Montrose Star Entertainment News

SCREEN QUEEN

Criterion Films Celebrate Diversity in All Its Forms 6 THE GAY-ETY STARTS HERE! Wednesday July 8, 2020 e VOL. XI, 8

MONTROSE STAR.COM ≈ Houston Rainbow Herald ................. 4

≈ What A World................................ 20

INDEX Editorial Crossword Guide to the Clubs

5 19 22

N A N E L Y A I D S E N LO K

k c a l b s i H , s s e n r quee d n a t fron center

Photo Clifford Prince King

≈ Deep Inside Hollywood................... 11

PAGE 2 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(bik-TAR-vee)

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

 Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby.

Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed.

Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

 BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other.

Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

MyDailyCharge.com

BVYC0220_BIKTARVY_C_10X13-65_MontroseStar_Hugo_r1v1jl.indd All Pages

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY GET MORE INFORMATION

 Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

 This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.  Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

Version date: February 2020 © 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0220 04/20

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MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020 | PAGE 3

HUGO LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 1995 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

KEEP CONNECTING. Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

See Hugo’s story at BIKTARVY.com.

Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

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6/12/20 11:42 AM

PAGE 4 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

Publisher / Executive

LAURA M VILLAGRAN Business Development Manager

RANDALL JOBE

Copy Editor

NANCY FORD Scene Writers

RAFA ESPINOSA

JIM AYRES JANICE ANDERSON

News Features

Distribution

Production

JOHNNY TRLICA

MIRIAM ORIHUELA ELIZABETH MEMBRILLO

TH E S TA R CO NTR I B UTI N G W R ITE R S JIM AYRES by day is an employee benefits and human resources writer. By night he turns his creativity toward the local food and restaurant scene. Do you know of a restaurant that needs a review? Info@montrose-star.com NANCY FORD has enjoyed a front row seat to the most remarkable and sparkly Cultural Revolution in the history of mankind. “What a world!” She reflects appropriately. After moving to Houston from Ohio in 1981, Ford became a highly visible player in Texas’ LGBT publishing circles as an editor and contributor to myriad other local and statewide LGBT magazines and newspapers.

RANDALL JOBE has been a fixture in the Houston LGBT Community for several decades in marketing and promotions for top nightclubs, as an actor/director/writer for dozens of theatrical productions, and is also known for his whimsical art pieces. He is the author of the 12-part series “This Old Queen”, which summarized his many experiences living in the gay Mecca, Montrose.

VIC GERAMI is journalist, media contributor and Editor & Publisher of The Blunt Post. Vic grew up in LA and has a BA in Theater Arts. He spent six years at Frontiers Magazine, followed

by LA Weekly and Voice Media Group. His syndicated celebrity Q&A column, 10 Questions with Vic, is a LA Press Club’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award finalist. Vic is a contributor for Montrose Star, DC Life Magazine, Out & About Nashville, Q Virginia, GNI MAG, QNotes, Windy City Times, WeHo Times, GoWeHo, Los Angeles Blade, Asbarez, California Courier, Desert Daily Guide, Armenian Weekly, GED, The Pride LA, IN Magazine and The Advocate Magazine.

FOREST RIGGS is no stranger to the adventures of life, he bills himself as a “raconteur with a gypsy spirit.” A former educator, public speaker, hospital administrator, counselor and gay owner, he was instrumental in the formation of OutSmart Magazine in the early 1990s. He has written for several newspapers, magazines and other publications. Recently he completed a collection of short stories about his beloved Galveston and is working on a novel. He currently resides on the island where he can be found wasting bait and searching for the meaning of life.

JOHNNY TRLICA has called the Houston area home all of his life. Four years ago he founded and still edits the Houston Rainbow Herald and has worked in the apartment leasing industry for the past two years. His passion is keeping the battle for LGBT rights at the forefront of today’s headlines and fighting complacency in the LGBT community.

Trump and Abbott should learn from bar owners e By J oh n n y T rl i 0c a

C

OMMENTARY: YOU KNOW WE’RE IN TROUBLE

when bar owners are more responsible than the president and governor. It was a sad day on March 19 when Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered bars in the state to close. Sad but understandable.

The governor’s actions were generally hailed as an appropriate response to a virus that was spreading throughout Texas and had already overwhelmed hospitals in New York City. Slowing things down to buy time to get an action plan in place made sense and bar owners, employees and patrons largely agreed.

The problem is that while businesses were shut down and 40,000,000 people lost jobs, the Trump Administration failed in its most important job: keeping Americans safe. What transpired has been the worst governing failures in American history.

At a time when we needed leadership we were stuck with a blunderer-in-chief; no plan was enacted and local officials were left to fend for themselves.

Hospitality industry employees struggled to file for the promised unemployment benefits and others have yet to receive the $1,200 stimulus checks. The money intended to help small businesses like bars ran out quickly with much of it going to big companies.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued an order on April 22 requiring residents to wear a mask and $1,000 fines for non-compliance. The president made masks a culture war and the governor issued an executive order prohibiting cities and counties from enforcing fines on residents for non-compliance.

Despite not meeting CDC guidelines for opening businesses and under pressure from Trump where saving the economy became more important that saving lives, Abbott succumbed and instituted “Open Texas.” On May 22 bars could operate at 25 percent capacity.

Still not meeting the administration’s own guidelines for a safe reopening, Abbott increased bar capacity to 50 percent on June 3 and — wait for it — still not meeting CDC guidelines, to 75 percent on June 12.

While the president and governor were urging businesses to go full speed ahead with reopening, bar owners took a more responsible approach.

Several Houston area bars did not open at all, feeling it was not safe to do so. Despite not being required to, several made the difficult decision to close after employees tested positive for the virus.

Buddy’s voluntarily closed. Owner Christopher Barry said, “We just learned that five of them

(employees) have tested positive for COVID-19.

Still, it feels the most responsible thing to do to close the bar down for today, allow it to be deep cleaned by a professional service and then have all of the employees tested before returning to work.”

And in the White House, Trump says if we stopped testing we wouldn’t have as many cases.

Blur Bar also voluntarily closed. Management said: “We value the safety of all of our customers and accordingly we have decided to close the club for UP TO two weeks due to some members of our staff having tested positive for the Coronavirus.”

In the meantime, the president suggests injecting yourself with Lysol, drinking bleach, and shining a light up your ass.

Other bars that closed out of an abundance of precaution for the safety of its staff and patrons were Houston’s Ripcord, Neon Boots, Crocker, Tony’s Corner Pocket, and Pearl, and Galveston’s Rumors and Soundbar.

In the interim in Tulsa, Trump held a rally with no enforcement of social distancing or masks.

Hamburger Mary’s voluntarily closed to evaluate their safety measures and asked all employees to be tested for COVID-19 before returning to work.

This while Texas Republicans are planning a massive in-person convention in Houston, now the nation’s virus hotspot.

One must admire these bar owners for doing the responsible thing despite the enormous expense of voluntarily closing only weeks after having been closed for over two months. Who can afford going that long without income?

