SOUTHERN WITH A GAY TWIST
08.14.2015 V6-18
Amanda Lepore: Make Over Sessions
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THE COURAGE OF BEING TRANSGENDERED IN PUBLIC
ELECTRIC photo by: josh hobgood
wasteland
PHOTO BY: BEN CORNFORD
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OUR PAST OUR PRESENT 1980’S
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Contents
FENUXE
08.14.2015
09
CALENDAR: 7 GREAT THINGS TO DO
10
OUT & ABOUT PHOTOS
20
AMANDA LEPORE: MAKE OVER SESSIONS
24
ICE CREAM
25
PRIDE SCHOOL ATLANTA
28 30 38
THE COURAGE OF BEING TRANSGENDERED IN PUBLIC
40
GAY NEWS AT A GLANCE
42
POP CULTURE
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Celebrating their third year of LIVE-SINGING drag show featuring some of the lousiest queens in Atlanta Aug 15th at Jungle. As part of their court ordered community service the girls are back for their third year and more nasty and contagious than ever. Please join the queens in a tragically trashy, risqué and live vocal show that is guarantee to entertain! All profits benefit the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus.
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL It began as one man’s story... became everyone’s music and is now a Broadway musical. This is the true story of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and many more. The show opens August 18th and runs through August 23rd. For tickets & more info visit www.foxtheatre.org.
DAWSONVILLE MUSIC AND BEER FESTIVAL. August 21st and 22nd. This two day event features great music, vendors, car show, food, beer and more. Tickets start at $10 per person presale and go up $5 at the gate. The event is located in Dawsonville behind the municipal center located at 415 Highway 53 East.
AUG 21
2015 CAN CAN BALL
Sunday, August 16th @ 2pm - A unique opportunity for regional beer enthusiasts to gather and sample truly unique draft beers from Georgia breweries, as well as a curated list of specialty bottles. Previous iterations of the festival have been heralded as some of the finest craft beer celebrations in the southeast. A Best of Show Award is determined by participants via voting tokens and will be presented to the brewery with the favorite barrel aged beer.
Friday August 21st @ 8:00pm This annual black tie event is held by the Atlanta Apartment Association and proceeds benefit the Atlanta Food Bank which last year provided over a million meals for Atlantans in need. Kick up your heels, enjoy some great food and entertainment and a silent auction The ball will be held at the Downtown Atlanta Sheraton Hotel Visit www. engage.acfb.org for tickets.
BENEFIT AUG 21
AUG 21
MUSIC
SIPS UNDER THE SEA. Summer Luau at the Georgia Aquarium, Friday August 21st at 7:00pm. This unique cocktail party for adults is perfect way to enjoy the Georgia Aquarium with your family, friends or significant other. You’ll have the entire Aquarium to yourself while enjoying cocktails, tapas and music… all without kids! So dig out your Hawaiian Shirt and clam diggers, put on a lei and grab a ukulele because it’s time for a summer bash.
BENEFIT
HOTOBER FEST
AUG 22 05.03.15
HO SHO ATL 3
FUN
MOTOWN AUG 16
AUG 21
AUG 16
FUN
FUN CHARITY
BIERFEST AT WOODRUFF PARK.
Saturday, August 22nd @ 2pm German culture comes alive at the 12th annual Bierfest in Atlanta. Enjoy 35 different authentic German Biers, awesome food from the city’s best German restaurants and Live Music! Tickets are $35 advance. Visit www. germanbierfest.com for more info.
