Organization for Women. too much baggage that oppresses fight.
Her insistence on lesbian inclusion did not sit well with NOW co-founder Betty Friedan. women.
Bottini was famously rejected her because of her lesbian activism. What would you walk across hot coals for?
But her visual thinking was so powerful and attention grabbing, even Betty came around. What non-LGBT issue are you most My two daughters and my grandson.
Her use of strong visuals with powerful messaging heralded a new brand of “in-your- passionate about? And the guy at the coffee shop.
face activism” that preceded the Lesbian Avengers, ACT UP and Queer Nation. Over-development in West
Pink Hats have nothing on her work, though she is certainly satisfied that the women’s Hollywood is driving us out, all the What LGBT stereotype annoys you most?
movement, after 40 years in the wilderness, is back. gay elders who created it. That lesbians hate men.
She is disturbed by “assimilation” and sees cracks in our movement that are being
exploited by the growing forces against us. What historical outcome would you What’s your favorite LGBT movie?
We are well advised to remember her most famous acts: change? I love Julia Roberts. “Pretty Woman.”
An action she created at the Statue of Liberty, draping a 40’ banner over the world The Great Depression changed my I hope some day I’ll meet her...or
famous icon that read “Women of the World Unite,” received worldwide attention. Using mom. We lost our house and my Jennifer Aniston wouldn’t be so bad
her graphic design skills she published The NOW York Times, a parody of the powerful mom lost her power and herself. either!
New York Times in an effort to combat the paper’s sexism. She collaborated with many
other groups to draw tens of thousands of protesters, overtaking Fifth Avenue in 1970 for What’s been the most memorable pop What’s the most overrated social custom?
the Women’s Equality march, months after Troy Perry, Morris Kight and Bob Humphries culture moment of your lifetime? That’s a hard one, too many!
had taken Hollywood Boulevard for the first gay Pride parade in Los Angeles. She toured I’ve lived through every assassination
the U.S. performing her one-woman show “The Many Faces of Woman.” since 1926; the sacrifices for What trophy or prize do you most covet?
Ivy was involved very early on in the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Community Services equality live on forever because of The letter of apology I received
Center and helped beat back The Briggs Amendment, legislation that would have them. from NOW California and NOW
prohibited gay men and lesbians from teaching in public schools. The “No on 6” campaign Hollywood for treating me so badly
employed strategies activists would later copy to defeat Prop 8. On what do you insist? in the ‘70s regarding my lesbian
In the early 1980s, Ivy turned her attention to the AIDS crisis, founding Los Angeles’ first Uncompromising truth. activism.
AIDS service organization, AIDS Network LA, a news and information service that provided
an invaluable model that was copied nationwide. She became a prevention advocate and What was your last Facebook post or What do you wish you’d known at 18?
helped establish APLA. She also helped defeat a move to quarantine people with AIDS. Tweet? That I was a lesbian.
Ivy shows no signs of slowing down and she’s as feisty as ever. She recently ended 17 years The tech world is an impediment to
of service on West Hollywood’s Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board. She helped shed light on the staying connected as human beings. Why Los Angeles?
crystal meth crisis, domestic abuse and senior issues. She established the nation’s first LGBT None. I didn’t choose to live here but I
senior housing complex and is now hoping to create a roommate registry for West Hollywood’s chose to stay here because things
senior LGBT folk. If your life were a book, what would the needed to be done. It’s not the place
She’s really a national treasure but she’s ours. title be? but the issues that matter.
 FILM DE C EMB ER 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 • 1 7

The year of ‘Wonder Woman’

Big-budget spectacular bookended with insightful story of its creator ‘Professor Marston’
By BRIAN T. CARNEY

GAL GADOT as ‘Wonder Woman.’ She proved a worthy successor

to LGBT ally Lynda Carter.
Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment

It was a very good year for movies, especially for queer
movies large and small.
In a very competitive field, the best LGBT movie of 2017
was “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women.”
Directed by the amazing Angela Robinson (an out and proud
woman of color), the film explores the real-world origins of
the iconic Wonder Woman character. Marston was involved
in a polyamorous relationship with two women and drew on
both their relationship and his controversial theories about
submission and domination to create the classic comic
book. Robinson explores their love with great sensitivity and
eroticism and without  sensationalism and also celebrates
the power of creativity and intellectual curiosity.  by the double frame on the family ofrenda in the stunning
Paired with that, the most notable mainstream movie of
the year (although not necessarily the best) was “Wonder
Woman.” Even before the Weinstein scandal and related
revelations rocked Hollywood, Patty Jenkins and her team
made huge strides for women, setting box office records
and creating a powerful female superhero who is both
commanding and caring. Gal Gadot proved to be a worthy
successor to LGBT ally extraordinaire Lynda Carter.
Standouts among the other big LGBT releases were
Terence Davies’ stirring “A Quiet Passion” with Cynthia
Nixon’s bold performance as poet Emily Dickinson; “BPM;”
“God’s Own Country,” a worthy descendant of “Brokeback
Mountain”; Guillermo Del Toro’s breathtaking “The Shape
of Water”; “Battle of the Sexes”; “My Cousin Rachel”
and, Todd Haynes’ visionary masterwork “Wonderstruck.”
There was also, of course, the somewhat disappointing
“Call Me by Your Name” which featured finely layered
performances by Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar and
Timothée Chalamet, a weak performance by a miscast
Armie Hammer and uneven direction by Luca Guadagnino.
It should also be noted that three other big releases had
some interesting appearances by gay characters. The cast
of the wonderful “Lady Bird” includes a gay character, but
to say more would be a spoiler. Disney’s live-action “Beauty
and the Beast” surprised audiences by outing LeFou, who
became Disney’s first openly gay character. And, judging
“Coco,” Tío Felipe and Tío Oscar may be Miguel’s guncles.
Other notable LGBT releases included “I Dream in
Another Language,” “Beach Rats,” “The First Girl I Loved,”
the Norwegian psychological thriller “Thelma,” “After
Louie” with searing performances from Alan Cumming and
David Drake, “My Friend Dahmer,” “Princess Cyd,” “Tom
of Finland,” “Signature Move” by the dazzling triple threat
Fawzia Mizra, and “Dusk” by rising trans director Jake Graf.
Among LGBT documentaries, there’s the heartbreaking
“Memories of a Penitent Heart” by break-out director
Cecilia Aldarondo and the searing “Whose Streets?”
directed by Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis, along with
“Strong Island,” “Major!” and “Chavela.”
Some of the mainstream releases worth remembering
include “Mudbound,” “The Florida Project,” “Beatriz at
Dinner,” “Brigsby Bear,” “Patti Cake$,” “The Big Sick,”
“The Sense of an Ending” with magnificent performances
by Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling, and the
thoughtful and visually inventive “War for the Planet of
the Apes.”
A few final items to wrap up the year:
A shout out to film restorers who are bringing queer
classics back to their original luster. This year, the Cohen
Media Collection released restored movies from the
Merchant Ivory library, including the gay classic “Maurice.”
Late last year, they released a lush restoration of Julie Dash’s
revolutionary “Daughters of the Dust” and 13 Gen released
a restored print of Cheryl Dunye’s delightful ground-breaking
mockumentary “The Watermelon Woman.”
A spotlight on a fascinating trend: women gone wild.
“Girls Trip,” “Bad Mom’s Christmas,” “Snatched” and
“Rough Night” all explored the cinematic appeal of
female misbehavior and the challenge of blending comedy,
raunchiness and sentimentality. “Rough Night” even
included several unruly gay, lesbian and bisexual characters.
A word on late arrivals. This year’s late treats include
“Phantom Thread,” “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool,”
“I, Tonya” “Hello, Again” and “The Current War.” There’s
also “A Fantastic Woman” starring trans actress Daniele
Vega as a trans woman whose world is torn apart when her
boyfriend suddenly dies.
 18 • DECEM B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 MU S I C