Thanks to the incompetence of the president and his enablers like the governor, we can kiss goodbye to a return to normalcy anytime soon. If only the powers that be in Washington and Austin had taken as quick and decisive action when they had a chance to make a difference, as bar owners and Hildalgo did.

But what we got were lies, denial and wishful thinking. “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine,” said Trump in January. And “Looks like by April, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away. I hope that’s true.”

It wasn’t true but that didn’t stop Trump from repeating his delusional thinking last week when he said, “I think we’re going to be very good with the coronavirus. I think that, at some point, that’s going to sort of disappear, I hope.”

As we face an urgent matter of public health and public safety we are stuck with an inept president. Republicans know it but seem to be living on another planet. So, we have 130,000 dead Americans and who knows how many more to come? It’s possible that people you know who were celebrating July 4th will be dead by Labor Day. Here on earth, the reality train must have reached Abbott as he defied Trump’s desire to stay on course and reopen businesses. He reclosed the bars and a week later, issued an executive order making mandatory wearing of facemasks.

Hidalgo is now the poster child for “I told you so.”

That train hasn’t made it to Washington as the Trump campaign plans more rallies without social distancing and masks and prepares a new message for Americans regarding the virus: “We need to just live with it.” e Image via MeriCherry.com

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HRH REPORT

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The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of MONTROSE STAR. Johnny Trlica is the administrator of the Houston Rainbow Herald Facebook page. Reach him at: HRHeditor@gmail.com.

MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020 | PAGE 5

OP-ED

Creep of the Week:

DONALD TRUMP e By D ’ Anne Wi tkow s ki

W

ELP, THE SUPREME COURT

issued its abortion ruling that everyone has been bracing themselves for and as it turns out... Wait, reproductive rights won? But Kavanaugh.

But Gorsuch... But nothing. The Supreme Court has been issuing rulings lately that have horrified the far-right conservatives who sold this country out to a racist con man in exchange for a couple of Supreme Court seats. Abortion providers can’t be saddled with arbitrary laws intended to shut them down. DACA kids can stay.

Transgender Americans are protected from employment discrimination.

Granted, these aren’t the only cases the Supreme Court heard this term, but these are some very unexpected outcomes for both liberals and conservatives.

So, does this mean that lighting the country on fire in order to trash the will of the majority who supports things like reproductive rights and marriage equality isn’t worth it and that judges don’t matter?

Well, yes and no. The damage that has been done to this country under Trump is truly astonishing. So many people dead, so many people sick, so many people unemployed.

And then there’s Trump’s racism and misogyny, his unwillingness to learn or take responsibility for anything, his fawning over Vladimir Putin and other authoritarian leaders. This was a risky bet by right-wing conservatives and, unfortunately, they were gambling with

all of our lives. And they lost, which means we all lost.

But do judges matter? Does it really matter who appoints them? Yes, they do and yes, it does. Trump has been filling seats in lower level courts like wild, which is something he gets to do as president. But unlike previous Republican presidents, Trump’s picks have been selected because they are ideologically extreme not because they are expected to be good at their jobs.

In multiple cases, Trump’s picks were rated as unqualified by the American Bar Association. So this is definitely a quantity over quality situation. And the country will be paying for these appointments for decades to come.

The Supreme Court is important. If Trump gets another term he very well could get to appoint more justices, which would be devastating for everyone who doesn’t look like Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. Black people, LGBTQ people, poor people, women, immigrants have much to fear from a second Trump term.

People have often voiced confusion about why Trump is so popular with evangelical Christians. He is clearly an unrepentant sinner by their definition.

He is morally bankrupt, cruel and dumb.

Not exactly the kind of guy Jesus would call his BFF. But the answer is pretty simple: it’s the courts. Right-wing Christians believe that secularism is strangling their freedom of religion.

And they are right, so far as they define “religious freedom” as being able to discriminate against whomever they want and amassing political power by smashing the wall between church and state. And they are pissed about it.

Look, I’ve been following right-wing so-called Christians for decades. They didn’t sell out their principles because they didn’t have any in the first place. Power has always been the end goal. Let’s stop

being surprised by their lack of morals.

Along those lines, these right-wing conservatives need a second Trump term more than ever considering recent Supreme Court rulings. They aren’t going to abandon Trump. They need him to get even more seats on the courts. In fact, I predict that the fight to keep their man in power will bring out the very worst in them. And him.

I know, I know. It might seem like we’ve seen the worst of what Trump already. But there is no limit to the depths he will sink. Right now his main objective is to convince Americans that everything is fine and that the economy is perfect even while COVID-19 infections are rising and the number of people who have died is in the staggering 130,000 range. Yet there are still millions of Americans who will enthusiastically vote for him again.

After the abortion ruling came out on June 29 author Jessica Valenti Tweeted, “I don’t know how to process good news anymore.” Very relatable. Because there is so little of it these days. Bad news dominates. Americans spend their time ‘doom scrolling’ looking for the next bad thing. And there’s always a new bad thing. Every time I get a news alert on my phone I feel a wave of anxiety: ‘Oh no, what did he do now?’”

Donald Trump is at the heart of all of this, but a heart cannot survive outside of a body. The body is the Republican Party. Their embrace of this reckless and racist president says more about them than it does about him. He’s never claimed to be “a perfect person,” as he said after the “grab ‘em by the pussy” tape was released. Republicans didn’t abandon them then, they won’t now.

Vote them all out. e

TOC JULY 8, 2020 | VOL. XI, 6

COOKING WITH PAULA DREAM Cooking through the COVID

10

D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.

MY LIFE BEHIND BARS A tale as old as time.

The beauty was a beast

14

CONTENTS HRH Report........................................................ 4 OP-ED................................................................... 5 Screen Queen...................................................... 6 Cooking with Paula Dream........................... 10 Deep Inside Hollywood................................... 11 What a World.................................................... 12 Across the Causeway...................................... 17 PFLAG Houston News.................................... 18 Crossword Queeries........................................ 19

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PAGE 6 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

SCREEN QUEEN

Criterion films celebrate diversity in all its forms e By Chris Azzopardi

Paris Is Burning

I n Paris Is Burning, a strut is a defiant act, an exertion of suppressed power. In the mid-to-late 1980s, when the landmark documentary was filmed, these moves couldn’t be showcased just anywhere.

Today the same is true, as the call to end violence against trans people and to confront transphobia persists. Given the number of trans people killed since the doc was released (and the surge of trans murders currently making headlines), that call seems, still, to fall on deaf ears. And so white, queer, nontrans director Jennie Livingston’s 1990 film remains fiercely important, as much a time capsule as a reflection on how much progress has been made (and has yet to be made), its haunting relevance resonating yet again during our modern LGBTQ and Black Lives Matter movements. At the time of its release, Livingston’s doc illuminated issues of transphobia, racism, AIDS and poverty through intimate, everyday depictions of legendary voguers, drag queens and trans women, including Pepper LaBeija,

members, who teach Rivers queer slang; a new sit-down with Livingston, Sol Pendavis, Freddie Pendavis and filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris; and over an hour of never-before-seen footage.

