Echo Magazine - Arizona LGBTQ Lifestyle - July 2020

BITCHEN KITCHEN:

Joey Skladany's upcoming book has your new favorite food and drink recipes INSIDE:

Michelle Talsma Everson talks to LGBTQ teens about the quarantine

PLUS:

Indigo Girls discuss pandemic life

LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 31, #10 | Issue 730 | July 2020 | COMPLIMENTARY

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INSIDE THIS

ISSUE Issue 730 | Vol. 31, #10 | July 2020

NEWS 8

Editor’s Note

12 News Briefs

COMMUNITY 32 Without Reservations 34 Opening Nights 36 Bands 38 Entertainment News 40 Recordings 42 Between the Covers 44 Talking Bodies

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Creating the foundation: Taylor Perkins on building schools and students’ passion for careers in construction Business development coordinator at Chasse Building Team, Perkins discusses her involvement in the before, during, and after processes of building and reimagining schools.

46 Not That You Asked

James Pennington; photo by Grace Clark.

Out & About 18 Black Lives Matter Protest

ON THE COVER Joey Skladany Photo by Davide Luciano.

BITCHEN KITCHEN:

Joey Skladany's upcoming book has your new favorite food and drink recipes INSIDE:

Michelle Talsma Everson talks to LGBTQ teens about the quarantine

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Faith and affirmation: Having pride in the churches of the desert Timothy Rawles talks to a few of the Valley’s LGBTQ-inclusive faith organizations about devotion and acceptance.

WEB EXCLUSIVES PLUS:

Indigo Girls discuss pandemic life

LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 31, #10 | Issue 730 | July 2020 | COMPLIMENTARY

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DON’T FORGET TO VISIT ECHOMAG.COM TO READ EACH MONTHLY ISSUE AND NEW CONTENT WEEKLY.

Joey Skladany; photo by Guillermo Riveros.

Basic Bitchen: Heat up your kitchen with Joey Skladany’s new cookbook This writer, TV & radio personality, and Chowhound’s editor-at-large delivers a satisfying collection of food and drink recipes, with plenty of tasty witticisms on the side.

Depression is far more sinister than sadness — but with treatment, there is hope Kimberly Blaker addresses the different types of depression, along with treatments that can help.

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Karen and Barry Mason; photo courtesy of Netflix.

Quaran-teen: LGBTQ+ youth talk about being at home during COVID-19

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The COVID-19 quarantine has impacted everyone in different and multiple ways. Here, Michelle Talsma Everson examines how it has affected some area LGBTQ+ youth.

Filmmaker Rachel Mason chats about Circus of Books, her Netflix documentary she made about her parents’ gay porn empire Chris Azzopardi chats with her about her folks’ longrunning book and video store in West Hollywood and the movie it inspired.

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LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PUBLISHER: Bill Orovan ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Bill Gemmill EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR: Amy Young CONTRIBUTORS: Chris Azzopardi Alison Bailin Batz Kimberly Blaker Grace Bolyard Edward Castro Jenna Duncan Buddy Early Michelle Talsma Everson Eli Krause Jason Kron Jeff Kronenfeld Laura Latzko

Logan Lowrey-Rasmussen Tuesday Mahrle Judy McGuire Ashley Naftule David-Elijah Nahmod Tia Norris Timothy Rawles Tom Reardon Romeo San Vicente Terri Schlichenmeyer Colby Tortorici

ART DEPARTMENT PHOTOGRAPHY: nightfuse.com.

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING: Ashlee James ECHO READERSHIP: 50,000 SUBSCRIPTIONS: $29/year ACE PUBLISHING, INC.

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 16630 Phoenix, AZ 85011-6630 PHONE: 602-266-0550 EMAIL: manager@echomag.com Copyright © 2016 • ISSN #1045-2346

MEMBER:

Echo Magazine is published by ACE Publishing, Inc. Echo is a registered trademark of ACE Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Written permission must be obtained in advance for partial or complete reproduction of any advertising material contained therein. Opinions expressed therein are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff. ACE Publishing, Inc. does not assume responsibility for claims by its advertisers or advice columnists. Publication of a name, photograph of an individual or organization in articles, advertisements or listings is not to be construed as an indication of the sexual orientation, unless such orientation is specifically stated. Manuscripts or other materials submitted remain the property of ACE Publishing, Inc. 8

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HACERSE LA PRUEBA. EDUCATE. MANTENERSE A SALVO. PERMITANOS AYUDARLOS A NAVEGAR SUS SERVICIOS MEDICOS

GET TESTED. GET EDUCATED. BE SAFE. LET US HELP NAVIGATE YOUR HEALTHCARE SERVICES

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NEWS BRIEFS

Lambda Legal: Black and Brown LGBTQ people particularly vulnerable to state-sponsored violence Courtesy of Lambda Legal

“L

GBTQ people, particularly of color, are disproportionately over-policed and incarcerated as result of systemic discrimination and bias in our legal system.”

(Washington, DC, June 9, 2020) – Lambda Legal submitted written testimony to the newly formed Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice highlighting the disproportionate levels of violence and abuse that LGBTQ people, especially LGBTQ people of color, experience in the U.S. criminal legal system.

As noted in the letter, Lambda has submitted this testimony notwithstanding its concerns about the Commission, which is composed entirely of law enforcement officials. The problems in U.S. criminal legal system will not be solved by ignoring the expertise of communities who have suffered from overpolicing and mass incarceration.

The testimony comes in the midst of the protests and civil unrest sparked most immediately by the officer-involved killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville and Tony McDade in Tallahassee, all three people of color and one, Tony McDade, a transgender man.

But these three are only the most recent examples of police abuse suffered by people of color in the United States. And the death of Tony McDade is tragically only the most 12

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recent in an epidemic of violence and death suffered by transgender people, particularly transgender people of color.

“LGBTQ people, particularly those who are Black or Brown, are disproportionately over-policed and incarcerated as a result of systemic discrimination and bias, including at the hands of police,” said Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Puneet Cheema. “We need to rethink our system of public safety and not rely on law enforcement as first responders where an arrest doesn’t resolve the underlying issue. We need to invest in city and community services for all residents.”

“Despite our reservations about this Commission, Lambda Legal has submitted testimony to raise awareness about the ongoing mistreatment of LGBTQ people by police and others in the criminal legal system.” said Sharon McGowan, Legal Director and Chief Strategy Officer at Lambda Legal and formerly Principal Deputy Chief of the DOJ Civil Rights Division. “The modern movement for LGBTQ equality was catalyzed by an uprising against police brutality, and for decades, Lambda Legal has understood that resisting statesanctioned violence and discrimination, including by law enforcement, is essential to our mission to secure full equality for all LGBTQ people. Unfortunately, we have no

reason to believe that Attorney General Barr or the Commission he has created will take seriously their duty to protect the civil rights of all people. Nevertheless, we will continue to speak up and demand better, as the lives of the LGBTQ community and the other communities of which we are a part are what’s at stake."

Lambda Legal’s testimony details the fact that LGBTQ people, particularly those who are black and brown, are disproportionately vulnerable to over-policing due to systemic discrimination, face bias from law enforcement agencies and in the courtroom, and are disproportionately incarcerated, sexually assaulted, and denied adequate medical care in prisons and jails.

Read Lambda Legal’s full testimony here https://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/ legal-docs/20200608_written-testimonypresidents-commission-law-enforcementadministration-justice.

About Lambda Legal: Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

NEWS

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Taylor Perkins on the job.

Creating the foundation: Taylor Perkins on building schools and students’ passion for careers in construction

By Alison Bailin Batz

L

ife is an ever-winding road.

And that is just fine for Taylor Perkins, who thanks that winding road for bringing her to Arizona, no matter how many twists and turns it took.

Her story begins in Viroqua, a small town in Wisconsin.

The middle of seven children and cared for by a single mother, Perkins’ family actually moved to Arizona when she was young and spent her youth being homeschooled and playing with her siblings. A generally happy child, she was most often dancing, dreaming up games with her siblings, and falling in love with art.

“Then at 14, my oldest sister passed away, and I learned life can change in an instant,” says Perkins, whose family struggled then more than ever — especially with how to deal with such a tragedy — and moved back to small-town Wisconsin.

Over the next three years, when she wasn’t in school — traditional school this time — much of Perkins’ time was spent caring for her siblings, in particular her younger sister Brynn, who has Down syndrome. The family then decided a move back to Arizona would be in their best interest; however, Perkins had other plans.

“I was 17 and a high school senior. I craved some normalcy, so I did what many considered

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FEATURE STORY

Perkins, who also gave birth to a daughter — Angelia — at this time, applied for a scholarship after graduation, earning the opportunity to continue her education in community college.

Over the next several years, the single mom worked several jobs to get by.

“Eventually, homesickness sunk in, but this time not for Wisconsin, for my family,” says Perkins, who made her way back to Arizona in 2015.

Perkins distributing food at a local school district.

a very un-normal thing,” says Perkins. “While my family moved, I stayed in Wisconsin for my senior year. I got my own place, paid my own bills, worked full time and still went to school and took college courses at night.”

Once settled in, Perkins took a job in the insurance industry and cared for her younger siblings while raising a daughter of her own.

“I also applied to ASU Online, because education — both mine and showing my daughter the importance of it — mattered so much to me,” says Perkins, who was accepted and worked toward her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration over the next several years.

In 2018, bachelor’s degree in hand, Perkins was excelling in insurance and assuming that the winding road she’d been on for so long was in her rearview mirror.

“Of course, just when you think you have it all figured out, life has other plans for you,” says Perkins. “I still marvel that — of all things — LinkedIn started me on my best road yet.”

It was through LinkedIn that Perkins connected with Vicente Terán.

“He was an insurance customer, so I accepted the connection and figured that would be the end of that,” says Perkins. “I was wrong!”

Perkins saw that Chasse was hiring and then realized her recent connection, Vicente, was employed there.

“Now, I had zero construction experience, but the position that popped up was in business development,” says Perkins. “For whatever reason, something made me apply. I was 99% sure I wouldn’t get a call or anything, but something told me to do it anyway.”

Not only did she get a call, but she was asked to come in and meet with several members of the Chasse team, including owner Barry Chasse.

“Among Chasse’s niche areas is K-12 schools,” says Perkins. “We work with schools across Arizona, some we build from the ground up, some we remodel and some we completely re-imagine.”

In fact, they are the team behind the new and state-of-the-art Canyon View High School in Agua Fria Union High School District, the Dove Mountain CSTEM School in Marana and the soon-to-open Creighton Academy (formerly Creighton Elementary School) in Central Phoenix.

“Before, during and even after the build is where I come in,” says Perkins. “My role is to work with the schools and school districts to provide proactive and hands-on education experiences for their students and faculty. I also look for ways we can help give back to the schools directly.”

According to Perkins, there are nearly a dozen programs she and Chasse host and produce to help open kids’ minds to careers in construction and building. This happens both in classes and beyond. A particularly special example to Perkins occurred just before COVID-19 ended classroom learning in the short term.

“Barry must have spent two hours with me, and by the end, it felt like I was talking to a friend or mentor, not a stranger or perspective employer,” says Perkins. “He hired me a week later. And in the two years since, I feel like after all the moving and struggling, that I’ve finally found my home.”

“In celebration of Career and Technical Education Month, we partnered with Lowe’s, Timberland PRO and Generation T for the first-ever Better Building Project at Agua Fria High School in west Phoenix,” says Perkins, “Through the program, we worked with more than 150 students to build 60 picnic tables, some of which would be used at the school and others that would be donated to other schools and charitable organizations.”

And though her title is technically that of business development coordinator, her work is in no way about wining and dining prospective clients. In fact, it is about making a difference in the lives of kids, many of whom she sees herself in in several ways.

The program’s mission was to give students a hands-on opportunity to help their community; to teach students trade skills and encourage their passion for the trades; and to help students understand the importance of teamwork.

FEATURE STORY

“I am also proud at how we’ve been able to support teachers and students amid COVID19,” say Perkins, noting that her team has granted computers, gift cards, graduation signs and monetary donations to school districts and their communities across Arizona to help with virtual graduations, at-home learning and more over the past two months alone.

