Frontiers Vol. 34, Issue 06/07

JULY 9 - AUG. 5, 2015 | VOL. 34, NOS. 06/07

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

OUTFEST An Insider’s Guide Sex, Power, Drag and the Greatest LGBT Film Festival in the World

BURNING MAN YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ANSWERED WE SAY GOODBYE TO

JEWEL’S CATCH ONE

5 NEW SoCal STAYCATIONS

HOW GAYS LIBERATED MARRIAGE FOR EVERYONE PrEP WARS: THE NEXT PHASE

JAKE SHEARS “There are so many things I want to do. Being in a rock band is just one of them.”

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Contents

JULY 9 - AUGUST 5, 2015

FEATURES

69 Outfest 2015

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Your Burning (Man) Questions Answered

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Jake Shears Takes the Stage

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We Say Goodbye to Jewel's Catch One

ON THE COVER Jake Shears photographed

by JD Urban, jdurban.com JULY 22, 2015

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Contents

JULY 9 - AUGUST 5, 2015

DEPARTMENTS NEWSBOX 15 16 18

20 24 26

What's Next for LGBT Rights?

Flashbulb Watercooler How Gays Liberated Marriage L.A.'s PrEP Investment DateBook

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THE GAY AGENDA 29 32 32

The L.A. Man's Grooming Guide Seasonal Sipping: Summer Edition 3 of the City's Pet-Friendly Patios

HEALTH Sex Ed: Prescription Faux Pas Off the Couch: Tackling Polyamory Portrayals of Poz in TV and Film

35 37 40

29 49

TRAVEL 5 New SoCal Staycations The World's Best Amusement Parks What's New Down Under

43 44 46

CALENDAR 49 53 53 54

Saddle Up L.A. Trail Ride Eat Your Way Through Bastille Day Eating Out: Maré Honey Soundsystem Brings Sweet Beats to Los Angeles

ENTERTAINMENT

35 61

Summer Movie Sneak Peak Film Reviews Music Reviews Coming to TV Theater Reviews Video Games: Inside E3

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Frontiers magazine is published by New Frontiers Media Holdings, LLC, 5657 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 470, Los Angeles, CA. 90036, and distributed throughout Southern California. Up to the first three copies of any single issue are free; additional copies are $10 each. Violators caught stealing or destroying issues will be prosecuted under California Penal Code 484. For magazine subscriptions, please call (323) 930- 3220. The contents of Frontiers may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. Letters to the editor, artwork, photography, manuscripts and other correspondence may be submitted to Frontiers at the above address. We cannot acknowledge or return material unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Allow at least three months for processing. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Frontiers is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation or the HIV/AIDS status of such person or organization. Copyright © 2015, New Frontiers Media Holdings, LLC.

COLUMNS 96 97 98 104

Billy Masters Gossip Gay Palm Springs Gaydar

PEOPLE INDEX Judd Apatow Diablo Cody Doris Day Aretha Franklin 10

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61 63 44 58

Daniel Franzese Ruth Bader Ginsburg Ryan Gosling Lisa Lampanelli

40 96 37 52

Luke Nero Amy Poehler Sam Sparro Alaska Thuderfuck

56 64 51 63

JULY 22, 2015

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PUBLISHER

Michael A. Turner Owen Phillips CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ed Baker

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED MEDIA

Dustin Tyner Stephan Horbelt NEWS EDITOR Karen Ocamb ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR George Skinner GRAPHIC DESIGNER Michelle Aguirre EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ADVERTISING DIRECTORS

Mat Jongsma, Cristian Valencia, Jacci Ybarra ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Colleen Butler, Shana Wong

PALM SPRINGS ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Brad Fuhr

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

CLASSIFIEDS MANAGER

ACCOUNTING

EMAIL ADDRESS FORMAT

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

DISTRIBUTION INQUIRIES

EDITORIAL INQUIRIES

Rivendell Media (212) 242-6863 Frank Perez Merrill Franks, Frank Perez

firstinitial.lastname@frontiersmedia.com sales@frontiersmedia.com editorial@frontiersmedia.com distribution@frontiersmedia.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Drew Droege

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Michael Anthony, Aaron Batts, Dr. Greg Cason, Mike Ciriaco, Nate Cooper, Peter DelVecchio, Drew Droege, Gossip Gay, Nathaniel Grey, Tom Paul Jones, Gary Kramer, Jim Larkins, Dan Loughry, Drew Mackie, Billy Masters, James Mills, Eric Rosen, Patrick Rosenquist, Dominik Rothbard, Aaron Savvy, Lydia Siriprakorn, Les Spindle, Kevin Taft, Paul V. Vitagliano, Duane Wells CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS Gabe Ayala, Lesley Balla, Carie Camacho, Aaron Cobbett, Jeremy Daniel, Mike Delgado, Kyle Harmon, Ed Krieger, Tudor Hulubei, Aaron Logan, Cesar Lopapa, Jeremy Lucido, Sebastian Mader, Frank Maiocco, Joan Marcus, Matthew Murphy, Phillip Quark, Rolling-Blackouts, Jonathan Sirand, Kevin Steele, Nikki To, JD Urban, Jesse Wagstaff

New Frontiers Media Holdings, LLC 5657 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 470, Los Angeles, CA 90036 p: 323.930.3220 | f: 323.857.0560 /FRONTIERSMAGAZINE

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Frontiers Media is the 21st century’s LGBT media company, spanning digital, mobile, print, radio, television, outdoor signage and unique experiential events. With the authority that comes from being a first in gay publishing nearly 35 years ago and incredible access to the entertainment industry, Frontiers Media serves the sophisticated, influential and nuanced LGBT community like no company has before. In addition to publishing FRONTIERS biweekly, Frontiers Media co-produces The Horizon, the world’s most popular gay web series, with over 35 million views hosted on its Frontiers TV platform. Frontiers Media is proud to be a certified LGBT Business Enterprise and a founding member of NEPA, representing LGBT publishers from the top 20 U.S. markets. FRONTIERS has over 40,000 copies distributed biweekly throughout California and Nevada, with an estimated monthly print readership of 360,000.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. PROUD TO BE AFFILIATED WITH

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JULY 22, 2015

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What’s Next for LGBT Rights?

The marriage fight may be over, but resistance and ending discrimination remain

By Karen Ocamb

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55% According to a recent nationwide poll, the percentage of voters less likely to support a presidential candidate opposing same-sex marriage, including 40% who strongly oppose

SPEAK OUT

emember that iconic moment in The Wizard of Oz when the film magically transforms from sepia-toned to Technicolor as Dorothy and her dog Toto land somewhere over the rainbow?

Something like that happened over this past July 4th weekend—only for real. Decades after Stonewall and just 10 days after the Supreme Court ruling granting marriage equality nationwide, Fox Sports followed colorful lesbian soccer player Abby Wambach as she exuberantly ran up to kiss her wife, Sarah Huffman, after the thrilling USA Women’s FIFA Soccer Team’s World Cup July 5 victory.

And the world rejoiced, replaying the moment over and over on Twitter.

The mainstream delight in that image of an openly gay soccer winner in love is a profound illustration of just how much America has changed. But that doesn’t mean anti-gay Republicans with a fearful 1950s black-and-white vision of America will stop their assault on LGBT rights, finding new ways to wield religious liberty as a sword of discrimination.

How will voters respond? According to a recent nationwide poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and commissioned by the Human Rights Campaign, today’s voters might revolt.

“A 55% majority of voters are less likely to support a candidate for president who opposes allowing same-sex couples to marry, including 40% who strongly oppose,” the poll memo reads. “This majority includes Independents, married women and white millennials. All of these groups voted Republican in the last congressional election.”

Indeed, some marriage opponents have surrendered.

Rod Dreher of The American Conservative wrote on the Time website, “We have to accept that we really are living in a culturally post-Christian nation. The fundamental norms

Christians have long been able to depend on Caption no longer tk exist. To be frank, the court majority may impose on the rest of the nation a view widely shared by elites, but it is also a view shared by a majority of Americans. There will be no widespread popular resistance to Obergefell. This is the new normal.”

But there are still pockets of resistance, and old foes, like the National Organization for Marriage, are scratching for relevance. “What’s clear is that our work is far from over,” says HRC President Chad Griffin about some clerks who have denied marriage licenses based on their religious beliefs. “Public servants, including clerks, should serve the entire public. It’s that simple.”

But it’s not. Who’s going to fight the resisters other than HRC? Freedom to Marry founder Evan Wolfson tells Frontiers that the victory “feels pretty damn good,” but the organization itself, “having achieved its goal of winning marriage nationwide, will close down.” The wind-down is strategic, with some Freedom to Marry staffers going to a new organization, Freedom for All Americans, which intends to use the former’s campaign model to win nondiscrimination battles at the state and local levels.

But non-discrimination battles may not be as urgent or as sexy as fighting for your loved one. The LGBT community

“You want to rewrite the Constitution in response to a couple of decisions you don’t like?”

Fox News correspondent Megyn Kelly grills GOP presidential aspirant Texas Sen. Ted Cruz regarding his belief that Supreme Court justices should be elected after its recent decisions

JULY 22, 2015

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FLASHBULB

continued Conservatives are now gathering signatures for an anti-trans “bathroom bill”

roared up against Indiana Gov. Mike Pence over that state’s very broad Religious Freedom Restoration Act exemptions.

But how many RFRA laws have passed without notice or response? Is there RFRA fatigue, without realizing how the laws can nibble away, piranha-like, at LGBT protections?

Or does the community believe, like Dreher, that marriage is “done” and everyone will just embrace the new normal?

And what about LGBT donors? Will they fund antiRFRA campaigns or transgender initiatives to the degree they funded marriage, or will the money dry up like it did for AIDS organizations after the life-saving drug cocktail stopped the deluge of dying?

“The risk is that the resources will decline if we’re not creative,” Freedom to Marry’s Marc Solomon told NPR. “It’s about creating a real demand for what you’re doing.

And that means being persuasive to donors to demonstrate that the cause is important.”

Ironically, an overheated 2016 campaign season might fire up the cooling post-marriage movement embers.

Several Republican candidates spent Independence Day weekend urging “resistance” to the Supreme Court marriage ruling, with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz saying it precipitated “some of the darkest 24 hours in our nation’s history.” Mike Huckabee jumped the shark, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper that “the redefinition of love to something that is purely sentimental and emotional has been destructive.”

But, as we learned during Prop. 8, just because you have a right doesn’t mean it can’t be taken away. Images of loving gay couples may be the new normal, but anti-LGBT rhetoric is still acceptable. Indeed, anti-trans conservatives are now gathering signatures to put a “bathroom bill” on the ballot to let “the people” decide which public facilities trans people can use. Marriage may be “done,” but LGBT people still do not have full equality.

And yet, the moment feels like the dark fear and antigay animus oozing out of Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan’s 1992 speech has also run its course. “There is a religious war going on in this country,” Buchanan said.

“It is a cultural war, as critical to the kind of nation we shall be as was the Cold War itself, for this war is for the soul of America.”

The Cold War was in black and white. That’s over.

The soul of America now wants to be free, in love and in living color.

NEW YORK PRIDE 2015, New York City, June 26-28—Following the Supreme Court’s landmark marriage equality decision, New York saw one of its most festive Pride celebrations in recent memory. Top from left: Author and activist Janet Mock, Caitlyn Jenner with trans model Geena Rocero and Candis Cayne, Solange Knowles Bottom: Ariana Grande headlined Dance on the Pier, while Ian McKellan and Derek Jacobi were the parade’s grand marshals

NEWFILMMAKERS L.A. FILM FESTIVAL, AT&T Center, June 27—NFMLA celebrated Pride Month with LGBT films from around the world. Top from left: Sean Samuels with L.A. Pride Board Member Chris Classen; NFMLA Co-Founder Larry Laboe, Jodi Long, Patricia Richardson, SAG-AFTRA LGBT Committee Chair Jason Stuart and NFMLA Board Member Danny De Lillo Bottom: Jennifer and Tom Korbee of the band Korbee; Shunned director Janice Villarosa

“I’m a gay man. I flirt and chat with guys online sometimes.

BIG DEAL!” Designer Marc Jacobs responds to the hubbub regarding his accidental posting of his bare ass on Instagram with the note, “It’s yours to try.”

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THE ART OF GEORGE QUAINTANCE OPENING RECEPTION, Taschen Gallery, July 2—The Beverly Boulevard gallery unveiled its latest exhibit, featuring the homoerotic paintings of a legendary gay artist. Top from left: Charles Phoenix and friend; local artist Miguel Angel Reyes (center) with friends; Bottom: Shirley Perl with the owner of Wacko and La Luz de Jesus Gallery Billy Shire and Taschen Sexy Book Editor Dian Hanson

PHOTO CREDIT NFMLA: PASCAL HALIM

SPEAK OUT

JULY 22 , 2015

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WATERCOOLER

Your cheat sheet for intelligent conversation — By Peter DelVecchio

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Frontiers Cover Image Sparks Death Threats for Photographer

A photograph used as the cover image for Frontiers back in June 2000 has gone viral, sparking death threats directed at photographer Ed Freeman.

Used for a Pride issue of the magazine, the photo recreates the iconic image of the American flag being raised at Iwo Jima, using a rainbow flag instead. Freeman posted the image on Facebook to celebrate last week’s Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality, but the photo quickly spread, prompting insults, abuse and even a death threat.

“This picture was just a flashpoint for a lot of people who are looking for a reason to lash out, so I guess I get to be the whipping boy,” Freeman tells The Washington Post. “I’m fine with that if that’s what it takes.”

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Obama Enjoys His ‘Best Political Week Ever’

Ever the prudent husband and dad, President Obama at a June 30 press conference identified his “best week” as “marrying Michelle,” but politically, the week of June 22 was arguably the best of his presidency so far. Congress granted him “fast track” trade authority, which had appeared dead days before due to Democratic opposition.

In a robust 6-3 decision authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Supreme Court on June 25 upheld Obamacare subsidies for people buying insurance on federal exchanges, most likely ensuring the law’s permanence, and preventing millions from losing coverage. The next day, the court struck down all state same-sex marriage bans in a landmark, ringing 5-4 decision penned by Republican appointee Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Finally, the president was lauded for his eulogy at the funeral of Pastor and S.C. State Sen. Clementa Pinckney, one of nine shot dead in a racist hate crime at Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. “I might see if we can make next week even better,” the president quipped at the news conference.

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Hardware Store Owner Replaces ‘No Gays’ Sign

The owner of a Tennessee hardware store incensed over newfound marriage equality has replaced a “No Gays Allowed” sign with one reserving “the right to refuse service to anyone who would violate our rights of freedom of speech & freedom of religion.”

Jeff Amyx of Amyx Hardware taped the original sign to his store window after the Supreme Court’s June 26 marriage ruling, “to let homosexual people know that there are Christian people willing to take a stand.” The milder version went up June 30, and will remain “until they tell me it is illegal to have my freedom of speech and my freedom of religion,” Amyx said, adding, predictably, “It’s not the people I hate, it’s the sin I hate.”

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Clergy of the Episcopal Church, the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, will be permitted to marry same-sex couples beginning Nov. 1. The church’s House of Bishops on June 29 approved two new liturgies, including a gender-neutral version and a version blessing same-sex unions.

The church’s increasingly liberal policies regarding LGBTs has widened a rift between the U.S. church and the global Anglican community that began with the ordination of openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson in 2003.

Clergy will not be required to officiate at same-sex weddings. The new liturgies “provide as wide a tent as possible for the historic diversity that characterizes the Episcopal Church,” says Rev. Susan Russell, a lesbian deputy from L.A.

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President Obama

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Jeff Amyx

4 Hillary Clinton

Marriage Equality Comes to Episcopal Church

Despite not supporting full marriage equality until April 2015, recently disclosed emails from Democratic 2016 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton’s days as Secretary of State, as well as public pronouncements, depict an LGBT supporter.

Soon after becoming Secretary in 2009, Clinton implemented policies giving gay diplomats benefits similar to those enjoyed by straight colleagues. During a 2011 speech in Switzerland—at a time when, according to President Bill Clinton’s top LGBT advisor Richard Socarides, there had been “very little focus on serious human rights abuses directed toward LGBT people globally, even among some of our allies”—she declared, “Being LGBT does not make you less human.

And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.”

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Emails Reveal Hillary’s Push for LGBT Rights at State

The Factory in WeHo Officially ‘Endangered’

Will The Factory, the iconic gay nightclub that opened its doors in 1974 as Studio One and has hosted countless gay icons over the decades, succumb to the wrecking ball and become yet another WeHo “multi-use” project?

Not if LGBT activists and the private nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation has its way. The group officially added the club to its 2015 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places on June 24.

“The Factory is a trove of important and multi-layered history that simply cannot be replaced,” says NTHP’s Stephanie Meeks.

Development plans apparently call for the building to be destroyed to make way for a pedestrian walkway, “a route that could easily be realigned to spare this landmark from the wrecking ball,” she says.

JULY 22, 2015

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From Gay Liberation to Gays Liberating Marriage

By Karen Ocamb

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1 Prop. 8 plaintiffs Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo renew their vows on June 29, 2014, one year after a federal appeals court cleared the way for samesex marriages after SCOTUS overturned Prop. 8 2 Harry Hay and John Burnside, together since 1962, at the Compound where many Radical Faeries stayed 3 Gays were shocked by Prop. 8 passing.

Also responding in a new way were photographer Adam Bouska, who started the No H8 campaign

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n the late 1930s, modern day gay rights pioneer Harry Hay tried heterosexual marriage at the urging of his Communist friends, who considered homosexuality symptomatic of bourgeois decadence. But Hay discovered that being gay was no mere occasional same-sex attraction—it was a core identity that set gay people apart as a cultural minority. That premise was central to creating the Mattachine Society in 1951 and helping co-found the Gay Liberation Front in Los Angeles in 1969 and the Radical Faeries in 1979.

Hay railed against the oppression of heterosexist conformity and the assimilation practiced by gay rights advocates who argued that gays were just like straights, except, perhaps, in the bedroom. Marriage, in particular, was a failed conservative institution that was too traditionally patriarchal, too conventionally bourgeois, too mundane to even bother attempting to change it. Besides, the very idea of marriage and family seemed out of reach anyway, a happiness consciously forsaken when coming out of the closet to live an authentic life.

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PHOTOS BY KAREN OCAMB

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And yet there were some—like L.A.-based binational couple Tony Sullivan and Richard Adams—for whom denial of the right to marry meant the government could force them apart. And during the AIDS crisis, estranged homophobic family members could without shame or conscience legally force the bereaved survivor out of the house the gay couple had shared. Some fought for the legal recognition of domestic partnerships—the idea originated in San Francisco in 1979, and the first bill was passed in 1982 by the Board of Supervisors but vetoed by Mayor Dianne Feinstein under intense pressure from the Catholic Church. In 1985, West Hollywood city co-founder and new Councilmember John Heilman introduced and passed the first domestic partnership recognition for city employees and residents, as well as the first registry.

But even though AIDS was killing mostly gay men, giving awful credence to Hay’s concept of a gay minority, the LGBT community didn’t perceive itself as a “community.”

The demonstrations protesting President Bill Clinton’s signing of the Defense of Marriage Act were not as loud and angry as his betrayal over lifting the ban on gays serving openly in the military. And victories—such as Gov. Gray Davis signing Assemblymember Carole Migden’s domestic partnership bill in 1999—were construed as political after many long years of Republican control of California. And even though heavy-hitters like Davis, Vice President Al Gore, Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa and rock singer Melissa Etheridge came out against anti-gay Prop.

22 in 2000, the grassroots just weren’t that into marriage.

Until they got to marry and then were forced to stop in 2004—and then in 2008 with the passage of Prop. 8 after a torturous, hate-filled, anti-gay campaign. Suddenly a new out generation that grew up thinking they were “equal” to their straight friends realized they had a constitutional right taken away by a vote of “the people.” It didn’t matter if they personally wanted to marry—they wanted the freedom of choice to marry. Suddenly the “right to marry whomever you love” became a civil rights issue, one eventually supported by top White House officials—top Republicans like Ted Olson and Ken Melhman and the Democratic Party.

To be against marriage equality was to be on the wrong side of history.

Writing for the 5-4 majority on June 26, 2015, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy agreed that gays have a fundamental constitutional right to marry under the 14th Amendment.

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and

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family,” Kennedy wrote. “In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

Harry Hay and inventor John Burnside, who lived together for 40 years like an old married couple in Los Angeles and West Hollywood, could not have envisioned couples who looked like them getting legally married. But Hay’s vision celebrated the unique gay ability to bond as a brotherhood and to share the spiritual essence of that loving bond with the world. And ironically, by publicly and proudly sharing their love, gay couples not only changed the definition of traditional marriage but liberated all men and women from the oppression of stereotypical role-playing in the stale and failing social institution. Now everybody has the freedom to marry whomever they choose to love.

This is a gift of gay liberation.

4 L.A.-based Richard Adams and Tony Sullivan got married in 1975 in Colorado, then came home and petitioned the government for permanent resident status for Australianborn Tony. The Department of Justice sent them a one sentence letter: “You have failed to establish that a bona fide marital relationship can exist between two faggots.”

Six months before DOMA was struck down, Richard died.

Tony, 72, is still undocumented.

5 Gov. Gray Davis holds up Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg’s AB 205, an extended domestic partners bill, in Feb. 2003. In the next two years, Assemblymember Mark Leno passed two marriage bills, which were vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

6 MCC Church founder Rev. Troy Perry, who’s been performing same-sex marriages since 1968, and his husband Phillip Ray De Blieck show their July 2003 Canadian marriage license.

Perry and De Blieck filed suit to have California recognize their marriage. 7 Melissa Etheridge came out in pouring rain and lightning in West Hollywood Park to speak out against Prop. 22, which passed overwhelmingly in 2000

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JULY 22, 2015

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JULY 22, 2015

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Gutiérrez (left), Trump

Trump, Trans Protester Make Immigration a Hot Political Issue

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THE PREP INVESTMENT Expect to see a massive new push for HIV prevention this summer—starting with gay men’s medical providers By Karen Ocamb

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very year for more than a decade, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces an estimated 50,000 new HIV infections. Why? The simple answer, writes James M. Friedman, executive director of the American Academy of HIV Medicine, AAHIVM, is that “prevention is a tough sell.” And ironically, with death no longer an automatic endpoint, “to some extent, prevention of transmission is hampered by the success we have achieved by treatment.”

AAHIVM devoted a special issue of its HIV Specialist magazine last April to pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP, currently the drug Truvada, that included a survey of over 300 providers. “In general, providers held favorable attitudes about PrEP and said they were very likely to prescribe the regimen to most MSM (men who have sex with men),” Friedman reports. But there was a caveat. “Providers noted

PHOTO: COMPASSION & CHOICE

y describing Mexican immigrants as drug-runners, “rapists” and criminals during his campaign announcement, presidential candidate Donald Trump not only threw raw meat at the GOP base but tossed out the “play nice” Republican Party post-2012-defeat “Autopsy Report” that encouraged welcoming Latinos into the fold. But the billionaire’s bluster—for which he refuses to apologize—landed Trump in second place behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the national polls. That means Trump is likely to be in the first GOP debate hosted by FOX on Aug. 6 where Bush, whose wife Columba is from Mexico, will be expected to take on Trump mano a mano.

Though Trump declared himself to be “very rich,” his comments have hurt the Trump brand and cost him more than $50 million. The Spanish language network Univision, NBC Universal and Macy’s have all severed ties with Trump, golf associations distanced themselves and New York City officials are reviewing city contracts. In response Trump is suing Univision for $500 million for refusing to air the Miss USA and Miss Universe beauty pageants.

“Can you imagine if he was talking about Jews? AfricanAmericans?” Frank Sharry, executive director of immigration group America’s Voice, said to The Los Angeles Times. “The silence of the GOP on this is defining the party.”

LGBT Democrats were also taken-aback when Jennicet Gutiérrez, an undocumented transgender immigrant from Los Angeles, disrupted President Obama during the June 24 Pride Reception at the White House. LGBT attendees booed when Gutiérrez decried the violence trans detainees experience in Immigration and Custom Enforcement custody.

ICE is holding about 65 trans detainees now, and Gutiérrez says trans immigrants generally account for one out of five confirmed sexual abuse cases in ICE custody.

On June 29, after six months of work with community groups, the White House released a memorandum with new guidelines for the protection of detained trans immigrants from sexual assault. The 18-page memo appears comprehensive, but the guidelines contain no enforcement mechanisms, no explicit punishment for violations, nor justice for victims.

“It’s important that we acknowledge the advocacy work that the [LGBT] community has done to make sure the conditions of trans people in detention are better,” says Bamby Salcedo, founder of the L.A.-based TransLatin@ Coalition, who was once held in an ICE detention center. “However, the fact of the matter is that it will take a long time until we see tangible changes in detention centers.” —K.O.

PHOTO: COMPASSION & CHOICE

several primary apprehensions about prescribing PrEP, including concerns about adherence and monitoring,” as well as costs, accessibility and putting toxic substances into an HIV-negative body.

But HIV prevention methods such as talking about and prescribing Truvada may be hampered by a lack of knowledge about HIV itself. Last February, the Black AIDS Institute published the first U.S. HIV Workforce Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs Survey of nonmedical personnel working with HIV-positive people. “The results were alarming: The HIV/ AIDS health care providers at health departments and AIDS service and community-based organizations who were polled answered only 63% of questions correctly—essentially earning a grade of D for their knowledge of HIV science and treatment, while earning the equivalent of an F on treatmentrelated questions,” the Institute reported in its newsletter.

It’s a problem both the CDC and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are trying to tackle as part of a major new push to educate providers, community-based organizations and the public about the effectiveness of PrEP for HIV-negative people when used as directed—one pill daily, with condoms and monitoring.

Nearly one-third of new infections are transmitted from people who don’t know they have the virus, according to the CDC. The new at-risk population, says Friedman, is “younger, poorer and less educated—a much more difficult group to reach,” and thus, is less likely to be aware of their options to stay HIV-negative or even see a doctor, with or without insurance. According to a 2014 Kaiser Family Foundation survey of gay and bisexual men, eight out of 10 said they have heard “only a little or nothing” about PrEP. Of the $2.7 trillion in annual U.S. heath care expenditures, the CDC reports that its annual investment in HIV prevention is nearly $700 million, most of which goes directly to state and

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MILLION The amount the California legislature has allotted in its new budget to establish a PrEP navigator program that will develop outreach protocols, provide PrEP education to medical service providers and assess appropriate clinical care and prevention services, according to Sen. Mark Leno

local health departments. But on July 1, the CDC announced awards of $216 million over five years to 90 communitybased organizations to deliver PrEP to those at greatest risk, including people of color, MSMs, transgender individuals and injection drug users.

