ISSUE #05 | 05.27.21 DISPLAY UNTIL 06.23.21
FEATURE: REGISTERING THE NEW VOTER FLIX: WRATH OF MAN
Celebrate Pride Month
STUNNING MODEL
WILSON LAI
HEALTH & WELLNESS: CARE RESOURCE AND MIAMI BEACH INCREASE MOBILE HIV TESTING
PHOTO BY ANTONY KOZZ. INSTAGRAM @ANTONYKOZZ
TABLE OF CONTENTS: 5. FLIX: WRATH OF MAN Wrath of Man is an intense revenge thriller with some strong plot maneuvering and an overload of action.
10. HEALTH & WELLNESS: CARE RESOURCE
INCREASES MOBILE HIV TESTING IN MIAMI BEACH Care Resource and the City of Miami Beach have joined forces in organizing a new public health initiative to increase access to HIV testing.
12. COVER STORY: STUNNING MODEL WILSON LAI Our stunning cover model Wilson Lai is from California. Check out his interview with very sexy photos by Antony Kozz.
18. FEATURE: REGISTERING THE NEW VOTER Protecting and defending our democracy really does rest on just one thing: voting.
WIREMAG.COM: ENJOY OUR MAGAZINE LIFESTYLE CONTENT Visit wiremag.com to read all our past issues of Wire Magazine with beautiful men and interesting lifestyle content for the LGBTQ community.
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FLIX By Alyn Darnay
WRATH OF MAN
I’ve missed the unique street gangster films Director Guy Ritchie makes. He has a style of creating this type of film that just stands as a category all its own. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000) are my two favorites. So I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Wrath of Man right after I heard he was making it, even though I knew the film it was based on. I figured, rightfully so, that he would make the story his own, and he did.
At first he’s not thought of well because his test scores for the job barely made a passing grade. However, when an attempted heist on his cash truck occurs, he surprises everyone by unleashing precision weapons skills that saves the day. This leaves everyone wondering who he really is and why he’s working for the company. The reason soon reveals itself and eventually puts everyone in jeopardy.
Whether you like the violence in his movies or not, you must appreciate the way he tells the story. It never comes at you directly, but always from different angles, and always in anticipation of the strike after he pitches the ball.
This is probably the most polished film Ritchie has made to date, it’s revenge cinema at its best. Even with Statham walking through most of the film like a stoic zombie, the actor still manages to deliver the kind of revenge rage needed to make a With Wrath of Man he goes at it believable hero with enough again, with all the beautifully background and reason to choreographed action we expect satisfy the story. from his films and with all the reality this type of heist/revenge The film works as an ensemble film can muster. Oh, and did I piece, which is true of all of forget to mention that he brings Ritchie’s films, and contains Jason Statham along with him some really good character for their fourth film performances throughout. The collaboration? How could I ever good guys, if there are any, are I forget that stoic face? guess good, but the bad guys, well, they are as expected, Here’s the storyline… totally menacing.
DIRECTED BY: GUY RITCHIE SCREENPLAY BY: GUY RITCHIE, IVAN ATKINSON AND MARN DAVIES
BASED ON: THE 2004 FRENCH FILM CASH TRUCK BY NICOLAS BOUKHRIEF
CAST: JASON STATHAM, HOLT MCCALLANY, JEFFREY DONOVAN, JOSH HARTNETT, SCOTT EASTWOOD, LAZ ALONSO, RAÚL CASTILLO, DEOBIA OPAREI AND EDDIE MARSAN
Hill (Statham), known as ‘H’ to his co-workers, is a mysterious new guard for Fortico Security, a cash truck company transporting hundreds of millions of dollars across Los Angeles each week.
My take… If you’ve been waiting for an intense revenge thriller with some strong plot maneuvering and an overload of violence to come along, Wrath of Man should satisfy you. It did for me.
WRATH OF MAN Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5) Rated: R (some sexual references, pervasive language and strong violence throughout) Running Time: 1 hour & 58 minutes
Alyn Darnay is a film critic; feedback is encouraged at adarnay@wiremag.com. #5 2021 WIREMAG.COM 5
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BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, KEEP CREATING, and LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2021 © 2021 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0370 04/21
CHAD LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 2018 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT
KEEP CREATING.
Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.
BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.
Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you. See Chad’s story at BIKTARVY.com. Featured patient compensated by Gilead.
Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.
PUBLISHER’S CORNER CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH As our nation emerges from the deadly grip of the COVID-19 pandemic with millions of people getting vaccinated, we can now rejoice that life is starting to return back to normal and many of us will be able to celebrate Pride Month this June with friends and family. Our LGBTQ community has much to commemorate given the tremendous gains we have achieved thanks to the hard fought battles of many brave members of our gay community who wrappled with the many tough fights of the past and never, ever gave up their dream of full equality. The rallying cry of Stonewall was the catalyst for a new generation of gay rights and political activism that must continue until we erradicate all prejudice, bigotry and intolerance. So enjoy and celebrate Pride, but continue fighting for full equality because every single member of our community deserves to live happily without experiencing discrimination. There are politicians and individuals in our nation who are proactively trying to reverse some of our hard fought gains, and who still discriminate openly against LGBTQ people in many parts of our country. While you celebrate Pride Month this June, remember that we have to keep on living, while defending our rights and demanding full equality. We must also never yield an inch against the nefarious forces of hate who refuse to accept that every citizen of our great nation deserves to have the same rights regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, color of their skin or ethnicity. In this week’s issue, we bring you a very interesting article about the importance of registering new voters – especially young voters – so we can win elections. Stacy Abrams, led a group that registered 800,000 voters in Georgia, and showed what can be done with leadership, action and political will. Our cover model is Wilson Lai from California, who is beautifully showcased in the very sexy photos taken by Antony Kozz. In Flix, film critic Alyn Darnay previews Wrath of Man, an intense revenge thriller with some strong plot maneuvering and an overload of action. Finally, in Health & Wellness you can learn about the new public health initiative by Care Resource and the City of Miami Beach to increase access to HIV mobile testing. Remember that you can visit wiremag.com/free to get your FREE subscription to Wire Magazine! Cheers,
Rafa Carvajal Publisher & Editor in Chief rafa@wiremag.com
“THE BEAUTY OF STANDING UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS IS OTHERS WILL SEE YOU STANDING AND STAND UP AS WELL” - CASSANDRA DUFFY
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Care Resource and the City of Miami Beach have joined forces in organizing a public health initiative to increase access to HIV testing, so all residents have the opportunity to learn their HIV status, and obtain quality care, education and prevention services. Care Resource’s mobile testing units have been spread across various locations in Miami Beach from Monday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. They are located in South Beach on Mondays and Thursdays at 749 Lincoln Road. On Tuesdays and Fridays, they are located in North Beach at the North Shore Branch Library at 7501 Collins Avenue. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the units are located in Mid Beach at 4621 Collins Avenue. These mobile HIV testing units have been refurbished to ensure a safe testing environment for all. Staff have been fully vaccinated and follow strict COVID safe protocols, including temperature screenings, social distancing practices, and the use of personal protective equipment. According to Miami Beach Commissioner Micky Steinberg, “Since Miami-Dade County still has one of the highest annual rates of newly diagnosed HIV infections, this partnership is a wonderful opportunity for our community to become better educated about HIV and AIDS, and minimize the impact of living with HIV. Early detection and retention of individuals in care is critical to HIV management and reducing the spread of the virus.” Care Resource encourages community members to get tested for HIV and know their status. No one should delay their entry into quality HIV care. Through education, prevention, research, care and treatment and support services, Care Resource improves upon the health and overall quality of life of our diverse South Florida communities in need. For access to HIV testing at Care Resource’s health center locations, visit CareResource.org. 10 WIREMAG.COM #5 2021
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WILSON LAI Rafa Carvajal: Where are you originally from and where do you live? Wilson Lai: I was born in Whittier, California and grew up in Orange County most of my life. Right now I reside in El Monte, California. RC: What do you do for work? WL: I am a bartender at Tempo Cantina. RC: How do you stay in such great shape? WL: Fast metabolism, gym routine and a huge lack of desire to go out. I'm a homebody. Lol. RC: What are your top three favorite exercises? WL: Incline bench press, narrow stance leg press/ squat, and T-bar rows. 12 WIREMAG.COM #5 2021
By Rafa Carvajal Photos by Antony Kozz Instagram @antonykozz
RC: What is the most important fitness tip that you would recommend to our readers? WL: Stop comparing yourself to these IG hoes. Most of us are on steroids or come from places of privilege that let us have the lifestyle, funds and time to look the way we do. If you have been able to consistently commit to a workout routine and meal program be proud of that. Fitness is a lot of waiting, so don’t beat yourselves up over these f@#ckboys on the Internet. RC: Describe yourself in three words. WL: Hold my beer. RC: What are your favorite foods? WL: Noodles of all conceptual forms, so ramen, pasta, pho, etc. RC: What is your diet to stay in such great shape? WL: Right now mainly lean meats and high carbs due to my metabolism. RC: Who is the person that inspires you the most? Why? WL: One of my besties, Lupita Damien because she grew up living on the streets and worked her way up to being the career woman that she is today and selflessly sacrificed herself to provide for her family.
