OUTvoices Phoenix June Issue

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June Issue

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

I recently had an experience that made me realize why there is a need for OUTvoices to be in communities that are outside the usual major markets like New York, Los Angeles and South Florida. It all started when I attended an LGBTQ+ travel summit in Orlando FL. The Connect THRIVE Summit brings many travel professionals, businesses, and organizations together to connect and to do business together.

It was during this summit that I had the unexpected joy of meeting this fiery personality from Cedar Rapids Tourism representing the small midwestern city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Her name is Julie Stow. She invited me to meet and learn more about her city and how welcoming it was to the LGBTQ+ community.

I was skeptical at first because, to be honest, what LGBTQ+ person has ever thought about going to Cedar Rapids, Iowa? Be that as it may, I eventually agreed to meet with her for coffee on the last day of the summit. As I sipped on my tall, non-fat, light whip, extra hot, hazelnut mocha from Starbucks, I listened to what she had to say.

She went on to explain how I should come to Cedar Rapids and see for myself what she was so eloquently describing. Hesitant to commit to going to a place that quite frankly was not on my radar, and wary of wasting my time, I resisted her invitation at first, but she was emphatic and persistent. After listening to her passionate and heartfelt narrative about Cedar Rapids and its authentic desire to reach out to the LGBTQ+ traveler, I decided “What the hell, I’ll go.”

I told Julie that I would come to Cedar Rapids, but under certain conditions. I wanted them to sponsor the filming of an episode of the Gaycation Travel Show with host Ravi Roth, and participate in the filming of the pilot of a new cooking show we were developing featuring LGBTQ+ chef Joe Morales called Joe Eats World.

I told her that I would bring both shows, the production team, and lots of media attention to her city and she would then have a chance to show our readers and audience just what was so special about Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

I was not expecting to hear back from her after that, but I did! She got everything in place and funded us to come film our TV shows.I In the interim, a friend of mine, Zach Moses, the CEO of HE Travel, let me know that he was coming to Illinois.

We made plans to get together and I drove out to meet him on a cold and snowy Saturday, dressed in jeans, flannel shirt, puffy vest and camouflage

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baseball cap. When I arrived at the restaurant in small-town Illinois I was surprised to see many of the patrons dressed just like I was.

I spied Zach sitting in a corner booth, and he waved me over. We chatted and ordered some cocktails before lunch and spoke about how LGBTQ+ people in these smaller towns and cities really didn’t have the luxury that some of the bigger cities had regarding visibility and support. Many had no gay bars, Pride organizations or community centers for them to feel connected to others in the LGBTQ+ community.

Zach pointed out that for LGBTQ+ people in these small towns and cities it is important for them to read about how they can survive and thrive where they are.

This made me realize why it was so important to grab the outstretched hand of those that are making a real effort to welcome LGBTQ+ travelers, businesses, conferences and more to their cities and towns. This is where real change needs to be made, not in the big cities where we already enjoy many of the rights we seek, but in places that could benefit from diversity and its positive socio-economic impact on their community.

Never was this truer than with Cedar Rapids.

We arrived with some fanfare on a Monday after driving our vintage RV “Bruce” from Chicago. Bruce is a 1981 Bluebird Wanderlodge and I blew the enormous air horns as we made our arrival known to the Hotel and everyone within a 5-mile radius.

Julie was there to greet us along with the GM of the Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Jackie Bohr. We filmed and toured the city over the next week and were amazed at how welcoming the whole community was. I was and still am in awe of the authentic and genuine love and support for our community from a place I never would have believed. The experience changed me.

It became clear to all of us that it is vital that OUTvoices serve local communities and also offer support and a connection to those who may feel isolated or alone. It has to be our mission to demonstrate that the LGBTQ+ community is not only in the big cities, but part of the fabric of this country from coast to coast and everywhere in between.

I look forward to a day that LGBTQ+ people who live anywhere in the country feel as safe and welcomed as we were in Cedar Rapids, Iowa!

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LIVE ON STAGE!

A story and performance celebrating Freddie Mercury’s life and music.

Starring international opera singer and Grammy-nominee Terry Barber

ONE SHOW ONLY! Friday, June 11, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.

Sedona Performing Arts Center • Sedona, Arizona Tickets: $45 General Admission • $40 Film Festival Members

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WE WILL ROCK YOU!

Mercury’s story is told by all five cast members as they help the audience get to know the rock legend.