Of those 90, 67 primarily serve African-Americans and 15 primarily serve Hispanics; 64 primarily serve MSM. Of the 14 selected in California, seven are in the L.A. area—AltaMed, APLA Health & Wellness, Bienestar Human Services, the Black AIDS Institute, JWCH Institute, L.A. LGBT Center, REACH and APAIT. “It’s clear that we need to focus our limited resources on strategies that can have the greatest possible impact,” Dr. Eugene McCray, director of CDC’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Division, said in a press release. “This funding targets local communities to help maximize the impact of every federal prevention dollar. By delivering powerful prevention tools where they’re needed most, we can have a transformative impact on the epidemic.”

But questions remain. “AIDS Healthcare Foundation is not against PrEP,” writes AHF President Michael Weinstein in an advertorial piece placed in numerous LGBT publications. “Truvada can absolutely be the right decision for specific patients who, in consultation with their doctors, decide this is the best choice. However, the entire body of scientific data demonstrates that Truvada will not be successful as a mass public health intervention. ... The question is: What will become of the condom culture that has been so hard fought since the beginning of AIDS? No one can argue that men would prefer to have sex without condoms, but there are compromises we must make for the benefits of ourselves and society.”

However, Dr. W. David Hardy, Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, in the AAHIVM special issue questions if condoms are still viable alone. HIV fatigue, he writes, is “a very real and potentially harmful intentional or unintentional ‘behavioral drift’ or movement away from time-tested principles of optimal adherence to antiretroviral medications used for treatment or prevention of HIV infection, from safer sex practices and from the sense of personal responsibility to stop the transmission of HIV.” This raises another question: will adherence to PrEP be perceived as a fatiguing chore as Hardy suggests “timetested” long-term behavior modification has become?

The California Legislature recently allocated $2 million in the new budget that “establishes a PrEP navigator program to develop protocols to conduct outreach to targeted populations, to provide PrEP education to clients and to assess and refer to appropriate clinical care and prevention services,” according to Sen. Mark Leno.

“PrEP is not a silver bullet; but it is an important public health instrument,” says out Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins.

“Currently, many individuals, particularly young people, remain unaware of the options at their disposal. With the proper funding and time, we can ensure that consumers, health care providers, and public health officials are educated about all the tools at their disposal.”

Some community-based organizations funded by L.A. County are trying to be creative. The Wall Las Memorias Project used its 14th Annual Strike Out AIDS event on July 3 at Dodger Stadium, for instance, to host a booth about PrEP behind center field—a first in major league baseball history.

“We have a responsibility to educate and promote PrEP as part of the HIV prevention toolkit so that we can help our community live long and prosperous lives,” Richard Zaldivar,

JULY 22, 2015

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continued

SPEAK OUT

Executive Director and Founder of The Wall Las Memorias Project, tells Frontiers.

The Department of Public Health is developing a program and funding mechanism to make PrEP information, education and Truvada available in county-funded clinics without cost barriers for those not already covered by MediCal or other health insurance.

The numbers still have to be finalized, but Mario J. Pérez, Director of L.A. County’s Office of AIDS Programs and Policy, estimates “in the neighborhood” of $1 million would be invested “to make sure that there are private sector PrEP options ... to compliment the public-held clinic options that we’re making available starting in September.”

Pérez says the funding will come from a combination of federal grants and the County and General Fund, adding, “We’re not diverting resources from other HIV prevention commitments.”

He estimates that about 9,000 people in L.A. County are HIV-positive but undiagnosed, though the number has been dropping every year through routine testing. Roughly 10,000 people are estimated to have been diagnosed but may not be engaged in care, or who’ve seen a doctor once or twice but not in the last six months and thus are believed to have dropped out of care.

The estimates are regularly shared and updated with the County’s Commission on HIV Planning to better develop strategies for retention and care, another component to HIV prevention with an estimated 1,800 new infections

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FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

each year. “Remember that at the height of our epidemic locally there were over 6,000 new infections a year, and so we’re making pretty considerable progress bringing the number down,” says Pérez. “But there are still people with HIV who unknowingly transmit HIV. There are folks who may be living with HIV who are also struggling with a number of other issues— including addiction—that may place some of their partners at risk. There are issues around disclosure patterns that we have to consider.”

There are “a number of different things” that go into prevention,” Pérez says. “If you’re a gay man or a young black gay man, if you’re a transgender person, if you are in a serodiscordant couple, we just want to make sure that everyone has all the tools, all the information, all the options to stay HIV-negative.”

PrEP is “a biomedical intervention that requires a clinician to engage a patient, to fully understand the scope of their risk and then make some informed decisions with the client about whether or not PrEP is a strategy that makes sense,” says Pérez.

But, as the AAHIVM journal points out, “regrettably, not all doctors have the experience or comfort level having pretty robust sexual health conversations with their patient population,” Pérez says. “One of our planned objectives is to do significant medical provider education, training and technical assistance, so that doctors have an increased comfort level.”

Hopefully this summer’s mass PrEP public awareness campaign will destigmatize honest talk about sex.

“Growing up, I didn’t really have the greatest relationship with Bruce. ...

Caitlyn is just a much freer person. It’s incredible to see the difference.”

Brody Jenner opens up on The Today Show about what his relationship with Caitlyn Jenner has been like since her transition earlier this year

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

DATEBOOK THU. | JULY 16

PRISM AWARDS

Now in its 19th year, the Prism Awards honors the accurate depiction of substance a b u s e , treatment, recovery and mental health in TV, film, music and more. This year’s c e r e m o ny t a ke s place at the Skirball Cultural Center. prismawards.com

SUN. | JULY 19

L.A., GROW!

Eat farm-fresh food, drink craft beer and sip fine wine at The Wiltern—all for a good cause—at this event in support of RootDown L.A., a youth-run nonprofit committed to better food education in South L.A. neighborhoods. wiltern.com/lagrow

SAT. | JULY 25

SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD GAMES

The largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015 is happening in L.A.! The opening ceremony will take place in the historic L . A . Memorial Coliseum , with s p o r t s co m p etitio n s throught the games being open to the public and free to attend.

Through Aug. 2. la2015.org

SUN. | JULY 26

THE CENTER’S GARDEN PARTY

Benefitting the L.A. LGBT Center’s senior services, this year’s garden party, themed “Afternoon in Tuscany,” will be held at the private home of Michael Mueller and Nick Bode in Hancock Park.

The $150 tickets include food, drink, lawn games and more. lalgbtcenter.org

WED. | SEPT. 30

L.A.’S PROMISE GALA

Re co rd p ro d u ce r a n d philanthropist David Foster is honored by L.A.’s Promise—which aims to help kids through school—at this gala and musical tribute, taking place at Universal Studios H olly wood ’s Globe Theatre. laspromise.org

JULY 22, 2015

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THE

GAY AGENDA

A Guide to Good Grooming Our multistep primer for the L.A. guy who won’t settle for looking less than his best By Stephan Horbelt

D

on’t get it twisted—”good grooming” doesn’t mean you’re as plucked and primped as that dude in One Direction.

What it does mean is that no longer are you mistaken for a caveman while strutting down Santa Monica Boulevard. For the L.A. guy who wants to take pride in his outward appearance, here are five easy steps for tanning your hide and taming your mane.

Step One: Open Your Mind (and Pores) In an attempt to ease you into a brand-new grooming regimen, let’s start with a bit of pampering. If you’re one of those guys who thinks facials are only for women (or the bedroom), think again. More than a frivolous prodding of your face, treatments

with a talented aesthetician are a great way to ‘unclog the pipes’ (or, in this case, pores) of the personal billboard known as your face. It’s also an opportunity to have your skin type analyzed and gain insight into how you can better take care of your body’s largest organ (that’d be your dermis, dummy).

One of L.A.’s most sought-after facials for 40 years takes place in WeHo’s most unique building. While The Face Place stays current with the latest facial advancements, here you can still purchase the signature treatment that was offered in 1972—a two-step process of manual extraction (that’s removing blackheads) and galvanic current to firm and tighten your skin.

8701 Santa Monica Blvd., faceplace.com JULY 22, 2015

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IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD

THE

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AGENDA

On a shaggy scale of Zac Efron to Rick Ross, how would you define your facial hair?

BABYFACED

CHIN FUZZ From left: Stark Waxing Studio, Proper Barbershop, Face Place, 18|8

Step Four: Upkeep Your Updo It’s no exaggeration that the haircut can make the man, so don’t let your sense of style falter above the neck. Shorter cuts are all the rage come these hot summer months, but whichever Old Hollywood star you’re excited to embody, don’t put your lovely locks in the hands of some novice.

One of the latest businesses to pop up on the Boystown boulevard, West Hollywood’s 18|8 offers an upscale experience without the steep price point. So much more than an impersonal buzz, here you’re treated to a shoulder massage, therapeutic scalp treatment and pre- and post-shampoos with an “executive cut.” Most importantly, you’ll sit down with talented professionals who will work to craft the perfect cut. When you look better, you feel better; consider these stylists your personal glam squad. 8615 Santa Monica Blvd., eighteeneight.com

Step Three: Go Pluck Yourself When it comes to showing your follicles who’s boss, let’s get the most painful part out of the way first, shall we? Very few people appreciate a forest of short-andcurlies, so it’s best to make your down there manageable. Some guys can do so with a simple shearing, while others’ nether regions require more drastic measures.

For those who require the dreaded wax-and-strip method, saunter into Stark Waxing Studio in Silver Lake like a man (even though we both know you’re horrified). The aestheticians here are real pros—meaning they’re quick, thorough and not sadists—and they use a high-quality wax specially formulated for sensitive skin. Oh, and while you’re here, ask about removing that unsightly hair from your nose, ears and back.

Despite what you may have heard on the East Side, “lower back beards” are not all the rage. 3335 Sunset Blvd., starkwaxingstudio.com

Step Five: Tame Your Mane With facial hair configurations currently all the rage, you’ll uncover nearly as many well-groomed beards prowling the video bars of West Hollywood as the dingy dives of Silver Lake—something that garners a giant ‘thumbs up’ from us. But just as with the hair on top of your head, grooming and proper maintenance of your beard is a must, and few laymen sport the proper skill set.

For the correct care of your facial hair (or lack thereof, as a hot towel shave is certainly the nonpareil of men’s treatments), no local shop puts as much emphasis on old-school barber tradition—blended with new-school street culture, of course—as The Proper Barbershop, part of L.A.’s burgeoning West 3rd District. The shop’s motley crew of local pros guarantee a world-class experience every time you take a seat, whether you’re looking to shape up your stache or chop it all off with a high and tight. 7950 W. 3rd St., properlabarbers.com

PERMASCRUFF

SALT & PEPPER

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

DUCK DYNASTY

TEDDYBEAR

VERTICAL VINYL CONGRATS ARE IN ORDER for the perfect marriage of advanced technology and old-school style. The techies over at Gramovox, a company specializing in vintage audio, have just reconfigured how you listen to music while cleaning the house with the Floating Record turntable (set to ship in December, gramovox.com). The world’s first vertical record player is made possible with a few advances—like a clamp that secures your album in place and a carbon-fiber, spring-loaded tone-arm— but best of all, this retro-modern music machine is external amp/speaker-free, which means everything you need to start rockin’ out is built right in to the system. This may not be a dream come true for the ‘90s hip-hop set (though we suppose “sideways scratching” could become a thing), but for the rest of us, it’s the sharpest new way to take in tunes. —Jim Larkins 30

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

PROPER: JORDAN TAYLOR ADAMS

Step Two: Tan Your Hide No matter your size or shape, a man’s body and general complexion looks healthier and more energetic with some color. While we’re not suggesting you fake-bake your days away (skin cancer is no joke, kids), you can imagine that as ground zero of modern-day vanity, L.A. is home to quite a few spray tan artists (and, yes, it’s most definitely an art form).

The Tanning Club in Westwood, one of the city’s most popular salons, offers a few options when it comes to sunless tanning. Opt for the PURA Automated Airbrush—kinda like a four-minute spray tan car wash (it’s the only one in SoCal)—or schedule an appointment for a 15-minute, $49 custom airbrush session, fully customizable to your desired skin tone. 1132 Westwood Blvd., thetanningclub.biz

JULY 22, 2015

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THE THE

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AGENDA

TAKE YOUR CARDIO CRUNCH to a new, cutting-edge level with Jabra Sport Coach wireless indoor sport earbuds ($150, jabra.com). With an integrated cross-training app, real-time personalized auditory coaching, time or repetition-based training, synched with your favorite head-banging tunes, these buds are so intelligent they’ll give your smartphone a cerebral complex. Jabra combines your cross-training with running, as motion sensors measure pace, distance, cadence and the calories you’ve burned. Factor in the Dolby sound and Jabra really is the perfect accessory for the cardio junkie who seeks to shut off the outside world and awaken the fitness beast within. —J.L.

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PET-FRIENDLY PATIOS 3 local restaurants where Fido isn’t just welcome for brunch— he’s encouraged L.A. DOGS LEAD QUITE THE LIFE. SoCal canines seem to enjoy many of the same rights and privileges us humans do, and you’re almost guaranteed to find furry creatures wherever you go (save for perhaps the gym and a dark movie theater, but we won’t put even that past a few dog-owners we know).

When it comes to taking your four-legged family member out for brunch on the town, not every establishment is keen to welcome you. Here are three of the city’s most pet-friendly eateries, each of which offers up a great patio for dining with your doggie alfresco. —Tom Paul Jones

Splendor in the Grass

3 off-menu craft cocktails created for Frontiers readers as we usher in the warm summer months

By Tom Paul Jones

W

e’re fortunate here in SoCal to have access to some of the best produce in the country, with dozens of farmers markets all over the city, offering a dazzling array of seasonal, local bounty. If you look carefully among the strollers and couples out shopping for the week’s groceries, you’ll spot the occasional single person inspecting the peaches just a little more carefully, walking away with two crates instead of two pounds.

These are the pros—the city’s chefs, and with seasonal produce making its way into cocktails at the best bars in town, the mixologists and bartenders—hunting a summer ingredient to spark their creativity, leading to an unforgettable drink. The drinks featured here are built around the season’s bounty, representing summer in a glass. They’re on offer exclusively to Frontiers readers, so ask for them by name. But shhhh, we everyone will want one of these.

1.

BESO CEREZA Find it at: Cliff’s Edge, 3626 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake

2.

PINK PRICKLY PEACH Find it at: Osso, 901 E 1st St., DTLA

3.

MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO Find it at: The Fat Dog, 801 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A.

Darwin Manahan of the upscale East Side staple mentions that his inspiration for this cocktail—made of La Carvedo pisco, lemon verbena, cherry/plum cordial and lime—is a backyard pool party. “I was drinking a Caiparinia, and a friend was drinking a cherry martini. When I drank hers, it gave me a headache because of the corn syrup. So I made a cocktail resembling both drinks from that party.”

Over at Osso, Manahan has used the best of the season’s peaches to create a fruity but not cloyingly sweet summer refresher, also using prickly pear spirit, pink peppercorn, cider, lemon and sugar.

“I was introduced to ‘cactus fruit’ by a friend while camping. I was eating it alongside a peach and thought the flavors complimented each other well and would pair nicely in a cocktail.”

Cock tail chef extraordinaire Matthew Biancaniello has whipped up another concoction using the fantastic peaches currently available at farmers markets, accompanied by gin, St. Germain, lime, agave, shiso and ghost pepper salt (available at Fat Dog’s NoHo location as well). “The drought has meant they’re smaller than usual, but the flavor is really concentrated,” he says.

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Madera Kitchen 1835 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hlywd.

(213) 261-3687 This Hollywood space that seems to have been a litany of bassthumping nightclubs throughout the years has finally found its niche as a casual spot offering up flatbreads, pasta and delicious veggie-centric shared plates. On June 27, following SCOTUS’ marriage equality ruling, Madera hosted a daytime disco brunch alongside the local group of dog-lovers Dudes with Dogs. maderakitchen.com Ping Tung 7455 Melrose Ave., L.A. (323) 866-1866 Whether you’re seeking a small bite to keep your energy up or a post-hangover binge on dim sum, Ping Tung is the Melrose hideaway you’re looking for. Serving a selection of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes—ramen, rice bowls, Banh Mi, fresh salads, dumplings—you can take a table inside the “eat-in market” or head past the kitchen to the welcoming courtyard, featuring large tables and a few comfy chairs—made even more comfy with Fido by your side. pingtungla.com Eveleigh 8752 W. Sunset Blvd., WeHo (424) 239-1630 A Sunset Plaza mainstay since 2010, the Aussie-accented Eveleigh— offering farm-fresh small and large plates—is renowned for its patio dining. Think of it like Dorothy’s barn crash-landed onto the upscale row of shops and eateries lining one of L.A.’s most bougie boulevards—upscale but with low-key style.

You’ll love the seasonal cocktails made with fresh herbs and housemade infusions, and Fido will love sunning himself under the open-air awning. theeveleigh.com

Advertisement

Male Skincare becomes visible. Men need to take care of their skin as early as possible, by staying out of the sun and using anti-aging skincare products that address the three causes of skin aging—time, environment and natural hormonal progression.

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KAPLAN MD was the first brand to combine both medical and organic ingredients into one formula; was the first to go 100% paraben, sulfate, petrolatum, gluten, mineral oil and BPA free; was the first to simplify an anti-aging skin regimen; and, most recently, created the first ever Lip Mask to smooth, hydrate and plump the lips for the perfect kiss. Let’s find out how and why…

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Have a question for Dr. Kaplan? Send it to contact@kaplanmd.com or call 1-800-SKINHELP

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health FOR YOUR

RX Phallic Faux Pas

Whether you’re walking on the street drug wild side or popping prescribed pills, there’s a good chance the concoction could lead to a below-the-belt buzzkill

ARTOFPHOTO | DREAMSTIME.COM

By Jim Larkins

W

e all freak the f*ck out when our equipment isn’t working, but do we think clearly about what we’re doing to our bodies before that inconvenient droop hits? Whether to fight depression, beat allergies or spruce up your prostrate, prescription drugs can be a culprit. When street drugs come into play—and even more scary,

when they get mixed with drug store stuff—you’re playing Russian roulette with your Johnson.

PRESCRIPTION PREDICAMENT When it comes to prescribed meds, one fairly common category of cock-stopper is the antidepressant.

Although not all men experience a penile predicaJULY 22, 2015

35

FOR YOUR

health

FITNESS WITH AARON SAVVY

➸ Send your questions to aaronsavvy@ gmail.com

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FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

A RECIPE FOR ERECTILE DISASTER Finally, there is an ever-growing popularity—particularly among college-aged men—of consuming chemical cocktails made up of recreational drugs, pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol and erectile dysfunction medications. For the drugloving party animal, the prospect of offsetting phallic failures (brought on by too much nose candy) with magic erection bullets must be quite tempting, but it just doesn’t quite work that way.

Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago along with Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine conducted a survey of 234 young men, revealing that 6% (one out of every 18) had used erectile dysfunction meds along with recreational drugs. Considering the young ages of the participants, researchers were surprised to discover that one in eight claimed they occasionally were incapable of performing during sex.

So while these men are stumbling to the doctor looking for answers to their poor sexual performance, the answers are basically right in front of them; it’s the realization that, while it may be possible to maintain the lifestyle of a sexually dynamic stud or a late-night alcohol and drug-sponging party animal, playing both roles simultaneously is no more than an unattainable myth.

Which are the best carbohydrates to eat if I’m trying to stay lean?

Can I build muscle by doing cardio?

—Graham, Mar Vista

—Ken, Palm Springs

Think of carbohydrates like gasoline. They’re what keep us going. If we don’t burn through it, our body stores it, converting it into unwanted body fat.

Certainly some carbs are better than others, like a sweet potato over a regular potato. The glycemic levels in a sweet potato are far less, and they are packed with more nutrients. Other great carbs include oatmeal and quinoa.

You bet you can. Even though you’re not lifting weights, the muscle engagement that goes on during your cardio routine is still putting stress on muscle fibers. This will establish harder, denser muscle mass.

YEKOPHOTOSTUDIO | DREAMSTIME.COM

NARCOTIC NO-NO’S As for illicit drugs, one of the most notorious cock-blockers is methamphetamine.

The fast-forwarding effect that comes from meth is not without a price; expect the destruction of nerves, resulting in sexual exhaustion.

But the demolition of speed on your love life goes deeper than that. The chemical gradually takes over acetylcholine nervous functions, which are responsible for sustaining an erection, leading to a disorderly nervous system and ending in a dead-end for dick! Cocaine and ecstasy can also create havoc on your sexual nervous system, but these drugs also suppress nitric oxide and natural dilators, causing a kind of domino effect. Even if you get past the inherent lowered sex drive, you’ll oftentimes have to deal with impotence. Navigate

that hurdle and you could still lack the ability to fire off a final climactic orgasm.

Then there’s one cock-blocking drug that crosses the border between legal and illicit. Along with the urge to hit 24-hour fast food drive-throughs and laugh hysterically at vintage TV comedy, marijuana—whether prescribed for your glaucoma or acquired from street corner dealers—can have a serious impact on both libido and sexual ability.

The irony is the long-circulated rumor of the aphrodisiac qualities of reefer.

Although some people do toke the chronic to elevate mood and arousal and to stimulate sexual playtime, things don’t always turn out so romantic. While some habitual users report a substantial increase in sexual desire, others experience the converse effect.

ELDADCARIN | FILIPFOTO25 | DREAMSTIME.COM

ment from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), many do, there are two options (Wellbutrin and Viibryd) that boast no such side-effects at all.

Believe it or not, antihistamines are yet another class of drugs that can lead to a phallic faux pas. Benadryl and Chlor-Trimeton are two of the more popular libido-crushing troublemakers. But timing is everything, and since this unwanted side-effect lasts only as long as the intended sniffle-stopping effect, you can simply plan to avoid ‘peaking’ when you’re ready to cock, rock ‘n’ roll. Do him a favor, though, and keep a box of Kleenex on the nightstand to avoid the turnoff of a nasal drip gone awry. If you’re on regular antihistamines, switching meds may cure your problem. If it’s an over-the-counter option, try something different. If your doctor prescribed it, ask about an alternative.

Another pharmaceutical fix that can inadvertently land your libido in the dumper is Proscar, which is used to reduce the enlarged prostate in aging men. But if you’re at the age where you see the prospect of an oversized prostate in your near future, and you have no intention of yielding the thrill of the ass-chase to younger studs, there is an alternative—transurethral prostate resection, which basically amounts to removing a section of prostate, has become quite a popular prostate antidote for the aging, with little to no side-effects.

OUR

` FAVE CELEBRITY

BUTT

SHOTS

By Jim Larkins

Off the Couch

By Dr. Greg Cason 1

Big Gay Love

YEKOPHOTOSTUDIO | DREAMSTIME.COM

ELDADCARIN | FILIPFOTO25 | DREAMSTIME.COM

We dive head-first into the realm of polyamory.

Will the right wing’s wet dream ever become reality?

YOU NOW HAVE THE RIGHT TO MARRY the one you love … everywhere in the United States! But what if you love two people? Or more? That is the question at hand for the estimated half-million polyamorous relationships in the country.

Talking about polyamory so soon after the marriage victory may seem odd. The notion also fans the flames of the far right, which argued all along that gay marriage was a “slippery slope” that would one day include those in “throuples” and animal-lovers.

Still, I had to wonder about those in our community who might feel left out of the SCOTUS decision.

According to the polyamory support organization Loving More, “Polyamory refers to romantic love with more than one person, honestly, ethically and with the full knowledge and consent of all concerned.” Polyamory doesn’t include people who deceive, cheat and lie about outside relationships; we have different words for them.

Sexual non-exclusivity is common in gay relationships (some studies estimate 50-67% of gay and 30% of lesbian relationships), and this has long been the bugaboo of conservatives advocating against gay marriage. They worried that if gays got the right to marry, their “gay ways” would infect the institution of marriage and housewives would set up Tupperware orgies. But so far, it seems the ones changing are not heteros but homos.

According to a 2009 University of Iowa study, marriage tends to have a “traditionalizing” effect among same-gender couples. One example: it appears the person perceived as the relationship’s female role determines who does the household labor—a finding that doesn’t hold true with gay couples not legally married.

It is difficult to give a uniform depiction of polyamory. Many watched Big Love on HBO or Polyamory: Married and Dating on Showtime, but those shows featured hetero groups. Similar relationships exist in the gay community, the most common being the throuple, which are often a long-term couple adding a third partner at a later date. Of course, throuples aren’t the only expression; the possibilities are endless.

The poly life is not for everyone. Those who thrive in poly situations tend to be more creative, non-conforming and individualistic, less concerned

about the opinions of others and are more focused on following their own values and ethics. They also often have the character trait of “compersion.”

The opposite of jealousy, it refers to a feeling of delight when your partner experiences the joy of intimacy with another.

But of course there are also downsides, the most obvious being social disapproval and discrimination. Poly people can be rejected by friends and family, and can be fired from their jobs if they reveal their unconventional lifestyle. This leads many to keep their relationship(s) secret, which can cause more stress and strain on the person and the relationship.Another common problem is dealing with increased time demands.

Perhaps the biggest problem is that poly relationships have all the same problems as any other relationship (though multiplied and often amplified). Unless those involved are skilled at communication and emotional management, things can turn quickly from polyamory to polyagony!

Currently there is no legal recognition for polyamorous relationships, and attempts to marry a second person are strictly prohibited in most Western nations. The Netherlands allows poly couples to enter into legally binding arrangements called Samenlevingscontract, but that isn’t quite equivalent to marriage. Countries that do allow polygamy have cultures distinctly different from the U.S. (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Singapore), and the practice is primarily found within Muslim culture. Homosexuality is also banned in most of those same countries.

Don’t expect the right wing’s “slippery slope” argument to be realized anytime soon. Even Justice Kennedy’s SCOTUS decision mentions “fidelity” as a basis of marriage. Still, as gay women and men get married in all 50 states and same-sex unions become increasingly accepted, it may signal a time when those in poly relationships are able to live more openly and enjoy acceptance, especially from our own community.

Contact Dr. Greg Cason by going to DrGreg.com, or interact with him on Twitter @DrGregCason

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4 5 1. Feliciano Lopez

The Spanish tennis great, 33, turns the other cheek while getting amped to trounce yet another opponent on the world tennis circuit.

2. Adonis O’Holi

Rub-a-dub-dub, sitting on a tub, the African model and actor, 24, shows off his perfectly bronzed rear and tatted back for a recent shoot.

3. David Beckham

On the set of yet another Calvin Klein underwear photo shoot, the soccer star, 40, twists his waist to reveal a perfect derrière.

4. Ryan Gosling

Sidestepping the camera in this still from 2011’s Crazy, Stupid Love, the actor, 34, shows us how we all wish we looked when donning slacks.

