Los Angeles Blade, Volume 09, Issue 11, May 30, 2025

(Photo credit: Universal Music Group)

FRANKIE GRANDE

is loud and proud for WeHo Pride, PAGE 12

MAY 30, 2025 • VOLUME 09 • ISSUE 11 • AMERICA’S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

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LOCAL

Best of LGBTQ+ LA 2025

Los Angeles Blade honors the best of the city as selected by our readers

By ROB SALERNO The Los Angeles Blade celebrated its eighth annual Best of LGBTQ+ LA Awards with a spectacular show at The Abbey in West Hollywood on May 22, honoring the community’s best and brightest as selected by you, our readers.

The Awards honored our favorite bars, businesses, artists, organizations, and leaders and featured performances by drag queen Cake Moss, musicians Prince Joshua – who took home the awards for Local Musical Artist of the Year and Go-Go of the Year – and Robert Rene, comedian Allison Reese, and West Hollywood poet laureate Brian Sonia-Wallace. Drag artist Billy Francesca and LA Blade publisher Alexander Rodriguez emceed the event.

“We here in LA are excited to reflect our community, so tonight we’re honoring politicians, business owners, nightlife, entertainment, social media, and Billy,” Rodriguez said, opening the show.

One of the biggest winners of the night was queer mogul and “CEO of Everything Gay” Tristan Schukraft, who won LGBTQ Professional of the Year, while the bar he now owns, The Abbey, took Best LGBTQ Bar, and his pharmaceutical-delivery company MISTR took Best LGBTQ-owned business.

“I’m motivated by making change. We have a purpose, and queer entrepreneurs are building a community that makes a difference,” Schukraft said.

Drag artist and activist Pickle, who runs the LA chapter of Drag Story Hour and is West Hollywood’s first drag laureate, gave a moving speech after she was awarded the Local Hero Award, in which she encouraged anyone who’s facing distress to persevere through the darkness.

“Sometimes, just holding on for one more day is all you

can do, but that is strength, and you are loved,” she said.

Transgender rights activist, model, and Blade contributor Rose Montoya was honored as Activist of the Year and Influencer of the Year, although she was unable to attend the ceremony.

“This recognition means more than she can express,” said her brother, Prince Joshua, accepting the award on her behalf. “Activism has never been a choice for her. It’s been a necessity. As a trans person, as a person who exists at the intersection of multiple identities, she’s had to fight not just for visibility, but for dignity, safety, and the right to exist. This work is personal. And in a time where hatred is getting louder, in our laws, in our schools, and in our streets, we don’t have the luxury of staying silent.”

Weho Pride notched two wins during the ceremony, including Best Regional Pride and Best LGBTQ Event for its OutLoud Music Festival, which kick off next week.

“We have a big week ahead and hopefully we’ll see you there because Pride starts here, and Pride starts now,” said Jeff Consoletti, Producer of Weho Pride, accepting the award.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles won the award for Best LGBTQ Social Group, “The Gay Men’s Chorus of LA has been lifting our spirits through song and fighting for community and singing for all our causes since 1979,” said GMCLA Executive Director Lou Spisto, accepting the award. He also noted that the Chorus will honor Schukraft with its Voice Award at its upcoming Dancing Queens Gala June 21 at the Saban Theatre.

Trans Lifeline was awarded Non-Profit of the Year, like-

ly a recognition of the organization’s importance as trans people have come under increasing attack across the country.

“They’ve received an increase in calls to the tune of 300%, so support your trans brothers and sisters,” Rodriguez said, announcing the award.

DJ Cazwell took home the award for best DJ, although a little mix-up had his award read Best Cannabis Retailer, a distinction that actually went to Green Qween. Cazwell spoke about how much he appreciates the community he found after moving to LA from New York.

“I moved here from New York nine years ago and I found a community of DJs who actually support each other here, so I want to shout out the other nominees,” Cazwell said.

That’s a sentiment that was echoed by Best Bartender winner Sumner Mormeneo from Beaches, who moved to LA from Florida.

“My first six months living here was rough. It wasn’t until I got a job at a bar in Weho that it started feeling like home, so thank you,” Mormeneo said.

More than 40 awards were given out in this year’s Best of LGBTQ+ LA. See the complete list of winners.

And the winners are... LA Blade’s Best of LGBTQ LA 2025

Congratulations to our nominees and the winners of this year’s Best of LA Awards. Thank you for making our community strong!

By ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ Our readers have spoken! After a twoweek open voting process, the Los Angeles Community has chosen who their Best of LGBTQ LA movers and shakers are.

This year included an expanded array of categories, representing politics, nightlife, art, business, theater, social media, activism, music, podcasts, tattoo artists and beyond.

Winners are being announced at this year’s Best of Awards show at The Abbey, featuring live performances by Cake Moss, Robert Rene, Allison Reese, Prince Joshua, and Brian Sonia-Wallace.

And now, without further ado... check out the list of winners and Editor’s Choice runner-ups. Congrats to everyone!

Best Drag Performer Winner: Salina EsTitties Editor’s Choice: Cake Moss

Best Happy Hour Winner: Fiesta Cantina Editor’s Choice: Hi Tops

Best LGBTQ Owned Business Winner: MISTR Editor’s Choice: Underdog Bookstore

Best Drag Show Winner: Beaches Drag Brunch Editor’s Choice: Fat Slut at Precinct LA

Go-Go of the Year Winner: Prince Joshua Editor’s Choice: Victoria Shaw

Best LGBTQ Social Group Winner: Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles Editor’s Choice: WeHo Dodgeball

Local Influencer of the Year Winner: Rose Montoya Editor’s Choice: Tony Moore

Best Restaurant Winner: Bottega Louie Editor’s Choice: Ysabel

Best Cannabis Retailer/Lounge Winner: Green Queen Editor’s Choice: The Woods

Best Musical Queer Artist Winner: Doechii Editor’s Choice: Chappell Roan

Best Radio or TV Station Winner: Out TV Editor’s Choice: CHANNEL Q

Best LGBTQ Bar Winner: The Abbey Editor’s Choice: Precinct

Best Cannabis Retailer/Lounge Winner: Green Qween Editor’s Choice: The Woods WeHo

04 • MAY 30, 2025 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

Best House of Worship Winner: Hollywood United Methodist Editor’s Choice: Founders Metropolitan Community Church Los Angeles

LOCAL

Cumbiatón returns to Los Angeles right in time for Pride season ‘Que viva la joteria,’ translates roughly to “Let the gayness live”

By GISSELLE PALOMERA

Now they’re back, doubling-down on their mission to bring cumbias, corridos and all the music many of us grew up listening to, to places that are accessible and safe for our communities.

“I started Cumbiatón back in 2016, right after the election — which was weirdly similar because we’re going through it again.

And a lot of us come from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) movement. We were the ones to really push for that to happen along with the DREAM Act.” DJ Sizzle says that she wanted to create a space out on the streets to celebrate life and come together, because of how men-

tally and physically taxing it is to be a part of the marginalized communities that were and still are, a major target for ongoing political attacks.

“We need these spaces so that we can kind of refuel and rejoice in each other’s existence,” said DJ Sizzle. “Because we saw each other out on the street a lot, but never did we really have time to sit down, have a drink, talk, laugh. So I found that music was the way to bring people together and that’s how Cumbiatón got started. It was honestly like a movement of political resistance through music.”

