Proud Times November Issue #17: Jack Lucas

Inside

BUSINESS NON-PROFIT ARTIST & ENTERTAINMENT

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Happy Holidays! It is officially the season - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and many more are right around the corner! Whatever you celebrate we want to extend our fondest wishes to you and yours! We are excited to bring you this month’s issue, there’s a lot in store in the pages ahead! This month we are proud to introduce Jack Lucas from WestCoast Entertainment as our cover story. We will also bring you interviews with musician, Curtis Brad, the creators of West 40’s, looks at local businesses in Portland, Oregon, online show reviews if you’re looking to binge-watch some strong lesbian leads, and so much more! Proud Times recently released a special issue for The Queens Project - you can check it out now on our website! With the holiday’s beginning this month we decided that in place of our LGBTQ letter section featuring one letter, we will focus on a subject that involves all of us: loneliness. We would not be able to continue this magazine without your continued support, we are so grateful for you, our readers, and our collaborators as well. A special thanks to our newest writers, Sebastian Fortino, Mic R. Phone, and Katrina Hofer. Happy Holidays! Victoria Smartt Managing Editor

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BUSINESS NON-PROFIT ARTIST & ENTERTAINMENT

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page 6

An Interview with Miguel Cobian of Cobian Consulting

page 10

Cameron Whitten: The Q Center

page 16

Interview with Artist Paul Richmond

page 32

My Summer as a Goth

page 38

To Have and Have Not

page 44

BJ Gruber

page 56

Lesbian Lineup

page 62

West 40s

page 78

Jack Lucas, WestCoast Entertainment

page 88

Rogue Safari

page 96

Seven Cake Candy

page 102

Curtis Braly

page 110

Jake Shears

page 118

Portland Update

page 123

LGBTQ Letters of Love

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An Interview with

Miguel Cobian of Cobian Consulting By Sebastian Fortino

In the first installment of ProudTimes Business Profiles, we’re profiling Miguel Cobian, of Cobian Consulting. We’d like this to be a series celebrating local business leaders. If you are an LGBTQ+ entrepreneur or ally in the Portland area or the Pacific Northwest, please contact sebastian@proudtimes.com and we’ll see what we can do for you.

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Miguel Cobian of Cobian Consulting is a leader in marketing and public relations. He grew up in Salem and has made his home in Portland for almost a decade. Miguel is always busy, it seems, and we are lucky he had time to be interviewed. He was recruited by Apple while still in college and he likes to bring “big-brand ideas and philosophies to smaller businesses,” in what he says has been a successful strategy.

ProudTimes: I know you’re in public relations. How would you best like to describe yourself professionally? Miguel Cobian: I’ve had my own PR and Communications company for three years. I went to school for Marketing but never really got the hang of it until I worked for Apple for five years, there I learned all about branding, communications, aesthetics, visuals, etc. I would say my business style is easy going— yet at times corporate. I’m a gemini, and I like to bring big-brand ideas and philosophies to small businesses, which has been a successful strategy. PT: What have been your greatest successes as a person of business in Portland? MC: Staying in business! It’s not easy being a single-owner small business—especially in this town and especially with more and more small business owners trying to do their own marketing and communications in-house. I think our success story is being able to go to a business and show them what they’re doing, how it could be streamlined, and helping them grow. PT: Any collaborations which have not been successful? MC: We don’t name clients that we’ve cancelled or have cancel with us, but we did try working with a local publication that was unsuccessful…

MC: Yeah, guess we won’t do anymore print or online publication stuff. PT: How do you combat or deal with any misconceptions the public may have about you? Mainly your age, as a young entrepreneur? MC: Well some people think I’m older than I look—a lady never tells her age—but I have come to realize that sometimes people go “who’s this kid trying to tell us what to do?” or “why is he here?” I let our strategies and contributions do the talking. PT: That being said, how have you overcome any misconceptions about working with a young entrepreneur? How long ago did you start the business? Is there anyone in the community who you credit as a mentor? MC: I think with a lot of millennial business owners, especilally those who are LGBTQ, who like to dress well and travel a lot, some people might think that we’re doing this “on the side”, “as a hobby,” we’re “not legitimate” or that we don’t need a job—that’s not accurate. We have to hustle for what we do, go to a lot of events to meet people, etc., and more. One of my early-on mentors, Terry Bean said once, “I only work on and invest on what I know”. So why would I go work at some other job that I’m not passionate about? I like to get people’s message out— and helping their businesses be successful—that’s why I started CobianConsulting.com, here in Portland.

PT: That’s sad to hear.

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PT: I know you are active with the Human Rights Campaign and are on the Board of Governors for HRC. How did you become involved with them? MC: Back when I was working with Apple, Terry Bean, the co-founder of HRC asked me “Do you want to work for the President’s re-election campaign?” That’s a question you don’t get to hear very often so I said YES. After Obama won—and I had left Apple—I got involved with planning HRC’s local annual gala. After many successful years I got asked to join the Board of Governors, which represent 33 cities and communities across the United States. PT: Any guess as to how much time you devote to HRC and how much time you devote to Cobian Consulting? MC: Oh Lord. I would say currently, 50/50. We have so much work to do in the political sphere— and it’s all volunteer work. We pay our own travel to DC a couple times a year and of course are asked to donate and fundraise. If I devoted more time to my business I guess I’d be richer! But I love the volunteer work we do. PT: By the time this goes to print, the Mid-term Elections will already have been decided. What part of your experience as a member of the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities informs both your professional and HRC work? What are you most looking forward to with the election? What are you most nervous about? MC: During these mid-terms, we want the real

America to speak out. By this I mean millennials, muslims, men, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, the elderly, christians, atheists, etc. When we speak, we get represented. I hope that Oregon speaks and we re-elect our Democratic Governor Kate Brown. I hope that we win back the House and the Senate and make our President accountable. I hope that we pass the Equality Act and the Dream Act. My fear is that the GOP keeps their hold on both chambers and things continue like they have the past two years. If Knute wins the Oregon race, well my little beach house in Puerto Vallarta will look just a bit nicer. PT: With so much going on as an entrepreneur and a professional do you ever see yourself running for office in Portland or in the State of Oregon? MC: Not currently—I’d like to develop Cobian Consulting more. PT: I just learned the owner of Nike tossed a million dollars to the Knute campaign--despite Nike standing with Kapernick. How do you think, in a liberal, largely Democratic city like Portland, many employed by Nike, this speaks to values that locals hold. MC: Well one person can’t speak for the community. Phil Knight may be Chairman Emeritus of Nike, but Nike and its employees stand with Kate Brown and most of the Democratic party. Knight has put over $4M into our State race. That’s just crazy to me. What did

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Knute promise him?! PT: As we approach the holidays, and the New Year, are there any projects you’re excited about for 2019? MC: There’s a West Coast Real Estate development company we just quietly launched this year — I’m excited to make them public and start promoting them throughout Oregon and California. They build some stunning homes. PT: Anything else you’d care to add? MC: Yes! The Human Rights Campaign will host their annual Summer Gala in the Lewis & Clark Estate Gardens in July 2019. Anyone that wants to get involved and help plan or sponsor this event, can contact me! Make sure to follow Miguel Cobian on his Instagram, @mcobian, and on Twitter at @ cobianconsult his website or email him events@cobianconsulting.com. Please reach out to sebastian@proudtimes.com with anyone else you think should be profiled as a local or regional business person.

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By Sebastian Fortino

An Interview with Cameron Whitten, Interim Director, the Q Center In this series ProudTimes will interview local non-profit leaders, who offer services to the LGBTQ+ community in the Portland area and PNW region. If you are a non-profit leader, or know a non-profit leader who should be interviewed, please reach out to sebastian@proudtimes.com your Portland Correspondent for ProudTimes.

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Cameron Whitten was recently named the Interim Director for the Q Center, here in Portland. It’s the largest agency of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. As we approach the holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving this month, we asked Whitten about what he was most thankful for as a member of the community. His response was clear: he is most thankful for the supportive community here in Portland. ProudTimes: I recently learned you’ve been named Interim Director at the Q Center. How long have you been involved with the organization, and what made you wish to be involved? How did you come to fill the role? Cameron Whitten: I came to this role after working for the City of Portland, and my employer did not live up to the expectations of equity and inclusion that matter a lot to me in a workplace. I’m thrilled to be working with an organization that is truly advocating for some of our most marginalized community members. Q Center is the largest LGBTQ+ community center in the Pacific Northwest. They serve as a catalyst for culturally-specific services, life-saving peer groups, event and community office spaces, and collective queer empowerment.

PT: What special projects do you have going on, or would you like to build, based on your own initiatives and interests in your new role? CM: Oh wow, we have a lot going on! We’re working on a monthly Q Social program, launching a new Queer & Trans People of Color (QTPOC) leadership collaborative, and beautification of our art gallery and auditorium spaces. So much to be involved in, and it’s all driven by community! PT: Portland has long had issues with diversity based on race and ethnicity. I know the Q Center does everything it can to be inclusive. What can the LGBTQ+ community here do to make sure

What I love most about the Q Center: there is no other organization in Portland that intimately understands the power of resilience like the Q Center. Our most vulnerable communities have always struggled for the right to exist, and Q Center has fought for those communities for over 15 years – with all the heart, talent, and collaboration they can muster. This is an incredible opportunity to leverage my lived and professional experience to support a place of healing for our LGBTQ2SIA+ community. I can’t wait for the endless nonprofit adventures that are on the horizon.

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their events, programs, and issues foster further tolerance in the Rose City? How does the Q Center address these issues? CW: We, and by we I mean the entire City of Portland, need to support Black, Brown, and Indigenous queer and trans people being given the space to organize culturally specific programming. My own professional history dates back years of racial justice organizing and centering transformational equity practices within nonprofit institutions. While this work is a challenge, I have nothing but confidence in Q Center’s ability to advance racial justice. PT: I have asked this of people in the community before, but it’s fitting to ask you: We as a community felt so safe and protected under the Obama administration that some people perhaps

felt being vocal was no longer necessary. What advice do you have to anyone who wishes-perhaps for the first time ever--to become a vocal, out, LGBTQ+ person in resistance to the current administration? CW: We need you. No movement is ever successful without people power. While we are facing challenging, painful times as a country – I believe strongly in LGBTQ+ people and their ability to be resilient. PT: Going back to the above: we sort of live in a liberal bubble out here. Do you--like many others I speak with--feel this is as much as a hindrance to our community as it is a benefit? CW: Over the past decade, the Portland metro region has received an international reputation as an inclusive, progressive place. Because of its progressive reputation and LGBTQIA+ inclusive health care, Portland has become a mecca for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Despite our reputation, the struggle against homophobia and transphobia is real in Portland, and we have seen a steady increase in the number of calls from people new to the region looking to connect with community and seeking welcoming and affirming services and programs. PT: We’re approaching the holiday season. What

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upcoming events is the Q Center promoting for holiday 2018? CW: Q Center is celebrating 15 years of building community at the annual SHINE gala on December 9th. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be there recognizing our founders, and singing as part of Q Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

longest running program, Cabaret with a Q. Additionally, we have a holiday market coming up, featuring local LGBTQ+ vendors. PT: For the 2018 calendar year, can you say what has been the most important event which your organization has been involved in?

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CW: In the last ten years, LGBTQIA+ rights were expanded at multiple levels of our society--only to have the promise of lived equality ripped away from our most vulnerable community members. In response to these troubling times, this year Q Center worked in collaboration with Portland United Against Hate (PUAH) as the LGBTQ+ related response coordinator. We expanded our information and referral program for LGBTQ+ community members affected by hate. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve organized trainings for all PUAH community partners on queer and trans competency, hate reporting, serving youth, and a training for youth to report and respond to hate incidents. Our goal is to build this platform for community members to call and email into, and in response community responders will activate care networks, involving service providers and community relationships to provide direct aid to impacted communities. PT: Going forward, into 2019, what is Q Center most excited about? CW: Because of the hate and divisive language that dominates our national conversation, queer people, trans people, poor people, and people of color in Portland face violence and discrimination every day. Our communities need and deserve a presence that acts as a catalyst for community, healing, and justice. Q Center is committed to being that place. Since 2003, Q has served as a safer space for community members and organizations and has provided resources that foster mutual recognition, belonging, and resiliency. Last year, Q Center received 20,000 visits for our services and affirming environment. 2019 will be a year of opportunity for Q Center. We have ambitious plans to create and sustain community programming that increases the RESILIENCE of our diverse LGBTQ2SIA+ community.

