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CHEYENNE JACKSON APRIL 30, 2014
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VOL. 32, ISSUE 26 | APR. 17 - 30, 2014
NEWSBOX News Briefs ......................................................21 Special Reports ..............................................27
THE GAY AGENDA............................33 CALENDAR Events Calendar ............................................55 SnapShots........................................................56 Eating Out........................................................57
ENTERTAINMENT TV ......................................................................65 Film....................................................................66 Music ................................................................67 Theater ............................................................68
COLUMNS Billy Masters ..................................................70 Little Miss Know-It-All..................................71 Drive..................................................................72 Gossip Gay ......................................................73
CITY GUIDES Palm Springs....................................................75
HEALTH Off the Couch ................................................78
FRONTIERS MARKETPLACE Listings ............................................................79
FRONTIERS4MEN Adult Classifieds ..........................................80 Sex Ed ..............................................................85
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Cheyenne Jackson photographed by Karl Simone
Frontiers magazine is published by New Frontiers Media Holdings, LLC, 5657 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 470, Los Angeles, CA. 90036, and distributed throughout Southern California. Up to the first three copies of any single issue are free; additional copies are $10 each. Violators caught stealing or destroying issues will be prosecuted under California Penal Code 484. For magazine subscriptions, please call (323) 9303220. The contents of Frontiers may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. Letters to the editor, artwork, photography, manuscripts and other correspondence may be submitted to Frontiers at the above address. We cannot acknowledge or return material unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Allow at least three months for processing. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Frontiers is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation or the HIV/AIDS status of such person or organization. Copyright Š 2014, New Frontiers Media Holdings, LLC.
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FRONTIERSLA.COM VOLUME 32, ISSUE 26 5657 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 470, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Phone: (323) 930-3220 Sales Fax: (323) 857-0560 Accounting Fax: (323) 857-0503
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REP. ADAM SCHIFF PRESSES CASE AGAINST PUTIN’S ANTI-GAY PUSH The democrat spent time with LGBT groups in Lithuania to seek the truth about the Russian president’s dangerous strategy to destabilize the region
SPEAK OUT
PHOTO PROVIDED BY REP. SCHIFF
BY KAREN OCAMB
“Putin can’t sell communism anymore,” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-L.A., told Frontiers after a trip to Ukraine and Lithuania. “He can’t sell the Russian economic model, which is petroleumdependent and riddled with oligarchic-level corruption. All he can sell is nostalgia for the past—a return to what he considers family values and the Orthodox Church.” Schiff, a senior member of the Intelligence Committee and State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, was part of a congressional delegation to Ukraine and Lithuania, where he attended a NATO conference and spoke to the Lithuanian Parliament about Russia’s ongoing attempts to destabilize the region, including anti-gay laws that follow “Putin’s model.” “And [the anti-gay laws] resonate with a certain population, which makes it very dangerous,” he said. “So it really does worry me that this is going to be a new front in the—not the cold war, but the new ideological battles with Russia.” Rep. Adam Schiff speaks before the Lithuanian Parliament
“CBS has just declared war on the heartland of America.” —Rush Limbaugh on his radio show April 10 reacting to news that comedian Stephen Colbert will replace David Letterman on CBS’ Late Show.
“Until I am relieved of my duty properly, I stand in my post.” —Gay Scoutmaster Geoff McGrath on his recent expulsion from the Boy Scouts of America. McGrath is himself an Eagle Scout and heads Seattle Boy Scout Troop 98.
“If I return there, I would face persecution, torture and likely death.” —Nigerian lesbian Aderonke Apata, who the UK is threatening to deport back to antigay Nigeria. Protests have recently taken place in London and Liverpool.
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REP. ADAM SCHIFF PRESSES CASE AGAINST PUTIN’S ANTI-GAY PUSH During his time in the region, Schiff met with the LGBT leadership from various community and human rights organizations to learn “more about some of their proposed laws in Lithuania that track what Putin has put in place in Russia.” One of four anti-gay bills was rejected by a slim margin just before Schiff’s arrival. The leaders proudly talked about Harvey Milk and his nephew Stuart, whose family hails from Lithuania. But they said, “They are not out of the woods by any means.” Schiff does not think the European Union will turn its back on gays to appease Putin. But using homophobia as a shared common value could serve as a means for Putin to seduce even those who now oppose Russia’s aggression. “Organizing the Baltic Pride has always been challenging, and this kind of resurgence of anti-LGBT sentiment is alarming,” Schiff said. “I think part of it is a broader push by Vladimir Putin to set up an ideological confrontation with the West where he can portray the West as decadent and he can portray himself as the defender of family values. And in that kind of ideological framework, he sees an opportunity to aggrandize himself at the expense of others.” Schiff said he met with his Lithuanian colleagues and shared, “They don’t want their reputation around the world to be synonymous with being hostile to people in the LGBT community or enacting discriminatory laws. I think it’s important because their country really values their relationship with the West. But it’s true even beyond the Baltic countries. I think they may be contemplating laws like this in the Ukraine as well.” On April 2, Schiff raised the question of Putin using anti-gay laws as an ideological weapon with UN Ambassador Samantha Powers during a congressional hearing. At a time when anti-LGBT barriers are being broken down at home, he said, “We’re seeing this proliferation of discriminatory laws around the world—in Africa and Russia and Eastern Europe as well. I asked her what kind of efforts we can make to be more proactive in the United Nations. And not only in pushing back against these laws but in propagating a universal view of human rights that’s very inclusive of the LGBT community.” Powers agreed with how Schiff framed the issue. “Now we see countries like Russia exporting worst practices and other countries taking the worst aspect of that and putting them on their books,” she said. “But President Obama, again, has been very outspoken on this, and we will continue to contest this and make it a subject of our bilateral diplomacy and do what we can within the UN system along the lines I described earlier to make sure that other countries are standing with us, particularly from other regions.” “There isn’t an easy answer to this question,” Schiff said, describing Powers as “hamstrung” by hearing time limits. But, he added, “I don’t feel comfortable that we have a strategy that’s equal to the problem. I’m still trying to figure out what that overarching strategy should be and how it could be accomplished.”
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GLAAD JUMPSTARTS ITS RELEVANCE AT 25TH ANNUAL MEDIA AWARDS GALA Laverne Cox steals the show, but support for diversity in the LGBT community, a heartbreaking lesson from Uganda and massive amounts of cash raised show the organization is getting back on track
“Welcome to GLAAD 2.0,” said Sarah Kate Ellis when she took the stage at the GLAAD Media Awards. “It’s a whole new world for us.” She was welcomed with enthusiasm by the capacity crowd of 1,100 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 12, though she’s only been CEO since January. GLAAD seemed to making a comeback, too, when Herndon Graddick took the reigns in April 2012. But he inexplicably resigned after a year. Then GLAAD honored former President Bill Clinton as an “Advocate for Change,” though Clinton has never apologized for signing the Defense of Marriage Act. The Atlantic wrote that GLAAD had “outlived its usefulness.” But there were no walking dead on April 12. Not only did the gala raise over $500,000, but with new national board co-chairs Steve Warren, an entertainment attorney, and Jenny Boylan, a trans professor and author, the awards show indicated that Ellis has jumpstarted GLAAD’s relevance for a new era. Unlike the days when GLAAD Executive Director Joan Garry talked about her children to show that gay people have families just like heterosexuals, Ellis and Warren assume that right and see obstruction to such happiness is a keen injustice. Ellen Page (left) with Laverne Cox “Think of me as an activist in fabulous stilettos,” Ellis said. “I am proud to be an LGBT warrior." GLAAD has also strengthened its commitment to the trans community. Not only is Boylan a key leader, but GLAAD turned the Hilton’s ballroom bathrooms into “all-gender restrooms.” Aside from superstar Jennifer Lopez, executive producer of the GLAAD Award-winning show The Fosters, trans actress and advocate Laverne Cox was the star of the show. Additionally, trans model Carmen Carrera got a shout out from supermodel Naomi Campbell, and other trans advocates such as B. Scott walked the red carpet. There were so many stars of color—including EGOT Rita Moreno—that GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz joked someone might mistake the big event for the ALMA Awards. But perhaps the most poignant and symbolic moment was when actress Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar winner for 12 Years a Slave, presented the award for Outstanding Documentary to Call Me Kuchu, a film about the lives of LGBT Ugandans under the Anti-Homosexuality Law. Ugandan LGBT advocate John "Longjones" Abdallah Wambere spoke about how he received death threats after an anti-gay newspaper printed his name and address. His friend David Kato, Uganda’s first openly gay person, was beaten to death soon after. “Today it is a crime to aid, abet or promote homosexuality in Uganda. Even touching someone with the intention of committing homosexuality is a crime, and it is punishable by life imprisonment,” Wambere said to a hushed crowd dressed in tuxes and gowns who imagined, for a moment, what it must be like walking in his shoes. Of course there were some awkward moments during the GLAAD Awards, but overall for this one night GLAAD walked and talked the diversity it preaches. —K.O.
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GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS LOS ANGELES, Beverly Hilton Hotel, April 12 — GLAAD celebrated its 25th anniversary with a star-studded night showcasing the great diversity of the LGBT community. (1) Carmen Carrera, Laverne Cox and Our Lady J pose on the red carpet (2) Shane Bitney Crone’s Bridegroom was one of two films that won for Outstanding Documentary (3) Supermodel Naomi Campbell spoke about the inclusion of trans models on runways (4) Chaz Bono (5) Prop. 8 plaintiffs Paul Katami and Jeff Zarillo (6) Jennifer Lopez took home the evening’s Vanguard Award (7) Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o presented Call Me Kuchu’s award for Outstanding Documentary (8) Actress and activist Calpernia Addams with producer/director Andrea James (9) Hollywood couple Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart (10) Rita Moreno and the night’s host, Ross Mathews, pose for a selfie onstage (11) Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD’s new CEO (12) Glee’s Alex Newell takes a selfie of his own on the red carpet. PHOTOS BY GABRIEL OLSEN, LESTER COHEN AND JASON MERRITT / GETTY IMAGES FOR GLAAD
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flashbulb HIV/AIDS PIONEER DR. CHARLES FARTHING DEAD AT 60 HIV/AIDS pioneer Dr. Charles Farthing, perhaps best known to Angelenos as the former medical director at AIDS Healthcare Foundation, died suddenly from a heart attack in Hong Kong on April 5. He was 60 years old. AHF President Michael Weinstein was among those still in shock, having spoken to Farthing shortly before his death. The AIDS pioneer had been diagnosed with a slight heart condition, Weinstein told Farthing’s beloved friends, colleagues and patients at a memorial at the Sheraton Hilton on April 13, “but he was in his usual jocular frame of mind.” Weinstein announced that Farthing was “thrilled” to be coming back to AHF as Chief of Global Medical Quality to start working again with patients. A videotape of the memorial will be sent to Farthing’s spouse, Doug Louie. Farthing will be buried in his native New Zealand on April 22, which would have been his 61st birthday. —K.O.
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SIMPLY DIVINE, Village at Ed Gould Plaza, April 5 — This popular fundraiser for the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center allows attendees to sample food from some of L.A.’s most popular restaurants along with an incredible selection of wine, craft beers, spirits and coffees. (1) Celebrity chef Susan Feniger is a staple of Simply diVine’s annual events (2) Center board member and Simply diVine co-chair David Bailey with Center CEO Lorri L. Jean (3) Woody Woodbeck provided the day’s soundtrack. PHOTOS BY JESSE FINLEY REED
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READY FOR HILLARY EVENT, The Abbey, April 7 — Abbey owner David Cooley hosted a fundraiser for Clinton, who at this point is only presumed to be running for president in 2016. (1) Special guests included actresses Joely Fisher of Ellen (far left) and Michelle Clunie of Queer as Folk (second from left) (2) Ron Galperin, Los Angeles City Controller PHOTOS BY ROLLING-BLACKOUTS
U.S. Sends Confusing Message to Uganda Over Anti-Homosexuality Act The U.S. faces a serious dilemma: respond with action to match the words of the State Department deploring the enactment of the AntiHomosexuality Act signed by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni last February, or maintain business as usual. Ugandans seem to be calling America’s bluff over threats to cut off or adjust AIDS funding in response to the law. On April 4, Ugandan police raided the offices of the Makerere University Walter Reed Project in Kampala that offers services to people with HIV/AIDS, according to the Associated Press. Police spokesperson Ofwono Opondo took to Twitter to explain the raid on the government-run facility was because they were “training youths in homosexuality.” The project, which is a partnership between a Ugandan university and the United States military HIV research program, AP reports, has been operating throughout Uganda since 2002 using money from the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief—without incident. Buzzfeed reported April 8 that Ugandan police say they began an investigation on March 15 after police reportedly received a report that the project was “carrying out recruitment and training of young males in unnatural sexual acts.” Buzzfeed’s J. Lester Feder subsequently reported that a U.S. team sent to Uganda to review how funding could be used to send a message about the Anti-Homosexuality Act concluded that no AIDS funding should be cut because the government doesn’t care and only gay Ugandans with HIV would be hurt. “Museveni will not back down unless they take away some of the military support, because that’s what he cares about,” Clare Byarugaba, cochair of a coalition of Uganda organizations opposing the law, said during a briefing in Washington. “There has been a little bit of confusion in the message that the U.S. government has been giving.” —K.O.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN(S), Saban Theater, March 30 — In honor of turning 35, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles treated its audience to the second show of its season, which showcased a cross-section of the UK’s greatest contemporary music. PHOTOS BY DANIEL G. LAM
2 SANTA BARBARA PACIFIC PRIDE FOUNDATION ROYAL BALL, Bacara Resort & Spa, April 12 — The third annual Royal Ball, which benefitted the LGBT and HIV communities of Santa Barbara County, hosted over 600 guests at the acclaimed celebrity hideout. Patrons were transported to a fabulous evening in gay Paris. (1) Flamenco dancer Timo Nuñez (2) A stilt walker in front of an Eiffel Tower recreation. PHOTOS
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Mayhem on WeHo’s Palm Avenue 2 murdered in separate incidents Palm Villas, the building that sits at 939 Palm Avenue in West Kurtland Ma Hollywood, has seen L.A. County Sheriff’s Department deputies responding to serious crimes taking place inside its apartment units twice in the past few weeks. Those incidences resulted in the deaths of two local residents and serious injuries of three others. One death was a wrongful shooting by a mistaken deputy. Andre Damiane Davids, 36, has officially been arrested in the March 29 slaying of Kurtland Ma, 34, a local doctor. Lt. John Corina said about the murder, “It appears to be a crime of passion where you know one boyfriend wasn’t as faithful to the other. The other one got upset.” NBC reports that deputies were called to Davids’ and Ma’s apartment for a welfare check, and when no one answered the door, deputies broke it down. They found Ma dead and Davids hiding in a John Winkler bathroom trying to overdose on pills. On April 7, one man was killed and three others were stabbed in the same apartment complex. Around 9:30 p.m., deputies responded to a reported assault with a deadly weapon. Upon arriving at the scene, deputies encountered two men exiting the apartment in question, presumably with a knife. Gunshots were fired by deputies that resulted in injuries to one man and the death of another. The officers then entered the apartment and found two men fighting inside. That fight was stopped and the men were detained, though not before they sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The victim of the officers’ fatal gunshots was John Winkler, a production assistant on the popular Comedy Central show Tosh.0. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department has admitted to wrongfully shooting and killing Winkler when officers thought he was the suspect. The actual suspect, Alexander McDonald, 27, was detained and is currently being held on a $4 million bond. Sunday, April 13, saw West Hollywood residents and friends of Winkler and Ma gather for a heartfelt vigil. Many current residents of 939 Palm Avenue are reportedly looking to move, with one resident saying about these recent crimes, “They were extreme and violent, and that is really terrifying.” —Stephan Horbelt
New Workplace Executive Orders Signed, but Zip for LGBTs President Obama signed two new executive orders regarding federal contractors and workplace fairness on April 8, coinciding with Equal Pay Day, a date set each year since 1996 by the National Committee on Pay Equity to mark how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the last year, MetroWeekly reports. Neither order, however, addresses discrimination against LGBT individuals, despite the president’s 2008 campaign promise that he would support forbidding federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and despite his being pushed vigorously by LGBT activists to issue such an order for years. One of the April 8 orders forbids retaliation against workers who share salary information among themselves; the other imposes new reporting requirements regarding sex, race and compensation of workers. “The exact same logic applies to the executive order that would afford protections to the LGBT workers of federal contractors,” Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a statement. “By the stroke of his pen, the president can immediately protect over 16 million workers and pressure Congress to pass ENDA. There is simply no reason for President Obama to wait one second longer” —Peter DelVecchio
America’s Cup Boat Captain Suing in San Francisco Faces New Harassment By Mike Ciriaco An America’s Cup boat captain feels his sexual orientation has been a target of derision. On March 13, Larry Jacobson, represented by San Francisco and Los Angelesbased employment attorney Zachary Shepard, formally accused San Francisco company America’s Cup Race Management, responsible for putting on the popular yacht race, of wrongful termination based on his homosexuality. To make matters worse, since filing the lawsuit Jacobson has received an e-mail maligning his sexuality further. The suit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, alleges that Jacobson suffered discrimination based on his sexual orientation, was not paid overtime and was not paid Larry Jacobson wages upon discharge while working for the yachting organization. Jacobson claims that in August 2013 he approached Andy Hindley, ACRM’s Chief Operating Officer, and requested that he be considered for post-regatta physical breakdown work. Hindley allegedly responded to the openly gay boatsman by making a limp wrist gesture and stating, “People like you don’t want work like that.” Additionally, Jacobson alleges that on Sept. 5, Harold Bennett, director of ACRM’s on-water operations, publicly referred to him as a “poof” during an America’s Cup party. While Jacobson feels the discrimination and verbal slurs he suffered justify the lawsuit, Rick Meyerhoff disagrees. A self-described sailor who considered himself an employee of an America’s Cup team, Meyerhoff wrote to Jacobson in a malicious e-mail: “to bring a frivilous lawsuit against an entity just shows that you haven’t gotten over your stupidness at being queer. what do you think, that because you’re queer you shouldn’t be shielded from the onslaughts of other sailors? … it just shows that san francisco has an idiot fringe of homosexuality who expect rather than appreciate. i was privileged to work for one of the america’s cup teams and i can tell you that what you are doing besmears the event as well as all the people involved. get a fucking life… you think that because your gay you are entitled.” Frontiers contacted representatives for ACRM, Hindley and Bennett for a statement pertaining to the lawsuit but received no response. A former ACRM supervisor previously told the Bay Area Reporter that he felt Jacobson had “pushed his sexuality very hard” and had been “inappropriate.” The sole openly gay employee working on the water for ACRM, Jacobson alleges he performed his duties in a satisfactory manner and at no time breached his employment agreement. He alleges that after being hired, his sexuality was made known to his coworkers, including his supervisors. On Sept. 12, without warning or any apparent legal justification, Jacobson believes he was terminated by Hindley via a letter. Jacobson currently seeks damages exceeding $25,000. —Mike Ciriaco
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ROBERT GARCIA WINS LONG BEACH MAYORAL PRIMARY
PHOTO: ROBERT GARCIA / FACEBOOK
After a long, contentious race to be the next mayor of Long Beach, out Vice Mayor Robert Garcia was the top vote-getter in the April 8 primary. Garcia won with 25.4% of the vote, well ahead of LGBT ally Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal, who shockingly placed third with 19.6% of the vote in a field featuring eight other candidates, including openly gay City Councilmember Gerrie Schipske. Garcia, who had the strong endorsement of Mayor Bob Foster, will face real estate investor Damon Dunn in the June 3 runoff. Dunn garnered 22.3% of the vote in the low voter turnout primary. “This is a city that represents everyone,” Garcia said at his victory party at Hotel Maya about an hour and a half after the polls closed. If elected, Garcia will be the first Latino and the first openly gay Long Beach mayor. —K.O.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER DERRICK GORDON COMES OUT It feels like dominoes falling into place—first Robbie Rogers, then Jason Collins, Michael Sam, Mitch Eby and, on April 9, Derrick Gordon, 22, a University of Massachusetts sophomore who plays Division 1 men’s college basketball. All have joined the ranks of male athletes who have come out as gay. Gordon tweeted, “I am the first Division 1 male basketball player to come out and not the last. I am gay. I’m not afraid. I’m not alone.” Gordon told ESPN that he was inspired to come out after Jason Collins was signed by the Brooklyn Nets. “That was so important to me, knowing that sexuality didn’t matter, that the NBA was OK with it,” Gordon said. “For this to be happening right now, me coming out, it’s an indescribable feeling, honestly. I couldn’t be any happier. I feel like I can fly.” —K.O.
