Flame Magazine Feb 2015

CAMERON SCOTT YOUR VALENTINE. YOU’RE WELCOME.

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BILLY Winn’s CAMERON Double SCOTT YOUR VALENTINE. YOU’RE Trouble WELCOME. SOUND CHECK

Billy Winn presents a unique sound all his own in his latest record, a double release from Kaleidosphere Records featuring the singles “Cruel Intentions” and “He Won’t Do”. He dubs the sound Urban Electro: a mix of pop, heavy

More than the drag queen on stage, the boys sipping their light beers, and the DJ playing today’s recent hits, is the bartender who fuels all of our thoughts of love and party.

A bartender is the glue that pulls all of the other nightlife elements together, just one

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WHat If?

STRAIGHT GIRL GAY WORLD “Happy Valentine’s Day, honey,” my boyfriend says as he hands me a box of chocolates bigger than my torso. I smile, wondering whether to be more excited about the gesture or the temptation of “What flavors are in the box?”

When I open the box, each year, I am still delighted to see that he somehow managed to pick a box of chocolates that con-

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THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOAN

into one of two camps this time of year: there are those who hate the holiday and everything it stands for (maybe cynical or bitter), and then there are those who immerse themselves in chocolate hearts and stuffed bears given and received from their loved one(s) (hyper-affect-

What Would I’ll never get married Martin Luther King BECOME WHO YOU ARE So, sure, Valentine’s Day is Do? coming up. Folks usually fall I recently attended a screening for the film Selma which is about the challenges that Martin Luther King, Jr. and several civil right activists faced while organizing and carrying out

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FLAME // SOUND CHECK

BILLY WINN’S DOUBLE TrOUBLE Written by Mark Dawson

Billy Winn presents a unique sound all his own in his latest record, a double release from Kaleidosphere Records featuring the singles “Cruel Intentions” and “He Won’t Do”. He dubs the sound Urban Electro: a mix of pop, heavy dance, R&B and a sampling of electronica.

The record begins with “Cruel Intentions”, a song Winn calls his personal favorite. With its heavy electronic influences, its groove speaks to today’s young listeners, as does its storyline. “The song is not about having cruel intentions,” Winn clarifies.

“It’s more about how situations can sometimes lead down that road. Personally, I don’t have cruel intentions toward anyone, but I’m sure I have been

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someone else’s villain just as unbeknownst to them, someone has been mine.”

“He Won’t Do”, a slick, cocky track about ex lovers not quite finished with one another (even though one is in a new relationship) weaves a similar tale. Winn says the lovers in the song don’t mean to cause harm. Human nature has taken over; their emotions have kicked in. The lovers are confused about who they are and what their relationship is supposed to be.

“They’re the kind of topics Prince explored in his songs,” says the singer from his home in Washington D.C. He counts the iconic artist as an influence. “I wanted to play around with what love is, because I think people tend to throw the idea of it around casually. Too often, we mistakenly call something love that really isn’t.”

The situations Winn explores in his songs are definitely not love. Actually, he makes a point to never say the word. Even the first line in “Future X Boyfriend”, his debut single that hit the top 20 on the Billboard charts last summer, is ‘You know as well as I do this ain’t about L.O.V.E.’ with each letter spelled out.

enabled him to realize who he is and who he’d like to become. “It’s allowed me to feel comfortable with myself and to share with others and inspire them to be them.”

As a boy, Winn was often bullied because of his voice. Kids would say he spoke like a girl and acted gay. At the time, he had no real idea what they meant but he associated ‘gay’ with something wrong. He tried to speak in a lower register and he was careful not to use effeminate words that might trigger ridicule. Unfortunately, the teasing didn’t stop. Luckily, he was able to lean on a large family who appreciated their imaginative, artsy kid— and did not try to stifle his creativity. In fact, they persuaded him to stand out: something he works hard to do today.

“There are so many artists out there who look alike, sound alike, and make the same kind of music,” he says.

“I don’t want yo look or sound like

anybody else. I don’t want to be the next anyone. I want to be the first Billy Winn.”

He’s also more than his music. “I’m a science and history geek. I can spend all day watching the History channel.

I love learning about outer space, dinosaurs, and ancient cultures like the Greeks and the Egyptians. If I’m not watching a science documentary, then I’m watching cartoons.”

In his music, he tries to showcase all the things that make him unique.

