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The top national and world news since last issue you should know
BY CRAIG OGAN
VA LT Gov candidate stays in
The way gay men conduct their lives still flummoxes the U. S. Republican Party. The latest example is a dust-up in Virginia. John Reid, a radio personality, is the nominee for lieutenant governor. He is an out and proud gay man who has done all the things most gay men have done except vote for Democrats. The Family Foundation Action Group called on him to get out of the race after media reports of a Tumblr account purporting to be registered to Reid surfaced. The account featured salacious pictures and statements, things most gay men call “a profile”. A usually politically sure-footed governor, Glenn Youngkin, was back-footed and called for Reid’s resignation. Reid said “no,” and furthermore, he doesn’t have a Tumblr account. No one has checked Grindr. He posted on X, “Have I seen porn? Yes. Have I had one-night stands? Yes. Are my exes all still in love with me? No,” he said. He accused his opponents of extortion. Reid does have some support. The candidate for governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, is unconcerned. An official in a red voting southwest Virginia County, told the Washington Post, “I’m not real fond of the fact that he’s a homosexual, but as long as he’s doing the job, that’s his business.”
Paying for sex with a minor OK in Calif.
California Democrats are flummoxed when it comes to teens and sex. Senators in the Cali-Legislature opposed a bill enhancing penalties for adults having paidfor sex with teenagers. Dems claimed the penalties would disproportionately affect LGBT Californians. They posited that parents who are upset that their children are in LGBT relationships with someone older may use the law to punish the other
party. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a strong and usually level-headed proponent of LGBT protections, argued that “sending an 18-year-old high school senior to state prison for offering his 17-year-old classmate $20 to fool around isn’t smart criminal justice policy.” High schoolers get paid to fool around? Now they tell me. The bill removed the enhanced penalties over the objection of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who issued a statement, “California law should treat all sex predators who solicit minors the same — as a felony, regardless of the intended victim’s age.”
World Pride pulls out of Kennedy Center
The WorldPride event in Washington D.C. and host, Capital Pride Alliance, have been scrambling to hold performances and exhibitions in a venue other than their first choice, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Three WorldPride events initially planned at the Kennedy Center — a display of panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt, a Drag Story Hour, and the Reading Room — have been relocated to the WorldPride Welcome Center in D.C.’s Chinatown-Gallery Place neighborhood. The relocation was caused by the change in management of the KCPA. The withdrawal from KCPA was because the organizers felt the new management was not “welcoming.” They cited statements on Truth Social earlier by the president that KCPA would not host drag shows or anti-American content. KCPA management said two of the three events would have been ok. The third was a little problematic, though there is no policy that would prevent “men dressed as women” from performing, says the KCPA PR office. Drag may be allowed, but sexualized performances or audience composition may be taken into account. Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos said organizers “proactively pulled events from the ‘inhospitable’ environment.”
Poland no longer ‘LGBTQ free’
Since 2019, municipalities in Poland have used national legislation called the “Charter of Family Rights” to declare “LGBTQfree zones.” One hundred municipalities did just that. The “Charter” allowed for the prohibition of events, literature, flags, businesses, behavior, and such that appeared to exhibit LGBT proclivity to be banned. This law ran afoul of the Euro-
pean Union’s Human Rights regulations, and opposition to the practice has been working through the EU bureaucracy. The European Union is withholding subsidies for schools, agriculture, economic development, and social services from cities and counties that had such zones. The governing council of the last “Charter LGBTQ Free Zone” in Poland has repealed the designation. Council members made clear, however, that they were motivated only by financial considerations. The national government, dominated by the Law and Justice Party, with the acronym which Polish syntax turns into PIS, passed the law in 2019 and made up the subsidies lost from the EU. PIS was removed from government control in recent elections, and the new government ended the subsidies.
HHS reduces LGBT-focused grants
The budget for the U. S. Health and Human Services Department is facing a 25 percent reduction in the 2025-26 fiscal year budget plan. The reduction is expected to change service delivery and research projects relating to the LGBTQ Community. The outline shows the consolidation of HIV services from 25 to 15 institutes and offices. The LGBT Youth suicide hotline is being folded into the general youth suicide hotline program. Grants ranging from $205,000 to $6.4 million for research are being canceled, cut, or consolidated into larger studies. Epidemiology research is mostly preserved through consolidation, but mental health grants will be cut. For example, eating disorders among transgender youth, HIV inequities among sexual and gender minorities, and sleep health disparities in Black sexual-minority men, and the impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ individuals will all be defunded. Medical, prevention, and direct mental health programs will have budgets shifted to larger programs. Critics are unsure of the extent of cuts and consolidation, as many programs are embedded in law, but fear removing LGBT-focused service delivery and research risks losing understanding of small or marginalized populations.
Barry Diller, call him fluid
Better late than never, 83-year-old media mogul Barry Diller has revealed he is gay in a new autobiography. Maybe fluid is a better way to characterize him, as he also rhapsodizes about his 2001 marriage to, equally senior, fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg. Diller was head of Para-
mount Studios and is still involved with media holding company IAC and is chair of Expedia Group, a travel company, At Paramount he oversaw production of many iconic movies including, “Saturday Night Fever,” “Grease,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “Temple of Doom.” His television credits include “Laverne & Shirley,” “Taxi,” and “Cheers.” He writes that he decided to “live with silence, but not with hypocrisy,” and “wouldn’t do a single thing to make anyone believe I was living a heterosexual life.” He says that his attraction to men never conflicted with his love for von Fürstenberg, who has not yet publicly commented on his revelations.
Mayor Pete, tanned, rested, and ready
Publishing a policy book or personal history, giving speeches to big city economic clubs, or losing weight are indications of a person getting ready to run for president of the United States. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made the most positive move to throw his chapeau in the ring by stumping in Iowa three years before the Iowa caucuses, which
he won in 2020. He made a major speech to the Democratic group VoteVets’ town hall event in Cedar Rapids. One of the previous presidential administration’s most articulate spokespeople, he criticized the current administration, but also called for the Democratic Party to start reaching out to swing and moderate voters, groups that voted Republican in the 2024 elections. Mayor Pete stoked presidential speculation earlier this year by bowing out of open Senate and gubernatorial elections in his new home state of Michigan, where he and his husband and children took up residence last year. Mayor Pete said many advise him to hang back and wait for the current president “to screw up.” He said he wanted the party to get in touch with “first principles.” He mentioned several, including restoring federally sponsored abortions, earning him a 30-second standing ovation.
Gay dating app sting nets twink terrorists
Police in Australia have arrested 35 individuals who have been using gay dating apps to lure, attack, and rob gay men. The arrests have mostly apprehend-
ed male suspects between the ages of 13 and 20 in the suburbs of Australia’s biggest cities. The arrests have resulted in charges of armed robbery, false imprisonment, violent disorder, affray, causing injury, and other assault-related offenses. Some of the crimes were live-streamed or posted online by the perpetrators.
Florida city can’t force Pride drag shows indoors
A court has ruled Naples Pride will be able to host drag shows in the sunshine. The Naples City government had refused to issue a permit for outdoor activities. The judge ruled Naples’ city officials violated free speech rights by issuing an event permit with a condition that Naples Pride host its drag performances indoors and limit attendance to those age 18 and older. The city’s action was tagged as being based on viewpoint and content, which the judge said is unconstitutional. The city also upped the bill for security to $36,000, and the judge said he thought the amount exorbitant, but made no ruling on what the city could charge. Q
Salt Lake City and Boise adopt pride flags as official city flags
In a bold stand against rising conservative crackdowns on LGBTQ+ visibility, both Salt Lake City and Boise, Idaho, took unprecedented steps to safeguard Pride symbols in their communities — by making them official.
On the night of May 6, Salt Lake City adopted three new official city flags, including designs honoring the LGBTQ+ and trans communities. The move comes in response to a new Utah law that took effect May 7, that effectively bans most non-governmental flags — including Pride flags — from being flown at public schools, universities, and government buildings.
Mayor Erin Mendenhall presented the flag proposal to the Salt Lake City Council, which passed it unanimously. The three new designs are bold and intentional:
THE SEGO BELONGING FLAG , to represent LGBTQ+ residents;
THE SEGO VISIBILITY FLAG , to uplift the trans community; and
THE SEGO CELEBRATION FLAG , to honor Black residents and the significance of Juneteenth.
Each flag incorporates the existing city flag in the top-left corner, symbolizing unity while elevating historically marginalized communities.
“Our city flags are powerful symbols representing Salt Lake City’s values,” Mendenhall said in a statement. “I want all Salt Lakers to be able to look up at
these flags and be reminded that we value inclusion and acceptance, leaving no doubt that we are united as a city and people, moving forward together.”
City Council Chair Chris Wharton echoed those sentiments, saying the flags “reflect our shared humanity and the values that help everyone feel they belong.”
The Utah law, passed earlier this year, imposes a $500-per-day fine on any state or local government building flying unauthorized flags. While propo-
message rang hollow for many advo cates who viewed his inaction, as well as his signing of anti-transgender bills the past two years, as complicity.
BOISE
Meanwhile, in Boise, the City Council took a similarly defiant stance. In a 5-1 vote Tuesday night, council members passed a resolution officially recognizing the Pride flag as one of Boise’s desig nated city flags —directly challenging Idaho’s newly enacted HB 96.
The law, signed by Idaho Gov. Brad Little in March, limits flag displays at government buildings to only state, federal, and a few select others. Though vague, the law references “official” flags — a loophole Boise is now using to keep the Pride flag flying legally.
nents claim the bill supports “political neutrality,” critics see it as a targeted effort to erase LGBTQ+ visibility.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox allowed the bill to become law without his signature, citing concerns that the legislation went too far. In a public letter, he acknowledged the LGBTQ+ community, saying, “I want you to know that I love and appreciate you and I am grateful that you are part of our state.” Still, his
The decision followed a public spat between Boise Mayor Lauren McLean and Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, who had warned the city to comply with the new law. In response, McLean released a sharply worded letter, accusing the law’s backers of targeting Boise specifically to “force the City of Boise to take down the Pride flag that has flown at City Hall for nearly 10 years.”
Several dozen community members gathered outside Boise City Hall ahead of the vote, waving both rainbow and Amer ican flags in a peaceful rally. Emotions were high, but the message was clear: Pride isn’t just symbolic — it’s vital.
Utah teacher resists anti-gay law with a rainbow in his pocket
In a political climate where rainbow flags are seen as more dangerous than Confederate ones, Utah educators like John Arthur are quietly and creatively pushing back.
His solution? A rainbow of pens tucked into his pocket.
Arthur, a teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School in Salt Lake City and Utah’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, recently shared a moving story on Threads about how he navigated the state’s increasingly hostile laws targeting LGBTQ+ representation in classrooms.
This quiet act of defiance came after Arthur found himself caught between his instincts as an affirming educator and a 2001 Utah law that forbade “advocacy of homosexuality” in schools. Although this particular law was repealed by the legislature in 2017 following a lawsuit by Equality Utah, its legacy and spirit live on through recent legislation like this year’s ban on Pride flags and “LGBTQ+ displays” in public schools and government buildings.
Arthur recounted a pivotal moment in his classroom when his students giggled at the words “gay” and “queer” during a reading of The Wizard of Oz.
“I was about to say something when my principal, who was observing in the room at the time, shook her head ‘no,’” he said. “After the lesson, she told me that there was a law that prohibited me from discussing anything that had to do with gay or queer identities in class, for
fear that I might be promoting ‘an alternative lifestyle.’”
One student, who Arthur said was “clearly gay,” heard the laughter too and winced. Wanting to show that student some love and solidarity, Arthur asked his principal if he could display a rainbow flag or wear a small Pride pin. Her answer was simple: No. Not under the law.
But Arthur didn’t give up.
“Late one night, I realized I could just carry a ‘rainbowish assortment’ of pens, highlighters, and markers in my pocket,” he said. “No one could give me a hard time for wearing a bunch of pens in my pocket.”
The next day, he walked into his classroom with his quiet protest in place.
“Most people made nothing of it,” Arthur said, “but my boy knew. He looked at me, and he knew I was flying the flag just for him.”
It was a small act that spoke volumes.
Arthur’s story comes at a time when Utah lawmakers are doubling down on censoring LGBTQ+ visibility in schools. Utah Rep. Trevor Lee, who introduced the
Pride flag ban, has defended it with alarming rhetoric. He’s gone on record saying the law should allow teachers to fly Nazi and Confederate flags because, in his view, “history shouldn’t be censored.” But a rainbow flag? That’s a step too far.
In his video, Arthur responded directly to Lee. “Trevor Lee, I promise, brother, you’re wasting your time. Bigotry will never outpace our creativity.”
“The only way to get rid of rainbow flags and all the rest is to make them unnecessary,” he continued. “When all our kids, LGBTQ youth included, get to walk into our classrooms and find themselves celebrated in the books they read, the histories they study, and the stories we tell them, teachers won’t need to fly rainbow flags for them anymore.”
Until then, Arthur and educators like him will keep finding creative ways to lovingly say: You are seen. You belong. You matter. Q John Arthur can be found at TIKTOK. COM/@THE9THEVERMORE and LINKTR.EE/9THEVERMORE
John Arthur
Park City students defy flag ban by holding ‘Rainbow Breakfast’ and decorating PC Hill
On a crisp May morning, the giant “P” and “C” letters on Park City’s iconic PC Hill shimmered in rainbow hues — each foot of tarp carefully measured, cut, and secured by high school students standing up to a new Utah law banning Pride flags from public schools.
The vibrant display, combined with a student-led “Rainbow Breakfast” in the school parking lot, drew over 100 students, educators, parents, and community members to send a clear message: LGBTQ+ students belong here.
The event was sparked by HB77, a law passed during the 2025 General Session of the Utah Legislature that prohibits all but a select few flags —
including U.S., Utah, city, and Olympic flags — from being displayed on government property and in public schools.
The law explicitly bans Pride and Juneteenth flags, drawing criticism from civil rights groups and local advocates who say it unfairly targets marginalized communities.
Senior Macy Manning, who organized the breakfast, said the goal was to offer a moment of visibility, connection, and joy for students who felt erased by the new law.
“We wanted to create a welcoming space where people could come together and say, ‘You are seen. You are accepted,’” she told Park City Record.
The breakfast included bagels donated by Wasatch
and a table lined with rainbow flags and affirming messages. Manning’s car, parked nearby, flew both LGBTQ+ and lesbian Pride flags.
Even the engineering students got involved. Park City’s PCCAPS program helped calculate exact dimensions for the rainbow tarps used to cover the letters on PC Hill, a massive feat carried out under the stars the night before.
Sophomore Finnley Whitney, who first raised concerns about HB77 in a current issues class, helped lead the effort.
Teacher Edward Potts, the Gay-Straight Alliance advisor, emphasized that the entire effort was student-driven.
“They wanted a highly visible demonstration—something nobody could ignore,” he said. Potts has faced scrutiny in the past under Utah’s increasingly strict educational policies and worries the new law will have a chilling effect on inclusive teaching.
“It’s hard to foster safety and openness when educators fear investigation over a Pride pin,” he said, referencing a
previous complaint that led to a months-long state probe. “But the kids are the brave ones here. They showed up.”
