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THECONTENTS >> MORE TO COME <<

C O V E R S T O R I E S A N D F E AT U R E S

THE BEARS ARE 18 WHERE International Bear Convergence THE PUCK? 20 WHAT The Fall of Mark Salling

BACK IN SHAME 24 LOOK AHF’s Anti-PrEP Crusade

(THE APP) 30 MEET New Social Media Platform HOLLAND WITH LOVE 31 FROM Gay Ad Campaign Victory MORE YOU KNOW 32 THE Ann Rostow’s Annual News Quiz THE WORLD ACCORDING TO BRAD JAN 34 Essential Life Lessons OF LEATHER 38 CROWN Shae Flanigan & The SoCal Sisters ENVELOPE, PLEASE 42 THE GLAAD’s “Most Intriguing LGBT Characters”

ON THE COVER BRAD JAN COVER PHOTO, TOC PHOTO AND FEATURE PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM WARDROBE ANDREW CHRISTIAN WWW.ANDREWCHRISTIAN.COM

DEPARTMENTS

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12 14 16 22 26 28 36 40 44 45 46 48 50

THE TALK JONATHAN GROFF THE STATE MARRIAGE JIHAD THE CITY LAVONIA SPEAKS THE ROSTOW REPORT BATTLEGROUNDS THE SPREAD ALI MUSHTAQ THE TRANSACTION STAYING ALIVE THE BODY DR. YAMINI THE SHARE LOCAL SOBRIETY THE JOYSTICK GAMING THE EPIDEMIC DRUG COMBO THE EVENT EXPOSURE DRAG THE CALENDAR THINGS TO DO THE FINAL FIGHT LAST WORD

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THEEDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stanford Altamirano MANAGING EDITOR Mark Ariel ART DIRECTOR Nadeen Torio MARKETING CONSULTANTS Tom Pardoe Eric Slayton Joe Faragher SOCIAL MEDIA Paulo Murillo Eric Slayton >> IN THIS ISSUE <<

In this issue of THE FIGHT Brenden Shucart writes about AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Anti-PrEP crusade (“Look Back In Shame,” page 24). “This month the AHF is rolling out a new ad campaign entitled ‘PrEP: The Revolution That Didn’t Happen,’” reveals Shucart. “Scheduled to appear in a number of publications that cater to the LGBTQ communities—including the Florida Agenda, Washington DC’s Metro Weekly and Washington Blade the South Florida Gay News, Gay City News in New York City, Dallas Voice, Georgia Voice, as well as Frontiers and the Bay Area Reporter here in California—the purpose of this paid advertisement is to discredit PrEP and stigmatize those who would adopt it—despite the fact that PrEP is almost 100% effective at preventing the spread of HIV,” explains Shucart. “In fact,” states Shucart, ‘this ‘editorial advertisement’ (marketingspeak for paid ads designed to blend innocuously into the surrounding magazine) is only the most

recent salvo in [AHF CEO Michael] Weinstein’s long running campaign to smear PrEP, it’s adherents, and advocates by claiming that PrEP is a ‘failure,’ using inaccurate and out-of-date data to make PrEP seem unpopular when the actual number of individuals taking Truvada to prevent contracting HIV is probably closer to 30,000.” “I know as well as anyone, the publishing industry is in dire straits, and probably no corner of it has been hit harder than the magazines and news weeklies which serve queer communities all across America,” writes Shucart. “I have seen first hand the sorts of unenviable compromises publishers and editors are forced to make in order to keep their magazines and papers on the shelves; the faustian bargains struck to keep the doors open and lights on.” “But this time the price is too high.” “Those who have enabled this crusade to stigmatize the most effective HIV prevention tool in existence will come to the end of their days and look back in shame at the lies they helped to propagate.”

STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Editor-In-Chief

WEBMASTER Nadeen Torio GET THE FIGHT AT HOME Sent Via First Class Mail 12 Issues: $36 6 Issues: $24 Mail check or money order to: Third Step, LLC 611 S. Catalina St. Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005 PUBLISHER Third Step, LLC DISTRIBUTION Pride In Media The Fight Magazine is published monthly by Third Step, LLC. 611 South Catalina Street, Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005 Telephone (323) 297-4001 Fax (213) 281-9648 Email info@TheFightMag.com THE FIGHT MAGAZINE LEGAL CAVEATS By listing in The Fight Magazine, advertisers acknowledge that they do business in the spirit of cooperation, fairness and service, maintaining a high level of integrity and responsibility. Providers of products or services are fully and solely responsible for providing same as advertised. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers. Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility and liability for the content of their advertisements in The Fight Magazine. Publisher assumes no liability for safe-keeping or return of unsolicited art, manuscripts or other materials. The Fight Magazine reserves the right to edit all material for clarity, length and content. All contents © 2016 Third Step LLC. All rights reserved. Content may be reproduced with permission. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for any claims or representations contained anywhere in this magazine and reserves the right to cancel or refuse advertising at publisher’s discretion.

TheFightMag.com For Display Advertising, please call (323) 297-4001

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JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 7

THECONTRIBUTORS >> WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS <<

PAULO MURILLO West Hollywood resident Paulo Murillo has been writing for gay media for over twelve years. He got his start writing a bi-weekly column called “Luv Ya, Mean It” for FAB! Newspaper. Visit his website at thehissfit.com, or friend him on Facebook. ANN ROSTOW Ann Rostow writes news analysis columns for THE FIGHT and other gay publications across the country. For weekly LGBT News updates, visit her blog at: annrostow.blogspot.com. Ann can be reached at: arostow@aol.com. DUSTI CUNNINGHAM Los Angeles based photographer Dusti Cunningham grew up in a very clean single-wide trailer home in rural Kansas. His family didn’t own television so they watched tornadoes. None of his dogs were named Toto. Dolly

Murillo

Rostow

Arellano

Parton and his mother were his heroes, both wore wigs. His inspirations are gypsies, pirates, circuses, 1970s glamour, and the National Enquirer. www.dusticunningham.com. JOSEPH ARELLANO A stage and film actor from Bedford, Indiana, Joe has been involved in community events such as The Friendly House Luncheon,

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Shucart

Trendy

Cunningham

PATH, and LA PRIDE. Joe has appeared in Titus Andronicus, Dark Side of the Moon, and Take Me Out. He also co-starred in the music video Hopeful Romantic, Hallmarks’ Holly’s Holiday, and other various short films. BRENDEN SHUCART Brenden Shucart is an HIV AIDS-LGBT rights advocate, actor, and writer whose work has

been featured in Out There,The Advocate and HIV Plus magazine among others. His essays around HIV-related health issues and stigma have been described as “humanizing and heartbreaking” and “beautiful, honest, and important.” As an actor Shucart has appeared in the short film “Bug Chaser,” James Franco and Travis Mathews’ “Interior. Leather Bar.,” and Mathews’ 2010 short film “I Want Your Love.” BOBBY TRENDY Bobby Trendy is an interior decorator, designer and television personality. He first achieved notoriety as a series regular on The Anna Nicole Show. Trendy is one of the producers of West Hollywood’s Sassy Prom event. For more on Bobby Trendy, visit www. bobbytrendy.com. Friend him of Facebook and follow him on Instagram @Iambobbytrendy.

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THELETTERS >> FROM OUR READERS <<

MORE PEOPLE Dear Editor, Great piece on medical cannabis and HIV (“Nirvana for the People,” THE FIGHT Issue #59). I, like your writer Brenden Shucart, suffered from anxiety and depression, and my antiretroviral medication made me nauseous as well. Cannabis alleviated those symptoms—and more people should know about it. —John Sykes, via the internet

NOT RELEVANT Dear Editor, Who cares if the Paris terror fugitive [Salah Abdeslam] was gay (“Terror Suspect’s Gay Connection,” THE FIGHT Issue #59)? His sexual identity shouldn’t have any bearing on his acts. As a magazine serving the gay community—that fact is not relevant. It is something I would expect to see in a tabloid—and not in THE FIGHT. —B. Cherney, via the internet

OTHER TYPES Dear Editor, Thank you for including hot men of color in your magazine ( “The Spread,” THE FIGHT Issue #59). Anthony ClarkeDenham is a fantastic looking mature guy. It’s nice to see a publication that doesn’t only cater to twinks and white boys. Not that there’s anything wrong with twinks and white boys— but sometimes it’s good to see other types as well. —Robert Harris, Palm Springs, CA

WOULD BE FUN Dear Editor, I enjoy reading your magazine—it seems to be a cut above the rest. I would, however, like to offer a few suggestions on what I think could make THE FIGHT more well-rounded. A travel section would be nice—places within the USA—letting readers know about gay establishments in other states. Also—what about promoting gay poetry? Maybe make it a contest and pick the best submissions. And also—a gay themed crossword puzzle would be fun! —George Laskin, Long Beach, CA

> WRITE TO THE EDITOR

Email: editor@thefightmag.com Fax: (213) 281-9648. Letters may be shortened due to space requirements.

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THETALK >> W H AT T H E Y ’ R E S AY I N G <<

GYLLENHAAL, LEDGER BILLY CRYSTAL

STILL CLOSETED

“The [Brokeback Mountain] crew was taken with the film, too. Within a week, two members of it had come up to [ screenwriter Diana] Ossana and confessed to her that they were gay—one of them still closeted. [Jake] Gyllenhaal remembers a number of the crew members crying after he filmed the scene in which Jack tells Ennis, ‘I wish I knew how to quit you.’” —Members of the cast and crew talking to The Huffington Post last month about their memories of making the iconic film Brokeback Mountain on its 10th anniversary.

ONE OF THE GREAT INJUSTICES “My parents always talked about Oscar Wilde as one of the great injustices, about the persecution he faced, and I remember them urging me to read his children’s stories when OSCAR WILDE I was very young… And then when I went to university, Wilde wasn’t studied. I remember being quite surprised by that.” —Brian Gilbert, the director of the 1997 British biographical film “Wilde,” with Stephen Fry in the title role, in an interview with UK’s “Gay Times” last month. The film was the first piece of visual work to explicitly acknowledge his homosexuality, and recognize it as a key factor in his story.

NO NEED FOR HIDING

“You have to take into account that I have had some personal problems. I would prefer to keep them to myself but I am in a better place now.” RONALDO, —Noted Portuguese soccer star I HAR and underwear model Cristiano Ronaldo to the Spanish TV station Antena 3. Queerty.com reported last month that claims were recently made by a French journalist that Ronaldo was flying to Morocco four times a week for “cuddles” with kickboxer Badr Hari.

WEIRD LITTLE DICK SOCK “So, when you first get there and you take off JONATHAN GROFF the robes and you’re in your weird little dick sock and your anal cover, there’s usually some, like, laughter… And then we sort of talk about what is happening in the scene. And we sort of do a rehearsal with our shorts on or whatever. And then we do it. I find [sex scenes] really fun and enjoyable and funny and weird and hilarious and a great opportunity to share a lot about characters. And there’s no words, so it’s an interesting thing to act. But I’ve never done a sex scene with someone who smells bad or I didn’t like something about them. —Actor Jonathan Groff on what it’s really like to film a gay sex scene, in an interview with Michelangelo Signorile on SiriusXM Progress. The aforementioned sex scene is in the upcoming film “Looking,” the canceled HBO series’ wrap-up movie, slated for release early this year.

TOO CRAZY TO RECORD

“We thought it was a crazy song—in fact, too crazy to record… I kept saying, ‘It’s raining men? Really? Are you kidding me?’” —Martha Wash, half of The Weather Girls, on the 1982 hit “It’s Raining Men,” in an interview with The Huffington Post. The song was first offered to gay icons Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer and Cher. When the others passed (most notable being Summer, who had become a born-again Christian, and wanted to move away from gay fans), the song’s writer Paul Jabara approached Wash and Izora Armstead, reborn as The Weather Girls (to play up the song’s title). MARTHA WASH

GAY OR WHATEVER

“Millions of kids… see that it is OK to be gay. No need for shame, no need for embarrassment, no need for hiding.” —Tennis superstar Martina Navratilova, “It is horrible that we have made it MARTINA NAVRATILOVA where the Bible is a homophobic manuin an article for “Sports Illustrated” last month, commending basketball star Jason al. That’s not what the Bible is… Straight, Collins for coming out. Navratilova also mengay or whatever, lost and in need of a savior, KIRK tioned “Athlete Ally,” (athleteally.org) a group of and there’s room at the cross for all of us.” FRANKLIN gay and straight athletes who are tackling the deep rooted nature of ho—Grammy-winning Gospel artist Kirk mophobia and transphobia in sports by joining forces to raise awareness Franklin, back with his first studio album in four years, titled through campaigns and educational programming. “Losing My Religion,” in an interview last month with thegrio.com.