Featuring a stunning cast of vocalists and musicians who have performed with Barry Manilow and the Oak Ridge Boys and on Broadway and stages around the world!

Sponsored and Presented by The Sedona International Film Festival and Unify Sedona: A Rainbow Coalition 6

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Contents 13236 N 7th Street, Suite 4 #563, Phoenix, AZ 85022 Phone 602-266-0550 phoenix.outvoices.us STAFF

Publisher: DJ Doran CEO/Publisher, Aequalitas Media Bill Gemmill, VP Operations Founder and Publisher Emeritus: Bill Orovan Group Editor: Merryn Johns merryn@outvoices.us Sales & Marketing: Kris Radtke kris@outvoices.us Design, Layout and Production: Saul Santos fsdemianhades3@gmail.com Accounting and IT: Joe Morales

CONTRIBUTORS

Writers: Merryn Johns, Joe Morales, Michelle Talsma Everson, Velvet Wahl

04 Publisher’s Letter

Welcome to OUTvoices Phoenix, formerly Echo Magazine. We look forward to supplying you with all that is fresh and fabulous about LGBTQ+ life in Arizona and beyond.

Photographers: Randal T. Cox, Bill Gemmill, Devin Millington Cover: Brittney Griner by Devin Millington National Advertising Representative: Aequalitas Media 3023 N Clark St #732, Chicago IL 60657 312-600-8823

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OPPORTUNITIES

OUTvoices Phoenix welcomes volunteer writers, photographers and videographers throughout the year. If you’re interested in contributing to our publication, send an email to merryn@outvoices.us with a resume, contact information and samples of your work if available. Our volunteer staff is unpaid, but contributors do receive credit for their work in our print publication and online. Those seeking an internship in journalism or mass communications are strongly encouraged to apply.

LEGAL

OUTvoices Phoenix strives to be a credible community news organization by engaging and educating our readers. All content of OUTvoices Phoenix is copyrighted 2017 by OUTvoices Phoenix, Inc. and is protected by federal copyright law and shall not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. All photography is licensed stock imagery or has been supplied unless otherwise credited to a photographer and may not be reproduced without permission. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representations does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of the person or persons. OUTvoices Phoenix accepts unsolicited material but cannot take responsibility for its return. The editor reserves the right to accept, reject or edit submissions. All rights revert to authors upon publication. The editorial positions of OUTvoices Phoenix are expressed in editorials and in the editor’s notes as determined by the editor. Other opinions are those of writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of OUTvoices Phoenix or its staff. Letters to the editor are encouraged but may be edited for clarity and length. There is no guarantee that letters will be published. OUTvoices Phoenix only accepts adult advertising within set guidelines and on a case-by-case basis.

News In Brief

A roundup of monthly local events and community news.

16 Cover Story

Pride season is around the corner and sports teams are holding Pride Nights as outreach to our community at a crucial time.

22 Photography

A photographer shares her powerful portrait series against slurs.

26

Food

Heat up the grill, it’s BBQ season with Joe Morales.

28 Travel

Let Ravi Roth take you around the world.

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Out & About

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Lifestyle

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Photo credit: Mike Fornelli

News in Brief

LGBTQ

Non-discrimination

By Velvet Wahl After challenging the nondiscrimination ordinance that would include protections for the LGBTQ community in the City of Mesa, the United for Mesa committee has conceded that they do not have the required number of valid signatures to overturn the ordinance.

This ruling comes as a win for Mesa Loves Everyone, who contested the ordinance overturn. The ordinance originally passed on March 1, with a 5-2 vote and support from Mesa’s mayor.

In an open letter to Arizona residents, numerous community leaders supported

the nondiscrimination ordinance, including Senator Kyrsten Sinema and leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Once it goes fully into effect, the nondiscrimination ordinance will protect everyone who lives, works and visits Mesa from “discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations,” according to a statement from the Mesa Loves Everyone group. Seven other Arizona cities have nondiscrimination ordinances that protect the LGBTQ community, including Tucson and, most recently, Scottsdale.

Phoenix Pride

Photo: Airi Katsuta Photo Credit: Airi Katsuta

Phoenix Pride is partnering with several members of the community to bring Pride events to Phoenix throughout the month of June. The 40th Phoenix Pride festival is set for November 6-7, after four postponements due to the pandemic.