Alongside the breakfast, students also created hundreds of rainbow button pins and organized a day of visibility-focused activities to underscore their message: inclusion isn’t political—it’s personal.
The broader community took notice. Virginia Solomon, president of the Summit Pride Foundation, praised the students’ courage. “These brave students remind us that visibility matters,” Solomon said. “Park City should be a place where everyone belongs, and this generation is making that vision real.”
Solomon encouraged residents and businesses to join the nonprofit’s “Raise the Flag” campaign and stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ youth. “Our young people are watching how we respond,” they said. “Let’s show them we’ve got their back.”
Despite the legal limitations imposed by HB77, the spirit of Pride in Park City is alive and resilient—and thanks to these students, it’s impossible to miss. Q
Bagel and Grill, homemade muffins,
DHHS quietly scrubs mental health reports on transgender students
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services quietly removed public reports highlighting the mental health challenges faced by transgender youth, while leaving similar data for their cisgender and LGB peers untouched.
The reports, based on the 2023 Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey, were taken offline in early March. Nearly 52,000 students in grades six, eight, 10, and 12 participated in that year’s survey, with 729 students, or 1.4%, identifying as transgender.
Until recently, the “Transgender Student Profile Report” was accessible via the state’s Office of Substance Use and Mental Health. But by March 4, the report had vanished without explanation. Data for other demographics such as sexual orientation, gender, race, and region remain available on the website.
When asked about the deletion, DHHS initially claimed to have no clear reason. Later, the agency cited “privacy concerns,” arguing that the small number of transgender respondents might make them identifiable, despite the data being anonymized and public for over a month. The department says it may restore the reports after a review.
The sudden removal has sparked concern among public health experts and LGBTQ+ advocates, who say the data is critical for understanding
and addressing the disproportionate challenges transgender youth face.
The removed report revealed stark statistics: about 60% of transgender respondents had seriously considered suicide in the past year, and roughly one in four had attempted suicide. Trans youth were also more likely to report symptoms of severe depression, bullying, and substance use.
These mental health disparities are not new. Since Utah began producing transgender-specific SHARP reports in 2019, data has consistently shown high risks for this group. Experts say ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.
“Just not knowing something doesn’t really address the underlying problem,” said Ilan Meyer, a senior scholar at UCLA’s Williams Institute. “By not knowing, you’re not going to be able to address it at all.”
DHHS claims the decision wasn’t politically motivated. However, it came just weeks after the Trump administration removed similar data from the CDC’s website. Though a federal court ordered that information restored, the page now carries a disclaimer rejecting “gender ideology” and describing prior administrations’ efforts as promoting “chemical and surgical mutilation.”
In Utah, the data’s disappearance fits a broader pattern. Over the past several years, the state has passed multiple
laws restricting transgender rights. These include bans on gender-affirming care for minors, limitations on trans students’ participation in school sports and college housing, and restrictions on public bathroom access.
Public health professionals warn these policies, and the erasure of transgender-specific data, carry real consequences. “When you take away this data, you’re taking away visibility,” said University of Utah public health professor Sharon Talboys. “We’re really in the dark.”
The SHARP survey has long been used to identify mental health trends and tailor resources. Its website notes that schools, health systems, and families rely on this data to support Utah youth. Without it, advocates say, trans students risk being overlooked in policies and programs designed to protect all children.
Across the U.S., similar issues are unfolding. While 19 states included gender identity questions in youth health surveys as of 2021, some now face growing political pressure to drop them. At the federal level, the Trump administration has also proposed cutting LGBTQ+-specific support from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
For many in Utah’s LGBTQ+ community, the SHARP data removal is seen not as a coincidence, but as part of a broader, troubling effort to erase trans youth from the conversation, just when they need support the most. Q
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Utah Gay Rodeo Assn gears up for 2025 ‘Crossroads of the West’ regional rodeo
The Utah Gay Rodeo Association is set to host the 3rd Annual “Crossroads of the West” Regional Rodeo from June 20 to 22, at the Golden Spike Event Center in Ogden. This event continues UGRA’s mission to provide an inclusive space for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies to celebrate Western heritage through rodeo competition.
The rodeo will feature a variety of traditional and camp-style events, including bull riding, barrel racing, goat dressing, and the wild drag race. Competitions will commence each day with a Grand Entry at 11 a.m., showcasing the diverse talents of participants from across the region.
UGRA emphasizes inclusivity, allowing competitors of all gender identities to
participate in any event. This approach fosters a welcoming environment where everyone can engage in the sport without traditional gender restrictions.
The Comfort Suites in Ogden will serve as the host hotel, offering discounted rates for attendees. Additionally, 52 RV sites with full hookups are available at the rodeo grounds.
Since its revival in 2016, UGRA has worked diligently to reestablish the presence of gay rodeo in Utah. The annual “Crossroads of the West” rodeo not only provides entertainment but also strengthens community bonds and promotes acceptance within the Western lifestyle. Q
For more information on event schedules, registration, and volunteer opportunities, visit utahgayrodeo.com.
views quotes
“Be radical in the face of hate and chaos.”
Kesha at the LGBTQ Community Center’s fundraising dinner in New York City
“A bigoted attack on the arts.”
Liza Minnelli Condemning the Kennedy Center’s cancellation of LGBTQ+ Pride events
“Think of those who have not been seen... point [your light] in the direction of someone who just needs a little guidance.”
Cynthia Erivo, accepting the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the GLAAD Media Awards
“Trans rights are human rights.”
—Lizzo during her keynote at SXSW “Indefensible.”
—Gavin Newsom opposing proposed federal cuts to LGBTQ youth suicide prevention services
“Showing up is a symbolic act of defiance that honors the LGBTQ+ community’s enduring fight for recognition and rights.”
Washington D.C. Council Member Zachary Parker of the importance of presence at World Pride 2025:
Why showing up for Pride matters
BY MICHAEL AARON
Each June,
rainbow flags rise across city streets, music pulses through public parks, and queer people and our allies gather in joyful celebration. But Pride is more than a party. It’s a protest. It’s a declaration of visibility. And in today’s political climate, showing up for Pride is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves, our community, and the generations to come.
Here in Utah, we know what it means to live at the intersection of progress and resistance. Salt Lake City boasts one of the most vibrant and organized LGBTQ+ communities in the country, yet we live in a state where anti-trans bills are introduced year after year and where LGBTQ+ students still face disproportionate discrimination. Across the country, over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in the past year alone. Many targeted trans youth, gender-affirming healthcare, and drag performance. In some states, Pride events are being canceled, defunded, or even banned from public spaces.
So when we show up for Pride this year, we’re doing more than marching and partying; we’re refusing to be erased.
VISIBILITY IS POWER
For many of us, Pride may be the one time a year we feel completely free to be ourselves without apology. That freedom is not just personal. It’s political. When we gather in numbers, we remind lawmakers, neigh-
bors, and the media that we are not going anywhere. Our existence is not up for debate. Pride reminds those still in the closet, those in rural towns, and those navigating rejection at home or school that they are not alone.
In Utah, visibility is especially crucial. A 2023 survey found that LGBTQ+ youth in Utah are at significantly higher risk for depression and suicide, largely due to isolation and lack of acceptance. Every flag waved, every hug shared, and every “you belong here” message matters. When we show up, we show others what hope looks like.
Pride also offers something increasingly rare in today’s divided political landscape: solidarity. In a time when our rights are under attack, there is strength in collective celebration. Pride is not just for gay, lesbian, and trans folks; it’s for everyone who believes in dignity, equality, and freedom.
If you’re cisgender and straight, your presence matters too. Allies who attend Pride demonstrate that this fight isn’t just “ours”. It’s about the kind of society we all want to live in. One where people are safe to be who they are, love who they love, and live without fear of discrimination.
Pride should inspire more than one day of participation. It should ignite a commitment to advocacy all year long. It means supporting queer-owned businesses, defending LGBTQ+ students in school board meetings,
donating to local organizations, and voting for inclusive leaders. Pride is a starting point, not the finish line.
And for those who feel conflicted about attending due to corporate involvement or concerns about “performative allyship,” remember this: your presence isn’t about perfection. It’s about being counted. Utah Pride is organized by a local nonprofit, staffed by volunteers, and sustained by those of us who continue to show up year after year. When we fill the streets with love, resistance, and resilience, we drown out the voices of hate.
Fifty-five years after Stonewall, Pride remains rooted in protest. As drag queens, trans folks, and queer youth are targeted in today’s culture wars, we must remember that every step we take in a parade is a step in defiance of fear, shame, and silence.
So whether you’re dancing down the block, holding your partner’s hand in the crowd, or cheering from the sidelines, show up. Show out. Because Pride is not just about where we’ve been. It’s about where we’re going. And we are not going back. Q
Pridecreep of the month
Pride 2025 reveals true LGBTQ+ allies
BY DANNE WITKOWSKI
Month is fast approaching, and Pride events nationwide are watching the corporate sponsorships they have been able to count on in the past dry up like they’ve been hit with a giant rainbow ShamWow.
For example, San Francisco Pride “is dealing with the potential loss of $300,000 in corporate sponsorship for its hugely popular annual parade, funding needed ahead of June’s Pride Month. Multiyear sponsors, including Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, and Diageo, have all backed away from participating,” according to USA Today.
It’s not a huge mystery why this is happening.
“Intent on staying out of the [Trump Administration’s] crosshairs, many big brands are backing away from LGBTQ+celebrations of all sizes as part of a broader rollback ofdiversity, equity and inclusion efforts, leaving organizers from coast to coast,” reports the Washington Post, “with budget shortfalls at a time when most are anticipating higher turnout, as well as facing heightened safety and logistical challenges.”
In other words, at the same time the Trump Administration’s anti-LGBTQ+ crusade emboldens people who may want to enact violence on our community, he’s also scared away the funding that helps to ensure Pride events are not only fun, but also safe.
Look, corporations might be scared to piss off Trump right now, but they also did this to themselves. Corporations
and the people who profit from them frequently make big campaign contributions to Republican candidates under the belief that Republicans are better for the economy (they are not). Now, Trump’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion (which, I will never tire of saying, are ALL GOOD THINGS) and his obsession with tariffs tanking the stock market and setting us up for a doll shortage at Christmas are proving that Republicans — who have the power in Congress to stop him but are choosing not to do that — were not exactly a safe bet.
Then there’s DEI itself. I am all for companies working on being more diverse, more equitable, and more inclusive for women, Black and brown people, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, and other historically marginalized communities. It’s good for business! However, for a lot of companies, DEI was only surface deep. They didn’t exactly have a moral commitment to it, which was made clear by the number of companies that threw all things DEI in the trash as soon as Trump said, “Boo” (hi, Target). Corporate support for LGBTQ+ people is obviously part of the DEI universe. Again, it’s telling how quickly some corporations have folded under the bigoted scrutiny of the Trump Administration. People, myself included, have long complained about “rainbow washing,” which Fair Planet defines as “the practice of using rainbow-themed symbolism in branding, advertising, merchandise or social media, ostensibly in solidari-
ty with LGBTQ+ people during Pride month, but without active support of LGBTQ+ people’s identities or rights.”
Selling rainbow flip flops, beach towels, and t-shirts doesn’t mean that the purveyor of those goods isn’t also donating to Senator Anti-Trans, something that has far deeper implications for LGBTQ+ lives than merch. And I’m not going to lie. I am literally writing this while draped in a rainbow blanket that I bought from Kohl’s after Pride for less than $10.
I like seeing displays of rainbow and trans flag colors at normie places. It feels good. But it doesn’t necessarily do good.
Even the support of Pride events, which many corporations have shelled out big bucks for in the past, pales in comparison to the amount of money these corporations spend to get anti-LGBTQ+ candidates elected.
Fear of being targeted by an increasingly unhinged president isn’t the only factor making Pride sponsors nervous. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told USA Today that “tariffs and other economic challenges have driven the recent pullbacks” and that “most companies are not scaling back this year.”
“As companies are getting squeezed, they’re squeezing all the other places where they market,” Ellis said.
To which I say, of course. But that doesn’t explain the sponsors who are still in the game but don’t want their logos visible in any way that could tie them to the Pride events they’re ostensibly “supporting.”
This really is a time when LGBTQ+ people are going to see who our real friends are. And those are the folks who are not only sponsoring Pride events, but who are also refusing to cave on DEI because they see it as more than just a buzzword (or buzz acronym, if you will) and not helping to usher bigots into office.
At the end of the day, the LGBTQ+ community has each other and the actual people who love and care about us. And you can’t put a price on that. Q
D’Anne Witkowski is a writer living with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBTQ+ politics for nearly two decades. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.
who’s your daddy
Quit rainbow washing Pride
BY CHRISTOPHER KATIS
I remember
the first time Kelly and I marched in a Pride parade. We arrived at the appointed time, a good ninety minutes before it started. Then we stood around with the other people in our contingent, laughing and taking it all in.
The start time came and went. Officials told us we couldn’t start until some important ally arrived, so we waited. Finally, several lesbian women from Dykes on Bikes, the group that traditionally leads the parade, lost their pa-
tience. They revved their engines and took off. The rest of us followed, ignoring the demands of officials to stay put until the dignitary showed up.
This year’s Salt Lake event will be scaled back thanks to corporations pulling their support. It’s true of events around the country. Although it’s still early, Chad Call, executive director of the Utah Pride Center, which puts on Utah’s festival, says sponsorships have “declined significantly” and he expects donations to be “hundreds of thousands” less than last year.
How that will affect the community’s celebration is unclear. Call did say there wouldn’t be a specific area for families with kids. That’s a huge loss considering Utah has probably the country’s largest population of families headed by LGBTQ+ parents. No one would confirm if it’s due to budget cuts.
Even more frustrating, officials at UPC aren’t divulging which corporations have abandoned the community during its most popular event or why they’ve pulled out. Call didn’t address those questions, but at least he got back to me. His marketing director didn’t respond at all. Honestly, I find the lack of transparency from the group very concerning.
Call rightly suggests that there are “myriad reasons” companies choose not to remain a sponsor, although he did not elaborate. With an absence of clarity, I can only hypothesize why corporations jumped ship, leaving the event so significantly underfunded. I suppose some may have financial issues. Others may spread the love to different organizations each year.
However, I can’t help but wonder if these so-called corporate allies have pulled out because they’ve never been real allies in the first place. A real ally isn’t just in it for what the queer community can do for them; they stand with us through thick and thin. And that’s my issue
with UPC’s coyness. Sure, Call and his team are likely being prudent by keeping the missing donors’ names under wraps – former sponsors can be approached again in the future. However, who says the community wants them back?
One of the greatest complaints about Pride has always been Rainbow Washing by corporations. They toss some money at organizations, slap rainbows on products, and suddenly they’re an ally. But queer people – and maybe especially queer parents –need to know who our real allies are. Who will be with us during the fight that’s brewing to maintain the basic human rights we’ve struggled so hard to obtain?
Being an ally when it’s easy means absolutely nothing. The community – from Dykes on Bikes to boring gay dads – deserve to know who is with us for the long run, not just for a festival in June.