5. Jason Momoa

The former GOT hunk and upcoming Aquaman, 35, goes bottoms up for what has to be one of the most solid butt shots in recent history.

JULY 22, 2015

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JULY 22, 2015

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FOR YOUR

health

An HIV magazine for gay and bisexual men From left: ER’s Gloria Reuben, Looking star Daniel Franzese, Matthew McConnaughey in Dallas Buyers Club, Philadelphia’s Tom Hanks, Aiden Quinn from An Early Frost

Positive Portrayals A timeline of the most powerful HIV-positive character portrayals in television and film By Patrick Rosenquist 2015 MARKS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY of An Early Frost, considered by most the first mainstream portrayal of HIV in American film and television. Since then, the subject has taken a number of routes—from the maudlin to the crass, the humane to the regrettable. Here are some of the most important—for better or worse—on-screen HIV-positive characters.

MICHAEL PIERSON Played by Aidan Quinn in An Early Frost (1985) This NBC teleplay went through 13 rewrites before being OK’d by the network’s standards and practices division, telling the story of a gay lawyer who contracts HIV from his cheating partner.

A critical and ratings success, it was nominated for 14 Emmys and attracted 34 million viewers. The leeriness of advertisers, however, meant it lost nearly $500,000 during its initial run.

DAWN ROLLO Played by Barbara Tyson on Another World (1987) The introduction of Dawn was a breakthrough for soaps, as hundreds of thousands of viewers became acquainted with an HIV-positive character. As a white, straight woman who contracted it via a blood transfusion, she wasn’t representative of the LGBT community, but she marked the disease as something that could afflict anyone.

LUKE AND JON Played by Mike Dytri and Craig Gilmore in The Living End (1992) Gregg Araki’s fuck-everything approach still remains potent and fascinating two decades later. This road trip dramedy about two HIV-positive criminals has been called the gay Thelma and Louise, and it stands out in an era when AIDS was a topic to be dealt with gingerly if at all.

ANDREW BECKETT Played by Tom Hanks in Philadelphia (1993) One of the most popular films made about AIDS, this Jonathan Demme project has been both praised for its compassion and skewered for its sexual restraint. A box office hit, garnering more than $200 million during its theatrical run, Hanks won an Oscar for his portrayal of an HIV-positive lawyer.

RICHARD CROSS Played by Stanley Tucci in Murder One (1995) Although this short-lived show didn’t catch on when it aired, the legal drama has gained fans for its forward-thinking serial storytelling and stellar acting. Tucci plays a philanthropist accused of 40

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murder, and his morally ambiguous take on Richard earned him an Emmy nom for Best Supporting Actor.

JEANIE BOULET Played by Gloria Reuben on ER (1996) One of the most famous HIV-positive characters to populate primetime, Dr. Boulet was diagnosed with the disease early in Season 3. She’s also notable for being one of the first HIV-positive characters on television who didn’t succumb to the disease.

BEN BRUCKNER Played by Robert Gant on Queer as Folk (2002) Professor Bruckner and his partner, Michael (Hal Sparks), became one of the first serodiscordant couples on television. Despite intense pressure from family and friends, Michael remains in a relationship with Ben from Season 2 through the show’s end.

HOW BLOODY DARE YOU

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rtist Jordan Eagles has used blood as a medium for years, but his latest work, Blood Mirror, uses his chosen medium to deliver a potent statement about the FDA’s longcriticized ban on gay men donating blood.

The seven-foot-tall plexiglas tank contains a pint of blood— the standard amount donated—from nine gay and transgender men. From a gay priest to a twin who could not donate blood to save his brother’s life, Eagles told documentarian L e o H e r r e ra — w h o captured the two-year creation of Blood Mirror—that the diversity of subjects was deliberate. “Everyone has a very unique story,” he says. In May, the FDA proposed loosening the ban, but the changes still bar gay men from donating unless they’ve been abstinent for one full year. —P.R.

ROY COHN Played by Al Pacino in Angels in America (2003) This HBO miniseries, based on Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prizewinning plays, is a meditation on HIV and spirituality set during the beginning of the AIDS crisis. Pacino’s take on Cohn—a racist, closeted, ruthless lawyer—remains one of the most conflicted and potent emblems of an era racked by death and disease.

RON WOODRUFF Played by Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club (2013) Part of the “McConassiance” resulting in an Academy Award for Best Actor, this long-in-development, more or less inspired-bya-true-story film won many accolades, along with criticism for glossing over the real Woodruff’s bisexuality.

EDDIE Played by Daniel Franzese in Looking (2015) While most of Hollywood uses HIV-positive characters for overwrought storylines, Looking featured a realistic gay character living in 2015. Eddie’s introduction as a love interest for Frankie J. Alvarez’s Augustín also led to a discussion of PrEP and its role in serodiscordant relationships.

Blood Mirror, Eagles (inset)

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TRAVEL

Few things are more peaceful than a summer drive down the Pacific Coast Highway

Paradise on Overdrive PACK IT

UP

You can travel the globe in style with a Louis Vuitton duffel at hand and hard shell Tumi coming down the carousel, but how smart is your suitcase? Currently $400,000 over its Kickstarter goal, the Space Case 1 is “the world’s most advanced smart suitcase,” offering features you never you needed— fingerprint recognition, a global tracker, lift-less weighing scale, an anti-theft proximity sensor, bluetooth speakerphone and power bank—in addition to methodical organization. Welcome to the future. planettravelerusa.com

When escape from L.A. is required, these 5 drivable getaways are perfect for the traveler on a time crunch By Duane Wells

L

os Angeles—that land of glitz and glamour, fancy cars and movie stars. It’s a city that offers an intoxicating cocktail of experiences, made all the more enticing by the proximity of dramatically different experiences just hours outside our county line. When a getaway is vital, these five suggestions are merely a top-down, breezy car ride away.

SANTA BARBARA Just over one hour outside L.A., Santa Barbara’s vibe is a world apart from the wilds of Hollywood, which makes it a great quick weekend getaway.

Bucolic is the word that comes to mind when contemplating this romantic, perfectly manicured beachside city, which has deservedly won the title of “the American Riviera.”

For a romantic weekend away, secure a dinner reservation at Olio e Limone for a truly European dining experience, run by the husbandwife team of Alberto and Elaine Morello; and make time to check out Santa Barbara’s Urban

Wine Trail, a winery tour right in the heart of downtown.

LAGUNA BEACH It’s not exactly the gay mecca it once was—then again, what is?—but this seaside town just over an hour outside L.A. proper remains an aweinspiring quick escape. Not only does it offer a dramatic landscape and arresting beauty, but for such a relatively small destination, it continues to evolve; with every visit comes the revelation of new treasure among the city’s galleries, shops and boutique beachfront hotels.

Case in point, The Retreat in Laguna, an offthe-beaten-path collection of eight luxury beachside villas just steps away from the thumping heartbeat of Downtown Laguna Beach. Combine a stay at the Retreat with a sunset visit to The Rooftop Lounge at Hotel La Casa del Camino for mojitos, and dine al fresco at the Sapphire Lounge just across the street to craft the perfect Laguna getaway.

JULY 22, 2015

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TRAVEL

IN SEARCH OF THE

WORLD’S

BEST

Amusement Parks

1

GARDALAND

CASTELNUOVO DEL GARDA, ITALY You won’t soon forget Italy’s largest themepark, boasting a wide range of entertainment, from the 4D adventure attraction Robot of Mars to various roller coasters to the newly added Sea Life aquarium. This place has something for everyone in your global entourage. gardaland.it/resort-en

Clockwise from above: The Retreat in Laguna, Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa, Carmel, Palm Springs’ Colony Palms Hotel, Santa Barbara’s Olio e Limone

PALM SPRINGS There’s something bewitching and spiritual that happens on the winding, deserted drive along Highway 111 heralding your arrival into Palm Springs. The light, the landscape and the desert hues on that stretch combine to reassure visitors that city life is in their rear view. Fun for its casualness, Palm Springs is always a favorite spot for whiling away warm, idle afternoons with cool cocktails and dips into the pool.

While numerous clothing-optional accommodations abound in the Warm Sands area of town, more discerning is The Colony Palms Hotel, a 56-room boutique property that in a former incarnation welcomed Hollywood’s biggest names— Sinatra, Reagan and Douglas among them. The Moroccanthemed hotel found renewed popularity following a major renovation in 2007 by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, transforming the property into one of the desert’s chicest destinations. Added bonus: A bevy of bars in walking distance.

LAKE ARROWHEAD Serene, picturesque and just 80 miles east of L.A., it has long been a favored escape of Hollywood superstars. Think families with names that signify Los Angeles—Doheny, Van Nuys, Hilton, Factor—and stars like Celine Dion, who owns property here.

Because Lake Arrowhead is fairly private (home to only around 2,200 property owners), the cozy, rustic 173-room Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa, complete with its own private boat slip, is the only game in town when it comes to accommodations (unless you plunk down the cost of a rarely available rental).

The air is cool, the views inviting, the surrounding park land is plentiful and the pace is welcomingly slow—all of which adds up to the ideal environment for doing as much or as little as you choose.

CARMEL It’s a longer drive from Los Angeles (just under six hours), but it’s oh so pretty and enjoyable if you’re in no particular hurry.

Cruise along the PCH and you’ll not only witness staggering views but you’ll wind up in one of California’s most stunning towns, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Nestled among boutiques dotting the knot of streets and alleys that form the charming downtown is the elegant Cypress Inn, a 44-room boutique hotel famously co-owned by screen legend and songstress Doris Day. Stay here, stopping for a martini at the intimate and clubby Mission Ranch Hotel before dining at Cantinetta Luca, a local institution offering up authentic Italian home recipes.

SKY-HIGH LUXURY YOU LIE BACK IN YOUR Italian leather seat, nestled under a Mongolian cashmere throw. Bose headphones enshroud your head with “being there” sound; Dom Perignon is just a finger wave away. No, you’re not at home in your mega-milliondollar mansion, but if you can pony up the $132,000 for this flight, you probably have one. The latest sky-high hotel, the Four Seasons private jet, boasts its own executive chef, in-flight concierge and guest services manager; this is no coach flight! Like an extravagant cruise ship in the clouds, the swanky hotel chain takes jetsetters on a full tour experience as they embark on a global tour, leapfrogging from Los Angeles to Kona, then Bora Bora, Sydney, Bali, Chiang Mai, Mumbai, Prague and London. Start saving your pennies, gentlemen, as the next around-the-world journey takes off January 2016. Find more info at fourseasons.com. —Jim Larkins 44

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HUIS TEN BOSCH

SASEBO, JAPAN It’s an entertaining clash of cultures at this unique theme park recreating the Netherlands with life-size replicas of old Dutch buildings. Then turn to the future as you check into the world’s first hotel staffed entirely by robots. english.huistenbosch.com

3

KNOTT’S BERRY FARM

BUENA PARK With its charming oldfashioned farm theme and thrill rides that’ll have you regretting that chilidog, this is the staycationer’s go-to destination. To beat the summer crowds, visit the park in October for its very popular Knott’s Scary Farm. knotts.com —J.L.

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TRAVEL

GOOD TO GO

Clockwise from top left: The Lanham’s world-famous underground pool; Hunter Valley; open-flame cooking at Firedoor; one of the four bungalows at Pretty Beach House

Live like a king—fine dining, wine tastings, hot air balloon rides—while traversing what’s new in Australia

S

ure, you may have toured the Sydney Opera House, dived the Great Barrier Reef and marveled at the majesty of Uluru, but there are plenty of new hotels, restaurants and experiences in Australia for first-time and return visitors alike, even if you just stick to Sydney and its surrounding areas.

DRINK

The Langham hotel group recently unveiled a $30 million renovation of Sydney’s venerable Observatory Hotel in The Rocks district near the Harbour Bridge but away from tourists ($$$$$, observatoryhotelsydney.com). The ultra-luxe new look includes a Calacatta marble Art Deco-inspired lobby, a new subterranean day spa offering exclusive Babor skincare products and, of course, the famous pool with its starry ceiling. Take afternoon tea at the fine-dining Kent Street Kitchen, and roll around in oversized Duxiana king beds for a real touch of decadence.

EAT

SPLURGE

There are a few exciting new restaurants on the scene as well, like Firedoor in Surry Hills ($$$$$, firedoor.com.au). True to the restaurant’s name, chef Lennox Hastie specializes in cooking with wood fire, and the results are tantalizing. Try the succulent orange-wood grilled prawns, and the tender aged lamb rump cap with cavolo nero and borlotti beans.

Set aside an evening for Circa 1876, housed in a fireplace-filled 19th century homestead ($$$$$, circa1876.com). Chef Trent Barrett sources his sustainable menu from the region, including much of the produce from his onsite garden. Start with the kangaroo tartare with honey, hibiscus and Madeira glaze, garlic aioli and quail’s eggs with grassy mustard greens along with a Piggs Peak Tempranillo. Get to

The newly reopened Pretty Beach House along the coast north of Sydney has just four sumptuous bungalows perched on a hillside overlooking the beachy bays of Bouddi National Park. The rooms include amenities like wraparound private decks, wood-burning fireplaces, gardens with plunge pools and fully stocked bars for sundowners. During the day, guests can hike the coastal trails for spectacular views or charter a yacht to sail the surrounding inlets. At night, it’s time for a sumptuous multi-course meal curated by chef Stefano Manfredi and his team, sourced daily from the local markets. On a recent evening they served a rich pumpkin soup with poached spanner crab and cavolo nero. Don’t be afraid to ask for seconds. —Eric Rosen

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The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in South Africa was recently called the country’s leading spa resort at the 2015 World Travel Awards last month in the Seychelles. One of the world’s most tranquil locales, the spa offers hydrotherapy baths and rain showers perched above the Atlantic.

12apostleshotel.com

bed early, though, because if the weather’s fair, the Valley’s not-to-miss experience is a sunrise hot-air balloon ride followed by a champagne breakfast with Balloon Aloft (balloonaloft.com).

Once you’ve spent a few days in the city, wine lovers should block out a few days in the Hunter Valley. One of the country’s most famous wine regions, it’s just a 90-minute drive northwest of Sydney. Try Brokenwood Wines’ famous Graveyard Shiraz to get a benchmark of the region’s reds, and then head to Tyrrell’s for an unparalleled lineup of Semillons. To the north in Mount View, stop by Briar Ridge, where the Briar Hill Chardonnay and Dairy Hill Shiraz are showstoppers, then head just up the road to Bistro Molines for a multicourse gourmet extravaganza that might include unbelievably delicate pan-fried lamb’s brains with caper, tomato and garlic butter.

STAY

For award-wor thy A sian cusine, you can now head to ...

Prague? Its Mandarin Oriental property (a favorite of Michael Douglas) has opened Spices Restaurant and Bar, which serves up a range of Far East dishes and inventive cocktails. mandarinoriental.com

COAST TO COAST

COMIC-CON

CARNIVAL WEEK

GINGER PRIDE

July 9-12 The mother of nerd recruitment camps returns to San Diego with more comics, more celebrity panels and more spoilers for in-the-works TV and film projects.

Currently planned: a Peanuts 65th anniversary panel and a first look at Mockingjay Part 2—and that’s just on Thursday. comic-con.org

August 15-21 The gayest place on Earth, Provincetown, Mass., welcomes throng s of ‘mos from the world over for its weeklong celebration of drinking and debauchery.

This year’s theme i s “ C a n d y l a n d ,“ guaranteeing that Thursday’s parade will be one for the record books. ptown.org

Planned for 2016 Gays and lesbians a c hieve d m a rriage equality in the UK years back, so across the pond they’re tackling new groups of underrepresented folks— like redheads, who will converge next year in Plymouth, England, for a fiery celebration of the world’s most rare hair hue.

FIREDOOR: NIKKI TO; HUNTER VALLEY: PHILLIP QUARK, DESTINATION NSW

All That’s Fresh in New South Wales

The Mediterranean isn’t the only way to see Europe by cruiseship; just ask Viking River Cruises. The cruise line’s Grand European Tour, running now through November, spends 15 days along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers, and includes 13 guided tours within five countries. vikingrivercruises.com

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events

nightlife

theater

exhibits

■ Through Aug. 1 LOVE STRUCK Macha Theatre

In this landmark lesbian comedy—revived in celebration of Pride month— two Latinas fall in love and find themselves swept away in a hurricane of love and lust. machatheatre.org

Saddle Up, Cowpoke

■ Fri. | July 10 ADAM & EVE AND STEVE Theatre 68

A world premiere musical farce based on the biblical Adam and Eve story, the Devil interferes and adds Steve to the mix to create fun, mischief and struggle.

The three get tangled as they attempt to figure out the many definitions love has to offer. Through Aug. 30. plays411.com/adam ■ Fri. | July 10 A NIGHT WITH FIFI Spirit Studios

East Side drag artist Fifi LaFille recalls stories of her life from humble beginnings, her many inspirations, Facebook boyfriends and her various attempts at conquering social media. 8 p.m. brownpapertickets.com

■ Fri. | July 10 BALLETNOW Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

This three-performance program, with American Ballet Theatre principals Roberto Bolle and Herman Cornejo as artistic directors, is a dance collaboration featuring several disciplines. Pure classical, neo-classical, modern and Latin dance will be showcased throughout. Through July 12. musiccenter.org ■ Fri. | July 10 JESSICA AND HUNTER LIVE Cavern Club Theater

They’re back! Internet sensations Jessica and Hunter return with their previously sold-out live show.

Watch them dish and swish as they recount their rowdy, raucous and raunchy tales of celebrity stalkings, vodkafueled shopping binges and pill-addled blackouts. Also on July 11. cavernclubtheater.com ■ Fri. | July 10 SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN Carpenter Performing Arts Center

Based on what AFI calls the greatest movie musical of all time, this stage production features all the beloved songs, splashy dance numbers and comedic antics of the beloved film. In Long Beach through July 26. musical.org

■ Sat. | July 11 BRUTUS Faultline

This packed party sails into Faultline every second Saturday of the month, and it’s all hotties on deck. Have a beer and join in on the search for hidden treasure.

DJ Chris Bowen provides the soundtrack, Mark Cuadrado mixes live video montages for the crowd and Mario Diaz hosts. faultlinebar.com

Life Group L.A. celebrates 10 years of its award-winning trail ride and BBQ fundraiser

By Mike Ciriaco

F

using his status to help the community. The inally, an excuse to use your backless trail ride will feature a number of recognizchaps for their intended purpose! On able trail leaders, including Andrew Christian July 11, the Saddle Up L.A. Trail Ride poster boy Murray Swanby (pictured above) and Country BBQ gallops back into the city and RuPaul‘s Drag Race alum Pandora Boxx. to once again raise funds for HIV/AIDS. This After the dismount, participants can horseback humanitarian event will feature look forward to an evening of eating and Queer Eye alum Jai Rodriguez, who is returnentertainment. The menu consists of all the ing to serve as Honorary Trail Guide. While down-home staples—BBQ chicken, tri-tip and it‘s not Rodriguez‘s first time on one of these potato salad—augmented by performances bucking beasts, the actor is the first to admit by vocalists Robbie Wayne, Pepper MaShay he‘s more city boy than cowpoke. and Reba Areba, as well as country dance “Trust me when I tell you that I hold troupe The L.A. Wranglers. For attendees onto the reigns for my life,“ he jokes. “I love looking to kick around their own boots, DJ horses, but they still make me sorta nervous.

Rick Dominguez will be teaching a line dance I ride because I think tackling my fears for a routine throughout the night. few hours is worth it when such important Of course, an afternoon on horseback funds are being raised. It‘s the greatest day is grueling on the ol‘ muscles. Fortunately, on horseback, knowing that you‘ve raised SoCal Mobile Massage will also be onmuch-needed funds for people infected and hand to rub away all those aches and affected by HIV/AIDS.“ pains for riders and their guests.

Proceeds from the Saddle Up But that‘s not the only goody benefit Life Group L.A., an orgaoffered to this year‘s patrons. nization dedicated to education, SADDLE UP L.A. Rodriguez is offering anyone empowerment and emotional Diamond Bar Stables who donates $20 or more a support for Angelenos affected July 11 personally autographed 8x10

by HIV/AIDS. Funds raised will saddleupLA.org of the actor, who is currently go towards the charity‘s many starring in the newest season of peer support groups and POZ Life the international LGBT web series Weekend Seminars. For Rodriguez, The Horizon. “No, not a lame head shot,“ it‘s a cause close to his heart.

Rodriguez promises, “but a cool, sexy pic “I lost my aunt and cousin in the mid-‘90s that‘s safe for work.“ from AIDS, and I can‘t help but think had they On top of supporting an important received better care or meds they might still cause, there does seem to be one last fringe be with us. Education and money had a lot to benefit to an afternoon of horseback riding. do with them not getting what they needed.

“Ass!“ quips the Saddle Up stud. “Guys look I wanna help change that. “ great in a pair of Levis.“ Rodriguez won‘t be the only LGBT star JULY 22, 2015

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Basement Jaxx

■ Mon. | July 13 MOVES AFTER DARK The Music Center

Breaking down the walls of the conventional dance stage, this pioneering series juxtaposes contemporary dance performances with architecture and space, introducing new ways to enjoy dance as it traverses a variety of spaces within the Downtown arts center. musiccenter.org

■ Sat. | July 11 PODCASTING 101 The Line Hotel

Hrishikesh Hirway, the man behind the much-revered podcast Song Explorer, leads a workshop on how to get new podcast ideas off the ground. From start to finish, Hrishikesh breaks down the creation of a hit podcast through the production process. poketo.com

Better with Age The California Wine Festival returns to Santa Barbara for its 12th season

■ Sun. | July 12 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE Hollywood Bowl

■ Mon. | July 13 DINEL.A. RESTAURANT WEEK Throughout L.A.

Seattle’s iconic, bittersweet songsmiths return in support of Kintsugi, their eighth studio album, with a string of lyrical hits. tUnE-yArDs return as a five-piece to create their unpredictable live experience, along with Mikal Cronin, who opens the show with SoCal garage pop. hollywoodbowl.com

Indulge for less with prixfixe menus at hundreds of participating restaurants, one of the most popular dining events of the year.

It showcases L.A. as a premier dining destination and highlights the city’s diverse culinary experiences.

Through July 26. discoverlosangeles.com

SNAP SHOTS ✱

CALIFORNIA MAY BE LOW on water, but thankfully there’s still plenty of wine.

Beginning July 16, Santa Barbara will venerate the greatest contribution humanity has ever gotten from a grape when the California Wine Festival returns for its 12th season.

Celebrating the state’s crème de la crème of vino and cuisine, the event will feature over 250 wines from 70 wineries and 30 restaurants. Over the years, the event has journeyed from San Diego to Monterey and everywhere in between, but this year the fest returns to the city where it all started, Santa Barbara.

The festivities kick off Thursday with Old Spanish Nights Wine Tasting at De La Guerra Adobe Courtyard. Embracing Santa Barbara’s Spanish roots, bold wines and spicy tapas will be paired with vibrant flamenco dancers and lively guitars. On Friday, a Cabernet Sauvignon tasting seminar at DoubleTree Resort will be followed by a Sunset Rare and Reserve Wine Tasting. The weekend climaxes Saturday with CWF’s signature event Beachside Wine and Food Festival for an afternoon of noshing, sipping and frolicking in the surf.

As you enjoy your pinot buzz, take solace in the fact that a portion of the festival’s proceeds benefit the food banks of Santa Barbara County. Take that, drought. Drinking wine is now better for so many reasons. —M.C.

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BEARS IN SPACE | AKBAR Photos by Rolling-Blackouts

L7: CUFFAROPHOTO.COM

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CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL July 16-18 Santa Barbara californiawinefestival.com

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S N A P SHOTS ✱

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RIDE | HERE LOUNGE Photos by Jason King

■ Tue. | July 14 GOLDEN SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Village at Ed Goulda Plaza

The Center’s inaugural outdoor concert series is the perfect choice for a summer night. This evening’s performance, beginning at 6:30 p.m., features Brian Frank. lalgbtcenter.org

■ Thu. | July 16 L7 Fonda Theatre

This all-female, L.A.-based grunge band has reunited and puts on a show with songs dating back to the early ‘90s, having influenced many of the riot grrrl bands popularized during that same era. fondatheatre.com ■ Thu. | July 16 SAM SPARRO Hammer Museum

KCRW and the Hammer have teamed up to present a series of nights throughout July featuring live bands and DJ sets, part of the Summer Nights series. This evening, L.A.-based electro-R&B singer Sam Sparro brings his distinct vocals along with The Rebirth and DJs Aaron Byrd and Chris Douridas. kcrw.com ■ Fri. | July 17 OKLAHOMA! Kavli Theatre ■ Tue. | July 14 AN EVENING WITH ISAAC OLIVER Rockwell Table & Stage

Hailed as a “monstrous new talent” by New York magazine, Isaac Oliver comes to L.A. for one night only, fresh on the heels of his literary debut, Intimacy Idiot, an excerpt from which you can read at FrontiersMedia. com. 8 p.m. rockwell-la.com ■ Wed. | July 15 BENT Mark Taper Forum

This profound love story takes audiences into the deepest, darkest moments of one man’s fight to survive gay persecution in 1930s Germany. Moisès Kaufman directs the performance in its first major U.S. revival since its 1979 Broadway premiere. centertheatregroup.com

L7: CUFFAROPHOTO.COM

■ Thu. | July 16 CHICO’S ANGELS 3: CHICAS IN CHAINS Cavern Club Theater

The first collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, this boundary pushing musical is the story of a headstrong cowboy, a stubborn woman and a territory destined for statehood. The timetested classic features favorites like “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “Many a New Day” and “I Cain’t Say No.” Through July 26. cabrillomusictheatre.com ■ Sat. | July 18 JEWEL’S LAST DANCE Catch One Disco

After 42 years of iconic disco and dance, Catch One comes to a close. Join Jewel Thaïs-Williams at this red carpet and VIP celebrity party with special guests, live performances and tributes.