In the meantime, Wonderspaces at Scottsdale Fashion Square is holding an interactive art exhibit titled “Rainbow Rooms.” The exhibit “reflects the artist’s experience growing up as a gay man in conservative South Africa” and was created by Pierre le Riche, a gay artist from Cape Town, the Wonderspaces website says.

Scottsdale Fashion Square will also be displaying a community art piece created during the 2019 Phoenix Pride Festival. The art piece is a “unity canvas” that shows different colored handprints surrounding the word unity. The mall will also be reaching out to their businesses to create window displays in honor of Pride month.

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News in Brief For sports fans, there will be pride events on June 5 for Phoenix Rising and June 11 for the Diamondbacks. Level 1 Arcade Bar in Gilbert will also be hosting a small pride event with Phoenix Pride on June 18.

Phoenix Pride hopes to display a rainbow flag in the atrium of Phoenix City Hall as well as on the building exterior. More events will be announced throughout the month of June

Diné Pride is a different experience from other pride events for many reasons, Nelson said, including not being corporately sponsored and decolonizing how pride works.

“Diné Pride is here to be a symbol of hope for everyone about how Navajo people, since time immemorial, have always honored the equality among our people. We've always recognized same-sex marriages, same-sex unions. We were always here at the forefront honoring LGBTQ relatives as sacred beings,” Nelson said. “That's the message you will always receive if you're attending one of our events.”

Pride week will begin on June 16 with a virtual opening ceremony with speeches from this year's two Diné Pride champions; former Senator Jack Jackson Jr. and U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, one of the first Native American women to be elected to congress.

Four people will be recognized with a leadership award and this year’s Diné Pride scholars, who will each win a $1,000 scholarship for college, will also be introduced.

PHOTO CREDIT: doi.gov

On the 17, there will be an Indigenous LGBTQIA+ women’s summit where attendees will hear from lesbian and non-binary indigenous women. A transgender women’s leadership panel will be held on the 18 and will close off the virtual events. Every night will include a virtual drag show after the events.

“We're going to host the first ever Pride parade on an Indigenous nation. It will take place in Window Rock, Arizona, which is the capital of our tribe,” Nelson said about the events taking place on June 19. “Following the parade is going to be our first in-person event where we're going to be hosting in front of the Navajo Nation council chamber.”

There will be a drag show and attendees will have a chance to meet the champions and scholars in person. Diné Pride does several events throughout the year that can be found at navajonationpride.com.

Flagstaff Pride The Pride in the Pines Festival in Flagstaff will be postponed until June 2022. Meanwhile, a smaller event to celebrate 25 years of Flagstaff pride will be held this year on June 19 at the Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff.

Diné Pride The largest Indigenous Pride event, Diné Pride, will be held in Arizona during the third week of June from the 14-19. This will be the fourth year the Navajo Nation has held the event and this year it will be celebrated during the official Pride week set by the Navajo Nation government last year.

The event will focus on “honoring all Indigenous Womxn” this year, according to the Navajo Nation Pride website.

“To put it short, the theme is the sacred resilience of Indigenous women. We felt that it was important that we share the narrative, the story, the experiences and accomplishments of our matriarchs all across the United States that identify as indigenous and LGBTQ,” Navajo Nation Pride executive director Alray Nelson said.

The event will begin virtually and the last day will be held in-person following COVID-19 guidelines set by the nation.

Everything will be streamed live on all Diné Pride’s platforms for those who don’t feel comfortable attending in person.

Two drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Coco Montrese and Derrick Barry, and local queens will perform alongside Grammy Award nominated DJ, Chris Cox. Seating will be limited to 250 people and attendees will be expected to follow masking and CDC guidelines.

For those who don’t feel comfortable attending in person, virtual tickets can be bought to access the Orpheum Theater livestream.

Tickets can be purchased at orpheumflagstaff.com.

Civano Coffee House and Nightclub (civano.com) will also be streaming the event live, with their own drag queens hosting. Civano attendees will have the chance to meet some of the performers after the event ends.

Next year, the Northern Arizona Pride Association hopes to have a huge pride celebration to make up for missed opportunities during the pandemic.

“We're just looking forward to getting back to some sort of normalcy where we can have entertainment in the field, we can bring our exhibitors and vendors, and our friends and our family back to be social and to celebrate pride in the way it's supposed to be celebrated,” board president Debra Taylor said about next year’s event.

