Echo Magazine - Arizona LGBTQ Lifestyle - June 2019 by OUTvoices Phoenix (former Echo Magazine)

Meet Tony Felice

Also in Echo’s Mind and Body issue: Cait Brennan, Kid Congo Powers, and a Phoenix Mercury season preview

Learn how this local PR maverick uses strength and will to defy health issues LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 30, #9 | Issue 717 | June 2019 | COMPLIMENTARY

Bobbi Ryals, REALTOR® ABR, e-PRO 602-486-3587 DowntownPhoenixAgent@gmail.com Tricia Amato, REALTOR® 520-247-3305 AmatoTricia@gmail.com DowntownPhoenixAgent.com

Your Downtown Phoenix Agents!

602-920-6888

PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE AZ LGBTQ COMMUNITY

FOR OVER 16 YEARS!

Matthew Hoedt

Realtor®, EcoBroker, CIAS, RSPS, SRES, CIPS

Cell: 602-790-9677

JEREMY SCHACHTER Branch Manager • NMLS # 148435 Mobile: 480-703-8088 jeremys@fairwaymc.com

5229 N. 7th Ave., Ste. 108, Phoenix, AZ 85013

Copyright©2018 Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. NMLS#2289. 4750 S. Biltmore Lane, Madison, WI 53718, 1-877-699-0353. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. All rights reserved. AZ License #BK-0904162.

matt@myPHXagent.com www.myPHXagent.com 7975 N Hayden Rd, Ste A-101 Scottsdale, AZ 85258

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE

Photo by Maria Vassett.

Issue 717 | Vol. 30, #9 | June 2019

NEWS 8 Editor’s Note 12 News Briefs 14 Datebook

COMMUNITY 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56

Without Reservations At the Box Ofﬁce Opening Nights Recordings Between the Covers Talking Bodies Not That You Asked We The People History

OUT & ABOUT 16 18 28 34 34 36 38

Lambda Legal Night for Life PGFFL Season Finals Sets in the Sand Saguaro Cup Sports Festival Doggies & Drag Phoenix Metropolitan Men’s Chorus Gala 62 Phurfest 64 Afeelya Bunz’s Thank You Phoenix Show

ON THE COVER Tony Felice. Photo by Maria Vassett.

Health, Wellness, and the Power of Intention

Tony Felice shares his life-changing story with Michelle Talsma Everson. His honesty and courage exempliﬁes the beneﬁts of using personal power and determination for positive results.

WEB EXCLUSIVES

Meet Tony Felice

Also in Echo’s Mind and Body issue: Cait Brennan, Kid Congo Powers, and a Phoenix Mercury season preview

Learn how this local PR maverick uses strength and will to defy health issues LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT | Vol. 30, #9 | Issue 717 | June 2019 | COMPLIMENTARY

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Inaugural Mohave Pride Laura Latzko has the scoop on this ﬁrsttime event. The family-friendly celebration includes live music, food, vendors, and a fun zone for kids. echomag.com/mojave-pride-2019

Photo by Grag Allan.

Photo by Devin Millington.

Cait Brennan: Deep Dive

The Phoenix musician has a frank and moving talk with her longtime friend — and regular Echo contributor — Tom Reardon.

Phoenix Mercury Season Preview Devin Millington highlights some offseason happenings and examines how they may affect the upcoming season.

Photo by Robert Ascroft.

Kid Congo Powers: Totally Cool

One of the grooviest cats around, Powers has logged decades making genuine, exciting rock and roll. Now an AZ resident, he talks about music, activism, and more.

Support for family caregivers Last year, Echo contributor Michelle Talsma Everson talked to local couple George Burson and David Samora about their caregiving journey. Hear how that experience has evolved into Duet — their new support group speciﬁcally for LGBTQ+ family caregivers. echomag.com/duet-update-2019 George Burson and David Samora. Courtesy of George Burson, David Samora, and Duet.

Overcoming mental and physical blocks Coach and gym owner Justin Keane provides readers with ways to acknowledge and defeat the hurdles between ourselves and healthy practices.

Diamondbacks Pride Find out about the Arizona Diamondbacks Pride Night and meet staff member Nicole Guevara. echomag.com/dbacksguevara-2019

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

EDITOR’S NOTE By Amy Young

he summer months always have us thinking about fitness. We want to look good in those summer clothes and to feel strong while we battle the heat to engage in fun summer activities, right? So, here we are with Echo’s Mind and Body issue — where we explore and examine the emotional and psychological components of the physical fitness process, with a focus on how crucial a profound union between the head and body is needed in order to face challenges and find victories. Cait Brennan knows about challenges. On page 20 she talks to her longtime friend Tom Reardon about the origins of her story as a trans woman, as well as her battle with Parkinson’s disease. This exceptional rocker has created critically-acclaimed music in the face of struggle. Tony Felice (page 23) graces our cover this month with a picture that finds him in the gym — a definite happy-place for this accomplished public relations professional. When he was diagnosed with Lyme disease several years ago, he strived to overcome the emotional and mental devastation that accompanies sickness to become stronger than ever. Devin Millington is back with his annual Phoenix Mercury season preview on page 26.

Kid Congo Powers is a longtime rock and roller who recently relocated to Arizona, though he’ll be spending a lot of time on the road with his band The Pink Monkey Birds. In addition to his many creative and collaborative musical projects, Powers shares his experiences in gay activism dating back to the late ‘80s. He also chats about his upcoming autobiography. Justin Keane wraps up our features this month with a piece (page 32) on ways to overcome the mental blocks that can deter us from diving into getting physically fit. This Massachusetts gym owner and coach lays it on the line. Find out what’s good to eat at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in our regular column, Without Reservations. At the Box Office gives you a conversation with beloved sexpert Dr. Ruth, whose new documentary streams June 1. Don’t forget to visit echomag.com for our Web Exclusives and new weekly content. Our July issue is all about you, readers — find out what you like best when our annual Readers’ Choice issue hits the stands! Amy Young is the managing editor of Echo Magazine. A longtime journalist, her work has appeared in numerous publications, regional to international. Please contact her at editor@echomag.com.

LGBTQ NEWS, VIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PUBLISHER: Bill Orovan ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Bill Gemmill EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR: Amy Young CONTRIBUTORS: Joey Amato Kimberly Blaker Grace Bolyard Edward Castro Jenna Duncan Buddy Early Michelle Talsma Everson Tamara Juarez Justin Keane Steve Kilar Jason Kron

Jeff Kronenfeld Laura Latzko Logan Lowrey-Rasmussen Judy McGuire Kaely Monahan David-Elijah Nahmod Tia Norris Tom Reardon Seth Reines Mikey Rox Terri Schlichenmeyer

INTERNS Grace Lieberman Colby Tortorici ART DEPARTMENT PHOTOGRAPHY: nightfuse.com. ADVERTISING DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING: Ashlee James ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Gregg Edelman NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE: Rivendell Media, 212-242-6863

ECHO READERSHIP: 50,000 SUBSCRIPTIONS: $29/year ACE PUBLISHING, INC. MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 16630

MEMBER:

Echo Magazine is published by ACE Publishing, Inc. Echo is a registered trademark of ACE Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Written permission must be obtained in advance for partial or complete reproduction of any advertising material contained therein. Opinions expressed therein are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff. ACE Publishing, Inc. does not assume responsibility for claims by its advertisers or advice columnists. Publication of a name, photograph of an individual or organization in articles, advertisements or listings is not to be construed as an indication of the sexual orientation, unless such orientation is specifically stated. Manuscripts or other materials submitted remain the property of ACE Publishing, Inc. 8

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

HEADLINE FEATURE ARTIST

Kat Deluna JUNE 22

NOON-9PM THORPE PARK 560 N. THORPE RD. (SOFTBALL FIELDS)

GET FESTIVAL 411 & PURCHASE TICKETS @ FLAGSTAFFPRIDE.ORG

NEWS BRIEFS

HRC announces unprecedented support for the Equality Act from 200+ of the nation’s leading businesses Washington — On May 8, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced that more than 200 of the nation’s leading businesses have now joined HRC’s “Business Coalition for the Equality Act”. With a combined operation in all 50 states, headquarters in 29 states, more than $4.5 trillion in revenue, and more than 10.4 million employees across the United States, these companies know how important it is to have a federal legal standard that guarantees all employees the same rights and protections — no matter where they live. Expected to receive a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives soon, the bipartisan legislation also has unprecedented support from nearly 70% of Americans, hundreds of members of Congress and more than 500 statewide and national organizations, including social justice, religious, medical and child welfare organizations. “Today, HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act has surpassed more than 200 companies urging Congress to pass comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Every LGBTQ person deserves to earn a living, raise their families and live their lives free from discrimination. And these leading companies know that protecting their employees and customers from discrimination isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also good for business.” The bipartisan Equality Act would finally add clear, comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people to our nation’s civil rights laws. Currently, 50 percent of LGBTQ 12

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Americans live in the 30 states that still lack statewide legal non-discrimination protections, leaving their residents and visitors at risk of being fired, denied housing, or refused service because of who they are or who they love. Discrimination is a real and persistent problem for LGBTQ Americans. HRC polling has found that nearly two-thirds of self-identified LGBTQ Americans report experiencing discrimination. The Equality Act would extend existing civil rights protections to LGBTQ people by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally-funded programs and jury service. Recent polling shows that a growing majority of Americans support federal non-discrimination protections and LGBTQ equality. A recent survey by PRRI found that seven in 10 Americans (71 percent) support laws like the Equality Act. In addition, post-election polling from HRC found that 60 percent of voters in the 2018 midterms opposed the Trump-Pence administration’s reported plans to define gender entirely by sex assigned at birth, thereby potentially excluding transgender people from civil rights protections. Overall, voters also identified protecting the rights of groups targeted by the Trump-Pence administration as their top reason for voting to flip the U.S. House. In March, HRC launched a public awareness and advertising campaign called “Americans for the Equality Act.”

Filmed by award-winning directors Dustin Lance Black and Paris Barclay, the series debut video featured Academy Award-winning actress Sally Field and her son Sam Greisman. The campaign has so far also featured transgender singer and songwriter Shea Diamond, actress Justina Machado, U.S. Olympian Adam Rippon, “Queer Eye’s” Karamo Brown, and “Modern Family’s” Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his husband Justin Mikita. The more than 200 of the nation’s leading businesses who now support the Equality Act include A.T. Kearney Inc.; Abercrombie & Fitch Co.; Accenture; Adobe Systems Inc.; ADP; Advanced Micro Devices Inc.; Airbnb Inc.; Alaska Airlines; Alcoa Corp.; Ally Financial Inc.; Altria Group Inc.; Amalgamated Bank; Amazon.com Inc.; American Airlines; American Eagle Outfitters Inc.; American Express Global Business Travel; Apple Inc.; Applied Materials Inc.; Arconic; Ascena Retail Group Inc.; Aspen Skiing Company LLC; AT&T Inc.; Atlassian; Bain & Co. Inc./ Bridgespan Group; Bank of America Corp.; Bayer U.S. LLC; BASF Corp.; BD; Best Buy Co. Inc.; Biogen; Boehringer Ingelheim USA Corp.; Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.; Boston Scientific Corp.; Box Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.; Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc.; Brown-Forman Corp.; Caesars Entertainment Corp.; Capital One Financial Corp.; Cardinal Health Inc.; Cargill Inc.; Chevron Corp.; Chobani; Choice Hotels International Inc.; Cisco Systems Inc.; Citigroup Inc.; Citrix Systems Inc.; CME Group Inc.; CNA Financial Corporation; Coca-Cola Co., The; Compass Bancshares Inc. (BBVA Compass); Corning; Converse Inc.; Cox news

Enterprises Inc.; CSAA Insurance Group; Cummins Inc.; CVS Health Corp.; Danone North America; Darden Restaurants Inc.; Deloitte LLP; Dell Technologies Inc.; Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., The; Diageo North America; Dow Chemical Co., The; Dropbox Inc.; E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. (DuPont); Eastern Bank Corp.; Eaton Corp.; eBay Inc.; Ecolab Inc.; Edison International; Ernst & Young LLP; Estée Lauder Companies Inc., The; Evolent Health Inc.; Exelon Corp.; Expedia Group; Facebook Inc.; First Data Corp.; Food Lion; Gap Inc.; General Electric Co.; General Mills Inc.; General Motors Co.; Giant of Maryland LLC; Gilead Sciences Inc.; Glassdoor Inc.; Google Inc.; Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America, The; Gusto; HERE North America LLC; Hershey Co., The; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.; Hilton Inc.; HP Inc.; HSF Affiliates LLC; HSN Inc.; Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP; Hyatt Hotels Corp.; IBM Corp.; IHS Markit Ltd.; IKEA Holding US Inc.; Ingersoll-Rand Company; Insight Enterprises Inc.; Intel Corp.; InterContinental Hotels Group Americas; Iron Mountain Inc.; John Hancock Financial Services Inc.; Johnson &

Johnson; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Juniper Networks Inc.; Kaiser Permanente; Kellogg Co.; Kenneth Cole Productions Inc.; KPMG LLP; Lendlease Americas Inc.; Levi Strauss & Co.; Linden Research Inc.; Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics; Lyft Inc.; Macy’s Inc.; Mars Inc.; Marriott International Inc.; Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.; Mastercard; Medtronic PLC; Merck; Meredith Corp.; MGM Resorts International; Microsoft Corp.; Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; Moody’s Corp.; Morgan Stanley; Nationwide; Navient; Navigant Consulting Inc.; Netflix Inc.; Nike Inc.; Northrop Grumman Corp.; Nuance Communications; Office Depot Inc.; Oracle Corp.; Patreon Inc.; Paul Hastings LLP; PepsiCo Inc.; Pfizer Inc.; Pinterest Inc.; PNC Financial Services Group Inc., The; PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Procter & Gamble Co.; Pure Storage Inc.; QUALCOMM Inc.; Realogy Holdings Corp.; RE/MAX LLC; Replacements Ltd.; Rockwell Automation Inc.; Royal Bank of Canada; S&P Global Inc.; Salesforce; SAP America Inc.; Seagate Technology plc; Shire PLC; Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP; Shutterstock Inc.; Siemens Corp.;

