Charlie David August Issue Proud Times

Anisha Joshi - New Show Host

Jimmy Whetzel

- Young Gamer Making A Difference

Dan Payne

- Athlete, Actor, Humanitarian

Raph Solo

- Breaking New Ground in Music

Jack Tracy

- Making A Statement With Music

Epiphany Mattel - Making A Change For The Better

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Dear Readers, We are so excited to bring you the August issue of Proud Times Magazine. This month we will continue our representation of the LGBTQ+ alphabet with the letter G and an interview with YouTuber and twitch guru Jimmy Whetzel. We will also be bringing you a cover story featuring Charlie David, writer, producer, actor, and so much more. This issue will also feature dancer and now TV host, Anisha Joshi, actor and activist Dan Payne, and a look into the mind of Epiphany Mattel. We hope you enjoy this issue and that you are as excited for new issues as we are! We are always open to submissions, please see our website for more information on how to submit your writing, artwork, photography, and anything in between. As always we would like to thank our supporters, contributors, staff, and readers. You all make this possible and we appreciate your continued support and love! Be sure to follow Proud Times on social media for updates on the latest issues, release dates, and much more. Thank you, Victoria Smartt Managing Editor

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for whats between these sheets... 5. Anisha Joshi 14. Jimmy Whetzel 25. Charlie David 40. Dan Payne 48. Raph Solo 54. Jack Tracy 61. Epiphany Mattel

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By Team PT

Lifelong dance connoisseur, from child to adult, Anisha has set her sites on more. Anisha has danced her way from stage to commercial and now she’s taking her dedication of dance and turning it into an acting career. She has done several commercials and through this interview you will learn about her newest endeavour as host of the new upcoming pilot of “Dating Unlocked.”

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You moved to Vancouver when you were just 17, what was it like being on your own at that young age? It was... intense. I had to grow up very quickly, and all of a sudden I had so many important decisions to make about my career and life. I graduated early and worked at a store for most of my senior year to save up as much as I could before moving away. I very quickly realized living on your own is a lot more expensive than I thought and planned for... my year in Vancouver was a big struggle for me - I worked pretty much all the time and barely had time to even focus on my dance career. I did have a lot of family support but it was still tough. My priorities changed once I moved out east and realized that my multiple part time jobs actually just held me back from succeeding. Now, as a working artist, I look back and just wish I trusted my abilities more. As soon as I did, my career started to rise! Your bio describes you as having hungry perseverance, is success something very important to you? What does success look like to you? Success is a funny thing. It’s always been important to me and a huge driving force in my life, but my career is certainly not the only thing I want to be a huge success. I strive everyday to succeed as a good person, a good partner to my dude, a good daughter & sister to my family. There is much more to life than just a successful career. In 70 years that’s what I want to remember most - that I succeeded in being a good person and brought light and positive energy everywhere I went.

You are a very energetically accomplished dancer with several performances and commercials- what do you like doing the best, commercials or dancing on stage? Tough question. I love everything. It’s like when people ask me what my favourite style of dance is - I can’t choose! Ballet or hip hop? What about tap?! However, creating and performing in a stage show is a lot more work than a commercial shoot. So I’ll say commercial cause I’m a lazy butt sometimes. You quote one of my favorite teachers, Wayne Dwyer, in your bio. “When you dance your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor, it is to enjoy every step along the way.” How do you manage to live that, or do you? Can you tell us more about what this means quote means for you? He’s incredible, isn’t he? I swear by it. I have a tendency to focus so much on the future and what I WANT to accomplish, rather than congratulating myself for what I already have accomplished. Enjoying the process and the journey is something I constantly have to work on. I don’t want to go through life so fast only focusing on what’s to come - I want to live in it. Dancer, to show host, was this your plan all along or did this just happen? It just happened! I’m a very open-minded person even in my career. I’m all about universal signs and a firm believer that you are where you’re supposed to be. I let the auditions take me wherever they do! Although, I did host my high

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school dating competition (on Valentine’s Day we auctioned off some nominated students for a lunch date in t I feel as though it’s kind of my secret calling! I’m also such a meddler in my friend’s love lives, I love playing m maybe I did plan it! Dating shows aren’t really my thing, but your performance really stood out to me and made me want to keep the host of a dating show what was your mindset, or I should say what did you envision? Was it easy to step did it take work?

Omg stop. Thank you! That’s so sweet. To be honest, my hostess skills come from my mom... she throws a d people feel comfortable enough to share some tea (the gossip kind) with me, and like I said matchmaking isn generally very energetic. Some might say manic... I might say too much coffee. But to be honest I really just w comfortable enough to share their secrets with me. Even though I certainly made them uncomfortable at time

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the cafeteria... it was for charity!) so matchmaker. Now that I think about it watching! When you auditioned to be in as this cheery energetic hostess or

damn good party. I know how to make n’t something I’m new to. I’m also wanted to make sure the guys felt es!

I am fortunate enough to know several young people who are involved in performing in films, comedy, and modeling. They seem to hit hard spots and it has been hard for them to continue. So far, they have continued. Do you have any words on how you handle disappointments or setbacks, when, and if you encounter them? This career is a tough road. Your job is just never guaranteed, at any moment you might never book another gig. That’s really hard on an artist’s mental health. It took me a long time to get back in the studio after a major career setback - I was set to go on an 8 month contract that fell through last minute. It was a really hard time, I didn’t think I would even continue dancing. Eventually I picked myself up, started auditioning again and slowly regained my confidence. I realize now that I needed to take time for myself and it was the universe’s way of forcing me to, plus it led to bigger and better things. Taking time to focus on your health is so important for anyone really, but especially artists. This is a draining career and you don’t want to burn out. Take time to focus on self-love and hang out with the people who support you. Also, never think twice about an audition after you’ve left the room, that way when you get the phone call it’ll be a big surprise! Without revealing one of the first questions you ask both Serge and Richard before the giving of the keys, was that a scripted question or did you ad-lib it? If you are not sure what that question was, it involved numbers. I’ll never reveal my secrets... but I will tell you that while some of it is scripted, most definitely a lot of that was improv!