She also joined the board of Careers in Architecture, Construction and Trades Uplifting Student (CACTUS) to offer opportunities in career training to young people and their families. The program is geared toward middle schoolers and gives them hands-on experience in constructing and building tangible items.

“Recently, we worked with the kids at Madison Park to build a planter at their school,” says Perkins. “The students were involved from design to final product, doing everything from digging the footings and pouring the concrete to laying the block. They even did the painting!”

Beyond finding a home and a way to give back to kids in need, as well as a way to inspire and teach students, Perkins is also thankful for Chasse for a very different reason.

“There happens to be an exceptionally talented project engineer named Gabi Robinson on our team,” says Perkins. “We met at Chasse, and she — along with my now 10-year-old Angelia — have been two of the biggest blessings in what has become a very blessed road.”

Alison Bailin Batz has a lot to say … about everything … all of the time. She is a local public relations, event planning and issues management executive who writes about all things food, drink, travel, events, attractions and entertainment on the side (and then she gets her morning coffee). She can be reached at abailin@hmapr.com.

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James Pennington; photo by Mike Kelly.

Faith and affirmation: having Pride in the churches of the desert

By Timothy Rawles

R

everend Patrick Stout’s words have been an earworm inside my head ever since I read them: “We are a part of the community, not apart from the community,” he said of his church. This I thought should be the mantra of all faith-based religions that promise solace in times of need, but if you are LGBTQ, what you think should be a safe place, sometimes isn’t.

faith leads us to know that through our collective consciences and best choices, we still have the opportunity to change the world we live in. Faith is that part that helps us not to give up but to renew our journey and reconnect with others on a similar journey and truly make a choice to stay in the struggle and make the changes needed,” he said.

Rev. Stout is the Founding Pastor of Community Church of Hope in Phoenix. He is one of many faith-based leaders in the community who is welcoming to the LGBTQ community. In these times of unpredictability, words of comfort and encouragement might come from a place you thought you were traditionally forbidden to enter.

His words are encouraging, but what about the fear that is so often inflicted by other Churches, delivered in small doses? Cherrypicked Bible verses from leaders whose sole purpose is to offer acceptance but only on their terms: you can attend our church you just can’t be gay or practice it.

I reached out to three LGBTQ inclusive faith organizations with questions about devotion and acceptance. Not only did I want to learn more about them, I wanted to understand why faith is important and why it’s so polarizing when it comes to the LGBTQ community. It turns out there is a place for you, whoever you are.

Rev. Stout says that faith is something that can help people in these troubled times. It helps to create a bigger picture of life and society. “It assists in alleviating fear because 16

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Luckily in Arizona there are many religious leaders such as Rev. Charlotte Strayhorne, who identifies as lesbian and is a co-pastor for the LGBTQ-inclusive Casa de Cristo Church and Apostolic Center. She challenges those cunning strategies.

I asked how one denomination says being gay is a sin, but another church under that same canon preaches inclusivity?

“One would start by defining canon and the interpretation, translation or understanding of that canon,” said Rev. Strayhorne. “Our source is the Bible and

our understanding of what the Bible does and does not say about homosexuality is our guide.”

“Our understanding therefore is based on the words of Jesus,” she adds. “When examining the four gospels of the New Testament, Jesus had these simple words to say about homosexuality, nothing. So our acceptance of the LGBTQ community is based on the words of Christ. When we begin to exclude anyone from prayer, worship and praise, we step away from the true canon and belief of Jesus. Any church that preaches prejudice as its foundation is not living up to the true teachings, canons and words of Christ.

James Pennington, Senior Minister for First Church United Church of Christ Phoenix, needed more clarification of my question about canon, but kindly offered this: “Canon for me refers to the accepted books of the Bible. It’s all about how you interpret the Bible and if you believe it is to be read in the context of the culture of the day. I have studied both the Hebrew and the Greek, and the English translations are inaccurate about what we call ‘the clobber’ texts or Bible verses. For us being LGBTQIA is not a sin, not a choice, but a God-given gift.”

FEATURE STORY

“It can feel lonely. Faith in a higher power or in the presence of God within each human being (and animal and plant), helps one realize that we are all one. The Spirit of God lives in each one of us, no one is exempt.”

There are 12 LGBTQ-inclusive church organizations listed on Phoenix Pride’s website. That’s a lot for a city that doesn’t even have a stand-alone LGBTQ community center.

“There is always a place of worship that will accept the disenfranchised,” said Rev. Strayhorne. “This was not always the case. I am thankful for the existence of clergy around the state of Arizona that have embraced and lived the true meaning of inclusive, open and affirming. To shun someone from the faith of their heart is a feeble and weak attempt at last-minute control. I encourage those who have been ostracized and shunned to hold on to the roots of their faith and find solace in a place of worship that accepts you for who you are.”

three-and-a-half years ago. We had about 200 people through the five-week series. We were picketed by The Arizona Patriots and called many names in the book. When I was identified as an out gay pastor they nicknamed me ‘Pastor Satan.’”

I suggest to them that it could be Arizona.

It does have a reputation for being historically conservative, especially Maricopa County, but Pennington doesn’t agree, “I don’t think Arizona is honestly conservative. I moved here from Minneapolis, which is considered quite liberal and progressive, but they had their eyes closed there to bigotry and racism and inequities.”

Speaking of Minneapolis, America has become a hotbed of demonstrations and protests spurred by the death of George Floyd, a black man, after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on his neck and back for nearly nine minutes.

LGBTQ people of every color took to the streets with the mantra “The first Pride was a riot,” referring to the beginning of the gay rights movement and the Stonewall rebellion.

Rev. Stout recalls being picketed by protestors with bullhorns. “Our building has been tagged. We have been broken into and our property stolen and looted. Hate messages have been left on our phone, Facebook page and our website. I, personally, have been ridiculed on the radio when I joined in a discussion of homosexuality and the church. We still deal with individuals who attend the church who have been hated by family, friends, co-workers, etc.”

Rev. Stout says the country and the world are always presenting challenges. “We can either fall victim to them or find a new way in the midst of the struggle.” He wants people to know that a great social circle is important as is a well-grounded faith in a higher power.

“Getting out of ourselves and into the bigger picture is always important. No self-isolating during challenging times. Learning new ways to cope with fear and educating one’s self about growing, changing and becoming keeps us from being stagnant and ignorant about how to move forward and how to help others moving forward. The easiest way to get out of your own self is to assist another who needs your help. Two are always better than one in confronting what will come next in our lives.”

Minister Pennington says he has also experienced hatred. “We had a White Privilege series for the whole community

That sentiment is echoed by Rev. Strayhorne, whose words of encouragement could be straight from the book of LGBTQ

First Church UCC Phoenix; photo by Manley Films.

Even as the world is becoming more and more tolerant there are still people who think that violence and destruction are the best courses of action against things they don’t understand.

Charlotte Strayhorne (photo courtesy of subject).

Minister Pennington says he was agnostic for years and knows what it’s like to live outside an understanding of the presence of a Divine Being.

Community Church of Hope Rev. Patrick Stout, Founding Pastor, 4121 N. Seventh Ave., in Phoenix.

602-234-2180 Casa de Cristo Church and Apostolic Center Rev. Charlotte Strayhorne 1029 E. Turney Ave. in Phoenix.

602-265-2831 First Church United Church of Christ Phoenix James Pennington, Senior Minister 1407 N. Second St., in Phoenix.

602-258-6891 Thank you to Phoenix Pride for providing this information to these and other LGBTQ-inclusive churches. Visit phoenixpride.org for the complete list.

Pride philosophies and not necessarily with a religious overtone.

“When we look at all the things that are going on in the world, don’t lose hope,” she said. “From COVID-19, to brutal murder by jackbooted, legally armed thugs, keep hope alive. When the world is in an uproar and the danger zone is everywhere, stand your ground for peaceful solutions.”

Timothy Rawles is an award-winning journalist and California native who moved to Arizona with his husband and two children in 2019. He attended San Francisco State University many years ago and somehow managed to pass math and continue pursuing his journalism degree.

His story is not as interesting as the people he writes about, but Timothy has discovered that everyone has one, and good or bad, they all share the same thing; heart.

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Black Lives Matter Protest June 1, Downtown Phoenix.

Photos by Eli Krause.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2020-photos.

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OUT & ABOUT

Complete the 2020 Census today.

The 2020 Census is here! You can respond online, by phone or by mail. Complete the census now to help your community receive funding for important resources.

Learn more at iCount2020.info

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FEATURE STORY

Quaran-teen

What life is like for LGBTQ+ youth at home during COVID-19

By Michelle Talsma Everson

“S

ince the ‘stay-at-home’ order was enacted in Arizona on March 15, the percentage of calls we are receiving from youths struggling with issues related to being LGBTQ+ has doubled compared to this time last year,” shares Nikki Kontz, LMSW, clinical director at Teen Lifeline, a nonprofit that strives to prevent teen suicide in Arizona.

While many restrictive measures have been lifted, Arizona LGBTQ+ youth are still — for the most part — at home as their usual escapes such as school are still closed. Fortunately, many are sheltering in place with supportive families but — sadly — some are not.

When Home is a Safe Space Charlotte, 16, is originally from Indiana but spent quarantine (mid-March through late May) with her mom, her mom’s boyfriend and her five biological siblings. She identifies as queer, and while she feels a lot of support at home, sheltering in place was still a bizarre experience.

“The quarantine experience has been very strange for me,” she shares. “Typically, I live with my father back in Indiana almost all the time with the occasional visit, and we flew out to Arizona only about a week before Lani, age 21.

We talked to LGBTQ+ youth about their quarantine experiences, both good and bad,

and the experts on resources they can access when needed.

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shelter-in-place orders were put in place in Indiana. It’s all just felt like some strange, parallel universe. Not only am I trapped inside, but also I’m in an environment I’m not used to, surrounded by people I only see a couple times a year. I have new hobbies such as metalworking and playing the spoons, but that’s just typical quarantine boredom.”

“I feel very supported as an LGBTQ+ youth in my home, and I would feel the exact same if I were back in Indiana,” she adds.

“I’m very lucky to have parents that have always been incredibly supportive of me being queer and have never tried to stifle my self-expression.”

Still, while she considers herself fortunate, she realizes that’s not always the case.

“For me, being an LGBTQ+ youth during this pandemic has been no different than any heterosexual youth. I am so incredibly blessed to be in an environment where I feel safe and comfortable being myself. But just because I’ve had a positive experience doesn’t mean everyone has,” Charlotte says.

“I have a friend that has been holed up in her room the whole time due to her family’s hatred toward her girlfriend and her sexuality.

She has never felt safe in her home and it has been incredibly hard not having the escapes she did before. While I wish every home was like mine, supportive of my gender expression and sexuality, that’s simply not the case and it’s important to recognize how many parents still stifle their children from being their most genuine selves.”

Cat, age 15, identifies as bisexual. Her parents are divorced, and she lives with both 50 percent of the time. She says that feels supported in her two homes and that quarantine didn’t change life much for her except switching to online school.

“I have been listening to music and watching a lot of movies,” she says. “I feel supported but I do chat with friends. I like 22

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alone time. They [her parents] support my sexuality and my relationship with my panromantic/asexual partner who is transgender.”

When Being at Home is Hard Lani is 21 and pansexual. She spent the first part of quarantine living with her parents and four younger siblings but has since moved into an apartment with one of her sisters.

“Quarantine has been ‘eh,’” she shares.

“I’m an extrovert so not being able to go out has been hard. I’ve missed all of my friends.

We’ve been doing things like video calls but it just hasn’t been the same. I’ve been quarantining since about mid-March so it’s been a long time. I’ve recently started a new job, which has allowed me to have some faceto-face interactions with people, but it’s just not the same.”

At home, Lani had to tone down her selfexpression and hide who she is.

“At my parents house I definitely don’t feel supported,” she shares. “I have a very strict Mormon mother so I don’t even talk about it with her. I’m out to everyone else other than my parents so having to live at home for that short amount of time was draining. It felt like I had to shove myself back in the closet.”

To cope, she regularly sees a therapist and seeks out support from close friends.

“Having to hide who you are is very draining,” Lani says. “Being able to leave home was one of the few opportunities that some LGBTQIA+ youth have to truly be who they are. Quarantine, while important for all of our well-being, does have many negative side effects. If you have LGBTQIA+ friends or family who are in a non-supportive living situation, please reach out to them if you can.”