Visit the Q Center website to learn more about the work the center does, and about their upcoming December 9th Shine Brunch. Once again, if you have any local or regional nonprofits who support the community in the region contact sebastian@proudtimes.com your Portland Correspondent for ProudTimes.

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When you hear the word artist what comes to mind? A person who creates things no one in their right mind would think to try? A person who performs in front of an audience? Or do you think of someone who draws, paints, or sculpts? With Paul you cannot categorize him in any of those. He is one of the few artists in the world that is all that and more because he takes his creativity and not only puts paint to canvas, but takes his passion to create and to help to the farthest reaches of his mind and makes it happen.

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Let’s Start out with the nuts and bolts of Paul Richmond. You are a phenomenal artist and outspoken activist, tell us what part of you feeds the other? How does your art side help your activism? Does your activism show itself in your work? It took me a while to think of myself as an activist. I have friends who lead protests with bull-horns. I joined them as often as I could but I never felt like I was using my voice enough. About ten years ago, I started incorporating more sociopolitical themes in my artwork - sometimes in a very obvious way like my paintings “Noah’s Gay Wedding Cruise” and “I Won’t Tell If You Won’t.” I saw the images spark conversations both in person and online. Some people had a very negative response. The Westboro Baptist Church sent nasty tweets after one of my paintings appeared on Huffington Post, and I wore that as a badge of honor. I realized that making paintings is one of the most meaningful ways I can contribute to the national dialogue on these issues. Representing a concept visually communicates it in a different way than talking about it. Once I realized that, the roles of artist and activist became inseparable in my mind. As an artist and a reproducer of art in the Inland Northwest area I have seen a lot of art, but yours stands out, I mean really stands out. The colors, the emotion and the story that is so strong in each painting what was your inspiration that led you on the creative path to this wonderful technique? I’ve always loved “making pictures.” That’s what I called it when I was three years old cranking out two hundred drawings a morning on scrap computer paper before my parents woke up.

I’m not sure where that motivation came from. Neither of my parents were artistically inclined. But I’m incredibly fortunate that they were supportive and found a local painter named Linda Regula who took me under her wing. She had me oil painting before my fourth birthday! Walking into her studio and seeing the vibrant paintings displayed from floor to ceiling was like being transported to Oz. I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Many of her paintings were inspired by her difficult childhood and life experiences. I saw her grappling with themes of poverty, abuse, and other issues that adversely affect women. Being exposed to work like that at a young age was profoundly important in my development as an artist. It’s similar to kids who are taught a second language. At that age, you’re like a sponge soaking in everything. Painting became my second language, and I wanted to grow up and make paintings that had something to say just like my role model. Watching your painting videos is mesmerizing and relaxing. Each painting I have seen you paint is like a journey. It is hard to make out what is just over the horizon, but as you move toward your goal the shapes and colors combine and become more clear, then as an explosion of clarity it is all revealed. Tell us more about your use of color, surrealism and the pop of realism that ties it all together? I think it’s important that we keep challenging ourselves to try new things and go outside our comfort zones. At first, I painted in a highlyrendered, realistic style. But I was fascinated by artists whose brushstrokes were thick and evocative and whose color choices owed more to concept than literal representation. So I did a series called War Paint where I coated WANDER by Paul Richmond

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models with paint that felt representative of their emotional state, and then I painted them on canvas using thick, impasto strokes often applied with a palette knife. It was so freeing! As the series went along, I relied less on physical paint applied to the modelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skin. Instead, I started breaking apart the painted figure into shapes and patterns - deconstructing it in order to reach a deeper understanding. I wanted to say more about the person than just capturing their surface appearance. And that motivation continues to be the driving force behind my painting process today. My new series, Promiseland, depicts

figures who are heading toward or walking away from an imaginary amusement park. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s symbolic of different things in each painting and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also very abstract. The figures themselves are mostly realistic, but they dissolve into vibrant, fragmented backgrounds that swirl with energetic brushstrokes and prismatic colors. The figure is the entry point into the composition for viewers someone they can identify with who invites them to roam around and explore the more abstract, conceptual elements of the environments they inhabit.

DEPARTURE by Paul Richmond

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As most artists you paint with a subject in mind I know I do, but what is your creative process before you paint? For example I am a graphic designer and most of my paintings stem from two areas: (1) I graphically create my master to paint from either from nothing to a bunch of shape and shades to taking 2 to 20 images I have seen or like and take bits an pieces shape them into what I am envisioning then put them all together to create my master design then paint from that. (2) Because I reproduce art for a living for several hundred artists I sometimes run across something that scanning or photography just cannot reproduce, so I learn the technique and create paintings from that technique and deconstruct how paint and a painter creates and try to build a formula for the camera or scanner to recreate a strong recreation. My process starts with a digital sketch. I do a lot of graphic design and digital illustration work, so Photoshop is the easiest tool for me to combine elements and figure out compositions for my paintings. As often as possible, I photograph models myself. Friends and family often get recruited. I’ve also run across photos friends post online and asked them if I could use them in paintings. The digital sketch is just a starting point. I never hold myself too firmly to that. When I’m ready to start painting, I do an abstract base coat on the canvas to get rid of all the white. I like to do this kind of thick so it creates a texture that I can respond to as I build up additional layers. My favorite medium is oil because of how each layer interacts with those beneath it. I always have several paintings going at once so I can go from one to the other while new layers dry.

Lets go beyond art and talk about what Dreamspinner Press is to you? Dreamspinner Press is an independent publisher of gay fiction. I’ve been doing cover illustrations and design for them for nine years, and I’ve created over 400 book covers in that time. It’s an amazing company run by a small, tight-knit group of friends who started in 2007 because the majority of stories about gay characters that were being published at that time ended in tragedy - murder, sickness, etc. They thought we should have happy endings too, and that’s how Dreamspinner was born. It’s grown astronomically since then, filling a need for readers of all ages and demographics. We translate our books into multiple languages and many are made into audio books as well. We’re also seeing them incorporated into mainstream bookshelves now which is an exciting and long overdue development. I love working with Dreamspinner, and last year they published my

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first coloring book - a cheeky collection of male pinups called Cheesecake Boys that struck a chord with coloring enthusiasts around the world. Describe Harmony Ink Press to our readers? Harmony Ink is an imprint of Dreamspinner focused specifically on positive LGBTQ+ teen and new adult fiction. I can’t imagine how different my life might have been had I come across books like these when I was growing up. There were no characters in the books I was exposed to in my midwestern, Catholic upbringing that I could come close to relating to. It’s important to us that Harmony Ink books make it onto the shelves of libraries and school collections everywhere so that young queer people can see themselves represented in literature. You Will Rise Project is a wonderful project, tell us why this was started?

I experienced a lot of bullying growing up. As I mentioned I am from the midwest - Ohio - and attended Catholic school. I didn’t know what gay meant when I was in middle school but I knew that I was different. The other kids picked up on that too, and they made my life pretty miserable. I was still taking art classes with Linda once a week and when I told her about what was going on, she encouraged me to make paintings about it. Pouring all those feelings into a creative outlet made a tremendous difference for me. Seven years ago, I was reading a lot of stories in the news about young people committing suicide because of bullying. I realized that art had prevented me from becoming one of those statistics. Linda and I formed the You Will Rise Project in order to help other young people find their creative voices. We started the project as a website - youwillriseproject.com - publishing creative works by young people that address their experiences with bullying. There’s no censorship and all forms of art are welcome -

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visual, writing, performance, video, etc. The project took off, and we started doing workshops and exhibits with groups of young people around the same theme. The transformations that we witness in these incredible young people have been some of the most inspiring moments of my life. Kids who had attempted suicide multiple times, some who had dropped out of school, come into our workshops (reluctantly at first, because social situations can be terrifying for them) and discover that they have a voice. I’m so grateful for the privilege of working with these amazing young artists and paying forward some of the lessons I was fortunate enough to receive at their age. As an artist and activist do you ever think that your activism could affect your career as an international artist or do you feel it strengthens it? I’ve had various people in the art world suggest to me over the years that my work could have more “mainstream appeal” if I toned some of that down a notch. But I didn’t decide to do this when I was four years old because I wanted to be some kind of international artist. I just wanted to “make pictures” about the things that were important to me. So I try not to worry about the could-haves and instead focus on being as genuine as I can with my work. Anyone who would be turned off from collecting my paintings because of my queer political outspokenness isn’t someone who I want to own my work anyway.

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There is always a story behind all those who fight for what they believe in, what is your story and what can others do to help? My story is big and colorful and complicated and crazy - probably a lot like everyone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s - and I believe that we should all be allowed to live out our truths and be our authentic selves without the pressure to try and conform to antiquated societal expectations. I spent the first part of my life hating who I was and trying desperately to squeeze into a mold that was never going to work for me. What a waste of time! Diversity is the most wonderful thing we have going for us, yet too many political and religious leaders have twisted it into something people think they need

to fear. I think the best thing we can all do is to try and appreciate whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wonderful about the people around us rather than trying to categorize everyone and judge them by made-up standards. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the reasons I love painting figures, because each piece gives me a little window into the world of someone whose life is totally different from mine, whether it be their ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. Yet through the process of painting them, I can celebrate the qualities that make them unique while finding the spark of common humanity that we share. You have combined who you are with your art and activism and created works and projects that

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break down the boundaries of discrimination. What words of wisdom would you give those who do not know how to express themselves in a unique and creative way to do the same? I teach community art classes and many of my students are adults who haven’t drawn or painted before. They often come into class on the first night feeling apprehensive because most adults get conditioned to think that everything they do has to be perfect. Some have wanted to take an art class for years but couldn’t work up the nerve. Some even wanted to be artists when they were growing up but were discouraged by family members who thought they should do something more practical. My advice for everyone is the same: I can teach anyone to draw and paint if you’re willing to spend time practicing and if you stay open to what I show you. What I can’t do is make you love it. That’s the part that comes from inside of you. Everyone can tap into their creative side if they have the desire and patience. The best thing you can do is reconnect with your inner child - the one who likely wasn’t afraid to pick up some crayons and scribble on a piece of paper or run around the house singing at the top of your lungs. That child was fearless, and you can be too. One of my studio-mates told me an awesome story recently. She has a young daughter who loves to make art. One day, she was telling her daughter about an adult who wanted to take an art class to learn how to draw, and her daughter responded, “Why? Did she forget how?”

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GREAT UNKNOWN by Paul Richmond Paul http://paulrichmondstudio.com Dreamspinner http://dreamspinnerpress.com Harmony http://harmonyinkpress.com You Will Rise Project http://youwillriseproject.com Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYvPS82Oa3pYLtlzSNcmuKw

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ProudTimes at the Movies:

An Interview with Filmmaker Tara Johnson By Sebastian Fortino

In ProudTimes at the Movies we’ll be bringing you discussions with local filmmakers who create in the Pacific Northwest. I was lucky enough to see My Summer as a Goth at the NW Film Center, on Halloween night seated with local electro-pop band Seven Cake Candy who appeared as extras in an especially crepuscular scene in the movie. This film is touching, witty, and yes...Gothic. Whether you were a Goth, or like me couldn’t imagine wearing all black in 90 degree heat, this is a delightful film. In terms of LGBT characters featured in the film: one of Portland’s most iconic drag performers, Poison Waters, has a delightful cameo hosting drag queen bingo. And, while there is a character who comes out as gay, this film is about accepting “otherness” so there’s no shock, loss of friends, or bullying. How refreshing! We spoke with Tara Johnson-Medinger, an Oregon native, and the filmmaker of My Summer As a Goth. Here’s an intro taken from her bio: Tara is the Executive Director of The Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival & the POWGirls Education Program. She served on the founding board for WIF-PDX & was awarded the 2013 Service & Inspiration Award by the Oregon Media Production Association. Before moving to Portland, she was a manager of affiliate promotion at the FOX Broadcasting Company in Los Angeles. Through her production work & POWFest, Tara wants to promote and create new opportunities for women filmmakers. ProudTimes: How long have you been making films in Portland?