Sodexo Inc.; Spotify USA Inc.; Square Inc.; SurveyMonkey Inc.; Symantec Corp.; Synchrony; Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.; Target Corp.; Tech Data Corp.; TIAA; T-Mobile USA Inc.; TPG Global LLC; TransUnion; Turner Construction Co.; Twitter Inc.; U.S. Bancorp; Uber Technologies Inc.; Ultimate Software; Under Armour Inc.; Unilever Englewood; United Airlines; United Parcel Service Inc.; Univision Communications Inc.; Verizon Communications Inc.; Visa Foster; Warby Parker; WeddingWire Inc.; Wells Fargo & Co.; Whirlpool Corp.; Williams-Sonoma Inc.; Workday Inc.; Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc.; Xerox Corp.; Yelp Inc.; Yext Inc.; Zillow Group; Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. — Courtesy of HRC. The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organizations working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Lambda Legal condemns new Trump healthcare rule that invites discrimination On May 2, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will soon issue a new final rule protecting health care providers who refuse to treat LGBTQ people and women and/or trans people seeking reproductive health care, solely on the basis of the providers’ religious or moral objections. The proposed rule also shields health care providers even if they refuse to give a referral after denying care, regardless of the consequences to the patient, and in violation of medical and ethical requirements and standards of care. The Rule is scheduled to go into effect 60 days after it is published. “This so-called Conscience Rule is nothing more or less than a governmentsanctioned attack on LGBTQ people and on women seeking reproductive health care,” Lambda Legal Interim CEO Richard Burns said. news

“LGBTQ people, and especially transgender people, already suffer disproportionate levels of discrimination in health care settings. This Denial of Care Rule protects that discrimination and gives it a governmental blessing. HHS should be in the business of making sure people get the health care they need, not trying to grant health care workers and institutions permission to turn people away.” “We receive calls to our help desk about, and have represented LGBTQ people who have been turned away when seeking medically necessary and appropriate health care services — simply because of who they are,” Burns added. “From our case against the southern California clinic that refused to provide a lesbian couple infertility care to the lawsuit against the New Jersey hospital that refused to let a surgeon perform a

routine hysterectomy for a transgender patient to the Washington doctor who refused to provide a medical prescription to a gay man — these are the challenges LGBTQ people and everyone living with HIV already face and that the Denial of Care Rule will increase still further.” The proposed regulations invites health care workers, doctors, hospitals and other health care facilities that receive federal funding to refuse to treat LGBTQ patients and people seeking reproductive health care. – Courtesy of Lambda Legal. Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

DATEBOOK June 1

The Phoenix Rosebud Society hosts their monthly meeting. Learn about the group’s recreational activities at Flex, 1517 South Black Canyon Hwy, in Phoenix. phoenixrosebudsociety.com

June 14

Phoenix Mercury’s Pride Night. Show your pride and cheer for your favorite players when the Mercury battle the Los Angeles Stars. You’ll ﬁnd the action at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., in Phoenix.5802 E. Lincoln Drive, in Paradise Valley. mercury.wnba.com

June 14

Freaky Friday, The Musical opens and runs through June 21. The Valley Youth Theater presents their rendition of the classic novel and Disney movie. When a mom and daughter end up swapping bodies, they know they need to ﬁx things, and fast. The Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., in Phoenix. vyt.com

May 22-30

The Phoenix Theatre Company presents Once, the story of a pub singer who meets a woman that changes his life. Love and loss are examined in this Tony Award-winning musical. Phoenix Theatre, 1825 N. Central Ave. phoenixtheatre.com

June 14

This year’s Bisbee Pride festival will take place June 14 to 16. Vendors, a parade, and live entertainment are what you’ll get at this three-day affair. The celebration also honors the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. Head to 94 Main St., in Bisbee. bisbeepride.com

June 29

The Greater Yavapai County Coalition (GYCC) is hosting its ﬁfth annual LGBTQ Family & Friendship Picnic from noon to 5 p.m. Meet a diverse group of attendees and make new friends and connections. Burgers, hotdogs, and water are provided — bring a dish to share. This afternoon celebration happens at the Upper Ramada off of Highway 89 in Prescott, AZ. az-gycc.org

May 31

Ready for an exciting basketball season? Phoenix Mercury’s 2019 Opening Night event is where it all begins. The on-court magic happens at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., in Phoenix. mercury.wnba.com 14

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Mark Our Calendars

To have your event considered for Echo’s print and online calendars, submit your event details to echomag.com/ community-calendar *All submissions are subject to Echo’s discretion.

Upcoming Concerts Dessa June 3 John Paul White June 10 Sona Jobarteh June 11 Anoushka Shankar: Land of Gold June 15 Dee Dee Bridgewater June 21 Skerryvore June 27 And many more!

CRYSTAL BOWERSOX

Wed., June 19 | 7 p.m. | $35.50â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$45.50 Accomplished singer-songwriter and American Idol season nine finalist, Crystal Bowersox makes music that resonates with her spirit.

2019 Concert Series sponsored by

MIM.org | 480.478.6000 | 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ

Lambda Legal in Arizona

April 18 at the home of Jon & Carrie Hulburd, Phoenix. Photos by Bill Gemmill.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos. 16

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Out & About

Brian had his HIV under control with medication. But smoking with HIV caused him to have serious health problems, including a stroke, a blood clot in his lungs and surgery on an artery in his neck. Smoking makes living with HIV much worse. You can quit.

CALL 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

#CDCTips

HIV alone didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cause the clogged artery in my neck. Smoking with HIV did. Brian, age 45, California

Night for Life

April 13 at Parsons Center, Phoenix. Photos by nightfuse.com.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos. 18

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Out & About

UNITED

EQUAL HIV TESTING WEEK June 22 - June 29

FREE

Testing at various locations all week long!

8 DAYS. 7 Venues. zero stiGMa. NIGHT CLUB 6•22 KARAMBA 9:30pm-2am

6•26 CHARLIE’S 8pm - 12am

TOWNE SALOON 6•23 NU 2pm-6pm

6•27

SPAS 6•24 FLEX 4pm - 10pm

NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY! The TEA PHX @ SOUTHWEST CENTER 7pm-10pm “TESTING AFTER DARK” KICK-OFF!

SPAS 6•28 FLEX 4pm - 12am

SPECTRUM OF ARIZONA @ MELROSE 6•25 TRANS 6•29 STACY’S 5:30pm - 8:30pm 7pm - 2am WRAP (IT) UP PARTY!

MORE INFO & FULL SCHEDULE: www.swcenter.org/nhtw2019

Deep Dive Musician Cait Brennan opens up to Echo writer and longtime friend By Tom Reardon

ait Brennan and I are kindred spirits, I like to think, in many ways.

We’ve known each other forever, it seems, but I always learn something new about her every time we communicate. We met as kids and, well, to be honest, Cait was not Cait yet, at least outwardly, to me. I now know that Cait has always been Cait, but I was 13 years old when we met, and I realize now that like Jon Snow, I really knew nothing. Cait Brennan Press Photo by Greg Allen

She is, in my humble opinion, one of the most brilliant and talented people I have ever met, and I am constantly in awe of her. A musician, a writer, and in her own way, a liver of life for the new millennium, Cait Brennan is someone we all could use a bit more of in this weary world of pumped up, orange-faced liars. When it comes to what she went through, though, in becoming the woman she is today, or what she deals with on a daily basis facing Parkinson’s Disease, I’m at a loss for words and that is rare for me. Because this is the Mind and Body issue of Echo, I wanted to talk to her about her own experiences growing up and as an adult. Our discussion was both humbling and illuminating, but it was also something more. It was raw and honest, and I’ve never been prouder of being her friend than I am now. Echo: When did it occur to you that you were born in a body where the inside did not necessarily match the outside? Brennan: It’s one of my earliest memories. Certainly, by kindergarten I was absolutely sure of it, and was already getting into trouble for not conforming to the expectations people had for me and swiping my sister’s dolls and clothes and whatnot. So that was a companion for me during my whole childhood, and it never wavered. There were plenty of times, especially in my teens, where I wished it wasn’t true, but I always knew that it was. Echo: How much of a mindfuck was that? Brennan: It’s difficult to put into words. I’m autistic too — there’s a noticeable correlation between autism spectrum disorders and gender identity issues, which is something I only learned a few years ago — and I think being autistic 20

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

would have always made me feel alien, or at least alienated, from a lot of the people around me. But knowing I was a girl and having to present myself as something else was very difficult. It was hard to care about anything or engage with anything that was happening around me, because it all felt like it was happening to somebody else, that I was sleepwalking through somebody else’s life, and what I felt, wanted, needed, the very essence of who I am, was all completely nonexistent. It became unbearable. When I was little, I prayed every night to wake up the next day as the girl I really was, or that at least my suffering would end in some way, just blinking out of existence entirely or something. Which, clearly, that didn’t happen, which made

me question the existence of God at all, and/or wonder what kind of god would allow such suffering. That kind of thing was great for my preteen critical thinking skills, but it didn’t stop the tears every night. As I got into my mid-to-late teens, it wasn’t possible to ignore it or kid myself it was going away or try to steer around it. There were no real resources for trans people then, certainly not for trans kids, but I’d learned enough from tabloids and bad TV sitcoms that it was possible to transition and be who you are, and from that moment forward I resolved to do that. I also fell in love with a boy, which was the most staggering combination of the greatest thing ever and the worst torture imaginable. I had no interest in being a boy with a boy, that was never FEATURE STORY

anything either of us wanted. We would talk on the phone all night and be in this kind of reverie of love — unencumbered by what I looked like, what my body was, it felt for a minute like it was possible to transcend it all and have a life. But then, the next day, we would be friends, maybe even distant friends, with next to nothing spoken about what we really felt. That couldn’t last, and it didn’t, but I knew the only chance I had at being happy was to get all this behind me, so I started transitioning my senior year. Wasn’t too common in 1986, and I was circumspect about who I told, but I had makeup and girls’ clothes on pretty much every day. Thank god for New Romantics, if it wasn’t for Nick Rhodes and Adam Ant, I probably never would have gotten away with it.

any of the feelings and experiences I went through. This will all be incomprehensible to them. And I want to see that happen. Echo: What should a parent of a trans youth know? Brennan: With the love and support of family and friends, especially parents, outcomes are so much better for trans youth. Help them access resources and care. Listen, believe, love and support your child. And reassure them that the people in power now who are demonizing trans people will not be there forever. Things will get better.

It took a very long time. I grew up poor and transitioning that early did nothing to help that. I had jobs, I survived, but it was hand-to-mouth, there was no way of saving up thousands of dollars for anything. I transitioned socially and legally and was on hormones all before I was 23, so nearly 30 years now. Echo: How difficult was it, or maybe still is, to explain to people how it felt to grow up as a boy on the outside and a girl on the inside? Brennan: It takes many, many thousands of words. There’s a Lemony Snicket line that completely leveled me. “If you have ever lost someone very important to you, then you already know how it feels; and if you haven’t, you cannot possibly imagine it.” It’s a little like that. Honestly more than I even realized, because in a way it is (or was, back then) like suffering a huge loss. Childhood stolen, friends and experiences and milestones missed that can never be replaced. In a way you’re grieving for that stuff every minute, though you don’t really understand it. But that sense of grief, when someone dies? You know how you wake up on the mornings that follow, and you momentarily forget what happened, and then you remember they’re gone and it’s like losing them all over again? And then you move through your everyday life in a daze, not even understanding or caring what’s real anymore? It was a lot like that. And conversely, being able to live as your authentic self and being free of that feeling is a kind of joy and elation that’s hard to explain. You start catching up, start pursuing all the things you thought were impossible. Other dreams suddenly seem within reach. Things are — or can be — so much better now. With love and support, young trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming people will never know FEATURE STORY

Cait Brennan — Third – Omnivore Recordings

Echo: You’ve been a prolific musician for the past several years, yet you’ve been dealing with Parkinson’s. What has that experience been like for you? Brennan: Well — honestly, the Parkinson’s diagnosis is responsible for me kicking my creative efforts into overdrive. I’d always meant to make albums, but I didn’t have the financial resources, didn’t know anyone I could work with, and didn’t know how to bring my ideas to life. Parkinson’s, and the very real risk of losing my ability to sing entirely, made me realize that there was never going to be a “perfect” or “right” time to do it — that if you’re here, then this is the time. Echo: Have you felt as if you’re body has betrayed you? Brennan: Of course. I have felt that way about being trans, too, sometimes. Making peace with that took a long time, and when Parkinson’s hit, it put me back in that adversarial mindset. But it’s not healthy to let that resentment take over your life. Echo: Talk to me about how you stay positive? I know you love to play guitar, for example, but some days, I’ve read

or heard you talk about it just not being possible? What is that like? Brennan: Parkinson’s manifests differently for everyone, but in my case, it began with what’s called rigidity, where your muscles essentially freeze up or become very slow and uncomfortable. The dexterity needed to play guitar or piano reliably just isn’t there, at least not most days. I can still play on recordings and such, where there are opportunities to edit or do multiple takes but playing live is near impossible. As time has passed, I’ve also become physically weaker, so the weight of a guitar is nearly impossible to lift. Then there’s endurance, which makes not only singing and playing, but even just being out in public at events or socially, impossibly exhausting. It’s really difficult, there’s no way around that. Parkinson’s is a progressive illness and there’s no cure, and no effective treatment to even slow the disease. The medicines only ease or mask the symptoms. Depression is a very real factor. It’s natural to feel depressed when getting a diagnosis like this or living with the difficulties it brings, but Parkinson’s disease itself causes physical changes to the brain that make you prone to depression. Positivity can be hard to find sometimes, but it’s important to know it’s not a death sentence, and that you can life a full, happy, good life with Parkinson’s Disease. I try to keep the focus on what I can do. Playing an instrument isn’t as important to me as being able to sing. Parkinson’s can ravage the voice, too, so I’ve been in speech therapy at least once every week since I was diagnosed in 2014. Writing and recording music is much more important to me than touring, so I’m trying to keep the focus on just making good work, work that will hopefully be around a lot longer than I will. For an extended version of this interview, visit echomag.com/cbrennan-2019. Tom Reardon loves to write about people who are doing something to contribute to our community in a positive way. He also loves his family and family of friends, his pets, music, skateboarding, movies, good (and bad) TV, and working with children to build a better world. Tom’s favorite movie is Jaws, his favorite food is lasagna, and he loves to play music with his friends. He’s a busy guy, but never too busy to listen to what you have to say so tell him a story. EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