AUG 21-28
CALENDAR
MUSIC
CONCERTS IN THE GARDEN... wraps up with; John Hiatt and the Combo with Taj Mahal, Friday August 21st, Melissa Etheridge Saturday August 22nd. And The Mavericks with Los Lobos Friday, August 28th. Enjoy the end of summer with great music on the great Lawn of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Gates open at 7:00pm, shows start at 8:00pm. For tickets and more info visit www.atlantabg.org FENUXE.COM : 09
OUT & ABOUT
10: August 14, 2015
PHOTOS
SWANK @ 10TH & PIEDMONT PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
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OUT & ABOUT
12: August 14, 2015
PHOTOS
DRAGAVANZA BEER BUST @ THE HIDEAWAY PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
OUT & ABOUT
14: August 14, 2015
PHOTOS
BACKPACK IN THE PARK PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
FENUXE.COM : 13
OUT & ABOUT
16: August 14, 2015
PHOTOS
LOVE MARKS THE SPOT @ KAI LIN ART PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
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OUT & ABOUT
18: August 14, 2015
PHOTOS
PARTY @ BULLDOGS PHOTOS BY: SHER PRUITT
OUR PAST OUR PRESENT
2000’S
ATLANTA PRIDE FESTIVAL OCTOBER 10-11, 2015 | PIEDMONT PARK #OUR FLAGOUR STORY LEARN MORE ABOUT ATLANTA PRIDE THROUGH THE DECADES AT ATLANTAPRIDE.ORG
FENUXE.COM : 19
INTERVIEW
BY MICHAEL FIRESTONE
AMANDA LEPORE: MAKE OVER SESSIONS The world’s mega-famous transsexual returns to the dance floor with “I...Amanda Lepore: Make Over Sessions”, her longawaited double-disc album of remixes and re-edits of classics from her acclaimed debut. Some of the tracks on the new record have been completely overhauled such as the now Giorgio Moroder-inspired Zoned Out update of “Doin’ It My Way.” A few, including “My Pussy” and “Turn Me Over”, have fresh extensions and are even more DJ friendly. Others, like B Ames’ legendary vogue ball mix of “My Hair Looks Fierce”, were previously available only as a bootleg - until now. Like a cherry to top it all off, there’s also a previously unreleased reworking of Marilyn Monroe’s “I Wanna Be Loved By You”, a 20: August 14, 2015
song that has become a staple in Amanda Lepore’s live shows. “Everyone knows that I love a good makeover,” coos Amanda Lepore. “And what could be more fun than to have some of my classics remixed? “...Make Over Sessions” is fun, flirty, funky, a little house-y and very sexy. There is a little something for everybody.” “I...Amanda Lepore: Make Over Sessions” is available on iTunes and all major digital music retailers now. “Club versions of my songs are important to all of my fans around the world,” says Amanda Lepore, an effervescent fixture of New York nightlife. She has remained at the cutting edge of international pop and club
culture since the early nineties club kid era. “They can always rely on ‘my pussy’ to get them in the mood for a night of breaking and re-making rules. “I especially love the latest mix of “My Hair Looks Fierce”, she continues. “It takes one of my most popular songs and gives it a fresh coat of electro polish for the dance floor. Oh, and the extended mix of “Convertible” is a favorite too, because I love Miss MYA and this long version (Produced by RedTop), is simply more of an already good thing!” Amanda Lepore got her start in New York as a dominatrix and a regular member of Michael Alig’s clubland circus at Limelight’s weekly Disco 2000. Obsessive and inspired plastic surgical
AMANDA LEPORE
procedures (in rhinoplasty, eyelifts, liquid silicone, and breast implants) led to Amanda becoming one of the most marketable objects in Manhattan. She has modeled and appeared in international campaigns for Heatherette, M.A.C., Swatch, Smart Car, Perrier, Pop Water, Pameo Pose and Sergio K. She has worked with some the most renowned photographers in the world, including Terry Richardson, Ellen von Unwerth and Pierre et Gilles. Amanda recently walked and performed for Jean-Paul Gautier at this year’s Lifeball. Everybody Loves Amanda! David LaChapelle named
“I don’t care, as long as I look beautiful in the coffin.” Amanda Lepore as his muse, a boutique ‘Amanda’ parfum was designed by awardwinning perfumer Christophe Laudamiel of Les Christophs (each bottle is covered in over 1000 Swarovski crsytals!), photographer Victoria Janashvili included Amanda in her coffee table book “Curves”, and fashion designer Jason Wu even created three versions of a limited edition Amanda Lepore doll. And a living doll she is. Literally. Amanda Lepore has no interest in being a real girl. She aims to be the perfect drawing of a girl, a jet-setting, cartoonlike Jessica Rabbit. When David LaChapelle warned her about the dangers of silicone, Amanda famously responded,
‘I don’t care, as long as I look beautiful in the coffin’. “There’s something kind of profound in that, that she’s creating this moment of beauty for herself and is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice,” says LaChapelle. As she does with her image, Amanda takes pains to deliver a striking, unconventional beauty in her music that, in its post-Warholian way, sardonically comments on capitalism and pop culture while wholeheartedly embracing it. Though on the surface, Amanda is singing about trivial topics like champagne, her nails and her privates, it’s merely a winky potrayal of a modern day Ann-Margret with the pioneering spirit of a legendary bombshell entertainer. Those who dare to look beyond the cherry lipstick and nipple pasties find a much deeper message. Currently, Amanda Lepore is in the studio,
