Hotspots! August 5, 2021 (Issue 3616)

36th Year

Hotspots magazine is published alternate Thursdays (26 issues/year) by WMEG Inc.

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WMEG Inc., is a Community Marketing and Events organization incorporating Hotspots magazine and Happening Out Television Network.

Our mission as a 501 (c)(3) nonprot is to promote South Florida, and especially Wilton Manors, as a welcoming LGBTQ+ destination through marketing and events. WMEG produces about 50 events a year, including the annual Stonewall Pride Parade and Festival in Wilton Manors. Other events include Art Walk on Wilton Drive and Vibes On The Drive. Visit WMEG.org for more info.

WMEG also manages the Sculpture Walk project which is responsible for the installation of sculptures in public spaces in Wilton Manors.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chris Azzopardi | Tom Bonanti Maria Espinal | S. Elfman Mike Jeknavorian | Andreus Quinones CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS J.R. Davis | Dale Stine | Dennis Dean CELEBRITY HOST Shawn Palacious (“Kitty Meow”) LOGISTICS J.R. Davis

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Issue 16 - Aug. 5, 2021 - Aug.18, 2021

O N T H E INSIDE

Cover Cover Model: Chef Arturo Ortiz

Cover photographed by: Dennis Dean dennisdean.com @ dennisdeanimages

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RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars | Feature: Dining Out on a Dime this Summer Feature: Plant-Powered | Feature: How “Fear Street” Became Queer Street Hot Places | Names & Faces: Gabe Salazar Out with Scott / What’s Hot | Scott Holland’s Guide to Events • Feature | Todrick Hall Hot Eats • Pix Page | Task Force • Deep Inside Hollywood Hot Bodies | Your Workouts: The Best Form of Anger Management Pix Page | Alibi Monkey Bar • Hot Advice

MARKETPLACE IN ON PAGE 91

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RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 6 • Episodes 6 & 7

By Scott Holland

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A’keria C. Davenport

Ru comes in and informs the girls that the next All Star needs to be “Bewithching,” and the next maxi challenge will be overacting in the spooky new miniseries: “Rumerican Horror Story: Coven Girls.” It’s a drag race salute to some of the best actresses alive and the undead.

In the workroom, before they film, they get a Zoom visit from American Horror Story Alumni, and Academy Award Nominee, Angela Bassett, who gives them pointers.

Joining Ru, Michele and Ross on the main stage is American Horror Story Alumni Emma Roberts and the category on the runway is “Oh My Goth.”

The winner of this week’s challenge was Sonique and the bottom two are Ra’jah and A’keria. The Lip synch assassin this week was Manilla Luzon, but Sonique won the Lips 28 | HotspotsMagazine.com

Synch battle and sent A’keria home.

It was a pleasure to, once again, sit down with A’keria C. Davenport for this exclusive Hotspots Interview: How has your life changed since you were on Drag race the first time?

It's changed financially, its changed mentally, and I am more recognized in the grocery stores and in the doctor's office…it's been a great uprising for me.

What has been some of your favorite places to visit as a RuPaul Alumni?

Canada was my all-time favorite place to go.

How exciting was it to get called back to All Stars and did you consider not coming back?

I was a little hesitant about going back, because on my first season I didn't understand the fandom and dealing with

the harsh critiques. However, I am very excited that I made the choice to go back.

How did you prepare differently for AllStars than you did the first time you were on Drag Race?

I focused more on mental health then I did with my clothes. On season 11, I was in my head a lot and I wanted to be sure I changed that for All Stars. I wanted my confidence to shine.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

Stayed longer.

What challenge or look on All Stars are you most proud of?

I think the look that I am most proud of is the look with the big flower. To see it come to life was like an orgasm.

You revealed on this season that at one point you were transitioning and then you stopped. Tell me more about that?

At one point I was going through a stage of trying to fill a void of being loved and

accepted. I started to notice the applause for A'keria made me feel loved, so I felt if I kept A'keria all the time I could feel the love 24/7, and that's what made me start down the trans road. I then saw the struggles that the Trans community feels, and it made me think that I wasn't doing this for me, so I had to let it go.

What's ahead for A'keria?

The future is bright for A'keria. The sky is the limit. You will my name in lights, on some music, and many more things.

