Proud Times Presents Bruce Vilanch

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Dear readers, We are so excited for this month! We have some unbelievable talent lined up for this issue! Our cover story this month is none other than Bruce Vilanch, a Hollywood staple and a personal hero of mine. We also have interviews with Fernando Barbosa, an amazing documentary filmmaker, musical artists Jason Walker and Alice Temple, local entrepreneur Robbie Anthony who is running for Spokane County Commissioner, Sandra Williams who runs The Black Lens, an african american newspaper based in Spokane, RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Tempest Dujour, creator or the popular web series “DON’T SUCK,” Tyler Martin, and Spokane’s own Ms.Gay Spokane, Natasja Powell. We are also continuing the letters of the LGBTQ alphabet in this issue with the letter B for Bisexual. We appreciate your readership! Don’t forget to like and follow us on facebook and twitter @Proudtimes! Remember we are always looking for submissions, you can check out how to do that on our submissions page on proudtimes.com. We would like to thank those who continue to support us, we love you, and we appreciate you! Please enjoy this awesome issue and be sure to like and share! Proudly, Victoria Smartt Managing Editor

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6 - Sandra Williams 16 - Robbi Anthony 24 - Tempest DuJour 36 - Bruce Vilanch 48 - Natasja Powell 54 - Fernando Barbosa 68 - Tyler Martin 78 - Jason Walker 86 - Alice Temple

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Interviewed by Victoria Smartt

Sandra Williams is an activist, lecturer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur, with an extensive background addressing issues of discrimination, equity, and social justice. Sandra received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Washington State University and her Master’s Degree in Film/Television Production from the University of Southern California School of Cinema.

address discrimination and oppression. In 2008, she ventured into radio with the development of a bi-monthly public affairs program on KYRS Radio 92.3 FM in Spokane, WA. Her program, REVOLUTIONARY SPIRITUALITY, which aired for four years, looked at the diversity that exists within religious and spiritual beliefs, and addressed the ways that organized religion has been used as weapon of oppression.

She has been involved in anti-oppression/antidiscrimination work for over thirty years, as the Coordinator of the Pride Center at Eastern Washington University, the Executive Director of Odyssey Youth Center, the Spokane Field Coordinator for Youth Suicide Prevention Program, and as an HIV/AIDS Prevention Educator focusing on communities of color.

Currently focusing her attention primarily on the needs of Spokane’s African American community, Sandra accepted an appointment by Governor Jay Inslee in 2013 to the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs as the Eastern Washington representative. She is also a member of the Mayors Advisory Committee on Multi-Cultural Affiars (MACMA) and a long time member of the Spokane branch of the NAACP.

In addition to activism and grass roots organizing, Sandra has effectively used the mediums of film, video, theater, and the spoken word as tools to

We talked with Sandy about her work with The Black Lens, her LGBTQ activism, and what can be done to help the community.

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You have done a lot throughout your life and career and are considered a great advocate within your local community. Your current focus is on The Black Lens, a publication geared towards the Black community of Spokane, Washington. Can you tell us why you started this publication, what you feel you’ve accomplished with it so far, and what your hopes are for the future of The Black Lens? I started the Black Lens (blacklensnews.com) because there was a need in Spokane’s Black community for a way to communicate. The Black population is so small in Spokane and spread out across the county. What is missing are gathering places like you have in larger cities. Points of contact. They are vital for a community to thrive. There was an African American newspaper in Spokane in the 1990s called the African American Voice, but nothing since then. So, when I looked around and saw the need, I decided to fill it. Also, my dad was sick at the time and teaching myself how use the software to do a newspaper layout helped keep me distracted. I am proud that my dad got to see a couple of Black Lens issues before he passed away. I believe what I’ve been able to accomplish so far with The Black Lens is to offer the Black community a voice and a platform that wasn’t previously available, and The Black Lens has raised awareness about important issues impacting the Black community that are often overlooked and ignored. I also believe that The Black Lens has contributed to there being a level of accountability for the people and systems that are in power in Spokane that are supposed to be representing all of Spokane but that are not quite representative of everyone. My hope is that The Black Lens will continue doing more of what it has done in the past and

hopefully more so. My hope is that people will come to understand the value of print media, particularly alternative print media, and support it. My hope also is that in some small way The Black Lens will help Spokane live up to its aspiration of being a community that truly embraces and celebrates everyone who lives here. Unlike the south, which has a much larger black to nonblack ratio, the northwest has a smaller percentage. I feel it is very important to make everyone feel welcome and seen, especially those that are a minority in certain places. The Black Lens appears to be the only publication specifically geared toward Black people based in Spokane. How does it feel to create a publication where the Black community can not only go for their news, but also where they can have the spotlight shed on them? Particularly in this negative political climate? The Black Lens is not only the only African American publication in Spokane, it is the only Black focused publication in Eastern Washington. That is a big responsibility and one that I don’t take lightly. Typically, there are very few images that are presented of Black people in mainstream media. For the most part, we are either criminals, entertainers or athletes, and recently we have been presented as people who have overcome some enormous challenge, typically with the help of someone who is not Black. So, the images and messages that non-Black people get of who we are is very limited and skewed, and mostly negative. As a result, it is important to have a counterbalance to the mainstream images of and messages about Black people, and to share stories and information that would not probably

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see the light of day otherwise. That is the role that The Black Lens plays and it is a valuable one, not just for the Black community, but also for the larger Spokane community, who through this paper, and others like it around the country, have an opportunity to have their awareness expanded. You are a longtime member of the NAACP, how do you feel about the scandal involving Rachel Dolezal and the subsequent movie? Most of the people who have expressed concern to me about the Rachel Dolezal “scandal” are not nearly as interested in the issues that were impacting the Black community before Rachel came along and that are still impacting the Black community now. Black people are stopped, arrested and jailed at disproportionately higher rates in Spokane than white people are. Black students are suspended and expelled from school at disproportionately higher rates in Spokane than white students are. There are racial inequities in healthcare and employment and housing, and even the life expectancy for Black people is lower in Spokane. That is the REAL scandal in Spokane, and it is where the real outrage should be focused, but I guess it’s not as titillating as trying to figure out whether or not Rachel is actually white or persecuting her for saying that she is Black. So, if you want to talk about white people who are in positions of power who have done real damage to the Black community through their actions or inactions, I’m all for talking about that. Otherwise, I’m not interested in discussing the so-called “scandal involving Rachel Dolezal.” As a member of the LGBTQ community, and also the black community, can you tell us about the dynamic of being part of both communities? As

an LGBTQ person, do you feel support from the Black community? There is racism in the LGBTQ community and there is homophobia and transphobia in the Black community. That’s it in a nutshell. The LGBTQ community locally has not done a very good job of addressing its racism, whether on an individual or a systemic level, and the Black community has not done a particularly good job either of addressing its homophobia and transphobia. So, there is work that still needs to be done on both sides. As for me, my primary identity is that of a Black woman who happens to be gay. I feel most at home in the Black community. I feel less like an other or a token, and like I’m on the outside looking in, when I am in the Black community than I do in the LGBTQ community. That experience might be different in a larger city. There are a lot of statistics and things in the media right now regarding both the black community, and the LGBTQ community, specifically Trans people. How do you feel about the current political state of both communities, and what do you think can be done to remedy the issues the communities are facing? I’m not sure what statistics you are referring to, but what I see is two communities, the Black community and the LGBTQ community, along with many other communities actually, who are struggling right now for the right to be equally included and equally respected in this society. That’s not a new struggle. Black folks have been at that for a very long time. The current administration has enacted policies that are detrimental to both the Black and LGBTQ communities and to many others. I believe that we are in a struggle for the soul and the

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consciousness of this country, and what needs to be done is for people to actually realize that this struggle is a matter of life and death and to get up off of their collective butts and do something about it. There has been, and continues to be, too much complacency. Too much letting other people take care of it. Too much looking the other way. I’ve grown weary of the hysteria surrounding what’s happening now with the Trump administration and want to see more collective action. The remedy for the issues that our communities are facing is us. Period.

incorporate an exhibit area to showcase local artists and their work, a performance space to feature diverse talent, and a designated area for lectures, workshops and programs that will both raise awareness about important issues impacting the African American community and offer a focal point to celebrate achievements and accomplishments. The Center will offer all of Spokane the opportunity to celebrate the richness of the African American experience and to interact and make connections with each other in an environment that is uniquely African American.

It’s my understanding that the Black Lens is currently in the process of raising money to buy a building, can you tell us more about this and what you hope to accomplish with this building?