Federal Court Hears First Post-Windsor Appeal The federal 10th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments April 10 in Kitchen v. Herbert, the case in which a federal district court judge earlier this year struck down Utah’s state constitutional gay marriage ban. That judge’s decision was based on the Supreme Court’s ruling last year in the Windsor case, which struck down a major section of the Defense of Marriage Act. Observers thought the three-judge panel was divided after oral arguments concluded. “To argue that public policy can trump a declared constitutional right would be a remarkable proposition,” said Judge Carlos F. Lucero. But Judge Paul J. Kelly Jr. seemed to embrace
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the state’s right to affirm traditional heterosexual marriage and said the court could not “just ignore what the people have decided and the Legislature has done." The apparent swing vote, Judge Jerome A. Holmes, compared the Utah law to Virginia’s onetime ban on interracial marriage, noting that marriage equality is a new and novel concept, the Associated Press reported. The same three appellate judges will hear an appeal April 17 in another case in which Oklahoma’s marriage ban was struck down not long after Utah’s. Windsor touched off a veritable blizzard of lower federal and state court decisions invalidating state
same-sex marriage bans or otherwise favoring marriage equality. In addition to Utah and Oklahoma, marriage bans have been axed in Virginia, Texas, Michigan and New Jersey. In New Mexico, where marriage rights had been ambiguous, a unanimous state Supreme Court confirmed that the state constitution requires marriage equality. Federal judges in Kentucky and Tennessee have ordered those states to recognize same-sex marriages from states where marriage equality is the law. A federal judge in Ohio announced April 4 that he intends to strike down that part of Ohio’s marriage ban forbidding the state from recognizing marriages that are legal elsewhere. —P.D. and K.O.
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Advice for L.A. County’s Next Director of Public Health The city’s recent meningitis scare left many in the LGBT community feeling dangerously neglected by the DPH, but here are a few easy fixes BY KAREN OCAMB Look for a generational shift with the resignation of Kathleen Sebelius as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services on April 10 and the quick announcement by President Obama that he wants Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell to replace her. Sebelius, the former governor of Kansas, had no medical experience when Obama selected her, but she expanded the reach of HHS services—including plans to impact LGBT health disparities—and presided over the historic Affordable Care Act under which pre-existing conditions like HIV no longer disqualify people from insurance coverage. The younger Burwell knows numbers, management and worked as president of global development of the Gates Foundation, among other nonmedical positions, and is apparently a big believer in diversity. With the recent retirement announcement of Dr. Jonathan Fielding, Director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, perhaps the board of supervisors should consider a generational shift in DPH’s leadership, too. With medical doctors and researchers on staff, the next DPH director doesn’t need to be a medical doctor, but he or she does need to know how to translate what the medical professionals say into language the county’s multiple diverse communities can understand and trust. To be fair, Fielding has made an effort. For instance, when the meth crisis hit West Hollywood hard, he joined West Hollywood Councilmember John Duran and others at a news conference to help spread the word about how meth lowers resistance to HIV infection. And in an interview with Frontiers about the latest meningococcal meningitis scare, he noted “lessons learned” from last year—including the now-regular collection of gay data pertaining to meningitis and the outreach to contracted community-based Ryan White Care providers 28
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how DPH can work with the County Department of Health Services to implement, expand and improve health services and reduce disparities for everyone— especially racial, ethnic and LGBT minorities. The board should search for a new director who is enthusiastic about and has comprehensive experience working with diverse communities and populations, including LGBT, HIV and the homeless who are made up of all populations. Understanding health equity, health disparities and the allocation of resources to some populations that might need them more and faster than others is also important. Of perhaps the greatest importance is a willingness to work closely with community partners. A good example is how the L.A. Police Commission, Chief Charlie Beck and the LAPD—the gay community’s onetime ardent adversaries—changed their relationship so profoundly, the LAPD and the local transgender community proactively devised new LAPD Guidelines on how to treat transgender people encountered on the street and in jail. If the LAPD can do it, so can DPH. Perhaps the new director could hold town hall meetings in each community to introduce himself or herself and staff responFielding Mathews sible for outreach through interaction with community leaders, local press and on social media. Such personal engagement could illusdirector has an opportunity to redefine how DPH trate a willingness to be open and responsive and works, to strengthen interconnectivity and informacould break down old barriers of distrust where the tion sharing between and among departments, to drill fear of making a mistake outweighs candor and urcultural competency down deeper into each commugency with lives at stake. nity and develop stronger relationships, broader unFielding has not given a timeline for his retirederstandings and dependable interaction. ment. But with two new supervisors coming onto Former HHS Secretary Sebelius paid special atthe board on November—when the ACA starts a tention to LGBT health disparities. But when that new round of open enrollment—perhaps that might point was raised with Fielding, the response was that be time for a fresh start at DPH, too. Perhaps the he and DPH participated in an HHS report—not what candidates for supervisor might start discussing the action was taken on the ground in L.A. in response. criteria they’d like to see for the new DPH director With the implementation of the ACA, the new DPH as well, since they hope to soon be that person’s director must not only understand how the ACA works new boss. from the federal government down to L.A. County, but to advise them of the health alert before the DPH press release went out. But while his heart and intellect might be in the right place, Fielding speaks in “medical-ese” and only seems to come out of his ivory tower to correct misinformation or make an announcement. Errors such as inadvertently forgetting to mention that three gay people died due to invasive meningococcal disease in the DPH press release is perceived as simple cultural incompetence at best, or part of the historical intentional disregard for gay life at worst. After confidential exchanges with several community leaders, the consensus is that the new DPH
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DATEBOOK APRIL 25-28:
WHITE PARTY Gay men from around the world will descend upon Palm Springs for the 25th anniversary of Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party. Entertainment this year will include Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande, who will perform live at the Palm Springs Convention Center’s main event; international recording artist Bleona, who will take the stage Friday night at the yearly underwear party; and girl group G.R.L., who will perform songs from their upcoming album. Future performers are expected to be announced closer to White Party weekend. To celebrate 25 years, Sanker has created the White Party Palm Springs Icon Awards, recognizing individuals “whose unique and varied achievements have stood out and best embody the spirit of White Party.” Recipients include Carmen Electra, Cher, Kathy Griffin, Lady Gaga, Lance Bass, Bryan Singer, Elton John, former Frontiers publisher David Stern and many more.
MAY 1 The 30th anniversary edition of the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival opens, running through May 11, sharing the work of Asian and Asian-American filmmakers and talent. This year’s lineup includes the hit Sundance documentary To Be Takei about George Takei and his husband Brad, Farah Goes Bang from Nora Meera Menon and a special presentation of Wrath of the Gods, starring Sessue Hayakawa.
MAY 10 Actor James Darren has been added to APLA’s 30th anniversary S.T.A.G.E Goes to the Movies at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, called “an all singing, all dancing, all glorious benefit comprised of the finest talent Hollywood has to offer.” Also featured are Mitzi Gaynor, Jason Gould, Cheyenne Jackson, Helen Reddy, Rex Reed, Lainie Kazan and many more. apla.org
MAY 17 The Stonewall Young Democrats Harvey Milk Day Celebration has Mayor Eric Garcetti as its keynote speaker, Lisa Ling as its co-host and will honor Speaker-Elect Toni Atkins. stonewallyoungdems.org
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Drag Race to Discontinue Transphobic Slurs Following ‘She-Male’ Controversy Popular reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race has been in hot water since the airing of its March 17 episode over use of a term that some consider transphobic. Logo TV, which airs the show, has since released a statement saying it has pulled the episode in question from all of its platforms and will discontinue use of the controversial term in the future. The segment in question was titled “Female or She-Male?” and had contestants identify whether photos showed a cisgender woman or a drag queen. Some transgender people found the segment disrespectful, as “she-male” is a word often accompanied by violence toward trans individuals. Since the controversy began brewing, two of the show’s three transgender past contestants voiced personal discontent with the segment’s choice of words. Carmen Carrera remarked on her Facebook page, “Drag Race should be a little smarter about the terms they use and comprehend the fight for respect trans people are facing every minute of today.” Former contestant Monica Beverly Hillz remarked that she found the term “not cute at all,” saying, “people don't understand the daily struggle it is to be a transgender woman.” When Frontiers reached out to Calpernia Addams, the trans actress and activist tasked with preparing Jared Leto for his Oscar-winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club, she had this to say: I do not identify myself using the words ‘she-male’ or ‘tranny.’ I prefer not to use the terms in conversation. I do know trans people who are comfortable with those words as casual, ‘in community’ labels, and I know many trans people who are repulsed by the words. As an inclusive activist, I support a person’s right to choose how they refer to themselves. As an artist, I hesitate to censor and police language in art. As a transsexual woman, I recognize that ours is not the only community to cross gender lines and create language around that experience. But I also recognize that language and taboos evolve. I hope that as a role model for so many, RuPaul will consider letting go of terms like ‘shemale’ and ‘tranny’ not because he must, but because the terms honestly do bring to mind unwanted associations with the sex industry and a sense of gender mockery for many trans people. The cost of letting the words go is small, and the benefit is the improvement of the relationship between trans and non-trans communities by recognizing the feelings of people who are hurt by these terms. In Logo’s April 14 statement, the network remarked, “We did not intend to cause any offense, but in retrospect we realize that it was insensitive. We sincerely apologize.” RuPaul responded to the controversy himself that same day with a Tweet: “Orwell’s book Animal Farm: The rebels eventually forgot the purpose of the revolution. #LibraryIsOpen” —S.H.
Anti-Trans Group Goes Back to Court Privacy for All Students, the anti-transgender coalition that has tried unsuccessfully to repeal AB 1266, California’s School Success and Opportunity Act, went back to court on April 11. The Pacific Justice Institute argued before Judge Timothy Frawley in Sacramento Superior Court that the group should have access to the more than 130,000 signatures the Secretary of State declared as invalid in the organization’s effort to qualify a repeal referendum for the November 2014 ballot. PFAS argues that “many signatures had been wrongly disqualified,” as referendum proponent Gina Gleason explained in an April 10 email to supporters. The organization sent subpoenas to counties around the state to turn over the invalidated signatures. In response, the Secretary of State “moved to quash the 30 subpoenas served by petitioner on
county registrars because they seek confidential voter information,” attorney James C. Harrison, representing the coalition fighting PFAS, told Frontiers. “In addition, the [Secretary] plans to move to dismiss the case because [Gleason] is not a proper defendant, given that she does not have a direct role in verifying signatures. Instead, she relies on the results of the counties’ verification of signatures to determine whether a measure has qualified.” Harrison says, “Under California law, the personal information of voters, such as the voter’s signature, is protected from disclosure without prior notice to the voter. In this case, petitioner has not notified the voters that she would be seeking this information.” Harrison says the court will generally issue a ruling within a few days of the hearing. That decision is expected soon. —K.O.
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At the Drive-In
Head East
Shop for the Season
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p. 37
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BY STEPHAN HORBELT
IT’S OK TO
SHOP WHERE YOU EAT You’re not crazy if shopping is the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Glendale’s Americana at Brand, but if what springs to mind second isn’t the shopping plaza’s mouth-watering meal appeal, you’re clinically insane. Shops like Barneys CO-OP, Nordstrom and Lacoste are interspersed here among some of SoCal’s best eats, from Katsuya and Bar Verde to the newly opened dumpling house Din Tai Fung. Even more fresh on the scene, however, is Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak, an impeccably posh restaurant that has already become a culinary crown jewel of the area. The world-famous chef’s take on the modern American steakhouse, Bourbon Steak is a gorgeous venue for treating that special someone to a stellar meal with all the trimmings. What sets Bourbon Steak apart from the city’s other lavish steakhouses is the fact that here, elegance comes with an à la carte side of zero pretension. Crawl into one of the restaurant’s U-shaped leather banquettes and peruse
the kitchen’s playful offerings to see what I mean. Lobster corn dogs and truffle mac and cheese share menu real estate with Black Angus and American Wagyu beef and Mina’s famous lobster pot pie. Because no steakhouse meal is complete without a stiff Bourbon Steak drink in hand, don’t skimp on the beverage program here, 237 S. Brand Blvd. comprised of spirited riffs on the most classic cocktails. Glendale bourbonsteak.com
Order Up COCKTAIL The Lucky Lindy (Hangar One mandarin blossom vodka, Aperol, kaffir lime-honey, lime, $12) or the Darker & Stormier (Fizzy-Lifting, Vizcaya rum, Domaine de Canton ginger, grapefruit, lime, Fernet Branca, $12)
APPETIZER
SORRY, COLBERT,
EED A THESE CELEBASLNK SHOW LATE-NIGHT T
Lobster Corn Dogs (whole grain mustard crème fraîche, $16)
ENTRÉE Center-Cut Flat Iron 10 oz. American Wagyu ($54) or the Maine Lobster Pot Pie (brandied lobster cream, market vegetables, MP)
DESSERT The treat trolley offers an array of cakes, cookies and other confections. Order right from your seat.