For more information on A'keria, follow her at Instagram.com

Jan

Ru walks into the work room and tells the queens “that as LGBTQ Americans, if we want things to change, we need to show up and make it happen. Because when the going gets tough, you can always count on a drag queen.” So, for the maxi challenge the girls need to use their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to write and perform a new uplifting drag anthem called “Show Up Queen.” They will record their own lyrics and then as teams they will do their own choreography. Since Sonique was the winner last challenge and Ra'Jah was in the bottom Ru makes them the two captains.

Joining Ru, Michelle and Carson on the main stage is Fashion Designer Zaldi, and the runway category is Hot Tropics.

The winner this week is Trinity K Bonet who won $5,000 and the bottom two are Jan and Pandora. The lip synch assassin this week is Alexis Mateo. Alexis wins the Lip Synch and pulls out Pandora's Lipstick, but then says wait I have more and pulls out Jan's lipstick also and explains it was a tie.

Since it was a tie, Ru says the eliminated queen will be the one Trinity chose and that was Jan, so Jan sashayed away.

Although I was sad to see Jan go, it was a pleasure to, once again, sit down with her for this exclusive Hotspots interview: How has your life changed since you were on Drag race the first time?

You know it's definitely been a crazy year

for all of us, but the biggest way I can measure a change is to finally be able to go and see fans in person, which I did not have the chance to do after season 12 due to Covid.

What has been some of your favorite places to visit as a RuPaul Alumni?

Honestly, I have loved every place that I have gone, but my favorite so far has got to be Boston. I went to college in Boston, and I performed in the bar I used to go to and that's where I saw some girls from Drag Race even before I started doing drag. I'm sure you can imagine how special that was for me.

How exciting was it to get called back to All Stars and did you consider not coming back?

It was awesome, and I had the bug in my air right after I filmed season 12. When I got the call I knew it was an opportunity I was up for. Comparing myself from season 12 to All Stars, I see a change in myself. It was a true honor to be asked back!

How did you prepare differently for AllStars than you did the first time you were on Drag Race?

I just wanted to have more fun this time around, and I absolutely did that. I remember leaving season 12 being down on myself because I thought I could have done better. Leaving All Stars, I was very proud of myself for everything I did.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

No, there is nothing I would have done differently.

What did it feel like to finally win a Maxi Challenge (because in my opinion she won at least one in her season…

MADONNA)?

It felt amazing. Lady Gaga is one of my favorite people on the planet and has been an inspiration to me at a very young age and to be able to play her and win this challenge is worth its weight in gold. It was very awesome!

What challenge or look on All Stars are you most proud of?

I am very proud of the talent show from the first episode. I wrote the song with my best friend, Andrew, and I had so much fun 30 | HotspotsMagazine.com

performing it live.

Tell me about Stephanie's Child?

Stephanie's Child is a singing trio that Rose, Laguna Blue, and I formed 4 years ago. I was judging a talent competition, that I had won the previous cycle, and Rose and Laguna were competing. Rose won, and her request was to create a show and sing with Jan and Laguna and that we should form a trio. We were all on the same page and we are still doing it and haven't looked back since.

What's Ahead for Jan? The future holds more TV, film, and performing live for everyone in clubs. There will also be a lot more music in the future.

For more information on Jan, follow her at Instagram.com/Janjanjan

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Plant-Powered

By S. Elfman Whether for ethical reasons or health reasons, going plant-based has become more popular than ever -- especially in the LGBTQ community.

Here in South Florida, there are many quality places to choose from -- for vegans and non-vegans alike.

Lucky for you readers, I am an obsessive foodie going on three years of veganism and I have ordered from many plant-based menus in the area. Here are just a few local completely vegan spots for vegans and the vegan-curious to explore.

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INIKA FOODS 2410 N. Dixie Highway Wilton Manors instagram.com/inikafoods Keeping things fresh in more ways than one, Inika Foods' menu always offers something new, often changing completely on a daily basis. Given the diversity of the foods offered this is a vegan foodies dream. On any given day, you can choose from Italian, Middle Eastern, Korean, Japanese, Mexican—you name it!

In addition, they offer a beautiful assortment of desserts, including banana-split bowls, rainbow

candy cakes, cookies, muffins and more. I special order an orange creamsicle cake from Inika that even the non-vegans in my life have specifically requested for their birthdays.

