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These 5 Trailblazing LGBTQ Politicians Are Running To Make History In 2022 How Queer Nightlife Helped Me Find Freedom As a Sober HIV+ 50-Year-Old RuPaul's Drag Race Announces First International All Star Edition
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FDA Approves First Injectable HIV Prevention Drug
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5 Good Things That Happened To The LGBTQ Community This Year 13 New (And Returning!) LGBTQ+ TV Shows To Look Forward To In 2022 Scientists Have Officially Confirmed The Benefits Of MDMA In PTSD Treatment Jacksonville LGBTQ Community Member, 24-Year-Old Tevin Robinson Murdered Pride Journey: Iceland
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it sends to young people… It is still hard out there.”
chairwoman for the city’s Trans Day of Remembrance and president of The Women’s March on Philadelphia. She is an educator with the Transgender Training Institute Kotek is ready, she and serves on the task force said, to take working to create an LGBTQ Advisory Board for the These 5 Trailblazing LGBTQ Politicians her Are Running To Make History In 2022 leadership Philadelphia district attorney. By Hannah Jones to the next Alvarez co-founded and level. directed the LGBTQ Home for Every year, LGBTQ political HOPE, the state’s first LGBTQ“I’ve had the good fortune to be candidates smash through in the position to do things that specific shelter and recovery rainbow ceilings in the fight to facility. During the pandemic, really improve the lives of represent their communities. Oregonians, and this is a state she also launched a food 2022 should be no different, distribution program that with dozens of LGBTQ people I love… and it’s a state that has delivered 800 to 1,000 cases of allowed me to be myself. It’s a already slated to run for both food per week to those in need. beautiful place and I want to state and federal offices. She is now transforming that give back. It’s about making But here are five LGBTQ project into a permanent food sure we can continue to candidates we’re especially bank. improve people’s lives.” keeping our eyes on as they The list goes on, and now, Deja Alvarez run to make history in 2022. Alvarez is ready to use the Deja Tina Kotek Alvarez is skills she has built as an In 2013, Tina running for activist and community Kotek made advocate to make a difference the PA history when at the state level. State she was House in “I’ve had to learn to build elected as the state’s relationships and maintain Oregon’s 182nd district, which includes them,” she told LGBTQ Nation Speaker of the Philadelphia. If elected, she will in September. “I’ve had to learn House and became the first out become the first out trans to build a lot of these bridges lesbian speaker in any state Latina member of the so we could make a difference, house nationwide. Pennsylvania House. and I think that’s a skill I’ll be Still serving in the role today, A longtime LGBTQ activist, she to utilize greatly going into this the progressive Democrat is is currently the director of race and then winning this taking on a new challenge. community engagement for seat.” Now running for governor of World Healthcare Malcolm Kenyatta Oregon, Kotek could become Infrastructures, which provides the nation’s first out lesbian healthcare services to those in Malcolm governor. “It’s an honor and need. Additionally, she works Kenyatta is frankly a privilege to be a as the LGBTQ care coordinator running to trailblazer in this regard,” Kotek for the Philadelphia represent PA told LGBTQ Nation in Department of Public Health. in the United November. “I think for me it She is also the co-chair of the States comes down to what message Philadelphia Police LGBTQ Senate. If he Liaison Committee, wins, he will
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the Nevada Democratic Rural Caucus and before that she was the chair of the Douglas County Democratic Party. She has devoted her political career to uplifting the voices of rural voters and told Politico that Democrats have a lot to learn when it comes to messaging to rural people. Last year at the Democratic National Convention, Kenyatta “I’m a lifelong Nevadan with deep roots all across our state,” was one of 17 rising-star she said in a statement on her Democrats to deliver the keynote address and one of the campaign website. “I’m running for Lieutenant Governor first three out LGBTQ because I believe Nevadans of people to ever do so. all walks of life want and In 2018, he became the first deserve authentic leadership, LGBTQ person of color to be and that’s exactly what this elected to the Pennsylvania campaign is about. Our State General Assembly at the economy, climate, and age of 28 in a landslide victory. everyday life is rapidly “As somebody who inhabits all changing, and we need of these intersections,” he told someone who can help lead LGBTQ Nation in 2020, our transition into the new era.” “growing up in an incredibly Brian Sims poor neighborhood to a In 2012, PA working poor family, as one of state Rep. only two openly LGBTQ Brian Sims members of the Pennsylvania (D) made General Assembly and the only history as one that’s a person of color, I the first out see all the different ways that gay frankly our systems are member of broken.” his state’s legislature. Now, the Kimi Cole progressive candidate for Lt. Nevada Governor could break yet Democrat Kimi another barrier and become the Cole is running state’s first out leader to become the elected statewide. state’s next “One of the great impacts of lieutenant having LGBTQ people in office governor. A is showing people that victory for Cole authenticity often can carry the would make her day,” Sims told LGBTQ Nation the first out transgender in June. statewide elected official in the The LGBTQ Victory Fund, country. which has endorsed Sims, Cole is currently the chair of Malcolm Kenyatta is running to represent PA in the United States Senate. If he wins, he will be the first out gay man ever elected to the body. He would also be the first out Black senator and the first Black senator from the state of Pennsylvania.
called him “one of the most visible out elected officials in the United States.” Currently serving in his 9th year as a state representative, Sims said he is running for higher office because Pennsylvania is in dire need of more progressive leadership, something he has unwaveringly worked to provide in the state’s Republican-controlled legislature. “It’s disappointing that Pennsylvania lacks so much progressive legislation and also a real opportunity for me,” he said. “I have spent my 10 years leading the charge on women’s rights, reproductive rights, racial and ethnic justice, certainly LGBTQ civil rights, issues of the environment, and even immigration.”