I recognize that the Utah Pride Center is in a tough position. I appreciate all they do. But they have a duty to be transparent with the community they represent. At the very least, the Center’s Board of Directors should require a full list of 2024 and 2025 sponsors to be posted. After all, it may only be a matter of time before Utah Pride repeats the events I witnessed in San Francisco all those years ago, and the people move forward without those so-called leaders. Q
Our 22nd Guide to Utah Pride
Get ready
to celebrate authenticity, community, and joy — Utah Pride Festival 2025 is taking over Washington Square Park at the Salt Lake City and County Building on June 7 and 8. This year’s festival invites Utah’s LGBTQIA+ community and allies to show up in full force under the bold and affirming theme of “Radical Love.”
Utah Pride organizers described the theme as “a powerful reminder that love, in its purest form, is unconditional. It challenges us to show up for one another with compassion, courage, and authenticity — and to build a community where everyone belongs, no exceptions.”
Hosted at the historic Washington Square Park around the Salt Lake City and County Building (450 S. State Street), the festival is promising two days of vibrant performances, meaningful connection, and unapologetic celebration.
And that spirit of inclusivity and defiance is especially timely this year.
Pride in the Face of HB77
The backdrop to this year’s celebration includes the passage of HB 77, a controversial Utah law that bans the display of altered or non-government flags — including Pride flags — on public property such as schools and government buildings. Critics argue the bill is a direct attack on LGBTQIA+ visibility in public life.
Chad Call, Executive Director of the Utah Pride Center, didn’t mince
words in a public statement:
“This is more than just a policy decision — it is a deliberate attempt to erase LGBTQIA+ visibility from the public sphere. It is government overreach at its worst… But let’s be clear: this law cannot and will not erase the spirit of Pride.”
While HB 77 may limit municipal displays of support, it does not impact individuals, businesses, or private properties from flying the Pride flag or showing visible support in other ways. Organizers are urging supporters across the state to raise their flags high — on porches, in windows, at businesses, and everywhere in between.
Festival and Parade Details
Despite legislative headwinds, the Utah Pride Festival and Parade are moving forward as planned. The festival will once again bring music, food, community resources, entertainment, and celebration to the heart of Salt Lake City.
Thursday, June 5
Pride Interfaith Worship Service
The Pride Interfaith Worship Service will be Thursday, June 5 at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 777 S 1300 East, Salt Lake City
The Service has kicked off the Pride Festival for more than two decades. It is a time of celebration, reflection, prayer, memorial, music and love as the many faith traditions that are expressly welcoming to and fully inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community come
together to “queer faith” in the hope that our arms might open wider still.
Friday, June 6
Pride Youth Dance
A celebration of Radical Love for youth 14 to 20 years old will take place at the Salt Lake City Main Library atrium from 8 to 11 p.m. on Friday, June 6. Get ready for a night of what festival organizers are calling groovy fun.
The evening of dancing will have a “Radical ’60s and ’70s vibe” with a far-out
2025 PRIDE PARADE ROUTE - JUNE 8TH, 2025
photo booth, light refreshments, and mocktails that’ll have you feelin’ the love.
Dress to impress in your “casual with a touch opf Rad” in 60s and 70s style and bring your groovy moves.
The event is open to ages 14-20 years old and tickets are $8 before the night, and $10 at the door.
Saturday, June 7 Utah Pride Rally
Utah Pride will kick off at 10 a.m. on SATURDAY, JUNE 1, with a rally at the UTAH STATE CAPITOL BUILDING co-hosted with Equality Utah. The free, inspiring, empowering, and inclusive event will feature music, entertainment, speeches, and more, as the community comes together to celebrate love, equality, and diversity in the LGBTQ+ community. Following the rally, participants will participate in a march down State Streer to Washington Square Park, where the Utah Pride Festival 2024 kicks off for the day.
Festival:
The Festival will take over Washington Square Park and a block of Second East from Fourth to Fifth South on Saturday, June 7, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Two stages will run throughout the festival opening, along with vendor and organizational booths, food trucks, drink vendors, and a festival atmosphere of joy and fun.
SUNDAY, JUNE 8 Parade
The Utah Pride Parade steps off Sunday morning, June 7, with a slightly shortened route: beginning at First South and West Temple, heading east to 4th East, and turning south to 300 South. As always, the parade promises showstopping floats, marching bands, community groups, and enough glitter and pride to light up the entire city.
Festival:
The Festival will run Sunday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tickets:
1-Day Admission: $20 for adults (18+), $18 for seniors/military, $5 for youth under 17
2-Day Admission: $35 for adults
Unicorn Ticket Donation: For $20, you can donate a ticket to someone who cannot afford entry Tickets can be purchased at UTAHPRIDE.ORG/TICKETS
For full details, ticket purchases, volunteer opportunities, and parade information, visit utahpride.org.
David Archuleta comes home: A joyful return to Utah for Pride 2025
WhenDavid
Archuleta steps onto the stage at the 2025 Utah Pride Festival, he won’t just be performing. He’ll be celebrating a full-circle moment — returning not only as a beloved pop star and “American Idol” finalist but as a proud queer man standing tall in the very place where his journey began.
“This will be my first time celebrating Pride where I grew up!” Archuleta says with unmistakable joy. “And, I’m beyond excited to get to celebrate the journey queer people go through to get to a place of embracing themselves and how far we’ve come.”
Born and raised in Murray, Utah, Archuleta spent his childhood surrounded by a deeply religious and conservative environment. Like many queer youth in similar settings, he struggled privately with his identity.
“It’s such a special thing to come back to somewhere that raised me all throughout my kindergarten to high school years,” he reflects. “Where my family all lives, and where I have so many friends and memories. And also the place where I first recognized that there was something different about me in elementary school, which I now know is being queer. And something that terrified me because starting as a little kid, you’re always told that there’s something bad or wrong about that.”
This year marks not only his first performance at Utah Pride, but his first time attending the event at all.
“To come back and now celebrate several years after coming out and feeling more confident in who I am and to share that with everybody will be so great,” he said.
Archuleta’s coming-out journey wasn’t an easy one. After rising to fame as the runner-up on American Idol in 2008, he became a staple in the pop world, beloved for his sweet voice and even sweeter persona. But behind the scenes, he was fighting a painful inner battle. It wasn’t until 2021, at age 30, that Archuleta publicly came out, first identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community and later clarifying that he identifies as queer.
His honesty and courage sparked
PHOTO BY IRVIN RIVERA
important conversations, especially among members of the LGBTQ+ community who, like him, come from religious backgrounds. He’s spoken candidly about the years of confusion, depression, and emotional conflict he endured trying to reconcile his sexuality with his Mormon faith.
“For me, it means that you have to exert a force of energy sometimes to make something happen,” he says of this year’s Pride theme, “Radical Love.” “We can’t be passive about learning to love ourselves and make ourselves known… It makes it so easy for us to fear ourselves, fear what other people may think of us or do to us if they find out we’re queer.”
Today, Archuleta is far from the uncertain boy who once sat in a Murray classroom wondering if something was “wrong” with him. Now, he speaks proudly and with deep conviction, offering hope to others who may still be finding their way.
“That’s my idea of radical love,” he says. “The way that change has happened for the LGBTQ+ community has often been by taking a stand, making ourselves known, and not being afraid to love.”
His presence at Utah Pride is also a powerful gesture of reconciliation between the past and present, between family and identity. Archuleta plans to attend with his mother, Lupe Marie Archuleta, who has walked her own path of understanding and acceptance alongside her son.
“I’m planning on her being there!” he shares. “To know that my mom has been through a similar experience as many other parents who have had to look at their kids in a different way to understand them and support them… It’s a special moment to attend Pride with my mom for our first time together and come to perform in Utah will be really special.”
That closeness between mother and son has grown even deeper over the
past few years. In interviews, David has spoken about the difficult conversations they had when he first came out and how her willingness to listen and learn has strengthened their bond. For Archuleta, the fact that she’ll be standing in the crowd cheering him on is deeply symbolic. It represents healing, love, and above all, growth.
“I am so happy to be a part of you all! I am one of you,” he says in a heartfelt message to Utah’s LGBTQ+ community. “My first inkling of knowing I was queer was as a second grader in Murray, Utah, and trying to figure out what it meant to be queer all throughout elementary school into my teenage years and eventually now.”
He pauses to emphasize that everyone’s journey is valid, no matter when it begins.
“After leaving Utah and traveling for work and going on my journey to finally coming out in my 30s, it’s never too late to begin your journey of embrac-
ing who you are and loving yourself,” he finished.
His performance at Washington Square Park on June 8 is already generating buzz, not just because of his unmistakable vocal talent, but because of the meaning behind it. This is more than just a setlist, it’s a statement. Every note he sings will carry the weight of years of silence, and every word will echo with a new sense of joy and belonging.
He promises to perform his newest singles, Crème Brulée and Can I Call You.
Archuleta is especially enthusiastic about sharing the moment with others who’ve walked similar paths.
“I can’t wait to celebrate all of you and our shared experiences as well as our individual experiences as a community,” he says. “Let’s have some fun and party!”
For many, seeing Archuleta on that stage — open, proud, and home — will be a cathartic experience. His story mirrors that of countless LGBTQ+ people who have had to leave home in order to find themselves, only to return years later as someone stronger, wiser, and freer.
His performance, set against the backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains and the place where his musical gifts were first nurtured, feels like both a homecoming and a revolution.
In the end, David Archuleta’s Utah Pride debut isn’t just about music. It’s about reclaiming the space where he once felt he had to hide. It’s about standing in the light in front of people who saw him grow up and showing them who he truly is. It’s about love — radical, unflinching, and finally, unapologetic. Q
This year’s Utah Pride Festival is already shaping up to be unforgettable, but one announcement has tongues wagging and fans buzzing louder than ever: Chicago rapper and queer icon CupcakKe is set to take the stage during the “Radical Love” weekend on June 6 and 7. Known for her unapologetically explicit lyrics, sex-positive stance, and deep love for the LGBTQ+ community, CupcakKe — born Elizabeth Eden Harris — is far more than a shock rapper. She’s a boundary-pushing artist, a fierce ally, and a pop culture
CupcakKe to bring unapologetic fire to Utah Pride
proud, queer, and messy. CupcakKe’s music is often described as NSFW — and it is, gleefully so — but to reduce her to her raunchiest bars misses the point. Her work is built on the idea that sex and self-expression are not just natural but worthy of celebration. Her lyrics don’t just titillate; they liberate.
“I rap for the people who’ve been told they’re ‘too much,’” CupcakKe has said in interviews. “Too loud, too gay, too sexual, too different. I’m here to say, ‘Hell yeah, be all of it.’”
CupcakKe first went viral in 2015 with tracks like “Vagina” and “Deepthroat,” earning her instant notoriety in the music world. Over the years, she’s evolved into a deeply respected independent artist, releasing albums like Queen Elizabitch, Ephorize, and Eden, all packed with razor-sharp lyrics, humor, and cultural commentary.
Pride 2025 is a bold move. In a state where drag performances have been under scrutiny and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been passed, bringing in an artist as audacious and openly affirming as CupcakKe sends a clear message: this festival is about joy, visibility, and resistance.
Her arrival comes at a time when queer people across the country are being forced to defend their right to exist, let alone celebrate. CupcakKe’s Pride performance will no doubt be a little scandalous, but it will also be powerful.
In her world, pleasure and protest go hand in hand.
WHAT TO EXPECT
disruptor who’s carved out space for queer liberation in mainstream hip-hop. And when she hits the Utah Pride stage, it’s not just a performance — it’s a statement.
“RADICAL LOVE,” CUPCAKKE STYLE
It’s hard to think of a better match for this year’s Utah Pride theme, “Radical Love,” than CupcakKe. Whether she’s rapping about female pleasure, dismantling purity culture, or celebrating LGBTQ+ lives, love is at the center of her work. Not the Hallmark card version, but the raw, radical kind — the kind that’s loud,
But for queer fans especially, CupcakKe has long been more than an artist — she’s an ally who shows up. From LGBTQ+ shoutouts in her songs (“Crayons,” for instance, is a joyous pro-gay anthem) to using her platform to support queer youth, her love for the community runs deep. She’s donated to LGBTQ+ organizations, advocated for mental health awareness, and even once offered to pay for a hotel for a young man who was kicked out of his house for being gay. Her performances are also a safe haven — a place where queerness isn’t just accepted but celebrated at full volume. And with Utah’s queer community constantly pushing back against conservative culture and political hostility, CupcakKe’s presence at Pride this year may be the perfect rallying cry.
CupcakKe’s set at Utah
If you’re unfamiliar with a CupcakKe show, be warned: this is not your average Pride performer. Expect twerking, tongue-twisters, and tracks that’ll make your jaw drop in the best way. From her viral hits like “Squidward Nose” and “CPR” to deeper cuts with emotional grit, her setlist is likely to run the gamut of filth and feeling.
She’s also known for interacting with the crowd, whether it’s calling out fashion choices mid-verse or jumping into the audience to dance with fans. Don’t be surprised if she turns Washington Square into one big, sweaty, queer lovefest.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan who can rap every lyric of “Duck Duck Goose” or just Pride-curious and looking for a good time, CupcakKe’s set is guaranteed to be a highlight of this year’s Festival. And for a community that’s been fighting hard for joy, visibility, and space, there’s something downright revolutionary about dancing under the Salt Lake sun to a woman who raps about loving yourself loudly, lustfully, and without apology. Q
UTAH PRIDE STAGE LINEUP
Saturday, June 7
South Stage
11 am Perfect Storm
1 pm Cirque du Salt Lake
2 pm Makaria
3 pm SayD
4 pm Lini Leremia
5 pm Sarah June
6 pm MV Caldera
7 pm Marrlo Suzzanne and The Galaxxy Band
8 pm Mindy Gledhill
9 pm CupcakKe
North Stage
1230pm Spencer Sanders
2:30 pm Offbeats Jazz
3:30 pm Liv Rylan
4:30 pm Care
5:30 pm Love Juliet
6:30 pm Anna Jay
7:30 pm King Cyborg
8:30 pm Butch Cassidies
9:30 pm Take Your Pick
Sunday, June 8
South Stage
2 pm White Chocolate
3 pm Kristen Ries Community Service Award
4 pm David Archuleta
5 pm Talia Keys
6 pm CalJo
North Stage
1:30 pm April Flowers
2:30 pm Mandy Lynn Danzig
3:30 pm Ghost of Spring
5 pm Emjay Hink
6 pm Johnny Hebda
Schedule updates may happen and can be found at utahpride.org
Saturday, June 7
South Stage
PERFECT STORM
Perfect Storm is a solo act of newly-transitioned singer/songwriter Sammy. With her acoustic guitar, they present angsty, unplugged songs that will give you the feels.
CIRQUE DU SALT LAKE
Cirque du Salt Lake is a community of talented aerialists who love to perform or need a stepping stone to jump further into their unique circus experience.
MAKARIA
Makaria Elixabete, also known as Marissa Macias, is a multifaceted artist based in Salt Lake City. She is a singer, songwriter, model, filmmaker, and director. Her debut album, “Ritmo De Mi Vida,” showcases her Latin-pop and dance influences, and her new music video ”Rise Above” is available on YouTube.