Tara Johnson-Medinger: I have been in the film and television industry for the past 25 years. I got my start at a television station in Eugene, Oregon after I finished film school. I landed in LA in 1996, wound my way through network television and eventually to film producing. I have produced many independent short and feature films in LA and in Portland. I have been back in Portland the last 17 years and have established myself as an independent producer, and now director, with My Summer as a Goth being my directorial debut. PT: You said the story came to you after learning about a friend’s dream. Could you elaborate on that? TJM: Back in 2009 my best friend from high school, Brandon Lee Roberts, handed me a

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n-Medinger

Photos ÂŠ My Summer as a Goth 33

script that he wrote and said it was inspired by a dream he had about a mutual friend from high school. They were hanging at her house and she said they needed to be really quiet to not wake up her parents because they were vampires. He woke up laughing, because she said, “Imagine their disappointment when they find out I’m only a goth.” That is now a line in the film. Since then, the script has taken many twists and turns and over the years Brandon and I have developed it to incorporate many of the stories from our teenage misadventures growing up in Salem, Oregon. It is a nod to the time we spent hanging out downtown with fellow Wearers of Black (WOBs), drinking endless cups of coffee, chainsmoking cloves, and walking the mall. We say that this movie is a love letter to those kids -- all grown up now, but nostalgic for their glorious misspent youth, and for the youth today that are still hanging out in coffee shops and insisting on wearing all black in 90 degree summer weather. PT: Films recalling the great (or not so great) teen films from the 80s & 90s are en vogue. Love, Simon comes to mind which some people have compared to Clueless. Do you think you were going for that vibe in “My Summer as a Goth,” or were you simply trying to capture teenage angst?

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TJM: We were definitely inspired by the coming-of-age films of the 80s -- John Hughes classics like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink that were a huge part of our own youth. We wanted to freshen up this story and make it relevant for teens today. There is a lot of teen-oriented media out there that overglamorizes the youth experience, and we wanted to show real teenagers going through real sadness and transition in a rather simple way vs. making it fantastical. It was definitely interesting editing this film during the rise of the #MeToo movement and evaluating some of the story lines that needed to be addressed in a more sensitive way. PT: Joey, your main character, seems to make changes in her lifestyle to capture a boy. But, in the end Victor proves not to be the ideal catch. In going back to her two friends, Cob & Pen, were you trying to show audiences that modern girls don’t need to be completed by a boyfriend or girlfriend? TJM: Yes. It’s a pretty universal experience to be swept up by someone in your life who places so much attention on you and pulls you into a world that is fascinating and intriguing but completely different from what you’re used to. In tandem with Joey being swept up and falling for Victor, and physically transforming into a Goth, it gives her an opportunity to put her sadness about her father’s death aside temporarily and brings a lot of joy into her life. But our story is ultimately about a metamorphosis. Joey’s heart does get bruised, but she’s also given the opportunity to come through with a lot of strength and ultimately confronts Victor, thus retaining her power and the knowledge that she doesn’t have to have a boyfriend to complete herself. Once Joey lands in this new place, she is also able to develop a new relationship with her mother and friends, and deal with the grief surrounding the death of her father.

Photos © My Summer as a Goth

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PT: The film was done over a period of two years. How did you make that happen? TJM: We were able to film a week of production in 2016 but soon realized that we were going to run out of money. So I put a pause on production and spent the next year raising more money to get the production back off the ground. In 2017 we completed production. Fortunately, all of the cast was available and willing to come back, but it was certainly a huge task for me, in terms of continuity. I was super-dedicated to completing this film, so I did everything in my power to make it happen. I received a ton of support to keep it going. Not all independent films have the same outcome and we were one of the lucky ones. PT: How did you source the local teenage actors? The local interiors? TJM: Brandon and I took an early version of the script into a local teen acting class and asked for the students to give us a cold read of the script. We really wanted an authentic reaction from our core audience base. We had a lot of fun and the actors tossed around the roles throughout the evening, laughing and providing feedback about what they liked and didn’t like in the story. The following week we held an audition with the same group of kids and ended up casting Natalie Shershow as Joey and Jenny White as Molly (who later was re-cast as Pen). The talent and commitment from both of those young women was tremendous, and we spent almost a year working with them prior to holding additional casting sessions with many local Portland talent. Ultimately we ended up casting eight actors from that original acting class. In terms of the interiors, the saying is true: “It takes a village…” Many of the houses that we filmed in were owned by friends of mine, who graciously and trustingly opened their homes for us to film in. A lot of the set dressing was already there, and we just added to it to build our film world. PT: At this stage can you tell us about possible future showings you plan to be doing? When/where can we stream or see the film? Photos © My Summer as a Goth

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TJM: The goal is to have a healthy film festival run, playing in many cities across the US, and hopefully Europe over the next six to nine months. We’re currently shopping around the film for a distribution deal that will bring the film to a wider audience, via some sort of digital platform, like a Netflix or Amazon. We’re hoping that will happen in the summer of 2019. We’ll be updating our fans and followers via our Facebook and Instagram pages regarding any of our future screenings. PT: Antonio’s character -- his character’s openly gay, correct? TJM: Antonio is gay, but when he comes out to Joey we didn’t want to make a huge deal out of it, because normalizing otherness is an important theme in this film. The importance of seeing a pretty well-adjusted normal gay latino punk on screen is important. Whether you’re goth, punk, black, white, latinx, gay, straight, trans, young, old, “us freaks gotta stick together” is the best Antonio line ever! PT: Anything else you’d care to add? TJM: This is my directorial debut. I consider myself very fortunate to have started with such a powerful and meaningful story that is both personal and that everyone can identify with in some way. I am excited to see how it all unfolds. Keep up with the filmmaker at My Summer as a Goth and be sure to check out the NW Film Center for upcoming films, festivals, and parties. If there are any films local to the Portland or Pacific Northwest region which you would like to see featured, please email sebastian@proudtimes.com and we’ll see what we can do!

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By Andre Rios

Social Media and the LGBTQ+ Experience “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry.” Those were the immortal last words of Tyler Clementi, a college student who famously commited suicide after being outed by his roommate as gay, then relentlessly mocked online. Clementi’s harassers took to Skype and Twitter to view an intimate video of him with another man, then proceeded to harass Clementi with anti-gay slurs. The outing, humiliation, and ridicule amounted to his cause of death.

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His was one of the most talked about gay suicides to date, one of the first to be covered by international news outlets, and one of the first spotlights we had on the issue of LGBTQ+ cyberbullying. More than 8 years have passed since he committed suicide by jumping off a bridge and into the Hudson river. One could wonder how quickly Clementi’s unauthorized sex tape--its recording and spread surely an act of sexual abuse, one with tragic consequences--could have been disseminated without social media as an instantaneous tool for communicating with millions of people worldwide. One could wonder how lives of LGBTQ+ individuals like Clementi would be different without having to endure one of the most sweeping epidemics in the world today: cyberbulling. Clementi’s death all but introduced the world to the fact that actions online do, indeed have consequences. Yet, in the 8 years that have passed, have we learned anything? In this era dominated by social media use, abuse of young queer people doesn’t stay in the classroom, locker room, or school hallways. For adults, discrimination in the workplace takes on new life online. And there are more platforms than ever where abuse can take place: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and other social media sites host seemingly endless vitriol so clear in its anti-queer fervor that it has pushed many LGBTQ+ people to depression, fear, and suicide. For the victims of cyberbullying, the moderators of social media platforms often seem slow to respond to reports of bullying. According to a 2015 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28%

of LGB students reported experiencing some form of cyberbullying. That’s more than 1 in 4 of LGB American students, and that data doesn’t even take into account the experiences of trans youth and other sexual minorities. Cyberbullying can range from the use of hate speech to threats of sexual violence, threats of physical violence, outing, and more. Thankfully, there are many movements worldwide that are attempting to fight back against the staggering prevalence of cyberbullying, taking a stand where platforms and governments have not. Heartmob is an online community that helps to report online harassment, offer advice and words of support to victims, and take action toward ending harassment in public forums. According to the founders of Heartmob, “We began receiving rape and death threats. In 2013, fed up with being harassed, and angered by the harassment we saw happening across the internet, we decided to do something.” Co-founders Jae Cameron, Jill Dimond, Emily May, Debjani Roy, and Courtney Young have proudly supported thousands of victims of cyberbullying, including youth and adults of the LGBTQ+ community. While cyberbullying continues to threaten the livelihoods of LGBTQ+ Americans on social media, these efforts are at least reassuring. But it would be unfair, not to mention unreasonably simple, to label the complex world of social media as a cesspool of abuse, as if it exists at its bedrock for the purpose of spreading hate and terror. LGBTQ+ youth and adults alike have indeed found safe communities online, outlets where they can express their identities without fear of immediate repercussions and find commonality that perhaps is hard to come by offline. An investigation published in the

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Journal of Homosexuality identified the positive effects of social media on the queer experience. Researchers found that social media has influenced gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to self-realize, come to terms with their identities, and even come out publicly. Often, the study found, users look to role models like out celebrities “as sources of pride, inspiration, and comfort.”

out publicly on multiple social media platforms. He told Katrina of his experience since choosing to come out: “So many of the people that watch my streams are LGBTQA+ and if they’re anything like me, they sought out gay internet people

For our August issue of Proud Times Magazine, Katrina Hofer interviewed popular Youtuber and streamer Jimmy Whetzel, a selfidentifying gay man who came

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that they can relate to for their entertainment. And I’m honored to be that person for them. I’m very lucky and grateful for their support.” So on the one hand, you have the opportunity to glean support and commonality online, a sense of belonging that LGBTQ+ individuals often report have difficulty finding offline. On the other hand is the potential to devastate our mental health. A recent study published in The American Journal of Epidemiology found that, in a diverse sampling of 5,208 human subjects, regular use of Facebook in particular was linked with an overall lack of mental well-being and a poor self-image. On top of that is the intensity and persistence of cyberbullying, which has often tragic effects on members of our community.

Tyler Clementi’s suicide, as tragic and unnecessary as it was, helped bring to light a problem LGBTQ+ people had faced for years, something that we sadly continue to face. Perhaps the future value of social media use depends on how safe we feel, even as we identify with one another and make connections.

LGBTQ+ experience is one particularly fraught by risk. Being out online, much like being out in public, comes with the possibility of random and unwarranted harassment. But the risk may not outweigh the experience of a true human connection, something we seek out online more than ever. From gay dating apps to the social media sphere, there is still work to be done. But for now, we must continue to support our community and speak out against cyberbullying. We must empower and even participate in resources that have rallied to fight back. The cause may rest on us making a difference for each other. In the future, I’ll continue to discuss the myriad of ways in which social media helps shape the LGBTQ+ experience, and vice-versa. I’ll be covering topics to include the social media’s influence on our self-esteem, hookup apps as social media, real-life cases of social media communities saving LGBTQ+ lives, what it means to be an out celebrity, and more.

If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or The Trevor Project’s lifeline at 1-866-488-7386 for immediate help.

I’m not writing this to offer resolution. Social media, like nearly everything else created and occupied by humans, is complicated, and the

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BJ was recently featured in our special edition for The Queens Project, on which he plays Gabe. He is also co-star in the hit web series DADDYHUNT where he plays Ben the hot “boy” who is attracted to a hot “daddy”. BJ has been in the entertainment industry for years and we took the time to speak with him about all his accomplishments and what he looks forward to for his future.