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CULTURE FIX: SF’s GAY GOLD RUSH and Hart, Stoddard’s cautiousness in describing same-sex It was San Francisco in the ‘60s—another cold summer, love and his constant desire to flee to Polynesia (where he a far away war simultaneously enriching the city and E H T felt he could be himself with young native men) is touching fueling a counterculture. Same old story? The difference S N IA and will resonate with many. is that Ben Tarnoff’s book The Bohemians covers this BOHEM., $28 314 pp in) He may seem a surprise among the rough-andscene in the 1860s, when Mark Twain and Brett Hart u g n e P ( ble tumble writers of 19th century California, but in his ruled the literary scene. a il a v a ow disregard for propriety he was as thororoughly Western A new discovery for many will be Charles Warren n as the larger-than-life jerk Twain (who once referred to Stoddard, a striking gay poet. While much of the book conStoddard as “such a nice girl”). —Tom Paul Jones cerns itself with the never-ending pissing contest between Twain
5 PIECES OF CLASSIC L.A. STREET ART
CLASSIC GOODS MADE TO LAST
BANNED NO MORE For a full decade, public murals and other forms of street art were banned throughout Los Angeles, ridiculous in a city with such rich traditions of unsanctioned art. In August of 2013, however, the L.A. City Council lifted that ban, which means the city’s reputation for earnest, significant street art can thrive once again. Hollywood is about to do its part to reinvigorate the city’s rep by overseeing installation of two murals at Sunset Tower, the high-rise office building that stands above Sunset and Cahuenga. Titled Born Modern, it’s the result of a collaboration by artist John Carr and 72andSunny, the local design and advertising company. The project will be showcased at a one-night-only art show on April 24 (the final day of the murals’ creation) that will also include the art of 22 featured artists. Musician Sam Spiegel (of N.A.S.A.) is scheduled to perform. More info at 72U.tumblr.com.
The Grove recently saw the unveiling of one more high-end shopping destination for discerning men. San Francisco-based menswear boutique Unionmade chose Santa Monica as its second outpost back in 2011, but now residents of L.A. proper can head to the city’s center for the high-quality clothing and accessories that have garnered the brand such acclaim. Located across from Umami Burger (conveniently removed from the shopping center’s hustle and bustle), Unionmade offers up shoes, books and grooming products in addition to its aesthetically classic apparel. Like Unionmade’s SF flagship, available brands will include Alden, Gitman Vintage, Stanley & Sons, New Balance and Baxter of California, in addition to exclusive collections from Golden Bear and products from international brands like Beams (Japan) and Berena (Italy).
SAVE THE DATE December 6, 2014, marks 50 years to the day of The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opening its doors to the city’s theater-loving population. To celebrate that half-century milestone, expect a once-in-a-lifetime celebration unlike any Downtown Los Angeles has seen. The official commemoration will include an onstage performance celebrating the major accomplishments of Center Theater Group, L.A. Master Chorale, L.A. Opera and the L.A. Phil, plus other special surprises, including a tribute to the Oscars, which were held at The Music Center for over two decades. Following that performance, a gala dinner by Patina Catering will feed revelers on the plaza amidst live music and dancing. It’s an event for L.A.’s arts elite, to be sure, with individual ticket packages ranging from $2,500 to $15,000. Stay up to date on plans for the big day at MusicCenter.org.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE… Originally published in 1977, White Trash—Christopher Makos’ photography book that captured New York’s “convergence of the ‘uptown’ and ‘downtown’ worlds” (in the words of Debbie Harry)—is getting republished as a hardcover tome, this time with never-before-seen photos. The book’s first print edition is a cult classic that is now nearly impossible to find. (At one time copies were selling on Amazon for $500 each.) It’s a chronicle of New York’s punk scene, told through portraits of Andy Warhol, Tennessee Williams, Halston, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Divine and more, a must-have for punk rock fanatics and pop culture junkies alike. 34
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WHITE TRASH UNCUT
128 pp., $50
(Glitterati Incor porated) Available May 1
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Once upon a time, before the dawn of Netflix or even that dinosaur known as VHS, films could only be watched in movie theatres and drive-ins. This summer, journey into America’s cultural past by visiting Electric Dusk, a drive-in theatre in the heart of DTLA. To help you choose which screening might be best for you—not that you won’t want to see them all—we’ve broken down the summer schedule’s gay significance. View the drive-in’s complete schedule and purchase your tickets at electricduskdrivein.com.
By Mike Ciriaco
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
SUNSET BOULEVARD
SATURDAY, MAY 10
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
Anything starring twink-era Daniel Radcliffe is a magical time, right?
Viewing Tim Curry’s iconic gender-bending in a drive-in will have you doing a literal time warp.
This tragic tale of fallen film star Norma Desmond, played by Gloria Swanson, is a campy queer classic.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
PULP FICTION
9 TO 5
SATURDAY, MAY 17
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2
The film adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ stage classic simmers with homoerotic undertones. Plus, a brooding black-and-white Marlon Brando is worth the price of admission.
Watching John Travolta do the Twist with Uma Thurman in the movie that resuscitated his career is an unintentional kitsch milestone.
Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin—a troika of self-empowered ladies who incidentally served as gay role models for decades to come.
SATURDAY, JULY 19
DIRTY DANCING
WAYNE’S WORLD
DAZED AND CONFUSED
SATURDAY, JUNE 21
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16
SATURDAY, MAY 24
Not even death can put the sexy Patrick Swayze in a corner.
Another bromance comedy. Forget Tia Carrere— the real relationship on display is between Mike Myers and Dana Carvey.
A retro blast from the past with a foxy preAcademy Award Matthew McConaughey. Alright, alright, alright.
FRAT HOUSE
FUN Booze can make even the trashiest movie feel like an Oscar winner. We’ve got some suggestions for reliving your rowdy college days with a few juvenile drinking games to pair with Electric Dusk’s summer schedule. (Save these games for the comfort of your own couch, of course, maybe with some cardboard pizza box furniture thrown in for good measure.) —M.C.
COMING TO AMERICA SATURDAY, JULY 5
GREASE
This early Eddie Murphy comedy showcases his blossoming homoerotic bromance with Arsenio Hall.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30
A musical starring Olivaia Newton-John and John Travolta? It doesn’t get any gayer than that.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN Drink every time Harry and the gang use a magical phrase. Bottomsium Uppus!
Drink every time someone says the names of characters Stella, Stanley or Blanche. You’ll have to chug during Brando’s “Stella!” scene.
PULP FICTION THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW DAZED AND CONFUSED Drink every time someone utters dated ‘70s slang.
Drink every time a character makes a cultural Drink every time reference. sexual innuendos From Big Macs are made. (Don't to Captain Kangaroo, you’ll play this one on get Pulp an empty plastered. stomach.)
WAYNE’S WORLD 9 TO 5 Drink every time the Dolly, Lily and Jane characters utter the word “work.” Werq!
Drink every time Wayne and Garth use an SNL catchphrase. “Party on, viewers!”
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The Mane Event 4 ON-TREND HAIRCUTS FOR SPRING By Michelle McCarthy
The Undercu t
“Sides and ba ck buzzed tig ht with length style can be on top. This blown out an d molded in a medium-h to place with old paste.”
We gays are a fashionable bunch, perpetually tasked with knowing what’s in and what’s out. But as much as we stay on-trend with our wardrobe choices, we don’t always follow suit with one important aspect of our overall look—our haircut. We spoke with the global artistic director of RUSK hair products, Gerard Caruso, to get the lowdown on the most stylish haircuts of the moment so you can make sure your ’do isn’t a don’t. Here are four of the hottest hairstyles for spring, each of which is a slight variation on a similar cut—short on the sides with length on top.
The Pompadour
Wondering which cuts you should stay away from? RUSK’s Caruso recommends avoiding “bed head” and spiked looks. (“It’s time to move on,” he says.) He recommends giving your trusted hairstylist carte blanche to do what he or she thinks would look best. “Any professional stylist is going to give you the best style to suit your features—not just slap the newest trend on you.”
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PHOTO: MENSHAIRST YLETRENDS.COM
HAIR DON’Ts
“Sides and back tapered or clipped with length left on top. Blow this style out high and full, and hold it in place with a medium-hold paste.”
The Modern-Day Greaser “A layered cut, slicked back with or without shine. It looks great with some extra height or as is.”
The Mad Men
GET
“A tight hairline that fades into a longer top, defined side part (sometimes buzzed in), glued or gelled into a classic ’40s Hollywood look.”
D E Z Z BU RE HE
EDDIE'S BARBER SHOP — 8704 Santa Monica Blvd., WeHo, eddiesbs.com FRANKY’S BARBER BOUTIQUE — 3323 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, frankysvintage.blogspot.com BOLT BARBERS — 460 S. Spring St., DTLA, boltbarbers.com SHORTY'S BARBER SHOP — 755 N Fairfax Ave., L.A., shortysbarbershop.com SYNDICATE BARBER SHOP — 2749 E Broadway, Long Beach, syndicatebarbershop.blogspot.com
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HEAD EAST Gay-Favorite Web Series EastSiders Returns for Round 2 LGBT programming may seem a barren wasteland to some, but hope is on the horizon. Former Broadway actor Kit Williamson (Mad Men) has announced that his darkly comic web series EastSiders, centered around a gay Silver Lake couple and their circle of friends, will shoot Season 2 this summer. In addition to a loyal fan base—the show has even spun off into a web comic illustrated by Aman Chaudary—those fans are generous. The current Season 2 Kickstarter goal of $100,000 is more than conceivable for a series that met its last fundraising goal in four days. In anticipation of EastSiders Season 2, we’d like to introduce you to the acclaimed series’ talented cast members—both new and returning— who effortlessly weave a tangled web of infidelity and heartbreak. Below, each actor breaks down his or her character while also providing insight into things a bit more personal. To find more info about EastSiders, contribute to the series’ Kickstarter campaign and watch the series, go to EastSidersTheSeries.com.
PHOTO: ALEX DEAN
By Mike Ciriaco
The cast of EastSiders: (top row, left to right) Van Hansis, Kit Williamson, Stephen Guarino, Willam Belli, Constance Wu, John Halbach (crouched) Satya Bhabha, Matthew McKelligon (sitting) Adam Bucci, Vera Miao, Brea Grant
MATTHEW McKELLIGON (Jeremy)
SATYA BHABHA (Jared) Describe your character: Waiter and aspiring sex therapist. Craziest one-night stand? It began on a rooftop in London and ended in an underground club in Berlin about 30 hours later. I guess it was more of a one-and-a-halfnight stand, but really, who’s counting?
KIT WILLIAMSON (Cal) Describe your character: He was in a four-year relationship with Thom that imploded at the end of the first season. Your character’s importance: It’s important to see LGBT characters that are every bit as messy and conflicted as heterosexual characters. Craziest hook up? I was 16 and I snuck into a gay bar on Bourbon Street. I met this handsome, wasted older guy from Chile. He got aggressive so I ran off. He literally chased me down and started biting my ear.
VAN HANSIS (Thom) Describe your character: The boyfriend of Cal, sometimes a bad guy, sometimes a hero. Your character’s importance: We’ve created a society that puts such an emphasis on partnering up. That structure doesn’t fit for everyone. Your comic book hookup? Lockheed, Kitty Pryde’s dragon.
CONSTANCE WU (Kathy) Describe your character: Cal’s best friend. Your character’s importance: It’s nice that Kit has written a story about relationships that includes nonromantic relationship issues, which have their own challenges and vulnerabilities and rewards.
WILLAM BELLI (Douglas) Describe your character: Club denizen Your character’s importance: It’s important to show that drag queens can sometimes go out during the day and not just be lazy drug addicts who sleep all day. Craziest hook up? I once got a guy in jail to jerk off in front of me.
Describe your character: The other woman. Your character’s importance: Jeremy is a good depiction of the blurred lines the homosexual community operates within. Friends can be lovers, and so lovers can be friends. Your comic book hookup? Is there a brunette version of Thor? ‘Swarthy Scandinavian’ is totally my type.
BREA GRANT (Bri) Describe your character: Jeremy’s lesbian sister. Your character’s importance: You don’t get to see a lot of lesbian marriages on-screen. Our relationship happens to be very traditional—my wife works and I stay home with the kids. I think it’s interesting to see how our dynamic plays out as the season progresses. Your comic book hookup? Jamie Madrox, aka Multiple Man, for obvious reasons.
VERA MIAO (Vera) ADAM BUCCI (Trevor) Describe your character: Let’s just say Trevor becomes very friendly with the cast. Your character’s importance: Audiences need to see how certain actions can have consequences. Most traumatic breakup? I was dumped over the phone when I was sick with bronchitis.
STEPHEN GUARINO (Quincy) Describe your character: He’s the clownish one who isn’t getting laid and throws ironic, lazy parties that we all leave early from. Your character’s importance: I am a deflective character who doesn’t generally investigate any reasons why he is the way he is, unlike the rest, who love to talk about their super-important feelings. So maybe it’s important that LGBTs never forget their vapid side? Craziest hook up? Cop. Cop car. Nightstick. Etc.
Describe your character: Wife to Bri. Your character’s importance: I think it’s important to see that marriage is not a fairy tale that resolves the question of how you maintain and evolve love, passion and closeness over time. Craziest hookup? She was a soccer player from London. Enough said.
JOHN HALBACH (Ian) Describe your character: Kathy’s boyfriend. Your character’s importance: So often in LGBT storytelling the straight characters are there as filler. Kit’s given them lives that are every bit as messed up, funny, sexy, sad and weird as everyone else’s on the show. Most traumatic breakup? Hell hath no fury like the time my two ex-boyfriends from college started dating each other. I was mad. Like, Dixie Carter on Designing Women mad.
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SHOP LOCAL at these L.A. area farmers markets SANTA MONICA Many peg this one as L.A.’s best. It’s the largest groweronly certified farmers market in SoCal. While you can buy fresh produce on Wednesday or Saturday mornings, the midweek option is best. Don’t be surprised to find yourself rubbing elbows with the city’s top chefs, as this is where a lot of them shop. 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Arizona at 2nd St.
HOLLYWOOD
By Michelle McCarthy
Chef Beckman
Spring is here, and with it comes a bountiful selection of fruits and veggies. There’s no better place to shop for them than at your local Certified Farmers Market, where the benefits are numerous. “A CFM makes buying in season easy,” says Michael Beckman, chef and owner of Palm Springs hot spot Workshop Kitchen + Bar (workshoppalmsprings.com). “If it’s there, it’s in season. The vendors at CFMs are all local growers, so you know nothing has been crated in from a far-off land. You’re also getting your produce much fresher than you would through a three-tier system used in a large operation.” Below, Beckman gives us a few tips to best navigate our local certified farmers market.
1. SAVE MONEY BY BUYING IN SEASON When you buy what’s in season, the price is usually best. Heirloom tomatoes at your CFM right now, for example, are nearly twice the price of when they’re in season later in summer. The farmers are still growing and harvesting them, but in a greenhouse, and that process is much more costly to them than when grown in the fields. Of course, the quality is not quite there yet either.
SILVER LAKE Smaller than its counterparts, this farmers market wins points for its charm. Its size actually makes it easier to maneuver, get your haul and get home. If you’re not on a time crunch, throw that bag of veggies over your shoulder and take a stroll around the surrounding Sunset Triangle Plaza shops. 2-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays, 3700 Sunset Blvd. PHOTO: LIFEABSORBED.COM
NAVIGATING YOUR LOCAL FARMERS MARKET
Located in the heart of it all, this spot brings together 160 farmers, producers and food artisans. It gets packed, so arrive early to fight the crowds and get the best selection. Parking at the ArcLight is only $3 for two hours if you get validated at the market’s info booth, located at the center of the market. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, Ivar at Selma
2. BUY IN BULK AND SAVE If most people at the market are buying a pound or two of lemons or tomatoes, ask them what the price is for a flat or a half-flat. It’s usually discounted 10 to 20%. Of course, if you’re a chef or are buying for a restaurant, tell them so. There’s nearly always a wholesale price.
3. STICK TO FRUITS AND VEGGIES Most CFMs focus on food, but there are stands at the Hollywood market, for example, that are there for the tourists. I find that olive oil is usually really overpriced as well.
4. SURVEY THE MARKET, THEN SHOP Walk the whole market to scope it before you buy impulsively and have to lug bags around only to find some other dude’s berries look better than the ones you just bought.
5. TRAVEL SMART Park nearby, and if you plan on stocking up, invest in a small wagon or something you can roll without getting bogged down.
6. EASY ACCESS Fannypacks are great for quick cash purchases in crowds, and apparently they’re back in style. [Editor’s note: Try this one at your own risk!] 38
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STUDIO CITY It’s over the hill, but just barely, and the trek is worth it. Along with a good selection of produce, oddly enough you’re almost guaranteed to spy a celeb or two. Just steer clear of the east end of the market and its “funzone,” where the sounds of screaming kids will wilt your kale. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, Ventura Place between Laurel Canyon and Radford Find a more comprehensive list of local farmers markets at FrontiersLA.com.
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BY MARA SHANE PHOTO: HANS ERIC OLSON
“Oh, thank God you’re here! I’m parched!” Angelyne pushes past me in a mini-dress amplifying her notorious cleavage as she announces to the entire French Market Place—one of her favorite West Hollywood hangouts—that she needs the “pink drink” right away. “The blackberry lemonade, perhaps?” the waiter asks, appearing from nowhere. “Yes, the pink one!” Angelyne demands. People standing around inside the French Market Place complex, which happens to sell Angelyne merchandise, immediately gawk at us. You could have heard a pin drop. Who is that? She must be famous!