A private local donor offered to match all community donations raised in July up to $100,000 and FOBL raised over $85,000 from the community in only four weeks. Those donations, plus additional private donations, have gotten Friends of the Black Lens almost ¾ of the way towards achieving its goal of raising the money needed to purchase the building and the adjacent lot. So, it is well within reach and the transformational possibilities that The Carl Maxey Center has for the East Central neighborhood and for the City of Spokane, as a whole, are very exciting. For more information visit: carlmaxeycenter.org

Last year a non-profit organization was formed called Friends of the Black Lens (FOBL) with the commitment to advocate for social justice and furthering the educational, economic and cultural opportunities for African Americans and the greater Spokane community. As a part of that advocacy work, FOBL launched a capital campaign early this year to purchase a building on 5th Avenue in Spokane’s East Central neighborhood and turn it into The Carl Maxey Center. The center will honor the life and legacy of Spokane’s first Black attorney, Carl Maxey, who was a fierce champion of Civil Rights, fighting locally, as well as nationally, to break down color barriers and end segregation, and who forever changed Spokane for the better. The Carl Maxey Center will be an inspiring, interactive and technologically advanced hub and gathering place that will focus on Cultural Enrichment, Economic Development and Social & Racial Justice, with a goal of uplifting and empowering the community from the inside out. Amongst other things, the center will

As a woman and a member of the lgbtq community, you are an inspiration for change. What advice would you give those who want to make a difference politically or within their own community? Do something. Anything. You don’t have to be the leader of a movement to impact your own personal circle of friends and family, to challenge them and discuss issues with them, to bring up difficult topics and engage in dialogue. If everyone made that commitment, the country would change, and I believe for the better. It is a privilege to be able to stay comfortable and

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safe, to not take any risks, and to not put your comfort and safety on the line. I became an advocate and a change-agent because I had to, because I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel that I had any choice. Change comes from being uncomfortable. Trump is making people uncomfortable. Now others are starting to feel what Black people have been feeling in this country all along. Hopefully that will prompt people to take action. The advice that I would give to people who are wanting to make a difference is to: Read. Read independent media, like the Black Lens or others. Read books. Stimulate the brain cells. They need it. Being introduced to new information/concepts creates new neural pathways in the brain. Think/Question. The government is counting on a population that is dumbed down. We need to stop allowing ourselves to be spoon fed information, especially from the internet and social media. Critical thinking is a skill that will be lost if it is not used. Connect. Talk to people. Connect with them, one-on-one and face to face. Relationships are key and we are losing our ability to relate to people and engage in dialogue that is not filtered through a device. Act/Create. Do something. Anything. Be less of a consumer and more of a creator. These are simple concepts that I believe are also revolutionary in nature. So, become a revolutionary.

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By Mic R. Phone

Robbi Katherine Anthony is a Democrat Running for Spokane County Commissioner Robbi Katherine Anthony is an entrepreneur in Spokane, WA with two businesses currently under her leadership. She is also a local activist for the LGBT+ Community and is regularly working to lobby for policies that benefit the transgender community. In her free time she can usually be found with an IPA in her hand, enjoying the numerous local breweries in the region. As of most recently, she has decided to run for public office and seeks the position of County Commissioner with a desire to balance the budget and fix the county roads.

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Why Robbi is running: As a business owner of two companies, I believe my ability to effectively manage expenses, raise revenue, and introduce innovative processes and solutions will translate well to the county level where I can help fight against deficit spending and work to generate a surplus for the county. As a progressive, I believe I can bring the values of so many people in Spokane to the conversations and decisions of the Board of Commissioners as a whole. As a transgender woman, I have seen the shortcoming of organizations, workplaces, and social groups when they lack diversity, and I have seen the prosperity that comes when you welcome everyone to the table. Multiple viewpoints enhance the efficacy and empathy of a group and I believe that is worth voting for. As someone who is livid at the current federal administration and the party that has chosen complicity over ethics, I believe it is time to elect Democrats up and down the ticket. As someone who loves Spokane, I want to work for the people of it to help make it a better place. Spokane is beautiful and truly is near nature, near perfect, and I want to continue to help strive towards perfection. Perfection being a place where everyone gets a fair shot at life and opportunity, a place where we all feel at home, a place where our environment is protected and fostered, and a place where our kids, grandkids, and generations beyond can inherit with great joy.

Tell me why you decided to run for this position. Do you have a main reason? I think like a lot of people I got really energized in the wake of the 2016 election. That was a wake up call in any number of ways. During that political cycle I was working on a campaign for someone vying for the same seat Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m running for this political cycle. What became evident was how important that position is, especially relative to how little people know about it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of those things that are ultra ultra important, that it is a very powerful position, that it is and it stays below surface level. So, on

that level I realized there is a definite need for really highly qualified people, effective decision makers, good leaders to be able to take that role. And I thought, why not myself? This year there seemed like there was an opening for that, in which we could potentially take the seat. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always wanted to run for office, I think after coming out and transitioning my thoughts and hopes were dashed, but after seeing some of the candidates in 2017 take some seats that were unexpected I thought it was possible again. So, it was a combination of all of these different factors.

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I hear a lot of political people that are running for office, especially those who are running for the first time, say that being a business owner helps qualify them for the position. Why do you think that is a good thing to have on your resume if you are running for political office? What I think it is, that it is a signal that if you have ran a business you can financially manage a larger entity than just yourself. You can take in a great source of information from many different parties, and different disciplines. Essentially what really, really great business owners are, people who are cognizant of their employees, and their job is to allow greatness in their jobs and to enable greatness. In politica they will say they are informed by their aids, their policy makers, and other individuals, and it is their job to inform them with this subject matter, to inform them as to what they need to do. So for me, the way I see it is saying, you can exist in this place and you can successfully enable others to rise to the top. And that is a lot of what comes from what the political system is. Take the county for example, there are three commissioners but there is the two thousand employees. So it is not just these three people sitting at the top pointing around and saying we should do this, this, and this. It’s really about them being able to listen to all of the folks and say this is Spokane county and what are going to be the best solutions to impact everyone, and if we do this we will be financially sound, and can we do this without harming anyone.

Being a Democrat, why do you think it is important to have a Democrat in this position? Why do you think it will work better for the county? I’m a Democrat because, frankly it is the party with some values, it has not been implicit with a lot of some of the things that occured in the last 18 months, that has occured with the current administration. And so for me that position has never been more clear. Democrats social values, they move the world forward, at least the political world forward, making the world better for everyone not just a select few. So, for me, the Democrats represent the party that says what happens when we all come together and choose to collectively prosper rather than deciding who’s going to be on the inside of that circle of success and who we are going to put down at the expense of it. Democrats see the zero of sum game if you will, and in terms of why it is so important to have a Democrat at the County Commission, is that it has been unilaterally controlled by Republicans for some time, and I think from that angle we can confer that we want diversity in our government structures. You don’t want just one party totally running the table. You want opposing viewpoints. I think if it were all Democrats we would have a strong argument to get a Republican or an independant. Just because when you have the convergence of different viewpoints, it’s going to test the majority opinion and ultimately shape it to not only be more effective, but to be more lucid. Under some of the issues you talk about

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on your website, you talk about equality for all is great for business. Will you elaborate on that? Yes, when all voices come to the table, you are going to see the best results every time. If we elaborate on systems, that allows us to collectively prosper. So, if there is just a select few making the decisions they are going to miss a lot of the beliefs and perspectives of their different community. But if you do find answers that are able to enhance and satisfy the lives of every different community, with their own experiences and their own uniques backgrounds, those are the things that will propel and carry us forward. If you have, let’s say a city of one hundred people, and there’s a solution that only appeals to 51 of those people the other 49 are going to be disenchanted and disenfranchised, but if you do have those answers that do bring everyone in, then you have the strength of a hundred people working that have that unified force. I think we’ve all been in rooms and situations where important chair holders and voices have not been present, we see the consequences of the decision because they get left out of the solution. As the Commissioner what are the some of the items you would like to address that would better the county? We have to balance the budget. The continuation of our budgetary woes are only going to get worse if we don’t do anything. It’s effectively like kicking the can down the road and assuming that the next person, the next generation, will pick up the bill for us

being financially reckless. And as that gap widens, we are going to see a decrease in county services, and it’s just going to hurt us. So if we are able to get the budget back into alignment, especially since the county is going through a growing phase, it’s just going to be so important. We are going to be able to improve on services rather than try to cut them to make sure that everything financially adds up. Then we can approach things like getting our county roads back in shape. Let’s make sure that the West Plain is not flooding in home developments and hope that residents aren’t having their basements full of water every other day. We can start dreaming big again about what this country can be once we’ve done the necessary steps to get it back into good health. We’ve gotta eat the vegetables before we can have dessert. I think that’s what a lot of people preach, but very few have the wherewithal to actually do it because it is going to require an unpopular decision and it’s probably going to cost you your term and your career, but you get people in there who are willing to do whatever it takes to get things back into alignment. people are going to be happy with that. And whoever follows or succeeds that person is not going to repeal that. Do you have a personal message you would like to send to Spokane and the County? Yes, our whole campaign, or our tagline if you will, I acknowledge that I am a very different human being, but sometimes

