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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Contributing Writers:
Alexander Rodriguez
Billy Francesca
Kevin Perry
Michael Westman
Paco Ojeda
Stan Jenson
Cover Model:
Garrett Clayton
Photography:
Annie Jeeves / Cinematic Red
Our September cover feature is actor Garrett Clayton, who speaks exclusively with GED Magazine about his emotional coming out, marriage, and continued activism for the LGBTQ community. Also featured this month we have a spotlight on DEV, who is headlining the upcoming Pride Under the Pines this October. If you don’t know who she is, read our exclusive interview and plan to attend this year’s pride event in Idyllwild.
We also welcome back Mike Thompson to the helm of the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert. AND we are very excited to introduce to you a new monthly column with Billy Francesca - Advice from an Idiot. Yes, you can get advice from Billy on most any topic, with responses published here. Email theadviceidiot@gmail.com!
The GED Magazine Team is committed to bringing you the best in LGBTQ entertainment, nightlife, travel, and lifestyles, and GED continues to bring you new events and new excitement. DRAGaritaville Bingo at Margaritaville Resort has been extended through the end of the year, so visit GEDmag.com for dates, tickets, and other events.
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By Alexander Rodriguez
Photo by Landa Plenty
Landa Plenty is aptly named, there’s plenty to look at! A self-made drag queen, she has a special talent for making her own signature outfits, keeping any kind of crowd going, and has a devotion to philanthropy. Hailing from Boston, she made a home for herself in San Diego and Los Angeles, dominating the scene under her brand House of Plenty. Club events, Prides, Out at the Fairs, she’s done them all. After spending a good chunk of time in So Cal, she is being released back into the wild as her day job calls, that of serving the friendly skies. If you don’t stow that bag away properly on your next flight, you might just get a serving of sass from Ms. Landa herself. She is as colorful as her drag beginnings, born from art and theatre.
What was your first exposure to drag?
My very first exposure to drag was while I was in college. Before then I didn’t know much about drag queens other than seeing RuPaul in music videos and the cross-dressers on the talk show Maury or Jerry Springer. I was a resident assistant at Bridgewater State College and a couple of other RAs and I began to develop the Gay and Lesbian Alliance in our school since there wasn’t one. One of the ways to create buzz was to do a drag show. I volunteered to perform, and I had a fellow friend find our outfits at Burlington Coat Factory. Add some pedestrian makeup and water balloon boobs! Went out and performed with other very amateur drag queens and kings and that was the beginning of drag for me!
What made you decide to go professional?
Years later, I was performing a production of Romeo and Juliet at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University when I was asked if I had ever done drag. I said I did a year prior and auditioned to be part of the next production at A.R.T. This show was called Island of Slaves. When I auditioned, I was up for the drag queen role which I ended up getting. Also cast was Juju Bee of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Fena Barbitall, Raquel Blake, and Mohogoney Brown. I was joining these queens who were hand selected from their amazing drag art in the Boston Night Drag scene. Here is where the name Landa Plenty was created. This name was given by A.R.T resident actress Karen MacDonald.
What was doing Island of Slaves like?
It was a dream. As an up-and-coming Equity Union Actor, to have A.R.T on your resume was highly sought after. Not only did the queens
take me under their wing and guide me, but the production team also made sure I had all the tools I needed to be successful as an actor portraying a drag character. I’ve gained so much from drag artistry from being a huge character on a world-renowned stage.
Favorite part about doing drag?
My transformation. I do transform and with every added brush stroke of makeup I become more Landa Plenty. I have a big personality out of drag but getting into drag creates a barrier where I am unbreakable. You can’t come for this mug! Now my outfits, that could get better! [Laughs]
Least favorite part about doing drag?
My feet! How wearing heels hurts SO MUCH! I have feet issues and when I wear heels too long my feet are out of commission for days. So, I cheat a lot and wear outfits that are bell bottoms and wear sneakers!
You balance life as an airline steward and a drag queen, how does that work?
First, we are called Flight Attendants in 2023. Lol, stewards are for those who have been doing it for 40+ years. We call them the Senior Mamas and Papas. At first, I was doing both. I was performing in San Diego not only drag but hosting The Sea Lion and Otter Show at Sea World San Diego. On top of that, I was hosting the summer events for Out At The Fair, traveling to different state and county fairs in a couple of different states. Then I needed to slow down. I quickly learned that flying takes a toll on your body. I made a decision to cut some gigs. Meanwhile, I met someone, and we hit it off right away. So, to balance a new relationship, a new job, and keep doing what I love to do, I had to make some hard decisions. I ended up getting engaged and moving to LA which means I put my wigs up for a while until I figured out this new direction in life.
You are known for making your own amazing outfits out of everything! Is it fair that some popular queens get away with paying other people to make all of their outfits?
Absolutely! If you have the coins for it, do it. There are so many amazing designers out there that make us look
stunning. I wish I had the coins to support others in their art. In this day in age, we must support each other. I have a friend who comes out with a makeup palette, I buy it. I have a friend who can make the same thing I can, I buy it. I’m all about supporting each other because at one time or another, I’m sure that designer came to my show and gave me coins for my artistry. I am currently taking any kind of donation to the House of Plenty Wardrobe Foundation. Venmo @HouseOfPlenty.
Craziest drag story?
Back when I first started, I would go to nightclubs to help promote Island of Slaves. I would be surrounded by very prominent drag queens of that time and became friends. This grew my interest to perform for financial gain at these said nightclubs. I would get gigs left and right due to who I knew and how great of a performer I was. It wasn’t until a gaggle of older queens, with jealousy towards me, threatened my life if I didn’t stop and move out of their way. This was around 2007, when I decided that was not worth my life and I stopped doing it until I moved to Orlando in 2010.
Your strangest hobby or talent?
Not strange but I love to knit! I created a scarf design and have been making and selling them for years.
You have performed drag shows in very conservative atmospheres. Haven’t you been afraid to perform at such places? Why is it so important?
