Flame Magazine Dec 2014 by FLAME Magazine

JOSH FORTUNA THE 12 KINKS OF CHRISTMAS

//PUBLISHER Peter Rayes PETER@FLAME-MAG.COM //MANAGING EDITOR Austin VanKirk AUSTIN@FLAME-MAG.COM //DIGITAL EDITOR Rachel Mann WEB@FLAME-MAG.COM //ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Dorothy “Joan” Stevenson JOAN@FLAME-MAG.COM //MEDIA RELATIONS COORDINATOR LeeAnn Connelly MEDIA@FLAME-MAG.COM //LOCAL ADVERTISING Peter Rayes ADVERTISING@FLAME-MAG.COM //NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 SALES@RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM //PHOTOGRAPHERS Alejandro Garza Murray Grondin Tony Lowe //CONTRIBUTORS Tony Lowe Joan Stevenson Rachel Mann Austin VanKirk //GRAPHIC DESIGN PR Solutions 429 Livernois Street Second Floor Ferndale, MI 48220 313.757.2624 Copyright © 2014. FM MEDIA GROUP LLC. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE PUBLISHER OR STAFF. NO PART OF FLAME, INCLUDING STORIES, ARTWORK, ADVERTISING, OR PHOTOS MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM BY ANY MEANS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT FROM FM MEDIA GROUP LLC. FLAME MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY FM MEDIA GROUP LLC. FLAME MAGAZINE WILL NOT ACCEPT ADVERTISING WHICH IS FOUND TO VIOLATE LOCAL, STATE, OR FEDERAL LAW. THE PRESENCE OF THE NAME, LIKENESS, PHOTOGRAPH, OR OTHER REPRESENATION OF AN ORGANIZATION, BUSINESS, OR PERSON(S) IN FLAME MAGAZINE IS NOT AN INDICATION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

CONTENTS

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CARY NOKEY PURSUES THE “AMERICAN DREAM” SOUND CHECK

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DECEMBER 2014

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STRAIGHT GIRL GAY WORLD

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOAN

JOSH FORTUNA

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

Check out the 12 Kinks of Christmas weekend lineup on pages 12-13!

THE 12 KINKS OF CHRISTMAS

TO MEME A PREDATOR

CHRIS ISAAK HOLIDAY TOUR DECEMBER 12

CHRISETTE MICHELE DECEMBER 18

KATHY GRIFFIN JANUARY 22 SOUNDBOARDDETROIT.COM

JOINS THE RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE TOUR IN 2015 AS OPENING ACT Written by Jamie Wirth Photos: CaryNoKey.com

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SOUND CHECK

CARY NOKEY PURSUES THE “AMERICAN DREAM”

“Today’s American Dream isn’t about achieving goals. It’s about doing what you got to do to get by,” explains Cary Nokey frontman Rob Fusari. “No one wants to earn anything anymore. We expect everything to be handed to us. The new American dream is a lottery ticket.” Before launching Cary NoKey, Fusari (who goes by the name Cary now) was a famous record producer. Most notably, he produced Lady Gaga’s Grammy winning The Fame album. He also produced smash hits for Destiny’s Child (“No, No, No” and “Bootylicious”), Whitney Houston (“Love That Man”), and Will Smith (“Wild Wild West”).

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“On the outside it seemed like I had everything but I was never able to understand or accept certain elements that existed in me,” he admits. Everything changed once the dormant decadent rockstar awakened and Cary NoKey was born. Cary NoKey is more than a musical experience. It is a visually mesmerizing show featuring punked out Elton John-esque piano skills and explosive keytar riffs. The music is a roller coaster ride through the 80’s with influences from Prince, David Bowie, Thomas Dolby and a touch of 90’s Kurt Cobain. Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race will get to experience it when Cary NoKey joins the 2015 tour as

the opening act. “American Dream” is the bands third release. It has a saturated, gluey sound – as if recorded on 2-inch tape – and offers a gutwrenching commentary on the bleak state of the American dream. The one group Cary excludes from society’s rampant acedia is the trans community. He points to them as the few still willing to fight to obtain their desire. It’s why he chose to feature trans actresses Trace Lysette, Dina Marie, Victoria Beltran and Bailey Jay in the music video for American Dream.

Like when Glinda the Good Witch says to Dorothy after she clicks her ruby slippers, ‘You’ve always had the power’. Pre-transitional transsexuals know they have to fight to release the truth that hides beneath the uniform the world forces them wear. The moment we each find our own personal ‘I have to’ is when life really begins.” That is how it has been for Cary. “Cary NoKey was always there inside,” he explains. “I simply needed to find the courage to embrace my glam American Dream”. To learn more, visit www.carynokey.com. //

“Transsexuals represent the larger idea that the American dream is something within.