working on her next album, to be released next year. She is also very busy completing her memoir, to be published by Regan Arts headed by the legendary Judith Regan, in collaboration with Vigliano Associates and Peace Bisquit, this Spring. Amanda’s long-awaited autobiography and tell-all is being co-authored with Thomas Flannery, and will feature exclusive photos and imagery chronicling Amanda’s illustrious life and career. Due to popular demand, Amanda has also recently created an official Facebook page for admirers to upload and showcase their original Amanda fan art - some of which will be featured in the new book! The hardest working gal in nightlife shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Amanda Lepore is now ordained in The State of New York to officiate wedding ceremonies. For more information, visit AmandaLepore.net and PeaceBisquit.com.
Amanda Lepore
22: August 14, 2015
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In the Atlanta division, the Towns at Druid Hills and Towns at Breton Ridge communities only, homebuyers for to-be built homes on accepted purchase agreements signed between July 15, 2015 and August 15, 2015 are eligible to receive $15,000 in Flex Cash; can be used towards MyStyle® Design Center Options and/or closing costs when using RMC Mortgage® and/or lot premiums. Buyer also eligible to receive up to $5,000 in Closing Costs. Closing cost assistance available from Ryland Homes to those financing through RMC Mortgage® Corporation and closing with a closing attorney selected by Ryland. Amount of closing cost assistance may vary by product and community, and is subject to applicable contribution limitations. For all financing promotions, see a RMC Mortgage® Corporation Loan Officer for details. Buyers financing through RMC Mortgage® Corporation and who complete a loan application by August 15, 2015 on above promotion are also are eligible to receive waived 1% Origination Fee (value amount is 1% of mortgage amount). RMC Mortgage® Corporation may withdraw this offer and change without notice. Please contact a RMC Mortgage® Corporation Loan Officer for details. RMC Mortgage® Corporation is located at 1000 Mansell Exchange West, Suite 200, Alpharetta, GA 30022 and is a Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, license number 24225 and NMLS number 203897. Prices, plans and specifications are subject to change without notice. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only. Towns at Druid Hills and Towns at Breton Ridge promotion may not be combined with any other promotion or incentives. Information shown believed to be accurate but not warranted. See a Sales Counselor for details on available promotions, restrictions and offer limitations. © 2015 The Ryland Group, Inc. RA1778
FENUXE.COM : 23
INTERVIEW
BY: LEN EVANS
THE NEW SINGLE THAT’S SWEET AS “ICE CREAM” RuPaul’s Drag Race’s fan favorite Manila Luzon and EDM/Pop rapper Andre Xcellence have teamed up for Manila’s newest single, “Ice Cream”. Produced by “The Prodigal” for American Commission/Pink Money Records, the track is a high-energy, sex-driven, urban pop banger that turns a favorite children’s rhyme on its sticky ear. It is reminiscent of Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake”, with slick beats, glossy vocals and plenty of playful double entendre and hilarious sexual innuendo. The eye-popping music video, directed by Brad Hammer, adds to the creamy fun with scantily clad muscle boys frolicking in brightly colored short-shorts and baseball caps while seductively licking down dripping ice cream cones.Manila Luzon and Andre Xcellence’s “Ice Cream” is available for pre-sale now on Amazon and iTunes. “Manila and I met in the studio while she and my executive production team, The Prodigal, were recording her upcoming EP,” explains Andre Xcellence from his home in Los Angeles. “We had a chance to vibe and develop our friendship, and I got to look at Manila’s impressive catalogue. There was just one thing missing. She needed a song that would makes fans wanna grind and shake.” “Ice Cream” is just that. The sound is raw and dirty; intended to make listeners want to get sticky and ratchet. Manila is delicious with a cherry on top in ‘Ice Cream’,” continues Xcellence. “She whips the song up into a frenzy through her lyrical styling and expressions. She is sensual, sexy, serious, and sickening all rolled in one. She also has the comedic timing of a Carol Burnet.” Manila
Luzon is the breakout star from the popular TV competition show, RuPaul’s Drag Race. “She is an amazing talent and is just scratching thesurface on where she’s going career wise,” proclaims Xcellence. “As far as our collaborations, we’re just getting started.” Andre Xcellence introduced himself to Hip Hop last year with music that artfully blends urban beats and progressive house. “It’s a new genre and I’d like to be the leader of it,” he says. His name, given to him by his college fraternity brothers, is a nod at his desire to strive for perfection. “I aim to be the voice of the voiceless and make great music with no politics.” In addition to his recording work, Andre Xcellence heads the independent label, American Commission, with his executive production team, “The Prodigal”. He lives by the motto, “You do not have to like me, but you will respect me.” For more information, tour dates and other appearances, visit www.andreXcellence.com.