#5 2021 WIREMAG.COM 13
RC: What do you enjoy the most about modeling for photography? WL: Well paid gigs are great, but also seeing myself as pretty instead of crusty because skilled photographers are able to catch angles of me in a way that I never would have imagined I would look good in. RC: Tell our readers about your passions for the Asian community. WL: I just want us to abandon our parents mentality of keeping our head low and not causing trouble, because honestly that has done nothing but make ignorant racists think that we’re easy targets. It's time to speak out, to fight back and to reestablish that we are human beings worthy of respect and dignity. RC: What do you think we can all do to support our fellow citizens of Asian descent against the discrimination and violence many of them have experienced recently? WL: Honestly, education on racial and social intersectionality, and also stop being afraid to speak up. Silence equals violence because silence is compliance. RC: What is your biggest dream that you want to achieve? WL: I really want to open and run a gastropub style night club.
14 WIREMAG.COM #5 2021
RC: How has the current COVID-19 pandemic affected your personal and professional life? WL: I was very lucky that no one in my immediate circle had any fatalities related to COVID-19, and workwise I was honestly really worried and stressed about money for a bit because my industry (nightlife foodservice) was completely shut down for a while. Even when we reopened, business was 10% of what it once was. It's fine now that the restrictions have lessened. RC: What are your Instagram & Facebook handles? WL: My Instagram is @willitfitness. I don't have a public Facebook, but my TikTok is @donchinito.
#5 2021 WIREMAG.COM 15
16 WIREMAG.COM #5 2021
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FEATURE By Dave Mulryan
REGISTERING THE NEW VOTER: WHY IT IS MORE THAN REGISTERING VOTERS There has been progress – women got the vote in 1919, minorities got the vote when President Lyndon Johnson pushed through the Voting Rights Act, and the Civil Rights Act. He failed to get the voting age lowered to 18, although he tried. Two states, Oregon and Texas, used the federal courts to delay the implementation of 18 year old voting, and the voting age was only lowered after President Nixon brokered a deal, and the Constitution was amended to allow for 18 year olds to vote. So, there has been progress, yet voting remains anemic. Most federal elections are decided with 50% of the eligible voters voting; some elections, like mayors’ races and school board elections can be decided with as little a 6% of the eligible voters turning out. The 2020 elections, with a presidential race, saw voter turnout in New Mexico of a little over 52%. This is still awful. We are now facing a huge bulge of new voters, the millennials, and their numbers are astounding. This bulge of population can determine every election, if they choose to register to vote and to vote. The 64,000 dollar question: Will they?
The 2018 midterm elections saw an uptick in voting, as many people, especially the young, voted at higher rates. Although this uptick was welcomed, we still have a crisis of voting, in that not enough of us do it. Why? The Founders, the white men who wrote the Constitution, who muscled the adoption of it through the warring factions that made up the original 13 colonies, made compromises to get the two-thirds of the colonies votes needed to allow its adoption. They allowed the adoption of the compromise that there would be no federal oversight of voting, that the states would be in charge of all elections, even federal ones. The small colonies were concerned that they would be overwhelmed by the large states, so they insisted on equal numbers of Senators, two per state, and used the House of Representatives as a way for proportional representation. They also restricted voting to white men with property, and for the state legislators to choose their Senators – direct election of Senators would not take place until 1913. Voting was for elites, and echoes of that resonate today.