SAYD
Get ready for a performance that’ll melt the mic and shake
the stage SayD is pulling up with aggressive bars, catchy choruses, and the kind of energy that’ll leave you breathless. She spits with precision, performs with power, and leaves the crowd chanting for more. Every verse hits hard, every hook sticks, and the stage? She owns it.
LINI IEREMIA
Born in San Francisco, Lini Ieremia creates music rooted in self-love, empowerment, and emotional growth. Her smooth, soul-stirring sound explores the beauty of love, change, and inner strength. With lyrics that reflect her personal journey, Lini invites listeners to connect deeply and feel inspired. Her voice will move you, and her message will stay with you. Stay loved—and keep an ear out for new music.
SARAH JUNE.
Sarah June. is an independent singer-songwriter based in Phoenix, Arizona, with deep roots in Utah. Her lo-fi sound features layered vocals and guitar, evoking emotions of longing and peace. Her music invites listeners on a journey that’s both familiar and thought-provoking.
MV CALDERA
Venezuelan-born, Salt Lake City-based musician, producer, and two-time Latin Grammy nominee MV Caldera has a rich background in music education
and performance. She has collaborated with artists like Christina Aguilera and Marc Anthony. Her work blends Latin rhythms with contemporary sounds.
MARRLO SUZZANNE & THE GALAXXY BAND
While stunning to look at, Marrlo Suzzanne & The Galaxxy Band queens’ powerful voices will send shivers down your spine and fill Pride with pure magic as they take on iconic rock anthems and pop hits.
MINDY GLEDHILL
Mindy Gledhill is a Utah-based singer-songwriter celebrated for her indie-pop melodies and introspective lyrics. Her collaborations with Kaskade and solo albums like “Anchor” have earned her critical acclaim. Gledhill’s music has been featured in various films and TV shows.
CUPCAKKE
Elizabeth Eden Harris, known professionally as CupcakKe, is a Chicago-born rapper celebrated for her bold lyrics and empowering messages. Her music addresses topics from sexuality to social issues. CupcakKe’s discography includes “Cum Cake,” “Queen Elizabitch,” and “Dauntless Manifesto” (2024).
North Stage
SPENCER SANDERS
Salt Lake City-based singer-songwriter opens the Utah Pride North Stage with music that delves into themes of love, identity, and mental health. As a gay man living with bipolar disorder, he transforms personal experiences into relatable stories. His debut album, “Almanac: Volume 1,” blends folk, Americana, and indie rock.
THE OFF BEATS
The Offbeats Traditional Jazz Band is a 9-piece band that performs toe-tapping tunes from the 1920s and 1930s. “We’re keeping this unique American music genre alive in the Salt Lake Valley!”
LIV RYLAN
Liv Rylan is a pop singer-songwriter based in Salt Lake City who writes music about love, desire, heartbreak, connection, and conflict. Her emotive vocals and poignant lyrics resonate with listeners seeking authenticity.
CARE
Care is a high-energy, emotionally charged singer with metal influences, and powerhouse performances. Known for their vulnerability on stage, Care writes raw, personal songs like “The Ghosts,” which reflects the vocalist’s experience with bipolar disorder.
LOVE JULIET
Love Juliet is an indie pop singer and songwriter from Ogden with over 4 years of experience captivating audiences with her mesmerizing performances.
ANNA JAY
Salt Lake City singer-songwriter and harpist has a soulful voice with heartfelt lyrics creating a powerful musical experience. Her music blends elements of R&B, pop, and soul.
KING CYBORG
KingCyborg is an Angolan, Brazilian, and Portuguese versatile artist whose creative brilliance knows no bounds. Now crafting her sonic masterpieces in Utah, she stands out as a distinctive voice cutting across genres. As a singer, songwriter, composer,
IT’S THE WAY WE WERE BUILT.
record producer, visual artist, and entrepreneur.
The Butch Cassidies are an eclectic folk rock band from Moab known for rich harmonies, heartfelt storytelling, and a dash of humor. Describing themselves as “confessional folk,” their songs explore personal truths with wit and warmth. Fronted by songwriter Emily Cox, with Lisa Hathaway on guitar and Josie Kovash on bass, and often joined by mandolinist Eric “The Sundance Kid” Jones, rounding out their vibrant, roots-driven sound.
TAKE YOUR PICK
Take Your Pick is a Utah-based dance group from Utah trying to have a good time and move.
Sunday, June 8
South Stage
WHITE CHOCOLATE
White Chocolate has always been obsessed with three things makeup and its transformative
abilities, music and performance art, and the inspirational women in her life. Performing since 17, she won Miss Gay Utah Youth in 2023. A classically trained singer from Provo, she also enjoys singing live on stage.
DAVID ARCHULETA
David Archuleta, a Utah native and American Idol Season 7 runner-up, brings his powerful voice and heartfelt storytelling to the 2025 Utah Pride Festival. Since coming out in 2021, Archuleta has become a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ visibility, using his music to share his journey of faith, identity, and self-acceptance. His performance on June 8 at Washington Square Park marks his first appearance at Utah Pride and will feature his two new songs, Crème Brulée and Can I Call You.”
CALJO
Based in Salt Lake City, CalJo is a versatile singer who delivers an exciting and fresh sound, effortlessly catering to various musical tastes, including classic rock, modern pop, and R&B. They pride themselves on cultivating the emotions of a moment, from performing emotional ballads for special occasions to getting guests dancing with high-energy performances.
BUTCH CASSIDIES
North Stage
APRIL FLOWERS
The fluorescent lucid dream of drag, April Flowers, is a local fan favorite who takes pride in the artistry of their drag; delivering electric, charismatic, and daydream-like performances infused with childlike whimsy and a kick of queer empowerment. From teletubbies to platform crocs to teeth prosthetics, this campy queen sure knows how to capture your attention and steal your heart.
MANDY LYNN DANZIG
Mandy Lynn Danzig is an award-winning acoustic multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter based in Salt Lake City. Known for her effervescent storytelling and mastery of various string instruments, she delivers rollicking, joy-filled performances that blend traditional and original music.
GHOST OF SPRING
Ghost of Spring is an Americana trio from Deweyville, Utah, formed through the collaboration of Tim Owen, C.E. Wright,
and Justin Everette. Their music, characterized by melancholic melodies and introspective lyrics, reflects their journey and creative partnership. Their album “Take It Away” showcases their unique blend of folk and alt-country influences.
EMJAY HINK
EmJay Hink is a singer-songwriter originally from South Dakota, now based in Utah. Embracing a cottagecore aesthetic, her music offers a cozy and enchanting touch to the local scene, rooted in real-life experiences. After a decade-long hiatus due to depression, EmJay returned to music with newfound authenticity, romanticizing life through her heartfelt songs.
JOHNNY HEBDA
Johnny Hebda is a Salt Lake City-based actor, producer, and activist known for his award-winning work in musical theater and LGBTQ+ advocacy. He created and performed the solo concert UNDAUNTED, and produces events through Skyfall Productions and Loud & Queer. His work has supported organizations like Equality Utah and the Utah Pride Center, and featured artists including Billy Porter and Todrick Hall. He’s also been recognized as Mr. Gay Utah and a Five Husbands Vodka model.
The history of Utah Pride from the 1970s to 2010
BY BEN WILLIAMS
Celebrating
Pride Day in Utah is part of a directive that originated in 1969 when the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations adopted the motion to hold “parallel demonstrations on the last Saturday in June to commemorate the rebellion on Christopher Street.” The reference to the rebellion, of course, refers to the Stonewall Inn riots in New York City. Utah has celebrated being “gay and proud” for the last 36 years and perhaps for some people even longer.
Pride in the 1970s
A “Beer Bust Kegger,” sponsored in 1974 by Sun Tavern owner Joe Redburn, was the first attempt to bring people together to celebrate the emergence of an openly gay community in Utah. More than 200 gay men and women celebrated “Gay Pride” along the shores of the Great Salt Lake at what was once known as “Bare Bum Beach.”
The first official community-sponsored pride celebration was called “Gay Freedom Day” and was held June 1, 1975. Sponsored by the Gay Community Service Center, it was held in City Creek Canyon where festivities included free beer, food, soft drinks, volleyball, an all-day “do your own thing” talent revue and sing-a-long,
games for prizes, and a white elephant auction. A shuttle service from local gay bars provided additional transportation.
Over the next three years, Gay Freedom Days was promoted mainly by the Gay Service Committee and the Salt Lake Coalition of Human Rights. The most ambitious promotion was a festival and conference held in 1977 which featured Sgt. Leonard Matlovich as keynote speaker. Matlovich was an ex-Air Force sergeant and recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, and also a gay Mormon.
As the heady “Gay Power Days” of the 1970s began to wane, a fragmented community ravaged by the onslaught of a conservative backlash tried to hold scaleddown celebrations. Without widespread support, the spirit of Gay Pride was kept going by individual groups such as the Tavern Guild, Affirmation, and the University of Utah Gay Student Union.
Pride in the 1980s
In 1983, members of the Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire met to revitalize the true concept of a pride day. Tim Leming, Marshall Brunner, Larry Pacheco, and Mel Rohland, among others, formed a committee and put together an event billed as a “Basket Social” held in Fairmont Park. This Pride Day Committee sponsored
the event over the next three years and was the first to adopt a national Pride theme. The chairs were Marshall Brunner, Nikki Boyer, and Beau Chaine.
Chaine was the last chairman during these years and held Gay and Lesbian Pride Day in Pioneer Park in 1986.
In 1987, the newly formed Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah took over the responsibilities of Utah’s annual event. Donnie Eastepp, Emperor XII of the RCGSE, was elected chair of the Pride Day Committee. He created a community service award, which was presented to Dr. Kristen Ries for her efforts treating AIDS patients when no other doctors in Utah were willing to do so. The award was established to recognize outstanding service to the gay and lesbian community. Eastepp also moved the location of Pride Day to Sunnyside Park where it remained until 1989.
Floyd Gamble, Steven Lloyd, Julie Pollock, Curtis Jensen, Kevin Hillman, Deborah Rosenberg, Antonia Dela Guerra, Kyle Kennedy, Kathy Matthews, and Julie Hale were the chairs and co-chairs of GLCCU’s Pride Day Committee over these seven years. They provided Utah’s gay community a consistently successful event celebrating Utah’s sexual minorities.
The Kristen Ries Community Service recipients were Rev. Bruce Barton, KUTV Channel 2, Chuck Whyte, Nikki Boyer, Becky Moss, Ben Williams, the College of Monarchs of the RCGSE, Craig Miller, Ben Barr, Val Mansfield, Kathy Worthington, and Kim Russo.
Pride in the 1990s
In 1990, on the 21st anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the Salt Lake City queer community held its first Gay and Lesbian Pride March. Nearly 200 people gathered on the steps of the Utah State Capitol and heard speeches from Connell “Rocky” O’Donovan, Becky Moorman, Angela Nutt, and Robert Austin. The Pride festival was held at the Northwest Community Center.
Under the direction of Kevin Hillman and his co-chairs, Pride Day expanded, and in 1991 moved to the Salt Lake County Fairgrounds in Murray. The 1991 Pride Committee added to the festival a pride guide, an art show and contest sponsored by Angela Nutt and David Thometz, and a Utah Gay and Lesbian
Film Festival created by Marlin Criddle. They also brought in a nationally syndicated columnist, Dell Richards, as keynote speaker. For entertainment, Lynn Lavner, a nationally known lesbian singer performed, with interruption by a contingency of neo-Nazi skinheads who marched into the celebration and were met by Anti-Violence Project founder Michael Aaron. While no violence occurred, it was a tense situation. Dozens of festivalgoers surrounded the skinheads and turned their backs on them, making them invisible to the crowd and, thus, negating the reason they were there. They left after less than 10 minutes.
O’Donovan’s second pride march was also disrupted by neo-Nazis who stood on the east steps of the Salt Lake City and County Building, taunting the marchers rallying at Washington Square.
The annual Pride march and rally tradition ended when O’Donovan left Salt Lake City in 1992. No one came forward to organize a third, and it would be three years before, with then-Pride co-chair Jeff Freedman, stepped forward to reinvent the march and rally, transforming it into something even greater: the Pride Parade & Festival.
With the election of Freedman as chair of the GLCCU’s Gay Pride Day Committee, the organization began its transition from being simply a committee to being GLCCU’s sole entity when the organization collapsed in 1995. Freedman and co-chair Julie Hale were the last formally elected chairs of the Gay Pride Day committee under the direction of GLCCU.
Freedman, a former emperor of the Royal Court, served longer than any other Gay Pride Day volunteer in Utah at that point. His vision of Pride Day encompassed the entire spectrum of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight allies’ communities. He involved many of the community organizations in a Pride Day Committee position. The Royal Court would handle the Parade and entertainment. The Salt Lake Gay Business Alliance would serve as the Booth Chair, and heading Security would be the Wasatch Leatherman. The Utah Gay Rodeo Association chaired Beer sales. The Pride Day events of the latter half of the 1990s were thus stamped indelibly with Freedman’s concept that Pride Day was a community party. He brought professionalism to the job as he endeavored to en-
sure gender parity. Freedman’s co-chairs were Hale, Carrie Gaylor, and Kim Russo.
The Kristen Ries Award recipients during Freedman’s era were Bruce Harmon, Clariss (Doug Tollstrup) Cartier, Charlene Orchard, Barb Barnhart, Rev. Kelly Byrnes, Jeff Freedman, Maggie Snyder, LaDonna Moore, and Dr. Patty Reagan.
In 1995, the first parade was organized as the kick-off event to Pride Day. Emperor XV, Bruce Harmon, assisted by his partner Rev. Bruce Barton, were the first Parade Chairs for the annual parade that continues today. Bruce Barton nearly single-handedly, on his own sewing machine, created a 100-foot rainbow flag that was carried in the parade. Feeling that the flag “wasn’t big enough”, the following year, Rev Barton proceeded to make a new 300foot flag, the size of a football field.
In 1996, Freedman, Gaylor, and Harmon invited Chaz Bono, who had not yet transitioned to male and was a spokesperson of the Human Rights Campaign’s National Coming Out Project, to be the first grand marshal of Utah’s Gay Pride Parade.
Over the next few years, Freedman and his committees also invited Candace Gingrich, Deb Burington, Charlene Orchard, and actor Dan Butler to serve as grand marshals.
Pride in the 2000s
With the new millennium came controversy as Pride Day began to expand exponentially. Kim Russo became director of the new corporation for two years, assisted by co-chairs Adam Frost and Billy Lewis.
During the Russo years, Utah State Rep. Jackie Biskupski and Mayor Rocky Anderson served as parade grand marshals, and Marlin Criddle, Brenda Voisard, Laura Milliken Gray, and Brook Heart-Song were honored with the Kristen Ries Award.
Unfortunately, without the community’s oversight, fiduciary problems surfaced in 2001.
