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What is STRIBILD? STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. It combines 4 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. STRIBILD is a complete single-tablet regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking STRIBILD. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD?
• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking STRIBILD, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. STRIBILD is not approved for the treatment of HBV.
Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you: • Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, lovastatin, simvastatin, pimozide, sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®), triazolam, oral midazolam, rifampin or the herb St. John’s wort. • For a list of brand names for these medicines, please see the Brief Summary on the following pages. • Take any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection, or the medicine adefovir (Hepsera®).
What are the other possible side effects of STRIBILD?
STRIBILD can cause serious side effects:
Serious side effects of STRIBILD may also include:
• Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual (not normal) muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold especially in your arms and legs, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.
• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do regular blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with STRIBILD. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD.
• Serious liver problems. The liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and fatty (steatosis). Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowel movements (stools), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain. • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.
• Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. • Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines. • Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking STRIBILD. The most common side effects of STRIBILD include nausea and diarrhea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? • All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. • All the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start any new medicines while taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider. • If you take hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc). • If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Also, some medicines in STRIBILD can pass into breast milk, and it is not known if this can harm the baby.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information with important warnings on the following pages.
STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used as a complete single-tablet regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.
I started my personal revolution Talk to your healthcare provider about starting treatment. STRIBILD is a complete HIV-1 treatment in 1 pill, once a day. Ask if it’s right for you.
Patient Information STRIBILD® (STRY-bild) (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) tablets Brief summary of full Prescribing Information. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.
• Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider • If you stop taking STRIBILD, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking STRIBILD
What is STRIBILD?
Who should not take STRIBILD?
• STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD is a complete regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. • STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses. • Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. Do not share or reuse needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood.
Do not take STRIBILD if you also take a medicine that contains: • adefovir (Hepsera®) • alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral®) • cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®) • ergot-containing medicines, including: dihydroergotamine mesylate (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), and methylergonovine maleate (Ergotrate®, Methergine®) • lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®) • oral midazolam • pimozide (Orap®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®) • sildenafil (Revatio®), when used for treating lung problems • simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®) • triazolam (Halcion®) • the herb St. John’s wort Do not take STRIBILD if you also take any other HIV-1 medicines, including: • Other medicines that contain tenofovir (Atripla®, Complera®, Viread®, Truvada®) • Other medicines that contain emtricitabine, lamivudine, or ritonavir (Atripla®, Combivir®, Complera®, Emtriva®, Epivir® or Epivir-HBV®, Epzicom®, Kaletra®, Norvir®, Trizivir®, Truvada®) STRIBILD is not for use in people who are less than 18 years old.
What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects, including: 1. Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take STRIBILD or similar (nucleoside analogs) medicines. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: • feel very weak or tired • have unusual (not normal) muscle pain • have trouble breathing • have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting • feel cold, especially in your arms and legs • feel dizzy or lightheaded • have a fast or irregular heartbeat 2. Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take STRIBILD. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: • your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) • dark “tea-colored” urine • light-colored bowel movements (stools) • loss of appetite for several days or longer • nausea • stomach pain You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time. 3. Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take STRIBILD, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking STRIBILD. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. • Do not run out of STRIBILD. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your STRIBILD is all gone
What are the possible side effects of STRIBILD? STRIBILD may cause the following serious side effects: • See “What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD?” • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking STRIBILD. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD if you develop new or worse kidney problems. • Bone problems can happen in some people who take STRIBILD. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones. • Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known. • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.
The most common side effects of STRIBILD include: • Nausea • Diarrhea Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. • These are not all the possible side effects of STRIBILD. For more information, ask your healthcare provider. • Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including: • If you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis B infection • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. - There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take STRIBILD. - You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. - Two of the medicines in STRIBILD can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in STRIBILD can pass into your breast milk. - Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements: • STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works. • Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following medicines: - Hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc) - Antacid medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD - Medicines to treat depression, organ transplant rejection, or high blood pressure - amiodarone (Cordarone®, Pacerone®) - atorvastatin (Lipitor®, Caduet®) - bepridil hydrochloride (Vascor®, Bepadin®) - bosentan (Tracleer®) - buspirone - carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®) - clarithromycin (Biaxin®, Prevpac®) - clonazepam (Klonopin®) - clorazepate (Gen-xene®, Tranxene®) - colchicine (Colcrys®) - medicines that contain dexamethasone - diazepam (Valium®)
- digoxin (Lanoxin®) - disopyramide (Norpace®) - estazolam - ethosuximide (Zarontin®) - flecainide (Tambocor®) - flurazepam - fluticasone (Flovent®, Flonase®, Flovent® Diskus®, Flovent® HFA, Veramyst®) - itraconazole (Sporanox®) - ketoconazole (Nizoral®) - lidocaine (Xylocaine®) - mexiletine - oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) - perphenazine - phenobarbital (Luminal®) - phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®) - propafenone (Rythmol®) - quinidine (Neudexta®) - rifabutin (Mycobutin®) - rifapentine (Priftin®) - risperidone (Risperdal®, Risperdal Consta®) - salmeterol (Serevent®) or salmeterol when taken in combination with fluticasone (Advair Diskus®, Advair HFA®) - sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) or vardenafil (Levitra®, Staxyn®), for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). If you get dizzy or faint (low blood pressure), have vision changes or have an erection that last longer than 4 hours, call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away. - tadalafil (Adcirca®), for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension - telithromycin (Ketek®) - thioridazine - voriconazole (Vfend®) - warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®) - zolpidem (Ambien®, Edlular®, Intermezzo®, Zolpimist®) Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. Do not start any new medicines while you are taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider. Keep STRIBILD and all medicines out of reach of children. This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about STRIBILD. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can also ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about STRIBILD that is written for health professionals, or call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.STRIBILD.com. Issued: October 2013
COMPLERA, EMTRIVA, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, HEPSERA, STRIBILD, the STRIBILD Logo, TRUVADA, and VIREAD are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. ATRIPLA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2014 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. STBC0109 10/14
23
ATLANTA’S TOP DOCTORS
28
GETTING DOWN & DIRTY WITH JAKE BIONDI
38
HEY GIRL HEY
40
GAY NEWS AT A GLANCE
42
POP CULTURE
Contents
12
OUT & ABOUT PHOTOS
FENUXE
03.13.2015
Page 35: Joshua Neal: Small Town Boy To City Fitness Guru
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ATLANTA GAY MEN’S CHORUS
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Featuring Matt Alber March 27 • 8PM March 28 • 2PM & 8PM
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OUT & ABOUT
12: March 13, 2015
PHOTOS
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OUT & ABOUT
14: March 13, 2015
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OUT & ABOUT
16: March 13, 2015
PHOTOS
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OUT & ABOUT
18: March 13, 2015
PHOTOS
PARTY @ TEN PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
As a board certified dermatologist, I provide the best medical, surgical, and
cosmetic care for the entire family. It is with great pleasure that I assist
healthcare providers who seek my expertise in caring for the LGBT community.
