NOV. 26 - DEC. 9, 2015 | VOL. 34, NO. 16
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Know any good doctors? We do.
OUR 2ND ANNUAL GAY-FRIENDLY HEALTH CARE GUIDE
Rethinking HIV
A LOOK AT WEHO’S LEGACY OF ACTIVISM
Will Syria’s Refugee Conundrum Block LGBT Progress? Holiday Movie Preview Hollywood Hunks Bare All
THE DANISH GIRL PROVES THE TIME FOR TRANS STORIES IS NOW.
50 gifts for the guy on your list, from high-end fashion to retro toys
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NOVEMBER 25, 2015
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NOVEMBER DECEMBER25, 9, 2015
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Contents
NOV. 26 - DEC. 9, 2015
FEATURES
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Gift Guide 2015
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The Danish Girl: An Oral History
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Gay Health Care Guide 2016
ON THE COVER Photo by Eric Schwabel, schwabelstudio.com
DECEMBER 9, 2015
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Contents
Download our interactive digital edition with videos, expanded editorial, behind-the-scenes photos and more. Search for Frontiers magazine on
NOV. 26 - DEC. 9, 2015
DEPARTMENTS NEWSBOX 15 16 18 20
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WeHo's War on AIDS Flashbulb Watercooler David Bohnett Named New Chair of The Wallis Solving the Refugee Conundrum DateBook
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THE GAY AGENDA 25
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21 Stylish Cold-Weather Coffee Recepticles Malin + Goetz Now in DTLA Amazon Prime Now Comes to L.A. 5 Neighborhoods for #SmallBusinessSaturday Shopping
TRAVEL 31 32 33 33
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Ace Hotel Opens in Pittsburgh In Search of the World's Best Libraries 48 Hours in London Events Around the World
CALENDAR 35
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World AIDS Day Programming Throughout Los Angeles Femme Fatale: Diva Drag Wars TrevorLIVE Los Angeles Eating Out: Canon Club
ENTERTAINMENT 43 44 45 46 46
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Holiday Movie Preview Film Reviews Music Reviews Coming to TV Theater Reviews
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COLUMNS 74 75 76 80
Billy Masters Gossip Gay Palm Springs Gaydar
PEOPLE INDEX Adele Miley Cyrus Thomas Dekker Tina Fey 6
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Zayn Malik Joel McHale Charlie Sheen Mena Suvari
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Frontiers was recently saddened to hear of the passing of Nathaniel Grey, a valued film and television contributor since 2010. His wit and enthusiasm will be missed greatly.
DECEMBER 9, 2015
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WeHo’s War on AIDS Caring for the afflicted contributed to West Hollywood’s creation in 1984, and the city has led the way through advocacy ever since By Karen Ocamb
100 The number of people diagnosed with HIV in West Hollywood every year, according to L.A. County, which is 10 times the county average
SPEAK OUT
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s the City of West Hollywood wraps up its yearlong celebration marking 30 years as an incorporated municipality, the progressive beacon to the world will pause to reflect on the embers and ashes from which the vibrant rainbow phoenix sprang. On Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, the city which proportionally has one of the highest populations of people living with HIV will host a number of events honoring those lost to the disease and the ordinary heroes who answered the call to care, some of whom are remembered in the series Young City at War: Stories from West Hollywood During the AIDS Epidemic, a production of the Lavender Effect’s Oral History Project. Most LGBT people remember Nov. 29, 1984, as a day of independence—the day the unlikely coalition of gays, seniors and renters successfully passed a ballot measure declaring West Hollywood a full-fledged incorporated city within Greater Los Angeles County. For seniors and renters, WeHo promised strong rent control protections. But to gays who fled to WeHo to escape the targeted homophobic bias of the LAPD, the city became a mecca with its majority-gay city council, a historic feat for any governing body. Cityhood was also a gulp of fresh air amid the putrid antigay policies of the Reagan administration, which barely mentioned HIV despite the mounting epidemic of AIDS deaths. Within its first year, WeHo passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS, and another prohibiting discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation, connecting the dots between dealing with incurable HIV and the necessity and dignity of having a livelihood. The City Council also created a strong, well-funded Social Services program that included one of the country’s
first massive, public AIDS awareness campaigns, featuring billboards along Santa Monica Boulevard advocating condom use. The campaign was organized in 1985 by West Hollywood Cares, directed by Daniel Warner. Julia Salazar was working for STOP AIDS in an office next door at Benvenuto. They bonded over lunch at Mark’s and the two stayed close after Warner became director of L.A. Shanti, also located on Santa Monica Boulevard. Warner later committed suicide on his 35th birthday with the help of anonymous friends. “He had weeks to live, maybe a month or two,” Salazar remembered in 2006 for a story marking AIDS at 25. “His body was ravaged by Kaposi Sarcoma, and he wanted death to be on his terms. Daniel wanted to be conscious when he died. He was living in San Francisco by then, and I flew up to see him a couple of times. His spirit always seemed so loving and so bright. I was going through a bad breakup at that time, and Daniel taught me it wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. I was also 35, and I had a lot to learn, and Daniel taught me that love was a verb. I adored him even when his body was unrecognizable.”
“HIV is the new closet.” Former child star Daniel Pintauro shares his response to Charlie Sheen’s HIV reveal in an open letter published in The Hollywood Reporter. “Outing someone’s HIV status without their consent is not good journalism,” he says.
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FLASHBULB continued WeHo City Councilmember John Duran discusses his work as an activist in Young City at War
2015 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, Microsoft Theater, Nov. 22—The ABC-broadcast awards were hosted by Jennifer Lopez, featuring performances from various pop and rock acts. Clockwise from top left: Alanis Morisette, Gwen Stefani, Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas, Ellie Goulding, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Jared Leto, Rebel Wilson, Paula Abdul with Lopez
2015 OVATION AWARDS, Ahmanson Theatre, Nov. 9—L.A.’s only peer-judged theater awards recognize excellence in theatrical performance, production and design. Top, from left: Celebration Theatre’s Michael Matthews and Rebecca Eisenberg, costume designer Michael Mullen, actor/writer Marc Wheeler, arts writer Deborah Behrens, choreographer Spencer Liff. Bottom: LA STAGE Alliance Board Chair Brian Kite, actor Paul Witten, Jason Frazier with publicist Ken Werther
For more information about World AIDS Day events taking place around the city, check out our story on page 35.
SPEAK OUT
“They didn’t convince me.” Caitlyn Jenner on the Democratic presidential candidates who took part in the Nov. 7 debate. Jenner has told the L.A. Times she plans to vote Republican in 2016.
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JOEY ARIAS: BILLIE HOLIDAY CENTENNIAL, REDCAT, Nov. 19—Frontiers Media sponsored Arias’ return to L.A. with an opening night pre-party sponsored by Diabolo sparkling drinks and Fliquor Bean coffee-infused whiskey. From left: Joe Dallesandro, Darren Stein, Murray Hill with Selene Luna, Frontiers Media CEO Michael Turner with Advertising Director Mat Jongsma, Frontiers Editor-in-Chief Stephan Horbelt with Diana Coney, Joey Arias with friend
OVATION: RYAN MILLER / CAPTURE IMAGING; JOEY ARIAS: JEREMY LUCIDO
Almost every gay person living in West Hollywood in the 1980s and early 1990s has a similar story, living with the constant dying before the miracle of combination drug therapy turned HIV into a “mwanageable disease.” 1985 marked a turning point for WeHo Councilmember John Duran, currently one of only a handful of openly HIVpositive elected officials in the country. That’s when his close friend Scott Fleener died of pneumocystis. “Prior to that, my entire activism was dancing on the bass speaker at the Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach,” Duran recalls in Young City at War. “I was up there with my tambourine, shirtless like all the other guys, up on the bass speaker. But you know, losing Scotty made me want to do something.” A law student, Duran found that opportunity when the monolithically anti-gay Lyndon LaRouche placed Proposition 64 on the Nov. 4, 1986, ballot, calling for the identifying and quarantining of people with HIV/AIDS. Orange County homophobe Rep. William Dannemeyer advocated for the initiative, while the California Nurses Association and the California Medical Association pointed out that it was irrational, unscientific fear-mongering. Prop 64 was defeated by a margin of 71 to 29%. “Out of that incredible political pressure, we learned the hard way how to organize, how to raise money, how to gather ourselves together. And you have to remember that at the same time we were doing that, we had friends that were dropping left and right to pneumocystis, to Kaposi Sarcoma, to toxoplasmosis,” Duran says. “So it was often ‘go lobby, go to the hospital and see a friend, get ready for a memorial, the next day reboot and do it again.’” Out of that terrible loss, says Duran, came the political organizing “that made marriage possible for thousands of people today. But the price that was paid was very steep.”