“Now more than ever, the call for realness, that reverberating standard of ball excellence, is required,” writes Black LGBTQ activist and filmmaker Michelle Parkerson in an essay in the 38-page liner notes of the Criterion release, which also includes a 1991 review by the late, Black gay poet and activist Essex Hemphill. In 2020, the film’s urgency can be heard loud and clear: our greatest act of defiance, it reminds us, is living authentically, for the whole world to see.

The Prince of Tides

B arbra Streisand has garnered far less attention for her work behind the camera than in front of it, even though she was instrumental in dismantling the status quo of male-dominated directors. And so, her film The Prince of Tides rightfully deserves Criterion treatment, with all the bells and whistles presented here, including a stunning 4K transfer and lots of Babs. She is featured in several interviews, and supplies a thoughtful audio commentary, recorded in 1991 and updated in 2019.

There’s audition and rehearsal footage, behind-the-scenes footage and an alternate ending that features a song that Streisand wrote for the film called “Places That Belong to You,” cut from the movie so as not to distract from the film’s central character study. Released in 1992, The Prince of Tides was Streisand’s second feature as a director, after her 1983 telling of Yentl. So emotionally invested in Pat Conroy’s novel of the same name years before its release, Streisand’s cinematic take on the story, which she also starred in and produced, scored seven Oscar nominations and traverses genre borders, from schmaltzy romance to family drama and, during the film’s most horrific reveal, a shocking

All About My Mother

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Dorian Corey and Venus Xtravaganza, as they found both refuge from the oppressive outside world and a unifying sense of community within the drag-ball scene. Paris Is Burning introduced shade and voguing; it was the doc that opened the door for TV’s groundbreaking transcentric show Pose and Netflix’s new doc on trans depiction in media, Disclosure, which acknowledges the classic doc’s historical significance while also critiquing it for being exploitative of a seriously marginalized community. The Criterion Collection’s digital restoration of the film features an episode of The Joan Rivers Show from 1991, with Livingston and ball community

patient. She draws Heloise from memory in secret until she establishes her trust; she speaks to her in a way no one likely ever has, her attraction expressed fervidly through sometimes nothing more than small, stolen moments when she fixes her enraptured eyes on Heloise.

Aesthetically, the film is a ravishing work of art all its own, a kind of visual poetry that cinematographer Claire Mathon captures to breathtaking effect.

In stunning 4K, Criterion emphasizes the sumptuous beauty given in each scene. Beyond the film itself, the Bluray includes a new conversation with Sciamma and film critic Dana Stevens, new interviews with Haenel and Merlant, and an interview with Mathon.

Forbidden love flourishes in the quietest of corners, outside of view, beyond the patriarchal pressures of conformant.

So it goes in writer-director Céline Sciamma’s achingly beautiful, queerfeminist love story Portrait of a Lady on Fire, where fire, often in a literal sense (there is lots of actual fire), burns fiercely and freely between two women, one an enamored painter, the other her reluctant subject. Sciamma sets her story in the late 18th century, during the dawn of the Romantic era. A young painter, Marianne, played by French actress Noémie Merlant, arrives on a remote island off the coast of France to paint Heloise, played by French actress Adèle Haenel. The portrait is to be her wedding portrait, but Heloise doesn’t want to marry the man she is about to wed, so she refuses to pose. As Marianne’s relationship with Heloise blossoms, it’s clear she will have a better chance at capturing Heloise than the previous portrait artist, who left without accomplishing the task of painting Heloise. But Marianne is different,

I n the 1999 Spanish drama All About My Mother, the celebrated gay film visionary Pedro Almodóvar’s reverence for women movingly permeates every vibrant frame of his loving ode to sisterhood. Self-assembled family units are, of course, a dynamic that is an-oft necessary way of life for members of the LGBTQ community, which All About My Mother honors through the character of Agrado (played by Spanish actress Antonia San Juan), an early figure of transgender representation, and the way in which Almodóvar matter-offactly folds her into a blended family of characteristically diverse women.

Those women include Sister Rosa (Penélope Cruz), an HIV-positive nun; Huma Rojo (Marisa Paredes), an iconic actress; and the film’s griefstricken protagonist, Manuela (Cecilia Roth), whose determination to stay connected to her teenage son after his sudden death leads her to discover the magic of chosen family and the healing bonds those relationships engender.

In a 1999 written tribute republished in Criterion’s digital restoration of the film, Almodóvar reflects on whimsical distortions of truth for the screen, and a perspective his mother shared with him as a child that became the impetus for All About My Mother, one that is hard to argue with: “how reality needs fiction in order to be complete, more pleasant, more livable.” Elsewhere, Criterion’s Blu-ray release includes a 52-minute documentary from 2012 on the making of the film, a TV program featuring Almodóvar and his mother, and a post-screening Q&A from 2019.

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thriller. The film features the multihyphenate living legend as Dr. Susan Lowenstein, a psychiatrist who unearths one family’s buried trauma. She does so through regular meetings with Tom Wingo (Nick Nolte) after his sister, Savannah, tries suicide. Of note: George Carlin as Eddie Detreville, Savannah’s trusted gay neighbor, and Streisand’s gay son Jason Gould, who plays her son in the film. Moving through, and past, trauma is the film’s crux, until it makes a full-on soap-opera leap and centers the soppy love-conquers-all romance between Streisand and Nolte, undermining the drama’s stronger, more complex themes. What’s admirable, though, is how, nearly three decades ago, Streisand shined a light on the potential danger of toxic masculinity and nurtured a project that encouraged men to embrace sensitivity and vulnerability. e Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ wire service.

His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020 | PAGE 7

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PAGE 8 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

N A N E L Y A I D S E N O L K

Photo Clifford Prince King

k c a l b s i H , s s e n queer d n a t fron r e t n e c

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MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020 | PAGE 9

e By Chris Azzopardi

O

NCE KEIYNAN LONSDALE MADE

no apologies for who he is, the music followed suit. The star of the CW’s The Flash and 2018’s gay teen comedy Love, Simon celebrates his Black queer identity on his 14-track anthemic solo debut Rainbow Boy. Dance-pop song “Gay Street Fighter” is an audacious strut of a rally cry, proclaiming that even God is gay. And with a shout out to “my nonbinary bitches,” “White Noise” and its buoyant groove lifts the stories of Black people that have fallen through the cracks.

Lonsdale’s album comes at the same time as Love, Victor, the Love, Simon spin-off on Hulu. In the series, the 28-year-old Aussie star reprises his role as quiet high-schooler Bram and becomes instrumental in Victor’s journey to authenticity.

When I recently connected with Lonsdale during a Zoom call, he was riding out the last two days of his mandatory 14-day quarantine in a hotel in Australia. At one point, the phone rang. And then it rang again. “Don’t mind me,” Lonsdale said, laughing. “I’m in the Australian quarantine right now, and so, actually, they call and check on you each day.”

In quarantine, Lonsdale has been able to “take stock of the album release, the state of the world…” He laughs again. “And the state of myself.”