I have performed in many different venues and even private homes. Never have I felt afraid in spaces I was invited to. I’ve hosted an event auctioning off men to go on dates with women, including football players, to a senior citizen home drag show. I am aware of my surroundings and can read a room very well. If I ever felt uncomfortable, I would remove myself.
Do you think drag has become too commercial?
No. I am glad that drag is now visible to the whole world. No longer does it need to be underground. However, I wish everyone would respect everyone’s version of drag. Drag is Art. No two artists are the same unless they are copying one another.
What is the best way we can support the drag community?
Go to your local drag shows and tip the local drag queens and kings! Get involved within your community, there is at least one drag queen/king there putting themselves in the front lines for the whole community. Donate, donate, donate!
What is your coming out story?
My coming out story isn’t a great one. I was lost during my high school days and didn’t really know what gay was. I just knew I liked boys in a different way. I noticed I was hanging
out with mostly girls at one point. Once I was able to get a computer, I would look up what these feelings were. I found a group called BAGLY in Boston and attended some informative sessions about my sexuality and then that’s where I learn more about the community and how I was part of it and didn’t know it. I then came out to my mom, which didn’t fan out too well in a Christian household. Yet, I believed in myself and my heart and started the LGBT club in high school my senior year. I then went off to college where I grew into more of a comfortable queer man and helping others find their path to their greatest potential.
Favorite non-profit?
I don’t have a favorite because I think it’s important to support what you can when you can. However, the last organization I raised money for was The Breast Cancer Foundation. Through work at Delta Air Lines, I raised approximately 11K in 1 month. At Delta we go all out in October and raise millions for the organization, and I am glad I was able to contribute for the past several years.
What would the name of your biography be?
I have a couple of ideas. 1. Can I Get A Ding Ding? 2. My Dingalings.
Favorite song to perform to?
My genre of music is all over the place. It’s about the message for me. But if I were to just pick one, I would do musical theatre. It allows me to be extremely animated and funny. I am not a splits and death drop kind of girl so to be able to emote a whole song through facial expression and dance is my favorite.
What is your after-drag ritual?
Releasing the Kraken! To untuck after hours in drag is the best feeling. I get in the shower and wash my whole body with Dawn Dish Soap!
What’s your favorite pickup line?
Well, here I am! What are your other two wishes?
What is your message to the drag community this Pride?
Check in! Check in with yourself. Check in with your friends. Check in with your “family.” We as a community have been mentality abused for decades and it trickles down to us today. Make sure you are getting the mental help that you need. We all need it. You might think you are great until you start speaking with someone and finding all these hidden things about yourself that needed additional healing. It’s okay to not be okay.
You can find Landa Plenty on Instagram @Houseofplenty | SnapChat @Houseofplenty | Facebook @Houseofplenty.
Photo courtesy of DEV
Idyllwild, just a short one-hour drive from Palm Springs, has become home to Pride Under the Pines, one of the newest and most vibrant Prides that have been added to California’s roster of celebrations. In just a couple of years, it has become a destination location celebrating both Palm Springs and Idyllwild residents. This year, in addition to local well-known personalities, singer/songwriter and LGBTQ+ ally Dev will take the stage as this year’s headliner.
Originally known for her collaboration with Far East Movement and The Cataracs for the party hit “Like A G6,” her career has celebrated a number of hits as well as nominations for two Billboard Music Awards, a Brit Award, and two MTV Video Music Awards, with no sign of slowing down.
A Californian native, she was raised in a heavily Latin household. There she would first fall in love with music.
I come from hard-working, fun, loving, party-havin, immigrant families on both my Mexican and Azorean sides, and I feel like their sacrifices and spirit have led me to a life of opportunity that I’m super grateful for. I also love the way stories sound in Spanish and Portuguese, there’s a romantic aspect to it, so I love adding it to my music.
My parents influenced my love for music. They always had music playing in the house and would take me to concerts all growing up. I was also in band and choir all throughout elementary school and high school, so music has always been a big part of my life.
What was that song or artist that ignited that spark to start writing your own music?
So many artists! Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Avril Lavigne, Eminem, Taking Back Sunday, Robyn, Donna Summer, Santigold, Uffie, The Fugees, No Doubt. I could go on forever. [Laughs]
In 2009, a chance posting of one of Dev’s original songs made a splash on MySpace and caught the eye (and ears) of The Cataracts. Dev would leave college to pursue her music career and her first collab with The Cataracts, “2Nite,” would gain exposure on the radio, MTV, and the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart. No doubt social media has evolved from the MySpace days; so too has the music industry, now greatly influenced by social media. What is Dev’s take on social media and the music scene?
Honestly, my music has always been bigger than my social media presence since the very beginning of my career, so my outlook has always been different. I think it’s important, but I don’t think it’s everything. There are positives and negatives to the industry and social media alike… it’s about balance, and being able to separate the pressures, and just have fun.
A year after moving to LA to work in the music scene, a verse from Dev’s single “Booty Bounce” was used in The Cataracts project with The Far East Movement. “Like A G6” was born – an instant hit that keeps the party going till this very day. Dominating the Billboard charts, the radio, and every dance floor, Dev’s career was thrust into the spotlight. Was she prepared for the huge success that came with “Like A G6?”
I wasn’t prepared one bit! [Laughs] I knew it would happen, I’ve always believed in myself, but I couldn’t even afford to buy a hamburger when “G6” blew up, so it was a pleasant surprise. A lot of hustle and arduous work goes into making music and working music and you always hope for something to pop, but that one exploded! I’m grateful to have been a part of it.
Did you feel the pressure to compete with the success of “Like A G6?”
Never ever. I experienced lightning in a bottle. Pure magic. I still get tagged in “G6” memes or people hearing it at festivals or clubs, and I still get calls late at night from friends like “’G6’ is on at the bar!!” I can’t be anything but grateful for that. And that song was not only me but The Cataracs and Far East Movement, so putting pressure on my solo projects in comparison would be unfair. I’m just stoked and hope I can perform it until I’m 80.
Dev’s music has been praised by critics for its futuristic and pulsing nature, electropop with rap roots. With over a decade under her belt, she has had major success as a solo artist as well as with her collaborations with some of the industry’s biggest names. She is as electric on stage as she is on her recordings, and her music is instantly recognizable.