- Gabriel J. Martinez-Diaz, M.D.
â–Ş â–Ş
FENUXE.COM : 19
OUT & ABOUT
20: March 13, 2015
PHOTOS
WILD ONES KARAOKE @ HIDEAWAY PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
Specialists in the Detection and Treatment of Digestive Diseases, Hepatitis and Colon Cancer
When it comes to overall well-being, a healthy digestive system is critical. At Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates, our Board Certified specialists are experts in colon cancer screenings and diagnosing and treating every type of digestive disorder, including: • • • •
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease • Anorectal Disorders Hepatitis B & C Treatment • Hemorrhoids Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Irritable Bowel Syndrome Liver and Pancreatic Diseases
Paresh Kamat, M.D. Decatur
Bradley Creel, M.D. Piedmont West
www.atlantagastro.com 1.866.GO.TO.AGA [468.6242] AGA is a participating provider for Medicare, Medicaid and most healthcare plans offered in Georgia.
FENUXE.COM : 21
-Atlanta’s-
Top doctors
BY DUSTIN SHRADER
It’s important to have a physician that you can trust completely, that’s why we have selected the top doctors of Atlanta to give you the tools and resources to help choose the right physician for you, your partner and/ or your family. Whether each physician is gay or gay-friendly, these men work tirelessly around the clock to provide our community with answers and care. FENUXE.COM : 23
Dr. Kamat is a graduate of T. N. Medical College and B.Y.L. Nair where he received a combined bachelor of medicine and surgery. He received a master of public health degree at the University of Texas Health Science & completed his residency at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Medical Center, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York, N.Y. Dr. Kamat then finished a fellowship in gastroenterology at State University of New York in Buffalo. As a leading gastroenterologist in Atlanta, Dr. Kamat focuses on colon cancer screening. “Colon cancer is the no. two killing cancer in the U.S.,” according to Dr. Kamat. With March being Colon Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Kamat encourages everyone to educate themselves about the risks. “Anyone over the age of 50 may be viable. Men do tend to contract slightly more than women. Certain risk factors include: age, family history, a pollup history and obesity.” Dr. Kamat also stated that being a gay man DOES NOT increase your risk of contracting colon cancer, debunking the common myth.
M. Shoaib Afridi, M.D. Board Certified, Internal Medicine
24: March 13, 2015
Paresh P. Kamat M.D., M.P.H. Board Certified, Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology
Dr. Shoaib Afridi graduated from St. George University School of Medicine & completed both his residency and fellowship at St. Michael Medical Center. As an accomplished physician, he is Board certified in Internal Medicine, a member of Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Medical Association and the International AIDS Society. As a specialist in infectious disease, Dr. Afridi breaks down the stigma surrounding the contraction of HIV. “The way HIV is contracted varies from region to region. A lot of it really is education, sort of the ‘preclinical’ phase, where you have to empower yourself with knowledge. Where we come into play is advising patients to get tested so they know their status. We’ve also had many people ask about PrEP and we’ll see if it is right for each individual patient.” “One of the most satisfying parts of working at Piedmont Avenue Health & Wellness is that we get people from all over the south and they are always satisfied when they come in. We’re not really doing anything different but offering healthcare in a safe environment. For me, that is the most satisfying because I know I am really helping and making a difference.
John P. Ouderkirk, M.D. Board Certified in Infectious Disease
Gabriel J. Martinez-Diaz, M.D., is a board certified diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology. Originally, from Puerto Rico, Dr. Martinez-Diaz is fully bilingual, in English and Spanish. He practices at Dermatology Consultants P.C., seeing patients at the Buckhead and the East Cobb offices. As a medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Martinez-Diaz and his practice strive to provide a welcoming and accepting environment for the entire gay community: “Our Mission is to provide the BEST full-service medical, surgical, cosmetic and aesthetic dermatology for the entire family. We do so by utilizing our state-of-theart practice to care for all of our patients and enhance healthy skin.” Within our community, he has focused first on developing visibility and transparency, so that patients know that they can come to a dermatologist who is accepting and welcoming. Recently he has addressed patient’s HIV-associated lipodystrophy by educating patients on injectable treatments. HIV-infected patients, who are being treated with antiretroviral medications, can develop loss of facial volume, which can carry a social stigma.
One of Atlanta’s most eligible bachelors, Dr. John Ouderkirk earned his Doctorate of Medicine and completed his internship & residency at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Ouderkirk’s practice, Piedmont Avenue Health & Wellness is known for top notch HIV care and understanding the needs of transgender patients. “We have started seeing an increase in transgender patients, so we have reached out to that market. I am also an Aviation Medical Examiner; we actually have three pilots who are transgender that come see me.” Dr. Ouderkirk strives to maintain a safe environment for all of his patients, welcoming them with open-minds and hearts. “We want this place to be a real home for them at Piedmont Avenue Health & Wellness. My partner Dr. Afridi and I, we’ll have patients come off the street getting things here and there, and at our practice it is a much safer way of getting them what they need. People are always at various stages of their transitions. The majority of them are actually quite savvy about their necessary medications and operations. I have had a patient one as young as 18 and even one as young as 83!”