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myself hating the God I had pretended to believe in. I hated sobriety. I was furious at everything, and I was furious at Jon. I was lost. How Queer Nightlife Helped In trying to make sense Me Find Freedom As a out of what happened, Sober HIV+ 50-Year-Old as well as all the By Jeff Leavell emotions and fears that In October 2013, I found out I accompanied turning 50, I was HIV Positive. At the time, I began a spiritual journey. I saw was a year sober and attending a shaman, began to 12 Step meetings nearly every meditate using crystals, studied day, where I had been told to the Tarot, and learned that if I search for a higher power of look for love instead of fear, if I my own understanding. I choose adventure and prayed daily. I did everything I embrace life instead of hiding was supposed to, even when it from it, then I’ll be better felt like bullshit. And when I prepared to confront was diagnosed with HIV, I felt devastations in my life. betrayed by a God I barely believed in or understood. I felt betrayed by AA and betrayed by myself. I was furious. I considered getting high again. What better excuse than HIV? But I didn’t. I went to the doctor and went on meds, and today, I’m healthy and HIV undetectable. And I am still sober.
This May, I turned 50, and the milestone made me realize that I shouldn’t have made it this far. My life is full of people who have died from overdoses and AIDS. And this February, Jon Nelson — my best friend, my former lover, my brother, a man I loved more than almost anyone I have ever loved — relapsed on heroin and overdosed in his car, alone. I was once again devastated. I found 08 www.jaxgay.com
of a fan in someone’s hand, among colorful club kids and glamorous drag queens. In those spaces, race, age, gender, sexuality, and desire all fall away to create the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to God. I decided that the best way to celebrate my 50th birthday — and maybe a way to celebrate Jon’s life, too — would be to invite friends to Berlin for a weekend of dancing and adventure. One of my favorite parties in Berlin is called Gegen. It’s a radical queer dance party that allows for total freedom of self-expression, standing against the rise of global fascism and social binaries of all sorts. It takes place in a venue called the KitKat Club, and you can wander three floors, each with their own theme: a medical room, a fire breathing dragon, a swimming pool open for use, multiple dance floors and plenty of dark corners to hook up and make out and just be queer as fuck. For the last year and a half, I I remember standing in the have lived between Los middle of a room there with Angeles and Berlin with my partner, Noah. And perhaps it’s Noah, techno pounding through only natural when living in two me, sweaty and dancing, his hand reaching down my back global nightlife capitals, but to grab my ass and pull me into over the past few years, I’ve him, and that sudden feeling of come to love going out and being connected, of being dancing — even being sober, outside myself, of being part of and even if I’m not who you’d something larger than any one think of as a “club kid.” Going of us. out is a different form of the meditation that’s gotten me I’ve never been able to obtain through the past few months. that sensation on any drug, but when it’s there, I feel suddenly There is a beauty in standing there, lost in the music and the free. I feel freedom in the light pounding of feet, the sharp clap and the music and in Noah’s
touch and the impossible lust I feel for him. I suddenly feel free to dance and lose myself completely, to know that we are all one and that we are all loved. Behind us, a tall, thin person in a long black dress and bright pink hair stood against the wall. Their eyes were shaded in dark coal colors, their lips purple, and a cougar tattoo crept up from their neck over the side of their face. Their dick was out, their eyes were closed, and their mouth was wide open in ecstasy, while a gorgeous, genderfluid person knelt before them, licking and tasting them. In that moment I knew that taste, and in that moment I felt like I was both of them. I could feel what each of them was feeling.
physicality.
again in the middle of it all.
There is a balance to life, to sobriety and spirituality, to sexuality and to the daily grind. I had an AA sponsor once tell me that we didn’t get sober to just lay around and meditate and talk to God all day long. We get sober to fuck and dance and love and feel and live life to its fullest. And that has become my mantra. At the end of my birthday weekend, we all met at another party in Berlin, called CockTail D’Amore. It takes place at Griessmühle, a fairytale land made up of mazes and a giant warehouse and large silos to get lost in. You can sit along the canal and watch as tour boats float by alongside a teeming mass of half-naked queer kids.
On that dance floor, among the beauty of the music and the people and Noah’s love, I suddenly knew that there are no limitations in life and no end to what’s possible. I felt free. Despite all the hardship I may have suffered, and despite my age or HIV status or the million other ways I might feel stigmatized, I knew that I had the opportunity before me to live my life to the fullest, and that the only limitations that exist in life are those I impose on myself.