Ethan, age 12, identifies as gay. During quarantine, he has been home with his parents and two of his siblings. Now that online school is over, he spends time

gardening and taking care of his tortoise.

“My parents are conservative Christians so they do not support the LGBTQIA+ community,” he says. “However, all of my siblings are queer or allies.”

He shares that he deals with quarantine and boring summer days by keeping active.

“I can’t act feminine or watch shows with queer actors,” Ethan says. “I just keep busy so I don’t lay in bed all day. I cook, garden, or go on runs. I am very lucky that my parents are very outward on their homophobia and transphobia.”

Somewhere In The Middle Apollo is a young adult (22) and uses he/ him and they/them pronouns. He identifies as bisexual and transgender and has been quarantined with his two moms.

“My home situation is a little odd,” he explains. “My moms support half of my identity. They’re fine with me being bisexual but not trans. We have a house full of rainbow flags, but I still have to pretend to be someone I’m not. The hypocrisy makes it hard to deal with.”

“Quarantine has been interesting; I work in a grocery store, so I’ve still been working,” he adds. “I had to work more hours, which made it harder to finish school. I also have a couple learning disabilities, which makes remote learning really hard for me. With all the changes I had a really hard time finishing out the semester; it had a negative impact on my mental health because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish. Since school ended for the summer it’s gotten a little easier and I’ve had more time to do the things I enjoy like painting, reading, video games, and sewing.”

Hope and How to Help “[The nonprofit] one·n·ten has been huge in keeping me sane, being able to do the FEATURE STORY

“Feelings of isolation by LGBTQ+ young people did not start with the quarantine, but it has increased due to quarantine,” explains Clayton Davenport, director of development & marketing at one·n·ten. “According to our 2019 data, 59 percent of the youth who attended one or more programs at one·n·ten reported being completely out to their family. But for those individuals who don’t feel supported at home, please consider attending one of our online digital programs taking place Monday through Friday. We are here for you! Although we have paused our in-person programs, we remain committed to offering a safe, supportive space online for LGBTQ+ young people to convene.”

Shannon Black of Free Mom Hugs Arizona, a local nonprofit, wants LGBTQ+ youth to know that they matter — and would like allies and LGBTQ+ adults to know that they can make a difference.

“They [LGBTQ+ youth] are unconditionally loved, celebrated, and affirmed,” Black says.

“Stay strong and faithful to who you are and know that there is an army of allies who love you. For allies, show that you are an ally however you can. Be an ally every day and make sure that you are a safe space. Take time to learn what it means to be an ally and ask questions when you don’t know.”

Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth one•n•ten is a nonprofit 501c3 organization committed to serving and assisting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth and young adults ages 11 to 24. The nonprofit provides LGBTQ+ young people a safe space where they can feel supported. Visit onenten.org to learn more.

Elena Joy Thurston of the Pride and Joy Foundation recently asked members of her growing online community what can be done to support LGBTQ+ youth quarantined with unsupportive family members.

“The overall message was to let the youth know they weren’t alone, that there are adults out there wanting to support them just as they are, as well as a reminder that they are perfectly born and worthy of love and respect,” she says.

For those looking to help LGBTQ+ youth Charlotte Witvoet.

“You’re not alone,” assures Kontz, who shares that Teen Lifeline is a great phone or text resource for youth. “There are resources you can reach out to that will let you remain anonymous and safe. And, you don’t have to have your parents’ permission. If you’re struggling, call or text Teen Lifeline for a place to find help and hope. We can also

work to connect you other to resources and support that can help you remotely or in-person.”

one•n•ten at Phoenix Pride.

online groups and be myself, even if it’s just for an hour, makes everything else a little more bearable,” Apollo explains. “The Youth Advisory Council even threw me a surprise birthday party via Zoom so I got to celebrate my birthday as myself for the first time.”

The Teen Lifeline hotline is anonymous, confidential and free. Teens can call or text Teen Lifeline 24/7/365 at 602-248TEEN (8336). The hotline is staffed by teen peer counselors from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. daily. Trained, adult counselors are available at all other times.

The Pride and Joy Foundation teaches LGBTQ+ families to develop selfawareness, which they feel is the most direct path to unity and safety. They have a discussion community for queer youth, queer parents, and straight parents of queer youth, among other resources.

Learn more at prideandjoyfoundation.com.

Free Mom Hugs Arizona offers support, love and affirmation to the LGBTQ+ community. If needed, they try to help connect people with local resources. Learn more at facebook. com/FreeMomHugsArizona or e-mail freemomhugsarizona@gmail.com.

during the COVID-19 pandemic, Thurston has this advice: “One of the most effective ways to support queer youth is to do your own work. Ask yourself how and when you developed your own ideas of sexuality?

What do you know versus what do you assume regarding homosexuality and homophobia? What were you taught about it versus what do you actually believe? Once you’ve done your own work, unpacking and understanding your own sexuality story, you will be so much better equipped to support queer youth in a truly authentic way.”

Michelle Talsma Everson is a freelance writer, editor and PR pro. A graduate of NAU, she’s been writing for Valley publications for more than a decade. You can find out more at mteverson.com.

FEATURE STORY

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Did you know Echo Magazine offers FREE classified advertising?

Looking for a job?

Browse our classifieds for LGBTQ-friendly postings.

Have a property to rent?

Post a free classified with us to reach our readers!

For more information, visit echomag.com/classifieds.

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who like to cook but don’t necessarily want to create gastronomic art at the same time.

The cookbook itself is hilarious. Skladany is a deft wordsmith and his recipes are filled with and tasty drinks and dishes while his wit nourishes the reader’s brain.

Beyond the insightful wisdom that peppers the pages, the book is simply a good time.

It’s chock full of pop culture references, selfdeprecating humor, and full-on nods to gay culture that even the straightest arrow will enjoy.

As a current writer and editor for the Chowhound website, Skladany has created a diverse and interesting career for himself spanning television, print media, and online work. The Naples, Florida native (well, sort of) now resides in New York City. We caught up with him while he was in his hometown visiting his folks.

Echo: I feel like we must talk about the times we are living in … you’re in the thick of things, right, as a New York City resident?

Skladany: Well, actually, I escaped New York.

I’m in Naples, Florida. I grew up here. I’m in full-on Republican town, which has been a really unique situation. I escaped (New York) a couple of weeks ago. I feel a little bit of guilt not being there.

I can imagine. In some ways, for us in the U.S., it feels like New York is ground zero all over again.

In so many ways. The pandemic, the protests, obviously. It feels a bit weird, as someone who has lived there for almost a decade, I’m used to being someone who is part of all the action, so to speak.

So, Naples, Florida is home?

Basic Bitchen: Joey Skladany’s new cookbook offers uncomplicated dishes and drinks served with a heaping side of humor

By Tom Reardon; photos by Davide Luciano

W

e’ve probably all heard the term, ‘basic bitch.’ Some of us may have even struggled with the existential question, “Am I a basic bitch?” No matter where you feel you fall on the basic bitch spectrum, whether there is a sting to the term or it is a badge you wear with pride, sometimes you need to take a step back and just embrace your fate.

FEATURE STORY

Joey Skladany is a man who can help you come terms with your basic bitch-ness in a way that is fun and feeds the soul and the stomach. On August 4, Skladany’s new cookbook, Basic Bitchen, hits the shelves of your local bookstore or online equivalent and opens a culinary world that is delightfully unchallenging, yet highly entertaining. In short, Basic Bitchen is a must-read for those

We consider Naples home. I moved here when I was in fourth grade. I was in Marietta, Georgia until fourth grade, but I feel I spent my formative years here.

Fourth grade is really the start of it all, right?

Oh yes. That’s when you kind of realize some things about yourself. I would say fifth grade was definitely an eye-opening experience.

I absolutely experienced bullying, living in Georgia, but moving to Florida wasn’t going to change that.

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I have never heard anyone say that moving to Florida made things better.

(Laughs) I feel like, back in the day, and I’m aging myself, people had this perception of Florida of being a retirement town. It’s kind of a goal to move there and being in vacation mode. I think there has been a transition in the past decade, almost a comical one, about all the nonsense that comes from the state.

I’m guessing going from Naples to Chicago for college (Skladany went to Northwestern University) was a bit of a mind scrambler?

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experience of pop culture and its relation to food.

What was your first pop culture obsession?

Oh my god. Barbies. As a little kid, when I was potty-trained, the first thing I asked for was a Barbie, so I was totally stereotypically gay. I was always obsessed with television and game show culture. I’m very competitive, so my early memories are often around game shows.

I also noticed you use a lot of selfdeprecation.

Yes. I’m a very confident person, but I think self-deprecation is my brand. I sometimes have to take a step back and just laugh at how really ridiculous my life can be. The self-deprecation is something that needed to happen, too, because while “Basic Bitch” is something we joke about, there is a lot of people who would really describe themselves in that way.

How did you decide to tie avocado toast to gospel music?

I think it just shows you how my brain operates. I work at, like, a million miles a minute. I can’t shut off my brain, but sometimes I have to harness myself and focus and I make these connections that I never thought would be possible but somehow it works. Sometimes it’s a little weird and eccentric and out there. I’m literally obsessed with gospel music, which is hilarious because I don’t go to church. I’m not even sure if I’m spiritual.

Well, I will certainly be listening to Mahalia Jackson next time I make avocado toast.

I’ll try your recipe.

Some of these recipes will make you see Jesus. Hand to God.

I would say there wasn’t really any culture shock in moving to Chicago or a huge transition because even being in such a homogenized place like Naples, Florida, I’ve always surrounded myself with diversity and culture. Even times like now, I’m talking to a bunch of my friends who are minorities and we have been realizing that we really marched to the beat of our own drum, in high school, and we were rebellious if people tried to put us in a box or stereotype us. We had our lunch group, which was my two black girlfriends, my Asian friend, Jessica, and me, the closeted gay guy.

When I got to Chicago, I felt like I was at home. I felt like I was part of what the world actually represents and that is diversity.

I felt more comfortable in my skin to be surrounded by people who were different.

You worked in TV, most notably doing PR for Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Was that a hard job?

It was both hard and amazing. I would say hard in that we were exposing America to a part of our subculture that people just, A: 26

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aren’t familiar with or B: are uncomfortable with. The fact of the matter is that it’s a reality. McIntyre, Georgia exists. These are the lives that these people lead and for most of them, they don’t know anything outside of it. It was hard in that I wanted to help drive the conversation and show that we should not be as judgmental.

We should talk about your book. There are tons of great pop culture references in your book. Is that on purpose or is that just you?

I’ve always been attracted to pop culture.

I’ve always been knowledgeable when it came to entertainment news or celebrity.

Just the term, ‘basic bitch,’ has become ingrained in pop culture. It’s become part of our vernacular and I feel like the two almost go hand in hand, so I couldn’t write a book about being a basic bitch without making pop culture references.

I also think pop culture unites all of us.

I want this book to be extremely inclusive and I hope this book resonates with a large group of people. It is celebrating the shared

Why a cookbook? Was it something you always wanted to do, or did you have an epiphany one day?

Writing a book was absolutely a goal of mine, but writing a cookbook was absolutely not. It was absolutely an epiphany.

I was an extremely picky eater growing up. I was that kid who only ate cold cuts with mustard and called it a day. My parents did a great job of exposing me to different types of food as I got older, starting with sushi and Indian food and I just grew to appreciate all these different flavors and fine dining. I thought I would be really good if I had a job writing about food.

My first gig after TV was working for Food & Wine magazine. I don’t have culinary skills, but I can write about food in a way that makes people want to try things. When I got to Chowhound, I was constantly being sent cookbooks and I was kind of disappointed in what I was getting. I felt like most of them were aspirational, in nature, instead of inspirational.

While there is absolutely a market for that and we all love these famous chefs who will teach you to make a croque en bouche FEATURE STORY

Mimosa Bar from Bitchen Kitchen.

from start to finish, it’s just not realistic for a majority of people who really do have insanely stressful lives and not a lot of time and just want to sit down and make comfort foods. I just wanted to make a cookbook with basic food, because maybe I’m a basic bitch. I came up with the term, “Basic Bitchen” and I was like, “Wait a minute. I’m on to something here” and I thought someone had to have Skladany’s Nacho Average Nachos.

already done that, but I go on to Google and no one had coined the term.