Referring back to the questions you asked throughout, did you get to help come up with any of the questions? If you did was it fun asking them? If not was it easy for you to ask some of the fun and personal questions? Charlie and I talked about good questions beforehand, but so often it changes depending on their response! So much of it was just genuine conversation with the guys. I love asking personal questions... I’m a no shame kind of gal, gimme the dirty details ASAP. I loved your U-tube where you are talking about a subject when a small, Yorkie dog enters the picture. You quickly turn and hug the dog. You appear to be a spontaneous, loving person. Is that your natural inclination? Have you always been that quick to respond to things you enjoy? Do you feel your dancing benefits and reflects that energy? I bet that was Marty from my video with Jeff... he got caught in my hair! I love dogs though, I have my girl, Ginny, who makes appearances online sometimes. She is seriously my best buddy... such a sweet, loving dog. But I am certainly a lover of all things with a good soul. I made the choice a long time ago to only spend my time doing things I enjoy, and it makes me so happy. I love being able to do what I love as a job, and dancing is the centre of that. Performing is the best way to express that energy, it’s never boring and always changing.

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Watching you throughout the show I saw a possible hint of “Drag Sassiness” Is that all you or do you watch a lot of RuPaul?

I noticed on your Instagram you post a lot of makeup videos, do you do your own makeup for shows? What got you into makeup, to begin with?

I feel as though I was supposed to be born a man, but last minute somebody was like nope... let’s switch this now or he’s gonna be real confused. I love the world of drag, it’s an incredible art.. I even tried drag makeup on my channel once. Spoiler alert, it did not go well. Someone please give me a drag makeover!

I love makeup! I do my own makeup for stage and some photo shoots. When it comes to film and tv makeup it’s slightly different and needs to be perfected, so luckily I had Jenny to do my makeup on the show and keep me looking good. I fell in love with makeup at a very young age - I was a competition dancer for my entire childhood so I’ve been wearing falsies since I was a kid! I always loved getting ready for competition and did my own makeup from a young age. I purposely chose character dances so that I could incorporate cool or interesting makeup in my costumes!

Again I want to ask you honestly without giving the ending away, but your reaction to the decision was so awesome, funny, and very unexpected, was it really unexpected? Oh yes, that one was DEFINITELY unexpected. Oops. You’ve been able to travel a lot working with Moment Factory and Royal Caribbean Productions, what was your favorite place to travel? That’s another tough choice! I’m torn between Monte Carlo in France and the Canary Islands. You have a spiritual depth to you, and your Wayne Dwyer quote would add to that observation, what would you want for your future aspirations? I got it from my mama. Career-wise, I would love to shoot a full season of Dating Unlocked. I also would love to do a tour with an artist in the future, Beyoncé where you at? Mostly though, I want to make a big mark on the entertainment industry. I want to start conversations and truly change how the world views a working artist.

All said and done and seeing the pilot and watching you, are you happy with the way it turned out? I’ll let you know when I watch it! To keep up with Anisha’s awesome, positive vibe filled antics, check out her socials! Be on the lookout for Dating Unlocked on OUTtv in Canada and on Vimeo and Amazon in the USA.

Instagram: @everythinganisha Facebook: /everythinganisha Youtube: Everything Anisha https://www.youtube.com/user/anishapotter

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In 2018, m what it me as of, rel direct sex

By Katrina Ho

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most people have a general understanding of eans to be gay. Merriam-Webster’s defines it lating to, or characterized by a tendency to xual desire toward another of the same sex.

ofer Nowadays, there are so many variations of gay. You can be a twink, a bear, a cub, etc. With many different subcultures and different variations of what it means to be gay, it’s clear that despite technically fitting all into the label of gay, no one really fits neatly into one box. Here at Proud Times we understand that not everyone is familiar with the LGBTTQQIAAP letters and what they mean. We want to educate and help people see others as different but beautiful. This month, we are featuring the letter G for Gay. To celebrate the letter G, we contacted a young YouTuber and Twitch streamer, Jimmy Whetzel. We asked Jimmy what it means to him to be gay, how it has affected him, how he thinks the public sees it, and what he feels it means to be gay amongst the online community of gamers. We think you know what the technical definition of being gay is. But, what does that mean to you in terms of community, society, struggles, and acceptance? I’ve been out for just over two years, three to myself, and in that time I’ve done a lot more analyzing what me being gay means than I thought I would after coming out. I spent so much time in my head keeping this secret, trying to “fix”

Jimmy Whetzel myself, or just silencing and pushing away the feelings. But then after I told everyone, the weight was lifted from my shoulders.

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A new journey was only just beginning from that point though. And that’s been one of self acceptance and self-love. A lot of that is aided by that freed up mental space I got after coming out. I did it. I came out. I told everyone. Now I can stop being afraid of figuring out who I really am. And I don’t think I’m done learning about myself. I felt shame about so much of my personality, opinions, and the energy that I bring to a room for so long. So now I’m trying to unpack and resolve that as best I can. Realize that I do love the parts of me I disdained for so long. Recently one of my friends and I discussed how our evolving relationship with our sexualities and identities related to our friendships with our straight friends. I definitely notice a shift in how I carry myself around straight people. Even the ones who are my best friends. Who love, accept, and support me. I’ve been getting better as time has gone on about not tensing up or restraining myself. But I still feel myself start doing it. I guess I just feel this engrained pressure to feel “less gay” whatever that means. And I’m still figuring out how I fit into the world in general. I’m also slowly figuring out my place in the “gay world” in particular. I’ve only been on like three or four dates with other men, one pride event, and a gay bar once (I only just turned 21 haha). And while I don’t feel like I belong sometimes because of my own self esteem/image issues, I’m trying to remind myself that we’re all in the same boat and to relax and celebrate who I am, just the way I am.

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When I came out to my aunt, who is gay herself, she told me that our community is one of beauty and creativity. And I really agree with that. There’s a special kind of art that I feel is made by gay people and our fellow queer family members. So many of us go through such intense periods of darkness and depression and find refuge in the arts as a way to channel these emotions. We spend so much time trying to figure out our place in a world where we can often feel like we aren’t allowed to belong. And while a struggle to fit in is something everyone can relate to, there’s such a specific lens our community has on this part of life. I may just relate to it more and that’s why I feel so strongly about it. But I do think it’s one of our skill sets. You’ve been a part of the YouTube and streaming gaming community for a while now, having started your YouTube channel when you were 14. And back in April of 2016, you came out on Twitter as being gay. What led to that decision and did that change anything for you in terms of views or how people saw you? The biggest factor in choosing to be out online too was “I get to make fun of more parts of my life”. Which may sound silly but it’s true. A lot of my content, especially in my streams, is just me talking about my day to day life and experiences. And not having to avoid talking about those experiences has been so incredible. I feel way more connected to my audience and community. And I feel like I’ve been able to find my comedic voice too. A way I deal with things is through humor. My whole family is that way too. And being able to joke about a bad date I went on or some other awkward gay thing that happened to me with my chat or on Twitter really makes me