PAC PASTRIES 2348 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors instagram.com/pac_pastries Conveniently located on the main drag in Wilton Manors, everything at PAC Pastries is vegan, as well as Gluten-free. They specialize in delicious baked and raw pastries but offer savory items as well. They also have a large coffee and tea menu and offer Delta8 edibles. My favorites are their slutty brownies and vanilla rainbow cake! It is an adorable place certain to woo all of your friends with food allergies!

THE RABBIT HOLE 2659 E Atlantic Blvd, Pompano Beach therabbithole.life The Rabbit Hole specializes in classic American comfort food. Anyone thinking that vegan alternatives can do no justice to this category are in for a pleasant surprise. The platter that reeled me in was their vegan barbecue rib platter called Smoke in the Woods. It has citrus lime marinated BBQ spare ribs, mac and cheese, grilled corn on the cob and garlic Texas toast. They also offer vegan wings, shrimp and grits, burgers and more. On a recent trip, I treated myself to their epic loaded fries. So good your carnivorous friends may rethink their dietary habits. photos @rabbitholelife

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SOBE VEGAN 110 Washington Ave # Cu-3 Miami Beach 401 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Fort Lauderdale • sobev.com Sobe Vegan offers healthier versions of fast-food favorites. We're talking real junk-food staples here with all the taste and no junk to be found.

Burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, milkshakes, fries, mac and cheese. You'll swear it's the real thing. They also note on their menu which items have nuts and which items are Gluten-free. My favorite order is their vegan Queso burger, which is topped with SoBe V cheese sauce, pico de gallo, fresno chili, crispy tortilla, lettuce and SoBe V sauce. For those who insist they also offer incredible salads and bowls.

PARLOUR VEGAN BAKERY 1487 S University Drive, #3, Plantation 415 S. Federal Highway • Boca Raton parlourvegan.com Gave up on finding plant-based desserts that taste how you remembered? Well, vegans with a sweet tooth are in for a treat. Parlour Vegan Bakery first opened in Plantation, and soon opened another location in Boca Raton. I have only been to the Boca location and have enjoyed their sweet and savory options. I found myself in sweet heaven, stuffing my face with their to-die-for chocolate chip dough cookie sandwich. They also offer a variety of cupcakes and donuts and—if you can keep your sights off the sweets—empanadas and baguette sandwiches. Wash it all down with a cashew milk Iced Coffee and call it a day.

THE NEW VEGAN 528 NE 2nd St, Delray Beach • thenewvegan.com When I was just a newbie vegan, I happened upon The New Vegan while exploring Delray Beach and instantly fell in love and have returned a few times. Their tasty vegan fried chicken is made from jackfruit and was my first realization that vegan cuisine did not have to settle sub-par versions of the real thing. Further epiphany came when I experienced their No Cheese Mac N Cheese—who needs dairy when this creamy-cheesy wonder exists? Their Waffle with cashew-milk based ice cream make an amazing desert. The menu also includes Patty Palm Cakes and Palm Toona wraps. Their whole menu is vegan, gluten-free and soy-free. Another ideal place for friends with food allergies.

These are just a few local places. There are many more in the south Florida area to explore. Also, there are many, many omnivorous places that offer fabulous plant-based options on their menus.

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Shooters Waterfront

3033 NE 32nd Ave • Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 • 954.566.2855 shooterswaterfront.com • $$ • Hours: Mon – Thu 11am – 10pm Fri 11am – 12am Sat 10am – 12am Sun 10am - 10pm

Located on the Intracoastal, Shooters Waterfront is a Florida icon and a must-go to restaurant for great indoor/outdoor eating or for drinks with your family or friends. Cocktails are off the wall, appetizers are delicious and their seafood is just excellent and very fresh. They offer sushi 101 July – Sept and weekend dockside yoga lessons just before brunch (S-S 10am - 4pm).

Reservations are a must, you will love it!

Shelter Wynwood-Miami

10 NE 27th St • Miami, FL 33137 • 305.603.8970 shelterbrooklyn.com • $$ • Hours: Tue 5 – 11pm Wed 5 – 11.30pm Thu Sat 5 – 1am Sun 12 - 11pm

As you walk in, you are suddenly transported to argentines breathtaking nature and wildlife with a menu influenced by agricultural products that are abundant in the country. The decoration itself is very entertaining and the food has that special taste given by their wood fired ovens. Special dishes are their classic homemade empanadas and pizzas while other specialties include a great assortment of prime meats and fresh fish.

Reservations suggested.