BY: ANDREA DWYER
COMMUNITY
SCHOOL ATLANTA
Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo and The Armorettes have joined forces for the month of August with Pride School Atlanta to raise funds for the first LGBTQQIA(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, allies) school in the southeast and the first in the country to include pre-k. This is an educational safe haven for students and educators. A place that allows everyone to be who they are and use whichever restroom they want without fear of harassment. Let the numbers open your eyes to what is happening to the youth of our community. 90% of LGBT students hear anti-LGBT comments in school, 1/3 come from staff 84% report verbal harassment 25% of LGB have been physically hurt 55% of transgender have been physically hurt 28% of LGBT youth drop out due to harassment These are not just numbers - These are our children. Instead of continuing to complain about it, cofounder, Christian Zsilaretz, decided to take action. It has been a welcomed challenge to turn the dream of a bully-free learning environment into a reality. A transgender father of a 3yr old son and a 6yr old daughter. Christian has been an educator for 23 years. He has a Masters of Education and his B.A. in Mathematics and Secondary Education from Rutgers University. He gets it because he has lived it. He wants to live an authentic life and wants others to have that freedom without fear of verbal and physical repercussions. The mission of Pride School Atlanta is “to provide LGBTQQIA students, families and educators a
safe, fun and rigorous learning environment free of homophobia and transphobia - a place that honors their identities so they can be themselves, find themselves, and find friends and mentors who can help them navigate the challenges of life and education.” The school is modeled after the Summerhill School in Leiston, England and the Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, MA. The students along with staff create their own curriculum, participate in a democratic process, and engage in age mixed education. The idea is that students are at their best when they are excited about learning and take responsibility for their own education. Pride School Atlanta is non-profit and is reaching out to the community for financial assistance as well as volunteers. Join Ruby Redd and The Armorettes on Wednesday’s and Sunday’s at 8pm at The Hideaway for lots of laughs, drinks, and fantastic entertainment for the youth of our community. Pride School Atlanta has a brand new home at 1911 Cliff Valley Way NE, Atlanta, GA 30329. For more information about enrollment, volunteering, and donating please visit www.prideschoolatlanta.org. *statistic source GLSEN Ruby Redd & Christian Zsilaretz @ The Hideaway
FASHION
FASHION BEAT BY: PETER GARNETT
Men’s fashion closes the year with a big bang of contrasting blends of basics, classics and a splash of color. Back is back; layering, texturing and a touch of androgyny are among the top trends for Fall 2015. Gender Neutral. Slow, relaxed and somewhat exaggerated, From elongated cuffs, to ruffles, prints and faux furs the runways from New York to Paris to Milan saw more feminine and colorful use of fabrics, textures and construction than in previous years.
26: August 14, 2015
Shawls and scarves. drapey outerwear times two. Necklines have disappeared for fall; High collars and turtlenecks, oversized outerwear layered over more outerwear topped off with oversized scarves promises to keep those striving for the height of fashion this season warm and cozy.