That’s the beauty of it all. We get to choose how we live and who we will be. Some will try to stop us and impose their will upon us, but we get to stand tall and live a life of love and happiness and compassion When we arrived, we wandered nonetheless. around the large outside area, Life can be hard, and stumbling across sometimes we will have to fight fantastically-dressed art just for the right to exist, but I students, shirtless muscle knew then that together, bears, radical fairies, and an dancing and fucking and being endless array of vivid people, our truest selves, we are all dancing and laughing and beautiful. I was filled with hope. living their best lives. We I believe we will triumph over We left Gegen at 5 AM. I woke stumbled upon a maze behind all the darkness in this world. one of the silos where men That, at least, is what the past up the next morning, quiet so stood having all sorts of sex. A 50 years have taught me. as not to wake Noah, and took group of them had their way out my crystals and held them — rose quartz and labradorite, with a muscle boy in a long prehnite and amethyst. I closed pink dress and red high heels while he made out with a girl my eyes and let my mind go blank, releasing all the worries who knelt before him. The and fears and endless thoughts world was afire with music and sex and sunshine. that quietly pass us by. Inside, we danced as the DJ, Then I climbed back into bed Daniel Wang, moved from with Noah, kissed him, and spinning to playing the bongos, reached down to grab hold of the room pulsating lightness his hardness, finding a new and joy. Noah and I stood kind of stillness inside his www.jaxgay.com 09
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cultures will compete in an international arena showcasing their RuPaul's Drag Race Announces country’s finest drag in First International All Star Edition their bid to By David Vandygriff become the For the first time in RuPaul’s ultimate Drag Race Drag Race herstory, queens Superstar.” from different international fran- Though nothing has been conchises will face off against one firmed, the Drag Race UK another in the ultimate global alumni could presumably be smackdown for superstardom. competing against any queen “Nine international members of from any previous season of RuPaul’s Drag Race royal Drag Race, Canada’s Drag alumni will battle it out for the Race, or the myriad other crown in the brand new series versions — even Drag Race RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Down Under. Versus The World,” reads the Joining RuPaul on the judges new series’ official logline. panel are Michelle Visage, “With the UK as the host Graham Norton, Alan Carr and nation, renowned queens from a “sparkling array of superstar different franchises and guest judges.”
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RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus the World will stream Stateside on WOW Presents Plus, premiering day and date with its local airing in the UK. Additional information, including casting and a premiere date, will be announced later. This is not to be confused with Queen of the Universe, the international drag singing competition currently streaming on Paramount+.
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Debra Birnkrant, the director of antivirals division at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “This FDA Approves First Injectable injection, given every two months, will be HIV Prevention Drug By Jennifer Davis critical to addressing the HIV epidemic in the The FDA has approved the first U.S., including helping high-risk long-acting injectable individuals and certain groups medication for use as where adherence to daily pre-exposure prevention, or medication has been a major PrEP, against HIV, the agency challenge or not a realistic announced Monday. option.” Apretude, the new drug, is an While gains have been made in injectable given every two PrEP use over the past several months as an alternative to HIV years, only 25 percent of the prevention pills, like Truvada 1.2 million people for whom and Descovy, which have been PrEP is recommended were shown to reduce the risk of HIV prescribed the treatment last by 99 percent when taken year, according to the Centers daily. for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC Two FDA trials analyzing the safety and efficacy of the novel estimates that as of 2019, there were approximately 285,000 drug found that Apretude was more likely to reduce HIV than people using PrEP, the vast the daily oral medications — by majority of them gay and bisexual men. 69 percent for cisgender men and transgender women who The hope is that the newly have sex with men and by 90 approved, long-acting percent for cisgender women. injectable — made by ViiV Apretude’s superior efficacy Healthcare, which is majority was apparently driven by the owned by GlaxoSmithKline — greater ease with which study will make adherence easier, participants adhered to the help increase PrEP usage and every-other-month regimen drive down the national HIV compared with taking a pill rate. every day. “People who are vulnerable to “Today’s approval adds an acquiring HIV, especially those important tool in the effort to in Black and Latinx communiend the HIV epidemic by ties who are disproportionately providing the first option to impacted in the US, may want prevent HIV that does not options beyond daily oral pills," involve taking a daily pill,” Dr. Deborah Waterhouse, ViiV Healthcare’s CEO, said in a
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statement, adding that "Apretude was studied in one of the most diverse and comprehensive HIV prevention trial programs to date, which also included some of the largest numbers of transgender women and Black men who have sex with men ever enrolled in an HIV prevention trial." Men who have sex with men accounted for 66 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. in 2019, according to the CDC. When the numbers are broken down by race, Black Americans accounted for the highest percentage, representing 42 percent of all new diagnoses that year. In July, the federal government announced that almost all insurers must cover the two approved forms of PrEP pills, Truvada and Descovy, as well as the lab tests and clinic visits required to maintain such prescriptions — and to do so with no cost sharing. As it stands, insurers will not be required to cover all costs for the new injectable version of PrEP, which has a list price of $3,700 per dose and is slated to begin shipping to wholesalers and specialty distributors in the U.S. in early 2022.
Kenyon Farrow, the managing director of PrEP4All, an advocacy group that fights to increase access to HIV prevention and treatment, said his organization is “definitely happy to see the FDA approval of another option for people who want to use PrEP.” However, he said he fears that the “implementation of this option will likely take years to make it real for most people.” “Due to COVID, public health systems are already overburdened and much of the workforce needed to implement this large scale are leaving the field due to burnout,” he said in an email. “Because it will need to be administered in clinical settings, it won’t be treated as a pharmacy benefit by payers, but instead as a clinical benefit, which will take time to implement the proper coding for billing, as well as education and training for nurses who will likely bear the brunt of the work to implement.” In the meantime, there are multiple other long-acting forms of PrEP making their way through the research pipeline, requiring dosing as seldom as twice per year. However, the FDA recently put a hold on research of one such long-acting drug, Merck’s islatravir, due to safety concerns after people receiving the drug in clinical trials experienced declining CD4 levels.
