Fenuxe Magazine - Hello Spring Issue 14-03

Dishing with Tan Mom and Adam Barta

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_SANTI_ Gets the Fiesta Started

The Duo Discuss their New Show, #THEDISH, Premiering New Episodes this Month on Tubi-TV

By Jamie Booth

“PerreON,” the debut single from hunky gender-bending artist SANTI_ is a Latino dance anthem that combines house music with reggaeton elements and pays homage to perreo, a way of dancing to reggaeton that simulates having sex. “For Latinos, perreo is a sick ass urban music party,” _SANTI_ explains. “PerreOn is meant to embody that feeling of anticipation we feel all over our bodies when we know we are going out to tear it up at the clubs.”

_SANTI_ recorded ‘PerreON’ in Los

Angeles after he learned his shoot with designer Sho Konishi was in the pages of Japan’s Vogue Magazine. “It was a very happy surprise and I was feeling like a bad bitch, spitting out verses about how I didn’t need a crown to be a queen. I was high on life and from that joy sprang PerreON!”

_SANTI_ was born and raised in Venezuela by a strong single mother. His father passed away when he was ten. As a child, he recalls writing music and dancing and singing in

front of the mirror, dreaming to one day be on stage. “Growing up gay in a machismo country like Venezuela was hard,” he recalls, “but so was life under the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro.”

At 18, _SANTI_ escaped the tyranny of Venezuela, immigrating to the USA with only 300 dollars in his pocket. “It was not easy, but my early struggles made me a hard-working hustler.”

His early life is very much reflected in his music today. Many of the

original songs on _SANTI_’s soonto-be-released full-length album touch on his culture and experiences as an immigrant, as well as being a flamboyant kid and misfit.

He is inspired by LGBTQ+ artists like Kim Petras. In fact, _SANTI_ has recorded his own version of her album, Slut Pop, with his original raps added. “I love everything about Kim Petras and her music,” _SANTI_ explains. “’Treat me like a Slut’ is such a dirty song and speaks so much to who I am. I just thought that the only way it could sound even dirtier was in Spanish!”

His fans on social media agree. So much so that _SANTI_ was encouraged to make five more Spanglish Slut Pop covers. “It’s been

fun to put my own personality and take on the tracks,” he says.

Being an independent artist is hard but _SANTI_ has immersed himself into the whole creative process. In addition to writing all of his original music, he shoots and edits his album covers and produces, directs, choreographs and styles his music videos.

For the “PerreON” music video, _SANTI_ wanted to pair the city of Miami with some of the leading urban fashion design houses of today. He wears looks from Patrick Church, Lucas Stowe, Sho Konishi, and FBMT. “Fashion has always been important to me,” _SANTI_ says. “I love to sew and alter my clothing to express my individualism and to make statements.

It’s a way for me to show the world that I can wear dresses, skirts and heels and still be masculine. I can paint my nails and still be sexy as hell.”

His main goal is to be a positive representative for the LGBTQ+ Latino community and to be a voice for all young gays, misfits and weirdos fighting to live life as their true authentic selves.

_SANTI_’s new single, “PerreON,” will be available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms on March 10.

Follow on Instagram @ _SANTI_

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IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:

 Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

ABOUT BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.

Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:

 dofetilide

 rifampin

 any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY

Tell your healthcare provider if you:

 Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

 Have any other health problems.

 Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.

 Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

 Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

 BIKTARVY and other medicines may a ect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:

 Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.

 Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.

 Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.

 Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

 Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

 The most common side e ects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%). These are not all the possible side e ects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.