Zabb Thai & Shushi

8880 W State Rd 84 • Davie, FL 33324 • 954.451.3949 zabbthaisushi.com • $$ • Hours: Mon - Thu 11:30am – 10:30pm Fri Sat11:30am – 11:00pm Sun 11:30am - 10:30pm

Located off of I-595 and Pine Island Blvd., Zabb offers lunch specials, dinner specials, wedding catering, birthday catering, corporate catering. With an authentic Thai food and authentic Japanese food, their staff is very friendly, sushi is very fresh and it has an inviting atmosphere, not to mention their prices are very reasonable for their quality food. Their Tom Kha Gai soup is a must.

Definitely give this restaurant a try, it might become a favorite!

Pura Vida West Palm Beach

460 S Rosemary Ave #186 • West Palm Beach, FL 33401 • 305.535.4142 puravidamiami.com • $$-$$$ • Hours: Mon - Sun 8am - 8pm

With six locations, Pura Vida was created by husband and wife to serve as a place for friends and family to gather and eat delicious food, serving Florida-grown locally sourced organic ingredients. If you feel like enjoying your day and having a healthy meal after doing some shopping, Pura Vida offers a variety of choices, from smoothies, salads, acai bowls, fresh juices, wraps and sandwiches and their signature all-day breakfast.

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By Eve Kucharski Todrick Hall is serving bitch but making it, as he says on his latest record, fashòn.

The album's title, “Femuline,'' is exactly as it seems: the blending of feminine and masculine attributes to create a greater, queerer whole. That theme serves as the perfect narrative for an artist who has made a music career out of reimagining classic stories like “The Wizard of Oz” and “Cinderella” through his own creative lens. The difference this time, he says, was that there was no “pre-existing blueprint.”

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man would only make achieving his goals “It may exist, but I've never heard a song more difficult than he imagined. Hall talking about how you can be both: you can recalls a distinct moment on the Broadway be a prince, you can be a princess; you can stage when another Black performer in be the bride, you can be the groom. And “The Color Purple” pulled him aside and that was very interesting for me to explore,” told him that he was never going to get Hall says. “But it was uncharted territory as away with mediocrity. far as I know.”

“And in every Broadway show that I've Full of club-ready bangers that seem ever been in, I had to tumble,” he says. “I tailor-made for Pride season, “Femuline” is had to be doing backflips and leaping Hall's “open love letter to the LGBTQ across the stage, and riffing and singing community,” he says. An already queer high, and understudying 8 billion roles experience is made queerer thanks to both while I saw my counterparts that were a LGBTQ+ and allied icons like Brandy, Tyra different race come in and give, in some Banks, TS Madison, Chaka Khan, and, of cases not even a mediocre performance, course, Hall's signature Broadway vocals. but the skill set that was required for them So far in his career, Hall has been part of [to succeed] was lower,” Hall says. multiple Broadway smash hits, secured a In some ways, Hall says he views the spot as a recurring guest judge on “RuPaul's high standards society places on him as a Drag Race” and amassed a whopping 44 compliment, as an million views on expectation to only YouTube with his bring the best 2019 “Nails, Hair, quality to his work.

Hips, Heels” Yet he recognizes breakthrough single. their deeply Considering Hall problematic only made the move nature, racist to Los Angeles a origins, and the decade ago, it's all consequences the more impressive those standards that his hard-won have on both successes have been himself and fellow so consistent and Black performers. plentiful. Not even “You expect the vision board that Black women to he created upon his get up and outpermanent move sing everyone on out West could've the stage. If she prepared the “...knock down walls and barriers so that the people that come after me Plainview, Texas, are able to just strut without having to stress out [about] the things that I doesn't sing 'And I Am Telling You' or native for everything had to worry about that made me believe that I could never 'I Will Always Love he has accomplish my dreams.”

You,' then why is accomplished at this she there?” he point in his career. says. “To me, I think “It wouldn't have a Black woman should be able to get up included any of these things because I and sing 'Part of Your World' from 'The wouldn't have had the courage and the Little Mermaid.' The reality is that there are wisdom and the diversity and the a lot of people who are musical-theater acceptance and the permission from society performers that, if they can't deliver a to be able to put things on there,” Hall says. gospel Jennifer Holliday-, Jennifer “As a dreamer, I still even limited my dreams Hudson-, Beyoncé-esque performance, at that time.” their opportunities to perform and exist in He says that shortly after breaking into the entertainment are almost nonexistent.” industry he realized that, because of societal To Hall, one of the keys to dispelling the stigma and bias, his identity as a Black gay HotspotsMagazine.com | 53

stigma that still persists around identity, whether conscious or not, is to push for representation whenever possible – not only of Black entertainers but those who are LGBTQ+ as well.