Health, Wellness, and the Power of Intention Tony Felice shares his life-changing story By Michelle Talsma Everson

ith the same circle of colleagues in the local journalism, marketing and public relations arena, I came across Tony Felice, owner and founder of the Felice Agency, on social media a few years back. What struck me the most were his selfies — they aren’t the typical, run of the mill point-and-shoot photos, but instead seem to tell a story with an intense level of honesty that I rarely see on social channels. A lover of all things selfie, too (it’s truly an addiction!), I had to reach out and chat. “I believe negativity is as powerful as any drug,” Tony shares. “So, on Instagram, I began posting the best version of myself and who I wanted to become. It’s all part of the law of attraction. My selfies play a role in my journey.” The law of attraction is defined as “the ability to attract into our lives whatever we are focusing on.” You focus on the good, good things follow. Same with the bad. Tony is a big believer in this law as well as the powers of intention and positivity. His own health and wellness journey the past few years is a testament to the fact that he seems to be on to something.

Health Challenges For someone who posts selfies and other photos of happy life scenes that include positive thoughts and motivating quips nearly daily, it’s surprising to find out that from 2011 to 2016 there are hardly any photos of Tony. Always an athlete, he shares that he was shocked around 2011 he caught a flu that lingered for more than six months. It wouldn’t go away and a rash, bruising, fatigue, brain fog, and other debilitating symptoms accompanied it. “My job is to think and I couldn’t,” Tony says. For years, he saw specialist after specialist. He grew frustrated and even began “unpacking it from an ego perspective” he says. “When your friends began to look at you like you might be making it up and some have lost faith in FEATURE STORY

Courtesy of Tony Felice. EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

you; I’ll never forget the look in their eyes.” By 2014, there was still no relief in sight and he even had thoughts of suicide. “I was planning on taking my own life,” Tony says. “I was going to go out to the desert with a gun. If it wasn’t for Tim [his spouse] I would have.” Eventually, Tony was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), induced by Lyme disease. Both diseases present a wide variety of symptoms, including walking difficulties, weakness, vision problems, spasms, numbness or tingling, fatigue and more. “We’re not sure how I got it; there’s no cure and it’s chronic,” Tony explains. “And the clincher is that I couldn’t be treated for the MS because my immune system was suppressed from infections.” Once he had a hard-won diagnosis, Tony says he then felt like he had a monster to focus his efforts on. In 2015 — around the same time him and longtime partner Tim San Felice officially tied the knot after years together — he went to Dr. Timothy Peace, who gave him six months to live in his then-current health condition. “I was mad. Angry. I said, ‘fuck you.’ I was pushing 300 pounds, using a cane, on my way to a wheelchair,” Tony says. “I wanted to be an athlete again. I told the doctor I didn’t want to hear the negative; just help me turn from sick to being an athlete again.”

A Changed Outlook & Life With a grim view in tow, Tony did a 180 and dived into the power of positivity and intention. A book that changed his life is “Think and Grow Rich,” by Napoleon Hill. “It’s not just about the title, it’s stereo instructions for how the universe works,” he says. This is where his social media came in. He began posting on Instagram his health journey. He began working out and became rigid about his diet, eating mainly organic and less processed foods. He got more intentional sleep. The main changes though came from within — it was about the power of believing in positivity over negativity; of being grateful. While he was — and still is — rigid about his diet and exercise, he’s even more rigid about gratitude and mindfulness. “Negativity is as addicting as any drug,” Tony shares. “Through even the hard times; going almost bankrupt, having to fund my own treatment with yard sales; it’s all about the power of positivity.” Through this journey, Tim was always by his side. “We all sit in the audience of someone else’s life. We can see so much going on including their challenges. For Tony, that has been his health,” Tim shares. “He has always been tough through this part of our journey. Often very stoic and still able to keep his quick-witted humor, he always manages to make me laugh, every day. I do the best I can to be there for him, but more often he is there for me. Moreover, on those days when you think he is ready to fall over, he manages to keep himself steady. It’s as if he is a balloon that taps itself back up just before it hits the floor.” “I don’t know how he does it, but there he is, unwilling to give in as he gets up, goes to work, pushes out great ideas and creative, makes dinner and then goes to the gym,” he continues. “I have seen him five minutes before a conference call. I know he is hurting, and without fail, the person on the other end of the line or Google Hangouts has no idea.”

Positivity & Intention While Tony’s health journey continues, through both outer and inner work, he seems to be doing better than ever

By Maria Vassett. 24

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

FEATURE STORY

Felice and husband Tim San Felice by Maria Vassett.

before. His list of people to give kudos to is specific: his partner Tim, his trainer Jeremy Thill, and his best friend Kristin Priscella, among others in his life. He also gives kudos to not only his belief in positivity and intention, but people like Scott and Marla Berger, founders of the Tree of Life Movement

(treeoflifemovement.com), creators of the Intention Stick. “When I first heard about it [the Intention Stick] I thought ‘What is the catch?’” Tony admits. “But the power of intention is so life changing. We create every single day from darkness to light. From the moment we wake up, we are given the gift of life. Miracles do happen through the power of positivity. I was nearly dead and penniless, and now I’m healthier and wealthier than I ever have been.” Tony points to studies about human intention by Abraham Hicks. He’s so enthusiastic that he is currently writing a book that takes his experience he figured out intuitively and backs it with science for those who need some statistics behind his message. He intends on the book being out next year and then hopes to go on a Ted Talk speaking tour to share his knowledge. “I needed to get Lyme disease and MS to learn about myself,” Tony shares. “I had to face my fear of success, my fear of not being effective, my fear of not being worthy.”

Courtesy of Tony Felice. FEATURE STORY

“We have learned so much about each other through this,” Tim adds. “We aren’t the same people we were before. We have grown together romantically and spiritually and discovered so much together.

“When someone you love is given hard challenges you have two choices: be a victim or find the blessings within it. I know some of this may seem overly precious, but I don’t care, I love him. Not many people are lucky enough to live with their hero. So, as I sit in his audience, I still see he is undefeated, and I pray he always will be.” When Tony reflects on how being LGBTQ+ falls into the mix of all he’s learned on this journey, he proudly shares “the queerer I get, the less I care, but the more I care at the same time — if that makes sense.” “To be proud doesn’t require labels, but if you want to label it, own it! Get your shit together and let your freak flag fly.” During his journey, Tony has gained so much perspective and lost about 65 pounds. When asked about health tips for those struggling with their own health battles, he shares: “No pain, no gain is bullshit. The purpose of living is to expand. Your birthright is joy. Your physical health is so important but so is your brain, your heart, and your gut. It will never lead you astray.” Michelle Talsma Everson is a freelance writer, editor and PR pro. A graduate of NAU, she’s been writing for Valley publications for more than a decade. You can find out more at mteverson.com. EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

Phoenix Mercury 2019 season preview Off-season moves

Story and photos by Devin Millington

his winter saw the Phoenix Mercury heating up and not always for the good. For instance, one of the first off-season movies was to fire Assistant Coach Todd Trexel after he was charged with domestic violence. The charges against Trexel were later dropped by prosecutors due to Trexel’s fiancé refusal to cooperate. Nonetheless, this situation has provided the Mercury with an exciting opportunity to elevate former Mercury player (and wife of Diana Taurasi) Penny Taylor to assistant coach. Taylor spent the 2018 season taking care of her infant son Leo, born just weeks before the season opener. Don’t be surprised to see an all-female coaching staff!

Brittney Griner

Regarding player moves, the Mercury tried to sign Sparks guard and Baylor alum Odyssey Sims, but the Sparks matched the Mercury offer for the restricted free agent, ending the chance to reunite Sims with her college center, Brittney Griner. Days later, the Mercury successfully snatched flamboyant guard and 10-year veteran Essence Carson away from the Sparks. The six-foot guard joins an already bloated backcourt, which could make for an interesting preseason. XFactor member and basketball aficionado Lorri Cap gives a thumb’s up to the Carson acquisition, saying, “It comes down to winning championships and Carson has the rings and experience. The Mercury organization has been focusing on the notion that experience wins championships, so I’m excited to see how she plays with our ladies and give (Carson) support, even though she came from LA.” Injured forward Sancho Lyttle re-signed with the Mercury, but her health status is still a bit of a mystery. Lyttle blew out her ACL midseason last year and has been rehabbing away from the team facilities, according to a Mercury senior official. “All player contracts are up to Jim (Pittman). I’m sure Jim was confident in Sancho’s health when the contract was signed. The team will know exactly what’s up with Sancho once she reports to training camp,” says Bryce Marsee.

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

FEATURE STORY

Diana Taurasi

The Draft Mercury General Manager Jim Pittman selected Stanford forward Alanna Smith in the first round (eighth pick) of the 2019 WNBA draft in April. The Aussie has been coached by Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello for their national team, so the pick was not surprising. Smith was the most efficient scorer in 2018-19 and averaged 19.6 PPG and 8.6 RPG last season with Stanford. Late in the first round, Pittman took part in a multi-team trade, resulting in the Mercury trading away center Marie Gülich for Notre Dame star forward Brianna Turner. The team then picked up Missouri standout Sophie Cunningham. In the final round of the draft, Pittman selected Louisville guard Arica Carter. Of all the players selected, Alanna Smith will likely be the only rookie the Mercury keep, but Brianna Turner could come out of training camp in the 12th player slot.

Bonner’s Back, Again After missing the 2017 season, DeWanna Bonner resumed her place among the Mercury Big Three, playing so large the WNBA named her Comeback Player of the Year for 2018. That kind of play also brings about labels, as in Core Player. 2019 marks the second year in a row the Mercury has saddled Bonner with the designation. Bonner is in a unique situation, as her wife and former Mercury starting forward Candice Dupree is now with the Indiana Fever. It’s fair to say they’d like to be on the same team again. With Bonner likely to be tagged as a Core Player for an additional two years, a reunion will likely not happen for a while.

Winter Hibernation Taurasi just experienced her first full winter of resting. Briann January rested and rehabbed after off-season shoulder surgery. January also spent the winter as a member of the Arizona State University Women’s basketball coaching staff. Mercury forward Camille Little has been MIA, not showing up overseas or in the news. Cap speculates Little will not be with the Mercury this summer.

Around the W Health is always the key to any successful run at a championship and since this is a women’s game, pregnancy always affects teams. This year the Dallas Wings are dealing with all-star guard Skylar DigginsSmith’s pregnancy. The Wings are also dealing with their star center Liz Cambage demanding a trade. The Minnesota Lynx’s perennial all-star Maya Moore is sitting out the 2019 season, making theirs a season of somnambulating and likely missing the playoffs. Meanwhile, FEATURE STORY

the defending champions Seattle Storm suffered a monumental blow when 2018 MVP Breanna Stewart tore her Achilles tendon while playing for Russia in Euro League’s Championship game in mid-April. Stewart had surgery to repair the tear and will likely sit out the entire 2019 WNBA season.

Predictions With all the tumult and injuries throughout the league, it’s tough to predict who will find success. The West has been the stronger conference for several years, but the East may be making a comeback. Connecticut will be a contender with Atlanta battling them in the rankings. As for the West, it looks like Phoenix will battle their arch rival, the Los Angeles Sparks, for the top spot. If the Mercury can stay healthy and find a couple of lucky pennies, they have the best shot at taking it all. And if the Mercury win their fourth WNBA Championship, most people will expect Taurasi to retire, but she won’t. 2020 will be her final year in the W! Devin Millington is a retired teacher-turned-freelance writer and photographer. He is also the web designer and accomplished portrait artist behind devinmillington.com. EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

PGFFL Season Finals April 27 at Pierce Park, Phoenix. Photos by nightfuse.com.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos. 28

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Out & About

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds by Rick Marr.