What is your creative process when writing new music?
My producer and I freestyle every session a little differently. It’s all based on how we feel that day or what’s inspiring
Photo courtesy of DEV
us at the moment. Sometimes he has ideas, sometimes I just lay melody ideas for hours until we like something. It’s a super liberating process.
How has the industry changed the most since you started?
I think seeing more artists be in control, and more females and people from the LGBTQIA+ community being celebrated both in front of and behind the scenes creatively. Seeing streaming and viral moments set it off for both new and established artists is cool. It is constantly changing and keeps you on your toes.
How has your music changed the most since you began?
I’ve always played with genre bending and different sounds, whether it be heavy electronic or an all-acoustic song, something with a drumline sound, or bay area bass slap. I love music so much that I’ve never liked the feeling of being tied to a specific rule or sound, so I honestly think it’s the same in that sense. I think I’m a little more confident in the studio, on stage, and within myself, so that has changed. But the bad bitch vibes still run!
You have had many great collabs. What musician has taught you the most while working with them?
Timbaland gave me some awesome advice. Usher did as well. I think working with Stacy Barthe and MNDR was special because I had never really collaborated with many female artists before them, so I loved and cherished their energy.
Another major success Dev has had in the last decade is that of becoming a mother. MTV aired a special that featured Dev and her daughter, showing how she balanced motherhood while maintaining her successful career. Did becoming a mother change her music?
I don’t know if it did sonically. My daughter loves all the bad bitch vibes that I make, she’s super into Ice Spice right now. It did make me want to work hard to be able to show her how to be a strong independent woman who can have her own goals and business and be able to provide for herself. It reignited some bossiness.
“Like A G6” is still a staple in LGBTQ nightlife, evoking nostalgia from the past decade of partying and music while at the same
time garnering a new generation of fans. She is a staunch ally to our community, and, of course, we love a talented diva. We can’t wait to see her perform at Pride Under the Pines.
When did you first realize you had a big LGBTQ following?
At my first Pride performance in NYC in 2009. I felt so much love. Growing up I always loved openly regardless of gender etc, and I don’t think most people know that I really identify with the community. It’s a safe space for me personally and creatively. That first Pride performance really meant a lot to me and they all still do to this day.
What is your message to your LGBTQ fans?
Thank you. I love you. I see you. Keep shining your light and being the baddies that you are! And, I gotchu always.
What can we expect from your performance at Pride Under the Pines?
SO much fun. High energy, love, storytelling, a little kiki moment. I’m so excited to perform for you all. And thank you for having me!
Pride Under the Pines takes place on Saturday, October 7th from noon to 9 pm. Party buses between Palm Springs and Idyllwild will be available. Head to PrideUnderthePines.com for more info.
Photo credit: Annie Jeeves / Cinematic Red
It has been a decade since actor/singer Garret Clayton made a splash with his Disney Channel debut in Teen Beach Movie. In those ten years, this multi-faceted entertainer has challenged himself with a variety of roles on the screen and stage and has become a viral social media phenomenon for his dancing and makeup videos. And though he maintains that boyish look and charm, he has grown into adulthood which includes an emotional coming out, marriage, and continued activism for the LGBTQ community.
Hailing from Michigan, he would live a nomadic life switching schools many times and living in five different states before the age of four, settling back in Michigan and starting to perform in high school shows and studying musical theatre at Oakland University. With a handful of screen credits, his star would start to rise with the Teen Beach Movie and would be followed with high-profile roles in The Fosters, playing adult film actor Brent Corrigan in James Franco’s King Cobra, Link in Hairspray Live!, and a critically acclaimed run at Pasadena Playhouse in God Looked Away with Al Pacino and Judith Light. With the success he was having in entertainment, his private life would soon come into the spotlight as questions about his sexuality started to murmur.
When I first moved from Michigan, I had already been out. I was in a BFA for musical theatre. I was gay, gay, gay, baby! I had a team of people who were very clear – “We either cannot represent you or you will not have opportunities if we don’t do something about you being gay.” Everyone thought that my big secret at the time was that I was gay and really, the biggest secret was that I was in a long-term relationship, and I’ll protect that egg over everything.
Think what you want to think about me, I know where my roots are. I know who my family is. I trust in this relationship I’ve built. The reality of the industry, when I moved here 12 years ago, is that if you were out, you didn’t have as much opportunity, which is still pretty much true today. I’ve seen in real time since coming out, the difference in opportunities. I’m lucky that I have built enough work and enough of a resume to still have opportunities since coming out. But I do see the difference in the opportunities that are given.
I had already “come out” but I just had to put it on pause because I knew that there was no way I was going to have the opportunity to speak about what’s going on if I didn’t have enough of a platform and a voice. Nobody’s going to
listen if I haven’t gotten through somehow. And that’s just the unfortunate reality of the world we live in. If I hadn’t gone through that, I wouldn’t be where I am now. And it sucks that is the path that I saw that life had given me. It was like, I either put up with this bullshit or I don’t do that. I knew that there was no way I was going to get to this point where I am now being able to advocate for the people in the community that I love if I hadn’t gone through that to get here.
In an emotional Instagram post, Garrett came out as gay and as being part of a long-term relationship with his now husband, Blake. The post was inspired by his role in the film Reach, which dealt with issues of bullying and suicide. After experiencing those same issues in his personal life, he decided that in order to be true to the film and to his audience, he had to share all of the reality of his life. He had been in a relationship with Blake even before Teen Beach Movie came out. While we were seeing the happy Garrett singing and dancing, there was the pressure of maintaining a relationship in the dark.
I tried breaking up with him so many times because I thought, ‘you don’t deserve this… I don’t want to ask you to go through this.’ I felt bad and there was a lot of checks and balances and talking about boundaries. And if we’re at this point, what do we want? How do we want to handle it now if we’re at this point?