Were you feeling as defiant as the music on this album when you recorded it, or was it a personal manifestation?

Yeah, I was 100 percent feeling just as defiant. The songs were written, for the most part, pretty easily.

There was so much that was ready to be expressed. And I think the momentum kept building, because I hadn’t felt that empowered to be able to write and make music that was so unapologetic. It felt really, really ripe.

When did you feel you could be unabashedly yourself in your music?

There was definitely one moment; it was three years exactly before I released it, where I had this realization that the best way for me to create would be to hold absolutely nothing back. I realized I was in control of the songs that I would write, and it would be a matter of what the writing led with, or staying in this sort of fear mindset that I had my whole life. And for good reason.

But it felt kind of like a spell was broken, and I was like, “I can say this shit, I can sing this shit.” (Laughs) In fact, it’s what sparked me to realize that I could have my own unique voice.

Before that I would say that I spent a lot of time trying to be like others, but always wanting to have the gall to be able to be my own (person). But I didn’t know what that meant. So it

was nice to have that spell broken.

So then being able to mentor a younger gay person on Love, Victor and remind him that there’s no one way to be LGBTQ, what did that feel like for you?

It was great to be able to play a role that could share that knowledge, because it’s something that I think each of us have needed to hear at one time: that you are still the one that gets to define who you are. There is no one way, and as much as we like to paint people with the same brush, it’s just not how it works. So I think it sends an important message. I’m glad that’s the route they went with with the (lead) character.

Going back to the fear you said you felt when you were younger, before you came out: How much of that had to do with you being a Black queer person?

Yeah, it had a lot to do with that.

I didn’t hear and I still don’t hear … (there’s) a lack of music that proclaims same-sex love. What’s ultimately needed is that it’s normalized; that hearing a guy sing about a guy or singing about a girl, they can become one in

I’m assuming the song “White Noise” was written a couple of years ago too. During the song, you sing, “All the white noise that we just don’t need, you better move over.” What kind of significance dotes the song take on now in the midst of this uprising?

It has reminded me of the necessity of it. I was of the mind where I felt like maybe this song was too on the nose, but then, clearly not. (Laughs) There are a lot of people who don’t understand the importance of this, and I wanted to approach that song with a level of joy and invitation, to be able to point out an issue, pretty clear as day, yet to say that there’s a way forward. I suppose everyone has a different way of how they share their message, and with that song I wanted to kind of teach – and with the album, in general – through song and dance.

You taking pride in your Black heritage on “Ancient One” is a good example of that.

One-hundred percent. Because I think the goal of life is to celebrate that we are here, and that we get to share this experience. It’s important

When you accepted your MTV Movie award for “Best Kiss” for Love, Simon in 2018, what was it like to get on stage as an out queer person and in a dress?

It was super weird because I had come out a few weeks after we’d filmed (Love, Simon), so I was out for only 12 months by the time the movie was out.

Then I was doing all these interviews and speeches; it was really strange because I only just came out. I was kind of very much in my own experience trying to figure a lot of stuff out.

But you seemed to have known what you were doing when you got on that stage in that dress.

(Laughs) Yeah, well … I was just trying my best to listen to the spiritual aspect of it and that’s what allowed me the confidence to wear what I wanted.

How did you feel up there?

I felt amazing. I was really nervous. I didn’t know what I was going to say until I started walking up. It’s a surreal kind of experience. But I was over the moon, to be honest. It felt like a dream. And I felt really supported in that moment. And yeah, it was quite magical. I felt magical.

Photo Hulu

‘Love, Simon’ star Keiynan Lonsdale talks defiant solo album, social justice uprising and embracing his Black queer identity

the same and not something that is conflicting or jarring or uncomfortable, or something that people have to avoid.

Photographer Mark Clennon, who has been sharing images of the Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations across New York City, described sharing Black stories as “whimsical defiance” in a recent interview with Interview magazine. For you, what does it feel like to be sharing your perspective and story as a Black queer person during our current racial justice movement?

It’s both empowering and exhausting.

I think a lot of Black people would likely feel this way too, because it’s a story we’ve lived with our entire lives. For a lot of us, we’ve expressed it for a while.

You know, I wrote a whole album about my experience, and I wrote the album, like, two years ago. So, it’s coming out now and it’s amazing on one hand that people are listening in a different way than they were before. That provides me with a lot of hope on some days. On other days you just want to live your life. You want to be able to live your life without having to explain it all the time. And so I think that’s where it’s important to have the balance of doing the fight and also knowing, How do you heal at the same time? Take care of yourself? So, yeah. It’s hard to describe.

to have reminders that there is a lot to this existence, and that it can be something that is full of rhythm and full of mystery and full of celebration.

Did you see the crowd reactions? They were so into your speech.

I definitely heard them. It was really exhilarating.

Love, Victor has been getting attention for its diversity, something many people thought Love, Simon lacked. What are your feelings on how the show and the movie handled representation?

I haven’t seen the show in its entirety yet, so I look forward to that. But that was definitely one thing I thought was exciting about this show. When anything is getting a spin-off, you get a little bit worried and you’re hoping that it’s done the right way. But I appreciated that it was taking a turn from the movie and moving forward, taking further steps.

In one way, I’m really proud of Love, Simon and how things were represented, but I’m not unaware of the fact that that was one step and that there are still many that need to be taken. As people also said, this is one specific telling of what it is for one kind of person to grow up gay in a fairly accepting environment, in a sort of privileged position. And those are conversations to be had. I’m glad that the movie was both celebrated yet also a topic of discussion of, “How do we keep going?”

I see how you affect a lot of LGBTQ youth, and to that end, I wondered what you think being out and playing Kid Flash has meant to both LGBTQ and people-of-color communities?

It’s meant a lot of things. Because at first it was met with a lot of celebration, but I was also met with thousands of racist comments online the day that it was announced. Same thing when I came out. To be met with such celebration but then also the opposite, it’s a funny juxtaposition. But I am proud. I’m happy that Kid Flash is a superhero and the message I know that a lot of kids have been getting is: They’ve got to watch me as a Black man play a superhero, and then they compare it with the fact that I’m an out queer Black man who plays a superhero. We weren’t taught you could do that back in the day. And so if that empowers kids to know they can be limitless, then that’s the best thing ever. e

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As editor of Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

PAGE 10 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

COOKING WITH PAULA DREAM

Cooking through the COVID e By Paula Dream ( A K A K a l e H a y g o o d )

G

REETING TO EVERYONE. IS IT THE

Lone Ranger behind that mask?

Who would ever have imagined the things we have to do right now?

This whole situation has put havoc in my life. I lose track of where to run my traps. So, what do I do?

Cook and gain weight and run up my vodka bill at Total Wine!

I just had a birthday and my longtime friend, G.W. actually baked me a vodka birthday cake. It was quite amazing.

And yes the glaze was a vodka glaze.

In this issue, the ol’ girl (not old!) gives you some good summer recipes for that little get-together, if we ever get to have one.

Hope you are doing well. Oh, and one last question: Where’s Ed Emmett when we need him?