DJ Sizzle is an undocumented community organizer who aims to not only bring awareness to the issues that her communities face, but also to make space to celebrate the wins and bond over the music that brings people in Latin America, East L.A., Boyle Heights and the Bay area together.

Julio Salgado, a queer, visionary artist and migrant rights activist from Ensenada, Mexico with roots in Long Beach and the Bay Area, connected with DJ Sizzle over their shared passion in advocating for immigrant rights.

“Cumbiatón was created during the first

[Trump] administration, where you know, a lot of people were really bummed out and so what Sizzle wanted to create was a place where people could come together and celebrate ourselves,” said Salgado. “Fast-forward to the second [Trump] administration and we’re here and feel a little bit more like: ‘oh shit, things are bad again.’ But, things have always been bad.”

Salgado is involved with Cumbiatón through his art. He is a mixed-media artist who creates cartoons using his lived experience with his sobriety journey, undocumented status and queer identity.

With a background in journalism from California State University, Long Beach, Salgado documents what activists do in the undocumented spaces he has been a part of throughout his life.

In 2017, Salgado moved back to Long Beach from the Bay Area, and at the time he started doing political artwork and posters for protests against the first Trump administration, but because the nature of that work can be very tiring, he says that he turned to a more uplifting version of his art where he also draws the joy and unity in his communities.

CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

Activist of the Year Winner: Rose Montoya Editor’s Choice: Bamby Salcedo

Best Local Actor Winner: Rain Valdez Editor’s Choice: Lena Waithe

Athlete of the Year Winner: Tom Daley Editor’s Choice: Freddie Freeman

Best Music Venue Winner: The Hollywood Bowl Editor’s Choice: The Roxy Theatre

Public Official of the Year Co-Winner: Ysabel Jurado Editor’s Choice: Lindsey Horvath

Best Queer Art Space Winner: Circus of Books Editor’s Choice: Tom of Finland House

Best Promoter of the Year Winner: Beau Byron Editor’s Choice: Tony Moore

Best Fitness/Workout Spot Winner: Barry’s Editor’s Choice: LA Fitness, Hollywood

Best Local Pro Sports Team Winner: LA Dodgers Editor’s Choice: LA Lakers

Best Local Theatre Winner: LA Opera Editor’s Choice: Pasadena Playhouse

LGBTQ Professional of the Year Winner: Tristan Schukraft Editor’s Choice: Queen Victoria Ortega

Best Hotel Winner: Hotel Ziggy Editor’s Choice: SoHo House

Local Ally of the Year Winner: Natalie Sanchez Editor’s Choice: Chelsea Byers

Local Musical Artist of the Year Winner: Prince Joshua Editor’s Choice: Jordy

Best Tattoo Shop/Artist Winner: Plant Daddy Tattoos Editor’s Choice: Cindy Ortega Tattoos

Best Doctor/Medical Provider Winner: AIDS Healthcare Foundation Editor’s Choice: Los Angeles LGBT Center

Best LGBTQ Event Winner: Outloud Music Festival at Weho Pride Editor’s Choice: LA Opera Pride Night

Best Bartender Winner: Sumner Mormeneo - Beaches Editor’s Choice: Matt Stratman - Motherlode

Healing and uplifting communities through music and unity is the foundation of this event space created by Zacil “DJ Sizzle Fantastic” Pech and Norma “Normz La Oaxaqueña” Fajardo.

For nearly a decade DJ Sizzle has built a reputation in the queer POC and Spanish-speaking undocumented communities for making the space for them to come together to celebrate their culture and partake in the ultimate act of resistance — joy.

Cumbiatón was created during the first Trump administration as a direct response to the erasure, racism, homophobia and xenophobia that was engrained into the administration’s mission for those first four years. Now that the second Trump administration is upon us, the racism, homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia are tenfold.

This event space is a ‘party for the hood, by the hood.’ It is led by women, queer and trans people of color in every aspect of the production process.

Cumbiatón was on a short hiatus from playing in Los Angeles due to the January fires.

The recent fires that burned through Altadena and Pacific Palisades made DJ Siz-

zle decide to step back from marketing the event in an area where people had just lost their businesses, homes and where their lives were completely thrown for a loop.

Most LGBTQ-Friendly Workplace Winner: Los Angeles LGBT Center Editor’s Choice: City of West Hollywood Non-Profit of the Year Winner: Trans Lifeline Editor’s Choice: GLAAD

Best DJ Winner: Cazwell Editor’s Choice: Paulo Ramirez

Best Regional Pride Winner: WeHo Pride Editor’s Choice: Long Beach Pride

Best Local LGBTQ Podcast Winner: Today in Gay Editor’s Choice: Very Delta

Best News Source Ally Winner: KTLA News Editor’s Choice: Los Angeles Times - De Los

Best Salon/Spa Winner: Project Q Editor’s Choice: Shorty’s Barber Shop

Local Hero Award Pickel Stay tuned for coverage of our Best of LA Awards party!

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • MAY 30, 2025 • 05

NATIONAL

So far, virtually no acknowledgment of Pride month by federal gov’t Observances were far more visible under Biden administration

By CHRISTOPHER KANE | ckane@washblade.com

Just a few days from the start of June, there has been virtually no acknowledgment of Pride month by federal government agencies this year, a striking departure from recent policy and practice under the Biden-Harris administration and even under President Donald Trump’s first term.

Some limited and more localized observances have been preserved or renewed in 2025, for example by the U.S. courts’ webpage celebrating history-making LGBTQ jurists like Judges Deborah A. Batts and J. Paul Oetken of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which notes on its website plans to actively participate in WorldPride 2025.

The paltriness of Pride this year comes pursuant to several policy changes under Trump 2.0 such as executive orders narrowing the definition of gender to exclude trans and nonbinary people and banning activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which have led to agency-wide changes including the removal of LGBTQ focused website content and dissolution of “affinity groups.”

Many of these actions came to light in the first few months of Trump’s second term. For example, in January the Associated Press reported a memo from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency indicating that observances related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance, and other cultural or historical annual events would be paused.

While it remains to be seen whether and to what extent the White House, federal government, and Congress will acknowledge Pride month in 2025, in 2024:

• At the end of May, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation declaring June LGBTQ Pride Month, as he had done for the previous three years of his administration.

PRESIDENT TRUMP has attacked trans rights and banned DEI. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

• The U.S. Senate, then under Democratic control, introduced a resolution recognizing June 2024 as LGBTQ Pride Month.

• Federal agencies across the whole of government participated in Pride activities, and at a high level — for instance, then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted a Pride month convening focused on U.S. foreign policy, national security, inclusive development, and human rights.

• Actions in June, which in many cases were coordinat-

ed via LGBTQ employee resource groups or affinity groups, included celebrations of LGBTQ individuals — for example, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration toasted those who made significant contributions to economic growth, while the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office hosted a “Proud Innovation 2024” event, highlighting the accomplishments of LGBTQ innovators, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who utilize intellectual property to grow their businesses and mentor others in their communities.

• Agencies also provided support indirectly – for example, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission sponsored attorneys who wished to represent the FTC at LGBTQ Pride events organized by various bar associations.

The Washington Post pointed to some of the challenges facing organizers of WorldPride as they plan festivities in D.C. throughout early June: “This year, the LGBTQ+ celebration is being held in the backyard of a government that has targeted transgender rights and made major cuts to HIV prevention programs. At the Kennedy Center, President Donald Trump has promised “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.” On June 14, Trump is set to preside over a military parade in Washington commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, his 79th birthday, and Flag Day, in a celebration that will feature 6,600 soldiers from at least 11 corps and divisions nationwide and 150 military vehicles, including 28 M1 Abrams tanks.