There’s a mystique surrounding Angelyne, a Hollywood fixture known for billboards of her décolletage decorating the Sunset Strip and Hollywood of the 1980s—as well as New York, Las Vegas, England and Japan—and branded for her famous pink Corvette that can be spied throughout the city. Angelyne’s manager Scott Hennig once told the New York Times that more than 2,000 billboards had gone up in L.A. since 1984, and that 5,000 had appeared around the world. Right now you’ll find her high in the sky at Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilcox. Upon being granted the opportunity to sit down and speak with Angelyne about her life, I confess I had already made up my mind about her. She was a woman overly focused on her looks who lived for the male gaze and was content doing nothing to accelerate the feminism of this day and age. In fact, she was setting us women back. Sure, Angelyne has appeared in movies like Earth Girls Are Easy, and her billboards have been featured in a litany of movies (Swingers, Volcano, Get Shorty, The Day After Tomorrow and Behind the Cande-
labra to name a few), but really, what has she done to earn her hype besides being the original Paris Hilton? Today we are bombarded by reality television programming and its fame hunters—those who have gained notoriety for doing nothing of worth. My initial expectations aside, I hoped there was more to her than that. When I met Angelyne, I myself was a mess, having mistakenly parked two miles away from the French Market Place. I had just run to meet her in uncomfortable shoes. “There’s a parking lot right here,” Angelyne remarks dryly as I massage my feet under the table. “Next time, do your research.” She flashes me a fuchsia-lipped grin before announcing that dinner would be my treat. I nervously laughed, assuming she was kidding. “And if you buy my keychain for 20 bucks, you can have a ride back in the pink Corvette,” she says, suddenly smacked with inspiration. “Why not?” I shrug, hiding that I’d secretly been dying to ride in her notorious chariot.
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“I inspire everyone, from the presidents to the residents,” Angelyne throws out into conversation. At this point I start to acclimate to the stares of onlookers. Angelyne is overtly showing off her assets, and she’s doing it without shame and without excuse. It’s as if she’s entitled, because don’t you know who she is? Over our blackberry lemonades, Angelyne shares with me a story from years past in which she arrives at a famous hotel wearing her uniform—a shrunken Barbie doll outfit and four-inch spike heels. She walks through the lobby and—not unlike a gangly nerd in a high school cafeteria—has people glaring at her, whispering loudly as if she were on display for their amusement. Remarks were peppered with insults, scathing and unforgiving, filled with contempt and judgment along with jealousy at the sheer audacity of someone so ‘out there’ with who she is. If you think Angelyne rushed to cover up or ran out of the hotel’s back entrance, never to show her face again, you’d be wrong. Instead she went to the restroom and stuffed some tissue in each one of her ears. Then, head held high, she proceeded to walk through the lobby. All she could hear this time were muffled gasps along with the cacophony of her name—“Angelyne, Angelyne….” It was a waterfall of admirers instead of haters, or at least that’s what Angelyne told herself. I ask if she still relies on tissue to get by in life. She says that it’s symbolically in her ears still, but she doesn’t need the real thing anymore. As it turns out, Angelyne is an amazing saleswoman. During our meal she called an onlooker over and sold her an Angelyne fan club T-shirt, an Angelyne keychain and a photo in front of her infamous ride. The girl looked shellshocked when the transaction was over. Once we wrapped up dinner, true to Angelyne’s word, I wound up with the tab. “Oh my gosh!” says Angelyne, feigning shock. “How did it get to be that expensive?” At this point Angleyne saw that I was hard up for cash, so she graciously throws in a magazine of herself that she insists is worth over $30, along with a blank notecard of the Eiffel Tower. While crammed in the front seat of her amazing pink Corvette, staring through the windshield, I peel my sock away to reveal two blisters on my ankles. Angelyne cringes, and much like a mother with her child, starts digging around for her Barbie bandages. Instead Angelyne finds a Band-Aid decorated with cartoon chickens, swearing it’s good luck. “Ask me anything!” she practically demands, turning on the stereo. I chose the obvious question. “What made you want to become famous?” I didn’t expect what she confessed next. “I lost my parents at an early age. I think I’m always looking for that love,” she says, before we sit in silence for a beat. Angelyne goes on to tell me that at 12 years old
she went to a psychic, hoping to channel her deceased mother. Imagine her surprise when the spirit of Marilyn Monroe came through to speak to her instead. “Marilyn Monroe told me I was going to become famous.” Angelyne looks at me with wide eyes. “I asked her when, but Marilyn couldn’t tell me that,” she recounts. “Then Marilyn said through the psychic, ‘Don’t tell people I am your mother. Tell them I’m your big sister.” I continued to listen, entranced. Meanwhile, on the stereo, one of my favorite bad girl rockers, Courtney Love, sang her 1998 hit single, the title track from Hole’s Celebrity Skin: “Oh, look at my face My name is might have been My name is never was My name's forgotten” This L.A. billboard icon is no different from the rest of us. She feels the same fears we all do, but she doesn’t let them stop her. And she doesn’t ask for permission. Angelyne dislikes the word permission, by the way. She offhandedly remarks that she’s about to release her very own dictionary, where some words will be favored over others. After all, she knows the power of words can affect one’s outlook on the world and how someone self-identifies. While she may come across like a lost little girl, Angelyne is not completely unlike Marilyn Monroe. But don’t let her fool you—there’s also a rebel of a woman underneath that who emanates a ‘don’t screw with me’ attitude. “I’m a soft kitten, but I’ve got claws,” as she likes to say. That attitude is also present in her heavily lined, Egyptian-style eyes. (One should only use black eyeliner, she insists.) Underneath the Marilyn Monroe persona is a very astute businesswoman. Angelyne ushered into L.A. the idea of putting oneself on a billboard for no good reason. If you drive down the Sunset Strip today, you’ll see buildings stacked up to the heavens with advertisements. Perhaps Angelyne was ahead of her time. Her billboards, often featuring scantily clad images of herself and her name—nothing more—require more than sheer audacity. They require guts, and they require a dreamer. We don’t all have billboards of our faces splashed across town, because we don’t feel we deserve them. But what separates dreamers from the rest of us is the ability and desire to shoot for the stars, acting without hesitation. Everyone is here on Earth for one reason—to shine—and Angelyne understands that. If nothing else, Angelyne stands for the notion that we are who we are, we are our own universe, and we are perfect. It’s a notion that more who drive past Angelyne’s billboards should take to heart. The next time I go out, I may just show a little cleavage and wear my glitter fedora. After all, this is Hollywood, baby.
PHOTO: HANS ERIC OLSON
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AN ANGELYNE TIMELINE, FEATURING QUOTES FROM THE WOMAN HERSELF 1962 Angleyne was born the same year Marilyn Monroe died.
1986 Angelyne gets a hot pink Corvette. “So much attention. I want more!”
1986 Angelyne gets a billboard of herself on the Sunset Strip. “Boom! I’m an icon!”
1987 The 100-foot Angelyne wall goes up at Hollywood and Vine. “Ooh, I’m international!”
1993 Angelyne is bestowed with the key to WeHo, named the honorary mayor of the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. “I’m a hot pink platform torch!”
2002 Angelyne’s political career begins when she runs for Hollywood City Council. “I got my first political leg!”
2003 Angelyne runs for governor of California under the slogan, “We’ve had Gray, we’ve had Brown, now it’s time for some blonde and pink.” Arnold Schwarzenegger won.
2014 After some time away, Angelyne has a billboard once again on Santa Monica Boulevard. “I’m up!”
2015 Angelyne’s billboard is to be featured in Terminator 5. “The best is yet to come!” APRIL 30, 2014
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By Michelle McCarthy
Few would argue that Cheyenne Jackson was destined for the stage. The openly gay 38-year-old actor, singer and songwriter’s first leading role on The Great White Way in All Shook Up earned him a 2005 award for Outstanding Broadway Debut. Since then, he has cemented his theater-star status with acclaimed stage performances (Finian’s Rainbow, 8, Xanadu) while also making a name for himself on the small screen (30 Rock, Glee, Behind the Candelabra) and in film (United 93, The Green). For his latest project, Music of the Mad Men Era, he’ll be singing standards from the ’50s and ’60s—with contemporary tracks thrown in for good measure—at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on April 26.
Growing up in a small, rural town in northern Idaho with a population of 1,200, the one constant in Cheyenne’s home was a steady stream of music. His mother had a beautiful voice of her own and would play her favorites all the time—Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Elvis. There are even tapes of her teaching him how to sing harmony when he was only 3 or 4 years old. Cheyenne sang in his local choir until he was 15, but it wasn’t until he took part in a performance of Bye Bye Birdie in high school that he became attached to the stage. “It’s very cliché, but I did my first line, it got a laugh and it was like slip-
ping into a warm pool full of puppies. It was so delicious. I thought, ‘Oh, this is what I want to do,’” he tells us via phone right before taking the stage to perform in The Most Happy Fella in NYC, a show that ran for five nights at New York City Center. “Music was always a part of who I was—a part of my makeup. And to this day, I fill my days with it. The styles I like are constantly evolving and changing.” Cheyenne has always been drawn to songs of the ’50s and ’60s. “They’re just so absolutely timeless,” he says. “That’s why we all watch The Wizard of Oz every year and it’s still exciting—because it still resonates.” In fact, people have always
told Cheyenne that, vocally speaking, he was born in the wrong era. Music of the Mad Men Era, which Cheyenne put together himself, is sure to showcase his natural strengths. “About two and a half years ago, I developed a great friendship and rapport with Michael Feinstein,” Cheyenne says. “He became my mentor and friend and showed me the ropes of doing concerts and one-man shows. I put together this show because I wanted to create something that was unique to my style and something I could make my own. The music of the Mad Men era really has a pretty broad spectrum of what you could put under that umbrella.”
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L.A.’s Walt Disney Concert Hall audience won’t be the first to witness Cheyenne’s throwback show. Music of the Mad Men Era sold out Carnegie Hall back in late 2011, and sold out The Kennedy Center on New Year’s Eve 2012. Both shows met with rave reviews from critics, The New York Daily News commenting, “Cheyenne Jackson has got it all, and he showed it all—the voice, the moves, the quirky self-effacing humor. He gleamed like Don Draper’s Brylcreemed hair.” Bringing the show to Los Angeles was a natural next step, seeing as how Cheyenne is now an Angeleno. “I moved out to L.A. about 10 months ago,” he says, “and I thought, ‘Let’s do it out here.’” Along with classics such as “Bésame Mucho” and “I Who Have Nothing,” Cheyenne, musical director Ben Toth and their 13-piece band will be throwing out some unexpected tunes from the likes of Amy Winehouse and Joni Mitchell. Plus, you can expect performances from special guests Jane Lynch (who Cheyenne became friends with on the set of Glee) and Rebecca Romjin. “I love Jane,” he says. “She’s hysterical. She rarely sings on Glee, but she’s very musical. We definitely clicked. For a special occasion one time, she bought me a tool belt, which could not be more cliché and more perfect. I actually use it all the time. And Rebecca also has a secret voice that not a lot of people have heard. I require all of my guests to be women over six feet tall, apparently.” Cheyenne continues to make a name for himself on the silver screen, with no less than seven films seeing release this year, including Love Is Strange with Marisa Tomei, John Lithgow and Alfred Molina. Following a couple trying years in the press surrounding his personal life, Cheyenne is happy to be focusing on work—and plenty of it. The CliffsNotes version reads thus: He went through a divorce, moved from New York to L.A., got engaged and is newly sober. The press had a field day with it all— particularly with a certain lurid video—something Cheyenne was not at all ready for. “I don’t think you can ever really prepare yourself for that,” he says. “All you can do is deal with it. I always live by the adage ‘Your opinion of me is none of my business.’ That’s how I’ve looked at the whole situation the last couple of years. The hardest thing about getting bad press or people writing things that are not true is you can’t do anything to rectify it. You can scream from the mountaintops that it’s not true, but it doesn’t matter. The people it hurts are your family. But all that stuff is in the past, and it’s part of the deal. It taught me some lessons and gave me a fraction of what it’s like for those folks whose every move is on the cover of a magazine. It’s not so fun, but it’s life.” What Cheyenne currently enjoys are the seemingly simple aspects that living in L.A. affords—a car, a driveway to park it in, a house with a washer and dryer. “These are the things you can’t have in New York unless you’re a gazillionaire.” But the main reason he moved out here is to be close to his family. It’s the first time his mother, father, brother and sister have all been in the same state. They’ll all be in attendance at the Music of the Mad Men Era show, which Cheyenne admits will make the experience both exciting and scary. “What I love about concerts is that you don’t have to be strapped to a character,” he says. “As much as I love being an actor, I love to just be my weird self up there singing songs, telling stories and sharing my heart and my music my way. I’m always yapping up there. Sometimes it gets a little stand-up-y. I can’t help it. I’m really free, and I love to be spontaneous. If someone shouts out something from the audience, you better believe I’m going to shout back. There are no rules.”
Music of the Mad Men Era takes place April 26 at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
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A PREVIEW OF CHEYENNE’S SETLIST FOR MUSIC OF THE MAD MEN ERA
“BÉSAME MUCHO”
“A CASE OF YOU”
This Dean Martin track is classic, cool and always in style.
This Joni Mitchell track is introspective, with a highly personal arrangement by the impeccable Diana Krall.
“YOU KNOW I’M NO GOOD” I’m a big Amy Winehouse fan. This song has a sexy, edgy melody. It’s new but fits within this milieu perfectly.
“RED WINE (IS GOOD FOR MY HEART)” This one’s an original by me.
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Events
Through May 11
BOWLARAMA A+D Architecture and Design Museum The Miracle Mile area museum is proud to present this exhibit of California bowling alley architecture dated 195464, which reinvented the sport of bowling at the time. They were lavish palaces that included fine restaurants, cocktail lounges and live entertainment, all housed in extravagant modern architecture. The exhibit includes rarely seen photos, drawings and original artifacts. aplusd.org Wed. | April 16
Nightlife
will present this series of films in person, which includes a screening of 1973’s Lucifer Rising, the holy grail of lost films (with music by Jimmy Page). The original was thought to be lost forever, but see it theatrically for the first time. It will be shown with other Anger films from the Magick Lantern Cycle, a compendium of shorts from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. cinespia.org
THE FILMS OF KENNETH ANGER Theatre at Ace Hotel Cinespia presents an evening showcasing the films of Kenneth Anger on the big screen. Anger
Paris Photo is Burning
OBJECTS IN MOTION Akbar On the third Thursday of the month, Chris Bowen (Cub Scout, Brutus) presents a night of allvinyl house, disco and techno tracks. L.A. drag ingenues Cupcake Canne and Killer host and perform off-the-cuff numbers for the crowd. akbarsilverlake.com Fri. | April 18
Geffen Playhouse
Thu. | April 17
Exhibits
Thu. | April 17
RUTH DRAPER’S MONOLOGUES Four-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening returns to the Geffen Playhouse for the world premiere of Ruth Draper’s Monologues. A pioneer in 20th century drama, Ruth Draper was described as “the greatest individual performer that America has ever given.” Like Draper, Bening embraces and embodies these monologues in a tour de force premiere. Through May 18. geffenplay house.com
Theater
PHOTO COURTESY OF ZACKARY DRUCKER & LA LUZ DE JESUS LOS ANGELES
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GENE KELLY: THE LEGACY The Pasadena Playhouse Gene Kelly was a joyous performer, legendary dancer, director and choreographer who brought astonishing grace, athleticism and masculinity to the big screen. He continues to delight and captivate audiences, yet very little is known about him. Patricia Ward Kelly presents an intimate portrait of the artist through rare and familiar clips, audio recordings and personal memorabilia of her late husband. pasadenaplayhouse.org Fri. | April 18
AN EVENING OF ANDRIESSEN Walt Disney Concert Hall Part of the concert hall’s 10th anniversary Minimalist Jukebox celebration, this rarely performed vocal and instrumental work in four parts displays Andriessen’s rock-influenced, edgy and unique style. laphil.com
Drucker’s Relationship #47
PARIS PHO
BY MIKE CIRIACO
In the epoch of the selfie, respect for legitimate photography is more crucial than ever. Fortunately, Paris Photo is coming to show Los Angeles the light. For three days, the U.S. branch of the world’s most celebrated art fair takes over Paramount Studios’ soundstages and backlots to showcase both renowned and emerging names in the field of photography. While the event features a diverse roster of notable artists, the LGBT talents showcased are particularly of note. A prime example is the work of trans photographer Zackary Drucker, who uses binary concepts in her art. La Luz de Jesus gallery will show a pair of images from Drucker’s Relationship series, which chronicles her metamorphosis from man to woman while mirroring her lover Rhys Erst’s analogous transformation from woman to man. Drucker’s portrayals of amorphous gender create a sharp contrast to the aggressive femininity of another notable image, Robert Mapplethorpe’s America (Sonia Resika). In that work, an ivory-white nude woman arches her back, almost orgasmically, throwing back her head and jutting her breasts towards the viewer. Most notorious for his depictions of the 1970s BDSM scene, Mapplethorpe’s America series concentrated on a juxtaposition of statuesque nudes, celebrity portraits and floral still lifes. Sonia Resika is featured in tandem with Calla Lilly, a close up of a large white flower, hammering home the connection to the labial aspects of both photographs.