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feel better. I get a lot out of other people being so open about themselves so I’m glad I can be that source of comfort for someone else. I don’t feel me coming out has negatively or positively affected how my content performs as far as views. But it has changed how I connect with people online. So many more positives there than negatives. Sure I get homophobic comments and I’d be lying if I said they didn’t sting sometimes. But there are more important things I have to worry about. For every hateful person that comes my way, there are hundreds of people that are like me and do like me. I also think my openness and acceptance of myself improved my videos and streams exponentially because I’m just so much more relaxed than I used to be. It’s easier for me to stream now because I can loosen up and be more off the cuff instead of carefully picking my words so as not to let people know I’m gay. My voice over and on camera presence on YouTube became so much more like how I am around friends and family in my real life, instead of being stiff and scripted so people don’t say I “seem gay” and get “suspicious”. And I feel I’ve attracted a lot more people to my work because of how much I’ve unwound online. So many of the people that watch my streams are LGBTQA+ and if they’re anything like me, they sought out gay internet people that they can relate to for their entertainment. And I’m honored to be that person for them. I’m very lucky and grateful for their support. So I guess maybe it did positively affect my overall view counts. But in a slow, chain reaction sort of way over time.

When most people think of Twitch streamers, especially those involved in gaming, they think of straight white males. But there happens to be a very diverse and thriving community of streamers of various sexualities, orientations, etc. Do you think that it is just a niche market or that there is something else involved? Are there any misconceptions people have about you? That’s a tough one. I would say it’s rather niche but not because the demand isn’t there. I think that right now, queer people may feel too afraid to get into streaming because things can be pretty unwelcoming for us online sometimes. But that’s changing. More and more I’m finding new streamers to watch that aren’t “the norm” and I think that “niche market” is only gonna keep getting bigger. And I’m excited for that. And I don’t know if people have any misconceptions about me. I reveal a lot about myself so if someone is actually listening to me, they’ll get a relatively good idea of who I am. However I did recently get a comment calling me a “stereotypical instagram gay” which was intended as an insult but, I just found it funny. Because all of the gays I see on instagram are gorgeous, have boyfriends and like, abs or whatever. And I don’t fit any of that criteria. I post pictures of my dog and zoomed in photos of my nose to my story. Being an openly gay streamer, has that caused any issues for you in your career? Or are there issues which occur behind the scenes in the Twitch community which those who aren’t streamers or members of that community may not be aware of?

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I’m very fortunate to have not had any negative experiences in my industry because of my sexuality so far. And, in the two and a half years that I’ve been a full-time streamer, I’ve seen Twitch continue to expand their inclusion efforts. They added a whole bunch of LGBTQ+ emotes during Pride Month this year. That was nice to see. You recently joined another community by taking part in the Dungeons and Dragons show, Trapped in the Birdcage, where you play a bard named Saturn who plays the triangle and is openly gay. How did you get into that and have you found the D&D community to be different from the gaming community on Twitch, and how so? I was approached by one of my best friends, Holly Conrad (Trapped in the Birdcage’s Dungeon Master) about joining a DnD show she was putting together sometime last year. I had some time to think about it and was honestly considering turning her down because I had never played before and was afraid of making a fool of myself on stream. But my decision became an obvious yes after going to a table-top gaming convention last November. I got to meet my now castmate on Birdcage, Anna Prosser Robinson there and see games of DnD in action on big stages with crowds enjoying the story and show as much as the players. I didn’t understand the rules yet or many of the things the performers were talking about, but I was captivated by the energy they had roleplaying these hilarious characters. I knew then that this would be something I’d enjoy. I was met with a warm welcome by the stream chat after our first episode and am thrilled by the positive response each week. They’re very

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patient with me asking Holly so many questions about the rules haha. Our show’s audience and the DnD players I interacted with at the convention are very very sweet people. And I think because so much of the game is played in your head based on descriptions from your Dungeon Master and through improvising a story with your party, the Dungeons and Dragons community is a really thoughtful and creative bunch. I’m excited to keep learning more and planting more roots in the community. Something which is an issue with many people, but especially in the LGBT+ community is the issue of mental health. On Twitter, you have addressed that you personally have your own issues that you are dealing with. What inspired you to do so, given that it can be a tough subject to discuss? Depression, Self-Esteem issues, and Anxiety have always been things I’ve struggled with. I remember being up for hours at night as a kid just worrying about things, hating the way I look, not feeling as good as my peers, and fearing the future. All the time. Some of my darkest times have come during the last two and a half years though. And it’s really taken a toll on me. I turn to other people’s experiences when I’m struggling with how to get through my own. One of my inspirations creatively and for dealing with mental illness is the comedian Maria Bamford. She’s absolutely hilarious and so open about her struggles with things like depression and thoughts of suicide. She de-stigmatizes mental illness through comedy. One thing she explores in her stand up and Netflix show is her experience in a psychiatric facility. And I think it’s so incredible that she does that. I went to see her stand up show when she was in NYC back in 2016. It was the first time I’d left my bed in weeks. And I was so inspired from that point on to share what I’m going through with others, in a hopefully funny way, whenever possible. Because one of the things that I think is the most helpful during times of pain is knowing you aren’t alone in your hurting. A lot of the times during my depressive episodes, my thoughts are the only thing I’ve got going on in my life. And if I’ve gotta stream that day, I need something to talk about. So I share what I’ve been feeling. And I’ve learned a lot about myself through talking it out and being open with my audience. There are quite a few YouTubers and streamers who have opened up about struggling with mental health issues and the general response seems to be positive, which is also similar to the general response that