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change has got to look overt for people to recognize it. And I think that Spokane County is recognizing that we do need change, we do need different people sitting at the top. I am running to bring that sense of change. I am running to be different in that seat compared to my opposition. But you really can’t make an election on that, it’s about the people in Spokane County and doing right by them. It’s not being held hostage to corporate interest or being concerned about being able to maintain a local career, I’m looking to just get in and do the right thing. And if I’m so fortunate, to get the opportunity to spend four years doing the right thing. Learn more about Robbi and running for Spokane County Commissioner: LINKS: post primary article https://www.inlander.com/spokane/ spokane-commissioner-al-frenchwhos-fought-like-hell-against-districtonly-general-elections-is-downbig-in-the-district-only-primary/ Content?oid=11341857 pre primary article and interview http://www.spokanepublicradio.org/ post/robbi-katherine-anthony-techprofessional-challenges-al-frenchspokane-county-commission-seat 1st interview https://spokanetalksmedia.com/meet-thecandidate-robbie-katherine-anthony-d/ campaign podcast https://anchor.fm/robbianthony debate (VIDEO) https://vimeo.com/278026478

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By Brenda Burgett

Visiting with Tempest DuJour on a warm summer morning was something that I had been looking forward to. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to expect, but I was excited to be visiting with this drag queen, Professor, and father of two children. The available research on her was compelling and led me to think that this person was a little more than one might imagine. I was not disappointed and her story is here for your enjoyment.

I have been fortunate to meet a good amount of spiritual people in my life. I appreciate the good energy I have felt when around them, and I have noticed a good energy and depth around you. You are a drag queen and that is an important part of you, but there is sense of more you have a sense of style and seem to have an enjoyment in what you are doing. And maybe when the beautiful costumes come off there is a person that has other things to do? A creative person who enjoys what she is doing, but has a sense that there is more to life. I want to ask you about the name Tempest,

it comes from Shakespeare. Is that the reason you chose it? Yes, it does come from Shakespeare. My career has been as a costume designer and an educator, but I have done a great deal of work in theatrical productions in my life, and so I thought that would be something that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stationary and was real. I had never heard of another queen with the name Tempest so it seemed it was a fit for me. It does fit you, and as an observer of the drag world, you are a Tempest and you are having fun.

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You strike me as a person who needs to be challenged. You were born in the South and had a southern religious background. And southern values. My folks came from the south and so, boy, do I get it. Did you need to get past all of that – or did you incorporate it into your life, and I guess I want to ask how did it work for you? You know, I love and I always embrace my southern parentage. It’s interesting that the people out here often have this warped opinion or view of what is the south. And certainly, there are bad things, but there are bad things anywhere you go. So, it’s no different than anywhere else. I love southern life and the innocence there. I go back to see my mom every summer in North Carolina, and I just did that. I don’t know, but home is always home no matter where you go. Geographically speaking it’s beautiful, lush and green. It always feeds my soul and I always go to the water off the coast of North Carolina, it’s kind of my heaven, to go there and be by the water. Obviously, I don’t have that living in Arizona. But there is something healing about that to me. Something that is peaceful and a place to recharge. Culturally there are so many wonderful things about the South. The food, the manners, the way you treat people, and respect people. It’s something I find really missing where I live now. I think that may be everywhere? I think it’s a sign of the times. The

mannerisms and the way you treat people are important. Even if you don’t agree with what they stand for, there is a respect, at least the way I grew up in the South. I didn’t grow up in the south, but I had two very young southern parents. My family ranged from one who ran moonshine to a teacher at the University of Arkansas and a lot of in-between. I, in fact, had a relative that ran moonshine. My grandfather ran moonshine as well! He bought an old beer truck, I have a picture of it. It was the Holt beer truck. Don’t you love it? Don’t you just love it! I love it. When I talked to the editor about doing this interview they felt like you had gone home too early in the RuPaul Drag Race. Well, yes, I did too. They felt it was too early and that you weren’t given a chance to be looked at. I am sure I don’t understand the reasoning, and I don’t get it? Here is the thing, RuPaul is a business. And RuPaul made it very clear that RuPaul is a business and RuPaul is not making money. And if we are not making money for World of Wonder and RuPaul then There is no point in us being there. And I know that is sad, you know, it’s an unfortunate answer, but, it is the truth. That is a reality and people have

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to make money. But I think people like me who have a lot to offer, sometimes get lost in that part of the business in the show. I know many queens who are amazing performers that were eliminated very early in the show, like myself. And my frustration with that, I didn’t get a chance to show what I was capable of. It was an honor and I’m terribly grateful for being on the show. It has opened so many doors for me but, I use the analogy of dreaming about going to Disney Land and when you get there, they lock you out. You aren’t allowed to ride the rides. That’s what it felt like. It was devastating! You prepare for all of that. Forget all of the money and the time it takes to prepare for the show, I’m proud of the rack of clothes at home that I made for the show, that have never been worn, and faced all of the challenges that we were going to be doing. I can’t imagine the letdown. Is there a possibility of more competition for RuPaul? Is it possible to have such an event with a heart behind it? Absolutely! How so? Tempest: In mainstream America, just think how long it has taken RuPaul to go mainstream (quote unquote). It’s been decades and--- I don’t know, for now it’s a great avenue for exposure. Do you think it’s possible that RuPaul might do a spin off of the Drag Races? Maybe something with a little more depth to it. I think

people are maybe thinking on a little deeper level at this time? Not to take anything away from RuPaul, who has given exposure for drag queens. He has made it all happen for a lot of deserving queens. Certainly, I have ideas stashed away, that I think would make amazing television, that include drag performers. But it’s finding someone who will sort of plug into that and to have the money. It’s the reality of the business. Exactly. It’s one thing to dream it and another thing to get someone to put their money on it. Well, if anyone can do it, you can. You are a lover of the theatre and crazy costumes. I hope that isn’t offensive because they are beautiful. Oh, no, it isn’t. Good. So, when you dressed for the first time as Tempest, how did it make you feel? It was liberating for me, and at that time, I was living in a very different way. I was a different person physically. I was 160 pounds heavier. And just what that does to you emotionally and mentally, the costumes, hair and makeup is a vehicle to feel different about yourself. In America that is regarded as less than and funny. Suddenly the most beautiful thing about this was I could go into a dressing room with drag queens of all shapes and feel equal. For the first time in my life I was not afraid to be seen and to change in

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front of other people, there was a life and to feel no judgement.

Yeah, I agree.

That was freeing for you?

I know that you are costume designer and a professor at the University of Arizona.

Yes, and incredibly liberating. For someone to feel that way about themselves is a lot.

Yes, for 24 years now, and at the University of North Carolina before that.

It must have been.

I know that you don’t keep the fact that you are a drag queen and Tempest a secret.

That was what made me keep doing it. I didn’t feel judged and I felt I could be a part of this, and wow I don’t feel judged. In drag, as a big girl, you are celebrated just like everyone else. It sounds like you stopped judging yourself as well. Exactly - you are exactly right. Do you feel you have become an encouragement for other people? Yes, there is room for everyone in drag. I always say that. I believe that. If you’re male, female, gay or trans, whatever your identification, there’s a place for you in drag. I have learned in my experience that we are all the same on some level. We have the same insecurities, excitement, and are looking for answers and a very rewarding experience.

No, not at all. How has that affected your relationship with your students and faculty? Before drag race, people knew I did drag, I never kept it a secret, I had a weekly show here in Tucson and it seemed to work great. I remember when they announced I was off drag race and walking to my first class. It was in December. It was after Christmas break. I walked into my classroom and I got a standing ovation. It was an amazing, amazing thing. It was one of those moments in my life that I’ll never forget. It felt good and it felt good to be acknowledged. I had not really announced it or made a big deal of it but news spreads fast. My students, and occasionally faculty and other people in the university community, come to my performances and events. I love sharing.

It’s amazing.

You host a retro game show?

What you just said about accepting yourself goes past every boundary of who we are, or think we are.

Yes, we are in our seventh year now.