An exclusive screening of the Jewel’s Catch One documentary trailer will also take place. catchonenightclub.com

When a high school streetwalker is killed in a string of murders, our favorite Latina drag crimefighters must go undercover to find a witness at a local prep school. Through Aug. 2. chicosangels.com JULY 22, 2015

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■ Tue. | July 21 DANCERPALOOZA Long Beach Convention Center

BIG DADDY'S | PRECINCT Photos by Rolling-Blackouts

■ Sat. | July 18 LISA LAMPANELLI Club Nokia

Known as the Queen of Mean, Lisa Lampanelli is the ultimate equal-opportunity offender who has made appearances on Howard Stern’s satellite radio show, The Celebrity Apprentice and was the highlight of many celebrity roasts. clubnokia.com

This one-of-a-kind dance experience brings together the industry’s top choreographers, master teachers, dancers, dance students and fans, all under the same roof. The weeklong event includes special performances, workshops and intensives across several disciplines. Through July 26. dancerpalooza.com

■ Sun. | July 19 CIRQUE MUSICA Hollywood Bowl

■ Sun. | July 19 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 SIPS Galco’s Soda Pop Stop

Join soda lovers from all over L.A. as they sample a wide selection of bubbly beverages. Guests will enjoy music in the parking lot and load up on Galco’s soda offerings from Italy, France, England and more. galcos.com

■ Tue. | July 21 A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN Pasadena Playhouse

Following her Tony-nominated Broadway run, Mary Bridget Davies returns to take audiences on a journey celebrating Janis Joplin and musical trailblazers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith—all of whom inspired one of rock’s greatest legends. Through Aug. 16. pasadenaplayhouse.org 52

FRONTIERSMEDIA.COM

■ Wed. | July 22 SINATRA’S 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Hollywood Bowl

One of the most important musical figures of the 20th century, “Old Blue Eyes” is honored on his birthday with a celebration of his classic recordings. The Count Basie Orchestra and guests gather for this one-night musical tribute. hollywoodbowl.com ■ Thu. | July 23 TOUCH THURSDAYS The Abbey

WeHo’s largest gay bar calls this party “as gay as it gets,” and we tend to agree. Expect giveaways, sexy bottle service boys and specialty cocktails—plus, as always, world-class DJs and great tracks to keep you busy on the dance floor. abbeyfoodandbar.com ■ Fri. | July 24 RICHARD III The Eclectic Company Theatre

Shakespeare’s historical play recounts how Richard ascended to the throne and consolidated his power by murdering his perceived political adversaries, including members of his own family, in a story that resonates as surprisingly modern. Through Aug. 30. eclecticcompanytheatre.org

MARÉ: CESAR LOPAPA, LESLEY BALLA

This edge-of-your-seat experience takes audiences on a journey of grace and daredevil athleticism with orchestral music performed live in artistic partnership with the world’s greatest circus performers. hollywoodbowl.com

Pitchoun, Pure (inset)

EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH BASTILLE DAY “LET THEM EAT CAKE,” Marie Antoinette is notoriously accused of responding when told her nation’s peasants had no bread. Although this legend has been debunked, it doesn’t mean you must deny yourself a satisfying nosh. On July 14, in honor of Bastille Day, the French analogue of July 4th, celebrate Francophilia by indulging in the best of L.A.’s Gallic gourmet goodies. Here’s a handy guide to help you mange your way through the day. —M.C. BREAKFAST Greet the dawn by heading downtown for a strong cup of coffee and a freshly baked croissant at Pitchoun Bakery.

Founded by French expats Frédéric and Fabienne Soulies, this cozy bakery features a fireplace and a wall lined with over 100 books, making it ideal for both Francophiles and bibliophiles. 545 S. Olive St., pitchounbakery.com You Must Try: The Croque Madam here is exquisite, topped with the brightest of yellow sunny-side-up eggs.

LUNCH By the time noon rolls around, avoid the trap of stereotypically butter-filled French fare and hit up Pure in Beverly Hills.

Founded by native Parisian Michele La Porta, Pure specializes in light grab-and-go lunches, as well as her signature très-low calorie Starlette cakes. 252 S. Beverly Dr., Bev. Hills, purebymichele.com You Must Try: Fuel your afternoon with a low-calorie combination of fresh salmon, green apple, dill and sweet mustard vinaigrette with the Salmonette Starlette Cake.

MARÉ: CESAR LOPAPA, LESLEY BALLA

AFTERNOON CAFFEINE FIX When you start fading, swing by Euro-style coffee house Caffee Luxx for a liquid pick-me-up. 925 Montana Ave., SaMo, caffeluxxe.com You Must Try: Opt for the testa rossa espresso. Literally translating to redhead, its name describes its thick reddish crema.

DINNER For the pièce de resistance of your culinary journey, dine at Josiah Citrin’s award-winning Mélisse for its seasonally driven menu and world-class wine offerings. 1104 Wilshire Blvd., SaMo, melisse.com You Must Try: The Aged Liberty Duck is a plump canard served with swiss chard and blackberries.

DESSERT Cap off your day of delicious decadence with a little something sweet from the French Riviera-inspired Fig & Olive.

8490 Melrose Pl., WeHo, figandolive.com You Must Try: After a day of adventuring across the city, you’ve earned the Chocolate Souffle—a warm, fluffy confection. Here it’s served with candied orange and vanilla ice cream.

EATINGOUT

L.A.'s Supper Speakeasy

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with the feel of a dinner on the plaza of an is flagship restaurant, The Foundry, Andalucían hill town. might have closed back in 2013 Keep the feeling going with a starter of (it’s now the cocktail bar Melrose delicately fried smelt with roasted lemon Umbrella Co.), but that doesn’t mean chef sauce that tastes like a dollop of Mallorcan Eric Greenspan hasn’t been busy. Consultsummer sunshine. There are few mains ing on menus all over town, he has opened to choose from; the whole branzino might his own casual Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese be off-putting to some who don’t like to on Melrose. And it is through that little see faces on their main dish, but channel hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop that diners your inner Italian islander as you pull tender will find his latest venture, Maré, located hunks of fresh white meat from the bone. on The Foundry’s former back patio, once The fish is served on a simple wooden dish one of the hottest spots in town to snag an overlaid with a banana leaf, and is speckled open-air table. with plump pomegranate seeds.

Getting out there feels like stepping You’ll want to come with seafood lovers into a speakeasy, since diners seeking an so you can try the choose-your-own-advenalfresco assignation must walk through ture assortment of shellfish. the grilled cheese shop, past Start with a choice of black the kitchen and dishwashmussels, clams (either top ing area and out through a neck or Manila) or shrimp, huge meat locker-style door and mix and match your into a beautiful little garbroths from those made with den. The space is filled with leek and white wine, tomato outdoor bistro tables that and fennel, basil-rich pistou, wouldn’t look out of place spicy sausage romesco or at the Luxembourg Gardens vadouvan curry and green in Paris, and is strung with apple (for a vaguely Middle lights. There’s also a foosball Eastern twist). You’ll also table, which comes in handy Maré get a bowl of pasta and soft as the restaurant only takes 7461 Melrose Ave., L.A. poached eggs for crackin reservations for groups of six (323) 592-3226 maremelrose.com to make it into a kind of or more, meaning you’ll likely after-dish. have to wait. $$$$$ Lighter palate s will Not to worry, as there appreciate the constantly are garden-inspired fruitAtmosphere changing assorted sorbet muddled cocktails to tide Mediterranean garden party flavors, but the rich-butyou over. The tequila, kumStandout Dishes light blood-orange trifolo quat and citrus cocktail is Whole branzino, fried smelt constructed of spongy semosmoky but fresh, while the lina cake and fruit compote whiskey, fig and oregano Drinks Tequila-kumquat-citrus is a must-try. Then sit back, is herbaceous, sweet and cocktail gaze up at the stars between charry all at once. Beer and the leaves of the overhangHours house wines are also availing citrus trees and order able. All guests are treated 5-11 p.m. Mon-Thu, another cocktail in thanks 5-midnight Fri, 3–midnight to house-baked bread and a Sat, 3-11 p.m. Sun for the reopening of one of plate of olives, peppers and L.A.’s best outdoor dining pistachios doused in olive Reservations spaces. —Eric Rosen oil, imbuing the evening Recommended

★★★★★

JULY 22, 2015

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BRUTUS | FAULTLINE Photos by Rolling-Blackouts

HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM L.A. RESIDENCY Sound Nightclub July 19 hnysndsystm.tumblr.com

SWEET BEATS San Francisco's queer DJ collective Honey Soundsystem spreads the love

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os Angeles' gay nightlife is about to get a whole lot sweeter. This month, San Francisco-based DJ collective Honey Soundsystem continues with the second installment of their four-part monthly residency at Hollywood's Sound Nightclub (the first took place June 14), bolstering connections between the Bay Area and SoCal queer party scenes.

Similar to San Francisco's Drag Queens of Comedy event that invited talent from L.A. to join their genderbending sisters onstage at the Castro Theater in May, Honey S o u n d s ys te m's jo u r n ey down the coastline results from relationships that defy municipal boundaries.

"In L.A., our friends who have been hustling to keep queer dance floors good inspired us to come down and add to the mix," says Jackie House, who—along with Bezier, Josh Cheon and Jason Kendig—comprises the collective. " W ith o u t Je niluv, Critter Control, Phyliss Navidad, A Club Called Rhonda and Spotlight, we would be nothing in Los Angeles," he says. "We've been coming down for many years, and each year more people recognize us or have been to one of our parties in San Francisco."

This coalition of likeminded disc jockeys originated in 2006 to fill a void within the Bay Area's gay par ty scene. Stepping u p a s th e cit y 's q u e e r

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nightlife vanguard, Honey Soundsystem aimed to unite forward-thinking performers, musicians and designers to create weekly events combining venerable beats, indulgent behavior and smoking hot crowds. Their simple but effective formula would serve as a template for other cutting-edge LGBT parties across the country, including Honcho, Wrecked and L.A.'s own popular latenight dance party Spotlight.

“I mean, we love Madonnna, but it was 2006 and we wanted to hear some Robert Armani in the gay clubs again,“ he says.

With their current Los Angeles residency, Honey Soundsystem continues to raise the bar of gay nightlife.

Their upcoming Hollywood events will feature new commissioned video work from San Francisco-based artist Tim Smug, lighting installation from Coccon Labs and a secret new augmentation to the venue as well.

"I can't reveal too much yet," says Jackie House, "but our July party will feature a really cool new addition to the already monstrous rigging at Sound."

As long as Honey Soundsystem continues to attract hot gay boys from both L.A. and San Francisco, like bees to the hive, the reveal is surely worth the anticipation.

Don' t miss H oney Soundsystem at Hollywood's Sound Nightclub on July 19, Aug. 23 and Sept. 20. —M.C.

JULY 22, 2015

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■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Sat. | July 25 SOUND IN FOCUS: TV ON THE RADIO Century Park

Gays Are from Mars...

PLANET QUEER July 20 Akbar facebook.com/ planetqakbar

Underground performance showcase Planet Queer celebrates its third anniversary Anyone who has ever witnessed a performance by gay avant-garde performance artist Ian MacKinnon knows that he’s from a world of his own. Since 2012, the LGBT activist and self-described gaylien has been serving a slice of his plane of existence down here on Earth with the eclectic underground performance showcase Planet Queer.

On July 20, the show celebrates its third anniversary at East Side oasis Akbar with a cavalcade of dancers, musicians, performance artists and a cornucopia of all things queer. Hosted by MacKinnon and co-founder Travis Wood, the only thing audiences can expect is the unexpected.

“One of my favorite parts of the evening is when I get to do the ‘gay activist workout,’” MacKinnon says about his experimental extravaganza, “and we get the audience up on their feet and do a sort of gay liberation aerobics routine where we kill homophobia, march a pride parade into our own hearts, strut our ‘sissy strength’ and more, all to ‘get more gay.’”

While it’s never easy to predict what Planet Queer will deliver, we assume it will definitely be out of this world. —M.C.

SNAP SHOTS ✱

■ Fri. | July 24 BONDI FRIDAYS Revolver

■ Sun. | July 26 MELISSA ETHERIDGE Greek Theater

Local promoter Luke Nero gets cheeky at Boystown’s local video bar, bringing a little slice of Australia to West Hollywood. Now taking place every Friday evening, it’s surfboards, sexy boys and speedos. revolvervideobar.com

One of the most outspoken musicians of the last 25 years, Melissa Etheridge, who came out in 1993, has never shied away from who she is. Now she returns to town in support of her new DVD, A Little Bit of Me: Live In L.A. greektheatrela.com

■ Fri. | July 24 ROARING NIGHTS L.A. Zoo and Botanical Gardens

This adults-only summer music series features indie bands, DJs, full bars and L.A.’s favorite food trucks, as well as pop-up zookeeper talks. Guests can explore the zoo after-hours and participate in the Animal Artistry Paint Party for a nice souvenir. lazoo.org

■ Mon. | July 27 MUSTACHE MONDAYS La Cita

Keep your weekend going here at the home of resident DJs Total Freedom and Josh Peace. Dress up, drink and dance the night away.

This party consistently welcomes guest DJs and performances. facebook.com/ mustachemondays

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TOUCH THURSDAYS | THE ABBEY Photos by Rolling-Blackouts

PHOTO CREDIT TK

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Always dynamic and unique, the quartet continues to conquer music on its own terms with live shows that are always emotional and engaging. Jason Bentley hosts and spins a set while one of his new favorite bands, Boxed In, opens the show. kcrw.com

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■ Fri. | July 31 MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT Hollywood Bowl

Christian Slater plays Sir Galahad alongside Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Warwick Davis in this parody of the Arthurian Legend, which won the 2005 Tony for Best Musical. The show features lusty maidens, dancing divas, a killer rabbit and a legless knight—naturally. Through Aug. 2. hollywoodbowl.com

■ Sun. | Aug. 2 ARETHA FRANKLIN Microsoft Theatre

The Queen of Soul returns to L.A. for a one-night-only performance at the former Nokia Theatre, featuring some of her iconic music across six decades. Her highest-charting album since 1985, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, revives hits like Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” microsofttheatre.com ■ Sun. | Aug. 2 SIZE Here Lounge

This Tom Whitman weekly party celebrates more than a decade of great Sunday afternoons and the joys of daytime drinking. Expect to find a gorgeous group of guys imbibing and dancing before starting up the work week. tomwhitmanpresents.com ■ Fri. | July 31 KCON Staples Center

■ Mon. | Aug. 3 JANEANE GAROFALO Largo at Coronet

The original convention dedicated to bringing “all things Hallyu (Korean fever)”—from food to film to fashion—to the American fan base, KCON is the only place you’ll interact with your favorite Korean stars via concerts, panels, and workshops. Through Aug. 2. kconusa.com

With many memorable and critically acclaimed roles under her belt (The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Wet Hot American Summer, Ratatouille), the actress and comedienne makes a onenight-only stage appearance. ticketfly.com

■ Fri. | July 31 FRESH CLASSIC FRIDAYS Greystone Manor

It’s one of the most popular nights in West Hollywood, with some of the city’s hottest man candy as well.

Jeffrey Sanker’s party features world-class DJs, dancers and pop artist performers, which makes for one hell of a night. sbe.com

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■ Sat. | Aug. 1 CITIZEN: AN AMERICAN LYRIC Fountain Theatre

■ Tue. | Aug.4 ROTHSCHILD mmhmmm

A provocative mediation on race fusing poetry, prose, movement, music and video, Shirley Jo Finney directs the Stephen Sachs’ adaptation of Claudia Rankine’s acclaimed book of poetry. Through Sept. 14. fountaintheatre.com

Dress to impress at Andrés Rigal’s weekly Tuesday night party, featuring the city’s chic and fabulous gays—and those who love to watch them kick back drinks and work a dance floor properly. standardhotels.com

JULY 22, 2015

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thanks the LOS ANGELES PRESS CLUB for naming our Outfest 2014 feature package

FIRST PLACE IN MAGAZINE DESIGN at the 57th Southern California Journalism Awards

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The best in TV, film, music and more

Summer Sneak Peek It’s belly laughs, superheroes and gratuitous violence as per usual with the season's upcoming crop of films By Dan Loughry

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he biggest blockbuster of summer 1993—er, 2015—has been Jurassic World, the reboot of Steven Spielberg's and Michael Crichton's dino franchise. Due in large part to digital creatures that are bigger, faster and have more teeth, let’s not count out the ascendency of action hero Chris Pratt, who makes action heroes fun once again. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at what might tickle and thrill us for the rest of the summer (because the box office champ is sure to remain the aptly named Indominus Rex).

Trainwreck In theaters July 17 There’s nobody funnier on television than Amy Schumer. Her show on Comedy Central produces skit after classic skit—“The Last

Fuckable Day” and her "12 Angry Men" are two of the best from this season—but can she sustain a two-hour comedy? The good news: she wrote it, with the guidance of director Judd Apatow, and co-stars with the always-humorous Bill Hader. Even better news: the buzz since the film screened at South by Southwest has grown louder. Right now is her cultural moment, and Trainwreck is shaping up to the best comedy of the year.

Ant-Man In theaters July 17 The trailer is almost excruciating, director Peyton Reed’s previous movies (including Bring It On and Down with Love) have been blandly campy divertissements that don’t exactly scream “Marvel brand,”

PEE-WEE'S BIG RETURN

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or those who grew up watching the zany antics of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the news that a new Pee-wee adventure is on its way to theaters is cause to rejoice.

Paul Reubens, 62, has been shooting scenes for his new film, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, prancing around in his tight gray suit and red bow tie in Palmdale and other SoCal locations, 20-plus years since the TV series ended.

Judd Apatow is producing this latest chapter, which will premiere not in theaters but on Netflix sometime next year. Reubens and Apatow came up with the revival concept four years ago, which they describe as “an epic story of friendship and destiny.” The film was co-written

by Reubens with pal and former Arrested Development story editor Paul Rust.

Coming together for the production are stars Laurence Fishburne, David Arquette and Joe Manganiello, who plays a biker dude. Former Survivor hunk and fitness trainer Daniel Lue makes an appearance as a stripper, making him one of Hollywood's first Asian male strippers.

Many are unaware that Ruebens created Pee-wee in the late '70s while a member of the L.A.-based improv group The Groundlings, and workshopped a live stage show at WeHo's own The Roxy. Following the hit TV series, the actor went on the give the character new life in the 1985 film Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (Tim Burton‘s directorial debut) and in the 2010 Broadway event The Pee-Wee Herman Stage Show: The Return, which also came to Los Angeles. —Nathaniel Grey JULY 22, 2015

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film BOULEVARD Opens July 17

*****

Opens July 10

*****

This lackluster sci-fi film takes a decent premise ab o ut im m o r talit y an d immorality—the wealthy Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley) pays scientist Albright (Matthew Goode) to bodyswap him into a younger man (Ryan Reynolds)—and then goes nowhere slowly with it. Self/ less never generates adequate suspense as young Damian uncovers nefarious goings on that prompt him to be chased, shot at and betrayed.

Reynolds makes for a bland, lifeless hero, although he does handle a pair of action scenes well. Director Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) usually dazzles with stylish production design, but without his visual panache, Self/less is definitely less than. —G.M.K.

TANGERINE Opens July 10

*****

Sean Baker’s funky little come dy—shot e ntirely on some iPhones—is full of drama as motormouthed trans prostitute Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) finds out from her BFF Alexandra (Mya Taylor) that her boyfriend Chester (James Ransome) has been cheating on her while she’s been in jail. As Sin-Dee wanders around Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, trying to find Chester, Alexandra wants to focus on her performance that night. Meanwhile, Razmik (Karren Karaguilian), a cab driver, seeks out both ladies for personal reasons. The film thrives on its characters’ neurotic energy, but it is ingratiating because Sin-Dee and Alexandra have tremendous heart and humor. —G.M.K.

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Vacation In theaters July 29 The hapless family road-trip is a staple because it allows performers to shine in what’s basically a series of skits with a through line, and this Vacation has the added value of Ed Helms, who has proven to be an unfailing stock player.

His oft-befuddled characters have reserves of real-world sadness beneath their lunacy, and he has the gift of making audiences empathic. There are other utility players as well, including Christina Applegate, Leslie Mann, and—again—Michael Peña, who seems to be on a comedy jag this year. Not to be missed: Chris Hemsworth’s tight underwear and impressive bulge— prosthetic or not, that’s enough to sell us tickets.

Fantastic Four In theaters August 7 The recycling continues with yet another Marvel property. Chances are this Fantastic Four film could be as ho-hum as the 2005 version. Director Josh Trank’s an unproven commodity, so he’ll be bringing out the big guns for his first big-budget studio production, and he’s already gotten tongues wagging with his young cast (including a bunch of “not-racist” racists decrying that Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, is—gasp!—black). Yet from the fresh casting of Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan (Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Thing and The Human Torch, respectively) to the more serious tone, this could be the summer sleeper every August needs.

ALSO IN Out Now

>> theatres July 17

Amy

Ant-Man

Magic Mike XXL

Mr. Holmes

Terminator Genisys

Trainwreck

July 10

July 24

Boulevard

American Heist

Minions

Pixels

PHOTO CREDIT TK

SELF/LESS

and this could be a total misfire. Then again, pundits thought the same about Guardians of the Galaxy. What Ant-Man has going for it is a top-notch cast led

by Paul Rudd as the career criminal turned superhero, the great character actor Michael Peña who gets the only laughs in the trailer and Corey Stoll on a mid-career surge to the big leagues as the bad guy, Yellowjacket. Even if the film turns out badly, it could be so bad that it’s genius.

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A curious, melancholic character study, Boulevard has the sexually repressed Nolan (Robin Williams) coming to terms with his same-sex desires at age 60.

Coping with a dying father, up for a promotion at work, and deceiving his wife (Kathy Baker), Nolan sabotages his carefully maintained life when he develops an obsession with Leo (Roberto Aguire), a street hustler. Paying the youth for talk, not sex—which befuddles Leo—Nolan finds meaning in his life. But Boulevard feels stagy, not meaningful, and the contrived script is as dull and obvious as Nolan. Moreover, the erratic protagonist is not particularly sympathetic, despite Williams’ noble efforts. —Gary M. Kramer

music

ALASKA THUNDERFUCK Anus (Sidecar)

*****

From left: Vacation's Griswold clan, Michael B. Jordan suits up for Fantastic Four, Meryl's back in Ricki and the Flash

Ricki and the Flash In theaters August 7 For those who can’t go more than a few months without their fix of La Streep, August brings us Jonathan Demme’s Ricki and the Flash, about an aging rocker trying to make right with her estranged family. The trailer is groan-inducing, with “family is everything” bromides that should be beneath screenwriter Diablo Cody, and what appears to be an overacted performance by Streep’s daughter Mamie Gummer as her recently dumped fictional daughter, Julie.

Yet trailers can be misleading. I hold out hope, because Demme has never gone for easily reconciled emotions—films like Something Wild, Married to the Mob and Rachel Getting Married are funny and tough-minded in equal measure—and he has shaped spectacular performances from actresses as different as Melanie Griffith, Michelle Pfeiffer and Debra Winger.

Grandma In theaters August 21 Lily Tomlin’s a national treasure who hasn’t had a screen role worthy of her talent in years. Paul Weitz is a writer-director in need of a crossover hit. This indie offering about a misanthropic gay grandmother and her pregnant granddaughter was a popular and critical hit at Sundance, so let the Oscar talk begin here.

Black Mass In theaters September 18 Summer encroaches into awards season with Johnny Depp in the true-life tale of Whitey Bulger, an ultraviolent criminal-turned-FBI informant that also features Academy catnip Benedict Cumberbatch and lots of supporting turns—Kevin Bacon, Corey Stoll, Joel Edgerton and too many more to mention. Come September it’s time to put the summer frivolity away and get serious.

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music

>> NEW RELEASES

Out Now

July 17

July 31

Lil Wayne Free Weezy Album

Chemical Brothers Born in the Echoes

Albert Hammond, Jr. Momentary Masters

Little Boots Working Girl

Pitbull Dale

CFCF Radiance and Submission

Owl City Mobile Orchestra

July 24

Joss Stone Water for Your Soul

Veruca Salt Ghost Notes

Jill Scott Woman

The Maccabees Marks to Prove Its

It takes massive balls (and, yes, charm, uniqueness, nerve and talent) to name your debut album Anus and ensure it doesn’t sound like, well, total shit!

We’ve been bombarded with music from RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants over seven PRIME CUTS: seasons now, but it’s fan-favorite Alaska “This is My Hair” Thunderfuck who has truly laid down the gag-worthy “The Shade gauntlet. Most of the lyrics are expectedly raunchy, of it All” filthy and explicit. But they’re also intelligent, cunning “Anus” and wholly quotable. And here’s the kicker: the songs are melodic, danceable, diverse and, dare I say it, poignant.

Envision Peaches and Karen Finley scissoring Lesley Gore, Kylie Minogue and Patti LuPone—on molly. So pucker up, bitches—your subversive summer soundtrack has arrived to say “Hieeee!” —Paul V. Vitagliano

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING Get to Heaven (Sony/RCA)

*****

There’s nothing that sounds like an Everything Everything album, and unless something very unusual happens, that shouldn’t change. While other (lesser) PRIME CUTS: bands get bogged down trying to rein“Distant Past” vent their sound with each album, “Fortune 500” Everythingx2 have managed to remain comfortably “Spring/Sun/ themselves. Comfort isn’t a word that’s usually associWinter/Dread” ated with a band fueled by excessive chord and tempo changes, but this band has never sounded so assured.

Their influences range from The Strokes to Radiohead, but their true sonic cousin is the late lamented ¡Forward Russia!, a band that was crushed under its own obscurity. Luckily there’s no worry of that here. Get to Heaven—along with its wisely chosen pre-release singles “Distant Past” and “Regret”—show a level of ingenuity and accessibility that is utterly exhilarating. —Dominik Rothbard

MAS YSA Seraph (Downtown)

*****

Though electronic music encompasses more iterations than, say, punk or heavy metal, there’s an entrenched homogeneity to it; much of it seems interchangePRIME CUTS: able, not to mention insignificant. So “Margarita” when a special practitioner of the form “Service” arrives, critics (myself included) crow “Gun” too loudly. It happened with James Blake. No doubt it will happen with Mas Ysa, the nom de plume of Canadian composer, musician and visual artist Thomas Arsenault.

Where Blake detonated the prevailing forms of the time, Arsenault’s a much subtler artist on his debut. You won’t find any gut-rumbling bass drops or ethereal flights of fancy here. However, Arsenault’s Brazilian influences (he lived for a time in São Paulo) are fully integrated, and his rhythmic panache is undeniable. Even his experiments got groove. —Dan Loughry JULY 22, 2015

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By Nathaniel Grey

WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER Debuts July 31 on Netflix

Welcome to Camp

stage

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Pantages Theatre Through Aug 2

*****

After the last dismal tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s now classic musical The Phantom of the Opera, this new staging

by Cameron Mackintosh and director Laurence Connor restores the pop-opera to its lavish and emotional beginnings. Though it had become over-the-top and garish in recent years, this new version still has spectacle— especially in the gorgeous set design—but dials down the performances to an acceptable level. While some will miss the Phantom’s Masquerade costume (boo!), the new descent into the Phantom’s lair is gothically understated. Oh, the chandelier still crashes, and the Phantom continues to stomp around like a petulant child in the final act, but the actors' focus reins in the characters, allowing us to become more invested in the story. The Voice contestant Chris Mann is a younger, sexier Phantom, and his crystalline voice brings the Opera Ghost to new life. Katie Travis gives Christine the powerhouse voice she deserves, while unfortunately Storm Lineberger as Raoul remains sharp throughout. That said, this production still has the ability to dazzle with magical sets and two lead performers who proudly do the lovely score justice. —Kevin Taft 64

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even Oscar nominee and American Sniper star Bradley Cooper will return for more laughs and questionable fashion choices.