TO Paramount Pict ures Studios April 25-27 parisphoto.com /losangeles While Paris Photo merely gives us a brief glimpse of Drucker and Mapplethorpe, patrons will receive a much more generous eyeful of Annie Leibovitz’s oeuvre. Taschen presents the limited edition Sumo Sized Annie Leibovitz, a hefty coffee table tome amassing 40 years of the lesbian photographer’s greatest works. The book arcs from her early years with Rolling Stone (iconic images such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono entwined in an embrace) through to her later works for Vanity Fair and Vogue. Although this is a celebration of photographers, not all works are two-dimensional prints. In honor of the 11th anniversary of the partnership between Paris Photo and BMW, the auto company will present the BMW Art Car by David Hockney. The quintessential queer Californian (by way of England), Hockney painted the vehicle nearly two decades ago. “BMW gave me a model of the car and I looked at it time and time again,” said Hockney. “Finally, I thought it would be a good idea to show the car as if one could see inside.” Through unique perspective, Hockney created the illusion that the car is inside-out—the driver appears visible through the door, and a dachshund can be seen in the backseat. If the collection of craft and creativity at Paris Photo isn’t enough to lure you to logout of Facebook and head to Paramount, just remember, you can always take a selfie once you get there.
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Fri. | April 18
BEARS El Capitan Theatre Bears, an all-new Disneynature film, showcases a year in the life of a bear family as two impressionable young cubs are taught life’s most important lessons, all against an incredible Alaskan backdrop. During the first two weeks of the movie’s run, the Wildlife Learning Center will present animals live onstage before screenings. Through May 14. elcapitantickets.com Through April 19
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM The Broad Stage An experimental puppetry performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream hits the stage with very energetic actors who have never worked with puppets before this production, and who also had to learn Shakespearean verse in a five-week period. thebroadstage.com Sat. | April 19
PLASTIC FANTASTIC Eleven Nightclub The nightlife impresarios behind Mr. Black L.A., Evita, Rasputin and Summertramp—Luke Nero and Andrés Rigal—present WeHo nightlife’s latest fête, a weekly Saturday party that promises the city’s hottest DJs and a team of hosts dubbed Botoxed Bitches. eleven.la
Animal Adventure Gay Angelenos are well familiar with spiders, mata mata turtles and Central bears, otters and silver foxes, but what American tapirs. RAINFOREST about blue-billed curassows or cottonThe attraction’s theme is “EveryOF THE top tamarins? The L.A. Zoo has a new thing has a home,” and the exhibit will AMERICAS attraction that’ll bring us all up to speed. guide you through the various habitats L.A. Zoo & Botanical On April 29, the zoo premieres of the mammals, reptiles, birds and fish Gardens Rainforest of the Americas, an exhibit that reside in the rainforests of Mexico, Starting April 29 that replicates the tropical rainforest Central and South America. These ecolazoo.org experience, making an innovative date systems are vanishing from the planet at for you and your favorite honey badger. a rate of 1.5 acres per second, so this is a rare Explore this steamy, verdant jungle together and opportunity to see many endangered creatures witness firsthand exotic species such as bird-eating before their homes are completely decimated. —M.C.
» CONFESSION SATURDAYS | THE ABBEY |
Photos by Rolling-Blackouts
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EATING
OUT
Bar Verde
189 The Grove Dr., #P80, L.A . (323) 930-22 30 Ext. 1619 $$$$ thegrovela.com
» B BAR | EAGLE L.A. |
Photos by Dusti Cunningham
GOING GREEN BY BRIAN PADGETT
There’s nothing more L.A. than taking a leisurely dining break during a serious shopping splurge. Thanks to Executive Chef Travis Chase’s recent menu overhaul at The Grove’s Bar Verde, famished fashionistas are provided the opportunity to partake in seasonally driven farm-to-table fare in a casually elegant—and conveniently located—setting.
STANDOUTS: Tomato, Eggplant and Ricotta Jar; Dark Cherry Chicken Sliders; Artichoke and Tortellini with Shrimp; Pan-Seared Sea Scallops
In accordance with its philosophical approach to sustainable dining, Bar Verde’s ingredients are sourced from local providers (Chef Chase has been known to glean inspiration from wandering the adjacent Farmers Market), ensuring the plated product is rife with flavorful intensity. That intensity is also palatable in Bar Verde’s seasonal cock-
tail offerings. The Rent Check is a notable cocktail standout, wherein the fervor of Espolón Tequila Blanco and St. Germain are delicately balanced with freshly squeezed lime juice and muddled watermelon to create a refreshingly innovative libation. The Amelia, a vodka-based drink with muddled blackberries and lemon, serves perky sophistication. Bar Verde’s flatbread options abound, and though traditionalists will not be disappointed with the Neapolitan, the fennel and sausage rendition—with leeks, Yukon gold potatoes, topped with rosemary and Fontina cheese—is perhaps the most celebratory of springtime ingredients. Light diners will delight in Bar Verde’s varied salad selection. The cilantro lime chicken salad—with Monterey Jack, roasted peppers, grilled corn and a lavish serving of grilled chicken, tossed with a cilantro lime vinaigrette—effortlessly harnesses together the fresh seasonality of spring. Chase’s integration of asparagus—the season’s agricultural crown jewel—is evinced throughout the menu. The grilled asparagus salad, with heirloom cherry tomatoes and farm greens dressed with saffron aioli and sesame, deserves mentioning, as does the heartier, Iberian-inspired salmon Romesco, served in a rosemary butter sauce with oven-roasted asparagus and a dusting of morel mushrooms. Whether a brief respite from shopping or a destination unto itself, Chase’s gastronomic innovation at Bar Verde is bound to make other dining options at The Grove green with envy.
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5 of the fest’s most promising LGBT films
Love is Strange
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TRIBECA’S GREATEST AND GAYEST From the hilarity of 2006 film Another Gay Movie to the heartbreak of last year’s Bridegroom, LGBT works have consistently found a voice in the Tribeca Film Festival (tribecafilm.com). Founded in 2002 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in the wake of 9/11, the film fest that initially endeavored to revitalize Manhattan as an epicenter of the international film industry always showcases diverse cinematic and cultural backgrounds. In anticipation of this year’s fest, taking place in New York from April 16-27, we’ve compiled the most promising LGBT-themed entries. —M.C. Mala Mala
LOVE IS STRANGE Gay indie darling Ira Sachs follows up his critically acclaimed 2012 film Keep the Lights On with another film that glimpses into the heart of modern love. Following NewYork’s legalization of same-sex marriages, Manhattan couple Ben and George (John Lithgow and Alfred Molina) can finally wed. But when the union
serves as the focal point of this documentary. Using the writer’s own words, as read by Patricia Clarkson, the film chronicles the most seminal moments of Sontag’s life—her first experience in a gay bar, her first marriage, her last lover.
causes Ben to lose his teaching position, their relationship is tested in unexpected ways.
PELO MALO (BAD HAIR) This film dissects parental homophobia with its tale of Junior, a 9-year-old boy who wants to straighten his hair to look like a singer he admires, and the anti-gay panic it arouses in his mother. Each attempt the boy takes in altering his appearance is met with abrasive avoidance, leading him to make a fateful, heart-wrenching decision. (Spanish with subtitles)
Puerto Rico’s overtly macho society. The film follows trans individuals as they campaign for government-recognized human rights, turn tricks in the sex industry and perform as part of the drag troupe “The Doll House.”
MALA MALA
REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG
This documentary explores the highs and lows of the transgender community within
Arguably the most important feminist writer of the 20th century, openly gay Sontag
COMPARED TO WHAT: THE IMPROBABLE JOURNEY OF BARNEY FRANK This one is a peek into the life of Congress’ first openly gay member. About to retire, the representative reflects on 40 years in office and his many battles for social justice. After the April 27 screening, Frank and Alec Baldwin will hold a conversation on what’s next for the sharp-tongued politician.
Find more photo albums at FrontiersLA.com/Entertainment
» DISCO NIGHTS | HAMBURGER MARY’S LONG BEACH |
Photos by Dusti Cunningham
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Sun. | April 20
DECADE Micky’s
» MR L.A. LEATHER 2014 | CIRCUS DISCO |
End your weekend by dancing up a storm at this WeHo party, where you’re sure to hear nothing but the classics. Indulge in disco-dancing go-go boys and live drag performances before you head back to work on Monday. mickys.com Photos by Dusti Cunningham Tue. | April 22
18TH ANNUAL PRISM AWARDS Skirball Cultural Center The PRISM Awards are now in their 18th year, honoring the accurate depiction of substance use, treatment, recovery and mental health in television, movies, music and comic books. This year’s ceremony will include appearances by Allison Janney, Lea Thompson, Ernie Hudson and more. prismawards.com Through July 28
MIKE KELLEY The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA A hugely influential artist, Mike Kelley’s work mines American pop culture and sets it in relation to self-examination. Over 35 years, he
Thu. | April 24
DINAH VEGAS 2014 Las Vegas Tens of thousands of lesbians will flock to Las Vegas for this global pilgrimage, now in its third year. Bigger than ever this year, Girl Bar takes over some of Vegas’ most exciting and exclusive Caesars-owned locations. All events are created by lesbians for lesbians, and only Dinah Vegas attendees will be admitted to the events, so the ladies can relax, be themselves and get their groove on in comfort and style. dinahshore weekend.com Fri. | April 25
LACP GRAND OPENING Los Angeles Center of Photography
worked in every medium imaginable. This is the largest exhibition of Kelley’s work to date, comprised of over 250 works from 1974 through 2012, and it takes up the entirety of the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA as well as a gallery at MOCA Grand Avenue. moca.org Tue. | April 22
TNT Micky’s Tuesdays just became da bomb! Sam Ortiz, Tom Whitman and Flip present Totally Nineties Tuesdays, the newest party to hit WeHo. Hosted by Mayhem Miller and featuring resident DJs Josh Peace and Casey Alva, you’re sure to hear your favorite ‘90s hits all night long. No cover. mickys.com Thu. | April 24
NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL Newport Beach Founded in 1999, this film fest has evolved into a prestigious multicultural event attracting over 53,000 attendees to Orange County. This year’s festival includes closing night film Chef by Jon Favreau, Joaquin Phoenix vehicle The Immigrant and Ian Thomson’s Out in the Lineup, a documentary about gay surfers. Through May 1. newportbeachfilmfest.com
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The city’s first ever nonprofit photo center proudly announces the grand opening of its new Hollywood facility, timed with the exhibit Through the Lens. This star-studded event will attract photographers, industry luminaries as well as past and present students and illustrious faculty of the LACP (formerly The Julia Dean Photo Workshops). juliadean.com Fri. | April 25
STAGECOACH Empire Polo Club, Indio California’s country music festival returns for another year with a talented roster of country and Southern rock artists. Headliners of the three-day fest include Eric Church, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. Also on the bill are Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shelby Lynne, Katey Sagal, Jennifer Nettles, Crystal Gale, Wanda Jackson and tons more. Through April 27. stagecoachfestival.com Fri. | April 25
LIMITED RUNS: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PHOTOS Boulevard 3 Limited Runs, a great source for vintage posters and photography, hosts its first public exhibition featuring epic rock ‘n’ roll photography by artists Stephen Stickler, Neil Zlozower and Sean Murphy. Combined these photographers have shot artists including Mötley Crüe, Led Zeppelin, P!nk, Jay-Z and Green Day. After L.A. the show will travel to Vegas and New York throughout the year. limitedruns.com
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Fri. | April 25
EATING
FRESH CLASSIC FRIDAYS Eleven Nightclub
OUT
It’s one of the most popular nights in West Hollwood, with some of the city’s hottest man candy as well. The party features world-class DJs, dancers and pop artist performers, which makes for one hell of an entertaining night. eleven.la
Gracias Madre
8905 Melrose Ave., WeHo (323) 978-2170 $$$$ graciasmadrewe ho.com
Through May 4
DOCTOR ANONYMOUS
Sat. | April 26
CHELSEA HANDLER
Zephyr Theatre
The Forum
Set during the Frank Rizzo campaign for mayor of Philadelphia and the dawn of gay Pride, Doctor Anonymous is inspired by the true story of Dr. John E. Fryer. This world premiere drama tackles the controversial subject of gay conversion therapy in a tale of love, liberation and opera. plays411.com/doctor Fri. | April 25
27TH ANNUAL L.A. MODERNISM SHOW & SALE
Superstar comedian, author and talk show host Chelsea Handler brings her national stand-up comedy tour in support of new book Uganda Be Kidding Me to L.A. “I think we all know how much I love the sound of my own voice,” says Handler. Past comedy tours have also featured her Chelsea Lately regulars and comedy writers. chelseahandler.com Sat. | April 26
DRAGULA Faultline
3Labs Studio Celebrate the world’s finest art and rub shoulders with renowned modern art exhibitors and prominent L.A. designers at this cocktail party, a kickoff for the 27th Annual Los Angeles Modernism Show & Sale. This opening night event benefits P.S. ARTS, which supports arts education for public schools. psarts.org/ modernism2014
This depraved party celebrating drag, filth, leather and glamour is brought to you by the Boulet Brothers. Don’t miss the night’s jaw-dropping runway show (with a $200 prize) and ghoulish soundtrack provided by The Men’s Club Soundsystem. $5. facebook.com/dragulalosangeles Sun. | April 27
STONEY AWARDS Sheraton Universal
Through April 26
FLORAL JOURNEY Autry National Center Art and spirituality converge with trade and commerce in Floral Journey: Native North American Beadwork, a groundbreaking exhibition. Through 250 unique objects and personal stories, it’s the first of its kind to explore how beaded floral designs became a remarkable art form as well as a means of economic and cultural survival for the Native North American people. theautry.org Sat. | April 26
VIBRANT VOICE AWARDS CBS Studio Center Celebration Theatre’s annual Vibrant Voice Awards benefit event will feature Betty White along with her Hot in Cleveland co-stars Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick reading a classic episode of The Golden Girls. Sean Hayes will be present, along with honorees Malick and Robert Forster. celebrationtheatre.com
Peter Paige will serve as emcee for the Stonewall Democratic Club’s 2014 awards. Honorees this year will include Congressman Henry Waxman, American Foundation for Equal Rights and Dr. Jo Olson, among others. SDC is the oldest Stonewall political club in the nation. Limited tickets are available to the public. stonewall-dems.org Sun. | April 27
SIZE Here Lounge It’s a West Hollywood party that has survived nearly a decade of plying cute gay boys with booze and getting them to cut loose on the patio. The party regularly features amazing sets by local DJs and special guest performances. tomwhitmanpresents.com Mon. | April 28
WHAT YOU WILL The Old Globe Tony Award winner Roger Rees returns to the Globe for What You Will, a hysterical 90-minute gallop through the world of Shakespeare. Rees brings to life the Bard’s most beautiful soliloquies, along with sidesplitting accounts of some of the funniest disasters ever perpetrated on the classical stage. theoldglobe.org
Roger Rees
VIVA LA VEGAN BY ERIC ROSEN
It’s a great time to be a vegan in L.A., with more restaurants than ever catering to a plant-based diet, from the raw vegan delicacies at MAKE in Santa Monica and the simple salads at Veggie Grill to the high-end culinary creations at Crossroads. It almost seems shocking that until now there wasn’t a Mexican-inspired vegan restaurant. Leave it to the folks at raw-vegan mecca Café Gratitude to fill in that gap with this newest venture. You won’t find granola-heads and hipster hippies crowding the cavernous whitewashed dining room (that used to be a Melrose antique emporium) or the coveted tables out on the tree-shaded patio. Instead, Gracias Madre is a who’s who of Hollywood A-listers, well-heeled Westsiders and health-conscious Hollywood denizens, all turning this new cantina into a bustling Weho haunt. It may be about healthy eating, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a strong cocktail program here, courtesy of barman Jason Eisner. The Purista Margarita is made with reposado tequila, agave nectar, lime, orange bitters and a sweet orange-salt rim, while the Ciudad packs more of a punch with reposado, dry vermouth, amaro ciociaro, maraschino and orange bitters—kind of like a tequila Manhattan. Contrary to the popular trend of trying to make vegan cuisine taste like ‘normal’ food, Gracias Madre doesn’t try to fool you with meat substitutes or flavors to mask the vegetables and plants that provide the backbone for executive chef Chandra Gilbert’s menu—and the food is better for it. You’ll find a lot of familiar names on the menu, but the flavors will be interesting, inspiring and new. Totopos (don’t call them tortilla chips!) come topped with
savory salsa de arbol, creamy cashew crema and lime. I suggest ordering them along with a side of the ultra-fresh guacamole and make a starter for the whole table out of it. Along with a variety of tacos, there are heartier options like sweet potato flautas, spicy mole enchiladas with mushrooms and cashew cheese and deliciously filling masa cake sopes smothered in guacamole, pickled cabbage, beans, cashew crema cilantro and an intriguing pineapplehabanero salsa that lends a nice, tangy taste to what could be a heavy dish. Because meat and cheese can be so central to Mexican cuisine, a few of the dishes do fall a little flat, so it bears making careful choices and querying your server
STANDOUTS: The Purista Margarita, Totopos and Guacamole, Masa Cake Sopes, Pumpkin Spice Cake
as to his or her favorites to avoid any major menu pitfalls. Case in point: desserts aren’t Gracias Madre’s strong suit, so consider skipping the flan. The fluffy spiced pumpkin cake with maple cream sauce and homemade vanilla bean coconut ice cream, however, is worth extra time on the treadmill and is a nice, semi-sweet end to your meal.