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WATERCOOLER
Your cheat sheet for intelligent conversation — By Peter DelVecchio
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Mormons Ditch Church Over Anti-Gay Policies
More than 1,500 members have submitted letters of resignation to the Mormon Church in protest over new harshly anti-gay policies, and a group of more than 1,000 gathered near the church’s Salt Lake City headquarters Nov. 14 to voice their opposition. The church now denies children of same-sex couple baptism, admitting them to the church at 18 only if they stop living with their parents and denounce gay relationships; the church also designates same-sex marriage as an “apostasy,” with penalties ranging up to excommunication. “The people in the Mormon Church are finding that this is not a Christ-centered policy,” says Brooke Swallow, an organizer of the Nov. 14 protest. “This is a policy that is about the people at the top, and their views and prejudices, and they are not thinking through what this will do long-term to families.”
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STDs Spiking, Especially Among Gay Men
For the first time since 2006, reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are on the rise, according to a Nov. 17 release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Men who have sex with men account for 83% of reported primary and secondary syphilis cases (the most infectious stages of the disease), and the syphilis rate among them increased in 2014. “Also concerning,” CDC says, “is that more than half of MSM (51%) diagnosed with syphilis in 2014 were also HIV-positive. Infection with syphilis can cause sores on the genitals, which make it easier to transmit and acquire HIV.” Overall syphilis and gonorrhea rates have increased by 15.1% and 5.1%, respectively, since 2013; chlamydia rose by 2.8%. “STDs affect people in all walks of life ... but these data suggest an increasing burden among gay and bisexual men,” says CDC’s Jonathan Mermin, MD.
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Utah Judge Recuses Himself from Foster Case
A Utah state juvenile court judge who initially ruled a married lesbian couple could not adopt a child they’d been fostering since August, but then amended his decision, has recused himself from the case. Judge Scott Johansen ruled in court Nov. 10 that Beckie Pierce and April Hoagland would have to surrender their 1-year-old foster daughter for replacement with a straight couple, writing in his order that undescribed “research” proved that children do better in heterosexual homes. Three days later, Johansen amended his order such that the couple would not have to give up their daughter immediately but still might have to do so in the long run. Johansen recused himself Nov. 16 in response to a motion to have him disqualified, filed on behalf of Pierce and Hoagland.
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Actor Charlie Sheen came out to Matt Lauer as HIV-positive on Today Nov. 17. Sheen says he made the revelation to stymie unnamed persons seeking to blackmail him by disclosing his status, claiming he had already paid $10 million to extortionists. “I think I release myself from prison today,” he told Lauer. Sheen apparently became infected several years ago but said he didn’t know it at the time, adding it would be “impossible” for him to have infected anyone else. He admits he’s had unprotected sex with two partners since his diagnosis, but says he’d informed both of his status beforehand. Sheen’s doctor, Robert Huizenga, who also appeared on Today, says Sheen’s viral load is under control despite Huizenga’s fears he’d forget to take his med because of depression and substance abuse. “Magically,” Huizenga says, “somehow in the midst of incredible personal mayhem, he’s managed to take these medications.”
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Houston Mayor Annise Parker
Congressional Transgender Equality Task Force Formed
Congress’s LGBT Equality Caucus is forming a Transgender Equality Task Force, to be chaired by Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., to advance trans rights through legislation and “raise awareness of issues facing the trans community,” Honda says. “It is my hope that by launching this workforce and holding a first-ever forum, we will reach some of my colleagues and encourage them to stand with the trans community,” Honda said. “It is only through social change that we can truly elevate the conversation in this country and reach a place of true understanding and embrace all people for who they are.”
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Charlie Sheen Comes Out as HIV-Positive
Houston Ordinance ‘Running Out of Runway’
Out Houston Mayor Annise Parker says that, with her term expiring at year’s end, she’s “running out of runway” and has no plan to try to revive the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), which voters in the nation’s fourth largest city rejected on Nov. 3. Originally passed by the Houston City Council, HERO was forced onto the ballot by a July 24 Texas Supreme Court ruling stemming from a dispute over whether when anti-gay activists had collected enough signatures to put the measure to voters. The ordinance broadly prohibited discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and other classifications such as sex and race, but was brought down largely by opponents who stoked public fear of “men,” i.e, transgender women, using the ladies’ room. “I do hope the next mayor of Houston will pick it up again,” Parker says.
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Bohnett Named New Chair of The Wallis
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he two philanthropists are friends, bridge-playing partners and art lovers, but now, only months after stepping down as Board Chair for the L.A. Philharmonic Association, on Nov. 18 technological innovator and entrepreneur David C. Bohnett (pictured below) took over as Board Chair for Wallis Annenberg’s Center for the Performing Arts. “I look forward to working with the board and staff at The Wallis to help the organization realize its full potential,” says Bohnett. He wants to partner with other groups and expand the organization’s reach through streaming capabilities “to reach new audiences beyond our local borders, as well as continuing to fulfill our community responsibility through our education and outreach programs in underserved communities.” This emphasis on community engagement goes back to Bohnett’s roots as founder of GeoCities, which he developed as a way to fight profound grief after the death from AIDS of his beloved partner, Judge Rand Schrader. He sold the popular online social networking and e-commerce site to Yahoo! for $3.6 billion back in 1999. As chair of the David Bohnett Foundation, he has given away more than $40 million, including for computers in the L.A. LGBT Center’s cyber center at The Village. Bohnett is on several boards, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Bohnett’s gift of $20 million to the Philharmonic was the second largest in the orchestra’s history. He is also credited with recruiting Gustavo Dudamel and extending the Venezuela-born conductor’s contract through the 2018-19 season. Bohnett’s philanthropist pal Annenberg donated $25 million to transform the old Beverly Hills post office into the arts complex that bears her name. In only two theatrical seasons, The Wallis has already made a mark, winning five awards at the 2015 L.A. STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, including one for Best Musical Production for Spring Awakening (now on Broadway) and top honor for Best Season. Bohnett also established the LGBT leadership-fellows program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, from which Houston Mayor Annise Parker graduated. Parker championed the LGBT non-discrimination ordinance that was defeated by voters because of protections for transgender rights. “Voters in Texas and elsewhere will eventually return to sanity and pass legislation to ensure equal protection for all,” Bohnett tells Frontiers. “It’s very unfortunate that we need to spend money and time saving the ignorant segment of our population from themselves.” —K.O.