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22-year-old Californian allegedly wanted to join Al Qaeda because of the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage, reports The Huffington Post. Adam Shafi of Fremont, California, was arrested while attempting to board a flight to Turkey in June. The Daily Beast reports that Shafi told investigators that he wanted to go to Syria to help refugees, but feds believe he was attempting to aid terrorists and join Al Qaeda’s Syrian branch. “Adam was discouraged with the politics and direction of the United States, citing the recent Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage, and wanted to be in a country of people of similar mindset and religion as himself,” according to The Daily Beast— via a criminal complaint released by the FBI last week.

Shafi’s parents were the first to notify authorities of his potential terroristic intentions after he disappeared during a family trip to Egypt last year. The complaint also alleges that Shafi “chickened out” of joining ISIS last year because it was too brutal and killed too many Muslims, according to Pink News. And yet, he felt that Jabhat al-Nusra, which executes gay people and alleged adulterers, was a better fit for him. Shafi’s parents were the first to notify authorities of his potential terroristic intentions after he disappeared during a family trip to Egypt last year. His father warned the U.S. Embassy that Shafi might be heading to Syria, and had sent a text message to a relative saying he was going to protect Muslims, according to ABC 7. Deemed a flight risk Shafi was denied bail by a federal judge last month. n

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THECITY >> BY PAULO MURILLO <<

PHOTO COURTESY OF THEHISSFIT.COM

PATRICK VETTRAINO

Posthumous Proclamation to Patrick Vettraino

atrick J. Vettraino—known to many as drag personality Lavonia Speaks—the founder of Sassy Inc. and promoter of WeHo’s Sassy Prom, lost to his battle with cancer on December 11. At a West Hollywood City Council meeting on December 21 council members John Duran and John Heilman presented Sassy Prom organizers Bobby Trendy, Jonathan Chang and Irene Soderberg with a posthumous Proclamation commending Vettraino for his fight for equality, his work in bringing people together and for raising thousands of dollars for charities during his lifetime.

WeHo Man Convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter

ndre Davis, the man who stabbed his boyfriend, Kurtland Ma to death in their West Hollywood apartment on ANDRE March 14, 2014, was convicted of volunDAVIS (L), tary manslaughter last month, before beKURTLAND ing acquitted for second-degree murder. MA WEHOville reports that Ma, a 34 year-old emergency room doctor was stabbed 40 times and disemboweled. His organs and penis were stuffed into his mouth and pills were stuffed into a body cavity—a crime allegedly motivated after Ma broke up with Davis. Davis faces up to 12 years in state prison. His sentence is set for January 21.

Kylie Jenner Donates Gifts to L.A. LGBT Center

ylie Jenner tried to play secret Santa at the Los Angeles LGBT Center by anonymously donating gifts to homeless LGBT teens this past KYLIE JENNER Christmas, but a source outed her generosity to the media. “She wanted to give gifts to kids who don’t have any gifts to open on the holidays,” a source told Us Weekly. “She fully did it on her own.” Jim Key, Chief Marketing Officer of the Center, confirmed the story, telling Us Weekly that someone from Kylie’s team reached out asking what types of things the LGBT youth needed and items were dropped off at The Center three days later. The L.A. LGBT Center happily accepts donations all year long. To do so, visit lalgbtcenter.org. 1 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

San Diego to Offer Housing for Gay Seniors

he city of San Diego is set to offer its first lowincome apartment complex geared towards LGBT senior citizens, thanks to the efforts of Community HouseWorks, a local non-profit. A 76-unit, $27 million complex is expected to open on Texas Street and Howard Avenue in North Park, San Diego. It will be open to all seniors and will include on-site supportive services coordinated by the local LGBT Community Center. San Diego joins Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco are also cities that provide this kind of housing. The complex is projected to be completed and open to residents by the summer of 2017. ARTIST RENDERING BY JOE CORDELLE. ARCHITECTURE BY RODRIGUEZ + ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS

Planned Parenthood to Offer PEP and PrEP

lanned Parenthood in Los Angeles is among the leading organizations now offering the HIV preventing PEP and PrEP. Located on North San Vicente Boulevard in West Hollywood, Planned Parenthood will add to its existing services by offering Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) treatments to help prevent the transmission of HIV. This comes in addition to other services offered, including providing gynecological exams, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, birth control, as well as counseling and education, and abortion services. The new services will grant at risk populations access to HIV-prevention care like Truvada.

Highs, lows in HRC’s 2015 Municipal Equality Index

he Human Rights Campaign’s latest equality index ranks 408 municipalities across the nation, including 55 in California. Golden State cities averaged 73 points out of 100, well above the national average of 56. But the California scores were as low as 42 and as high as 100. West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Long Beach, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco are the eight California cities that received 100 points, while Bakersfield, Fresno, Salinas and Visalia were among cities that had the lowest scores. A city’s MEI score is based on its non-discrimination laws, recognition of relationships, its fairness and inclusiveness as an employer, its municipal services, its law enforcement, and its relationship with its LGBT community. A scorecard is posted on the HRC website at www.hrc.org/mei. n

4.875 in.

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>> IBC <<

[laughs],” Eilets tells THE FIGHT. “Our first host hotel, The Hard Rock Hotel sold out a couple of months ago,” reveals Eilets. “But never fear we have a second host hotel; The Hilton Palm Springs, located across the street from The Hard Rock- they are taking reservations as well. But you might want to reserve soon because this hotel is selling pretty quickly.”

ALL THE ACTION “Like with previous years,” says Eilets, “we are welcoming bears and admirers from all over the globe, West Coast, East Coast, Mid West, Europe and even Asia. So you see this is truly going to be an International Bear Convergence! When asked if there will be any changes in the program from last year—Eilets states that “for the past years the format has been quite successful and you know what they say.. ‘If it ain’t broke…’ “We want to make sure that the attendees have the best experience possible. One thing that is different from last year is the Host Hotels. We are at the Hard Rock Hotel & The Hilton Palm Springs— and we couldn’t be more excited. They are both fantastic spots and are right smack dab in the middle of all the action that Palm Springs has to offer; even more so than the hotel from previous years. Another addition will be that we will have 2 concerts during the weekend. On Friday night, directly from Spain DaddyB, the “I Want A Bear” singer will be performing for the first time in the US. On Saturday night we present 90’s Dance Club Diva, Kristine W who I am sure will be bringing the house down.”

WHERE THE BEARS ARE International Bear Convergence (IBC), the premier winter event for bears & their admirers takes place in Palm Springs next month, February 2-8, 2016.

BY VICTO R MELA MED

t’s that time again! The International Bear Convergence (IBC) comes to life next month in Palm Springs with DJs, live entertainment and thousands of bears from around the globe. “The last two years were hugely successful and we expect more of the same in 2016 with record-breaking attendance,” says the event’s co-producer Nino Eilets “The response has been overwhelmingly positive. With many, many repeat attendees and of course lots of first timers who have heard that this is the place to be in February, especially if you are wanting to escape a cold climate & warm up with some hot guys

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THEMED POOL PARTIES “You don’t want to miss this premier winter event for bears & admirers,” exclaims Eilets. “The desert oasis that is Palm Springs turns into a winter den at the beautiful Hard Rock Hotel for thousands of frisky, furry bears, their friends and their fans. The perfect weekend destination and one of the only US cities that boasts an average temperature of 70 degrees in February. During the day kick back like a rock star and enjoy themed pool parties with music provided by world renown DJ’s at the fabulous Hard Rock pool. With multiple bars, cabanas and outdoor lounge areas you’re destined to have a fantastic day. After the sun goes down, evenings will heat up with three highenergy dance parties.” “Weekend passes are still available at www.ibc-ps.com but only until January 20. After that you can purchase them at registration the weekend of the event while they last. Also please visit our website for a complete list of daily events. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Palm Springs and invite you to have the time of your life.” For more info visit: www.ibc-ps.com.

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JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 19

>> PUCK <<

from dissecting the 33-year-old’s career as though it were little more than a fresh corpse just arrived at the morgue,” wrote The Washington Post’s Justin Wm. Moyer last month. “So sick of celebrities abusing their position as Salling started his people who can influence the younger generation,” career in entertainment one Twitter user wrote. “The news about Mark Salling is sickening.” Another: “Disappointed to as a Christian musician. hear about the allegations against Mark Salling. I Growing up evangelical in hope those who were victimized find closure.” Crime Watch Daily, which broke the story of Dallas, some musical genres his arrest, said police used a battering ram to were verboten. “Madonna break down Salling’s door and found hundreds of images. Salling has yet to comment on the arrest. was considered the she“Though Salling… had defenders—‘Michael devil,” he said in an Jackson was an innocent man, the world’s false interview in 2010. accusations ruined him,’ one tweet reminded—the list of celebrities who recover from child porn scandals is not long,” writes Moyer. Salling started his career in entertainment as a Christian musician who once rocked in the name of the lord, reveals Moyer. Growing up evangelical in Dallas, some musical genres were verboten. “Madonna was considered the she-devil,” he said in an interview in 2010. Salling was bold enough for a trip many a rocker has unsuccessfully taken in an attempt to make it big: from the heartland to Los Angeles, and eventually got the part of “Puck” on Glee. Playing Puck, the show’s bad boy, did not come naturally, writes Moyer. “There are certain times I channel some of the douchebags I went to high school with,” Salling said in 2010. “I want to soften him up a little bit and make him a bit more accessible. He’s one of a kind.” Though Salling rocketed to fame—performing Motown at the White House, for example—he did not leave his faith behind, reveals Moyer. One track released under his own name in 2010,

What The Puck? Glee actor Mark Salling (“Puck”) arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography.

BY VICTO R MELA MED

ormer Glee star Mark Salling was arrested at his Los Angeles home on child pornography charges last month. Salling is best known for playing Noah “Puck” Puckerman on the Fox TV show Glee from 2009-15. The series has been lauded for its groundbreaking, inclusive storylines which prominently featured LGBT characters. “It should be said right away [that] Salling has not been convicted of a crime. That, however, did not prevent legions on social media

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“Higher Power,” tread familiar sacred ground, urging listeners: “You should make your peace with God.” When “Glee” ratings began to drop in 2013 Salling appeared in fewer episodes as the show wound down. That same year he was also hit with a sexual battery lawsuit from an ex-girlfriend, who alleged he had unprotected sex with her despite her request he use a condom, and was eventually ordered to pay $2.7 million, according to the terms of a settlement agreement he entered into in order to resolve the case. “You hear about fraudulent lawsuits all the time,” Salling said at the time, reports Moyer. “Until it happens to you, you really don’t grasp what it does, not to just you, but to your family …You just have to stay positive, and I personally have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I count on that myself.” In the days ahead, states Moyer, Salling—now out on $20,000 bail with a Jan. 22, 2016 court date—may need to rely on that relationship more than ever.

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THEROSTOWREPORT >> BY ANN ROSTOW <<

Whither the Gay Agenda?

Happy New Year, my dear readers of THE FIGHT. Are you quite ready for another actionpacked, suspenseful, festive and riotous twelve months of LGBT civil rights excitement? Then let’s get started, brothers and sisters in struggle! Actually, it feels as if some of our comrades in arms are claiming victory and calling it a day after our success in the fight for marriage. Evan Wolfson has closed the doors on Freedom To Marry, the New York-based national campaign he founded in 2003 with one goal in mind. That decision, of course, makes perfect sense. But it surprised a number of observers when the Empire State Pride Agenda, New York’s number one GLBT organization, declared “mission accomplished” and announced plans to disband. Empire State Pride Agenda will maintain a political action committee, but will close its policy arm and its non-profit foundation. I guess we can strike New York off the list of U.S. states that continue to put up with antigay and trans discrimination. Who knew? Meanwhile, I hear that fundraising is down across the board for community action groups who can no longer play the marriage card in their search for operating cash. The term “I hear” is an expression used in journalism meaning: “I read this somewhere a few weeks ago and can’t remember where.” Well, it doesn’t take an actual news source to figure out for ourselves that life will be different for LGBT activists in the wake of the High Court’s marriage ruling. For all the talk of backlash— and there is some backlash to be sure— most of the country has basically moved on. Indeed, it’s not the backlash that I worry about as much as the indifference to our unfinished business both from

Life will be different for LGBT activists in the wake of the High Court’s marriage ruling… It’s a lot more fun to rally around an issue like marriage, simultaneously profound and simple to grasp, than it is to generate support for antidiscrimination legislation. Yet that’s our next battleground. our allies and ourselves. It’s a lot more fun to rally around an issue like marriage, simultaneously profound and simple to grasp, than it is to generate support for anti-discrimination legislation. Yet that’s our next battleground.