“Some days I wake up and I'm like, 'You should be grateful for the things that you have.' But then there are other days where I'm like, 'You can count on one hand, without using most of your fingers, the amount of gay men who have come out and been gay when they were popular on the radio,'” he says, lamenting that he's never heard a man sing a love song to another man on mainstream radio.

He adds that Hollywood's acceptance of Black queer artists in 2021 isn't enough: “We're accepting breadcrumbs when we should get a slice of bread at this point.”

Hall believes that it should be a requirement and not an exception for radio stations to play same-sex love songs as a means of normalizing ideas of LGBTQ+ acceptance. Really, though, he's out of patience for people who use a handful of examples of Black representation in popular culture as an excuse to say that visibility is equitable.

“People can make the decision to be like, 'Yeah, there wasn't a lot.' Or they can bring up the fact that Oprah existed and be like, 'That's enough,' when that wasn't enough,” Hall says.

That extends to LGBTQ+ artists, too. He points to Lil Nas X's “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” as an example of audacious content created by a talented Black gay artist who's seeking to break free from societal expectations of what Black queerness should look like.

“He probably knows singing a song that's just a format that the Jonas Brothers, that Shawn Mendes, that James Arthur, that Ed Sheeran, that Sam Smith have been able to do would not be enough,” he says.

His passion about this topic and advocating for representation in his work comes from a personal place. A place, he says, that was born of being told “no” because of his Black, queer identity. It's those roots that inspired him to take 54 | HotspotsMagazine.com

on advocacy projects outside of music like being the face of Morphes “Live With Love” whose full proceeds will go to benefit The Trevor Project. But as vocal as he is about causes, he cares about, Hall doesn't feel every artist needs to be required to use their platform for advocacy — it's just the “cherry on top” if they do.

Looking ahead, it won't be until 2022 that fans will get to see Hall perform “Femuline” live, seeing as how COVID-19 has thrown things off-kilter for nearly every touring artist's schedule. But until then, there's no question about what he needs to do next: “knock down walls and barriers so that the people that come after me are able to just strut without having to stress out [about] the things that I had to worry about that made me believe that I could never accomplish my dreams.”

How 'Fear Street’ Became Queer Street The director, openly gay writer, and non-binary star on the popular book series' queer evolution

By Chris Azzopardi

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Phil Graziadei, the openly gay screenwriter behind Netflix's new queerinclusive film trilogy based on spook master R.L. Stine's classic “Fear Street” series, remembers those teen horrorfiction books well. And he definitely remembers them not being very gay.

Published first in 1989 with “The New Girl,” the “Fear Street” series focused on whodunit and paranormal events in the town of Shadyside, Ohio. The books weren't short on sinister camp, but they definitely lacked any kind of blatantly queer representation.

That hasn't stopped fans, as Graziadei notes, from cataloging “all the homoerotic undertones of each book” for years. In the '90s, when Stine published bestselling “Fear Street” titles like “Truth or Dare” and “The Boy Next Door,” the LGBTQ+ community was more willing to accept queer crumbs.

But now it's 2021. On “Fear Street,” bodies might be buried, but queerness shouldn't be.

“One of the first conversations that I had with the producers about it was, 'Why do we do this now?'” director Leigh Janiak says.

The answer came to them quickly: Shadyside, they decided, would be a town of outsiders, with a queer love story at the center. That queer couple would not only be the stars of the show — they'd be the heroes.

They'd even have a better shot at surviving the terrifying events that unfold throughout each of the trilogy's parts, which take place in 1994, 1978 and 1666.

“It was very clear to us very early on that we wanted to write this about queer leads,” says Graziadei. “Obviously, queer representation in horror movies has a long and complicated history, for the most part. We're only seeing ourselves on screen as monsters or as victims.

You know, maybe I don't always want to be the monster. I don't think that there's a reason why the queer people always have to see themselves that way.”