Gabriel J. Martinez-Diaz, M.D. Board Certified in Dermatology
Dr. T. Douglas Gurley is an internal medicine physician and HIV specialist. “We treat the whole LGBT community in our practice, and the standard of care is truly different for our community. I realized this early in my profession and developed my practice to serve it,” Dr. Gurley said. “Locking yourself in the medical closet is dangerous to your health. If your doctor doesn’t know you’re gay, he is not going to ask you the right questions, screen for conditions you are at risk for, and in some cases, not provide the right treatment. If your doctor does not know you are gay, he might not recommend, as we do, that you get vaccinated against HPV, the virus that causes anal cancer. Also, an anal pap smear is critical in diagnosing anal cancer and precancer. I suspect most traditional straight practices are either ignorant to this, in denial, or too afraid to speak about it.” When he’s not treating patients, Dr. Gurley enjoys the culinary arts as a decompressing and therapeutic hobby: “I always stress the importance of balancing the stress of a very busy professional life with a hobby.”
Mark Perloe, M.D. Georgia Reproductive Specialists Medical Director
26: March 13, 2015
T. Douglas Gurley, M.D. Diplomate, American Board of Internal Medicine
After earning his medical degree from Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Perloe served his residency in obstetrics and gynecology and completed a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Throughout his current tenure as Georgia Reproductive Specialists Medical Director, Dr. Perloe has made great strides in helping LGBT families through the process of groundbreaking IVF treatments. “Our clinic was the first in Atlanta to offer IVF to LGBT couples. We have had longer experience. We have really good partnerships with the lawyers and psychologists we work with. Both practices are necessary when undertaking a process like IVF. There are emotional, physical & legal standpoints that must be met. It is not just us doctors. It’s having a good team to do this well.” For a couple who is considering this process, Dr. Perloe’s advises, “Often times heterosexual couples do have it easier. It can just happen for them. For any gay or lesbian couple, I would suggest they explore all options and really understand what each individual wants as a parent. Talk about what each partner wants and begin on the same page.”
INTERVIEW
By Dustin Shrader
GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY WITH BOYSTOWN AUTHOR
JAKE BIONDI
Jake Biondi is my new best friend. Well, at least I like to think so. Author of the popular
book series, Boystown, Biondi is fast-becoming a household name and a gay icon with his salacious novels. Born and raised in Chicago, Jake has always been a lover of the Windy City. Upon graduating from the University of Notre Dame, he returned to Chicago, attended Loyola University School of Law and settled down in the renowned Chicago suburb, Boystown. After living there for over 20 years, Jake felt it was time to bring his passion for dramatic storytelling to life. Thus, Boystown novels were born. Jake took some time out of his relentless, busy schedule to talk to me about Boystown Season’s 1 and 2 and soon to come Season 3 FENUXE: How did Boystown come to be? JAKE BIONDI: It’s funny, because I’ve always been a fan of soaps and just thought it would be fun to do one that has gay characters at the core. I sat down ... I’m trying to think of the date. It was probably June 2013. My plan was to just write one installment at a time and release them once a month online, just to see if anybody would read it. In June, I released the first installment of the series. As I said, I intended to do one a month. All
of a sudden, I started getting emails from readers from all over the place that were like, “This is great! We want to know what happened. How can you leave us hanging with a cliffhanger!” They wanted more and more and more quickly. Of course, then I had to up my schedule of writing, which was fine. I wound up releasing all the installments and writing them a lot more quickly. I had ten done by the end of October of that year. People from all over the place were just not only responding and giving me suggestions and saying that they wanted this to happen to this character or that to that character, but they also started voluntarily promoting it online, which was fantastic. Then people started saying, “Why are they online? Why don’t you just publish them as a book?” That’s how the first book came about; I just took the first ten installments offline and put them together in a book form. The first ten installments are book one. I ended the book with a huge cliffhanger, which excited and annoyed people at the same time; then wrote the second ten installments, which became book two. That came out in July 2014. Again, the fan base kept growing. Because I’m doing all the promotion and marketing by myself, I decided to have a contest last summer just to get some new models or faces of Boystown that I could use in the promotions. I had a contest I put out there on Facebook, anybody that would be interested. I got many submissions
from guys all over the country, which was really fun. Instead of picking one, I picked five. They got a cash prize and I used them in the promotions. People just kept sending their pictures anyway, even though the contest was over, so I got a whole bunch of other new faces and the expansion of my team of models, if you want to call it that, is gigantic now, which is really fun too. Those were all people that didn’t care about the contest. They just wanted to be connected to the book somehow. It’s just been really fun. Some fans have posted online book tours completely on their own and I’ve given an interview to them. Then they’ve done an online book tour. People have just been amazing in terms of either reaching out to me or just promoting on their own or spreading the word or whatever you want to call it. It’s just been so ... It’s been great. FENUXE: How exciting! Are some of the characters are based on real people you know? JAKE: I would say that they are loosely based on characters. You’re a writer, so you know. You put a little of yourself in every character and you put a little of people you know. You get an idea from people you know, but I would say overall they’re all fictionalized. There’s a maybe inspiration of one from a friend or somebody that I know, but as you see, the characters all go to extremes. It keeps it soapy and
dramatic and twists and turns, so I wouldn’t say that any of them are definitely this person in my life or that person in my life, but maybe loosely inspired. FENUXE: Did you always want to be a writer or did this somewhat happen and it just took off? JAKE: In college, I wrote for the newspaper. I was a writer of short pieces, like short stories. But this was the first one where I sat down and ... It was sort of uncharted territory in the sense I didn’t know what I was doing. I only worked the one installment. I put it out there. I just wanted to see what the response would be, so I didn’t know if there would be a second or third or if there would be a lot. It was just based off how people responded. It was a really nice surprise, considering that it hasn’t even been two years and the third book will be out and it’s getting attention across the country. I have many readers in England and Canada, which is fun. Many people that haven’t
been to Chicago too, so they’re interested in what Boystown is really like. I try to use some real places and landmarks and things like that in the books just to give it the flavor for Chicago. That’s been fun, just talking about it
of training me how it needed to be written for TV. Then I converted the first book into a script. That took a long time, back and forth with lots of revisions. But those are done now, so I’m pitching them to TV networks.