Mid-Layer Layering, The “Man Skirt”. Elongated mid-layered garments graced the runways of the world’s biggest fashion shows for fall 2015.
Black is Back for Evening Wear. The best-dressed creatures of the night will be donning black over black this fall.
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Military Chic. Perhaps as a counter balance to Man Skirts and Ruffles, many houses have embraced the traditional military, mountaineer, safari look for the well-dressed rugged male for fall 2015.
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Faux Fur is Fun for Fall ‘15. From traditional men’s outerwear, to androgynous full length coats, Faux fur is in, real fur is out! The revolt against the skin of slaughtered animals is catching on as many design houses embrace the humane alternative to real fur.
Add to the mix. Polish your look with this season’s trends in accessories. From hats to pins, gloves to boots, this season your personal flair can finish any design.
FENUXE.COM : 27
COMMUNITY
By: Victoria Kolakowski
The Courage of Being Transgender in Public I have long thought that transgender people living honestly as themselves are very courageous. MirriamWebster.com defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.” I believe that the willingness to be oneself, one’s true self, openly in public is a scary thing for anyone. Honesty in the face of adversity is a form of moral strength. For transgender people, being “out” can be downright dangerous.
Nothing could have made this tragedy more real than to hold Gwen’s ashes in my hands.
I have spoken annually over the past decade at a number of Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) events in November, when the transgender community around the world remembers the hundreds of the transgender people that we know were murdered for being transgender. Most of these folk were poor transwomen of color brutalized, often disfigured, because of who they were.
Brandi Martell was an African American transwoman that I knew through many of those TDoR events. She worked as a peer advocate for a local transgender services program. Brandi was murdered a dozen blocks from my home in 2012. Her friends say they believe it was because the unknown killer knew she was transgender from a prior conversation that night. Her case remains unsolved.
These events always make me think back to the first time that I ventured outdoors dressed in women’s clothing. A stranger in a car drove up, called me a “he-she” (an old derogatory term), and ordered me into the car. He followed me the wrong way down a one-way street. I eventually lost him by running across an interstate highway.
And the problems aren’t just that we take our lives into our own hands when we walk outside. We have to fear being shamed and humiliated. We sometimes get mocked to our face, and more often behind our backs. Transgender people are regularly the object of jokes, both by professional comics and ordinary people, in the movies, on television and in person.
I could easily have been among the unknown thousands of transgender people murdered in the years before we began our annual services. Or I might have been brutally raped, and might not have had the strength to make it this far.
Sadly, making a declaration of a deeply held self-identity that puts our lives literally in jeopardy is treated as a punch line, or is argued to be the equivalent of being an adolescent voyeur.
These events remind me of what happened to Gwen Araujo, a beautiful 17-year-old young woman who was murdered in in 2002 because her “friends” found out that she was transgender. Her murderers were tried and convicted in the same courthouse where I later served for two years.
Employment for us is usually a challenge. Study after study confirms that we are a chronically unemployed, and underemployed, community. It is tough getting a job when you are openly transgender, especially if you are at the top or bottom levels of the ladder.
I knew Gwen’s mother, Sylvia Guerrero. When I went to her home, she handed me a box. I opened it, and inside were Gwen’s remains.
Does anyone think that the large number of transgender women who become sex workers do it because it is glamorous, or because the pay is good? Many have no other
28: August 14, 2015
option to survive -- they can’t even get documents with their names and photos on them without going through bureaucratic hoops. Without that identification, it is tough to even get government assistance. Some folk are too embarrassed or fearful to even ask for help. I saw how hard it is to get a job when I started looking after law school. Even the best recruiters couldn’t find a position for me at most corporations or law firms because the employers either figured out or found out that I was transgender (the recruiters told me that was the reason -- I am not just projecting my fears). When I finally got a job, one of the attorneys got a call from a friend at a firm that had rejected me to “warn” him about me. I was outed to my entire firm. Eventually, I had to start my own firm, and later I got civil service jobs because selection was based on merit. Even so, I could have been far more successful in my career if I had never transitioned. Even something as fundamental as using a bathroom is unnecessarily difficult. When I began my public transition in law school, I was banned from using all public bathrooms on campus, whether
for men or women. Later, as an attorney, I represented (pro bono) a young transman who had been pulled out of a single-stall bathroom by a police officer at a courthouse in my county for using the “wrong” bathroom. The officer publicly humiliated him in the process. (Again, shaming is so commonplace for transgender people.) There are actually people currently proposing laws in California to arrest transgender people for using bathrooms. For those reasons, and for many more, I think that transgender folk are among the most honest, most courageous people that I know. And I am glad that more and more people are coming to the same realization.