Show Them The Money!

Woah! A dark cloud swept across our sunny disposition for a minute there! Let’s get back to our holiday spirits, shall we? (Cue: sound of cork popping, fizz.) Do you remember Melissa

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Klein, owner of the no-gaysplease Oregon bakery, Sweet Cakes by Melissa? The holierthan-thou entrepreneur and her Leviticus-spouting hubby, Aaron, were ordered to pay $135,000 and change to the two women that they refused to serve and subsequently dragged through a gantlet of angry Christian commentators by going public with their alleged religious persecution at the hands of the State of Oregon. Now, after refusing to shell out the penalty for nearly six months, the Kleins have finally written their check to the state Bureau of Labor and

Industries. Please note that they can well afford the fine, considering they have raised at least half a million, if not more, through crowd funding sites. The money will sit around until the Kleins have finished appealing their conviction for breaking Oregon’s laws against anti-gay discrimination, at which point it will go to the rejected lesbian brides. Meanwhile, the Kleins are running their business from their home and parading themselves online and elsewhere as martyrs to the faith. In a related story, the Washington State florist who nixed the business of a gay couple in 2013 is continuing to fight the state attorney general, who has successfully won a court case accusing her of violating the state’s consumer protection laws. Barronelle Stutzmann has only been fined a thousand dollars, but she insists that the sum will bankrupt her and she has asked the Washington Supreme Court to reverse the lower bench. And yes, she has also cashed in at least $92,000 from GoFundMe, if not more through other sites. As we go to press, Attorney General Bob Ferguson just filed a 64-page brief on behalf of our communal principles. Thanks Bob.

Family Ties

I know there are a few other bad business bullies around, but two such stories should suffice for now. In other news, Lambda Legal is pushing North Carolina to revise birth certificates for two women who have tried fruitlessly to legitimize their family paperwork for some time. Although the Tobacco State began recognizing samesex parents on birth certificates after we won marriage rights, it apparently refuses to do so retroactively. Ergo, Lambda Legal to the rescue.

> > T H E G A Y A G E N D A , M O N E Y, F A M I LY T I E S , Q U I X O T I C O R C O U R A G E O U S < <

And in Kentucky, a hint of drama still clings to the whole Kim Davis saga, since the brand new tea party governor, Matt Bevin, has ordered that clerks’ names no longer appear on marriage licenses. This change would seem to resolve the antigay clerk’s religious conflict, and really, who wants Kim Davis’s name on their marriage license to begin with? But civil libertarians worry that the ever-mutating marriage documents produced by the state of Kentucky may give rise to legal questions outside the state. Finally, in other marriage mop up news, I guess a bunch of counties in Tennessee have passed resolutions in opposition to marriage equality and have vowed to oppose our unions. I’m not sure how such pronouncements will translate into actual antigay practices, but I’m sure our ever-vigilant

lawyers will pounce at the first hint of irregularity. No one, to my knowledge, has been denied a marriage license in the Volunteer State, although one crazy judge did refuse to divorce a heterosexual couple based on the idea that the High Court’s extra-judicial gay rights ruling this summer effectively removed marriage law from the purview of the local courts. Huh?

Quixotic or Courageous?

There’s an interesting conflict developing in Michigan, where a group called Fair Michigan is busy organizing a petition drive to put a LGBT civil rights amendment on the 2016 ballot. Sounds good, right? Um, not so much. According to Equality Michigan, the Michigan ACLU and a dozen or so other repre-

sentatives of the gay establishment, the proposal will likely eat up tons of community energy, sweat, and dollars, in exchange for nothing but tears. Research seems to indicate that Michiganders are by no means ready to add sexual orientation and gender identity to anti-bias language in the Mitten State constitution. And note that this is the same form of research that accurately predicted the (crushing) defeat of Houston’s LGBT rights ordinance last November. Fair Michigan, on the other hand, has generated happy sounding polling data and seems optimistic that the amendment would coast to victory. As a rule, I tend to line up behind the LGBT establishment like an obedient puppy. Why? Because I have learned through 20 years of observation that they are usually correct. I’m not

talking about the Human Rights Campaign (which wasted years on the horrific Employment Nondiscrimination Act). I’m talking about coalitions, such as this one, when fifteen or twenty gay rights groups come to the same conclusion. Do not file a federal marriage case in Oklahoma. Do not run a marriage electoral campaign in Ohio. Do not challenge Prop 8 in federal court. These were sensible recommendations back in the day and I’m guessing “do not try to amend the Michigan constitution in 2016,” is probably wise as well. Equality Michigan and company believe they can make progress through the legislature over the next few years, and worry that a losing campaign will set them back. Well, assuming Fair Michigan can gather 316,000 signatures by July 11, I guess we’re going to find out. n

JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 23

> > C O V E R F E AT U R E < <

LOOKBACKINSHAME Michael Weinstein’s Anti-PrEP Crusade is a betrayal of AHF’s own mission to provide cutting-edge care.

eople say nobody is angry about HIV anymore. But that’s untrue. I’m angry. I’m angry that I spent the first 24 years of my life terrified that I would get HIV, and the subsequent decade equally terrified I’d give it to someone else. I’m angry that AIDS deprived me of an entire generation of potential mentors, friends and heroes. And I’m angry that I had to learn how to be gay in AOL chatrooms. I’m angry that every single time someone calls me—in that same breathless, shattered tone—and asks me what they’re supposed to do now that they, or someone they love more than anything in the world, has tested positive for HIV. I’m angry that I’ve answered that call more times in the last five years than I care to remember. I’m angry that I knew what AIDS was before I knew what sex was. I’m angry that HIV has become my life. HIV makes me angry. I’m angry all the time. But few things stoke my anger like the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and its CEO, Michael Weinstein.

Campaign To Smear This month the AHF is rolling out a new ad campaign entitled “PrEP: The Revolution That Didn’t Happen.” 2 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

BY BRENDEN SHUCART

AHF’s Michael Weinstein

In fact this “editorial advertisement” (marketing-speak for paid ads designed to blend innocuously into the surrounding magazine) is only the most recent salvo in Weinstein’s long running campaign to smear PrEP, it’s adherents, and advocates by claiming that PrEP is a “failure,” using inaccurate and outof-date data to make PrEP seem unpopular when the actual number of individuals taking Truvada to prevent contracting HIV is probably closer to 30,000.

“Getting To Zero”

Scheduled to appear in a number of publications that cater to the LGBTQ communities—including the Florida Agenda, Washington DC’s Metro Weekly and Washington Blade the South Florida Gay News, Gay City News in New York City, Dallas Voice, Georgia Voice, as well as Frontiers and the Bay Area Reporter here in California—the purpose of this paid advertisement is to discredit PrEP and stigmatize those who would adopt it— despite the fact that PrEP is almost 100% effective at preventing the spread of HIV.

Widespread adoption of a new medical intervention often takes a decade or more, yet in the last year new prescriptions for PrEP have jumped 335 percent. Wienstein has called PrEP a “party drug” and claims it’s only for people “who have multiple partners and never use condoms,” despite the fact that most people contract HIV from an intimate partner who themselves are unaware of their status; despite the fact that only 46 percent of gay men use a condom every time, and inconsistent condom use is about as effective at preventing the spread of HIV as never using a condom at all. They call PrEP unproven Even though the City of San Francisco has made PrEP an integral part of its “Getting to Zero” campaign, and as a result new infections in that city have dropped to 300. Can you

>> MICHAEL WEINSTEIN <<

imagine it? 300 new HIV infections in a city which for my entire life has been a byword for “faggots dying of AIDS.”

Practically A Holocaust AIDS has claimed the lives of more than 630,000 people in the United States alone. That’s the population of Washington D.C. Another 1.2 million are living with the virus, and more than 60% of them are gay or trans. Another 50,000 are diagnosed every year; 44% of whom will be black, despite African Americans making up 12% of the population. If you are black and gay in America there is a 1 in 3 chance you will contract HIV. That’s what 34 years of condoms and testing have given us; practically a holocaust of the gay and trans communities, and another on the horizon for the black community. We have spent the better part of three decades barely holding back the tide, and that was the best we could hope for. But now we have PrEP, and PrEP has the potential to end the AIDS epidemic. To reject PrEP is to betray AHF’s own mission: “Cutting Edge Medicine and Advocacy Regardless of Ability to Pay.”

Not Against Condoms PrEP is the very cutting edge of the fight against HIV. Yet Weinstein and AHF would have us double down on the status quo. Pursuing the same course of action while expecting a different result is the very definition of insanity. They call PrEP “unproven,” but the only alternative they offer is a proven failure. I’m not against condoms. Proper condom use needs to be a central part of sex education. But if condoms could have brought an end to AIDS by themselves, AIDS would be over by now. By almost any metric PrEP is a superior HIV prevention tool than condoms; I know we aren’t supposed to say that, but it’s true. It is almost 100 percent effective when taken every day as directed. It continues to offer considerable protection even if a dose is missed. And it allows for more pleasure and more intimacy than most people tend to experience with condoms. Fact is, the one way in which condoms beat PrEP is by protecting against a broad spectrum of STIs; but as a method of ending the HIV epidemic condoms have been tested over the last three decades—and they have failed spectacularly.

Spreading Misinformation In the coming months, young queers all around the country are going to open these papers and think that PrEP can’t protect them from HIV, or that it’s only “a good solution for individuals who have multiple partners and never use condoms,” (you know, sluts who don’t care about themselves or their community). They aren’t going to take PrEP because the same fucking ad doesn’t tell them that the majority of people who get HIV get it from a partner ignorant of their status. Because of this ad, people who need PrEP aren’t going to take it. Because of this ad, the HIV epidemic is going stretch out just a little bit longer than it needs to. It’s a travesty, and Michael Weinstein bears personal responsibility for it. And he does not bare that responsibility alone.

Those who have enabled this crusade to stigmatize the most effective HIV prevention tool in existence will come to the end of their days and look back in shame at the lies they helped to propagate.

Equally culpable are the members of AHF’s board of supervisors, who sit idly by while Weinstein diverts funds from the AIDS service organization they are stewarding, to spread misinformation likely to lead to new HIV infections, as well as the magazines who deliver that misinformation.

Publishers’ Compromises I know as well as anyone, the publishing industry is in dire straits, and probably no corner of it has been hit harder than the magazines and news weeklies which serve queer communities all across America. I have seen firsthand the sorts of unenviable compromises publishers and editors are forced to make in order to keep their magazines and papers on the shelves, the Faustian bargains struck to keep the doors open and lights on.

But this time the price is too high. Those who have enabled this crusade to stigmatize the most effective HIV prevention tool in existence will come to the end of their days and look back in shame at the lies they helped to propagate.