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I, as a consumer of those platforms, have seen when content creators come out. What do you think about this change in attitude towards being open about your sexuality and mental health issues since twenty years ago, coming out as being gay could kill your career? It brings me so much joy. For months before I finally came out, I watched countless videos of YouTubers coming out. Some from people I’d been following for years as well as complete strangers. I also fell down the seemingly endless rabbit hole of Ellen Degeneres videos from the 90s. They were covering when she came out on her sitcom and how monumental that was. Learning about what she went through made me so angry; how her show was cancelled and her career was under attack for several years. I’m so thankful for and inspired by her bravery to be herself. Because it’s paved the way for people like me to be able to tell those who watch me exactly who I am. Things are far from over, but I do see a bright future. My generation and people even younger than me are so much more accepting than those before us. And seeing more LGBT stories in media is only educating more people about who we really are. As for mental health stuff, everyone deals with something hard at sometime in their life. And I think we’re all just sick and tired of bottling it all up inside ourselves. It isn’t healthy. And while it can be taxing on our mental health sometimes, I do think social media has aided in helping people be more open about what they’re going through. Maybe because for so many of us, typing out a text or a tweet is easier than saying it in person. It feels like we’re just sending it off into a void when in actuality, other humans will read it and it furthers the conversation about it all. Being a member of the LGBT community and openly pursuing a career in which you seem to be doing what you love in an industry considered to be dominated by straight guys, what advice would you give to anyone looking to join the community? And what advice would you give to people in general? I’d say that the only person who can tell your story is you. And there’s so many more people than you realize that want to hear it and can relate to it. I feel like I should take my own advice on that some days. And that goes for people in the LGBT community and everyone else too. The world is a big place and while it can be really scary, a lot of it is good. People are good. And we all just want to connect with each other on something whether we know it or not. Linkshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjZDoohri6w_X8fzUr8gAYQ https://www.twitch.tv/JimmyWhetzel https://twitter.com/JimmyWhetzel https://www.instagram.com/jimmywhetzel/?hl=en

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Original Photo by Nicholas Stagias

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By Anthony Greer

Charlie David has had an incredibly successful career as an actor, writer, director, and owner of Border2Border Entertainment.

He starred in Dante’s Cove, the first LGBT show of its kind, and then went on to star as Chase Rousseau in Mulligans, and as Zachary Wells in Judas Kiss. David has worked as a host for E!, OutTV, Pink TV, LOGO, NBC, EGO, Fine Living, and Slice Networks. He has appeared as a musical guest on VH1, BBC, and CBS’s The Early Show. He has earned a Hugo Television Award, the Rising Star Award, and has been recognized as one of Out Magazine’s “Out 100.” According to the many directors and producers that have worked with him, David is as humble and kind as he is talented. David has been referred to as “an amazingly talented and creative entrepreneur,” “a consummate professional,” and “a pleasure to direct, a natural, very telegenic host, and a true gentleman.”

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Recently, David directed, wrote, and starred in Shadowlands, a scripted trilogy inspired by David’s book of short stories also titled Shadowlands. “Writing for me is very therapeutic. I enjoy doing it when I find myself with the time,” David said. The stories in Shadowlands wanted to come out and be told. “They are darker than other writing that I’ve done, and I think that that duality exists in all of us, that light and dark.

Episode 1: Narcissus, takes place in 1928 and focuses on Alex (played by Sean C. Dwyer), a plastic surgeon who hosts a party filled with a variety of colorful guests. While Alex becomes infatuated with the perfection of others, his true obsession is with himself.

“All of these stories have a line to Greek mythology,” David explained. “The Greek myth in Narcissus was about the man who was so in love with his own beauty that he laid down by a pool of water and ended up For me, that’s something that I think that I dying due to hunger and thirst because he needed to explore. A lot of it is based on my wouldn’t leave his own reflection. Similarly, experiences as a gay man and coming out… my story takes place in the 1920’s… the once you’re out it can be a party, and that’s 20’s in Berlin was a point where there was great, but leading up to it and enduring it can be one of the most traumatic experiences in a a lot of progress sexually with gender play and exploration. I feel like, at that time, they person’s life.” may not have quite known what was right Shadowlands’ stories share a common theme: around the corner for them from a political the darker side of love. The three stories take standpoint.” place in three different time periods.

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Episode 2: Mating Season, is set in 1951 where a couple, one member of which is in the navy, meet a mysterious stranger while on a camping trip and ponder opening their relationship. “This isn’t something we normally think about as gay men doing in 1951, but we also have a tendency to put our own historical perspective from where we sit onto anything. In truth, very few gay people in relationships would be public about their relationships in 1951, and so even the concept of living in a monogamous relationship wouldn’t be the same as we do it today,” David said. He added that, in Mating Season, he took a fantastical approach in laying a modern conversation about nonmonogamy and polyamory during that time.

Shadowlands final installment, Episode 3: Pygmalion Revisited, is about a painter, Rudy (played by Charlie David), who mourns the loss of his lover and obsesses over drawing a realistic painting of him. The result is a work of art so lifelike that Rudy becomes captivated with it, as if under a spell. Pygmalion Revisited echoes the Greek myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. “Pygmalion was a sculptor who made a piece of work that was so beautiful that he fell in love with it, and the Goddess Athena took pity on him and brought it to life,” David said. “That was a little more uplifting than ours is.” In Pygmalion Revisited, Rudy is commissioned by the church to draw Saint Sergius and Saint Bacchus, who were known for a long time as the “gay saints” until they were de-canonized by the Catholic Church in 1969 (the same year as Stonewall). Instead, Rudy is unable to stop drawing a picture of his ex-lover. “It’s a story of star-crossed lovers and, back to the theme of love, what it’s like to lose someone that you love. It’s something that everyone can relate to… how we deal with that when it feels like part of our heart gets ripped out.” David laughed and added, “So, happy ending!”

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To further tie in with Ancient Greece, David chose to make each of these stories episode-length as opposed to feature-length so that he could show them together, just as Greek playwrights did at their festivals. “They fit together, and I like the idea of them being watched together,” David explained. “There are thematic connections between the different episodes. There are characters, there are set pieces, and elements of music and costuming that are hidden like Easter Eggs throughout the show… there are roughly about 30 of them.”