House passes reconciliation bill with anti-LGBTQ provisions The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives last Thursday voted 215-214 for passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” reconciliation package, which includes provisions that would prohibit the use of federal funds to support gender-affirming care.

But for an 11th hour revision of the bill late Wednesday night by conservative lawmakers, Medicaid and CHIP would have been restricted only from covering treatments and intervenU.S. House Speaker MIKE JOHNtions administered SON (R-La.) (Blade photo by Michael Key) to patients younger than 18.

The legislation would also drop requirements that some health insurers must cover gender-affirming care as an

06 • MAY 30, 2025 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

“essential health benefit” and force states that currently mandate such coverage to find it independently. Plans could still offer coverage for transgender care but without the EHB classification patients will likely pay higher out of pocket costs.

To offset the cost of extending tax cuts from 2017 that disproportionately benefited the wealthiest Americans, the reconciliation bill contains significant cuts to spending for federal programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Human Rights Campaign criticized House Republicans in a press release and statement by the group’s president, Kelley Robinson: “People in this country want policies and solutions that make life better and expand access to the American Dream. Instead, anti-equality lawmakers voted to give handouts to billionaires built on the backs of hardworking people — with devastating consequences for the LGBTQ+ community.

“If the cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP or re-

sources like Planned Parenthood clinics weren’t devastating enough, House Republicans added a last minute provision that expands its attacks on access to best practice health care to transgender adults.

“This cruel addition shows their priorities have never been about lowering costs or expanding health care access–but in targeting people simply for who they are.

These lawmakers have abandoned their constituents, and as they head back to their districts, know this: they will hear from us.”

Senate Republicans are expected to pass the bill with the budget reconciliation process, which would allow them to bypass the filibuster and clear the spending package with a simple majority vote.

Changes are expected as the bill will be reviewed and amended by committees, particularly the Finance Committee, and then brought to the floor for debate — though modifications are expected to focus on Medicaid reductions and debate over state and local tax deductions.

CHRISTOPHER KANE

STAY WHERE THE CELEBRATION NEVER STOPS

PLAN YOUR PRIDE GETAWAY

NATIONAL

Gerry Connolly dies at 75 after cancer battle

Greene’s bill to ban gender affirming care advances

Several highlighted Democratic U.S. Rep. Connolly’s fierce advoGerry Connolly of Virgincacy on behalf of federal ia died on Wednesday, workers, who are well according to a staterepresented in his northment from his family. ern Virginia congressioThe 75-year-old lawnal district. maker, who served in The congressman also Congress since 2009, U.S. Rep. GERRY CONNOLLY (D-Va.) supported LGBTQ rights announced last month speaks at a Barack Obama rally on throughout his life and that he will not seek reOct. 19, 2012. (Blade photo by Michael Key) career. election and would step When running for the Fairfax County down from his role as the top Democrat on Board of Supervisors in 1994, he fought the powerful U.S. House Oversight Comthe removal of Washington Blade newspamittee because his esophageal cancer had pers from libraries. When running in 2008 returned. for the U.S. house seat vacated by Tom “We were fortunate to share Gerry with Davis, a Republican, Connolly campaigned Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years beagainst the amendment to Virginia’s consticause that was his joy, his purpose, and his tution banning same-sex marriage and civil passion,” his family said in their statement. unions in the state.

“His absence will leave a hole in our hearts, In Congress, he supported the repeal of but we are proud that his life’s work will en“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the U.S. Supreme dure for future generations.”

Court’s ruling on marriage equality, the “He looked out for the disadvantaged Biden-Harris administration’s rescission of and voiceless. He always stood up for what the anti-trans military ban, and the desigis right and just,” they said. nation within the State Department of a Connolly was memorialized in statespecial LGBTQ rights envoy. The congressments from colleagues and friends includman also was an original cosponsor of the ing House Democratic Leader Hakeem JefEquality Act and co-sponsored legislation to fries (N.Y.), Republican House Speaker Mike repeal parts of the Defense of Marriage Act. Johnson (La.), former President Joe Biden, CHRISTOPHER KANE and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)’s “Protect Children’s Innocence Act,” which would criminalize guideline-directed gender affirming health care for minors, will advance to markup in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning.

Doctors and providers who administer medical treatments for gender dysphoria to patients younger than 18, including hormones and puberty blockers, would be subject to Class 3 felony charges punishable by up to 10 years in prison if the legislation is enacted.

LGBTQ advocates warn conservative lawmakers want to go after families who travel out of state to obtain medical care for their transgender kids that is banned or restricted in the places where they reside, using legislation like Greene’s to expand federal jurisdiction over these decisions. They also point to the medically inaccurate way in which the bill characterizes evidence-based interventions delineated in standards of care for trans and gender diverse youth as “mutilation” or “chemical castration.”

Days into his second term, President Donald Trump signed “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” an executive order declaring that the U.S. would not “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one U.S. Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce (Blade photo by Michael Key) all laws that prohibit or limit” medical treatments and interventions intended for this purpose.

Greene, who has introduced the bill in years past, noted the president’s endorsement of her bill during his address to the joint session of Congress in March when he said “I want Congress to pass a bill permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body.”

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Guilty verdicts in NYC gay bar drugging scheme A New York judge last Wednesday sentenced three men convicted of killing a D.C. political consultant and another man who they targeted at gay bars in Manhattan.

NBC New York notes a jury in February convicted Jayqwan Hamilton, Jacob Barroso, and Robert DeMaio of murder, robbery, and conspiracy in relation to druggings and robberies that targeted gay bars in Manhattan from March 2021 to June 2022.

John Umberger, a 33-year-old political consultant from D.C., and Julio Ramirez, a 25-year-old social worker, died. Prosecutors said Hamilton, Barroso, and DeMaio targeted three other men at gay bars.

The jury convicted Hamilton and DeMaio of murdering Umberger. State Supreme Court Judge Felicia Mennin sentenced Hamilton and DeMaio to 40 years to life in prison.

Barroso, who was convicted of killing Ramirez, received a 20 years to life sentence.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Newsom backs bill to put LGBTQ hotline on student IDs Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed support for LGBTQ suicide hotline measures for K-12 students in direct response to recent reports that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s., plans to cut funding for the national nonprofit that provides the resource to LGBTQ people.

“Cutting off kids’ access to help is indefensible. While the Trump administration walks away from its responsibility, California will continue to expand access to life-saving resources, because the life of every child — straight, gay, trans — is worth fighting for,” said Gov. Newsom.

Assembly Bill 727, introduced by Assemblymember Mark González, would aim to facilitate pupil and student safety by requiring schools and institutions to have the telephone number and text line for a specified LGBTQ suicide hotline provided by The Trevor Project, that is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Existing law that will be enforced July 1, 2025, requires a public or private school that serves pupils in any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, and that issues pupil identification cards to have printed on the identification cards the number for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

This bill would additionally require the list of K-12 public schools and institutions to provide support to youth and their families who have been subjected to school-based discrimi-

08 • MAY 30, 2025 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

nation, harassment, intimidation or bullying on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation or gender expression.

Conservative organizations like the California Family Council are pushing back on this bill, stating that this bill is “forcing LGBTQ advocacy on every student ID — no exemptions for religious schools,” and saying it “undermines families.”

