Los Angeles Blade, Volume 08, Issue 24, November 01, 2024

(Photo courtesy of Jurado)

YSABEL JURADO on changing the narrative in LA politics,

PAGE 02

NOVEMBER 01, 2024 • VOLUME 08 • ISSUE 24 • AMERICA’S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

LOCAL

Ysabel Jurado: A political maverick changing the narrative in LA politics Council candidate on her inclusive campaign and police controversy

By GISSELLE PALOMERA

Tenant rights attorney Ysabel Jurado is known as the progressive, grassroots candidate in the race for the hot seat that her opponent Kevin De León currently holds in Council District 14, even after years of recalls following a racism scandal.

Jurado says it’s time for something different and she is it.

“I’m an API woman, I’m educated, I’m a citizen and English is my first language– among others,” said Jurado in an interview with Los Angeles Blade. “And I’m also proud that on this team, we are largely led by LGBTQ+ folks, women of color, and people of color.”

As an out candidate, Jurado says she is intentional about the people she hires as part of her campaign team. She is inclusive of nonbinary people and anyone who identifies as part of the QTBIPOC and LGBTQ+ acronyms, because she doesn’t just want to talk about them, she also wants to incorporate their lived experiences in her campaign mission. She says this in part because of her own identity, but also because of the scandal that rocked De León’s political career.

YSABEL JURADO (Photo courtesy of Jurado)

02 • NOVEMBER 01, 2024 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

The scandal follows various City Council members of CD-14 ranting about other BIPOC members of Council and their LGBTQ+ families. The leaked audio recording included her opponent De León — who at the time had his eyes set on running for mayor of Los Angeles.

“A lot of the groups talked about in these tapes are the people that we’ve recruited and who we are making sure to build a coalition with,” said Jurado.

Going into this campaign race, she asked herself: ‘How do I go into this institution and not become the worst parts of it?’

“If I ever become that, I want you to put my feet to the fire and shift me out of there, because at that point I have betrayed myself,” responding to the question she had asked herself.

Jurado is currently facing backlash from many community members who support the police force in Los Angeles, after she was elicited to respond to a question regarding her stance on police funding. Some of those community members are now actively pushing for her to drop out of the race for Council District 14.

According to NBC4, family members of fallen Los Angeles Police Department officers have spoken out to say they worry the remarks she made in regards to her stance on police funding would hurt the LAPD’s ability to recruit new officers.

“In a meeting with students at Cal State LA, I quoted a lyric from a song that’s been part of a larger conversation on systemic injustice and police accountability for decades…,” said Jurado to NBC4.

Later, other news outlets reported that the person who elicited the ‘f-ck the police,’ response from Jurado, was a staffer working for De León.

“When you look at what I say and when you look at what I’m doing, I walk the walk and I’m not going to take any bullshit sitting down, even though [De León] tries,” said Jurado in an interview.

Jurado has been campaigning for this position since last summer and has since made dozens of headlines that suggest she is a political force to be reckoned with and has been building gains in the mostly Latin American Council district.

She also brings up the long and problematic history of candidates and elected officials who have resigned, been indicted for corruption, or who have been asked to ‘step down over shady backroom deals.’

“The focus isn’t about me and him and what petty back-and-forth things we say, it’s about our communities and wanting to make sure we talk to voters and rising above.

Because at the end of the day, it’s about the work,” said Jurado. “It’s not about the noise and trying to bring it back to who gets hurt by all these conversations, which are the constituents.”

Jurado is an out LGBTQ single mother and lifelong resident of Highland Park who has tirelessly fought for tenant rights and protections during her time as a tenants’ rights attorney and housing justice advocate. She prides herself in being a self-made politician who started her journey at Pasadena City College, then earned her bachelor’s degree at University of California, Los Angeles and then went to law school.

Jurado then went on to fight gentrification-driven displacement and in her candidate statement, she says she spends her days protecting neighborhoods from corrupt developers and politicians.

“This campaign is for ‘the other.’ Being a daughter of immigrants, or whatever your identity is, you become fluent in two different modalities,” said Jurado. “You know what the dominant culture is and what the non-dominant culture is and you learn how to navigate through it. I think that is a superpower our people have, people who have always been ‘othered.’

Jurado is currently canvassing in the community every day with support from Hugo Soto-Martinez, LA City Council Member of CD-13 and Eunisses Hernandez, LA City Council Member CD-1.

STDs are

Timeless Wellness Centers Long Beach 3500 Pacific Coast Hwy (562) 494-4983

Wellness on Western 1811 N Western Ave (855) 783-2434

West Adams 2146 W Adams Blvd (855) 783-2434

LOCAL

The little idea that could: These queer, Latinx DJs are shifting the scene in LA ‘All you jotas, grab your botas!’

By GISSELLE PALOMERA

The rallying call urges all the Spanish-speaking and corrido-loving sapphics, butchonas, jotas and vaqueeras, to grab their boots and meet up at Little Joy Cocktails for a carne asada-style, family party every fourth Sunday of the month, featuring spins by DJ Lady Soul, DJ French and DJ Killed By Synth.

In Los Angeles, these three disc jockeys have embraced the word buchona, adding the ‘t’ as a play on the word butch.

The free event, now locally known as Butchona, is a safe space for all the Mexican and Spanish music-loving lesbians to gather on the last Sunday of every month.

Buchona is usually a term used in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries to describe a woman who is a boss– someone who exudes dominant energy or marries into a powerful position.

“I didn’t know how well [the idea for Butchona] was going to be received and my favorite part of all that, has been the looks everyone has been bringing,” said Rocio Flores, who goes by DJ Lady Soul.

The event that started only a few months ago, brings in dozens of dressed-up jotas. The ‘looks’ that the crowds bring are reminiscent of how dad’s, tíos, and their friends dressed at Mexican family parties: a tejana, cowboy boots, giant belt buckle and a beer in hand.

Dressing up in these looks is a way to show wealth and status to earn the respect of other males in a male-dominated and -centered culture– that is until now.

This traditionally male, Mexican, cultural identity, is something that has never been embraced or accessible to women or gender non-conforming people. The giant belt buckles that are traditionally custom-made and specific to male identities like head of household, ‘only rooster in the chicken coop’ and lone wolf, are only part of the strictly cis-gendered male clothes that dominate the culture.

The embroidered button-ups, belt buckles and unique cowboy hats –all come together to create the masculine looks that are now being reclaimed by women and gender nonconforming people at the event curated by three queer, Mexican DJs, who once had a little idea that could.

Flores, 37, (she/her), Gemini, says that to her the term butchona describes a woman who is a little ‘chunti,’ a little cheap in the way she dresses– but in a queer way.

“That title also means that you’re a badass,” she said. “I want to look like that señor, I want to look like that dude and now I feel like I could, so why not?”

Flores says that now she feels like she can embrace and reclaim that cultural identity, but it wasn’t always that easy.

At first, her family upheld the traditional cisgender roles that forced her to dress more feminine, but she always wanted to dress like her cousins and her tíos.

“Now, I’m like: ‘Fuck that!’ I’m going to wear the chalecos and the Chalino suits,” she said in Span-glish.

The Chalino suits are traditional, Mexican, suits that were worn and popularized by Chalino Sanchez, known as the King of corridos—a genre of music that is said to have origi-

nated on the border region of Texas, Tamaulipas and Nuevo León, Mexico.

“It felt good to break into the DJ scene, but what I always noticed was that the lesbian culture was always lacking,” said DJ Lady Soul. “I would mainly see gay males at parties and a lot of male DJs.” According to Zippia–a career site that sources their information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics and the U.S. Census–23.5 percent of disc jockeys are women, 16 percent are LGBTQ+ and only 12.7 percent are Hispanic or Latin American.