The anthology kicks off with “Fear Street Part 1: 1994,” where we meet Deena Johnson (Kiana Madeira) and Sam Fraser (Olivia Scott Welch) as they're experiencing a rift in their relationship. Sam is closeted and just moved to Sunnyvale with her mom — the town adjacent to Shadyside, where Deena lives, but nothing at all like the infamous setting for “Fear Street.” Sunnyvale is rich and white. No one gets murdered there. When pure evil is unleashed in Shadyside in the form of a witch who's

“Obviously, queer representation in horror movies has a long and complicated history, for the most part. We're only seeing ourselves on screen as monsters or as victims.”

haunted the town for eons, Deena, Sam and their cadre of friends go on a deathly voyage through time to solve a nightmare that has haunted the town for 300 years.

Welch says the queer love story is “very indicative of modern-day cinema and how it's evolving, and how art is reflecting the elements of society that are becoming very inclusive and encouraging people to be themselves.” It was the “not so boxed in” quality of her and Madeira's romantically involved characters that particularly appealed to her about "Fear Street," because, as she and Janiak note, the horror genre still has work to do when it comes to queer representation.

“I hope this is just the beginning of a brand-new era in terms of seeing minorities represented in these kinds of roles,” Madeira says.

Janiak and Graziadei, the director-writer team behind 2014's indie creeper “Honeymoon,” were intentional about having “Fear Street” move the needle forward for LGBTQ+ representation in horror films. Within the heteronormative confines of the horror genre, seeing actual queer people who aren't victims or villains has been a slow go, and Janiak says that even some of the most enduring horror films haven't always best represented the LGBTQ+ community.

Janiak, who has directed two episodes of the “Scream” TV series, points to Wes Craven's iconic “Scream” film, noting that, while an “amazing” horror movie, only

white cisgender straight people led the cast.

While Graziadei acknowledges some queer coding in “Scream,” Janiak said she thinks that queerness in contemporary horror should go beyond subtext. “Coding is different than being (fully) recognized,” she says.

That “Fear Street” goes beyond just gay vibes was one of the most exciting parts of starring in the summer camp-set “Part Two: 1978” for non-binary actor Ryan Simpkins, who uses they/them pronouns. Even though the script didn't identify Simpkins' Alice character as gay, they believed from the onset that she was. “She's so heavily queer coded,” Simpkins says, “and working through this character, I just kept coming back to that. And honestly trying to fight that impulse to be like, 'I think Alice has maybe been in love with her best friend Cindy.' I kept trying to push that feeling away until I finally embraced it.”

While playing the role, the actor said they didn't want Janiak or Emily Rudd, who plays Cindy, to invalidate her queer read on Alice. But after shooting, they did ask them how Alice identifies and whether Alice did indeed have a thing for Cindy.

They were not wrong: “(Leigh and Emily) were like, 'One-hundred percent, Alice and Cindy are gay.'”

“It's so rare to get these characters whose sexuality is not demonized and isn't why they're being punished,” Simpkins adds.

“It's their love for each other that makes them succeed.”

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Alice's queerness aside, Simpkins says of Deena and Sam's enduring queer love, “It's so exciting to see a love story between two teenage girls being the main force behind a trilogy of studio movies.

Like, that's crazy, and it isn't subtle. It's very explicit. There's an almost-sex scene!”

“It's so rare to get these characters whose sexuality is not demonized and isn't why they're being punished,” Simpkins adds. “It's their love for each other that makes them succeed.”

A love that even R.L. Stine was seemingly rooting for. Throughout the trilogy's development, Janiak had conversations with the author, who she said was “very supportive.” Graziadei also felt that support: “He's very clearly been like, '“Fear Street” is for everybody.'”

Chris Azzopardi is the Editorial Director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

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1. Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens

3. NSU Art Museum

Established in 1977 in Delray Beach, the 16 acres that surround Morikami's two museum buildings include expansive Japanese gardens with strolling paths, resting areas, our world-class bonsai collection and lakes teeming with koi and other wildlife. The wider 200-acre park features nature trails, pine forests and picnic areas. each garden is intended to express the character and ideas of a unique counterpart in Japan. If you are a nature lover, these gardens are just stunning, peaceful and makes a perfect weekend outing.

Founded in 1958, the Museum is the hub of the South Florida Art Coast, situated midway between Miami and Palm Beach in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale. In 2008, the Museum became part of Nova Southeastern University, one of the largest private research universities in the United States.

Visit them online to check out the exhibits now on view, as well as upcoming events in August and future dates. You can always signup for their newsletter to stay updated!