The album as art form

It’s been such a shell-shocking year in so many ways
that the luxury of being diverted by artists who continue to
create richly inspired new music is perhaps more important
than ever. You wouldn’t know it by looking at the dreadfully
malnourished pop charts, but 2017 yielded a long list of
superb new albums.  by its title, much the same as TLC’s “CrazySexyCool”
The 10 (well, make that 12 actually) albums listed
below are among those that must not be lost in the
cacophony of a constant stream of music and endless other
information bombarding us. Each album reinforces the
certainty that music is for catharsis and healing as much
as for entertainment, and this process manifests itself in
wildly diverse styles and voices. All have substantial LGBT
followings as the lines between gay and straight acts
becomes increasingly a non-issue for music fans.  the kind of triumph on which a massively successful career
10. RIDE
‘THE WEATHER DIARIES’/SLOWDIVE ‘SLOWDIVE’
Yeah, it’s cheating, but it’s impossible to choose between
these superb comebacks by two of the cornerstone bands
of the ‘90s “shoegaze” sub-genre: Ride’s first album in 21
years and the first for Slowdive in 22. “Slowdive” is perhaps
more in line with the narcotic rock dreaminess for which
the band is known, while “The Weather Diaries” is spikier
and explores a wider palette of sonic space. Despite being
pigeonholed with a lazy and meaningless label (“shoegaze”
is almost as annoying as “grunge” or “Britpop”), the albums
are quite different. Both have an added poignancy and
world-weariness, perhaps inevitable for artists who were in
their 20s during their “heyday” and are now in the upper-
reaches of their 40s. Still, both bands are obviously fully
invested in the new material and the songs glow with
unmistakable inspiration and intensity.  ‘OCCULT ARCHITECTURE VOLUMES 1 AND 2’
9. KEHLANI
‘SWEETSEXYSAVAGE’
This year was dreadful for pop music overall, but
“SweetSexySavage,” the sleek and bold debut by Kehlani,
is an obvious exception. The album is perfectly described
two decades earlier. Kehlani is a talented and versatile
singer, able to deliver a wicked edge when she chooses.
She merges pop, soul, EDM and hip-hop vibes on
songs that show off the power of her voice (“Piece of
Mind,” for instance) and range from doggedly defiant
(“Undercover”) to achingly vulnerable (“Advice”). The
hit single “CRZY” could be a younger and more fiercely
untamed version of Rihanna. At only 22, Kehlani’s debut is
can be built.  rotten stench of reality and Moon Duo provides the perfect
8. RYAN ADAMS
‘PRISONER’
Always prolific and restless, Ryan Adams has settled into
what might be the finest sustained groove of his career.
His self-titled 2014 release was his best in a decade (and
perhaps his career peak so far), and his first collection of
original material since then is almost as good. “Prisoner”
shows Adams continuing a seemingly endless ability to
churn out great songs, but there’s a gravitas and grittiness
borne from experience that his early-career classics “Gold”
and “Heartbreaker” lack. Emotions are raw and close to the
bone on “Prisoner,” with a garage-rock sensibility somewhat
reminiscent of early Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.  and firmly in his own realm. Sumney’s sublime voice, often
7. MOON DUO
The pairing of Wooden Shjips guitarist Ripley Johnson
with keyboardist Sanae Yamada as Moon Duo continues
to work magic with two thematically connected albums
released several months apart. The two volumes of “Occult
Architecture” are zoned-out psychedelic bliss, music for
late at night when the haze of smoke is so thick the stereo
lights might as well be blurry red eyes staring out from
some lost corner of space. The tracks are long, trippy and
resplendently beautiful. They are also timeless: Moon
Duo’s hypnotic rhythms, rich layers of dreamy guitar and
keyboard, and sinuous melodies travel from the late ‘60s,
weave through the ‘70s into the present and back again. Put
it on for any random music aficionado and ask what year
it was released, you’re liable to get guesses of any year
from 1968 through … 2017? Yeah, we still need excursions
into hazy psychedelic dreamland to escape the sometimes
vehicle. 
6. MOSES SUMNEY
‘AROMANTICISM’
Maybe it’s the year, or generation, for “Aromanticism.”
It’s always been mythology that one must attach to another
human to attain happiness, although that angle isn’t
often explored in popular music. Of course, it’s hard to
even put that kind of label on Sumney’s work. His debut
“Aromanticism” exists in a gauzy connective dimension that
touches on sweet soul, jazz, electronica, orchestral and folk
— kinda. Sumney never really lands on any of these labels,
but rather hints and swirls like a glittery mist just out of reach
presented in an exquisite falsetto, is the human anchor that
wraps the ethereal sounds of his imagination around a heart