By Photographer: Ben Cornford Art Direction: Casey Ehlers Designer: Ryan Coleman Models: Abbey Salas, Alexa Johnson, Christopher Woodly jr. Www.flashbox-photography.com
ELECTRIC
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Feb. 13–
September 2–20, 2015
Tickets as low as $15 @ 404.733.5000
alliancetheatre.org/cuckoo | groups 404.733.4690
FENUXE.COM : 37
HEY GIRL HEY
Hey Girl Hey!
I want to say a great big thank you to Atlanta Costume and all of my students for making Drag Makeup 102 a big success. One of my colleagues from the Opera always says “all great artists start off as amateurs” so don’t be too hard on yourself as you practice these techniques. As with any craft, practice makes perfect. It really is a great honor to pass along 25 years worth of knowledge and experience to others. If you missed the first two classes, don’t worry, I’ll be teaching Drag Makeup 101 again just in time for Halloween on October 25th from 12-5pm. But please register early--this class will fill up fast. For those of you interested in “Character Makeup”--I’ll be teaching a Halloween Character Makeup class on October 18th from 11am-3pm. This will cover basic characters like clowns, etc.
Love and lashes,
Mary Edith Pitts Mary Edith Pitts
PS. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please email me at maryedith99@gmail or on twitter @maryedithpitts
Wednesday Nights at The Hideaway!
8:30pm Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo Bring your friends and enjoy prizes, laughs, and scandalous pleasures! Then, stay after the show and…
11:00pm Karaoke with Tyler King …get those vocal chords warmed up because it’s time for karaoke! We’ll be serving $3 well drinks until 3 a.m.
1544 Piedmont Avenue • Atlanta, Georgia 30324 • (404) 874-8247 Visit us on the web at atlantahideaway.com • Ansley Mall behind Publix
Gay News At A Glance want to be China. There is a new openness, there is more inclusiveness in government.” Before moving to Hanoi last year, Osius said: “No one then thought we could have ambassadors who were openly gay. We didn’t think we could even get married of course, 22 years ago. We certainly didn’t we could adopt a child and we didn’t think we could rise to the highest level of our profession. It just wasn’t possible.”
GAY U.S. AMBASSADOR TO VIETNAM TO RENEW HIS VOWS IN HANOI Ted Osius, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam will renew hid vows to his husband, Clayton Bond when U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg visits Hanoi later this month. In an interview, Osius told Bloomburg: “Vietnam is trying to figure out what kind of country it wants to be, it doesn’t
MORE GOODIES ABOUT AHS SEASON 5 RELEASED. Last Friday, the cast and creators of “AHS: Hotel” revealed a LONG LIST of new details about the upcoming season during the Television Critics Association summer press tour. Season 5 of the anthology series will premier on FX on October 7th. The name of the hotel will be Hotel Cortez, set in downtown Los Angeles. The new season will be more like Season 1. Co-creator Brad Falchuk described “Hotel” as more “noir-y” and said the horror will be “dripping out of” the hotel. The new season was inspired by a surveillance video of a girl who went missing after she entered an elevator in a downtown hotel. “She was never seen again,” Ryan Murphy said at the TCA panel. While it’s not confirmed, we have a 40: August 14, 2015
Osius went on to say: “A lot of young people have reached out to me on Facebook, to say: ‘We are happy to see somebody who is gay and happy in his personal life but also has professional success,’ he went on to say: “I don’t think of it as advocating as much as supporting Vietnamese civil society in doing what it is already doing.” There are currently six gay U.S. Ambassadors including our Ambassadors to Australia, The Dominican Republic, Denmark, Spain, The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Vietnam.