A national 2024 survey by The Trevor Project on mental health of LGBTQ young people, reports that 1 in 10 young LGBTQ-indetifying people in the United States attempted suicide in 2023. Over a third of LGBTQ young people seriously considered suicide within the past year and that figure was even higher for trans and nonbinary-identifying youth, with that figure being 46%.

The survey also found that half of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health resources and care could not get them.

Over 50% of survey respondents answered “a lot” when asked about how often recent politics negatively impact their well-being.

The Trevor Project is one of the nonprofit organizations that is currently at high-risk for losing their funding under Trump’s budget cuts.

The phone number to call for help is 1-866-488-7386 and the number to text for help is 678-678.

GISSELLE PALOMERA

VIEWPOINT

Brave, Not Broken: Mental health, queer identity and the urgent fight for care Dr. Greg Cason shares what has changed, what is at risk and why therapy and community matter more than ever

By AJ SLOAN Let’s get one thing straight (well, not too straight), mental health awareness is having its moment — and it’s about damn time.

For LGBTQ+ folks, mental health is not a trend. It is survival. In a time when therapy is finally making its way into casual brunch talk (please stop referring to drinking mimosas as “self-care”), and TikTok is where so many go to share their experiences, we sat down with a psychologist who’s been doing the work long before it was mainstream. Equal parts clinician, advocate and reality TV veteran, Greg Cason offers an authentic and insightful look at queer resilience, the dangerous return of bad policy and why healing often begins with three brave words: I need help.

What does this time signify for you both personally and professionally?

Personally, I am thrilled about how far we’ve come in de-stigmatizing mental health, especially in the LGBTQ community in my lifetime.

Professionally, it’s a reminder that my job isn’t just in the therapy room, it’s also about education and advocacy. Social media has helped normalize mental health talk and organizations like National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI), have been the backbone of that effort. It’s not perfect, but we’ve gone from whispers, to fullblown open dialogues and that’s powerful. But our work is not over.

The current administration in D.C. is taking apart decades of needed research, bringing back discrimination against our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and instituting a “health” agenda based on fringe theories as well as giving voice to influencers over experts. We’ve come a long way, but it’s fragile and if we don’t stand up to the current assaults, we will find ourselves back to the limitations and attitudes that prevailed before most of us were born.

This year’s theme, “Turn Awareness into Action,” emphasizes moving beyond recognition, to tangible change. How can people take meaningful steps to support and promote mental health?

For you personally: start small.

Check in on your friends — really check in.

Advocate for better mental health policies at work or school. Normalize therapy. Share your own experiences and together we also need to act. We can’t fall for the constant demonization of members of our own and other communities. We must band together to stand up for the less fortunate and to push back against new assaults. If you truly want to improve your mental health, connect with your community.

What are some common mental health

issues faced by queer folks and how does therapy address them?

Higher rates of anxiety, depression, substance use and trauma — much of it rooted in or exacerbated by rejection, discrimination, or internalized shame. Therapy helps untangle those experiences, identify core beliefs, and replace harmful narratives with empowering ones. It’s about rebuilding a sense of self that the world may have tried to tear down.

Even so, therapy is not the only solution.

Don’t underestimate the power of community support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and similar organizations. These are powerful resources that not only help you with issues like substance abuse, but also help you to rebuild community and connection.

What’s one myth about queer mental health that you’d like to call out and nip in the bud?

That being LGBTQ causes mental health problems. That’s flat-out wrong. The issue isn’t our identities — it’s the way society treats us.

Remove the stigma, support queer folks and the mental health gap shrinks dramatically.

But an honorable mention for a rising tide of a disproven and harmful therapeutic approach called “Conversion Therapy.”

Though it promises to change sexual and gender orientation, the only thing it does is shame [LGBTQ people] into silence and produce further trauma. It’s sad when politics and religion drive health priorities without any consideration of science and human functioning.

As a practicing psychologist, how have you seen the conversation around mental health change and evolve, especially within our LGBTQ community?

It used to be shrouded in silence — now it’s becoming part of our culture. I see LGBTQ people openly discussing therapy, boundaries and healing in casual conversations. That’s revolutionary. But I cannot help but think it was born out of necessity.

When AIDS was first identified in 1981, the world also saw therapy as only for those who were mentally ill. But it became a necessity for our community. The ever-present fear of disease and dying was commonplace in our community, combined with the constant assaults from politicians, religious professionals, family, and even friends, we had to identify people that we could open-up to and seek support from.

Those were dark and difficult times and we have progressed in ways that seemed impossible back then. That shift is showing up in the language, the pride, and the resilience of our

10 • MAY 30, 2025 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

community.

Your particular practice focuses on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). How does CBT serve as an effective tool in addressing mental health challenges in our LGBTQ communities?

I always have to laugh — (CBT) has a very different connotation in our community. But in my world, it stands for the more mundane psychotherapeutic modality. (CBT) is powerful because it helps people understand how their thoughts shape their feelings and behaviors.

That said, it also has a dark past. (CBT) techniques were once used in “Conversion Therapy” to try to change sexual orientation — which is now widely recognized as both unethical and harmful. Today’s (CBT) is different. It’s science-based, jargon-free and focused on helping people recognize and replace harmful beliefs shaped by family, religion, or society.

But it’s not just about thoughts. We also work on behavior change, emotional regulation and achieving goals. It may not sound sexy, but I’ve seen it transform individuals, couples and groups.

I was lucky to do a fellowship with Albert Ellis, one of (CBT’s) pioneers. He taught me two things I always keep close: First, we’re all fallible, fucked-up human beings — and that’s okay.

Second, change takes work and practice.

And, as another mentor once said, “change may take a while… so pack a lunch.”

You once starred on Bravo’s LA Shrinks.

Did your time in reality television provide you with any new perspectives on psychology or on yourself?

Oh absolutely. Being on “LA Shrinks” was both a wild ride and a mirror (albeit cracked, at times). It reminded me that therapists are human too — flawed, funny, and fully visible.

It also deepened my empathy for clients in the public eye. Having your life edited for entertainment is... let’s just say, psychologically complex.

Reality television has become a significant portion of most entertainment and media these days. In what ways and to what scale do you believe it has impacted the mental health of our queer communities?

Reality TV is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it gives visibility to LGBTQ stories — sometimes for the first time. My husband and I were married on the show and that meant so much to me to share that reality with those kids out there like me who grew up without any gay role-models or any hope for a relationship or normal life. On the other, it can flatten people

into caricatures. The audience forgets they’re watching a curated narrative — not a whole human being.

I have known some people who were portrayed in a certain way that did not capture their full character, and they suffered as a result. The danger lies in mistaking visibility for authenticity. Reality TV can inform, inspire, or exploit — and often does all three at once. Nonetheless, I cannot tell you how many people said they watch reality TV while they did other things like ironing or laundry. They said it was having their friends with them. That always made me smile.

As someone who’s both a therapist and a public figure, how do you personally stay grounded while continuing to hold space for others?

I have always believed that it is important to leave the therapist at the office. There are people in my profession that don’t allow themselves to be vulnerable in their relationships, silly with their friends, and thrilled to be home alone with a pint of ice-cream and a remote control. We are humans first. So am I. As for anyone approaching me because they saw me on TV or now listen to my podcast, I am always flattered. I realize they are offering me a gift. I don’t have to question the gift or tell them that it is not my size. Rather, my only job is to graciously accept. Doing that has only made my heart grow larger, not my ego.