Meet Kid Congo Powers The legendary rocker — now an AZ resident — chats about music, activism, and his upcoming autobiography By Tom Reardon

hen your first band is the legendary Gun Club from Los Angeles, then you get handpicked by (the late) Lux Interior and Poison Ivy to join The Cramps, and wind up playing with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, you’ve had a pretty damn good rock and roll career. Of course, we are talking about Kid Congo Powers and that was just between the years 1979 and 1996. Often imitated, Powers’ guitar style is unforgettable. The man loves to play fuzzy, open-chorded, psychedelic, punk, post-punk, and garage rock and there is literally no one better at it on the planet than him. His work with the aforementioned bands, as well as a few projects to be discussed in the following paragraphs, is not only highly recommended for any fan of good, gritty, yet beautiful rock and roll music, but essential. A musical “lifer,” Powers is also no slouch behind the microphone, 30

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

as well, which makes him a double threat when it comes to stealing the hearts of music fans. Born Brian Tristan in La Puente, California, Powers turned 60 on March 27 and has been playing guitar since 1979. It was then that his friend, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, decided Powers would be the guitar player for the band they were starting, and that band turned out to be Gun Club. Up until this point in his life, Powers had never played guitar, but obviously something clicked. Now, 40 years later, Powers is living in Tucson with his husband, Ryan Hill, and seems to be incredibly happy. His current band, Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds, is heading out on tour starting June 4 and will be playing three shows in Arizona, hitting Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff as they share the stage with Slim Cessna’s Auto Club. An avowed “road dog,” Powers has discovered some new ways more recently to maintain his

health while touring, including sleeping as often as possible. “Sleep, (Powers chuckles here, and he has a great chuckle) if I can get it. I do transcendental meditation, too. Since I moved to Arizona, I’m hiking a lot and I do go to a gym. I try to be a healthy, conscious eater. I quit smoking. I don’t smoke or drink or take drugs. I did enough of that to last 20 people’s lifetimes,” says Powers, who still travels by van when touring in the United States with The Pink Monkey Birds. One of the most charming things about Powers, who is of slight build, wears distinct glasses, and has an awesome Vincent Price-style mustache, is that he is a true music fan. When he talks about his own music or bands he loves, he truly lights up and becomes almost animated. “I stay engaged. Music is still the most important thing to me. Music still brings me hope — it still feeds me and keeps FEATURE STORY

me engaged and keeps me balanced. It’s important for mind and body,” adds Powers.

health perception. As a member of the gay community, Powers himself is aware that HIV/AIDS is still an issue, but feels the mainstream political world is not “inclusive” at this time. Powers continues to “fight the good fight” and points out that other artists still are, as well.

While he has always been open about his sexuality, being part of the early punk scene was liberating for Powers. In Los Angeles in the 1970s, as well as here in Phoenix, the brand-new punk scene was often intertwined with gay culture and members of each community often found kindred spirits in one another prior to the introduction of “hardcore” and the more regimental sides of punk rock that focused more on exclusion than inclusion.

“The days of ACT UP … it was so angry. There was incredible anger in the arts, and in punk rock, because it was complete injustice. I think people now are like, ‘Well, there’s help for people if they want,” points out Powers, before concluding, “I’m glad that there’s some awareness, but there is not enough.”

“I didn’t fit into any kind of a gay culture at that time in the early ‘70s. The alternative culture was very small, so when punk rock came a lot of young gay kids, gay rock and roll kids, found a home because there was no bias. As long as you were bucking the system in some way, you were in, you know, (laughs), and it was a place for you. It was an island of misfits and that’s what punk rock was. We could count ourselves and find a place to be loud, and have fun, of course,” remembers Powers.

On a more positive note, Powers is excited about his new home in Tucson and his upcoming tour which also celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds album, Dracula Boots. The second LP by the band, Dracula Boots, is absolutely sublime and the band will be playing it in its entirety during the month of June while on the west coast. According to Powers, the band has not toured the southwest for their most recent record, La Araña es La Vida, so this will be the first opportunity for fans to hear some of those songs live, as well.

In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s everything changed. Powers was actively involved with ACT UP and Queer Nation after moving back to Los Angeles, after living in Europe for a while. He and friend Sally Norvell created Congo Norvell in 1990 after meeting through a mutual friend who was in hospice with AIDS. The lush sound of Congo Norvell is truly something to behold and the duo was part of multiple efforts to raise both funds for awareness of HIV/AIDS.

For the past ten years, Powers has been working on a book about his life, which will be the first book published by In The Red Records, which has put out almost all of the Pink Monkey Birds releases. He can see the light at the end of the tunnel at this point, and has been working with an editor on the final draft. With any luck, the book will be out before the end of 2019 (if not, early 2020) with a possible book tour to follow.

“I was pretty apolitical up until the AIDS crisis as far as my gay identity. After that, it was impossible to ignore. It was affecting my music and art community and it was impossible to be apolitical. I was, before that, I was very anti-labels, especially in the very earliest days as labels were completely taboo,” says Powers. Now, though, Powers is keen to point out that there are “ribbons that people wear” and “big foundations” combating HIV/AIDS, but he sees where awareness of the problem as a whole is no longer at the forefront of public FEATURE STORY

“I’m sure I will do that. It will give me an excuse to do something else I don’t normally do,” concludes the seemingly fearless Powers with his signature chuckle.

By Robert Ascroft.

Tom Reardon loves to write about people who are doing something to contribute to our community in a positive way. He also loves his family and family of friends, his pets, music, skateboarding, movies, good (and bad) tv, and working with children to build a better world. Tom’s favorite movie is Jaws, his favorite food is lasagna, and he loves to play music with his friends. He’s a busy guy, but never too busy to listen to what you have to say so tell him a story. EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

Overcoming mental and physical blocks Solid advice from an in-the-know gym owner and coach By Justin Keane

ommitting to your health is arguably the most important decision you’ll ever make. That doesn’t mean it’s always an easy decision — heck, that doesn’t mean it’s ever an easy decision. I’ve owned a gym for the last 10 years and I can say with confidence that the struggles most folks navigate before they take that first step are, as they say, very real. Whether we’re talking group classes, personal training, or getting ready for a 5k, the most common roadblock most of us face is that most vestigial of fears: that we just aren’t good enough yet. This manifests in several different ways, but most often it’s pretty hard-wired — we worry that we’ll be laughed at, left behind, found out. We imagine the scene stopping, the record screeching to a halt, the air getting sucked out of the room and there we are, all by our lonesome in 32

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

a gym that’s suddenly, secretly morphed into a middle school cafeteria. Becky doesn’t belong.

doesn’t take, or you just need a helping hand? Awesome. You’re in a good place. Have fun and get to work.

No one wants to feel that way, especially not while we’re trying to better ourselves. But we fight this in two ways. The first is practical, and it puts us in the driver’s seat: we do our homework. If you’re joining a new gym or starting a new routine, ask your trainers how they on-ramp new athletes into their program or what resources are available for folks who are new or just getting back into this fitness thing.

If you’re coming up with your own routine, I’d still recommend seeking some professional guidance to get you started — often just a session or two with a licensed personal trainer can set you up with a great program that’s easy to follow and will help you make progress for several months at a time. An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure here. The last thing you want just as you’re beginning to build momentum is to hurt yourself and have to start all over again.

Are there measures they take or help you take to ensure you’ll get a great workout, stay safe, and still feel like you’re part of the crew? Can they tell you what to do if something doesn’t feel right, or you’re unsure how to proceed? Are there steps you can take to get more assistance if your initial instruction

The second measure we take to head off that voice in our heads is one we’re going to want to hang onto for the entirety of our fitness journey: we remind ourselves that we are the captains of our own ships. No one gets to rent space in our heads free of charge, not least FEATURE STORY

the voices we imagine jeering us to the sidelines. More still, we want to remember that most of the folks in the gym or on the trails are way too concerned with their own reps to spend all that much time worrying about ours. They put mirrors in most gyms for a reason, after all. Run your race and be confident that the folks around you are making like Fonzie in their own heads — checking themselves out in search of a nice thumbs up in the mental looking glass. They might see you but they aren’t really seeing you, which is kind of ironic (and yeah I really do think): the gym, a place where we sweat and grunt and maybe show a little bit more of ourselves than we might like to, is often a place we can endeavor in relative anonymity. You do you. From a physical standpoint, we need to talk about a few stumbling blocks you may encounter as you get started. If it were all wine and roses, well, it’d be wine and roses. Nothing is quite so discouraging as hitting the proverbial starting blocks and taking a few strides only to feel like you’ve set yourself back, so we want to make sure we’re setting our expectations correctly. First, you’re going to be sore — “pretty, pretty sore,” as Larry David might say. This is a natural byproduct of getting into a new fitness routine, but there are some steps we can take to mitigate that soreness and focus forward on recovery into our next workout: Drink your water. It’s a little bit of an old wives’ tale that we all need to be drinking eight glasses of water a day

FEATURE STORY

(for some that won’t be enough and for some too much), but we can confidently say that proper hydration helps with recovery, replacing the fluids you’ve lost while working out, and shuttling post-workout toxins and waste product through your system. Move! Movement is medicine. If you’ve had a hard leg workout, chances are you won’t feel so totally awesome about climbing stairs or getting in and out of your car. The temptation here is to lay low, but you’re going to want to move around to aid recovery between workouts. A 10 minute walk around the block, two or three songs on shuffle while you do some jumping jacks and butt kicks, or a simple mobility routine like Maxwell’s Daily Dozen — all of these things get your blood flowing, your heart kicked up a bit, and a nice healthy sweat, and that does a body good between gym days. Contrast Showers. This is a simple trick that you can easily fold into your morning routine. After you’ve been in the shower for a minute or two, begin to alternate the temperature between pretty cold and pretty hot — about 20 to 30 seconds at each relative extreme. As you get used to the cold in particular, you can go even colder for a few seconds. Check out our friends at End of Three Fitness (endofthreefitness.com) for a nice explanation on the mechanics of contrast showers for recovery. Bonus: they feel great! All that said, we want to learn to distinguish between productive soreness (“man that workout kicked my ass”) and

signs that your body is telling you to take a little extra time before getting back at it. Here we are paying attention to excessive joint pain or fatigue, pain that feels sharp rather than dull, or wrong rather than sensical. At the very least these are reasons to pump the brakes on our next workout, and some may merit discussion with your doctor if they persist. (You will, of course, have already consulted the medical professional of your choice before beginning any new exercise program, yes?) Because, soreness is one thing and we can live through that quite well thank you, but injury is another story — even smaller injuries like minor strains can be demoralizing and worsen without proper healing and rest. None of this is to discourage good, hearty exercise or to indicate that injury is inevitable, but we want to honor the commitment we’ve made to our health by taking the right steps to maintain momentum. Momentum is contagious, and as with all we’ve discussed above, the golden egg here is a commitment to fitness that becomes habit and feeds itself! The first time I picked up a barbell, I was hooked. Okay, it was a dumbbell. And okay, it was five pounds and I was 10 years old but hey, I’m still lifting and loving it 30 years later. Strength training and hard conditioning have taken me through some serious peaks and valleys in my own life; the gym has been a place of celebration and camaraderie during the good times and a place of refuge during the bad. woodshedstrength.com

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

Sets in the Sand, Arizona Gay Volleyball Association April 13 at Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix. Photos by Bill Gemmill.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos.

Saguaro Cup Sports Festival, D Division

April 13 at Rose Mofford Sports Complex, Phoenix. Photos by Bill Gemmill.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos. 34

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Out & About

SATURDAY JULY 20TH

132 E. 6TH ST. TEMPE, AZ 85281

DOORS - 6:00 PM SHOW - 7:00 PM

FASHION STANDARD TIME www.projectredaz.org

Doggies & Drag

April 26 at Kobalt, Phoenix. Photos by nightfuse.com.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos. 36

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Out & About

1118_MA_ECHO_DEC_7.25x4.75

HIV & STI PREVENTION

Free and confidential

with quick results! We offer testing for HIV, Hepatitis C and Syphilis.

333 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85012

602-685-6086

testing@terroshealth.org facebook.com/terroshealthhivsti @terroshealthhiv

Testing Hours 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday- Friday

Walk-ins Welcome, No Appointment Necessary. EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

Under the Big Top â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Phoenix Metropolitan Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chorus Gala April 27 at Arizona Opera, Phoenix. Photos by nightfuse.com.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos.

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Locally, gay owned, organic, plant based cafe!

DAILY DRINK SPECIALS til 6pm WEEKEND BRUNCH

4810 N 7th St • 602-237-6724 www.whyldass.com

HULASMODERNTIKI.COM PHOENIX • SCOTTSDALE

ART GALLERY | R E TA I L S TOR E | C R EATI V I TY COAC H I NG | WO R K S H O P S + C L AS S ES

Gallery for all mediums, artist studio work spaces, art classes and workshops, creativity coaching, retail with artisan work, LGBTQ inspired goods and art supplies. We believe all of us deserve our individuality, and to all we say: what makes you different won’t just be accepted here, it will be celebrated with pride.

You know you're curious.

Get updates on our launch date at www.shanelandarts.com EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

WITHOUT RESERVATIONS

Something Wild for your mouth Drinking and eating at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. Story and Photos by Jeff Kronenfeld

rizona Wilderness Brewing Co. is one of the newest additions to the increasingly crowded downtown Phoenix restaurant and bar scene. The first location of Arizona Wilderness opened in Gilbert in 2013. It quickly established itself as a local watering hole and even drew international acclaim, earning the number one spot for new breweries on ratebeer.com, besting beermakers from Deutschland (Germany) to Doucheland (San Diego). Its food menu may be small, but its beer selection is as vast and deep as the Grand Canyon — and both are

packed with local flavor. Whether you’re swallowing Padre Kino or swimming in Dirty Hop Water, the delightful and often surprising selection of craft beers are radiant as the star in the center of our state’s flag. While its large patio featuring fancy picnic tables and Adirondack chairs is meant to invoke a German beer garden, the vein-like map of desert waterways and in-house crafted beers — with names drawing on the Copper State’s geography, biology and history — let you know where you are. That is, in case the winged millennials flashing selfies

A housemade black bean burger is thick and tasty. 40

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

outside Monorchid across the street aren’t enough. The herringbone brick and gravel patio offer a rustic charm and plenty of shade, plus the misters spray lightly enough that they cool without soaking reading materials or electronics. The big tables offer room for parties, but also plenty of space to perch and people watch for the less-social. The menu may be simple, but ordering proved somewhat more complicated. You can get beer either from the outside bar housed in shipping containers or from the long one inside, which have slightly different selections. It gives you plenty

A juicy burger is paired with crispy ductk fat fries. Dining Out

of happy yeasty options, but you have to create separate tabs at both, which was inconvenient, as was the fact you had to wait in another line and open another tab to order food. I can only imagine how frustrating this could become on a crowded First Friday. Despite this, once the amber fluids flowed and patio lights shined, I wouldn’t care if I had to scale a class five climb to keep it coming. The staff were helpful, particularly with selecting from among the 26 beers on tap inside. In order to obtain an adequate sample size, my dining partner and I sacrificed sobriety and ordered a half-dozen brews. Since the Salome Wilderness is one of my favorite hiking destinations in the state, I naturally ordered the wood-fermented Salome Saison. With a surprisingly creamy texture and earthy flavor, tasting this beer was the oral equivalent of an escape room: mysterious, diverting and not for everyone. Also, it’s fun to say. Go ahead, try it … I’ll wait.