• GRANDMA’S HOMEMADE COLE SLAW

1/2 small head of cabbage, cored and cut into 8 pieces (about 2 pounds) 1 small carrot cut into four pieces 1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped 2/3 cup mayo or salad dressing 1/3 cup sugar 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt Dash or two of paprika If you have a food processor, add cabbage, cover and pulse in short increments until finely chopped. Or chop it as Grandma did: by hand and the old hickory butcher knife. Transfer cabbage to a large bowl. Add carrot to processor and pulse (or chop). Empty carrots into a strainer and wash until water runs clear. Add to bowl with cabbage. Stir in onion. In a small bowl add remaining ingredients to make dressing. Mix well. Add dressing to cabbage and mix well. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

2 7 10 Montrose Blvd.

Houston, T X 7 7 006

713.526.0202 Order Online www.pepperonis.net

• GRILLED ORANGE CHICKEN

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 cup orange juice 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoon orange zest, grated 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper In a small saucepan, combine juice, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes, or until mixture reaches a glaze texture. Remove from heat, stir in mustard and zest. Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper on a lightly greased grill. Place chicken on grill covered over a medium heat, about six to eight minute each size. The temperature reading should reach 170 degrees. Brush chicken occasionally with sauce during last several minutes of cooking. Serve chicken with the sauce on the side.

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• BLUEBERRY APPLE PINEAPPLE DUMP CAKE

1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple drained 1 package (12 ounces) unsweetened frozen blueberries 1/2 cup sugar 1 box white moist cake mix 2/3 cup melted butter 1 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup sliced almonds Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix pie filling and pineapple in a greased 13” x 9” baking dish until combined.

Toss blueberries with sugar and spoon over pie filling mixture. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over filling. Drizzle butter evenly over top. Top with nuts. Do not stir. Bake 45 to 55 minutes. e Paula Dream, AKA Kale Haygood, owns Beyond Service, a Montrosebased, home-cooking catering company. For more information, call 713-805-4106 or email barrykale@yahoo.com.

DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD

Kristen Stewart will play Princess Diana in ‘Spencer’ e By Rom eo San V ice n t e

P

ABLO LARRAÍN (JACKIE) IS SET TO

direct and Kristen Stewart to play Princess Diana in Spencer, a drama written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) about one critical weekend in the early ’90s life of the princess, and the freeing consequences of decisions she made then. In other words, it’s a biopic of sorts, but one that takes the micro versus the macro approach. No tragic death, no heartbreaking and sensational aftermath, just the story of a three-day Christmas holiday that found Diana deciding that her royal life was no longer working (something her son Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have also recently decided for themselves). And the casting is indeed inspired. Now that Kristen Stewart has secured a place in cinema history as one of the most talented and fascinating actors of her generation, she’s poised to interpret this character from a place of understanding, since there was also a period in her own younger life when she was the object of intense media scrutiny and criticism. Call it an anti-fairy tale, and

Kristen Stewart

we’ll be patient while production schedules remain on hold, but they can just go ahead and take our money right now.

Noah’s Arc drops a surprise reunion!

G

one are the days when you could learn about something on the horizon well before it asked for your immediate attention. Beyoncé is silent on a Saturday and drops a new album on Sunday and everyone’s like, “Huh? What? OK, lucky us.” So, were you pining away for years for a Noah’s Arc reboot or reunion? Of course you were, and now your wish comes true, a lot sooner than you think. After 12 years, Noah, Alex, Ricky, and Chance are returning with a one-off reunion called Noah’s Arc: The ‘Rona Chronicles on

MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020 | PAGE 11

series creator Patrik-Ian Polk’s Facebook and YouTube pages. The original cast from Logo’s 2005 series about a group of Black queer friends – Darryl Stephens, Jensen Atwood, Rodney Chester, Doug Spearman and Christian Vincent – has returned and the scripted episode will be all about – in case the title flew past you – the way life is right now. Patrick-Ian Polk Entertainment and Gilead are presenting the special, which will raise money for Black LGBTQ non-profit organizations, among them Birmingham AIDS Outreach, Casa Ruby, G.L.I.T.S (Gays & Lesbians Living In a Transgender Society), In The Meantime Men’s Group, LGBT Detroit, Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI) and The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center. Be there on July 5 at 8 p.m.

Eastern, with some cash to donate.

Gabrielle Union snaps up All Boys Aren’t Blue

George M. Johnson’s Journalist beautiful memoir, All Boys Aren’t Blue,

a true story of being queer and Black, explores his childhood, adolescence and young adult life. The book includes stories of being physically assaulted by bullies as a child, of his fraught relationship with his police-officer father, and of his warm relationship with his grandmother, all while grappling with ideas about gender, masculinity, Blackness, structural racism and growing up. Even better, hot on the heels of its publication, Gabrielle Union – an

LGBTQ+ ally and passionately devoted mother to her own queer child – has optioned the book to develop as a series for Sony Pictures TV. We love the title, with its nod and inherent critique of those weird gender reveal parties that straight people seem to love so much, and even though literally nothing is in place yet beyond an intention to make this book into something else, we also love that Union has taken up the cause. More on this one soon.

Ben Whishaw is Going To Hurt

and Golden Globe-winner Ben Emmy Whishaw is set to star in the BBC

adaptation of British comedy writer Adam Kay’s medical memoir, This is Going to Hurt. The comedy-drama follow’s Kay’s account of life as a junior doctor on a hospital ward, and is based on a collection of medical training diaries he kept from 2004 to 2010. The series, scripted by Kay, should be fairly eye-opening for American audiences unfamiliar with Britain’s National Health Service, which provides publicly funded care for every UK citizen (translation: you don’t get slapped with $300,000 bills for a hospital stay), and is currently under attack from conservative attempts to privatize it. No other casting news has been made public just yet, nor is there a premiere date, but when it hits the States, the AMC network will handle it.

Stay safe until then. Wear your mask. e Romeo San Vicente would never hurt you.

EXCITED FOR BRUNCH? SO ARE WE! SUNDAY BRUNCH 11AM - 3PM LAURENZOS.COM / 4412 WASHINGTON AVE / 713.880.5111

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What I did on my summer vacation e By Nanc y Ford

S

O OTHER THAN DEALING WITH THE

global pandemic and coughing up Saharan dust, how’s your summer?

I hope it’s just peachy!

How is mine, you ask? Well, though it can’t be described as a laugh-a-minute knee-slapper, my summer has been… memorable. And busy, busy, busy! Every day has been a veritable whirlwind — nay, more like a rollercoaster, jampacked with excitement and unexpected twists and turns, leaving me dizzy and nauseous on, pretty much, a daily basis.