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SOLVING THE REFUGEE CONUNDRUM By Karen Ocamb
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MSTYSLAV CHERNOV
Morality is at a crossroads with the very real possibility that LGBT progress in Europe will be trampled by a fear-based march against refugees
Syrian refugees on strike in front of the Budapest Keleti railway station, Hungary, on Sept. 3, 2015
MSTYSLAV CHERNOV
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he Western world screamed with shock at the coordinated terrorist attacks that killed at least 129 civilians outside a soccer stadium, a restaurant and inside a concert hall in Paris, France, on Nov. 13—acts of jihad for which Dáesh (representing itself to the world as ISIS) later claimed responsibility. But while the world seemed united in its outrage over the terrorists’ indiscriminate bloodlust, the finding of a fake Syrian passport on one of the dead terrorists has created a crisis of morality over what to do with the massive numbers of Syrian refugees fleeing the horror of war. Nearly 4.1 million citizens have fled Syria since 2011. The Obama administration had promised resettlement to 500 LGBT Syrians of the 10,000 America agreed to accept in 2016, according to the Washington Blade. That’s 8,000 less than the United Nations wants the U.S. to take. But House Republican Speaker Paul Ryan has called for a “pause” in that plan—and leading Democrat Chuck Schumer agrees. Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz, meanwhile, say Syrian refugees should undergo a religious litmus test for acceptance. For others, the refugee conundrum is a crisis of conscience. “It is in times like these, when fear of future attacks is at its greatest and pain of loss is most acute, that values of a nation are tested,” Rep. Adam Schiff, senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on Twitter following the attacks. Cameron Hudson, director of the U.S. Holocaust
1,854 The number of Syrian refugees admitted to the United States between 2012 and Sept. 2015, according to The New York Times. In comparison, Germany has admitted 92,991 Syrian refugees
Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, agrees with Schiff, saying the failure to treat those fleeing atrocities in Syria is similar to how America and the international community failed to protect victims of the Nazi Holocaust. “You look at the United States in the 1920s and ‘30s—we built high walls, we stopped legal immigration,” Hudson says. “We’re not quite at that point yet, but there’s a growing backlash. ... The voices of moderation seem to be getting drowned out by people who are taking these very hard national security positions. Nobody can reasonably argue that the response from the international community has been enough.” But while French President Francois Hollande declared the Paris attacks were an “act of war,” and Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to find Dáesh “any place on Earth and punish them” for downing a plane on Oct. 31 with 224 mostly Russian vacationers, this is not a clash of civilizations with conventional rules of engagement. Dáesh has proudly proven they are not civilized, while Syria has many factions at war internally. But Dáesh has succeeded in instilling fear, even though all the Paris attackers have been identified as nationals in the European Union. Despite the brave Parisians who ventured out the next day and refused to give up some semblance of normality—and the moving singing of the French national anthem “La Marseillaise” by 90,000 fans and athletes at Wembley Stadium before a friendly FrenchEnglish soccer match on Nov. 17—the generalized fear of Dáesh packs or lone, homegrown terrorists has generated a strong anti-Muslim sentiment across Europe and in the United States. And yet, ThinkProgress points out, “In the 14 years since 9/11, domestic right-wing extremists have killed more innocents in the U.S. than jihadists.” Nonetheless, governors in half of America’s states are refusing to accept Syrian refugees, even though state governments are not allowed to decide foreign policy or overrule the president. “As the Supreme Court explained in Hines v. Davidowitz, ’the supremacy of the national power in the general field of foreign affairs, including power over immigration, naturalization and deportation, is made clear by the Constitution,’” ThinkProgress reports. In fact, “President Obama has explicit statutory authorization to accept foreign refugees into the United States” under the Refugee Act of 1980. That Obama may hold fast to his promise heartens those working to help the most vulnerable of the refugees. “Knee-jerk, political reactions to this complicated situation do nothing but bring about harm to the long-term best interest of the United States of America. These vulnerable populations of Syrian refugees in Turkey despise the Islamic State. They’ve watched their loved ones beheaded, their daughters raped and those they care about hurled from buildings by this terrorist organization,” says Neil Grungras, Executive Director of the Organization for Refuge, Asylum, and Migration (ORAM), who is in Turkey conducting a UN High Commissioner for Refugees-sponsored training on LGBT protections and working to secure safety for Syrian LGBT refugees. “To allow politics to drive this decision would be both morally repugnant and harmful to our country’s
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long-term security interests.” “What happened in Paris is devastating and horrible and left me speechless,” Czeslaw Walek, chair of Prague Pride in Czechoslovakia, tells Frontiers. “And we must acknowledge that—as well as we must acknowledge that same horrible things are happening in other places such as Beirut. We, however, need to refrain from any generalization and hatred towards Muslims or Islam.” Walek says he is afraid of the “vicious circle of violence” caused by Dáesh and the retaliation. “Meanwhile, we need to help those who are the most vulnerable, and for sure LGBT refugees belong to this group. We should advocate with our countries to accept LGBT refugees and to make the procedure as fast as possible so they do not face another month of fear and uncertainty in Turkey. As the LGBT community in safe countries, we should find great job opportunities for LGBT refugees; we should sponsor them and help them as much as possible. Lastly, we need to support organizations that are trying to create a safe haven in Turkey.” In fact, Prague Pride itself may suffer collateral damage because of the refugee crisis. Five years ago, Walek was a Deputy Minister in the Czech government working on human rights, which included LGBT rights, before signing on with Prague Pride. Members argued over holding a big Western-style Pride or remaining small. “And then the [Czech] president said that we are a bunch of deviants that shouldn’t walk on the streets,” he said in a recent interview in West Hollywood. That got media attention and suddenly “people started to realize that it’s a freedom of speech and assembly issue. It’s not that a bunch of gays want to dance in the street.” The post-Communist Prague Pride grew into a week-long series of events drawing participants from around the world. “Prague has become kind of this beacon of hope for these Eastern European activists who have it, honestly, a lot worse off than we do,” says Stephan Roth, Executive Director of the new international LGBT organization Alturi. In fact, Prague Pride has become a model. “They think if Prague did it, we can do it, too,” Walek says. Walek has been planning to bring
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marriage equality to the country by 2019, but that might be put on hold. “This refugee crisis is shaking the Eastern European and post-communist countries. Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, partially Poland,” he says. “All those countries are actually against the refugees the most, when you compare to Germany, the Netherlands, France. Those western countries are kind of used to the different racial refugees or people who came here. We are not.” Now he expects Czech society to get tougher. “And the human rights argument may not work anymore,” says Walek. To put an LGBT face on the refugee crisis, Walek interviewed Subhi Nahas, a 28-year-old gay Syrian refugee now living in San Francisco. Nahas recently testified before the UN Security Council about being imprisoned for 10 years at home by his parents and constantly receiving death threats. He fled Syria in 2012 for Turkey, where he worked for Save the Children. A colleague wrote a refugee application to UNHCR for him and he was granted refugee status in the United States in 12 months. Nahas says gays fear refugee camps. “For them, it is the same fear as in Syria,” he told Walek. “They are bullied, assaulted and raped there. Our society is homophobic, and that does not change outside of Syria’s borders.” Most gays try to stay in the city or get smuggled into Europe. Turkey is no haven for gays, either. “Homophobic Syrians are everywhere, so the LGBTI community continues to fear for their lives,” he says. Additionally, “many gays are afraid to make an asylum claim based on sexual orientation, as they are afraid they will be exposed.” It’s not a moral issue for heterosexuals free from this life-threatening fear, so will they care? The plight of refugees and asylum-seekers will be part of a special KCET screening of the documentary Born This Way on Sunday, Dec. 6, 1:30-4 p.m. at the L.A. Public Library. A Frontiers Media-sponsored panel discussion will follow, featuring Rep. Adam Schiff, asylum-seeker Cedric Tchante, filmmaker Shaun Kadlec and Clinical Director of the Program for Torture Victims Carol Gomez. To attend, RSVP by Dec. 2 to frontiers@kcet.org.
“There’s no secret relationships going on with any of the band members. It’s not funny, and it still continues to be quite hard for them.” Former One Direction bandmate Zayn Malik dispels the notion of secret gay feelings amidst the group, saying, “They won’t naturally go put their arm around each other because they’re conscious of this thing that’s going on, which is not even true.”