2. Home Design Store

4. Dog Beach At Hollywood Beach

Are you ready for amazing pieces and very good prices? Oh, you are going to love this family-run emporium carrying high-end & vintage furniture & home goods from around the world. With locations in Miami and Coral Gables, at HDS is full of high quality, well designed furniture mostly imported from India. Their signature pieces are the huge Buddha statues, heads and fountains that are just perfect for outdoor or large indoor areas with very comp prices. Check them out!

What better way to enjoy sunny Florida than to do it with man's best friend! Plan your day at beautiful Hollywood Beach but there are some rules you must follow: 1. Dogs must have current rabies tag 2. Dogs must be under the control of the owner. 3. Owner is responsible for waste cleanup 4. Unruly dogs and owners may be asked to leave. Remember the extreme heat during dog hours, so make sure you keep your pooch hydrated at all times. Have fun!

4000 Morikami Park Rd • Delray Beach, FL 33446 • 561.495.0233 • morikami.org Hours: Tue - Sun 10am - 5pm

3750 NW 46th St • Miami, FL 33142 • 305.633.1355 homedesignstoreflorida.com • Hours: Mon - Wed 10am - 6pm • Thu - Sat 10am - 7pm • Sun 12 - 6pm

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One East Las Olas Blvd. • Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 • 954-525-5500 • nsuartmuseum.org Hours: Tue -Sat 11am - 5pm • Sun 12 – 5pm

800 Knights Rd • Hollywood, FL 33021 • 954.921.3404 • hollywoodfl.org/318/Dog-Parks • Dog Beach Hours: Fri Sun 3pm - 7pm

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By Romeo San Vicente

“Black-ish” director Millicent Shelton, co-starring Ludacris, in which Latifah has to protect her family and fight a mysterious killer while on a road trip through the New Mexico desert. Obviously that killer doesn't stand a chance, especially if he hasn't seen QL use a machine gun in “Set It Off.” All hail the Queen!

'SNL' star Bowen Yang goes full queer for 'Pride and Prejudice'

Queen Latifah Rising Pride Month may be over but we're going to keep on celebrating Queen Latifah, who recently went public about her partner Eboni Nichols in a BET Awards speech. She may have been getting the Lifetime Achievement Award that night, but don't let that fool you into thinking she's done.

As of this moment, Latifah has a handful of projects in various stages of 74 | HotspotsMagazine.com

completion. Coming soon is “The Tiger Rising,” a drama about a young boy and the caged tiger he finds in the woods, and “Hustle,” a LeBron Jamesproduced basketball drama with Adam Sandler and Robert Duvall from “We the Animals” director Jeremiah Zagar.

Meanwhile, currently shooting is “End of the Road.” It's a thriller from

Anyone who's been to the queer resort community of Fire Island knows that romantic fireworks go off at any time there. But the Jane Austen kind? That's the “Pride and Prejudice” premise of “Fire Island,” the latest film from gay director Andrew Ahm (last year's critically acclaimed family drama “Driveways”). The modern romantic comedy will star “Saturday Night Live” star Bowen Yang and comic Joel Kim Booster (who also wrote the screenplay) as a pair of best friends who travel to the island for a week-long summer holiday with an eclectic group of friends. And then the queer Austenisms (headstrong protagonist, an aloof suitor concealing his adoration, a smattering of drunken gay nonsense) blast off full force.

Shooting this summer on

location, Searchlight will release the film as a Hulu Original and on Star through Disney+ internationally. You'll be able to stream it on that obligatory one rainy vacation day.

'Knives Out 2' sharpens up with Janelle Monáe

Whodunnits, those murder mysteries where everyone's a suspect, have been given a resuscitating breath in recent years with remakes of the classic Agatha Christie stab-o-rama “Murder on the Orient Express” and the upcoming “Death on the Nile.” But the box-office success of Rian Johnson's “Knives Out” was truly the fresh shot in the arm the genre needed to bring younger audiences into the sleuthing fold. “Knives Out 2,” then, was inevitable and we're thrilled to report at least one queer suspect, Janelle Monáe, has been added to the cast of many possible murderers. We

don't know her role at all and probably won't until we see the film – Johnson likes to keep secrets on these things – but we do know that chief detective Daniel Craig will return to unmask a new killer from an ever-growing group of actors, including Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Edward Norton and Dave Bautista.

The mystery will unfold sometime in 2022. Until then there are a lot of episodes of “Murder, She Wrote” to keep you company.

Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer make Christmas weird again

If you've had your fill of Hallmark, Lifetime and Netflix Christmas-themed rom-coms, you might be ready for a Clusterfünke.

MTV has announced production on “A Clusterfünke Christmas,” executive produced, written by and co-starring “SNL” alum Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer. They'll play the owners of, what else, an adorably Christmasthemed bed and Janelle Monáe breakfast called Clusterfünke Inn.

Rachel Dratch

Ana Gasteyer

Cheyenne Jackson The quaint small-town business attracts the attention of power real-estate exec Holly (Vella Lovell, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) who wants to buy it and destroy it for quick cash. But into the picture walks heterosexual hunk Frank (the not-at-allheterosexual Cheyenne Jackson, “American Horror Story”) who will… turn this whole thing upside down?

We hope? Listen, we trust Dratch and Gasteyer to surprise us and make this a Christmas parody miracle we'll remember for all future holiday watch parties. The two have promised all the “Vancouver in July” charm we've grown accustomed to, so we'll be checking it off our list this December.

Romeo San Vicente's hot vax summer is well stocked with Otter Pops.

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REACHING 1.3 MILLION UNIQUE USERS ONLINE!

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2 LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST POSITIONS AVAILABLE AT PINEAPPLE POINT GUESTHOUSE

We are looking to hire 2 full time licensed massage therapist. Please apply in person between 9 a.m. and 2 pm. at 315 NE 16 Terrace Ft Lauderdale FL 33301. 954-527-0094

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Does Leather and gear excite you? Does the thought of helping someone pick out their new harness or impact toy sound more like fun than work? Join our team! We have daytime positions available in our main showroom, and we need a few good men for our Ramrod store. So if you’re a night owl and enjoy the atmosphere of a nightlife setting, we’re looking for you, too! Apply in person at LeatherWerks Main store

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“Joe jumped in when I had a time crunch and worked NEWLY LISTED VERY quickly to get the listing up in ONE DAY! That resulted in the first showing 12 hours later. He also listed it higher than we thought realistic, which was a good move given the market. Joe really listens and Remodeled. Move‐In Ready immediately understood the special value of this 2/2 House Lake Santa property and highlighted that in the listing and Barbara. 2 Car Garage. Room showings, ensuring we received excellent offers. He For Pool. Walk to Beach. also did a great job of managing my expectations.” Will Not Last. ‐ Row Iliescu, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Asking $579,900.

I loved working on these listings which I sold.

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My listings receive a short video walk‐though available to share by text. Since 1985 First Atlantic Realty, Inc. |1881 NE 26th St 212 Wilton Manors, Fl 33305 Licensed Real Estate Brokerage

**OPTIMA** COMPUTER REPAIR 954-817-3883

IN-HOME SERVICE. Cell phones, printers & Internet issues. Proudly serving our community for over 20 years. *Get the BEST performance, protection & value from your computer investment. *A+ Hardware & OS certified. *Friendly, professional, RELIABLE service.

Reasonable rates. Call: Mike 954-817-3883

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Fully furnished, cable/HBO. All utilities included, heated pool, lake, clubhouse and pavilion. $600 Security and $180 weekly. Call or text 954-235-9536

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On-Site & Remote Support. Central location. Windows Mac OS IOS Androd.

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Your Personal Tech Assistant. BEST RATES in the tri-county area. Specializing in Android & iPhones.

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Friendly, In-Home and remote Srvc. Call/Txt 954-903-4383.

ADVERTISE IN MARKETPLACE Call 754-200-2979 or Email Classifieds@HotSpotsMedia.com

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Repairs, installations, indoor air quality. Residential/ Commercial. Proudly serving the tri-county area.

Quality and experience. Free service calls for all A/C makes and models. Lic/Ins CMC1249558 Call 954-274-8287 for your free estimate. **10% off your first repair**

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u HANDYMAN

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Ceiling Fans, Bathroom, kitchen, microwave, plumbing and electric, outlets, switches, breakers. Time clocks, Upgrade breaker box, repair or replace sprinkler & pool motors, replace & remove hot water tanks & install tankless water heaters. Vanity. sinks, faucets, dishwasher & garbage disposals and SHOWER GRAB BARS. K&J 954-260-9940 BEST PRICES IN TOWN! 32 Years Experience.

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Quality work at a reasonable price. We also service & install any size generator. Licensed & Insured (98-CME-1807-X). 954-257-9509.

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