Unacceptable Status Quo There is no real debate. In 2015, if you aren’t serious about PrEP, you aren’t serious about ending the HIV epidemic. Period. The status quo is unacceptable and PrEP’s efficacy is unassailable. If you agree with me, I hope you will join me in contacting the members of AHF’s board of supervisors, and the magazines these anti-PrEP ads are running in and let them know. • Cynthia Davis, MPH, Chair of the Board, tel: 323-563-9309, email: cynthiadavis@cdrewu.edu. • Rodney L. Wright, MD, Senior Vice President, tel: 718-904-2767, email: rwright@montefiore.org. • Diana Hoorzuk, Global Vice Chair, tel: 323-860-5200, email: diana.hoorzuk@aidshealth.org. • Steve L. Carlton, Esq., Treasurer, tel: 323-860-5200, email: steve.carlton@aidshealth.org. • Scott Galvin, Secretary, tel: 305-895-9815 or 305-895-9818, email: scott@scott-galvin.com. • Agapito Diaz, tel: 323-860-5200, email: agapito.diaz@aidshealth.org. • William Arroyo, MD, tel: 213-738-6152, email: william.arroyo@aidshealth.org. • Mary Ashley RN, MPH, tel: 323-860-5200, email: mary.ashley@aidshealth.org. • Curley L. Bonds, MD, tel: 310-668-3588, email: curleybonds@cdrewu.edu. • Condessa Curley, MD, tel: 213-840-1368, email: ccurley@ProjectAfricaGlobalInc.org. • Judith Marsh, Fundraiser for political campaigns and not-for-profit organizations, tel: 323-860-5200, email: judith.marsh@aidshealth.org. • Lawrence Peters, MS, Media, sales, and nonprofit consultant/advisor, tel: 323-860-5200, email: lawrence.peters@aidshealth.org. • Elizabeth Mendia, tel: 562-693-2247, email: emendia@wrhap.org. • Anita Ann Williams, RN, tel: 213-840-1368, email: suwanneeneat@yahoo.com. Brenden Shucart is a frequent contributor to THE FIGHT and former editor of Positive Frontiers. He sits on the board of the HIV & Hep-C advocacy nonprofit, Project Inform. JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 25

THESPREAD 2 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

SOMETHING NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT YOU: “I’M REALLY A NICE PERSON UNDERNEATH THE DOUCHEY BODY.”

PET PEEVE: “I DON’T LIKE RACISM AND PSEUDO CONSERVATISM. AS A MINORITY WE SHOULD BE MORE UNDERSTANDING OF OTHER MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.”

HOBBIES: GOING TO THE GYM AND BECOMING A COMPETITIVE WEST COAST SWING DANCER.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: “DEPENDS ON WHO IS ASKING.”

AFTER WORK: A MEMBER AND SECRETARY OF ONYX’S EMERGING SOUTHWEST CHAPTER.

OCCUPATION: ACADEMIC RESEARCHER, FOCUSING ON ISSUES OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY, MASCULINITY AND CULTURE.

AGE: 26

PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM

JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 27

THETRANSACTION >> TRANS PRIDE L.A. <<

STAYING ALIVE

New report on transgender experiences in sex work recommends decriminalization. BY O RLY LYO N N E

he Red Umbrella Project (RedUP), the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), and Best Practices Policy Project (BPPP) released a groundbreaking report last month on the experiences of transgender people in the sex trade. “Meaningful Work: Transgender Experiences in the Sex Trade” presents new data and analysis from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS), first published in 2011 and still the largest-ever published survey of transgender people in the United States. Meaningful Work is the first in depth look at the 694 NTDS respondents (11% of the survey total) who reported sex trade experience. In 2011, the NTDS reported that transgender people experience high levels of discrimination in every area of life, as

well as high levels of poverty, unemployment, homelessness, negative interactions with police, incarceration, and violent victimization.

Discrimination And Marginalization One result of this widespread discrimination is that many transgender people engage in sex work to earn income or trade sex for housing or other needs. Meaningful Work takes a deeper look at those respondents who traded sex for income: • an overwhelming majority (69%) had experienced a negative job outcome such as being fired or denied a job because of being transgender, • nearly half (48%) had experienced homelessness, and nearly a third (31%) lived on less than $10,000 a year. The criminalization and

stigmatization of commercial sex can worsen the discrimination and marginalization that transgender people already face. Transgender sex workers reported high levels of harassment and violence, often at the hands of police: 64% reported being mistreated and nearly one in 10 were sexually assaulted by police. The report also found striking racial disparities, with Black and Latina/o transgender people are far more likely to report any sex trade experience (44% and 33%). Transgender people of color with sex trade experience reported far higher levels of poverty, mistreatment, and negative health outcomes than their white counterparts.

Opportunity And Dignity To address these disparities, the report makes several policy recommendations, including the full decriminalization of sex work. National LGBT organizations including NCTE recently joined Amnesty International and the World Health Organization in calling for decriminalization on the grounds that criminalizing sex work prevents sex workers from seeking help from police, needed services, or other employment and impedes HIV prevention efforts. Other recommendations include reforming policing practices and investing in voluntary, non-judgmental, and harm reduction-based social services. The report also urges LGBT organizations and other community groups to prioritize work with sex workers themselves in developing solutions that meet people’s needs for

safety, health, and opportunity. “Trading sex for money is an act of resilience by so many trans people, in the face of tremendous societal violence and discrimination,” said Darby Hickey, Policy Adviser at BPPP and a transgender woman former sex worker. “This report shows how criminal laws, policing, and anti-sex worker stigma combine with anti-transgender bias, producing terrible results. Trans sex workers, particularly women of color, know what the solutions are and it is past time that LGBT groups center their experiences and wisdom.” “We can’t ignore the fact that so many transgender people, particularly in communities of color, have had experience in the sex trade, often simply as a means of getting by,” said Harper Jean Tobin, Director of Policy at NCTE. “This means of survival, however, too often comes along with increased risk of violence, HIV, and barriers to health care and other supports–all of which are made worse by criminalizing sex work. All people involved in the sex trade, whatever their circumstances, deserve safety, opportunity, and dignity.” The National Center for Transgender Equality is the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people. For more information go to www.transequality.org. The Best Practices Policy Project (BPPP) is dedicated to supporting organizations and advocates working with sex workers, people in the sex trade and related communities in the United States. For more information go to www.bestpracticespolicy.org.

“We can’t ignore the fact that so many transgender people, particularly in communities of color, have had experience in the sex trade, often simply as a means of getting by.” 2 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 29

>> JORDAN GOODWIN <<

What is Meet (the app)? How does it work? It’s sort of like Tinder meets Reddit. There are hundreds of groups covering all sorts of communities, interests, and occupations; actors, bookworms, cancer survivors, and so on. You can be a part of as many of these communities as you want, to find neighbors who care about the same stuff you do—and there’s a chat section to join conversations happening nearby. What problem does Meet solve? There’s tons of ways to find people for dates “Making and hookups, but there’s really no decent friends is hard— way to find a colleague or friend nearby. That’s what we aim for: to connect especially once you people nearby through shared interests.

BRENDEN SHUCART (L), JORDAN GOODWIN

are out of school—and Why do you feel compelled to help it sucks being lonely! … people make friends? When I moved to L.A. in Making friends is hard—especially my mid-twenties I found once you are out of school—and it sucks being lonely! I spent almost my ennew friends were tire life in Michigan and I have an amazing hard to come network of friends there. But when I moved to L.A. in my mid-twenties I found new friends by.”

MEET (THE APP)

Jordan Goodwin’s new social media platform helps people make friends with similar interests—a sort of “Grindr for everything else.”

BY BREN D EN SH U CA RT

t can be strangely difficult to make friends in the Digital Age, the vast oceans of the internet have a way of making islands of us despite our constant connection. My fiancé, Jordan Goodwin, has a plan to harness those waters and bend them to the purpose of turning strangers into friends. His solution to the loneliness problem is Meet (the app), a new social media platform which combines geolocation and group chat to help individuals connect with people in the world around them who share their interests, outlooks, and ideals—a sort of “Grindr for everything else.” Why don’t you tell the readers a little bit about yourself? I’m 30-years-old, I grew up just outside of Detroit, and I live in Hollywood with my fiancé—that’s you—and our two great dogs. You and I recently launched an app designed to help people make friends; we call it “Meet (the app).” They are pretty great dogs, aren’t they? How did you come to find yourself in the City of Angels? I originally moved out to L.A. for a programming gig and from there I pretty quickly got recruited by Grindr, where I had the privilege of working for about about three years before leaving to start Meet.

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were hard to come by.

What did you learn at Grindr that has helped you with Meet? I learned a lot at Grindr! Meet (the app) isn’t a dating network, but a lot of the principles are the same; I wanted it to be simple, intuitive, and get out of the way so people can connect. I’ve always been really interested in the way we use technology to interact with each other, and I think now that dating apps have made people comfortable with meeting people off the internet they are ready to do so for reasons other than romance. How is Meet different from other apps designed to connect people? It’s great to connect with people on Twitter, Tumblr, etc., who you share a lot in common with—but chances are that person is going to live across the country, if not on another continent. Facebook is useful for staying in touch with people who are already an important part of your life, but it isn’t great for meeting new people. At Meet we focus on introducing you to people around you who share your interest. Who is Meet for? Well, right now our most robust community is definitely vegans, and it has really taken off in Barcelona. Recently we’ve also seen a lot of activity among PrEP users, dog lovers, and Game of Thrones fans—but there’s really something for everyone. It’s all about connecting you with new friends nearby. What does the future hold for meet? We’re really excited to be moving into a new office on Hollywood Boulevard in early January. As we grow, we need help with development and building new communities, so we’re looking for tech and marketing guys, advisors, and investors! Reach out to us: hello@meet-the-app.com. Meet (the app) is an app to help people make friends with similar interests; it is available for free in the App Store for iOS phones. You can learn more about Meet (the app) at meet.is.

>> SQUIRT <<

From Holland With Love Despite a number of complaints gay Squirt.org ad campaign will remain at train stations throughout the country. BY O RLY LYO N N E

utdoor advertisements for the gay hook-up app Squirt will not be banned in the Netherlands, despite a number of complaints, reports PinkNews.co.uk. Squirt had put up the large signs and posters at major train stations across Rotterdam, Amsterdam Utrecht and The Hague. Despite a number of complaints, the Advertising Standards Board (ASB) has ruled in favor of the site – and will al-

low the campaign to continue, reports PinkNews.co.uk. One complaint said: “It is highly inappropriate that such a website is being promoted in the public space.” The second complainant claimed that the ad was designed to entice children into visiting the website, while a third said it was “truly sickening and shocking.” However, the ASB found that the ads met “the necessary precautions… in the

context of good taste and public decency.” It added that while the models are topless, they are not “shown in a sexually provocative pose” or “suggesting any sexual acts.” The app’s ads were previously removed from trains in Canada – after the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) claimed they encouraged gay commuters to “break the law.” TTC spokesperson Danny Nicholson said: “The ad was taken down as it promoted sex in public places, which is against the law.” In this country, reports The Advocate, Squirt billboards in Dallas met with similar opposition.

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JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 31

>> LEATHERMEN <<

RUTH BADER GINSBURG DOLLY DOLPHIN KATE MULGREW

RUTHERFORD HAYES POPE FRANCIS

ANTHONY KENNEDY

THE MORE YOU KNOW Ann Rostow’s highly anticipated, most revered, insanely popular annual news quiz. BY ANN ROSTOW

on’t you hate end of year tests and reviews? Yes, me too, with the salient exception of my own clever version of the genre. I started this annual quiz in order to carve out time for myself over Christmas and New Years, but it turns out the damn thing is far more labor intensive than writing a column. Now, however, tradition has set in and I am committed to the yearly exercise. I recognize that several of these questions have little or nothing to do with our valiant battle for civil rights. But loyal readers will recognize that much of this GLBT news column has little or nothing to do with our community anyway, so the challenge is a fair one. That said, let’s begin!

In Obergefell v Hodges, Justice Kennedy ruled that: a) the Equal Protection Clause requires same-sex couples to be treated the same as heterosexual couples as far as marriage is concerned. b) Same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry under the Due Process Clause. c) Sexual orientation discrimination must be evaluated using heightened legal scrutiny. d) 3 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

Laws against same-sex marriage comprise an unconstitutional form of sex discrimination. e) All of the above.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg said she fell asleep during the State of the Union speech because: a) she stayed up all the previous night writing an opinion since she had a “hot pen.” b) She was taking medication for tinnitus. c) She drank too much at dinner with Justice Kennedy. d) President Obama employed a “hypnotic cadence.”

According to an Eighth Circuit ruling last January, a woman who was constructively fired for pumping breast milk on the job had no case for sex discrimination because: a) Her boss was a lesbian. b) The majority of her colleagues were women. c) Her baby was in child care. d) Men technically have the capacity to lactate.