“..All of a sudden, I started getting emails from readers from all over the world that were like, “This is great!”
and being a little bit of a promoter for the city of the Boystown. Another interesting thing to note is we’re trying to bring it to TV. That’s been another major push because it’s episodic and it belongs on TV. I worked with a couple friends in California who worked with me in terms
FENUXE: Where are you at in that process? Are you still in the pitching phase? JAKE: Yeah. Just pitching. A couple outlets have the scripts right now, and they’re reviewing them, so we’ll see what they say. FENUXE: I’ll keep my
fingers crossed for you! So, if the TV show does get a green light, do you have an ideal cast in mind? JAKE: I have a few friends who are performers and some of the people on that photo list aren’t too bad. I would like a stab at some of the parts, which would be fun. You always hope that a big name would be interested, but I don’t want to put the cart before the horse either. FENUXE: Tell more about what the characters are like. JAKE: The main core family of the series is the Mancini family, and that’s a family of three brothers and their spouses and partners and friends, so everyone is connected to them. There are some set couples and some couples that sort of get together and break up and things like that. It’s interesting to see people’s responses to certain couples. FENUXE.COM : 29
There’s a couple that’s Keith and Emmett that people call “Kemmett” and people have pretty strong reactions to them in a positive way, which surprised me in some regards. What happens to them at the end of season one surprised and frustrated some of the readers, but it kept them coming back for book two.There’s a character named Cole that people seem to really connect with. It’s been fun reading fan mail about that as well to see who Cole should end up with.Sometimes people give me ideas that I hadn’t thought about, and I consider and sometimes include. One of my things has always been if anyone reaches out to me or when anyone reaches out to me by email or Twitter or whatever, I’m going to respond to them because that’s the fun part. Even if I don’t necessarily use their idea, I will always respond and say thanks and encourage them to keep writing and keep reading and letting me know what they think. To me it was like when you were a little kid and you write a fan letter and you don’t get a response or you get like a vague response or form letter, you’re like “Ugh!” Whatever kind of contact that I get from people, I always try to respond and at least say thanks and keep reading. FENUXE: That’s great! Not a lot of people, especially in the celebrity limelight, do that nowadays. JAKE: Yeah. I don’t know that I’m in the celebrity limelight, but I know what you mean. I take the time to respond if they take the time to reach out. That’s the fun part for me. FENUXE: I know you say
you take ideas and pitches from fans, but do you write the book solely or is there anyone specifically that works with you from time to time? JAKE: No, no. I write them on my own. I start each book with a big story arc in mind, but depending on people’s response and emails and things I can alter things along the way or alter the way that I get to the ending that I had in mind. That’s funny too, because you’ll see at the end of book one there’s a character that I introduce named Justin as one of the
like? That’s quite a bit to cover, almost three years. JAKE: June of 2013 was the first installment. Whatever free time I’ve got, whatever time I can sit down, it’s fun. I would like to spend even more of my time writing but I spend a lot of my time doing the marketing stuff. Just posting online and tweeting and reaching out to magazines and things like that takes a huge amount of time. It’s essential and it’s fun, but it also obviously cuts into the writing time. FENUXE: The age range of characters, does it vary?
JAKE: Yeah. It’s really diverse. I think I’m introducing the youngest character now in book three. He is like nineteen, and it goes up through late forties. It’s men and women. It’s diverse in terms of age. It’s diverse in terms of race. It’s diverse in terms of ethnicity. It’s diverse in terms of sexuality, straight, gay, bi. One of the things that people who live in Boystown know and that people around the country have asked about is that Boystown is becoming more and more straight and diverse in that regard. I wanted to make sure that the book reflected that by having characters that were
“Even if I don’t necessarily use their idea, I will always respond and say thanks and encourage them to keep writing and keep reading and letting me know what they think.” Mancini brothers and I didn’t necessarily intend to have him around for a long time. I needed him for sort of a plot device. People’s response to him were huge. They asked all these questions about what was his background and what’s his sexuality and what’s he doing and blah, blah, blah. So I thought all right, if they’re this interested he needs to stay, so he became a main focus of book two. That’s what I mean about the flexibility. That’s what I think has been unique about this book, is that it has been presented, sort of informs back and forth to the public that allows them to interact with that maybe more than other books, and that’s been fun. FENUXE: I know you said you started in 2013. What is your writing process
not just gay characters, but characters of all different sexual orientations and intermixed. You’ll see that in the characters and in the books. FENUXE: I know you said you liked the soap opera themes. Do these characters handle real life situations that you and I would come across? JAKE: I think they are, but it’s sort pushed to the extreme. There’s a closeted character. There’s people coping with this, coming out of the closet. There’s people coping with their own sexuality. There’s people coping with relationships that are falling apart. There’s alcoholism that’s addressed. There’s cancer. There’s real life situations and struggles and things like that, but amped up to make it much more dramatic like a continuing story would be. FENUXE: Is there anything you would like to tell your Atlanta fans? JAKE: I would again just emphasize that I love hearing from fans, driving people to the website for more information. The book is available in
paperback and available in an eBook format, Nook and Kindle and iTunes, and all that kind of stuff. People can access all of those through the website. I sponsored a contest that’s still going on at the moment right now that is to name a restaurant for book three. You’ll see that two of the characters are opening a restaurant, so I had contest for that that people could win if I took their suggestions. That contest is still going on and they can access that through the website as well. Through email or through the website or Twitter, people are more than welcome to reach out and let me know what they think. I will add, just because I’m proud of it, is that there’s ... Just for the first book alone I have almost sixty five-star ratings on Amazon, which is pretty unheard of for a book on there. I’m pretty excited about that. Again, that’s all done by just fans logging on their own and posting that. I’m really grateful. The Boystown book series can be purchased through Jake’s website www. jakebiondi.com. Jake can also be reached via his Twitter @BOYSTOWN_series or his Facebook page, Jake Biondi. FENUXE.COM : 31
MUSIC
By Jimmy Newsum
CLUB BEATS HEATING UP THE DEEP FREEZE 5 essential songs and remixes that should be on your playlist right now.