What has always been a traditionally machista music genre and scene, is now being embraced by a growing number of queer women and non-male DJs in Los Angeles.

For Fran Fregoso, who goes by DJ French, 33, (they/she), Taurus– embracing their cultural identity came a lot easier because of their late uncle who sort of paved the way for them to come out as queer and be more accepted than he was as the first openly out queer person in their family.

Their music journey began listening to the 90s grunge, alternative, hip-hop and metal music played by their older siblings at home.

“Then I met Vanessa [DJ Killed By Synth], and she introduced me to the industry,” said DJ French.

DJ French felt the acceptance and support to enter this music space and decided to embrace their cultural roots by playing music that they grew up listening to at family parties.

They booked their first gig with Cumbiatón LA, a collective of DJs and organizers who host Latin American parties across Los Angeles, often centering queer DJs and other performers.

“When [Lady Soul and Killed By Synth], brought this idea up to create Butchona, I was like: ‘Oh, I’m in 100 percent’,” they said. “Because I love playing corridos and banda music because that’s a core memory from my childhood and family parties.”

Banda, corridos, cumbias and other traditional music is a big part of Mexican culture, even as gendered and male-centered as it has been, it is embraced by all.

“I know a lot of people in our queer, Latino, community love that music too, but they also want to be in a safe space,” they said. “That’s where we decided to make an environment for our community to dance and be themselves.”

Vanessa Bueno, 40, (she/her), Libra, who goes by DJ Killed

By Synth, says her journey started about 20 years ago when she started DJing for backyard parties in East L.A. and across L.A. County.

Her family is from Guadalajara, so she says that growing up she also had a lot of family parties with corridos and banda blaring in the background of memories with the many cousins she says she lost count of.

“A lot of the music we heard was bachata, banda, cumbia and even some 80s freestyle,” said Bueno.

Even while she had a ‘little punk rocker phase,’ she says

04 • NOVEMBER 01, 2024 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

DJ Killed By Synth, DJ French and DJ Lady Soul pose for a group shot at Little Joy Cocktails in Echo Park for their monthly Butchona event. (Photo Courtesy of Adelyna Tirado [@ady.jpeg])

she couldn’t escape that Spanish music her family played ritualistically at family get-togethers.

When they began their music journey–back in the AOL, Instant Messenger days, they played a lot more electronic music, hence the name Killed by Synth. At first, it was just a username, but then it became her DJ name.

“Later down the line, comes [the idea for] Butchona came about, and me, Rocio and French collaborated,” she said. “It’s kind of always been my goal to create these safe spaces for women and queer people, and I had been in the scene long enough to where people were willing to answer my calls to work with them to make it happen.”

For Bueno, it was natural for her to build community and embrace this part of their culture later on in her career when she saw a need for queer, Latin American-centered club spaces with family party vibes.

She started hosting Latin American-style parties, blending music, culture, and food and attracting the exact audience she envisioned. With these events, Bueno aimed to reclaim her Mexican identity and foster a sense of family and community at these events.

“We’re here to build a safe space to embrace the music and kind of not think about the machismo that is tied to it and celebrate who we are,” said Bueno.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics, California, Texas, New York, Arizona and Washington rank the highest in employment rates for disc jockeys in 2023.

There is also a recent trend in more women DJs–the study does not include gender nonconforming DJs–booking twice as many gigs as men in event spaces and concerts that host DJ sets.

“It feels like we’re barely cracking into these safe spaces and expanding our horizons a little bit,” said DJ French. “I hope this inspires other people to also create safe spaces like Butchona.”

The next Butchona event will be on Sunday, Oct. 27 and will feature all three DJs playing corridos, banda, cumbia and all the classics, for a chunti Halloween party.

NATIONAL

Meet the LGBTQ candidates running in key races from U.S. Senate to state houses Baldwin in tight contest; McBride poised to make history in Delaware

By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) became the first openly LGBTQ senator with her election in 2012, having previously served as U.S. representative from Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District as the first non-incumbent LGBTQ member elected to the chamber. She is running against Republican mega-millionaire Eric Hovde, whose campaign has targeted her sexual orientation with negative advertising, in a race that Cook Political Report considers a toss-up.

Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride (D) became the first openly trans state senator and the highest-ranking trans official in U.S. history with her election in 2020, having previously worked in LGBTQ advocacy and authored a memoir. She is running for Delaware’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she would be the first transgender Member of Congress. She is favored to win her race.

Mondaire Jones served as U.S. representative for New York’s 17th Congressional District from 2021 to 2023, during which time he was often described as a rising star in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, serving on the Progressive, Black, and Equality Caucuses. Jones was one of the first two openly gay Black members of Congress. He is running to reclaim his seat representing NY-17.

Gay Democratic U.S. attorney Will Rollins is gunning for U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert’s (R-Calif.) seat after narrowly losing to the GOP incumbent in 2022. His victory is key for Democrats to retake control of the House, with Cook Political Report characterizing their race as a toss-up and POLITICO writing it will be one of the most “closely watched and expensive battleground slugfests in the country.”

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D) is the first LGBTQ member of Congress from Minnesota and the first lesbian mother to serve in

either chamber. In the House, Craig has opposed Republican-led efforts to implement anti-LGBTQ policies, especially in schools.

She is facing off against Republican Joe Teirab in a race that, according to Cook Political Report, is shaping up in her favor/lean Democratic.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D) is a former meteorologist and the first openly gay member of Congress from Illinois. While he is the first Democrat to represent portions of the state’s 17th Congressional District in decades, particularly the towns of Rockford and Peoria, Sorensen’s race is “likely” Democratic, per Cook Political Report. He is running against Republican Joe McGraw, a judge and former prosecutor.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids is a former mixed martial artist and attorney serving as the first Democrat to represent a Kansas congressional district in Congress in more than a decade. She is also the first LGBTQ Native American and one of the first two Native American women (along with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland) elected to the chamber. Her race is “likely” Democratic according to Cook Political Report.

U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D) is the first openly gay man from New Hampshire to serve in Congress following his election in 2018 and reelection in 2020 and 2022. He is running against Republican Russell Prescott in a race that Cook Political Report expects will be “likely” Democratic. New Hampshire Public Radio called Pappas the 1st Congressional District’s most successful Democrat in more than four decades.

There are four other openly LGBTQ members of Congress, all serving as co-chairs of the Equality Caucus under chair Mark Pocan, Democratic U.S. representative from Wisconsin: U.S. Reps.

Robert Garcia and Mark Takano, Democrats from California, Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), and Becca Balint (D-Vt.). They are all ex-

Sen. TAMMY BALDWIN’s race is considered a toss-up.

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

pected to win their bids for reelection.

Gay Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D) is running for auditor general of the Keystone State, squaring off next week against incumbent Republican Tim DeFoor and three third-party candidates. Appointed by President Joe Biden to chair the Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans, Kenyatta is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party.

Tampa native and mother of two teen boys, Ashley Brundage has built programs to help educate people and facilitate economic empowerment for entrepreneurs, earning a “Spirit of the Community Award” for her work from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. And if she wins her race next week to serve in the Florida House of Representatives, Brundage would be the state’s first out transgender elected official.

Aime Wichtendahl is the first transgender official elected in the state of Iowa, serving on the city council of Hiawatha, a suburb northwest of Cedar Rapids, since 2015. Her work has focused on expanding infrastructure, reducing property taxes, and helping small businesses. If elected to the Iowa House of Representatives next week, Wichtendahl would be Iowa’s first openly trans state legislator.