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Cover Story

Photo: Devin Millington

A STEP

16

IN THE

RIGHT DIRECTION

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Cover Story

By Velvet Wahl Pride nights have become widely hosted as sports teams work towards making LGBTQ players and fans feel welcome. Most major sports teams in Arizona have had, or plan to have, Pride Nights to show their support for the community.

Can Pride Nights fix Arizona's problem of homophobia in sports?

The Phoenix Suns basketball team had a Pride Night in May and the Arizona Coyotes hockey team had theirs in April. Both teams had Pride-themed merchandise and the Coyotes wrapped their sticks with rainbow tape during warmup. The hockey team even had members of the Phoenix Gay Men’s Chorus sing the National Anthem.

"This is really about us opening our hearts as an organization and saying, 'Look, this is an initiative we want to support forever, and we want to do it well,'" Coyote’s player Lyndsey Fry told Coyote News.

"We're not going to do everything perfectly on 'Night One,' but this is a step in the right direction."

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The Suns were the first NBA team to sign ONE Community’s UNITY pledge back in 2016, and the Coyotes signed the pledge last September. The pledge aims to “advance workplace equality and equal treatment in housing and public accommodations for [LGBTQ] individuals and their allies,” according to ONE Community’s website.

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The Diamondbacks have a Pride Night on June 11 at Chase Field, a dedicated microsite (dbacks.com/pride), and trans-inclusive merch.

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Despite these efforts to support the community, many LGBTQ people still feel scared to come out to their families and peers, and this fear can be heightened in competitive sport environments.

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Cover Story A study published in 2015 titled “Out on the Fields” found that 70% of all American participants said that they believe homophobia is more common in American sports than anywhere else. A little over half said they believe that LGB people are only accepted a little in sports culture, if at all.

The study, commissioned by Bingham Cup 2014, Sydney Convicts, and Sport Australia, surveyed almost 9,500 people; 2,064 of those were Americans. Athletes often agree that it can be harder to come out in sports, and the fear of retaliation stops a lot of players.

“I've had a couple of gay men in my life who didn't come out until after their youth hockey career was over because they didn't feel safe to talk about it in the locker room,” Fry, who is openly lesbian, told Coyote News. “You think about some of the words that get thrown around in youth hockey locker rooms. Imagine how a gay teammate might have felt, or who may have decided to quit because they didn't feel like they could be who they were without being bullied or rejected."

The use of homophobic slurs continues to be used in competitive sport environments, even if it’s not connected exclusively to homophobia. “Out on the Fields” found that 89% of gay men and 82% of lesbians reported experiencing harrasment through slurs.

Arizona sports teams are not innocent when it comes to issues of harassment by teams and fans.

Just last year, Arizona soccer team Phoenix Rising had issues with a player using a derogatory name towards one of San Diego Loyal’s openly gay players during a USL Championship game. Rising’s head coach, Rick Schantz, dismissed the issue and caused Loyal to walk off the field in retaliation, forfeiting both the match and their chance of making the playoffs.

Photo: Devin Millington

Both the Rising player, who denied using the slur, and Schantz were put on leave. Afterwards, Schantz apologized and told the website OutSports that the incident opened his eyes. Schantz was later reinstated.

The incident seemed to have opened the eyes of Phoenix Rising as a whole. They increased their outreach with the LGBTQ community and have added pre-season trainings on inclusion and allyship.

They even had the Phoenix Gay Flag Football League play their championship match following their opening home game this year.

“What transpired and took place last year in San Diego was not reflective of the core values and who we are as an organization, and we use that moment. We're a better organization today than we were last year or even yesterday,” Phoenix Rising General Manager Bobby Dulle said.

This year, Rising signed ONE Community’s unity pledge alongside San Diego Loyal at their first match of the season. They will have a pride night on June 5 where the first 2,500 fans who arrive will receive a pride themed armband and have the chance to obtain a pride themed shirt and scarf.

“We certainly understand that things were done and communities were hurt, one action or one game is not enough,” Dulle said. “We need to continue to learn, to educate, to be an ally to support and include everyone.”

He said that the team has embraced the training and outreach, and wants to be role models for youth in sports.

“If we can be examples for even one kid to come out and have a better experience and have the weight of the world lifted off his or her shoulders, that means that we're making some positive strides,” he said.

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Cover Story Women’s basketball team Phoenix Mercury, who will be having a Pride night on June 11, has also dealt with social media backlash over their LGBTQ players.