In the short span of a mere six-week period, I have —

—Physically recoiled at the thought of the infinite variety of germs, bacteria, and morsels of state dinners that reside in John Bolton’s moustache; —Questioned why rubber bullets aren’t used to break up mobs of redfaced, heavily armed, mostly white men and women as they shriek against the inequality of having to skip a few appointments at Supercuts; —Considered adding a helmet to my wardrobe of personal protective

WHAT A WORLD

equipment in anticipation of a million cicadas getting ready to emerge from underground after germinating for 17 years and beginning their mating cycle once again by emitting their 100+ decibel love buzz; —Learned that Verhoyansk, a remote town located in Siberia in the Arctic circle, hit 100-degree temperatures on the first day of summer, even though all this talk about global climate change is just another Chinese hoax; —Watched helplessly as the 50th anniversary celebration of the Houston Pride Parade wisely was cancelled, then sympathetically revived in support of Black Lives Matter, then wisely cancelled again; —Mourned as friends and loved ones whom I have long respected reveal a surprising and naively shallow side of themselves by insisting that All Lives Matter; —Had a conversation with a particularly treasured, elderly aunt who explains that FOX News is her sole source of information “because she’s a Christian;” —Tried to resolve the unmitigated hypocrisy of Texas Governor Greg Abbott being praised for finally adopting a public mask policy that Harris County Commissioner Lina Hidalgo was chastised for recommending weeks earlier; —Cringed as a man who thousands of evangelicals consider

to be sent from God turned the Holy Bible into a stage prop; —Developed respect, perhaps even admiration, for the author of a new tell-all book even though her last name is Trump; —Wondered if I will ever realize my dreams of sipping French wine in a quaint little café on the banks of the Seine or standing on the hallowed stage of The Cavern in Liverpool where The Beatles launched their career because Europe is closed indefinitely to American travelers; —Feared that South Dakota’s governor insistence that shooting off fireworks at Mount Rushmore is perfectly safe and wouldn’t set the surrounding national forests ablaze; —Blinked at the too-real hallucination of Honest Abe’s mournful, granite face turning even more stone cold the night the Lincoln Memorial was transformed into a backdrop for a Fox News/Trump propaganda spectacular; —Raised every strand of both eyebrows while being told that the blazing sun was beating down on the stage at West Point cadet’s graduation ceremony, yet the ramp leading to that same stage was like an ice-skating rink; —Listened to a small group (hehehe) of mesmerized lemmings squeal with glee in the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the sight of a 74-year-old man demonstrating his strength and virility by drinking a glass

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of water with one hand then throwing said water glass across the stage.

—Realized that Meghan McClain has become a solid voice of reason in the Republican Party; —Viewed in amazement as Ch-ChCh-Chia plants sprout from the heads of previously immaculately coiffed late-night talk show hosts; —And have been quarantined from my beautiful, beloved, essential-worker partner for what seems like an eternity.

But otherwise, I’ve had a great summer.

I’m immensely thankful that my loved ones and I have remained Covidless. I have shelter, food, clothing, a solid internet connection, an extensive premium cable package, and enough allergy meds and Ambien to last until Jesus comes.

And not for nothing, I’m thankful that my condo is within reasonable walking distance of a Spec’s liquor store.

Perhaps best of all, I’m thankful that despite the Orange Menace’s best effort to pack it with antiequality justices, last month the Supreme Court of the United States actually ruled in favor of protecting LGBTQ+ citizens from workplace discrimination. Free(ish) at last.

Yes, all things considered, it’s been a great summer. Pass the Coppertone and hand me a beer. e

Image via MeriCherry.com

PAGE 12 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020 | PAGE 13

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PAGE 14 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

MY LIFE BEHIND BARS

part Four: A tale as old as time. The beauty was a beast e By Randal l J obe

I

’LL CALL THE DRAG QUEEN IN THIS

piece “Homo Siedel” for reasons that will become apparent. Homo was a beauty, a popular club emcee best known for her “put down” humor. She could rip you a new asshole and stuff a cabbage up it.

She made Joan Rivers look like an Ingalls offspring straight from their little prairie house. To call Homo “potty mouth” was a compliment. She was a sewer spouting swill and she made no apologies.

Around the same time that Homo was at her height of popularity, I was hosting an amateur strip show on Mondays — the absolute worst night of the week. Yet I somehow managed to build a decent following that would drag themselves out at 11 p.m. on a school night. Of course, the cheap drinks and the cute-enough boys willing to strip to their underwear for the chance at a half decent cash prize might have boosted attendance.

The pee-pee parade was presented on a stage that consisted of two wobbly platforms that, surprisingly, held up my ample ass. But then again, they had been tested to their limits by several drag queens that outweighed most barges in the ship channel. (Here I am tempted to name names, but suffice it say you can take her black or with cream and sugar. Love you, girl!)

My brand of humor was similar to Homo’s, but I don’t think I ever managed her level of chewing

the bystanders’ faces off and spitting chunks of them back at them (though that might create some debate.) I did often get the audible gasps along with laughter and some outright screaming.

To call Homo vicious was to call Hitler “naughty.” I did not see her act very often and I can’t remember if I actually enjoyed her, but my guess would be that I winced and laughed along with the crowd as some poor straight girl was reduced to tears. What I could not have known was that behind the comedy was a dark mask of mammoth proportions.

At an after-party for a huge annual charity function with everyone sporting tuxedos and ball gowns, I was having a cocktail when Homo approached and struck up a conversation. Dressed in a gorgeous sparkling evening gown with lavish

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rhinestone chandeliers dangling from her ears, she was a bit tipsy. I was on my first beverage so all that would transpire was crystal clear to me. She began to compliment my onstage humor saying she had seen me several times.

She suddenly announced, “You know, we do pretty much the same thing. The only difference is that when I read them, I really mean it. You are joking, but I really hate them.”

As abruptly as she had appeared, she was gone. I felt a chill up my spine and I physically shuddered.

Soon enough I would understand why. I turned to the bar and ordered a double vodka, neat.

I heard the sordid story in bits and pieces, each tidbit more horrific than the next. It seems that at the very time Homo stood speaking to me in her up-do and designer shoes, she had already murdered a young girl, whom she had, in her male personae “knocked up.” Word was that she professed her love to the mom-to-be and was unceremoniously rejected.

In a fit of rage Homo beat the poor girl to death and dumped her body. It would be discovered wrapped in a blanket and weighed down with cinder blocks in a lake outside of Houston, not far from Homo’s parents’ home where she would be found hiding in a laundry basket.

Homo was sentenced to prison and to my knowledge sits there still some 25-plus years later. I heard rumors that she actually did well behind bars. After all she was a young, not-so-bad looking male. I would assume she became somebody’s bitch, which could offer some level of protection. Every few years I hear there is a release pending, but nothing ever comes of it.

The thing that haunts me almost as much as the horrible loss of an innocent girl, is that, for weeks after an act of brutal murder, Homo could carry on doing shows and attending events without batting an oversized eyelash. I hope behind the carefree act there was a tortured conscience. I also hope that we were not so much alike as she believed. I do know that the odds that we will share the same fate are nil. First, I would have to get a girl pregnant. I’m good. e

MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020 | PAGE 15

Sebastien MrD1987 Boileau and Assistant Stone

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PAGE 16 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

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≈ Crossword Queeries ........................

18

≈ PFLAG Houston News .....................