“Hopefully, people appreciate it,” he says. “If they don’t, that’s on them. I ain’t changing.”

Billy Winn’s “Cruel Intentions/He Won’t Do” double single will be available on iTunes February 9, 2015 from Ferocious Music/Kaleidosphere Records.

For more information, visit BillyWinn. com or follow him on Facebook.

“When I decided to make a dance record, I didn’t want to simply do party songs,” says Winn. “I wanted to tell stories with substance. I write about things I have experienced or that my friends have experienced: things I think fans can relate to.”

Winn started writing songs when he was twelve. He began composing catchy pop and R&B melodies with big choruses.

When he recorded them, however, he felt something was missing. His producer Raynier Hodnett encouraged him to step outside his box and experiment with other sounds, particularly electronic and dance music. It clicked right away.

“I realized what was missing in my music was energy and freedom,” explains Winn. He says dance has

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CAMERON SCOTT YOUR VALENTINE. YOU’RE WELCOME Written by Tony Lowe Photos by Tony Lowe

More than the drag queen on stage, the boys sipping their light beers, and the DJ playing today’s recent hits, is the bartender who fuels all of our thoughts of love and party. A bartender is the glue that pulls all of the other nightlife elements together, just one among many other titles that are pressed upon them by patrons in their (mostly drunken) moments of need.

Cameron is all of that and more. With a lot of sass, as most—if not all—bartenders should have, Cameron is a bright (glittery) light in a loud, dark, blurry, sloppy world just trying to make it on its own.

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FLAME // FEATURE: CAMERON SCOTT

What is it like to be a bartender at Necto?

Bartending at Necto is a lot like “going to Necto.” It’s a high-energy venue that has been doing its thing for such a long time, and it’s really cool to be a part of it. Everyone is there to have a great time and our job (behind the bar) is to kind of just help out with that.

We recently got bar menus to help people find something new that they might like, from shots to signature mixed drinks. It makes my life easier when someone asks, “What is fruity and cheap?” Rather than raising an eyebrow and saying “You,” I can throw them a menu, raise an eyebrow, and say “menu.” I work with some really cool people too, and my favorite part of the shift is when we are all decompressing in the office talking about our nights. We have the best stories...

Bartenders, in general, see a lot of goofy stuff.

What is it like to be a bartender at Necto?

Bartending at Necto is a lot like “going to Necto.” It’s a high-energy venue that has been doing its thing for such a long time, and it’s really cool to be a part of it. Everyone is there to have a great time and our job (behind the bar) is to kind of just help out with that.

We recently got bar menus to help people find something new that they might like, from shots to signature mixed drinks. It makes my life easier when someone asks, “What is fruity and cheap?” Rather than raising an eyebrow and saying “You,” I can throw them a menu, raise an eyebrow, and say “menu.” I work with some really cool people too, and my favorite part of the shift is when we are all decompressing in the office talking about our nights. We have the best stories...

Bartenders, in general, see a lot of goofy stuff.

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What separates Necto from everyone else?

What’s your favorite part of being a bartender?

Necto is such an Ann Arbor institution, and has really become a go-to LGBTQ destination in Michigan. It is gay owned and operated and is constantly giving back to the community. We are involved in MotorCity Pride and local events like Aut Fest. I think it is important to actively give back to the community that supports you. It’s a place that isn’t afraid to change with the times and adapt to the changes.

We recently started doing large drag shows on Fridays featuring many of Rupaul’s Drag Race stars. Untucked is a monthly drag show that we recently started featuring on Sundays. Not to mention we have an amazing happy hour. From 9-11 we feature half-off everything save for fishbowls and bomb shots. It’s really important for us to try new things and to keep it fresh.

My favorite part about being a bartender is watching all the drunkies gather up their lives at 2:30AM; shaking the glitter out of their weaves, searching for their phones, buttoning up their shirts haphazardly while reapplying lip gloss, and asking all the important questions like “Does NYPD take personal checks?” It’s never a dull moment. Performance art at its finest.

Friday nights at Necto are desertthemed, the thirst is just so real. Don’t get me wrong, I love bartending and I have a blast during my Friday night shift, but I graduated in December of 2013 from U of M and I’m just figuring out where my life is going to take me. The great thing about bartending is that it is a skill that could take you across the world. If I wanted, I could up and move to Bangkok and find a job as a bartender and live a pretty comfortable life before moving to the next destination. It’s great for spontaneous extroverts such as myself. I get paid to pour things in a cup and say terrible stuff to people that makes them smile.