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Seven years is a long run. How did the game show come about? I have a friend who produces the show with me, who shared a love of old games, and we were talking about it. At the time I was in a weekly drag show, two or three queens, typical drag show, and I thought, there’s more to drag than just lip-synching, and my strength is on the microphone, interacting with the audience. That’s where I shine the brightest I think? And I in fact said this to the producer of RuPaul’s Drag Race. “I understand listening to your life, but there is so much more than lip-synching. And I said put me on a microphone and then let’s see who wins.” That’s my thing, that’s what I do. Anyway, I remember hearing about a bar in Los Angeles that was doing game shows. Now, we have like ten different games we go off of. We rotate a different game every month, and we make some of our own games up. Most of them are copies of old 70’s game shows. Wheel of Misfortune and Password, and Match game. What I’m the most proud of is that we are sold out for most performances. And now we are the longest running show in Tucson and probably Arizona. The crowd is what I’m the most proud of. It’s made up of a mix of people. It’s not a gay audience. I would be surprised if more than a third of the audience is gay. It’s 18-year old’s to 80year old’s, and everyone in between. We are just there to have fun. And people have such a great time. Have you been approached to take this to a higher level?

Actually, we have just now decided to branch out. We’re taking the show to Phoenix, which is a much bigger city and audience. We are just starting a little mini tour of the show. Corporate gigs, cruise lines. One thing I’ve noticed on facebook is that you mention your children. There’s no other queen doing the same thing. They are mostly posting selfies, which is fine. You reveal more of your depth and perhaps being a little more rounded in your life? Do you think that exposed your children to anything that might harm them? No, my kids have grown up with this. This is their normal. I at first questioned, do I really want to show them, but they love it and embrace it. Any chance they get to see me perform, they want to be there. It’s part of their world. There have been a couple of queens who have children, but I’m the only one who shares my kids. I was the only one on RuPaul who had children. It makes me unique and different, and the amount of messages and mail from people because of that is incredible. People relate and connect because of that. I get a lot of messages from people who say how wonderful it is and they want children someday. I didn’t think I could ever do that, but you have shown me I can. That makes it all worthwhile, and my kids are my greatest assets. I feel like I’m sharing them, and not exploiting them. That’s special. I love what you said about your little boy and I thought about my daughter at thirteen when I saw the picture of your daughter. I send you energy! They are different people everyday when they get out of bed. You never know what to expect.

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Yeah, that’s what I’m facing but I wouldn’t have her any other way. Thank you so much for sharing your time with us, and I would like to ask if there’s anything else you would like to share with us or have us watch for? We didn’t even touch on your organizing the Proud Power parade this year, but maybe another time there is just too much of you for one article. Well there is something that I feel strongly about, being on the drag race doesn’t mean you are the prettiest or the most talented. It means you are lucky enough to be on the show. And there are so many queens in every city, every state who put on amazing shows and bust their ass and do beautiful, entertaining work, and I wish they were getting more credit for it. I feel bad for them because it is maybe the only thing they do. I’m very fortunate I am one of the few who has a career outside of drag, and I don’t have to depend on that income to support me and my children. I am very fortunate that way. Just because you don’t have the RuPaul’s Drag Race behind you doesn’t mean you are less legitimate or less talented. It just means you have not been lucky enough to be on the show. I feel strongly about that. Tempest is not only a wonderful performer, but a beautiful person. You can follow her on social media to keep up with all her latest shows and antics! She may not have won RuPaul’s Drag Race, but she definitely won our hearts. https://www.tempestdujour.com/ facebook.com/tempestdujour Twitter: @tempestdujour instagram: tempestdujour

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Bruce Vilanch is Hollywoodâ&#x20AC;Ś in front of cameras or behind some of the greats who have made it as performers, he helps makes them look good. Either as a writer or performer, Bruce keeps the world laughing. By The Breakfast Club

Bruce is a 6 Time Emmy Award winning writer of series, music, and comedy, but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best known for his 4 years on Hollywood Squares making all who watched laugh. He has written for the Oscars since 1989 and as their head writer from 2000 to 2014. His passion for humor as well as the serious has inspired him to create material for the likes of Lily Tomlin, Billy Crystal, Roseanne Barr, Rosie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell, Paul Reiser, Elizabeth Tayler, and Robin Williams. If you watch TV, Bruce has most likely touched your life in some way in his vast career of comedy, writing, and activism for the LGBT community. www.ProudTimes.com

You are an icon in Hollywood, having been around for so long and contributed so much to the community. We know you do a lot of work with AIDS foundations and that it’s a very special cause to you. Are there any events coming up that we can spotlight for this cause?

Collection. With your status, the company’s LGBTQ supportive stance, and your history with the company, it seems like it could be a fun and mutually beneficial move to do a relaunch of your modeling career with them. Would you ever be interested in doing something like that?

Funny you should ask. I’m getting an award from The Thrive Tribe, which is an organization of AIDS survivors, on September 22nd in Pasadena, California, not Texas. I’ll be appearing at Honolulu Pride on October 20th, and in Philadelphia November 3rd at the Crystal Tearoom in a benefit for The Attic, not an AIDS charity per se, but gay youth, and the two are frequently intertwined, I’m sorry to report.

The moment they bring back Charming Chubs, or even Stylish Stouts, I’m in. Now that fat-shaming is on the list of things you can’t do without banishment to a small island in the bering strait, I think Lane Bryant is poised for a rebirth. Vera Wang, you have been warned.

Having done so much in the Hollywood community, you’ve worked with a lot of people, from Bette Midler to Lily Tomlin, you’ve even turned down work from Barbra Streisand for offering you too low of a wage. Who are some of your absolute favorite people to work with or that you have worked with throughout your career? I worked for Barbra for free on a few benefits, it should be pointed out for future historians of gay jewish theatrical trivia. I’ve had a good time with pretty much everyone, but Bette, Lily, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Whoopi, Steve Martin, Nathan Lane, Bea Arthur, Hugh Jackman, Andrea Martin, Shirley Maclaine, in several lives, I’d be completely addled if they weren’t at the top of a wonderful list. You were a child model for Lane Bryant, which has a 100% rating for the Human Rights Campaign, and they also released a Pride

Everyone knows you’re really close with your mom, she’s the one who started you as a child model, would you mind telling us more about your relationship with her? Well, as Robert Anderson wrote in a wonderful play called I Never Sang for My Father, “death ends a life. it does not end a relationship” (he also wrote “tea and sympathy,” one of the early gay plays). My mother’s life ended at 95 a few years ago, but the relationship goes on. Her final observation was “the first 90 years are easy. it’s the second 90 that are a bitch.” She was a fabulous character who never realized her show business dream, but realized that I had one and facilitated it all she could, but not in a mama rose way. Like all of us, I drew a lot from her, and she was a very deep well. You can see her in the documentary made about me in 1999 called GET BRUCE. She and Robin are the real stars. It was produced by Harvey Weinstein, who never trapped me in a hotel room. My new group is #WhyNotMe?

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You’ve also met a few greats before they were considered great. Though you have done a lot of hard work to get where you are, is there any one person that you give credit for your advancement in your career? I would be an idiot if I didn’t say BETTE MIDLER. She was about the first person I wrote for and I have been writing for her for almost--please remain seated-- fifty years. We can’t believe it, either. We still measure in grams, only now it’s medicine. You’ve written jokes for so many people, including Roseanne Barr, how do you feel about the recent scandal involving her? I’ve always loved her and had great times with her. I don’t for a minute think she’s racist, I think she’s troubled and has been for a long time. A couple of years ago she announced she was going blind. A couple of years before that she said she had 43 personalities. As I recall, #15 was not speaking to #s26 through 32 and that made daily life difficult. We all have demons and they show up at the most inconvenient moments. I think she unknowingly crossed a line and her co-workers and employers got scared that things were going to get worse. I just hope they don’t replace her with Christopher Plummer. What was it like to follow McKlean in The Broadway Production of Hairspray? It’s been said that you brought new energy to the role. You got some really great reviews for your portrayal. Were you always a Hairspray fan, how did you feel about the movie?