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DATEBOOK THU. | DEC. 3
BEAT THE ODDS AWARDS GALA
Children’s Defense Fund-California’s 25th annual gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel will celebrate five tenacious teenagers before a star-studded crowd. Its scholarship program honors and supports high school students who have overcome adversity to excel in school and as community leaders. cdfca.org
SUN. | DEC. 6
JOLLY ST. KNICKERS RUN Funds raised from APL A Health & Wellness’s annual underwear run (that’s r i g h t— b r e a k o u t your skivvies) benefit the Pendleton/ Goldman PrEP Program and behavioral health services. The run begins at 10 a.m. at The Abbey in WeHo. apla.org/knickers
SUN. | DEC. 6
THREADS OF CHANGE
For the first time, the L.A. LGBT Center’s Young Professionals Council (YPC) will collect canned food items to help feed LGBT seniors in addition to gently used clothing to benefit homeless youth. The event takes place from noon-4 p.m. at WeHo’s Flaming Saddles. lalgbtcenter.org/threads
SUN. | DEC. 13
TOY BOX PARTY
Returning for its 20th year, the biggest and most celebrated toy drive of the season will donate thousands of toys to the clients of AIDS Project Los Angeles. Bring an unwrapped toy (the price of admission) and support a great cause. apla.org
FRI. | JAN. 1
PALM SPRINGS INTL FILM FESTIVAL
Expect a culturally diverse program of more than 200 films from more than 60 countries, representing the best in international cinema. More than 135,000 attendees are expected to turn out for this 27th annual event. Through Jan. 11. psfilmfest.org
DECEMBER 9, 2015
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THE
GAY AGENDA
Mug Shots Your cold-weather coffee recepticle says more about your personality than you think, so this winter, grab something clever and colorful from the cupboard By Stephan Horbelt
A “THAT’S ALL” MUG FEATURING ART BY GLEN HANSON, $21, huntees.com
s the weather pleasantly drops below 80 degrees in this pre-winter period, Angelenos break out their knit caps and scarves so as not to forget the frigid months they left behind by settling in SoCal. The downside, of course, is that you look absolutely ridiculous rocking a long swatch of Burberry plaid on the streets of Santa Monica. (Scarf weather simply doesn’t exist in Southern California. #SorryNotSorry) But not all cold-weather traditions are blown out the window in our seaside metropolis. In fact, one way to show off your love of chilly weather and your keen sense of style is housed right in your kitchen cupboard. Maybe you never gave it much thought, but your coffee mug does more than reveal your addiction to liquid crack. Whether you’re breaking one out on the living room couch or in your office’s communal kitchen space, your mug of choice (quippy or classic? colorful or understated?) says more about your personality than you think. With what will surely be days of cold weather before us, we’d like to give you a jump on locating the perfect, personality-defining mug (or the perfect gift for that fella “back home”). Let its liquid contents simultaneously warm your body and feed your addiction, while you leave the knitted remnants of your East Coast life where they belong—in that overflowing box marked ‘Goodwill.’ DECEMBER 9, 2015
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THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE
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XO SPRINKLED DONUT STACKABLE SET $32, shop.mekudesigns.com
MOODYMUG BY JAVIER JAEN $15, society6.com
V MUG BY DANIEL ARISTIZÁBAL $19, fab.com
CRYSTAL CALM KEEPER MUG $19, fab.com
MOSCOW MULE MUG SET $55, fab.com
PAY HERE MUG $19, fab.com
I WOKE UP LIKE THIS MUG $8, urbanoutfitters.com
RAINBOW TYPES MUG BY MARC JOHNS $15, society6.com
STARBUCKS LOVERS MUG $16, redbubble.com
ENAMEL MAP MUG $14, urbanoutfitters.com
SATAN IS MY SPIRIT ANIMAL MUG $18, blackcraftcult.com
SAN FRANCISCO MUG BY BO LUNDBERG $19, fab.com
CONSTELLATION MUG $14, philosophersguild.com
ZUUL & GOZER & VINZ & VIGO BY BUTCHER BILLY $15, society6.com
RECREATION CENTER DOT MUG FOR POKETO $30, poketo.com
THE RECKLESS CLUB MUG BY BUTCHER BILLY $15, society6.com
H IS FOR HOLY CRAP MUG BY MARC JOHNS $19, fab.com
CHUMS CAMPER MUG II $8, urbanoutfitters.com
GREAT GAYS MUG $14, philosophersguild.com
GIRLS MUG BYCAROLINA MELIS $19, fab.com
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hen The X-Files first aired in 1993, it became a favorite of mystery-seekers with a penchant for the paranormal. The show went on to become a cult classic, pinning viewers to their TV screens for one weekly cliffhanger af te r anothe r. Ste e p e d in my thological myster y and unanswered curiosities, the program gained global notoriety, fetching 16 Emmys and five Golden Globe Awards. N o w, m o r e t h a n t w o decades after its inception, X-Files fans can own every spine-tingling episode in one collection. Dec. 8 sees the scheduled release of The X-Files: The Collector’s Set on Blu-ray, setting the stage for the sixepisode Jan. 24 revamp of the series, which brings back stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as once-reluctant partners and FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Inside you’ll find 23 hours of content, spanning all nine conspiracy theory-filled seasons and including behindthe-scenes featurettes and commentaries by executive producer Chris Carter. While the collector’s set is priced at $300, X-Files followers not looking to invest in the whole show will also have the option of purchasing individual seasons. —Jim Larkins
CLEANING UP DTLA IT’S NOT LIKE WE NEEDED ANOTHER EXCUSE to spend the day in Downtown’s Arts District, but now that the new Malin + Goetz store is open, we might never leave. The fresh and modern apothecary based out of New York has opened its third Los Angeles location at The Yards in One Santa Fe. Following in the signature Malin + Goetz minimalist look, the new store clocks in at approximately 300 square feet and features white, wraparound shelves for product display. The store feels clean and fresh, much like we do after hitting the showers with their bestselling rum body wash. After opening its doors earlier this month, the Malin + Goetz in One Santa Fe joins the ranks of menswear boutique Wittmore, Cafe Gratitude and a future Bulletproof Coffee outpost. The mixed-use building has been one of the most highly anticipated additions to the already thriving Arts District. Malin + Goetz is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. malinandgoetz.com —Lydia Mack 26
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Couch Commerce Amazon’s Prime Now service comes to L.A., which means you now have no reason to leave the house
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ust when you thought Amazon Prime delivery couldn’t get any faster, the online retailer has expanded its Prime Now service to Los Angeles. That means orders can magically appear in your hands in one to two hours. Amazon Prime already offers free two-day shipping to its members, as well as same-day delivery. But who has time for that? Prime Now gets you almost anything on-demand—from TVs to ice cream—within a super quick delivery window. Two-hour delivery is free if you’re willing to wait, but if you need paper towels (or Umami Burger) like yesterday, you can pay the $7.99 delivery charge and have everything at your door in one hour. For now, though, that one-hour delivery is free. In addition to ordering from your favorite restaurants, Prime Now offers an extra perk for the L.A. market—grocery delivery from local supermarkets like Bristol Farms, Sprouts and Erewhon Organic Market. (Hello, cold-pressed green juice without having to put on pants!) All you have to do is download the app, sign in with your Amazon Prime account (or create one for just $99 per year), and enter your zipcode to browse stores you can order from. Unlike UberEats and other food delivery apps, you’ll pay the same price per menu item as you would in-store. You also have the option to tip your delivery person within the app. Amazon doesn’t allow cash tips, making the hand-off even more seamless. It sounds like the next few months are going to make for a cozy holiday season. You might want to order another pair of sweatpants. —L.M.
ASK ANY SOUTHERN transplant living in L.A.— it ain’t easy to find downhome cookin’ in Southern California! Luckily, on Thursday evenings, The Churchill (8384 W. 3rd St., the-churchill.com) has your best East-ofthe-Mississippi interests at hear t. While Fried Chicken Night isn’t a new offering at the West 3rd District hotspot, these cooler months are the perfect time to secure a spot on the open-air patio and dig into Southern dishes that might actually be better than grandma’s. For only $25, you’ll have an entire golden-fried bird brought to the table (that’s eight pieces), along with sides of slowcooked green beans and savory mashed potatoes with gruyere. But don’t stop there—we recommend adding a side of crispy Brussels sprouts (they’re delicious) and an order of cheddar biscuits, too. If you’re stopping in for Fried Chicken Night, it’s obviously a cheat day, so make it count. —S.H.
SHOP SIZE MATTERS Give up the dangers of Black Friday and opt to shop on Small Business Saturday in these 5 local neighborhoods By Lydia Mack THE LONG LINES AND IN-YOUR-FACE TV commercials for Black Friday deals are an all-too-familiar part of Thanksgiving weekend, but why should big box stores have all the fun? American Express has made sure that small businesses get their share of holiday shoppers with Small Business Saturday, which since 2010 has encouraged people to shop locally and support the businesses in their communities. This year it falls on Nov. 28, and L.A.’s sea of mom-and-pop shops gives us plenty of fantastic shopping destinations to choose from all year round.