Photo: Bill Gemmill

Center player Brittney Griner, who just returned from playing in Russia, faced criticism on social media after posting a TikTok video welcoming fans back to the season. Comments ranged from criticizing her voice to calling her a man. The team condemned the comments, calling them vile on Twitter.

“That’s why our athletes continue their work as activists and to bring visibility to marginalized groups. The work continues. We won’t be bullied, intimidated or deterred,” the tweet read.

As sports teams work on making connections with the LGBTQ community and navigate through fan reactions, LGBTQ organizations in Arizona are happy to partner with and educate them. Executive Director of Phoenix Pride, Mike Fornelli, said that more companies and corporate sponsors have reached out to Phoenix Pride for diversity and inclusion training.

However, some of Phoenix Rising’s fans have not been as receptive.

After announcing their opening night with San Diego on Twitter, Phoenix Rising went viral for responding to a tweet that has since been deleted asking “When is straight pride night?”

Their response: “We’ll let you know when we have a**hole night and we can honor you at halftime.”

“For people that aren't on board with it, we're okay that, if they feel so different, that they don't want to support us,” Dulle said. “These are core values for us, that we want to be inclusive, that we want to make sure that everyone, whether it's front office employees, whether it's players or fans, that they feel comfortable, and they feel included.”

“We don't want to have people that are just sponsoring Pride to monopolize on it. We truly want them to be diverse and inclusive and we have those conversations before we even agree to any kind of sponsorship and offer those trainings to them,” Fornelli said.

He believes that incorporating Pride nights into the sports season is a great way to raise awareness.

“I think that every sports team, whether they know it or not, or whether the players are out or not, have LGBTQ members either on their staff or on their teams,” he said. “Major league sports has always been kind of that weird genre and the fact that they're embracing it and wanting to show that they are diverse and inclusive, I think is really great for our community.”

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Lifestyle

By Michelle Talsma Everson

“No other physical activity had ever made me feel so good,” Thompson says. “I looked forward to my next yoga class as soon as one ended.”

Fast-forward to today, and Thompson practices yoga daily and teaches it, too. She is a registered yoga teacher with 400 hours of training and writes about different yoga-related topics (in addition to health and wellness articles) for YogiApproved. com. Yoga, for her, has become much more than an exercise routine—it has helped her to lead a healthier lifestyle mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

“It wasn’t until I found yoga that I began to develop a healthy relationship with my body and discovered happiness within myself,” she shares.

“The connection to the breath, the yoga poses, the self-discovery, and wise ancient philosophies provided me with body affirming experiences and deep personal growth… The practice of yoga and its teachings of self-compassion, acceptance, presence, and patience offer a path to transforming negative beliefs about ourselves.”

YOGA,

KINK, AND

BO D Y PO

SITIVITY

Thompson adds that, even though she lost 100 pounds and had gastric bypass surgery, it wasn’t until she began to practice yoga that she felt comfortable in her own skin.

“Yoga has helped me to manage my anxiety and depression, grow mentally and physically stronger, become more confident, get to know myself, and develop a muchneeded connection to myself. I would not be the person that I am today if I had not found yoga.”

Yoga and Body Positivity To Thompson, yoga is meant to be a practice for bodies of any shape, and is all about feeling good in the skin you’re in.

Here are some body positively perks she says can manifest from practicing yoga: • Yoga helps you tap in to your physical strength • It helps you see the importance of the moment • Yoga invites you to observe, rather than judge • It helps you to focus on possibilities rather than limitations • Yoga helps you develop appreciation for your body through movement

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[Photo Credit: Randal T. Cox

In December 2012, Elisha Thompson fell in love. Not with a partner—although her and partner Chris Deaton have been together for 14 years and are still going strong—but with practicing yoga.

[Photo Credit: Randal T. Cox

Lifestyle

Yoga for Kink Thompson, who identifies as bisexual, is also a part of the polyamorous, kink and BDSM communities. She shares that, when she would attend kink or BDSM classes and conferences, she would notice the similarities between yoga poses and the flexibility needed for rope, bondage and kink play and activities.

An academic and natural researcher, she spent over a year researching what yoga poses help with certain types of kink play and began to write down her findings in her first book: Yoga for Kink.

“Yoga for Kink is an instructional yoga book. It is broken into three sections: upper body bondage, lower body bondage, and full body bondage,” she explains. “Within each section, there are photos of models tied into various bondage positions. Following that, I provide a list of yoga poses that will help prepare the body to get into those bondage positions — or positions similar to it, along with step by step instructions on getting into the yoga pose. There are photos of each yoga pose, including modifications for bodies that are not yet able to get into the full pose.”