trying to function alone in a culture that typically views such a
state as naturally unfulfilling and incomplete. “Aromanticism”
 MUSIC
Dismal year for pop yields several wildly creative sonic tapestries
is as stunning a collection of decidedly unromantic yet life-
affirming songs as you’re likely to ever hear.  songwriter, able to express poignancy while still tappin’ the
5. THE NATIONAL
‘SLEEP WELL BEAST’
Cerebral but also soul-baringly real, there are few bands
that tap so convincingly into the human experience as the
National. The wounded baritone of vocalist Matt Berninger
is often whispery and half-spoken, somewhat akin to Lou
Reed. There is no more wrenching and honest a periscope
directly into a soul’s internal monologue as the stream-of-
conscious “Walk it Back.” On the tense title-track, Berninger
croaks out in jaded melancholy but, as always, never allows
himself to break. Stripped down electronic-tinged rock
with plenty of space for the sounds to breathe, “Sleep Well
Beast” is the latest top-notch offering by a band that for all
their acclaim still flies under the radar. But then, given the
unflinching introspection of their music and the time and
repeated listens required to truly unravel it, they could
hardly fly any other way.  drunk on sound by the end.  anger riddled with a gnawing fear that perhaps things really
4. MARGO PRICE
‘ALL AMERICAN MADE’
Following her outstanding 2016 debut “Midwestern
Farmer’s Daughter,” Margo Price digs even deeper into
the heartland on “All American Made.” Although generally
defined as a country singer, Price incorporates a variety of
flavors into her gritty and deeply felt studies of life and love.
It’s not all weepy maudlin ballads, though, with rave-ups like
the opener “Don’t Say It” channeling the dynamic charm of
Dolly Parton with the steely-eyed vision of the great Lucinda
Williams. Price’s voice is fresh and disarming and there is
always more there than first meets the ear. “All American
Made” is loaded with piercing observations on modern
D E C EMB ER 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 • 1 9
By CHRIS GERARD
life despite its sometimes breezy nature. Price is a first-rate
toes when she feels like it.  1. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
3. THUNDERCAT
‘DRUNK’
Stephen Bruner aka Thundercat showcases his razor-sharp
wit, dextrous musical versatility and boundless imagination
on “Drunk,” his third and by far most accomplished release.
“Drunk” is a bracing marriage of hip-hop, jazz and electronic
elements expressed through song snippets with soulful
melodies sparked with sonic flourishes in every direction.
Some of his collaborators include A-listers with whom he’s
worked before (Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus and Kamasi
Washington to name a few) and some less expected names
(Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins). “Drunk” is bold but
not overbearing, colorful but dreamy and pleasantly chill.
It’s an epic 23-track midnight mix-tape cobbled together by
an intuitively talented artist that will indeed have the listener
2. ALGIERS
‘THE UNDERSIDE OF POWER’
It’s a tall order to follow a debut as good as Algiers’ self-
titled 2015 release, but their second album “The Underside
of Power” is a steamroller of human angst, raging against the
machine not in slogans or cliches but with viscerally gripping
and emotionally charged electro-rock assaults. Complex,
tense and defiantly in-your-face, Algiers doesn’t hold back
for a second. Fortunately they have the boundless talent and
innovation to present their dystopian visions with enough
manic energy to reach out of the speakers and physically
shake the listener into action. “The Underside of Power” is
audacious and experimental electronic rock that sounds
exactly like much of 2017 has felt. Now do something.  
‘AMERICAN DREAM’
“American Dream” is a very different album than Algiers’
but it sounds like 2017 as well, albeit different aspects
through a different prism. James Murphy had famously
retired LCD Soundsystem, concluding with an epic farewell
show turned into a box set, so his announcement of a return
was met with some degree of cynicism. “American Dream”
shows conclusively that Murphy made the right decision, as
it may be his finest work yet. 
Murphy operates via long electronic grooves that echo
the hypnotic rhythms of Talking Heads’ “Remain in Light”
while seamlessly appropriating from sources like alt-rock
and disco, among others. “American Dream” is a sharp
collection of sardonic pop, alternately melancholy and
defiant. Murphy presents a different kind of struggle: the
bubbling uncertainty that dominates our reality, the pent-up
are too late and the bad guys have won. 
Lest that sound like a misery we can achieve simply
by reading the day’s news, Murphy sets the percolating
unease to a consistently thrilling and inventive feast for