Judgment call. The 2015 hypocrisy award, men’s category, goes to: a) The former conservative Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert of Illinois, who abused a student when he was a wrestling coach at

Yorkville High School. b) Matthew Makela, the right wing Michigan pastor and father of two who told the guys on Grindr that he liked to cuddle naked. c) Boyd Holder, of Kingsport, Tennessee, who embezzled $100,000 from his church and was caught having gay sex in a van. d) Todd Courser, the married first term tea party Michigan state representative who fabricated a gay sex scandal in order to divert attention from the affair he was having with an also-married female colleague. e) Randy Boehning, the antigay North Dakota state representative who was caught sending selfie dick pics to other men.

True or False. We learned this year that: a) Doctors in the 19th Century recommended cocaine as a cure for lesbianism. b) Marilyn Monroe had seven toes on her left foot. c) Kate Mulgrew of Orange is the New Black came out of the closet. d) A California man filed a ballot initiative that called for gays and lesbians to be put to death. e) The Russian iPhone’s version of Siri refuses to answer questions about anything gay. f) Pope Francis bought a copy of “Poco Ouvo,” a children’s book,

>> NEWS QUIZ <<

In which of these localities was marriage equality not legalized in 2015? a) Scotland. b) The Faroe Islands. c) Chihauhau, Mexico. d) Guam. e) The United States. f) Transylvania. g) Pitcairn Islands. h) Ireland.

Last year, we learned about a dolphin named Dolly, who reportedly: a) Had a sexual affair with an author in the 1970s. b) Helped a pregnant woman give birth in mid-ocean. c) Fell in love with a female orca named Cindy. d) Saved the lives of two lesbians who were vacationing in Hawaii.

Sylvia Driscoll was: a) A Nebraska woman who filed a seven-page handwritten federal lawsuit against “homosexuals,” on behalf of God and His son,

Jesus Christ. b) A lesbian from St. Petersburg, Florida, who was arrested after attacking her ex with a dildo during a police-supervised visit to retrieve her property. c) A hotel manager in West Des Moines, who called 911 to report two transgender guests because they were dressed “over the top” and might have been “hookers.” d) A party-goer in Manchester who attacked her gay friends with a broom under the influence of “bubble.”

Which of the following companies did not run commercials featuring gay or lesbian characters last year? a) Campbell’s Soup, b) Wells Fargo, c) Tide, d) Doritos, e) Chobani.

Aside from the High Court’s marriage ruling, the most significant gay rights development in 2015 was: a) Abandoning the fight for the Employment Nondiscrimination Act in favor of the Equality Act. b) The EEOC’s decision to interpret Title VII to ban sexual orientation bias in the workplace. c) The High Court’s decision to return visitation rights to a lesbian mother in Alabama pending further litigation. d) A

New York federal court decision calling for heightened scrutiny of transgender discrimination. e) The national outcry, particularly from business leaders, that greeted an antigay religious freedom proposal in Indiana.

Answers 1. b) Did you pick all of the above? Nope. The decision was fairly narrow. 2. c) (“I wasn’t 100 percent sober,” she admitted). 3. d) ! 4. Five-way tie. (A cop out, I know.) 5. a) True, b) False (she had six toes on her left foot), c) False, d) True (the “sodomite suppression act”), e) True, f) False (the author sent him a copy), g) False (to the best of our knowledge). h) True. 6. a) (Scotland welcomed marriage in 2014) and f) (Transylvania? Really?). 7. a) (She did it for love, reportedly.) 8. a) (The case was tossed, but why was it even looked at?) 9. c) (Tide ran a gay ad in Canada last year, and someone recently created a terrific spec ad for the company making fun of Kim Davis.) and d) (Doritos created a limited run of rainbow chips to support the It Gets Better project, but they didn’t run an ad.) 10. b) (A matter of opinion perhaps.)

written by a lesbian, that tells the story of a little egg who meets different types of people and families. g) Rutherford B. Hayes, our 19th president, was bisexual. h) Archaeologists in the Czech Republic discovered the earliest known grave of a gay man, dating from 2900 to 2500 BC.

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THE WORLD ACCORDING TO BRAD JAN

Fitness model and entrepreneur Brad Jan on beautiful people, maintaining his physique, plastic surgery and his firm belief that “we should all be multifaceted.”

ust because beauty is skin deep—one shouldn’t immediately jump to the conclusion that the stunningly hot, world renowned fitness model and entrepreneur Brad Jan is superficial, vapid, shallow, vacuous or lacking in substance. One could say, charitably, that this California native is a confident, young, assertive businessman who knows what he wants and where he is going. And what’s wrong with that? Over the past few years Brad Jan has made quite a splash in fitness markets around the world including Miami, New York, Paris, and Hollywood. His entrepreneurial goals have led him to launch his very own signature fragrance, modestly entitled “Brad Jan.” In an interview with celebrity interior decorator, fashion designer and television personality Bobby Trendy for THE FIGHT— Jan shares his views, ever so succinctly, in an adorable stream of consciousness kind of way, on beautiful people, modeling, maintaining his physique, plastic surgery and his firm belief that “we should all be multifaceted.” How would you describe your childhood? I was surrounded by young and beautiful people. I can’t stand ugliness. Were you ever bullied as a kid? People were and are exceptionally nice

3 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

BY BO BBY TRENDY | PHOTOS BY DUSTI CUNNI NGHAM

to me… An ex left me with a scar on my face, but I kind of like it more that way. it adds character.

“I feel pretty lucky that I can do what I like best in perfect condition. As doctors and scientist spend years becoming accomplished in their field, so do models as I have for the last 25 years.” When did you come out to yourself, and to others? I forgot. What was the coming out process like for you? It was the same after as before I came out. Why did you decide to go into modeling? I’m never content with just being average, that’s what keeps me motivated.

What do you particularly like—and dislike—about modeling? Some ugly people are cool. What I hate most is ugly, nasty people. Are you more like your mother or father? I’m more like my father. He used to say “you look like me, but not as good.” And this is typically the kind of line I use. Do you read or watch TV? I actually don’t have a TV; you don’t need one living in Beverly Hills… and I’m just a model, quite superficial. Models look at fashion and fitness magazines, right? What’s your diet like? I eat meat sometimes because my doctor wants me to—I prefer fish. I don’t like animals being butchered, but I don’t like humans to be butchered either, which is apparently popular in the world. What’s your ethnic background? I don’t talk about this, but I’m a Santa Barbara native. My father’s side is Greek, mothers side is Italian, from Monaco originally. So basically I’m white, with a tan. What are your political views? I’m into aesthetics. Let Obama do his job. Not really into voting either.

>> BRAD JAN <<

How do you keep such a healthy attitude? I feel pretty lucky that I can do what I like best in perfect condition. As doctors and scientist spend years becoming accomplished in their field, so do models as I have for the last 25 years. Are you interested in DNA testing to find out if there’s something remarkable in your genetic makeup? You can see me clearly as is. No need for DNA testing. It’s like asking a woman to remove her bra. Take what you need and leave the rest. How do you feel about plastic surgery? Anything that makes you look or feel better, go for it... if you need it. Hollywood is known for a lifestyle of excess and frivolity with unintended consequences, but I don’t believe in wasting. I wasn’t raised that way. How often do you workout to maintain your physique? I’m quite spontaneous, some weeks I workout a few times, others I don’t at all. If you were not a model—what other profession would you like to have been in? I believe we should all be multifaceted and not just designated to one profession, that’s boring. Art comes natural to me, it’s like a heart beat. turning art into a business is interesting too. But thats what other people are for. What made you decide to launch your signature fragrance, Brad Jan? It was just like an explosion in my mind. It just came naturally. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I don’t celebrate the past. I’m more into the day and moment and even the future. I don’t know what the future holds, it depends on my mood. I let the future come to me instead of chasing after it. Tell us something no one knows about you. Simpletons think I’m insane. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? I have a snow white Labradoodle. His name is Robo. His favorite food is seafood. Just like me. JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 35

THEBODY >> S K I N R E J U V I N AT I O N <<

THE VAMPIRE FACELIFT

Restores shape, improves tone and texture, rejuvenates new and younger tissue.

ecently seen on an episode of “Kim and Kourtney Take Miami,” “The Vampire FaceLift” has been gaining traction as a highly effective cosmetic procedure. Developed by Dr. Charles Runels, The Vampire Facelift Procedure uses your own blood to prepare highly concentrated platelets and tissue building elements (Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP). During the Vampire Facial, PRP is injected under the eyes, forehead, and smile lines as well as into deep wrinkles to stimulate collagen regrowth - allowing the area to tighten and regain the youthful glow you once had. Skin rejuvenation with PRP can also be done on the neck, Décolleté, and back of hands as well. PRP can also be applied topically and penetrated deep into the skin with the use of the MicroNeedle Pen. “Where going green is the trend in preserving health, the human blood has become the key in sustaining youth,” states Aaron Sinai of Cosmetic Laser Medspa.

DR. YAMINI

“Where we once used Dermal Fillers, we now use the Plasma within the blood as a treatment. More and more patients do this procedure instead of HA [hyaluronic acid] fillers,” reveals Sinai This procedure can be used to treat “smile lines” and other unwanted folds and wrinkles on the face in a similar fashion to dermal fil, l ike Restylane and Juvederm. “It differs from them in that it does not involve the injection of a foreign substance into the skin. As a result, the rare but potentially serious allergic reac-

tions seen with these products are less following the injection of PRP,” explains Sinai. “The results are truly amazing!” says Doctor Yamini, the Medical Director of Cosmetic Laser Medspa. As the leading provider of the Vampire Facelift in Southern California, Doctor Yamini trains other physicians on this unique procedure. “The HA fillers do little to improve skin tone and texture. Unlike most procedures, the Vampire Facelift offers a way of both restoring shape, and improving tone and texture, as well as literally rejuvenating new and younger tissue. Prices are often the same as fillers and results lasts up to 15 months!” To book a free consultation, contact Cosmetic Laser Medspa at 310-499-2440.

It’s Time To Join

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Child of the ‘‘70s is the new black!

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>> BDSM <<

CROWN OFLEATHER BDSM Educator & “Pro-Dom” Shae Flanigan is resurrecting the Ms. Los Angeles Leather after a 17-year-hiatus, bringing a renewed sense of unity to the Southland’s Leather community.

s far back as she can remember, Shae Flanigan has always been kinky. Where most kids play “tag,” she played ‘kidnapper.’ “I remember trying to tie myself up, just to see if i would be able to get out of it, because I was curious If i could.” She almost broke her wrist once when her mom came home early. When she was eight, before she had the internet to offer instruction, Shae had imagination—and a roll of duct tape, which she used to make her first corset. “I can’t even express to you how painful that was to try to remove in the shower.” She grew up in the Pacific North West, a self-described “total tomboy.” According to Shae, all of her friends were boys whom she loved to wrestle and tickle. Shae self-identifies as “queer,” because though 99.99% of her partners are female, gender-queer, or genderfluid, in her words, “Every now and then there is someone with amazing energy who slips through that loop. I’m an energy player first and foremost.” In her first high school relationship “we just naturally fell into the roles of dominate and submissive—and that was before I knew anyone else did these things. We felt like the two freaks on the planet.” “I was 15 and he was 17. He was wonderful, and he was flamboyant, and he was fantastic. And he frankly made a better girl than a boy, and I helped him with that. He became my ‘sissy maid,’ and that was our relationship.” Eventually Shae made her way to Los Angels, a city she called home for ten years. “I like to say it took me about that long to dry out.” She still considers L.A. to be her home, 3 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

BY BRENDEN SHUCART

though recently an illness in her family has compelled Shae to return the Pacific North West in order to become a full-time caretaker.

OFTEN THE PROTECTORS In 2014, Shae was the inaugural recipient of the Ms. Sanctuary Leather title, an honor that she is clearly very proud of— but more for what the title represents and the values that it embodies than as a mark of personal achievement.