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BJ, it looks like you really broke out as an actor in 2015. This is pretty recent, what made you decide to get into acting? I started performing when I was 11. I studied Theatre & Dance conc. Musical Theatre at James Madison University and completed a 2 year Meisner intensive. So while my commercial successes are more recent, I’ve been working on this for close to 15 years.

remain cognizant that you are on stage. E.g. you need to cheat out, project, emote to the back of the house, etc... Film acting can be a lot more true to real life. I generally have a working knowledge of the script, my character’s journey, how he feels about what’s happened, but lock in the lines only a day or so before I film that scene

2015 is not that long ago, but if our readers keep their eyes peeled you keep popping up on TV and web in commercials and web series. Are you aggressively trying to make a name for yourself or are you being called on because your talents range from singing, dancing, fitness and as well as a natural in front of the camera? I am constantly pursuing all work I can find that either pays well or I believe is worth making. Creating LGBT art is something worth making and Ken Arpino’s voice is a voice I can get behind. Like I mentioned in the last question I got a degree in performing so I’m not completely unskilled. I’ve made a career out of performing and I intend to keep doing it. Everyone knows there is more than one way of preparing as an actor, how do you prepare? Are you a method actor? Do you prefer to jump right in, or do you require a lot of time to prepare? For me it depends if it’s film or stage. Generally for stage productions you have a lot more time to get the character in your body through lengthy rehearsal processes. There is also always an element where a larger part of you needs to

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in an effort to make the scene as organic as possible. I first saw you in “DaddyHunt”, a promo show as I call it for the DaddyHunt App. When auditioning for the part of a young hunky guy who likes daddies was this one of the first times you played a gay character outside of “The Queens Project”? It wasn’t. I also played off broadway with My Big Gay Italian Wedding and My Big Gay Italian Funeral. I’ve played gay in a few other theatrical productions as well. Because you have been in DaddyHunt and The Queens Project you must have a huge LGBT following how do you feel about that? My LGBT following has been more devoted and supportive than anyone else has and I enjoy creating work for those demographics. The chemistry you had with your co-stars in both DaddyHunt and The Queens Project is phenomenal. I have heard playing an LGBT character well, whether you are gay or straight is difficult. It is easier if you are LGBT. I have seen both LGBT(I am using LGBTQ because I have seen gay actors play gay and then really screw it up) straight actors play gay and really make you hate the character. For you is it effortless, how do you get into the gay persona? I’m having trouble answering this question. I don’t see gay as a persona. I think the “affectations” ascribed to “the gay persona” are a form of tribalism used as a tool for communal safety and acceptance. It was probably necessary for

survival before but is now ingrained in the culture. That isn’t inherently a bad thing. “Love is love” and I probably screamed it at parades, but I think the New York community and the rest of the world (more blatantly) still have constraints around the idea of love and how and where it can exist. I have trouble fathoming a form of love that can place any restraints or ask any demands of another person. To answer your question more directly, Gabe, like anybody else is conflicted about his feelings and doing the best he can so I sort of just load what’s going on with him and try my best to tell the truth. How do you feel about the state of representation of LGBTQ characters? We’ve come a long way in representation of LGBTQ characters in media. We are seeing more three dimensional characters pop up all over the place and I think that’s great. I think it will help the rest of the world see LGBTQ characters as humans just like them. The Queens Project is my favorite show you are part of, as Gabe you are a nerdy jock type that likes to show off his body, but at the same time does not have the I am hot and I can get anyone I want attitude. Is it easy for you to be one of the lead characters and also be a producer of the show? I get to spend a lot of time with Ken. I love Ken. He is very passionate about his work and what we’re trying to do. We should all try and surround ourselves by people as driven as he is. Doing production on a work you are also performing in is taxing and rewarding.

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Tell us about your day to day as producer and as Gabe? My main duties as producer were fundraising, fulfilling fundraising commitments, helping with some production aspects, going through all the footage with Ken and picking out which shots we’d use, and sitting with the editors to tighten all of our footage. We had a fantastic production manager for season 2 and 3, Veronica Cooper, that took a lot of the day of pressure off Ken & I as far as overseeing production on shoot days. She was crucial. Besides acting you are a writer, editor, and producer which of those appeals the most to you? Why? They all hold their own place. I don’t prefer any of them to the other but will continue to strive to make the most impactful art I can in whichever

position I am working in at the moment. You wrote “I’ll be Right Down” I watched that, can you tell me what prompted that short? So “I’ll Be Right Down” is a short about suicide contemplation. It’s 90 seconds long. I’m creating an anthology on human connection and the things that go unsaid because I want to and I want people to know that they aren’t alone in the things that haunt them. We all have demons. Most of them are the same. Sam Adams spot on Conan was fun and entertaining. What was it like to be on a national stage with Conan? Being on stage LIVE AT THE APOLLO WITH CONAN WAS CRAZY. I’ve never been more scared in my life. I’m really happy with how that performance turned out though.

Click to Watch

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Did your training and education play a role in you wanting to be an actor, or was it the other way around? Lol. My training and education was in acting, so I think I knew what I was getting into. If you had a choice of a role what would it be? I filmed an action series pilot called The Undetected that is making some rounds at festivals. I would love to shoot more series that like. I have some experience in stunt work and I love the way that pilot turned out. If you had a choice to work with any actor who would it be? Chris Pratt. Maybe if we got on screen together everyone would stop telling me I look like him. I honestly love him though. He’s amazing.

What can our readers, your fans, watch out for in 2019 from BJ Gruber? I’m working on a pretty controversial short right now called Wokeman on Race that I can’t wait to share. It should be done by January. Learn more about BJ Gruber by visiting:

Website - http://www.bjgruber.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BJGruber/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bjgruber/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/beejgrub

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/bjgruber

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By Katrina Hofer

Let’s be honest, there aren’t a lot of TV shows out that focus on a lesbian main character. Sure, we are starting to see more representation in mainstream media. But sometimes, you just want to sit down and binge watch a good lesbian web series. At least with the series I binged for this write up, you can binge watch all of them without feeling the guilt that sometimes comes along with having watched an entire season of a show and spent the day doing just that. Because at most, now, there’s quite a few of them out there. So, I picked three which sounded interesting to binge watch and tell you about. And I can assure you that whatever genre of show you’re into, be it the dark horror based drama or a light hearted comedy, there’s something out there for everyone.

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CLAIREvoyant

CLAIREvoyant is brought to us by KindaTV, who also brought us Carmilla. And boy, did they deliver once again. CLAIREvoyant is a comedic web series centering around Claire and her roommate and best friend, Ruby and a series of events that quickly spirals further out after Ruby mishandles their money and they need to make 4,562 dollars fast so they won’t get evicted. So, they start up one of those online psychic reading services, but Claire’s readings seem to come true. And things just quickly snowball from there. This is a comedy that delivers, but also does deal with a serious issue in one episode and handles it well. I would highly recommend that if you watch this, turn on the subtitles. Partly because Ruby’s live-in boyfriend, Xavier, only speaks French. But also because the subtitles themselves are comedic gold. You can watch it on the Kinda TV Youtube channel.

LESBIAN WEB SHOWS

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Jade of Death

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a good supernatural thriller web series, Jade of Death is here for you. The Australian supernatural thriller centers around the title character, Jade, who is not your average fortune teller and a series of events that spiral out after a man comes to get a reading from her and a fellow carnival worker gives her a visit as well. If you were a fan of True Blood, this series is right up your alley with its dark atmosphere, unique take on the supernatural, and and intriguing characters. While it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have very flashy special effects, the lack of those adds to overall sense that this could really happen and adds to the creepy factor. As of writing this, five out of the six episodes have been released with the last one coming out October 30th at 12pm, PST. It is available to watch on the One More Lesbian Youtube channel with the Jade of Death channel having the trailer and behind the scenes videos.

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@DatingZoe

@DatingZoe is a fun, quirky little web comedy about the struggles of the main character, Zoe, played by Rachel Paulson, in her dating life as a lesbian in New York City. Yes, I know, there’s already a bunch of comedies with that same premise, minus the lesbian. How I Met Your Mother, Sex and the City, Friends, etc, all of them center around someone or a group of friends and their life and quest for love in NYC. What makes @DatingZoe stand out from the sea of other comedies centered around someone’s search for love in the Big Apple is that instead of being a classic laugh track sitcom, it fully embraces that it is a web series and uses that as its framing device. The real premise of the show is that Zoe has had a long string of failed dates, and so, to learn what she’s doing wrong, she has her friend Devon film her while on dates and put them online for people to critique. And hopefully, she’ll learn how to be better at dating and find that special lady. The show is available to watch on the Go Magazine Youtube channel

Like I said before, these are only a few of the lesbian based web series out there to watch. So there is probably a web series out there just for you. But, if you’re just startin LESBIAN WEB SHOWS

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Arielle Scarcella

Now, this one isn’t technically a web series, but a YouTuber. But here me out, Arielle Scarcella is a YouTuber who did identify as being a lesbian but recently came out as being bisexual. Her channel and her videos is mainly centered around talking about being a lesbian and talking about dating, relationships, life, gender, and most of all, sex. She has videos about having safe sex, reviewing sex toys, people talking about sex openly and honestly. Though society is starting to move more towards being open about sex and sexuality, I’ve found that I haven’t seen a lot of discussion in my social media with people openly talking about sex that isn’t your typical straight, penis in vagina intercourse. Much less talking about it from the perspective of being LGBT+ and discussing it with other people. I highly recommend her channel.

. There are many more I could have covered and they cover many different genres. ng to look into this specific genre, I fully endorse any of the above shows!

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West 40s is a brand new web series based in New York. While many LGBT shows, specifically gay shows, focus on younger actors, West 40s is showing that life after 40 is amazing -- and funny too! Brian Sloan and Mark Sam Rosenthal, as co creators of West 40s could you each tell us about your backgrounds that led you to creating this wonderful show? Mark Sam: First of all, thanks for thinking it’s wonderful. I really agree! I’m a writer/director at Comedy Central, and my background is in improv comedy - at Upright Citizens Brigade here in New York. I’ve also worked as a solo writer/performer - I once had an off-Broadway run as a crackedout Blanche DuBois in my paean to New Orleans called “Blanche Survives Katrina in a FEMA Trailer Named Desire”. It was very political and

is also sadly probably still relevant. But damn it was fun to be Blanche DuBois! Brian: I’ve been working as a writer/director/ producer in the indie film world, here in New York City mainly. I directed a couple features, like “I Think I Do” with Alexis Arquette and Guillermo Diaz and “WTC View” with Michael Urie, and also produced and co-wrote some other shorts, features and TV pilots. I’ve also wrote two young adults novels for Simon & Schuster a few years ago. I got my break into the business right out of film school with a series of short films called “Boys Life” which some “ en of a certain age”

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may remember from the mid-90s; mine was called “Pool Days” which was my NYU thesis film and these days is on YouTube as well, with nearly 2 million views!

Click to Watch

So far your first episode has taken the world by storm, did either of you think this would happen?

upbeat, or I’d likely have quit halfway through this whole process.

Mark Sam: Again, I love your enthusiasm because I share it too! Although I don’t know if it’s exactly taken the world by storm - yet! but I have honestly been overwhelmed by the response so far. There are so many more people watching it than I ever would have dreamed, so many excited comments, so many people subscribing to the channel—and all around the world too. I tend toward pessimism, so leading up to the YouTube launch I literally thought we’d be lucky to get 1000 views. Thank God Brian is more

Brian: Yeah, I am the resident optimist on West 40s (LoL) and thought people would like the show. We had done a couple test screenings to get feedback and the response was incredibly positive. I’ve been through a lot of these sorts of screenings and usually people are more critical. But with “West 40s” there was just lots of laughs and questions about when there was going to be more. So I took that as a good sign! Still I’ve been surprised how many people have seen it so quickly. This is the first project I’ve done that’s

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gone online to YouTube and it’s incredible how that viral factor works when people really like something. We’ve had nearly 3K shares of the link to the show and I think that’s the key to its success—people like it so much they want to share it with all their friends.

Season One almost completed. For fifty bucks apiece we could totally finish Season One and even get started on Season Two! It’s really a case of “if we build it, they will come; and if they come we hope they’ll help us build it!”

Really we know you have at least 6 episodes, was it a kickstarter marketing ploy to see if you would get any good feedback before you moved forward?

Brian: LoL. Yeah, that’s pretty well put. But that’s the way these sort of online shows work today. You get an audience, you give them something they love and they help you make more of that thing they love until a bigger company picks up the show and brings it to the next level.

Mark Sam: It was more like a ploy to see if we could get any more money so that we *could* move forward! Netflix isn’t producing this - yet so we hoped once we made a great pilot that we could interest a wider audience in helping us fund the rest of the season.

Watching 100’s of web series I have never run across a show that stopped me in my tracks, this is real life and funny, was this easy to write?