DECEMBER 2014

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STRAIGHT GIRL GAY WORLD FLAME //

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS Written by Rachel Mann

As you look into the mirror, tears welling up in your eyes as you see your reflection appearing more beautiful than it ever has before. Your white dress hugs your body in all the right places and brings out the rosy hue of your cheeks. The shimmer of your necklace enhances the “Today is the day I am going to marry the love of my life” glow emanating from your face. You slowly bring the elegant bouquet of deep red roses resting in your hands to your delicate nose and breathe in the scent. Behind your reflection, your maid of honor appears, placing her hands on your shoulders, telling you she is so happy for you and that you look stunning. You think about the life you have lived prior to this day and imagine the life that will unfold for you after you say, “I do.” With a smile on your face, you think about how lucky you are to be marrying your best friend. Walking down the aisle, revealing your beauty and excitement to your friends, family, and fiancé, you bring a smile to everyone’s face. At the end of the aisle, you let out a sigh of relief as you are finally able to take the hand of your soon-to-be wife. In that moment and all of the moments leading up to it, gender and sexual orientation are not factors. All that matters is that you are able to marry someone you love. You are able to celebrate that marriage in front of your loved ones. That is what is important. None of the feelings and elements change because you are a woman and you are marrying a woman. None of them would change if you were a man marrying a man, or a woman marrying a man. To marry someone who means the world to you is an honor, but it should not be a privilege. Recently, it was revealed that Michigan banned gay marriage. It is appalling to me that the majority of the people in this state still do not support this. To me, it isn’t a question of whether gay marriage should be legal, it is a question of whether love should be legal. If it’s not ethical in the eyes of our country to promote or encourage racism, I do not understand how we can continue to isolate and exclude a group of people based

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on their sexual orientation. It seems to be the same concept as discriminating due to skin color. We are all people. Isn’t that what the popular idea has been? Isn’t that the truth? It doesn’t matter what color someone is, how tall they are, how thin they are, where they were born, how much money they have, or who they choose to love and pursue a relationship with. Marriage is supposed to be a beautiful and sacred thing. It is a combination of promises to the person you love that you will do everything in your power to share your whole life with them, faithfully and lovingly. Anyone who wants to make that promise to another person should be allowed to. What I really do not understand in this whole debate is what harm gay marriage does to people that do not support it. Tell me, if a man marries a man, will your car break down? Will you get fired from your job? Will your taxes increase? Will your house get foreclosed? I have always been a firm believer in, “If it doesn’t directly affect me or someone I love, I am okay with it.” I don’t understand how we can continue to breed hatred, even if it isn’t in an “extreme” form—excluding gay people from the right to marriage is wrong. As I said before, marriage should be first and foremost viewed as a promise and most definitely not a privilege. I will say that over the years, I have personally witnessed people around me, who used to oppose gay marriage, begin to shift gears and perspectives. I have hope that in time, the majority will be supportive instead of opposing. I have seen gay and lesbian couples that I know express their exasperation with Michigan’s reluctance to legalize gay marriage. I have seen couples spend an insane amount of money to travel to New York to get married. I have seen couples be forced to greatly sacrifice elements of their dream wedding in order to afford travel expenses to get married in a state where gay marriage is legal. I have even seen couples say that if Michigan doesn’t legalize gay marriage soon, they will move out of the state entirely, not to move somewhere where it

is legal, but to move to a state that doesn’t make them feel isolated. That’s what people who are against gay marriage fail to care about: the way it makes gay people feel. In my opinion, if gay marriage isn’t legal, no marriage should be legal. Wouldn’t that be eye opening? Maybe then people who oppose would be able to empathize with the feelings they care so little about. I truly hope that one day (soon, hopefully) anyone, regardless of gender, will be able to enter into the honor of marriage. There is nothing more exciting than the feelings that rush through you as you look at your reflection in the mirror, noticing that special glow on your face right before you walk down the aisle to make a promise and commitment to someone you want to spend your life with. It doesn’t matter what your reflection looks like, or what the person waiting for you at the end of that aisle looks like. All that matters is that moment and your love. //