I ordered the Arizona Trail Burger, which piled thick-cut bacon, pepper jack, roasted jalapenos and sweet n’ spicy sauce on a perfectly medium rare patty from the Arizona Grass Raised Beef Company. The side of duck-fat fries dusted with rosemary and salt — which can be ordered separately smothered in various delights — were tasty and all together quite filling. The house-made ketchup was particularly good, not too sweet and complementing the fries nicely. My dining companion had the Counter Culture Black Bean Burger, which was four inches of fried goodness. Who said four inches can’t be a mouthful? It balanced well with the avocado and spicy sauce, and also came with a side of fries.

The Chocolate Bunny, an imperial milk porter, was strong on the chocolate but not crude-oil thick. Like La Ciudad, it plays against type and is hence an excellent porter for the non-porter aficionado. The Nicaraguan cacao nibs and Madagascar Vanilla helped make it a perfect dessert beer/nightcap. All the beers were full of surprising tastes and I highly recommend trying different kinds, even if you don’t normally like them. The beers here are really something special and I will be back to try more.

In glutinous addition, I ordered the Drumsticks Confit and my companion the Buffalo Cauliflower. The five plump drumsticks were a standout that honestly left me wondering why more places don’t serve these things? Though it may cause Teressa Bellissimo — known for founding the wing phenomenon with her husband Frank at their Buffalo restaurant — to roll over in her upstate New York grave, in every respect these drumsticks are superior to chicken wings. They had a crispy exterior accented by a savory dry rub, plus a juicy interior. Their coup de grace is the bare bone sticking out, which provides a non-messy means to hold them. Combined with the dry rub, my beard and fingers remained pleasantly free of sticky sauce and so I didn’t have to use a small forest of napkins to make myself decent afterwards. They have a number of sauce options. I opted for the house-made ranch and aioli, neither of which disappointed. The cauliflower’s crunchy exterior was glazed in spicy sauce, providing a tasty and healthy appetizer. All around the food was great and the menu provided good options for carnivores and herbivores.

Though there are only eight entrees and six “shareables” on the menu, everything we tried was tasty, wellprepared and featured local ingredients.

As the name may imply, the founders of Arizona Wilderness are both outdoor enthusiasts with a deep reverence for Arizona’s natural spaces and

Named in honor of the new spot’s urban local, La Ciudad is an IPA featuring Citra and Mosaic hops. It wasn’t too bitter and even had a slight sweetness, complemented nicely by wood and citrus notes. This unique brew is a stand out. It’s an excellent choice for those turned off by the extreme bitterness of most IPAs.

The Drumsticks Conﬁ t are stylish and delicious.

the nonprofits, such as the Nature Conservancy, which help protect them. Throughout the restaurant you’ll find plaques informing you about the sustainable practices of their partners and reminding you of the interconnected nature of desert life. For instance, there is Sinagua Malt, a benefit corporation that works with farmers along the Verde River to plant crops, such as barley, that use less water but are still in high demand. It saves two birds with one stone, allowing farmers to keep growing while letting more water flow through this vital riparian zone, which sustains native fish and hosts of other animals, everything from yellowbilled cuckoos to lowland leopard frogs. Though every company these days talks the talk on sustainability, founders Jonathan Buford and Patrick Ware seem to walk the walk. Not only is it evident in the many pictures of the two amplybearded men hiking through wilderness areas covered in red mud and big smiles, but also in the writings of Buford. He waxes poetic as only a brewer can about how in the summer, “leaves beg the sun for its powerful energy,” but by fall they, “abide by the rules of nature by creating sugars for the roots.” When you can’t make the drive to the real wilderness, drinking and eating in the Arizona Wilderness DTPHX can be the next best thing. Jeff Kronenfeld is an independent journalist based out of Phoenix, Arizona. His writing has been featured in Java Magazine, the Arts Beacon, PHXSUX, and the Phoenix Jewish News, where he received the Simon Rockower Award for excellence in news reporting from the American Jewish Press Association. Links to his previously published work are available at www.jeffkronenfeld.com.

Dining Out

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

AT THE BOX OFFICE

she never saw her family again. In one of the film’s most moving sequences, Ruth visits Yad Vashem, the world Holocaust memorial center in Jerusalem, where computer files verify what she already knew: that her entire family were murdered by the Nazis. As someone who understands all too well the harm that hatred and bigotry can do, Ruth becomes a champion for people who are viewed as “subhuman.” Her rise to fame in the 1980s, which began with a midnight radio show called “Sexually Speaking”, coincided with the onset of the AIDS epidemic, which hit the gay community especially hard. Ruth finds herself answering a question from a man whose girlfriend has a lot of gay friends. He’s afraid that she’ll pick up the disease from them and pass it along to him. Holocaust survivor Ruth refuses to stigmatize anyone. “I don’t waste my time blaming people,” she says.

Ask Dr. Ruth The sex therapist’s new documentary offers a look at her life, as well as her favorite subject By David-Elijah Nahmod

here are a few things that Dr. Ruth won’t say. In Ask Dr. Ruth, a delightful new documentary from filmmaker Ryan White, the good doctor assures the camera that no one will ever know who she’s sleeping with or how much money she has. Beyond that, you can expect just about anything from Dr. Ruth. “You should insert the penis into the vagina from behind,” she says matterof-factly during one of her television appearances. Her bluntness makes some audience members giggle. Talk show host Arsenio Hall blushes as he’s prodded by the doctor to say “vagina” on the air. One man is so shocked by Dr. Ruth’s frankness that he tries to put her under citizen’s arrest. But most people adore the cute, folksy grandmotherly type with the thick German accent. She makes it okay to talk about topics some consider to be forbidden.

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

She doesn’t judge. And the advice she gives is sound. “Don’t worry about her past,” she says to one young man who’s concerned that his girlfriend has had too many bad relationships before she got together with him. You can say anything to Dr. Ruth. One man bemoans the size of his 14 inch penis, which he says frightens the women he dates. Ask Dr. Ruth tells the whole story of this unusual woman’s life. Born Karola Ruth Siegel to Orthodox Jewish parents in 1928, the film recalls what began as an idyllic childhood in Frankfurt, Germany. But young Ruth’s innocence was shattered when the Nazis forcefully took her father to a labor camp. Ruth’s mother and grandmother sent her to an orphanage in Switzerland where she was able to escape the horrors of the Holocaust —

For all her celebrity, Dr. Ruth is a simple woman. She still lives in the same cluttered, two bedroom apartment in New York City that she’s called home for 54 years, the apartment where she lived with her husband of nearly 40 years and raised her children. It’s a comfortable apartment, filled with mementos of a life well lived. Though her husband has since passed on, she maintains a close relationship with her children and grandchildren. “He would love to have seen his grandchildren grow up,” she says of her husband, one of the few times she lets her private emotions show. Now 90 years old, Dr. Ruth has yet to slow down. She continues to make television appearances, write books, teach college courses, and speak frankly about everyone’s favorite topic, sex. You can still ask Dr. Ruth anything about sex, and she’ll cheerfully give you a no-holds-barred answer. As a film, Ask Dr. Ruth is a treasure. It’s a peek inside the mind and psyche of a remarkable woman who’s made a memorable impact on society. There’s never been anyone quite like Dr. Ruth. It’s highly unlikely we’ll see anyone like her again. Ask Dr. Ruth begins streaming on Hulu on June 1. David-Elijah Nahmod is an American-Israeli writer who’s lived in New York City, Tel Aviv and is currently based in San Francisco. He’s been published in LGBT publications, monster magazines and SF Weekly, and can be reached on Facebook as David-Elijah Nahmod, Author and on Twitter at @DavidElijahN. Entertainment

Lifestyle Partners A R I Z O N A R E A L E S TAT E F O R E V E R Y O N E

Your LGBTQ Community Realtors

Listings, sales, investing and property management services. Certified negotiation experts Team of 4 for support you deserve

Decades of experience Guaranteed service

Melinda J. Murphy GRI CNE SRES Associate Broker/Realtor since 1986 602-695-2900 Shane Burleson CNE 5-star rated Realtor & Featured in Phoenix Magazine 602-578-1169 Wendy Weintraub

wendysweintraub@gmail.com 602-999-9818

Gail Smith

REALTOR Lifestyle Partners Team 602-803-4070

602-695-2900

2920 E. Camelback Rd. Suite 100 Phoenix, AZ 85016

UP TO 8 WEEKS FREE! PRE-LEASING NOW!

Luxury Apartment Experience in Midtown at 3rd Avenue & Osborn.

833.263.0535

broadstoneosborn@allresco.com broadstoneosborn.com 240 West Osborn Road, Phoenix, AZ 85013

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

OPENING NIGHTS

“Measure your life in love.”

Rent 20th anniversary touring company, by Carol Rosegg.

— Jonathan Larson

Rent speaks to LGBTQ millennials By Seth Reines

Chase McCall 44

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

n 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway and forever changed the landscape of American theater. Rent became the Hamilton of its day. Now, over two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s Rent continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and around the world.

Rent’s message continues to touch audiences of all generations. This past January, his Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterpiece was broadcast on network TV as Rent: Live. And May 28-June 2, the show’s 20th Anniversary Tour plays ASU’s Gammage Auditorium.

Larson’s re-imagining of Puccini’s La Bohème follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope at the height of the AIDS crisis, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds audiences to measure their lives with the only thing that truly matters — love.

Recently, Echo discussed the impact Rent has on millennial audiences with two of the tour’s out cast members, Chase McCall and Sean Ryan. (Chase plays Steve and understudies Rent’s two male leads Roger and Mark. Sean also covers Mark plus all the ensemble roles and serves as the tour’s dance captain, maintaining the integrity of Marlies Yearby’s choreography.)

Larson wrote, “In these dangerous times, where it seems that the world is ripping apart at the seams, we all can learn how to survive from those who stare death squarely in the face every day and [we] should reach out to each other and bond as a community, rather than hide from the terrors of life at the

Echo: Why do you think there is such a recent interest in the show?

end of the millennium.”

Chase: I think there has always been an interest in this show, which is why the 20th Anniversary Tour is happening right now. We get a wide range of audience members from those who saw it when it first opened on Broadway and are now ENTERTAINMENT

bringing their own children to experience the show to those have seen the movie but never on stage. I may be new to the Rent family, but it feels like the interest has always been there! Echo: Why is it important for LGBTQ millennials to see this show? Chase: They need to know their history. Where the “LGBTQ” came from and what they’ve been through. And, then, making the choice to learn more about the LGBTQ community before the ‘90s. The AIDS crisis has become more manageable, but it is still an epidemic and it’s very important not to forget that. Sean: It’s also valuable and powerful for LGBTQ millennials to come to a show and see characters who, just like them, are living their true, authentic lives and being accepted for it.

Echo: What feedback have you gotten from LGBTQ millennial audience members? Chase: They say how much they connect with certain characters, which is fascinating because these are based on people living their adult lives in the late ‘90s. You wouldn’t think millennials would be able to relate to characters from over 20 years ago, but they still find the similarities and that is a truly beautiful thing. Sean: Millennial audience members that come to see the show love it! The sense of community and love resonates with all different age groups young and old! Echo: How does being in Rent affect you emotionally? Sean: Performing the show is such an emotional rollercoaster. There are so many highs and lows! I get very choked

Sean Ryan.

up when we sing a song like “I’ll Cover You,” but, then, I’m smiling from ear to ear when we get to “Finale.” Chase: Emotionally, it affects me in many different ways. Not only experiencing what happens in the story, but also what happens off stage. I understudy both Mark and Roger, and I have to be ready at a moment’s notice. I make my day to day decisions based on if it’s in the show’s best interest. As much as I love performing as my career, at the end of the day it is my job and I have to execute it to the best of my abilities. Echo: Did TV’s recent Rent: Live differ from your production? Sean: TV’s Rent: Live had the same great story, but we do it live eight times a week. And nothing compares to seeing it live in a theater. Chase: Of course it was different, because there were cameras in all of the actors’ faces. I am happy to know it exposed people around the world to the show in a way it never had before, but there is something special about the way Jonathan Larson originally saw and conceived it onstage, and that’s exactly what our touring production does. For tickets to Rent’s iconic 20th Anniversary Tour, contact boxoffice@ asugammage.com. M. Seth Reines is an award-winning theater buff who has directed more than 500 productions nationally for stage and television, and formerly served as head of Roosevelt University’s musical theatre program. ENTERTAINMENT

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

RECORDINGS

By Tom Reardon

xploring the mind and body can be a dangerous thing, especially when it comes to music. The highs are often really high, but the lows … well, the lows can be devastating. Luckily for us, three records have come out recently that will not only make you think, but also want to move, as well. Sit up, take a listen, and maybe dance in your chair or boogie on down the road. somethin’ for everyone. From the beginning (the truly charming “Tough Enough”) to the middle (the Lou Reed-ish “Diamond Drive”) to the end (“Talk To Me” which exudes Neuroticaera Redd Kross mixed with vintage Throwing Muses), It’s Real is expansive, yet thoroughly rooted to the awesome harmonies of Timony and fellow guitar slinger, Betsy Wright. Drummer Laura Harris expertly drives the beat and the trio is definitely one to be reckoned with in 2019. If you missed their recent show in Phoenix at the Rebel Lounge in April, consider yourself bummed. Don’t miss them again and buy this record now.