Trans Honduran woman canvasses for Harris in Pa. A transgender woman from Honduras has traveled to Pennsylvania several times in recent weeks to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democratic candidates.

Monserrath Aleman traveled to York on Aug. 31 and MONSERRATH ALEMAN, a transgender woman from Honduras, has Lancaster on Sept. canvassed in Pennsylvania for Vice 21 with a group of President Kamala Harris.

(Photo by Phil Laubner/CASA in Action) other volunteers from CASA in Action.

They door-knocked in areas where large numbers of African Americans, Black, and Latino voters live. Aleman and the other CASA in Action volunteers urged them to support

Harris, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and other down ballot Democratic candidates.

Aleman will be in Harrisburg on Nov. 2, and in York on Election Day. “We achieved the goal that we had in mind and that we wanted to achieve,” she told the Washington Blade on Oct. 22 during a Zoom interview from Baltimore. “We knocked on doors, passed out flyers.”

Aleman cited Project 2025 — which the Congressional Equality Caucus on Thursday sharply criticized — when she spoke with the Blade.

“We know that there is a Project 2025 plan that would affect us: The entire immigrant Latino community, the LGBTI community, everyone,” said Aleman. “So that’s why I’m more motivated to go knocking on doors, to ask for help, for support from everyone who can vote, who can exercise their vote.”

She told the Blade that she and her fellow volunteers “did not have any bad response.”

Aleman grew up in Yoro, a city that is roughly 130 miles

north of the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.

She left Honduras on Nov. 25, 2021.

Aleman entered Mexico in Palenque, a city in the country’s Chiapas state that is close to the border with Guatemala. The Mexican government granted her a humanitarian visa that allowed her to legally travel through the country.

Aleman told the Blade she walked and took buses to Ciudad Juárez, a Mexican border city that is across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas.

She scheduled her appointment with U.S. Customs and Border Protection while living at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez.

Aleman now lives in Baltimore.

“Discrimination against the LGBTI community exists everywhere, but in Honduras it is more critical,” said Aleman.

Aleman added she feels “more free to express herself, to speak with someone” in the U.S. She also said she remains optimistic that Harris will defeat former President Donald Trump on Election Day. “There is no other option,” said Aleman.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 01, 2024 • 05

NATIONAL

Trump, Harris make final pitch to voters with days until election More than 60,000 turn out for vice president’s Ellipse speech

By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are making their final pitches in the week before Election Day, delivering closing arguments while their campaigns work to get out the vote.

On Friday, the candidates will make competing appearances in the swing state of Wisconsin, where polls show their race in a dead heat, as is the case in the other six battlegrounds. Experts expect 2024 might be the closest presidential race in modern American history.

On Monday, the Republican nominee’s campaign was beset with a scandal of its own making after a comic attacked Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage” during his set Former President DONALD TRUMP and at Trump’s ralVice President KAMALA HARRIS ly in Madison (Blade photos by Michael Key) Square Garden.

The event also featured anti-Semitic and anti-Arab language, sexism directed at Harris, and other offensive remarks — a display that The New York Times dubbed “a closing carnival of grievances, misogyny, and racism.”

At the same time, the trans community is in the crosshairs of negative advertising by the Trump team and Republican allies, commercials that aired during NFL games on Sunday in a last-minute push to get men into the voting booth.

As the Republican nominee said himself during his rally in New York on Monday, “Get your husband off the couch.

The football game doesn’t mean a damn thing. You got to get out and vote.”

Trump’s ads show the vice president with Rachel Levine, the highest ranking openly trans official, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Sam Brinton, a genderfluid former official at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Brinton was arrested for allegedly stealing luggage from airport baggage carousels.

“Kamala is for they/them,” the ads proclaim, while “President Trump is for you.”

As the Times wrote, the intention was clearly for “viewers to recoil from images of Ms. Harris alongside those of people who plainly do not conform to traditional gender norms, to try to portray Ms. Harris herself as out of the ordinary.”

For her part, in a speech Tuesday night that drew more than 60,000 supporters, Harris highlighted the differences between her candidacy and her opponent’s, between her record of service and her opponent’s, and between her vision for America and her opponent’s.

The vice president spoke from the Ellipse, the park south of the White House where Trump rallied his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021 before they ransacked the U.S. Capitol.

“It’s really a reminder of the gravity of the job, how much a president can do for good and for bad, to shape the country and impact people’s lives,” Harris campaign chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon said on Tuesday.

“But it’s also a stark visualization of probably the most infamous example of Donald Trump and how he’s used his power for bad, really focusing on himself and spreading division and chaos and inciting a mob to try to maintain his

own power and put himself over the country,” she said.

From the outset, the vice president’s campaign sought to convey joy, along with the idea that the career prosecutor has always worked on behalf of the American people throughout her several decades of public service.

By contrast, Trump has earned criticism for calling Democrats and political opponents “the enemy from within,” language that recalls some of the world’s most notorious autocrats.

LGBTQ advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign have lined up behind Harris’s bid for the White House, touting her record of supporting the community well before it was politically expedient to endorse rights like same-sex marriage.

HRC President Kelley Robinson said, “Vice President Kamala Harris is a trailblazer and has been a champion for LGBTQ+ equality for decades: from leading the fight in San Francisco against hate crimes and her work in California to end the so-called gay and transgender ‘panic defense’ to her early support for marriage equality and her leadership serving as our vice president.”

“Convicted felon Donald Trump has already shown that he aims to destroy democracy and divide the country in his quest for power,” Robinson said.

HRC has chronicled Trump’s anti-LGBTQ record, noting that he “Banned openly transgender military service, discriminated against LGBTQ+ students, argued businesses can post signs refusing service to LGBTQ+ customers, and more.”

The former president also appointed three U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn the reproductive freedoms in place since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973 and to allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ customers, the group wrote.

Harris cites Stonewall in closing message Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her closing message on Tuesday night, contrasting her campaign’s message of hope, as well as her policy plans on behalf of the people, with her opponent’s focus on grievance, division, and the needs of wealthy donors and moneyed special interests.

Speaking from the Ellipse, south of the White House — the site where former President Donald Trump fomented a violent insurrection into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — Harris addressed an audience that is reported to exceed 75,000, shattering records.

The vice president repeated a pledge she has made often on the campaign trail, that she will be president for all Americans regardless of whom they voted for or what they believe. Trump wants to put those

Vice President KAMALA HARRIS at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. (Screen capture: YouTube)

06 • NOVEMBER 01, 2024 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

who disagree with him in jail, she said. “I’ll give them a seat at the table.”

Harris made a direct reference to the LGBTQ community by invoking the Stonewall rebellion, birthplace of the modern struggle for LGBTQ civil rights.

Earlier, she said, “For as long as I can remember, I have always had an instinct to protect. There’s something about people being treated unfairly or overlooked that, frankly, just gets to me. I don’t like it.”

Harris continued, “It’s what my mother instilled in me — a drive to hold accountable those who use their wealth or power to take advantage of other people, the drive to protect hard working Americans who aren’t always seen or heard and deserve a voice. And I will tell you that is the kind of president I will be.”

CHRISTOPHER KANE

NOTICE

REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR AS-NEEDED ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING SERVICES The County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors is seeking qualified and experienced Vendors to enter into Master Agreements to provide as-needed environmental consulting services to ensure sensitive biological resources are protected at Countyoperated beaches and in Marina del Rey, and that water quality compliance standards are met for protection of the environment and human health. Selection of vendors will be based on the qualifications of the firms submitting Proposals.