I thought it was important to make something that would not be intimidating. In the intro I say that I am someone who chops garlic like I’m wearing Sally’s press-on nails.

I’m not a chef, I did not go to culinary school.

For a lot of us, cooking can still be an escape and I wanted to show that you can have fun with it and even make mistakes and it will still be delicious. I wanted people to know that you don’t need to go to these national chains and spend your hard-earned money on something you could easily whip up in your kitchen.

You reference having stomach issues, so food can be an adventure for folks with stomach issues. There is a lot of empathy in this book, as well, which is great.

As a gay person, we are so ostracized and told that our differences are a bad thing. We just inherently become more empathetic to people who are in our situations. I draw upon my own experiences and hope that it will connect with people. I’m the first to make fun of my stomach problems because I want to normalize it. I want to normalize what so many people have criticized us for because we are different.

What is kryptonite for a basic bitch?

The stereotype would be culture or something that challenges them, but in my introduction, I say that when you are basic, it is such a respite from the complexities of everyday life. I think most people have so much going to with work and home and just society that it is an escape

FEATURE STORY

to just be basic. I think it is something that is too complex or anxiety inducing. To me, basic is synonymous with comfortable. In the kitchen, complexity or unnecessary anxiety is the kryptonite and is something that is going to stop a basic from truly flourishing. People, after working a ten-hour shift, do not want to come home and make a croque en bouche.

They want to come home and make some damn macaroni and cheese that is going to be amazing. This book aims to provide them with that in an easy and fun way.

The thing about a basic, too, is immediate gratification. Why do basics love a pumpkin latte? Because they’re delicious. Why do they put on Ugg’s (boots)? Because they’re immediately comfortable. The journey to get to that satisfaction is often totally anti-basic and I wanted to write a cookbook that makes people’s live easier.

Visit echomag.com/skladany-bitchenkitchen for a longer version of the interview and a tasty recipe from the book.

Tom Reardon loves to write about people who are doing something to contribute to our community in a positive way. He also loves his family and family of friends, his pets, music, skateboarding, movies, good (and bad) TV, and working with children to build a better world. Tom’s favorite movie is Jaws, his favorite food is lasagna, and he loves to play music with his friends. He’s a busy guy, but never too busy to listen to what you have to say so tell him a story.

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Women also experience higher rates of dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and the depressive side of bipolar disorder.

Depression is far more sinister than sadness — but with treatment, there is hope

By Kimberly Blaker

I

was first diagnosed with major depression at the age of 31. I was married, had two beautiful kids ages seven and three, and owned a thriving business. Yet, despite having so much to live for, my mood plummeted into despair. I lost all motivation to do anything.

The simplest everyday tasks suddenly required an extraordinary effort. At night, I’d lie awake ruminating over every minor thing I had ever said or done wrong — or less than perfect. My life felt utterly worthless, despite all evidence to the contrary, and I became engulfed in sorrow and hopelessness.

As days turned into weeks, I continued to spiral downward. I became increasingly focused on death. I wasn’t suicidal, per se — though thoughts of the least painful methods of ending my suffering swirled around in my mind. I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and never wake up again.

Unable to endure the pain and emptiness any longer and terrified by my thoughts, I finally sought help. My doctor prescribed an antidepressant, and within a few weeks, the darkness lifted. I was once again, my usual happy, energetic self.

But this was only the beginning of a lifelong battle with depression. Over the past couple of decades, I’ve had far too many bouts of depression to even count. Some are mild and short-lived, having minimal impact on my functioning, despite the bleak and gloomy outlook that looms over me. Other

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episodes are major and impact all areas of my life.

Recently, I experienced my first dysthymic episode — a depression that lasted two years, cycling between mild and severe. I had become resistant to my long-trusted friend, Wellbutrin, and none of the other medications I tried gave me any relief. Finally, I found a psychopharmacologist who knew just the right cocktail (a combination of medications) for me, and my depression went back into remission.

People with one depressive disorder often suffer from various forms. I’ve been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and either cyclothymia or bipolar II (hypomania, rather than mania), with the depression component being the more severe problem for me.

Women are particularly at risk for depression Depression does affect both women and men. But, women are twice as likely to experience major depression, according to Harvard Medical School. Women also experience higher rates of dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and the depressive side of bipolar disorder.

Depression, unlike the normal sadness everyone experiences from time to time, is

a soul-sucking darkness that’s debilitating.

It causes feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness. Depression can affect every aspect of life, from work and school to parenting, friendships, and the very basics of living.

For most women who’ve been diagnosed with depression in the past, the feeling is unmistakable when it begins to set in.

But those who suffer from milder forms of depression and sometimes, even those suffering from a first major depressive episode, don’t immediately connect all the dots. So, some people can experience depression and not realize they’re suffering from a treatable illness.

Signs of depression Symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe. Not everyone experiences every symptom. But several symptoms must be present for at least two weeks to receive a diagnosis of depression. The exact criteria for specific types of depression vary slightly. But the following are all indicators.

• Feeling depressed (sad, empty, or hopeless) nearly every day for at least a couple weeks • Unusual irritability or difficulty controlling anger • Ongoing trouble sleeping or sleeping more than usual • An increase or decrease in appetite or significant unexplained weight loss or gain FEATURE STORY

• Loss of interest or pleasure in all or most activities • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions • Feelings of fatigue or loss of energy • Excessive or inappropriate feelings of guilt or worthlessness • Visible psychomotor slowing down or agitation • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, with or without a plan, or attempted suicide

Types of depression There are quite a few classifications, or types, of depression. The following are a few of the more common.

For most with SAD, it›s during the fall and winter months resulting from the shorter days and reduced sunshine. But some people experience SAD during the summer months instead. The onset of SAD is typically around the age of 20 and affects 10 million Americans each year.

Bipolar disorder affects 2.6% of American adults, according to the NIMH. This treatable, but lifelong disease typically develops in women in their mid to upper 20s. For men, the onset is usually in the teens to the early 20s. Bipolar is signified by its bouts of both mania (or hypomania) and its opposite extreme, depression. Though an individual

Depression is also genetic. A higher incidence of depression has been found in those with blood relatives who suffer from the condition.

Brain chemicals called neurotransmitters play a role in depression. The Mayo Clinic explains that the way neurotransmitters function and their effect on the neurocircuits involved in mood stability plays a significant role both in depression and its treatment.

Hormonal changes can also play a role in depression, particularly for women. During pregnancy and for several months following pregnancy, women are especially vulnerable.

Menstruation cycles and menopause can also trigger depression.

Treatment In some cases, depression results from an underlying medical condition such as thyroid problems or low vitamin B levels. For this reason, it’s essential to visit your primary care physician for blood work to rule out other causes. If the cause of depression is an underlying medical condition, treatment for that condition is likely all that’s needed to cure the depression.

In any given year, major depressive disorder affects nearly 7% of the U.S. population, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH). During a major depressive episode, almost all aspects of a person’s life are affected. Someone suffering from major depression may lack the motivation to do anything, including such necessities as taking a shower. Because of the impairment, both work and personal life suffer. In addition to the symptoms noted above, 20% of those with major depression will also experience psychosis (hallucinations or delusions).

Dysthymia is diagnosed when someone experiences depression for most of each day and on most days for at least two years. It’s often a lower level yet enduring depression. But those with major depression who are treatment-resistant can also meet the diagnosis of dysthymia.

So, impairment from dysthymia can range from mild to severe. Women, according to HealthFundingResearch.org, are three times more likely than men to suffer from dysthymia.

Those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) become depressed only or primarily during a particular season.

FEATURE STORY

with bipolar will experience both sides of the spectrum, in women, depression is often the most problematic. For men, it›s the mania. Those with bipolar often experience psychosis during bouts of mania and sometimes with depression.

Postpartum depression will affect 10 to 15% of women, according to the NIMH. Postpartum depression shouldn’t be confused with the ‘baby blues,’ which is milder, short-lived, and related to the worry and fatigue of parenting a new baby. Instead, postpartum depression results from hormonal changes. During pregnancy, a woman’s hormone levels increase.

Then immediately following childbirth, hormone levels rapidly drop to normal levels. This ultimately results in depression in some women.

Like other forms of depression, it can be mildly to severely debilitating.

Causes The exact cause of depression is unknown.

But several factors likely contribute to the condition. According to the Mayo Clinic, those with depression have physical changes in their brains. These changes in the brain may eventually help researchers determine the exact cause of depression.

If medical causes have been ruled out, then it’s best to consult with a psychiatrist.

Although primary care physicians can treat depression, psychiatrists have specialized training in diagnosing the various forms of depression and experience in treating them.

Psychiatrists often know which medications will work best for a particular patient based on a variety of factors. In fact, depending on the type of depression and the specific set of symptoms, some people with depression require a combination of antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and mood stabilizers. Psychiatrists know how to tailor treatment to each individual for optimal results.

For those who are treatment-resistant, look for a psychiatrist with the special ‘psychopharmacologist’ designation.

Psychopharmacologists have gone through additional specialized training in how drugs affect the mind and behavior.

In addition to medication, many psychiatrists recommend cognitive therapy with a psychologist or behavioral therapist in conjunction. This can help people cope with the effects of depression as well as dealing with any underlying trauma or events fueling the depression.

Finally, for those with SAD, sitting under a light therapy box is often recommended and can be helpful. You can order one online, and depending on your doctor’s recommendations, you can sit under it for 20 to 40 minutes each day.

Kimberly Blaker is a freelance family writer. She also does blog and content writing for a variety of industries and is an expert in on page SEO. ECHOMAG.COM

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Rachel Mason at work.

family dinner. My mom said, “Do not bring this up to my grandma,” my mother’s mother who is still alive. “Do not bring up the business at the dinner table tonight.” And of course, we’re sitting there and there’s dead silence; then my mom was like, “Buck, I have a question. I got an email today from one of these distributors — do you ever work with this guy?” I’m like, “Mom! You totally outed him as being in the business!” She’s just so business-focused that it’s kind of hilarious.

But my parents and Buck can just talk shop together, and I can listen and be kind of coming up with the sequel in my head, or like an episode for the TV series.

How do they feel about being Netflixfamous?

The unlikely history of a gay porn landmark Filmmaker Rachel Mason on the Netflix doc she made about her parents who ran a gay porn empire

By Chris Azzopardi; photos courtesy of Netflix

G

ay porn is not what straight, religiousconservative married couple Barry and Karen Mason thought they’d become known for. But for over 35 years, they owned a bookstore that sold videos like Confessions of a Two Dick Slut and Meat Me at the Fair in West Hollywood. And now thanks to their daughter, filmmaker and artist Rachel Mason, her parents’ story is a Netflix documentary.

For the couple, however, selling and producing gay porn was just business as usual.

Hard times forced Karen, a former journalist, and Barry, a former special visual effects engineer who worked on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, to think fast, so they took over Circus of Books, which became a queer cultural institution. Karen and Barry, who still own the building even though Circus of Books closed in 2019, would go on to become wealthy LGBTQ activists and PFLAG parents.

But in the 1980s, the business was kept a secret from their three children, including Rachel and her gay brother Josh, who appear in Circus of Books along with former porn star Jeff Stryker and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner Alaska Thunderfuck. TV titan Ryan Murphy executive produced the film.

Here, Mason discusses the power of straight parents as activists, what it says about porn that celebs who shopped at the store 30

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won’t openly admit it, and the awkward dinner table talk her parents have with her partner, transsexual porn star and activist Buck Angel.

It’s funny to hear your mom say in the doc, “I don’t know what you’re gonna make out of all this filming. No one is going to be interested in this.” And now, of course, it’s on Netflix for the world to see.

That’s her whole constant mantra: No one’s gonna care, this is not interesting to anybody. I think that was her way of having a smokescreen. Of course it’s actually fucking amazing that I’m like, “Deep penetration on these videos you made sent me to college.”

How could that not be interesting? You know, I think it’s her way of misdirecting, but also at the same time it could also be true for her: It was not interesting. This was a boring job for many years. (Laughs.)

It’s like when she walks by the dildo wall but won’t look at it.