New to the cast will be Fresh Off the Boat’s Randall Park, Under the Dome’s Aisha Hinds, Glee vet Jayma Mays, The Good Wife’s Josh Charles, Star Trek star Chris Pine, Mad Men’s Jon Hamm (hopefully in dolphin shorts) and “Weird Al” Yancovic.

Summer camp culture may be more of an East Coast thing than part of West Coast culture, but the concept most definitely has universal appeal. As co-creator Michael Showalter recently put it, “The magical thing about summer camp is that you can leave your persona from home and become the person you really want to be.”

RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD

The Hudson Mainstage Theatre Through July 26

*****

This ambitious new fac t-inspired musical (featuring a book

by Matt Donnelly and Jamelle Dolphin and a fine score by Andy Cooper, supplemented by period standards) charts a colorful chapter in L.A. history. It tells the bittersweet tale of John Dolphin (superbly played by Stu James), who during the 1950s established the record label Recorded in Hollywood and ran L.A.’s famous Dolphin’s of Hollywood record shop, until he met a tragic early demise. Director Denise Dowse helms a rousing and energetic show. Among colorful supporting turns are Godfrey Moye as rock legend Sam Cooke and Jade Johnson as John’s irrepressible wife Ruth Dolphin. A spirited ensemble of actor-singers tears up the stage, courtesy of Cassie Crump’s electrifying choreography. This show demonstrates promise as a potential breakout hit, though it needs considerable fine-tuning. The script, in particular, calls for tightening and sharper narrative focus. Nonetheless, this premiere engagement appears to be a crowd-pleaser. —Les Spindle

PHOTO CREDIT TK PHANTOM: MATTHEW MURPHY; RECORDED: ED KRIEGER; WET HOT: COURTESY OF NETFLIX

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he quirky staff of Camp Firewood are returning (though technically they’re going back in time) for more nostalgic adventures, as the new Netflix series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp makes its debut on July 31. Fourteen years since its 2001 release as a now-cult film, this show is set months before the events of the original, when the camp counselors, staff and campers meet for the very first time.

Back for more ‘80s-tinged hilarity are Marry Me’s Ken Marino, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Ian Black, Frasier’s David Hyde Pierce, Elizabeth Banks (pictured above), SNL vets Molly Shannon and Amy Poehler, Christopher Meloni as the camp cook and Marvel’s latest superhero, Ant-Man himself, Paul Rudd. A surprise to many is that

Difficult People Aug. 5, Hulu Billy Eichner and real life BFF Julie Klausner star in this semi-autobiographical series. Described as a fasttalking hour of conversation, the two younger versions of themselves struggle with careers while sharing their observations about everything from their loves and hates of New York to their comedy careers and loving both Wendy Williams and the film Yentl. Amy Poehler is one executive producer of this modern-age buddy comedy. The show will also feature appearances by Amy Sedaris, Bravo's own Andy Cohen and Blondie singer Debbie Harry, plus SNL vets Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen as Billy’s brother and Kate McKinnon as a magician struggling with sobriety.

DESCENDANTS July 31, Disney Channel

Not affiliated with the George Clooney movie, this story is set in a modern-day magic kingdom populated by the juvenile delinquent children of famous Disney villains. The live-action adventure offers Boo Boo Stewart as the son of Aladdin enemy Jafar, whose friends are the son of Belle and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast plus Mal, the daughter of Maleficent. Kathy Najimy plays Snow White’s nemesis The Evil Queen, with GCB’s Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent. High School Musical director Kenny Ortega oversees the production, which was scripted by Desperate Housewives writer Sara Parriott and Runaway Bride’s Josann McGibbon.

TELEVISION LONG DIVISION

SET YOUR Once Upon a Time

Harry Potter

Twilight

Descendants

Wednesday, July 15

PHOTO CREDIT TK PHANTOM: MATTHEW MURPHY; RECORDED: ED KRIEGER; WET HOT: COURTESY OF NETFLIX

It's the premiere of Impastor, starring Smallville vet Michael Rosenbaum as a slacker on the run from a loan shark. Desperate, he ends up stealing a stranger’s identity and is subsequently forced to pose as a small town’s new gay pastor. (10:30 p.m. on TVLand)

I AM CAIT July 26, E! This new eight-part documentary series looks at the new life of Caitlyn Jenner, the former patriarch of both the Jenner and Kardashian families, as cameras follow her new life as a transgendered woman, learning her fashion tastes, adjusting to her physical changes and trying to maintain a strong connection with her family.

Her youngest daughters Kylie and Kendall Jenner will make appearances, as will their older half-sisters. I Am Cait will be broadcast in 22 languages in over 120 countries. Having been sold in such a wide market certainly helps cover the $6.5 million salary Jenner was paid to have her life filmed—the highest pay rate E! has ever given someone for a solo reality show.

Wednesday, July 15 I Am Cait isn’t the only new series with a gender identity focus. The new series I Am Jazz follows the life of a 14-year-old transgender girl who began her transition from a boy at the age of 5. The show looks at her world as part of a loving family just as she enters high school. (10 p.m. on TLC) Sunday, July 19 Ben Kingsley stars in Tut, a three-night, six-hour miniseries about the life of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, King Tut. The show was coscripted by Queer as Folk vet Peter Paige and The Fosters coproducer Brad Bredweg. (9 p.m. on Spike TV)

Wednesday, July 22 It’s round three for death from the sky when Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No, makes its TV debut. It's hard to believe, but this could be the most over-the-top version yet, with appearances by David Hasselhoff, Bo Derek, Mark Cuban, Ann Coulter and Jerry Springer. (9 p.m. on SyFy) Wednesday, July 29 The second season of the amazing magician-themed reality show The Carbonaro Effect debuts, featuring the adorably hot star of Another Gay Movie Michael Carbonaro.

(10 p.m. on TruTV) Thursday, Aug. 6 It’s the final episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a series that surprised many by changing television for the better and blurring the lines between comedy and news reporting. (11 p.m. on Comedy Central) JULY 22, 2015

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Inside the Expo

The 5 biggest reveals from this year’s E3 and what they’ll mean for the video game industry of the future By Nate Cooper

1. Sony's VR technology, Project Morpheus 2. Muppetized versions of Nintendo's figureheads 3. E3's Xbox 360 presentation 4. A still from Final Fantasy VII HD 5. Nintendo's Wii U

E

arth’s most gargantuan video game hullabaloo, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, wrapped last month at the L.A. Convention Center, drawing the attention of gamer enthusiasts from around the world like a big, nerdy bug-zapper. Developers and publishers spared no expense promoting their latest gaming and tech wares, but if you weren’t lucky enough to be one of the expo’s 50,000 with a pass, fear not. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest E3 reveals and their industry influence in the years to come.

1. VR COMES HOME The virtual reality technology market is currently bustling, with four major companies all competing to get their headsets on actual heads by early 2016.

Oculus Rift, Sony’s Project Morpheus, HTC’s Vive and Samsung’s Gear VR are all expecting to cash in on VR as the next evolution in gaming.

Virtual reality tech has indeed come a long way, and many of its gaming applications are exciting.

But due to movement limitations, gamers shouldn’t expect to jump into their favorite RPGs or FPS games anytime soon, as the titles available at launch will be severly limited.

2. EVEN WITH MUPPETS, NINTENDO UNDERWHELMS Echoing the company’s successful Robot Chicken presentation intro from 2014, Nintendo struck gold again this year with the help of a little "Muppetization." Iconic Nintendo characters and corporate figureheads like Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Amie (as well as Star Fox characters Fox, Peppy and Falco) were recreated as felt puppets by The Jim Henson Company.

But as charming as the puppet segments were,

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they did little to distract from the fact that Nintendo fans don’t have much to look forward to in the coming year. The Japanese heavyweight should be commended, though—recreating its company executives in felt and foam is the closest it has come to being human in some time.

3. XBOX 360 BACKTRACKS Microsoft surprised everyone by announcing that the Xbox One would support backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games, which makes the Playstation 4 the only current console not to offer this valued functionality. In response, Sony says it has no plans to make the PS4 backwards compatible.

The Xbox One has heretofore been struggling to compete with the PS4’s exclusive content and the mass popularity of Nintendo’s handheld, so this may just be the shot in the arm the console needed.

4. AN EPIC RETURNS Final Fantasy VII, originally released for PlayStation in 1997, is getting an HD remake, and not much more needed to be said by the game’s publisher Square Enix before fans began handing over blank checks.

As E3 is technically an industry and media event,

Square Enix reps were gracious enough to offer up a few vague details: The beloved JRPG will not only receive a shiny visual upgrade, but will also sport an elaborated story and contemporary script reworks. The latter is likely for the best, since some of the questionable transphobic and racist elements present in the 18-year-old game might not seem so politically correct today.

5. THE WII U LOOKS NERVOUS The lack of showing by Nintendo this year is likely due to the company’s shift in resources from the Wii U to its still-in-development Nintendo NX (which is the working title). While no info has been given about this new console, execs have stated that its showings at E3 are reserved for products closer to hitting store shelves.

Over at the Sony booth, the PS Vita was noticeably absent. Sales of the handheld game console haven’t met the company’s expectations since its launch in 2011, so it was only a matter of when—not if—Sony would finally cut the cord.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo has announced it will return June 14-16, 2016, at the L.A. Convention Center.

JULY 22, 2015

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OUTFEST

SERGEI VOROPAEV | DREAMSTIME.COM

2015

It’s here. The world’s most important LGBT film moment just happens to also be Gay L.A.’s social event of the summer. Over 11 days we’ll see classic disco, beefcake, X-rated pop star fun and world-class drama. And then there are more than 150 films.

JULY 22, 2015

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REFLECTING THE QUEER EXPERIENCE More than a local film festival, Outfest is the summer’s biggest to-do for local cinephiles and a route to the big leagues for LGBT filmmakers By Patrick Rosenquist

“I

’m constantly humbled by the storytelling and subject matter that we show,” says Outfest Interim Executive Director Christopher Racster. He himself is an alum of the festival, which strives to highlight LGBT filmmakers and integrate them into Hollywood. “Our goal is to lift up and

HOMO

Paris is Burning (1990)

Madonna brought it into every house, but voguing got its first mainstream appearance in this classic doc, which explores New York’s distinctly queer dance movement.

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Glen or Glenda (1953)

Some Like it Hot (1959)

Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Philadelphia (1993)

Far From Heaven (2002)

Angels in America (2003

The gay subtext of this Alfred Hitchcock thriller has long fascinated queer film fans; the closeness—and secrecy—between the two male leads is fascinating.

Starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, this road trip drama has been called one of the best movies of the ‘90s and was a template for the soon-toexplode indie film scene.

Don’t expect much from schlock legend Ed Wood, whose camp classic follows a trans person moving from one gender to another.

A massive success, Tom Hanks won an Oscar for his performance of Andrew Beckett, an AIDS-afflicted attorney, and helped bring the crisis front and center in America.

Crossdressing has a long history in American film, and this beloved flick—voted the best comedy of all time by AFI—is a high point.

Todd Haynes has had a long and unusual career, and his straightfaced take on melodrama earned Julianne Moore an Oscar nomination for playing a ‘50s housewife with a closeted husband.

One of the first films to explore a gay character in depth, this film focuses on the turmoil of a lesbian in a repressive society.

This six-hour cycle set a record when it earned 21 Emmy noms, garnering 11 trophies, including awards for Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Jeffrey Wright and Mary-Louise Parker.

PASSIGATTI | DREAMSTIME.COM

A select history of same-sex love on the silver screen

Rope (1949)

AIDAR AYAZBAYEV | DREAMSTIME.COM

HOLLYWOOD

Go to FrontiersMedia.com for wall-to-wall coverage of Outfest premieres, parties and more!

expose these storytellers and give them the platform they need to continue to work,” he says.

Since its beginnings at UCLA in 1982, Outfest has grown into one of America’s premier LGBT film festivals. Originally intended to spotlight stories reflecting the queer experience in film, the festival now draws upon talent from over 30 countries and showcases nearly 200 films. For its first few years, it remained on UCLA’s campus, working with the school’s film and television archive to create a comprehensive history of queer cinema, as well as using submissions to show where the world of gay film was heading.

Outfest still sticks to this goal—its archive, called the Legacy Project, contains thousands of gay films, one of the largest caches of LGBT entertainment in the world. The project has also restored and maintained films, like Gus Van Sant’s directorial debut Mala Noche and the Reagan-era film Parting Glances, which screens this year.

Since coalescing under the name Outfest in 1990, the festival and organization has made raising the profile of gay filmmakers a priority. “Filmmakers here have gone to HBO, they’ve done commercials, they’ve had their films financed,” says Racster. Its Hollywood location lends talent and mentorship opportunities, including the festival’s screenwriting lab and OutSet program, a youth-oriented filmmaking boot camp designed to give LGBT teens a chance to showcase and develop their own material. OutSet not only highlights upcoming talent but shows how emerging artists are interpreting or reworking queer themes, including love, sex and friendship.

In recent years, the festival has strived to highlight a broader

Boys in the Sand (1971)

Word is Out (1978)

Mala Noche (1985)

Choosing Children (1985)

Parting Glances (1986)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Milk (2008)

Bella Mado (2010)

The Kids are All Right (2010)

The Skeleton Twins (2014)

PASSIGATTI | DREAMSTIME.COM

A gay porn classic, this film was a mainstream success. Filmed on a budget of $8,000, it was part of the wave of porn films that gained cultural currency.

AIDAR AYAZBAYEV | DREAMSTIME.COM

understanding of the LGBT experience, expanding beyond the white cisgender male voices that have dominated gay filmmaking for most of its mainstream existence. To broaden the voices involved in Outfest, and to spotlight overlooked members of the LGBT community, Outfest has made racial and sexual diversity a priority in its annual showcase.

“If there’s one Asian Pacific gay film submitted, we’re likely to show that one gay Asian Pacific film,” says Racster. A better focus on lesbian and trans films as well has broadened the content of Outfest films.

Now lasting 11 days, with nearly 60,000 attendees filtering through its screenings at venues throughout the city, Outfest has become a stalwart in Hollywood. Its massive presence means the festival is a major gatekeeper for gay or queer filmmakers, putting forth talent and introducing new filmmakers to a wide network of executives and financiers.

Outfest also sparks conversation. Last year, Amazon series Transparent was screened, and while the show has received great acclaim for its exploration of trans issues and its remarkable performances, the casting of Jeffrey Tambor—a cisgender man portraying a trans woman—created discord and commentary from some in the trans community.

Racster points out the diversity of the current Outfest lineup, which includes a wide selection of international films and movies backed—both creatively and financially—by a broad spectrum of the LGBT community. “We want to remove the barriers for the community,” says Racster, adding, “We want to be an entry point for queer filmmakers. Many of our alums go on to great careers.”

A massive success, Ang Lee won an Oscar for Best Director for his film about two cowboys in love.

A much-parodied cultural touchstone, the film still resonates a decade later.

Recently restored by Outfest’s Legacy Program, this documentary features 26 gays and lesbians talking about their lives, histories and experiences.

An Oscar winner for Sean Penn’s take on activist Harvey Milk and Dustin Lance Black’s screenplay, it was included in over 130 critics’ ‘best of’ lists when it was released.

Gus Van Sant’s first feature, premiered at Outfest, focuses on a lonely and love-stricken convenience store clerk who falls for a younger, heterosexual man.

The first film to feature an alltransgender cast, this short film premiered at Outfest and was intended to highlight the lack of roles available to trans actors and actresses.

Hailed as a landmark upon its release, this documentary about six lesbian couples raising children has also been restored by Outfest.

This critical darling by Lisa Cholodenko featuring performances by Julianne Moore and Annette Bening as a lesbian couple raising two kids was an unexpected box office hit.

Steve Buscemi’s breakout role, it shows the tragedy and comedy of gay Manhattan in the ‘80s, when AIDS ripped apart the community.

This film starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig and screened at last year’s Outfest as the secret screening—about a gay twin and his sister—has been called one of last year’s best.

JULY 22, 2015

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2 Angry Men

Above: Gore Vidal (left) and William F. Buckley, Jr., during their 1968 televised debates

Best of Enemies July 16 | 7 p.m.

DGA

“W

e didn’t want to make a film about the arguments as much as make a film about how we argue,” says Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom) about the film he co-directed with Robert Gordon. “It’s the meta-conversation that seemed most important. What role does TV play in what brings us together and what divides us? We also wanted to portray a relationship, not a full biography of each man. At some level, we felt we had to empathize with each of them to understand that.”

Best of Enemies artfully documents the 10 famous televised debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, Jr. during the 1968 presidential nominating conventions. The filmmakers, who spent five years on the project, show how the Buckley-Vidal debates were meant to give the two intellectuals—liberal and conservative, respectively—an opportunity to express their strong opinions. What transpired, according to the film, “changed television forever.”

The film’s brilliance is in how Neville and Gordon provide astute portraits of each man—the “great debater” Buckley, and the “great talker” Vidal—without taking sides.

Gordon concurs. “I was so struck by how contemporary the debates were, and how they anticipated the cultured wars and articulated them so well,” says Gordon. “Look at how these guys are engaging to try to change people’s minds. The notion of a public intellectual is anathema today. They are dueling in this verbal bloodsport to save the nation. The film is a eulogy to public intellectuals.”

Both Vidal and Buckley had their own agendas, and they used their airtime to get their position across—preferably at the other’s expense. Buckley spoke ill of Vidal and his sexuality in particular; Vidal was dismissive of Buckley, unwilling to even name his rival’s publication. Best of Enemies draws its tension by

Check Out the Festival’s Other Centerpiece Screenings

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showing how each man got under the other’s skin.

One heated moment in the ninth debate has Buckley responding to Vidal’s calling him a “crypto-Nazi” by calling him a “queer.” It is breathtaking, even for folks who know or remember the exchange.

“There was gay baiting in the debates by both men from the start,” Neville says about how Buckley’s vitriol stemmed from his rival’s homosexuality. “Vidal’s sexuality was in deep conflict with Buckley’s pre-Vatican II Catholicism. Vidal enjoyed this, though he embraced the radical-ness of his moral ideas more than playing on his sexuality directly. Vidal did needle Buckley about his own sexuality. He thought it would rattle Buckley—and it did. Vidal had a special role as Buckley’s bête noire.”

Gordon offers this assessment—“It wasn’t Gore being gay that unsettled Bill so much; it was the sense of someone who was his equal.” He adds, “There’s a hint in the film from Sam Tanenhaus, who says they each saw in the other an exaggerated version of their own anxious idea of themselves; they saw the worst of themselves in each other and felt people would see them that way.”

The dynamic between the men is what makes Best of Enemies crackle. They were so good because they brought out each other’s worst.

“For men who made their living often debating others, they only had this specific type of vituperative relationship with each other,” says Neville. “At some level, I think they saw a distorted personal reflection of themselves in the other that intimidated them and made them lash out.”

Gordon adds, “There are qualities in each that are to be admired. One aspect of this is what attracted me—the highminded on the low road. That’s what gets them. You think they’d stay out of name-calling, but that’s where they ended up.”

TIG

July 9, 8 p.m. | Orpheum

The opening night film follows the professional travails of comic Tig Notaro, who in 2012 stunned audiences by opening her set, “Good evening. Hello.

I have cancer. Is everybody having a good time?”

SERGEI VOROPAEV | DREAMSTIME.COM

More than a peek into 1968’s vicious Vidal/Buckley political debates, Best of Enemies paints a vivid picture of the world’s most articulate pundits By Gary M. Kramer

OUT WITH THE BATH WATER Writer/director Sebastián Silva draws on his own life for Nasty Baby, a dark look at gay surrogacy By Gary M. Kramer

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SERGEI VOROPAEV | DREAMSTIME.COM

n intense and compelling drama, Nasty Baby concerns Freddy and Mo, played by out writer/director Sebastián Silva and Tunde Adebimpe, respectively, who are a gay couple trying to help best friend Polly, portrayed by Kristen Wiig, conceive a child. When Freddy cannot impregnate Polly, they ask Mo to provide his sperm—a decision that causes tension. But their lives are further disrupted by a neighborhood menace who harasses Polly and spouts homophobic remarks at the gay men—The Bishop, played by Reg E. Cathey.

Silva tells us that he “drew on elements from his life and the neighborhood he lives in” to make the film. “The Bishop comes from an experience I once had with an unpleasant neighbor who was schizophrenic and violent.”

One of The Bishop’s most alarming encounters comes during a particularly bad day Freddy is having after presenting his “Nasty Baby” art project—a video featuring Freddy and his friends acting like babies—to a local gallery owner. It is, Silva suggests, a way for Freddy to exorcise his guilt about not being

able to assist Polly with the pregnancy.

Asked if Freddy just needs to grow up, Silva retorts, “Don’t we all?” continuing, “He’s not a politician, nor a messiah. He’s a dude hanging out, following the lead of everyone else. Yeah, he needs to grow up. I didn’t conceive him to [address] his professional or psychological state—he could be a better artist—but his compulsion to have a kid.”

If the film’s story addresses “modern families,” Silva objects to the term “gay parenting,” stating, “For me, there’s no such thing as ‘gay parenting.’ Gay terminology—what does it mean anymore? I’m not necessarily against the word gay, but what does it represent? It’s parenting, not ‘gay parenting.’”

The writer/director also admits he’s wary of being a father in real life. “I don’t think I’m ready to raise a child,” he says. “I have the curiosity, if not the urge. It would be a challenging step.”

One challenge Silva was anxious to face, having never taken a lead role in one of his films, was acting in Nasty Baby. The opportunity not only made sense, but he hoped it would bring a level of difficulty to the project. “The fear of failure helped me be more aware of things,” he says, “and now I’m happy to know that I can do that.” Silva concedes, “I can’t play a pirate with an accent, but I can convey emotion successfully, and it was fun to do it and be successful.”

Audiences will likely enjoy the camaraderie Silva has with his wonderful on-screen partner Adebimpe—a fantastic actor, whom Silva agrees deserve a bigger career—and Wiig. Yet as the drama escalates, the easygoing nature of the film takes a dark turn as the main characters face a difficult situation testing their resilience. The story culminates in an unforgettable ending that shouldn’t be revealed.

“I could never come to terms with Nasty Baby’s ending and where I leave my characters and the audience. It’s very morally unsolved—more like an ending that opens a dialogue. It was an experiment, really,” Silva says. “The third act is meant to throw you off. It throws me off as the director. When you leave the audience shaken, they forget what happened before the unexpected moment.”

Nasty, indeed.

Above: Kristen Wiig with Nasty Baby writer, director and actor Sebastián Silva

Nasty Baby

July 14 | 7 p.m.

DGA

EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO

THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE

THE NEW GIRLFRIEND

Not your average biopic, it’s Peter Greenaway’s sexually explicit celebration of Sergei Eisenstein’s gay coming of age in 1930s Mexico. The Soviet filmmaker falls for tour guide Palomino, and you will, too.

This visually stunning international centerpiece won big at Sundance with its romantic, intimate portrayal of lesbian love, set in the summer months of Lithuania’s countryside

The festival closes with François Ozon’s sexy and sinister suspense film, in which a woman mourns the death of her childhood friend only to fall for her crossdressing husband.

July 13, 7 p.m. | DGA

July 18, 7 p.m. | DGA

July 19, 8 p.m. | Theatre at Ace Hotel

JULY 22, 2015

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KEEPING TABS

Documentary Tab Hunter Confidential follows film’s one-time golden boy and exposes homophobia inherent in Hollywood, then and now By Mike Ciriaco

T

Tab Hunter Confidential

July 11 | 7 p.m.

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ab Hunter was the one-time golden boy of Hollywood. The blue-eyed, blond-haired Adonis starred in more than 40 films over the course of his career, including Battle Cry and The Burning Hills, and in 1957 his single “Young Love” reigned on the BIllboard Hot 100. He was the guy every girl wanted, and the guy every other guy wanted to be. But audiences didn’t know their matinee idol was gay. In the homophobic terrain of 1950s Hollywood, Hunter’s career-killing sexual preference was shoved deep into the closet by the studio system that controlled his public persona.

Now Outfest screens Tab Hunter Confidential, the documentary film adaptation of the 2006 New York Times best selling autobiography of the same name. Directed by Jeffrey Schwartz (Vito, The Celluloid Closet), the film excavates not only the dual life forced upon Hunter but also the role the film industry played in stigmatizing and concealing the homosexuality within its ranks.

“I wouldn’t face up to those things,” Hunter tells us during a recent call, reflecting on the gay accusations the tabloids hurled at him during the early years of his career. “If someone said something to me, boom, I would just shut up and turn away. I would never confront it. That still goes on today. If you’re a leading man or woman, you can’t be gay. You could be a character, but you don’t see the [leading actors]. If they were, they would never come forward.”

Hunter’s sentiments were recently validated in a June 29 article in Variety, which points out that while LGBT entertainers and personalities are coming out in almost every genre of the media, movie stars are the closet’s last holdouts. “No A-list film actor has yet to come out publicly while at the pinnacle of his or her career,” writes Brent Lang. “Sure, Jodie Foster gave an elliptical Golden Globes speech about being a lesbian, and out actors Ian McKellen and Zachary Quinto helped anchor the X-Men and Lord of the Rings series, and the rebooted Star Trek films, respectively. Yet despite their prodigious talents, none of them has the power to secure a

greenlight on their name alone.”

Tab Hunter Confidential reveals how Warner Bros. would pair Hunter with high-profile female celebrities to serve as his beards, including the likes of Debbie Reynolds and Natalie Wood. Since Hunter and Wood were the last actors to be singed into exclusive contracts, the studio’s PR department formulated the young actors’ fictitious romance to publicize them in film and promote Hunter’s heterosexuality. Its effectiveness was debatable. The rags still cooked up headlines such as “Natalie Wood and Tab Wouldn’t.”

Through the height of his career, Hunter kept tight-lipped about his sexual proclivities, his discretion stemming not only from Warner Bros. but from his modest nature. “I’m not an activist in any way, shape or form. I never have been. I’m from a very quiet, conservative, religious family. That’s the way I was brought up,” he says.

Ironically, the documentary has pushed the shy movie star back into the limelight, a position in which he’s never been comfortable.

“It’s funny for me, being back in the public eye, because it never was my comfort zone,” he says. “I felt closest to God with a pitchfork full of crap in my hands out in the barn, handling the real stuff, as opposed to the Hollywood stuff. It’s a game—you go along with it, but it was not comforting for me. My touch of reality in the unrealistic world of Hollywood were my horses.”