It did take a toll on me mentally. I went to therapy for a few years to kind of work through that. And I’m very proud of getting to this space and this point in our relationship. Honestly, we are so happy and we’re so in sync with what we want in life together. And I’m just proud of where we are and all of the crap that we had to go through to get to it. But it was absolutely a big, big struggle going through that. There were a lot of times when I would be asking him to come to do something with me. And he’s like, honestly, I’m just not comfortable going to this event or this party and pretending to be your friend. And I was like, yeah, and I don’t blame you for feeling that way. We literally had a very small group of friends that knew about our relationship and everyone else was on the outer circle. So, there were times when I’d be in a room full of people legitimately thinking to myself, no one here really knows me, but there are certain people in this room that I know really do want to be my friend and would be there for me. But I had too many past experiences of trying to let people in and then
Photo credit: Annie Jeeves / Cinematic Red
them using that information against me. It was a very hard balance at that time to really find out who genuinely wants to be my friend or who likes hanging something over it.
His personal coming out happened years earlier when Garrett was in high school. His mom continued to be his rock, the foundation he needed to start his career. His coming out to his father didn’t go as well, although the two have reconnected in the last few years and are in a good place. Shortly after coming out at 16, he would sneak into the clubs, finding his safe space in the gay community.
I’d be doing dance battles. It was so empowering. And I remember just falling in love with the gay community, being able to just on the weekends go and run off and fully be myself. In high school, people vandalized my house, made fake MySpace accounts about what a fag I was, or tried to fight me. It was just relentless. So then on the weekends, I got to go and celebrate existing with all of these other people who just wanted to be happy.
He would get into commercial modeling early on, becoming savvy in the business even at a young age. He instantly fell in love with showbiz.
I guess I came in just seeking joy. I was just always trying to find joy. I was doing three shows every summer in community theater. I was on the Greyhound bus going to auditions and any casting calls that were available. I just wanted to find the fun and everything. And I think that for a minute in my career, I lost that feeling. And since I’ve gotten back to just chasing joy and I’ve never been busier with work. I’ve never been surrounded by so many wonderful people.
In my early career I was told I didn’t walk right, act right, and that I had to do everything a certain way. I was listening to all these other people trying to tell me if I wanted my dream, I had to be different. And none of it was ever valid enough. I couldn’t ever pose enough the right way. I couldn’t ever answer enough the right way. I could never associate with good enough people. And it was always such a struggle trying to reach these unobtainable goals to be something that other people wanted me to be.
But, I have to come to a point in my life where I don’t care if you go away if you don’t like me. I don’t want to be in a space where I’m not wanted or unwelcome. I have to go to a space where we naturally feel good talking and being together and like sharing our hearts and wanting to just be honest and open about who we are. I have good intentions and I want people in my life to feel supported and to feel supported in their success and their joy. My success is your success. And my success is not your failure. And if people are insecure, and that’s something that I really realized was that there were people I loved that anytime something good happened, they had to tear me down. I have had to let all of those relationships go and make room for anybody who sees that there’s enough room for all of us to win. That’s a big phase of my life right now. I want to win and I
Garrett’s come a long way since those early Disney days, but he continues to study his craft and challenge himself. He is a master at whatever he does – from nailing dance moves on TikTok, to stealing the spotlight in musical productions on both the East and West Coasts, to holding his own alongside Al Pacino, to hosting a successful run of A Gay Life podcast with his husband Blake on Spotify, to delivering powerhouse emotional performances on screen. Check out the short film The Letter Men based on the real-life love letters between two men fighting to keep their love alive in the face of war and loss during World War II. Garrett’s performance is spellbinding. Interestingly enough, the number of gay roles Garrett lands has decreased since his coming out.
He is a performer who finds joy in every project he does. In his words, if you aren’t having fun doing it, why do it? His joy literally leaps off the screen in the music video of his latest single, “Barbie Boys.” Boys just wanna have fun, and he certainly is.
Most everyone I know is in love with the Barbie movie! I think a large part of the craze of the film is the nuanced and necessary social commentary they fit into the story. I love it and I’m so glad it’s done as well as it has. It’s well-deserved. The idea for “Barbie Boys” was born from a time when I was kid when I used to play with Barbies and G.I. Joes. My dad would get mad and my grandma would defend me saying, “He seems well-rounded to me. Stop being a jerk!” So I’ve kind of always loved the idea of a Barbie boy… It seems to me that Barbie is a bit beyond gender when it comes to self-expression and having that kind of freedom. There’s also another section in the song that’s inspired by the idea that we can all be friends: “Big city boy and a mountain man / I’ll show you how to shop / Show me that farmers tan” refers to the fact that we can all be friends and learn from one another, no matter how different we might be. Growing up, my straight friends would get a hard time from their other straight friends because people who assumed I was gay would then ask my straight friends if they were… People used the term “no homo” a lot, but it’s kind of annoying. God forbid straight men care about or show any sort of affection for people who might be gay. That’s insane to me. This song’s about freedom of expression, not having to make excuses for those you love in your life, and being able to step into who you are—whether you’re a Barbie Boy or G.I. Joe anything in between. It shouldn’t matter. And it doesn’t matter.
It really is just about the joy and the collaboration of making something that makes us feel good at the end of it. You know, I can make a dramatic movie, but if we’re enjoying the process of what we’re going to create and come out the other end going, we made an honest piece of material and if it makes people feel real visceral emotions, then I’ve just done my job. And that to me is the joy of making this work.
Southern California audiences have seen a lot of Garrett lately. From his parody musicals to pop-ups with The Skivvies at The
Photo credit: Annie Jeeves / Cinematic Red
CABARET: Cabaret opened on Broadway in late 1966 and ran for 1,166 performances – at the time quite a megahit. The show featured music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Joe Masteroff, based on a play by John Van Druten which in turn was based on a semi-autobiographical story by gay icon Christopher Isherwood. On its opening, Joel Grey had fifth billing. A highly successful 1972 film version followed which replaced several of the Broadway songs with new ones such as “Mein Herr,” “Money Makes the World Go Round,” and “Maybe This Time.” Those replacement songs have been used in most subsequent productions. In 1987, the show was revived briefly on Broadway with Grey receiving top billing. The show had several West End productions, the first starring Judi Dench as Sally Bowles! In 1993, Director Sam Mendes directed a significantly re-invented London production featuring Alan Cummings as the Emcee. That production was staged on Broadway in 1998, still featuring Cummings as the highly sexualized host of the Kit Kat Club. For the production being produced this month at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, director/choreographer Josh Rhodes has reconsidered the show’s elements, small and large, to create what has been described as “the most cohesive, well-rounded, fully conceptualized production of this musical … to date.” The Old Globe seems to do no wrong in their productions and they are well worth a drive to San Diego if you live elsewhere. Note, The Coachella Valley Repertory is also staging a new production of Cabaret next spring, and a Broadway revival is planned for 2024. (www.TheOldGlobe.org) 9/1 – 10/8.