Pride Day 2002 was run by a committee headed by Sherry Booth, with Chad Keller as chair of the parade. Steve Kmetko, host of E! News Live, was grand marshal, and the tradition of a grand marshal reception was started. Also in 2002, the Community Volunteer, Organization of the Year, and the Pete Suazo Political Action Awards were created to recognize contributions
to the community. The first Utah Pride Interfaith Service was also that year.
The 2002 committee tried to rebuild the image of Pride Day, but because Pride Day, Inc. had found itself in serious debt, the committee elected to be absorbed by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah, a move that generated much controversy in the community because of the secrecy surrounding the move.
The Utah Pride Center has provided direction for the event for the past decade and even changed its name to reflect this. Under the auspices of the former Gay and Lesbian Community Center, the volunteer position of director of Pride Day, Inc., became salaried for the first time in 2003. The same year a Dyke March was added to the annual Pride Day Parade. Donald Steward was the parade coordinator for three of those years.
In 2004, the Salt Lake City Film Center was asked to curate a series of films during Pride week that reflected the best in gay cinema. The Damn These Heels film festival was held annually thereafter.
2005 saw Pride Day organizers charging a first-time $5 admission fee for the events on Library Square and Washington Square. This move generated considerable discontent, but eventually provided for higher quality performers at the celebration.
In 2009, Cleve Jones, during a rally at the Utah Pride Festival, called for a March on Washington to coincide with National Coming Out Day and kick off a grassroots campaign for equality in each of the nation’s 435 congressional districts to launch a new chapter in the gay-rights movement.
The grand marshals chosen under the direction of the Center were Kate Kendall, Bruce Bastian, Utah State Senator Scott McCoy, J. Boyer Jarvis, John Amaechi, Mayor Ralph Becker, Cleve Jones, Sister Dottie S. Dixon, Roseanne Barr and Dustin Lance Black.
The Kristen Ries Award recipients were Doug Wortham, Lucia Malin, Jane and Tami Marquardt, Utah State Rep. Jackie Biskupski, Doug Fadel, Stan Penfold, Walter Larabee, Mark Swonson, Michael Aaron and Valerie Larabee.
By 2010 Utah’s Pride Day Parade was listed as Utah’s second-largest parade and, in 2011, more than 100 float entries were listed. Q
Dan Rodriguez, Agent
2120 W 12600 S Ste A2 Riverton, UT 84065 Bus: 801-254-4441 dan.rodriguez.pmkr@statefarm.com
I’m right here in Salt Lake City, ready to help all of my neighbors. Let’s talk about planning ahead and protecting what matters most. Call me today
Regional Prides this summer
The 2025 Pride season is brimming with vibrant celebrations across Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. Here’s a chronological guide to the regional Pride events, each offering unique experiences and opportunities to support the LGBTQ+ community.
Davis County Pride
MAY 3 (LAYTON)
Kicking off the season, the Davis County Pride Festival invites everyone to “Shimmer, Shine, & Show Your Pride” at Layton Commons Park from noon to 6:00 PM. This free, family-friendly event features over 60 local artists and crafters, 40+ nonprofits and resource providers, drag performances, storytellers, a flash mob, a walking parade, and more. It’s a joyful celebration of community and creativity.
DAVISCOUNTYPRIDE.ORG
Daybreak Pride
JUNE 1, 2025 (SOUTH JORDAN)
Daybreak Pride returns on Sunday, June 1, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Highland Park North Fields (6050 W Lake Ave, South Jordan, UT 84009). This vibrant, community-focused event invites everyone to celebrate in a welcoming and inclusive space. The application process is now open for performers, general vendors, and exhibitors (note: all food vendor spots are currently full).
LOVEALLWHEREYOULIVE.ORG/DAYBREAKPRIDE/
Blooming with Pride
JUNE 13, (SALT LAKE CITY)
Red Butte Garden hosts “Blooming with Pride” from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM, celebrating the resilience and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community through nature and art. Attendees can enjoy botanical art exhibits, hands-on activities, self-guided garden tours, and contribute to a collaborative community art piece.
It’s a day where joy blooms, and everyone is welcome.
REDBUTTEGARDEN.ORG/EVENTS/ BLOOMING-WITH-PRIDE/
Millcreek Pride
JUNE 14 (MILLCREEK)
Millcreek’s third annual Pride celebration will take place June 14 this year at the Millcreek Common. The Big Gay Car Wash will go from noon to 3 p.m. to benefit UAF Legacy Health. Matrons of Mayhem will host Drag Bingo from 2 to 4 p.m. also benefitting UAF Legacy Health. An ICON Night will honor iconic performers Elton John, Madonna, and Dolly Parton. A Pride Market will run from 6 to 10 p.m. MILLCREEKCOMMON.ORG
Helper Saturday Vibes
JUNE 14 (HELPER)
Join the town of Helper for a special Pride-themed edition of their Saturday Vibes series from 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM. The evening features live music performances by DERM and Ginger & The Gents, local vendors, and a welcoming community spirit. It’s a perfect blend of small-town charm and Pride celebration.
HELPERVIBES.COM/EVENTS/JUNE14-2025
Pocatello Pride
JUNE 14 (POCATELLO)
Pocatello’s Gate City Pride will happen at Lookout Point, 420 N. Main Street on June 14. The theme is Building Community One Conversation at a Time.. GATECITYPRIDE.ORG
SLC Pride Festival
JUNE 28–29 (SALT LAKE CITY)
Not to be confused with Utah Pride the first weekend of June, SLC Pride returns to The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City for its second annual festival, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community with a weekend full of joy, inclusivity, and empowerment. The festival kicks off with Genderfuq, a trans-centered punk rock event on Thursday, June 27, at Sugar Space Arts Warehouse. The main festival runs Saturday and Sunday, featuring live performances, a variety show, local vendors, and community organizations. Attendees can also enjoy the Transcake Breakfast on Sunday morning, a special event celebrating transgender individuals and their allies. SLC Pride is committed to creating a safe, accessible, and family-friendly environment for all.
SLC-PRIDE.ORG
Idaho Falls Pride
JUNE 27–28
Idaho Falls Pride returns for its 13th year with a powerful theme: Putting the Unity in Community. Festivities will begin Friday, June 20 with Pride Night at the Chukars game. On June 27, the official Drag Show will light up the Westbank Convention Center. The weekend wraps up June 28 with a family-friendly parade and all-day festival at the Greenbelt, featuring live entertainment, vendors, and
more—all celebrating LGBTQ+ pride in eastern Idaho.
IDAHOFALLSPRIDE.COM
West Valley City Pride
JUNE 28 (WEST VALLEY CITY)
West Valley City hosts its inaugural Pride event at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. This free celebration includes live performances, local vendors, interactive art experiences, and a reflection of the city’s diverse and dynamic community. It’s a historic moment honoring pride, progress, and unity.
CULTURALCELEBRATION.ORG/PRIDE
Ogden Pride Festival AUGUST 1–3 (OGDEN)
Celebrating its 11th year, the Ogden Pride Festival spans three days under the theme “Pride Cannot Be Silenced.” Events include a Queer Prom on Friday, August 1, a Saturday event still in the works, and the main festival on Sunday, August 3, from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the Ogden Amphitheater and Municipal Gardens. Expect over 150 vendors, food, resource hubs, and performances celebrating strength, unity, and resilience.
OGDENPRIDE.ORG
Trans Pride-N-Joy Fest
AUGUST 9, (SALT LAKE COUNTY)
Celebrate and uplift Utah’s transgender and nonbinary community at the 6th annual Trans Pride-N-Joy Fest, hosted by Genderbands on Saturday, August 9, 2025. This vibrant, all-ages festival centers trans joy and visibility with live entertainment, local vendors, food trucks, and a welcoming, affirming atmosphere. The event also features a sensory-friendly Chill Zone, ASL interpretation, and accessibility measures to ensure everyone feels included. Tickets are $5, with volunteer opportunities available for those unable to pay. After-parties, including a family-friendly show, a 21+ drag event, and a Trans Pool Party, will follow the main festival.
GENDERBANDS.ORG/TRANSPRIDE
Logan Pride Festival
SEPTEMBER 6 (LOGAN)
Logan Pride is in the planning stages for its upcoming festival. Details regarding the date, location, and activities will be shared soon. The festival aims to bring together the community in celebration of diversity, inclusion, and love.
LOGANPRIDE.ORG
Boise Pride
SEPTEMBER 6 (BOISE, IDAHO)
community. Get ready for an unforgettable weekend.
BOISEPRIDEFEST.ORG
Northern Nevada Pride
SEPTEMBER 6 (RENO, NEVADA)
Reno brings the LGBTQ+ community of northern Nevada together for a Pride at Wingfield Park and a one-mile parade along Virginia Street from Under the Arch to Over the River.
NORTHERNNEVADAPRIDE.ORG/
Pride of Southern Utah
SEPTEMBER 27 (ST. GEORGE)
delicious food from a variety of vendors, and a vibrant marketplace of LGBTQ+ artists, businesses, and community organizations. It’s a day to connect, dance, and celebrate who you are in a space filled with love and acceptance. Everyone is welcome—so bring your friends, family, and allies for a joyful and empowering day of Pride in Southern Utah.
PRIDEOFSOUTHERNUTAH.ORG
Las Vegas Pride
October 10 (Las Vegas)
2025Festival-QSaltLake-Ad.pdf 1 5/19/25 11:52 AM
Boise Pride is gearing up for their biggest festival yet. Ann Morrison Park ffers more space for bigger crowds for a powerful celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, visibility, and
Join us for Pride in the Park, Southern Utah’s biggest LGBTQ+ pride festival, happening Saturday, September 27, 2025, at JC Snow Park in St. George from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This free, family-friendly celebration features live performances from local and statewide artists,
Las Vegas starts with its nighttime parade and block party on October 10 in Downtown. The next day is the Festival, which begins as a family-friendly PG-rated experience until the clock strikes 7, when PRIDE After-Dark takes over with plenty of R-rated entertainment.
LASVEGASPRIDE.ORG
SLC Pride announces its entertainment lineup
If you’re not done with Prides by the end of June, the second-annual SLC Pride will be happening at The Gateway near Downtown Salt Lake City.
SLC Pride dropped its official 2025 entertainment lineup, and if you’re ready for a weekend of queer joy, high-energy performances, and enough glitter to blind the patriarchy, mark your calendars now. This year’s theme is OUTlaws — and from the artist roster to the event design, this year’s Pride is a riot of authenticity, rebellion, and celebration.
Taking place June 28–29 at The Gateway, SLC Pride (not to be confused with Utah Pride) is proudly community-led and unabashedly queer. Organizers are promising a weekend of “rootin’ tootin’” chaos with
events that uplift trans voices, celebrate local youth, and serve up drag with a side of syrup.
SATURDAY: TRANS
TAKEOVER ON THE ROWDY STAGE
Saturday’s programming on the Rowdy Stage (Southside) kicks off with a full TRANS TAKEOVER, with trans artists taking the stage from open to close. Host Andrea Morton leads the charge, with headlining sets from punk provocateurs Venus Death Trap (6:20 p.m.) and genre-defying electropop duo Die Shiny (7:20 p.m.). Expect catharsis, theatrics, and maybe a recycled Halloween costume or two.
Rounding out the day is the return of the beloved Variety Show, spotlighting drag, dance, and eclectic talent
straight from the heart of Salt Lake’s queer community.
SUNDAY: FAMILY STAGE SERVES DRAG BRUNCH & YOUTH ROCK
Sunday’s action moves to the Family Stage (North Lawn), where community means everyone. Start your morning with the Drag King Brunch benefiting We Outside — an all-king, family-friendly drag show served with pancakes and sass.
Later in the afternoon, Rock Camp SLC takes over with a set from youth rockstars, Trash Pandas, followed by an Open Mic from 1:50–3:20 p.m. Artists of all ages and identities are invited to sign up and share the stage.
LOCAL LEGENDS & EMERGING ICONS
In true SLC Pride fashion, the lineup is stacked with an eclectic and electric mix of performers. Artists include drag darlings like Notta Genda and Lydia Chlamydia, mu-
sical acts like Perfect Storm, Mended Hearts Club, and Pink Prism, plus performance artists, clowns, DJs, dancers, and everything in between.
Other featured performers include Aria Darling, Disco Papi, Somebody/Anybody, The Rec Center, Serenity Renegade, Nua Nua (as part of the Trans Takeover), and dozens more across both days.
A PRIDE BUILT BY AND FOR COMMUNITY
SLC Pride remains a grassroots-powered event, created by and for Salt Lake’s LGBTQ+ community. With its signature irreverent vibe, community focus, and unapologetically queer programming, it continues to distinguish itself from larger, more corporate festivals. So grab your boots, your glitter, and your chosen family — and get ready to ride into a weekend of radical joy. Q Information at slc-pride.org
REVIEW BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
‘When the Harvest Comes’
by Denne Michele Norris
C.2025, RANDOM HOUSE, $28, 304 PAGES
Happy is the bride the sun shines on.
Of all the cliches that exist about weddings, that’s the one that seems to make you smile the most. Just invoking good weather and bright sunshine feels like a cosmic blessing on the newlyweds and their future. It’s a happy omen for the bride and groom or, as in the new book “When the Harvest Comes” by Denne Michele Norris, for the groom and groom.
Davis Freeman never thought he could love or be loved like this.
He was wildly, wholeheartedly, mindand-soul smitten with Everett Caldwell, and life was everything that Davis ever wanted. He was a successful symphony musician in New York. They had an apartment they enjoyed and friends they
JUNE
BY SAM KELLEY-MILLS
ARIES March 20–April 19
You’re no stranger to bold beginnings, and this month hands you a fresh spark. Let enthusiasm lead the way but remember: even rockets need a launchpad. Ground yourself before liftoff.
TAURUS Apr 20–May 20
You’ve been holding onto something that’s heavier than it looks. This is your invitation to loosen your grip. Freedom doesn’t mean losing control; it means choosing what’s worth your energy.
GEMINI May 21–June 20
This season is stitched with curiosity and new encounters. Every conversation opens a door, and your charm is the key.
the bookworm sez
cherished. Now it was their wedding day, a day Davis had planned with the man he adored, the details almost down to the stitches in their attire. He’d even purchased a gorgeous wedding gown that he’d never risk wearing.
He knew that Everett’s family loved him a lot, but Davis didn’t dare tickle the fates with a white dress on their big day. Everett’s dad, just like Davis’s own father, had considerable reservations about his son marrying another man, although Everett’s father seemed to have come to terms with his son’s bisexuality. Davis’s father, whom Davis called the Reverend, never would. Years ago, father and son had a falling-out that destroyed any chance of peace between Davis and his dad; in fact, the door slammed shut to any reconciliation. But Davis tried not to think about that. Not on his wedding day. Not, unbeknownst to him, as the Reverend was rushing toward the wedding venue, uninvited but not unrepentant. Not when there was an accident and the Reverent was killed, miles away, and during the nuptials.
Davis didn’t know that, of course, as he was marrying the love of his life.
Just be sure to step through slowly, as you don’t have to race ahead.
CANCER June 21–July 22
June hums with memories and meaning. The past may surface, but not to haunt, rather, to heal. Treat nostalgia as a wise guest: listen, then decide when it’s time to part.