19

ACLU reps ‘Zoom’ into July meeting

Walk a mile in her shoes

Section B

THE GAY-ETY STARTS HERE! Wednesday July 8, 2020 e VOL. XI, 8

MONTROSE STAR.COM

ACROSS THE CAUSEWAY

‘MAGNOLIAS’ AND ‘GARDENIAS’ e By Fore st Rigg s

N

O MATTER WHERE YOU TRAVEL

or what community you visit, everyone loves the play and movie Steel Magnolias. First released as a play written by Robert Harling in 1987, and after appearing Off-Broadway for a couple of years, the play quickly went on to become a super hit movie premiering in 1989.

Most everyone is familiar with the storyline: A group of southern ladies in a small-town deal with life’s issues that cause them to bond in a special, “beauty parlor” way. The story is inked with plots and subplots, all giving credence to every stereotype of small southern towns and the cornucopia of eccentric neighbors that make up such communities.

Harling based the writing on his growing-up years in a southern town and all the characters he knew and “endured” while living there. Losing his sister Susan Harling Robinson to Type I Diabetes in 1985 and suffering from the loss, he felt compelled to center the activities and seasonal happenings in Chinquapin Paris around the illness and subsequent death of his sister.

The play was a tremendous hit and the movie has garnered numerous awards and accolades over the years. Everyone loves Steel Magnolias and relishes in recalling favorite scenes and quoting lines. The story has woven its way into American pop-culture and the LGBTQ folks have never stopped loving it!

I first heard of the play while staying in New York City in 1988. I was there to decide if I would move there and write the great American novel or just hang out there at The Monster bar and become yet another poor southern boy, relocated, and waiting tables! To my joy, I linked with several literary

Galveston’s Carly Davin Nation does it again

types and “people that knew people.”

On a very snowy February night, I found myself and date, Quentin Crisp, at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) watching a new play based in a southern town. My newly acquired NYC crowd assured me I would love this show, the story, the acting, and most of all the “realness” of it as I had become their new “token southern boy writer wanna-be” that had landed in NYC. I loved the play and enjoyed the ever-witty company of my companion, Mr. Crisp. Later over dinner, I shared my stories of growing up in the south, beauty shops, town characters, and, of course, the epic gossip that thrived in such settings with Quentin. As always, my pink-haired friend enjoyed my tales and suggested I put them to print into a book and make some money off of my “abused upbringing.”

Skip ahead to Galveston Island in 2020 and the fantastic parody of the popular play and movie written by the Island’s own Carly Davin Nation (sometimes known as Carly Hart). No stranger to theater, drag, and creative endeavors, Nation wrote her version of Steel Magnolias and called it Aluminum Gardenias. With years of studying and making note of everything that goes into great creativity, especially on Galveston Island so chocked with characters, Carly put together a true and genuine homage to the original play and movie.

Well-versed in writing, producing, and releasing other great LGBTQ productions, Nation and her company Onyxfire Productions decided to audition some local drag performers (she worked with all of them over the years) and film a short of her creation.

Having already created, directed, and starred in her two clever on-line

drama series, Dragtown, and Transfolk, Nation recruited her regulars C.C. Ryder and Dixie Cass Monroe, both well-received in Galveston’s popular performing community and regulars at Robert’s Lafitte, to star in her latest production Aluminum Magnolias.

After months of rehearsals and shooting, the production came alive.

After posting it on YouTube, it has become a hit among LGBTQ shorts.

C.C. Ryder and Dixie Cass Monroe, as well as Nation herself, recreate the drama, humor, and wit that Harling so portrayed in the original production. Folks have commented: “Wow, I can’t believe that someone in Galveston did this… not discovered yet… so professional and right on.”

Combine the writing, directing, and performing skills of Carly Davin Nation with the spit-quick wit and humor of Ryder and Monroe, and you have a short that would make Harling smile and shout “Bravo!” For a few minutes, viewers are back in Chinquapin Parish watching the antics of southern ladies that love each other as well know enough dirt on one another to bite and snip!

Catch Aluminum Magnolias on YouTube. It is worth the watch, especially if you are a fan of Steel Magnolias and its rightful place in the LGBTQ world.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Nation and Onyxfire Productions are currently working on a new project What Ever Happened to Toddler June on Sunset Boulevard, due out in 2021.

With all the camp of Baby Jane Hudson and Norma Desmond, the new short is sure to be well-received by all. e A resident of Galveston where he can be found wasting bait and searching for the meaning of life, Forest Riggs recently completed a collection of short stories about his beloved island and is working on a novel.

The multi-talented Carly Davin Nation

C.C. Ryder (left), Dixie Cass Monroe, and Carly Davin Nation star in ‘Aluminum Magnolias’

An upcoming Onyxfire production

PAGE 18 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

CROSSWORD QUEERIES

Walk a mile in her shoes Across

47 More of the quote

21 Sonny, to Chaz

1 Gunners shoot it off

51 Bentley of American Beauty

23 General activity

5 Terence of Priscilla

52 Prepare to drag

26 Bright, in book credits

10 “There Is Nothing

53 A.M.A. members

27 Desperate women in a series

54 Word with donna

28 Letters for debtors

14 At no time, in poems

56 Home st. of Harper Lee

29

15 Moore costar

57 Physical therapy, briefly

30 Rock trigram

16 Ready for press

60 End of the quote

32 One that is often penetrated

17 Julius Caesar costume

63 Tied, as a score

33 Moon of Uranus

18 Wonder Woman accessory

64 O’Connor of Xena

34 Remove from the head

19 French composer …douard

65 Fruit center

35 Fairy tale huffer

20 Start of a Hannah Gadsby

66 Wagon train’s direction

36 As it should be

quote, after she said that

67 Bedroom arouser

38 Stat exaggeration?

she doesn’t hate males

68 “

Like a

”

off?”

-de-sac

40 King of Lawrence’s land

22 More of the quote

Down

41 Cheap and gaudy

24 Looker’s leg

1 Start to climax

44 Like mild weather

25 Way off

2 Sneaky Pie cry

46 Product with three heads

26 Where to stick your tool

3 Patti Page’s “Let

48 The “T” in IGLTA

28 Dick Button’s milieu

, Lover!”

49 All’s Well That Ends

31 Kelly once of All My Children

4 Fruits with navels, maybe

Well heroine

34 Batman and Robin, et al.

5 Witch hunt town

50 Artful dodger

35 More of the quote

6 Peter or Paul but not Mary

54 Response to the SCOTUS

37 Like Cockney’s pubes?

7 T or F, on exams

transgender ruling

39 The Buckeyes, for short

8 Drag queen’s material, maybe

55 Spamalot review, perhaps

40 Be expelled from a

9 Scoppettone novel evidence

58 Popular ‘60s hairstyle

basketball game

10 Comic Lea

59 Queer

42 Peeples of Fame

11 Man not made by breeders

(fruity beverage)

43 Financial

12 Kunis of Black Swan

61 Lyricist Gershwin

45 Horseman that sticks it in you

13 Alfred Douglas’ school

62 Calculator button

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PFLAG HOUSTON NEWS

ACLU reps ‘Zoom’ into July meeting e By Janice Anderson & Greg Lambert

W

HILE MOST OF US HAVE BEEN

disappointed by what 2020 has brought to us so far, the Supreme Court of the United States brought some more joyous news in June.