DTLA
Nothing says “small business” like the crazy-talented vendors at flea markets and holiday pop-ups. You’ll find countless edible goodies and one-of-a-kind gifts at events like FIGAT7TH’s Holiday Odd Market (Dec. 11-12), the Unique LA Holiday Market (Dec. 5-6) and the multiple weekend holiday pop-ups hosted in front of the L.A. Phil Store at Walt Disney Concert Hall starting Nov. 27. Between all the funky spaces to choose from and bustling crowds, it’s no surprise that Downtown L.A. is prime real estate for holiday markets galore.
West Hollywood
If you have a long shopping list this holiday season or are just looking to spoil yourself rotten, head over to WeHo. This retail epicenter spans Santa Monica Boulevard, Melrose, Robertson and Sunset, with stores ranging from local faves like Brick & Mortar (shopatbrick.com) to top-notch designers like John Varvatos and Helmut Lang.
Santa Monica
You can ditch the car and hit the stores on foot when you shop here. Whether you go upscale at Third Street Promenade or sip a cold-pressed juice along the boutiques lining Main Street, holiday shopping is a lot more fun when it’s set to the smell of fresh ocean air. Be sure to stop by on-our-radar stores like Love Adorned (loveadorned.com) and Mindfulnest (mindfulnest.com). And, remember, Abbot Kinney is just a short stroll away.
Long Beach
Don’t be afraid to venture even further south on the 405 while on your shopping escapades. In just a few short years, this port city has gone from sketchy to sophisticated, now home to shopping locales like The Pike Outlets and 2nd Street in Belmont Shore, a hipster favorite. Whether you want to score a good deal at the Restoration Hardware Outlet or shop local at independent bookstore Apostrophe Books, there are enough options that make Long Beach worth the drive.
Pasadena
The perfect mix of old and new, Old Pasadena calls itself “the real downtown” for a reason. Charming streets feature both big and small stores—there’s Crate & Barrel and H&M, but also Mohawk General Store (mohawkgeneralstore.com) and Old Town Shaving Company (oldtownshaving.com). You’ll probably end up spending the day there, but fortunately DTLA’s Pie Hole (thepieholela.com) has set up shop right on Colorado Boulevard and offers plenty of delicious options to sustain you on your journey. 28
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TRAVEL
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It’s Time to Pack for Pittsburgh The Ace Hotel chain is heading east and taking up residence in Steel City, the eighth outpost for a much-loved hipster hot spot
Sit down, buckle up and take the fear out of flying. Whiteknuckling through your next bout of turbulence just got easier with the Carry On Cocktail Kit. These pocket-sized bartenders in a box let you transform a boring airline bottle of booze into a happy hour cocktail. Just name your poison. Turn that little brown vial into a proper Old Fashioned by adding aromatic bitters and cane sugar. (The kit also includes a bar spoon and linen coaster, because we aren’t heathens!) Not a whiskey drinker? Generate your own Gin & Tonic or muster up a Moscow Mule. Each $14.95 kit (available at carryoncocktailkit.com) comes with everything you need to make two cocktails, thereby becoming the envy of your fellow highflying travelers. —Jim Larkins
By Patrick Rosenquist
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ight now there’s a spark in the air in Pittsburgh that feels like a communion of possibility shared between everyone without needing to say a word,” says Brad Wilson, President of the Ace Hotel Group. Located in a former YMCA, the hotel chain’s newest property, which opens Dec. 10, joins four West Coast locales and those in New York, London and Panama. Wilson says the renovated building had the right amount of charm, some “good bones,” and a convenient location in the city’s East Liberty neighborhood. One of the trendier areas of Pittsburgh, East Liberty is also home to a Google office complex and a rapidly growing dining and bar scene. (The city is, famously, home to the most watering holes per capita of any American locale.) The neighborhood, Wilson says, is an even mix of longtime residents and those new
to the area. “Many new residents were born in Pittsburgh and are moving back after starting their careers elsewhere,” he says. Touching upon this trend, the Ace worked with Brent Young, a Pittsburgh native best known for his New York restaurant The Meat Hook, to create Whitfield, the hotel’s in-house restaurant. Also opening Dec. 10, the menu will be dominated by traditional American bar food and bistro fare. The goal for Young was to create a dining spot that not only appealed to patrons of the hotel but those living in the neighborhood. The proper ty itself spor ts the same stripped-down and airy aesthetic of the chain’s other locations. The building’s century-long history as a YMCA means rooms run on the smaller side—they top out at 475 square feet, with a medium-sized room running around 300 square feet. Those who have spent a night at the Ace’s DECEMBER 9, 2015
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LIBRARY OF EL ESCORIAL
other locations know what to expect—a mix of industrial textures, bright textiles and a smattering of old-fashioned music memorabilia. As in all the chain’s properties, a small, curated collection of vinyl greets you when you settle into the room. While the Ace is seen as a predominantly West Coast venture—beginning in Portland before expanding up and down the shore—Wilson hopes to bring its trademark cool to the rust belt. Tying all the locations together is a willingness to cultivate from local scenes—think the DTLA property’s revamp of United Artists Theatre, or Palm Springs’ remix of sunny Howard Johnson Americana—and imbue them with an arty edge. “We find a project we can’t shake from our dreams,” says Wilson, adding, “The rest is built around the building, the neighborhood, the city and its history and culture, as well as our passions at the moment.” Pittsburgh, of course, offers a lot of inspiration. At one point a center for manufacturing, industrialists flush with money—and sporting an unusually strong entrepreneurial verve—left the city with a cultural and educational legacy surprising for a town its size. These resources helped it weather the mid-century decline in American manufacturing. Today, institutions like Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have made it an internationally recognized hotbed of technological innovation and health care. This helped it escape the fate of many other rust belt towns, and it continues to build upon its already rich cultural legacy. Of course, this is all good for the city of Pittsburgh, but what can a gay guy do there? As any queer Angeleno can tell you, Ace Hotels’ two SoCal outposts are popular places to
chill, offering hip and friendly spots for relaxing on vacation or to hit up for a weekend jaunt. What about Ace Pittsburgh? While the city doesn’t have a strictly defined gayborhood, two locations—the colorfully named Mexican War Streets neighborhood (named so because most houses in the area were built around the time of the Mexican-American War) and the Shadyside neighborhood host a good chunk of the city’s gay bars, which are otherwise sprinkled throughout the Pennsylvania town. Shadyside, in fact, is right next to East Liberty and is home to the much-loved nightclub Spin Bartini. It might be helpful to ask the staff where to head out, because, according to the hotel, an astounding 50% of its staff at the Pittsburgh property identify as LGBT. Lawrenceville, Wilson believes, is another great place nearby with a fair number of gay-friendly venues. The crowd at Lawrenceville bars tends to run young and professional, and much like East Liberty, most of the residents are bornand-raised Yinzers. “Pittsburgh can be very activist, crazy and queer—but it’s also sleepy at times,” he says. “Sometimes you have to dig for what you want, but it’s there.” The Ace, which has been expanding at a steady clip, is already hard at work to bring its next outlet to New Orleans, Louisiana. That location, which will be housed in a ninestory Art Deco building in the city’s Warehouse District, is scheduled to open mid-2016. Beyond that, where a new Ace might pop up is anyone’s guess. “We don’t keep a hard list of places we want to go,” says Wilson. “We constantly seek out the right opportunity to work with local people on the right projects.”