Vendors submitting Statement of Qualifications (SOQs) must have at least a Bachelor’s degree in their field of specialty and a minimum of two to five years of relevant experience performing bird nesting surveys and/or working in marine environments. The County may require additional minimum qualifications. The deadline for submitting SOQs will be 5:00 p.m., November 18, 2024.

Further information regarding the Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ) is available at: https://doingbusiness.lacounty.gov/.

To view and print a copy of the RFSQ, please visit: http://beaches.lacounty.gov/request-for-proposals/.

The County reserves the right to cancel the RFSQ and to modify any and all terms and conditions of the RFSQ, including minimum qualifications.

For further information, email Jean Dao at Contracts@bh.lacounty.gov.

CN111074 11-11-2024 Nov 1, 2024

INTERNATIONAL

Kamala Harris ‘is the hope we seek for this world’ International LGBTQ activists watching U.S. election closely

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS | mlavers@washblade.com

Activists around the world with whom the Washington Blade spoke this week say a Kamala Harris presidency would ensure U.S. foreign policy will continue to champion LGBTQ and intersex rights.

“A Kamala win would ensure the continuation of U.S. protection and support of global LGBTQ human rights,” said Sexual Minorities Uganda Executive Director Frank Mugisha. “I worry about a Trump win and Project 2025 in particular, as it not only undermines LGBTQ human rights but also rolls back the gains we have made so far.”

Uganda is among the countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized.

The Biden-Harris administration in 2023 imposed visa restrictions on Ugandan officials and removed the country from a program that allows sub-Saharan African countries to trade duty-free with the U.S. after President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act. “I directed the administration to promote human rights for LGBTQ [people] everywhere, particularly, for example, Uganda — they want help from us; they’ve got to change their policy, in terms of the discrimination,” President Joe Biden told the Washington Blade during an exclusive interview in the Oval Office on Sept. 12.

South African MP Steve Letsike, a lesbian who foundThe Progress Pride flag flies in front of the U.S. Embassy in ed Access Chapter 2, an Berlin on July 22, 2022. (Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers) LGBTQ advocacy group, told the Blade the U.S. government during the Biden-Harris administration “has been instrumental in extending its policy agenda for its own citizens and lending a hand and support to queer communities in hard criminalized settings such as Uganda and many other countries.”

“Kamala Harris will continue to champion the rights-based approach that raises intersectional issues,” she said. “She is the hope we seek for this world.”

Esteban Paulón, a longtime LGBTQ activist in Argentina who won a seat in the country’s Congress in 2022, agreed.

“The support for the agenda of promoting LGBTIQ rights more globally by the United States government without a doubt depends centrally on Kamala Harris’s victory,” he told the Blade.

Biden in 2021 signed a memo that committed the U.S. to promoting LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad as part of his administration’s overall foreign policy. The White House in the same year named Jessica Stern, who was previously the executive director of Outright International, as the next special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad.

Then-State Department spokesperson Ned Price during a 2021 interview with the Blade noted the decriminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relations was one of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities in its efforts to promote LGBTQ and intersex rights abroad. Stern in 2022 told the Blade that support of marriage equality in countries where activists say such a thing is possible through legislation or the judicial process is “among a wider set of priorities.”

Former President Donald Trump tapped then-U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell to lead an initiative that encouraged countries to decriminalize consensual samesex sexual relations. Activists with whom the Blade has previously spoken questioned whether this effort had any tangible results.

“We hope for continued support for the defense of Ukraine, which is critical to the survival of LGBTQI people in Ukraine,” Olena Shevchenko, chair of Insight, an LGBTQ rights group in Ukraine, told the Blade. “With Trump it’s definitely a backlash on the rights of 08 • NOVEMBER 01, 2024 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

LGBTI and women.”

Mugisha also expressed concern about a Trump victory — and Project 2025 “in particular.”

“It not only undermines LGBTQ human rights but also rolls back the gains we have made so far,” he said.

“What worries me is that Trump has proven his hate, his anti-policies and laws that consistently denies LGBTI people their fundamental rights,” Letsike told the Blade. “American LGBTI people’s rights must be guaranteed, respected and protected and not be threatened by any president that assumes office.”

Dindi Tan, national president of LGBT Pilipinas in the Philippines, agreed.

“The proposed policies of (Vice President) Harris align with our advocacy and policy direction on LGBTQIA+ rights in the Philippines and beyond,” Tan told the Blade. “Considering also that there are many LGBTQIA+ Filipinos living in the U.S., I believe that Harris winning the presidency would advance our ongoing fight for equality.”

“On the other hand, a Trump victory promises to undo the hard-fought victories we have had over the years,” added Tan. The presidential election will take place against the backdrop of widespread global criticism of the war in the Gaza Strip, and the Biden-Harris administration’s continued support of Israel.

Hasan Kilani, a Jordanian Palestinian queer activist, told the Blade he supports Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

“We do not want the queer rights movement associated with a government that has supported the atrocities witnessed in Gaza,” said Kilani.

He added he rejects “a binary view that frames the choice solely between Trump and Harris.”

“I believe that real progress lies in moving toward voting Green,” said Kilani. “If Trump were to win, it could prompt the Democratic Party to reassess its policies and return to the core of progressive values, a space where the queer community once found alignment.

Right now, however, I see little practical difference between Kamala Harris and Trump when it comes to the impact on queer people in the Middle East.”

Outright International is among the LGBTQ rights groups that has called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Maria Sjödin, the group’s executive director, in a statement to the Blade did not specifically mention the war. Sjödin, however, defended the U.N. and other “multilateral systems” that “play a vital role for LGBTIQ communities — especially when domestic governments fail to protect their rights.” (The Israeli Knesset on Monday approved a bill that will ban the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, from conducting “any activity” in the country. UNRWA is the largest aid provider in Gaza.)

“Any retreat by the U.S. from these international institutions would weaken essential platforms where marginalized voices are heard,” said Sjödin. “Additionally, funding for global human rights initiatives is a lifeline for many organizations working in countries where LGBTIQ people face severe oppression.”

“A U.S. administration that de-prioritizes international solidarity and human rights funding would deeply harm efforts to ensure dignity, freedom, and equality for LGBTIQ people worldwide,” added Sjödin.

Sjödin also expressed concern about the election’s impact on LGBTQ Americans.

“No matter who wins the upcoming presidential election, there is a significant risk if an “America First” ideology — focused on isolationism — prevails,” said Sjödin. “Such a posture undermines the role the U.S. has played in promoting human rights globally. We have witnessed devastating attacks on the rights of trans people at the state level, and the spread of this rhetoric to the federal level would not only hurt the LGBTQ community in the U.S. but also severely damage the U.S.’ credibility as a leader in promoting equality and dignity for LGBTIQ people around the world.”

Caleb Orozco, a prominent activist in Belize, told the Blade the global LGBTQ rights movement will continue, regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election.

“While freedoms and rights demand vigilance that remains fragile in the US and around the world, voters will determine if they want allyship or exclusion,” said Orozco. “Either way LGBTQ resilience continues.”

A D PROOF: #1 REVISIONS

ISSUE DATE: 24-11-01

SALES LOSANGELESB L A D EREPRESENTATIVE: . C O M • N O V E M BTROY E R 0 MASTERS 1 , 2 0 2 4 • tmasters@lo 09

REVIEW AD FOR COPY AND DESIGN ACCURACY. Revisions must be submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof. Proof will be considered final and will be submitted for publication if revision is not submitted within 24 hours of the date of proof.