Brian: Yeah—the kickstarter was the last resort. We had sent this project around and no one wanted to do it. Everyone loved it and said it was great and that they wanted to see it. But no one wanted to pay for it. Which is not surprising when you’re starting out with what is really a very new idea. So we took it to the Internet, which seemed to make sense for an online show. And it was a path that I’d seen some other successful shows use too, like “East Siders” and “The Outs”. Funding is always a problem for any size production, do you think the success of the pilot will help you find funding? Mark Sam: I certainly hope so. It sure puts us on the radar of a lot more people than I’d thought possible. And if each of our YouTube subscribers tossed twenty bucks our way, we could get

Mark Sam: It kinda was - or it was certainly so much fun to write that if it was hard I didn’t notice. Brian and I created the characters together then brainstormed outlines of all the episodes. After that we go off and work on scenes separately and then come back together to revise. I roughed out some of my first scenes in a single day during a vacation in Tulum, and I really felt like we were onto something - it just came so naturally. But maybe everything’s easier with tacos at the beach! Brian: I think the key to this being both real and funny was the process of our collaboration It started out with us telling stories about our own lives in our 40s, and the things we thought were absurd and bizarre

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Mark Sam Rosenthal

Brian Sloan

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and even sexy. Working together made it a lot easier to be immediately bouncing ideas and lines off Mark Sam —that way I knew when something was working (or not!) pretty fast. It did make the process quicker and really made it a lot more fun than writing by myself, which is how I was more used to writing before this show. Tell us, when collaborating on the writing what was each of your main inspiration? Mark Sam: There’s some great comedies out these days that all feel authentically “New York” to me - Broad City, Difficult People, Master of None - and I wanted to bring my own city life to the screen in a real way - I’ve lived in Hell’s Kitchen (the West 40s) for eight years, and it is a wonderful and hilarious world. (There are a lot of short-shorts worn far out of season there - but who’s complaining?) I was also definitely inspired by “The Outs,” which really showed me how elevated in form and content a digital series could be - seeing what those guys were able to achieve helped me to not limit my imagination. I feel like, vague spoilers here, I was also quite inspired by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam. And that’s all I’ll say. Brian: I was a big fan of “Girls” and then Mark Sam introduced me to “Broad City” which both share a New York City setting. But I think with both of those shows there are moments of reality that make them more than just comedies, especially with “Girls”. In terms of online series, I was very into two other local shows “High Maintenance” and “The Outs” which both were even more realistic and also beautifully put together—they were very cinematic to me. And, as a filmmaker, that inspired me a lot…the idea that I could do something online that had more of a movie feel to it.

Casting is a challenge, did you reach out to friends to help with the casting or did you do a casting call? Mark Sam: We did both. Jeff Hiller (Ryan) and John-Andrew Morrison (Franklin) are both longtime friends of mine, so we reached out to them early in the process and wrote their roles with them in mind - they are each two of the funniest people I know so I was thrilled to have them from the get-go. A few other roles also went to friends - Brandon Cordiero, the cruisy Urgent Care attendant, is someone I met years ago in Provincetown (though, again, that’s all I’ll say!), and I know our wonderful private lap dancer Tom Feeney because he used to wait tables at an HK brunch spot I ate at every weekend - it’s all in the neighborhood, but it doesn’t hurt that all these guys are also wonderful actors. And speaking of wonderful actors, we did a casting call for the other principals and boy did we luck out with Matthew Montelongo and Dan Domingues! Brian: The original idea of the show was to create something with people we knew and that’s how Mark Sam, Jeff and John-Andrew’s characters got started. For the other two roles, we didn’t really know people personally who fit but we were thrilled to meet Matthew and Dan through auditions. And Dalton Blaine too, who plays the waiter, also came to us through the casting call. I feel like when you jump into these projects you just have to be willing to be lucky and you’ll meet the right folks for those parts. Setting up the characters did you have their personalities in mind or did you take the cast member’s performance as a guide to their persona?

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Mark Sam: I’d say in the case of the actors we already knew, we had their personalities in mind and then for the other characters we decided who we wanted them to be and then went out and found the actors that could fill those roles.

Mark Sam: We absolutely love that theme song, so I’m glad you like it too. It gets a lot of positive comments of its own on the YouTube channel. First, we really wanted a funny original song (that we could have the rights to!), and

Brian: I think even when you write something with actors in mind, the performance always changes what you’ve written. And that’s a good thing. That’s part of the process of making a film or TV show. In our case, we also had talked in the beginning about really incorporating improv into the show along with the scripted material. We thought that given the talents of the people we had in mind, many of whom had improv backgrounds like Mark Sam and Jeff, that it would only make a funny script even funnier. The chemistry between cast members it’s like they have been best friends for years, tell us did you create them from real life friends? Mark Sam: It feels like that to me too, and I’m glad that reads onscreen. We set up some casual pizza hang-outs as well as rehearsals in advance of shooting, and I think that really helped to loosen everyone up and find that friendship feeling naturally - probably because Brian and I were footing the bill for the pizza! Well, I say it’s money well spent. Brian: I think it helped that a few of the guys already knew each other pretty well but once we all got in the rehearsal room, everyone just clicked and got along really well. And yes the food helps—I made sure there was plenty of coffee and donuts too! I love the intro song you have, it is so funny! What was the thought process behind it?

luckily we know a number of composers. Our friend Jamie Cowperthwait (at whose Christmas party, incidentally, I originally met John-Andrew Morrison years ago) is a musical theater composer who’s also done a lot of commercial jingle work - we call him The Jingler. We knew he’d be the perfect person to pen something quick and snappy that could sum up the show in a single phrase. I think “Sex, Love, and Back Pain” does just that. The vocals are actually

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John-Andrew’s, Jeff Hiller’s, and my own - I’m the one who’s not hitting the right notes. But even that seems fun and fits the show - this ain’t Les Miz, it’s just some guys in the neighborhood! (Although actually, I once saw Daphne Rubin-

stripes, it was a little too overwhelming. So we pulled that Coco Chanel rule with the lyrics, took something away and it turned out great! The ending scene was wonderfully done was this a happy accident or the work of writing genius? Was any part adlibed? Mark Sam: Surprisingly, given my improv background, the only part of the pilot that included some ad-libbing was the dinner chitchat at the restaurant - we really stuck to the script. So if it’s working for you then I’m afraid we have to claim “writing genius” - your words! But I really do like the sweet surprise of that ending scene - it’s surprising not only to Luis but also to my character T.J., who’s used to getting that sort of attention himself. I was also really excited to film that scene because that block of 44th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues is maybe the prettiest block in Hell’s Kitchen - I was so happy to get to save it forever on film. Or pixels, or whatever we used.

Vega in Les Miz and she sounded like just some guy in the neighborhood too.) Brian: Jamie did a brilliant job putting it together. The only real guidance was that we wanted something upbeat and funny, to sort of set the tone for the show right off the bat. Originally there were some additional lyrics and lines leading up to the big finish but we found that with all the shots of the neighborhood and the animated color

Brian: I really have to credit it to the work of the actors here. Everyone is so great in that scene—Luis is a little rueful about the way the evening turned out, TJ is kinda surprised and excited about Luis’ first time, and then there’s this additional surprise with Dalton’s entrance. The three of them together is like a little musical trio and they all played their parts so well. And they all did it quickly too, as we only had a couple hours to shoot it. I saw the trailer before seeing the pilot, again like the ending of the pilot, it draws you in, then when you think you know what is going to happen….BAM…. the twist and it catches you so by surprise and you want more again. Who’s

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idea was it to create this scene and why did you decide to use it for the trailer? Mark Sam: This scene is actually adapted from a real story that Brian heard from a friend. It hasn’t happened to me (yet!), so I was actually skeptical at first to start the episode with it - I didn’t know how real it would feel. But you would not believe how many people have related to that scene! As for using it as the teaser, I think it just perfectly encapsulates the main themes of the show and it cracks me up every time Jeff Hiller says “I would’ve. I have a bad back.” When it comes to spinning comedy gold, Jeff is Rumplestiltskin! Brian: We had been told that online you need to really grab people in that first minute. So we knew we needed a stronger opening for the show than just a bunch of guys having cocktails. So this true story was something I told Mark Sam when we were spitballing ideas. I remember he was skeptical at first as he found it somewhat unbelievable, even though it was true. But the unbelievable can also make for good comedy, and it did here. And Jeff provides the perfect kicker for the whole thing. Watching LGBT shows namely “Gay” shows age and looks drive the story line and the sex scenes, can you give us an idea what we are in for in future shows, no spoilers just tease us? Mark Sam: Well, Episode Two is definitely going to find my character T.J. in his skivvies and less, although I don’t know whether that’s a draw or a deterrent to watching. But I for one can’t wait to create some sexy scenes with other guys in their 40s. I’m also looking forward to making some sexy scenes with guys who don’t have perfect gym bodies - there’s a lot more to being sexually alive than just having 0% body fat. And of course

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remember we’re making a comedy - so even the sex scenes have some pretty great laughs! Brian: I think one of the main ideas when we started working on this was the idea behind Dante’s line—that he’s had more sex in his 40s as a desirable daddy than his previous 40 years. So while we want the show to be funny, it’s also a sexy time for these guys too. So yeah, there will be more skin but, like Mark Sam said, it’s gonna be looking at it in a more real way too. What do you hope your audience takes away from West 40s? Mark Sam: I hope we can all have a good laugh at our vanity and also at our real fears about getting older, about loneliness, about relevance. And I wouldn’t mind engendering a gay wave of

Gen X pride - twenty years ago I thought we were all a bunch of slackers not nearly as interesting as our Boomer parents, myself included, but the older I get the cooler I think we actually are. “Gen X till I die!” Brian: When I was younger, people talked about turning 40 as if it was the end of their gay life. If anything, I hope this show makes people feel that your 40s can be the start of a life that’s different but just as exciting and interesting and maybe even more surprising than your 20s. I mean, being in your 40s definitely has its challenges and that’s where some of the humor of the show comes from. But I really hope the show makes people look at being in your 40s in a different way and that it can be a time of great change and discovery too. Like it has been for us—I mean, we started making our own show in our 40s!

Click to Watch

www.west40s.com

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By Kurt Schmierer

Jack Lucas isn’t the man you’ll find on the West Coast Entertainment ads, bu is he one who helps make the magic happen. Spokane is not the largest city i world, but we are graced with a lot of spectacular performances, thanks in lar to Jack. What got you started in the entertainment business? I started as a performer, interrupted to serve during the Vietnam War in the U. S. Navy, came back to Spokane, enrolled at EWU, graduated, began teaching music and theatre in the public school system, during my first year of teaching I attained a part time job as an usher at the Spokane Opera House, after 5 years, I quit teaching, accepted a position as a full time Events Supervisor at the Spokane Opera House, and then in 1987 I left that position to help start TicketsWest and WestCoast Entertainment. Did you ever want to be on stage performing? I loved performing as a vocalist, but soon found out that there are a lot of great vocalists, and

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we were all looking to be that next “super s I received an education from EWU, and be music teacher.

You have a long history with entertainment Spokane, especially with WestCoast Enter Can you name a few changes to the indus really stand out to you?

There have been so many changes but ba we started WestCoast Entertainment, the b musical CATS was the big mega musical o time. It traveled in 8 semi trucks, which at time was considered HUGE. It was the lar production touring at that time. Now, a sho Lion King travels in 22 semi trucks. The co the productions has obviously increased o to the point that now, a large touring produ is more than 3 times the amount it was in 1

ut he in the rge part

starâ&#x20AC;?, so ecame a

t in rtainment. stry that

ack when broadway of the the rgest ow like ost of over time uction 1987.

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Technology has played a key role as well. Better lighting design, better sound design, new types of lighting, sound technology and equipment has moved forward with technology that operates from an iPad vs. a 24-channel sound board that is permanently positioned. Which position, being president of TicketsWest, event supervisor for the PFD, or your current position as the president of WestCoast Entertainment, is more of what you saw yourself doing when you decided to be part of the entertainment history of Spokane? These types of things evolve over time. I loved being a performer, I loved teaching music for the 4 or 5 years that I taught music and theatre, and I came to love both the ticketing business and the entertainment business. Starting something from ground zero, and watching it grow into something that is now recognized on a national level has been an incredible experience. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a great ride, and something that will be a part of me forever. It came with a lot of hard work, dedication, and working with great teams along the way. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accomplished just by me, there have been a lot of great people along the way that have played a huge part in any success that I may have had or that TicketsWest and WestCoast Entertainment has experienced. It certainly took a village.

The theatre is getting ready to open after 5 months of renovations, has this created a challenge for setting up shows during that time? The renovation that will be completed the first part of November will position the venue to provide the best venue in the Pacific Northwest for a wide range of entertainment events for the next 30 years. With respect to challenges, I would point out that the Spokane Public Facilities District involved WestCoast Entertainment from the beginning of the project. We were able to be an integral part of the process, and that helped in ensuring that we were well informed and had input into the key components of the renovation. So, that is to say, there really have not been any major challenges. Can you tell us more about the say you were able to have during the renovations? Again, we were able to be a part of the discussion from the beginning, so collectively, the entire team played a key role in the different aspects of the renovation, from the style, color, and look of the new seats, to the new elevator being installed backstage, to the total renovation of all of the dressing rooms, to the addition of new dressing rooms on the 3rd floor of the backstage area, and the list goes on and on.