What advice would you offer to encourage people who hesitate to seek help and begin their journey toward healing?

Therapy doesn’t mean you’re broken — it means you’re brave. Start with one conversation. One resource. One step. You don’t have to commit to a lifetime of therapy — just be open to the possibility that healing is available and that you deserve it.

Looking ahead, what changes or improvements would you like to see in mental health care for the LGBTQ community?

Access, affordability and cultural competency. We need more LGBTQ therapists — and more allies who understand our lived experiences. A personal desire of mine is that therapists focus on science rather than cultural trends or social media diagnoses and treatments. I know the era of social media is making everything a popularity contest. But I hope we can also not forgo expertise just to follow the latest fad.

Whether you’re starting therapy, advocating for others, or simply sharing your story — remember: awareness is only the beginning. Action creates change.

VIEWPOINT

PETER ROSENSTEIN

VO L U M E 09 IS S U E 11 PHONE 310-230-5266 E-MAIL arodriguez@losangelesblade.com INTERNET losangelesblade.com PUBLISHED BY Los Angeles Blade, LLC PUBLISHER ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ arodriguez@losangelesblade.com, 310-230-2077 x 8080 EDITORIAL EDITOR GISSELLE PALOMERA gpalomera@losangelesblade.com, 310-230-5266 x 9460 NATIONAL EDITOR KEVIN NAFF knaff@washblade.com, 202-747-2077 x 8088 CONTRIBUTING WRITER KAREN OCAMB karenocamb@losangelesblade.com CONTRIBUTORS

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is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist.

He writes regularly for the Blade.

We’re all suffering in Trump’s alternate universe We must throw MAGA sycophants out of Congress in 2026

We are all stuck for the moment, suffering in Trump’s alternate universe, where it’s OK to lie and insult foreign leaders who are your guests in the White House. Where it’s OK to lie and say you have a beautiful bill that won’t add to the deficit when it’s actually a disgusting bill that will add $4 trillion to the deficit. Where it’s OK to screw the poor and make the rich richer.

Where you can scapegoat trans people and make their lives hell.

Where you can invite racist South Africans into our country, and send legally here Venezuelans back home, to maybe face death.

Where it is OK to take grift from Qatar in the form of a $400 million plane that will cost the American taxpayer over a billion dollars to retrofit for your sorry lying ass to use. That is the Trump alternate universe we all currently live in.

But as this alternate universe begins to unravel, I have a gut feeling the American people, or at least enough to make a difference, will wake up one morning and say ‘we’ve had it with you and your MAGA cult’ and finally rebel. My hope is they do it in time for the 2026 mid-term elections. By then there will be very few Americans who themselves, have a friend, or relative, who have not been negatively impacted from the actions taken in Trump’s alternate universe. They, or someone they know, will have lost their job. They will have lost their healthcare, or know someone who did, or find their rural hospital has closed. They or someone they know will have trouble applying for Social Security because their local office has been closed. They will know a veteran who can’t access their healthcare, because they were fired, or their VA hospital has fired so many care givers. They will see their grocery bill go up, and all the Christmas gifts they hoped to buy for their children become unaffordable because of Trump’s tariffs. They will see their rent rise, and have no recourse but to find the money to pay it, or lose their home. They will be told they can no longer get their annual flu or COVID vaccination, and even if they could, their health insurance will no longer pay for it, and that is if they still have health insurance. Their prayers for a cure for their own, a relative, or friends’ illness; cancer, Alzheimer’s, MS, or HIV/AIDS, will have been dashed, as in Trump’s alternative universe all the research looking for those cures has been defunded.

They will wake up one morning to a nightmare realizing Trump lied to them. That he has appointed the biggest collection of incompetent fools ever to run the government. They will finally understand it’s not the government that is bad, but rather Trump and his MAGA minions. They will see too late that in

Trump’s alternate universes it was OK to fire the people at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) so we no longer get predictions of hurricanes and tornadoes, which allowed communities to get advance warning. Then when they hit and create havoc and death, people will find out in Trump’s alternate universe the Federal Emergency and Management Administration (FEMA) has been defunded, so there is no help for them to rebuild their lives.

I believe that one morning people will wake up to reality, and realize that yes, President Biden was diminished and should have said earlier he wouldn’t run for a second term. But their lives were still better and safer than they are now in Trump’s alternate universe. It is Trump who is diminished, and is diminishing them, while screwing them. They will recognize in Trump’s alternate universe the poor in the United States are expendable and don’t matter except as pawns in his desire to rule the world.

He thinks it’s OK to screw the heroic people of Ukraine, and all of our allies in NATO, as he bows down and kisses Putin’s ass. That he can actually talk about displacing millions of Palestinians, so he can steal their homeland, and build a resort. That he can go to the Middle East, bow to their sheiks, and cut deals for his private company to build hotels and resorts.

So again, it is my hope and prayer, that before 2026 they will realize Trump never had a mandate from them, the people, to enter his alternate universe. Contrary to his rants, while he won the last election, the vote was split nearly evenly. So, it won’t take many voters to throw his MAGA sycophants out of Congress in 2026. It won’t take many to rise up and say, “We have had it with your alternate universe.” They will refuse to continue to live in Trump’s alternate universe, where we get hurt, and you and your friends get richer on our backs. They will say, “We are ready to reclaim our country, to bring back common decency. You will not continue to lie to us and we will not continue to be fooled.

We finally see through you, and see who you really are. We will keep you from doing any more harm to us, and our country, in your last two years in office.” Then the people will cast Trump and his MAGA sycophants in Congress out. They will see to it that he ends up on the dust heap of history and ensure that one day his tombstone will read “Here lies the lying felon who tried to destroy our county, but we stopped him, and took it back.”

We the people, will eventually win against Trump’s alternate universe, because good does finally triumph over evil, and Donald Trump, you are proving to be pure evil.

2023 GLAAD Media Awards

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LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • MAY 30, 2025 • 11

Frankie Grande is loud and proud this WeHo Pride

Artist will hit the stage at this year’s Outloud Music Festival at WeHo Pride and is ready to bring the party

By ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ Among other queer and ally big names like Lizzo, Alyssa Edwards, Kim Petras and Frankie Grande will be taking center stage on Saturday, May 31, at this year’s OUTLOUD Music Festival at WeHo Pride. In the wake of the queer community’s current political strife, Grande is taking the spotlight, unapologetically and ready to bring the party, celebrating activism and sexuality unabashedly.

Hot off the heels of his recent two hit singles, “Rhythm of Love” and “Boys,” Grande is gearing up for the release of his new album, Hotel Rock Bottom, hitting platforms on June 27. The album is bringing queer aesthetic to the pop genre and is a retelling of Grande’s life as he has gone from party boy to stage, screen, and reality TV personality, to getting married and living a sober family life (dog and all).

We sat for a chat with Grande as he prepares for his WeHo Pride extravaganza. With everything socially and politically considered, Grande is not holding anything back this Pride season.

Pride is recharging and gearing up for battle. I feel like we’re in a place where our community is under attack, and this is the time where we get the microphone so recharge and get ready to be loud and be prouder than we ever have before. We need to show the world that we are not to be fucked with. We got the mic, so let’s use it.

No stranger to taking the stage, Grande promises a spectacle for his Outloud appearance.