There is a ridiculous amount of history here, too. My best friend’s dad used to play rock gigs at “The Nectarine” back in the 80’s. Things must have gotten pretty weird...

Necto has recently jumped into having special events every month, what’s coming up?

Yeah, it’s been really awesome and people get super stoked to come party with us. We recently had Willam, Latrice Royale, and Morgan McMichaels perform and do meet-and-greets. They put on an awesome show and people had a great time. Willam was a real hoot! She went outside before the doors opened to talk to people waiting in line, then she got some non-dairy froyo and shared with me. She knows I’m hungry. Anyway, there is a lot of exciting stuff coming up regarding Necto Dragster. I can’t really divulge all of our secrets, because who doesn’t love surprises? We have Adore Delano joining us Friday February 6th, and it’s gonna be a (‘til death do we) party!

Once a month, on a Sunday, Boylesque puts on a cabaret drag show called Untucked. It’s really grown since it started in November, and the shows really are a great time.

Michigan queens combine their forces and you can expect foul-mouthed antics and rainbows and unicorns.

What has been your favorite moment as a Necto bartender?

Oh man... There have seriously been so many moments. I work with some really sassy people and you can only imagine the stuff that I see on a regular basis; so many people are about “that” life. I would probably have to say Halloween though. So many people, so many creative costumes, and so much glitter...that came from me.

Everyone had such a blast and seeing them progress through the night was pretty interesting. Lips were running, eyebrows were gone, and wigs were on the sides of heads. Gay Halloween is always just so over-the-top, campy, and fun. It’s like gay fashion week, but with even less eating.

You can catch Cameron at Necto Pride every Friday night and on Sunday, February 15 for a Motor City Pride benefit with RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 7 stars Violet Chachki & Pearl.

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What If? Written by Rachel Mann

FLAME //

“Happy Valentine’s Day, honey,” my boyfriend says as he hands me a box of chocolates bigger than my torso.

I smile, wondering whether to be more excited about the gesture or the temptation of “What flavors are in the box?”

When I open the box, each year, I am still delighted to see that he somehow managed to pick a box of chocolates that contained a label with each candy. “That way you don’t have to bite into them to find out what flavor they are.” Even though I expect it, and even though it’s something completely arbitrary like labeled chocolates on Valentine’s Day, it doesn’t get any less thoughtful.

I’ve never been the kind of girl to hold tightly to too many profound traditions—I like my traditions to be simple things—little details that I love so much that I want to continue to experience them. Still, I know that there are certain things my boyfriend and I would do on Valentine’s Day and things we would not do. For instance, both of us hate being in large crowds of people, so we never go out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. Instead, we eat at home. Sometimes he cooks for me and sometimes I cook for him.

If we go somewhere on Valentine’s Day, it’s never somewhere typical.

Last year, we spent our day driving around back roads, talking about nonsense, and losing track of time. We stopped at a hole-in-the-wall diner and ate at their buffet. The restaurant was completely silent and reminded me of a retirement community. The strange atmosphere and less than impressive food didn’t matter to me though. We were there on a whim.

We were there to make a memory.

This year, we are going to an event in northern Michigan where we will probably do some ice fishing, walk around, and participate in raffles. I’ve never been to the event before, so I’m not completely sure what to ex-

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pect. The only thing I am positive of is that whatever happens, we will be making memories.

Reflecting on my Valentine’s Day plans and traditions this year has led me to an interesting thought: What would my Valentine’s Day be like if I had a girlfriend rather than a boyfriend? What would be different? Would anything be different, or would it all be the same? Of course, if I were to walk into a diner in the middle of nowhere only having found said restaurant by aimlessly roaming around back roads, hand in hand with another woman, I’m not so sure the gray-haired woman at the counter would have smiled as pleasantly at me. Most likely, if I had a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend and she were to have said, “I love you, baby” loud enough for the staff and customers in the completely silent restaurant to hear and I met her with a tender kiss and an “I love you too,” people would have stared. Some, perhaps even all of the people who heard and saw this, would be disturbed. Some might even get up in leave. Some may scoff.

The question isn’t what they would do, because that seems a bit predictable. The question is: how would I react? How would these people impact my Valentine’s Day if they were glaring at me instead of smiling? Would I say I didn’t care even though I did?