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Do you think the renovations will make for a more enjoyable experience to show goers? Without a doubt, from the time the guests walk into the lobby, they will notice some major changes, and one of the major changes will be the way guests that need special assistance will be able to access seating to the orchestra level. There has been a new entry point in the lobby that allows these guests to enter the orchestra level on the main floor. Can you tell our readers in as simple of terms as possible what it takes to bring a show to Spokane? I always describe it as a “jigsaw puzzle”. There are a lot of moving parts. The first part is understanding what productions will be out on national tours, once that is established, which productions will be touring out on the west coast, then understanding how that can fit into stopping in the Pacific Northwest, and specifically Spokane, and once that is understood, then the challenge of trying to understand what dates are available, for any specific time period that a production may be able to put Spokane in their touring. Once we find a production, confirm we have the date availability, then comes the challenge of understanding whether or not we

can financially afford to have the production come to Spokane. There is a financial aspect of the process, and that aspect is a very important one. It has to make financial sense. We couldn’t still be doing this broadway series after 32 years, if it didn’t make any financial sense. But once a financial deal is agreed upon, then we go to contract with the production, and get ready to have the production visit Spokane. Again, it doesn’t stop there, because then we engage marketing, advertising, digital marketing, social media, group sales, ticketing management, local production labor with Local 93 (the local stagehands union), ushers, security, venue management, and the list goes on! Again, it takes a village. Getting the show to Spokane is only one step what part of the performance does WestCoast entertainment play once the show is setting up, performing and departing? From the time that the production arrives we are responsible for anything that happens. We arrange for the local stagehands labor, the ushering/security labor, any catering needs that are required, we work very closely with the venue management staff to ensure that guests attending our performances will have a great guest experience from the time they arrive until

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they depart. That includes comfort, safety, engagement with venue staff, sound, production quality, etc.

the form of entertainment, but all of the axillary services that provide support to entertainment. Shopping, restaurants, hotels, etc. People must remember that when you look at a map and draw Spokane will shortly have a newly renovated a line between Seattle and Minneapolis, Spokane Performing arts facility to showcase the best is the largest city between these two points. shows possible, what plans are there to capitalize That is huge. We have 1.5 million people that on this for the Spokane audience? we are market to for WCE entertainment events. We want our guests to have a total 360-degree When a renovation/rebuild of this degree experience, and that couldn’t happen without all happens, there is always that “Cinderella” period the other auxiliary services that are provided in where everyone in the region wants to see the our community. For me “Arts defines the soul of “new” venue. So we will certainly experience the community”. If one were to close their eyes some of that with our performances, but we and think about what our community would be try to build sustainability, retention of our great like if it didn’t have any arts, regardless of what subscribers, long term vision. So we will continue type of art, i.e. visual, STCU Best of Broadway, to engage with our guests, season subscribers, Spokane Symphony, or the other many arts and those single ticket buyers, to ensure them organizations, our community would not be as that we are here for the long term, and we want vibrant as it is when you add in the many arts to see them again and again, at our productions. organizations that are in our community. Proud Times believes that Spokane has a lot to offer and entertainment is a very important part of that. Myself not being a native Spokanite has seen a lot of change in the last 28 years of living here. What do you think the future of entertainment will be like in the next 10 to 20 years? Spokane does have a lot to offer, not only in

With all of that said, I think the arts in the next 10 to 20 years will become stronger. I think it will become broader based, there will continue to be additions to the “type” of entertainment that we want to engage in, and in fact, we don’t even know what that entertainment will be right now because it hasn’t been introduced yet into our culture. We will always have Broadway? Certainly. We will always have a Symphony?

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Most definitely. But how will the different genres of music change over the next 10 to 20 years. The different genres of dance in the next 10 to 20 years? The different genres of visual art? And the list goes on. Do you think WestCoast Entertainment will be the leader in helping with that change? We will most definitely be one of the leaders in this change. If you want to continue to succeed in business, you must change. You must stay relevant with your audience.

provide to create the “theatre magic”. Musicians want to get paid for providing the music. Ushers and Security folks need to get paid. The venue must get paid for renting the venue, and to be able to provide $23M renovations such as the one that is being completed. The financial aspect is real, and it is a serious component of the business. Proud Times is looking forward to this coming season of shows.

Finally as a big part of Spokane entertainment, what advice can you offer to the future entertainers of Spokane, either as those on stage or those who want to promote and most importantly those who want to help bring entertainment to Spokane? I’m not sure about offering advice to “future entertainers of Spokane”, but to those that want to promote entertainment in Spokane, either now or in the future, the first question I always ask is “How much money do you have?” There is a very real financial aspect to this business. Artists want to get paid for what they do for a living. Stagehands want to get paid for the labor they

https://www.wcebroadway.com/

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The Portland Performer Talks to Proud Times About Her Show at Local Lounge

By Sebastian Fortino

One of the best parts of being a writer in the LGBTQ+ community is walking up to people, extending my hand, and saying, “I’d love to do a story on you.” When a friend suggested we go to Local Lounge last month we chanced upon Rogue Safari and her show Black Magic, at Local Lounge. The show takes place every first and third Thursday, and is really a delight. When describing herself, she said, “At first it might seem like I’m unapproachable and then as soon as you say hi, I’m all smiles and chatter. It’s the brows, I swear.” I did find her vaguely unapproachable, but after one minute I could tell that was not the case. The North Carolina native exudes a warm personality, and a love for the City of Portland, where she has resided for nearly five years now. She’s relatively new to the local drag community, and has been active for less than a year. “I had my own Pride show,” she explained, “at a plant shop last year, but I couldn’t get any local queens to perform. So, it was a one queen show.”

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It certainly wasn’t when Proud Times saw the performances, at least half-a-dozen performers appeared on stage. We caught up with her a few weeks ago. Proud Times: Do you have any drag personas who inspired you along the way? More importantly: Are there any drag performers, especially people of color, who have influenced you? Rogue Safari: I have been inspired by so many drag performers. Every single one has a different style and way of expressing themselves. Local queen Madame DuMoore is one of my favorites. She’s always trying something new! My favorite person of color is Latrice Royale. She has such grace about her and is such a lovely person. You can’t help but have a good time with her when you meet her. PT: The show is meant to highlight the talents of performers of color. Why is it important for you to create a space for this in Portland? The LGBTQ+ community in Portland likes to think it is perhaps more inclusive than our general population. Do you think this is true? RS: Black Magic is important to me as it showcases people who don’t normally have a regular show meant specifically for us. Originally the idea was to showcase Black performers. And I expanded it further thinking of all of the other performers of color who I don’t see as often. It’s also a very refreshing retreat from the real life of Portland where POC are less celebrated, even by LGBTQ+ people. We are less visible. Portland does talk a big game of being inclusive of everyone, and at times it is. However, we can’t

disregard the times it is not, for it is less inclusive far too often. To have people show love to us doing something we love, it’s a beautiful feeling. PT: Conservatives like to make fun of everybody needing a “safe space.” How much of creating the Black Magic show was meant to provide a safe space for performers, whether they are established or new to performing? RS: Honestly, a small portion. For myself, it is a safe space for me to express my creativity and live in the skin I’m in, and feel acknowledged. However, it isn’t intended to be such. Rather...I call it a space of love. We are never truly safe in these times, but while we perform we are loved. PT: Who are the other headliners for this show? Are the performers new each week as a rule? RS: My co host is Devlin Lynn Phoénixx, but I like to have new guests each show. That way we can get as many different people as possible, but it’s also dependent on performers schedules. PT: The crowd, and the performers, were very diverse when I went to see your show last month. What are you doing to get the word out there? RS: I post on Facebook a lot! I also like to talk to people when I’m out. It occasionally ends up leading me to book a performer. Local Lounge is a great local bar. So we have a lot of people come in from the neighborhood, who haven’t even been to a drag show. I’ve also come to learn that word-of-mouth and friends inviting other friends has added to the success. The more they love it, the more they talk. I love it.

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PT: I understand your birthday is this month. How will you be celebrating it? RS: Ah yes! Haha my birthday is the 9th of November. I’m celebrating by having a birthday kickoff on the 1st for Black Magic, and then that weekend and the following week, its shows and bar tours to celebrate with friends! I’m only turning 26 so nothing too exciting, but fun nonetheless! PT: It’s also Thanksgiving. Is there anything that you as a member of the LGBTQ+ community are thankful for this year? RS: I’m thankful for the activism in this community. As the year has progressed, I have seen more and more people out there talking to people about the important issues and having those critical conversations. It’s wonderful! PT: In terms of your own drag persona, as Rogue Safari, how did you develop the character? RS: Well, Rogue was developed from a freshman in college who wanted to be noticed. At first. Then it evolved into a love of entertaining. That helped me be more outgoing and more social. I feel like I’ve developed a mean friendliness.

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PT: The show was really delightful. How long do you plan to run it at LL? RS: I plan to keep Black Magic going as long as I can! I do have a contract, but the success of the show is determined by the lovely folks who attend. I wouldn’t have a show without them. So it’s really up to the community. PT: Why did you choose Local Lounge? Why did you feel it was the ideal venue for Black Magic? RS: Well, I had a list of several places. But when I went and spoke to Rick, it was more of the place I wanted to have it. Great food, great staff, and a welcoming environment. That’s exactly what I needed. There are also other shows that go on there that helped me decide on it being the place for me. I’m glad they also wanted to work with me. Otherwise, I’d be looking to have the show elsewhere. PT: Now that we are approaching Christmas & the Holiday Season, can you tell us what Rogue Safari will be serving up? Any sort of holiday performances? RS: I want to have a Holiday show theme for Black Magic! Other than that I will definitely be performing in as many shows as I can! I love the holidays and performing is better when it’s cold outside. Haha!

Black Magic runs every first and third Thursday, at Local Lounge in the Alberta District of Portland. The show only began in September of this year. So, expect many more magical evenings of performances to come. Facebook: Rogue Safar (rogue Storm Safari) Instagram: @roguesafari

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By Sebastian Fortino

Everything is Cool When Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Young Freak About Town Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve wanted a chance to meet and interview the lead singer of Seven Cake Candy (7CC), Justin Whomever, for some time now. They are a local band described as an electropop ensemble but they have a healthy fascination with the macabre and all things Gothic as well. I got to meet the band on perhaps the most apropos night: during a Halloween screening of a locally produced film in which Justin and the band appeared as extras. You can read more about the movie, My Summer As a Goth, in this issue.

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Justin Whomever and 7CC have been performing for four years now. They have also taken the show on the road to other cities in Oregon and up to Seattle as well. The first time I saw him in person was at Peacock in the Park, 2016. I was already friends with him on Facebook, but surely I wasn’t worthy to approach him in his take on 18th century fashion. His world, the world I have seen on Facebook, shows him busy on sewing and upholstery projects in a home that could easily be mistaken for a Tim Burton movie set. He clearly loves kitsch and the macabre and his videos demonstrate this aesthetic. “I‘m the Lead Siniger, and I suppose the leader of this band, as well,” Whomever explained. “I was born in Portland on 60th and Belmont, and I was raised in Vancouver, Washington. I ran away from home and lived on the streets of Portland for a few weeks, when I was 18, and never looked back.” ProudTimes: You are a native to the region. You’ve seen a lot of changes in Portland. How have these changes sort of changed the live music and local band scene in Portland? Justin Whomever: There doesn’t seem to be as vast of a music scene, but there are definitely more clubs to play at. I expect the reason I feel it was better before is because I was in my 20’s then. Everything is cool when you’re a young freak about town. That being said, it’s really awesome that a lot of venues welcome us in, with all our strange outfits and accoutrement. We played The Central in Seattle a few times, and had a great response, and that is most definitely not a goth club. We were very well received. PT: You seem to do all of the sewing and costume work for your performances. What’s that creative process like for your sartorial work? Do you wait until you’ve developed a set or video concept then build the costuming? JW: Most of my costume ideas spring from dreams, or really random inspirations I find in movies, or online, or just from the fabric itself. I do design all of the costumes, and sew them myself. I can usually create a set of costumes

in about a month. That’s four costumes. I have a huge love of avant garde fashion, 60’s and 70’s fashions, also 18th century, Victorian and Baroque. I love it all! And I love mixing era and ideas, such as our latest, Welkian Goth. I took the horror and conservativeness of the Lawrence Welk show, which I found creepy as a child, and married it to goth, and it’s so jarring and unusual, I just love it. (Editor’s note: if you spent a lot of time with your grandparents growing up reruns of the pastel, schmaltzy goodness of Lawrence Welk was regularly aired into the late 1990s on public broadcasting. Clean, wholesome entertainment is downright frightening!)