AN ANCIENT WONDER REBORN? STANDING OVER 100 FEET TALL, the statue of Colossus must have been pretty impressive to the people of Rhodes in Ancient Greece—that is, until the oversized idol met its demise from a fairly strong earthquake in 226 B.C. The statue is long gone, but it made quite an impact on society, and historians have kept its legacy alive throughout the centuries. That legacy is the incentive for a team of Greek engineers, architects and archeologists to return the massive man—one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World—to the Rhodes harbor. With today’s technology, the team believes it can construct a statue that will actually dwarf the 105-foot original, standing nearly five times as high as its predecessor and flanked by a cultural center, library, exhibition hall and lighthouse. The new project will have modern earthquake and wind-resistant retrofitting, which will bring the price tag for the big guy to a hefty $250-280 million. —Jim Larkins 32
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ABBEY LIBRARY OF ST. GALLEN
SWITZERLAND Take a break from your global tour and visit one of the oldest monastery libraries in the world. Along with amazing architecture and artwork, this lovely library is a literal trek through history, with 160,000 volumes, many dating back to the 8th century.
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PROVINCETOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
Set in history-rich Massachusetts, this vintage archive has been named the country’s top library two years running. Provincetown has amassed a slew of awards and has also been named the best gay resort in America. There’s no place like it. —J.L.
MCQP: ASHRAF HENDRICKS
Fans of the hotel chain’s accommodations know what to expect from Ace Pittsburgh’s rooms—industrial textures, bright textiles and old-fashioned music memorabilia
ESCORIAL, SPAIN Gorgeous frescoes (each representing the seven liberal arts) adorn the walls and ceilings of this library, which is actually located in the historical residence of the King of Spain. Holding over 40,000 volumes, the library is also a World Heritage Site.
GOOD TO GO
Clockwise from top: London landmark Big Ben, The Langham Hotel, Rules, American Airlines’ first-class international service
Earlier this year, Condé Nast named Las Vegas’ The Delano one of the best new hotels in the world. Situated at the southernmost tip of the Strip, it’s “a more subdued version of the typical Vegas experience,” and best of all, it’s a bargain, with rooms available at under $200 per night. delanolasvegas.com
48 Hours in London
Whether the city is your final destination for a business trip or a brief pitstop before exploring Europe, here’s how to make the most of the UK capital
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raversing the Atlantic doesn’t make for a quick jaunt (or a cheap one), but the charm of London, one of the world’s most modern cities, is undeniable. In the words of British poet and writer Samuel Johnson, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” Truer words have ne’er been spoken.
SATURDAY TOUCHDOWN AT HEATHROW, Noon The flight can be a brutal one, running at 11 hours more or less, but since you left L.A. on Friday evening, you hopefully got some sleep up in the air. You could opt for a $100 cab to your hotel if you’ve got the funds (or if you can expense it), otherwise opt for the Tube, which is both significantly cheaper and quicker. CHECK IN TO YOUR LUXE DIGS, 1 p.m. Located in the city ’s West End, The Langham, London ($$$$$), has served high society and dignitaries for 150 years and claims to be Europe’s first “Grand Hotel,” making it more than luxe enough for your short trip. Elegant but not stuffy, the service here is unparalleled.
MCQP: ASHRAF HENDRICKS
EASE THE LAG WITH LIQUID, 6 p.m. Before the crowd rolls in (and it will), step into the Langham’s Artesian, which, conveniently for you, has been voted the World’s Best Bar by Drinks International Magazine four years in a row. Down a couple inventive rum cocktails or peruse the bar’s extensive Champagne list. DINNER & (MORE) DRINKS, 8 p.m. While in town, catch up with your London-living friends over Moscow Mules at Soho House ($$$$$). (Luckily your buddies have a membership to the exclusive hot spot.) There are six clubs throughout the city, though the location at 76 Dean Street in Westminster is the brand’s most recently renovated.
(EVEN MORE) DRINKS, 10 p.m. Since you’re in the area, explore the Soho gay bar scene at venues like G-A-Y (for young twinks, cheap drafts and blaring pop tunes), The Admiral Duncan (for shots and a few drag numbers) or Duke of Wellington (a friendly spot for bears and cubs). SUNDAY PLOP DOWN THE AMEX, 5 p.m. You have no business culling a new wardrobe in the UK, where the sales tax is astronomical and the exchange rate doesn’t work in your favor, but sometimes you need retail therapy. The shops of Oxford Street (blocks from The Langham) offer the high-end retail you need. DINE LIKE A BRIT, 8 p.m. Enjoy a classic meal at Rules ($$$$$), the oldest restaurant in London, serving traditional British food. (And featured in the new Bond film, Spectre!) Arrive early and enjoy cocktails at the upstairs bar beforehand. SHIP OUT TO VAUXHALL, 10 p.m. Opt for an edgier part of town and take the Tube into Vauxhall (London’s Silver Lake). Stop into Royal Vauxhall Tavern for a couple pints, then head to the main Sunday night attraction, the disco tunes of Horse Meat Disco at Eagle London. Trust that it’s worth having to take a night bus or Uber back to your hotel. MONDAY RETURN TO HEATHROW, 11 a.m. Your short trip has come to an end, but you can forget about being jet lagged when flying home in a Flagship First-Class Suite courtesy of American Airlines. Not only will you be able to get some real sleep on a lie-flat bed with turndown service, but you’ll enjoy full meals and complimentary beverage service, WiFi, your own 17-inch TV and pajamas to get really comfortable while in the air. —Stephan Horbelt
Those looking to do some Christmas shopping in Europe should take advantage of the Festive Season Package at the Mandarin Oriental Paris. It includes a two-night stay (minimum), a dining or spa credit, tailor-made services from prestigious department store Printemps Haussmann, and a drink from the Cake Shop. mandarinoriental.com Kimpton Hotels, one of the biggest and best names in boutique properties, has nearly a dozen new, refurbished and upcoming properties around the country, including The Buchanan, a study in urban chic located in SF’s Japantown. kimptonhotels.com —S.H.
AROUND THE WORLD
WHITE PARTY WEEK
Nov. 25-30 The White Splash Pool Party is just part of this week of fun and frolicking in Miami Beach. There’s also Friday’s White Dreams music and fantasy festival, a very sexy Muscle Beach Party and, on Saturday, the world’s largest and oldest HIV/AIDS fundraiser. whiteparty.org
MOTHER CITY QUEER PROJECT
Dec. 19 Ditch the diet and head to Cape Town, South Africa, to celebrate this event’s 22nd birthday, the theme of which is “Candyland.” Eight music venues—each with its own theme and style of music— will keep you from slipping into a complete diabetic coma. mcqp.co.za
RAINBOW BALL
Jan. 30 If you have a penchant for ballroom dancing, Vienna, Austria, is the place to be in the new year. Claiming to have co n qu e re d this largely hetero domain, the Rainbow Ball is an LGBT event in Parkhotel Schönbrunn that‘s all about the Waltzes. events.wien.info —J.L.