As someone who has experienced her own body image issues, Thompson took special care to make sure that the book features models of different genders, ethnicities, and body types so that anyone who reads it feels welcome and knows that yoga is meant to be accessible for all bodies, she shares.

“While it could seem like it at first glance, Yoga for Kink is not only 3.5” x 2”

for those getting put or tied into a bondage position,” she adds.

“This book is also for those who are doing the tying, flogging, or paddling. All forms of kink play can benefit from yoga.”

The book is a homegrown labor of love as well as it features work from local artist Nadia Vanilla, photographer Randal T. Cox, and the models for all of the poses are locals—made up of friends from the various communities that Thompson calls home (kink, polyamory, LGBTQ+, BDSM, and, of course, yoga).

“Yoga and bondage are accessible to all bodies,” Thompson shares.

“Each of us just has to take the time to figure out how to make it work for us. Yoga for Kink can help with that.”

To help make her book a reality, Thompson and Deaton have launched an Indiegogo campaign to cover printing costs and offer perks to their earliest supporters. To support her effort and learn more about book, visit indiegogo.com/projects/yoga-for-kink.

The book will be published under the busy duo’s Truly Beloved brand (trulybeloved.com), where they offer classes and resources for the polyamory and kink communities.

For those who are interested in taking yoga classes from Thompson with an emphasis on kink and bondage readiness (and are over 18), she teaches monthly classes at Arizona Power Exchange, the Valley’s local BDSM education and resource center (arizonapowerexchange. org). Thompson’s social media information and other resources can be found at yogaforkink.com.

Ryan D McKeon [Photo Credit: Randal T. Cox

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Photography

WORD

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Photography

DSHURT SHALL NEVER

Photos by Holly Shoemaker

ME

So culturally accepted is verbal bullying that the children’s rhyme "Sticks and Stones" can be recited from heart by any Englishspeaking child or adult. Traditionally used to ward off nasty namecalling and boost confidence, the rhyme has been given new meaning in the form of a series of photographs by Phoenix-based portrait photographer Holly Shoemaker.

Born in Pennsylvania and raised in northwestern Missouri, Shoemaker made the move to Phoenix in 2011. She is an advocate for survivors of assault and abuse, as a well as a LGBTQIA+ and BLM ally. With more than 13 years of experience under her belt, she is well versed with several genres of photography — from weddings and newborn portraits, to boudoir and fine art portraits. Her work has been shown in galleries throughout the Phoenix metro area, where she has received several awards for her work.

Of prime importance to Shoemaker is creating a safe space for the subject. “I love being able to create something and show someone a version of themselves they never knew they could be.

It could be a simple portrait or a completely fantastical version of themselves. At the end of the day, I seek to empower people.”

But the “Sticks and Stones” project ironically came out of the concept of an unsafe space.

“I had done photos for a burlesque performer who was visiting from out of state. I shared the photos from our set to a photography and modeling networking group I'm part of and one of the models from the group attempted to slut shame my client,” reveals Shoemaker.

“I am a huge advocate against such behavior, so I called her on it.

After which I was blocked.”

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Photography

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Photography Later, a friend sent her screenshots of the group page, revealing the model had been calling Shoemaker the c-word. “So, I did the only thing I could think to do. I painted the word c*** all over my face, neck and chest, then did some self-portraits. The next day, I shared it to social media and offered a photography special. This is how my latest photography project, "Sticks and Stones: Words Have Power.

Take Yours Back" was born.”

The project aims to reclaim the power of negative words in a physical way by mapping them on the body. “Especially now, in the digital age, certain individuals feel even more emboldened to throw around insults and nasty words in an effort to garner a reaction. As we have seen, too many times, that reaction can lead to so much hurt and destruction. We have all been subject to these words at one point in our lives.”

“I love being able to create something and show someone a version of themselves they never knew they could be. At the end of the day, I seek to empower people.”

To create the series Shoemaker asked ordinary people, not models, to choose a word that had been used in relation to them either as an insult, slur, judgment and so forth. “There are very few words that are off the table. From there I paint that word on their face, neck, chest and in some instances shoulders and arms and we do a shoot where they begin to take power back over that word.”