PT: What does “Goth” mean to you? And, how closely does Seven Cake Candy now identify as Goth? JW: Goth to me is really just a love of the dark, the darkside, and all things antique and creepy. A macabre fascination that I have had since I was a small child. I used to love to draw Victorian mansions and then draw them on fire. Perhaps it was a past life fascination. I love the old style elegance, and sad hilarity that can come with Goth culture. It’s good to be creepy, but also to be able to laugh at yourself. That darkness just

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naturally creeps into our music. I’m a linguist and love using interesting words whenever possible. So, we are natural Goths, if you will. It just swells up from our dark little hearts.

like him, and I never really counted him or Soft Cell among my favorites. Not that I didn’t love them.

PT: What are your influences as a band?

PT: I know you are planning on a black light show coming up in November. What will you be serving up for your fans?

JW: They are really all over the place. I’m definitely influenced by a lot of bands and singers of the 80’s and 90’s. Mostly the weirdos and freaks. Annie Lennox and Alison Moyet were definite models for singing for me. I love both of their styles, however, most people make Marc Almond references when they hear the band. I find that very flattering, but odd, as I don’t sound

JW: I am finally putting together a black light 18th century look that I have been wanting to do for years. We tried to do it a year ago, or so, but the venue, at the last minute, did not have any black lights. It was too bad, but it gave me time to really work on the costumes, and flesh out the idea a bit more. It’s going to be super cool.

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PT: How did you end up as extras in the film My Summer As a Goth?

PT: What does being in a band, and being so involved with its look and sound mean to you?

JW: I was asked by one of the producers that knew me back in the day, when I was an entertainer and regular patron of the City nightclub. He contacted me and wanted some of my goth magic for the movie. It was super fun, and I got to dance in a cemetery with my friends at midnight two summers ago.

JW: Just that this is really a labor of love. The marriage of sight and sound is important to me, and to present our music with stage presence, razzle dazzle and aplomb, and perhaps have the lyrics leave you thinking for a few hours or days after. In these dark times, we really need help being lifted up and out of the world, and I hope that Seven Cake Candy can offer a brief respite from today’s tough world.

PT: We are coming up to the new year. Is Seven Cake Candy looking forward to something special in 2019? JW: We have a lot on our plate! We have recently just started having our music produced by the very talented Daniel Riddle, and we are going to put together a fundraiser to film an actual real legit video. I am so excited, but it will be a lot of hard work and time. But we plan to really splash out and make a scene in 2019. Oooh! We gonna make a scene in Twenty Nineteen is a nice lyric. PT: Lastly, how do you keep your music fresh while still keeping to the influences both musically or sartorially which inspire you? JW: I just try to make the music unusual and lively, but able to be danced to. I have millions of ideas for songs, and have lists and lists of them in my phone and in notepads. I use modern culture, and old stories and such to inspire me, or is someone says something cool, or a great turn of phrase I jot it down for later. I am always looking and listening for inspiration.

Make sure to follow Seven Cake Candy on Facebook and their Blog. If you are in a band local to Portland, the region, or you’re coming here to perform, be sure to get in touch with Sebastian@proudtimes.com and we’ll see what we can do!

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Curtis Braly

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Curtis Braly is a country artist, but he’s much more than that. He strives to create music for everyone, even if its main categorization is country. He’s already making a big name for himself, but we can’t wait to see what he does next. Sit down with us and get to know Curtis a little better.

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Growing up and discovering your “voice” so to speak you took first place in several talent contests. This may be one of those Bill Engvall’s “here’s your sign”, but did you go into the contest to win or did you do them just to sing and have fun?

regardless of their religious beliefs, race, sex or sexual orientation. Even though some may think all of those mentioned labels make each of us different, the reality is we are all human and we all go through life events. Therefore, we can all relate to the story told in music.

Oh I definitely showed up to WIN! I’m a pretty competitive person and I don’t start any project or competition without the goal of doing my absolute best.

I love all kinds of music, but I am ashamed that I had not heard your music until a week ago. I received a notice to check you out and the song was “Love You Down”, I did not need to hear more to want to do this interview. Tell us the background that led to the creation of the “Love You Down”.

It is obvious that you are a truly gifted artist. Tell us a little about your journey of discovering your voice in country music. Aww...well, first off, thank you for that compliment! I grew up listening to country music because that’s all my parents listened to. I always loved how it told such intimate stories about things people go through in their lives. That’s where my initial passion came from for the genre. While most high school kids were going to parties on Saturday nights, I spent every Saturday night at Country Music Jamboree’s perfecting my skill of performing and singing with a LIVE band. Still to this day, I’m always learning not only new ways but better ways of doing things. I’ll be learning and working on getting better until retirement.

I know many of us have moments where we need reminders that we are loved. The idea of the song and the music video was to show that regardless of what you’re going through and how much you feel like you’re at the end of your rope, there ARE people who love and care about you. When you feel like you’re standing on the edge (ready to jump), step back...lean on those around you who do love and care about you and you can get through anything.

I believe music is one of the few wonders of the world that knows no borders, religion and sexual orientation. Why do you think that is?

Your music and the sound of your voice is very country, but it has an edge that could be more. I think that is one reason that when I heard “Love You Down” I was hooked. Why do you think your music/voice can appeal to those who love country, adore pop, go crazy for jazz and scream for rock music?

I think that’s because music translates stories of real life. Everyone can connect and/or relate to a story in a song in some form or fashion

I love that you explain it that way. I think it’s because, like you, I love all kinds of music. As I’ve grown musically and artistically, I’ve tried to

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take pieces of different genres and infiltrate those into my music. That way, whether you like country, pop, rock, etc., there will be something in my music for you. It’s all about diversity! Ok enough of music I want to know why you went from music to police academy and back to music? Do not get me wrong the world needs cops and detectives, but for me music can tame all evils. Well, I saw a huge need for police officers who had a strong passion to help people and influence young people to make better decisions. Through my own adolescence, I at times witnessed my own experiences with law enforcement where it seemed all they really cared about was being “in charge” and throwing the weight of their badge around. I felt like I could be a police officer who would make a positive impact on people’s lives. Luckily, throughout that career, I worked with and learned of many other officers who shared that same passion and desire I did. For every “bad” police officer out there, there’s 100 good ones. Now, once you’ve been bitten by the musical bug, that itch NEVER goes away. So, regardless if I step away from it, it always pulls me back in. Ok, back to you and your music, do you write some or all of your music? Yes, I write pretty frequently. I have a ton of songs I’ve written. However, not all have been released. However, on the You Matter album, I wrote “Secondhand High” & “Storm Chaser”. There are so many talented songwriters around Nashville, that it’s very hard for me to not record some of their incredible songs. Out of all the songs you have sang today, do you have a favorite? One of my favorites these days is “Secondhand High”. Not only is it super fun to sing and perform but it’s one I wrote. So, maybe I’m a little biased.

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When you are not touring or recording what does appear like it does, but things do not happen Curtis do for fun? overnight. Keep pushing forward. After all, you just have to out last the rest of the competition. I have my private pilot’s license. So, on a nice #LastManStanding weather day, I love to fly my plane. It’s a very freeing feeling. Aside from that, I love cuddling up You have been great to take the time and answer on the couch to a good movie or taking a dip in these questions, so this will be my last one: Do the pool. you think you will tour to Seattle, Wa in the near future? All performers have that location they perform at that makes them know or feel that they have Funny you should ask that. I literally just got finally made it, what is yours? Why? So far, the venue that affected me the most was the main theatre at Sugar Creek Casino. I played that venue for a packed house of over 3,000 people when I opened for Tanya Tucker. There were moments in my set that the audience was singing along and holding up their lighters and camera lights during some of my songs. That’s a feeling you can’t really explain and that an artist strives for each night they step on stage.

booked to play in Seattle in September of 2019 for a USO fundraiser. I’m hoping that while I’m there The internet is full of talented performers young for that, I can get some other gigs around the area and old, what would you tell them if they came up as well. I’ve always wanted to spend some time in to you for advice? Seattle and I’m really excited that I get to come up and perform as well as experience what the city is If you really want something, go for it! Practice, all about. study other successful performers and mold what you learn into your own skill. Just remember, We look forward to seeing Curtis in Seattle next our dreams all move at different paces. It may year! Check out www.curtisbraly.com for more info.

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Jake Shears Brings His Self-Titled Solo Album to the Wonder Ballroom He talks his new solo album, memoir, sex, and how happy he is to be gay.

Original Photo By Raphael Chatelain

The electric frontman of the Scissor Sisters, which has been on hiatus since 2012, has not been idle. In February of 2018 he released his memoir Boys Keep Swinging, which I was lucky enough to review. On Monday, November 12th he takes his latest show to the Wonder Ballroom In Portland. He was raised partially in Washington State, and went to the Northwest School in Seattle. He tries to come back to the Pacific Northwest at least once a year, he told ProudTimes. As a writer, especially as an interviewer, the first rule when approaching a subject is not to gush. For my recent interview with Jake Shears I have no shame in admitting I broke that rule. Repeatedly, I was total in fanboy mode. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because there was a generation of young gay men who came of age in Manhattan. They frequented the once-gloriously queer Lower East Side. They went to hole-in-the-wall bars and danced, despite a ridiculous ban based on some ancient cabaret law. I came of age then, and so did Jake Spears.

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Proud Times: So, first and foremost. How have the crowds been? Do you think they’re coming for the Scissor Sisters or are they coming to see Jake Shears?

PT: You said you didn’t want to turn your back on what you had written before. Did you think you had to veer away from your style to something newer to make it personal?

Jake Shears: I think they’re coming to see me. They enjoy the Scissor Sister songs yeah, but the crowds have been amazing. These have been very special shows. People have, I don’t know how to put it into words, seems they missed this kind of music and performance. There’s an almost reverential feel at the concerts but it’s been loose and fun. I’ve worked hard on this show to give it an arc. It’s sort of like a piece unto itself. Storytelling, where the story goes, it really has a flow to it. The crowds have been so lovely, getting face to face with everyone again. Lots of gay men, a lot of women in the audience, and I’m very proud to be playing rock and roll to a lot of gay people. I don’t think queer people get rock and rool in that context.

JS: I think there’s that tendency for me to “Oh what am I gonna do next, what is this gonna be.” I wanted to make music, but what form was it gonna be? For instance this album, and the Scissor Sisters aesthetic is what I’m good at writing. You know emotionally semi-absurd theatrical rock and roll. When I realized I didn’t need to reinvent I wanted to continue that body of work. To me I look at all this music and it feels a little bit different, but it still feels like one body of work.

PT: Your music is--well, so much sound, just so lush. How do you keep up with it when you’re doing your music live? JS: I do have just absolutely killer musicians on this show, mostly from Louisville, my sax player is such a great guy, he is the icing on the cake for this show. The strings are underneath but the show’s definitely got a full sound. I just have some great players with me. There’s so much horn on the record and the sax rounded the whole thing out. Always my dream to have a full time sax player.

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PT: So, was the album like a second coming of age, or even coming out again? JS: Definitely finding myself & figuring myself out again. I just lost track of what I was supposed to be doing. At least for me every five or six years there is a sort of reassessment shedding of the skin. PT: Ha, but don’t most gay men do that? JS: I think so. Especially when your identity is so attached to what you do, what you create. If I don’t pay attention to it, I kinda feel like I am gonna undergo a small change soon. It’s been a massive year for me. I’ve gotten a lot done but at the moment I need to reassess who I am, what I wanna do next, and the best way to get there. Not just float along.

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PT: In your memoir, Boys Keep Swinging, you wrote a stunning love letter to the late-90s to early 2000s in New York. You talked about being a gogo boy at I. C Guys, The Cock, and Wonderbar. It was pretty definitive for lots of people. Is there anything you especially miss about that New York? JS: OH MY GOD! I miss everything about it. The only reason I spend time in NY now is friends, and you know, chosen family, and the theatre world. The stuff that happens downtown, club cumming, offbroadway. That’s why I go there. I hope young people found something similar to what we found. At the millenium it was downtown, that was the place to be. I don’t know where it is but I am sure some kids in NY are still doing it. But I miss the freedom of being that time & that age. You know just to hustle & the possibilities. I think very fondly of that time. PT: Speaking of the memoir, how long did it take you to write? JS: It was a two-year process but it was handin-hand with the album. They were good to work on together. I’d be in the studio for two weeks then writing for two weeks. I like to have a lot of projects going on at once. I think that keeps things exciting. PT: What’s it like to be considered a gay icon? And--Big Bushy Mustache--is that talking about your celebrity?