I’m so excited. I’ve put so much effort into crafting a very beautiful show, a very gay show, a very hot show. I’ve selected some really fun songs from my album that people are going to get to hear for the first time because the album won’t be out. I’m also doing some fun and clever covers of songs that have inspired me. I’m excited that I’ve mixed it up and it’s going to be really fun and really gay.

This Pride, Frankie’s call to the gay community is clear.

Support our trans siblings. It is more important than ever. Go to your trans friends and be like, “Hey, what do you need? And how can I help?” Because they’re the ones who are directly being scapegoated at this moment. To think that it’s happening to them means it’s not happening to you is crazy. We are all part of the same community. We’re all under the rainbow umbrella, so let’s go support the community that is directly under attack right now.

Grande’s album comes at a time when queer folk could use a little levity and party attitude. He has been a long-time spokesperson for the LGBTQ community. He has used his platform from reality TV to his role as GLAAD board member to incite activism. He knows full well the fatigue that many of the queer community face as we continue to resist a brutal Presidential administration.

You have to find moments of joy. Honestly, that’s a lot of what this album is to me. It’s like, let’s dance around and bop and be silly to boys tonight so that we can hit the ground running tomorrow and go get some legislation overturned. My whole life, I’ve turned to the dance floor during times of stress, and I think we do need to do that. We have to go celebrate. We have to

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remember why it is so fun to be a huge homosexual and what we’re fighting for. But then we need to go fight. Don’t get so fucked up that you have to be in bed for three days because we actually do need to go to work.

Grande has also become the poster boy for sober party gays. Celebrating 8 years of sobriety, he has been very open about his journey and how it fits into gay culture. Being openly sober has gained momentum in the queer community and many Prides now include dry events. Grande knows the triggers that Pride can include and has some advice to his fellow sober folk.

First of all, sober gays are fun gays, let’s just say that. If you’re triggered, get the fuck out. You know?

There are a lot of drugs, there’s a lot of drinking, there’s a lot of partying, and sometimes you’re just not fully ready to be in those environments. And if that is true, then just leave. The people who are drinking and using will have no idea that you left.

Also go find some sober friends to go with. I did everything in sobriety, like linked with my sober BFFs, Salina EsTitties and stylist Mandoh Melendez. They were my bodyguards and they were my shield, and they had more sobriety than I did. They showed me the ropes, and to this day, they’re still sober and my best friends. So, get a sober buddy and GTFO when you’re triggered, just leave.

Grande is being very vulnerable in his upcoming album Hotel Rock Bottom. Not only is he leaving himself to be compared to other family members in the business, but he is also telling his story on his own terms with music.

What is his intent with his album?

My mission with this album is to inspire others to be themselves by being so open and honest. If you just want to listen to the surface value of my album, then you’re going to have a great fun dance time being like, this is so much fun. But if you want to actually go and listen to the lyrics and dissect it, you’ll see that there’s a lot of darkness and a lot of light on both sides of this album. I organized this album into side A and side B, or top and bottom, as we’re calling it on the vinyl. There’s sobriety and using days, there’s good and bad, and highs and lows on both.

So, no judgment, it’s all about just be yourself, live your life, live authentically, and you’re going to get through whatever you’re dealing with.

And his message to the queer LA community this Weho Pride?

We’re very privileged and we’re very blessed because we’re in a very liberal and very blue state, so we need to have the best time and show up. But let’s make sure that we’re constantly beaming our love, light, and energy, and thinking about how we can help people in red states who are not going to have a governmentally and a community-supported Pride, because that is a reality these days. Let’s try to figure out how we’re going to help the country while we’re in the most liberal, most protected state in the world, which is fabulous.

Catch Grande onstage at Outloud on Saturday, May 31st. Hotel Rock Bottom will be released June 27th, available wherever you stream your music.

Featuring Special Guests

KRISTINE W & BRUCE VILANCH

The music that makes us dance from stage, screen, pop and disco!

JUNE 21 – 22 | Saban Theatre | GMCLA.org

TV

‘Pee-wee’ spills the tea in outstanding new documentary Reubens’s sexuality emerges as the show’s focus

By JOHN PAUL KING Most of us who have lived long enough to get nostalgic for our formative years have, by now, watched enough documentaries about a beloved entertainment icon from our past to know what to expect when a new one comes along.

Such offerings are typically slick biographical portraits blending archival material with newly filmed “talking head” reminiscences and commentaries, and perhaps punctuated by eye-catching animations or other flourishes to add an extra layer of visual interest; heavy on the nostalgia and mostly reverent in tone, they satisfy us with pleasant memories, supplement our knowledge with behind-the-history insights and revelations, and leave us – ideally – with a renewed appreciation and a reinforced feeling of comfortable familiarity. Many of them are little more than retrospectives, more glossy tribute than in-depth profile; occasionally, a few go beyond the surface to give us a deeper sense of personal connection with their subject – but rarely enough, even in the best of them, to make us feel as if we know them well.

No matter how many of these docs you have seen, however, or jaded your expectations may be when you approach it, “Pee-wee as Himself” is still going to surprise you.

The late PAUL REUBENS created the nerdy, manic cultural phenomenon and children’s show host ‘Pee-wee Herman.’ (Photo courtesy HBO)

Directed by filmmaker Matt Wolf, the two-part HBO docuseries – which premiered May 23 and is now streaming on Max – is built around material culled from 40 hours of interview footage with the late Paul Reubens (the creator and performer behind nerdy, manic cultural phenomenon and children’s show host “Pee-wee Herman,” for anyone that needs to be told), and conducts a “guided tour” of Reubens’ singular career in the limelight. The first installment traces a path from his Florida childhood through his early adventures as an actor and performance artist in Los Angeles to his rapid rise to fame through the popularity of his carefully crafted alter-ego; part two continues the story to explore the expansion of his fame through the phenomenon of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” but soon shifts gears to cover his sudden fall from grace after a notorious “public indecency” arrest in an adult theater, and the subsequent accusations of collecting “child pornography” that unfairly branded him as a pedophile in the public eye — and comes full circle to document his return to favor as an underdog hero for the generation that had grown up watching him.

Besides its detailed chronicle of these already-well-known chapters in Reubens’ life,

14 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • MAY 30, 2025

however, Wolf’s doc (and Reubens, via frequent full-frame close-up commentary throughout) delves into publicly uncharted territory to give us a look at something we’ve never been allowed to see before: Paul Reubens himself.

That includes, of course, removing any ambiguity that might remain about the sexuality of the man behind the bow tie, who never publicly identified as gay before his death from cancer in 2023. It’s not so much a “coming out” — after all, he artfully teased his queerness to fans for years — as it is a dropping of pretense. There’s no need for a definitive statement announcing something that everybody already knew, anyway.

That’s not to say he skirts the issue as he delivers his full-frame close-up testimonial to the camera; on the contrary, he reflects often and with bittersweet candor about the carefully-managed matter of his sexuality – or the public’s perception of it, at any rate – with the matter-of-fact eloquence of someone who’s spent a lot of time thinking about it.

He openly discusses his choice to keep the closet door closed on his personal life in order to preserve Pee-wee’s ambiguously wholesome yet irresistibly subversive persona in the public’s imagination, and to abandon his openly queer life (as well as a loving long term relationship, one of the series’ biggest “reveals”) to do so.”I was as out as you could be,” he reflects with rueful irony, “and then I went back in.”