strong theory that Murphy was referring to the death of Elisa Lam, a woman who was last seen in the lobby of LA’s Cecil Hotel in 2013 and was found dead in one of the hotel’s rooftop water tanks. Lady Gaga plays Elizabeth, the owner of the hotel. Murphy described her as “a very wealthy social doyenne who is consumed with art and fashion and people.” Elizabeth also has a nefarious plan that unravels over the course of the season. Don’t expect any musical moments from Gaga this season, though. Sarah Paulson is Hypodermic Sally, who lives at the hotel and hates Kathy Bates’ Iris. The actress described Sally as “a nasty gal” who is “quite dark.” “She’s sexy, she’s a drug addict,” Paulson said at the panel. “Not that drug addicts are sexy, but she’s sexy.” Sally also has a “budding something” with Wes Bentley’s character. Kathy Bates is Iris, who Bates described as “very, very sexy.” Iris runs the hotel and has a relationship with Matt Bomer and Wes Bentley’s characters. Denis O’Hare plays a character named Elizabeth Taylor, who the actor described as “a person inspired by the awesomeness” of Taylor’s movies, such as “Cleopatra” and “Butterfield 8.” In the show, Liz Taylor works at the hotel bar, the Blue Parrot Lounge, with Iris. Matt Bomer is Donovan who has a “very interesting” relationship with Gaga’s Elizabeth. Wes
Bentley plays Detective John Lowell who is investigating gridly murders that lead him to check into the hotel. John is married to Chloë Sevigny’s Alex who is dealing with a loss in the family. Finn Wittrock plays Tristan Duffy, a male model who is “always looking for the next high and finds the biggest high in Lady Gaga.” Wittrock said Gaga “sees all of him,” We can only hope to share that pleasure. Cheyenne Jackson plays Will Drake, a fashion icon who has moved from New York to Los Angeles. Angela Bassett plays Romana Royale, an actress who Bassett said is “sexy as hell.” Romana has a strong, lasting relationship with Gaga’s character. She doesn’t live in the hotel, but she visits often. Murphy revealed that characters from previous “AHS” seasons will begin checking in to “Hotel” starting with Episode 6. Evan Peters will play Mr. March, and will be “evil” along with Paulson, Bates, Bassett and Bomer’s characters. Lily Rabe will portray a famous serial killer on “Hotel.” Naomi Campbell will guest star as a fashion editor who will face off with Gaga’s Elizabeth. Darren Criss will reportedly appear on “Hotel” for a Halloween episode as Justin, a Silver Lake hipster, according to E! Online. Justin will apparently have some drama with Bates’ Iris after he has too many room service demands.
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST The Alliance Theatre recently released all of the info on the cast and creative team behind its upcoming production of the classic 1960s drama, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Dale Wasserman and based on the novel by Ken Kesey. The Alliance’s production, directed by Susan V. Booth (Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Geller Girls, August: Osage County), will feature some of Atlanta’s most talented and well-respected actors in one of the largest ensembles of the 2015/16 theater season. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,
GAY COUPLE TAKES MANHATTAN ON NEW CALVIN KLEIN BILLBOARD. The photo, l by Mario Sorrenti, shows models Reid Rohling and Ethan James Green in a sensual embrace and obviously about to kiss, while a suggestive text conversation appears on the left corner of the frame. The ad is part of Calvin Klein Jeans’ new fall campaign, which features a gay couple for the first time in the brand’s history.
GAY ACTIVISTS IN UGANDA HAVE HELD A GAY PRIDE RALLY! Just one year since a law requiring homosexuals to be
Randle McMurphy charms his way onto a psych ward thinking it’s the easy way to serve out a six-month prison sentence. There he encounters Nurse Ratched, a disciplined and extremely focused agent of authority. Randle uses his charisma and humor to breathe life into the ward and lead the other patients into open rebellion. But McMurphy’s revolution against Nurse Ratched and everything she stands for quickly turns from sport to a fierce power struggle—with shattering results. This powerful American drama explores the beauty and danger of being a free spirit Leading the cast in the role of Randle McMurphy is Thomas Neal Antwon Ghant. Ghant last appeared at the
Alliance as Leland in the Alliance’s 20thanniversary production of Blues for an Alabama Sky. He can be seen annually in the Alliance’s production of A Christmas Carol as Bob Cratchit. The role of domineering Nurse Ratched will be played by Tess Malis Kincaid. Kincaid last appeared at the Alliance as Liz Eliason in the world premiere Broke, by Janece Shaffer, and as Barbara in August: Osage County. Both roles earned her the Suzi Bass Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play. The show starts September 20 and runs through the 20th. Tickets start at $20 and are available at www. alliancetheatre.org/cuckoo.