OUR DEAR DEAD DRUG LORD: Los Angles’s Center Theatre Group which operates the Ahmanson Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum (currently closed) also helms a wonderful, smaller playhouse in Culver City called the Kirk Douglas Theatre. They use it for some of their edgier works, including this month’s production of Our Dear Dead Drug Lord by Alexis Scheer. Four teenage girls, self-styled apprentices in sorcery, gather in a treehouse and use a Ouija Board to contact deceased narco-terrorist Pablo Escobar. It has been described as “A rollercoaster ride through the dangers of girlhood, and audiences will be left catching their breath.” What starts out as popcorn-chomping
fare ala Buffy the Vampire Slayer soon evolves into darker territory as we learn more about the bonds that unite these teenage girls. The ending is very explosive, stagey, and involves at least two additional actors, but everything I have read about the play specifically avoids details. They all say “You’ve got to see it to find out” – and I will! (www.centertheatregroup.org) Plays through 9/17.
THE RED SUITCASE: The Best Play Winner in the “Del Shores Foundation Writers Search,” The Red Suitcase follows the life of a southerner named Pogue from his unusual birth to the death of his father. The play explores the sometimes-difficult relationship between fathers and sons and the many moments, stories, and characters that build a person and a life. Pogue is led on a journey to unpack his memories that takes him from, “we are the sins of our ancestors” to “we are the hope of our ancestors.” It is a play of family, survival, and finding ourselves in the stories that made us. The Del Shores Foundation has the goal of “Finding and facilitating success for the next generation of southern LGBTQ+ writers.” Shores is directing this production and it stars his long-time collaborator, Emmerson Collins. (https://p3theatre.biz/theredsuitcase/)
Billy Francesca here and I am SO excited to be your “Advice Idiot.” Please don’t use the word “hero,” I’m just like you, only I’m wearing platform heels and a cape.
Got a problem? A queery? A question? Need some help figuring out how to tell, “that special someone” to STOP stealing your potato salad out of the community fridge at work, when you bring lunch into the office? Yes, Thomas, I know you stole it…
See, I have what the French call “Panache!” I don’t know what it means either.
Thanks to my amazing friends at GED Magazine, I get to help all of you, with any and all of your advice questions! So please write in to theadviceidiot@gmail.com and look out for answers in the next publication of GED Magazine!
Love & Cocktails
BF
GED is thrilled to finally have Billy Francesca as a monthly contributing writer!
I first met Billy Francesa “The Original Bearded Ladee” in West Hollywood in 2011. I can’t remember if it was at Fubar or Here Lounge, but it was in some dark corner of a bar for sure! My husband and I were nightlife photographers for many of the bars and clubs around town – as well as for LA Pride over the years. Over this time, we had the privilege of seeing this “ladee” in action – heels, crazy head pieces, and a razor-sharp wit, always in tow. To use the adjective “colorful” to describe Billy is understated.
Billy can be spotted across the southland hosting parties and bringing the signature GLA-MOUR! So, let’s just say this ladee is busy and has seen A LOT over the years – yes, she is still standing - and is poised to answer YOUR questions. So, get your fingers to typing and send in an email, possibly get your question published in GED Magazine, and get some advice from an idiot.
Les Misérables made its Broadway debut 36 years ago. The musical was a smash hit and continues to run in the West End, making it the longest-running musical in England. Since its debut, it has been seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries, 438 cities, and 22 languages. It has also spawned a theatrical release starring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, and a series of filmed mega concerts. As a theatre kid addicted to big anthem musicals, I know the early recordings more than too well.
Les Mis is on tour again, coming to Southern California at the Pantages until September 10th and Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom from the 19th to October 1st. The production has been redirected and overhauled. Gone is the usual roundtable that thrilled audiences in the 80s and gone is the idea of traditional casting. The show has new vigor, new life, and a very diverse cast. This is Les Mis for today’s generation, as in reality, we face a nation torn in political strife. If only singing show tunes in real life was appropriate.
Starring as the leading heroines Fantine and Eponine are Haley Dortch and Christine Heesun Hwang, respectively. To the roles, they bring a fiery passion and youthfulness that is what the
original characters had intended to be. They both identify as part of the queer community, which offers a unique look at the love and loss experienced by their characters. Both sing two of the most popular songs from the show, “I Dreamed A Dream” and “On My Own,” songs that have become part of any theatre singer’s library of showstoppers.
Haley Dortch
Haley Dortch makes her national tour debut with this production. A musical theatre student at the University of Michigan, she auditioned for the show regardless of the fact that she didn’t have an agent or manager, nor was part of the Actor’s Equity. Initially auditioning for the role of Eponine, she landed the role of Fantine.
This is your national tour debut! What are some of the realities you had to get used to right off the bat in touring a musical?
Learning how to take care of my mind and body has been the biggest reality I’ve had to face. This is my first professional job, and my first time being away from home, so it has been a very large adjustment learning the right things to eat and when to rest.
How have you made an iconic character like Fantine all your own?
Making Fantine my own has come to me organically because I have a different lived experience than anyone who has played the role before. Trying to imitate any other actor’s performance benefits no one. Sharing honestly is the best way to find it!
What do you do backstage between your big scene in Act 1 and the end of Act 2?
Funnily enough, I usually eat lunch or dinner. I’m so fortunate to have a half-hour break before I have to be in the ensemble on the barricade!
What is your favorite moment on stage?