Indeed, it’s Reubens’s sexuality that ultimately emerges as the show’s core focus — even more than the rich treasure trove of personal photos, home movies, behind-thescenes footage, and all the other fan-thrilling delights it provides — and gives it a larger significance, perhaps than even the man himself. It’s a thread that runs through his story, impacting his choices and the trajectory of his career, and reflecting the familiar shared experience of many audience members who may be able to relate; later, it manifests on a societal level, as Wolf and his subject explore the homophobic attitudes behind the legal persecution that would bring his rising star into a tailspin and hang over his reputation for the rest of his life. It serves as both a reminder of the power of cultural bigotry to repress queerness and a cautionary tale about the personal cost of repressing oneself.

A good number of Reubens’ longtime friends (like Cassandra Petersen, aka “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” costar David Arquette, and former “girlfriend” Debi Mazar, who provided support, acceptance, and companionship in the wake of his legal troubles), come along for the ride, offering their own reminiscences and insights into official record, as well as lesser-known members of an inner circle that comprised the late artist’s chosen family. Yet all these testimonials, authentic as they may be, are not what enable “Pee-wee as Himself” to bring us closer to the real Paul Reubens. It’s Reubens himself who does that.

Maintaining an ambiguously hostile edge in his interviews, bringing to light a clash for control between himself and director Wolf with as much clarity as he illuminates the vast archival material that is shown to document his career, he demonstrates firsthand the need to manage his own narrative, balking, even openly resisting, certain questions and interpretations that arise throughout. It gives the real Reubens the same vague menace with which Pee-wee was also infused — and also creates a sort of meta-narrative, in which the conflict between subject and director must also be resolved before the story can truly achieve closure, calling into question whether Reubens (a veteran of avant-garde theater and lifelong fan of the circus) might not be adding yet another layer of mystery and performance to his image even as he gets honest publicly for the very first time.

That closure eventually comes in the form of a voice recording made by Reubens the day before his death — after a six year battle with lung cancer (he was a heavy smoker, another personal detail he painstakingly hid from the public) which, save for those in his innermost circle, he never revealed until the end — in which he delivers a final message to the world. With it, he finally accomplishes what he never could during his life, and lets us see, at last, who he was when he wasn’t being Pee-wee.

And it’s a beautiful thing.

Announcing Our Newest Community Website:

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Equality California Institute’s LGBTQ+ DEI Training gives you the tools to make it happen.

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Learn more at training.eqca.org

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FEATURE

Tongue pops and truth: Alyssa Edwards on Pride, power and performance Drag icon Alyssa Edwards talks legacy, love and the magic of living authentically—on and off stage

By AJ SLOAN Alyssa Edwards is a drag icon who needs no introduction — but we’ll do it anyway.

Edwards’ star-studded career accolades span over two decades, earning her a spot on the RuPaul’s Drag Race: Hall of Fame and building an unmistakable legacy on charisma, uniqueness, nerve and undeniable talent.

From the dance studios of Mesquite, Texas, to gracing television screens around the world, Edwards has captivated audiences with her hypnotic wit, larger-than-life persona and unapologetic authenticity.

Now, Edwards is bringing all of that and more to the OUTLOUD Music Festival this upcoming Pride month.

In my conversation with this (Screen capture from RuPaul’s Drag Race) queen among queens, Edwards opens up about the meaning of Pride, the honor of being named the first winner of Drag Race Global All Stars’ first and what it truly means to live and perform out loud.

Whether she’s coaching young dancers at Beyond Belief Dance Company, laughing over their recollection of awkward first dates, or reflecting on the kinder-queer she once was, Edwards brings heart, honesty and hope to everything she touches. If nothing else, one thing is sure: Edwards is not just part of queer and drag history — she’s writing it.

Let’s get into it.

You’re performing at the OUTLOUD Music Festival.

What do you do to prepare and what does it mean to you?

Well, first I wanna start off by saying this is a mega huge honor for me. This is a big year, being the very first Global All Star queen. She’s made it officially into the Hall of Fame.

Getting the opportunity to be alongside all of these incredibly iconic performers. I can only say that I’m so honored.

As far as getting — well, right now I’m on tour. So, you know, It’s been a little bit of a juggling act these days. That said, I feel like since I’ve manifested this opportunity, it would only make sense that I bring the Texas size performance that everybody is expecting. This is a huge, huge moment, not only in my career, but also in time. I want to make a statement, I want to be proud, I want to be bold, and I definitely want to be out loud.

And of course [also] wrangling up the dancers and getting the idea of what the choreography is going to be. Right now we’re seeing so many artists come through. I mean, Lady Gaga reminded us this year with “Abracadabra» and its choreography that art is still alive and it is thriving. To me, this takes me back to a time when I would watch MTV and see these videos with this really fierce, synchronized choreography, hand

16 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • MAY 30, 2025

gestures and elaborate costuming. All of this has just inspired me, motivated me and fueled me for this performance. You can expect me to deliver the best of Alyssa Edwards.

You mentioned having been a Global Queen. Did you anticipate returning after season 5 of RPDR:All Stars S2 and then eventually RPDR:Global?

This show really catapulted the Art of Dragon to mainstream television, but we just didn’t know if it was gonna continue on. So when I got the call to go on All Stars 2, four years later, after season 5, I was truly honored. And what a legendary season with a cast of genuine all-stars. After I left the show that year, I was very, very proud of what I presented. You know, something that I teach students over at my dance school, Beyond Belief Dance, is winning isn’t everything but the desire to [win] is. You’ve got to work hard and give it your all.

I didn’t really anticipate all of this. Back then, it just felt like a great opportunity. When Global was announced, with 12 queens from 12 countries and I found out I’d be representing — oh my gosh, good ol’ America — I had to pause.

It felt like a huge responsibility. Drag in the U.S., especially through RuPaul’s Drag Race, has become the blueprint for so many franchises worldwide. So yes, I felt the pressure. But I reminded myself, just like I tell my students, show up as the best version of yourself and embrace the moment. Stand proud. Stand proud. Stand proud.

The night of the Global crowning, I stayed home with my partner. No big party, just a quiet moment to reflect. I wanted to honor the 24 years I’ve put into Alyssa Edwards. This wasn’t about validation or vindication. It was a victory lap. A celebration. And sometimes, when you’re having fun and doing what you love… look what comes from it. Now I’m in the Hall of Fame. So take that, and rewind it back.

When you’re preparing for a show like OUTLOUD, how do you plan to connect with your current supporters as well as the folks who might be new to you?

That’s a great question, and one I actually wrote about in my journal while preparing for this. I kept thinking: ‘how can I make this 15 minute performance reflect everything I’ve shared since first stepping onto television 12 years ago?’

I’ve had the chance to travel the world, and I wanted this set to be an accumulation of all those years, all those experiences, all the queerness, artistry and inspiration that shaped me. I wanted to pour it all into this one moment.

For new fans too, like you said, it’s been incredible. [During my last] meet and greet, I saw just how wide the range is. I was recently in Knoxville with my one-woman show, Crowned, and I met everyone from young queens who said: ‘I started watching you when I was 12,’ — which, made me feel a little old but also very proud — to a 70-year-old woman who came with her son and daughter-in-law. She told me she first saw me on Dancing Queen on Netflix, then found my America’s Got Talent performances and finally discovered Drag Race. She had followed my whole journey. She told me: ‘You deserve

this. You made us all proud.’

As I walked away, I thought: ‘Wow. I used to be that kid in Mesquite, Texas, waiting on the world to change.’

And now? I’m part of that change. Talk about a plot twist and a trick of fate.