Admittedly, Hunter’s horses aren’t his only companions. The star has been in a committed relationship for over 30 years with his partner Allen Glaser, who produced the film. While lead movie stars are still pressured into the closet, Hunter’s and Glaser’s relationship reflects the strides the rest of the LGBT community has achieved, most recently evidenced by the Supreme Court ruling for marriage equality, an issue close to Hunter’s heart. “I think the important thing about marriage,” he says, “between two people who are in love—man-man, woman-woman, man-woman—is that it’s a spiritual, private thing that concerns those people.”

5 FILMS

I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE

Mario Diaz

Nightlife promoter, subject of last year’s Club King Clockwise from top left: Hockney, Desert Migration, Drag Becomes Him, The Glamour and the Squalor

NASTY BABY

“I would watch Kristen Wiig read the back of a cereal box.”

THE NEW GIRLFRIEND

“François Ozon’s movies are weird, and I love that.

And I’m a sucker for a man with a beard in lipstick.”

WHAT’S UP, DOC?

PARTING GLANCES

This year’s documentaries focus on accomplished artists, grunge champions and the literary world’s most celebrated scam artist By Mike Ciriaco

L

ast month’s gay marriage victory was celebrated as a win for not only the nation’s LGBTs but for Americans who believe everyone deserves equal rights under the law.

One major factor in burgeoning acceptance stems from the new millenium’s explosion of LGBTs in the media; by shining a spotlight on the humanity of gay individuals—and not just what they do in the bedroom—the once-ostracized demographic has become more relatable to mainstream America. This year’s roster of Outfest documentaries continues in this vein, with a selection focusing on distinct individuals exploring both their admirable qualities as well as their flaws.

Arguably the most recognizable personality showcased this year is the painter profiled in Randall Wright’s Hockney.

A quintessential queer Californian artist (by way of Britain), David Hockney is archived in interviews and home movies capturing his renegade spirit and connection with L.A. Both Wright and Hockney will be in attendance at the July 18 screening.

While not a painter, drag notable Jinkx Monsoon is undeniably an artist in her own right. Alex Berry’s Drag Becomes Him (screening July 17) follows the long, arduous career trajectory of Monsoon (née Jerick Hoffer), the RuPaul’s Drag Race winner who worked her way through college as a humble janitor.

If Monsoon represents the face of drag at this year’s Outfest, Marco Collins represents of the voice of gay marriage.

The Seattle-based DJ surfed the crest of the Grunge wave in the ‘90s, championing fledgling bands like Nirvana and Garbage.

Marq Evan’s The Glamour and the Squalor chronicles how the closeted radio personality overcame addiction and self-hatred, emerging as a loud mouthpiece for Washington’s Marriage Equality movement. Collins will be in attendance on July 12.

The most morally ambiguous subject showcased this year is that of JT Leroy. Documented by Marjorie Sturm in The Cult of JT Leroy (screening July 11), the best-selling author rocked the literary world with his autobiographical accounts of teen prostitution, HIV infection and heroin addiction. The catch: not only did none of that happen, but Leroy never existed, only the creation of writer Laura Albert. Sturm attempts to untangle actual events and explore how our culture’s complicity abetted Albert’s long con.

Less famous but far more authentic is Spazz, a trans teen whose struggle to transition in rural North Carolina is the crux of Hillevi Loven’s Deep Run (screening July 18). Additional docs Add the Words (July 16) and Desert Migration (July 13) take steps back from the individual, profiling two different groups—gay activists in Idaho fighting to add LGBT citizens to their state’s Human Rights Act in the former, and AIDS survivors relocating to Palm Springs in the latter. Both docs are rooted in the fact that these people are more than statistics; they are genuinely human. As satisfying as last month’s marriage equality victory was, Add the Words reminds us that the LGBT community—and the individuals who comprise it—still have far to go before the war is won.

“This is such an amazing and seminal film to me. I look forward to revisiting it.

It breaks my heart to think this was Bill Sherwood’s only film before he died of AIDS in 1990. He never made another movie. It’s such a shame.”

FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSE

“A Japanese New Wave portrayal of trans women in 1960s Tokyo? This sounds like foreplay to me.

Count me in!”

54: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT

“I’m itching to see the 36 extra minutes of film in this director’s cut. Maybe there’s a shot of Ryan Phillippe getting his ass rimmed by Halston ... or Liza Minelli. Either works for me.”

JULY 22, 2015

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A NATIONAL TREASURE RETURNS

The one and only Lypsinka makes her long-awaited return to Los Angeles for a special evening full of Joan Crawford drama Above: The Passion of the Crawford starring Lypsinka Opposite page: Lady Bunny (top), Lypsinka

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or the first time in more than a decade, drag superstar Lypsinka graces an L.A. stage with her trademark blend of lip-synching mastery and unparallelled theatricality. In The Passion of the Crawford, she embodies Joan Crawford, reincarnating a rare 1973 engagement in which the actress discusses her life in the spotlight.

Speaking to Lypsinka about her upcoming L.A. shows is an old friend and fellow New York legend, Lady Bunny. —Stephan Horbelt

LYPSINKA: Hi, Bunny!

LADY BUNNY: Hi, Lypsinka! Are you lip-synching to this interview?

L: [Laughs] No. LB: Tell me about your love affair with Joan Crawford. I know you

Lypsinka: The Passion of the Crawford

July 10 | 7:30 & 10 p.m.

REDCAT

love certain divas, like the musical numbers and orchestrations of Dolores Grey, but would you say Joan is your number one diva?

L: I don’t have a number one. I like so many different people and different things. It’s hard to pick a number one. But Joan is a longtime fascination of mine, and I think it really started with seeing photographs of that face.

LB: That severe face?

L: Well, the face was severe in the ‘50s and then it got soft in the ‘60s, and it was beautiful in the ‘30s and ‘40s. It was a graphic face. I guess that’s one of the reasons I was so drawn to her—the graphic nature of her face and the bone structure I wished I had and you wish you had.

LB: Well, no, I have it. It’s buried under a lot of fat.

L: [Laughs] Then when the book Mommie Dearest came out and

we found out this whole other side of her—that may or may not be so—it prompted me to find out more about her, her personal life and her background and where she came from. I came to admire her, actually, because she was such a survivor. She managed to survive by living in a kind of dreamland, but she was a survivor nevertheless. Then I moved to New York and discovered I wasn’t the only one fascinated by her.

LB: Why do you think she’s such a treasured gay icon? Because she’s nutty or dramatic or bizarre?

L: All of that, but I have a deeper theory—why are any of these women gay icons? Why is Judy Garland a gay icon? Why is Barbra Streisand a gay icon? Why is Natalie Wood or Ann Margaret or Elizabeth Taylor or Bette Davis or any of them?

LB: These are all before my time, but I’ll take your word for it that they’re gay icons. [Laughs] L: My theory is that gays feel like outsiders—until last weekend‘s Supreme Court ruling; I guess that’s all gonna change. But they have historically felt like outsiders, and there’s something about these women that appeals to their outsider status because these women are, for lack of a better word—and I don’t mean this disparagingly—but they’re freaks. There’s something freaky about all those women, whether it’s their talent or their beauty or their overstated sexuality or their overstated vulnerability. I think that’s why gay men relate to female icons, because they unite with them

D Clockwise from top left: Seed Money, Drown, Bankers

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o films with explicit sex initiate audiences to cruise or cuddle more?

There are several films at Outfest that will—ahem—stimulate viewers with discerning tastes for naughtiness.

Eisenstein in Guanajuato is Peter Greenaway’s visually breathtaking and extravagantly sexy film about the famous gay Russian director (a fantastic and frequently full-frontally nude Elmer Bäck). Set in 1931 Mexico, the filmmaker is initiated into gay sex by his irresistible (and well-endowed) guide, Palomino Cañedo (Luis Alberti) via some olive oil.

Drown, from Australia, is also full of eye candy, with the cocky Len (Matt Levett, all macho bravado in a Speedo), the appropriately named Meat (Harry Cook) and the gay Phil (Jack Matthews) getting drunk and into trouble. The copious shots of naked, muscular chests may distract viewers as this story of masculinity, homophobia and repression plays to its logical conclusion when Len and Meat strip the vulnerable Phil naked on a beach and physically and psychologically abuse him to the point where he may drown.

LYPSINKA: JEREMY DANIEL, LADY BUNNY: AARON COBBETT

GRATUITOUSLY GAY

in this kind of outsider status. But we’re not outsiders as of the past few days, so...

LB: Is that a proposal?

L: I told you, I’m marrying Caitlyn Jenner.

LB: [Laughs] Now, I’ve seen this show, and it’s incredible, and it’s a must-see for Joan-aholics because you really milk the humor of Joan’s pompous attitude and her insane accent, and it seems like she’s both still in that dream world where she has this construct of who she is and what a star should be, but she is also letting loose a little, like perhaps she’s had a drink. Would people not as familiar understand the sickness of this lip-synch to an interview?

L: Well, everyone now knows what lip-synching is, I suppose.

I’m hoping that some people are coming just to see me and not necessarily to see Joan Crawford. But when they come, they need to come with an adventurous, open mind; they need to be prepared to go on a little journey or a trip they have never been on before. If they’re really open minded and young and don’t know a lot about film history, they’ll learn something about film history—and not just Joan Crawford history—from this show. But my real intention all along has never been so much to do a Joan Crawford impersonation, because I can’t really look like Joan Crawford, I admit that.

She was drop dead gorgeous, and I have a terrible profile.

But I use Joan Crawford as a surrealist icon, if you will, to give the audience an adventurous theater experience. Does that sound highfalutin’?

LB: Not to me. Where did you find this insane recording of this 1973 interview?

L: When I moved to New York in 1978, Joan Crawford had been dead for a year, and she had done the interview in 1973 at Town Hall on, I think it’s 43rd Street in Manhattan. There used to be record stores, as you may remember, Bunny— LB: No! I like Spotify. [Laughs] L: There was a record store across the street from the Radio City Music Hall called Sam Goody, and the record had just come out. It was in the window, and it was like an Andy Warhol display; it was one after the other, rows and rows and rows of them. It was a black-and-white picture of that face from the ‘50s—that graphic face—and it said Joan Crawford Live! Well, how could I not get the recording?

Then I came to find out the history of the recording—it was a series of appearances called Legendary Ladies of the Silver Screen that was produced by the publicist for all of these women—Bette Davis did one, Lana Turner, Myrna Loy, Rosalind Russell. They all did these live interviews, and Joan Crawford had replaced someone at the last minute; I don’t know who. Unlike the others, Joan was not and didn’t want to be a stage actress; she was frightened of being a stage actress. So when she made this appearance, it’s very obvious she’d had a little something to drink before she comes on. But that begins to wear off as the recording goes

along and she does loosen up and she gets a little sexy. But one of the great things about this recording is that it has a dramatic arc to it. She goes from one place and by the end of the recording—as also the performance—she’s gone to another place. It’s possible that the other women who did those interviews didn’t have that kind of arc, because they weren’t as scared as she was. So that’s how I found it.

LB: Unlike performing numbers, you’re lip-synching to this speech, which doesn’t have a beat or a chorus. Wasn’t it incredibly difficult to learn?

L: It was difficult. I won’t say it wasn’t. But I had been listening off and on to the recording for 20 years before I ever performed any of it live.

LB: Did you listen to it while masturbating?

L: No, I’m gonna leave that up to you! People often ask me how I do that, and as you may know, Bunny, I was trained as a classical musician from an early age, so a lot of it has to do with music. I see the rests and the pauses in her interview like music; it just takes a great deal of concentration. I am kind of mentally exhausted after doing the show, and I have to do it twice at REDCAT on July 10.

LB: Well, you’ve taken lip-synch to a new level by presenting it as a theater experience with dramatic lighting, costume changes and precision choreography. But you were also one of the first queens I know of to splice together bits of movie dialogue or the patter from live recordings. I think you’re the first person I saw incorporate Mommie Dearest lines into musical numbers. Is that your understanding? Because it has become a staple of drag queens around the world since you did it. Did anyone do it before you?

L: I can’t say that I saw a drag performer do that before me. I did see drag performers do things that I enjoyed, and I incorporated them into my own act. For instance, I once saw a drag performer in Los Angeles at the Four Star—which is not there anymore, a bar on Santa Monica—and I don’t remember the performer’s name, but she performed Shirley Bassey’s “This Is My Life.”When she said, “This is my life,” she held up a box of Life cereal, and when she said, “This is me,” she flipped the box of cereal around and pointed to Mikey on the back of the box. I saw her and thought, well, I’ll use a bit of that.

LB: Well then I’m just gonna say that I think you were the first one to do that.

L: The bits and pieces, I probably was. I can’t say that I ever saw anyone do bits and pieces like that. And I can’t say I ever saw anyone do sound bites from Mommie Dearest inserted into the middle of a Bartók concerto, you know? I never saw anyone else do that before or since.

LB: Well, I think you probably started it. But in addition to the interview, you’ve added some numbers to the end to give it a big finish.

L: Well, I think the audience would be disappointed if I didn’t

LYPSINKA: JEREMY DANIEL, LADY BUNNY: AARON COBBETT

A look at the most raunchy, sexually explicit and risqué selections of this year’s festival Everlasting Love is even nastier. This sinister, sex-tinged Spanish thriller has teacher Carlos (Joan Bentallé) cruising in the local forest, where he spies on couples. After he catches the eye of Toni (Aimar Vega), one of his students, they have an inappropriate assignation in the back of Carlos’ car. But the affair doesn’t end there. More about death than sex, the film builds to an intense climax that for some viewers will be shattering.

Seed Money provides a nostalgic portrait of Falcon Studios’ Chuck Holmes, his success and legacy, through

interviews, photographs and clips, including some brief, explicit ones.

Holmes created a type—masculine, athletic and “squeaky clean piggy”— that generated millions of fans and many millions of dollars used to support HRC campaigns. The film is preceded by Todd Verow and Charles Lum’s sexy, evocative short Been Too Long at the Fair, in which a wistful Lum recounts in voiceover his memories of a gay adult movie theater in Queens, New York, while frisky sex is seen on-screen.

Antonio da Silva’s fantastic short

films are sex-drenched, and viewers might be drenched as well after watching them. Cariocas features hard-bodies and hookups that occur around an outdoor gym in Brazil; Mates depicts a series of internet dates in an erotic collage; Bankers chronicles the naughty shenanigans that take place in a men’s room in London’s financial district; and Pix is a kaleidoscope of sexy screen images. The pièce de resistance, however, is Spunk, a two-part short that features more cocks than viewers can possibly count, celebrating the beauty

and sexuality of amateur porn.

Finally, there’s a fantastic doc by Mexican eroticist Julián Hernández in the International Men shorts program.

Contrary to its suggestive title, Young Man at the Bar Masturbating with Rage and Nerve is a portrait of Christhian Rodríguez, a gorgeous gay dancer who also works as an escort. He talks candidly about his life, embracing his sexuality and sensuality, dance, working out and sex. It’s a striking portrait of a sexy guy that’s sure to get viewers hot and bothered. —G.M.K. JULY 22, 2015

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do something that was more traditional Lypsinka with a deconstruction of Joan Crawford. So, yes, as the show goes along, it gets faster and crazier. It has a really shocking ending, which I’m very proud of. I won’t give it away.

LB: In this extremely PC time, one never knows how to refer to someone who toys with gender in their real life or as a performer. What is your preferred term to describe yourself, and why?

L: Well, you know Bunny that I’m not crazy about the term ‘drag queen,’ and I’ll tell you why. I think it’s fine that other people want to call themselves a drag queen, but those performers, all throughout their performance they remind the audience they are a man in a dress. That is not that I do. I see Lypsinka or my Joan Crawford as a real woman, the way Barry Humphries sees Dame Edna as a real female character, not necessarily a man in a dress. Also, the term ‘drag queen’ has been used disparagingly historically, and in fact one of our own kind, who is a female, once said it with bitter venom directed at me, calling me a drag queen in a moment I will never forget. And I think for a lot of people the term connotes a kind of amateurism, and you and I want to be perceived as professionals.

LB: Well, someone used it disparagingly to me last night while I was blowing them.

L: [Laughs] What exactly did he say?

LB: Suck it you fuckin’ drag queen. Suck it right! Remove your teeth, like last time.

L: Well, you once said to me that you can’t cum unless someone calls you a drag queen.

[Laughs] But I’m the opposite of that. I don’t like it. I don’t see anything wrong with ‘actor.’ I’m OK with that. I’m not really crazy about ‘performance artist.’ It’s a little ‘80s; it smacks a little bit of nonprofit, and I have to make a living, so I don’t want to be perceived as a nonprofit. Barry Humphries started out as a surrealist, and really that’s what I do. I guess you could say I’m a surrealist actor.

LB: You do a lot of very eccentric voices—from Carol Channing to Grace Jones to Divine to Sylvester, but we’re not really seeing that much eccentricity in our stars today. There are trainwrecks like Big Ang, who you may know from Mob Wives, but are there any stars of today eccentric enough to one day make it into your repertoire?

L: Hmm, well that’s a good question.

LB: Anyone you watch who’s out there now performing in movies or live albums who

you think, That would work in my act?

L: Well, I guess I can’t really answer you, Bunny, because my friends all accuse me

of living in the past, and I do tend—when I watch television or movies or listen to records—I’m listening to old records and I’m watching old movies. So I don’t really know who is out there, because to be honest I’m not really that crazy about a lot of what’s happening in our current culture. Since I find a lot of it to be dumb, I just don’t watch it. There are still a lot of old movies that I haven’t seen, so I’d rather spend my time watching what is more likely to be good than watching something that is more likely to be not good.

LB: You did things here and there, but you really took a long break and then came back this winter with three different shows running in repertoire, and now you’re back with another and are headed to LA. You’re back in a big way. Is there a difference between audiences that you’re seeing?

L: Well, this may sound like I’m patting myself on the back a little bit, but what I’ve noticed is that audiences are even more responsive, which makes me think these shows I created a while ago were kind of ahead of their time perhaps.

LB: Well, maybe it’s just the dynamic that if you wait long enough anything seems fresh. [Laughs] L: It was nine years between doing shows in New York. I did The Passion of the Crawford in New York in 2005, and I didn’t do a show in New York again until 2014. So it was kind of like a comeback, I guess you could say. Although I never really felt I left; it just took nine years for everything to fall into place, get the money, the venue, the producers, all that. But during that nine years I was performing elsewhere. I wrote a play that had a production. I performed The Passion of the Crawford three times in San Francisco in those nine years, and I performed at the Studio Theater in Washington, D.C., in those nine years. It just wasn’t happening in New York, that was the thing, and that’s where I live.

LB: Well, that’s all I had. It was good talking to you!

L: Goodbye, Bunny. I know you’re busy, and I know you’re traveling a lot, but I hope that we see one another in the flesh, even if it’s just on 7th Avenue.

LB: Knock ‘em dead in L.A.

‘X’ FOR EXTRA FUN G

rowing up in the ‘90s in Lincolnton, N.C., one of my very few thrills was the Cinema 4, which I called every week to ask what was coming on Friday. The tired theater manager, who looked like a cross between Bob Hoskins and Droopy, would sigh and rattle off a very short list of uninspired titles—until one fateful week in 1991, when he stammered the words, Madonna: Truth Or Dare. WHAT. I could not believe that I was seeing a black-and-white documentary art film about Madonna in my barbecued blue-lawed Bible-clutchin’ hometown theater! I remember everything—from the sexy Miramax opening credits to

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the brilliant color “Express Yourself” concert footage to the blow job coffee klatch that really confused me to my utter shock at her gagging at Kevin Costner! Madonna, you are wild!

After that, there was no turning back. I imagined that I was best friends with Sandra Bernhard, all my frocks were Jean-Paul Gautier and Kevin Stea was constantly dancing beautifully behind me. I still imagine all of this stuff. So I’m beyond excited to see this movie for the second time in a theater this summer at Outfest.

Droopy Hoskins, if you read this, please be my date.

LYPSINKA: JEREMY DANIEL

Drew Droege recalls his first time watching Madonna’s Truth or Dare, screening as part of this year’s Legacy Project

Clockwise from top left: The dance floor of Studio 54, Ryan Phillippe, Neve Campbell

5 FILMS

I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE

Bruce LaBruce

Writer, photographer and filmmaker TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL

“For anyone who has seen Tab Hunter’s classically chiseled features and admirable acting chops, or is at least aware of his own campy self-send-ups, this is a must-see.”

A STUDIO REVISITED

After a lengthy disco nap, we return to the era of disco decadence via the extended director’s cut of 54 By Drew Mackie

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ere’s a sentence you probably didn’t expect to hear in 2015—“Hey, want to go see that movie 54? I’ve heard it’s great.” The disco-era period piece came and went from theaters back in 1998—in spite of big name ’90s stars such as Ryan Phillippe, Mike Meyers, Selma Hayek and Neve Campbell—but against all odds it has returned from a 17-year disco nap, and in the form that director Mark Christopher originally intended, with 40 minutes of cut footage restored and the vast majority of studio-mandated reshoots excised.

The director’s cut is now receiving one of the highest tributes Los Angeles can offer—a screening at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on July 16 as part of Outfest.

“I cannot wait to see this movie under the stars—and over the stars,” says Christopher of the screening. “This whole journey has been wonderful and unexpected.”

Those who saw the original, studio cut of 54 should prepare themselves for a much improved version, not to mention a grittier, gayer one. For example, if you were an Entertainment Weekly reader back in the day and you remember a preview article hyping a scene where Phillippe shares a kiss with Breckin Meyer, you probably also remember the disappointment that followed when that scene didn’t appear in the film. Seventeen years later, it’s gratifying to see the guy from I Know What You Did Last Summer finally lock lips with the guy from Clueless.

“This is what is exciting about this whole process, technologically,” says Christopher. “For any little gay kid out there in the middle of nowhere—and that’s what I was; I grew up in rural Iowa—they can go on iTunes and see this movie.”

Christopher seems well aware that had 54 originally been released just a few years later, it might have hit theaters in its unaltered form, with Phillippe’s character, golden boy bartender Shane O’Shea, remaining a sexually adventurous, antiheroic character rather than a blander, straight-washed recreation.

“You have a complex, flawed lead character in a major studio release, and that didn’t test well,” he says, noting that tastes have changed in the intervening years. “Thanks to the dark hour-long drama, however, television has helped me out.”

Christopher’s director’s cut represents not only how he wanted to tell the story but also what Studio 54 was like. “I spoke to as many bartenders and coatcheck girls and busboys as I could, and from that the sexual fluidity came about,” he says. “It was always my idea to do it with the worker bees as a way into the movie. My point of view was that it was more interesting to get into the movie through those kids, but also this bartender—the world’s most famous bartender.”

To his knowledge, this is the first time a movie like 54—not a box office success, not helmed by a household name director— has been given this director’s cut treatment. “And the fact that it’s done so well is just icing on the cake,” he says. “I always wondered why successful films got director’s cuts, because it’s the less successful films that were hurt by the cutting of the studio that deserve them.”

Consider this one, then, a win all-around—for Christopher, for the film’s 54: The stars, for directors with a Director’s Cut singular vision of the work July 16 | 8:30 p.m. they want to make and for Hollywood Forever little gay kids all over who now get a new perspective on Ryan Phillippe.

A SINNER IN MECCA

“Director Parvez Sharma has courted controversy before, but it sounds like this new doc takes his cinematic journey to a whole new level.”

TRANS IDENTITIES

“This program of shorts, featuring both fiction and documentary, including a work by queer pioneer Cheryl Dunye, promises to shed some new light on a complex subject.”

JASON AND SHIRLEY

“I’m totally intrigued by the premise of this experimental feature by Stephen Winter—a fictional imagining of the shooting of Shirley Clarke’s landmark documentary Portrait of Jason.”

BORN IN FLAMES

“I haven’t seen this film since it came out in 1983, so I’m really thrilled to see Outfest is bringing it back.

It’s important to be reminded of the ultra-leftist, feminist roots of queer activism. Fight the Gay Patriarchy!”

JULY 22, 2015

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A QUEER LEGEND HONORED John Cameron Mitchell opens up about his early L.A. days, Broadway’s renewed love for Hedwig and the intense fan encounters that result from crafting an LGBT icon

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he Outfest Achievement Award, given out each year, is considered the LGBT film festival’s highest honor, and in the past has been bestowed upon such greats as Gus Van Sant, Bill Condon and John Waters. This year’s goes to John Cameron Mitchell—a writer, actor and director known for exploding social constructs on-camera in projects like Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) and Shortbus (2006), and having brought to life the queer movement’s rock ‘n’ roll talisman in the former.

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Presented in recognition of Mitchell’s significant contributions to LGBT film, the award will be presented prior to the festival’s opening night gala screening on July 9 at Downtown’s Orpheum Theatre.

Frontiers caught up with Mitchell to discuss the honor after a weekend for the record books—the United States Supreme Court had just brought marriage equality to all 50 states, and New York City thereafter enjoyed one of its most festive Pride celebrations in history.

HARRIS: GETTY IMAGES; DIGGS: SEBASTIAN MADER; MITCHELL: JOAN MARCUS

By Stephan Horbelt

Hedwig three ways (clockwise from top left): Neil Patrick Harris, who portrayed the internationally ignored songstress for five months last year; Taye Diggs, who takes over July 22; John Cameron Mitchell, who returned to the role for three months earlier this year

D HARRIS: GETTY IMAGES; DIGGS: SEBASTIAN MADER; MITCHELL: JOAN MARCUS

FRONTIERS: Tell me about your Pride weekend!

JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL: It was really nice. I DJ’d at a big party Saturday

night, and it was kind of a more mainstream party, so I was a little nervous. I play a very eclectic set, as I was trained to in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but nowadays music tends to be pretty formulaic at these gay clubs.

But we got some rock ‘n’ roll going, and I got 1,500 people slow dancing.

FRONTIERS: Wow. JCM: It went well, yeah. We do, like, a junior high school set—that’s our style. My DJs, we all do a party called Mattachine here.

FRONTIERS: I was just going to ask if it was Mattachine. I attended a couple years ago when you brought it to L.A., Downtown at La Cita.

JCM: Yes. That was the same crew. I want to do one of my Mattachine parties while I’m in L.A. for Outfest. We’re trying to find a place we could do it outside, because I’d like to do an afternoon party.

FRONTIERS: Well, on to the matter at hand—congratulations are definitely in order. You’re receiving the Outfest Achievement Award. It’s very well-deserved, so congratulations. And you’re joining a really amazingly talented group of filmmakers, which is awesome.

JCM: Yes. A lot of them are the people who inspired me.

FRONTIERS: So, something that I didn’t know about you before but I discovered while prepping for our talk was that I didn’t know that through the ‘80s and the ‘90s you did a lot of TV work.