In her first high school relationship “we just naturally fell into the roles of dominate and submissive—and that was before I knew anyone else did these things. We felt like the two freaks on the planet.” “Sanctuary is a very cool title—it’s the first leather/pro-dom hybrid. There has never been another one like it.” Shae tells me that there has been a long-running stigma against pro-dons (i.e. “professional dominate,” the preferred nomenclature for what is often called a “dominatrix”), that they aren’t really “Leather.” “But if people look back in their history, they’d know pro-doms were often the protectors of the women’s community. For a long period of time, especially in the ‘70s; pro-

doms used to be the ones who kept the play parties safe. For people to find the location of the play party, they had to first play with the pro-dom—prove that they weren’t cops—and only then would they be given the location, after she vetted them.” It was the pro-dom, sticking her neck out, risking arrest, for the community. “A lot of people forget that history,” says Shae. Ms. Sanctuary Leather was also the first L.A.-wide Women’s title since the shortlived original Ms. L.A. Leather went into hiatus in 1999, and as a result Shae felt a calling to be an ambassador for the city’s Women’s Leather community. “I spent my year introducing myself, because we haven’t had an L.A. title roaming around the country.” Many people Shae encountered didn’t even know L.A. had a women’s community. These experiences inspired her decision to resurrect the Ms. L.A. Leather. Already an experienced pro-dom and a BDSM educator when she came into her title, Shae was able to use her teaching to help support her journey. “And I just kept going—event, to event, to event. My goal for my year was to go as far as my bank account would take me, and then some.” Even an inheritance Shae received that year ended being being channeled into her travels. “Because we didn’t have a Ms. L.A. during my year, I rocked out like I was Ms. L.A. which is what helped me get the idea of exactly what I wanted this contest to be, and why I felt so strongly that we needed to have this title back.”

THE “SASH-SPOUSE” In Los Angeles there are ten titles which “feed” into the Mr. L.A. Leather contest: Mr. Christopher St. West Leather, Mr.

>> SHAE FLANIGAN <<

Sister Leather, Mr. Sanctuary Leather, Mr. Regiment, Mr. SoCal Leather, Mr. L.A. Leather Bear, Eagle L.A. Mr. Leather, Mr. Oil Can Harry’s Leather, Mr. Bullet Leather, & Mr. Pistons Leather. Whoever of them wins Mr. L.A. Leather goes on to compete at International Mr. Leather, while the First Runner-up goes on to compete at American Brotherhood Weekend in Chicago. Ms. Los Angeles Leather was recently accepted under the auspices of the L.A. Leather Coalition—the organization that owns and supports the Mr. Los Angeles Leather title. Ms. L.A. Leather will be considered the “sash-spouse” to Mr. L.A. Leather. And it’s feeders will be Ms. Sanctuary & Ms. Bullet. The competition is open to any femaleidentified person, of any orientation. Whoever wins Ms. L.A. Leather will have her choice to go on to Women’s International Legacy Weekend, or International Ms. Leather—which is equivalent to International Mister Leather.

Ms. Sanctuary Leather title she is Shae’s “sash-daughter,” and she credits Shae not only with building up the institutions on the community of Leather Women, but also building bridges between it and the other Leather communities. “I think the Trans community is carving its own space out, but there is a Heterosexual community, a Men’s space, and a Woman’s space. In my year I have tried to bridge those gaps, blending those communities. She definitely started it.

THE SOCAL SISTERS In 2014, Shae reached out to Ms. SoCal Leather and Ms. San Diego Leather and together they established the SoCal Sisters, a parallel to the Los Angeles Band of Brothers–a fraternal brotherhood of past and current “Mr. Leather” titleholders in the greater L.A. area. “I was tasked with forming it... on stage when they made me Ms. Sanctuary.” “One of our main goals is to try to keep women from having to reinvent the wheel every single time, because it’s hard. You get a title and it takes about three months to get your feet under you and figure out what you’re doing. And then it takes you a bit longer to figure out what you want to do with your year. And then by the time you are actually comfortable in your boots, your year is coming to an end.” “We need to help each other and be a good network of support for each other. So anytime someone has a question, they have this sisterhood behind them.”

THE GODDESS MOON Part of that sisterhood is the Goddess Moon. As the second recipient of the

that, we need to come together; we need to come together as a community.” According to Goddess Moon, there is a “certain generation” who believes that men should have their own spaces and not co-mingle, especially at the bars. She attributes this kind of thinking as a hangover from a time when sex in leather bars was a common occurrence. “They didn’t want women around because they’d cut into their cruising ability. I think it was a perception that women would be a hindrance on their ability to cruise and have sex in the bar. And there are women who don’t want to see a man’s penis—I’m not one of them, I don’t care. You want to suck a dick in a corner? Go suck a dick in a corner. I’m here to socialize and hang out with my brothers and sisters.” Interestingly, Goddess Moon had never been to a leather bar before receiving her title. “I didn’t know that I was welcome.” But the first time she stepped into Bullet she received a hearty congratulations and express invitation from Michael Lara, the owner. “He has been amazing to our Women’s Community. In fact, he just held his first Women’s Title. It is the first bar title for a woman in L.A. and he did it knowing he might lose customers, and he didn’t care. He said it was about community.”

THE COMPETITION

“There have been several women in our community—from San Diego up to the Bay Area—who have for years been trying to bridge the gap between the Men’s and Women’s communities. And saying ‘we have our space when we need our space.’ Particularly when it comes to playing—sometimes women just want to play with women and men just want to play with men—that’s fine. We all need our individual spaces some times. But when it comes to the bars, when it comes to the conventions and things like

The Ms. Los Angeles Leather competition is scheduled take place over Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, January 15 - 18, 2016. Friday at 6pm there is a “meet & greet” with the contestants at Rough Trade Gear, 3915 W Sunset Blvd, 90029 which will include raffles, prizes and contestant number draw. Saturday the contestants are interviewed. Sunday the competition will be held at the Threshold Society, 11300 Hartland St, North Hollywood, 91605. At 5pm the doors open for cocktails, cigars & bootblacking. The contest begins at 6pm and afterward there will be a play party. Monday from 3:00pm – 7:00pm, the Victory BBQ is at Bullet Bar, 10522 Burbank Blvd, Los Angeles, 91601. JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 39

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>> BY PAULO MURILLO <<

STAYING SOBER

With 2016 upon us we asked a few sober individuals with various lengths of recovery to reflect on their sober life in 2015 and what they hope for in the New Year. SPIRITUAL MAINTENANCE

ERIC C.J.

In 2015, my father died and I was able to—at nine years of sobriety—maintain peace and serenity through that experience and a lot of that is because of the renaissance of my sober program. I don’t mind revealing that I am in a 12-step program. There is no sobriety without it for me. Staying away from drugs and alcohol—without a daily spiritual maintenance—there really isn’t any point. What I have found in 2015 is that people who are only staying away from drinking and using without a spiritual reprieve are absolutely miserable. And they tend to make other people miserable because character defects are not being addressed. I’m greatly opposed to the idea that you can live a sober life without some form of Higher Power or God, because millions and millions of people have become sober through the intervention of a spiritual experience… In 2016, I plan to continue to improve my work as an artist, as a violinist and as an actor. Through the program of recovery, I now have a confidence and a drive that I didn’t have before. —Eric C.J., sober since October 7, 2006.

CHOOSE LIFE About a year in a half ago, I basically lost everything. I was homeless and I had to go into rehab and that was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. The lessons I learned in 2015 is that by fully committing to my recovery, I’m able to recognize that I’m totally responsible for all the actions that I take and there are consequences to those actions 4 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

as well. I learned mindfulness and awareness in order to move through life. In 2016, I reunited with my father, who I have not spoken to in over 5 years. I also reunited with my brother who I found out is also in recovery, which gives me a drive to be an example of sobriety. I can actually be present and show up to write. I’ve been working daily on my next novel that is coming out at the end of this year. I also applied at four universities for a Masters in Dramatic Writing for the Television and Screen. Today, I can be a man of my word and a man of integrity and I’m able to help others if sobriety is something they want. I had the gift of desperation and for me, it was life or death. I choose life every day. I’m just really happy to be in sobriety… Everything you want is totally possible if you commit to a way of that is completely sober. You are not alone. —Freddy Espinoza, sober since September 3, 2014.

STOPPED ISOLATING

I turned eight years sober on Christmas day. It’s not a pretty story. I literally just ran out of money and woke up sober. It’s not like a saw the light and Santa gave me ANDREW the gift of sobriety. I was GARSIDE broke. I guess it takes what it takes. Looking back at this year in my recovery, this is the first year where I decided to stop trying to live sober and fighting for sobriety and to start living in recovery. I’ve heard people say that over and over again. Fighting for sobriety has more to do with me trying to figure everything out and trying to control everything. Living in recovery is about just living and going with the flow and trusting that God has a plan for me and that everything is going to work out and I will be OK. I hope 2016 is an extension of 2015. I went to school. I’ve been getting straight As. I traveled a lot. I went to many concerts. Now I hang out with friends and I stopped isolating and just started living. One of the big things that happened in 2016 is that I allowed myself to fall in love and I had my heart broken. I hope it happens again in the coming year… just not the broken heart part. I learned that FREDDY ESPINOZA when I stop trying to figure things out, all these amazing things start happening to me. —Andrew Garside, sober since December 25, 2007.

JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 41

>> GLAAD’S MOST INTRIGUING LGBT CHARACTERS OF 2015 <<

THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE

The LGBT media monitoring organization GLAAD (glaad.org) has listed their “Most Intriguing LGBT Characters” of 2015. Here is a partial list of last year’s (mostly) new LGBT characters that stood out from the crowd in television and film. VIOLA DAVIS

How to Get Away with Murder

SCOTT TURNER SCHOFIELD

The Bold and The Beautiful

This spring, the long running daily drama The Bold and The Beautiful introduced a new storyline which included established character Maya Avant (Karla Mosley) disclosing that she is a transgender woman. In a special episode that guest starred trans models Carmen Carrera and Isis King, Maya’s boyfriend Rick Forrester proposed. The two were then married in a television first, with Maya’s friend Nick, a trans character played by a trans actor Scott Turner Schofield, performing the ceremony in front of friends and family. 4 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

TOBY STEPHENS

Black Sails

The Starz’ drama Black Sails focused on the backstory of series lead Captain James Flint (Toby Stephens) in the most recent season, including the reveal that Flint was previously in love with a man. Audiences learned that prior to becoming a pirate, Flint was an officer in the British Navy where he worked alongside the aristocrat Lord Thomas Hamilton. As the two worked on a plan to retake the Bahamas from pirate control, they fell in love.

The ABC hit How to Get Away with Murder continued to feature dynamic same-sex couples in the show’s second season. In the season two premiere, the show’s lead character Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) was revealed to have had a romantic past with Eve (Famke Janssen), a friend from law school. The disclosure of Annalise’s bisexuality was treated as a non-issue, encouraging viewers to simply accept it as an unremarkable fact. In a groundbreaking story on the series’ spring finale, tech wiz Oliver Hampton (Conrad Ricamora) was diagnosed as HIVpositive and subsequent episodes have included he and his boyfriend Connor (Jack Falahee) discussing the HIV prevention medication PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) and establishing guidelines for their romantic relationship.

>> TELEVISION AND FILM <<

and blogger Nomi (Jamie Clayton) who happens to be a trans woman, and closeted Mexican telenovela and film star Lito (Miguel Angel Silvestre). Nomi’s girlfriend Amanita (Freema Agyeman) is brought in on the secret and works to help the group find answers, while Lito struggles to hold on to his boyfriend Hernando (Alfonso Herrera). Sense8 is currently filming a second season to premiere on Netflix in 2016. LILY TOMLIN

HAYDEN BYERLY, GAVIN MACINTOSH

out writer Phyllis Nagy), Carol explores lesbian sub-culture of the 1950s through the relationship between Carol (Cate Blanchett) and shop girl Therese (Rooney Mara). Blanchett and Mara capture the emotional clarity of first love, but also the loneliness of not being allowed to be out about their love. With Carol in the middle of a messy separation and custody battle with her affluent husband, and Therese working as a department store clerk with a passion for photography, their apparent differences in class and background present an interesting backdrop against which their love blooms. Carol, which has picked up several awards nominations, is available in theaters now.

The Fosters

ABC Family’s (soon to be Freeform’s) The Fosters is the network’s most LGBTinclusive series with seven queer characters, including the youngest member of the Adams-Foster clan, Jude (Hayden Byerly), and his boyfriend Connor (Gavin MacIntosh). The two broke new TV ground when they shared a kiss in an episode this spring. JAMIE CLAYTON

Grandma

Out actress Lily Tomlin has earned rave reviews for her role as Elle Reid in Grandma, her first leading film role in 27 years. Elle is a lesbian poet coping with the death of her long-term partner. As she suddenly ends a four-month relationship with a younger woman, she receives a visit from her 18 year-old granddaughter Sage who has found out she is pregnant and needs money for an abortion. The two embark on a road trip to come up with the money, including a visit to Elle’s close friend and tattoo artist, Deathy, played by Laverne Cox. Elle is hilariously acerbic and misanthropic, but still feels very real and relatable. Tomlin was nominated for a Golden Globe in Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for her work as Elle.