Would I say I didn’t care and actually mean it? Would I want to go home and isolate my girlfriend and I from the rest of the lovers? I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, but I like to think I would be confident enough to speak up if put in this situation and say, “Do any of you have a problem?”

On second thought, I imagine if I had a girlfriend, we probably wouldn’t have found ourselves travelling around back roads until we found a hole-inthe-wall diner. If I had a girlfriend, maybe she would be the kind of girl that wanted to go to The Melting Pot

for Valentine’s Day. Maybe she would want to get dressed up and put on heels. Maybe she would want me to humor her for just one day and do the same. And maybe, in the spirit of the holiday, I would feel compelled to go along with it to make her happy.

To be completely honest, imagining myself dating another woman isn’t very easy for me to do. Maybe because I am in love and happy with a man that I’ve built a life with, or maybe it’s simply because I am just a straight girl. Nevertheless, I think it’s important to never take a single thing in life for granted. I never want to take advantage of the fact that I can walk into a quiet room full of old people, holding hands with the love of my life, without judgment. There are plenty of gay and lesbian couples who can’t say the same, and I truly think that’s a shame.

This Valentine’s Day, though I don’t know what events are going to transpire and I’m not sure what memories are going to be made, I know that I’m going to receive a perfectly labeled box of chocolates from someone I love and I’m going to revel in every moment of it, all the while reminding myself to never take an ounce of it for granted.

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FLAME // THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOAN

What Would Martin Luther King DO? Written by Joan Stevenson

I recently attended a screening for the film Selma which is about the challenges that Martin Luther King, Jr. and several civil right activists faced while organizing and carrying out voting rights protest marches in Selma, Alabama during the Voting Rights Movement in 1965. I grew up with a little knowledge of these events and fringes of the civil rights movement. I grew up watching stock footage of protesters being sprayed with fire hoses. I grew up with the knowledge that there are people who will treat me differently because of the color of my skin, and that I should not judge or treat others that way. I grew up listening to the “I Have a Dream” and “I Have Been to the Mountaintop” speeches. But I was a child. I had a slightly vague understanding of these ideals and what they represented. As I watched the film, and watched this drama unfold, the true reality of what had happened in American history really hit me. Yes, this was a dramatization, but these events actually happened! These people actually fought this fight and they continue to fight it today. I will be honest, the first glimmer of social feeling and unrest I experienced in this vein began with the death of Trayvon Martin and continued with the “epidemic” of Black men who have been killed by white police officers in the past year, most notably, Eric Garner, John Crawford, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker, and the Ferguson riots after Michael Brown’s death. While the variables in each case were different, the results were the same. A young Black man lost his life at the hands of a white authority figure.

While I viewed the scene of the march dubbed “Bloody Sunday,” the reality of the situation hit me, and I was truly stunned by it. I watched as Alabama state troopers, beat down protesters with clubs. I watched them as they chased people down on horseback and whipped them like animals. I watched as they shot tear gas into the crowd.

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tred. It truly confuses me. While I do acknowledge it exists, it confuses me.

I was only a year old when this incident happened and the more I think about it, it truly scares me that his happened so recently in American history.

As I watched the film, and the depiction of these events I thought about all of the social unrest there has been in the Black community in the past year and the lives of the young men that have been lost and I found myself wondering if he were here now, what would Martin Luther King do? I was reminded of an episode of the TV show The Boondocks. There was an episode in the first season titled “Return of the King.” It was a “what if” story. It went with the premise that what if Dr. King did not die from his assassination attempt. He only went into a coma. There had been no riots as the world awaited his fate. There was no national holiday in his name. His sacrifice was never acknowledged. He awoke from his coma 32 years later and slowly became accustomed to what the world, what the state of racial relations had become while he was gone and what the mindset of Black America had become while he was gone. I found myself thinking if he were here now what would he do?

What would he think about the current state of affairs of Black America? What would he think about our culture? Truly, I’m sure he would acknowledge that a Black president would be a major accomplishment, but what would he think about Trayvon Martin, what would he think about the current climate of how Black men are treated in our country? What would he think about the deplorable level of discrimination and depravation of human rights in modern society that not only involves the Black community, but also women, LGBT community and other cultural groups?