“CROOKED”
Faith Michaels feat. Nina Flowers & Power Infiniti
“Crooked” shows a rarely seen bitchy side to the queen of nice, Faith Michaels. No doubt, it is the influence of drag superstars Nina Flowers and Power Infiniti, who are also featured on the record. Written by Michael Cosculluela, the song refers to the crown of a queen, which, according to the ladies, should always be worn straight. Those with their noses up in the air, thinking they’re all fierce and better than everyone else, well, their crowns are on crooked, honey, and Faith, Power and Nina have something to say on it. Crooked is a comically infectious track that expertly mixes attitude and camp with damn good danceable beats.
“UNDER THE STARS” diMaro & Alicia Madison
diMaro may get top billing but you won’t actually hear his voice anywhere here. Instead, he programs and sequences the song’s infectious beats, synthy swooshes and digitized loops while Alicia Madison (who last guested on Sied van Riel’s “Gravity”) delivers a sweeping tale of steely determination in the face of lost love. The track is quickly becoming the biggest song on dance floors and house radio thanks to strong support from influential spinners Markus Schulz, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike. Of course, Madison and diMaro deserve the real props for presenting a slickly produced blockbuster that is truly big room dance music at its best.
“I LIKE YOU”
Tony Moran featuring Debby Holiday Debby Holiday teams up with Grammy-nominated producer Tony Moran to celebrate the thirty-year anniversary of Phyllis Nelson’s iconic house smash, “I Like You”. The song was a top ten radio hit in 1985, due to Nelson’s soulful vocals and the song’s subtle social commentary. It was seen my many as an ode to Omni sexuality, with Nelson justifying her love to all the many different types of people with a simple, “no reason why; I just like you.” That message inspired Holiday to remake the song for the modern dance floor. With the help of Moran, Holiday presents a harder, darker, grainier, more underground sound to the track. This marks the third collaboration by these two powerhouses of dance and the beats simply keep getting better.
“HE WON’T DO” Billy Winn
Scandal has served Billy Winn well. His previous track, “Future X Boyfriend” rocketed him into Billboard’s top twenty last summer. Now comes his debut EP, Cruel Intentions, along with its first release, “He Won’t Do.” It’s a slick single that tells the story of ex lovers not quite finished with one another yet. Winn plays the aggressor, singing how the lover’s new man will never compare to him. It’s a delicious mix of pop, heavy dance, R&B, electronica and oh yes, attitude. It sets the tone for what fans can expect to hear from this exciting, young and sexy out artist.
“HOT HOMO”
Cazwell featuring Big Dipper The latest record from the leading independent gay hip hopper has an addictive beat with NC-17 lyrics. Where Shmurda’s track is about killing people and selling drugs, Cazwell’s single takes on, what else, man-on-man sex. And why not? Gay men should feel as entitled to express themselves sexually as straight guys do, says Cazwell. That’s been his message since he first dropped ‘All Over Your Face’ in 2006. In “Hot Homo”, Caz is joined by another funny as all hell gay MC: the large, furry bear rapper known as Big Dipper. Together, they present a finely produced rap parody that also manages to poke fun at celebrities Chris Brown, James Franco and even Debra Messing. The music video is a must-see too.
FENUXE.COM : 33
SPOTLIGHT
Joshua Neal:
BY: DUSTIN SHRADER
Small Town Boy To City Fitness Guru Joshua Neal is unlike any other personal trainer. He is a leading coach, a formidable dancer, a compassionate teacher and a caring friend. He began his career at 19, working for the Waist Basket, an all-women’s fitness facility and Bally Total Fitness. It was there, fate found him and his life’s passion was born.
RIGHT: THE ANYTIME FITNESS TRAINING TEAM
“I was taking a step class faithfully until one day the teacher did not show up for class. Thinking maybe they were running late, I decided to fill in. Later I learned she had had an accident and was sadly no longer able to instruct. However, the manager saw how I led the class and was so impressed that he asked me if I would like to be the step instructor. Of course, I said yes!” Within the next 30 days, Joshua received his certification to teach hi/lo and step for Bally’s, all the while teaching at the Waist Basket. “After teaching for six months, I began to mature quickly in my field and I really wanted to understand more about it. I realized how I was changing clients’ and members’ lives.” With this newfound realization, Joshua changed his major from Theatre to Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, while studying at the University of Houston. “During that first six months period, I was packing out the studios with over a 100 people in one single class! All at the age of 20!” Yet, he soon discovered success was not an easy mountain to climb. “My popularity began to blossom so quickly, that I was becoming consumed by it. My first error became evident in the middle of teaching my biggest class. I thought it was all about me and that I’m the one that’s bringing the members and keeping the members.” That mentality quickly changed when one of his first clients pointed out his misstep. “She came to me and said, ‘Josh, you are changing.