the ears, surprising and ingeniously constructed. Listening
to “American Dream” feels like waking up and wanting to
believe you are indeed reading fake news, but the pulsing
anxiety building in the pit of your stomach tells you that it’s
all very real. It’s no American dream at all. 
We are untethered in a strange land with no maps to find
our way, but hey, at least we can shuffle off into oblivion
jamming to funky airtight grooves that wrap around our
brains as tightly as Paul Ryan’s chokehold on the throats of
the 99 percent.
 20 • DECEM B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7
Page turners galore
‘Last to See Me,’ ‘The Trick’ among best novels of 2017
Trust me on this: when you read more than 300 books a
year, you come across some that are not so good.
Thankfully, you come across more of them that are good,
great, or even stellar. Here’s my list of the best of 2017,
those things that you absolutely can not miss, the books you
should want in your hands now, in no certain order.
FICTION:
Anyone who’s read the “Little House on the Prairie” books
and loved them will want to read “Caroline: Little House,
Revisited” by Sarah Miller. This book imagines the thoughts
and dreams of Laura Ingalls’ mother; the surprise is that
Miller lets Caroline Ingalls be frustrated, angry and real.
For those who need a good scare, “The Last to See Me”
by M Dressler is what you need. Narrated by a woman who’s
dead/not dead, it’s a cat-and-mouse tale of a “hunter” who
comes to rid an old mansion of a mischievous spirit. But
does he have the right spirit? Gotta find out for yourself.
Everything about “The Trick” by Emanuel Bergmann is
going to captivate you. Everything. It’s the story of an old
man who lived a full, tumultuous, dangerous life; and a little
boy who’s losing what he loves best and decides to trust the
most unlikely person to fix it. It’s about love, most of all, but
it’s not sappy — it’s funny and charming and you can’t miss it.
By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Here’s another chiller, but for a different reason: “When
the English Fall” by David Williams. It’s the story of the
end of the world, told from the point-of-view of a quiet,
introspective Amish man. It’s one of those “what if?” novels,
with a slight twist of the weird. The ending will leave you
squirming, so what’s not to love?
And finally — a Christmas tale that can be read any time:
“The Deal of a Lifetime” by Frederick Backman is the story
of a man who hates Christmas because of all the horrible
things that have happened in his life. What would he give
to make the holiday better? Read this under-70-page book
but bring the tissues. That is all.
Bonus: “One Good Mama Bone” by Bren McClain and
“The Ada Decades” by Paula Martinac were close runners-
up. The first is about a mother’s love; the second is a look
at history through the eyes of two lesbian women. Both are
worth a second look.
NON-FICTION:
Have you ever wondered where your feet have been? That
may be an odd question, until you’ve read “The Ground Beneath
Us” by Paul Bogard. Indeed, this book is about dirt but that’s not
all: you’ll read what that dirt consists of, what else is down there,
how scientists find fossils and remains, what keeps our ground
BOOKS
stable (or doesn’t) and what comes from what’s below.
There never seems to be an end to the ubiquitous
Hollywood biography, but “Hank & Jim: the Fifty-Year
Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart” by Scott
Eyman is a keeper. It’s warm and funny, but also very sad and
poignant. This book will give you lots of insight, not only to
these two stars and their families, but also how Hollywood
used to work back in its heyday.
For the reader who loves a cheer-worthy story, “Never
Caught” by Erica Armstrong Dumbar is the story of Oney,
who was owned by George Washington. Through a series
of laws, Washington tried to keep her enslaved but she was
smarter than he thought. Not only did she escape, but she
stayed free right beneath his nose. It’s a tale that will make
you outraged, but it’ll also amaze you.
Here’s a surprise: “Scores” by Michael D. Blutrich. It’s the
true story of a gay man who ran his New York City nightclub
with help from the Italian mafia. When he was arrested
for something totally unrelated, he decided to work with
authorities to shut the mob down. Just a little bit dangerous?
Yep, and a rompish can’t-miss, too.
Another pleasant surprise was “The Long Haul” by Finn
Murphy. It’s a slice-of-life look at over-the-road trucking,
including some of those kinds of stories you’d ask a trucker,
if you could. For the curious, it’s a must-have.
 Honda of Hollywood
The customer is always the star!
Honda of Hollywood has new management and a whole new attitude.
That means big savings for you! We’ve got a huge inventory so we
can give your family the best deals, like this brand new 2017 Honda Civic.