Revisions will not be accepted after 12:01 pm wednesday, the week of publication. Los Angeles Blade is not responsible

VIEWPOINT

ALEX BITTERMAN is a professor in the Department of Architecture & Design at Alfred State University. DANIEL B. HESS is a professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo.

LGBTQ voters eager to head to the polls Here’s why that matters

A September 2024 poll by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation found that 95 percent of LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. are registered to vote. This startling statistic is in sharp contrast to the general population, where only 69 percent of U.S. citizens over 18 years of age are registered to vote, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Further, the Human Rights Campaign poll found that 93 percent of LGBTQ+ adults are motivated to vote in the November 2024 election.

This poll suggests that sexual minorities, as members of the LGBTQ+ community, represent a significant and powerful voting bloc. A 2022 Gallup poll found that 7.1 percent of the U.S. population identifies with the LGBTQ+ community, with higher shares among younger generations.

Voter registration, perhaps in part, stems from social activism. Queer people are no strangers to the fight for human and civil rights. Hard-fought advances have been made by supporting elected officials who recognize and protect the queer community and the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. Based on our decades of research on cities and culture and LGBTQ+ studies, we suggest three reasons that the LGBTQ+ community is registered to vote at record levels and motivated to vote.

• The LGBTQ+ community is motivated to participate, engage, and act. Through a long track record of fighting for rights through protest, strategic lobbying and grassroots action, members of the LGBTQ+ community have fought many hardwon battles. Victories for LGBTQ+ people include federal legislation and U.S. Supreme Court actions that have expanded the legal rights of LGBTQ+ citizens in marriage equality, military service, and hate crime protection.

Though many rights have been gained by LGBTQ+ people, the status of these rights remains tenuous and under assault. Still elusive, for example, is equitable access to employer healthcare for same-sex couples and spouses and equal protections in workplaces; distressingly, it still remains legal for businesses to choose not to provide services to members of the LGBTQ+ population, which was re-affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024. This license to discriminate perpetuates oppression against sexual minorities by setting up social boundaries.

• LGBTQ+ rights are threatened with assault, making the 2024 November elections urgent. Project 2025 threatens the societal well-being of individuals who identify as LGBTQ. Many members of the LGBTQ+ community are worried by the bellicose insinuations made in the Project 2025 policy platform published by the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation. Project 2025 would undoubtedly constitute an unofficial policy agenda if he is re-elected. Project 2025 threatens to strip away equal rights for many minority groups, including the LGBTQ+ population.

The plan views sexual minorities and same-sex relationships as inconsistent with conservative family values, and it would seek to abolish, if not overturn, same-sex marriage.

Project 2025 is not only dangerous to those who lean left politically, it is dangerous for everyone as it undermines well-established law, practice, and precedent in our country. It is authored by a group seeking to circumvent the legal structure to set policy in a way that has never been done before in America.

To further its radical agenda, Project 2025 proposes constitutional amendments and a revision of the way our government conducts business. Surprisingly, aside from serving as a talking point, Project 2025 remains largely unaddressed by the left, with the current administration taking no concrete action to address it.

• The LGBTQ+ community is motivated to vote in any election because LGBTQ rights are constantly under threat. With Project 2025, the upcoming November election becomes increasingly important to LGBTQ people, because Project 2025 squarely places LGBTQ+ rights under direct attack with the immediate threat of being rescinded or retrenched.

The LGBTQ+ community possesses meaningful experience fighting for equal treatment. For centuries gay, lesbian, transgender, and queer individuals have been scrutinized, harassed, and treated differently by heteronormative society. LGBTQ+ people have learned how to organize, how to band together for safety, and how to motivate communities into action.

If LGBTQ people formed their own political party, it would surely be a successful one. If the LGBTQ+ voting bloc were its own party, it would count an endless string of firsts among the elections of governors, senators, mayors, and scores of others.

Democrats love LGBTQ people, because LGBTQ people vote for Democratic candidates more frequently. While some Democratic politicians have helped in the ongoing fight for LGBTQ rights, far too many have stood by silently while rights came under assault. Republicans sometimes surprise the LGBTQ community in providing support for LGBTQ individuals, but too often Republicans are swayed by a larger, wealthier, and more vocal constituency, the religious right. This dichotomy is often portrayed by the media as a simple tug-of-war between LGBTQ people and religious conservatives. However, like many issues, the nuance is less straightforward, and in fact, a fair number of LGBTQ individuals also define themselves as religious. Therefore, the two are not mutually exclusive.

The fact is, LGBTQ individuals are routinely faced with a tough choice between the lesser of two poor choices, with no party willing to actively—and consistently—join the fight for LGBTQ rights. Regardless, the astonishingly high share of LGBTQ adults signaling enthusiasm to vote in our upcoming elections strongly suggests that the fight for civil and human rights is not finished, and that LGBTQ people will not rest until all sexual minorities have achieved full and unquestioned acceptance in society and have been granted undeniable equal rights and protections under the law.

10 • NOVEMBER 01, 2024 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

V O L U ME 08 I S S U E 24

ADDRESS 8237 Blackburn Avenue Ste. 201, Los Angeles, CA 90048 PHONE 310-230-5266 E-MAIL tmasters@losangelesblade.com INTERNET losangelesblade.com PUBLISHED BY Los Angeles Blade, LLC PUBLISHER TROY MASTERS tmasters@losangelesblade.com, 310-230-5266 x 8080 SALES & ADMINISTRATION SALES EXECUTIVE SHANA WONG SOLARES swong@losangelesblade.com, 808-386-0872 NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA sales@rivendellmedia.com, 212-242-6863 MARKETING DIRECTOR STEPHEN RUTGERS srutgers@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x 8077 EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTING WRITER KAREN OCAMB karenocamb@losangelesblade.com NATIONAL EDITOR KEVIN NAFF knaff@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x 8088 EDITOR GISSELLE PALOMERA gpalomera@losangelesblade.com, 310-230-5266 x 9460 CONTRIBUTORS

MICHAEL K. LAVERS, TINASHE CHINGARANDE, ERNESTO VALLE, YARIEL VALDÉS GONZALEZ, PARKER PURIFOY, CHRISTOPHER KANE, AUSTIN MENDOZA, JOHN PAUL KING, JOEY DIGUGLIELMO, CHRIS JOHNSON, LOU CHIBBARO JR., REBEKAH SAGER, JON DAVIDSON, SUSAN HORNIK, CHANNING SARGENT, SAMSON AMORE, CHRISTOPHER CAPPIELLO, MICHAEL JORTNER, DAN ALLEN, SEAN SHEALY, SCOTT STIFFLER, RHEA LITRÉ

ADMINISTRATION PHILLIP G. ROCKSTROH prockstroh@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x 8092 CREATIVE DESIGN/PRODUCTION AZERCREATIVE.COM DISTRIBUTION CHRISTOPHER JACKSON, 562-826-6602

All material in the Los Angeles Blade is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Los Angeles Blade. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. Although the Los Angeles Blade is supported by many fine advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Los Angeles Blade, but the paper cannot take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. A single copy of the Los Angeles Blade is available from authorized distribution points, to any individual within a 50-mile radius of Los Angeles, CA. Multiple copies are available from the Los Angeles Blade office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to get to a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 52-week mailed subscription for $195 per year or $5.00 per single issue. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Phil Rockstroh at prockstroh@washblade.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Los Angeles Blade, PO BOX 53352 Washington, DC 20009. The Los Angeles Blade is published weekly, on Friday, by Los Angeles Blade, LLC. Rates for businesses/ institutions are $450 per year. Periodical postage paid at Los Angeles, CA., and additional mailing offices. Editorial positions of the Los Angeles Blade are expressed in editorials and in editors’ notes as determined by the paper’s editors. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Los Angeles Blade or its staff. To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words; commentaries should be fewer than 750 words.

Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Send submissions by e-mail to tmasters@losangelesblade.com.

2023 GLAAD Media Awards

©2024 LOS ANGELES BLADE, LLC.

Project 2025:

A threat to LGBTQ elders and inclusive America

VIEWPOINT

KYLIE MADHAV

is Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of SAGE.

We must fight for a diverse country that protects all its citizens

In recent months, Project 2025, a conservative roadmap for a potential second Trump administration, has gained significant attention. While its proponents claim it will bring efficiency and reform to governmental operations, a more in-depth read of the document reveals a disturbing agenda that threatens the progress made across various sectors in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, with particularly harmful implications for LGBTQ+ elders.

Project 2025 proposes a radical overhaul of federal agencies, with a specific focus on dismantling DEI programs. The plan views these initiatives as forms of “affirmative discrimination” and seeks to replace them with what it perceives as merit-based practices. This stance ignores the real-world benefits of DEI programs in creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces, particularly for marginalized communities like LGBTQ+ elders.

The proposal goes beyond merely eliminating DEI initiatives. It advocates for stripping workplace protections related to sexual orientation and gender identity from federal rules. This regressive move would leave LGBTQ+ individuals, especially older adults, vulnerable to discrimination in employment, healthcare, and housing – areas where they already face significant challenges.

LGBTQ+ older adults are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of proposed changes in Project 2025’s anti-DEI stance. This population already faces unique challenges, including higher rates of social isolation, poverty, and health disparities compared to their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. The removal of protections and DEI initiatives could exacerbate these issues significantly, leading to increased discrimination in healthcare settings and potentially poorer health outcomes. Furthermore, the elimination of programs promoting inclusivity and social interaction could deepen the isolation experienced by LGBTQ+ elders, who are more likely to live alone and have fewer avenues of family support.

The economic and housing implications of Project 2025’s stance are equally concerning for LGBTQ+ older adults. With fewer workplace protections, they may face increased employment discrimination, potentially worsening their already precarious economic situations. This reduction in economic security could have far-reaching effects on their quality of life and ability to access necessary resources. Additionally, the potential reduction in support for LGBTQ+-inclusive housing initiatives

could make it substantially more difficult for elders to find safe, affordable, and LGBTQ+-friendly housing options, further compounding the challenges they face in their daily lives.

The potential negative impact of Project 2025 extends far beyond LGBTQ+ elders, threatening to create a less tolerant and less inclusive society overall.

By attempting to erase the progress made in recognizing and addressing structural inequalities, Project 2025 risks turning back the clock on civil rights and social justice initiatives.

This regression could have profound implications for marginalized communities across the board, undoing decades of hard-fought progress in creating a more equitable society.

As we face this looming threat to LGBTQ+ elders and DEI initiatives, it’s crucial that we take decisive action. This includes raising awareness by educating others about the potential impacts of Project 2025 on vulnerable populations, advocating by supporting organizations fighting to defend LGBTQ+ rights and DEI initiatives, and exercising our right to vote to ensure that our elected officials support policies that protect marginalized communities.

Additionally, we must continue to promote inclusivity in our workplaces and communities by championing DEI efforts and creating welcoming spaces for all. By taking these steps, we can work together to counteract the potential harm of Project 2025 and maintain the progress we’ve made toward a more just and equitable society.

Project 2025 represents a significant threat to the progress we’ve made in creating a more conscientious society. Its anti-DEI stance would disproportionately harm LGBTQ+ elders, a group already facing numerous challenges. We must stand against these regressive proposals and continue to fight for a diverse, inclusive America that values and protects all its citizens, regardless of age, sexual orientation or gender identity.

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 01, 2024 • 11

This cottage-core Uber driver and their car went viral Together, they are rolling on Mollie (no, not that one)

By GISSELLE PALOMERA “It was midnight, by Venice Beach and you know it was good vibes, but yea she gets in and Forest green faux we’re talking and she’s like ‘I’m going to give you this duck,’ and gives me this little tiny purple fur, rhinestones, a fabgood luck duck,” said Larkins. “So I kept the good luck duck and I put him on my dashboard.” ric-lined ceiling, planted Larkins says that ever since this encounter, the luck in their car changed. faux flowers and green “Red lights will always turn green for me, and sometimes someone will run a red light and plastic grass adorn the miss [hitting] me and I just think it’s divine intervention because of Jack.” inside of an anthropoLarkins says that the decorated interior and its elements serves not only as a conversation morphized car named starter, but also as a filter from unwanted conversations and painfully boring small talk.

Mollie who spends her “I think that since I’ve decorated my car, it’s like my filter,” said Larkins. “The people who days riding off into the get in and are like, ‘Oh my god,’ those are my people and those are the ones that I’m there sunset on Sunset Boulefor. And the ones that get in and are silent, I just let them sit there and soak in the rainbows.” vard in West Hollywood They say that there have been more good interactions, than bad ones and more people and beyond. who ‘get it,’ than those who don’t.

The driver of this 2008 Anthropomorphizing cars is nothing new to pop culture. In fact, cars have almost always Ford Escape, Caspian had names and it is almost a part of engrained American culture to assign personalities to Larkins, 24 and a Canthem based on their cosmetic characteristics. cer sign, moved to Los The earliest examples on TV go as far back as the 1940s and some of the most memorable Angeles to pursue actexamples are Christine, the possessed, killer Camaro from Stephen King’s imaginative mind. ing and through a series Or Herbie, the 1963 Volkswagen Racing Beetle from the early cartoon TV show “Herbie, of humbling restaurant the Love Bug.” jobs and other side husIn everyday routine, people spend so much time and energy on and around inanimate tles, ended up driving objects, that they sort of become meaningful elements who accompany us on our journeys for Uber. Though workfrom here to there–and back. ing for Uber was not on “What I’m doing now with her is switching out different designs with the seasons,” said Larkins’s bingo card for Larkins.

2021, they wanted to “So right now we have our spring/summer look and a lot of the things in there are removfind a way to make the able, velcroed and stapled.” experience not only fun They say that right now they are exploring a very niche area of automotive interior design for themself, but also for that they feel has not been explored within vehicles recently. the people who roll on “It’s just hard for other people to conceptualize it and what I often describe to people, Mollie. comes off as very tacky and just kind of nasty — not demure, not cute.”

Larkins grew up being Larkins feel they are really just now setting the stage for what’s possible, as far as interior one with nature in the customizations. wilderness of Oregon “I want to start creating this world in which design plays a bigger role in what a car could and when you step inbe and the experience of just being transported,” said Larkins. “I want to invite people into side Mollie, it feels like my little delusional fantasies.” a little magical, mystical CASPIAN LARKINS, 24, rolls on Mollie, the car they use to pick up Larkins says that even in the present and near future of self-driving vehicles, they would slice of Oregonian forand drop off strangers of all walks of life across Los Angeles. like to collaborate with these major self-driving car companies and take part in designing and est — if it were reimagcustomizing the vehicles so that it can be a pleasurable and fun experience for riders who ined on four wheels and might feel anxiety about self-driving technology. zooming through traffic in Los Angeles.