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Tue. | April 29
BOY GEORGE The Belasco Legendary artist Boy George stops into L.A. during a North American tour to support his latest album, This Is What I Do. Accompanied by a nine-piece band, George will perform songs from the album, most assuredly with some of his classic past hits as well. boygeorge.com Tue. | April 29
EVITA DBA This weekly Tuesday party brings the kind of glamour and hedonism you’ve come to expect from the Nero | Rigal duo. This party is people-watching at its finest, but you’ll likely be too busy on the dance floor to even notice. facebook.com/evitalos angeles Through May 11
BOOK OF MORMON Pantages Theatre Book of Mormon won’t be around forever, so don’t pass up your chance to see it! This nine-time Tony Award winner features book, music and lyrics by Robert Lopez (Avenue Q)and South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It’s been called the best musical of this century by The New York Times. hollywoodpantages.com
Flame On!
Strap on a utility belt and speed your Batmobile down the 101. WonderCon, the teen sidekick to San Diego’s Comic-Con, returns to Anaheim, bringing with it a treasure trove of comic books, skin-tight cosplay and everything else that makes gay geeks ectoplasm in their underoos, including these five queer comic book must-sees. —M.C. 1. Marc Andreyko The openly gay scribe behind Batwoman, DC Comics’ most high-profile LGBT character, will be speaking at both the IDW Publishing and Batman panels. 2. Josh Trujillo This rising gay writer debuts his anthology series Love Machines, illustrated by Ryo Kawakami and local artistic blue chip Michael Schisler. 3. Prism Comics This leader in LGBT comics will be hosting a number of gay-relevant panels (including number four) as well as showcasing the best in queer comic talent.
BY THE
BOOK
4. We're Here, We're Queer, Now What? New Directions in LGBT Comics Trujillo joins Tommy Kovac, Ed Luce and Shayna Why for this panel exploring how to push boundaries as gay culture becomes more accepted in the mainstream. 5. Marjorie Liu A GLAAD Award nominee, Liu earned her gay card when she penned Marvel Comics’ first same-sex wedding in the pages of Astonishing X-Men.
Once upon a time, literary works were printed onto paper and bound together to make ancient artifacts known as books. On May 3, California celebrates the venerable antiquaries that dispense these archaic tomes with the first annual Bookstore Day. Spanning nearly 100 participating independent bookstores, the day includes a number of community-oriented literary events as well as an opportunity to purchase exclusive books from the likes of George Saunders, Don DeLillo, Lemony Snicket, Michael Pollan and other authors who appreciate how indie literary establishments have helped mold their careers. Despite L.A.’s affinity for the digital and downloadable, our city houses a number of reputable independent bookstores chock-full of three-dimensional books worth perusing. Below are some favorite haunts of LGBT bibliophiles. —M.C.
BOOK SOUP
SKYLIGHT BOOKS
A literal labyrinth of literature, WeHo’s sole surviving bookstore is crammed with towering mazes of bookshelves. As much a Sunset Strip icon as the Whiskey A Go-Go or the Viper Room, Book Soup has attracted numerous live appearances by celebrity authors including Muhammad Ali, Howard Stern, Annie Leibovitz, Chuck Palahniuk, Jenna Jameson and The Doors. 8818 Sunset Blvd., WeHo. booksoup.com
Los Feliz’ diverse population of artists, writers, performers and musicians motivates this neighborhood bookstore to stay ahead of the latest literary trends. Comic book fans are highly encouraged to scope out Skylight’s thorough assortment of graphic novels and zines. 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz. skylightbooks.com
TASCHEN Any liberal arts school graduate will recognize Taschen from the spine of his favorite coffee table book. Taschen is famous for touting lesser known and cult art forms, including fetishistic imagery, queer art, historical erotica, pornography and adult magazines. Hit up the Beverly Hills branch of this book chain and skim gay works ranging from Michelangelo to LaChappelle. 354 N. Beverly Dr., Bev. Hills. taschen.com
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WONDER
Anaheim C CON onvention Center April 18-2 comic-con.o 0 rg/wca
VROMAN’S BOOKSTORE The oldest and largest independent bookstore in SoCal, Vroman’s holds over 400 free community events each year, including trivia nights, craft classes, bake-offs and special launch parties. The establishment has also hosted a number of esteemed authors, including Bill Clinton, Upton Sinclair, Ray Bradbury, David Sedaris, Salman Rushdie, Joan Didion, Anne Rice and California Book Day honoree Neil Gaiman. 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. vromansbookstore.com
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The long-awaited return of BBC America series Orphan Black, starring the amazing Tatiana Maslany, airs April 19. One focus of this season is the conflict between lead character Sarah and evil corporate head Rachel, who appears to have abducted Sarah’s daughter, Kira, at the end of last season. We can confirm that one new clone you’ll see this season is Jennifer, a high school teacher and swim coach who retires when she learns she has a respiratory issue just like some of the other clones. Jennifer is introduced after Cosima,
the lesbian biology student, discovers the educator’s rather haunting video diaries. Of equal interest to fans, Felix (the non-British but Canadian Jordan Gavaris) will be spending a lot more time with his polar opposite, soccer mom clone Alison. Joining the cast this season are True Blood vet Michelle Forbes, Nikita’s Peter Outerbridge and, as Sarah’s former lover, Nashville’s Michiel Huisman. Suits cast member Patrick J. Adams will also be making a guest appearance on an upcoming episode. —Nathaniel Grey
THE WITCH TREND CONTINUES Joining the likes of AMC and TNT, WGN—best known as the Chicago-based but nationally available superstation—unveils its first original series, Salem, on April 20. Hoping to piggyback on the success of American Horror Story: Coven, this drama also looks at the world of witches from their historic past. The series is produced by Star Trek: First Contact writer Brannon Braga, A Haunting in Connecticut author Adam Simon and Lie to Me producer Kurt Moritz. Set in the notorious Massachusetts village during the 17th century, the plot explores what ignited the famous witch trials and its connection to a terrifying supernatural influence. The cast includes Nikita’s Shane West, Mob City’s Iddo Goldberg, Fringe’s Seth Gabel, The Tudors’ Tamzin Merchant and Revenge’s Ashley Madekwe. The production is a reunion for Goldberg and Madekwe, who previously worked together on Showtime’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl. —N.G.
SET YOUR
DVR
SUNDAY, APRIL 20 Signed, Sealed and Delivered premieres on the Hallmark Channel, about postal detectives solving mysteries of undeliverable letters and packages from the past, featuring Mary Tyler Moore Show vet Valerie Harper. (8 p.m. on the Hallmark Channel)
SUNDAY, APRIL 20 The second season of Devious Maids debuts tonight with an episode directed by series EP and Desperate Housewives alumna Eva Longoria. (10 p.m. on Lifetime)
TUESDAY, APRIL 22 Faking It debuts, centered around two high school friends who try to be popular by pretending to be lesbians. The cast includes G.B.F. vet Michael J. Willett, White Frog’s Gregg Sulkin and Bunheads’ Bailey Buntain. (10:30 p.m. on MTV)
PHOTO: BBC AMERICA
YOU SHOULD BE OBSESSED WITH THIS SHOW
FAMILY-FRIENDLY ABC Family has given a thumbs up to two comedies. Mystery Girls is produced by Tori Spelling and follows two former stars of a hit detective series who pair up to solve a real-life mystery. The project reunites Spelling with her Beverly Hills 90210 costar Jennie Garth in the lead roles. The second of the two shows is called Young & Hungry. The premise involves a successful young tech developer who hires a blogger to work as his personal chef. The production features Annie Potts, Entourage vet Rex Lee and The Chernobyl Diaries’ Jonathan Sadowski. —N.G.
SUNDAY, APRIL 27 John Oliver, former correspondent for The Daily Show, gets his own series, Last Week Tonight. Having received rave reviews as a sub for Jon Stewart last summer, Oliver will provide his amusing take on issues of the week. (11 p.m. on HBO) —N.G.
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FINDING VIVIAN MAIER Now showing
*****
The late Vivian Maier was an amateur Chicago street photographer who left an unbelievable legacy—hundreds of thousands of outstanding images. John Maloof (who co-directed with Charlie Siskel) just happened to purchase a box of Maier’s negatives at an auction and was astonished by his discovery. Viewers will be as well. This extraordinary documentary uncovers the secretive Maier’s true story. An inveterate hoarder, she was extremely private, never exhibiting or sharing her work, and many interviewees emphasize that Maier would be very unhappy about all the attention being paid to her now. Viewers, however, will be extremely grateful. —Gary M. Kramer
PROXY
THE MOUSE’S REPERTOIRE REMIXED By Dan Loughry
Opens April 18
*****
Esther (the glum Alexia Rasmussen) is nine months pregnant when she is attacked and her baby is killed. Recovering from the trauma, she meets Melanie (the peculiar Alexa Havins) at a support group. Esther becomes more curious about Melanie after she notices her new friend acting strangely in public. Then Proxy introduces a queer twist or six. Director/co-writer Zach Parker crafts a beautiful, stylized and violent set piece around this overlong film’s mid-point, but what follows is so utterly inane and utterly insane that this slow-burn, ultra low-budget thriller proves it has more problems than either of its damaged leads. —G.M.K.
YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL Opens May 16
*****
Out French filmmaker François Ozon’s Young and Beautiful is an exquisitely filmed drama that chronicles a year in the life of 17year-old Isabelle (Marine Vacth). After losing her virginity at the beach one summer, Isabelle returns to high school in Paris and works as a prostitute on the sly. Ozon maintains a cool, detached perspective towards Isabelle’s activities, which become increasingly more complicated and dangerous. Why Isabelle behaves so provocatively is at the heart of this hypnotic film. Vacth gives an incredibly assured performance, and her body language is particularly terrific. Ozon films both her and her story beautifully. —G.M.K.
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We’re not sure who came up with the nutso idea for world-renowned beatmakers to remix some classic Disney jams, but Dconstructed is the kind of loopy hybrid that takes much-loved Mouse House music from the crib to the clubs. And we do mean Mouse House, as in music, as in techno, as in grime, as in trap, as in Saturday night under the disco ball, glow stick proudly waving. Over its hour-plus length, Dconstructed pumps new life into, well, The Lion King’s “Circle of Life,” Toy Story’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and recent Grammywinning robotic duo Daft Punk’s TRON: Legacy songs. The trippiest moment by far has to be the Shy Kidz remix of “The Muppet Show Theme” replete with chirping felt creatures no doubt out on a weekend bender (twerk it, Miss Piggy). Oh, and Mickey gets his groove on in Stonebridge’s “Hey Pluto!” banger (based on the original Mickey Mouse cartoons, featuring the cartoon character’s identifiable squeak). We’re not really sure who the audience is for these reimaginings of classic tracks—probably overburdened parents tired of hearing the soundtrack from Monsters University one more time. Most ironically, those mothers concerned about Frozen being a thinly veiled ad for gay acceptance may blow a complete gasket when they hear Armin Van Buuren’s over-the-top, gay bar-ready remix of Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go.”
ALSO IN OUT NOW Captain America: The Winter Soldier Alan Partridge In the Blood Jinn Only Lovers Left Alive
» THEATRES
APRIL 18 Transcendence A Haunted House 2
APRIL 25 Locke The Other Woman The Quiet Ones
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music THE AFGHAN WHIGS Do to the Beast (Sub Pop)
DCONSTRUCTED Various artists (Walt Disney Records) Released April 22
*****
Band reunions are a doubleedged sword. Pro: you get to see beloved performers one more time. Con: new music, if any, usually disappoints. Greg Dulli, the band’s main motivator and frontman, must have been aware of this during recording of this first record in 16 years, because he and bassist John Curley (the only remaining original members) not only recapture the spark of the band at its finest but turn inspiration into a blaze. They’re as rough and elegant as ever while putting to shame rock artists half their age in the process. Prime Cuts: “The Lottery,” “It Kills,” “Matamoros” —D.L.
ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI Now + 4Eva (Casual Workout)
*****
What a difference a decade makes. In 2003, Architecture in Helsinki burst onto the scene with Fingers Crossed, boasting a vibrant, makeshift DIY style that sounded batshit insane. The band explored that sound for the brilliant In Case We Die but have suffered since then by trying to commercialize its sound. Now + 4Eva is even more obnoxious and commercial than its title suggests. Everything interesting about this band has been sanded down, leaving behind nothing but glossily produced shlock. A band with such an interesting name shouldn’t be producing such banal music. —Dominik Rothbard
RAC Strangers Part II (Cherry Tree)
*****
MUSIC
» NEW RELEASES
OUT NOW The Faint, Doom Abuse Ingrid Michaelson, Lights Out Jason Derulo, Talk Dirty Shonen Knife, Overdrive Todd Terje, It’s Album Time
APRIL 22 Asher Roth, RetroHash Eels, The Cautonary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett Kelis, Food Modern Rivals, Cemetery Dares
APRIL 29 Elephant, Sky Swimming Fu Manchu, Gigantoid Pixies, Indie Cindy
RAC stands for Remix Artist Collective, comprised of Andre Allen Anjos, and he’s been delivering excellent reworks for nearly a decade. On this proper extended play debut, he showcases his chops as an actual songwriter, musician and producer. The resulting work is a decidedly ‘80s throwback, with its pleasing mix of mid-tempo synth-pop and subtle indie rock tones. Guest collaborators include Kele (of Bloc Party) with MNDR, Penguin Prison, Tegan & Sara, Tokyo Police Club and Alex Ebert (of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros). The overall vibe is upbeat, sunny, twee and playful and makes for a superb springtime soundtrack. Prime Cuts: “Let Go,” “Hollywood,” “Ready For It” —Paul V.
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stage PHOTO: ED KRIEGER
DOCTOR ANONYMOUS Zephyr Theatre | 7456 Melrose Ave., Hlywd. Through May 4 | plays411.com/doctor
PHOTO: ED KRIEGER
***** The new play Doctor Anonymous by Guy Fredrick Glass has moments of brilliance, but it can’t quite reach the heights of its historical brethren. Set in 1972, the story uses the dawn of gay pride in Philadelphia to tell the story of a psychologist coming to terms with his sexuality in a time when same-sex love was still classified as a mental condition. And while he and his new lover try to make a go at it, before you know it, he decides to try and make the gay go away. There are lofty goals in Doctor Anonymous, and that should be admired. But while it strives for The Normal Heart greatness, there are too many ideas here to make the play feel cohesive. When big moments happen, they seem half-hearted or out of place. One character’s untimely death is presented in such a way that the character’s reactions to it are so ho-hum the death barely registers. And when the Doctor Anonymous ‘will he or will he not?’ moment arrives, it is robbed of any dramatic heft because the choice was never clearly offered as the dramatic tipping point. It’s hard to condemn a play that has respectable intentions, and while the game cast (Matt Crabtree, Barry Pearl and Kevin Held are standouts) does what it can with the material, the script betrays the actors’ ability to really make it tug at your soul. Hanging a lantern on what we are supposed to be feeling is not as effective as actually making us feel it. —Kevin P. Taft
L.A. DELI Marilyn Monroe Theatre | 7936 Santa Monica Blvd., WeHo Through April 27 | plays411.com/ladeli
***** Satire on wry is served up with style in Sam Bobrick’s tasty spoof of the scramble for success and self-esteem in the dog-eat-dog world of contemporary showbiz, set in a Hollywood eatery. Veteran scribe Bobrick offers 12 vignettes as a sharp ensemble cast tackles multiple roles in these sardonically hilarious encounters. Director Walter Painter maximizes the fun in an atmospherically designed production. Accomplished thespian Phil Proctor masters roles ranging from a manipulative mogul to a spouse older than he pretends to be. Jeffrey Landman plays slimy creeps to optimum comic effect, including an unscrupulous writing partner and a sneaky hit man. Scott Kruse is charming and hilarious playing ambitious young men, some naïve and some conniving. As the friendly waitress, Gail Matthius savors the chance to reveal this character’s backstory in a rueful closing segment. Darrin Revitz and Rachel Boller likewise sparkle in a variety of zesty roles. —Les Spindle
A SLASHED-UP MASHUP By Mike Ciriaco
Dane Whitlock is mixing a blender full of ‘90s slasher flicks with a gallon of ‘70s disco hits and serving it up with a side of tortilla chips. After sold-out hits like Are You There God? It's Me, Karen Carpenter and (Little House on the) Prairieoke!, the mashup king’s newest comedy combo, I Totally Know What you Did Last (Donna) Summer, premieres at Silver Lake’s Cavern Club Theater on May 2. Until you score a ticket of your own, which you’ll find at cavernclubtheater.com, here’s what Whitlock has to say about the show, working with the multitalented Drew Droege, and how he would commit murder if given the chance. What motivated you to mashup ‘90s slasher flicks with ‘70s disco music? My last two shows were both mashups 68
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of pop culture icons with an unexpected soundtrack, and they were both a hit, so I decided to test the waters again. Honestly, I always start with the title and then the rest magically falls into place. I’m a tough sell. If the title makes me want to see it, then I write it and call up my favorite people and ask if they want to put on a show! Why is this show a must-see for L.A.’s gay audience? Well, first of all, it’s in the basement of a Mexican restaurant in Silver Lake, and you can bring your margaritas downstairs. But mainly it’s because it’s got all of my favorite “G’s”— glitz, glamour, grit, gays and gore—and this show has Drew Droege, who is playing a character based on the role Courteney Cox played in Scream—a
reporter named Windy Storms. Last, who doesn’t want to see some bitchy teen get axed while singing a riff on “She Works Hard for the Money” or “Bad Girls” or “On the Radio”? I certainly do. What can we expect to see Drew Droege do in this show that we’ve never seen before? Sing and dance! Drew’s character has several songs, one of which is a love duet with the town sheriff, played by Mark Rowe from Where the Bears Are. I’ve worked with Drew on my last two shows and he always brings it and then some. He’s the real deal. I’ve literally watched people choke on their own laughter watching him perform. He’s that good.