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nightlife
theater
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■ Through Nov. 29 L.A. AUTO SHOW L.A. Convention Center
The first major North American auto show begins with the Connected Car Expo, followed by L.A. Auto Show’s vehicle debuts and press and trade events. This year, become an “aficionauto” by purchasing the ultimate pass or take a guided tour of the show. laautoshow.com ■ Sun. | Nov. 29 TAMMIE BROWN’S HOLIDAY SPARKLE Fubar
■ Through Nov. 29 CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: KURIOS OC Fair & Event Center
Time comes to a complete stop, transporting the audience into a fantasy world where everything is possible. Set in the latter half of the 19th century, reality is quite relative indeed. cirquedusoleil.com
Our city’s World AIDS Day programming challenges outdated stereotypes by embracing the past and also looking forward to the future By Mike Ciriaco
This year featuring special guests Kelly Mantle and Miss Fuego, the Drag Race star creates a winter whirlwind of whimsy! Doors open at 6, show at 7, with a meet-andgreat after. fubarla.com
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■ Through Nov. 29 WESTFEST Theatre West
West Fest 2015 presents four full weekends of shows, a totally different presentation each week, to entice loyal audiences who have returned for WestFest every year, as well as to introduce new audiences to the richly varied work of the city’s longestrunning, continuously operating professional company. theatrewest.org ■ Sun. | Nov. 29 HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS PARADE Hollywood Boulevard
Penn & Teller are the grand marshals for the 84th annual extravaganza, which will be taped for network television. Live musical performances take place on two stages while the parade is co-hosted by TV personalities Erik Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Dean Cain and Montel Williams. ticketmaster.com/HCP
Rethinking HIV
■ Tue. | Dec. 1 TOTALLY ‘90S TUESDAYS The Abbey
Head out to West Hollywood to hear all those amazing ‘90s hits you love and miss (as well as some films and TV shows). Local queen Mayhem Miller hosts, with special guest hosts and performances. tomwhitmanpresents.com ■ Tue. | Dec. 1 GUYS AND DOLLS Bram Goldsmith Theater
From the company that brought you last season’s sensational Into the Woods, Oregon Shakespeare Festival returns with this stunning production. The hilarious classic is directed by Tonywinner Mary Zimmerman. Through Dec. 20. thewallis.org
ociety’s views towards HIV/AIDS have evolved dramatically since the disease was first diagnosed in 1984. Once rationalized by mainstream America as a plague targeting sexual perverts and junkies, it has long since proved an unbiased retrovirus that affects us all, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. This year’s World AIDS Day, held across the globe Dec. 1, aims to challenge the outdated myths and stereotypes of HIV with a new campaign, “Think Positive: Rethink HIV.” No matter what your status, L.A. has several events to spread truth and redefine the pandemic. On Nov. 29, L.A.’s premier poz playwright, Michael Kearns, kicks off World AIDS Day with a staging of We Laid Our Bodies Down at the Skylight Theatre. This collection of stories explories the lives of LGBTs who grew up with HIV and features the talents of the QueerWise spoken word artists. Directed by Kearns, the production disputes the misconception that AIDS is over and enlightens the obstacles ahead of us. The cornerstone of preventing the spread of HIV is knowing one’s status and treating it accordingly. On Dec. 1, APLA Health & Wellness offers free testing and prevention info, including on PrEP services, at Baldwin Hill’s Gleicher/Chen Health Center. To further spread awareness, a human chain will walk down the street in commemoration of the many lives lost to AIDS. Downtown at the Mark Taper Forum, a coalition of the AIDS Coordinator’s Office, Being Alive, the L.A. Public Library, UCLA Art & Global Health Center, the Sisters of Perpetual
Indulgence, The Lavender Project and Gilead will present EMPOWE[RED]: Getting to Zero, a Generation Free of HIV. This event not only offers educational tools for making healthy decisions but will feature community leaders and performances promoting empowerment and celebrating life. While that event looks toward the future, West Hollywood also embraces the past. Honoring the myriad souls lost to the disease, WeHo will host a candle-lit procession along Santa Monica Boulevard, beginning at Crescent Heights and ending in West Hollywood Park. The walk will be immediately followed by a vigil featuring city poet Steven Reigns, presentations from the UCLA Center for World Health and the Foundation for AIDS Monument, and clips from Young City at War, a production of the Lavender Effect’s Oral History Project. While awareness is a crucial aspect of fighting HIV/AIDS, it’s equally important to acknowledge the practical components of advocacy. That’s why APLA has organized a County Wide Food Drive that is currently collecting non-perishable food and personal hygiene products for Angelenos living with HIV/AIDS from now until Dec. 25. Donations can be deposited at one of Comerica’s 25 locations across Los Angeles, as well as Pavilions locations in West Hollywood and Hollywood. Rethinking HIV is an important part of battling this disease, but rethinking how you can contribute personally to the cause is just as valuable. DECEMBER 9, 2015
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■ Thu. | Dec. 3 DON’T TELL MY MOTHER HOLIDAY SHOW Busby’s East
Casey Wilson (SNL, Happy Endings) headlines the comedy/storytelling event’s “Ho Ho Holiday Show,” which will also feature Hannah Freidman, Jonathan Bradley Welch and surprise guests. donttellmymother.com
■ Through Jan. 10 CHILL The Queen Mary
A deep freeze takes over the Queen Mary for the holidays, as the giant dome that was one home to the Spruce Goose is frozen over and transformed into a giant igloo with largerthan-life ice creations, an ice rink and live entertainment. queenmary.com ■ Thu. | Dec. 3 TOUCH THURSDAYS The Abbey
As the gay weekend starts on Thursday, Frontiers Media presents a night of dancing, drinking and all-around rabble-rousing before the weekend gets fully underway. Join us as we people-watch some of the city’s sexiest men and women ... and maybe ogle a go-go dancer or two. abbeyfoodandbar.com
Break the Ice
DTLA’s annual outdoor skating rink glides back into town just in time for the holidays ■ Thu. | Dec. 3 JACKIE BEAT: WHITE MEAT OR DARK? Cavern Club Theater
Join world-famous, larger-than-life drag superstar Jackie Beat as she marinates, roasts and cuts-up everyone’s favorite season. The show will be bursting with deliciousness (and raunchy song parodies). Through Dec. 6. cavernclubtheater.com
SNAP SHOTS ✱
DON’T FEEL GUILTY cramming that second helping of turkey down your gullet this Thanksgiving, because L.A. Live Downtown has the perfect way for you to work off those extra holiday pounds. This month, L.A. Kings Holiday Ice returns to DTLA’s Microsoft Square. Flaunt your tightest triple axle skills under a festive, environmentally conscious artificial sequoia tree illuminated by over 120,000 twinkling LED lights. Face it—this is the closest you’re going to get to snowflakes here in SoCal. Since all those salchows are bound to work up an appetite, take advantage of of the Supper & Skate packages offered by L.A. Live’s various restaurants, including Ford’s Filling Station, Rock n’ Fish and Tom’s Urban. Promotions include prix-fixe menus, VIP front-of-line access, admission and skate rental. Or just skip the solids and drink your calories at one of DTLA’s fledgling gay establishments. After you turn in your rental skates, we’re pretty sure Precinct, Redline and Bar Mattachine are more than happy to warm you up with a whiskey neat. —M.C.
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THE FINAL BRUTUS | FAULTLINE Photos by Rolling-Blackouts
JACKIE BEAT: AUSTIN YOUNG
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L.A. KINGS HOLIDAY ICE Microsoft Square at L.A. Live Nov 28-Dec 31 lalive.come
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■ ■ ■ ■ Tangerine star Mya Taylor
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FEMME FATALE: DIVA DRAG WARS Renberg Theater Dec. 3 facebook.com/ colorincommon
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QUEEN KONG | PRECINCT Photos by Jeremy Lucido
BEYOND GAY THUNDERDOME The Center’s Femme Fatale: Diva Drag Wars event returns, celebrating performers of color in support of trans lives Nice girls don’t wear cha cha heels!” Divine’s father proclaimed in John Waters’ 1974 cult classic Female Trouble. But on Dec. 3, when the performers of youth empowerment group Color in Common strap on their six-inch stilettos for this year’s Femme Fatale: Diva Drag Wars at the Renberg Theater, the ladies will prove they aren’t here to be nice. They’re here to flaunt their skills. “The scope of drag entertainment has become so celebrated with shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race,” says Dale Madison, program coordinator for Colors in Common, the L.A. LGBT Center’s organization for men of color, aged 18 to 24, which produces teh drag show Femme Fatale and other social events for gay, bisexual, queer and same-gender loving men. “A fun aspect has been ‘lipsyching for your life.’ We combine that entertainment factor with The Voice battle rounds and we end up with Diva Drag Wars—two artists battling it out in a duet, and one becomes the victor.” Of course, the focus of the event is ultimately less about competition and more about compassion. “It’s an important night, demonstrating the drag community celebrating the trans community,” he says. “We’ve had several members of Color in Common transition. The transgender community and the drag community are all part of our LGBT history. Femme Fatale celebrates all.” The bridge between our local drag and trans communities will be evidenced when Colors in Common honors one of its original members, Mya Taylor, the breakout star of this year’s much-buzzed-about indie film Tangerine. Clips of the film will be presented during the show, and the movie in its entirety will be screened the following day for residents of the Center’s Youth Center on Highland. Taylor—who has also been tapped to portray trans activist Marsha P. Johnson in upcoming biopic Happy Birthday, Marsha!—was active with Colors in Common when it was first founded in 2012, most notably participating in a condom-themed fashion show. That inaugural year of the organization holds fond memories for Madison. “My favorite memory was from that first show—a finale choreographed by program manager Darnell Green. Four drag artists performed the classic Nina Simone song ‘Four Women.’ Because the show is held in our theater, it turns the drag into a true theatrical experience.” —M.C. 38
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■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Fri. | Dec. 4 PRE-HOLI-GAY QUEER PERFORMANCE PARTY Spirit Studio
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SINFUL FRIDAYS | THE ABBEY Photos by Rolling-Blackouts
Honoring and celebrating another successful year of events, workshops and performances, this year’s cap-off is a holiday pile-up of some of the most talented queer artists in L.A. There will also be open stage time for those who want to speak or perform. performanceparty. bpt.me ■ Fri. | Dec. 4 CUB SCOUT Eagle L.A.