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JS: Icon has so many different connotations. I hope I’d made some kind of dent or change in the world with the stuff that I make and write. I’d like to think my creativity has made some kind of a difference for people. If that’s being an icon, that’s cool with me. I was in New Orleans when I wrote it.The core of it is: fags have more fun. That song to me about straight guys sort of standing on the other side of the road and looking at us and wishing they had as good of a time as we do. PT: Yeah, I just read something that said most straight men settle down after having only 26 partners. JS: Yeah, and so many of us say thank God I was born gay. There’s a reason for that.

PT: On that note: You said to Seth Myers, “Wow, I’ve slept with a lot of people.” We were pretty much the first generation to come of age when HIV was no longer a death sentence, and today we have Truvada, etc. Do you think it’s your celebrity or your generation that’s allowed you be a so-called whore? But we still have slut shamers. What do you think of that?

JS: It’s not my celebrity, and I’m making a wisecrack, I was having a lot of fun. I think gay guys have always been doing it. Sex was something very different than it is today. I think PrEP is amazing, I use it, I think all sexually active queer people should have access to PrEP. It’s a different world now. I am happy that I lived in a time without cell phones, no internet and I’m happy I came from that time. I feel like a got a good glimpse of what gay men went through to get where we are now. PT: Continuing in that vein: When I hear a gay musician singing about sex or love or heartbreak I feel pretty empowered. Would you say you’re conscious of this, that it’s going to have intrinsic value to your gay fans when writing? JS: I don’t think about it too much when I am writing. I do my best and hopefully, inherently, that gay and queer people coming from that perspective appreciate it. But I really try to make universal music. I want my music to have a universal feeling, to have anyone be able to listen to it, and access certain feelings, even coming from a certain perspective, or sexuality. I try to make it for everybody. I think about my mom when I make this music, I think about my mom’s friends. It’s just my personality. I think, for me it’s important that my music have a strong point of view yet be accessible.

Original Photo By Greg Gorman

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Original Photo By Greg Gorman

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PT: I guess a lot of people turn to your music because it’s always makes you feel pretty swell. Yet, Play a Sad Song Backwards is about turning your troubles inside out. Is it therapeutic? Or does it come naturally to craft songs that pretty much get you singing and smiling? JS: I think the therapeutic part of it, for me, is when I’m on stage performing. When it’s good, bringing it to a stage. That’s why I make this music, to go into this part of my head. That’s where you know, it cleans the cobwebs out of my brain. I like that even the sad stuff has a lifeaffirming feel to it. I think that’s kind of a good word. Even the sad songs, they do have this life-affirmation. Not taking life for granted, not having a sinking feeling even when it gets to be the worst. PT: Last and loaded: what’s happening next? JS: I don’t really take breaks. When I am writing stuff--songs or making a book--I tend to need

open space, like blank days. I am doing a book outline, and starting to write more songs again, I am constantly still working. My hustle is still on, trying to create and accomplish new fun things. I have to buckle down and start again. I am really excited to start a new musical. You plant your seeds, you tend your garden, and see how it grows. That’s how I do it. When asked about a reunion, or project with the Scissor Sisters, Jake said he’d never rule it out. “But, he added, “I’m really enjoying this though. I’m really enjoying the freedom that I’ve got at the moment. For the moment I want to keep going like this. I am sure we’re gonna make another record. It has to be about something. It has to be inspired. The album is called Jake Shears, and it’s the best thing about 2018. Check out tickets for the show at the Wonder Ballroom on Monday, Nov. 12th. He has upcoming shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco, and the El Rey in LA.

Jake Shears - Everything I’ll Ever Need (Official Video)

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An Autumnal Kind of Mood By Sebastian Fortino, Portland Correspondent for ProudTimes.com

In Portland Update writer Sebastian Fortino will bring you a new column each month talking about gay life and identity in the Pacific Northwest. You can find him represented as a columnist at Metrosource.com, under Gay Voices. In the upcoming weeks he will unveil a series of podcasts reading earlier columns. Check out #portlandupdate and @lord_sebspdx on Instagram to catch videos & images he posts about life in the Rose City.

Today, I was in a decidedly autumnal kind of mood walking through my Portland neighborhood. But for five years, I happily retired from winter. I left my hometown of Philadelphia and followed both a former roommate from my college days in New York and an ex-boyfriend to Miami. My move there was initially a success, but financial stress caused my relationship to end. It was Christmas time. There I was, a lifelong Philly and New York boy all alone. I ate pizza on Christmas Eve just off of Collins Avenue.

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I haunted Lincoln Road on South Beach, while rich Argentines strolled the avenue. The young men and boys wore shirts with light scarfs tied casually, loosely around their necks. Their mothers, sisters, girlfriends, and wives carried shopping bags from high-end designers. I wanted the scarves the men wore. Each one I found was too expensive. The example at H&M was affordable. Catching myself in the mirror at the Ikea of fashion I realized it wasn’t anything close to the beautiful cashmere or silk-wool blends sported by tourists speaking their lyrical mesh of Italian and Spanish. But, it looked the part and I didn’t care. Soon after, I was employed as a live-in assistant to an antiques dealer. I met him on Christmas Eve, at a French cafe facing Biscayne Boulevard. He was lonely. I was relatively friendless. He loved the cheap Spanish cava masquerading as French champagne. It gave me a headache. But, the arrangement we came up with wouldn’t last long.

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As I was getting settled, I received a call at a gallery where I worked. The voice on the phone was from a publisher with whom I interviewed earlier in December. Hadn’t the publisher of the South Florida Gay News told me he wanted someone with a car? More importantly, someone with a license. “What do you want to do? You want to write, right,” the publisher asked me. “Yes,” I said. “But you know, I have to think about it.” “What’s to think about,” the publisher responded. “You told me in your office that my move to Florida was a hasty decision,” I said. “I don’t want to make anymore hasty decisions.” Flabbergasted--after all the publisher had offered me a train ticket from Miami to Fort Lauderdale, an apartment, and a roommate--he laughed, wished me good luck, and hung up. I went downstairs to get a Cuban coffee and bumped into my manager, the fabulous, avant-garde Nathaly Chiara.

I knew that was not to be, as he started sobbing when he kissed me goodbye. Just a few minutes later I heard his car pull out of the parking space he’d chosen. That night I found myself in a hotel, just off Fort Lauderdale Beach, sponsored by my publisher. I was dorming with my future roommate, a dancer at one of the strip clubs in the area. What did I know about Fort Lauderdale? What was I getting into? At thirty I was too old to be sex trafficked-or was I? A little scared, and volatile, I repeated the names of my closest friends back in New York and Philly. As one would echo the Hail Mary when praying a rosary. “Armen, Andrew, Monica, Marisa, Marguerite, Sueanne, Paul, Matt, Jason…” On Facebook, I caught a bit of my friend and writing mentor Paul Hagen discussing my new role as a newspaper editor, and surprise move from nearby Miami. “You know AWOL,” he still referred to me by my college nickname. “There’s always a new opportunity for him to chase, new friends to make, new stories to tell.”

“What,” she said. “You have an opportunity to be writing? That’s what you want to do. Get back upstairs and tell him you’re coming.”

“You have to love the AWOL show,” his friend responded. “He’s like a rising star.”

Emboldened by her insistence, I called back not an hour later. I said “Yes, I’ll be there.” And, the very next morning the antiques dealer bundled me into his car, with my luggage, and my MacBook. This was really all I had to my name at the time. He said he’d wait for me to introduce myself to my new colleagues at the paper. But,

I took solace in those kind words, despite being in a new place the second time in only six months. Winter was in full force, and in South Florida that meant a sort of never-ending autumn. You were warm in the sun. Then a cool northern or ocean breeze would surprise you, and almost sting you with its cool touch. I was living in a gay

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village. The City of Wilton Manors was home to the newly-founded South Florida Gay News, just outside of Fort Lauderdale. Everyone was gay. If you thought someone was straight you’d find out within minutes they weren’t. Admittedly, you were occasionally shocked at this discovery.

few years later I was living in an apartment two miles from the beach. I shared it with my boyfriend, it was my first real adult relationship. Whatever that means now, looking back on the past. He eventually became my fiance and recently my exhusband.

I remember an intense, mismatched feeling of both ennui and excitement. Perhaps the warm December lulled me into ennui while still curious about my surroundings. The houses, mostly mid-century bungalows, some still dressed for Christmas, looked like models set up around my childhood Christmas trees. As Wilton Manors is one of the largest gay communities by LGBTQ+ population in the country, I’d find discarded condoms all throughout my walks.

I gave up a lot to live with him, to have our life together. In moving to Portland I gave up more. I wasn’t writing. I reluctantly took a contract position with a certain tech company in the suburbs. Reading proved futile. I’d buy books and have trouble focusing on more than the first chapter or two. It was impossible to make friends, mostly because my ex wasn’t happy here.

They’d be tossed under but not quite hidden by bushes. There was one, next to a small bottle of lube, outside my neighbor’s Florida room. Causing me to think, “Maybe those weren’t the sounds of feral cats mating last night.” In parking lots they were run over after being employed in the back seats of cars. Or you’d see an empty Magnum wrapper and laugh that someone was-or thought they were--big enough to fill it. The molted condoms were seemingly everywhere. Life of course ebbed and flowed. I eventually settled into my life in Wilton Manors. Then, a

Now, that’s all behind me. In Portland, I have remembered and reconnected with much of my past. Rediscovering what things actually interest me. While I loathed the winters of the Northeast, and took great pleasure in going to the beach in a Floridian February, or relaxing by my building’s pool in March, I love autumn in the Pacific Northwest. Once chased away by the snows of Philly, after five years in South Florida it was an April which saw a stretch of temperatures in the nineties which sent me packing.

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I now delight in trees dressed in their goldenreds. The crunch of fallen maples leafs beneath my feet. The delight of a fire in the living room. The knowledge that a carved pumpkin won’t turn to mush after a few days of Florida sun. Most happily, the prospect of a Thanksgiving not held outside by the pool of my former brother-in-law. Who, the moment dessert was over, would come round to remove the paper plates of guests and toss them into a trash can which he dragged behind him.

hundred feet from my front door, and very close to the apartment of a gay couple with whom I am friends, obscured by fallen leafs, you can find the waistband of a jockstrap.

Why? So the family could make it to Target to get the best sale prices.

I thought, once again of what was said about me on Facebook a decade ago now.

Here, in Portland, both the idea of having paper plates and quitting the meal before eight o’clock to go shopping are things I’ve not encountered. The shopping idea especially seems too gauche for Portlanders. I have also encountered far fewer condoms discarded under bushes and in parking lots.

“You know AWOL. There’s always a new opportunity for him to chase, new friends to make, new stories to tell.”

No straps, no cup, just waistband. My housemates have no knowledge of it, nor do the couple I know who surely pass it every time they walk their dog. It’s a little thing, a silly thing but, somehow it gave me pause to think about my life in Florida versus my life here in Portland.

As I sipped my coffee, and took a picture of the discarded waistband, I realized there will always be new stories to tell and this Thanksgiving I am most grateful for that.

But, just this morning, as I was going on my walk to get coffee which involves taking a flight of outdoor stairs, I saw something which reminded me very much of South Florida. The object was a discarded piece of clothing. Not even a whole garment, just a piece of one. There, not five-

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Letters of Love: Spreading Awareness Though the CDC says that the idea that suicides rise during the holiday’s is a myth, they can still be a very lonely time for a lot of people. This is particularly true for those of us in the LGBTQ community who no longer have a family support system. Though it is unfathomable to understand a family throwing out a member for being different than themselves, such is the sad reality for many LGBTQ youth, and even adults who choose to come out later in life. In this section we typically have an interview with someone who associates with one of the LGBTQ letters, this month we want to bring more togetherness than individuality (though that is always something to be celebrated). We urge you to look to your friends and create a new family. We urge you to have “Friendsgiving” - a potluck event where friends get together the day before or after Thanksgiving and celebrate as a makeshift family. We urge you, if you have a loving and accepting family, but know someone who does not, invite them to celebrate with you. Make sure your community members feel loved and encouraged. Most of all, we encourage you love yourself. Whether you have a strong family support system, a few friends you can count on, or you are a lone wolf in this dark, hungry world -- love yourself. Be proud of who you are. And share that love with others. You are loved, you are needed, and you are wonderful!

Resources for homeless LGBTQ youth: Call 1-800-RUNAWAY 1800RUNAWAY.org Text 66008

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