Modifying and customizing cars has been a part of the North American experience since Going viral doesn’t happen to just anyone, but this iconic duo now have thousands of folthe early 1930s. Now, attention is shifting toward the addition of technologies like Augmentlowers on social media and have big plans for the future. ed Reality, to enhance the experience of driving and getting from point A to point B and also ShaVonne Boggs, a content creator who hailed an Uber ride from Larkins, posted an Insusing that technology to navigate the vehicle without a driver. tagram reel of the ride and featured Larkins in all their fairy-core glory, driving through L.A. There are now endless possibilities when it comes to custom car culture and Larkins feels traffic, with the Gwen Stefani ‘Just a Girl,’ audio clip playing over. this is their place to explore and forage for the looks that people want and can’t even imag“I went to bed that night with a couple hundred followers on my account and I woke up the ine. next day and I had gained like 3,000 followers,” said Larkins.

“I want to step away from driving for the platforms and I would love to design with them,” Larkins has a unique sense of style that incorporates nature, fashion and sustainability, ofsaid Larkins. “There is a group of people that are in support of this future technology and ten foraging for materials from the side of the road to add to the car and accepting donated there is this other group of people that are kind of scared of it because it feels very cold and fabrics from people who reach out to them through social media. very uninviting and very new, so I would like to be the one to sort of bridge that gap for those “I’m a forager. What can I say,” said Larkins and then jokingly added that Jeff Bezos also people and make it less scary.” personally delivers some of the items they use to decorate Mollie.

The vision that Larkins has, is that they would like to reimagine the possibilities of custom “I come across stuff on the street sometimes that I’ll pick up, put in my car and repurpose.” interiors with interchangeable parts and additions that one could only think of as synonyLarkins says that Mollie is a little bit dinged up and bruised up from the outside, but that mous to Barbie and her endlessly fun assortment of interchangeable outfit components. it’s the inside that truly matters.

Larkins sees a long future ahead, where they have the opportunity to collaborate with There is a third character in this story that resides on the inside of the car at all times. airlines, rideshare companies and any other sponsors willing to make their visions come to Jack Aranda is the name of the guardian angel of this fairytale ride. It is a miniature rubber reality. Until then, they will continue to weave up and down the asphalt arteries of WeHo and duck that was given to Larkins by a spiritual witch that opted for an Uber drive, over a broom beyond, rolling on Mollie and working on their fairytale ending. one night.

12 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 01, 2024

FILM

A writer finds his voice through sex work in ‘Sebastian’ An engaging, sexy, and thought-provoking ride

By JOHN PAUL KING

lines he’s been raised to respect, it’s the dread of having his reputation and his prospects When Finnish-British filmmaker Mikko Mäkelä’s film “Sebastian” premiered at the 2024 shattered that causes him to waver in his path – and that feeling is not unfounded, which Sundance Festival, he told Variety he wanted his movie to provide a “frank and honest poris in itself a telling indicator that the power of social judgment is a very real force when it trayal of queer sexuality.” That’s surely enough to lure queer audiences – particularly gay comes to living our authentic lives. Indeed, his personal taboos are quick to fall away as male audiences, thanks to its gay male protagonist – with the promise of steamy onscreen he pursues his undercover “research”, but the guilt he feels about being caught in a social sex, and his movie, now available on VOD platforms after a limited theatrical release, cerposition perceived as “beneath” his own is something he cannot shrug off so easily. With tainly delivers on it. so many generations of religious and societal dogma behind them, such imperatives are That, however, is only half (perhaps less) of what it’s all about, because, like its title charhard to ignore. acter, it lives in two worlds at once.

Yet, there’s yet another aspect of “Sebastian” to discuss, that, while it is self-evident in In fact, “Sebastian” isn’t even his real name. He’s actually Max (Ruaridh Mollica), an asthe very premise of Mäkelä’s movie, might be easy to overlook in the midst of all these piring writer who works a “survival job” at a literary magazine while working on his first other themes. A story about somenovel – a “pseudo-memoir” chronione pretending to be someone else cling a gay sex worker’s encounters is inherently about deception, and with various clients. It’s not exactly Max, regardless of his motives, is a “pseudo,” though; the experiences deceiver. He deceives his clients to he writes about are real, gained by obtain the material for his writing, advertising himself on a website and he deceives his employers and for gay escorts to obtain “research” his publisher about where he gets for his book. The results are getit; he deceives the people closest to ting him noticed, and a publisher him, he deceives potential romantic (Leanne Best) is interested in the partners – but more than anyone completed manuscript – but he else, he deceives himself. finds his focus being pulled away It’s only by becoming honest with from his “real” life and deeper into oneself, of course, that one can truthe anonymous thrill of exploring ly find a way to reconcile the opposhis own sexuality in the safety of an ing sides of our own nature, and assumed identity. that is the challenge “Sebastian” It’s not just his work that’s affectsets up for its protagonist, no mated; among the other things that beter which name he is going by in the gin to suffer from his growing obmoment. Whether or not he meets session are his relationships: with it is something we won’t spoil, his co-worker and bestie, fellow asbut we’ll go as far as saying that a piring writer Amna (Hiftu Quasem); breakthrough comes only when with his conservative mother back Max is forced by circumstance to in Edinburgh, who already disapRUARIDH MOLLICA in ‘Sebastian.’ (Image courtesy of Kino Lorber) follow his instincts and “get honest” proves of his lifestyle in faraway, with someone – though we won’t hedonistic London; and to a much tell you who. older client (Jonathan Hyde) with whom “Sebastian” has developed an unexpected emoIn the end, “Sebastian” satisfies as a character study, and as a journey of self-acceptance, tional attachment. Most of all, it’s his own sense of identity that is caught in the conflict, largely thanks to a charismatic, layered, thoroughly authentic performance from Mollica, a as he tries to keep both sides of his double life together while preventing his whole world Scots-Italian actor of tremendous range who convincingly captures both sides of Max’s perfrom falling apart. sona and transcends them to create a character that incorporates each into a relatable – if It’s a story with a lot of irons on the fire – a quality it seems to share with the novel its not always entirely likable – whole. Mäkelä’s steady, clear-eyed direction helps, as does the protagonist is writing, much to the irritation of his would-be publisher. What begins as the equally dignified and vulnerable performance from veteran character actor Hyde, whose saga of a fledgling male escort – we first meet Max during his first booking as “Sebastian,” chemistry with Mollica is as surprising as the relationship they portray in the film. after all, suggesting almost from the start that it is this persona that is our true protagonist Even so, “Sebastian” suffers from the many balls it attempts to keep in the air. Though it – soon shifts into that of an ambitious-but-frustrated young author attempting to fuel his aims for sex-positive messaging and an empathetic view of sex work, it often devolves into creativity through lived experience, laced with the ongoing thread of his own sexual awakthe kind of dramatic tropes that perpetuate an opposite view, sending mixed messages ening and self-acceptance. It even makes overtures toward an unexpected (and unorthoabout whether it’s trying to diffuse old stereotypes or simply reinvent them for a modern dox) love story, before venturing down a darker path to become something of a cautionary age of “digital hustlers.” Further, in its effort to offer an unfiltered presentation of queer tale, a warning against the dangers of leading a compartmentalized existence and allowing sexuality, it spends perhaps a bit more screen time than necessary showing it to us as exthe gratification of one’s personal appetites to overshadow all the other facets of our lives. plicitly as possible while omitting all but a glimpse of full-frontal nudity, but just enough to Along the way, it throws in some commentary about the tense dynamic between creative conjure the word “gratuitous.” expression and commercialism in the arts, not to mention the reinforcement of stigma and Don’t get us wrong, though; Mäkelä’s movie – only his second feature film effort to date negative attitudes around sex workers – and sex in general – through the perceptions and – is an engaging, sexy, and ultimately thought-provoking ride, even if its tangled ambitions representations created by social traditions and popular culture. sometimes get the better of its narrative thrust, and it comes with our recommendation.