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He also put an end to the ban on service by transgender people in the military and reversed a policy that 11 Ways LGBTQ Rights Improved previously Around The World In 2021 allowed By Drew Williams healthcare Though 2021 presented many companies to deny coverage to challenges for the LGBTQ gay and transgender people. community, it was also a year of Angola Decriminalized Samehope and progress. In several Sex Relationships countries, new legislation was In the country in central Africa, a introduced while, in others, regressive laws were scrapped. new criminal code went into effect that decriminalized New policies decriminalized homosexuality. The code also homosexuality, provided contains full anti-discrimination protection for trans people protections on the basis of sexagainst discrimination, and uality and gender identity. made it easier for the community to access Bhutan Decriminalized healthcare. Homosexuality Let’s take a look at eleven ways Homosexuality is no longer LGBTQ rights improved around deemed a crime in the Asian the world this year. Here’s to country, Bhutan, either as of this more positive changes and year. There are also few safer spaces for LGBTQ people restrictions on blood donations, to exist in 2022. and anyone in good health aged The U.S. Ban On Transgender at least 18 years and weighing People Serving In The Military at least 100 lbs may give blood. Ended The EU Parliament Decided When he took office in January, That The Whole Territory Of President Joe Biden got to work All EU Member States Is A on reversing policies implement- Freedom Zone For LGBTQ People ed by Donald Trump that discriminated against LGBTQ In response to the regressions people. Just hours after his in LGBTQ rights in some EU inauguration, he signed an countries, notably Poland and executive order making the Hungary, MEPs declared the government recognize more EU to be “an LGBTIQ Freedom protections against Zone.” The resolution declares discrimination on the basis of that “LGBTIQ persons sex including sexuality, gender everywhere in the EU should identity, and sex stereotypes. enjoy the freedom to live and publicly show their sexual 18 www.jaxgay.com
orientation and gender identity without fear of intolerance, discrimination or persecution.” Sinaloa Legalized Same-Sex Marriage After Past Attempts Failed The Mexican State of Sinaloa finally made same-sex marriage legal after several failed attempts. It joined more than half of all Mexican states in making the practice legal. While a number of lawmakers abstained from voting, the result was unanimous. The Israeli High Court Ruled That The Amendment To The Surrogacy Law, Enacted In 2018, Will Be Amended The Israeli High Court cleared the way for more same-sex couples to start families through surrogacy by amending a 2020 ruling. Previously, a surrogacy law stretched to single women but excluded gay couples, and the High Court ruled this year that it “disproportionately harmed the right to equality and the right to parenthood” and was unlawful. Switzerland Votes To Approve Same-Sex Marriage Swiss voters approved same-sex marriage in a nationwide referendum. 64.1% of voters accepted the reform,
and none of the 26 Swiss cantons came out against it. The referendum was most popular in Basel City, with 74% voting in favor. Spain Signed An Executive Order To Allow Free IVF Treatment For Women In Same-Sex Relationships
Marriage By An Overwhelming Majority
make any changes without providing evidence of a medical procedure. Same-sex marriage equality finally became a reality in Chile Canada Banned Conversion in a landslide vote after four Therapy years of inaction. Both houses Canada made providing, of Chile’s Congress authorized promoting, or advertising the measure with conversion therapy to children, overwhelming majorities. This consenting adults, and made Chile the eighth Latin Free IVF treatment was non-consenting adults, a extended to both single women American country to allow criminal offense. The bill makes same-sex marriage. and those in same-sex it illegal to profit off the practice relationships in Spain. The New Zealand Made It Easier and covers trying to change move was also part of the For Trans People To Update either a person’s sexual Spanish government’s drive for Their Birth Certificates orientation to heterosexual or equality, which has seen a It is now easier for trans people to change a person’s gender record number of women in New Zealand to update their identity to cisgender. appointed to the Cabinet. sex on birth certificates. A new Chile Approved Same-Sex law passed means they can
executive order concerning sexual orientation and gender identity ever issued by a United States president.”
Transgender student Gavin Grimm has made national headlines for his years-long battle with the The U.S. Began Gloucester 5 Good Things That Happened To Issuing Nonbinary The LGBTQ Community This Year Gender Markers On County School Board in By Leigh Kai Virginia over his ability to use Passports the boys bathroom. The battle It has certainly been a finally ended this year. In October, challenging year for LGBTQ the U.S. Grimm started using the boys rights, but it’s important to take issued its restroom in his sophomore a moment to recognize the first passport year, which months later some wins. It’s easy to get bogged with an “X” parents and students down in the difficulties, but a lot gender marker, which LGBTQ complained about. The school of great things happened for advocates hailed as a historic board held a meeting where the LGBTQ community this moment for the legal Gavin was called a “freak” and year, too. recognition of non-binary compared to a dog that Now, it’s worth taking a gender identities. urinates on fire hydrants. moment to remember a few. From 1977 to this year, the At that meeting, the board Biden Issued A Historic Executive Order On AntiLGBTQ Discrimination
In January, President Joe Biden signed a sweeping executive order instructing executive agencies to interpret federal civil rights legislation as already banning discrimination against LGBTQ people in many areas of the law.
Department of State only issued passports with an “M” or “F” gender marker. Prior to 1977, U.S. passports didn’t have gender markers on them at all.
But in June, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that the Department would make it easier for transgender individuals to correct the gender marker on their passports by lifting the requirement for medical certification of one’s gender identity. He also said that “All persons should receive people will be allowed to equal treatment under the law, choose X as their gender no matter their gender identity marker to make the process or sexual orientation,” the more inclusive. executive order states in the The X gender marker is introduction. expected to become a part of Then-HRC President Alphonso the routine passport application David called it “the most process in early 2022. substantive, wide-ranging Gavin Grimm Finally Won His Case 22 www.jaxgay.com
passed a policy that said bathrooms “shall be limited to the corresponding biological genders, and students with gender identity issues shall be provided an alternative appropriate private facility banning him from it.” The school installed a toilet in a closet and called it a unisex restroom.