If you were to murder a group of sexually active teenagers, what would be your weapon of choice? A cellphone that explodes on demand. Oh, wait! How about a condom that explodes on command, too ... or is that too twisted? Whatever, twisted is what we do best.
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THE WORLD OF BILLY MASTERS
COLUMNS
UMA TAKES A PIE, CHER GETS THE SHAFT, PLUS THE GAYEST EVENT IN HISTORY COMES TO L.A. BY BILLY MASTERS
A BIOPIC WITH PIE
ONE NIGHT ONLY
It’s just been announced that Uma Thurman will take on the starring role in Anita, a biopic about anti-gay activist Anita Bryant. I know many of you will find it ridiculous that I have to explain who Anita Bryant is, but I have a very young fan base. Bryant was a singer and former Miss Oklahoma who had a hit with the
One of the few events I routinely revolve my calendar around is the annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event, otherwise known as STAGE. This annual event, one of the oldest continuous AIDS benefits in the country, will celebrate the golden age of movie musicals. Performers will include James Darren, Betty Buckley, Richard Chamberlain, Carole Cook, Mitzi Gaynor, Jason Gould, Cheyenne Jackson, Lainie Kazan, Donna McKechnie, Patricia Morison, Rex Reed and many more. It is without a doubt the best showbiz night of the year. And it takes place on Saturday,
for the “ex-gay movement.” And in a rather ironic twist given the timing of this announcement, he was also editor of XY, a magazine for gay men that featured erotic photos of twinks of questionable age. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.
A TRAGEDY OF SEQUINS THE GAYEST GALA OF ALL TIME The suddenly nomadic Celebration Theatre of West Hollywood has something special lined up for its annual gala—the reading of a classic Golden Girls episode by the cast of Hot in Cleveland. The event will also feature a raffle for a walk-on role
Uma Thurman
“Well, I’m a gay guy. I’m not a straight guy who can let himself go.”
Anita Bryant
song “Paper Roses” long before Marie Osmond. She also was a popular television personality who was a spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission throughout the ‘70s. But that all came to a crashing halt in 1977 when she spearheaded a movement to repeal an ordinance making it illegal to discriminate against gay people in Florida. Bryant’s group was called “Save Our Children,” which perpetuated the myth that gay people are also pedophiles. Bryant was successful in having the anti-discrimination ordinance repealed. What I discovered while researching this story is that gay bars around the country started boycotting orange juice and began marketing a new drink—the “Anita Bryant,” which was vodka and apple juice (which sounds positively dreadful). She traveled around the country helping other cities strike down anti-gay discrimination laws. That led to an infamous episode in Des Moines when someone threw a pie in her face on live TV. Her response? “At least it’s a fruit pie.” Oh, there’s that famous Bryant wit! Say what you will about the crazy old girl, but I bet her life will make one helluva movie! Plus, who hasn’t wanted to throw a pie in Uma Thurman’s face?
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—Anderson Cooper responds to Howard Stern’s compliment on the Silver Fox’s good looks.
May 10, at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. You can get tickets by checking out StageLA.com.
FRANCO FOLLIES If you’re a fan of this column, you know that I have taken many gay people to task for having partners who are significantly younger. So it’s only fair that I write about James Franco with just as much zeal. It’s a story as old as time— actor takes Instagram video with cute girl at stage door, chats with her online, finds out she’s not yet 18, offers to get them a hotel room and share some iced tea. But here’s the fascinating part: At the same time, it was announced that Franco would star in a film produced by Gus Van Sant about Michael Glatze. Who is Michael Glatze? As a young man, he was a vocal and public gay activist. However, he later went through conversion therapy and became a poster child
Bob Mackie & Cher
in a future Hot in Cleveland episode. This gala event will take place on the soundstage of the TVLand sitcom. Tickets range from $100 to $500, and I’m sure this will sell out fast, so get your tix quick at CelebrationTheatre.com.
James Franco
I recently spent some time with legendary designer Bob Mackie, so I just had to ask him about Cher. I had seen photos of her in a really hideous multi-colored catsuit and had to ask if he had designed it. Bob was shocked—how did I not hear about the whole Cher-Mackie breakup? Just before the opening night of the tour, Cher tweeted the following (I’m removing her ‘caps lock’ to spare you the annoyance): “Telling you something that has broken my heart. The man who made all my costumes since 1972 decided he couldn’t do my last tour. No matter how disappointed any of u are, you don’t know my grief. I’m sure Bob can’t know how much I miss him. Felt I had to tell u I’m crying. I tried to convince him to end with me, but he had many reasons as 2 why he couldn’t do it. 2 many obligations. Not enough time even 2 do 1.” Needless to say, a designer of Mackie’s stature has quite a bit on his plate, including a line of furniture, linens and clothing on QVC. But even with all of that, he was excited about doing this project. Although the tour was announced last September, many of the specific details weren’t coming together in enough time for him to design a wardrobe worthy of both the Mackie and Cher name, especially for a tour called Dressed to Kill! But have no fear—there is no breakup. The two are still good friends, and I hear that Cher will once again don Mackie, and sooner rather than later. Bob did say one thing that made me laugh: “When Cher tried to convince me to end with her, I said, ‘End? I’m not going anywhere!’” While discussing this situation on Today, Hoda Kotb gave Cher a philosophical way to look at it: “He’ll do the next one. He’ll do the next final tour!” You don’t need the tabloids to keep tabs on your favorite celebs. Simply check out BillyMasters.com, the site that delivers 24/7. If you have a question for me, just send a note to Billy@BillyMasters.com. I promise to get back to you before Cher asks Mackie to help her turn back time. Until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible.
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LITTLE MISS KNOW-IT-ALL
THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE PHOTO: TIMOTHY WHITE FOR E!
13 questions with pop culture pro Ross Mathews
BY JACKIE BEAT
Since 2001, Ross Mathews has traveled the world and established himself as one of the most in-demand television personalities in the pop culture arena today. Endearing and witty, undeniably funny and one of the hardest-working people in show business, Mathews has won the hearts of millions of Americans since his television debut as a correspondent for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Now, over 12 years later, Mathews was nominated for a People’s Choice Award for his own talk show, Hello Ross!, currently in its second season. In addition to hosting his own show, Mathews is also a best-selling author, having released his first book, Man Up: Tales of My Delusional Self-Confidence, last year. Mathews can also be seen as a regular panelist and occasional guest host on Chelsea Lately and is a fixture on E! News and the E! network’s live red carpet awards show coverage. Apart from his TV work, in December 2013, Mathews launched Swank, a home surfaces distributor.
If this were speed dating, how would you describe yourself to a complete stranger in just one sentence? I’m like a maltipoo— I’m really happy and loyal, and I love getting my tummy rubbed. If you could watch only one movie every single day for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? Steel Magnolias, because it’s the best movie ever, but I’d stop watching before Julia Roberts— SPOLIER ALERT!—fucking dies, because it just hurts too much. Hold onto your seat, because it’s about to get real. What’s your favorite color? And think of a pretentious new name for it. Perfect Pistachio Pastel. What celebrity would you like to have wild, passionate, dirty animal sex with? Oh, dear lord, no one wants to think of me having sex with anyone, so I’m choosing to not answer this question. Justin Timberlake!
Costco-sized bucket of Red Vines, Nacho Cheesier Doritos and a Diet Coke. And a hamburger. What song title could also be the name of your autobiography? “The Rose,” except lose the E and add an S! If you could come back in your next life as anyone or anything, who or what would you be? Someone with abs. Worst job you’ve ever had? I was a telemarketer once for an hour. Complete the sentence: “I could not live without…” Creating. Share your favorite beauty tip with us. SPF the top of your hands. That way, when you’re older and get your face tightened, you won’t have old granny hands that give your age away.
Who or what is your spirit animal? Oprah.
Tell me a secret! I had a headache all day today and didn’t tell anyone.
Describe, in detail, your death row meal. Pepperoni pizza with ranch on the side, chicken fingers with BBQ, Oreos, a fresh
Finally, be a total shameless whore and plug whatever you want. Hello Ross! airs Fridays at 10/9c on E!
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COLUMNS
DRIVE
BAWDY, BITCHY & BRUTUALLY FAST The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible is a Worthy Obsession BY STEVE SILER
To some it’s America’s automotive sweetheart while to others it’s a mid-life crisis on wheels. To car guys it’s one of the world’s best sports cars, while others see it as below-the-belt compensation. As a person who reviews cars for a living, I see it—as do many of my fellow car journos, gay and straight—as the most impressive new automobile of 2014. I’m talking about the Chevy Corvette Stingray. While its new styling is unmistakably Corvette, it appears to have been genetically spliced with exotic Italian DNA with its long, beveled hood, angular body sides and a bad boy backside featuring huge, cansized quad exhaust pipes poking out from below. Especially in the searing Torch Red of my test vehicle, the ‘Vette looks a lot like a Ferrari, and that’s no accident. It drives like one, too. All new Corvette Stingrays are powered by the same, inappropriately loud, 450-hp V-8, with excellent manual and automatic transmissions doing the shifting. (I prefer the manual.) They’re not just fast in a straight line, either—brilliant steering and scintillating handling make bombing along Mulholland Drive just as enjoyable as
L.A. CAR CULTURE History has given us lots of notable Corvettes, but here in L.A. there may be none more iconic than Angelyne’s famous pink Corvette. Currently the local billboard legend is driving a C6 model—predecessor to the all-new 2014 C7 profiled on this page— but her huge blonde hair, self-titled vanity plate and custom bubble-gum paint have graced multiple generations of Chevy’s finest sports car over the last three decades. Why she drives the car, I totally understand. How she drives it in heels—that’s beyond me.
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hitting the dragstrip in Pomona or bursting from stoplight to stoplight along 2014 CHEVROLET CORVETTE La Cienega. It’s fast everywhere, a BY THE NUMBERS license-eater if ever there was one. Fortunately, the ‘Vette is even marPrice as tested (incl. dest.): $65,790 velous idling in a parking lot, with the Styling: huge V-8 rumbling beneath you, tickEngine: ling your naughty parts while you Handling: savor its world-class interior, the first Interior décor: time since the 1960s that its interior Quality: could be characterized as such. The TronInterior space: inspired décor and computerized gauge Seat comfort: cluster are more sci-fi than Euro-chic, Cargo Space: Parkability: but most of the materials used match EPA fuel economy (city/hwy): 17/29 the stuff found in similarly pricey sports cars from Porsche, Audi and MercedesBenz. The seats are body-hugging buckets that shame the floppy lounge chairs found in prior models, and there are not one but two low-mounted “oh-shit!” handles for your passenger. They’re gonna need them, too, at least with someone like me at the wheel. The Corvette has a practical side, too, with hatchback models offering Costco-trip cargo space, and even the convertible boasts a broad, capacious trunk. And did you see that fuel economy? It’s no Prius, but for a car with such a huge V-8, it’s pretty stellar. Unlike the Prius, this one will get you laid. If there’s one problem with driving a Corvette, it’s other people. Apparently nothing brings out nastiness in some drivers like seeing a red Corvette (at least one they’re not in). No matter how deferent I was driving down the street in this car, or how much I smiled at other drivers, I was constantly being cut off or blocked from merging. I’ve found that we gays appear split into three camps—clueless haters, obsessed maniacs and guys who pretend to be haters but secretly are obsessed maniacs. I can’t speak to the first camp because they’ll never understand, but to the latter, I can say that your obsession is fully justified. The new ‘Vette is absolutely terrific.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
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QUEERSAY Zach Galifianakis
COMEDY FOR A CAUSE Tales from the VIP Table of TransYouth Speak BY GOSSIP GAY
My regular readers know that I rarely walk a red carpet and tell. Oh, who am I kidding? Walking red and then relaying the details is my bread and butter! And while I usually whip up a snippy, undercutting observation or two for y'all, this recent event was simply awesome. Zach Galifianakis, Tig Notaro, Reggie Watts, Patton Oswalt and Ian Harvie—perhaps you’ve heard of them? (Of course you have!) All were under the same roof, performing comedy live on the Wiltern stage to support the awesome nonprofit program TransYouth Speak, a grassroots initiative that helps transgender youth find their voice through art and social media. Yours truly spent the night VIP-ing it. Seated up front at a table for eight, I indulged in complimentary wine and unlimited cheese. To my left, Kate Flannery of The Office, who looked stunning, I might add. To my right, pop icon Lisa Loeb, who hasn’t aged a day since walking through that New York loft in a single, uninterrupted camera shot. (It’s here that I would like to take a moment and apologize to Lisa for cornering her in the Wiltern stairwell and asking her why she said I only hear what I want to. So?! She was a good sport.) The show was phenomenally LOL-inducing. If I had to cite a single fail, however, it would have been the self-proclaimed “kind of a big deal” music producer seated at my VIP table. He was wearing an Ed Hardy hat and had his Armani suit pants tailored into capris. Need I say more? Apparently Sir Capri-A-Lot is producing an upcoming track for the tongue-wagging Miley Cyrus, and it’s supposedly going to “blow that wrecking ball out of the water!” Oh, how we wait with bated breath for that one! [Insert eye roll here] The real highlight of the night were the trans youth, who are true superstars in the making. So funny, so fanciful, so fabulous— we had an inspired blast together at the after-party, talking about empowerment through art while dancing to Britney Spears remixes. One TransYouth Speak member clandestinely told me, “We’ve got something big planned, honey. Tell your readers that TYS is about to blow YouTube wide open. We have a message. We have a voice. And we have a plan.” For more Gossip Gay, go to FrontiersLA.com/QueerSay. To witness that kind of pasDrop your dirty little secrets at sion and heart—that is someQueerSay@hotmail.com. thing I can’t wait for! And don’t worry, I never give up my deep throat!
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PALM SPRINGS
CITY GUIDES
DISCO DIVAS DESCEND UPON THE DESERT (From top left) Norma Jean, Alfa Anderson, Luci Martin, Linda Clifford, Anita Ward, France Joli, Martha Wash, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Maxine Nightingale, Pamela Stanley
‘Evening Under the Stars’ Returns to Palm Springs BY JAMES F. MILLS
Expect some unusual duets and perhaps even some startling mash-ups at this year’s diva-filled Evening Under the Stars gala on May 3. The show features disco legends Evelyn “Champagne” King (“Shame”), Maxine Nightingale (“Right Back Where We Started From”), Martha Wash (“It’s Raining Men”), Pamala Stanley (“Coming Out of Hiding”), Anita Ward “(Ring My Bell”), Linda Clifford (“If My Friends Could See Me Now”), France Joli (“Come to Me”) and the ladies of Chic (“Le Freak,” “I Want Your Love”). “Yes, there will be several onstage surprises,” promises Mark Anton, Executive Director of the AIDS Assistance Program, which provides food vouchers to low-income residents living with HIV and is putting on the gala, held at the O’Donnell Country Club in Palm Springs. “You won’t be disappointed.” Anton is mum on exactly who’ll be singing with whom, but “already there’s much speculation going about town.” He does let slip that the show will include a tribute to openly gay disco singer Sylvester (“You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real),” “Do You Wanna Funk?”), who died of AIDS in 1988. Wash, who got her start as a backup singer for Sylvester, will be joined onstage by two other backup singers for that tribute. The show came about when Anton—looking for a way to top last year’s Evening Under the Stars, which featured Cyndi Lauper—contacted Wash’s manager about putting on some kind of Studio 54-type throwback experience. He told Anton about James Arena’s new book, First Ladies of Disco: 32 Stars Discuss the Era and Their Singing Careers, where the divas talk about their place in dance music history and their special connection to gay audiences.
“I suggested we bring this book to life, create a show around it,” says James Washington, who represents Wash and Arena. “I sent an email to all of the talent, and all of them said yes. It all came together in just two days. I got everybody I wanted.” Washington reports the divas are as eager to do the show as the audience is to see it. “They’re so excited about this experience, to all be together. They’re all talking about what they’ll wear and how they’ll do their hair. This feels like the Grammys to them,” says Washington. “Getting all this talent together, it’s like the ‘We Are the World’ of disco. This is something you won’t see again.”