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.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY

Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION

 This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

 Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5

 If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, and KEEP ASPIRING are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date:

Creep of the WEEK Anti-Trans Bills

I just read an article about the murder of Brianna Ghey, a transgender teenager found stabbed to death in a park in England. As NBC reports, Ghey had “visible stab wounds” and, just in case you didn’t think this story could get any worse, “Police said they have arrested two teenagers, both 15 years old, on suspicion of the murder.” My god. These are children. All of them. Perhaps many in the U.S. have become numb to stories about kids killing kids (our legislators certainly have), but this is truly horrific. I don’t have any further details about the suspects. I don’t know if they did it and I don’t know why they did it if they are, indeed, guilty.

do know that scrolling through my newsfeed just about every article related to transgender people was “Texas Governor backs transgender ban for college sports” and “South Dakota governor signs bill prohibiting gender-affirming treatment for transgender minors” and “Ban on health care for transgender youth passed by Utah Legislature” and “Arizona Rep. proposes anti- transgender ‘women’s bill of rights.’”

It goes on and on. State legislatures across the country are fixated on harming transgender people. Every single one of these measures, as well as the anti- trans rhetoric fueling debate on the issue, serves to spread the message that transgender people are, at best, “icky” and, at worst, subhuman and dangerous.

Reading about Brianna Ghey’s murder surrounded by these stories really crystalizes the reality that every politician who introduces anti-trans bills, every religious leader who portrays trans people as evil, every school board member who demands books about transgender people

be yanked from school libraries, every media talking head who uses their platform to dehumanize trans people — they all contribute to a culture of violence where transgender people are unsafe. Which is, of course, the point. What was it that Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said about “self- deportation”? That if we make the lives of immigrants horrible enough they’ll just leave on their own?

That’s what is being advocated for trans people: self-erasure. And anti-trans bigots don’t care if that erasure manifests itself as staying in the closet or ends in death by suicide or murder. And as Gillian Branstetter, a communications strategist at the American Civil Liberties Union, points out on Twitter, in places that lack self-ID laws — meaning transgender people cannot legally change their IDs, including their names — transgender people are further marginalized when newspapers print their “real” names and use the wrong pronouns. Families can essentially do the same if they did not accept or support their dead relative’s identity.

“Trans people like Brianna are fighting to tell the truth when the whole world wants us to tell a lie,” Branstetter posted to Twitter. “We are routinely censored and penalized for that truth. And too often our death is seen as an opportunity — by police, the media, and even our own families — to erase that truth.”

Look, maybe even you, dear reader, are someone who doesn’t “get” trans people. Maybe your gender identity is so entrenched that you can’t fathom being trans or non-binary. Fine. But the thing is, you don’t have to understand someone to treat them humanely and allow them to live in dignity. You know what being human feels

by D’Anne

like and, if you’re a member of the LGB community, you know what it feels like to be dehumanized for who you are. So do trans folks. You’d think that even cisgender heterosexual people would get that most basic principle: treat others how you would like to be treated. Very basic stuff. But instead, it seems like people are allowing themselves to believe that public schools are somehow gender transition factories with teachers intent on creating a fully trans student body so that… I don’t know what the end goal is in this wild theory, actually. To destroy the very idea of gender, maybe? There’s no logic to follow, so that’s my best guess.

In an op-ed in USA Today, Vanessa and Michael Anspach, parents of a transgender child in Arizona, write about the pending anti-trans legislation in Arizona, “It’s another bill that, on its face, is aimed at harming our trans kids by instilling fear in others that schools are somehow ‘transitioning’ their kids behind their backs. It also aims to ‘protect’ adults in schools who care more about their politics than about treating others with dignity and basic human decency.”

Yep. And this is true for all of this pending legislation. It’s all bullshit. It’s the result of unserious people being elected to do a serious job for which they are unqualified and in which they are uninterested. They just want to use their power to hurt the people they don’t like. And transgender kids are getting hit hardest of all.