2017 Honda Civic

You will get a great deal and have an amazing experience!

We’re your number one Honda dealer in customer satisfaction.

6511 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038 | 323-466-3247 | hondaofhollywood.com

 22 • DECEM B E R 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 CA L EN DA R
Happy 2018 everyone
Image courtesy Faultline
Dec 30
Drag Queen Story Hour, DEC. 30th @11:00 AM to 12:00
PM at the West Hollywood Library (Community Meeting Room
– 625 N. San Vicente Blvd). Come join Friday Laye from Chico’s
Angels for a special New Year’s/Holiday Drag Queen Story Hour.
For children of ALL ages! No registration necessary. Go to
WeHo Arts program (www.weho/org/arts) for more information.
Dec 31
Dita Von Teese’s New Year’s Eve Gala Show, DEC. 31st
(The Theatre at Ace Hotel – 929 S Broadway). Ring in the
New Year with Dita Von Teese and friends for a glittering
Gala show at the historic Theatre at the Ace. Be amazed by
this two hour variety show of Dita’s famed haute couture and
Swarovski drenched costumes galore. Dress code: High
Glamour/Black Tie. Doors open at 9am. Tickets $49.50 -
$225 through theatre.acehotel.com
“Drag Me To 2018” New Years Eve Disco Gala, DEC.
31st @ 9:00 PM presented by The Saguaro Palm Springs
(1800 E Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs). Don’t miss this
one of kind evening soiree hosted by Miss Rusty Waters
filled with comedy, plenty of dancing and a few surprises!
Tickets from $35 available on Eventbrite.
NYE Aboard the Queen Mary, DEC. 31st (The Queen Mary
– Long Beach). Come celebrate as you ring in 2018 and enjoy
one of the largest fireworks show in Southern California! Kick
off the evening with Las Vegas Showgirls and dance all night to
a variety of live music and DJ favorites. Doors open at 8:00pm.
Get your tickets online before this event is sold out!
#BOOM! Alcohol and Drug-Free New Year’s Event,
DEC. 31st @8:00PM (West Hollywood Park Auditorium –
647 N. San Vicente Blvd). #BOOM! is West Hollywood’s
premiere alcohol and drug-free New Year’s Eve event
celebration complete with DJ, dancing, food, photo booth,
and a midnight balloon drop! Admission is free. You must
be 18 years or over to enter. Capacity is limited, to RSVP visit
boom2017rsvp.eventbrite.com. For additional information
contact Robert Gamboa at (323) 212-5352.
DTLgAy New Years Bash 2018, DEC. 31st @ 9:00 PM
to 2:00 AM at Precinct DTLA (357 S. Broadway). Count
down to 2018 with music, dancing, and entertainment
performances Hosted by Pinche Queen No cover, early
arrival encouraged!
New Queers Eve, DEC. 31st @ 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM at The
Globe Theatre (740 S Broadway). Join in on the fun as the
Boulet Brothers host an evening of spectacle, music and a
massive midnight confetti explosion not to be missed!! No
Cover, entry on a first come first serve basis.
Jan 1
New Year…Who Dis? First Party of 2018!, JAN. 1st @
2:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Faultline (4216 Melrose Avenue).
Kick off the new year with DJ’s Von Kiss & Angie Vee for a
THROWBACK Party on they spin all your favorite hip hop,
dancehall and freestyle tunes.
Jan 3
Outfest WeHo: New Year’s Open Mic, JAN. 3rd @ 7:30
PM (West Hollywood Library - Council Chambers 625 N. San
Vicente Blvd). Start your new year performer dreams off
with a bang with Outfest alumni, LGBT performers, and open
mic rookies like YOU! Join Master of Ceremonies Actor and
Comedian D’Lo for an evening of uncensored, unapologetic,
and empowered entertainment. Sign up for a 3-minute
slot by emailing programming@outfest.org. For more info
contact Kerri Stoughton-Jackson Kerri@outfest.org.
Jan 11
Family Equality Council Mixer at Netflix, JAN. 11th @
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Netflix – 1455 N Van Ness Ave). Join
Family Equality Council CEO Stan Sloan for an evening
of food, drink and mingling to meet new members of the
community. The Family Equality Council’s mission is to
ensure legal and lived equality for LGBTQ families, and for
those who wish to form them, through building community,
changing hearts and minds, and driving policy change.
Tickets are free and available through Eventbrite.
Jan. 13
West Hollywood’s Lesbian Speakers Series – Short
Film Series, JAN. 13th @ 7 PM (West Hollywood Library –
Council Chambers 625 N. San Vicente Blvd). In conjunction
with WeHo Arts, the Los Angeles LGBT Center Audre Lorde
Health Program and the Mazer Lesbian Archives present
a short film series with post-panel discussion afterwards.
Free Event & Free Validated Parking!
 California’s exclusively LGBTQ treatment center
LGBTQ people are nearly 30% more likely
than members of the general population to suffer from addiction.