LEO July 23–August 22
Spotlight? Already there. The question is: what story will you tell while you’re glowing? Be bold but be honest your roar carries more truth when it’s tied to your heart.
VIRGO August 23–Sep 2
You’re being asked to let go of needing everything “just so.” Chaos might be a great teacher in disguise. You won’t lose
Neither did Everett, who had familial problems of his own, including homophobic family members who tried (but failed) to pretend otherwise.
Happy is the groom the sun shines on. But when the storm comes, it can be impossible to remain sunny.
What can be said about “When the Harvest Comes”? It’s a romance with a bit of ghost-pepper-like heat that’s not there for the mere sake of titillation. It’s filled with drama, intrigue, hate, characters you want to just slap, and some in bad need of a hug.
In short, this book is quite stunning.
Author Denne Michele Norris offers a love story that’s everything you want in this genre, including partners you genuinely want to get to know, in situations that are real. This is done by putting readers inside the characters’ minds, letting Davis and Everett themselves explain why they acted as they did, mistakes and all. Don’t be surprised if you have to read the last few pages twice to best enjoy how things end. You won’t be sorry.
If you want a complicated, boy-meetsboy, family-mess kind of book with occasional heat, “When the Harvest Comes” is your book. Truly, this novel shines. Q
your edge, just discover a new angle to your usual precision.
LIBRA Sept 23–October 22
The scales are tilting toward something deliciously unexpected. A shift in rhythm brings beauty in a new form. Balance isn’t about symmetry; it’s about movement with grace.
SCORPIO Oct 23–Nov 21
Desire is powerful, but it’s what you do with it that makes it meaningful. This month, use your magnetism wisely. Let your yes be full-bodied—and your no be final.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov 22–December 20
Adventure is everywhere, even in the smallest of places. That corner cafe? That unread book? Gold mines. The truth you’re looking for might be hiding in plain sight.
CAPRICORN
Dec 21–Jan 19
You’ve been climbing for so long that you forgot to enjoy the view. Pause. Breathe. You’ve earned more than you realize, and what comes next doesn’t need to be earned. It just needs to be welcomed.
AQUARIUS Jan 20–Feb 18
The script flips this month, and suddenly you’re not the observer, you are the main act. Don’t shy away from attention. This twist was made for your unique kind of magic.
PISCES Feb 19–Mar 19
Emotions will be vivid, like watercolor spilled across paper. Let them run. You don’t need to frame everything as some of the most beautiful things are best left abstract. Q
Savage’s ‘angry’ book is the sound of defiance that reminds us pop culture often leads the way in LGBTQ+ progress
BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI
Whatinfluence might artists like Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish and Kim Petras have on our world a decade from now? It’s a legitimate question that could offer hope in these fraught, uncertain times. As Roan challenges expectations by venturing into country music as a gay woman — an evolving genre historically associated with conservative values — she joins other boundary-pushing artists in reshaping cultural landscapes. And then there’s Lady Gaga’s new release, “Mayhem,” which serves as a powerful reminder of music’s ability to create cultural safe spaces. As The Independent recently wrote, “Gaga’s return to outsider-empowering form could not be more timely. At a moment when America’s leaders seek to shove its marginalized citizens back into the shadows, she invites them back into the centre of the floor, celebrating their defiant differences in the bright strobe lighting.”
In today’s climate, where anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has found renewed prominence in political discourse since Trump’s return to office, Jon Savage’s insights become particularly relevant. The acclaimed British pop culture historian and journalist reminds us that fully comprehending our current circumstances requires us to examine the transformative musical movements that have helped shape LGBTQ+ history and progress. In other words, we need to listen closely to the revolutionary rhythms that will continue shaping the world around us.
When it comes to Roan, Eilish, Gaga and Taylor Swift, Savage suggests a future that would involve more women in leadership roles beyond those in music: “I’m a great admirer. And I would also observe that what’s interesting compared to what it was back in my day is the fact that the cultural leaders are now young women, which I think is very interesting and very positive.”
For now, Savage’s new book, “The Secret Public: How Music Moved Queer Culture From the Margins to the
Mainstream,” provides an important historical account of LGBTQ+ treatment and contributions to music — music, he says, often precedes and shapes cultural shifts, particularly for LGBTQ+ visibility and rights. The book succinctly describes itself as “a searching examination of the fortitude and resilience of the gay community through the lens of popular music and culture.”
“I think music is ahead of politics,” Savage told me recently. “So what does that mean? It means that music and popular culture can be an antiphony, particularly to oppressive power politics, and that’s why a lot of us love it and are involved because it’s things that you can’t say in the dominant culture, in the world of news, in the world of politics and in the world of, indeed, oppression.”
The term “antiphony” here refers to music and popular culture serving as a responsive counterpart to oppressive systems — creating alternative spaces for expression when mainstream channels are closed off. This concept of call-and-response between power structures and cultural resistance is central to Savage’s analysis of how LGBTQ+ communities have historically used music as both refuge and platform.
The book, spanning 769 pages, is more of a tome — as if to say, there’s no such thing as documenting too much. And now it’s one, he says, that serves a greater purpose as the LGBTQ+ community and our history faces erasure due to the Trump administration. “I could not have seen that this would happen, that this would be the climate that the book comes out in,” he said, adding that its release is “an act of faith” on the part of his American publisher, Robert Weil, the executive editor and vice resident of the publishing imprint W. W. Norton / Liveright.
“The Secret Public” covers a 24-year period, from 1955 to 1979, crucial years in LGBTQ+ history because it was the formalized beginning of a movement for gay men who began fighting for visibility, but, as Savage says, were “treated so badly.” This period encompasses watershed
moments like the Stonewall riots of 1969 and the emergence of openly gay public figures in entertainment and politics.
“A friend of mine said to me, which surprised me, ‘You know, you’ve written a very angry book,’ and I thought, well, actually, I probably have.” Savage’s anger, perhaps, reflects the righteous indignation that often fuels social movements, particularly when documenting historical systematic oppression and the creative resistance that emerges in response.
“It is an angry book,” he admitted. “It’s obviously very pro-gay rights and also wishes to point out that LGBTQ+ people were treated appallingly at various parts in our recent history and still are, which is just absolutely unforgivable and still makes me very angry.”
Savage says that growing up in the 1960s and ’70s “was no picnic for me — the shit, really, to be honest.” Fiery emotions, then, seem only natural. But, at the same time, he notes the contradiction that “you had all these fabulous people having incredibly cool self-esteem, which played out by hating themselves because they were gay or becoming alcoholics, just because of stupid prejudice — and that made me absolutely mad.”
Savage’s book opens in November 1955 with Little Richard, who came out and then went back into the closet after becoming a born-again Christian. Savage writes that Richard’s “very appearance and sound made sex and gender difference part of the pop package.”
It goes on to explore Elvis Presley, who took a page out of Richard’s book with his seductive hip gyrations during a time when it was “open season on homosexuals, sex deviates and all those who did not cleave to narrow definitions of normality.”
In the early ’60s, Savage, who says he prefers his pop music in any era to be less ordinary and, instead, “fifth gender from outer space,” found himself deeply immersed in a world that felt both electrifying and liberating. He was captivated by young male musicians with long hair — “looking quite feminine,” he notes — as the British music scene underwent a seismic transformation in 1963, when The Beatles took the country by storm, followed by the Rolling Stones later that year. By 1964, longhaired groups were appearing across the U.K., each one pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo. This cultural explosion mirrored a broader sense of change, as the country saw a gradual but significant shift in attitudes and norms, one Savage calls a “big deal.”
A pivotal moment came in 1967 when homosexuality was partially decriminalized in the U.K., a landmark achievement after years of hard-fought activism. The progress had taken over a decade of agitation, but it marked a tangible victory. Savage saw a deeper connection between the music scene and this legal shift. Many of the long-haired, boundary-pushing groups were led by gay managers, he says, whose influence behind the scenes quietly permeated the music and the cultural sensibility of the time. It wasn’t just about the sounds or the fashion; it was a reflection of an undercurrent of change that helped shape public attitudes.
“People are going to take from it what they want. There’s a lot of material in there,” he said. “I’ve researched it. It hangs together, and it gives this picture where, really, a lot of the people in the book were just very brave.” For Savage, this rebellion wasn’t just about youth or rock ‘n’ roll; it was a battle for human dignity, an effort to open up the conversation about LGBTQ+ rights
in ways that hadn’t been done before.
For Savage, the inclusion of David Bowie, a key figure in his narrative, exemplified that kind of bravery. “You know, I include David Bowie in that,” he said, almost as an afterthought, as though his presence in the story was both inevitable and significant. “Bowie has been criticized. But honestly, let me tell you, in the U.K., that was a huge thing for a lot of young LGBTQ+ people. And the gay press of the time really saw him as somebody who’d really also opened the door and was incredibly helpful.”
“It was a mixture of both sincerity and
calculation,” he added, noting that Bowie had never been entirely transparent about his bisexuality, but his willingness to embrace the possibility in the public sphere made a difference. As we consider the influence of artists like Roan and Petras, Savage’s assessment of Bowie’s legacy offers a compelling framework: “You judge actions by results,” he concluded. Q
Chris Azzopardi is the editorial director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.
A BUBBLE OF ‘SIBLINGHOOD’
How St. Petersburg, Florida defies the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ reputation
BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI
It’seasy to dismiss Florida as merely ground zero for anti-queer legislation; after all, the state earned an Advisory Warning from Equality Florida in 2023 — this before similar federal actions against the LGBTQ+ community followed. Yet my arrival in St. Petersburg revealed a surprising contrast: I landed in the heart of the city during the inaugural Winter Pride, a weeklong celebration held in February openly embracing the LGBTQ+ community in full force.
Checking into the adults-only Mari Jean Hotel, I soon found myself amid a boisterous crowd of LGBTQ+ revelers enthusiastically flinging bologna slices at “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Jimbo’s cartoonish figure within the hotel’s popular poolside bar, Cocktail. When one slice smacked against her breastplate like some absurdist game of pin the tail on the donkey, the cognitive dissonance
struck me: Was this really Florida, the birthplace of “Don’t Say Gay” legislation? The answer, as I discovered, is that even the reddest states harbor vibrant pockets of bologna-tossing rebellion.
The Mari Jean, which opened in 2023, occupies a prime corner lot in the Grand Central District, St. Pete’s unofficial gayborhood. This vibrant area has served as an LGBTQ+ cultural hub since the 1980s and ’90s, organically growing with LGBTQ-owned businesses, bars and community spaces. Given its decades of colorful history and celebration, this district has undoubtedly witnessed its fair share of outrageous antics.
In this unexpected enclave of acceptance, I didn’t feel like I was living inside the troubling headlines about Florida. Instead, I was being warmly embraced by a community that defied the state’s reputation — on my first night, I was even led to the Grand Central Brewhouse across the street by two kind locals in their 60s
who insisted I try their coffee stout.
All down Central Avenue, rainbow flags adorn shops and restaurants. The Mari Jean Hotel stands as a bold statement itself, with an unmissable mural on its exterior depicting two men intimately cozying up in a pool — a public celebration of queer identity that feels both defiant and perfectly at home in this progressive Sunshine State haven.
For co-owner David Fischer, the multiplex, which includes Cocktail and a new lounge called The Ball (featuring dancers in showers, it truly lives up to its “pop art paradise” description), is an extension of not just who he is but where he came from. Being raised by Catholic conservative parents who “would much rather tell you I’m gay than tell you I didn’t vote Republican” — plus, not coming out until he was 31 — was partly the catalyst for turning an old building previously used as a nursing home into something meaningful for the commu-
nity: “I want to give people that space that I didn’t have,” Fischer tells me.
In his nine years as a full-time resident of St. Pete, Fischer has seen the city develop considerably — his Mari Jean property was one of the earliest renovations on that corner of Central Avenue. Down toward the pier is his home decor shop, ZaZoo’d, now located at 633 Central Ave.
“I can even think back to 12 years ago when we opened ZaZoo’d down at 500 block and Central: It was pretty bad and pretty desolate from businesses being there,” he recalls. “It was just starting to come back down that way. We were on the front end of developing down there. And once we started with the Mari Jean and the place across the street, Grand Central Brewhouse and LALA Karaoke started to build. That helped the resurgence of the whole neighborhood.”
Something ‘magical’ about St. Pete
For Rachel Covello, finding a wedding ring on the ground near a parking meter on her first night in St. Pete made her feel like she’d landed in a special place. “I picked it up,” she says, keeping it until returning later to the meter. There, she met its tearful owner. “He was emotional and crying when I showed him the ring. “That was my first impression of St. Pete,” Covello says, calling the city “magical.”
That feeling — of connection, of belonging, of things somehow falling into place — is what draws so many LGBTQ+ people to St. Pete. In a state where queer and trans communities are increasingly under political attack, this city stands as a sanctuary of inclusion and joy. Like a lost treasure discovered unexpectedly, St. Petersburg offers the acceptance many have searched for their entire lives.
Covello moved from Pennsylvania to St. Pete seven years ago. She runs OutCoast.com, an LGBTQ+ travel and fashion blog, and OutCoastTV on YouTube. During a recent talk she hosted with St. Pete’s LGBT Chamber, she said “one of the things we all agreed on was that St. Pete’s like a playground for adults.”
“It was the best way to summarize what it really is, because I feel that way,” she says. “There’s always something to do, whether it’s a museum or dining out or art. The art community here is huge. I feel like I found my place here, like I can fit in here regardless of who I am.”
Evelyn Long, 24, feels she’s already built the kind of life that would make her younger Ohio self gasp with envy. Working as the social media manager and executive assistant for Fischer’s businesses, Long escaped what she calls the “pretty depressed and constricted” suburbs of Dayton eight years ago. Now she’s living her best cottagecore-meets-queer fantasy in Gulfport — a “gay town” bordering St. Pete that she lovingly characterizes as full of “old lesbians” — complete with her own chicken and turkey as housemates.
Even though she acknowledges feeling acceptance and support from her family, “I absolutely hated it,” she says about living in Dayton, her voice tinged with the lingering memory of those confined days. “I grew up really resenting where I lived, and I was really happy to move away. I had never really been in a bigger city before and I couldn’t really believe how beautiful it was here. The weather, people. It was a culture shock, for sure, but in a good way.”
The vibrant tapestry of St. Pete’s LGBTQ+ community has given Long profound insights into what makes this coastal haven so magnetic for those with similar backgrounds. “I think St. Pete, in general, attracts transplants and people who have come from different places. And the fact that it’s a queer hub just kind of generates this community among people where there’s this understanding that most of you have probably come from rural areas out of state and have chosen to live here.” She describes the community feel in St. Pete as a “siblinghood.”
In a political era that demands community mobilization, Long has seen a remarkable shift in how community members show up for those who need the most support. When she first arrived in St. Pete, much of the LGBTQ+ visibility and resources centered around gay men. Now, she’s witnessing an inspiring surge of support networks specifically created for gender non-conforming and transgender individuals. The community isn’t just adapting — it’s meeting the moment with extraordinary initiative. “I think people’s resourcefulness is incredible,” she says. “For example, yesterday someone I know peripherally from different queer events started a trans femme social group just out of nothing. And just a couple months ago, the same
thing happened with a trans group.”