Witkowski

D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski

PHOTOS: X Midtown Fierce Friday Brooke Lynn Hytes

Photos by: Russ Youngblood

PHOTOS: X Midtown Fierce Friday Brooke Lynn Hytes

Photos by: Russ Youngblood

Helen Mirren goes to ‘Switzerland’ as

Patricia Highsmith

by Romeo San Vicente

Deep Inside Hollywood

Deep Inside Hollywood

There have been plenty of Patricia Highsmith literary efforts adapted for TV and film, but now comes a new twist: a fictional story starring the celebrated lesbian author herself, played by Helen Mirren. Dame HM will star in the film “Switzerland” from director Anton Corbijn (“Control”), in a story reminiscent of her popular thrillers. Set in the Swiss Alps later in Highsmith’s life, her quiet life is interrupted by a literary agent trying to convince her to write one more novel in the Ripley (as in “The Talented Mr.”) series. From that moment on, art and life become one and things get dangerous and weird. We love a lesbian high concept, we love Helen Mirren, and we love the queer treachery of the Ripley stories. Casting is still underway, but we’re ready for this one to take our money.

Think back to that flash of a moment in 2017’s live-action remake of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast , the one where it seemed that Gaston’s (Luke Evans) sidekick LeFou (Josh Gad) was, in effect, coming out as gay. We call it a flash because if you blinked you missed it – that is, if you don’t count the constant thread of LeFou having a wild crush on Gaston – but that’s another complaint for another day. It’s canon now: LeFou is gay (but keep up, Gad is heterosexual and Evans is the gay actor, just for the record). Now that you have all that background you can know that Disney+ is developing a six-part prequel series about the two characters and how they came to be such a villainous team. It’ll also be musical, with songs from veteran Beauty composer Alan Menken. And we’re just telling Disney now, because we’ll all be watching from the social-distancing comfort of our homes and paying very close attention that LeFou better stay very, very, very gay or there will be a riot.

Colman Domingo gives in to ‘The Madness’

The Baby-Sitters Club comes to Netflix

“Fear the Walking Dead” star Colman Domingo — who, by the way, also has an Emmy for “Euphoria” — has had a run of memorable supporting turns in acclaimed films like “Selma” and “If Beale Street Could Talk.” He will soon star as gay civil rights icon Bayard Rustin in the Netflix film “Rustin” and has another project on the horizon. Netflix has given a series order to “The Madness,” a conspiracy thriller about a media pundit who happens upon a murder in the Poconos. From that point he has to solve the crime, clear his name and fight for his life. No word yet on other cast or when the series will drop but it’s certain to be appointment viewing. We’ve been fans since he and Kate McKinnon were on “The Big Gay Sketch Show,” so it’s especially thrilling to see this talented actor’s star continue to rise.

Kids’ literature is no stranger to independent-minded tomboy characters created by talented and thoughtful lesbian authors, such as Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh and The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin. But unlike Harriet, whose adventures spanned just two novels, The Baby-Sitters Club became an enduring series throughout the ’80s and ’90s, with a feature film version in 1995. And now comes a series from Netflix – same name, naturally – that will bring the girls up to date for a new generation. The four mains are all relative newcomers: Sophie Grace as Kristy, Shay Rudolph as Stacey, Malia Baker as Mary-Anne, and Momona Tamada as Claudia, with Alicia Silverstone and Mark Feuerstein providing grown-up support. There’s no drop date yet, but that’s Netflix for you. And while you’re waiting, there are quite literally a couple hundred books in this series, waiting to satisfy your childhood nostalgia urge.

‘Femme’ is going to turn the tables on homophobes

American Gigolo calling for Showtime

Set to debut at the Berlin International Film Festival, “Femme” looks to be the kind of satisfying queer thriller we won’t miss. The neo-noir features rising stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (“Candyman”) and George MacKay (“1917”) locked in an all-too-familiar battle. Stewart-Jarrett will play working drag queen Jules, whose life is upended by a violent homophobic attack. Later, out of drag, he encounters his attacker (MacKay) in a gay sauna and sets in motion a plan to infiltrate the man’s life to enact revenge. The debut feature of co-directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, it arrives at a very timely moment of increased anti-queer activity on the right, often specifically directed at gender non-conforming members of the LGBTQ+ community. In other words, a little fictional bashing back? Seems just the thing.

Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu takes a ‘Joy Ride’

Feeling a sense of deja-vu? Well, it’s because American Gigolo , the stylish 1980 male escort drama starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton, keeps promising to become a TV series and then just… not. In its day, the film was obsessed over for its fashionable details, as well as for its strange straddling of queer panic and queer pleasure, all while objectifying its occasionally nude star. But now comes another chance of resurrection at Showtime, where Jon Bernthal ( Ford v Ferrari ) will star as the sex worker who was framed for murder. David Hollander ( Ray Donovan ) is penning the script that updates the story to present day (and yet set only 18 years after the original story, so good luck keeping your mind wrapped around that), as the older, wiser Gigolo struggles to find his way in the modern sex industry of Los Angeles, all while trying to sort out the truth about who framed him so many years ago. We’re not holding our breath for this one because we were promised it before, but now that Showtime’s delightfully trashy reality series Gigolos is no more, there’s a vacant space in our hearts waiting for a hero.

Queer actress Stephanie Hsu, who was already familiar to us from her hilarious presence on “The

Actor and stand up comic Joel Kim Booster ( The Other Two , which he co-produces) is taking his new project to Quibi, the streaming platform for short-form series. It’s called Trip , and he’ll write, produce and star in it, a mini-sitcom about two gay friends on vacation in Fire Island. The twist here is that Trip , while ostensibly about gays doing typical gay things in a gay place, is inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (can’t wait to see who the Mr. Darcy turns out to be). This will mark Booster’s debut as a series creator, and we’re looking forward to seeing how much of his stand-up material – which sometimes involves discussions of his religious upbringing and always includes details of his life as a gay, Asian man – will make it into the final product. No matter what, it’s a trip we’re ready to take.

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and who has become beloved for her Academy Award-nominated role in “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” will hit screens again in June in the comedy “Joy Ride.” The directorial debut of Adele Lim, the screenwriter of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Raya and the Last Dragon,” it comes with a script from Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (both known for their work on “Family Guy,” with Hsiao also the creator of “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens”). Hsu and an ensemble that includes Sabrina Wu (“Dying for Sex”), Sherry Cola (“Good Trouble”) and Ashley Park (“Emily in Paris”) take an international trip through Asia to search for one of their birth mothers, with raucous results. We don’t know which Marvel or DC movie opens in June, if any, but this sounds exactly like the superhero content we really want.

Romeo San Vicente is a one-man joy ride.

Joel Kim Booster’s Trip to Quibi

Romeo San Vicente is a full round trip all by himself.

Dishing with Tan Mom and Adam Barta

The Duo Discuss their New Show, #THEDISH, Premiering New Episodes this Month on Tubi-TV

By Paul Hutnick

#THEDISH is a new reality show on Tubi TV that stars Adam Barta and Tan Mom, along with Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’s “Mama June” Shannon, YouTube sensation Cynthia Beaumont and a gaggle of RuPaul’s Drag Race drag queens. As anyone might guess, the series is gimmicky, overly dramatic and wildly absurd – and intentionally so.

“Like all reality shows, we blur the line between fact and fiction,” Adam Barta explains. “But what makes #THEDISH different is that we tip in the audience when we do.”

The show was inspired by Barta’s own botched pursuit at reality stardom. He proudly admits that he has been trying to land his own show for ten years. It’s why he got plastic surgery on Dr. Miami and danced drunk with Teresa Giudice on The Real Housewives of New Jersey. He sees #THEDISH as his chance for global stardom, however, his thirsty friends, including Tan Mom, do too; and they’re literally willing to fight him for the spotlight.

We spoke with Adam Barta and Tan Mom from their homes in Central Florida.

She is sweet and caring. We both suffer with crippling anxiety. When you see Patricia doing all the crazy antics on TV, it’s not so much her being nutty, it’s her anxiety showing itself. What I love about Patricia is that she embraces her wackiness and allows it to shine on camera, which is why she’s still relevant and being talked about on shows like Drag Race ten years later!

What were your thoughts on being parodied on this season’s Drag Race?

Tan Mom: I was ecstatic! I love the drag queens and all of their fashions. Amethyst was so great but my favorite was Loosey Laduca as Joan Rivers. I loved Joan. She read me to filth at Howard Stern’s sixtieth birthday party.