Grimm sued with help from the ACLU. The initial court that heard his case dismissed his claim, saying that Title IX doesn’t ban anti-LGBTQ discrimination. What followed were years of appeals and policy changes, as the Obama administration interpreted Title IX as banning anti-LGBTQ discrimination but the Trump administration did not. The district court in its 2019 ruling said that the school board’s policy violated Title IX
as well as the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. The school board appealed but the appeals court sided with Grimm, citing the Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton Co. extensively, which said that Title VII’s ban on job discrimination “because of sex” also bans anti-LGBTQ discrimination. The Supreme Court, earlier this year, refused to hear the school board’s appeal, so Grimm’s victory stands. The State Department Reinstated Citizenship To The Children Of Gay Couples Conceived Abroad The Biden administration ended a Trumpera policy that denied American citizenship to samesex couple’s children born abroad via surrogacy or in vitro fertilization. The State Department announced this
year that it was resuming the process of automatically granting citizenship as it did before former President Donald Trump (R) changed the policy. The Trump administration classified the children as “born out of wedlock” to deny them citizenship. Tons Of Celebrities Came Out
Celebrities were here and queer in 2021, coming out in droves and giving us more and more of that much-needed representation. From teen Youtube sensation JoJo Siwa coming out as gay and then pansexual; to music artist Demi Lovato coming out as nonbinary; to football player Carl Nassib coming out and making NFL history, 2021 was a popular year to ditch the closet.
BE BOLD
BE PROUD
BE GAY
2022!
13 New (And Returning!) LGBTQ+ TV Shows To Look Forward To In 2022 By Drew Williams
2022 is going to be a great year for queer TV!
1. The 'Queer as Folk' reboot
acclaimed, dark teen drama Euphoria is coming back on January 9. Check it out to see what Rue, Jules, and the rest of the crew are up to. Premiere date: January 9 4. '9-1-1: Lone Star' Season 3
Season Peacock’s New Orleans-based three of the hit Fox drama starring the sexy Brian Michael We love queer TV! There’s reboot of the popular series nothing better than tuning in about a group of queer friends Smith, Ronen Rubinstein, and Rafael Silva premieres right every week (or binging an stars Jesse James Keitel, after the new year! entire season all in one day) to Candace Grace, Devin Way, see what our favorite LGBTQ+ Fin Argus, Johnny Sibilly, and Premiere date: January 3 characters are doing. And 2022 Ryan O’Connell, among other is going to be an even better talented queer performers. year for queer TV than this one Premiere date: TBA was. Some of our favorite shows (like The L Word: Generation Q and Q-Force) are waiting to hear if they’ll be renewed, and 5. 'The Big Brunch' others were canceled, but a lot of the queer shows we love are This Dan Levy-hosted reality definitely coming back in the 2. 'A League of Their Own' cooking competition show will new year. Meanwhile, other see the Schitt’s Creek creator Created by and starring Abbi favorites like The Other Two, Jacobson, this TV reboot of the judging brunch dishes from Gossip Girl, and Love, Victor chefs around the country and classic movie about the have all been renewed, but we American Girls Professional will debut sometime in 2022 on don’t know yet when their new Baseball League will “explore HBO Max! seasons are coming. So race and sexuality” in ways the Premiere date: TBA hopefully, we’ll see more of original film did not. It also those shows in 2022 as well. stars Roberta Colindrez, There are also plenty of new Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, queer shows to sate your Gbemisola Ikumelo, Kelly appetite, including some that McCormack, Priscilla Delgado, could be real groundbreakers Molly Ephraim, Kate Berlant, in the genre (Queer as Folk and Melanie Field. and A League of Their Own, 6. 'Chucky' Season 2 Premiere date: TBA I’m looking at you). Here are 13 3. 'Euphoria' The new, gay Chucky TV of the upcoming LGBTQ+ Season 2 series ended it’s explosive and shows we’re most excited for in entertaining first season After two years, HBO’s recently, and then was 26 www.jaxgay.com
renewed. The first season is currently streaming on Peacock, and the second season is coming in 2022. Premiere date: TBA 7. 'Joe Exotic' Kate McKinnon plays Carole Baskin and John Cameron Mitchell plays Joe Exotic in this upcoming series that fictionalizes the events in Netflix’s documentary Tiger King, and is based on the Wondery podcast Joe Exotic: Tiger King. Premiere date: TBA 8. 'Pam & Tommy' Queer actress Taylor Schilling plays queer porn star Erica Gauthier in this incrediblelooking miniseries from Hulu. We can't wait to watch Lily James as Pamela Anderson and Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee! Pam & Tommy is coming to Hulu on February 2. Premiere date: February 2 9. 'The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder' The new queer-inclusive cartoon reboot (featuring queer characters played by EJ Johnson, Billy Porter, and Zachary Quinto) will debut in February on
Disney+. Premiere date: February 2022 10. 'What We Do In the Shadows' Season 4
Rudolph’s character.