I started the first national tour and was on the road for a year and then I went to Broadway. We were all working in Harvey’s shadow, and he casts a big one. We each had our own ways of ironing and otherwise edna-ing. And we each added that to the show. I came into Broadway with the invaluable Todd Susman as my husband, so we were already a team on stage, and three other people from the tour. Most of the Broadway company had been doing it for two years and they got a kick out of the fresh blood, even the older batch. I am a huge John Waters fan and Hairspray was the movie that cast him into the mainstream. The movie they made from the musical took some liberties I wasn’t thrilled with, but how can you argue with a hundred million dollar plus success? One of the liberties they took was not casting ME, but Travolta needed the work and he gave Kirstie Alley a run for her money in the big-girl looks department. Of course, she doesn’t look that way anymore and I’ll bet he hasn’t ironed a day in his life since then. So, you literally wrote the book for A Sign of The Times, which is a jukebox musical featuring songs from the 60’s. Last I heard. It was in industry presentations. Do you have any updates on that for us, by any chance? It opens Nov 28th at the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington -- hear that, Joe Biden? -- for a run through the end of the year. It’s an original book musical featuring the song catalogue of Petula Clark...but it’s not her story. So think MAMMA MIA. PLEASE think MAMMA MIA! We did it at the legendary Goodspeed

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Musical Lab in the wilds of Connecticut, where it was a huge success. Like so much else lately, it’s about female empowerment, a young woman’s journey from the midwest in the mid60s to New York and the world of MAD MEN and eventually, the feminist movement. But she has a lot of fun along the way. And sings a lot of fabulous songs. One of the cast members for the presentation productions of A Sign of the Times was in Hairspray with you for the original Broadway production in 2002. His name was Van Hughes, I know casts for productions like that tend to be huge, but as a theatre kid, I’m just wondering if you recognized him at all? He wasn’t in the spray when I was in the spray. But he sure was good in our most recent reading of A Sign of the Times. I do love watching kids I knew from the spray move on to greatness -Andrew Rannells! One of the nicest kids in town! Joshua Bergasse! Another nicest kid, now one of Broadway’s hottest choreographers, in every way hotness can be defined. Matthew Morrison! The original link! I mentioned you were a child model for Lane Bryant, specifically for their “Charming Chub” division, you were also on season 3 of Celebrity Fit Club and appeared in the documentary The Adonis Factor. You don’t strike me as someone who is insecure about their body though. There’s a lot of body positivity right now with the body positive movement, how do you feel about this attempt to shift societal standards?

It’s great that people are refusing to be characterized by their weight, but as I get older, I realize that all the things that you were told about weight and health are, dismally, true and you ARE making a choice that you may live to regret. And there is no accounting for what turns people on. Every time I look at a bear magazine, I realize...I am not my type. This doesn’t mean that people don’t have the right to bask in the sunshine of themselves. They do. And the frantic diet culture needs to be de-emphasized a bit. But as I arc into my dotage, I think that a lot of the body positive stuff is a function of younger people who haven’t grasped what’s in store for them, at least as far as the health ramifications of being large and in charge are concerned. By the way, I lost 21 pounds on celebrity fit club -- which I found. You’re very well known for your t-shirts, and in 2007 you did an interview where you stated you had about 4,000, how many more have you gained since then, and how did this collection begin? Another grand. But we also had a purge and got rid of a lot of the ones that could never be worn again because I got larger or they got smaller or a combination or a reversal of the two. It began because I could never find shirts that didn’t crush my adam’s apple when I had to wear a tie, so I stopped wearing ties and decided I had to find another look. Maybe I was just in rebellion against my mother, who had the kind of fashion OCD where you had to look “just so.” As she always did. And I didn’t.

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You seem like an incredibly happy person. When you google Bruce Vilanch the first picture that comes up is you smiling, and it seems to be a very genuine, happy smile. Is there any one thing that stands out in your life that makes you happy? Bette Midler. I started smiling a lot when I started working with her, even though she had a very difficult process and was very hard on herself. But there was an overall joy about the work and the effect it had on the audience. Many people have told me that, from the early days, seeing her was the experience that made them get happy and allowed them to become their authentic selves. It was what writers call the triggering incident. I realized that it was easier and more fun to live and work coming from an idea of happiness than an idea of persistent despair. You have done so much throughout your career, if you had to choose one, writing or acting, which would you choose? Like, what do you want to be most remembered for? Great oral sex. But Proust is dead, so who’s gonna write THAT book? If anything, it would be good to be remembered for making people laugh through several horrendous periods of history and using that knack to make some lives materially better. You’re bound to have some stories. So, what is one of the most memorable moments of your career? It doesn’t have to be a highlight, but it can be. I’m just talking something that stood out and has stuck in your brain all these years. You know, I never think in those terms, because once I single something out, it seems like something else better come along to top it or it’s time to throw myself on the tracks while the L train is still running. Between Hairspray, Hollywood Squares, the Oscar shows and a lifetime of midlerizing...why choose?

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The Oxf someone exclusi gender;

By Victoria Smart

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ford Dictionary defines bisexual as e who is “Sexually attracted not ively to people of one particular ; attracted to both men and women.”

Nowadays the word bisexual has a lot of stigma surrounding it. Some people think bisexuals are just people who haven’t made up their minds, that it’s a made up sexuality, or that it’s just an easy way for threesome. Everybody wants to put a label on everything, they want people to fit into boxes they can understand. The one box we all checks is the human box. We are all humans. We are all the same in that. But we’re not all the same in other respects, and those differences should be celebrated, not boxed and feared. Here at Proud Times we understand that not everyone is familiar with the LGBTTQQIAAP letters and what they mean. We want to educate and help people see others as different but beautiful. This month’s letter is B for Bisexual and for this issue we spoke with Natasja Powell, a local Spokanite who performed at Spokane Pride this year, and was also crowned Ms. Gay Spokane.

Natasja Powell / Ms. Gay Spokane

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Most people know generally what a bisexual person is, but can you talk more about what it means to be bi to you? First off thank you so much for speaking with me. I’m honored to be the chosen bi of the month. Being bisexual means that I am open to loving anyone regardless of their cis gender. It simply means that the person to steal my heart could be male or female. It does not in any way mean that a person is incapable of or does not want monogamy in their life. It is a common misconception that being bisexual is a phase that most people go through in college, especially women. That bisexual people are incapable of being faithful is also a common and hurtful thought. It’s absolutely asinine in my not so humble opinion. In my experience most bisexual people are criticized at an early age for being indecisive and not knowing what they truly want. In reality us bis’ are just more open to possibilities than someone interested in only one gender. We are perfectly capable of monogamy and most just want to find that one person who they can love forever.

the other woman as a plaything to me, she is a potential mate. Again this feeds into the stigma that bisexual people are all ok with sharing which in most cases isn’t true. You were crowned Ms.Gay Spokane this year, congratulations! Can you tell us more about that title and what it meant to you? Thank you so much! The crown is an honor. This is only the third year for this title since it was put in place so that trans women and cis women like me could have more visibility on our stages and in our community. I’m so happy and proud to be able to

There’s often a lot of stigma surrounding bisexual people, like somehow it’s not an actual sexual preference, what would you say to people who believe this? I believe I have wasted enough breath in my lifetime trying to convince straight people who don’t believe in bisexuality. Lesbihonest, the stigma is mostly from straight cis-men who are intimidated by the fact that a woman could be attracted to another woman and it have nothing at all to do with him. I think lesbians experience this same stigma. Most straight cis-men hear bisexual and think “threesome woo hoo️.” Um no. My sexuality has nothing to do with you or whether or not I would be into having a menage a trois. I do not see

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represent the bi community with the crown this year and put us in the spotlight. As Ms. gay Spokane I am working from my new home in Vegas to be a light in our community, raising money to send to charities that support Spokane LGBTQ youth along with the $500 I have to raise for my title this year. You performed at pride this year in Spokane, correct? What was that like? Performing at Pride was honestly one of the most proud moments of my life. I had just gotten over a lifetime fear of the stage and public speaking. I’m honestly still shocked I was able to do it. I still shake intensely when I first start speaking in public forums and have to really pep-talk myself. I sang Tyrone by Erykah Badu, the extended version, it was absolutely exhilarating, quite an addictive and energetic experience. The crowd was so fabulous and supportive! I couldn’t thank them enough for making me feel so welcome. You’ve recently decided to move to Las Vegas, which is super exciting. Coming from such a supportive LGBTQ scene in Spokane, have you found that same support in Vegas? Living in Vegas has been an amazing and challenging experience because I am so busy working I haven’t gotten to experience the community here. It seems to be a very vibrant and loving one so I am excited to get into the scene. I value the love and support of the LGBTQ community in Spokane and I carry it with me wherever I go. You’re a very confident and wonderful person, what would you say to people who are struggling with their sexuality, or who are trying to find

themselves, really in any way, what advice would you give them? Thank you so much, I appreciate that compliment. It took me a long time to get to the state of confidence I am in. Through being bullied for everything from my skin tone, body type, hair, social status, etc. I’ve heard all the nasty things about myself and I’ve learned the hard way that I cannot let other people‘s thoughts/opinions about me be my own. I must share my experiences and my own truths without shame no matter what because being vulnerable is more powerful and strengthening than giving in and hiding. We have hidden ourselves away long enough, it is time to recognize our own beauty and stop ridiculing each other within our own communities. I truly believe that our stories and experiences can only help each other grow. It is time to lift each other up! My advice is to get to know yourself, love yourself truly, always stay open to growth and never feel guilty for things out of your control. Once we see the beauty in ourselves it is much easier to see it in everyone else and then the vicious cycle turns into a beautiful one in which we are all strengthening each other, and pulling the beauty from each other constantly making our communities and world a stronger place and a more accepting place for generations to come. You can follow Natasja on the social media links: Facebook: Natasja Francesca Veja Powell IG:@Imaginista8 Snapchat: natasjab92

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By Brenda Burgett

Fernando Barbosa has filmed a documentary about the 1,000,000 working children of Bolivia, which tugs at the viewers heart. The children filmed have been working since a very early age. They scavenge in the dumps for plastic and anything they can sell. Their toys are from dumpsters and it is amazing to see how the child in them still values a toy to play with.