Sense8

Over the summer Netflix premiered the new sci-fi drama Sense8, co-created by Lana and Andy Wachowski. The series follows eight strangers around the world who suddenly learn that they have a mysterious connection which allows them to access each other’s experiences, skills, and emotions. The pressure is on to find answers as they are being hunted down by a mysterious organization that is determined to silence them. The sensate group includes hacker

CATE BLANCHETT

Carol

Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt (with screen adaptation by

Marvel’s Jessica Jones

Marvel’s Jessica Jones premiered late last year to critical acclaim with audiences excited for a female-led superhero series. The series is the second of four created by Marvel and Netflix which will eventually lead to a crossover miniseries. Jessica Jones follows the titular former superhero, who possesses super strength and jumping abilities, as she tries to get her life back in order after being under the mind control of the notorious villain Kilgrave. Jones opens a PI business and is frequently hired by high powered lawyer Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss) to get answers when no one else can. As the season unfolds, viewers get to know Jeri and learn that she is in the middle of a messy divorce from her wife Wendy and in a relationship with her secretary Pam. JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 43

THEJOYSTICK

THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY

>> VIDEO GAMES <<

later this week as well.

STREET FIGHTER V

Fans reflect and say goodbye to the 7-8 year run of Street Fighter IV. We are now welcoming the era of Street Fighter V. BY JO SEPH A RELLA N O

ome people play video games as a form of entertainment. Others use it as therapy. But one man has been using it as a form of expression and inspiration. Meet Aaron Jones, 41 year old, gay LA native gamer living in West Hollywood. His favorite genre is fighting games. He also plays RPGs and action games as well. As a gamer, where did you start and what games did you find enthralling? I started playing video games ever since I was a little kid. My console experiences go as far back as a Radio Shack TRS-80 machine (with cassette tapes). I’ve had most of the major gaming systems since Atari 2600. You know, the one with the wood paneling and the metal toggle switches. I am currently a Sony guy with a PS4. I have been playing against people in local liquor stores, doughnut shops, newsstands and arcades all around LA and beyond for a long time. Now it’s mostly online, but I still enjoy playing in arcades wherever I can find them. I played Street Fighter when it only had two buttons and not six [laughs]. As the new year approaches, what games are you looking to buy? For 2016… I have already pre-ordered Street Fighter V. I am just finishing up with the 3rd beta, and it’s shaping up to be a great game. I am going to pick up the Season 1 pass 4 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

Any new year’s resolutions? Any goals you want to achieve? Tournaments? Matches? This year I would very much like to get more involved in the FGC community. I feel that e-sports is on the verge of becoming really huge. I took a ride down to the E-Sports Arena in Santa Ana to see what a gaming training hall (arcade) looks like today. It was awesome. Lots of space and the setup was really user friendly. There are areas to stream gaming tournaments & meeting spaces. When you look at the success of Hearthstone and League of Legends you can the see the overall marketing potential and the loyalty of the fans that genuinely love those games. The Fighting game competition has been around since I was younger, but nothing like the scale of today’s e-sports athlete. When I was a kid, local tournaments could get you maybe a hundred bucks. This year’s Evolution Championship Series (EVO) prize pot was about half a million dollars!! The Capcom Cup was a high energy event that allowed Street Fighter fans to reflect and say goodbye to the 7-8 year run of Street Fighter 4. We are welcoming the era of Street Fighter V. The scene has truly grown up over the years. In terms of the industry, what can you tell other LGBT players? What studios and games are you most excited for and why? In terms of an industry standpoint I am looking to get my hands on Tekken 7. Bandai-Namco has been very loyal to its arcade fans in Japan. When it comes to console ports, I believe they try to give the best version of their game to give players a sense of playing with someone online as if they are sitting right next to you. I am so so proud of SNK Playmore taking a risk and releasing the King of Fighters XIV. The have a pretty strong franchise and loyal customer base. The new graphics engine looks amazing, even in early stages and they have Yasuyuki Oda from the Street Fighter 4 design team at the helm. Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator is on the list as well. We cannot forget about Final Fantasy 7: Remake is also on the horizon. The gameplay videos are fantastic. n

THEEPIDEMIC >> C O M B I N AT I O N S AV I N G S <<

TWO-DRUG COMBINATION SAVINGS

Two-drug ART with dolutegravir-lamivudine more cost-effective.

irologically suppressive first-line antiretroviral treatment with a two-drug regimen of dolutegravir (Tivicay) and lamivudine would be highly cost effective and could save US health systems approximately $500 million over five years, according to the results of a mathematical model published in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases, reports www.aidsmap.com. Switching a quarter of currently suppressed patients to the twodrug combination could achieve five-year savings of $3 billion. “We demonstrate that an induction-maintenance strategy of three-drug initial therapy with DTG/ABC/3TC [dolutegravir/abacavir/ lamivudine] followed by DTG+3TC maintenance would be costeffective in the US under plausible virologic efficacy assumptions; DTG+3TC as initial therapy could be even more cost effective,” comment the researchers. “We find that the induction-maintenance and two-drug strategies, if adopted, could save over $500 million or $800 million, respectively, in HIV therapy costs in the first five years compared to the current standard of care.” The study’s findings are described as “important” by the authors of an accompanying editorial, who suggest that cost savings achieved with effective two-drug therapy could be used to improve rates of engagement and retention in care, both key to controlling the HIV epidemic in the US. First-line HIV therapy normally consists of three drugs from two separate antiretroviral classes. This treatment usually costs upwards of $30,000 per patient, per year. Results of a pilot study presented to the 15th European AIDS Conference this year showed that first-line treatment with two just two drugs—the potent integrase inhibitor dolutegravir with lamivudine—had excellent virological efficacy over 48 weeks, with a favorable safely/toxicity profile. Full results will be published in 2016. n JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 45

THEEVENT >> PHOTOS BY ABRAHAM RAMOS, OBIE MARTINEZ, SEAN PESSIN <<

Exposure DRAG Every Monday night in Highland Park at The Offbeat Bar, Exposure Drag rocks the East Side with a party and show dedicated to the notion of “exposing” (get it?) new talent as well as showcasing the continued growth of its regular queens. There is a new performer (often two!) every week, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to reach out for a chance to slap on some heels and become the next genderbending sensation. Produced by Obie Martinez every Monday Night from 10pm-2am. $5 well drinks are served until 11pm.

4 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 47

THECALENDAR >> THINGS TO DO << SEE WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27

GROUPS ASIAN/PACIFIC GAYS AND FRIENDS www.apgf.org GAY ASIAN PACIFIC SUPPORT NETWORK www.gapsn.org LOS ANGELES GAY AVIATION CLUB Pilots, Flights Attendants, Mechanics. www.unusualattitudes.info CLUB NUR Gay Middle Eastern. www.clubnur.com GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF LOS ANGELES www.gmcla.org GAY & LESBIAN SALSA Every Monday, 8 p.m. Little Temple Bar, 4519 Santa Monica Blvd., Silverlake, 90029. gaysalsanight@yahoo. com or www.facebook.com/gaysalsanight

FRIDAY, JANUARY 8

RED LIGHT DISTRICT

Bullet Bar, 10522 Burbank Blvd 9pm. Visit BulletBarLA.com for more information. The producers of Erotic City at Los Angeles Pride take you to the streets of Amsterdam in their Red Light District for a full evening of... hot gogo men, cigar bar, mini vendor mart, puppy pit, private play spaces and live shoes. Leave your shame at the door. Fetish & Kink wear is encouraged. SATURDAY, JANUARY 9

DOG POUND: GROUND ZERO

Bullet Bar, 10522 Burbank Blvd, 9pm-2am. Visit BulletBarLA.com for more information. Here is a salute to the new LA Pup, Zero, for already going above and beyond with his title with the opening party. This will be the best puppy pile we can imagine. DEVOTED—MALE IN TAHITI

Antebellum Gallery Hollywood, 1643 N Las Palmas Ave, 7pm. Call 323-856-0667 for more information. SUNDAY, JANUARY 10

ONYX SOCAL/SOUTHWEST RESOLUTION 2016

Eagle LA, 4219 Santa Monica Blvd., LA, 4pm-8pm. ONYX SoCal/Southwest Leather Men Of Color monthly beer bust. REFLEX | AUDIO4PLAY

Los Globos, 3040 W Sunset Blvd, 2am. For updates, visit facebook.com/events/441834299342655. DJ/Producer Hector Fonseca, gets the New Year started with a giant birthday bash at Los Globos. Dance until the sun shines.

BOUND FOR LA LEATHER

Tom of Finland Foundation, 1421 Laveta Terrace, 3pm-7pm. Purchase tickets lalc.info/event/bound-forla-leather. LA Leather Pride is right around the corner and the LALC would like to invite you to a PostHoliday Mixer/Gear Swap Meet, before all schedules are “Bound” with the various events leading up to LA Leather Pride and IML this spring. Proceeds Directly Benefiting LA Leather Pride. o ignored THURSDAY, JANUARY 20

TRIBE GAY MEN’S DISCUSSION: TOPS & BOTTOMS

West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd, 7:30pm-9pm. Visit weho. org/tribe for more information. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27

NEON

Faultline, 4216 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 10pm. A monthly explosion of color and sound brought to you by the collective minds of DJ Mateo Segade, Queen of Crayola, Rubella Spreads, and their rotating cast of the most creative characters in Drag representing all areas of the art form. THURSDAY, JANUARY 28

TOM’S GARAGE

Faultline, 4216 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, 9pm2am. Visit faultlinebar.com for more information. It happens every 4th Saturday of the month at Faultline Bar. Expect Classic Leather/Levi, butch bar mayhem, demos and Hot Tunes! This month. Oh, and sexy dudes on stage and off.

FRIDAY JANUARY 15

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29

MR. SOCAL LEATHER 2016—MEET & GREET

MR.BLACK: 2016

Eagle LA, 4219 Santa Monica Blvd. 9pm. For more information, visit eaglela.com. Get a first look at the contestants for Mr. SoCal Leather 2016! THE MS. LOS ANGELES LEATHER COMPETITION

Various locations over Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, January 15—18, 2016. For more info go to “Crown Of Leather” on page 38 in this issue. SATURDAY, JANUARY 16

TRANSCENDANCE

Art Share LA, 801 E 4th Place, 2pm-5pm. Email questions to: transmovementworkspace@gmail. com. The Trans Movement Workspace presents: TRANScenDANCE: An Ecstatic Movement Dance Jam for the Trans Community. MR. SOCAL LEATHER 2016 CONTEST

Eagle LA, 4219 Santa Monica Blvd, 9pm. For more information, visit eaglela.com. Who will be Mr SoCal Leather. Witness the rise or become a legacy and discover your destiny. A brotherhood awaits you. 4 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

The Jewel 4067 West Pico Blvd, 9pm 4am. For updates, visit facebook.com/ events/1641190079466449. Party person Luke Nero is bringing Mr Black Back. It’s all about people, music and attitude. Coming soon to The Jewel. o ignored BOOTED

Bullet Bar, 10522 Burbank Blvd, 9pm-2am. Visit BulletBarLA.com for more information. SKULLBIT and Bullet Bar are bringing it back! A celebration of the leather lifestyle, and more ... a candy store for the Boot lover/ worshiper/wearer/admirer/black and any other title connected to the hot sexy leather that protects our feet and carries our daily soldier through their daily adventures. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30

EAGLE LA MR. LEATHER 2016

Eagle LA, 4219 Santa Monica Boulevard, 9pm2am. For contestant information, contact Charlie at charlie@eaglela.com. It’s that time a year where men rise to the occasion in the name of brotherhood. Be a part of the competition or enjoy the view.