The Epilogue! It is so nice to have nearly the entire cast onstage, challenging the audience to join our crusade.
What makes this production different than other Les Mis that we have seen?
Coming back after the pandemic, we learned as artists and audiences what it is like to not experience live theatre. This production of Les Misérables carries this knowledge.
How does being a queer artist play a part in your creative process for Fantine?
Again, because I have a different lived experience as a black, queer woman, naturally the way I portray Fantine is different. The point of view I bring reflects the choices I make as the character.
What is your pre-show ritual?
Warming up for the show and listening to some good music!
What is your after-show ritual?
Eating something sweet like ice cream and having a decompressing, fun evening.
What do you want audiences to walk away with most from your performance?
I want them to see Fantine’s strength in her vulnerability. It would’ve been so much easier for her to give up, but because of her endless love for her daughter she is determined and persistent to carry on and I feel that message can speak to a lot of people.
You can follow Haley on IG: @HaleyDortch
Christine Heesun Hwang
Christine Heesun Hwang is a queer, Korean American playwright and actor based in New York and Seattle. Originally from Iowa, she attended Ithaca College for a BFA in musical theatre before leaving to join the national tour of Miss Saigon as the Kim alternate. As a playwright, she has been a part of Ashland New Plays Festival and Williamstown Theatre Festival. She is an alum of the National YoungArts Foundation and Spotlight Education and encourages continued support and development for all youth arts education programs.
How has being a writer affected your approach to developing the character of Eponine?
Text! Text, text, text. While my beginnings and roots are very much in music, I feel that every time I approach any piece of work I first focus on the text. It is also a blessing that the source material is that good. Victor Hugo was not messing around. [Laughs] Finding my way through the incredible work of Hugo, as well as the thoughtful lyricism of Herbert Kretzmer, has really guided me in creating my own rendition of Eponine.
“On My Own” is an iconic song for sure. How did you approach the song in making it your own but paying homage to what audiences expect from it?
I’m blessed that there have been so many exquisite performances of the role! I’ve had a multitude of versions of Eponine to study and learn from. A lot of paying homage to what audiences expect from the role is paying homage to those who have come before me. Frances Ruffelle, Lea Salonga, even my good friend Emily Bautista... I believe each performer who has played Eponine has made it their own while also paying respect to what they’ve learned from listening to and watching Eponines of the past.
What do you say to critics that say racially diverse casting is making musical theatre too woke?
Those critics are asking the wrong question.
What is your favorite moment on stage?
I love performing “A Heart Full of Love” with my lovely colleagues, Addie Morales and Gregory Lee Rodriguez. When Addie, who plays Cosette, picks me up off the ground after the “Attack on Rue Plumet,” It’s the first time she sees me post-everything! And it’s always a moment I look forward to. I also love “Attack on Rue Plumet” because I love a good fight. [Laughs]
What makes this production different than other Les Mis that we have seen?
Gosh, I could go on for hours about this one. At the heart of it all, this company has a bond and sort of energy that I haven’t experienced often in theatre. There’s such a love within the company that extends so evidently into the work we put on stage. Through our ups and downs, there’s a resilience and commitment towards creating this piece with integrity that makes it an honor to come in and perform the show, eight times a week.
How does being a queer artist play a part in your creative process for Eponine?
Part of me wants to be like -- WHAT ABOUT COSETTE?! She’s WAY cooler than Marius! All jokes aside, I care deeply about performing this well and understand that there may be an assumption about my performance due to my sexual orientation. To that I say, who cares? It’s been the story of my entire life. Whether or not it affects my performance as Eponine, I’m unsure. My queerness is the foundation of who I am as Christine Heesun, the artist, though.
What is your pre-show ritual?
I always eat crazy early. Like 4 PM. For my mental and physical, I tend to go on runs or do some sort of workout throughout the week. I also have a “word of the day” that I center myself on. Then, I take a deep breath, thank my ancestors and all that watch me from above, and do the dang thing.
(Oh, and brushing my teeth, too.)
What is your after-show ritual?
I limit using my voice as much as possible. With long runs like these, combined with constant travel, I found that it’s better to stop talking and rest as soon as I can. I always have a wind-down snack, and usually end the night with a book or some video games. Helps rinse the show off and get me back to being me.
What do you want audiences to walk away with most from your performance?
I hope that they take away what they need to take away from the performance. Whether that means reminiscing their own past loves, their youth, or even the first time they’ve heard Les Mis... I want them to leave with an experience that allowed them to open their heart for three hours alongside my company and me.
You can follow Christine on IG: @chiseoni
For tickets to Les Misérables, head to LesMis.com
By Kevin Perry
Home is more than just a building or a plot of land; it’s a vow. When we make a safe space for our loved ones, we commit to loving them, protecting them, and celebrating their identity. But for our extended queer family, the concept of home can be elusive or even destructive.
Americans spend over $500 billion annually to renovate and repair their abodes, yet many of them fail to embrace the very people who dwell within them. So, what do you do when you find yourself lost and alone?
Answer: get centered.
“For me, the Center is so much less about the physical space and more about the magic that happens in the connection.” These are the heartfelt words of Mike Thompson, CEO and Executive Director of the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert. “When connections are made, community is created, and so isn’t that what we all really want? To be seen, to be valued and to be in a relationship, whether it’s an intimate relationship or community relationship, and so I think that we are a connector.”
Thompson strives to build bridges, no matter how troubled the waters below might be.
“In today’s climate, when so many members of our community are at risk of violence or threats of violence, I think it’s important to look at community beyond zip codes, beyond geographic regions, right into the broader ecosystem that we share.”
It’s an endeavor that has enthralled Thomson ever since he was a young child.
“My adopted mother’s family is Cherokee,” narrates Thompson. “My grandmother, every Labor Day, would take us to the Cherokee national holiday celebration, and I just remember being taken by the music, the food, the pageantry, but also just this celebration of community. And so, I think that’s kind of in my DNA.”
Thompson always had the knack for nurturing, but none of the systems surrounding him seemed sufficient.
