Flame Magazine Nov 2014 by FLAME Magazine

NOVEMBER 2014 OCTOBER 2014

Victoria Sanchez Miss Gigi’s 2014

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//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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MISS GIGI’S 2014

STRAIGHT GIRL GAY WORLD

VICTORIA SANCHEZ

The title of Miss Gigi’s is one of the longest running titles in the country and undoubtedly one of the most coveted by queens in Michigan and abroad. This year, the title and crown were passed on to Victoria Sanchez, a seasoned female impersonator and competitor in local and national pageants, such as Entertainer of the Year. On winning Miss Gigi’s, we

CONSOLATION GAY

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MISOGYNIST / HOMOPHOBE

DON’T GET TOO ATTACHED TO THAT NEW TV SHOW . . .

BECOME WHO YOU ARE

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOAN A few weeks ago Entertainment Weekly published an article weighing in on which TV shows of the new Fall 2014 season will be the first to be canceled. There was even a poll where you could vote for which shows you thought would be axed first. By

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FLAME // SOUND CHECK

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Victoria Sanchez

Miss Gigi’s 2014 Written by Tony Lowe Photos by Tony Lowe

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FLAME // FEATURE: VICTORIA SANCHEZ

Describe how it feels to be crowned the new Miss Gigi’s. It feels amazing. Its honestly a dream come true. I really feel that my hard work paid off, and it’s just the challenge I needed to excel my drag career. What was the hardest thing in preparation for this pageant? The hardest part was staying focused on the pageant while still working and attending school, as well as spending time with my daughter. It did get overwhelming at times, but I always had a member of my dream team around to help me stay organized and focused. Which category were you least prepared for? Which were you most prepared for? I would say I was least prepared for evening gown. I had put so much time and energy into perfecting my talent, which I feel was the category I was so focused on. When I would rehearse evening gown at home, I didn’t have the amount of difficulty walking in it as I had on stage. All of the work I put into talent made it the category I was most prepared for. I didn’t finally decide one hundred percent that I was going to compete until July, so in a sense, I had to rush. I was reluctant at first about competing, because I had to make sure that I was able to fulfill the expectations asked of me if I were to win. I continued to motivate myself along the way, and not only worked on what I had to present during competition weekend, but I also made sure that I was ready to reign successfully. What makes up the perfect dream team? Was it hard creating your own? I have learned that the perfect dream team consists of those who believe in your package as much as you do. My dream team became like family. My dancers were so dedicated and Prince Cole was more than just a choreographer. He would call daily to inquire about my other categories and to see if I needed anything else. My dressers, Davana Couture and Geo Glam, would spend nights at my house perfecting my vision. My seamstress, Michiee DeVale, has always been consistent with making sure my looks were perfect to what my visions were. There was so much valuable advice I received from other titleholders and formers that helped me mentally prepare along the way. Was there ever a time when you thought about giving up? Who talked you out of it? I never really thought about giving up. From the moment I started preparing and seeing everything come together I got more motivated to continue. However, after evening gown I did feel discouraged and defeated. I thought it would be impossible for me to win. My dressers spent the night at my house that evening and we talked about it. They kept reminding me that it was only one category and that my other categories were very strong. As we entered the final day of competition, I eliminated the feeling of being defeated, and I knew I had to work very hard to win.

As the new Miss Gigi’s, what are some of the things you want to do for the community? I would really like to to open doors to many entertainers looking to get on stage. In a city where the drag world is slowly diminishing, there are many queens, kings, males and females that want to perform, but have no where to go. By providing these entertainers with a platform to display their craft we are molding the next generation of talent. How are you feeling about the newly added Miss Amateur and Classic? Im excited to work with these ladies. They are fun to be around, and I see that they wanted this as much as I did. Im eager to make the memories and bonding moments we are going to create throughout this year. What advice would you give to future possible contestants? Build the perfect dream team! I couldn’t have done this alone. There is a lot of work involved with creating a winning pageant package. There are ideas and advice you can receive from many people that will help you bring your vision to life. Pageants are not cheap; get a second job and reach out to those close to you for help if they are willing. Being organized and focused is a main factor as well, and have fun. Never allow anything to take away the fun of competing. As a former Miss Birdcage you had you own talent night for up-and-coming talent. Are we in the works for a new talent night? It’s very possible. I have ran the idea by my “Boss Lady,” and she likes it, so hopefully its something we can get the ball rolling on. This was part of my motivation for competing. The talent contest really opened doors for a lot of entertainers. I still have a lot of people inquiring about the contest because they miss being able to perform. I encourage those who are interested to contact me and stay in contact with me, and together we can all bring the contest back. I believe it can honestly be more successful than it ever has. After Miss Gigi’s, what’s next on your pageant platter? Hmmmm, well I feel its time to get my name and face outside of Michigan, and make myself more marketable. I have a few pageants in mind, but I have not confirmed any yet. I would love to go back to EOY, so very soon I’ll be meeting with my dream team and discussing that possibility.