The contrast with her early days in the area is striking. “When I moved here, there was no such thing as even a lesbian group that was doing this. It was very much like, you could go to Enigma and you could hang out with the gay men who may or may not frankly want you there, you don’t really know.”
Recently, Long has witnessed the community rallying in response to not just Florida’s anti-queer legislation but federal policies, as LGBTQ+ individuals contend with targeted laws under the Trump administration. She also observes that St. Petersburg has experienced a demographic shift, with more conservative transplants choosing the area during the pandemic given its lack of lockdown restrictions. “So many conservative people fled here during Covid and Ron DeSantis’s reign,” she says.
Gov. DeSantis, who has enacted a record-breaking number of discriminatory measures against LGBTQ+ people into law, has only strengthened St. Pete’s sense of queer community. “I do live in my gay bubble, and that makes me want to stand my ground,” Long says, acknowledging gratitude for a job that allows her to unite community members with joyful experiences and connection. “People have fought to build queer community here, and the idea that people would move here and that would change that, it’s like, ‘Absolutely not.’ So even though there’s this big push against queer people right now, I feel like it’s only given people more motivation to band together and create their own resources together.”
Covello is part of that grassroots organizing, as she looks ahead to Sapphic St. Pete, a series of events taking place Nov. 1–9 that celebrates queer women, as well as nonbinary and trans people. Prior, on June 1, the city will host what has become one of the biggest Pride festivals in the Southeast, according to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater. In June 2023, the Tampa Bay Times reported that over half a million people attended local Pride events. Stanley Solomons, St. Pete Pride treasurer, told the Times, “It’s like we put on Woodstock every year.”
What impresses Long most is how the community continues to respond to political attacks with even stronger solidarity. Rather than retreating in the face of hostility, she’s seen people come
together to create vital support systems. She marvels at how community members have “pulled together their resources,” establishing not just social connections but also mutual aid networks.
“The queer community is so resourceful here,” she emphasizes. “They are being attacked from all angles, and yet, the only thing that generates from it is more community.”
LGBTQ+ tourism remains vital to St. Pete’s queer community
Despite the warm embrace of its local community, St. Petersburg’s LGBTQ+ businesses still depend heavily on tourism to thrive. As rainbow-painted storefronts and Pride flags line the Grand Central District, these establishments represent more than just commercial ventures — they’re cultural anchors in a state increasingly hostile to queer expression. St. Pete tells a different story than what we hear on the news given its local government, Fischer tells me.
“That our crazy governor has mandated stuff against the LGBTQ+ community is sad, but a lot of that we don’t feel in the cities because this local government embraces us so well,” he says. “It’s a culture of acceptance around here, and it’s very bizarre to see the exact opposite be felt from the outside.”
Each visitor who chooses St. Pete as their destination contributes to a delicate economic ecosystem that allows these spaces to remain open and vibrant. “It’s tough on businesses, for sure, that are gay-oriented and gay-owned. Because you’re fighting that constant battle with the outside world, thinking one thing
because that’s what they see on the news and then feeling something totally different if you can get them here.”
The city’s unique position as a progressive enclave within Florida creates both opportunity and vulnerability. Events like Winter Pride don’t just celebrate identity; they provide crucial revenue streams that help businesses weather slower seasons and political headwinds. For bar owners, hoteliers and shop proprietors like Fischer, each booking at the Mari Jean or each cocktail purchased at The Ball represents a vote of confidence in St. Pete’s continued role as a queer-friendly city.
Tourism dollars enable these businesses to expand their community programming, hire more LGBTQ+ staff and maintain spaces where both locals and visitors can experience the freedom of authenticity.
“And so that’s the key message that I know groups like Visit St. Clearwater have been working on: how we get that message out and make it not so scary to come and visit and realize how accepting it is,” Fischer says.
The contrast between St. Pete’s reality and Florida’s reputation, which he admits is “pretty scary for people from the outside who only see one-sided views of it,” couldn’t be clearer when Fischer reflects on his choice to settle here: “St. Pete is the most gay-friendly city I’ve ever lived in, and I’ve lived in Philadelphia. I’ve lived in some cool places and traveled to some cool places, and I would tell you it’s a very accepting city, and one of the biggest reasons I chose to retire here.”
Beyond Fischer’s gay paradise of entertainment and nightlife lies businesses such as The Garage, described as a “dive with Pride,” and Enigma, a popular bar during the day and a full-on dance club at night. Both are located along Central Avenue, as is Lucky Star Lounge, a laid-back bar with a retro vibe. If you visit, the morning after your night out, grab a cold brew and pastry at Black Crow Coffee Co., just a few blocks from Central Avenue. Walking there from the Mari Jean Hotel, I was immediately struck by its welcoming atmosphere. Door signs proudly proclaimed “Here We Say Gay” and “We Sell Banned Books,” while inside, rainbow flags decorated the space alongside a powerful message: “We Cannot Stay Silent in the Face of Racism.” A barista told me that everyone there is “a
little bit queer” when I mentioned that I was writing this assignment. In that moment, this progressive refuge made me forget I was in Florida, reminding me of what a manager at Teak, a popular restaurant overlooking the pier (worth a visit for the skyline view alone), proudly mentioned during my visit: that St. Pete is “the exception to the Floridian rule.”
“It’s super LGBTQ-friendly, the whole region is,” Covello says. “If you go to Gulfport, that’s super LGBTQ, or if you go to Central Avenue from 31st down to the waterfront, you’re going to find a huge community there.” At the same time, Covello, who is queer and married to a woman, acknowledges that what feels friendly for her isn’t necessarily true for someone else. “My life here is much easier than someone who might be trans,” she adds. “I’m also white. So I don’t want to minimize people that don’t want to move here because they’re truly afraid of living here as a transgender person. Everyone needs to do what feels safe for them from a traveler’s perspective.”
Long suggests LGBTQ+ travelers interested in going to St. Pete skip the car trip down. “Personally, I wouldn’t advise somebody who’s visibly queer to road trip down to Florida because you’re traveling through many cities that are not as queer-friendly as St. Petersburg is,” she says.
She acknowledges the “precarious” nature of traversing landscapes where your identity as a queer person hangs in delicate balance, but insists that “ultimately the truth is that we do need queer people to visit. We need queer people to move here.”
Long reveals the soul of St. Pete, which shimmers beyond its queer-friendly storefronts and the lunchmeat sometimes being flung at drag queens — it lives in the heartbeat of its people, bound together by a shared narrative: “St. Petersburg as an escape from a situation that was bad for them.”
“I want St. Pete to continue being that,” she adds, her words a gentle invitation to a sanctuary that refuses to dim its light. Q
Chris Azzopardi is the editorial director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.
Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, through employer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care.
Simply put — without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.
When you’re comparing plans ...
Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.
Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.
Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.
Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1
That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meant to cover everything. That means if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance.
Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.
The best way to prevent large dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice a year.
Previous dental work can wear out.
Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2
Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need.
Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $222 for a checkup ... $190 for a filling ... $1,213 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.
1 “Medicare & You,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2025. 2 “Aging changes in teeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov, 4/17/2022. 3 American Dental Association, Health Policy Institute, 2020 Survey of Dental Fees, Copyright 2020, American Dental Association.
“Absolutely love”
“I absolutely love my dental insurance. My dental office files the claims, leaving me with very little balance to pay.”
Dorothy P., TN
Reaching Across the Aisle: The Movie Redefining Romance and Family with a Queer Indian Story
Roshan
Sethi and Karan Soni
discuss blending rom-com magic and Bollywood to create a bold, new take on queer love in ‘A Nice Indian Boy’
BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI
Whocouldn’t
use a happily ever after right now? The one in “A Nice Indian Boy” is filled with love, big dreams and even bigger emotions. If you’ve seen “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” it’s the kind of rom-com you might recognize, but told in a refreshingly unique way.
The story begins with Naveen (Karan Soni, “Deadpool”), a socially awkward doctor, taking a slow, disheartened bite into a samosa at his sister Arundhathi’s (Sunita Mani) wedding, clearly lost in his own thoughts as he wonders how his family will react to his version of the “big Indian wedding.” “They obviously know I’m gay; they just haven’t seen me be gay with another gay,” he reflects. Soon enough, though, they will.
Naveen’s “nice Indian boy,” Jay (Jonathan Groff), is a photographer who, though white, has embraced his Indian culture through his adoptive parents. Their first meeting takes place at a Hindu temple, and later, Jay unexpectedly shows up at the hospital to take Naveen’s new headshot.
From there, their romance unfolds faster than even Naveen’s mother, Megha (comedian Zarna Garg in her first acting role) thinks gay romances usually do based on what she knows of them from the films she says she’s watched. Meanwhile, Naveen’s father, Archit (a quietly compelling Harish Patel), is navigating his own path toward accepting his son’s new relationship, though not in the way you might expect. When “A Nice Indian Boy” premiered at SXSW in 2024, it garnered critical praise, with the film’s emotional depth reflecting the personal experiences shared by Soni and his longtime romantic partner, director Roshan Sethi. I recently spoke with Soni and Sethi about “A Nice Indian Boy” being a gay film you can watch with your mom, Soni’s extended sex scene with Groff that featured more “pounding,” and how this is a wedding movie that has the power to reach across the aisle.
How did your shorthand with each other as romantic partners influence the film?
ROSHAN SETHI : We know each other so intimately that we’re both very aware of what is each other’s best work. I know how fun he can be and I know how well he can act, so I’m constantly pushing him to whatever that is. But my sense of what is real for Karan is so skewed because I’m so attuned to any feeling of inauthenticity in his face. I also become, when I’m directing, overly emotionally codependent. So when he was acting in some of the sadder or more frustrated scenes, I got really scared that he was mad at me, but he was acting. [Laughs.] Then, it felt horrible watching him be angry or frustrated.
KARAN SONI: You are leaving your trust in the director. A lot of times, I think actors can be defensive because they just don’t trust the person behind the camera. I trust Roshan. It’s so easy for me to act in things that he’s directing because that part of my brain shuts off.
The film pokes fun at gay film tropes before leaning into some of them. Was that intentional?
SETHI: Yeah. The whole movie is moving between two poles. One is the practical, almost cynical part of Karan, who is in a white coat in the hospital surrounded by sterile things, and more biological, logistical concerns. And then the vast, sweeping vision of Bollywood, which is, on one hand, completely ludicrous, but on the other very moving because it does feel like sometimes Bollywood is as vast and unfathomable as love itself.
One thing that’s interesting about Bollywood as a genre is it’s thoroughly unashamed of how over the top it is. There is no cultural respect for subtlety, which I think is good because there is none of the American reserve and restraint, none of the fear of sentimentality or emotion that sometimes makes it difficult for Americans to access their emotions in entertainment here. And growing up, especially in North America, I have such a mixed relationship with that. On one hand, I am still embarrassed and, on the other, I secretly crave it. So we’re trying to make the movie move between those things.
Soni, can you talk about the emotional depth Jonathan Groff brought into the story? How did having three queer men involved impact the romance, especially with the director being your partner?
SONI: Honestly, it’s so hard to make movies and specifically these kinds of stories are not the easiest things to make. So it took years for this movie to get made. Early on, people were like, will that be awkward? I think we both hadn’t really thought about that. We were just trying to get to the start line of filming, and then when we got there, everyone in the crew was like, “So is this going to be weird?” And suddenly, I think we hadn’t considered how awkward this could potentially be. Luckily, Jonathan made us both feel so comfortable and is just the easiest person to get along with. When we were doing the sex scene, he literally just took charge of the entire thing and was like, “I know how this works. I’ve done it. I did ‘Looking.’” He made me feel comfortable — and he made the intimacy coordinator feel more comfortable because he just has no shame. She was taking notes! I remember when she came over to meet me and Jonathan in our chairs; he really locked eyes with her. She was sharing her life secrets with him.
SETHI: I’m a very jealous person, but I never felt jealous once watching the two of them. But I think it’s hard to be jealous of Jonathan — he’s so harmless. It sounds like the kind of insincere thing that you say when doing press about a coworker, but it literally is the case that Jonathan is the nicest man in the world. He is just dripping with sincerity and earnestness.
I heard there was a more explicit version early on before you decided to tone it down for family audiences. What was the original direction, and how did it change?
SETHI: The original scene is actually not that much more explicit. Basically in the existing sex scene that’s in the movie, you see [Jonathan’s] hand going down Karan’s back and then you see some heavy kissing and rolling around. What felt really romantic and sensual behind the curtain would transition to a
hard cut of just rough pounding. It was meant to be a joke. It was like Bollywood, but then just pounding. But it felt like it undermined their connection to make it less romantic because the whole idea is that he’s not someone who thinks of his life in a Bollywood way, but the way that sex scene is shot seems so Bollywood that it seems to suggest that he’s finally opening himself up to that. So to do a hard cut to rough pounding felt like it was undermining an important thing. That was the only reason it was cut. Nobody ever asked us to cut it, and we didn’t censor it for any other reason either. And it was important, obviously, to have a sex scene. There are so many explicit things in that movie that I’m still astonished they’re in there, like Peter [S. Kim, as Naveen’s friend Paul] talking about dick sizes and saying that big dicks are out, which is a crazy thing, obviously, to declare. And I don’t know what that is rooted in. And while he’s saying “we want tiny, modest dicks,” his hands are so far apart as if to demonstrate what tiny and modest look like.
SONI : In those scenes, the crassness actually feels nice and funny and everything, but in the romance, it felt like you’re betraying what the movie wants to be. We have such limited screen time before the family gets involved that we wanted their love to feel as romantic as possible. Then they’re going to be put through the parents’ meat grinder of expectations.
SETHI: At some point, we’ll release that extra scene of Jonathan just pounding away. [Laughs.]
Fans will be thrilled to hear that. The last third of the film is packed with complex cultural nuances that you pull off in such a short time. What does it mean to be part of a project that tackles queer themes within Indian culture and immigrant families?
SETHI: Both of us went through some rough periods when we were coming out. It’s not very easy to be gay and Indian, in general. I don’t think it’s easy to be gay and from a small evangelical Christian community in a small town, either. So it’s not so dissimilar from the American experience outside of the big metropolitan
areas. But the hardest thing for my mom when I came out was to imagine a happy life full of family. For me, it was the hardest thing. She just could not imagine anything over than solitude [for me]. And the reason she couldn’t imagine it is, how could she? What is out there to lead her to believe that that is conceivable for her son? Why did her thoughts rotate around AIDS and solitude repeatedly over and over again? Because that’s what she had been led to believe was the only possibility for me. So the most powerful thing to me about the movie is that if I had had access to this movie, too — the idea of this movie — it would’ve maybe led me to not be closeted for 20 years.