“It was like an evolution that was very wrapped up in, tangled up in my own journey as this queer kid from Broken Arrow,
Oklahoma… I did two years of ministry training and I call bullshit on the whole thing.”
Rigid religious structures failed to meet the needs of Thompson’s burgeoning worldview, so he ventured west to forge a sense of belonging.
“When I first came to Palm Springs,” he recounts, “the Center was, you know, this struggling organization that operated in a small space above a smoke shop next to the beauty school.”
But where others saw problems, Thompson envisioned possibilities.
“A community like Palm Springs with its demographics deserved a vibrant, if not flagship, community center. To me it felt like all the ingredients were here. We just needed somebody to facilitate the mixture, to make it happen. Palm Springs is a special place.”
When outlining a program worthy of such a signature city, Thompson dug back to his roots to form a crystalizing philosophy. “There’s this Cherokee word,” he explains, “Digadatseli’iwe belong to one another…I have a responsibility to care for you.”
The sentiment is now an anthem. Thompson translates his passion for compassion to the building that has affectionately become known as The Center.
“Before we moved into this space, when we were just conceptualizing, I had told our architect that I want people to walk into the space and have an experience that they might not even be able to articulate. Every single time I’ve given a tour of this place, people comment about how it feels before they comment about how it looks. That’s not something that you can do in a design; that’s something that’s infused in the space.”
Inclusivity courses through the structure and radiates out to the staff and everyone they serve.
“Nothing is more important than the person standing in front of us. In our lengthy to-do lists, we’ve got to be careful not to be transactional, that we have to center relationships, and that’s Digadatseli’i.”
It’s a big idea that applies to the smallest details, as outlined in the Center’s strategic pillars.
“Ending isolation and loneliness, connecting people to resources and community, enriching our individual and collective experience advocating on behalf of those most marginalizedthis all comes back again to connection, whether it’s folks in the behavioral health clinic connecting to the things that that they need for support, to resources like food through our community food bank. Or you know, some of it is social, like the card groups that meet here.”
Indeed, the Center is a hoot and a half, offering everything from yoga to ukulele lessons. But after serving as its CEO from 2014 to 2021, Thompson had to depart the party.
“I was in Tulsa Oklahoma to be close to my mother.”
But no matter how far he traveled, he was still listening and learning.
“I met a young trans man who said every trans person he knows in the state of Oklahoma was planning their exit strategy. And so that idea of Digadatseli’i, that we have a responsibility in Palm Springs to create a space that can be a beacon for those that are in communities that are under threat, to be a haven for them, a sanctuary for them.”
During his hiatus from the Center, Thomson made it his mission to gain a grand perspective of our fractured family and how to help heal it. “Through my work with CenterLink, I would be in contact with community centers in rural communities or very conservative communities where people were planning an exodus… Our role, I think, is to serve the needs of this immediate community in the best way we can, within the capacity we have. But be mindful that there are others that need us as well that might not share our zip code.”
Now, the 92262 is lucky to have Thompson back at the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, a role he relishes.
“It’s just a privilege to step away from a job that I loved for, you know, very personal reasons, but then to have the opportunity to come back and to come back with fresh eyes and enhanced professional experience that I think can better equip me for the what’s next and then go to work alongside a team of passionate, dedicated people.”
Punctuating his point earnestly, Thompson continues, “It’s humbling, you know it’s humbling.”
Thompson attracts like-minded philanthropists who elevate the work of the Center daily. “We’ve been extremely fortunate to work alongside a number of donors, both large and small, that share this vision of providing support to our community. There are many people that support the Center that might not benefit directly from our programs and services, but they benefit from being a part of the magic.”
Thomson is at the intersection of experience and innovation. He can build from his previous tenure as CEO while simultaneously infusing new energy into all the Center’s initiatives.
“While the job is familiar, it’s still brand-new… What does our community need today? Where do we need to deepen programming? Where do we need to expand programming? Where might marginalized folks need to be centered to be able to better support? We want to make sure that we’re both aspirational and inspirational in our way forward.”
And it’s clear that Thompson’s path leads him squarely back to The Center.
“I feel like this is just an extension of who I am, and so that is just like a life bonus.”
Thank you, Mike Thompson - and welcome back!
Heading to Puerto Vallarta this month? Exciting! Are you going to find all sorts of entertainment options while you are here? Well, it all depends on what you expect and what other seasoned Puerto Vallarta visitors may have told you.
If you have done a bit of research, you probably already know that most of the things you might like to enjoy as an LGBTQ+ tourists, from great dining to live shows and nightlife, are neatly and readily available to you within walking distance for the most part, in a neighborhood called Emiliano Zapata. Here you’ll find a number of bars that offer live entertainment, from drag queen performances to talent competitions to karaokethons. A handful of cabaret-style performance venues feature headliners from Provincetown, New York City and several cruise lines making their rounds in town.
But not this time of year. Most international entertainers are elsewhere. Even some great local bands follow suit and can be found posting Facebook updates from Provincetown, Key West and Ogunquit. You see, this is the hottest time of year and many folks who can’t handle the heat head elsewhere. Including entertainers.
How do the aforementioned venues survive through the summer? By booking local acts. So, if you are open to the idea of enjoying locals doing their thing in Spanish and sometimes in English, you may be pleasantly surprised.
On the other hand, if top names from the New York cabaret stage or former Drag Race finalists are high on your priority list, you may want to reschedule your trip or perhaps open your eyes to other forms of entertainment more suitable for those truly looking to immerse themselves in the cultural fabric of a foreign country. A subtle paradigm shift can make your September vacation absolutely memorable!
Heat and humidity aside—the whole western hemisphere seems to be struggling with it—Puerto Vallarta offers a broad variety of entertainment options starting with mariachi music. Not only is it a genre of music that dates back to the 18th Century, it was born in our state and has been considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO since 2011. But please, don’t check-off mariachi from your wish list because you saw a
couple of musicians making attempting to collect tips on the beach.
A proper mariachi experience has to be a sit-down affair, at a performance venue ot at the very least, a restaurant featuring a full ensemble. There are a handful of such restaurants in town, and the finest bands in the city make their rounds from one restaurant to another, performing live on different days, including Sunday brunch. You will have to leave the comfort of Emiliano Zapata for such adventures, however.