(Laughs.) I do have to say there’s a part of her, sadly, that is really kind of prudish and disgusted by her whole thing. I find that offensive and sad because I love and appreciate everything that she was involved in, and I actually think that the work she did was critical.

Do your parents bond with Buck over porn?

It was really funny the first time we had a

In a weird way it’s a good time to be an anonymous celebrity because everyone’s wearing masks. (Laughs.) You know, my mom’s a totally reluctant celebrity, if you want to call her that. She really is a subject right now. And I think on the one hand it’s uncomfortable for her when people walk up and know her for something she kept a secret for several years.

Your mom seems like the kind of person who really knows how to command a room.

She got up on the stage at Outfest and just said, “Had I known you guys were all going to be here, I never would’ve agreed to doing this.” The audience is laughing and it’s like, “Mom, you just got an audience of 2,000 people to laugh.” But she’s like, “Now can I go?

I don’t like this.” (Laughs.) That’s part of her sheer brilliant comedic instincts. She kind of knows, like Woody Allen, that she has this kind of nebbish-y, over-the-top insulting quality that is just so funny.

And her dynamic with your father — the way she interjects when he doesn’t tell the full story — is really hysterical.

I think that’s part of their comedic duo vibe that is so amazing. I have to say, I milked it for all that it’s worth in the documentary. (Laughs.)

How did the idea for the documentary come to you?

It really began in 2004. I had taken a lesbian and gay studies class, as it was called at the time, and it was about just sort of the history of LGBTQ experience. So the teacher, Jonathan D. Katz, a very prominent media studies scholar, his focus was on Robert Mapplethorpe, specifically gay imagery and photography, and the art that wasn’t above ground. It was sort of this subculture, and I remember my parents had Robert Mapplethorpe books in their store and I mentioned it to him. I said, “You know my parents carried his stuff?” And he was like, “What was their store?” And I said Circus of Books and he said, “Wow, Rachel, that is the most important store on the West Coast and that store really helped me to come out.” I think he was himself from LA; I was at Yale at the time. I was like, “What do you know about Circus of Books?”

I didn’t know my parents’ little LA weirdo store would’ve been something anyone FEATURE STORY

would’ve known this far east, let alone at a fancy school like Yale. So it just gave me an impression that I needed to do something about it. And he said, “This is part of gay history. It’s not just a little store. It’s actually the historical record because gay history didn’t have a chance to be documented because it was underground.” So when the store started to close in 2015, that’s when I started really documenting it in earnest.

And your mom had low expectations. She didn’t think this film would amount to anything.

Oh yeah — no.

What does she think of the finished film?

She just feels like I did a good job, basically.

And that it just would be better if it were about anyone except her. (Laughs.) One thing she says that I have some sympathy for: “I don’t picture myself looking this age.” I’m following her around at age 75. A lot of it is unflattering because she let me follow her around, and she’s, like, squatting down to pick up DVDs (laughs). It’s kind of funny. I kept being like, “Mom, turn this way. I don’t like this angle. It’s not good.” But at the same time, I’m chasing her — she moves like a motherfucker!

Did your mom ever try to control the narrative?

Kind of. But I know how to work around that.

What was it like to learn about Josh’s struggle to come out during the making of the film?

That was one of the interviews that actually I reshot because I had shot the film in a different way going into it. I was working hand in hand with Cynthia Childs, my producer, and I was going to be more of a distant subject.

When I started to cut the film together, the most poignant moments were in all of the different interviews when people would look at the camera or look at me and say, “Your dad was going to go to jail.” I was like, “Shit, they’re talking to me; I need to actually be seen and heard on the other side of this.” I didn’t get that with my interview with Josh.

The second time around, I did the questions, and I didn’t expect my own reaction to be so shocked by what he said. I was really so blown away, and it was so horrible to hear these things and to look back at myself with a sense of shame that I so was a self-absorbed teenager who loved everything gay and was wanting it, and here’s my poor little brother who’s trying to be so perfect and trying to hold it all together. And here he has this freaky, insane sister being an artist, and maybe that’s what gay looks like to him. And the store is also this crazy place where a lot of people died of AIDS, and he sees that world. So he’s caught in between these images that are not realistic of what he could have for himself as a gay man.

What was it like to hear the stories of your parents’ relationship with those who were dying of AIDS, and how they kind of FEATURE STORY

became surrogate parents to them because their families disowned them?

I feel like that is part of the real untold story and untold chapter in gay history — it’s not exclusive to my parents. When you think back to the AIDS crisis, these men were dying in these horrible situations alone in the hospital because people were afraid to touch them.

The bravery of not just my parents but all the different people who would show up for these men was so profound. I really have to say I look at my parents in a really heroic light myself at that moment, but I also think back on the fact that there were other people like them.

Before our call, I was talking to my dad.

There’s been some tension among family members on Facebook, and we’re still having a hard time wrapping our heads around the fact that some of them still support Donald Trump.

I’ll tell you: My partner and lover is Buck Angel and his parents are Trump supporters.

What I think is really fascinating is he talks to them and he actually fully gets into it. I think it’s important to address it full-on and be like, “OK, you can support the guy who is gonna actually take your son’s right to exist.” If you have the stomach to engage, it’s actually a good idea to engage.

Your parents remind me of my dad.

Is your family Christian or religious?

Yeah. They’re Christian and Catholic. My dad identifies as a Baptist, but he supports me and he lets people know he supports me.

That is really powerful, if he does let people know that he supports you.

Well, our conversation stemmed from a Facebook war with family members who are anti-LGBTQ. My dad commented and said to them that he supports me and who I am, and that what they’re saying could potentially harm LGBTQ people.

That’s very powerful when people like your dad and my mom similarly do that because those are the most important activists. You and me being queer and waving our rainbow flag is actually sort of not really tipping the scale for those people; it’s people like your dad and my mom who are actually saying, “Look, I am still gonna go to church and I’m gonna find it in the Bible where Jesus says we can love everybody. And in the Old Testament, where you can reinterpret the word, the actual definition of what it means to lie down with another man, in fact, and totally recognize that there’s the possibility that we have a wrong interpretation here.”

The film comes at a time when queer spaces are vulnerable to the pandemic and are at risk of closing. Having gone through that experience with your parents, what are you feeling?

First off, my heart’s breaking for all the businesses. I look back at the strange timing: I

could’ve never predicted that I’d be making a story about a story that’s unfolding currently, and that we’re in the time of a pandemic and the documentary is entirely basically based in the time of a pandemic for the gay community.

It’s almost like we’re living in that active moment where everyone is deciding the thing that you see my mom trying to decide when she’s talking about whether or not she can close the business. People are wrestling with that. All businesses.

Did you ever wonder why the store catered to gay men and not queer women?

I guess that’s sort of interesting. Certainly there were lesbian clerks and women customers, and there were trans people. They had trans clerks and trans customers, and in fact they had Buck Angel work there – the very first trans guy to basically do porn at all.

So there was a variety. But probably the vast majority were gay men. I think it’s because that exact neighborhood was called Boystown (laughs) and it was located in a gay boys’ neighborhood. I’m not an expert so you can’t quote me on this, but it’s pretty well known that men are the predominant consumers of pornography, especially in a store where you have to walk in and physically appear. Also, it was a meeting ground. I think it just naturally became a hotspot for gay culture.

What did you find out from Ryan Murphy about shopping at the store?

Ryan basically said that store was so important to all gay men in LA. I think he was just no different. In fact, Ryan happens to be a very famous, powerful gay man — and I won’t name names — but think of any gay man who was alive at that time in Hollywood and they no doubt went into that store.

Did you try to interview any of these other men?

Yeah, I’ve reached out to a few – again, I won’t say the names – and I’ve noticed things have leaked out here and there and I’m like, “Wow, I don’t know who said that. The gossip mill. I will just say think of a (famous) gay man over 50 and they were in Circus of Books.”

So the gossip is true?

Absolutely. And celebrities who aren’t even straight or gay or male. Rose McGowan posted that she loved the store’s selection of Italian Vogue, and Kathy Griffin posted about how she did her Christmas shopping at the store. So the celebrities who’ve come out, that’s awesome and fun and cool. It does speak volumes that people can’t just jump out and wave the flag of, “Yeah, I went to that store; it’s a porn store.” Because porn still has a stigma. I think that’s what we’re looking at right here, and I really hope to be part of the change that destigmatizes it.

As editor of Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard.

Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

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Ysabella Salazar and Connor Dubin, who own Shameless Burger with Colton Mastro.

WITHOUT RESERVATIONS

Tailgating with Shameless Burger Story and photos by Jeff Kronenfeld

An order of Shameless fries.

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P

ink lightening exploded above the McDowell Mountains as we pulled into the parking lot of a nondescript office complex in North Scottsdale.

Despite this ominous horizon, the wind and clouds pleasantly dropped my truck’s temperature gauge a whole 10 degrees.

We noticed a few tailgaters strewn across the parking lot in socially distant clusters as we approached a grill manned by a handful of sweating cooks in facemasks.

The storm air mingled with the greasy sweet smoke and if I hadn’t already known Shameless Burger is an all vegan affair, my nose wouldn’t have alerted me otherwise.

For Ysabella Salazar, who goes by Izzy, the point of Shameless Burger isn’t to hide its meatlessness, but rather, to make food so tasty you want to eat it regardless of whether you’re vegetarian, pescatarian or any other kind of ‘vore. Izzy is a vegan, but not in that holier-than-thou way. “I think it’s the easiest thing we can do on a day-to-day basis to actually change and create some positivity,” Izzy explained.

“For me, it’s the environment and the effect that the meat industry is having on our world in general.”

Izzy’s boyfriend Connor Dubin — the second third of the three Shameless Burger co-owners — is a meat eater. Being a good romantic partner, he frequently eats vegan while sharing meals with Izzy. A little over a year ago, they were discussing the dearth of tasty but fast vegan food in the Valley with Colton Mastro, an old friend of Connor. Izzy studied marketing at University of Arizona and, at the time, was working her way up the corporate ladder. Though she had a good job, she didn’t want to stay at it for the long haul. As the three discussed the perfect vegan burger, the idea for Shameless took shape. Following her marketing instincts, Izzy jumped in with both feet. Together with Connor and Mastro, the third co-owner of Shameless, Izzy got to work.

A double patty Shameless Burger.

DINING OUT

Tailgating at Shameless Burger’s pop-up.

Not having the resources to open a brick and mortar out of the gate, the trio started with a pop-up, working different food festivals and street corners. They ordered a custom grill and fryer to quickly prepare burgers and fries for the masses.

When it came to patties, they saw no need to reinvent the wheel. Izzy loved eating Impossible Burgers, a popular meat substitute noted for both its high level of carnivorous verisimilitude and lack of cholesterol. Combined with the Follow Your Heart cheese, it allowed them to offer a tasty but considerably healthier alternative to In-N-Out. What really distinguishes the burgers of Shameless are the caramelized onions and interesting variety of sauces. Their Jammy onions are slowly cooked in a process that takes two hours per batch. They add a complex blend of sweet and savory flavors that enhance the other parts of the sandwich. The onions are also available as a topping for the fries, which I opted for and recommend. “I think the onions really are the star of the show,” Izzy said.

Speaking of fries, the Shameless team also knew exactly where to go: Frites Street. Izzy is effusive in her praise of the company’s Kennebec potatoes, which are brined and blanched to give crunch and an airy but moist interior. Shameless also does all their prep at a Frites kitchen, ensuring a steady supply of spuds is never too far. “They’re literally the best fries in the Valley,” Izzy said as she bubbled over with enthusiasm. “Like, you will die they are so good.”

Shameless offers four sauces, each with a unique taste. The 24 Karat sauce is a smoky honey mustard base, while the House sauce is like a classic burger “secret” sauce. The pineapple habanero is hotter than it is sweet, so don’t be fooled by its soft green color. It’s perfect for adding some kick, if your stomach allows.

Finally, there was my favorite of the four, DINING OUT

the Boujee sauce. This tangy condiment has a gochujang base, a Korean red chile paste, and its mild heat is well complemented by the other flavors.