Adam Barta: I’m a little disappointed Amethyst hasn’t responded to us online. We’ve tried to connect, but with no luck. Maybe she feels bad about making fun of Patricia? Hopefully this can let her know that Tan Mom approves. We would love to have her on the next season of #THEDISH. Also, Marcia, Marcia, Marcia ‘cause we love her, love her, love her.

Patricia, you do not have the same love for your co-star on #THEDISH, the rich widow Cynthia Beaumont. Why?

Tan Mom: All I have to say about Cynthia is that the chick has no talent whatsoever. She pretends that she’s rich and she’s not. Also, her screechy voice makes me nauseous. I gave her a shot at friendship and she f’d it up. If I could, I would happily push her into a pool, housewife Boca Raton style!

the guest. I completely forgot to let Patricia know that I had promised June she could do it so when June started, Patricia was not having it and she began yelling like a banshee. I cut Patricia’s live feed which made her even more angry. It became a comedy of errors.

How much of what we see on #THEDISH is real?

Adam Barta: The thing with #THEDISH is, it is in essence a reality show, so about 90% of what you see actually did happen. Tan Mom’s fights with Cynthia, arguing with June on the Debbie Gibson special and missing the photoshoot were are all 100% real.

Oh yes, the photoshoot. Patricia, why were you so late for your photoshoot?

Tan Mom: I had just got out of the hospital and I was very sick from the anesthesia. Everyone thinks you recover quickly from anesthesia, but as you get older, the body becomes less tolerant to it. I was so sick, but we had planned the shoot for over a week with the crew, so we couldn’t cancel.

Adam Barta: In all honesty, and Patricia is probably just learning this now, we could have rescheduled the shoot. What we do with #THEDISH is we take relatively mundane dramas and elevate them. It’s like when you are watching the Housewives and they’re flipping tables. That stuff wouldn’t happen naturally. The producers are in the background riling up the cast. Tan Mom, sick as a dog, was a great opportunity to film some fun footage.

Can you forgive Adam?

Tan Mom: Oh, yes. I’ve known Adam for over ten years. I’ve seen him grow as an actor and singer and now as a producer, and what I love is that Adam doesn’t take sh-t from anyone anymore. It took a long time for him to get this spot and I couldn’t be prouder of him. Adam is family.

How did you two meet?

Tan Mom: We met at a restaurant in Patterson, NJ, after Adam’s first viral hit song with Octomom. At the time, I was partying a lot. I thought Adam was so cute and I didn’t know that he was gay! I went to kiss his neck and he was like, umm, what the f- is she doing? The rest is history.

Adam Barta: It was clear that Patricia and I had great chemistry together, just not in that way. Our comedy styles are similar. We both love satire and parody mixed with a dash of cringe. Patricia as Tan Mom has become something of a muse for me.

Is that why you wanted her to part of #THEDISH?

Adam Barta: Definitely. Patricia has the “IT” factor for TV. And in real life, she is pretty fascinating.

Adam Barta: As a producer on #THEDISH, Patricia’s hatred of Cynthia Beaumont is a dream come true as it makes for great TV. As a close friend to both, it’s disconcerting. I think they clash simply because they are both from New Jersey and they have Jersey-sized personalities. One thing we get a glimpse at in this season of #THEDISH is how much of a diva Patricia can really be.

What are your feelings for the rest of the cast on #THEDISH?

Tan Mom: They are all wonderful. I love the drag queens, especially Tammie Brown who is hilarious. I think Mama June is a really nice person. Do I consider her an actress? Not at all. She is about as good an actress as I am a singer.

Tan Mom gets into a spat with Mama June in the show. What’s that about?

Adam Barta: That fight was kind of my fault. We had Debbie Gibson booked as a special guest on #THEDISH, and Mama June is a huge fan and wanted to be the one to announce Debbie on the show. At the time, Patricia was co-host on #THEDISH and it was really her job to introduce