With the decision in Bostock v. Clayton County (Georgia), the Court extended Title VII protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender workers against discrimination in the workplace. This is one of the biggest victories for LGBT workers since the Court allowed marriage equality and the biggest victory ever from the Court for the transgender community.

Finally, a reason to celebrate in 2020.

As the mother of three children affected by the Bostock decision, I realize

how little the country’s laws have protected them. The idea that someone was denied basic civil rights protection simply for being outside the norm on sexual orientation or gender identity seems preposterous, yet common in our society. Finally, it is the right of everyone to work and earn a living without having to conceal your true sexual orientation or gender identity. It is a right which we have fought to obtain, and continue to protect.

Representatives from ACLU Texas will be our guest speaker at our general meeting scheduled Sunday, July 12 via Zoom, the online meeting platform.

The ACLU’s work and efforts to push for expanded civil rights have helped bring this victory. They will discuss what this means for our families and their futures. Other intersecting factors will be discussed, as well, such as the civil rights movement of Black Lives Matter. This is a tumultuous time, but a time for hope of progress.Our virtual “doors” will open at 1:45 p.m. to allow people to settle in on Zoom and get to know each other. The General meeting will begin at 2 p.m.

MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020 | PAGE 19

After our guests speak, we will break into small support groups. Small groups are the heart of PFLAG. It’s a time where you can meet other parents and allies and LGBTQ folk. We share our stories and experiences, voice our concerns and triumphs.

Small groups will also be held via Zoom. The meeting is open to everyone, but you must get an email invitation and password to attend. To get that invitation, email helplinePFLAGhouston@gmail.com and one will be sent out to you. This helps keep outside shenanigans at bay and keeps our warm circle of love safe.

Ordinarily, our support groups are available in Pearland, Katy, Clear Lake, and at the Montrose Center near downtown Houston. When the safety precautions of social distancing are over, we will resume meeting in person for small groups in those areas. Until then, we will meet safely through Zoom online meetings each Sunday at 2 p.m. Meeting announcements are sent out to our e-mailing list. Let us know if you would like to be added to our mailing list.

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PFLAG Houston is committed to supporting families and educating the public about LGBT issues and invites all to consider the group’s numerous volunteer opportunities.

PFLAG Houston is also passionate about advocacy to ensure equal human rights and end discrimination. PFLAG Houston invites all family members, parents and/or youth who are having problems with coming out issues, and welcomes everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, ethnicity or political persuasion. The group is proud of its rich history and the continued contributions of members and invites all to learn more about the organization and join in efforts to create a more diverse, accepting society. Find a home in PFLAG. For information about support, upcoming events, and meetings, as well as up-to-date news relevant to PFLAG Houston’s family and friends, visit PFLAGHouston.org, email janice anderson@yahoo.com, or call the PFLAG Helpline at 713-467-3524.

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MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020 | PAGE 21

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PAGE 22 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

HOUSTON n MONTROSE - MIDTOWN Buddy’s 2409 Grant St Ste A, Houston (281) 310-1050 Cocktails | Beer | Karaoke |Pool | DJ’s Crocker Bar 2312 Crocker St, Houston (713) 529-3355 Large Deck | Karaoke

GUIDE TO THE CLUBS n DOWNTOWN / EADO

n NW HOUSTON

Lucky’s Pub - Downtown 801 St Emanuel St, 77003 (713) 522-2010 • Luckyspub.com Sports Bar | Food

La Granja Disco & Cantina 5505 Pinemont Dr., Houston (713) 518-6753 • lagranjadisco.com Latin dance club

Moon Tower Inn 3004 Canal St, 77003 (832) 969-1934 • damngoodfoodcoldassbeer.com Hot Dogs | Beer Gardens

George’s Country Sports Bar 617 Fairview Ave, Houston (713) 528-8102 Sports Bar | Pool & Darts | Patio

Neil’s Bahr 2006 Walker St, 77003 (281) 352-7456 • NeilsBahr.com Premier Nerd | Gamer | Intellectual hangout

Guava Lamp 570 Waugh Dr, Houston (713) 524-3359 • guavalamphouston.com Video Lounge | Karaoke | Mixed

Tout Suite 2001 Commerce, 77002 713-227-8688 • toutsuitetx.com Bakery | Cafe | Pub

JR’s Bar and Grill & Santa Fe 808 Pacific St, Houston (713) 521-2519 • jrsbarandgrill.com Videos | Patio | Karaoke | Shows

Voodoo Queen 322 Milby St, 77003 713-555-5666 • damngoodfoodcoldassbeer.com Casual | Po’ Boys | Games

Michael’s Outpost Piano Bar 1419 Richmond Ave, Houston (713) 520-8446 Neighborhood Bar | Pub | Piano Rebar Houston 2401 San Jacinto (281) 846-6685 RichsNightclub.com Barcode Houston 817 Fairview Ave, Houston

(713) 526-2625 • facebook.com/barcode77006

Shows | Neighborhood Bar | CD/Trans The Ripcord 715 Fairview St, Houston (713) 521-2792 • facebook.com/ ripcordhouston

Leather | Uniform | Fetish | Men

n DOWNTOWN / WARDS 1-4 Tony’s Corner Pocket 817 West Dallas Street, Houston (713) 571-7870 • tonyscornerpocket.com Neighborhood Bar | Pool | Dancers n HOUSTON - NORTH SIDE Ranch Hill Saloon 24704 Interstate 45, Spring (281) 298-9035 • ranchhill.com Country | Cowgirl | Neighborhood Bar The Room Bar 4915 FM 2920 Rd, Spring (281) 907-6866 • roombarspring.com Neighborhood Bar | Shows | Dance | Mixed

Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon 11410 Hempstead Highway Houston, TX 77092 (713) 677-0828 • neonbootsclub.com Viviana’s Night Club 4624 Dacoma St, Houston (713) 681-4101 • vivianasniteclub.com Latino | Tejano | Dance n SW HOUSTON Crystal Night Club 6684 SW Fwy, Houston (713) 278- 2582 • crystaltheclub.com Latin Dance | Salsa n HEIGHTS / WASHINGTON CORRIDOR Pearl Lounge 4216 Washington, Houston 832-740-4933 • pearlhouston.com Neighborhood Art Bar | Live Music | Women

GALVESTON 23rd Street Station 1706 23rd St, Galveston (409) 443-5678 • 23rdstreetstation. com Piano Bar | Pub | Live Entertainment Robert’s Lafitte 2501 Ave Q, Galveston (409) 765-9092 • galveston.com/robertslafitte Neighborhood Bar | Pub | Cruise | Shows Rumors Beach Bar 3102 Seawall Blvd., Galveston (409) 497-4617 • RumorsBeachBar.com Beach bar | Shows

SOLUTION FROM PAGE 19

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PAGE 24 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday July 8, 2020

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