Izzy is candid about the challenges of starting a business serving food during the current crisis. Like so many others, she thought 2020 was going to be her year. Shameless’s diverse group of owners — Izzy is Hispanic and another partner is Native American — were excited to offer satisfying vegan food at festivals, farmers markets and other community events. With most of these cancelled or heavily curtailed, they’ve had to be resourceful. They’ve put in place as much social distancing and other safety policies as they can. One benefit of their currently unmoored state is that the big empty parking lots they tend to set up in offer diners plenty of space to spread out. “We have had to adapt for sure,” Izzy said with a shrug.

Take a

TROPICAL STAYCATION ISLAND STYLE EATS TIKI DRINKS TO-GO WEEKEND BRUNCH phoenix 5114 n. 7th st. scottsdale 7213 e. 1st ave. high street 5450 e. high st. #101 hulasmoderntiki.com

For the time being, to try Shameless you have to be in the know. They have no fixed location and manifest at different locales around the Valley on the weekend tending to the evenings. To find out when and where, you can visit their website or social media. It’s easy to use and lets you schedule your pickup or set up a contactless pick up. Preordering also ensures you’ll actually get a burger, because despite the pandemic, Shameless tends to sell out fast. After scarfing down a double paddy burger with added Boujee sauce while watching a haboob racing towards me, it wasn’t hard to see why.

Jeff Kronenfeld is an independent journalist based out of Phoenix, Arizona. His writing has been featured in Java Magazine, the Arts Beacon, PHXSUX, and the Phoenix Jewish News, where he received the Simon Rockower Award for excellence in news reporting from the American Jewish Press Association. Links to his previously published work are available at www.jeffkronenfeld.com.

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OPENING NIGHTS

Writer/director Steven Clay Hunter says he got “Nothin’ but support” from Disney/Pixar for his history-making LGBTQ short, Out Steven Clay Hunter; courtesy of Disney/Pixar.

By Timothy Rawles

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lthough different brands, Disney and Pixar are synonymous with each other, the only difference being Pixar tries to build its animated worlds with people and creatures as diverse as its storylines, while the ever-recalcitrant but supportive 34

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mother Disney seems happy not caving to LGBTQ pressure and instead camouflages the community with delicate innuendo and unneeded subterfuge in their animated films.

The spine of the story was there, but we still took the better part of a year to get it right.

Then we pitched that version to Pete Docter, our Chief Creative Officer and he loved it.”

However, Pixar is pushing envelopes and took a baby step this year, allowing an LGBTQ presence through its characters. First with Specter, a LGBTQ police officer in Onward, then a giant leap with the nine-minute short Out which features not only the company’s first gay character but its first gay couple.

Out follows the story of Greg, a closeted hirsute gay man who is about to move in with his boyfriend Manuel. On moving day, Greg’s parents make a surprise visit to help load up the truck and offer their support.

Steven Clay Hunter, who wrote and directed Out, says he lands somewhere “between the G and the Q” on the LGBTQ spectrum. He turned the community on its head with Out. The unexpected Disney+ release drew critical raves. Queer and straight people reached for their tissue boxes and keyboards to spread the news. Hunter had made something no one else in Disney history had ever accomplished; a magical, upfront, sensitive and inspiring LGBTQ story.

Greg suddenly has a crisis because he’s not ready to come out to them and hides a picture of himself and Manuel in a drawer. In a “Freaky Friday” magical moment, big-framed Greg switches bodies with his rambunctious little dog who in his playfulness threatens to accidently out him after stealing the photo and nearly exposing the secret to Greg’s mother.

Pixar already seemed open to subverting the Disney paradigm when they approached Hunter.

His parents become increasingly concerned as they watch their bewitched adult son run around with his tongue hanging out getting into all sorts of trouble.

Meanwhile Greg, as the dog, discovers the magic of the switch and desperately tries to reverse it. For those wondering, yes, there is a Disney-type ending.

“I was asked if I had a story idea, and I lied and said yes,” he tells Echo. “Then I raced home and wrote a really awful version of Out.

Hunter says the film took about two years to make and he’s sure there were some discussions from the top brass initially, “but ENTERTAINMENT

Courtesy of Disney/Pixar.

He probably won’t admit it, but that is exactly what he did with Out. Not only did he break the child-proof seal of a major “family-friendly” studio, but he made something on-brand while still being completely inclusive. And yes, Rod Serling would be proud with Out’s twist at the end.

As groundbreaking as it is, there are some who will criticize Out for being too magical. In real life, LGBTQ people may not have its fairytale denouement. They may have to endure prejudice in its most toxic form.

“I’ve known lots of friends who came from those hostile environments,” Hunter explains.

“It’s a terrible and scarring place. But I have to believe that seeing our lives reflected in stories can be healing both for those of us who survived that, and to those who struggle within it even today.”

when people saw the kind of film we were making there was nothin’ but support for it, both within Pixar and down at Disney,” he says. “Ultimately, it’s a story about a family coming to know and love one another better.

You can’t get more Disney than that!”

As Gigi that cat, Martin may have only lent his voice to the character, but as far as the story goes they are the wise one who initiates the string of events which leads to the moral of the story. “God, I sure hope it helps anyone in that dilemma,” he said when I asked him about people who watch the film who are not in a good place.

Growing up in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, Hunter has always been appreciative of a great story, perhaps more so to the person writing it.

From the twisting supernatural genius of Rod Serling to the adventurous and foretelling sci-fi

In the end, whether it’s Pixar or Disney, they both made something that is profoundly impactful to the community and the world.

As Kermit the Frog might say, they found a “rainbow connection.”

In the film’s opener we are introduced to Gigi, a magical cat voiced by San Francisco entertainer Matthew Martin. He says the film works because it’s not trying to change anyone’s mind, it’s a story about people and how perception isn’t always the reality.

“My hope is that it will help to have a positive story out there for those kids to see themselves in and to show those around them that who they are is every bit as valid as every other human being,” Hunter says. “Maybe seeing a mother and father accept and love their son and his boyfriend for who they are will help those who struggle with understanding.”

“It is simple, yet profound,” says Martin.

“Accessible and not preachy. The characters are relatable to everyone and truly believe the impact will be life-changing for those that see it. It will help and encourage gay sons and daughters coming out to their parents and help parents who are otherwise grappling with the subject.”

Out could feasibly be made into an anthology series consisting of many stories from the LGBTQ community. From trans folks to bisexuals to non-binary men and women, Gigi the cat could help them all.

Matthew Martin (pictured here in drag) voices Out’s cat character. Photo by Ashlynn Danielsen Photography.

machinations of Gene Roddenberry, Hunter was inspired by “storytellers who try to make the world a better place.”

Courtesy of Disney/Pixar.

Hunter adds to that by saying humans, as a species, are storytellers. “Stories reflect what we go through in our lives. And like everybody else on the planet, LGBTQ people are hungry to see themselves reflected on screen and in the human story.”

“That would be my hope,” he adds.

But Hunter says there is nothing like that on the table yet. “Ha, that would be fun, yeah.

We’ve often wondered where Mags and Gigi are off to when they fly off on their rainbow at the end.”

I can guarantee it’s probably into the hearts of millions.

Disney+ is streaming Out in its SparkShorts section.

Timothy Rawles is an award-winning journalist and California native who moved to Arizona with his husband and two children in 2019. He attended San Francisco State University many years ago and somehow managed to pass math and continue pursuing his journalism degree.

His story is not as interesting as the people he writes about, but Timothy has discovered that everyone has one, and good or bad, they all share the same thing; heart.

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BANDS

just trying to keep things engaged; luckily, we have this awesome community of people who tune in and they sort of talk to each other. They kind of create a whole community around it, so they’re so engaged and we know that that’s happening when we see the comments, so it really helps us really do the songs and do them honestly and with energy and have a lot of feelings around it. And we get a lot out of it too. It’s definitely a kick in the butt. It’s good for us to stay on our toes.

Has quarantine been a creative time for you?

Indigo Girls let loose Amy Ray and Emily Saliers talk pandemic life, Trump-era inequality, and how Pride can help heal the country’s divisions

By Chris Azzopardi; photos by Jeremy Cowart

T

he day before I got on a call with Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, famously known as the Indigo Girls, the longtime folkrock duo and LGBTQ activists were playing a set for fans during a Facebook Live concert.

They had planned on performing in public venues, but their set of scheduled dates were canceled due to the pandemic.

Before the livestream performance, Ray and Saliers had been quarantining separately, long enough to feel they could safely and comfortably perform six feet apart in their manager’s empty, sterilized office. They were gearing up to release their 16th album, Long Look, which was released on May 22.

A departure from the work they’ve created since the release of their 1989 breakout album, Long Look finds the Indigo Girls lyrically and musically untethered.

During our conversation in early May, Saliers and Ray discussed artistic freedom, intensified inequality during the Trump era, 36

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and honoring the true legacy of Pride.

How are you holding up right now?

Saliers: Well, so there’s homeschooling to be done. Amy has a young child and I have a young child, so that occupies a lot of my time.

I’m sort of splitting it up with my wife and she’s working remotely, and then Amy and I are doing promo for the album. And then we do the live streams and stuff like that. And there’s a lot of catching up on other life that wasn’t able to be managed while on the road.

And just keeping in touch with whom we can reach out to. Helping friends. Staying in communication. It’s been actually a very, very busy time.

How do you like doing these virtual concerts?

Ray: I think they’re super fun. It’s challenging because it’s a whole different way of trying to engage. I mean, we’ve done a lot of live streams from the studio or from soundcheck, just kind of spontaneous things, and we’re

Saliers: I have found that it’s a creative time, but there’s not a lot of time to create. It’s challenging for me to have a seven-year-old home all the time; that’s a very different thing. So my wife and I are just kind of going back to the drawing board and carving out the things that we need to try to keep our personal lives in balance, which includes personal time away from each other, work time away from each other, family time, schooling. So, I haven’t been practicing Indigo Girls as much as I’ve been feeling very creative and working with my recording software. But actually finding the time to complete anything like I usually can in normal life has been impossible.

Going into this, everyone thought they’d have all this time to do everything.

Ray: I was trying to analyze that, because I’ve been hearing other people from all walks of life — from my neighbors, who kind of work normal construction jobs, to people who have no kids — and everybody is experiencing it differently. But one thing people seem to be saying is, “I thought I’d have all this time, and now we’re just making meals and doing dishes and cleaning all the time.” I think it makes us understand how much we kind of eat out and get our meals in these really convenient packaged ways instead of that less wasteful way of eating at home and eating what you have. It’s very interesting to see. For me I’ve realized this is the way it is if you don’t get to eat out all the time. (Laughs.)

There’s an eerily prescient line on the album’s title track: “Everyone I know can sense Armageddon.” I’m not sure that you knew this is what Armageddon would look like, but when you sing a line like that now and reflect on where you were when you wrote it, what comes to mind?

Saliers: Well, the Armageddon that I’ve been experiencing is the day that Trump got elected president and the country’s divisions were magnified. And it’s not that the problems didn’t exist before, the systemic problems like racism and social inequality and all of the things that we’re aware about.

But I believe they’ve gotten worse. I see the schisms in this country, and social media platforms don’t really help. There’s a lot of access to information and opinions that’s really not helping anyone and most of us ENTERTAINMENT

engage in that in one way or another, so there’s sort of a societal illness that’s tied into social media.

And when I say illness, I also believe that the earth is so sick and she’s pissed. The natural world is the leader. And so we think we’re so important and we’ve achieved all these things and blah, blah. And it’s nothing when mother nature gets pissed. I believe that’s what’s happening, and we can sense that, and that leads to feelings of unrest and the thought of Armageddon.

Armageddon is a very extreme word to use, but it was indicative of the social malaise: unrest, no answers. And now, of course, the unknown causes most everybody I know a great deal of anxiety: How long will the virus last? What happens when there are outbreaks of it? Why have people’s attitudes changed about it? When am I ever gonna work again?

Are you wrestling with those questions yourself?

Saliers: I’m very privileged, so I’m not wrestling with, “Where’s my next meal gonna come from?” But because I’ve read a lot of history, and there are patterns that happen when there’s a complete lack of leadership, I see the writing on the wall for what happens to nations and civilizations where that continues.

I think about it in a prophetic way based on what I know about history, and that’s kind of depressing. I seek my joy in human communication and people who are resilient over difficulties. So my joy comes in little things, and my despair comes in big things.

group of people we met back in the late ’90s when we played Lilith Fair. There was a band backing Sinead O’Connor that we became friends with and we all sort of hung out together and then we started playing music together. They’re all from England and Ireland, and their musicality was incredible.