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Fernando captures the courage of these children, and their quick smiles. There is a hopeless feeling when you watch a child digging through a sack of garbage. There is also a desire to help. It makes one wonder if their dreams will be fulfilled or if they will pass on the poverty to their children. It was a beautifully created film showing the children of Bolivia and their plight while leaving you with a respect and admiration for their courage and strength. It also inspires the viewer to ask, how they can help. Is it possible to make a difference? And it causes one to wonder how wealthy adults can walk past a child on a dirty mat in a doorway and not stop to help, or even appear to notice. You said in a recent facebook post that it was okay for people to be gay, but you werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t something you said to yourself when you were in denial. But then went on to say that you had the unconditional love of family and friends. People are often confused when someone doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come out when they know their parents and how understanding and loving they are why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you just tell them? Etc. I think people underestimate the bravery it takes to truly come out, in any way, as different than what is

perceived as the norm. Can you speak on that? And what advice would you give to your younger, in denial self? During my coming out process, I learned that there are two types of coming out (at least that was the case for me.) One of them, is the coming out where you gather your family or a group of friends and you tell them: I am gay (or a lesbian, or trans, or bi, or whoever it is that you are.) I thought that was to come out of the closet, but

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I learned that there was more to it. The other coming out, which in my opinion is the most important one, is the coming out to yourself. I was completely lost for this one, because until then, I had never heard or imagined what it truly meant to come out of the closet to your loved ones, and to yourself. Coming out to myself was a long process that took time. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen overnight at a gathering with friends or in a post I wrote on Facebook. It is extremely important that people, especially young kids who are in this process, understand that coming out is a journey that takes time. For some it may take a month, for others a year, and as in every journey there will be good days and bad days. It is a journey that is completely different and unique to everybody. For those who are in the process of coming outâ&#x20AC;Ś This time is crucial to focus on you, on building your new self and your new life. Coming out to oneself takes time because we are basically reinventing and being reborn. We learn to accept ourselves just as we are. We learn to forgive ourselves for all the harm that we caused to our minds and bodies when were not accepting who we are. We learn to let shame go. We change our way of thinking, our perspective in life, and even our dreams. We start learning how to live with a new freedom we have never felt before. All of this canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen overnight, because as you mentioned it, it takes courage to do it, but we all have the courage we need within us. The advice that I would give to my younger self in denial, would be to share what was going through my mind and my heart at that time, with at least one person. Either a family member or

a friend. And if I feel that is just not possible, I would advise myself to write everything down in a journal as a way to take things out of my chest. When I was in the closet I was keeping too many secrets and it was a lot of unnecessary pressure that I started to build within myself. By doing that, I started to harm myself. I was looking to alcohol as an escape, almost getting myself into serious accidents many times. Besides, there were so many experiences I was going through, both good and bad, that I wanted to share with my friends and family but I couldn`t. When I was in that state of mind I felt I was completely alone, when for a fact, I wasn`t. I am aware that I am very blessed because after I came out I still had the full support of my family. I know people who were not as lucky as me, and as soon as they told their families, they got beaten up, or had to move away. If they do not accept you for who you are, then they do not deserve you as a son or as a daughter. You will find incredible people in the community who will become your family. You are no stranger to bullying. In recent years there have been many anti-bullying campaigns. I think more often than not bullies are either ignorant, they themselves are insecure, or it is learned behavior, which is sad. I think most people have experienced bullying, and it sucks, but if you could go back in time, what would you say to the bullies you had now? I would tell them that I forgive them. I would also thank them for teaching the importance of kindness and for making me a stronger person today. My mom always told me that you have to love yourself before you can truly love anyone else.

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You seem to be a living example of that, can you speak more to the truthfulness of that phrase? Your mom is a smart woman, and what she told you was exactly what happened to me. Before I came out I dated many girls for almost twenty years, and I cared for them a lot, but I never truly loved them. (Except one, she is my best friend now and I love her like a sister.) There is a beautiful quote from Rumi which relates to this: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your task it not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.â&#x20AC;? Coming out allowed me to seek, find, and break barriers such as shame, guilt, and fearâ&#x20AC;Ś And as a result, it allowed me to fully and truly love myself. When I reached this state of being I met my boyfriend, Majed, and we have been together ever since. It was only with him that I was able to feel and share true love. If I would not have come out of the closet, I am sure I would not have the relationship I have with him now, and I am sure I would have never been able to experience true love. In your documentary work you said you experienced how fragile human life is, but you also experienced love. Can you tell us more about how the two go hand in hand? This is something that I learned from the kids in my documentary. They showed me that no matter what, as long as there is love, there will always be life. They were going through some of the hardest experiences, but the love for their families and their dreams kept them going, which in returned, filled them back with life to keep moving forward. It is like a circle, love is fuel for life, and life is fuel for love.

How did you get into filmmaking? Was it your original goal or did it evolve? It evolved. First I got my degree in Economics and International Business. Then I started to pursue filmmaking as a tool for change. To put together a documentary of this type you must have had first hand experience or know of a child going through this, tell us, what prompted you to tell their story? When I was a teenager I got drunk outside a nightclub in my hometown, and ended up passing out in an alley. The next day I woke up safe and sound at home, only to find out that Willie (you can see him in the documentary) found me on the street, put me in a taxi, and with the money he made working until 6 in the morning looking after parked cars at the club, brought me home. At the time I did not know him, he did not know me. He had no reason to help me, but he chose to do it. His act of kindness had a big impact in me. He opened my eyes to the reality of working children in Bolivia. Eventually I started to meet many children and youth who worked and lived on the streets, and started to witness the struggles they go through. Only because they were born in certain conditions, they were having a difficult life. I was also witnessing indifference and discrimination from society toward these kids. That bothered me a lot and was one of the main reasons why I decided to do this film. But what prompted me the most to tell their stories was their courage, resilience, and the love that they have for their families and their dreams, which helps them move forward.

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The children in the story how did you choose them for the documentary? I do not see any parents, are all of the children abandoned or orphaned? It all happened by random life coincidences. I met Sandra because a trainer at the gym told me there was a dumpster close to where he used to live where kids worked. So one day I visited the dumpster and there they were. I met Adriana through a young boy in the market.

He approached me and asked me if I could help his friend who was sick. That friend turned out to be Adriana. And I met Lorena through an organization in my home city that supports working children. Only Lorena broke all relations with her parents. But a lot of the children who work on the streets are abandoned, ran away from an abusive household, or are at risk of being abandoned.

When filming the documentary in the different locations were you ever threatened or were the children threatened for talking to you? Unfortunately, when you are doing this type of work in a country like Bolivia where freedom of speech is being lost, it is only normal to expect that the government will not appreciate your work. One day I was called to a meeting with government officials where they asked me about my work. They wanted to know all the details.

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The reason behind the documentary, its purpose, and if I was working with someone else or by myself. I was told that if I wanted to continue doing my work, I could only do it under their government volunteer program and under the supervision of a government official. Of course I did not accept their â&#x20AC;&#x153;kindâ&#x20AC;? offer, and continued working on my own. Another time I was asked to leave the dumpster by people who are in charge of it. Thankfully nothing happened as a result of my work to the children, or to myself.

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In the trash scenes are the children looking for items to use or items to sell or both? They are searching for both.

What do you do for entertainment when you are not providing entertainment for others?

Is there a driving force (person- mission) that inspires you? With all of your many awards, which are you the most proud of? My biggest inspiration is my family and Majed (my boyfriend). They are exceptional human beings who have taught me and guided me throughout this entire process, and helped me be who and where I am today. And also, as I mentioned before, the courage, resilience, and strength of the children and youth that I met while doing this documentary are a great force of inspiration. I have to make a special mention to Iqbal Masih. He was a working child and activist who fought relentlessly for the rights of working children. At 4, he started working to help pay his family`s debt. At 10, he escaped slavery to start a special school program for working children. Sadly, he was assassinated at the age of 12. Kids and people like him who are going through extreme hardship, and still continue to fight, are an inspiration.

“Take Off” Documentary Film

As for the awards, the one that I am most proud of is the scholarship I received from my University for my first year of studies.