Ex Hex – It’s Real

FEELS – Post Earth

sung vocals with guitar lines that would make Fugazi’s Ian Mackaye proud.

Mary Timony may be a deity. There, I said it, and I’m not ashamed. Living in a world where the idea of one God has clearly jumped the shark, it’s time to start recognizing that gods walk among us and some of them play a mean guitar, too. On their second full-length record, It’s Real, Ex Hex (Washington, D.C.) pushes the envelope in the most delightful ways. Released by Merge Records, whose catalog is chock full of great releases, It’s Real explores guitar rock in a way that even the most jaded music fans will enjoy. This is one record where there is truly a little somethin’-

Los Angeles quartet FEELS has been rocking the west coast for the better part of this decade and we are lucky for it. Guitarists/Vocalists Laena Geronimo and Shannon Lay shine, glimmer, writhe, and twist on Post Earth, the band’s new release for Wichita Recordings. That is not to take anything away from the extremely adroit rhythm section that is Amy Allen on bass and Michael Rudes on drums, but Geronimo and Lay’s entwined vocals and dueling lead guitars are nothing short of intoxicating. Case in point, “Awful Need” which is the second song on the record blends beautifully

In fact, FEELS would fit right in on Washington, D.C.’s legendary Dischord label perfectly. Waves of intricate guitar playing and powerful dual vocals are more than just reminiscent of Mackaye’s Fugazi, they seem to pick up right where the seminal pre-indie, post-punk legends left off. “Find A Way” is simply brilliant, mixing haunting instrumental interplay with a shouted chorus of “Now I wonder if we will find a way” which includes bassist Allen in the mix, as well. This band has it all. They are pretty, powerful, and have something to say. What is not to love? Explore your FEELS today.

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Entertainment

Personalized HIV Care and Support • Guidance from pharmacists specially trained in HIV therapy • Medication refill reminders • Pick up at our location (below) or any CVS Pharmacy® or get delivery by mail at no extra cost*

Call 1-602-258-7051 or stop in. CVS Pharmacy Specialty Services 1002 East McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85006 Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

*Where allowed by law. In-store pick up is currently not available in Oklahoma. Puerto Rico requires first-fill prescriptions to be transmitted directly to the dispensing specialty pharmacy. Products are dispensed by CVS Specialty® and certain services are only accessed by calling CVS Specialty directly. Certain specialty medication may not qualify. Services are also available at Long’s Drugs locations. ©2019 CVS Specialty. All rights reserved. 75-47585A 11261

LSD - Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present... LSD Admittedly, I have listened to Sia a lot. I’m a fan, so when I heard about her new collaboration with Labrinth and Diplo, who I had only heard of, but not yet explored, I was definitely curious. There is a lot going on Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present... LSD but it’s not really a good or bad thing to be so busy. It feels like the record starts to fully hit its stride on “Genius.” The track has a way of worming into your consciousness as Labrinth and Sia introduce each other’s verses while seemingly acknowledging somebody’s genius (hopefully not their own) over a groovy beat. Unfortunately, the record never seems to scale any higher heights than “Thunderclouds” which you may recognize from the Samsung commercials it was featured on and seemingly played, ad nauseum, on every TV channel, everywhere. “Thunderclouds” is a very cool song, but by the time you pop Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present... LSD on your favorite medium for playing music, you may already be sick of it. The songs that truly feature Sia’s amazing voice stand out the most for me, but a fair amount of this record is a jumbly mess of production wizardry that overrides the talent of the collective parts of this music making supergroup. Proceed with caution armed with a hearty red wine and edibles. Tom Reardon loves to write about people who are doing something to contribute to our community in a positive way. He also loves his family and family of friends, his pets, music, skateboarding, movies, good (and bad) TV, and working with children to build a better world. Tom’s favorite movie is Jaws, his favorite food is lasagna, and he loves to play music with his friends. He’s a busy guy, but never too busy to listen to what you have to say so tell him a story. Entertainment

Your “Alternative” Dental Office With a Holistic and Biological approach to your Dental Needs and Overall Health Michael Margolis, DDS, PC

Stephen Kovar, DMD, FAGD

480-833-2232

www.MyDentistAZ.com

Cosmetic / Aesthetic Dentistry Lumineers / Veneers Complete Family / General Dentistry Close-in East Valley Location Member GPGLCC All Services Provided by Arizona Licensed General Dentists

2045 S. Vineyard Rd., Suite 153 | Mesa, AZ 85210

YOUR AD HERE! For details, call 602-266-0550.

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

BETWEEN THE COVERS

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

ou had a flu shot this year.

You watch your cholesterol, eat better, stay active, and brush twice a day. So why do you feel so rotten? In Headcase, edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa Theophano, you’ll see that taking care of your mind is as essential as taking care of your body. If someone on the street saw you today, he might think you were at the peak of health. He can’t see what’s inside, though. “Real or perceived minority status and disenfranchisement make us vulnerable to being labeled as sick,” say Schroeder and Theophano. In other words, living as a member of the LGBTQ community may affect your mental health. Furthermore, Christian Huygen, one of the contributors to this book, says, “Research shows that, while LGBTQ people seek mental healthcare more often than our nonLGBTQ counterparts, we

are more likely to leave care prematurely.” Today, therapy is easier to get, if you feel hopeless or empty, but not all practitioners understand LGBTQ health issues. Mainstream healthcare has only relatively recently decided that homosexuality was not a disease in need of a cure. Too many healthcare practitioners don’t understand that insurance is sometimes iffy. Never mind those who believe conversion therapy is the right fix. Have we evolved, when it comes to mental wellness for the LGBTQ community? You might think so, after reading the chapters here: of a lesbian who received comfort from a therapist when her long-time friend wouldn’t stop bringing religion up. Of veterans who no longer have to conceal their sexuality. On fitting in with the local mom’s group when you’re the only queer mother and, by the way, you’ve already conquered postpartum depression. On being a lesbian daughter of a lesbian

Headcase: LGBTQ Writers and Artists on Mental Health and Wellness, edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa Theophano c.2019, Oxford University Press $29.95 / $36.95 Canada 287 pages mother who was hospitalized against her will decades ago, only because she dared love another woman. “Mental illness can be scary for anyone,” says writer Lance Hicks. “You choose between asking for help, knowing you’re being judged, or suffering alone.” That latter option doesn’t sound like so much of an option, does it? No, and Headcase, a title that comes from reclamation of a negative word, takes a reallife look at the first parts of Hicks’s sentiments: mental health, mental help, and the history of it all within the LGBTQ community. What you’ll learn won’t come easy, though.

Editors Stephanie Schroeder, JD and Teresa Theophano, LMSW 48

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

There are several distinct kinds of chapters inside Headcase, some easier to

read than others. Readers will find arty things, poetry and drawings here. There are mini-memoirs of relevance. You’ll find short stories, too, many of which have a disjointed feel, as though you just wandered into a half-conversation. There are chapters that are plainly meant for physicians, which might not appeal to laypersons. And you’ll find history in this book, some of which – fair warning – will chill you. Overall, Headcase could offer comfort but it’s not a substitute for a doctor. It’s got subtle advice, but it’s not a therapist. It’s not even a good stand-in for a sympathetic friend but if you need direction, it’s worth a shot. Entertainment

Your father’s hands were always rough. In your memories, they were nimble, too; enough to fix a doll or thread a hook as easily as holding a fork, and it was never a problem for your little fingers to fit around his. Your father’s hands were calloused and strong but, unlike the new book Inside an Honor Killing by Lene Wold, they were not meant for murder. She had to lie to set up the interview. Lene Wold knew that, as a lesbian, she was in danger just traveling through Jordan, so she made up a fictitious husband for her own safety. She lied to be prepared, should the subject come up during conversations she had with Rahman who, after over a year of effort, finally sat across from her in a small café. He was a killer, but she knew that he deserved to tell his side of the story. When he was a child, Rahman told her, he witnessed the death of a young classmate buried up

to her shoulders in desert sand. The seven-year-old had been raped, he said, but that act brought shame on her family because villagers believed that she had caused it. Stoning her brought honor back. Rahman wasn’t supposed to have witnessed the killing, and when his mother learned that he did, she packed her things and left, a departure that impacted him for the rest of his life. He vowed that what happened in his father’s house wouldn’t happen in his when he married a very conservative woman and raised two daughters and a son. Years later, as the younger daughter, 17-year-old Amina, prepared for marriage, she noticed that her 19-yearold sister, Aisha, seemed preoccupied. Only when Amina overheard intimacies and learned that Aisha had fallen in love with another woman, did she understand her sister’s fears: there is no law against homosexuality in Jordan, but it’s a cultural sin that brings shame on a family, and Aisha’s secret

Inside an Honor Killing by Lene Wold c.2019, Greystone Books $26.95 / higher in Canada 224 pages you ultimately know what happens.

couldn’t be held. And so, pressured by his wife, Rahman acted to restore honor. There is no way to soften this: Inside an Honor Killing is absolutely chilling. An ice-down-the-spine account of a rape that inexplicably didn’t happen opens this book, illustrating the dangers author Lene Wold endured to get the interviews she needed to tell this story. That, and the how and why of it, are the books’ introduction and while you’re there, Wold also shares statistics that will put you in a heightened state of anticipation, though

Inside an Honor Killing author Entertainment

Take a quick breath, then, before you plunge into Chapter One, because that’s the last chance you’ll get for air as this story alternates between Arabian Nights and Nightmare on Elm Street, between idyll and magic, and horrors we can only imagine. This book isn’t one bit easy to read but if you’re concerned about women’s rights or current events, it’s essential that you do. But beware: Inside an Honor Killing will stun you almost the minute you get it in your hands.

Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm, lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 13,000 books. She’s been reading since age 3 and, to this day, she never goes anywhere without a book. EchoMag.com

JUNE 2018

TALKING BODIES

Secrets to making a diet or exercise change that actually lasts By Tia Norris

’m not going to sugarcoat it: starting a new diet or exercise program is hardly sunshine and rainbows. In fact, the process usually begins with promise and positivity, but can soon devolve into discomfort and internal mental warfare. After all, making changes in diet and exercise takes time, energy, and for some people, it takes some of the fun out of life.

function just as sharply at work after eating dirty vs. clean. It’s a fact! Of course, different goals have different levels of demand. However, if you make the connection between any particular choice now and the expected outcome later, perhaps the decisions will become easier. Do now, what makes you feel best later.

While I can’t disagree that making a commitment to diet and exercise is demanding, I can promise you that the juice is in fact worth the squeeze. All of my clients have highs and lows through their fitness endeavors, and here are some of my tips on how to approach the inevitably uncomfortable journey ahead.

When to use your brain

When to use your emotions Make the connection between good diet and exercise choices with how you feel. Notice how satisfying it is to complete workouts, and the energy spike that often follows a vigorous exercise session versus the sluggish state you were in before the workout; notice how focused and light you feel after choosing a healthier lunch option like a chicken salad, versus a gut bomb like a burger and fries when it comes to your midday performance at work; notice how empowering it feels to achieve your goals and stick to your commitments, versus how it feels when you’ve squandered another day, week, or month without making those changes you so deeply desire. These are the feelings worth studying and replicating! Don’t get me wrong, I love pizza, burgers, fries, and desserts; however, what I don’t love is how heavy, tired, and unfocused I feel after one of these indulgences. You can’t argue that you 50

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

And on that note, don’t overthink it. Oftentimes, people get hung up on the back and forth mental dance of “should I?” or “shouldn’t I?” … “I want to eat cleaner, but this little snack just sounds better right now … what should I do?” In this scenario, try to make a split-second, perfectly logical, decision based on what you know. Don’t get entangled in irrational patterns when it comes to diet and exercise choices. Just do it. I fully acknowledge that for many clients, this purely logical approach may not be as easy as it sounds; emotions and food choices unfortunately go way back for many of us. However, sometimes it’s best to cut through the fog of emotions with ice cold logic and do what you need to do. Not what you want to do.

Be patient with yourself I’m looking right at you, perfectionists: eliminate that black/white thinking pattern when it comes to diet and exercise. These types of “all or nothing” patterns are not only unsustainable, they’re completely unnecessary! Read this carefully: you do not need to have a dreadfully austere diet and a grueling exercise program, to see results. If you’re hitting about 80-90% of the program,

most people will see what they want to see. Give yourself a bit of a break and be realistic. For most of us this means better execution on the program during the week, with room for planned spontaneity on the weekends. Remember, to see progress, you’ll need more days on the program than off the program. However, sustainability of a program is fueled by planned deviations off the program. Work, rest, repeat, right? Don’t forget to take the “rest” needed on diet and exercise programs. Eat that thing, or those things, that you like but you know you shouldn’t have all the time, occasionally. I recommend for most clients, one “cheat” meal per week where there are no rules on quality or quantity. These planned deviations help to make the program more sustainable mentally and physically. It’s hard. Food tastes good, and exercise can be hard. Remember that and set the goals low and slow to start. But this doesn’t mean you get to stop when it gets hard! Use your emotions when they serve you: connect the good feelings with good choices and use that positive reinforcement to drive results. Use your logic when your emotions aren’t serving you: know what you should do, and just do it without letting your emotions cloud your better judgment. And be patient: make it a long term lifestyle change instead of a crash diet. Allow yourself to have some fun along the way, and I promise you’ll enjoy the work a whole lot more! Tia Norris is the president and head trainer at FitPro, LLC, a local fitness company. Find out more at fitprollc.com. Health & Fitness

24/7 GYM

PERSONAL & GROUP TRAINING AVAILABLE

Text rates to 474747 for more info Mention this ad and receive 1/2 off enrollment.