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FLAME // STRAIGHT GIRL GAY WORLD

CONSOLATION GAY

Written by Rachel Mann

Walking in the back door of the bar I worked at, shaking the cold off my body and stomping the snow off my feet, I looked forward to two things: making money and talking to the bartender, Jim. I tied my black apron around my waist and headed to the cooler to start prepping things for the night. I filled worn out plastic bottles with ranch dressing, filled containers with bright red cherry tomatoes, rolled small baggies of gorgonzola cheese and complained about both the texture and smell of what I consider to be one of the most grotesque cheeses, and poured salsa and sour cream into portion cups, never failing to make a mess of the counter I deemed my prep work space. When I was done with all of my self-proclaimed “grunt work,” I headed out to the dining area of the restaurant with a tray of silverware and napkins. As always, I took my seat at the bar so I could multi-task: roll silverware and gossip with Jim. We had twenty minutes to talk each others’ ears off before the restaurant opened. There was no need to waste time. We dove right in to talking about our love lives. “I feel like I’m a consolation gay,” Jim said. “What the hell is that?” “Gay guys always come to me with their problems and only hit on me when my friends reject them. It’s bullshit. I’m not a consolation prize; I’m a top-tier gay!” “It is bullshit. Is that seriously how you feel?” “I’m being dead serious. I don’t remember the last time I was approached by a gay guy that just wanted to hit on me because he was attracted to me.” “If it makes you feel any better, I’d hit on you if I was a gay guy!” We laughed and changed the subject to our upcoming staff-member softball season and what goofy names we were going to plaster on the back of our tee shirts. Before our conversation that evening, I never realized that rankings and categories existed for relationships in the gay world. Maybe they don’t, maybe they only exist to certain gay people. But for

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my friend Jim, this was a very real feeling and it intrigued me. I tried to relate it to my own life as a straight woman. I have definitely had moments where I felt like my guy friends would always confide in me about other girls they were interested in, yet they never tried to make a move with me. I have also been in situations where guys have been rejected by my friends and have then resorted to hitting on me. Like I want to volunteer to be second best. No thanks, asshole. Still, what Jim explained to me felt different than my own personal experiences. It took me a lot of reflecting to figure out why. Even when I was put in situations where I was in the ever-feared “friend zone” or when I was dubbed a second choice, I never felt like I always fell into those positions. Jim felt like he was always in those positions. I think that whether you’re straight, gay, bisexual, or transgendered, every sexuality can fall victim to these rankings and categories. There are always people that tend to be more highly desired, there are people who are rarely sought after, there are people who float in the middle, there are people who don’t give a shit and just do their own thing regardless, and then there are people like my friend Jim who feel like consolation prizes. Have you ever played a game at a carnival or theme park and seen an oversized, big eyed, fluffy puppy that you really wanted to win? So you spent six bucks to play an impossibleto-win game and ended up with a small, stuffed, blue dolphin that ripped in half the next day? Did you receive that dolphin with an ear-to-ear smile, so excited that it was your prize? Most likely not. That’s not a fun category to feel like you’re part of. No one wants to feel like they aren’t good enough, even when you have a wealth of confidence in yourself. A few weeks after that conversation, I was waiting on a table and the man ordered a mixed drink. Jim made the drink

for me and I served it to this man, who ordered at least three more. When he got up to leave, I was standing behind the counter by the cash register and he came up to me and handed me a ten dollar bill. “Give this to the bartender and tell him I said thanks so much.” I hurried over to Jim and relayed the man’s message exactly, recounting every gesture and facial expression that was made. Instantly, Jim got extremely giddy. “Oh my gosh, that guy was super cute and totally gay!” he said. “He didn’t even talk to you tonight and he did that; that’s so awesome! He must have been watching you!” “He was definitely gay. Right?” “I’m pretty sure he was. He definitely gave off that vibe anyway.” Jim and I talked about that encounter for weeks. I had never seen him that excited about some small gesture like that. We both not-so-secretly hoped that that man was going to come back to the bar and that an ever-lasting love story was going to explode in front of our eyes, but deep down, we were a little more realistic than that. After about a month of that guy not returning, we kind of decided to just chalk it up as an awesome memory. I really expected Jim to be really bummed that his mixed-drink-sipping, big-tipping, expensive-scarf-wearing mystery man didn’t come back to the bar, but he wasn’t. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was treated like the “top tier” gay man that he’s always been. //

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FLAME // WORLD ACCORDING TO JOAN