You are getting a big head and it seems like you don’t care about us. Please, do not forget, it is not about you, it is about us. You are changing our lives in many, many ways that you probably don’t realize. People look up to you. Don’t take that for granted.’ Then she dropped a bombshell, ‘I just wanted you to know that you have kept me from committing suicide.’ “At that moment, I knew it was no longer about me. My whole outlook and reasoning for teaching changed. That was my TURNING POINT.” With his priorities in check, Joshua began to take the next steps in his career. “At 20 years old, I knew teaching was something I was going to do for the rest of my life. By 21, I had become Group Fitness Felt Head for Bally’s. I felt the need to make more money, so I started as a sales counselor, part-time, while continuing my teaching duties. I was really good at sales, which was different!”
Deciding to combine his two endeavors, Joshua interviewed for a position in Atlanta. “It was a lot of money at that time for me. I really struggled with the idea of moving far away from my family in Texas and giving up my six classes. I flew to Atlanta for the interview and was immediately offered the job. I didn’t know what to do. I was excited being so young I would be making $40,000 a year. Coming from a financially poorer background, that was amazing! So I said yes, not realizing when I got back to Houston, I had to tell everyone I was leaving. My mom cried. My sister cried happy tears. But leaving my students was one of the hardest things I have had to do. Over 200 people showed up to my last class telling me goodbye and wishing me luck. I remember exactly as if it was yesterday. I was teaching, doing great for the first 15 minutes or so, then it hit me. I was not going to see these people for a long time or even ever again. At that moment, I broke down.
Everyone was crying. Even the owner, Kathy Nathan. I knew that I love what I do. This was one of the biggest decisions I have ever made.” Moving to Atlanta was not an easy feat for this young trainer. Although he was having fun and living in the moment, accepting himself and his lifestyle were a different matter. “It had always been a struggle and still is to this point today. I am not judgmental at all, as I love everyone. Growing up in East Texas was hard for me. My dad died before I was born. My mom always worked two to four jobs just to make sure my sister and I had food on the table and clothes on our back. I will always love her for that. She did what she had to do. And I love her for that. I remember the day I left Henderson, Texas for college. As I drove out of the driveway, my mom was standing on the porch and said ‘You be careful Josh and always keep the Lord on your side and never forget him.’ As I was driving off I kept FENUXE.COM : 35
looking in the rear view mirror and my mom did not go back into that house until I was out of her site. Every time I go home when I leave, she always stands on that porch That will always stick with me! I knew she was thinking that I am out in this big world now that she has never been in before. Who, how, what, when will someone take care of me when I’m in trouble. Every day when I teach, I just always reflect on how hard my mom worked for my sister and me. That is where my motivation comes from.” His career was on the fasttrack and Josh was promoted to the general manager position of Bally’s. In order to maintain the GM position, he had to have an extensive knowledge of personal training. After receiving his personal training certification, Josh really began to connect one on one with his clients. “It was just amazing at 26; I then understood what it means to really connect one on one with another individual. Everyone had a different story. Some were intimidated by the gym, nervous or embarrassed. Others felt they would never lose weight or gain the mass they envisioned. This was definitely the moment where I knew that I’m not only their trainer, I’m a therapist, I’m their best friend. This industry is so saturated with inexperienced trainers. A trainer should never be afraid to educate you in fitness, nor should a trainer be afraid to show how to use any piece of equipment and set you up a program ideal for your goals. A trainer should properly know how to execute an exercise, educate you in the benefits of the exercise and also the modifications. That’s my spill on training. Personal training and group fitness instructing is a craft that I thank God everyday he has given me.” This understanding allowed Josh to get back to his roots. 36: March 13, 2015
He stepped down as GM of Bally’s, to pursue training fulltime. Moving on to LA Fitness as a trainer, Josh worked as a Group Fitness Director and then on to the Regional Group Fitness Director. After structural changes, he became an operations manager, yet still training through Lifetime Fitness. “When you realize you have such an impact on someone’s life like I have, it gives me the ammunition to keep on going even when I’m having a bad day. There are times when I’m like ‘Omg!’ But when I put that mic on and start class and I see the smiling faces and how members just LOVE working out. I know that my job is well done!” Transitioning from LA Fitness to Anytime, Josh is currently the Regional Manager and co-owner of two locations and still remains dedicated to his faithful Lifetime Fitness clients. Upon reflection of his 15-year career, Josh has few life lessons he would like to share. 1. Learn from your mistakes. Do not continue to make the same ones because the outcome will get worse and worse. 2. People come in your life for a reason. No matter if, it is a short period or long period of time. You will have people that are going to talk about you, whether it is good or bad. Trust me, it’s ok. Remember, MISERY LOVES COMPANY. 3. Do what you love. I love fitness, I breathe fitness. This is my craft and my passion. I will never stop helping people on their fitness journey. 4. Go for what you love. If there is someone out there, you love or you want, go get him or her. 5. Practice what you preach (I just learned this). Do not forget about YOU. Do not get so caught up in everyone else that you lose YOURSELF! 6. Thank Him, the Man Above.
HEY GIRL HEY
HOLLER POODLES! I’m so glad we’re talking about doctors in this issue of Fenuxe because I’ve really had a hard time with a recent doctors visit. Have you ever noticed how so many doctors have names that sort of relate to their individual specialities? Recently, I had accidentally on purpose tried to squeeze a pimple that had formed on my nipple. When I noticed it became infected because one of my lady hairs was growing out of it, I went to see my dermatologist, Dr. Whitehead, who said he needed to check me all over for other possible skin issues. When he asked me to get in the stirrups, I was just glad my buttplug had fallen out on the bus I had worn panties that day. Anywho, he asked if he could have one of his colleagues look at something on my butt and since I’m not shy, I said “yes”. A handsome man entered the room and introduced himself as Dr. Mark Pootnstain-- colorectal specialist. After a short exam, he said it looked like I had a time-lapsed anus. Now I don’t understand all that fancy doctor talk so I asked him to explain it to me in terms I could understand. He just told me it looked like a moon crater had exploded out of my ass. Damn!! I knew right then that last belly bomb did me in. He said all would be fine and that he would send in his nurse, Ms. Punchhole to administer a shrinking salve into my moon pie butt. Though I was defended, her fist finger gave me some much needed action relief. After getting my shit together, no pun intended, I was done!!