September is Mexico’s Independence Month, with Independence Day celebrated on September 15 in the evening, and then the following day. On those specific days, there are always impressive fireworks displays on the eve of, and then spectacular military and charro parades the following morning—lots of eye candy, if you catch my drift!
Perhaps the best form of entertainment in town this time around is the more mundane; the type of entertainment you can only perceive if you open your senses to it with mindful intention; the type you can enjoy while you are walking out and about taking in the sights and sounds of the city.
As you walk around, you may register the echoing sound of a whistle over and over. That’s the ambulant knife sharpener. And their whistle sounds the same all throughout Mexico. At night, a different whistle dominates. That’s the ambulant corn and tamale vendor, keeping his food warm with a portable wood furnace, its whistle coming alive with steam. Walk past a tortilla making shop and be mesmerized by the intricate machinery that keeps an entire country well fed and talk about another immediately recognizable sound wherever you go. Walk into a mercado and listen to vendors chanting their daily offers. Sit on a bench on the boardwalk and people watch.
Remember: it’s a different country; a different culture; a different way of life. If you take the time to appreciate it, you’ll be thoroughly entertained.
Catch up with Paco Ojeda live Monday - Saturday at 10:30 am local time on his talk show, “Coffee & Headlines,” where he shares headlines and stories for Puerto Vallarta’s local English-speaking community. facebook.com/pacoojedalive
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AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION/MENS
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THE TREVOR PROJECT
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VALLEY COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE
6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave
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760-841-1455 twinpalmsresort.com
VISTA GRANDE RESORT
574 S. Warm Sands Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.322.2404
vistagranderesort.com
CLOTHING & LEATHER
EL TUGGLE
388 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-880-4338 eltuggle.com
GAYMART
305 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.416.6436
GEAR LEATHER & FETISH
650 E Sunny Dunes Rd #1 Palm Springs, CA 92264
760.322.3363
gearleather.com
ROUGH TRADE LEATHER
321 E. Arenas Rd
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.699.7524
roughtradegear.com
GIFTS
DESTINATION PSP
170 North Palm Canyon
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760 354-9154 destinationpsp.com
GREETINGS PALM SPRINGS
301 N Palm Canyon Dr # 102
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760 322-5049
greetingspalmsprings.com
JUST FABULOUS
515 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760 864-1300 bjustfabulous.com
MISCHIEF CARDS & GIFTS
226 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 322-8555 mischiefcardsandgifts.com
PEEPA’S
120 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 318-3553 peepasps.com
PS HOMEBOYS
108 S. Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.318.7388 pshomeboys.com
Q TRADING COMPANY
606 E Sunny Dunes Rd Palm Springs, CA 92264 760-416-7150
HAIR SALONS
CUT BARBER
1109 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 322-2999 cutbarber.com
DADDY’S BARBERSHOP
192 S Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92264 760 537-1311 daddysbarbershop.com
MEN’S GROOMING SPOT
68487 E Palm Canyon Dr Suite 43 Cathedral City, CA 92234 760 992-0028 mensgroomingspot.com
PALM SPRINGS FINE MEN’S SALON
750 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 3 Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.904.0434 psfinemenssalon.com
REALTORS
3 BEARS REALTY
2905 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-699-6175 3bearsrealty.com
PALM SPRINGS HOME TEAM
Conrad Miller (DRE #01973983)
760.464.9559
Brandon Holland (DRE # 01986968)
760.413.1220
Palmspringshometeam.com
RESTAURANTS
1501 UPTOWN GASTROPUB
1501 N Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, 92262 760-507-1644 1501uptown.com
BLACKBOOK
315 E. Arenas Rd Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.832.8497 blackbookbar.com
BOOZEHOUNDS PALM SPRINGS
2080 North Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.656-0067 boozehoundsps.com
EIGHT4NINE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE
849 N Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.8490 eight4nine.com
FARM
6 La Plaza Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.322.2724 farmspalmsprings.com
JOHANNES
196 S. Indian Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.778.0017
johannespalmsprings.com
NICOLINO’S CATHEDRAL CITY
35325 Date Palm Drive, Unit 111, Cathedral City, CA 92234
760-324-041 nicolinos.com
RICK’S DESERT GRILL
1596 North Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.2127 ricksdesertgrill.com
SAMMY’S PLACE
69034 E Palm Canyon Drive Cathedral City, CA 92234
760.770.4030 originalsammysplace.com
SHAME ON THE MOON
69950 Frank Sinatra Dr Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760.324.5515 shameonthemoon.com
SHERMAN’S DELI
401 E Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.325.1199 shermansdeli.com
TRILUSSA
68-718 E Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 92234
760.328.2300
trilussarestaurant.com
TRIO RESTAURANT
707 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA. 92262
760.854.8746 triopalmsprings.com
WILMA & FRIEDA’S
155 S Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.992.5080
wilmafrieda.com
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
DAP HEALTH
1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
760 323-2118
daphealth.org
DESERT CARE NETWORK 760 561-7373 desertcarenetwork.com
DESERT OASIS HEALTHCARE
275 North El Cielo Road Palm Springs, CA 92262 760 325-DOHC (3642) mydohc.com
EISENHOWER HEALTH
39000 Bob Hope Drive Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 760 340-3911 eisenhowerhealth.org
MICHAEL’S HOUSE
1910 S Camino Real Palm Springs, CA 92262 844 768-0633 michaelshouse.com
PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER
4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs, CA 92264
760 416-5718 psanimalshelter.org
PALM SPRINGS FRONT RUNNERS & WALKERS frontrunners.clubexpress.com
STONEWALL GARDENS
2150 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262
760 548-0970
stonewallgardens.com
LGBTQ COMMUNITY CENTER OF THE DESERT 1301 North Palm Canyon Dr, 3rd Floor Palm Springs, CA 92262
760 416-7790
thecentercv.org
Sonoma & beyond...
"Bringing together wine lovers and LGBTQ+ friendly wineries, restaurants, hotels and others for a community experience."