DON’T GET TOO ATTACHEDTOTHAT NEW TV SHOW, IT MAY NOT BE AROUND LONG Written by Joan Stevenson A few weeks ago Entertainment Weekly published an article weighing in on which TV shows of the new Fall 2014 season will be the first to be canceled. There was even a poll where you could vote for which shows you thought would be axed first. By the time this article is printed chances are half of the shows on that list will be gone or on the bubble. Unfortunately this is a sad trend that occurs every season, but who are the real losers? Networks or viewers? Networks make their money by charging advertisers for commercial air time during their shows. The more viewers a show has, the more a network can charge for their air time. If a network does not get tens of millions of viewers for a new show right away, they consider pulling the program, much to the chagrin of the viewer, especially if they liked or enjoyed the program. I think networks do their viewers a great disservice in the name of profit. Sure they may not get the tumultuous amount of viewers they want in one blast, but they could be canceling a show that could potentially give them the audiences they seek if they just stuck with it. I’m sure you have experienced the sting of your favorite new gem being sent off to TV Neverland. I for one was totally turned off network TV for sometime (I kinda still am) because of this. Every time I actually got invested in a show, it got snuffed. Networks need to realize that some shows need time to cultivate an audience, a fan base. Take for example the case of the hit Fox animated show Family Guy whose first episode aired in 1999. In 2001 Fox canceled the show. Because of Fox’s shuffling of the show to different nights and different time slots the show suffered in the ratings and was given the chop. They basically shot themselves in the foot. They sold the rerun rights to Cartoon Network for peanuts. In 2003, when Family Guy began it’s run on Adult Swim, it quickly became the top rated show of their programming block. The same week the show began airing, the first and second seasons were released on DVD and America snapped them up. So much so that Family Guy became, at that time the second highest selling television DVD in history. Fox realized they may have been a little hasty in canceling so they revived the show after a TWO YEAR cancellation.

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We’ve come a long way from the days of the big three networks. Networks all want that big bang for the buck ratings (or ratings like The Big Bang Theory is pulling down), but need to understand that now viewers have so many more options. Netfilx has also been a major game changer to how people are watching their shows. With Netflix you pay the company directly so they do not depend on commercial ad revenue. Netflix offers programming not on a weekly basis, but for your subscription fee, you get the pleasure of watching the entire run of a program. In one sitting if you like. Hulu and Amazon also offer the same experience. They also offer an outlet for possibly canceled shows to be seen. The Fox comedy Arrested Development, canceled in 2006, has maintained a vigorous cult following. Six years after it’s cancellation AD began a run on Netflix. While I admit some shows are god-awful boring, some deserve a chance to breathe so that the public can get hooked and thus give networks a chance to see the kind of ratings they desire. The show they cancel today could possibly be the next ratings magnet hit of tomorrow, but networks don’t have the patience. They’re like a spoiled child that wants it now, and if they’re not satisfied, they take their toys and stomp off in a huff. What would it take for a network to have enough balls to actually keep a show on the air and not dump it after two episodes? I’m looking at you CBS for doing just that. Canning what was looking to be a great comedy We Are Men after just two airings. It smacks of desperation on the part of the network. Would it kill them to actually hold on to a show and let it really gain an audience? Would they really lose that much money? The 2014 fall season seems to be a very big mixed bag of entertainment. With premier season, networks are like pimps and their shows are like hookers on a corner. All the “girls” hit the street putting their wares on display, with the viewers as the customer. When customers start rolling up to one girl or particular corner, the other pimps notice and start reviewing their girls to see how they can improve them by shuffling their time slots and nights they work, if they fail

to attract customers, they are given the boot. It’s as simple as that. If you want to continue the metaphor Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon would be the Madams who run a “house” since you’re offered all the girls and you can have your pick of one or have them all at once. Okay that metaphor may be a little over the top, but I think it’s extremely accurate. I have not had a look at all the shows of the current season, but I do have one favorite that probably won’t make the cut simply because it’s accurate and socially relevant. Selfie from ABC is about a self-absorbed, shallow, social media obsessed young woman who actually has an epiphany one day and realizes just how self-absorbed, and shallow she is and begins to make an effort to be a genuine human being. Cleverly written and acted by the leads Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy) and John Cho (Harold and Kumar, Star Trek) , this show pulled great buzz, but is leading in the poll of first to be canceled. And that’s a shame, but it just goes to show that the main target audience that this show is intending to reach are the ones decrying it. Truth hurts. I guess if you’re not ready to admit you have a problem, you don’t want a reality check. It’s sad really because I was already calling it the new Ugly Betty. Television networks need executives that can take the long view instead of grabbing short term dollars, but that’s what it’s all about, DOLLARS. Until that happens, I’m afraid that American television networks will be a constant revolving door with greed calling the shots and I’ll still be wondering if that next show that they keep pushing will be worth investing my time and energy in. All I’m saying is this: Hey networks! Man up! Grow a pair and actually give something a chance to actually stick before you cut and run! Is that too much to ask? Here’s hoping your fave makes the cut. Happy viewing. //