I found myself thinking how some things have changed, but even more I thought about how far we have to go. It deeply troubles me. It is still a civil rights issue. In the wake of all the recent murders, it frightens me to know that if I

had a son I would constantly have to worry about his safety, his LIFE, not because of anything out in the streets but because of the cops. I would have to worry because of anyone who said they were uncomfortable with a Black male walking down their street or being near their business, car, or house. If they decided to call the cops because they were uncomfortable, a police officer or public safety worker or neighborhood watch volunteer could set into motion an incident that could take my child’s life. This should not stand, but this is the world we live in. I do not understand this. I guess I never will. When I think of the sacrifices that thousands of people have made for civil rights, not just for voting, but for the right to just live your life and be free, to be who you are no matter if you’re Black, female, or gay, or transgender, it is not just a civil rights issue, it is a HUMAN rights issue. And I guess I will always wonder What Would Martin Luther King Do?

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BECOME WHO YOU ARE FLAME //

I’ll Never Get Married Written by Austin VanKirk

So, sure, Valentine’s Day is coming up. Folks usually fall into one of two camps this time of year: there are those who hate the holiday and everything it stands for (maybe cynical or bitter), and then there are those who immerse themselves in chocolate hearts and stuffed bears given and received from their loved one(s) (hyperaffected by romance and myth). Those in this second camp, the Lovers, let’s call them, might be thinking about marriage. And after that, starting a family. It doesn’t matter if these people identify as gay, straight, bi, or something else—they are planning for the pinnacle of happiness, having a family.

But is marriage and family really the pinnacle of happiness?

Think about this a moment. Why do we privilege marriage and the rest as being so pivotal, so critical to the American Dream. One might even argue that the whole American Dream is built entirely around this idea. Too few people question this; too few people pause to ask, “Why?” Does one need to be married with children to be happy? We are all independent people, at least we ought to be. Why do we, as a society (this thinking is also damn-near universal, by the way), place so much emphasis on marriage and family-making, which compromises individuality. Certain religions claim a marriage is a nearliteral combining of two bodies of flesh into one. If I were to marry tomorrow, I would stop being Me and would be simply one half of We. I would get one half of a bank account, one half of a bedroom (or less). Everything I owned would no longer be mine—it would be ours. That doesn’t sound appealing to me.

I think it doesn’t sound appealing to a lot of people actually, if we put it that

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way. But lots of folks are caught up in tradition; in keeping-up-with-theJoneses; with meeting the expectations of their families, communities, and even the government. Marriage is such an imperative that it excludes any other options from the minds of most people.

But there are options. Marriage need not be the option—it is simply one option. And marriage isn’t right for everybody. According to recent statistics, it doesn’t seem to be right for about 50 percent of Americans, because look at all the marriages that end in divorce.

I have family members who have been divorced numerous times—like, way past the “three time’s a charm” rule.

I wonder if they’ll ever accept marriage isn’t right for them. And that’s is completely fine. There are other ways to pledge affection to fellow humans— and in ways that do not limit us to only one person at a time. To expound on these other options is probably a topic for another column, so I won’t touch upon that here. I myself have been toying with ideas of marriage alternatives. I haven’t named or fully fleshed-out what these other things might look like, so I don’t think it wise to start going on about them now.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not mean to vilify marriage. Marriage, for some people, is a wonderful thing that brings both people an incredible amount of joy. I’m not saying marriage is a mistake. What I am saying is a mistake is not to question marriage as the only proper fitting life path for you.

If you have explored other options— whatever those might be for you—and find that none of them work for you, then maybe marriage really is the right thing for you. Still, you never know if the grass is greener on the other side unless you go over and have a look for yourself.

If you, Reader, like me, are terrified of the idea of being owned by another person for the rest of your life (and owning another person), if you get bored with relationships quickly, if you ask yourself, “Will I ever find the right one?” you might want to consider other options. I mean, humans aren’t really designed to mate for life. In fact, very few animals do mate for life. Of the vast number of creatures that exist in our world, there are only a comparative handful that do. Our closest relatives, primates, do not. It makes me, at the very least, question whether humans are meant to be monogamous.

There is nothing about binding oneself to one other person for the rest of his life that makes him inherently better, wiser, more stable, more loving.

I think we should start thinking about monogamy and marriage like how we do about sexuality. Perhaps the majority of people (claim) to be straight, but it’s not as if it’s a norm and anything else is a deviation from that norm.

Heterosexuality is just one amongst many sexualities (we’re talking challenging heteronormativity here, folks).

Similarly, marriage should not be seen as the norm, but simply one option amongst others that are equally valid.

But what do I know?

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