I like to watch Netflix (my favorite show is Friends), and I also like to go dancing with Majed and our friends. What is your next project that we can look forward to? Last year I acted in a movie called “Tu Me Manques” a film about a father who loses his son to suicide and is on a journey for answers. I play Sebastian, the son`s boyfriend. It is a very nice film with an important message about forgiveness, tolerance, acceptance, and love. I also started to write my first novel which I am very excited about. Anything that you would like to tell us about yourself that we may not know? My favorite film is “Amelie” and my favorite song is “Beautiful Thing” from Grace VanderWaal.

www.gofundme.com/whendreamstakeoff

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Penis jokes, shirtless guys, millennial drama, and stories about selfdiscovery? Sign us up! DON’T SUCK premiered at the Big Apple Film Festival and on YouTube in late June and has rocketed into popularity. Tyler Martin, the breakout star, writer and director, created a series with laugh-out-loud humor, heartwarming characters, and refreshing gay narratives. What can we say -- we’re total Suckers for DON’T SUCK.

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Kinda, loosely, maybe inspired by true sucky events, DON’T SUCK follows Tyler – a gay, Christian, chronic masturbator – as he drops out of college and moves from Texas to New York City to pursue his career as an actor and singersongwriter. But with a nudist roommate, waffling bestie in tow, and high school heartbreak right around the corner, Tyler must reclaim his life and focus on why he moved to the city. With original songs, heartwarming characters, and suck-tastic events, DON’T SUCK examines the universal goal of not sucking. “Life can suck. Hard. It can be overwhelming, confusing, and it’s easy to feel lost. But we can take what sucks and utilize it to our advantage. I want to encourage people to own what sucks, claim it, and utilize the crap out of it.” - Tyler Martin (Writer, Director, and Lead) Before we start talking about the web series “DON’T SUCK,” tell us a little about yourself. I was born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. Acting professionally since a young age, I went on to receive a BFA in Musical Theatre with an emphasis in Acting and Directing. I met my partner there in college -- we were teenage sweethearts and have been

together ever since. After college, we moved to New York City. In my second week of New York life, I booked my first Off-Broadway show and joined Actor’s Equity. Since then, I have been in multiple Off-Broadway productions and in several independent films. Although I was working consistently, I oddly felt artistically unfulfilled. That’s when I began writing, what ended up being, the web series DON’T SUCK. Is this the first show you have written? If not please tell us about the others, if yes tell us how much of this show mirrors your real life experiences. I had been sitting on the general idea for DON’T SUCK for awhile, but being I had never written a series before, had absolutely no money to spend on it, and a very basic knowledge of production, it was a bit...daunting. I utilized some sketches and songs I had written and actual events/ relationships from my own life to begin. In the early stages, it lived slightly closer to my actual life, but as I continued writing it quickly morphed into its own world, very different from my own. You are definitely making a statement with a show titled ”DON’T SUCK”, what came first the chicken or the egg...the name or the story? And what exactly does the title mean to you? Because of how daunting it was to begin, I promised myself I would change my writing format: First, I would go to a coffee shop every day for a month and attempt to write. Second, I would not edit as I wrote. And lastly, I would not title the series till the end. In the past, I have felt restricted by titling my projects first, like I couldn’t veer from it. While reading a final draft, the name came directly from the script -- I wanted to examine success, and how different people interpret that. Tyler is so concerned about how

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everyone perceives him. He is constantly giving himself pep-talks of how not to suck, and even uses the word “suck” multiple times throughout the show. When I noticed that, I knew I had the title. I have watched a lot of web shows and it looks like this has a decent size budget to work with. The reason I say this is because the sound is always good, the editing is clean, and the lighting has the earmarks of a professional. This made it very entertaining to watch because I did not have to deal with sound changing or bad imagery. So what is your secret? Prayer...? Haha! I’m not one of those indie filmmakers saying, “we didn’t have a budget, we only had 25,000” -- I wish! We literally had no budget. We used a DSLR camera we already owned and splurged on a cheap boom mic and LED. My partner, who produced it, and I spent countless hours studying with YouTube videos, podcasts, books, etc. I think the true secret though is that I was surrounded by people who believed in my writing and vision. They trusted me as an artist and just went along for the ride. Casting for this is done well, each character is believable, even with their sometimes overexaggerated personalities. I was entertained and could not wait to see the next part. Tell us how you went about the casting. My partner, Enrique Cavazos, was the casting director for the series. If we were going to make DON’T SUCK, we wanted to do it professionally, we wanted to do it the best we could. So, like any major project, we held auditions. We cast the leads and a few supporting roles from those. The only actor playing a major character I knew going

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in was Christopher Trepinski, who plays Marco. I get asked a lot if the actor playing Alex and I are real-life best friends or if the actor playing Greg and I are real-life boyfriends. It was important to me to work on the details of those relationships, how they touch, how they look at each other, how each of their dynamics is quite special, specific and different. I think that work we did is why I get asked if those relationships are real. Are the characters based in some way off of real live people or totally fiction? When the script began taking on its own world, so did the characters. The majority of the characters are based on real people, relationships, or events in my life, but they are so far removed from my reality that it doesn’t seem all that close to me anymore. There are a lot of sprinkles from my own life, but not the whole cake. In the 9 shows I watched there are a couple of places that it looks like you are starting to bring in more characters. There was one joke mentioned by the second nudist that not being a New Yorker or maybe it just went over my bald head, but where he said “I do not want to lose him to the Hare Krishnas” I was not quite sure why this was said. This is not a big section but the point was kinda lost on me. Could you for fun educate me about this section? Being so limited on time in a web series, some jokes end where they begin. That’s a huge reason why subtext was so crucial to me. Earlier in the scene, Jarvis asks Tyler, “What kind of Church,” alluding to the idea that Jarvis is skeptical of religion in some way. Robert Price, who plays Jarvis, is a talented improviser and I love improvising as well. The whole show is

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scripted, but there are scenes, specifically with he and I, where we shot takes improvising. That particular line was improvised -- referencing Jarvis’ fear of religion. Or it’s just random, stupid humor. Take your pick. This show perfectly captures the stereotypical gay best friend relationship. We all know this stereotype exists for a reason, and it’s such a great relationship because it’s so unique and different than most other relationships people have. What inspired you to make this friendship such an important part of the show? Alex was actually the hardest role for me to write. I found her voice last. She was the character that probably changed the most in each draft. It wasn’t till my final draft when I was happy with her character. I think it was a difficult role because of the complex connection Tyler and Alex share -- it’s not the typical gay best friend sketch. I wanted to take a more realistic approach, with hints of my own best friend relationship. Two very different individuals -- one struggling with wanting to do too much, and the other struggling because she doesn’t know what to do. They hinder and compliment each other in the best ways. Who broke your heart and inspired the terrible relationship your character goes through during the show? My lips are sealed. (*Quietly whispers name*) Haha! The character Greg is actually a mixture of multiple people/relationships combined into one. So, there are probably like three guys out there thinking it’s all about them. Although, I was more like Greg in one of those relationships. Because Tyler and Greg’s relationship is so detailed, so complex, it was nice to be able to pull from firsthand sources.

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awkwardness. In all seriousness, it’s been truly touching how many individuals relate to various aspects of DON’T SUCK. I hope to continue being a voice for the millennial LGBTQ+ community, a voice for those struggling with their religion and/or faith, a voice for the awkward weirdos out there, and a voice for those struggling with their purpose. I have high hopes for DON’T SUCK, and intend to pitch the series, because I’d love to see what I could do and how many more people I could impact if I had a budget. (Wink, wink, everyone with money.)

The series is currently available on YouTube and screening at festivals across the country including the upcoming International New Jersey Web Festival (receiving an amazing 6 nominations) and Palm Springs’ Cinema Diverse LGBT Film Festival. Plus, look out for other awesome DON’T SUCK content like the DON’T SUCK Confessionals on YouTube (where Suckers talk about what sucks most in their sucky lives) and the DON’T SUCK Tips on Instagram and Twitter!

Was it awkward asking places if they would let you film there, like in their bar or store? It never gets less awkward, however I am constantly surprised by how many people want to help others. Without knowing me or my work, so many people offered their space and time -- if you aren’t afraid to ask for something, you might get a thing or two you want. I am sure you are planning season two, can you give us a hint about what we should look out for? Yes, I have begun writing. Get ready for more original songs, more penis doodles, and more

Website: www.dontsuckseries.com Youtube: www.YouTube.com/DontSuckSeries Instagram, Twitter: @dontsuckseries Facebook: @dontsuckwebseries

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By Tom Tietjen

Out Music Award winner Jason Walker is back on top. “I’m in Love with You,” his latest collaboration with two-time Grammy nominated dance producer Tony Moran is the #1 club song in the country. It is the third consecutive #1 single from the power house duo. Their previous tracks, “So Happy” and “Say Yes,” also climbed to the top position on Billboard.