Premiere date: TBA 13. 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' The fourth Season 3 season of this vampire mockumentary The gay-as-hell musical series just finished filming, and fans about a high school drama are hoping the next season will department starring Olivia explore more of Nandor and his Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, Larry bodyguard (not familiar!) Saperstein, Frankie A. Guillermo’s budding romance. Rodriguez, and Joe Serafini is coming back for a third, Premiere date: TBA summer-vacation-themed 11. season. After doing High 'Getting School Musical and Beauty and Curious the Beast the first two seasons, with this year the Wildcats will be Jonathan performing Frozen. Van Ness' Premiere date: TBA Based on his podcast of the same name, Van Ness says that, "In each episode I take on a different question, going out into the world with multiple experts to get the answers we’re all (or at least I am) hungry for!" Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness premieres on Netflix in late January! Premiere date: January 28 12. 'Loot' Michaela Jaé Rodriguez's next big TV role after her Emmynominated performance in Pose is on this upcoming Apple TV+ show alongside Maya Rudolph! In it, she plays the executive director for a non-profit owned by
bonding with others, and produces a surreal psychedelic effect. These same effects have been hypothesized to support people with PTSD during Scientists Have Officially psychotherapy Confirmed The Benefits Of sessions, since they MDMA In PTSD Treatment can make people more By David Vandygriff willing and able to share and explore their For people with post-traumatic traumatic experiences. Our stress disorder, recalling new meta-analysis of clinical memories of physical or sexual trials confirms the benefits of assault, combat, or disasterMDMA-assisted psychotherapy related events can induce in the treatment of PTSD. intense anxiety or panic attacks We are a pharmacist and as well as debilitating physician team who investigate flashbacks. the benefits and harms In the U.S., about 7% of people associated with substances of suffer from PTSD and lose an abuse like bath salts, average of about four working phenibut, cannabis and days each month as a result. synthetic marijuana. Through Trauma-specific this work, we have become psychotherapy, like cognitive intrigued about the therapeutic processing or “talk” therapy, is potential for some psychedelic the cornerstone of treatment drugs in the treatment of a for PTSD. But for approximate- myriad of psychiatric disorders, ly half of people, these from PTSD to major traditional approaches are depression, especially MDMA ineffective at fully addressing and psilocybin (hallucinogenic PTSD symptoms over the long mushrooms). term. Antidepressant drugs are It is important to state that frequently used if using ecstasy or molly products psychotherapy fails, or in from the street would not help combination with it, but the PTSD symptoms because the effects are usually modest. MDMA needs to be used along MDMA (3,4with carefully crafted methylenedioxymethampheta- psychotherapy in a safe, mine) is an active ingredient in controlled environment. the illicit street drug known as Ecstasy or molly products ecstasy or molly. People in purchased illicitly never specify dance clubs and raves use the exact amount of MDMA illicit MDMA because it they contain, so it is impossible elevates mood and energy to dose it properly for PTSD. levels, induces a feeling of Taking too much MDMA or exercising while taking MDMA
www.TheMOSH.org
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can cause heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and arrhythmia and can damage muscles and kidneys. What Is MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy? In an MDMA-assisted psychotherapy session, patients take MDMA as a pill upon entering a psychiatrist’s office and then work with a team of therapists who help them divulge traumatic events or discuss aspects of those events over the course of several hours. They usually have non-MDMA sessions before the first MDMA session so they know what to expect. And they have at least one non -MDMA session after each MDMA one to work through the traumatic memories that were revealed and to learn coping strategies. A standard treatment course includes two or three multi-hour MDMAassisted psychotherapy sessions and several nonMDMA sessions. The MDMA products used in these sessions are pharmaceutical grade. This means that, unlike illicitly obtained street products, they do not contain other substances of abuse, such as methamphetamine, or contaminants like heavy metals, bacteria, or mold. People with hypertension or those at high risk of heart attacks, strokes, or arrhythmias should not participate, because they can have unsafe elevations in blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, patients are not allowed to
leave for eight hours, until the effects of MDMA have fully worn off. Assessing The Effectiveness Of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy In 2014, we reviewed the available animal data and the few preliminary human studies of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, but at the time, higher-quality clinical trials had not yet been completed. But in the past few years, larger and higher-quality trials have been published, warranting an in-depth assessment. So we recently reviewed the data comparing antidepressant use to placebos for patients with PTSD and performed a meta-analysis study of the 6 different clinical trials that assessed the usefulness of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy versus psychotherapy alone. All of the trials we analyzed included both men and women who had experienced a multitude of traumatic events that led to PTSD. The studies used the same points scale to determine the effectiveness of therapy, making it easier to compare data across studies. Scores above approximately 50 points mean a patient has severe PTSD, and scores reduced by more than 10 points from baseline are clinically meaningful. We found that daily antidepressant therapy reduced PTSD by 6 to 14 points compared with the placebo, but a range of 27% to 47% of patients across the studies withdrew before the