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MISOGYNIST / HOMOPHOBE FLAME // BECOME WHO YOU ARE

Written by Austin VanKirk

I’m taking a class in British literature of the Victorian era with a special emphasis on Queer writers of the time, E. M. Forster and Oscar Wilde being two notable examples. After reading various literary critics touching upon the writing of these people, I have come to a decisive realization about the nature of homophobia; it is all rooted in a disdain for women. This may not be that incredible of a realization for some people, but I want to explain my thoughts on this for those who might be new to this line of thinking. As a feminist and regular recipient of homophobia, realizing that misogyny and homophobia are two sides of the same coin is quite troubling. To explain this idea to those of you who are not quite piecing these ideas together, misogyny is defined literally as a hatred for women, but in recent times has also been used to describe anti-feminist sentiments and actions with the intent of “keeping women in their place.” For the misogynist, being a woman is the worst possible thing a human can be. Women, in the misogynist mind, are lesser creatures not worthy of the same liberties and opportunities as men. Men who identify as Queer or as part of the LGBT community, or even if they are simply perceived to belong to this minority group, are susceptible to ridicule, i.e. homophobia, because these men are seen as intentionally foregoing their place of power as a man by willingly engaging in “womanly” behavior. What is seen as “womanly” behavior is rather subjective depending on the person and cultural setting, but in most places in this country, examples of such would be a preoccupation with fashion and cooking; a higher-pitched, less-masculine voice; and effeminate gestures (think, limp wrist). In other words, these are the stereotypical identifiers of a gay man. Worse than all of these combined in the homophobe’s / misogynist’s mind is a gay man engaging in sex acts with another man, who in many ways, is becoming a woman (especially in the instance of the passive partner / bottom). It is simply deplorable and abominable to them that a man would concede his power to another; it is nearly incomprehen-

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sible to them. When gay men are perceived to enter into the role of women, they too then, are susceptible to the misogynistic attacks that women endure, thus producing the concept of “homophobia.” To state this another way, homophobia is actually a misnomer, because homophobia isn’t motivated by fear but rather disdain—disdain for a group of men who are viewed to be women in essence. The case for lesbians is a little different. For many men, who might be homophobes or misogynists, will permit and encourage same-sex sex among women, because they find it sexually stimulating. This is true, provided that there exists some idea in the man’s head that the sex acts are being performed for his benefit. His problem with lesbians only begins to take shape when women begin to behave more like men: taking on the role as primary bread-winner, attaining positions of power in the workplace, resisting his sexual advances, wearing clothes that are traditionally reserved for men. This is a problem for the homophobe / misogynist because a woman is attempting to enter the realm of men, which she should be barred from by virtue of her vagina and breasts. This perceived impertinence is a source of anger and disdain, which lends itself to homophobia for lesbians. This brand of homophobia, then, is actually very similar to the misogyny heterosexual women experience daily when they attempt to further their place in the world. As a small aside, I can’t say this with certainty, but it would appear that in matriarchal societies (groups of people who give societal power to women instead of men), homophobia does not exist. One need not be a firm misogynist in order to be a homophobe. Homophobia can be displayed even if a homophobe declares that he is in favor of equal treatment and rights for women, and perhaps actually is. This type of homophobia arises from an embedded cultural value, prevalent in 1950s American life that women belong in the home cleaning and baking pies all day. Even though such conservative practices

haven’t been the reality for decades, this ideology persists, insidiously and subconsciously, in the homophobe’s mind (I suppose the opposite could also be true: one could be a misogynist but not necessarily a firm homophobe). The irony that emerges from all of this is particularly daunting. Homophobic heterosexual men, who are so stalwart in claiming their love for women and the female form, work so hard against the best interests of women. Rarer, but still in existence, are homophobic women who are a source of an even greater irony by displaying an indirect disdain for their own “people,” other women. I’m astonished and disgusted by these women who insist that females have no place in business or politics. There is such a cognitive dissonance in this for me. It’s like, “Why are you fighting against yourself? Why you so dumb?” Such a twisted ideology can only be the result of years of exposure to the dogma insisting upon “traditional, family values” and nonsensical, religious preaching that have little application to modern life. Okay, so what does all this mean then? Well, it means that heterosexual men are the scourge of the world. Just kidding! For me, all of this means that the Queer community and women need to come together to support each other in our respective fights for equality. But, in reality, our fights are not distinct; they are one in the same. With the success of one group will come quickly behind it the success of the other. Every victory for women’s rights should also be seen as a victory for Queer rights. There is strength in numbers, and by far in this moment of time all of the feminists and Queer folks vastly outnumber the homophobes and misogynists in the world. We can win this battle, we just need to decide how. But what do I know? //

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