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We spoke with Jason Walker from his home in New York City. “I’m in Love with You” is the #1 dance song in America right now! It’s amazing! I think back to when Tony and his team first approached me about singing it. Do you know I said yes after hearing it only once? Tony really is a master at his craft. As an artist, being in the studio with Tony Moran and having him produce your vocal is a religious experience. Truly! Why do you think listeners love “Love”? People wanna connect with something these days. The more personal the better; “I’m in Love with You” is about as personal as you can get. Talk about your experiences with love. My experiences have been like most people’s, I think. I’ve loved, I’ve lost, I’ve hurt, I’ve done some of the hurting. There were a couple that almost broke me. Well, maybe they did break me and I wear the scars well. Looking back now, I realize it’s all part of the growing process and it’s best to reflect on the good times.

Do you wear your heart on your sleeve? Always. When did you come out? I don’t think I came out as much as I think I was forced out. It happened when I was 19. I was going through a rough patch, you could say, and my mother was worried about me. We were always close and at that time I was very secretive and she knew that something was up. So she did what any good mother would do: she went through my shit and found a letter that I wrote where I spilled all the T. She later came straight out and asked me if I was gay. I couldn’t lie to her. Has being out impacted your singing? If you mean my voice, no. If you mean my career path, then I’d have to say yes. Let’s talk about how unique your voice is. I’m not sure if I can. I mean, I guess my voice is unique. It may be strange to some people’s ears. But to my ears, it’s simply me. It’s the way I’ve always sounded. How have you developed it through the years? I grew up listening to soul music. There was always music in our house. Then at about 11, I was bitten by the house music bug. Artists like Sandy B, Ultra Nate, Inaya Day, Hannah Jones, La India, and Kristine W… That’s when all hell broke loose! Those ladies really laid the foundation for the singer that I became. They

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taught me how to sing. Especially Kristine. Her first album really changed my life. I was 13 when it came out and it changed me forever. No album has had the effect on me that her’s has. And songs like “Free” and “Keep Pushin” did the same thing. I knew from a really young age the kind of music I wanted to make. Where do you want to go with your music? Everywhere! My short-term music goals are simple: I’d like to live to sing another day. My long-term music goals are a little more complex. Honestly, I’d like for music to fulfill me, whatever that means. I don’t wanna be this huge star. I’d just like to be musically fulfilled and I guess that’s just by doing what I’ve been doing. How do you stay in shape? In shape? What’s that? (Laughing) You look really good in the “I’m in Love with You” music video! I love, love, love the video! I owe it all to Karl Giant, the director. Seriously, any and all credit goes to him and artist Randy Polombo who gave

Karl free reign to use any and everything in his enormous Brooklyn studio. We did just that! Karl let his artistic sensibilities guide him and the end result is our video. It is fast moving, fun, and colorful. Sometimes a video doesn’t need a plot design. Sometimes viewers simply want to be visually entertained and that’s what I feel Karl did. He created a feast for the eyes. Finally, a few fun, easy questions. OK, I’m ready. All-time favorite musician or musical group. Kristine W. Favorite concert you’ve attended. Tori Amos. Musician you’d most like to meet. Tori Amos. Favorite app. Tetris. Little-known fact. In high school, I actually, for a minute, considered going to college to study Ornithology. “I’m in Love with You” and all of its remixes are available on iTunes. Visit http://www.mrtanmanmusic.com. Follow Jason Walker on Facebook @ jasonwalkermusic, Instagram @ thejasonwalke Twitter @ divajasonwalker.

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Nearly thirty years after the release of 24 Years of Hunger, an album AllMusic Magazine described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;one of the finest, most refined and fully realized recordings of the era,â&#x20AC;? alternative queer rocker Alice Temple makes her triumphant return to music with The End. In it, Alice delivers a searing new set of self-produced and performed, soul-baring indie pop tracks, all with her venerable, take-no-prisoners bite.

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”The concept for making The End was simple,” explains Alice. “Just me in my bedroom writing songs about how I was feeling at the moment. That goes for the style of each song as well. It’s all about moods and feelings. The overall sound of the album is eclectic; home-made; heartfelt.” We spoke with Alice from France, where she was promoting the new album. What took you so long to release The End? What have you been up to these past ten years? I got sober in 2005. I wrote and recorded all the songs during my sobriety. I was super busy and then got a really grown up job with a lot of responsibility, lecturing and educating addicts on Hep C. Music took a back seat for awhile. Then a few years later my head got dark and I slipped into old patterns and more darkness, subsequently neglecting music altogether. Got sober again. Decided I was done with music. That’s when the gorgeous Bill Coleman told me he wanted to put my record out on Peace Bisquit. I couldn’t say no. In the mean time I have started painting. Something I used to do for fun but now its more of a career move. Before we get to the end, take us to the beginning. What should new fans know about your early years? I was always sporty as a kid. Loved skateboarding in the 70’s, then it was rollerskating, then BMX was the next thing. It was just fun with my mates, but something I happened to be good at and ended up competing in. I did it for a few years until one day I was suddenly over it. How did a BMX champ link up with Boy George? The transition was a matter of weeks and I never looked back. I was quite young. I met George in 84’ in London but it wasn’t until I moved to NYC in 85’ that we got so close, and then I moved into his apartment on the upper West side. That’s when things got really crazy. Amazing times.

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Its crazy to think that way back in 1986, you and Boy George and all your friends were so open about your sexuality while in the public eye. How did you manage that? Truth is, I personally didn’t know what the fuck I was at that time. Deep down I must have, but I was very confused. I was always in love with gay boys. And what made it even more confusing is that gay boys liked me too. I looked like a young cute boy, so it kind of made sense. We created our very own world, and in that world there was no judgment and no one cared about sexuality. It was so over the top. I think the straights didn’t dare say anything. I suspect the copious amount of drugs being consumed scared them too and got in the way of us giving a shit what anyone thought. I never hung out with normal people so to me it was normal. Were there gay role models to look up to? Personally for me there were no role models at all. In those days, a gay woman meant you had to be super butch. Short hair, overweight and hate men. That was the stereotype. It’s really weird because on the one hand, 98% of my male friends were gay and not once did I ever question the morality of homosexuality, but on the other hand I didn’t know a single gay woman and so I felt like a freak which made me super introverted. Took me a long time to get it right. Do you still speak with Boy George? I do. Not often these days because we are rarely in the same country but we Whatsapp. Last time was 2 months ago. I happened to hear Philip

Tracey on the radio talking about George. It was very sweet and I told him to listen to it. Time before that was when a great friend of ours died. You had a 10 year relationship with supermodel Rachel Williams at a time when supermodels ruled the world. How did you guys come together? First time we met, I was living in LA. Then in NYC there was a little gang of us girls including Jenny Shimizu. She ended up hanging out with us a few times. We didn’t get together until I was back living in London. Her mum was English so she used to go there a lot. We hooked up when she was there and that was it. We were inseparable until we split. She was totally over modeling by then and I think it suited her to move there and get away from it. After we split up, we both got clean. Then we became best friends. I spoke to her last week. I’m godmother to her daughter. How would you describe that time in your life? First few years it was pure sex, drugs and rock ’n roll. Add love to that and it was incredible. We lived in London, NYC and LA. Eventually it just became drugs. It was bad. Somehow, through it all we really did love each other. It never got nasty in that area. Splitting was the best thing we ever did. Let’s chat about The End. What do you want listeners to take from the record? Just a girl bearing her soul, searching for answers within herself while trying to make a decent record.

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How does the album reflect on who Alice Temple is today? I’d say I’ve grown up a bit. I think I’m a little more confident. I know myself better. Maybe I just figured out that there are no answers. Maybe it just comes with age. What specific songs on the album mean the most to you? My favorite song is definitely “The End.” It’s the only one I can listen to and not feel like bits are wrong. It reminds me of the music I fell in love with when I was really young. I loved punk and bands like The Pretenders and X-Ray Specs. I like the story I’m telling and that it’s not told in an autobiographical way but a narrative between two lovers. I love my guitar playing on it too. “Move Me” is another one. It’s groovy and simple and the guitar is really cool. Depending on my moods I like some better than others. Do you still have a BMX bike? No. I did get one a few years ago but I never rode it. I gave it to my nephew. The End is being released through Brooklyn indie, Peace Bisquit, and is available for purchase through iTunes, Amazon, and all other major retailers, as well as through streaming on Pandora and Spotify. FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AliceTempleOfficial/ TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/alicetemple INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/alicetemple/ SPOTIFY: https://artists.spotify.com/c/artist/0rk4UQWQEjlUGTaNraBsPY/profile#about YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu7K4iTGsXmeW_Qld9E81Aw