end of the trials. In contrast, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy reduced the scores by 22 points compared with those receiving psychotherapy with placebo, and patients were twice as likely to no longer meet the criteria for PTSD diagnosis by the end of the trials. In addition, only 8% of patients withdrew from MDMAassisted psychotherapy trials. The main adverse effects included teeth grinding, jitteriness, headache, and nausea. One of these MDMA trials found that participants’ blood pressure and heart rate were elevated in the course of MDMA therapy, but not to a concerning extent. For several of the trials in our meta-analysis, investigators sent a questionnaire to participants 12 months after their last MDMA session to assess the long-term impact. Overall, 86% of participants said they received substantial benefits from the combined MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Eighty-four percent of participants reported having improved feelings of well-being, 71% had fewer nightmares, 69% had less anxiety and 66% had improved sleep. The results from across all of the studies suggested that MDMAassisted therapy was helping to alleviate the PTSD itself, not simply suppressing symptoms. Looking Ahead The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration identifies MDMA and psilocybin as Schedule I controlled substances. According to the DEA, these
substances have no currently accepted medical use in the U.S. and come with high abuse potential. However, it’s worth noting an important exception. Cannabidiol, or CBD, a chemical that comes from the plant Cannabis sativa, is classified as a Schedule I drug. But the FDA approved its use in 2018 for the treatment of two rare and severe childhood seizure disorders. That doesn’t mean that the CBD in your lotion or seltzer has proof of benefit for most of the ills people are using it for, but its full therapeutic potential is still being explored. Given the strong consistent beneficial effects and manageable adverse events in the newer trials designed with FDA input, we suspect that MDMAassisted psychotherapy will become an FDA-approved option for PTSD by the end of 2023. Psilocybin — commonly known as hallucinogenic mushrooms — also shows promise for treating major depression, but further research is needed. The DEA’s stringent policies made it exceptionally hard for scientists to conduct research on Schedule I drugs for decades by criminalizing the possession of the products. www.jaxgay.com 29
Jacksonville LGBTQ Community Member, 24-Year-Old Tevin Robinson Murdered, ‘As A Family, We Are Angry’ By Jacob Bowman
A local family is mourning the death of 24-year-old Tevin Robinson. There were emotional cries for justice as family members of Robinson plead for answers. “I just want justice for my son because he didn’t deserve it,” his mother Shemeika Robinson said. The 24-year-old was found unresponsive in a car at the Highland Square shopping center and police suspect foul play. Since then, according to Action News Jax, confirmed that Robinson was shot. “When I heard the term ‘shot’ immediately in my head, I took it as my cousin was gunned down,” his cousin Roneka Wells said. Robinson was a well-known hairstylist specializing in wigs and weaves. Family members
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like his cousin Roneka Wells and his Aunt Raschel Campbell tell Action News Jax that he was openly gay and heavily involved in the LGBTQ community. “He was loved, he is truly missed – he was our little firefly,” Wells said. “There’s nobody who did not know Duval Princess,” Campbell said. Security video was given from a nearby business shows someone waiting at the corner of a business that morning. The car we are told Robinson is in pulls up, the person goes to the driver side window first, then walks to the passenger side door. They appear to have a conversation and then again, the person goes back to the driver side. Shortly after, it appears as if the person hops into the passenger seat.
Roughly 10 minutes go by and then there’s a flash, which we opted not to show. Moments later the person is seen running away. Family says according to messages, Robinson was meeting up with someone he knew. “I have never known a pain like this and we just want answers,” Campbell said. “This was a senseless act of violence, it was a hate crime.” Family says his outgoing personality will live on forever and hope closure comes sooner rather than later. “Knowing who did it will take a lot of burden off our shoulders but knowing why would make us feel so much at peace,” Well said. It’s important to note that police call it a suspicious death and suspect foul play. At this time, it’s not listed as a homicide, but family believes wholeheartedly it was murder.
tragedy in their past.” This drama series tells several poignant LGBTQ stories with such progressive and refreshing storytelling. The senior representation, however, comes in the form of William Hill, who gives us a rare depiction of an elderly, bisexual, black man. His character makes an impact from the get-go, with the show addressing his sexuality in a realistic yet sensitive, compassionate way. His character is truly a breath of fresh air and it is clear he’s been crafted with such care to deliberately avoid harmful stereotypes. His sexuality isn’t what makes his character – it is merely one part of his identity – it is simply accepted, particularly by William himself, a man who grew up when being openly LGBTQ was met with great resistance. The Cool Kids “A newcomer to the community retirement center, Margaret, creates an upheaval in the lives of three friends, Hank, Charlie and Sidney.” How often do you get to see gay characters in a retirement home? This series depicts the comedic situations the group get entangled in as they navigate life in the home they now live in – which isn’t liked by all. It’s wild (literally, they steal cars, commit credit card fraud and throw a wild party –
and that’s just the pilot episode), and Sid Delacroix is openly gay and perfectly content with exactly who he is through it all. Love Is Strange “After Ben and George get married, George is fired from his teaching post, forcing them to stay with friends separately while they sell their place and look for cheaper housing – a situation that weighs heavily on all involved.” This romance-drama movie is simply gorgeous with impeccable acting. To see two men spend 40 years in a relationship, then decide to marry, shouldn’t be unusual. But, while it is, we should welcome it with open arms. This project is everything from sweet to sad, but it does a wonderful job of exploring both intimacies and just exactly how much of our identity is invested in coupledom – especially in a long-term partnership.