Love and lashes,
Mary Edith Pitts Mary Edith Pitts PS. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please email me at maryedith99@gmail.com or on twitter @maryedithpitts
I’m so happy to recommend Dr. Thomas Sparkman, DDS for all your dental needs. I recently went in for some work and was so pleased by my experience I just had to share it with you. First and foremost, his offices are impeccably clean and use the absolute latest in technology which means everything can be done in the office. His staff are warm and welcoming not to mention he has the best disposition of any doctor I know. More importantly, he gives back to the community on a regular basis and is just a great guy. Please give him a call for your next dental appointment located near Perimeter mall. (770) 396-8061 FENUXE.COM : 38
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Gay News At A Glance by dustin shrader
RACIAL PROFILING IS NOT LIMITED TO COLOR Upon the release of the Interim Report of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, LGBT and HIV advocacy organizations across the nation have issued a joint statement citing the need for a national Crime and Justice Task Force. Some of the regulations suggested for this task force include: “adopt comprehensive policies banning police profiling, including profiling based on sexual orientation and gender identity and possession of condoms as evidence of intent to engage in prostitution-related offenses, develop policies with respect to interactions, arrest processing, searches and housing of LGBT people, and ensure effective policies to address sexual harassment and assault of members of the public by police officers.” Further into the statement, these organizations bring to light that LGBT people of color, gender etc. also face unnecessary discrimination due to the point of bodily harm and physical abuse. These groups also call on Congress to pass an “End Racial Profiling Act,” which would defunct “profiling based on actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation as a means of implementing the Task Force’s recommendations with respect to profiling policies.” No word on how Congress or the president will respond.
THE GREAT SOUNDS OF OZ
Aaron Harburg
40: March 13, 2015
The great-grandson of The Wizard of Oz lyricist Yip Harburg, Aaron Harburg (who is also openly gay) is filming a documentary about the men behind some of the greatest musical hits of our time. Titled The Sound of Oz, the film will focus on the dreamlike (and sometimes-combative) relationship Aaron’s great-grandfather shared with composer Harold Arlen. We all know the classic songs from the timeless movie, yet many are not too familiar with the men who made it all possible. Aaron is set to educate the unknown and give credit to his great-grandfather’s wonderful work. “They were very different personalities, almost opposites,” notes Aaron. “My greatgrandfather was sanguine and chipper, while Mr. Arlen was a classic melancholic. Yet, the first time my great-grandfather heard the melody for Over the Rainbow, he hated it,” admits Harburg. “It wasn’t until Ira Gershwin intervened and sug-gested Mr. Arlen play it differently... less symphonically... that Yip began to see how it could work.” The documentary will emulate “additional insights and comments from filmmakers of other Oz movies; Oz historians (including Emmy Award-winning producer/writer and Grammy Award-nominated journalist John Fricke); and several contemporary artists who sing, play, or are influenced by the Oz score to this day. ‘The Wizard of Oz wouldn’t have remained as iconic as it has without the songs,’ says Stephen Schwartz, composer/lyricist of the multi-billion dollar Broadway sensation, Wicked.” Scwartz sat down with Harburg and Jay last fall for an on-camera interview. For the first time ever recorded, Schwartz will play the cleverly secreted melody fragments from the songs of The Wizard of Oz that he amalgamated in Wicked’s entire score. The Sound of Oz trailer can be seen at http://www.thesoundofozmovie.com/.
LOVE HAS NO LABELS
WISH MY FIRST KISS HAD BEEN A BOY The ABC Family drama The Fosters made television history when the show aired the youngest gay kiss ever between two 13-year-olds, Connor and Jude. After awkward flirting and handholding over multiple episodes, the tension comes to a head when the boys finally lock lips. Peter Paige, the show’s creator, tweeted his excitement at the scene in a series of multiple tweets immediately following the broadcast: “Anyone else remember the exquisite torture of falling for someone and not knowing how they felt? My life in jr.
high. #FostersSocialHour, Youngest same-sex kiss in US television history? #Jonnor #FostersSocialHour and If this #Jonnor kiss is stressing you out, I’d like to know how old you were when you had your first kiss? #FostersSocialHour.” The premise of the show focuses on a diverse group of children, adopted and biological, all cared for by an interacial lesbian couple. Ever since its debut in 2012, the show has come under fire for pushing the limit on modern family programming. Executive producer, Jennifer Lopez insists the show portrays a new kind of family. Family has tuned into something else,” said Lopez. “Family equals love.” The ever-evolving show won the Outstanding Drama
A LITTLE BIT OF GAY CAN DO WONDERS With a surge of gay-owned businesses rising, Stone Mountain Village has been rejuvenated as a gay mecca. The historic city fell on hard times during the recession, forcing many locally owned businesses to close up shop. Yet, with the city’s financial troubles fading, more and more LGBT business owners have flocked to the inviting neighborhood, ready to invigorate the tourist spot once again. If we gays are good at one thing, we all know it’s giving life to something that has long since been on the fritz, which is exactly what Café Jaya owners Rory Webb and Jeff Carey have done!