What was it like, kind of giving people a peak behind the curtain for Dancing Queen? What was it like to show people the version of yourself apart from your stage persona?

I mean, I’m not gonna lie, I’m being very candid when I say it was nerve wracking. You know, when you’re having to be unfiltered in every aspect of your life, you know, I am a man that wears many hats. If I am not wearing a wig and performing on stage, I have my teacher’s hat on or my coach’s hat on at the competition.

I have a very full life, and it is very fulfilling in the same aspect, but it is very busy. You’re seeing me in so many different settings and situations, and I really have to give myself credit for being vulnerable. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be that open because, believe it or not, I’m actually a pretty private person.

Looking back, I can laugh now. But at the time? I was embarrassed, just completely socially awkward. I mean, talking about potato salad? It was all kinds of wrong. But sometimes, you have to look back and just giggle. Like: ‘Queen, look at you now.’ Compared to where I was then, I’m in a happy relationship with my partner of four years and love is very much alive in my life. I’m proud of that awkward guy on that date.

I’m proud I gave myself grace and permission to be fully, unapologetically me.

I want to go back to the fan of yours who started following your career when they were 12. How would you like to be perceived by the younger generation? What kind of message do you wanna provide them during today’s political climate?

A message of hope. That’s something I can answer quickly, because hope is one of the most powerful things we have.

Sometimes it’s all we have. And I truly hope I can be a beacon of light and hope for others.

Growing up, I didn’t see anyone like me on TV. There was no RuPaul’s Drag Race, no Instagram to help me find my people or show me where I belonged. At 18, I had a pager and the Yellow Pages, and that’s how I stumbled across the gay clubs in Dallas. I’ll never forget walking into the cabaret drag room for the first time. It was like falling down the rabbit hole.

I was Alice in Wonderland. I saw these bold, unapologetic entertainers, and I was captivated. But deep down, I thought, ‘There’s no way I could ever do that.’

Now, I think about today’s generation, how they can open their phones and instantly connect with their tribe, be inspired, and see themselves reflected in the world. I love that.

Because drag gave me a voice. It gave me purpose. And I hope that through my journey, someone else finds theirs.

CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

HOROSCOPE

Intuitive Shana tells us what’s written in the stars for Pride season Intuitive Shana tells us to slow down and find precious moments of seclusion between the bursts of celebration for Pride month

By GUEST COLUMNIST Hello my magical beauties!

June is here and it brings the heat, passion and a little bit of mischief with it. How does this play into our lives? What magic can we throw at a situation to smooth out the bumps?

Where do we need to put on our show girl smile and enjoy the glitz and glamour? Lets ask the cards and find out.

Coming in on the heels of a chaotic May, June is telling us to take a moment to find or zen and rebalance.

Get back to your gym routine and let the endorphin rush chill you out, have your next outing with your coven or spiritual family be to a sound bath, or simply make time in your schedule for some basic guided meditation videos. Whatever you need to do to find some peace and stillness, do it babes. A lot of folks are feeling depleted from the last few weeks (or months in many people’s cases) and if you don’t take a second to slow down, you will inevitably find the mythical bottom of the bottomless mimosa and it’s not pretty.

When the Universe says, “girl, slow down!” We must heed this warning before it forces us to slow down and I will be the first to say that the universe has jokes that nobody thinks are funny. I know the timing of this call for calm is awkward. Who wants a quiet night in during Pride?

I’m not saying to sit this one out, I’m saying be sure to find precious moments of seclusion and calm between the bursts of celebrations, shows, parades, and anything else you have on the agenda. If you are someone that is always on the go and has no chill, try rocking some Fluorite or Jasper (preferably Kambaba Jasper,) crystals to help you embrace some refreshing and relieving energy.

Speaking of Pride and celebrations, the cards are showing a lot of good fortune, celebration, and elevation during this time. Throughout June many of you will not only be celebrating with the masses but the masses will be celebrating you.

And my dear, you have much to be proud of. Strut your stuff and boldly bask in the limelight. This means take advantage of moments to insert yourself (respectively) into important conversations, go on auditions even if you feel like the role is out of your scope, or finally proposition that cutie you’ve been too shy to talk to. Lady Luck is smiling at you and wants you to shine. You will also see recognition for the what you have been putting into work, projects and relationships. This is a good opportunity for those of you that struggle with accepting compliments and fear of success to work on it.

Welcome in the praise and good energy, babe.

People want to celebrate and elevate you. Roll with it. If you need some spiritual help in this department, try dabbing a bit of Sudanese Frankincense oil on the crown of your head or wrist before leaving the house or wearing tiger’s eye jewelry.

While this month is setting a good tone for us to recenter and get ahead in our current endeavors, some of you may be feeling stuck. The energies around you are saying that in order to get the good things that are being dangled in front of you, a sacrifice must be made.

18 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • MAY 30, 2025

(Designed on Canva. Photo courtesy of Shana)

It’s a good time to remember that every good thing comes with the closing of something else. Mysterious and terrifying sounding? Yes. Does it have to be that way? Not at all. I have a relatively simple and effective ritual that will help you get life back on the right track.

Take yourself out into nature to decompress and ponder what your sacrifice might be.

Grab a coffee and stroll through Griffith Park or around Echo Park Lake — wherever it may be, just make sure it’s close to home because we will be revisiting this spot to wrap up this ceremony in a few days. Take your time, think about what you want and why you’re feeling stuck. What is there that may directly or indirectly be standing in your way? Let your mind flow easily and see if you arrive at an answer. If nothing comes to mind, ask yourself and spirit (whoever your higher power may be: ancestors, spirits guides, god, a plethora of pagan deities…or simply yourself), what isn’t serving you in life anymore.

Keep walking or settle under a tree until you arrive at your answer. And trust me, you will, nature spirits have a way of guiding us to clarity. Go home and prepare a cleansing bath* of sea salt, rosemary, bay leaf, lemon peel, and green tea (chamomile for those of you that are sensitive to caffeine.) Settle into your tub and while you soak, think about what it is you have been called to sacrifice- a bad habit, a toxic ex (not literally even if it does sound tempting!), staying in your comfort zone…the list goes on and on. Acknowledge where this thing once held value in your life and embrace the reason you are letting it go now.

Let the bath water wash over you from head to toe. As the water runs over you it begins to remove the energy of your sacrifice, detaching it from your body and soul. Visualize this energy it floating in the water. When you are bathing, gather the ingredients from the bath and set them aside, you will be disposing of them tomorrow. Stay in for the night, nurturing and grounding yourself. The next day, collect your bath ingredients and go back to the place in nature where you were given the inspiration or confirmation of your sacrifice. Place the ingredients at the base of a tree or crossroads, along with an offering of fresh bread or tea.

As you place them on the ground, say thank you and walk away without looking back.

If you have the time, commitment and basic magical ingredients that are probably laying around long forgotten in your kitchen, you can work this ritual. Which means that you can get yourself unstuck and get energy flowing back into the pathways that make up your life.

Note: If you don’t have a bath you can prepare the ingredients by wrapping them in cheesecloth and using them as a scrub in a hot shower.

June leaves us feeling empowered but probably also tired because it sounds like everyone has a lot of inner work that is coming into play. The cards assure us that the hard work not only pays off but does so quickly. There is a lot of emotional healing for those of you that decide to really put the work in this month and also promises of new emotional horizons that bring us confident new lovers, companionship and a safe space to let our hair down and just exist exquisitely…as we were meant to!

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