Then we made a record called Come On Now Social and recorded it in 1999, and this band is the reunion of that band, without Sinead.

and I are very much centered in the present with wanting to create music and play shows and feeling like we are still a working band.

We just know what it takes to keep our balances and stay creative. I don’t know if I’ve learned anything new about us. I know we went into recording the album not having a ton of time to prearrange everything. I’m not saying we went into it blindly, but we went into it thinking we were gonna go into the studio and just see what happens.

They’ve kind of been our musical compass all these years, but we haven’t gotten to make a whole record with them and have everybody together in one place; it’s been here and there. It was a great experience. We were in England at Real World Studio near Bath and we lived there, and it was a short thing. We just worked every day and ate meals together.

If I look back on our career, at the very beginning, of course, we were much more controlling about what happened and what the arrangements were and what we would or wouldn’t have on the album. Now I know that we can just sort of float in this freedom of, “Something cool is gonna happen,” because we’re with the right people and we know what to do with each other, and so that was really cool.

Because Long Look explores how the past shapes us, what did you learn about yourselves while making it? And did you learn anything new about each other in the process?

When you look back at recording your first album, how do you compare that experience to recording Long Look?

Saliers: There’s a song called “Sorrow and Joy” I wrote about some very personal things that happened in my family. When my sister died, there was a time when it was an impossible thought for me to think that I could ever write about that, even though that was stuck in the center of me and I couldn’t break it up. So, I learned that. Didn’t learn it but it was a reminder of, things shift. And it was a reminder of, whenever I get a feeling like I’m never gonna be this way, or I can’t do this, that things shift over time. So it just was very interesting to me that I went to a subject matter that I could never talk or write about to something that I could.

Ray: This was a really special, standout time for us because it was the reunion of the

The older I get the more I draw on the past for what to write about, even though Amy

Ray: I didn’t learn anything new specifically about Emily, but I did hear some guitar parts that I had not heard before and was really happy with. Musically speaking, I definitely felt like there was new territory and stuff, which is always good and inspiring. It’s funny. You gotta have discipline to be looser.

(Laughs.) That’s kind of what we did. We just really worked hard, but it paid off. We worked hard but we didn’t limit ourselves, and I think that’s important.

What do you hope Pride might look like this year?

Ray: This is just a monumentally different time than we’ve ever had in our lives, so how do you deal with that? I think as time goes on we want to get out there, and Pride is one of those times. You want to see your friends; it’s a very celebratory time because we like to celebrate queer people. So I hope people can understand that we still need to hold back from that and think of other ways to celebrate. I think the creative community is so innovative and there are so many rich things to access that people are doing, so that of course can carry on during Pride.

Maybe we can reach out as a gay community and help communities that are really suffering right now, and within our own community making sure that we’re helping the people who need food and need shelter and are homeless or are dealing with a lot of stuff that is really hard to deal with during these times.

Maybe we can reach out and take care of our own and make sure our family at large is doing okay. Pride to me is not just about a big party. It’s also: How can we continue this legacy and truly have Pride and give people the dignity they deserve that they don’t have?

As editor of Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard.

Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Deep Inside Hollywood

By Romeo San Vicente Justice Smith just queered up Jurassic World Justice Smith; photo by KathClick.

five minutes ago; the kids are doing whatever they damn well please now. Isn’t it great?

Rising star Justice Smith (Pokemon: Detective Pikachu) just came out alongside his boyfriend, actor Nicholas Ashe (Queen Sugar), over social media, just in time for Pride Month. They’re adorable together – an Instagram picture of them brushing their teeth side by side is the sweetest thing, truly — and since Smith’s statement on the matter included the perfectly composed and forthright, “…if your revolution does not include Black Queer voices, it is anti-black,” it’s just all the more satisfying. Smith also has some career news, some cinematic content coming down the road. First, a psychological thriller called The Voyeurs. Then a high school dramedy about kids exploring their sexuality titled Generation. And a little indie feature co-starring Chris Pratt called Jurassic World: Dominion. Now, there was a time when an up-and-comer would be forbidden from even thinking about joining a blockbuster mega-franchise and then risking it all by coming out of the closet. But that was 38

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Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart just came out Betty Cooper is bi. Well, okay, it’s actually Lili Reinhart, who plays Betty on Riverdale — and who, lest we forget, also lit up the screen in the super-femme crime hit Hustlers — that just went public about being bisexual. We love it when this sort of thing happens, because the B in LGBT is too often overlooked, and we’re always thrilled when charming young celebrities casually drop that information into the world. We especially like it when they do it in the publicity run up to a new movie, chipping away at the old Hollywood system where actors would, once upon a time, conveniently pair up with an opposite sex love interest around the time their film was due to take its bow. The movie Reinhart’s got coming up is called Chemical Hearts, from director Richard Tanne (Southside With You), and it’s about a disabled teen journalist who finds love working on the school newspaper.

Based on the novel Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland, the film co-stars Austin Abrams (Euphoria) as the boy who earns his place in her emotional chem lab. If the movie theaters are in full swing again by late August, you’ll get to see this one there.

Otherwise, check for streaming options.

Charlize Theron never says die in The Old Guard Charlize Theron became an action star when you weren’t noticing. From Mad Max: Fury Road to Atomic Blonde (and its upcoming sequel) to the Fast and Furious franchise, she’s pretty much out-Neesoning Liam Neeson, and we’re really into it. For

her next one, she jumps and kicks her way into Gina Prince-Bythewood’s (Beyond the Lights) newest, The Old Guard. Theron plays an immortal mercenary who leads a team of similarly gifted never-dying warriors to protect humanity, all the while confronted by villains who’d corrupt their ancient ways. The film is based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and features Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthias Schoenaerts and KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk). But here’s the bonus: a same-sex romance — one that’s been hot for centuries — between two members of the team, played by international actors Luca Marinelli and Marwan Kenzari. We’ll take it, the delicious queer icing on Theron’s Furiosa cake, when it drops on Netflix July 10.

Queen of The Capital will serve, slay and stream Daniel Hays has two jobs. By day he’s with the U.S. Department of Labor, working for the government, and leaving his 36-inch-high wig at home. At night, Hays’ drag character, a Southern Christian named Muffy Blake Stephyns, takes over, and she works on a different sort of Washington, D.C. campaign: the competition for the title of “Empress IV” of the Imperial Court. Don’t know what that even means? Well, then, you’ll want to see the new documentary, Queen of The Capital, from director Josh Davidsburg. The film is both a drag documentary and one that explores the old-school, community building work of gay bars via classic drag performance and fundraising, all of it aligned with a camp fantasy of royalty. It premiered earlier this year at Slamdance 2020, and will be arriving in arthouse theaters this summer as well as taking a queenly bow on June 20 via streaming. If you’re going to brave a cinema then here’s a reason to go.

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RECORDINGS

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ecause so many weddings take place this time of year, I thought it might be a contrarian thing to do to go back to looking at some singles again. It is time to rise up, people, and take our country back. It is time to stop our societal quest for comfort and take on the challenge of being uncomfortable for a while so that we can be reborn. Here are five new songs that may be part of your new soundtrack. Some good, some may not be so good, but you are welcome to, as always, decide if I am right or wrong.

By Tom Reardon Flatbush area of Brooklyn, NY and these songs come from an EP, now, more than ever.

The flow here, though, is what really sells this song. Three out of five facemasks, including one with a skull on it.

to me” is how this new offering from Elvis Costello, “No Flag,” starts out. It’s noisy and fuzzy and feels a little bit like Costello might have been listening to our friends, Imperial Teen, a little bit, which is a good thing and damn if that opening line doesn’t echo 2020 for a lot of people. Those who listen a little more closely to this one might pick up on the fact that the bass line is amazing in this song and keeps some disparate parts linked up nicely. Five out of five facemasks agree that chewing sugar free gum is good for your teeth and listening to this song is good for your soul.

Plastic Handgun — “Curtain Call” Dark, haunting, yet mildly uplifting, Toronto’s Plastic Handgun starts us off with something new. There is an element of dreaminess to Mark Di Giovanni’s work that harkens itself back to more ethereal ‘80s acts like Coil or even a more electronic Jesus and Mary Chain. I like this. The intro piques the curiosity in the way that every song should.

You want to know what will come next, although the vocals are set deep enough into the mix that it is hard to make out exactly what Di Giovanni is singing. Regardless of that, though, the song comes from a really cool new record, Gatekeepers, that should be on your radar. Four out of five facemasks agree.

Mt. Joy — “Bug Eyes” There is a line from the Cracker song, “Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)” that says, “What the world needs now is another folk singer like I need a hole in my head,” and it reminds me of this song so much. This song, and I write this completely unapologetically, sucks. I don’t get it and I feel like listening to the song is something akin to self-trepanation because I want a hole in my head so this particular Mt. Joy track can just leak out and hopefully never come back. I listened so you will not have to. Zero out of five facemasks. Zero.

Flatbush Zombies — “dirty elevator music” I can totally groove with this style of rap.

Flatbush Zombies have a jazzy, laidback musicality that, at times, directly conflicts with their lyrical content, but if you can get past the put downs, swear words, and drug references, you will be fine. The trio has been around for a decade and hail from the 40

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Elvis Costello — “No Flag” “I got no religion/I got no philosophy/Got a head full of ideas that don’t seem to belong

No Age — “Sandalwood” Leaning a little towards the east coast indie rock sound a bit here, No Age channels The Strokes as Randy Randall pays tribute to Albert Hammond Jr. with his guitar work, although Dean Spunt sounds nothing like vocalist Julian Casablancas, which is a good thing. No Age rarely, if ever, disappoints, so it was nice to listen to this new song and see them fucking around with The Strokes sound a bit. It is a fun summertime romp and to be honest, if you haven’t gotten hip to No Age just yet, you’ve got some fun ahead of you as you explore their excellent catalog. Four and three quarters out of five vegan facemasks salute this song.

Tom Reardon loves to write about people who are doing something to contribute to our community in a positive way. He also loves his family and family of friends, his pets, music, skateboarding, movies, good (and bad) TV, and working with children to build a better world. Tom’s favorite movie is Jaws, his favorite food is lasagna, and he loves to play music with his friends. He’s a busy guy, but never too busy to listen to what you have to say so tell him a story.

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BETWEEN THE COVERS

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

The Heart: Frida Kahlo in Paris by Marc Petitjean, translated by Adriana Hunter c.2020, Other Press $25.00 / $34.00 Canada | 208 pages

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very brush stroke must have had meaning.

exhibit of her work but when Kahlo arrived in France, she was angered that Breton was unprepared for both her arrival and her show.

In a surprisingly charming mixture of fact and fiction, author Marc Petitjean spins a dreamy tale of an artist and a painting that is in itself a mystery. That, the multiple hypotheses, and a lingering unknown make The Heart a captivating tale.

She’d met Breton when he and his wife, Jacqueline, came to Mexico to talk with Leon Trotsky, who was living temporarily with Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera. The Bretons stayed the Rivera’s for several months — long enough for Kahlo to have a brief but playful sexual affair with Jacqueline before the Bretons returned to France.

Petitjean depicts Paris in the pre-War years in a way that lets readers feel the devilmay-care extravagance of the city’s residents living in the shadow of Nazism and looming trouble, giving this book a dark sense of foreboding. He then imagines Kahlo’s political leanings and adds to her mystique, giving her a certain cheeky flamboyance and, with passages that seem as if they’re viewed through sheer white curtains, he shows us a Kahlo that falls easily in lust and love, but with a blithe sense of detachment.

Petitjean says that there is no way to know exactly how his father met Kahlo, but the first time they slept together “was the day Barcelona fell.” They didn’t speak the same language but he comforted her as best he could, and she grew to mean a lot to him. Later, he helped her pack up her paintings to return them to Mexico, and she gave him option of choosing any painting he wanted.

He chose The Heart.

Because his father had led a colorful life, Marc Petitjean was surrounded by artwork and objets d’art for most of his childhood.

One of those works was a painting that Petitjean understood was important to his father. Later, long after the elder man died, Petitjean learned how important the painting was when a stranger inquired about his father, and the affair he had with Frida Kahlo.