Charlie David as an Artist Long before Shadowlands, David started out in TV and film as a teenager and young adult in Canada and considers Dante’s Cove to be his first big break. “Here TV was the first LGBT TV network in the US. [Dante’s Cove] was the first scripted show for a gay network, and I believe that I was the first actor to come out on that show, so there were a lot of firsts going on around, and we had a lot of fun doing it. “Another show I still hear about a lot was Mulligans, the first film that I wrote and produced. For some reason, it continues to strike a chord with a lot of people. It’s the story of a married man who’s coming out in the middle of his life, in his early

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40s. During the film festival run of that, and still, like every week, I get three or four letters, e-mails, and tweets from people saying ‘Oh my gosh, I just watched Mulligans. That was my life.’ It kind of takes you back when you hear people saying ‘That was my life.’ “We’re now living in a place where being gay, being queer, and coming out is a much easier and accepted thing. I think for young people today—I mean, everybody has their own challenges, but I don’t know if they can really grasp what it was like in the 90s and 80s when the AIDS scare was going on,” David said. “I was going to high school in the 90s, and still all of that propaganda and all of that fear of ‘you’re going to die of AIDS if you’re gay’ essentially was everyone. That was our teenage experience. It was surrounded by fear.” David views his job as an actor and as a director as someone who wants to honor the script and the story being told. He feels like he does his best work when he keeps that in mind, and to open himself up as a vessel and to feel the emotions that are accessible to all humans and simply live them. “There is a school of thought with method acting, where we are taking other experiences and letting them provoke the feeling in the story to move us forward,” David explained. “In my mind, it often gets very confusing. I can start thinking about my cat, Fluffy, who died when I was 5 and that made me sad, but now I’m in a scene, and my grandmother is dying, and I have to think about Fluffy because this isn’t my real grandma… it turns into mental gymnastics. If I can just believe strongly enough that I’m sitting with my grandmother

Original Photo by Michael Mew Photography www.ProudTimes.com

and that she’s passing away, that’s all I need to know. I just need to live that story. When I see performances like this by other actors, you stop seeing the actor work and you see the actor simply live.” Often writers and artists will create characters and, in the process, learn more about themselves. David has felt this way many times in his career. “The greatest gift given to a writer is his or her characters that come into your world. Often, they are surprising, and they speak to you and allow you to explore ideas that you may not have the toolkit to deal with in your real life. “For example, in Shadowlands Episode 2: Mating Season, I got to explore non-monogamy and polyamory and how boyfriends might have that kind of conversation from a very safe place. I got to explore it on the page with the characters. For example, I got to look at, well, wouldn’t one of these characters be jealous? How do you deal with jealousy in an open relationship? In my better works, my characters are constantly teaching me and in situations that I put them I think are demanding a greater both intellectual turnover and emotional push and pull from me in order to get a good story. But all means, I’m not always successful at that—I’ll be the first to admit, but it’s something that I’m learning as a creator and in television… no matter what genre, if you don’t have a good story at the heart of it, nobody is going to care. “We’re living in a time where there is so much entertainment out there—there’s so much to read, there’s so much to watch, there’s so much to listen to—that you better be compelling. Otherwise, you might as well be screaming into the void.” Despite his busy schedule between Shadowlands, running a production company, and directing cooking shows, dating shows, and comedy shows, David admits that there are still times that he doubts himself. “I actually joke with my partner about this. I have a quarter life crisis or a half-life crisis quarterly, so like

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seasonally,” he laughed. “I go through periods where I’m like ‘Oh my God, what am I doing? I should quit this and try another career.’ I think that the important thing to remember when you’re a creator, and you’re a creative person is that that’s normal. It’s tough. This is a tough thing that we’ve chosen to do, whether you’re an actor or a writer or a TV creator or a painter, a musician… you know, we haven’t chosen the easy road, but the truth is that everybody’s road is challenging right now. “Technology is constantly disrupting us and our plans and our paths where we thought that we knew where we were going. For me, as someone who works in television and movies, people don’t watch TV like they used to. People don’t go to the movies like they used to. People are cutting their cable packages and pirating entertainment online. At the most, they want to pay $9.99 for Netflix or Amazon and get as much entertainment as they want… So now, as someone who is creating, the challenge is: how do I continue what I love to do when the audience and our society has changed what’s valuable and where we put value?” David enjoys going out in nature and going for walks to get rooted again while taking a step away from technology and how overwhelming it can be. He suggests that everyone should take time to put their feet in the grass and in the dirt, feel mother nature, chill out, take some deep breaths, and ask themselves while finding their center why they do what they do.

Shadowlands Episode 2: Mating Season

“I do what I do because, when I was growing up, I didn’t see content that was reflective of my personal experience. I didn’t see queer people on TV, in books, in the media. It’s not that long ago when I was a child and a teenager who felt completely isolated… fast forward to where we are today, and it feels like the representation is so much better. That’s my personal mission statement. That’s why I do what I

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do because I feel like telling these stories is super important and it’s worth continuing to do, and it’s worth protecting. When I get down in the dumps, I remember that and then get back, try and tell a different story, and figure out how to do it.” When David isn’t out in nature or working, he loves to bake and likes to do mosaic. “Mosaic is an artform—a hobby, I’ll call it. Not an art form—not my pieces anyway,” he said, laughing. “I love painters. My friends who are painters—I love going to their studios and watching them work, and I’ve always had a fascination there, but it’s something that I feel I have no skill in. I can’t sketch, I don’t have that skill set, but with mosaic and with working with stone and marble and glass and stuff like that, I feel like I can play because the visuals that come forward are more impressionistic and subjective, so they’re pretty to me.” He adds that it’s no coincidence that the characters he’s played in Mulligans and Shadowlands are painters. In addition to going around the world to show Shadowlands in film festivals, David has two documentaries coming up: PolyLove and Drawn this Way. He also has a dating show called Dating Unlocked, which will be going to series this summer, a cooking show called Spreadable that is “really fun and sexy,” and the second season of his comedy show PopPorn, where comedians roast the beginnings of gay porn scenes.

Visit Charlie David on his website at Border2Border.ca

PopPorn is available on Vimeo and Amazon

Shadowlands can be found on https://vimeo.com/ondemand/shadowlandstv.

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Painting Scene From Mulligans

By Team PT

A man of many talents, one could call Dan Payne a jack of all trades. From professional volleyball player to actor, and everything in between. heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the epitome of living your best life. He got into acting after spending his 20â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playing professional volleyball. He believes his later entry into the world of acting truly helped him because he was so established with himself he was able to handle the ups and downs of getting, or not getting, a role. His acting resume includs Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica Star Trek, and Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Descendants just to name a few.