“The great thing about it is that there's really no wrong way to go about it. If you want to make a funny face, stick out your tongue, flip off the camera, get angry, cry, show quiet defiance, it's all acceptable,” says Shoemaker. “It's about how you want to express it and let the world know, ‘This word does not define me. This word cannot control me and screw anyone who thinks they can use it against me’.”

Her goal is to have an exhibit at the historic Alwun House gallery later this year. A percentage of all art sales from the show would go to a local organization that focuses on mental health and wellness. Shoots for this project are $60. To schedule yours email duckyoverlord@gmail.com.

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Food

A W O R LD

OF BARBECUE

By Joe Morales

It’s that time of year again when I long for outdoor space so I can drag out my charcoal grill and cook up some meat.

It’s BBQ season!

Barbecue is one of my favorite foods and one of my favorite techniques for cooking. The best part of grilling is that you get to work with smoke and fire plus you can experiment with so many techniques and flavors.

Barbecue is known worldwide and has been around for thousands of years. In the United States, it has taken on a life of its own. Each region has its own version of BBQ. When barbecuing, it is typical to use some type of wood like apple, cherry, hickory, or mesquite — just to name a few. My favorite to use is apple or cherry because it’s not as harsh as hickory or mesquite.

To prep the meat, some use dry rubs, wet rubs, brines, or just use salt and pepper. Any type of barbecue has the low and slow technique in common. And don’t forget the sauce. Choose from a vinegar-based sauce, tomato-based sauce, ketchup-based sauce (just about the same as tomato-based but different). There is even a mustard-based sauce and a mayonnaise-based sauce.

These sauces go on any type of meat such as goat, beef, pork, and chicken. And I’m not even including sausages! Every region will have its favorite sauces that go with a particular cut of meat. Some say vinegar sauces only go with pork, and mayonnaise sauces go best with chicken and pork chops.

Believe it or not, Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce has dominated the BBQ sauce industry for years. It’s a Kansas City-style sauce and is our go-to. If you are looking for something to go over that grilled chicken (or fried chicken for that matter) try an Alabama White Sauce.

Try the Carolina Gold Sauce on some pork ribs or pork chops. If you are going the pulled pork route, you definitely want to give the North Carolina Vinegar BBQ sauce a shot. It cuts through the richness of the pork. All these sauces are so easy to make and literally take minutes.

The ingredients are probably already in your pantry.

I could go on and on about BBQ sauce and the meat. You need to try them all and keep them in your arsenal. They are delicious and 26

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Food you can’t go wrong with whatever you decide to put on your BBQ. One of my favorite things to grill is Carne Asada using flank steak or a skirt steak. You marinate it for a few hours, throw it on the grill and cook it to a perfect medium rare with a nice little char on the outside of it. I’ve put together an easy recipe for you to try.

The flank steak is going to be accompanied by an Argentinian-style Chimichurri sauce made with herbs, spices, oil, and vinegar. Flank steak is a tougher piece of meat so it’s important to tenderize it with a marinade. This will help soften the meat when cooked.

Chimichurri is great because you can use it as a marinade, as a basting ingredient, and also as a condiment. This recipe focuses on Chimichurri as a condiment.

[RECIPE:]

Rosemary Garlic Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Serves 4

Marinade

½ cup canola oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons dried rosemary 2 limes, zest and juice 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper

Technically, this is a grilled dish, not barbecued. The difference is BBQ is usually low and slow using smoke or indirect heat. Grilling is using direct heat, or an open flame to cook the food and controlling the intensity of the heat.

Flank Steak

1 ½ pounds flank steak, trimmed Chimichurri Sauce ¾ cup parsley, stems included ⅓ cup red wine vinegar 3 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste

This grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce is packed full of flavor and spice and it never disappoints. Pair it with a great bold red wine or a nice full-bodied beer and you can’t go wrong. Now grab that grill and get it ready!

Marinade instructions 1. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Coat steak with marinade, cover, and place in leakproof container for 1 -2 hours in the refrigerator.

Cooking instructions 3. Remove steak from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and let sit at room temperature.

4. Prep your grill while steak is coming to room temperature.

5. Cook to medium-rare. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of steak.

6. Tent with aluminum foil and rest 10 minutes.

7. Slice against the grain. Serve.

Chimichurri instructions 1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food process except for the olive oil.

2. Blend ingredients and slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified 3. Place sauce in a serving bowl.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Drizzle sauce over sliced meat and serve.

Other Tips and Tricks • If you can’t find flank steak, you can substitute London Broil or skirt steak.