JCM: Yeah.

FRONTIERS: You were on The Twilight Zone and MacGyver and Head of the Class and Law & Order. What kind of memories do you have about that time of your life?

JCM: Well, I had moved to LA in ‘86 and had just done an action movie called Band of the Hand. I remember at the time I was openly gay at work, because I didn’t like being told what to do in my personal life, and I also didn’t like to hear homophobic comments amongst the crew. So I just made it clear wherever I worked that I was gay in some subtle way. But I remember after the movie I was like, oh, I guess I have to go in the closet for my career, which certainly was a common thing at the time and even now. But I just didn’t have the energy to do so. [Laughs] So I was working a lot in theater, like L.A. Theatre Center and the Taper, but also paying the bills with guest spots on Head of the Class and such. It was just a way of life. I was living in Mar Vista and Venice and Silver Lake, so it was a very standard actor life. But I remember going in with my “Silence = Death” pin on my backpack, and I always kind of felt like I had to carve out my own space in that weird, closety Hollywood world. Then, at night, I had my relief from the straightened Hollywood world with going out at night in alternative, more queer

venues, and it was fun for a while.

FRONTIERS: Continuing on the TV thread, recently you were so amazing on Girls.

JCM: Thank you.

FRONTIERS: How did you find yourself on the show?

JCM: Oh, I just went to the premiere party and met Lena [Dunham] through Judd Apatow. She loved Hedwig and later in the year she just texted me to see if I wanted to play this part of her editor. I guess the new casting is texting. She was great. She let me rewrite stuff and, because I was quite nervous having not acted for 15 years, my nerves would come out trying to rewrite all my lines. But she was very patient with that and very easygoing and noncontrolling. She was very collaborative, and I really enjoyed her.

FRONTIERS: Speaking of Lena, I’m currently reading her memoir. Do you have any interest in ever writing your own? I imagine you have some pretty amazing stories.

JCM: I feel like my writing is more autobiographical in some ways. When you write a memoir, people’s feelings get hurt because it’s hard to be really honest about people who are alive, you know? [Laughs] I’d rather disguise it and put it into fictional writing. Though I guess, yeah, I hit a certain point in my life, because this year an agent said, Are you interested in doing a memoir? And then someone else from some university wanted to take my papers, my archives. I’m like, what? I don’t really ... God, I’m nearing the end. And who has papers anymore? I was the first generation that put everything on computer. I was using an Apple II in 1981.

FRONTIERS: You have to be over the moon with how well-received the Broadway revival of Hedwig has been.

JCM: Yes. It’s very, very exciting and gratifying to see that the world and Broadway has changed, and we didn’t have to. [Laughs] We’ve adapted the show for today, but it’s still the same show that was way too scary for mainstream audiences 15 years ago. Things have changed. It’s amazing.

FRONTIERS: It has had such an amazing roster of talent in the lead role, some of whom seemed out of left field, which made it even more amazing. What do you think it is about the role of Hedwig that draws interest from such a wide swath of actors?

JCM: It’s just a great role. It’s the hardest role I’ve ever played, and anyone who has ever done it, it’s the hardest role they’ve ever done in terms of using up every part of what they’ve learned physically as well as emotionally. So people who’ve done it say that after doing Hedwig, nothing scares them about any other role, because it’s so consuming.

Revisiting the role this year was very taxing and nerve-wracking at first, but once you’re onstage and in control of a screaming crowd of JULY 22, 2015

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loving people and communicating, getting things, giving things—it’s the best experience I’ve ever had. Theater is one of the only places where things aren’t completely documented, too, so you feel a little bit freer about what you say. It was more like fucked-up stand-up, which is a format I’ve always admired and been scared of in a way. I partially created Hedwig to learn about improvisation and stand-up.

FRONTIERS: How do you look back at the film version of Hedwig now? It’s extremely impressive that it was your directorial debut, and it was such an amazing piece of film. When you look back at it, do you say, yeah, that film is fucking amazing, or does your relationship to it change?

JCM: Oh, it’s just at different times it means different things. It’s just like the way you look back on a relationship and you at times remember the wonderful things; at times you’re like, oh, I wish I had done something differently. But I’m very, very proud of it, and it feels like both [Hedwig musician and lyricist] Stephen Trask and I came out of a purity that wasn’t about trying to sell it or make a living, it was just like, what do we want to see that we’ve never seen, which is I guess a little bit missing today in this digital culture. The idea of selling out is not really a term you hear anymore, meaning I feel like people are instantly trying to brand or sell what they make, which perhaps makes it a little less original and a little less weird, because they’re already thinking about their business plan,

Need a Laugh?

Check out the Festival’s Best Comedies

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certainly in narrative filmmaking. There is more adventure I think in music and some other things.

Hedwig doesn’t feel weird now, but we just combined everything that we love—stand-up and punk rock and drag and Plato, and trying to use what I learned from Broadway and musicals—and something came out of it that really didn’t make any money for a long time, but it allowed us to meet all these wonderful people who we worked with for the rest of our lives. It’s like, everything’s a personal ad, so be careful what you make.

FRONTIERS: Hedwig means so much to so many people. I know personally the film helped me come out when I saw it in college. I think I saw it at the art house cinema four or five times when it was released, and I have a trans friend who tells me Hedwig is what helped him figure out he was trans at a young age. I can’t fathom being the person responsible for that kind of reaction in people. Is it a heavy burden?

JCM: Well, it’s very intense, and I can’t always meet it halfway, because I don’t know them, and I haven’t experienced their work in the same way.

Sometimes I have, and it’s wonderful. You know, I was walking around Pride yesterday, and periodically people would say something positive or want to take a picture, and it was very wonderful that it was all kinds of people, all sexualities and genders.

I just give some love back and try to have a real direct moment. Then you also have to protect yourself; you don’t know all these people. But generally

the people who are into it are cool. I don’t generally attract inappropriate people. I imagine doing a stupid sitcom you get a lot of people interested in you that you don’t like, which is probably much more of a burden. I have a perfect amount of sublebrity. When I meet someone with a Hedwig tattoo I try to give them extra love, of course.

FRONTIERS: Trans issues are really on the forefront right now, and while Hedwig is about the broader notion of finding one’s identity, it’s also one of the first films to touch on the trans experience. How intentional was that?

JCM: What I love is that all kinds of queer people understand that it’s a metaphor rather than a statement. She’s not speaking for any trans community or gay community. It’s really a community of one person called Hedwig, and that’s a lonely place to be. Strangely, a lot of people relate to her who might not have anything in common. It was surprising to me. I think it’s partly because I’m not trying to make a statement. I think the more details you get, the more you believe someone could be true.

The more specific, the more unusual, the more you believe that person could be real.

FRONTIERS: You’ve also touched on the possibility of a Hedwig sequel.

JCM: I think it’s pretty much on indefinite hold, because both Stephen and I have a lot of other projects that are imminent—and also funded—so there’s not really a big plan for it right now. But I’ve done a lot of work on it, so we’ll see.

BAD MOVIE NIGHT

July 17, 9:30 p.m. | REDCAT Frontiers’ own Contributing Editor Drew Droege and fellow comedian Dave Holmes will yet again take the audience on a tour of one (surprise) stinker of a film.

You’re sure to fall over with laughter as the guys comment and talk back to the screen.

RABBIT HOLE: JOJO WHILDEN

Clockwise from top left: Shortbus star Justin Vivian Bond, John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Mitchell directing Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole

SIZE MATTERS

5 FILMS

This year’s shorts programs are stunning and overwhelming, but here’s what grabbed us by the short hairs By Dan Loughry

I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE

Drew Droege

Local funnyman, Frontiers’ Contributing Editor

Queerer Than Fiction

These eight short docs may be the strongest program here, by turns funny, ruminative, inspirational and heartbreaking.

Genea Gaudet’s Elder is a reminiscence of gay love’s awakening between Mormon missionary and Italian communist. Queer Habits follows a gang of NorCal drag queens infiltrating a small town, taking over their bingo hall and bringing together a rural community in the name of charity. And Sarah Feeley’s Raising Ryland, about the struggles and empathy of the parents of a 5-year-old trans child, shows the world true parenting.

SHE’S THE BEST THING IN IT

“One of my very favorite stage actresses, Mary Louise Wilson, gets her own documentary! And the title is the truth!”

Clockwise from top left: Queer Habits, The Little Deputy, Day Drunk Gays: Looking for Football Players, Golden

Boys’ Shorts

Anyone who’s experienced an online hookup gone wrong will spark to Stephen Dunn’s Pop-Up Porno: M4M, though hopefully not to such an extreme. A Chilean fishing village is the backdrop of Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo’s sexy and moving love story San Cristóbal. Trevor Anderson’s The Little Deputy re-imagines the classic Western with a homo twist. And a one-night-stand that will linger in the memory long after it’s over (think Weekend, but shorter) anchors the sensual short of Robert Fiesco’s barbershop-set Tremulo.

Girls’ Shorts

RABBIT HOLE: JOJO WHILDEN

Lesbian thespians of the New York stage—off-off-off-Broadway division—are front and center in Jeremy Hersh’s Actresses.

Ryan Logan sends up both psychologists and the rampant cliché of fast-moving Sapphic move-ins when a couple shows up for The First Session 10 minutes after meeting. Angel Kristi Williams’ Charlotte is a sensitive portrait of the budding attraction between young suburban black women. And is there anything comic Tig Notaro can’t do? She’s a standout amongst the amazing cast of Transparent, and as the writer-director-star of Clown Service—about a post-breakup depressive employing a clown to cheer herself up—Notaro’s dry delivery and unflinching honesty add up to a near-surrealist classic.

International Male

All the Outfest shorts programs have a global reach, but here the international flavor is concentrated. Julian Hernadez’s Young Man Masturbating at the Bar, With Rage and Nerve documents the steely reserve of a Mazatlan hustler/dancer who—I have to say it!—works hard for the money (to support his art, of course). A more somber and measured feature, Coming Home is the timetested tale of young lovers, this time in Taiwan, struggling with

“This man was a huge star, made whoopee with Divine in two different movies and is still sexy in his 80s!

Hand it over!”

SISTERS OF THE PLAGUE

“OK, best title ever. New Orleans lesbian ghosts? In.” NASTY BABY

misunderstanding and a mother’s prickly love. And the microshort Golden, from Germany’s Kai Stanicke, tells the life story of a boy born with golden skin, a social outcast who—in under three minutes—takes us on a familiar journey of acceptance.

Funny Bone

If brevity really is the soul of wit, these compact comedies should certainly tickle you. Yen Tan’s Outfit rips a page from the headlines when a conservative politician is, literally and amusingly, haunted by a very colorful ensemble calling into question his family values and sexuality (not to mention taste). Pipe Dream, from Yudho Aditya, takes the adolescent male fear of not quite measuring up to its logical conclusion with the help of the protagonist’s befuddled and inappropriate gay dads. Day Drunk Gays: Looking for Football Players, from George Bambers, and Day Drunk Gays: Beardist, from Benjamin Simons, offer up a group of queens throwing down about the NFL, the current fetish of hairy men and the lunacy of language police in our era of political correctness.

That they’re presented by Scruff is no small irony, yet the writing’s so dead-on one can only hope the word “beardist” enters the cultural lexicon (as well as “muff-punt,” when two gay men get cock-blocked by a cheerleader)

ADDICTED TO FRESNO

DOCUMENTARY NOW!

What more do you need to know than this one stars Natasha Lyonne, Judy Greer and Aubrey Plaza? In this dark comedy, a sex addict (Greer) leaves rehab and becomes a hotel housekeeper with her sister (Lyonne). We can’t wait.

This is a sneak peek at IFC’s new genre-bending series with an episode called “Sandy Passage,” a Grey Gardens sendup starring Bill Hader and Fred Armisen. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with special guests.

July 17, 7 p.m. | DGA

TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL

July 18, 7 p.m. | DGA

“Kristen Wiig and Sebastián Silva are both wickedly hilarious. There will be nothing more perfect than the two of them together. Approved!”

THE BEAVER TRILOGY

“I can’t begin to describe this journey into madness, local celebrity and Olivia Newton John. And Sean Penn gives his first performance, only to be replaced by Crispin Glover.”

FOURTH MAN OUT July 11, 4 p.m. | DGA

Just like his buddies, Adam likes beer, sports and belching, but unlike his buddies, he’s gay. In this hilarious comedy, we see what happens when Adam’s buddies decide to help him find a boyfriend. Parker Young and Chord Overstreet star.

JULY 22, 2015

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Tangerine’s Mya Taylor (left) and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez; with James Ransone (right); filmmaker Sean Baker (below right)

5 FILMS

I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE

Jack Plotnic

Actor and director of last year’s Space Station 76 THOSE PEOPLE “It’s brilliantly shot and acted, and it made me want to be a spoiled Manhattan 20-something, get drunk, learn a life lesson and grow from the experience.”

YOU’RE KILLING ME “Unique, twisted, horrifying … and funny! L.A. is ground central for the types of people this movie is skewering (literally and figuratively), so I can’t wait to hear the reactions of shock and glee!”

BAD MOVIE NIGHT “It doesn’t matter what film they pick. It will stink, and you will laugh as hard at comments from the brilliant Drew Droege and Dave Holmes as you will at the atrocious monstrosity they are screening.”

DO I SOUND GAY? “When I was young and would get called ‘ma’am’ on the phone, I used to stammer, ‘I’m not a woman.’ Now I just go with it. Hopefully this doc will clear things up for me.”

PARTING GLANCES “This movie rocked my world when I came across it as a kid. Not only did I finally get to see a film with real-life gay characters that weren’t psychopaths or punchlines, but it was an honest-to-god brilliant movie. Plus, what a delight to remember what a cutey-pie Steve Buscemi once was.”

TRANSCENDENCE

Outfest answers that age-old question, What’s the T?

Black is Blue

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2015 IS THE YEAR OF TR ANS. With admirable role models like Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox and Candis Cayne featured prominently on magazine covers and starring in hit TV series, the transgender community is beginning to experience the level

of mainstream acceptance their counterparts have been enjoying for decades. In support, this year’s Outfest offers a selection of films that both celebrate and explore the struggles of our trans brethren.

Many of this year’s entries focus on

T?

A TALE OF SEX & DONUTS

Tangerine, an unflinching take on trans life along Santa Monica Boulevard, hits theaters just in time for Outfest’s most buzzed-about panel By Gary M. Kramer

F

ew films this year are likely to resonate with L.A.’s LGBT filmgoers like Sean Baker’s Tangerine. On the most surface level, that’s because Angelenos are taken on a fast-paced journey of their own backyard. The entirety of the film’s plot—two transgender prostitutes, the fresh out of jail Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor), hunt for Sin-Dee’s cheating pimp boyfriend—takes place along Santa Monica Boulevard, with scenes inside such recognizable local landmarks as West Hollywood’s Hamburger Mary’s, the Donut Time on Highland Avenue and El Gran Burrito near Vermont.

Movie buffs will watch Tangerine in awe after hearing that the entire film was shot on iPhones with added anamorphic lenses. Baker says it was a decision based on multiple factors—the phones were less intimidating to first-time actors, and they also allowed the crew to shoot clandestinely—and it results in the film’s grainy, cinema verité vibe.

Perhaps most commendable about the film is its completely honest take on its characters, who live life unapologetically despite struggling to make ends meet. Hollywood and the pop culture it spawns may be pleasantly overwhelmed with trans portrayals at the moment—leading some to use the word “revolution” and other insiders to express skepticism—but nowhere else will you find such raw representation of a very real slice of life.

While the film itself won’t be a part of this year’s Outfest (it actually opens in theaters on July 10), breakout star Taylor will be participating in the festival’s SAG-AFRTA Transgender Hollywood Panel on July 18 at the DGA alongside Transparent’s Alexandra Billings, D’Lo, Ian Harvie and moderator Nick Adams of GLAAD. In time for the panel and the film’s release, Frontiers caught up with Taylor and Baker to discuss Tangerine and what went into the making of this year’s brightest LGBT offering.

Sean, you tend to make films about marginalized, struggling and disenfranchised characters. Why

contemporary trans individuals, such as Tchindas, a trans native of the tiny Cape Verdean island, whose preparations for Carnival are documented in Marc Serena’s Tchindas (screening July 15). It’s a rare glimpse into a fairy tale world of trans inclusion and acceptance. Over on another island, Cary Cronenwett’s Peace of Mind (screening July 18) centers on the death of trans activist Flo McGarrell, who was killed in an earthquake while shooting a film in Haiti. Cronenwett juxtaposes footage shot for the feature with past collaborations for a balanced mix of

do these kinds of stories appeal to you?

SEAN BAKER: I try to stay away from being too self-

analytical. In all four of my films, I dealt with subject matter I didn’t know about. I think that those were small cultures I was interested in exploring. Each project began a different way and led to what it became. With Tangerine, it was a street corner in L.A. that was infamous as a chaotic red light district. I had just explored sex work in my previous film, Starlet. I think I’m doing a trilogy. It was pure curiosity that led me there. The collaboration of befriending and getting the trust of the people from that world is how the stories were developed.

Mya, how did you get involved in the film and come to trust Sean Baker?

MYA TAYLOR: I was at the LGBT center at McCadden and Santa Monica. Sean was walking around and asking people about the area, and they were being mean to him. He came over to talk to me, and I started telling him everything I knew about the area, and he loved my personality. He wanted to turn it into a story. I didn’t have a reason not to trust him.

Sean, you shot the film entirely on an iPhone. What can you say about that decision and that process?

It certainly adds an immediacy to the film.

BAKER: It began as a budgetary constraint, and it became more than that. At first it was because we didn’t have the money to shoot with other equipment. We said we were going to embrace this and exploit the benefits from shooting on the phone, and suddenly the benefits revealed themselves to us. I knew we could be more clandestine, but I was much more mobile; the camera moves became more fluid. The most important thing was that these first-time actors had their inhibitions stripped away. Mya and Kiki were never intimidated by the “camera.”

How much of the film was improvised?

BAKER: For the girls’ dialogue, improvisation was

emotionalism and documentation.

Closer to home, Hillevi Loven’s Deep Run (screening July 18), executive produced by Susan Sarandon, paints a portrait of trans life in rural North Carolina, experienced through the eyes of 17-year-old Spazz, who is transitioning into a man named Cole. The documentary’s candid humor explores the dichotomy between Cole’s Christian beliefs and the bigotry he faces daily.

Another doc based in America, From This Day Forward (screening July 11) looks at director Sharon Shattuck’s father as he transitions into Trisha, and

encouraged. Chris Bergoch [the film’s co-writer] and I recorded every interview we did. We used the interviews as a guide for the dialogue. I gave the characters the script and told them, if you don’t like it, put it into your words, and that’s what they did. They sometimes said the script, or they came to the table with their own wording.

The only time we couldn’t deviate from the script was during the Armenian dialogue, because I don’t know Armenian.

Mya, what input did you have with your character?

TAYLOR: Basically the only thing that changed was

the language. We brought our own personality into it. Everything else was Sean. I wanted the story to be as real as possible.

What can you say about the way films and the media have changed with regard to portraying and presenting transgender characters in the past year?

TAYLOR: Why are Alexandra and Sin-Dee in the streets? They are trans. They don’t have family; they’ve been shunned away. That’s my story, Mya Taylor’s. It happened to me. It’s been six years since I’ve spoken to my family. I applied to 186 jobs but didn’t get one. I didn’t want to turn to selling my body. Santa Monica and Highland is full of trans girls and gay guys who are forced to go out and sell drugs or sell ass. You have to use what you got to get what you want.

One of the film’s characters, Dinah, sees some of what Sin-Dee and Alexandra do as sad. How do you see the characters and their situations?

TAYLOR: Before I started this movie, I told Sean not to make it sad but to make it raw and real and funny and exciting. The story is sad as fuck. I don’t like a theater full of crying people. I’ve had a sad life; to keep myself going you have to be fun. I made Alexandra like myself. I wanted it to be happy. If you’re having a hard life, you have to make yourself happy. Life isn’t easy.

his wife Marcia who chooses to remain with her spouse.

Rigoberto Perezcano’s Carmin Tropical (screening July 14) follows Mabel, a trans chanteuse who returns to her hometown to unravel the mystery behind her best friend’s murder. More light-hearted is Maureen Bradley’s Two 4 One (screening July 12), which tells the tale of ex-lovers Adam, a trans man, and Miriam, who plan to have a baby together using artificial insemination.

But when their roll in the sheets results in a double pregnancy, Adam is faced with both upcoming motherhood and

gender confirmation surgery.

Delving deeper into the past, Toshio Matsumoto’s iconic Funeral Parade of Roses (screening July 18), presented as part of Outfest’s Legacy Project, explores the world of trans women in the Tokyo underground of the ‘60s by intercutting documentarystyle interviews with an avant-garde production of Oedipus Rex. The film’s themes of struggle and celebration are also present in Trans Indentities (screening July 15), a series of shorts focusing on the harsh realities facing trans individuals. —Mike Ciriaco JULY 22, 2015

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A BURNING S

What goes on in gay encampments of the annual desert dreamscape called Burning Man? That depends on what you’re looking for and whom you ask

By Patrick Rosenquist

T

AARON LOGAN

he first time Hank Green went to Burning Man eight years ago, he brought along his friend. Jake, slightly older than Hank, had been part of the original crest of dance festivals that sprung up in the UK during the early ‘80s. An active participant in the rowdy Stonehenge Free Festival, which was shut down by police in 1984, and a veteran of UK’s rave culture, Jake wasn’t expecting to see anything new. As Hank remembers it, on the way to the festival his friend was blasé about the experience.

“I think he had a ‘been there, done that’ attitude,” says Green, 41. After setting up camp on the outskirts of Black Rock City— the event’s temporary town, about six hours northeast of San Francisco—the two decided to wander through the hemicircle of camps, sculptures and amusements. Green and his friend hoofed around for only a few minutes before Jake had to take a moment to breathe. He sat down and looked up at Green.

“Hank,” he says, “I take back what I said. This is overwhelming. I’m blown away.”

You’ve probably had “Burner” friends tell you a similar story, usually ending it with, “Unless you’ve been there, it’s hard to describe the experience.”

Well, what do you find at Burning Man—the much-storied, often-celebrated, sometimes maligned weeklong excursion into “radical self-reliance”? You find story-tall Tetris games built and operated with fire (you’ll find a lot of fire, actually), men wearing shirts with no pants (or nothing at all), theme days involving tutus, a gargantuan amount of revelers howling at sunset, parties, trees made of animal bone, drugs, political lectures on taxes and dust—plumes and plumes of dust.

I’ve had friends—both Burning Man newbies and veterans—tell me about their escapades. Sometimes it’s enthralling; sometimes it’s like listening to someone pick apart their weird dream. Stories always come with a “you had to be there” bumper, which seems like both an apology and an invitation. I’ve been to parties in the desert, and I’ve been dragged to a few regional Burning Man after-parties (the community hosts “Decompression” gatherings around the world to help Burners ease back into real life), but I’ve never really delved into what makes the yearly event so special.

Burning Man has been around for nearly three decades, tracing its roots to a gathering on Baker Beach in San Francisco.

In 1986, Larry Harvey and 20 friends set an eight-foot-tall wooden man ablaze to commemorate the summer solstice.

This continued for a few years, with taller effigies being burned, until it combined with a community of artists looking to create a free-wheeling camp in the Nevada desert.

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Northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is infamous for its harsh environment. Hot springs dot the landscape, a brittle ghost town sits on the area’s edge and the ancient lakebed—coated in hard clay soil—has been the site of two world land speed records.

Getting to the site of Burning Man was always taxing, but anyone willing to brave the elements was welcomed with no exceptions. Starting in the mid-’90s after obtaining a Bureau of Land Management permit, the event began to charge $35 for participants.

(It now costs $390, though some tickets are set aside for low-income Burners at a discounted price.)

Each year the event grew, and each gathering—always from the last Sunday in August to the first in September—had a theme that artists and revelers were free to interpret through their installations, behavior and wardrobe. In 2002, the FAA approved Black Rock City’s temporary airport, and the event doubled in size from 25,000 to nearly 50,000. Last year’s gathering, themed “Caravansary,” drew 70,000 people from all over the world. This year’s gathering—running Aug. 30 to Sept. 7—is expected to draw an even bigger group.

The theme is “Carnival of Mirrors.”

Willam Belli, 33, went to Burning Man for the first time last August. The former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant and singer (you know him from the parody “This Boy is a Bottom” among numerous others) admits he was “not the deepest person out there,” jokingly adding, “I’m like a kiddie pool. But Burning Man had a huge impact on me. It made me choose joy every day.”

Describing the Playa—the area of open space the circular encampment surrounds—Belli says, “It’s like God made an amusement park, and everyone is having a good time. You have to really put effort into going there, so there’s not a lot of people who are thinking, ‘Oh, great, my friend dragged me here. I wanna go home.’”

Belli also got the chance to perform, though he admits he has “absolutely no idea” how that was arranged; still, he loved the vibe and energy of the audience.

Belli also tried MDMA for the first time at Burning Man, which was “gifted” to him by other participants. (Gifting is an important aspect of the Burner community, and there is zero expectation for something in return when something is given away.) “I also topped, which is super rare for me,” he adds. Burning Man is, indeed, a land of experimentation.

Burning Man has a strong gay influence, and as Green puts it, “The backbone of the event has a strong queer presence.” Burning Man is divided into villages, comprised of camps, some of which can reach hundreds of members in size. While Green helps organize the camp “I Need a Cocktail,” which was originally started by two

JULY 22, 2015

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RAINBOW: CARIE CAMACHO; SEMI-TRUCKS: JESSE WAGSTAFF; DRAGON: EKABHISHEK; UMBRELLAS: TUDOR HULUBEI

RAINBOW: CARIE CAMACHO; SEMI-TRUCKS: JESSE WAGSTAFF; DRAGON: EKABHISHEK; UMBRELLAS: TUDOR HULUBEI

food service and beverage veterans and is mostly comprised of Australians (“Don’t ask me why that is,” he says), he is also part of the “Bloasis Village,” an amalgamation of different camps and former villages that is predominantly gay.

As Green describes the history of Bloasis—Blowpop camp combined with Rainblo, which then added the members of Barren Oasis, which settled on a new name before changing it—it reminds me of following the history of merging law firms, or cliques at summer camp. The trippy effect, I can only presume, is intentional.

Most gay camps are situated between streets 7:30 and 8:30—the hemicircle’s radial pathways are named after positions on a clock—and as Green points out, while the physical closeness of these disparate camps makes the gay Burning Man experience more interesting, after a while, “It feels like a gay ghetto.”

“Most people assume that all that’s happening in the gay part of Black Rock City is sex,” he says, “and that starts to get annoying.”