We had the honor of getting to talk with this one of a kind actor and all around awesome human being, and ask him some questions about his life, acting, and his humanitarian efforts. You started getting into acting after creating short films with your brother. What really led to the shift? Did you prefer being behind the scenes, calling shots, or do you prefer to be in front of the camera more? Do you have time for your interest in photography these days? My brother and I lived together in QLD, Australia and had big plans to make movies together. We started by creating guest participation shows that we hosted, performed and photographed. Our primary income was from the resort photography concessions my brother had built there around the same time I was finishing my professional volleyball career. We had intended to expand and grow to the point of making our own films from there but realized that we faced some hurdles being on islands in the middle of the tropics! Lol. By then, I had been bitten by the acting bug. That was the shift. I was intoxicated by the sharing in and response of people performing and stepping outside their comfort zone. I had to indulge more into that experience now that the pro-sports outlet had run its course. It seemed like a logical performance based carry over from the audience supported athletic career to me. I moved to London, England and started the old school trail of get an agent and go audition. And some 18 years later - here I am still getting to do what I love for a living!

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You were almost 30 when you started your acting career, but a lot of people try to get into acting from the time they’re very little, do you feel like this gave you more of an advantage or disadvantage? I feel like it was an advantage for me. Everyone’s journey is extremely individual, I think. I don’t believe there’s any set way to find any level of success in the entertainment industry. In my mind, it takes passion, a strong work ethic, resilience, and a belief in self that helps you get up one more time than you get knocked down. By the time I was 30, I think I had that thanks to an amazing family and the sports career that taught me a lot of those ‘lessons’ already. I was grateful to enter the industry with a strong sense of self and an even stronger desire to tell stories as an actor. Over the years, you’ve been a part of many TV shows and movies, quite a few of which have a huge following. Supernatural, Star Trek, Legends of Tomorrow, Psych, Once Upon A Time, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate.. You’ve even played Bruce Wayne, Batman in a short fanmade film. Are there any roles which you were a fan of something before and then you got a role as part of it? Hopefully this doesn’t come across too cliche but each role is a chance to go to a different world and bring as much of me along with it. So each one had an element of being a fan first and then getting to cross over to doing it. Star Trek had a particularly cool element for me. I got to be a part of the franchise that was a show my dad and I watched together when I was a kid. I am a big fan of SyFy and the supernatural so each of those shows were an honor to be a part of. I had truly hoped that the character Divine of the webseries by the same name (Divine: the Series)

could have been explored more. The character and story lines were phenomenal! Having been a part of such a wide breadth of projects from horror to Disney to sci-fi to drama, do you have any genres or projects in particular which you enjoyed more than others? You’ve been involved with Disney since 2015, have you always been a Disney fan? What’s your favorite movie? To refer back to the previous answer - every day on set is a great day! I am so ridiculously grateful to have been able to ‘play’ in all those genres. They all call for a different aspect of you as a performer and present new challenges each time. As an artist, that is a dream! I would love to venture more into comedy but I am loving the last few horror/thriller roles I’ve played. That seems like both ends of the spectrum! I guess I just love my job and love working! I’ve been a Disney fan since I could crawl. Disney has been fantastic to me with the Descendants franchise and Mech X-4 series. I remember the first time I was in awe of the colorful magic of Disney when I was mesmerized watching Fantasia. From then on, I was hooked! We hear that you love humor. Is there a chance you will be doing more humor in your acting career? Do you have any new career moves that you are excited about? I started out mostly in comedy with some Muppets movies and the CTV series ‘Alice, I Think’ and loved every second! I would welcome more comedy back in my career and have started to make some changes to invite that as best I can. I just finished working on a comedic short that had amazing production value called ‘Best Laid Schemes’. I look forward to people seeing that as it hits the festival circuit. As far as career

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moves I have joined forces with the gentleman who made ‘Devil in the Dark’ with me and we hope to produce and make more films together. That way we may have more control over the content and be able to take things in new exciting directions! What roles of yours do you look back on fondly and just smile whenever you remember them? As I read this question, three roles came to mind. First was ‘Alice, I Think’ because it was my first series lead and it was comedy. I remember waking up smiling about getting to go to work at 5am to laugh and have fun. Second was ‘Mulligans’ as it was the first feature lead role that taught me the responsibility of honoring the material and telling an amazing story with all the vulnerability and heart your instrument possesses. Third was ‘Devil in the Dark’ because it was a great character on one the most collaborative team/ family sets I’ve been on. You said that your role in Mulligans is still something you’re very proud of, why did you connect to that role so much, or why are you so proud of it? Do you feel the movie really made a positive difference for people in the LGBTQ community? I am very proud of the work we all did on ‘Mulligans’. I loved the character because it was so much about being true to yourself. It was about love and acceptance and what that could cost to find your freedom of being. It was a character with so many levels, obstacles, and secrets. I felt both pressure and support to tell this character’s story from a place of universal truth. It was an absolutely amazing experience as an artist and a human being. I hope it had a positive impact on the LGBTQ community

and beyond. All I can say is that I am beyond appreciative of the feedback and fan mail I received and still receive from this movie and this role. It blows my mind. It seems like people who were fans of this performance have continued to be supportive of my career still. It’s a pure honor. When you were considering doing the Mulligans did you have any reservations about being typecast? There’s been many people who have played a role and then get a lot of grief for it, or people assume that because they play a gay person then they are a gay person, did you have any reservations about this? In a word, ‘no’. I didn’t have reservations and I didn’t think about being typecast or any grief I may get for doing it. When I got the offer for the role, my only thoughts went to whether or not I was capable of telling this story well enough. I always like to assess the level of integrity of any character, role or story I am looking to be a part of and Mulligans had so much more than enough. I think people are judgemental by nature, good or bad, but that should never stop anyone from telling stories and making movies. If you connect with one person or something you do helps one person, then it was worth it. ...and all the nay-sayers or negative people can go fly a kite! Did playing the role you played as a closeted gay man give you insight into how it would be to live with prejudice, or did you see any? I wish I could understand more the insight into what that prejudice must be like if only to help somehow alleviate it in any way I could. Life is hard enough. Finding love is hard enough. We don’t need to make any of that harder on each other by being prejudiced. And if I did

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experience any, I’m assuming it was but the tip of the iceberg. I have been very fortunate that for every 1000 emails of support for Mulligans, I can recall only the odd one being negative. It seems like things are changing for the better but it’s a slow process. Was there a special reason that you chose to work with children with challenges? Do you have plans to do more humanitarian efforts that you would like to talk about? There’s no special reason for choosing to work with children with challenges. I think that if you have a skill set that can help someone else and maybe bring them a smile and some joy and you get the opportunity then why not! Right? I was fortunate that I was able to and the opportunity was there. I would love to see helping each other in whatever capacity become more the norm. I know its pretty utopian but isn’t it better than that the alternative? It seems important to you to be able to share your good fortune and pay it forward. Do you want to be known as an actor who pays it forward? Lol, judging by my previous answer I’m going to say ‘yes!’ I have been helped along the way by amazing people and I would be honored to be that person for someone else! To keep up with Dan Payne check out his socials!