WORLD ACCORDING TO JOAN FLAME //

TO MEME A PREDATOR Written by Joan Stevenson

Bill Cosby was a big part of my life when I was a kid. He was kind of a big deal in our house. One of the first African Americans to be a major star on television in the 1960s with the espionage drama thriller, “I Spy.” We had several of his comedy albums that I listened to so many times I could recite the routines by heart. I still quote them even to this day. If you were a child of the 70s, you grew up watching “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” on Saturday mornings, learning life lessons and having fun along the way, but if you were a child of the 80s, the main role he will most be known for is Dr. Cliff Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.” Cliff and Claire Huxtable represented the ideal of a successful Black upper middle class family and left a huge imprint on American popular culture for decades- that is why it’s difficult for many to hear that Bill Cosby, America’s funnyman is allegedly a sexual predator. The first time a public allegation was made against Cosby was in 2005. Andrea Constandt, a former employee of Temple University, Cosby’s alma mater, reported to police that Cosby drugged her and sexually assaulted her in his home. Shortly after Andrea’s charges, another woman, Tamara Green came forward about an incident with Cosby that occurred decades earlier where she was also drugged and assaulted by Cosby; she did not come forward at the time because she was only 19 and she was convinced no one would believe her. Ultimately the district attorney in Andrea’s case chose not to press charges against Cosby for lack of evidence. Andrea then filed a civil suit against him, charging Cosby with assault and battery and seeking $150,000 in damages. Also included in her civil suit was testimony from 13 women listed as “Jane Doe” witnesses who were ready to testify to their involvement with Mr. Cosby. These women all had similar stories of their experiences. In 2006, Cosby settled the case for an undisclosed amount, but settling the case meant that the other victims would not have to testify. After that, some of these women went public with their stories, but no charges could be brought because the statute of limitations had run out and there was no tangible evidence. One of the women who came forward with her story at that time was Barbara Bowman. Barbara told her story to several outlets, but the atmosphere was “he said/she said” and the media (as well as Cosby’s camp) was more than happy to let the story die.

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These allegations were kept very low key until recently when stand up comedian Hannibal Burress flat out called Bill Cosby a rapist during a performance that was recorded and put on the internet. The video went viral putting the allegations front and center again. He assured the audience that he was not joking about this and urged them to Google Cosby rape. Because of that viral video, interest in Cosby’s misdeeds is back in the news once again. Survivor Barbra Bowman was once again approached to give a detailed account of her experience. She also published an article in the Washington Post website titled, “Bill Cosby Raped Me. Why Did It Take 30 Years For People To Believe My Story?” Why indeed? It’s hard enough in this “blame the victim” culture for men and women who have been victimized to come forward, but when the abuser is someone with wealth, power and position, who would be believed? Why in this society are victims treated like this? They have to bear the burden of proof as well as the shame, embarrassment and sometimes even harassment of a system that should be there to support them in finding justice, not making everything worse. Why has it taken so long for this to come to a point where it’s begun to be taken seriously? It’s because no one wants to believe that good ‘ole Doc Huxtable could ever be capable of such heinous behavior and because society has a problem with victims of rape and sexual assault. After an attack, victims of rape and sexual assault are dealing with a string of emotions: self-loathing, depression, isolation, and loss of confidence to name but a few. Add victim blaming/shaming, as well as the fear that they will not believed or taken seriously on top of that. These are the reasons why victims don’t come forward- especially male victims. As hard as it is for female victims to come forward, it is just as hard for men. Men are far less prone to report incidents of rape or sexual assault than women. I’ve always wondered why victims are the ones treated like second-class citizens. The atmosphere should be one of support and praise for anyone who stands up and exposes their attacker, not making them feel as if they deserved what happened or that it’s their fault. Why are victims treated that way? Why? AND, why is such a heavy burden placed on the adult victims?

If it had been a child instead of an adult that had come forward, how quickly would this matter have been taken seriously? I wonder. Think about that- If 14 children had come forward and said they had been drugged and sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby, there would have been an instant shit-storm. There would have been no lawsuit settlement designed to sweep allegations under the rug. Every move he made would have been scrutinized; his entire life would have been picked apart. There would have been no place for Cosby to hide. Predators live in the dark. They feed and grow on secrets and lies. They count on their victims’ silence. Predators should not have the luxury of hiding in the silence of their victims even if they are one of America’s most beloved entertainers. This “blame the victim” mindset needs to stop. Victims of rape and sexual assault should have the proper support they need to bring their attackers to justice. Society should embrace those brave enough to stand up, not throw them under the bus. If you have ever been the victim of a rape or a sexual assault, you need to tell someone. It doesn’t matter if you’re straight or gay or transgender. If you were assaulted, you need to tell someone. It doesn’t matter who it is- if they attacked you, you need to get help. You need to tell someone. What’s sad is that in the Cosby case nothing can be done to get justice for the victims. All they can do is share their stories. Bill Cosby will never publicly admit nor pay for his crimes. Well at least not in a court of law, but the court of public opinion has spoken. In what I’m sure was an effort to elevate his image, a few weeks ago Cosby’s PR team added a meme generator to his website which gave you several photos of Bill that you could write your own slogans on to create a meme to post on the internet. People wasted no time in going after the entertainer in no uncertain terms. One such posting was a picture of Bill giving one of his trademarked silly smiles and an upward eye roll. On that picture someone wrote, “That feeling you get when you’re America’s most beloved serial rapist.” Shortly several of these types of memes began popping up on the net and trending on twitter under the hash tag #Cosbymeme, the meme generator was quickly removed from the website, but you know nothing disappears after it’s been on the Internet, right? Oops! Sorry Bill! Have a pudding pop; I’m sure that will cheer you up! //

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CLUB GOLD COAST / SIN DECEMBER 2014

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GIGI’S

MENJO’S 22//

DECEMBER 2014