18 WIREMAG.COM #5 2021
We, Everybody Votes, and The New Mexico Voter Group, have established organizations to focus on registering voters. We have focused on the nuts and bolts of registering voters: setting up tables, getting forms, getting the young voter to register, getting the forms to the County Clerk. Yet, we despair that we are not doing enough. Many eligible voters, especially the young ones, breeze by us, muttering something vague about “no voting.” We have registered a huge chunk of voters, with few resources, and so we know that it can be done. Yet, we are not efficient, we need to scale, we need to have voter registration brought to the fore all over the country.
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FEATURE
We have, in New Mexico, a huge number of people who have taken the class required to register their fellow citizens to vote. Yet, we have few who actually do it. It appears that many people are willing to register others to vote, but then after taking the class, they fail to do so. We hypothesize that many of the VRA’s feel ill-equipped to register voters, even after the class, so they don’t. We have a huge task ahead of us. We have proven, as evidenced by the turnout in the 2020 elections, that voting is the key. The election saw the best turnout in 120 years. We need to continue, and to train and make sure that the people doing voter registration are prepared. They need to know when the next election is. They need to be able to explain the role of the voter in the democratic process. They need to be able to rebut conventional wisdom, in that “My vote doesn’t count,” and explain how that vote DOES count.
Clearly, we could use resources, money, but we also believe that we need a revolution in the person that registers the voter, the Voter Registration Agent. How do we do this? In short, we need to move voter registration from a passive endeavor to an active one. Oregon, with its automatic voter registration, is showing how this can w o r k . Vo t e b y m a i l e l e c t i o n s s e e m t o i n c r e a s e participation. Yet, the adoption of these nationwide seems to be a ways off, and we need to register these voters now. “We have listened closely to the voters that we do register, and the ones that don’t want to register. Although we are reluctant to draw broad conclusions, because there was no designed research study, it was simply observational, there was enough data for us to draw some conclusions:” The person who registers someone to vote is the very first contact that people have with the mechanics of democracy. The Voter Registration Agent needs to be prepared to both register the voter, and to give the person registering a reason why to register, and why they need to vote. That is asking a lot, but it seems to be the requirement to have a successful encounter. Few states require any training for people that want to register other voters. New Mexico, which requires a training class, is one of the strongest. Their training, handled by the county clerks, requires an understanding of the registration form, and requires a formal issuance of a voter registration number. The state issues a VRA certificate, and assigns a number, which allows for the tracking of the activities of the Voter Registration Agent. 20 WIREMAG.COM #5 2021
None of this will simply happen. We need a complete curriculum that teaches people to register voters. We need to teach the person that is registering what they need to know: facts, how the process works, what is coming up in the very near term that the new voter will vote on. Stacy Abrams, who led a group that registered 800,000 voters in Georgia, shows what can be done with leadership and political will: she, and her group, helped decide the balance of power in Washington. We need resources, we need direction, we need to scale. We can and have identified the problem, and we need to quickly implement the solution. We can do it, if we want to. Do we, as citizens of the world's oldest and most important democracy, have the will to do this? I hope we do. I believe we can. Dave Mulryan is the Co-Founder of Everybody Vote, a group that registers high school seniors to vote. He is President of Mulryan/Nash Advertising, Inc.
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GERARD DAPHNIS
Living kidney transplant recipient
AMERICA’S #1 TRANSPLANT CENTER. For the second year in a row, the Miami Transplant Institute is the top transplant center in the U.S., with no other center performing more transplants in 2020.* A joint program between Jackson Health System and UHealth – University of Miami Health System, the Miami Transplant Institute is the perfect match for patients. We take on the most complex cases – cases that most institutions will not – and we continue to perform successful transplants through the COVID pandemic. We apply a multidisciplinary approach and use the latest life-sustaining technology. With skill, care, and compassion, we give more adults and children a second chance at life. In this, we are second to none.
To learn more, visit GlobalTransplantLeader.org. Jackson Health System is proud to be recognized as an “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Top Performer” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. Learn more at LGBTQHealthLeader.org. *Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing (OPTN/UNOS), January 2021.