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By Robert Barnes

Born to Lebanese/Chilean parents on the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria, West Africa, out artist Raph Solo is a singer, songwriter and music producer. He has released four full-length albums and several hit singles including “Good Morning London” and last summer’s “Love Lives.” This summer, Raph returns with a new album, WORD OF LOVE, featuring “Broken Hearts,” his true-to-life tale about wrestling with mistakes from his past, overcoming them and re-discovering self worth to become the king of hearts he was always meant to be.

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What inspired “Broken Hearts?” The song was initially called Angel Hearts. It was written a few years ago. I had just met my current partner and we were both broken and bruised from past break ups. What is the message behind “Broken Hearts”? That broken hearts heal with time. My partner and I chose to fight for what we have and that is why we are here two years later.

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How many broken hearts have you encountered in your life? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had 7.5 break ups in 9 years. I say 7.5 because one of those only scored a .5 on my pain-o-meter. Which was the hardest to work through? A few years back, I lost a man who I viewed as a father figure. It crushed me. Changed my perception of love. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see love through rose colored fairytale glasses like I used to.

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Whose was the last heart that you broke? I wouldn’t allow myself to think I’d knowingly break a heart and brag about it. I try to leave relationships on peaceful, civilized notes. I’ll say things like, “We did our best, maybe it was just not meant to be…” Why are broken hearts inevitable in life? Love is not just hot sex and butterflies. They are a part of love, yes, but there is more to it: trust, respect and self worth. How would you describe the sound of “Broken Hearts?” It’s a mix of pop, tech, R&B and soul. I sang this particular song in a lower key to give it a dark, edgy, sexy feel, with melancholy strings and anthem-like synth riffs over a lazy throbbing bass groove. It’s a bit of a dark record which reflects the bittersweet sentiment behind it.

How does the single compare to the other tracks on the album? Lyrically, the album is like my little notebook on relationships. It’s a “what to do and what not to do” guide on matters of the heart, which I wrote from experience. “Broken Hearts” continues where I left off with the “Word of Love” single. Where did you shoot the music video? We filmed on the Southeast coast of England and used the famous white cliffs as a backdrop. In the video, I play a prisoner who wrestles down his demons to reclaim his crown. Visuals are a very important part of my work. The video has an element of fantasy. I play a mythological warrior. I fight for my love. I conquer my fear and I become the king of hearts I believe I was always meant to be. Visit http://raphsolo.com

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By Paul Hutnick

“I want people to hear Older and think, ‘wow, this is saying some real stuff’. I want listeners to connect with the point of view—to say ‘oh I’ve been there’ or ‘I’ve definitely felt that’—while dancing along with me. Genuine connection through shared experiences, thoughts and values. Because that connection is the best part of my refocused life—that’s the fulfillment I wasn’t getting before. That’s what’s truly important to me now.”

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Jack Tracy is a literally a jack of all trades. By day he’s a lawyer. At night, he’s a singer, songwriter, choreographer, and the founder and owner of Necessary Outlet, a film production company that produces the popular LGBT web series “History,” — a show Tracy stars in about a gay lawyer, fresh out of a break up and looking to rebuild his life — that is halfway to its goal of a third season: www.seedandspark.com/fund/ history. In his debut album, Older, Jack Tracy tackles topics facing 30-something gay men: from fighting in the Trump resistance to the community’s obsession with youth. He sings about fetishes and hookups for validation. He avoids songs about late nights out at the club, money, or how tonight is the last night. Older is grown folks’ music. He explains more:

You’re 35 now… but how old is the Jack Tracy you see in the mirror?

Is “Satisfaction” a good representation of the Older album?

He is probably 28, 26 if I lose the beard. What I feel is pushing 50.

Older is a collection of thirteen songs. The sounds are eclectic but very 90s centric. I wanted it to sound like an album from my youth. Continuing the Janet blueprint, Older starts off with five hard dance numbers, then spins into the slow jams and ballads before ending with some quiet storm tracks before the encore. Inspirations include Aaliyah, Robyn, Kelis’ work with the Neptunes and Prince.

Let’s talk about “Satisfaction.” I made the skeleton of the beat for background music for a Halloween party in my web series, History, and fell in love with the synths. The whole song revolves around those synths in the chorus. It felt like Prince meets Stranger Things meets Thriller. At the same time, I was writing a line for another project that was one character telling the other “I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction,” and they just kinda matched. Was it tough turning such a personal part of your past into music? Everything I write is deeply personal. If it’s not personal, what’s the point? But the song’s narrative isn’t 100% pulled from real life. It was more about the message of “don’t let anyone take joy in getting you upset or angry,” whoever that may be. People who want you to play a role in their soap opera. Don’t give them the satisfaction by letting them get to you. The narrative around the ex was just a good way to deliver that message. What inspired the music video? I follow the Janet Jackson blueprint. I grew up as a dancer so I knew I wanted a big, highly choreographed dance number with a team. The broader concept is that we are all in this burning ball of energy--in the video, an anomaly on a planet--to represent that burning ball of anger in your chest that sits and smolders as you try to construct a cool exterior.

How would you describe your overall singing style? I’m not a The Voice or American Idol singer. I don’t have a huge range. I’m not doing vocal acrobatics. That’s not my jam. I’m probably more singer-songwriter in vocal style, if that’s a thing, because I do write everything myself. My strength as a vocalist isn’t technical, it’s inhabiting the character of the singer of that particular song and delivering it from the heart. What are your short-term music and film goals? I want to tour. I want to get on the road and go meet people. Older is hopefully my way to get out of New York City and show people who I am and what I’m about, which is communicating universal truths and themes through an LGBT perspective. I pride myself as a great live performer and I want to go put on a knock out show at every bar, club, party and theater that will let me.

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Long-term goals? I’ve already written a few songs for a second album. I just finished the first edit on my first movie and I’m crowdfunding for season 3 of my LGBT web series History. If you like LGBT content written from the heart — honest and realistic portrayals of our community without facade — we’d love you to contribute and become part of the History tribe.

“Satisfaction” and Older are available on iTunes, Amazon and all digital platforms and streaming services. Visit Jacktracy.lgbt and follow Jack on instagram @jacktracymusic.