This latter perspective might be the key to what is really at the heart of “Sebastian” all It’s just that, one of these days, we’d really like to see a movie where sex work is honestly along, toward which Mäkelä’s screenplay hints with a description of Max’s work-in-progportrayed as a job, just like any other – but I guess we’ll have to wait until society is ready ress as being about “the shame of being ashamed.” From the beginning, it is his own fear of for it before we get that one. being found out that becomes his greatest obstacle; far more than his reluctance to cross

14 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 01, 2024

BOOKS

Randy Rainbow doesn’t hold back in new book

Something snide and cynical that’ll make you laugh

By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER Whine, whine, whine.

You got something to say, say it. Got an opinion? The world is waiting. It doesn’t do any good to mutter, sputter, or whine when something’s bothering you. As in the new book, “Low-Hanging Fruit” by Randy Rainbow, take it to the complaint department.

Randy Rainbow has a lot to say, and he’s not afraid to say it.

For starters, he’s “resigning from trying to fix you, effective immediately.”

Any boneheaded thing you want to do now, whatever. Nothing is his responsibility anymore. He has other issues to worry about.

“The truth is,” he says, “I have a lot of complaints about a lot of things.”

There are right ways of doing things, he says, and there are wrong ways and we just all really need to know the difference – especially if you’re a “Karen.”

He’s compassionate if you were born with that name, but not too much.

“I’m a flamboyant homosexual who’s lived my entire life with the name Randy Rainbow, so you’ll get little sympathy from me in this department.”

Other than that, you may wonder ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ what Rainbow’s (ahem) “position” is:

By Randy Rainbow he’s actually thinking about running for c.2024, St. Martin’s Press | $28 | 224 pages president as a member of “a Rainbow coalition...” He doesn’t have much experience but, he says, if there’s one thing we’ve learned in the past few years, that doesn’t matter at all. He stands on a green platform, but he can’t ban fluorocarbons because, you know, the hair thing and all.

Rainbow misses his 20s, old-school dating sites, hooking up, and his former attention span. He waxes nostalgic about the places he’s lived, including an apartment overlooking a “fruit market.” He wonders why teenagers are suddenly “successful lifestyle gurus.” He hates when “stars begin losing their luster” and he wishes again for actors like Hayworth and Garbo.

But, he says, “Diva-complaints aside... I really do thank God for all the opportunities I’m given.”

So the elephant in the room right now might be one you’ll (never?) vote for, but you know that author Randy Rainbow will reliably skewer that political animal online, hilariously. The fun-poking continues in the most deliciously snarky way in “Low-Hanging Fruit.”

And yet, that’s not the only subject Rainbow tackles. Readers who love catching his posts and videos are treated here to a random string of observations, opinions, and rantsnot-rants, with the signature sassy style they’ve come to expect. What you’ll read can be spit-out-your-wine funny sometimes, and other times it touches a nerve with nods toward culture, new and old, that’ll make you nod with recognition. Nothing in Rainbow’s path goes without sharp-edged comment, which is exactly what you want from his books. Unexpectedly, this one also includes a soft word or two and a few slight confessions that are gentle and that might even make you say, “Awwwwww.”

If you’re ready for something snide and cynical that’ll make you laugh, something that you’ll want to read aloud to a companion, “Low-Hanging Fruit” is what you need. Look for this book now and you’ll have no complaints.

ANNOUNCEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

CLASSIFIEDS

HEALTH/MEDICAL

CONSUMER CELLULAR BATH & SHOWER DENTAL INSURANCE the same reliable, UPDATES in as little as from Physicians Mutual nationwide coverage as the ONE DAY! Affordable Insurance Company. largest carriers. No longprices - No payments for 18 Coverage for 400 plus term contract, no hidden mos. Lifetime warranty & procedures. Real dental fees and activation is free. professional installs. Senior insurance - NOT just a All plans feature unlimited & Military discount. discount plan. Do not wait! talk and text, starting at just 1-877-252-9868 Call now! Get your FREE $20 per month. For more Dental Information Kit with information, call Eliminate gutter cleaning all the details!

1-844-908-0605 forever! LeafFilter, the 1-844-203-2677 most advanced debriswww.dental50plus.com/ AUTOS WANTED blocking gutter protection. calnews #6258 Schedule a FREE DONATE YOUR VEHICLE LeafFilter estimate today.

LOANS to fund the SEARCH FOR 20% off Entire Purchase.

MISSING CHILDREN. 10% Senior & Military RETIRED COUPLE $$$$ FAST FREE PICKUP. 24 Discounts. for business purpose hour response. Running Call 1-855-424-7581 Real Estate loans. Credit or not. Maximum Tax unimportant. V.I.P. Trust Deduction and No Jacuzzi Bath Remodel Deed Company www.

Emission Test Required! can install a new, custom viploan.com Call Call 24/7: 1-877-434-6852. bath or shower in as 1-818-248-0000. little as one day. For Broker-principal GOT AN UNWANTED a limited time, waving DRE 01041073.

CAR??? DONATE IT TO ALL installation costs!

PATRIOTIC HEARTS. Fast (Additional terms apply.

SERVICES free pick up. All 50 States.

Subject to change and Patriotic Hearts’ programs vary by dealer. (Offer ends WATER DAMAGE help veterans find work or 12/29/24). Call CLEANUP & start their own business.

1-833-985-4766 RESTORATION: A small Call 24/7: 1-855-408-6546. amount of water can lead Safe Step. North to major damage. Our Get a break on your taxes! America’s #1 Walk-In Tub. trusted professionals do Comprehensive lifetime Donate your car, truck, or complete repairs to protect warranty. Now featuring SUV to assist the blind your home’s value. Call our FREE shower package and visually impaired.

24/7 1-888-248-0815 and $1600 Off for a limited Arrange a swift, no-cost time! Call today! Financing vehicle pickup and secure MISCELLANEOUS available. Call Safe Step a generous tax credit for 1-888-989-5749 2025. Call Want Residual Income?

Heritage for the Blind at Turnkey Established 1-844-491-2884 today!

Don’t pay for covered Vending Massage Chair Home Repairs Again! Our single location or Route for home warranty covers Tiene un vehiculo no Sale! Asking Price: From deseado? Donelo a ALL Major Systems and $2,500 to $29,000 per Appliances. We stand Patriotic Hearts! Recogida location. text only: by our service and if we rapida y gratuita en los 50 (949) 381-9899 estados. Patriotic Hearts can’t fix it, we’ll replace it! ofrece programas para Pick the plan that fits your DID YOU KNOW budget! Call ayudar a los veteranos a Newspaper-generated encontrar trabajo o iniciar 1-855-411-1731 content is so valuable su propio negocio. it’s taken and repeated, Llama ahora: condensed, broadcast, 1-855-408-7368 24/7 tweeted, discussed, posted, copied, edited, and emailed FINANCIAL SERVICES countless times throughout the day by others?

Struggling with debt? If you Discover the Power of have over $10,000 in debt Newspaper Advertising. we help you be debt free in For MORE INFORMATION as little as 24-48 months. call 916-288-6011 or email Pay nothing to enroll. Call cecelia@cnpa.com Now: 1-877-435-4860.

Tell ‘em,

“I saw your ad in the

Blade!”

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 01, 2024 • 15