SONI: Same thing. For me, what was special about this movie is that, again, with a lot of gay movies and TV shows, I don’t think I can watch any of them with my parents. “Looking,” for example. And so what ends up happening is that they end up being sheltered from that. They love watching films and TV, but they don’t usually see gay characters as the main characters because often in those shows, the sex scenes, or whatever it is, are too graphic for them to be invested. What’s special about this movie is it invites everyone of every generation. Watching it at festivals leading up to the release now — so many people bring their parents. It’s this bonding experience. The parents don’t feel vilified and they kind of weirdly feel seen. The parents in the movie are some of the best characters and have these interesting arcs and
layers, and they’re not just one-dimensional. I think what’s so special about the movie is that it kind of brings different generations together. And that’s what classic rom-coms and wedding movies have done for years, but they’ve just had straight people in them. So it felt very nice to have something that is quietly revolutionary, but also in a way feels old fashioned. That’s been the special thing of sharing the movie with audiences. I love that the parents hysterically try to understand Naveen better by watching reality shows on OUTtv. Did that come from the experience of not having anything to watch that’s LGBTQ+ with your parents?
SONI: That’s very much my mom. [Laughs.]
SETHI: That’s his mom. And also we’re big fans of OUTtv. We watched the entire season of “For the Love of DILFs” before making this movie.
SONI: To be honest, we had never heard of OUTtv before “For the Love of DILFs.” And then one of our friends posted a story with a clip from that show, and we were like, “Is this the best reality show?”
SETHI: Then one of our assistant producers tracked them down. It’s not a big operation. And they were like, why would you want to license this footage? They had literally never been asked to license their footage ever before. And then we were like, we’re going to use it in a movie. They seemed indifferent, but we implied that the [“For the Love of
DILFs”] twink is dead in the movie, and we did have to get his legal permission to claim he was dead because he’s not dead. He emailed us the other day and he was like, “A bunch of my friends said that they thought I was dead.” [Laughs.]
You might want to add something at the end of those credits before the film gets a wider release! Now, about Naveen’s sister — her situation was eye-opening. Naveen can break the rules by being gay, but she can’t when it comes to whom she marries. Can you talk about the importance of showing these family dynamics?
SETHI: The sister is actually the first character that the playwright [Madhuri Shekar] conceived of when she set out to write this story [the play was released in 2014], because she was imagining what it would be like if she married the nice Indian boy. Her parents were pressuring her to marry, and 10 years later, she was contemplating a divorce and felt trapped by their expectations. So, in some ways, it’s the most personal part of the whole thing, at least for her mother Shekar, who wrote the play. But yeah, it’s amazing to see the various ways in which they’re all trapped, and he’s trapped by certain expectations, and in some ways, they’re equally profound.
SONI: The whole movie is not a coming out story, but it’s what happens after all the layers of what it takes to introduce a partner to your family and how they have to acclimate at each step. One of those was for them to feel like the daughter is married off and happy, and that adds just such a layer. And then for that character, for Sunita [Mani’s] character, there’s just so much resentment, rightfully so, because the rules are different because she’s a woman.
Were there any other motifs or small details you included that you’re especially proud of?
SETHI: The biggest thing is really just the first time you meet the family around the dining table, there’s a lazy Susan panning shot that goes from one character to the other almost as if the camera is contained by them. And then that exact shot is repeated at the end of the movie,
after they’ve gotten through everything. And after he accepts his son-in-law, that’s the pan that ends with the line, “Are there dates in this?” And I like the idea of beginning and ending with that and having it be the same shot and the same feeling. And then the final scene in the movie is that they’re kissing, and they’re surrounded by their family in a way that is meant to visually echo those circles that came before. Because I love the idea that they are as on the nose as it is: They’re kissing, and they’re literally being embraced by their family around them. That is the dream. It’s so aspirational, at least for me. But that feeling — that the love could not only be allowed or permitted into a family, but held up by it and supported by it — is really meaningful. What does it mean to send this film out into the world, knowing it’s so deeply tied to who you are?
SETHI: It feels so meaningful. I’m almost at a loss of words to say exactly what it feels like. Also, it has to be acknowledged that it’s especially odd to be releasing this movie, which was financed during a very progressive time, in a time that is much less progressive. So, what a strange movie to be sending out into Trump’s America in 2025. But I think it really is almost exactly what we need in some ways: to feel joy and acceptance and belonging and love and family is the emotion that I think our community is slowly being deprived of, especially in the next few years. And we’re in a time where
we’ve lost empathy for each other on both sides of the political spectrum. That’s obviously what leads to a never-ending fight — when you can’t understand or have empathy for the other person. [This] lack of understanding and empathy for immigrants, for gay and trans people — I think movies, in a way, are the only solution to that because movies force you to acknowledge the inner life of a person that you might not know. It’s such a small thing, but it’s also such a powerful thing. So, by generating that in our life, the movie is very useful for people on both sides of the political spectrum.
SONI: When I started in Hollywood in 2010, there were no real roles like this for me to be in, so it’s not lost on me. I feel so, so lucky to be in this — whatever part of Hollywood’s history this exists in, and that we got to make it. But the other thing that I’ve just been feeling grateful for is I feel very frustrated and stuck with how to help and what to do. It feels overwhelming with all of the stuff that’s been going around this year, but in a weird way, we made something that I think, if you watch, you’ll feel a little bit better about the world and people. It feels really nice to be putting out something that is just turning the dial toward a more positive, inclusive world. Q
Chris Azzopardi is the editorial director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.
WORDS EXPRESS HOW IT FEELS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE...
HAPPINESS DELIGHTED BEAMING
SERIOUSLY... A SERIOUS & NOT-SO-SERIOUS CONCERT EVENT June 6 & 7, 7:30PM
HELPFUL SIDE-BAR FOR
WARNING SIGNS OF SUICIDE
• Talking about wanting to die
• Looking for a way to kill oneself
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings
The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. Warning signs are associated with suicide but may not be what causes a suicide
BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE
Charli XCX and Takashi Miike prepare brat cinema
‘Brokeback’ is back
There will be blood. That’s a near certainty when the film is from Japanese director Takashi Miike, the man behind the cult thrillers “Audition” and “Ichi the Killer.” And it’s probably why brash queer icon Charli XCX is going to work with him, producing and starring in his latest as-yet-untitled feature. The pop star is already shooting the new A24 drama, “The Moment,” so her entry into the movie business isn’t really the news here, rather it’s the intriguing combination of star and filmmaker and the question of just how gory and wild the finished product will be. Miike, like Charli, doesn’t hold back, and his frequently splatterific films provoke extreme responses, so this is already a fascinating project. Brace yourselves, gays.
WHAT TO DO
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide:
• Do not leave the person alone
• Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt
• Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 9-8-8 or 800-273-8255
• Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional
THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE
9-8-8
A free, 24/7 service that can provide suicidal persons or those around them with support, information and local resources.
‘Heightened Scrutiny’ highlights battle over trans rights
“Heightened Scrutiny” is the new documentary from Sam Feder – director of “Disclosure” and “Kate Bornstein Is a Queer and Pleasant Danger” – and it’s taking the film festival world by storm. The story of ACLU attorney Chase Strangio, the first out trans person to argue before the Supreme Court, as he fights a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth (United States v Skrmetti), “Heightened Scrutiny” examines the cultural and legislative forces that work to oppress and strip legal protections from transgender people. It features commentary from journalists like Jelani Cobb, activists like Laverne Cox, and more. After a premiere earlier this year at Sundance, the film has been hitting the global festival circuit (soon to be a centerpiece screening at New York’s queer NewFest) before eventual engagements in arthouse theaters and streaming platforms. Keep an eye out.
This year marks 20 years since “Brokeback Mountain,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the late great Heath Ledger hit movie theaters (feeling old now, are we?). The film won three Academy Awards — for its score, screenplay and for its director, Ang Lee — and created quite a large cultural footprint, not to mention how angry it made plenty of conservatives (and some queer people) for all sorts of reasons. Now Focus Features is bringing the film back to theaters this June for special 20th anniversary screenings. There’s a new trailer and poster (and, we hear, merch, which is a little confusing so we’d like someone to explain how one takes a downbeat movie and sees a branding opportunity, please). And most importantly, it’ll provide audiences who were too young to see the R-rated drama in its initial release a chance to experience this part of queer film history. Tickets on sale now.
Jerrod Carmichael’s new message: don’t be gay
Stand-up comic Jerrod Carmichael officially came out publicly as gay on his special “Rothaniel,” and then he let the cameras into his off-stage life on last year’s “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,” a brazen, Grindr-centric, often uncomfortably intimate upending of the conventions of typical reality television. Now he’s back with a new stand-up special, provocatively titled “Don’t Be Gay.” The contents are under wraps until HBO drops the special, but based on what we know from the man’s earlier work, we can fairly confidently predict Carmichael lulling the audience into his quiet, low-key, pregnant-pause-filled aesthetic before shocking them with his very personal approach to comedy. At least we hope that’s how it goes down. The special takes its queer (or prickly, pre-Pride) bow May 24 on HBO. Q Romeo San Vicente is going to be extra gay in June so look out.
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*This
Chuck McDowell, Founder & CEO
Kyle’s Bed & Breakfast by
Greg Fox
“Iron Mike” of football
Twosomes that fight
Mary Cheney’s partner Heather
More of the quote
More of the quote
Three of the Brady kids
Broad valleys
Poem of Sappho 53 Cathedral of Hope topper 55 African desert 59 Something they do at MC Churches
What helps to gain acceptance, per Tammy
Eliza Doolittle’s aspiration?
One born in a Cukor
62 End of the quote 64 To eat, to Ulrichs 65 “Mercedes ___” (Janis Joplin song) 66 Lone Star sch.
Little hoppers
He knew how to wave his stick
Cry of mock
Nuts
Alanis, who played a doctor on “Weeds”
Raised platform
6 Not a stat to brag about
7 Old fruit drink
8 The d. of k.d. lang
9 Loose woman, in the land of Auden
10 Gas additive
11 Composer Copland
12 Really feel for?
13 Flynn role opposite Davis
21 Generation separator
22 Mineo of “Rebel Without a Cause”
26 MSG container?
27 operandi
28 Reproduce nonheterosexually
30 Jethrene (Max Baer’s cross-dressing role)
31 Churlish sorts
32 Makes hot
33 Disney frames
35 Leave out
38 Christina of “Dead to Me”
39 Foot bottom
40 Elton John’s 88
42 Non-medalists, e.g.
44 What shingle men or women put out?
48 Makes more expensive
50 Singer Anita
53 Climbs a pole
54 Sancho of Broadway
55 Leave in the text
56 Facetious “I see”
57 “___ Lady” (crossdressers’ show of old)
58 Blown away
59 Logical start for Rev. Jane Spahr?
60 Baseball great Hershiser
61 Org. division 63 Meas. in a Nick Malgieri cookbook
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Thethe perils of petunia pap smear
The tale of The Love Boat
BY PETUNIA PAP SMEAR
road
to the Love Boat is fraught with danger and excitement.
We continue the story I began two months ago with part three of my Caribbean Cruize. After several treacherous hours trying to maneuver Queerteeny, my bedazzled mobility scooter around airplanes, airports, and shuttles, our van finally reached Port Canaveral. There were several ships parked by the lot. As we got closer to the ships, my gaze was drawn upward to lofty heights. Coming from an Idaho farm background, I was shocked and amazed at just how huge modern cruise ships are. These ships towering over the parking lot seemed like a bunch of skyscrapers. Hell, they were even taller than my beehive wig!
As I took in the tremendous view, my jaw fell agape, wide enough that a passing casting agent for porn films thought I was auditioning to be a fluffer on his next film, “Ship’s Aboy,” the story of a lonely ship’s steward finding love and passion with a shy farm boy tourist from Idaho along with the entire engine room crew. After pulling out a measuring tape and taking a quick measurement of my mouth, the casting agent determined that my jaw would not open sufficiently wide enough to be the fluffer. Not wanting to pass up such an opportunity of a lifetime, I offered to be a consultant about all things Idaho farm boy. Sadly, he unceremoniously dismissed me. Dejectedly, I mounted Queerteeny and drove away from him, becoming lost in the crowd. But I promised myself that I would keep watch for him and his crew, as they were going to be filming onboard this ship. I reconnected with the group from Utah, and as we joined the maddening throng of tourists attempting to board, I was yet again separated from my group because I was riding Queerteeny. They instructed me to board by a separate gangway from my friends. I was utterly confused since this was my very first time going on a cruise, and I was
unfamiliar with the boarding procedure. In the congested commotion, while trying to find the right door, I inadvertently plowed Queerteeny right into a stack of luggage, and just like a gigantic Jenga game, they came crashing down. Thus, I was delayed while I stopped and apologized to a tour group of ‘Golden Girls’ to whom the scattered luggage belonged. The angry group of grannies was advancing towards me, waving their canes menacingly in the air and yelling foul words in my general direction. I was saved at the last minute by a very helpful and even more handsome ship’s steward, who risked his life by stepping into the line of fire and restacking their luggage. He indicated by a subtle head nod that I should just drive away. So, I quickly took my chance and drove Queerteeny as fast as she could possibly go, disappearing into the crowd. In doing so, I went past the entrance that I was supposed to use and was forced to make a U-turn. I noticed that in all of the commotion, somehow, the left rear tire on Queerteeny had gone flat. Therefore, I was forced to lean my substantial buttockus rotundus to the right side of the scooter to lessen the weight on the afflicted tire. Subsequently, while heavily listing hard to starboard, I was finally able to drive Queerteeny up the gangway and onto the ship. At the first opportunity, I spotted another very handsome ship steward (one of the hiring criteria for the cruise ship industry must be good looks) who was directing traffic among the boarding masses. Demonstrating my best ‘damsel in distress’ act, I drove Queerteeny right up to his side. He looked at me with a quizzical expression. Shifting into flirting mode, I began to bat my eyelashes faster than a telegraph operator can tap out the Morse Code, while simultaneously holding my hand to my forehead in a gesture of distress. Breathlessly, I explained to him that I had a flat tire. I then blushingly inquired of him if
there was an air compressor anywhere on the ship, and could I possibly get a ‘blow job’ er, I mean, get my rear topped off, er, I mean, have my tire inflated. The steward looked at me as if I had a potato growing out of my ear. Obviously, he had never been asked this before. He grabbed a phone and made several calls. He explained that he didn’t know if they had a compressor, but he was willing to take Queerteeny and try to help out my situation. So, I dismounted Queerteeny and clumsily lurched to my stateroom. After several hours, I was so pleased that just before it was time to head to dinner, the steward brought Queerteeny back. He apologized that he was unable to blow up the tire. Neither snow nor rain nor flat tire could keep me from dinner. Therefore, this little piggy leaned starboard all the way to the dining room. Stay tuned next month when the ship actually sails.
This story leaves us with several important questions:
1. How fast must I drive Queerteeny to be able to outrun a mob of angry grannies?
2. What would it take to get the ‘Golden Girls’ to throw cookies at me instead of menacing me with their canes?
3. Should I develop a new ‘bowling’ game where drag queens on scooters knock over piles of things?
4. I had much anxiety about being on a ship. Was it because of worrying about Queerteeny’s flat tire, or wondering how I could become part of the crew for the porn film, or because I had recently watched the movie Titanic and was having nightmares about sinking?
5. Will I ever get another chance to be in porn?
These and other eternal questions will be answered in future chapters of The Perils of Petunia Pap Smear. Q