Challenger Edges Out City Council Incumbent in Contentious Rancho Mirage Election
aidsassistance.org
Charles Townsend Vinci
Openly gay incumbent councilmember Scott Hines lost his seat on the Rancho Mirage City Council to another openly gay man, political newcomer Charles Townsend Vinci, in the city’s April 8 municipal election. Hines, who was the subject of a homophobic election mailing earlier this year, earned just 17.3% of the votes cast for the three four-year seats that were up for grabs. Vinci, who recently received a death threat during his campaign, earned 25.7% of the 4,806 ballots cast in election done entirely by mail. Also re-elected were incumbents Dana Hobart with 29.5% and Iris Smotrich with 27.5% of the vote. Vinci, owner of the Charles Townsend Collection furniture store, was the domestic partner of longtime councilmember Gordon Moller, who passed away in 2012. Ted Weill, who was appointed to fill Moller’s seat, was also re-elected to a two-year term. —J.F.M.
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CITY GUIDES
Leo’s new desert digs
SMOKING HOT DESERT REAL ESTATE
PHOTOS COURTESY CLUB SKIRTS DINAH SHORE WEEKEND
Real estate is quite a hot commodity in the desert, and Palm Springs has recently seen two of its most well-known properties gear up for changes in ownership. Elvis Presley and wife Priscilla spent their 1967 honeymoon in a Palm Springs home that recently went on the market for $9.5 million. The mid-century modern house was turned into an Elvis museum in 1989 by its present day owner, and to this day guided tours are offered by docents in Elvis and Priscilla costumes. One of the Coachella Valley’s most prestigious pieces of real estate—a gorgeous mid-century modern estate that once belonged to the legendary Dinah Shore— has been purchased by perennial Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio. The actor reportedly purchased the 7,000-square-foot home designed by the great Donald Wexler for $5.2 million. Escrow closed on Valentine’s Day. The famous home has been called “the quintessential mid-century modern home,” boasting six bedrooms, a tennis court, pool and detached gym on 1.3 acres in the Old Las Palmas neighborhood of Palm Springs. Palm Springs recently played host to Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, April 2-6, a celebration for women that takes Shore as its namesake. This year’s desert festivities saw performances by the likes of Iggy Azalea, Eve and Tegan and Sara (pictured below). —Brenden Shucart
Getting Around the Desert Just Got Uber-Easy Need a ride in the Coachella Valley? It’s now easier than ever as ridesharing app Uber arrived just in time for the second weekend of Coachella Music Festival and the 25th anniversary of White Party Palm Springs. Uber launched four years ago in San Francisco and is like an upscale taxi service. Using an app on your smartphone, you can order a black car to come pick you up. The app allows you to track the car as it makes its way to your location, and no money is exchanged between you and the driver—payment, as well as the driver’s tip, is automatically debited from the credit card you have on file. Better of all, Uber is generally cheaper than a taxi. The flat-rate price for a ride from Downtown Palm Springs to the airport is $11 (versus $13 for a taxi), or $49 from Palm Springs to Indio (versus $78). Look for Uber reps at several locations during White Party, and hunt down the Uber Lounge at Coachella to sign up. —J.F.M.
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PHOTO: PHIL LOBEL
PALM SPRINGS
6 EASY STEPS TO
SURVIVING WHITE PARTY By Mike Ciriaco With its raucous parties, shirtless poolside crowds and much-anticipated performances, White Party Palm Springs is spring break for gays. Let’s be honest, though—you’re not a teenager anymore. If you want to survive White Party it’s best to treat the weekend less like spring break and more like a marathon. Take these strategies to heart and you’ll be far less likely to leave the desert in a body bag.
1. Condition Your Body You’ll be abusing your corporal form over the 72 hours of White Party with excessive consumption and physical exertion, so it’s best to enter in peak form. Hit the gym right now! (Seriously, put down this magazine and complete a brutal workout now.) Be sure to incorporate both cardio and strength training into your daily routine. Also, cut out any unnecessary fats or carbs leading up to the big weekend. Not only will that increase your endurance but it will increase your chances of getting laid. Otherwise, why bother going?
2. Come Prepared Stock up on booze and any other supplies you’ll need before the partying starts. It’s always best to be prepared. Like the rest of California, Palm Springs stops selling alcohol at 2 a.m., so you may wanna store a cache of goodies in your hotel room for afterhours gatherings.
3. Be Really Hot (or Really Rich) If you’re under 25, your greatest asset is your nubile youth, so pimp it out for all its worth—free drinks, after-parties, cutting in line, whatever. Conversely, if you’re over 40, you better bring wads of cash. Boys half your age care less about what you can do in bed and more about what you can buy them this weekend.
4. Stay Safe I hate that I even need to say this, but it’s bad enough a lot of you boys don’t play safe normally, let alone while messing with circuit party crowds. (New bummer: meningitis. Find out about free vacinations at lagaycenter.org.)
5. Stay Hydrated Not only will it keep you alive, but it’ll help retain your skin’s youthful glow. You may not care about staying alive, but I know you care about staying pretty. The Army recommends two gallons per day for desert ops. Just sayin’.
6. Eat Yeah, yeah, you don’t want to compromise your abs, but if you try to power-drink on an empty stomach, you’ll most likely make a fool of yourself. No one wants their fingerprints on a trainwreck. APRIL 30, 2014
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OFF THE COUCH
HEALTH
STANDING UP FOR SISSIES EXAMINING THE PREJUDICE AGAINST EFFEMINATE MEN BY DR. GREG CASON
Oregon mother Jessica Durtro fatally beat her 4-year-old son because she thought he was gay. She subjected little Zachary Dutro-Boggess to repeat attacks, with a final blow leaving his insides bleeding and his bowels torn, eventually killing him. Jessica sent a Facebook message to her boyfriend, Brian Canady, saying she knew he was going to be gay. “He walks and talks like it. Ugh.” She told Canady he would have to “work on” Zachary “big time.” Work on him they both did. Canady admitted kicking the boy in the abdomen while wearing shoes, pleading guilty to manslaughter. But it was the testimony of Zachary’s 7-year-old sister that led to the mother’s murder conviction. Many on the news asserted that no one could tell a 4-year-old child was gay. Sadly, they are expressing the same kind of ‘fake color blindness’ people claim they have when they assert they can’t see race. But most who are gay are not surprised this mother could tell. Many gay men weren’t the butchest of boys. In 1986, UCLA Psychiatrist Richard Green, M.D., published a 15-year study of 44 extremely effeminate boys in the groundbreaking book The Sissy Boy Syndrome. These boys did many “genderatypical” things that many gay men remember doing—donning dresses and heels, firing up an Easy-Bake Oven and playing with dolls and girls’ games (I always liked “Mystery Date”). These boys also had an aversion to sports and roughand-tumble play. Many of them even said they were or wanted to be girls. At first blush one might think this was a study group of male-to-female trans individuals. But it turns out that all of them grew up to eventually identify as gay or bisexual, with only one identifying as trans. This is in stark comparison to the “typically masculine” comparison group of boys where only one identified as bi and the rest grew up to identify as hetero.
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This mirrored another study at the time— conducted by the Kinsey Institute with 1,500 adults—that concluded “gender nonconformity” in childhood was the most important predictor of homosexuality in adulthood. Paul Vitagliano lovingly demonstrates this with both photos and stories in his 2012 book Born This Way. In fairness, this does not apply to all gay men. A full one-third of gay men recall typically masculine boyhoods. As a result they probably got to escape much of the bullying and rejection experienced by their gender-bending queer peers. Escaping bullying and abuse is not something most effeminate boys get to do. In fact, they all but have targets written on their backs— targets sometimes used by members of their own families.
No child can control the family they’re born into, and sometimes a child is born into a family that is not only ignorant about sexuality and gender issues but is also homophobic and even violent. If you are born with gender-conforming ways and can hide your sexuality, you may get to avoid a lot of pain. But if your voice, mannerisms and play preferences don’t conform to the norm, you are likely to get punished for it—leaving emotional scars that continue long after the physical scars have faded. Unfortunately, little Zachary’s physical scars never got to heal. His mother saw his gender-nonconformity and thought it meant he was gay. If the old studies are correct, she was probably correct. But that’s not what killed him. It was her homophobia combined with a violent nature that led her to take fatal action. Jessica Durtro’s homophobia did not develop in a vacuum. Our society has come a long way, but there are still churches, popular political figures and close friends and family members who express negative opinions about those who are effeminate and those who are gay. Unfortunately, negative opinions regarding effeminacy don’t strictly come from outside the LGBT community. It is all too common to hear gay men reacting negatively to effeminate behavior of members of their own tribe. Online ads often say “no femmes,” and every year gays can be heard decrying drag queens in gay Pride parades while forgetting who stood up at Stonewall (drag queens, effeminate men and trans individuals). Though our community continues to make great strides in equality and justice, we still have some work to do in accepting others within our own ranks that don’t quite fit into some masculine ideal. In rejecting effeminate boys and men, we send a message to the outside world (and to mothers of boys like little Zachary) that it’s OK to hate them. It’s not. It’s time to stand up for all the sissies out there—past, present and future. Because if it weren’t for sissy boys standing up for the rest of us, we might all still be in hiding.
Dr. Greg Cason is a licensed psychologist based in West Hollywood, specializing in cognitive therapy with individuals and couples. He can be contacted at DrGreg.com.
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CLASSIFIEDS
TO ADVERTISE CALL 323.930.3220 OR VISIT FRONTIERSLA.COM
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MODELS/ESCORTS
ATTENTION MODELS AND MASSEURS Frontiers prefers all photo shots above the waist only; any shot below the waist must be non-suggestive and non-explicit. Examples of unacceptable photos would include (but are not limited to) “groping” of the genital area, or anatomical details of the genital area visible through sheer/tight fabric. Please do not write on, cut, or deface photo in any way! All photos submitted that do not fit these guidelines will not be used. Your ad will be printed without a photo or a previous photo from your Photo File will be used in its place. Frontiers is not responsible for Photo Ads that are submitted incorrectly. If you have a concern regarding your photo please call us before you submit your ad. Thank You for your cooperation. [3BCS0100]
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ITALIAN NUDE MASSAGE Sexy Top 8.5 ready for sensual erotic Massage. Call 310-854-3521 [175SC2626]
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ORANGE COUNTY CA ANNOUNCEMENTS
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SEX ED
HEALTH
THE TROUBLE WITH TOYS IS YOUR TRUSTY DILDO HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH? By Jim Larkins Today’s choices of sexual toys are as diverse as the playfully curious public using them. Unfortunately, there’s more to electro penile proxies and strings of anal beads than meets the (brown) eye. Many of these goodtime gadgets get their comfortable pliability by mixing specialized plastics or rubber components into the manufacturing mold. The downside to these insertables is that the materials can break down, causing toys to separate and leak while in use. As if having man-made products free-ranging through your circulatory system wasn’t bad enough, many of these dildos, ben wa balls and other sexual supplements are composed of phthalates, which cause liver, kidney and testicular damage in rats. In a test of numerous adult entertainment devices, German chemist Ulrich Krieg discovered that many had dangerously high concentrations of phthalates. But in the U.S., sex toys are marketed as ‘novelty items,’ which are not really meant to be used. Therefore, government agencies are not required to regulate their materials. Politicians haven’t been much help, either. There aren’t many interest groups or legislators who want to be identified as sex toy proponents. Thus, with no ‘watchdog’ groups to oversee production, companies are free to pop out boxcars of tainted ticklers and fake phalluses. So what’s a safety-minded kinky consumer to do? Well, you can start by inspecting the bedside companions you already own. If they have a jelly-like consistency or if they smell like your newly purchased shower curtain, it’s a pretty good guess they contain phthalates. Also, be a smart shopper—you probably wouldn’t buy some questionable food product without reading the label, so apply this same scrutiny on your next adult shopping trip. If a company is shy about divulging all components of its products, it’s likely those items (and the companies producing them) can’t be trusted. In an effort to take the guesswork out of sensual shopping, one company, San Francisco-based Good Vibrations, now carries only phthalate-free products. “Phthalates were banned from children’s toys both in the United States and Europe for toxicity,” says Nicole Evje, Good Vibrations Sex Educator. “If they shouldn’t be in children’s toys, they shouldn’t be in toys for grown-ups either.” If you’re still not sure what your anal intruders are made of, treat them like you would any one-night stand. It is highly unlikely that prophylactics are injected with phthalates, so build a barricade of security by wrapping your faux phallus in the safety of a rubber. Also, don’t forget that what goes in must come out, so follow the golden rule of big boy toys: “Never insert anything anally unless it has a flange,” says Evje.
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THE GANG’S ALL HERE, 1983 The original Frontiers staff included: (1) Bob Craig, Publisher/Business Manager; (2) Jerry Hyde, Publisher/Advertising Manager; (3) Greg Carmack, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief; (4) Gary Steele, News Editor; (5) Joe Martinez, Art Director; (6) Chris Spanos, Office Manager; (7) Keith Clem, Senior Account Representative; (8) Larry Thomas, Advertising Design; (9) Toni Whittier, Senior Account Representative; (10) James Williams, Photographer; (11) Chris Akers, Account Representative; (12) J.B. Morris, Jr., Entertainment Editor; (13) Jeffrey Wilson, Hot Wax columnist; (14) Ned Fairbairn, Consultant; (15) Lee Risemberg, Bi-Line Columnist; (16) Pat Rocco, Photographer; (17) Kim Edwards, Staff Messenger; (18) Scott Poule, Publisher’s Assistant; (19) John Maas, Consultant; (20) Louis Jacinto, Photographer
A MIGHTY MAGAZINE April sees many anniversaries—GLAAD’s, White Party Palm Springs’ and our own. For Frontiers’ 32nd birthday, we asked a co-founder to reminisce about the magazine’s origins and its significance. By Greg Carmack The early ‘80s were an exciting time, with the gay movement still facing challenges but racking up victories, having taken a full enough accounting of our enemies that there was no doubt we were going to win. I was organizing the booming Great Outdoors movement to get “out of the bars and under the stars.” Firsthand we experienced the media void in L.A. that was left after The Advocate relocated to San Mateo. There was no major gay publication to reach a million local gay people. To bridge this gap we had to publish our own monthly magazine, GO!, to publicize our events, and soon L.A.’s gay businesses actually called us to advertise. When time came to pass on the leadership reins of Great Outdoors, I began spending time with Jerry Hyde, a brilliant mathematician I’d met at UCLA. We wanted to do a project together to contribute more to the movement, agreeing the most pressing need at the time was a gay publication for Los Angeles. We were wary of business co-opting the grassroots spirit of the movement, so we pledged to hold onto control of the planned publication for as long as possible. Our early contacts were with local movement stalwarts Morris Kight, Ivy Bottini, Jeane Cordova, Bob Arthur, Troy Perry and others, all of whom had ideas to contribute. While discussing a possible partnership with Steve Schulte, the director of the Gay & Lesbian Community Center, many ideas arose, 88
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including the idea of founding a City of West Hollywood. Everyone agreed that L.A. having a strong gay news publication was critical for the rising movement. We rented a Hollywood apartment on a shoestring budget and ceremoniously took down a giant sliding closet door, placing it across two dressers. Jerry sat on one side with the job of selling advertising on one phone line, while I sat facing him on another phone line shaping the editorial content of a biweekly we named Frontiers. The name was meant to evoke the West and JFK idealism. I have since lost touch with Jerry, but I remember when he read a history to the staff at Frontiers’ 10th anniversary lunch. He wanted them to know how very hard it was—how we faced repeated sabotage and had to keep the publication afloat by sheer willpower and nonstop, mind-numbing work. After the 24/7 job of putting the first issue together, we barely had time to rent a U-Haul to get to the printers to proof and print overnight and then go on a five-county, two-day excursion to distribute the mammoth number of copies we insisted upon printing. Critics said we’d never get rid of 25,000 copies, but within a few issues the demand was so high we had to print more. Critics then said we didn't print enough. The picture you see above was taken about six months in. The enthusiasm you see on my face was the sudden realization this was going to be a huge success. Despite the excruciatingly hard startup period we pressed through in spite of chronic problems that
would have taken down any other startup that wasn’t as cause-oriented. All of the staff you see here had tremendous spirit even though some were forced to wait for paychecks but never wavered. We had several business suitors who hung around, one in particular we liked a lot because he was a founder and major backer of Christopher Street West. Bob Craig would come by the apartment at the end of the day to take us to dinner. It was clear to us by his words and deeds that Bob’s business skills were equally balanced by his loyalty to the movement. He was ready to grab the financial reigns when it took off and quickly outgrew that configuration. Mainly, however, we were floated by Bob's Modern Messenger Service, which provided old-style messenger service for the studios and had a huge cash flow. As Bob became Jerry’s and my third partner, we were able to afford a paid staff. Brilliant writer Gary Steele advanced from contributor to editor, assisted by Jay B. Morris. By its first anniversary, Frontiers was the top gay news publication nationally by volume and quality, on a par with the largest alternative print publication then in existence, LA Weekly. After Jerry and I phased out, Bob went on to complete other early goals, including the initiative to found the city of West Hollywood, with Steve as its first, telegenic mayor. Bob also headed campaign committees that defeated repeat anti-gay initiatives, largely because the gay community was by then so strong it could not be beat, this despite an epidemic that killed off a legion of our brothers and sisters, including Gary, Jay and eventually Bob himself. Since then Frontiers has been preserved intact as a movement icon by keen business minds who realize its place in history, as well as the Southern California gay economy, which Frontiers has helped multiply exponentially. It always put a smile on Bob’s face when I would remind him that the final and total victory of the gay movement will be in part due to the “mighty Frontiers.”
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