3135 E. Indian School Road. + 35 other Valley locations

CHRISTOWN SPECTRUM LOCATION NOW OPEN

enroll-maricopa.com

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or national origin in their programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information visit: www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination. EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

NOT THAT YOU ASKED

Grow and behold: we can do better By Buddy Early

’m very fond of the phrase “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” I’ve shared this advice with numerous people over the years, hoping to convince them that they have the ability to alter their circumstances, to say goodbye to destructive behaviors, and to become a better person. Sometimes the replies I receive are along the lines of “Physician, heal thyself” and “Do you practice what you preach?” and “fuck off.” Hey — I cannot help those who do not want to be helped. There are those who would rather not become a better person, I guess. When I was in grade school I was caught shoplifting twice. Now, you might think that being caught twice means I wasn’t very good at it, but I can assure you I was very talented. When you consider sheer volume, being caught twice was a drop in the bucket. In the shoplifting milieu, I was very prolific; I was the damn Ryan Murphy of shoplifting. But I became a better person, at least in the sense that I accepted shoplifting was wrong and decided to become a boring teenager who never got into trouble and did shit like homework, volunteering, and snitching on my siblings for staying out too late. Cut to me in college. In my sketch comedy troupe, I was the go-to guy for playing a limp-wristed, sashaying, lisping queen. (I was really making great use of the Meisner technique I had studied.) We mined plenty of jokes out of the notion of a dude taking it up the ass. And our audience was there for it. These are just two examples of things

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

I used to do that I am not proud of, but also examples of two ways I have become a better person. The former was flat-out wrong, and I knew it was wrong at the time. The latter was something socially acceptable at the time and for which I received no negative feedback. Looking back, we should have known better.

time learning than others. Now we know better.

But most of us know better now. Just as we learn and grow from blatant mistakes in our youth (i.e. stealing, cheating, setting fire to a field of dead grass and then running from the police officer who eventually had to turn back so he could actually put out the fire), we can also grow from the mistakes that were not so obvious to us at the time.

People used to die of diseases like polio, smallpox and measles. Thanks to advances in medicine we have mostly eradicated these diseases worldwide, despite the efforts of Google geniuses who insist these diseases just faded away naturally. We vaccinate for these diseases because we now know better. Every innovation in science and technology is built on previous successes that lead us to knowing better. Why shouldn’t advancements in our culture be celebrated the same?

By “us” I mean our country. The #metoo movement has brought to light our history of mistreatment of women, not just assault but things like harassment and inequality. Our outdated patriarchal attitudes were, for some reason, acceptable to most in previous eras. That system is now being dismantled, because we now know better. People used to don blackface and, while always offensive, it was acceptable to most white people. In 2019 we can see that doing so should offend us all. We see that because we now know better. Kids who had trouble learning used to be called stupid or were simply assigned to a remedial classroom where they wouldn’t interfere with others’ learning. Over the years we have identified a number of learning disabilities that explain why some have a more difficult

Some of us used to get the paddle at school, or the belt at home. While these practices have not completely gone away, our society understands that physical punishment is not a great solution to misbehavior by our children. Thankfully, we know better.

Frankly, many Americans’ unwillingness to evolve on social matters is baffling. Too many have this odd and unexplainable attachment to “returning to the way things used to be.” But “the way things used to be” were really fucked up in a whole lot of ways. We should know that because we lived through it. We should be excited about improving ourselves and our nation, not fear it. I certainly do not do many of the shitty things I did in my youth and am glad to have evolved. Because I know better. Buddy Early grew up in Tempe and has been involved in various communities across the Valley since. He is a former managing editor of both Echo Magazine and Compete Magazine. Community

NOT FOR PROFIT. FOR COMFORT.

ECHO Magazine 2017: Oct., Dec.; 2018: Feb., Apr., June, Aug. 3.375” x 4.75”

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

WE THE PEOPLE

U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on whether LGBTQ people can be fired because of their identities By Steve Kilar discriminate against employees based on race, skin color, religion, national origin and sex. Sex discrimination includes discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, according to the EEOC and some federal courts.

t a Chili’s restaurant in West Phoenix, a manager told Meagan Hunter last year that if she wanted to be promoted from server to shift leader she needed to “dress more gender appropriate.” “Are you telling me that I need to have my breasts hanging out to be successful in your company?” responded Meagan. “Not in those words,” he replied. But it was clear to Meagan, who is a lesbian, what he meant. He wanted her to dress more stereotypically feminine in exchange for the higher-paying job. Meagan later learned that manager also did not consider her for a bartender position because he thought a lesbian bartender would not draw desirable customers. “I couldn’t continue to work at a place where my willingness to conform to a stereotype was more important than my job performance,” Meagan wrote in a testimonial posted on the ACLU’s website. “So, I left a job that I enjoyed and said goodbye to the coworkers I considered family.” With the ACLU’s help, Meagan filed an employment discrimination claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces federal employment discrimination laws. The legal merit of discrimination claims like Meagan’s — those based on the sexual orientation or gender identity of the employee — will be determined during the next U.S. Supreme Court term. The Supreme Court recently decided to hear three cases about discrimination against LGBTQ employees. Title VII, a portion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, makes it unlawful for businesses with more than 15 workers to

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

The idea that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination are forms of sex discrimination may seem obvious to LGBTQ people and their allies. But the notion that sex discrimination under current federal law includes sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination is still up for debate. The Trump administration has sided with businesses that want to discriminate against LGBTQ people, arguing in federal sex discrimination cases that being queer can be considered a fireable offense. There’s a lot riding on the Supreme Court’s decision, both for individuals and for LGBTQ people as a collective. For Meagan, losing her job meant a significant income decline, which made it more difficult to support herself and her son. Although she was able to get a server position at another restaurant within a few weeks, newer employees are scheduled to work fewer hours. It will take time to build up the seniority she had at Chili’s, where she was a highly rated employee. Meagan had to put her plans for buying her first home on hold. Aimee Stephens, whose discrimination case will be considered by the Supreme Court, and her wife had to rely on a single income to support themselves and their daughter, who was in college. They had to sell belongings to pay their bills. Aimee, who was fired from her job as a funeral director after she came out as transgender, also lost her health insurance and was forced to find other ways to pay for expensive medical care. “I had given almost seven years of my life to the funeral home, offering countless families comfort when they needed it most,” Aimee wrote in a blog post shared by the ACLU, which is representing her before the Supreme Court. “Being discarded so coldly was hard to understand.” For LGBTQ people collectively, the outcome of the Supreme Court decision may impact more than the ability to bring a federal employment discrimination claim. A determination

that sex discrimination in the employment context does not cover sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination may ripple into other areas of nondiscrimination law. “If federal law says it’s fine to fire someone because she’s lesbian or transgender, other federal civil rights laws may well not protect LGBTQ people, either,” wrote James Esseks, the director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project. “The federal education antidiscrimination law may not stop schools from harassing transgender students. The Federal Housing Act may not stop landlords from evicting same-sex couples. And the Affordable Care Act may not prevent health care providers from turning away transgender people.” We’re not likely to know the Supreme Court’s stance on employment discrimination against LGBTQ people before June 2020. I hope a majority of the justices realize that no one should have to live in fear that they can be fired just because of who they are. In the meantime, we need to keep fighting for explicit laws barring sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Having these laws at the state and federal levels will establish unambiguous protections for LGBTQ people. Steve Kilar, is the communications director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona (acluaz. org). If you have questions about your rights that you would like addressed in a future issue, write him at skilar@acluaz.org. COMMUNITY

WE SOLVE PROBLEMS

The small business is our BIGGEST client. Call today and start saving money and time.

3404 West Cheryl Drive • Suite A170 • Phoenix, Az 85051 Office (602) 264-9331 • Fax (602) 279-1766 • Cell (602) 541-3477 Email Robert@azmoneyguy.com • Website www.azmoneyguy.com facebook.com/azmoneyguy • twitter.com/azmoneyguy

HOME FOR SALE 4731 N 14th Ave, Phoenix BEDS BATHS

SQFT

1,924

Great opportunity to own this charming property located in Central Phoenix, conveniently located near Charlie’s!

Presented by Oscar Colato

(602) 565-6366 · www.teamcolato.com

Each office independently owned and operated

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

HISTORY

Babe Caylor provided retail therapy By Buddy Early

o celebrate Echo’s 30th birthday, this year I will be catching up with some of Arizona’s LGBT personalities from past and present to revisit the people, places and events that helped shape our community.

corner at 4700 N. Central were Unique on Central and Movies on Central, and together these spaces provided an alternative (or complement) to the bars. They were places to feel welcomed, places to find unique items of special interest and, yes, places to hook up. If you frequented these retail spaces then you probably met Babe Caylor. With her comforting smile and southern friendliness, she greeted customers at Obelisk and Movies for years. I’ve dubbed her Phoenix’s LGBT Retail Queen. (I didn’t ask her if she likes that.) But Babe has always been so much more than the person who rings up your sale and points you to the porn section. She has been a resource for thousands, young and old, who have needed help navigating their path through our community. Coupled with her longtime volunteer role with youth group 1N10, Babe has been a mother, a sister, or an aunt to so many. Considering Phoenix’s rocky history with community centers, places like Obelisk, Unique, and Movies — and people like Babe — filled the gap. “The bookstore was where everyone came,” said Babe. “Because you didn’t have to go to a store to find The Advocate and stand in the corner so no one would see you reading it.” It may be hard for some to fathom, but as recent as 20 years ago it was very unlikely that you’d find many LGBT titles at a mainstream bookseller, or any gay films at Blockbuster. Target didn’t sell rainbow paraphernalia, and the Internet was not an option for buying your freak flag.

One afternoon in the late 1990s I stopped into a bookstore on Camelback Road, just west of Central. I had been in bookstores before, but never one like this. I probably hung out in Obelisk for at least an hour that day; I think I bought a magazine before I left, only because I felt it would be rude to spend all that time there and just leave. The time I spent, however, was to marvel at the notion that there is actually a bookstore dedicated to LGBT literature. Also, there were cute guys coming and going and I was just learning how to “cruise.” Obelisk The Bookstore was part of a community of LGBT retail spaces that used to exist in Phoenix. Around the 56

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

“It was the social network of the community,” Babe told me, followed by “The stories I could tell.” She’s been witness to a lot over the years, and not just meet-ups, hook-ups and break-ups. “These were truly places where people could just be.” Having touched the lives of so many, whether by suggesting a book someone might like or by counseling them during crisis, Babe joked that she “knows everyone’s secrets.” Of course, she never reveals any, which is what has made her so trusted by everyone who has had the pleasure to know her. I guess you could say Babe is the ultimate people person. Having grown up in southeast Georgia she is certainly no stranger to being labeled “other.” It’s

what shaped her to become the nurturing, caring person who never judges and has everyone’s best interest in mind. “(Growing up in the South) tempered me in terms of what I experienced as a young child. I wanted to make sure I didn’t leave anyone out.” Over the years Babe has comfortably moved between sub-groups, walking the line between the drama and conflict that has and still affects our community. She continues to be an advocate for equality and against injustice for all groups — youth, people of color, trans individuals. But she has refused to be labeled, unless she is the one doing the labeling. (Literally. Her newest tattoo on her left arm says “Badass Lesbian.”) Babe and I lamented the loss of these retail spaces that served such a vital role in the community, but she is still providing that retail therapy. These days she can be found behind the counter at Off Chute. “I work in a retail store that specializes in adult relationship enhancement products,” she said, adding that she sells a lot of lube. She is also still working with youth and has taken up a role with the Anti-Defamation League, traveling to schools with the organization’s “A World of Difference” and “No Place For Hate” programs. But she’ll always have fond memories of working in gay retail. “I love seeing how many of the young people have grown, have partners and families, careers … It makes me proud to know that hopefully I’ve made a difference in this mean old world.” Buddy Early grew up in Tempe and has been involved in various communities across the Valley since. He is a former managing editor of both Echo Magazine and Compete Magazine. COMMUNITY

M e M o r i a l D ay W e e k e n D

FriDay, May 24 9PM–Close

Stacy’S

year anniversary

saTurDay, May 25 Opulence Drag ShOw 8PM–10PM DJ KirK cummingS 10PM–Close Dance your tush Off

sunDay, May 26 Stacy’S memOrial Day FOllieS 7PM–9PM FleSh male DancerS 10:30PM–12:30aM MonDay, May 27 memOrial Day

Remember Our Service Members

Stacy’S BirthDay

as Usual He’s turning 69 again (minus 1 this time) 4343 North 7th Avenue Phoenix facebook.com/stacysatmelrose

602-361-6560

602-264-1700

HAIR STUDIOS 58 58

MARCH 2018 2018 || EchoMag.com EchoMag.com MARCH

Melissa Bailey REALTOR

Â®

sers,

Cell 602-318-9986 Email melissa.bailey@exprealty.com

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

LOCAL BUSNESSES BUSNESSES LOCAL

Tax Mess? Call Price.

• Filing of delinquent business and personal tax returns. • Levy and Garnishment Removal. • Penalty and Interest Reduction. • Installment Agreement Negotiation. • Offer in Compromise preparation and submission.

smpcpa7@gmail.com | www.smpricecpa.com

Power Up Right,Switch On With Us! We Are A Knowledgeable, Honest, Reliable, Licensed Contractor With Great Pricing We Do: Energy Efficient Lighting Ceiling Fans/Chandeliers Receptacles & Switches Breakers & Panel Upgrades AND MUCH MORE!