The ad appears on one of Calvin Klein’s most visible advertising spaces in New York City, on the corner of Houston Street and Lafayette Street, one of the busiest intersections in Manhattan.
jailed for life was overturned. Crowds in the countries’ capital Kampala, danced, sang and waved rainbow flags at the event, at the conclusion of a week of celebrations. One attendee stated: “he hoped it
would be a step forward for Uganda.” The the road to LGBT acceptance has a long way to go. A majority of people in Uganda strongly oppose gay rights, homosexuality remains punishable with a jail sentence. US President Barack Obama spoke out in favor of gay rights in Africa on his recent visit to the continent but many African leaders have argued homosexuality is not part of African culture. Last year, Uganda’s supreme court annulled anti-gay legislation allowing for life imprisonment for “aggravated homosexuality” and banning the “promotion of
homosexuality” last year. One of those marching, Moses Kimbugwe, said: “It is about trying to show the wider community that violence, discrimination, harassment, stigma against LGBT people is bad. He went on to say: “So we are here to send a message to the wider population that we do exist, and we want rights like any other Ugandan.” One of the organisers, Richard Lusimbo, told the AFP news agency: “For us, this is a celebration of who we are.” Events earlier this week included a transgender awareness day and a “Mr and Miss Pride” beauty pageant.
POP CULTURE
For this edition of Pop Culture we’re highlighting 6 Film/TV Characters that we love & the gay actors that portray them:
Jim Parsons
Cynthia Nixon
Matt Bomer
Sheldon Cooper – The Big Bang Theory Even though Sheldon has been described as “asexual” and “aromantic”, he has still been in a relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler, who he found on a dating website.
Miranda Hobbes – Sex and the City Miranda Hobbes is amongst the famous four ladies that graced the streets of New York City. She was married to Steve Brady the last time we saw her.
Neal Caffrey – White Collar Neal Caffrey is an ex-white collar conman who has been arrested by the FBI, but released with one stipulation: that he assist the FBI in catching and arresting the nation’s most high-profile white-collar criminals.He’s had multiple relationships in the show with women, even breaking out of prison once to visit one of them.
Jim Parsons, however, is openly gay and has been with his partner, art director Todd Spiewak, for the past 11 years.
Cynthia Nixon began dating education activist Christine Marinoni in 2004 and the couple married in NYC in 2012. Together, the couple have one son, born to Marinoni in 2011. Nixon identifies herself as bisexual
Matt Bomer has three sons with his husband, publicist Simon Halls, whom he married in 2011.
Jonathan Groff
Raven-Symoné
Jonathan Bennett
Jesse St. James is the king of the rival glee club to McKinley High School’s New Direction. In an attempt to eliminate the competition, he seduces New Direction’s star performer Rachel Berry into a relationship.
Raven Baxter – That’s So Raven Raven Baxter is an energetic, sassy, psychic teenager who catches glimpses or “visions” of the future but hardly ever the moments leading up to the event. Her shenanigans with her friends to try to lead up to the event often concludes in humorous results.
Aaron Samuels – Mean Girls Aaron Samuels, the previous boyfriend of head Plastic Regina George was definitely the teen heartthrob of this crazy school.
Jonathan Groff, who is actually best friends with Lea Michele, has been a Broadway star ever since he was a child. In 2009, he officially came out as gay during the National Equality March. 42: August 14, 2015
Raven-Symoné announced in 2014 to Oprah Winfrey that she was happily in an “amazing” relationship with her female partner.
Jonathan Bennett was accidentally outed by Dancing With The Star’s Julianne Hough, who commented on the fact that he is, indeed, a proud gay man.