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Original Photo by Jorge Freire

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By Phil Bessemer

As a music artist, Epiphany Mattel is raw, unapologetic, and provocative. The trans-woman hip hopper stirs pots and fixes plates by speaking her truth and not caring if people receive it or not — as long as they hear her. “It’s important to me that people know my name, respect my mind and acknowledge my existence,” she says. “Who’s gonna believe I’m a star if I don’t believe it myself? I am a bad-bitch force to be reckoned with. You may not know it yet and that’s cool for now because in time, you will.” Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race know who she is. They were introduced to Epiphany three years ago when she and her sick rhymes were featured

in Latrice Royale’s hit summer jam, “Weight”. Epiphany made such an impact on fans, the Drag Race star signed on as her manager! This spring, they released their follow-up track, #eXcusetheBeauty, and fans gagged over it so much, Epiphany was invited to join the European leg of the RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq The World tour to perform the single with Latrice. “No one expected me to come out and perform the track with Latrice so it was a real treat for the audience,” Epiphany explains. “They were fully on board for the ride and loved every minute, as did I.” We spoke with Epiphany Mattel about her experience in Werq The World.

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Congratulations on being the first transwoman to be a special guest performer on the Werq The World Tour! Epiphany Mattel: I had never been on a tour or traveled overseas before so the whole experience was like a fairy tale for me. It had to be exhausting, too, no? Epiphany Mattel: Oh yes, fun and exhausting. Fun because it was a brand new experience for me and the cast and crew definitely know how to have a good time. Exhausting because the schedule is insane! Plus, sleeping on a tour bus. Oh, I got sick a couple of times. Mainly due to the change of diet and my body acclimating to its new surroundings. Still, I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. Is every show the same? Epiphany Mattel: For the most part, except when a performer leaves for a prior engagement and another one steps in for a few dates. Behind the scenes is extremely different. Think about it. You’re dealing with a cast of characters with a variety of personalities that are each essentially forces to be reckoned with, day in and day out for a month straight. People bump heads, moods change, personal and/or technical situations arise. Still, I can say that once the overture starts and those stage lights come up, it’s business as usual and whatever may have happened prior was never seen on stage. Everyone was very professional in that way. Did some of the queens not get along? Epiphany Mattel: From what I experienced, the bond that comes from being a part of Drag

Original Photo by Jorge Freire

Race is like a family of sorts. Like all families, there is bickering and issues but it is all in love. One minute they’re scratching each others eyes out and the next, they’re doing each other’s hair and loving on one another. Just the way families work. As far as the younger queens are concerned, the show bonds them and the older queens in a mentor, auntie, big sister type of way. You maybe have the strongest personality of all! Did you ever want to fix any of their faces? Epiphany Mattel: Indeed I do have a very strong personality but I’m a laid back individual. Not to sound too cliche but I actually felt like Alice in Wonderland. The world I had been thrown into was a world that was totally new to me and different from my own reality as a transwoman. Being new to the group I was mainly on the outside looking in to a world that essentially I didn’t know much about. When people accomplish a certain level of success they begin to have expectations, they tend to be surrounded by “yes men,” egos come in to play, and from someone who isn’t familiar with that world, they can sometimes seem a little detached from reality. Still, in watching them in all their glory, you get a sense of who these queens are at their core. Despite all the glitz and glamour and no matter how they would never admit it themselves, they are everyday people. At least to me they were, just in a different setting. With that being said, I really can’t say I was bothered in any way by the queens. If anything, I found them and their colorful personalities to be highly entertaining. Since I was the only transwoman on the tour, everyone treated me with kindness and handled me with care. It was almost like I was the tour’s little mascot. I enjoyed everyone on the tour and left with a bunch of new people to call friends. Tell us about the fans. How do they impact the show? Epiphany Mattel: The fans are the most amazing part of the show! To be perfectly honest, prior to my first appearance at Dragcon, I had no idea of the reach of the show and the dedication of it’s fans. Outside of Latrice being my manager, I’ve never really followed the show. Mainly due to its lack of trans visibility. It never really peaked my interest. My outlook is a little different now only because I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with people who have actually been on the show and I’ve become intrigued to look back and follow their journey. Still, it took going to

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Europe to really experience the global impact this show has. Drag Race fans can easily be compared to The Beehive, Rihanna’s Navy, Nicki’s Barbs, or Cardi B’s Bardie Gang. They are die hard and take their Drag Race very seriously. From dressing up as their favorites, to bursting in tears upon meeting them and some waiting outside venues all day and night just hoping to get to meet their favorite queen. It’s that love and dedication that makes each show an unforgettable experience. The energy they bring with them makes you want to give them all you’ve got while on that stage. How did they respond to the staging of “#eXcusetheBeauty?” Epiphany Mattel: I had little to do with the staging of #eXcusetheBeauty. That was all the work of Mr. Chancelor Dayne Benson, the shows phenomenal choreographer. Latrice incorporated color guard flag techniques within the routine and I just learned the choreography and came out when it was my part. The number was definitely a spectacle. A feast for the eyes, if you will. Between the costumes, the dancing, the flag twirling, and then a scantly clad transwoman in your face, rapping. The audience loved it! I think this is because the number was performed live; no lip syncing. It gave Latrice and me a chance to actually pull the audience deeper

into the moment and include them within the experience. What’s next for you? Any plans to write songs for the other girls on the tour? We hear Aquaria is looking for fun, new material! Epiphany Mattel: I currently have my debut single #FIXYOFACE out in rotation. My next single, #SWITCHHITTAZ, is in preproduction. My management team is putting together a southern California tour for me and also looking to get me booked to perform throughout the United States. Getting a chance to actually meet and perform for my fans is very important to me as a recording artist. We are also exploring some modeling opportunities and now that POSE got green lit for season two, we are keeping our ear to the ground to see if we can score an audition! While music is my passion, modeling and acting have also been two things that have always been in my wheel house. I’m also looking to get involved in activism and outreach for trans rights and visibility; for transwomen of color especially. As far as writing for any other queens, I’m always open to collaborations with all creatives! Yet I think for now I really want to focus on building my name up as a solo artist as opposed to a feature or the girl in the video. Its time for Epiphany Mattel to take center stage.

Facebook @ EPIPHANYMATTEL Instagram @ EPIPHANY_MATTEL Twitter: @ TEAM_MATTEL