Tilton

ROC#255084 C-11

Electric ROC#255085 R-11

???????????

Established 2004

602-695-1739

We want to go home with you! Be a ray of Hope . Be a voice for a child in foster care. Be a CASA volunteer.

Learn more. VoicesforCASAChildren.org LOCAL BUSNESSES

Nello A Rossi MD 2 0 1 E a s t M o n t e r e y Wa y Phoenix AZ 85012 w w w. W i l l o M e d i S p a . c o m (602) 296-4477

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

BOTOX ® COSMETIC JUVÉDERM ® XC JUVÉDERM ® XC JUVÉDERM VOLUMA ® XC JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA ® XC JUVÉDERM VOLLURE ® XC SKINMEDICA ® KYBELLA ® LATISSE ® RADIESSE ® (+) SERMORELIN TESTOSTERONE THERAPY FACIAL LIPOATROPHY

EchoMag.com | FEBRUARY 2018 Pick us up at one of our 500 locations!

Find out where at echomag.com/ pick-us-up.

Complimentary Consultation EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

PHOENIX BARS

Phoenix Bar Guide

18 19

7 6

21 22 45 24 25 17 18

16 9 10

14 15 25

20 21 15

5th

32nd St. St. 32nd

Bethany Home

24 23 2 19 3 20

e. Av

5 6

1 13 22 14

11 12 43

16 17

12 13

11 10 *MAP IS NOT *Map is notTO drawn DRAWN SCALEto scale

60 92

JUNE FEBRUARY 20192017 2018 | EchoMag.com EchoMag.com OCTOBER | |EchoMag.com

LOCAL BUSNESSES

111

ANVIL ANVIL

2424 E. E. Thomas Thomas Road Road 2424

602-334-1462 602-334-1462

M, D, D, L L M,

3 2

BAR 1 NIGHT CLUB AQUA

3702 E. N.McDowell Sixteenth Road St. 1730

602-266-9001 602-253-0682

M,N, E,E, ND F,

3 4

BAR 1 eBAR BLISS/R

3702 16th St. 901 N.N.Fourth St.

602-266-9001 602-795-1792

M, MF,N,N,ER

4 5

BLISS REBAR BOYCOTT BAR

901 St. Ave. 4301N.N.Fourth Seventh

602-795-1792 602-515-3667

M, MF,N,D,EE

5 65

BOYCOTT BAR BS WEST

4301 N. Seventh Ave. 7125 E. Fifth Ave., Scottsdale

602-515-3667 480-945-9028

MF, D, E MF, D, E

6 76

BS WEST BUNKHOUSE

7125 E. Fifth Ave. 4428 N. Seventh Ave.

480-945-9028 602-200-9154

MF, D, E M, L, N

7 87

BUNKHOUSE CARAVAN TAP ROOM

4428 N. Seventh Ave. 4835 N. Fifteenth Ave.

602-200-9154 602-592-9386

M, N, L MF, E, N

8 98 9 11 9

CHARLIE’S CHARLIE’S

727 W. Camelback Road 727 W. Camelback Road

602-265-0224 602-265-0224

M, C, E, D M, E, D

CLUB VOLT CRUISIN’ 7TH

3108 E. McDowell Road 3702 N. Seventh St.

602-244-1465 602-212-9888

MF, D, E M, E, N

10 10

CRUISIN’ 7TH

3702 N. Seventh St.

602-212-9888

M, E

2 10 11 11

DICK’S CABARET DICK’S CABARET

3432 E. Illini St. 3432 E. Illini St.

602-274-3425 602-274-3425

M M, G

11 13 12 12

FEZ FEZ

105 W. Portland St. 105 W. Portland St.

602-287-8700 602-287-8700

MF, R R

12 14 13 13

FLEX SPAS PHOENIX FLEX SPAS PHOENIX

1517 S. Black Canyon Highway 1517 S. Black Canyon Hwy

602-271-9011 602-271-9011

M, A M, AO

15 13 14 14

KARAMBA NIGHTCLUB KARAMBA NIGHTCLUB

1724 E. McDowell Road 1724 E. McDowell Road

602-254-0231 602-254-0231

D, E D, E

14 16 15 15

KOBALT KOBALT

3110 N. Central Central Ave., Ave., Ste. Ste. 125 175 3110 N.

602-264-5307 602-264-5307

MF, MF, E, E, N N

17 15 16 16

LOS LOS DIABLOS DIABLOS

1028 E. Indian Indian School School Road Road 1028 E.

602-795-7881 602-795-7881

MF, R MF, N, R, N

17 16 17 18

TOWNE SALOON SALOON NU TOWNE

5002 E. Van Buren St.

602-267-9959

M, N, L L, N

18 18 17 19

OFF CHUTE TOO TOO OFF CHUTE

4115 4115 N. N. Seventh Seventh Ave Ave.

602-274-1429 602-274-1429

M, MF,AA

19 19 20 18

OZ BAR OZ BAR

1804 Bethany Home 1804 W. W. Bethany Home Road Road

602-242-5114 602-242-5114

MF, N N MF,

20 20 21 19

PLAZMA PLAZMA

1560 E. Osborn Road 1560 E. Osborn Road

602-266-0477 602-266-0477

MF, N, E MF, E, N

21 21 22 20

ROYAL VILLA INN ROYAL VILLA INN

4312 N. 12th St. 4312 N. Twelfth St.

602-266-6883 602-266-6883

M, AO M, A

22 23 23 21

STACY’S @ MELROSE STACY’S @ MELROSE

4343 N. Seventh Ave. 4343 N. Seventh Ave.

602-264-1700 602-264-1700

MF, D, N MF, D, N

23 24 24 22

THE CASH NIGHTCLUB & LOUNGE THE CASH NIGHTCLUB AND LOUNGE

2140 E. McDowell Road 1730 E McDowell Road

602-244-9943 (602) 244-9943

F, C, D F, D, N

25 24

THE CHUTE

1440 E. Indian School Road

602-234-1654

M, AO

25 23 26 25

THE CHUTE THE ROCK

1440 E. Indian School Road 4129 N. Seventh Ave.

602-234-1654 602-248-8559

M, A M, N, E

27 24

THE ROCK

4129 N. Seventh Ave.

602-248-8559

MF, E, N

MAP CODES: 25 2601 ON CENTRAL 28 A Adult Retail & Entertainment M Mostly Males F Mostly Females MAP CODES: MF Mixed Male/Female M Mostly Males F Mostly Females MF Mixed Male/Female

LOCAL BUSNESSES

2601 N. Central Ave. N Neighborhood Bar R Full Restaurant D Dance Club C Country Dancing A Adult Retail & Accomodations D Dance Club E Entertainment (Karaoke, Drag)

602-466-2074 MF, E, R L Leather/Bears E Entertainment (Karaoke, Drag) G Go-Go Dancers AO Accommodations/Other L Leather/Bears N Neighborhood Bar R Restaurant

EchoMag.com | JUNE 2018 2019 EchoMag.com | | FEBRUARY EchoMag.com OCTOBER 2015

61 93

BAR SPECIALS

Phurfest

April 26-29 at Embassy Suites Airport, Phoenix. Photos by Gregg Edelman.

BUNKHOUSE S HH and $1 Drafts all day. Indian Fry Bread with Joe Jackson 12-9pm, Live Jazz with Kenny Thames 7:30-10 M 2-4-1 8am-2pm, HH 2-8pm, Pool tournament 9pm T 2-4-1 8am-2pm, HH 2-8pm W 2-4-1 8am-2pm, HH 2-8pm, Karaoke 9pm-close T 2-4-1 8am-2pm, HH 2-8pm, Underwear/ Gear night $1 off drinks if in gear or underwear 8-close, WMW dancers 10-12 F 2-4-1 8am-2pm, HH 2-8pm $2.50 Miller 8-close S 2-4-1 8am-2pm, HH 2-8pm, $2.50 Bud 8-close

CHARLIE’S S Super HH 4-7 p.m., $3 pitchers; $3 Long Islands open-close M 2-8 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 8 p.m.-close, 1/2 off drinks for wearing underwear, $3 Jack Daniels T 2-8 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 2-4-1 cocktails & beer 8 p.m.- close W 2-8 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; $3 Three Olives vodka, 8 p.m.-close T 2-8 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestic bottles, $3 pitchers; 2-4-1 drinks open-close F 2-7 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestics, $3 pitchers; HH 7-9 p.m.; $1 well & domestics, $1 drafts 10 p.m.- midnight S Noon-7 p.m. 2-4-1 well & domestics; HH 7-9 p.m.; $1 well & domestics, $3 Absolut & Bacardi 10 p.m.-midnight

STACY’S @ MELROSE S $1.50 Rolling Rock & Wells, open-7 p.m.; Showtime 7-10 p.m.; $1 Rolling Rock & Wells; $2.50 Bud Light; $3 Fireball shots 7 p.m.-Close; Happy Hours 10 p.m.-сlose M Happy Hours; $2.50 Rolling Rock ALL DAY T Happy Hours; $5 Martinis & $2.50 Rolling Rock ALL DAY W 2-4-1 all day*; *no shots T Happy Hours 4-8 p.m.; $1.50 Rolling Rock & Wells 8 p.m.-midnight F Happy Hours 4-8 p.m.; $2.50 Rolling Rock all day; $2.50 Bud Light, $4.50 Pinnacle vodka & Fireball 8 p.m.-close S Happy Hours 4-8 p.m.; $2.50 Rolling Rock all day; $2.50 Bud Light, $4.50 Pinnacle vodka & Fireball 8 p.m.-close 62

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos Out & About

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

Afeelya Bunzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thank You Phoenix Show April 20 at Kobalt, Phoenix. Photos by Bill Gemmill.

For more Echo photos visit echomag.com/2019-photos.

64 XX

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Out & About

EchoMag.com

JUNE 2019

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY Please support our advertisers who help keep Echo free

ACCOUNTANTS/ TAX PREPARATION

Flagstaff Pride

Bradley B. Brauer, HomeSmart

Pussy Le Hoot Comedy Show

David Oesterle, ReMax

Fred Delgado Team, Keller Williams

Matthew Hoedt, Realty One

Robert F. Hockensmith, CPA, PC

Musical Instrument Museum

Steve Price, CPA

Phoenix Mercury

ADULT ENTERTAINMENT / RETAIL Flex Spas Phoenix

The Chute

Project Red

Rent at ASU Gammage

Melissa Bailey, eXp Realty

Nicholas Yale, Brokers Hub Realty

FAMILY SERVICES Voices for Casa Children

Melinda Murphy, Lifestyle Partners

Shawn Hertzog, West USA Team Colato, Re/Max Professionals

APARTMENTS Broadstone Osborn

FINANCIAL SERVICES

East and West Apartments

JW Advisors Inc.

Tricia Amato, HomeSmart

Bridgewater Assisted Living

Exposed Studio & Gallery

of course it’s ORANGE

Jackson White-Attorneys At Law

Phillips Law Group

AUTO DEALERS Inﬁ niti on Camelback

AUTO SERVICES

Community Church of Hope

HOME SERVICES AZ Perfect Comfort

Rainbow Bug

Tilton Electric

Valdez Refrigeration

BARS & CLUBS

Hospice of the Valley

Bunkhouse

Charlie’s Phoenix

Stacy’s @ Melrose

Beneﬁ ts Arizona Edward Vasquez, Allstate

47 3

MARKETING GPGLCC

Smirnoff

Denny’s

Hula’s Modern Tiki

Whyld Ass Restaurant

RETAIL

SALONS 58

TITLE AGENCIES DHI Title Agency of Arizona Inc.

RETIREMENT PLANNING

Salon 24

57, 60, 61

BEVERAGES

China Chili

Calvin Goetz, Strategy Financial Group

INSURANCE

RESTAURANTS

Off Chute Too

HOSPICE

Community Tire Pros & Auto Repair

RELIGIOUS GROUPS GALLERIES

ATTORNEYS

3 55

ASSISTED LIVING 53

MORTGAGES DENTISTS

WELLNESS

Jeremy Schachter, Fairway

Encanto Family Dental Care

My Dentist

Open Wide Dental

EDUCATION

Independent Mortgage Corp.

PHARMACIES

EVENTS 65

CDC

17 58

HIV Hooray

Kneads Therapy

REALTORS

Ripple PHX

Arizona Gay Realtors Alliance

Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS

Terros - Turning the Tide

Willo Medi Spa

Fairmont Pharmacy

Berney Streed, Re/Max Excalibur

Bisbee Pride

FitPro, LLC-Tia Norris

CVS specialty Pharmacy Maricopa County Community College District

Anytime Fitness

Bobbi Ryals, HomeSmart

3 58 3

To find out more about advertising in Echo, call 602-266-0550 66

JUNE 2019

EchoMag.com

Photos: Amy Guip

MAY 28-JUNE 2 ASU GAMMAGEÂ¥ASUGAMMAGE.COM -

800.982.ARTS (2787) GROUPS OF 15-: 480.965.6678

INFINITIonCAMELBACK.com

INFINITI CAMELBACK ON

1250 East Camelback Road Phoenix, AZ 85014 480-428-4619

LEASE ANY OF THESE THREE INFINITI VEHICLES WITH ONLY $3,499 DUE AT SIGNING 2019 INFINITI

2019 INFINITI

2018 INFINITI

3.0 LUXE

LUXE

Q50

QX50

VIN KM514953, KM514023

299

VIN KF133716

399

QX30

VIN KA007644, KA010461

359

39 month lease. Plus tax, title, license and dealer-added accessories. On approved credit. 10,000 miles per year. An extra charge may be imposed at lease end. $0 security deposit. Exp. 9/30/19.

INCLUDES 2-YEARS COMPLIMENTARY MAINTENANCE And Concierge Pick Up and Drop Off service for both sales and service