Supernova Sam and Tusker are traveling across England in their old RV to visit friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with dementia two years ago, their time together is the most important thing they have. Get your tissues ready for this weepy romance movie. It may
sound strange, or silly, but a gay man living to the typical age of dementia, and experiencing all the emotional and psychological effects of that condition, is seldom seen in TV or film. It’s a completely human process and part of growing old, but it just never gets airtime. Yet in this tearjerker, we witness the impact of dementia on both people in a long-established same-sex relationship. The on-screen chemistry is so moving and the storytelling is beyond powerful, showing the men wrestling with their consciences and responsibilities as they make one final campervan trip together. Twilight’s Kiss “Two closeted gay men in their twilight years contemplate a possible future together after unexpectedly falling in love.” This Chinese romance-drama follows a 70-year-old married taxi driver who refuses to retire, who meets a 65-year-old retired single father. Despite keeping their sexuality a secret, they are proud of the lives they have created and the hardships they’ve overcome. They share a brief encounter, but their initial meeting ignites something inside them both that had been suppressed for so long. They recount their personal stories and begin to contemplate a future together. www.jaxgay.com 34
Carey's "All I Want for Christmas". Friðrik was a former contestant on Eurovision, and it was easy to Pride Journey: Iceland see why. His By Joey Amato vocals and stage presence The only way to describe were extraordinary, reminiscent Iceland is...magical. It truly is. of George Michael. Iceland is like no other place Book your stay at the Reykjavik I've visited in the world. It's Konsulat hotel located in the topography, climate, people, heart of the downtown culture, history, and nightlife Reykjavik, just a short walk blended together make Iceland from all of the city's main a surreal adventure that attractions including Harpa everyone should experience at concert hall, Sun Voyager and least once in their lifetime. In the iconic Hallgrimskirkja my case, this is my second visit cathedral, the largest church in to the country, and probably the country which and towers not my last. over the center of Reykjavik. Its The first time I set foot on the 240-foot-high tower provides a island, I was on a mission to wonderful 360° view of the city. see the elusive northern lights. Visitors can either walk up the While they evaded me during stairs to the top or pay a small that visit, this time was fee to use the elevator. different. I didn't see Aurora Our spacious room at dancing through the sky, but I Reykjavik Konsulat included a did see a hint of the lights, walk-in shower, king bed with enough to make me stop and ultra-luxurious linens as well as stare in awe of their beauty. a seating area. Every day the One of Iceland's many hotel offers a complimentary strengths is its people. I met an happy hour as well a delicious incredible group of people who breakfast buffet, featuring a helped make this visit variety of local specialties extremely memorable, including smoked salmon. The including openly gay Icelandic hotel also offers a nice fitness pop star Friðrik Ómar, who center as well as bath house invited me to his Christmas complete with sauna and hot concert. Although most of the tub. Don't get too excited, bath concert was in sung in house means something Icelandic, many of the songs completely different in Iceland were recognizable, including a than it does in the United fabulous version of Mariah States. Going to Iceland in the winter is
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an adventure. It definitely isn't a relaxing trip; more like a journey to the most extraordinary ends of the earth you will ever discover. With that in mind, book a full day private excursion to the South Coast with Friend In Iceland. Our wonderful guide Gunnar picked us up from our hotel in a Mercedes mini-bus and we were off to explore a part of the country I hadn't been to on my prior visit. The nearly 9-hour tour took us to Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls where we had the opportunity to stand at the base and feel the power of these natural wonders. Next, we journeyed up to the top of a cliff which provided views of the ocean as well as a rock formation jutting out into the sea which connects to Reynisfjara black sand beach. Words can't describe how beautiful this moment was. I'm almost in tears again just thinking about it. The waves crashing on the beach coupled with a clear sky and mesmerizing sunrise made for an absolutely majestic view. Gunnar then brought us to a cute restaurant where we had lunch which consisted of pizza and a sandwich, not typical Icelandic cuisine, but it was delicious non the less. Reykjavik is home to one gay bar, called Kiki. Although it was closed during this visit due to COVID-19 restrictions, we did happen to meet the owner who invited us back to the country this summer for their pride celebration. 2022 marks the
23rd annual Reykjavik Pride, which is held in early August. The festival attracts over 100,000 people to the city for a week-long celebration including a festival, parade, and numerous parties. Wake up early the next morning and get ready for your next Icelandic adventure in the Golden Circle. Although this region is easily drivable from Reykjavik in the summer, I wouldn't recommend venturing on your own during the winter months as many of the roads are icy and the weather can be quite spontaneous. One moment it will be sunny and then 30-minutes later you can find yourself in a winter storm with 40-mile per hour wind gusts. Begin your Golden Circle tour with a trip to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO heritage site and home to Gullfoss, also known as the 'Golden Waterfall', one of the most beautiful and powerful waterfalls in Iceland. I recommend descended the stairs to the lower viewing area to really comprehend the size and scope of this natural
favorite restaurants we visited in Reykjavik was Noodle Station. Guests can order soup three ways: with chicken, beef, or just vegetables. It is the perfect way to end a long day spent playing in the ice and snow and quite affordable. Do your research before visiting to find some of the city's hidden gems and cheap eats. Icelandair offers direct flights to Reykjavik for relatively low prices from Boston, New York, treasure. Not too far away is Chicago, Raleigh-Durham, and Geysir, Iceland's version of Old a few other U.S. cities, so Faithful. The geyser erupts check their website regularly to about every 7 minutes, so keep catch a great deal. your camera ready. Enjoy the Journey Finally, end your tour with a snowmobile ride on the Langjökull glacier. This is also something I didn't experience on my first visit, and I can honestly say it was one of the coolest (literally) experiences of my life. We had to jump off our luxurious tour bus and board a souped-up monster truck looking bus which transports you to the glacier where a team is ready to outfit you with protective gear and teach you how to use the snowmobiles. The hour tour of the glacier will make you feel like you were on another planet. There are points where the sky and the glacier meet, and you can't tell them apart. I was fooled by a few optical illusions a few times. Iceland can be inexpensive to get to, but then very expensive while you are there, so please plan accordingly. Food and alcohol can add up really quickly, so pace yourself when visiting the bars. One of my www.jaxgay.com 31