To combat this, a group of Bay Area-based gay artists created a Mutant Vehicle—cars radically changed to make an aesthetic or social point while they roll around the city— the shape of a giant sheep. The group named itself Big-Ass Amazingly Awesome Homosexual Sheep, or BAAAHS. The intention was to make the gay experience mobile, to show the rest of the city what gay Burners were up to, and to look damn cool on top of a giant, roving, bus-sized sheep.

BAAAHS has taken its car elsewhere, and the Burner community exists well beyond the week before Labor Day. It’s a network with the same radically inclusive and welcoming attitude as the event itself, and as Belli points out, “If I land in a city and don’t know anyone, there’s always a Burner in town willing to help.”

The community also organizes mini-events, such as the Los Angeles Decompression Party, held at State Historic Park a month or so after the main draw. These gatherings happen year-round, and are as far-flung as Israel and Europe.

It seems much of the Burner community, however, comes from the Bay Area—and is not immune to the changing social and economic makeup of hometown San Francisco. As the tech crowd—a longtime component of Burning Man—becomes more awash in money, the nature of the event has been altered.

“The Technorati will throw money at a problem instead of fixing it,” says Green. “They observe more than participate.”

The explosion of media attention has also drawn those looking to simply party, too. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but the proportion of participants to partiers has shifted,” says Green. In fact, Burning Man’s level of attention has prompted comment from government officials—and has become a sticking point for those looking to discredit the much-maligned Bureau of Land Management.

Just this month, Sen. Harry Reid lambasted the $1 million budget Bureau of Land Managment rangers requested to police the event. The rangers asked for flushing toilets, laundry machines and, strangely enough, all-day access to a soft serve machine. Instead of mocking the event, though, Reid doubled-down on the spirit of Burning Man—and asked the rangers to join in.

“Part of Burning Man’s philosophy is self-reliance, and living with the elements is part of the experience,” Reid said in a statement.

Burning Man’s reputation has drawn some unlikely attendees, too, including those as unlikely as Grover Norquist, who wrote about his experience last year for The Guardian.

“Burning Man is like Petra, the lost city in Jordan, which I found more impressive than its advance billing or reputation,” he wrote. Norquist, the anti-tax advocate and conservative icon, held a political debate with a few other Burners.

So, if you want to head out to Black Rock City yourself, what’s the best advice for a Burning Man virgin?

“Participate,” says Belli.

“It’s no fun if you sit around. You should walk and interact,” says Green.

Everyone at Burning Man is expected to add something to the experience. Finding out what that is—that’s up to you.

7

Things to Experience in Black Rock City

You’re going to Burning Man for the very first time come Aug. 30, but what the hell do you do? Aside from preparing for a week in the desert (there’s a very thorough guide at survival.burningman.org), once you’re on the Playa, the amount of stuff grabbing your attention can be overwhelming. Here are some can’t-miss activities.

VISIT THE TEMPLE, AND LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND. The Temple, like the Man, is set on fire every year. Take a moment to check out the large structure, stay for a moment and leave something to add to the blaze.

WEAR A TUTU ON TUESDAY. Why? Why the hell not? Some days in Black Rock City have themes, and Tutu Tuesday is one of the goofiest.

DO A NAKED BAR CRAWL. If you like being drunk and naked, then this one’s a no-brainer. Organized every year, the event is beloved by participants and draws a large crowd.

VISIT COMFORT & JOY CAMP FOR A SUNRISE DANCE PARTY. Comfort & Joy is one of the more well-known gay camps populating Black Rock City, and its sunrise parties are legendary.

GO ON AN ART TOUR. There’s a lot of art to take in during Burning Man. Media Mecca hosts a guided tour, so you can take in the biggest installations featured that year.

CHECK OUT THE GAY PRIDE PARADE. Yes, Black Rock City has an annual gay Pride parade. See who’s walking and maybe join in yourself.

WANDER AND TRY SOMETHING NEW. You’re spending a week in a city of nearly 70,000 revelers.

There’s an abundance of things to see, people to meet and experiences to enjoy. Relax, be yourself and take in everything you can.

JULY 22, 2015

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HELL-B FOR THE STAGE

Former Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears unleashes pent-up theatrics for a summer run of Bent at Los Angeles’ Mark Taper Forum ake Shears devotees hungry for new work by the singer should consider this a formal announcement: He will premiere a song on July 26, though not as a single and not for any future album. Audiences in Los Angeles will be the only ones to hear it.

“It’s a little bit contemporary, a little bit Kurt Weill meets Jake Shears. You can hear my touch on it, but it’s very Weimar,” Shears says of the new composition.

“And it’s got a little Liza in it. That’s never a bad thing.”

The song will debut with director Moisés Kaufman’s stage production of Bent, about the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany. The Mark Sherman-penned play, the title of which takes its name from a European slang term for homosexuals, debuted back in 1979, starring Ian McKellan in its original West End production and Richard Gere on Broadway. This new revival will run at Downtown’s Mark Taper Forum, July 15 through Aug. 23.

Shears makes his theatrical debut as Greta, a drag queen character who sings the play’s sole musical number, “Streets of Berlin.” Bent’s script offers only lyrics; the song itself allows for interpretation, and so Shears will be tapping into the flair that made him a star as frontman to the pop-infused rock band Scissor Sisters.

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JD URBAN

-BENT JULY 22, 2015

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like this,” he says. “And then you end up putting yourself in their shoes, and that’s an intense place to be.”

He’s also pleased that he can partake in this adventure from his homebase of Los Angeles. Shears, who currently lives in Los Feliz, moved here from New York two years ago.

He describes his new life here as quiet, but in a positive way; Los Angeles affords him a level of personal space he says he didn’t have elsewhere. Shears is apparently wellsuited for the city, because he loves driving—primo time for listening to whole albums, he says—and has begun surfing and seeks out other activities that take advantage of the fact that nature is never too far away in L.A. (“My dog is happier since we moved here,” he says.)

L.A. life has also allowed Shears time to write a host of new songs, though he’s not yet sure to what end.

“I don’t think the Scissors are going to be doing anything anytime soon, so it might be a solo record,” he says, noting that he doesn’t necessarily want to go that route. He notes that a few of the new songs have become favorites, and he’d like to share them one day, somehow. “I actually like very little of what I write, but I now have a handful of songs that I love, that are just super cool,” he says. “The desire to make an album might eventually override the fact that I don’t actually want a solo record,” he laughingly says.

Shears is also collaborating with Sir Elton John in writing the rock legend’s second musical, the details of which he can’t divulge aside from calling it simply “killer.”

Earlier this year, Shears performed a solo show in Australia. He refers to the one-off event as an “experiment,” but a successful one. He played some of his newest compositions, some Scissor Sisters standards, some Bowie, some Elton and some Hedwig, along with a nine-piece band.

He called the set “a blast” and promises it won’t be the last one he does. (And, yes, this writer advised him that a fair number of fans would be keen on a similar show here in Los Angeles.)

For now, though, Bent is scratching this performer’s itch. “I really want to be onstage, but that is the nice thing about this show—I get to be onstage and sing eight times a week until the end of the summer.”

Shears hopes fans walk away from Bent with enough to promote thought, introspection and growth.

“It’s a powerful show. You can’t help but to be changed by it,” Shears says. “There aren’t very many things out there—movies or theater or music—that can make you feel so intensely, that are actually challenging to your soul.

This is a fucking heavy show. I think it will be amazing to move people every night.”

JD URBAN; REHEARSAL SHOTS: CRAIG SCHWARTZ

experience with theatricality, but he hasn’t acted in a dramatic play since high school. He was motivated to challenge himself after being tempted by the chance to perform onstage again.

“I miss being onstage a lot,” he says. “Also, I’ve never done drag before. I mean, I was Frank-N-Furter for a Halloween show with the band, but that’s the extent of it.”

After being approached about the part, Shears took the role not in spite of it being outside his comfort zone but specifically because it was. “There have been moments of panic,” he admits, “and I’m sure there will be more. When you’re with a director like Moisés and these amazing actors, you can’t really pretend like you know what you’re doing.

But everyone has been amazing and just super supportive.”

He’s not necessarily trying to become ‘Jake Shears, singer-actor,’ however. Some singers have transitioned well to the world of acting—he names as favorites Dolly Parton’s filmography and David Bowie’s mindfuck of a role in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me—and the 1997 vilm version of Bent had Mick Jagger playing the role of Greta, though Shears hasn’t seen it as he’s waiting until his own Greta debuts. He says a more primary driving force behind his participation in this project was his 86-year-old father.

“My dad was born in 1928. I look at him and strive to make it so that when I am 86 years old, I can look back at my life and have it be as cool and as diverse and as wild as his has been. He comes from a very different place than I do as far as what he’s interested in—flying planes, racing cars, breeding racehorses, building fishing boats out of scrap metal—but he’s always followed his heart,” Shears says. “With whatever he’s wanted to do, he’s found a way to do it. He’s led these multiple lives.

To me, that’s inspiring. There are so many things I want to do. Being in a rock band is just one of them.”

That this opportunity for professional and artistic diversification happened to be Bent just made it all the more meaningful for Shears. As he sees it, the play is especially timely following the Supreme Court’s June 26 ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.

“As gays and lesbians and queer people, we can forget,” Shears said. “When we heard about the SCOTUS decision, the whole cast met and Moisés told us, ‘We are standing on other people’s shoulders. There are so many who came before us, who are long dead and who suffered greatly for us to get where we are now.’ And I think that Bent really embodies that thought.”

Shears says he wants audiences to feel this aspect of the play on a deeply personal level. “At first you can’t help but realize that those who came before us are actually just

A Peek Inside Bent’s First Rehearsal (Clockwise from top left) Wyatt Fenner, Jake Shears, Matthew Carlson, Andy Mientus and Brionne Davis; Fenner with Shears; Jonathan B. Wright, Hugo Armstrong and Ray Baker; Andy Mientus and Tom Berklund; Bent director Moisés Kaufman

DAVID ROEMER

JD URBAN; REHEARSAL SHOTS: CRAIG SCHWARTZ

“

WITH WHATEVER MY DAD HAS WANTED TO DO, HE’S FOUND A WAY TO DO IT. HE’S LED THESE MULTIPLE LIVES. TO ME, THAT’S INSPIRING. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I WANT TO DO. BEING IN A ROCK BAND IS JUST ONE OF THEM.

”

JULY 22, 2015

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It’s Hard to Say Goodbye

After decades of serving L.A.’s LGBT community, Jewel’s Catch One is closing its doors, but not without one last dance

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BY DOMINIC PRESTON

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Jewel 1 The bar sets up for Madonna's Music launch party in 2000 2 Guy Ritchie, then married to Madge, shows off his guns inside the party, with Madonna close behind him 3 Jewel with trans author and activist Janet Mock at the 2014 White House Pride reception 4 Jewel (left) and her partner, Rue (right), with Hillary Clinton in 1991, when Jewel was a board member of APLA and Clinton came for a visit during a campaign stop for Bill 5 Jenifer Lewis performs to celebrate Catch One's 40th anniversary in 2013 6 Jewel's wedding to Rue

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n the face of dwindling crowds after more than four decades serving the LGBTs of Los Angeles, Jewel Thais-Williams has decided to close her bar, Catch One Nichtclub—one of the country’s first black discos—and sell the building. As the city’s first and last black-owned gay club, the “Last Dance” on Saturday, July 18, marks the end of an era. But it’s also the final bite in a slice of local history, as the club was not only a vital meeting place for L.A.’s black LGBT community throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s but a popular haunt of music’s elite, including the Queen of Disco herself, Sylvester, and Madonna, who famously used the space to release her 2000 album Music to the masses.

West Hollywood clubs both contributed to Catch One’s success and were the reason for its eventual decline in popularity. As the LA Times says, partying at the Catch “was an act of defiance by black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the face of clubs in West Hollywood where they felt unwanted because of their race”; but once WeHo saw the advent of black club nights, which carried the prestige of their swankier venues, Thais-Williams’ bar underwent a drought.

“People in general don’t have appreciation anymore for their own institutions,” Thais-Williams told The Times earlier this year. “All we want is something that’s shiny because our attention span is only going to last for one season, and then you want to go somewhere else. The younger kids went to school and associated with both the straight people and nonblacks, so they feel free to go to those spots. The whole gay scene as it relates to nightclubs has changed—a lot.”

Despite the imminent closing of Jewel's Catch One, the bar’s namesake, now 76, hopes it will leave with a bang rather than a whimper. Advance tickets for Jewel’s Last Dance are currently for sale on the nightclub’s website, including a VIP velvet rope reception hosted

by Bonnie Pointer of the Pointer Sisters, with live performances and DJ sets throughout the late-night party.

The event will also feature the very first screening of footage from a new documentary about the club currently in production, and footage from this closing party is expected to make it into the final film. Attendees are encouraged to make donations toward the film’s production costs, or to the Village Health Foundation, the medical center next door founded by Thais-Williams that she will continue to run after the club closes.

“I felt, and others have said, it’s an institution,” Thais-Williams says. “It was ours, but it’s time to move on.”

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THE WORLD OF BILLY MASTERS

From left: Donald Trump, Derek Jacobi with Sir Ian McKellen, Magic Mike XXL’s Adam Rodriguez, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sir Elton John

A PRIDE SEASON RECAP, ELTON’S KNIGHTLY APOLOGY, TRUMP STEPS IN IT BIG TIME

CNN is Confused London also celebrated gay Pride the weekend of June 27. While NYC got thespians Derek Jacobi and Sir Ian McKellen as their grand marshals (promoting their show, Vicious), London’s parade included ISIS—at least, according to CNN. The international broadcast of the news network interrupted programming to feature a report from Lucy Pawle, who said she saw the ISIS flag being brandished amidst the revelers. While showing her exclusive video footage, she expressed shock that nobody else seemed to notice the flag, and patted herself on the back for having a scoop. She probably should have reached a bit lower—to her backside. The flag she showed did not have Arabic lettering; it actually featured drawings of assorted butt plugs and dildos! I betcha Anderson Cooper or Don Lemon would never have made such a mistake.

Such Language!

Sir Elton John recently used some colorful language at the Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester, England.

During his concert, the stewards (what the British call ushers) were running up and down the aisles enforcing a rule that forbids people from waving their hands in the air.

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“You fucking stewards, who do you think you are?” he said. Then Elton pointed out one poor female usher: “This is my fucking concert, who are you? Especially you with the fucking blonde ponytail. You are a fucking cunt.” Initially, the audience was completely on Elton’s side. But as luck would have it, the camera operator then showed the girl burst into tears and run up the aisle. That’s when Sir Elton realized that perhaps he may have catapulted over the line. He then called the girl down to the stage, apologized to her, and let her share his piano bench. “No one should ever talk to a lady like that,” he proclaimed. We’ll show you all the dramatic footage on my site.

Adios, Trump!

Donald Trump is certainly known for being judgmental, and last week he sure stepped in it. While formally announcing his candidacy for president, he spoke disparagingly about one of our neighbors: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They are bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

Needless to say, this did not go over well. When asked by ABC News if he regrets his comments, Trump said, “Not at all. I said it about people from all over. I didn’t say it about Mexico. ... I said from people all over.” Except, of course, he did—and on live TV—which is where he’s being hardest hit.

Univision has cut all ties with the Miss Universe pageant system, saying, “We will not be airing the Miss USA pageant on July 12 or working on any other projects tied to the Trump Organization.” Trump fired back with a lawsuit trying to pressure the network to air the pageant. He also issued a strongly worded letter banning all Univision employees from his golf course (adjacent to the network’s Miami office) and ordered work be stopped on a gate being

constructed between the two properties. In other words, Trump thinks his is bigger than theirs.

Ask Billy: Stripped Down for Cancer Our question comes from Jasper in New York City: “Who is Adam Rodriguez? You mentioned that he was on the Magic Mike float at L.A. Pride, but I have no idea who he is. Was he in the first movie? Is he hot? Can you share anything about him?”

As it happens, Adam Rodriguez is a neighbor of yours, Jasper. He was born in Yonkers. He’s of Puerto Rican and Cuban ancestry, which means two things: 1) He’s really hot and 2) He won’t be voting for Donald Trump. You probably know him as Eric Delko on CSI: Miami. And, yes, he played Tito in the first Magic Mike flick.

Showing off his considerable assets, he stripped down for the Cosmo UK issue supporting cancer research. In promoting his pictorial, the magazine claimed, “EVEN MORE Adam Rodriguez than you’ll see in Magic Mike XXL”. Rodriguez explains why he posed for the magazine: “Health problems don’t discriminate on age—young men and women need to pay attention to that. It’s your body; don’t be afraid of it. Check yourself out, and if something doesn’t feel right, go an get a doctor’s opinion.”

You can check Adam out on my site.

When Cosmo is more titillating than Magic Mike XXL, it’s definitely time to end yet another column. Of course, the hottest stories (and photos) can always be found at BillyMasters.com, the site that is known for setting off fireworks. I’m always available for your questions. Dash off a note to Billy@BillyMasters.com, and I promise to get back to you before we discover that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is really God (or, at the very least, knows God personally). Until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible.

PHOTO CREDIT TK

What Great Timing I think God may be gay. For many years, I’ve been involved in various gay Pride festivals around the country where rain was predicted. Then, as if a sign from the Lord above, the rains would stop just in time for the festivities. For weeks we’ve been waiting for the Supreme Court of the United States to rule on the legality of same-sex marriage. And when did it come down? Friday, June 26—two days before the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and on the eve of Gay Pride in San Francisco and New York City. Timing is everything.

QUEERSAY

BY GOSSIP GAY

NAILED IT

W

e’re here! We’re queer! And now we’re all getting married! Yes, with that historic 5-to-4 vote, the Supreme Court has granted us LGBTQIA-ers first-class citizenship. And despite the fact that yours truly is most likely relegated to “forever a bridesmaid, never a bride” status, the June 26 decision couldn’t have put me in a more celebratory mood.

So I did what I always do to celebrate good times: I stumbled out of my regularly scheduled Sunday brunch at PUMP, drunk as a skunk per usual, and sauntered down Santa Monica Boulevard into my favorite full-service nail salon—because nothing says self-care like a good nail filing!

Given the velvet rope treatment of a true VIP, I was sashayed to the front of the line and immediately seated in my favorite massage chair.

All was right with the world as a lovely phalange artist huffed and buffed and scrubbed my cuticles down ... until a certain someone was seated next to me.

Now, I could handle sharing my manicure space with just about anyone—a former fling, a washed-up Logo reality star, that annoying celebrity cat with a grumpy face. But seated to my left was none other than the most offputting of things to ever grace the human race—a 7-year-old child. Only in Los Angeles do hetero moms feel the need to take their pre-prepubescent daughters out for an afternoon mani/pedi.

I did my best to ignore the straight-bred offspring by pouring my attention into Caitlyn Jenner’s cover story, but it was no use—this girl would not be ignored. Like a young moth to a queer flame, she engaged me with the most cliché of conversations, showing me pictures of her cat on her iPhone 6 and querying if I liked the new Selena Gomez song. I tried to be polite—truly, I did—but after a 10-minute monologue about the recent exploits of Dora the Explorer, I simply had to ask the little girl, “Excuse me, but why are you here?!”

This is where my nail outing takes a turn from the queerly catty to the tear-jerking, because the story she told me truly warmed the cockles of my cold, dead heart. As the young girl explained, she is a first-grader in a conservative, private Christian school in Beverly Hills. After learning of the marriage equality ruling, she knew the following Monday would be chock-full of intense and opposing opinions. Apparently even children— especially those raised by Republican, Fox News-watching parents—have strong ideas of what constitutes basic human rights.

That said, she wanted to “show her support” for the “gay people she loves” by having her nails painted in a ROYGBIV rainbow. On her left hand, she wanted “=LOVE” written; on the right, “4ALL!” As the little girl explained to me, “People should wear their pride, not just talk about it.”

Yes, I could have used this column to rant and rave about all y’all who got a little messy following the court’s decision, throwing back a few too many in celebration of the historic ruling. But instead I wanted to use this column to introduce you to an amazingly wise-beyond-her-years girl who is speaking up and speaking out via the cutest of rainbow cuticles. As she so eloquently taught me, equality means many things to many people; but once it is given, we should celebrate it with every fiber of our fashionable beings!

For more Gossip Gay, go to FrontiersMedia.com. Drop me your dirty little secrets at QueerSay@hotmail.com, and don’t worry, I never give up my deep throat!

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JULY 22, 2015

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PALM SPRINGS

EMBRACE THE UNDERGROUND The desert’s most unique night out—a themed, wandering supperclub—is a culinary experience combined with theatrical production By Lydia Siriprakorn

D

on’t settle for a boring night out when PS Underground takes the classic concept of dinner and a show and gives it a new twist every time. No two events are alike when Michael Fietsam and his partner, chef David Horgen, are in charge. The creative masterminds behind the unique dining experience like to keep guests in suspense until the last possible minute. “All of the PS Underground events are at surprise locations; the guests find out where it is at midnight the night before,” says Fietsam.

The element of surprise is really what it’s all about—and an amazing multi-course meal, of course. PS Underground is a wandering supper club in and around Palm Springs. Like most buzzworthy underground food events, it all started in Fietsam’s and Horgen’s home. “We started with 14 close friends attending a six-course dinner that was thrown in a vacation rental home we rented for the night from a Craigslist ad,” Fietsam says. “It was an artist bungalow in the Cathedral City Cove. After the meal, everyone tossed in a donation to cover the cost of dinner. That was our humble beginning.”

In the true spirit of adventure, guests should come to PS Underground ready to make new friends and try new dishes. Each event is themed, whether it’s a beer-themed dinner party or a recreation of the last dinner on the Titanic.

“There’s a very diverse mix of people at our events, which adds to the fun of it all,” says Fietsam. “The dynamic is never the same each time. When you get a mix of people who have never met around a table for a dinner event, half the fun is getting to know your tablemates. You never know who you’re going to meet. We’ve seen friendships, business contacts and more develop during the events.”

Although the word is getting out about PS Underground, the duo’s events maintain a high level of mystique. Since their inception in 2013,

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the dinners—which are as much a theater production as a culinary experience—have evolved into a “must-do” for locals and out-of-towners alike.

One of PS Underground’s most talked-about events was Light, for which Fietsam and Horgen asked guests to wear all white and featured a contortionist waitstaff, a light show and live music. “We wanted to create an event where we could play with the elements of food, music and lighting to create an ambience that would change throughout the evening,” Fietsam says. “Usually in ways the guests weren’t expecting at all.”

Unlike most of the events, which run only one night or two, Light was a staple for the season and ran from November to May. “Light was a stationary event running every Friday and Saturday night in season,” he says. “This made it easier for out-of-town vacationers to attend a PS Underground event they would otherwise not get to.” That show is currently on break for the summer but will return in the fall.

But don’t wait to join the fun. PS Underground hosts events all summer long, with its next event, Velvet, scheduled for July 10 and 11. Tickets run $119 and include an appetizer reception, five-course meal, plenty of time to mix and mingle, and all sorts of surprises along the way. After that, PS Underground has plenty more intriguing ideas up its sleeve, but don’t expect any spoilers.

“We are planning some surprises for the upcoming season,” Fietsam says, “but it’s top secret. Anyone interested will have to watch the website.”

Upcoming events are announced the day after the previous one, so keep an eye out on July 12 for news of a brand-new PS Underground event. And because this supper club is members only, guests will have to register for a free membership ahead of time. Don’t worry—joining is easy; it’s waiting in suspense that’s the hardest part.

Fri. | July 17 AMY AND FREDDY Copa Nightclub

Even after 20 years of performing together, Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen’s cabaret/comedy show never fails to amuse and delight.

Through July 18, shows at 8 p.m. coparoomps.com Wed. | July 22 MICHAEL HOLMES TRIO Purple Room

Sat. | July 11 FIGHT CLUB Camelot Theatre

“The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club.” Catch director David Fincher’s 1999 cult film starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton at 8 p.m., part of the Camelot’s Blockbuster Movie film series. camelottheatres.com

Swing to the music of the Rat Pack era every Wednesday night, with shows at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. purpleroompalmsprings.com Sat. | July 25 AMERICA Aqua Caliente Casino

“Sister Golden Hair” will lead you down “Ventura Highway” to “A Horse With No Name” as the ‘70s rock group plays the hits, starting at 8 p.m. hotwatercasino.com

Mon. | July 13 CHARITY BINGO Georgie’s Alibi Azul

Fri. | July 31 FULL MOON CELEBRATION Ace Hotel and Swim Club

It’s O-69 for B-I-N-G-O, raising money for local charities, every Monday night. Get there B-4 7 p.m. or you’ll B-2 late for the night’s first game. alibiazul.com

Dancers, fortune tellers and even a drum circle are all part of the hotel’s monthly celebration honoring the full moon. The (free) fun starts at 7 p.m. acehotel.com

GREASE IS THE WORD SLICK BACK YOUR HAIR or put on a poodle skirt (or, hey, do both) and head to Desert AIDS Project’s annual sock hop on Saturday, July 25, as Mid-Summer Dance Party gets underway with a 1950s theme.

Featuring DJs Femme A and All Night Shoes, as well as go-go dancers, the evening features entertainment by drag queens Jazmyn SimoneEchelon and Ethylina Canne, determined to show you what the ‘50s could have been like. The fun starts at 8 p.m. at the Palm Springs Pavilion, right next to the city pool in Sunrise Park.

“When we visited the Palm Springs Pavilion as a possible new venue for the Mid-Summer Dance Party, it’s a large auditorium that reminded us of a high school gym,” says JP Allen, DAP’s fundraising events manager.

“A Grease and sock-hop theme came immediately to mind, because we knew our attendees would help us put a brand-new spin on the 1950s.”

Find more info and purchase tickets at desertaidsproject.org.

JULY 22, 2015

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JULY 22, 2015

103

GAYDAR

PUT A RING ON IT We think all weddings are pretty gay, but which elements of the traditional ceremony should we carry over the threshold?

STANDARD PROCEDURE

AS DATED AS A DOWRY

PRE-NUP REQUIRED

GAY AS A CANAPÉ

DEARLY BELOVED

You ‘ll walk down the aisle with Father but you’re coming back up the aisle with Daddy

Your niece will be thrilled to act as flower girl

If at first you don’t succed, try 7 more times

Save room for some very expensive cake

Did someone say “bachelor party”?

Two rings to rule them all

We don’t need more floral-based decision making in our lives I now pronounce you legal in all 50 states

Who are you wearing?

You may now kiss your husband.

No tongue. Don’t be tacky.

Nothing says ‘celebrate our love’ like popping bottles

We are the grease that lubes the wheels of commerce

Stress of the big day got you down? Just drink your juice, Shelby

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Make every day a honeymoon

Your family will make a spectale of themselves— count on it

‘TIL DEATH DO US PART

JULY 23, 2014

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