GAY TRAFFIC SCHOOL Third Tuesday and Wednesday of every month, 6-10 p.m. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles 90038. 1-800-Gay-4-You or www.laglc.org HIV MEDICAL & CASE MANAGEMENT “Smart Health LA” At Valley Community Healthcare In North Hollywood Offers HIV Testing And Medical Services Including Counseling And Medical Treatment. For Testing Call Brian at 818-301-6314; For Medical Services Call Gilbert at 818-301-6390. www.SmartHealthLA.com POP LUCK CLUB Second Sunday of every month, 11 a.m. Locations vary. Los Angeles based organization for Gay Dads, Prospective Dads, and their families. www.popluckclub.org PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, at the Gay & Lesbian Center. RSVP to Dennis@malecare.org or call (323) 860-7340. GREAT AUTOS OF YESTERYEAR The largest LGBT classic car club on the West Coast. www.greatautos.org LOS ANGELES PRIME TIMERS Social group for older mature gay men and admirers. www.laprimetimers.org LOS ANGELES GAY BRIDGE CLUB www.communityvisions.org/IAGLBC LOS ANGELES GAY/LESBIAN SCIENTISTS www.lagls.org LOS ANGELES GAY FOR GOOD Gays making a commitment to volunteer for social welfare and environmental service projects. www.gayforgood.org LOS ANGELES GAY NATURISM California Men Enjoying Naturism. cmen.info BI-OSPHERE P.O.V. Every 2nd Wednesday, 8-9:30 p.m., The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 860-7302. M-F between 6-9 p.m. Topic-driven discussion for women and men who identify as, or are exploring bisexuality. MEN’S SPEAKEASY Every Tuesday at 8 p.m. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 860-7302. Fun, alternative space for gay and bisexual men to meet and make new friends. LGBT BOOK CLUB First Wednesday of each month, 7:30-9:30 p.m. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 860-7302, M-F between 6-9 p.m. USC LAMBDA LGBT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION alumnigroups.usc.edu/lambda/ LOS ANGELES BLACK PRIDE www.myblackpridela.com

> EMAIL YOUR EVENT OR GROUP TO editor@thefightmag.com POSITIVE IMAGES WORKSHOP Every Monday, from 7-9 p.m. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. If you’re looking for ways to deal with HIV, the Live Life Better Workshop can help you learn coping skills, build a support system, and work toward your health goals. An RSVP is required. For more information or to reserve your place, call (323) 860-7321. The e-mail contact is positiveimages@lagaycenter.org. TRANSGENDER PERCEPTIONS Every Friday, 8 p.m. The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 860-7302. M-F between 6-9 p.m. Social networking group offers a safe and welcoming opportunity for people of any age and gender identity to learn from others and to share experiences. GET CENTERED Meditation Class. Every Saturday, 10-11 a.m., $10. Gay & Lesbian Center, 1625 N Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 860-7300. SENIORS SERVICES Ongoing, The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 860-7359. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT Ongoing, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, 1625 N Schrader Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 860-5806. MPOWERMENT WEEKLY WORKSHOPS Tuesdays and fridays, 6 p.m. APLA, 3550 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 300, Los Angeles. More info: Donta Morrison, tel: (213) 201-1561. For young gay men of color—ages 18 thru 24—looking for a safe place to hang out. TRAVEL

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Mondays, 6:10-7:10 p.m. CRYSTAL METH ANONYMOUS Saturdays, 9:10-10:10 a.m. DEBTORS ANONYMOUS Tuesdays, 8-9 p.m. MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS Wednesdays, 8:15-9:45 p.m. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m. SEXUAL COMPULSIVES ANONYMOUS Mondays, 8-9 p.m. Tuesdays, 8-9 p.m. Wednesdays, 8-9 p.m. Thursdays, 8:15-9:15 p.m. Saturdays, 12:15-1:45 p.m. WOMEN’S NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS Saturdays, Noon-1 p.m. SPORTS

LOS ANGELES LESBIAN SOFTBALL www.lagaysoftball.com LOS ANGELES LESBIAN TACKLE FOOTBALL www.californiaquakefootball.com LOS ANGELES LESBIAN RUGBY www.eaglerockrugby.com WOMEN’S SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GOLF www.womensgolf.org/wscga LOS ANGELES LESBIAN POKER www.lalpg.com LOS ANGELES WOMEN ON A ROLL Luncheons, Comedy Nights, and Conversation Groups. www.womenonaroll.com LOS ANGELES GAY RODEO CLUB www.gsgra.org

FRIENDS TRAVEL www.FriendsTravel.com Gay Owned & Operated, Since 1985.

LOS ANGELES GAY FLAG FOOTBALL www.laflagfootball.com There’s also lesbian tackle football.

12 STEP GROUPS

WEST HOLLYWOOD GAY RUGBY www.larebellion.org

All groups meet at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N McCadden Place, Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 860-7302 M-F between 6-9 p.m.

LOS ANGELES POOL LEAGUE Friendly Billiard teams. www.lapl8ball.com

GAY & LESBIAN BOWLING LEAGUE www.tavernguildleague.com

KOL AMI REFORM SYNAGOGUE kol-ami.org, 1200 North La Brea Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90038

SAGA LA Gay Ski & Snowboard Club. www.sagala.org

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF LOS ANGELES fccla.org 540, South Commonwealth Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90020

V.O.I.L.A. Volleyball. www.lagayvolleyball.com GREAT OUTDOORS The largest gay outdoor recreational organization in Southern California. www.greatoutdoorsla.org GAY AND LESBIAN SIERRANS Camping, Outdoors, Hiking Angeles. www.sierraclub.org CHEER LA Cheerleading. www.cheerla.org LA ROWING www.larowing.org DIFFERENT SPOKES Cycling www.differentspokes.com Rides start in various locations in the greater Los Angeles area. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BLADES Ice Hockey. www.bladeshockey.com LOS ANGELES FRONTRUNNERS Running and walking club. www.lafrontrunners.com WEST HOLLYWOOD SOCCER CLUB Comfortable, supportive environment for learning and playing the world’s most popular game. www.gaysoccer.com LOS ANGELES GAY SCUBA CLUB www.barnaclebusters.org LOS ANGELES GAY ROCK CLIMBING www.lalgbtclimbing.com WEST HOLLYWOOD AQUATICS Swim and Water Polo Teams. www.wh2o.org WORSHIP

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH mccla.org, 4953 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027 BETH CHAYIM CHADASHIM SYNAGOGUE bcc-la.org, 6090 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035

HOLLYWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH hollywoodumc.org, 6817 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028 HOLY SPIRIT holyspirit-la.org, 4201 West Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029 UNITED UNIVERSITY CHURCH uniteduniversitychurch.org, 817 West 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90089 DIGNITY CENTER dignitylosangeles.org, 126 South Avenue 64, Los Angeles, CA 90042 HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH-HLYWD hopelutheranchurch.net, 6720 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038 WEST HOLLYWOOD PRESBYTERIAN wehopres.org, 7350 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046 MOUNT HOLLYWOOD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH mthollywood.org, 4607 Prospect Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027 IMMANUEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH immanuelpres.org, 3300 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010 ST. MATTHEW’S LUTHERAN CHURCH stmatthewsnoho.org, 11031 Camarillo St., North Hollywood, CA 91602 CHRIST CHAPEL OF THE VALLEY christchapel.com, 11050 Hartsook St., North Hollywood, CA 91601 ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH stpaulssm.org, 958 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90403 ST. MONICA CATHOLIC COMMUNITY stmonica.net, 725 California Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90403 WEHO CHURCH wehochurch.com, 916 N. Formosa Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90046 ST. VICTOR’S CATHOLIC CHURCH saintvictor.org, 8634 Holloway Dr. West Hollywood, CA 90069 ST. LUKE LUTHERAN stlukelutheran.com, 5312 Comercio Way, Woodland Hills, CA 91364

For Breaking Daily LGBT News Visit

www.thefightmag.com

JANUAR Y 2016 | TH T T4949 JANUAR Y 2016 | TEH F EI GH F I GH

THEFINALFIGHT >> TO BE OUT IN MALAWI <<

EITHER KILL US OR GIVE US RIGHTS

A 26-year-old gay man in Malawi who came out this month was detained by police and has now gone into hiding. Meanwhile, a national politician called for the execution of all gay people.

n what is being heralded as an “unprecedented” move, a gay man in Malawi came out publicly on January 1, demanding the government of the small, southeast African nation either kill LGBT people or grant them full and equal rights, reported The Advocate. But shortly after Eric Sambisa, 26, came out in an interview on Malawi’s Daily Times TV, he was detained by police, and has now gone into hiding, reports 76 Crimes.com a blog tracking the fight for LGBT rights in the 76 nations worldwide where being gay is a crime. The story was also carried on the front page of the Malawi News with a headline reading “Gays Come Out Fighting: Kill Us Or Give Us Our Rights,” reported The Advocate. In an article accompanying Sambisa’s video interview, which was broadcast on national television and online, The Daily Times reporter notes that he was also briefly taken into custody and questioned by police. Homosexuality is technically illegal in Malawi, though lawmakers in 2012 suspended the section of Malawi’s Penal Code that prohibits “carnal knowledge against the order of nature,” attempts to commit such “carnal knowledge,” and acts of “gross indecency,” according to The Daily Times. When the law was suspended—along with the sentences of two men arrested in 2009 for allegedly being engaged to each other— government officials said they would consider whether to repeal the colonial-era law according to the input of citizens. That review has yet to take place, reports The Advocate.

5 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

And Sambisa, who leads “We should get what is ours, the Southern Region Rainbow we want our freedom; we want Alliance, is tired of living in the to be treated like everyone shadows and being treated else,” Sambisa concluded. like a second-class citizen, he “The services that are being told the newspaper. catered to the heterosexual “I think government should community should also be make a very final decision given to us. We have many whether to purge us, whether people in our community that to kill us all, eliminate us all,” are failing to get a job because he said, according to The Daily of their [sexual] orientation, Times. “I plead with governthat are being dismissed bement not to work according to cause of their orientation.” the crowds; it should work acJust one day after Sambisa cording to how things are. The came out, a national politigovernment signed that it will cian openly called for the respect human rights, execution of all that it will respect gay people Malawi’s us but what in Malawi, government is happenreports the continues to request ing on the Nyasa substantial funding to ground is Times. fight HIV and AIDS, but not that.” Ken fails to use that money to Msonda, “We are also support the most at-risk described human communities, including as “a beings, spokesmen who have sex we are also person and with men. taxpayers, we administrative are also contributsecretary for the ing to the growth of this former ruling People’s nation so please, we should Party,” took to Facebook be included in whatever is on Saturday to demand the happening in this nation,” he current ruling Democratic continued. “And I also want Progressive Party “clarify” its to give information to people stance on homosexuality. in my community to say this “Gays and lesbians are is time to stand up and claim worse than dogs,” Msonda our rights—we have been in wrote, in what the Nyasa denial for a long time, we have Times reported as a reference been discriminated against to Zimbabwean president for a long time—I think this is Robert Mugabe’s frequent time for action.” rants against gay people. Sambisa and another gay “Arresting them won’t adman interviewed by the outlet, dress this problem because identified only as “Fortune,” sooner or later they are being expressed frustration that released on bail,” Msonda Malawi’s government concontinued. “The best way to tinues to request substantial deal with them is to kill them! funding to fight HIV and AIDS, It is pathetic to see our media but fails to use that money to houses parading these dogs support the most at-risk comon TV and newspapers hiding munities, including men who behind human rights—human have sex with men, reports rights my foot! The devil has The Advocate. no rights!” n

FOUR DAYS OF POOL PARTIES, DANCE EVENTS AND WOOFY MEN!

Hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5

Weekend Passes & Room Reservations at www.ibc-ps.com

JANUAR Y 2016 | TH E F I GH T 51

When You Need A Lawyer Have You Been Hurt? Discriminated Against? Arrested? David Hakimfar is a Partner at Hakimfar Law in West Hollywood and a member of Pride Legal

Personal Injury Criminal Defense Estate Planning Divorce Business Bankruptcy

When you are dealing with a legal matter, you need an attorney in Los Angeles who you can trust and who you know is watching out for your best interests. At Pride Legal, we have the network of lawyers you need to handle any legal situation. CALL TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION!

TEL: 1-888-789-PRID E (1-888-789-7743) www.pridelegal.com

We Reserve The Right To Provide Friendly Service To EVERYONE 5 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com