Copyright PSA Ad Council
Probably the most heart-warming video you will ever see has gone viral. In a new PSA from Ad Council, filmed on Valentine’s Day in Santa Monica, California, skeletons are seen on an x-ray screen kissing, hugging, dancing and sharing in each other’s joy while an intrigued crowd watches in giddy amusement. Yet, when the skeleton figures step out from behind screen, the real surprises begin to happen. All the individuals were real-life same-sex couples, friends or family members all made up of different ages, races, religions, sexual orientations and even disabilities. Ellyn Fisher of Ad Council explained, “The goal is to celebrate and appreciate our differences and acknowledge that we may have preconceived feelings about people who are different than us. It’s a really simple but powerful message—rethink your bias,” she added. Following each pair’s embrace, the screen flashes these sentences: “Love has no disability.” “Love has no gender.” “Love has no religion.” The viral clip has over 1.5 million hits and is still climbing. A simple message like this just goes to show the wonderful place this world can be if we all open our hearts and accept each other without judgment or fear of ridicule.
Series award at the 2014 GLAAD Awards. Yet, the two boys’ kiss has caused some eyebrows to rise and unsurprisingly, had anti-gay groups and parental advisory councils suggesting this display of teenage angst and young love is masquerading as “kiddie porn.” ABC Family has not yet released a statement.
Copyright ABC Family
After opening the doors last summer, Café Jaya has become the local watering hole for all of Stone Mountain Village. Residents, city officials, police officers, etc. all visit the café daily, only further cementing the positive effect LGBT men and women can have on a community. On how they were received by the community Webb states, “We originally looked at Stone Mountain Village because it is one of the few remaining quaint historic cities in the metro area, but ultimately decided to open here because we were so welcomed as a couple from the very beginning.” LGBT citizens of Stone Mountain are not only running successful business but acting as elected officials, as well. Gay residents David Thomas, Susan Leisure, Rory Webb and Village realtor JR Scott are all board members for the Stone Mountain Village Business Association (SMVBA). Misters Thomas and Webb also serve on the city’s Downtown Development Authority. “We hope other members of the LGBT community will consider opening businesses in Stone Mountain Village. And if you don’t have a business, but are looking for a welcoming historic community, we hope you’ll consider living in the Village,” stated Leisure, who is serving as the 2015 President of the SMVBA, in proud recognition of her growing community.
POP CULTURE
Mugshot Couture: A Supermodel Is Born
It is official! Live-action Beauty and the Beast has cast its Beast/Prince Adam and Gaston to play opposite Emma Watson’s Belle. Dan Stevens and Luke Evans will play the good/bad leading men, respectively. The former Harry Potter star is over the moon over her costars’ casting, gushing over the dashing men via Twitter. “Could not be more happy that this man will be Beast!!! Welcome aboard @thatdanstevens #beautyandthebeast and Bonjour Gaston! Welcome! #BeautyAndTheBeast” Although a live-action film has been rumored for years, it wasn’t until Disney’s Cinderella’s first trailer debuted that the beloved film about a book-loving peasant who falls in love with a ferocious cursed man got a green light. The movie will be directed by Bill Condon (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and Part 2) and will begin shooting sometime this year. It does not yet have an official release date.
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The world’s hottest felon has just landed a legitimate modeling contract with White Cross Management. Jeremy Meeks, aka the internet’s hottest convict is currently serving a 27-month sentence for firearm possession and violating probation. Yet, being behind bars has not stopped those chiseled cheeks and baby blues from working their magic. “I’m in a place where I will be able to provide for my family and really change my life,” Meeks said to ABC News. “I never thought that everyone in the world would recognize me for my looks, so I feel extremely blessed and very thankful.” He also is hard at work keeping his bod in check, insisting that he’s been sticking to a strict workout regime to ensure that he’s good and ready on his release. “I eat healthy. I do a lot of push-ups, pull-ups, dips, burpees, and I stay very active.” His model card i.e. his mugshot is already up on the talent agency’s website with his measurements right next to Abercrombie models and a Vogue cover star. Jim Jordan, his agent, revealed that there was “a sea of opportunities waiting for him” when he was released. Here’s hoping he’ll still be relevant in 27 months.
A Tale As Old As Time
Undeniably, this AllAmerican Girl must be feeling completely Blown Away! Country superstar Carrie Underwood just welcomed her first child into the world on Feb. 27th. Born Isaiah Michael Fisher, the baby boy arrived a few weeks earlier than his original spring due date. Underwood let the world know of her early delivery when she instagrammed an adorable photo of her little man captioning, “Tiny hands and tiny feet…God has blessed us with an amazing gift!” Underwood first announced she was pregnant last fall through another adorable Instagram photo, this one with her two beloved dogs, Ace and Penny, who were sweetly dressed in “I’m going to be a big brother” and “I’m going to be a big sister” onesies. “In honor of ‘Labor’ Day, Ace & Penny would like to make an announcement. Their parents couldn’t be happier!” she captioned. The birth of her son isn’t the only good news Carrie is celebrating. She just launched her fitness clothing line Calia by Carrie Underwood. Combining functionality and style, the affordable active wear is designed for all types of women who enjoy being comfortable, ready to go from the gym to the store without having to change a garment. The new line is available at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Congrats all around to my favorite idol!
42: March 13, 2015
Copyright Getty Images
A Bundle Of Joy For Carrie Underwood
Independence Day: Forever
Despite Will Smith not returning to the 1996 blockbuster, the Independence Day sequel is still getting some major star power. Jeff Goldblum and Aussie hunk Liam Hemsworth have both signed on to star in the smash hit’s reboot. According to director Roland Emmerich, “In the planned sequel, the story is reportedly taking place in an alternate reality in which we’ve spent the years since the botched invasion using the alien tech for our own advancement.” Interesting. A second film has been discussed for years, following the first’s success. Former cast member Bill Pullman has also reportedly signed on, as well as Jessie Usher who will play the adult version of Dylan, Will Smith’s son in the original film. Sadly, Emmerich insists Smith is too “expensive,” which is surprising considering his last few flops at the box office. Um, Independence Day grossed $817 million worldwide, Will. What’s the deal, man? Independence Day 2 will open in theaters July 2016.