• You can cook this on the stovetop using a cast-iron skillet or you can use the broil option of your oven.

• Optional: eating it with corn tortillas • For vegan or plant-based options, use the same marinating process keeping in mind that you will need to baste as the vegetable cooks because it will not absorb the marinade.

• Use large portobello mushrooms in place of the steak. (My favorite option) • Use cauliflower steaks in place of the steak.

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Travel

HOSTWITH

THE THE

Photo: Ravi Roth

MOST

By Merryn Johns No one has as much fun traveling as New York-based actor and influencer Ravi Roth, and now he’s sharing the how-tos with you in his brand new eight-episode travel show, Gaycation. We caught up with the fun and fabulous Ravi Round the World to find out what the world has in store for us.

When, why and how did you fall in love with travel?

The second I got off the plane for the first time by myself in Berlin.

I will never forget figuring out how to navigate to get to my AirBnB and talking with the locals. It was a moment where I realized it was exactly where I needed to be! Learning about the queer culture from the local perspective was fascinating. I made my first vlog and fell in love with the city. When I returned to the states and began editing the video, I fell in love with storytelling.

How did The Gaycation Travel Show come to be? Did you have an Ah-Ha moment in the middle of the pandemic?

Last July, DJ Doran (the CEO of Aequalitas Media), had auditions for the host of The Gaycation Travel Show. I prepped, had a killer audition, then booked the show. We originally were thinking of launching the show in September...then December...then cut to May 14th. We really had to navigate where I could be on the ground and where our guest correspondents could tell the story of their specific location authentically, especially during the pandemic.

Covid-19 had thrown us all for a loop, but it was so beautiful to see us come out of it and share this series with the world. My Ah-Ha moment was realizing I needed to approach hosting The Gaycation Travel Show by immersing myself in a particular city and learning from the locals, which I had an opportunity to do during the last four episodes of this season. I’m extremely grateful to have had that chance, and I’m excited for our viewers to see it for themselves.

How did you navigate the reality of shooting during the pandemic?

Any fun stories to share?

It was hard. We originally wanted to work with guest correspondents in each city around the globe, but the pandemic shut certain cities down. We had to pivot majorly. I had to remain optimistic and realize that some things were just not in my control. We took a major pause from January to March and had to reevaluate our season. The

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Are you itching to get back into the habit of travel but don’t know where or how to begin? The Gaycation Travel Show host Ravi Roth can help.

Travel

Do you have a favorite or one that particularly delights you?

Each episode is special in its own unique way. Navigating the season through the pandemic has been the biggest learning curve of my career. Some cities like Manhattan were shot in a span of nine months, where destinations like Cedar Rapids and Chicago were shot in two weeks. Cedar Rapids was the most surprising destination to me. The inclusiveness within the Queer community and the sheer amount of activities to do in this small destination lit me up! Cedar Rapids knows it isn’t a top tier destination, but it certainly acts like one. From the farm to table food to the Llama Pride Parade — we are all in for a treat by the little city that could!

about him. Samantha Brown’s sense of humor, quirkiness, and passion for local connection is what I aim for as a host.

You've been to 32 countries, correct? Any of those you absolutely would return to?

ALL OF THEM! But really, I would love to revisit Israel and South Africa! Israel is where my mom is from and I hope to meet my next ex-husband there! Also, I want to revisit South Africa because of the landscape, beach, city life, local food, hikes, and WINE!

Photo: Ravi Roth

most fun story was when I got to work with a full crew in both Cedar Rapids and Chicago. I didn’t have to worry about filming. I just got to be a storyteller with a fabulous crew of humans led by our producer and editor, Nick Adams.

And what about any special guests you’d like to give a shout out to?

Each destination in season 1 of The Gaycation Travel Show has incredible local guest correspondents, but I have major gratitude to Tash Thomas and Marthe Koster who take us all around Brighton as well as Josh Rimer who dominates Vancouver. Due to the pandemic, I hosted these two episodes from my home in NYC. They do it without me being present and carry two episodes on their shoulders!

You once said you wanted to be the gay Anthony Bourdain…

How’s it going?

I like to say my goal is to be a mix of the late Anthony Bourdain with a dash of Samantha Brown and make it GAY! Travel vlogging became a thing with both Bourdain and Brown. His fearlessness, storytelling and willingness to jump into the local culture is what lights me up

Follow The Gaycation Travel Show on social media @gaycationtravelshow

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