The LGBTQ population are 60% more likely to relapse

following addiction treatment in traditional recovery programs.

The same trauma that the LGBTQ community faces in everyday life - the trauma that lurks beneath
the addiction - is replicated in traditional treatment because traditional treatment is
a microcosm of the world at large.

LGBTQ-specific treatment transforms the dangerous environment clients face every day and gives them
the safety to work through their shame and create connections and community.

That’s why we need LGBTQ-specific treatment, not only for drug/alcohol addiction,
but for all substance and behavior addictions.

At Pride Recovery Los Angeles, we’re here to address shame and build pride.

Addiction Treatment for our LGBTQ Community. Covered by most insurance programs
844.303.1551 | West Hollywood

PRIDE IN SELF. PRIDE IN SOBRIETY. PRIDE IN COMMUNITY.

 NEW YE AR
NEW HOME New solar-powered homes – built where you want to live!

From the mid Solar-panel

$400,000s. system included.

Vibrant neighborhood
Low HOAs
close to Downtown LA.
No Mello Roos.
Easy access to Orange County.

Visit ElMonteNewHomes.com | Call 949.330.3774

Now selling — Ask about our move-in ready homes!

GLENDORA - FOOTHILL COLLECTION Final 7 Homes | LiveGreenGlendora.com | 213.294.0169 MONTEBELLO COLLECTION – SOUTH Final 9 Homes | LiveInMontebello.com | 323.530.0151

WEST COVINA – CITRUS COLLECTION Now Selling Models | NewHomesWestCovina.com | 626.727.6400 LA VERNE – EMERALD New Year Sales Event! | LiveLaVerne.com | 909.392.6001

SANTA ANA – HARBORSIDE Customize Your Homes | NewHomesSantaAna.com | 714.673.0738 Brokers Welcome

All renderings, floor plans, and maps are artist’s concepts and are not intended to be an actual depiction of the buildings, fencing, walkways, driveways or landscaping. Walls, windows, porches and decks vary per elevation and lot location. In a continuing effort to meet consumer
expectations, City Ventures reserves the right to modify prices, floor plans, specifications, and amenities without notice or obligation. Square footages shown are approximate. Please see your Sales Manager for details. ©2017 City Ventures. All rights reserved. BRE LIC #01877626.