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ou’ve always taken care of those you love.

You’ve ensured that everyone is safe and happily occupied. Elders have groceries, errands are done, and you keep in touch with the people you miss. You’re taking good care of everyone around you — but as in the new book The Extremely Busy Woman’s Guide to Self-Care by Suzanne Falter, who’s taking care of you?

In the last three months, if you’ve learned one important thing, it’s this: when it comes to doing for others, you are not a bottomless well. You give and give and give but lately, you find yourself running empty.

Something similar happened to Falter: after her daughter, Teal, died, she began to feel that nothing had meaning anymore and that the life she’d “cobbled together” wasn’t what she wanted. She’d left her husband and come out as a lesbian, but that was all she’d done for herself. She ran out of energy for everyone else and everything.

Every color, every shading, every wipe and fingerprint and trowel mark left by the artist became a portrait of metaphor and mystery: what was the artist trying to say?

Was it just a painting or, as in The Heart by Marc Petitjean, was there a story behind it for observers to unravel?

Michel Petitjean was just 29 when he met Kahlo; she was 33, and was staying in France at the time, having gone there because André Breton, who’d founded the surrealist movement, had decided on his own that Kahlo was a surrealist painter.

Breton told her that he wanted to do an

Petitjean hints that his father was more upset about that than was Kahlo, but again — we’ll never know for sure. Still, readers that love art, biographies, historical mysteries, and Kahlo in particular will find The Heart to be a stroke of enjoyment.

Desperate for something better, she quit working (which, she admits, isn’t an option for everybody). She started listening harder to herself and to others. She started asking herself what she wanted out of each new day she’d been given.

And from that sprang an awesome life.

Photo by Jean-Hughes Berrou.

If you’re depleted, she says, there are “essentials” you’ll need to heal, starting with plenty of sleep, exercise, and avoidance of food, drink, or substances that aren’t good for you. Be open to love but make yourself a priority. Learn to lean on friends and family; in fact, find an “action buddy” to help you get through. Take real time off — not just a ENTERTAINMENT

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ou spent days examining your life.

Sins: that’s what you were looking for How had you displeased God? How many lies, covets, dishonors? What have you done since — oh, when was your last confession, anyhow? They say the sacrament is good for your soul, and in Confessions of a Gay Priest by Tom Rastrelli, there’s a lot to tell.

Though he’d always known that he liked boys, little Tommy Rastrelli pretended the opposite when he was in grade school because marriage was what good Catholics did. His family was devout and Rastrelli never questioned God’s love. Not even after, he says, he was repeatedly molested by a doctor in his Iowa hometown.

For several reasons, he never told his parents about the abuse, enduring it for years until he’d convinced them that he was too old for a pediatrician. That God hadn’t saved him from a predator made Rastrelli slowly lose his faith and his self-respect. He stopped attending Mass and began questioning the Church’s teachings.

The Extremely Busy Woman’s Guide to SelfCare by Suzanne Falter c.2020, Brilliance Audio $25.99 | 4 discs, 4:53 listening time c.2020, Sourcebooks $15.99 | 304 pages turn-off-the-phone-for-the-evening time, but real vacations away. Learn to meditate or, at the very least, to sit quietly with yourself.

Look for fun now and then and use it to “feed your brain.” Finally, once you’ve found the “essentials” that seem to work best for you, learn to implement them into your daily life.

“Get help where needed,” Falter says, “for that may make all the difference.”

Page through The Extremely Busy Woman’s Guide to Self-Care, and you may notice that this book is very new-agey. Very new-age-y, as in: “New-Age-y” should be on the cover in 4-feet-tall neon letters. You might also notice that if you’re an “extremely busy woman,” this book will make life even busier.

But then God called a shocked Tom Rastrelli to the priesthood.

It happened while he was at college, and the whole idea quickly consumed him. Gone was the plan to major in theatre; instead, Rastrelli began to explore a world steeped in mystery and ritual but overlaid with fear.

Always believing that testimony against the doctor could save others from the same abuse, Rastrelli took legal action, knowing that scandal could ruin his chance to attend seminary.

There were many things undiscussable, in fact, and the court case was only half of it. As he progressed in his journey to ordination, the secrets included priestly kisses, caresses, and soft lies that a “backrub”

Filled with worksheets and demands to “breathe,” there’s a lot to do here to get this books’ full use. That doesn’t make it unhelpful: for anyone at the end of her corona-rope without a knot, it may be a complacencysquasher. Author Suzanne Falter writes with the voice of authority when discussing how she clawed her way back from the brink, using loss as a springboard for many of her best points — but beware: some of those points are from “Teal’s Journal,” making it even more new-age-y.

Still, for the reader who desperately needs quick bites of help in a hand-holding, alternative, worksheet-loaded format, The Extremely Busy Woman’s Guide to Self-Care may be the ticket. If that’s advice you truly need, take it.

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Confessions of a Gay Priest by Tom Rastrelli c.2020, University of Iowa Press $19.95 / higher in Canada | 328 pages was just a backrub. At nearly every gathering, Rastrelli was approached for sex or touched inappropriately, led to believe that celibacy had wiggle-room, plied with alcohol or favors, and left to deal with it alone.

He fell in misguided love.

And then he fell into a deep depression, with only one real way out.

The Confessions of a Gay Priest is a hard, hard book to read — it’ll make you squirm, it’ll make your eyebrows raise, you’ll want to toss it on the street and let semis run it over and yet, it’s stay-up-all-night compelling.

Beginning with his ordination (so you know-don’t-know the end of the story), author Tom Rastrelli tells a tale that will further shock Catholics already reeling from church-related scandals. This book, however, is not written in the same manner as is a diocesan document: Rastrelli is sometimes extremely graphic, both in the bedroom and in his various emotional states. He doesn’t pull back the curtains on his experiences, he rips them down and burns them. He used pseudonyms but tells details before softening his harshness with beautiful language, strong faith, and poetic distractions that play with a reader’s sympathy.

You can’t beat a book like that, though its graphic nature needs to again be underscored. For a reader who can endure a panoply of squirms, Confessions of a Gay Priest is worth deep examination.

Photo by Frank Miller.

Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm, lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 13,000 books. She’s been reading since age 3 and, to this day, she never goes anywhere without a book.

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TALKING BODIES

Taking the lead in sportsmanship Ways to support your kids and teach what it means to be a good sport

By Kimberly Blaker

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e’ve all seen it — the parent standing on the sidelines criticizing the decisions made by coaches and officials, yelling at his own child for making a mistake, hurling rude remarks at the opposing team, or always placing blame. In some cases, these parents have even gotten into brawls.

What’s in winning and losing?

There’s no question, winning is rewarding and boosts self-esteem. However, well-meaning parents are sometimes so caught up in the competition that they lose sight of the real value of sports. Winning is not just being the victor of a game. It’s becoming the best allaround person one can be. Children who carry this with them will be the ones to prevail.

What’s in losing? Plenty. It teaches lessons in perseverance, humility, respect, and acceptance of defeat.

What does losing mean? It means to come out second best. Defeat is not a failure. A child or parent who walks away satisfied, whether victorious or not, is the real winner.

What else do sports offer? Opportunities to build friendships, lessons on the importance of rules, fairness and honesty, anger management and leadership skills, and 44

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how to work as a team. In short, sports teach valuable life principles that will be of immense value in the years to come.

sportsmanship that took place to show the difference between being a good sport and a poor one.

Tips for supporting your child

If your child isn’t enjoying the sport, don’t force him to stay in it. For many children, team sports aren’t the answer. Help find another activity or a solo sport that is more suited to him.

Make the most of your child’s involvement by showing your support and what it means to be a good sport.

Avoid pointing out your child’s mistakes or criticizing them. This only serves to make kids feel worse. Your child is most likely already aware of the error.

Practice with your child, but don’t push.

Offer pointers and demonstrate proper techniques, but allow mistakes to go without frequent correction.

Praise your child’s efforts.

Allow coaches and officials to do their jobs.

If you feel an error was made, remember it’s a tough job, and we all make mistakes. Realize it’ll probably come out in the wash.

Cheer on your child and her team.

Don’t put down the other team’s players, and be courteous and respectful of the other team’s fans.

When talking with your child about a game, point out specific displays of

Set up a sportsmanship recognition program for your child’s team offering Certificates of Outstanding Sportsmanship to players who set examples of being a good sport. If a child is struggling with sportsmanship, look for opportunities to help her brush up on her skills, and reward accordingly as reinforcement.

Acknowledge and show interest in team members whose abilities don’t stand out.

Don’t place blame when the team loses.

Read It’s How You Play the Game: Reclaiming Sportsmanship and Honor by Bobby Newman.

Kimberly Blaker is a freelance family writer. She also does blog and content writing for a variety of industries and is an expert in on page SEO. HEALTH & FITNESS

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NOT THAT YOU ASKED

So much for my 2020 vision

By Buddy Early

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ot even the most inventive Hollywood minds could script a three-and-a-half year run like we’ve had. Sure, individually the phenomena of 2017-present would seem very plausible; but all of them together? It’s all too much.

Nobody would actually believe it. Even I — someone who has at times been accused of having a wild imagination — could not have conjured up the current state of our nation.

Someone asked me recently what I might have thought the world would be like in 2020. I couldn’t say. They asked me what I had envisioned the world would be like in 2010. I couldn’t speak on that, either. 2000?

No dice. The truth is I have never looked to the future and thought about whether society’s ills would be cured; when I have thought about the future, it was always a fantasy of what my life would be like.

As a teenager in the 1980s, I invented a storyline of my perfect life 20-30 years in the future. Basically, I fantasized about a life where I was a journalism professor living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

(I’ve never been there, but it seemed like as good a place as any.) My family and I lived a few blocks from campus, to which I’d bike in my faded jeans and coat with patches on the sleeves. Our house was large and tastefully decorated, and seemingly had a “fourth wall” like on all the sitcoms of my youth. And, also like those sitcoms, all the rooms were larger than any room in any house had a right to be, and there was a back staircase to the second level right in the corner of the kitchen.

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I was father to four children (three daughters and a son.) All of them had brown hair and blue eyes, like me, except the oldest daughter, who was either mixed race or Pacific Islander. I can’t explain this, only to say that in this scenario I am married to a woman and had sex with her at least four times … so it doesn’t have to make sense.

And since I’ve broached the topic, I didn’t imagine what my wife would look like, or what profession she worked, or where she was from or whether we loved each other. I suppose that part was telling.

In this imagination of my idyllic future I did not create a world in which racism was a thing of the past, diseases had been eradicated, everyone was afforded equal rights and opportunities, and people basically cared about each other. Call it naiveté or blissful ignorance, but in my make-believe future the world was obviously a perfect place, so I didn’t waste my energy focusing on those particulars.

Cut to 2020. As I write this during a worldwide pandemic and shortly after another incident of a cop killing a black American, with riots happening in cities across the country, not to mention Donald Trump continuing his attack on decency, it is clear just how much my view of a perfect — or even better — world could not have been more inaccurate.

Essentially, we’re a fucking mess. As this critical presidential election approaches I find myself unable to conclude which reprehensible aspect of our country is the most reprehensible. Is it our willingness to accept mass shootings at schools, churches,

mall and nightclubs, all because we believe the right to own an assault rifle is sacred?

Is it our treatment of women, including letting their rapists walk free and supporting unlawful legislation to keep them from having control over their own bodies? Is it our tolerance of racism by accepting and allowing cops to murder people of color for sport? Or is it our endorsement of an economic system that rewards greed and cheating, and has created the largest income disparity in more than a century?

I can’t choose. Each of these reprehensible realities is an example of how the U.S. needs a reset. We’ve lost our way and need a complete overhaul of our values.

In trying to make sense of this mess of a country, I can’t help but wonder if that naiveté and/or blissful ignorance is partially responsible. Did I do enough in the last three decades to improve and secure the rights and safety of other people besides myself and my community? Did I speak out every time there was injustice? Did I look beyond myself to try to see things from the perspective of someone in crisis? Did I care enough about my fellow Americans?

The correct response isn’t to tell me, sure, you did all those things the best you could. The correct response is to ask yourself: did you?

Buddy Early grew up in Tempe and has been involved in various communities across the Valley since.

He is a former managing editor of both Echo Magazine and Compete Magazine.

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