This packed monthly East Side party returns with its regular assortment of hirsute hipsters. DJs Chris Bowen and Victor Rodriguez provide the soundtrack, while San Francisco den mother Lady Bear hosts. eaglela.org
■ Sat. | Dec. 5 BEARRACUDA LA: WASTED SANTA Faultline
Back for the final night of its six-night stand at Faultline, Bearracuda showcases beefy go-go dancers and rotating DJs Ryan Jones, Mateo Segade, GloVibes and other special guests. Come take a seat on Santa’s lap, but be forewarned, he’s a pervert. bearracuda.com
■ Fri. | Dec. 4 KIIS FM JINGLE BALL 2015 Staples Center
This year’s star-studded lineup features pop radio’s biggest hit-makers—One Direction, The Weeknd, Selena Gomez, 5 Seconds of Summer, Ellie Goulding, Tove Lo, Charlie Puth, Zedd, Hailee Steinfeld, Conrad Sewell and DNCE. kiisf.com ■ Sat. | Dec. 5 SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA Valley Performing Arts Center
The two-time Grammy winning salsa and Latin jazz band will perform Salsa Navidad as part of the Ford Signature Series, a program of the L.A. County Arts Commission. Innovative contemporary ballet company Ballet Red will perform with the band. valleyperformingartcenter.org
■ Sun. | Dec. 6 GEEK PRIDE: SAILOR MOON L.A. Dragonfly
From the makers of Club Cosplay comes Geek Pride + Sailor Moon L.A.: The Moonlight Party, a fantastical celebration of Sailor Moon fandom with live performances, special celebrity appearances and epic costumes. thedragonfly.com ■ Wed. | Dec. 9 PETER PAN AND TINKER BELL: A PIRATES CHRISTMAS The Pasadena Playhouse
It’s a quest to foil the pirates’ plot to kidnap Peter as Captain Hook’s Christmas present. This flying, singing, swashbuckling adventure includes comedy, magic, dancers from So You Think You Can Dance and music ranging from Taylor Swift to the Bee Gees. Through Jan. 9. pasadenaplayhouse.org ■ Sat. | Dec. 5 A CHRISTMAS CAROL A Noise Within
Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliot co-direct Dickens’ masterpiece about the redemptive and transformative power of love. In this production, the poignant tale is matched by evocative original music by composer Ego Plum. Through Dec. 23. anoisewithin.org 40
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■ Through Dec. 20 THE LATINA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Latino Theater Company
Three first-generation Latinas and comedic actresses—Diana Yanez, Sandra Valls and Maria Russell—share their holiday memories of moms, cucarachas and Farrah Fawcett in this no-holdsbarred evening. thelatc.org
TREVOR LIVE Hollywood Palladium Dec 6 trevorlive.orgt
THINK OF THE CHILDREN! TrevorLIVE returns to Los Angeles, hosted by funny man Joel McHale
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ext month, Joel McHale, the 6’4” comedian best known for fronting your favorite comedic clip show The Soup on E! (which sadly ends for good on Dec. 18), brings both his stature and dry wit to the Hollywood Palladium for TrevorLIVE L.A., the annual fundraising spectacular for crisis prevention and suicide prevention organization The Trevor Project. “No one does that better then Joel,” says Adam Shankman, director of Hairspray and Rock of Ages and Special Guest Director of TrevorLIVE. “He’s a major ally to the community, and he’s one of the most sought-after hosts in the business, and it’s because he’s just so funny—and a little dangerous. I figure if he can handle the White House Correspondents Dinner, he can handle the Trevor crowd. Besides, I’ve been begging him to do it for years. I’m glad he caved.” Droves of gay Angelenos will descend upon Hollywood to see McHale—and also performers including Sarah Silverman, Tituss Burgess and Jeremy Jordan—honor the LGBT community’s most distinguished advocacy leaders. This year’s honorees include HBO’s President of Programming Michael Lombardo and The Walt Disney Company. Lombardo is notable for saving queer culture by spotlighting gay stories on television with shows like Looking and The Normal Heart. “The more the world is exposed to storylines in which LGBTQ characters are not punchlines but rather the main focus, the more understood the LGBTQ community will be,” says Abbe Land, CEO of The Trevor Project. “Looking and The Normal Heart are two very different shows that Michael Lombardo brought to HBO in an effort to tell stories that really affected the LGBTQ community. In Looking, we learn more about the gay community of San Francisco, while an important story about AIDS activism is told in The Normal Heart. Both are part of the LGBTQ dialogue, and the more visibility there is for stories like these, the more equality we’ll see across all forms of media.” It’s this caliber of equality, on-camera and off, that has earned The Walt Disney Company this year’s Trevor 20/20 Visionary Award. Chairman of Walt Disney International Andy Bird will be in attendance to accept the award, merited by the company’s prowess for fostering safe and respectful environments for the LGBT community. “Disney has been a major advocate for the community for two decades,” says Shankman. “Between same-sex partner benefits, Gay Days [at Disneyland], promoting fairy tale weddings for same-sex couples, its public opposition to DOMA and hiring the first openly gay president of Disneyworld, Disney has shown leadership in the fight for equal treatment.” As the goal of The Trevor Project is to help our next generation of gays, there’s perhaps nothing more comforting than knowing Mickey Mouse is cool with the queens. —M.C.
EATINGOUT
Beverly Hills Does Seafood with Style
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with sides of vinegar mignonette and he best time to enjoy oysters and ponzu sauce. Look to the other side of the other shellfish is during months endshellfish menu for bigger game, including in “r,” so what luck that one of ing Alaskan king crab legs and luscious L.A.’s newest restaurants is the seafoodpurple-edged Peruvian scallops served driven Canon Club in Beverly Hills. There, raw to preserve their sweet flavor (which former Fishing with Dynamite sous chef is complimented nicely by a saffron aioli). Edy Lucas has set up shop and is setting There’s a new lobster roll on the out platters of specialties—raw, steamed smaller-plates section of the menu, its and cured—that will have any seafood sweet chunks of meat tossed with mayo lover salivating. and a dollop of crème fraiche for some tang, The setting even feels like stepping off served on a housemade brioche bun. On the one of Beverly Hills’ toniest streets into an lighter side, the hamachi crudo comes with upscale version of a New England shrimp fried capers and spicy togarashi flakes over shack, thanks to white-washed wooden a salad of fennel and orange slices. beams, clean white tiling, maritime-inspired Larger appetites will be sated with the lights and upholstery that is reminiscent of whole branzino—served fried or grilled, classic pattern-heavy nautical semaphores. and with a salad of fennel, mint and Thai Completing the effect is a small marble bar basil that’s equal hints Mediterranean with a window opening out onto the front and Southeast Asian. Though patio that feels like you could meaty, the swordfish is still just walk up and place your light, and comes with a hint of order for fried clams and a smoke thanks to a turn on the basket of fries. mesquite grill and a bed of Instead, opt for a glass slightly spicy pepperonata, of wine from the Californiafinished with a sprinkle of skewed list (over 30 are salsa verde and basil. The available by the glass) or, other fish standout is the better yet, one of the speperfectly pink Arctic char, cialty cocktails. The marserved skin-on, with a light tini portion of the list tends Canon Club garlic jus, lemon, a dusting of toward the sweet side of 340 N. Canon Dr., Bev. Hills sea salt and a brothy base of the spectrum, with options (310) 858-4500 spongy fregola pasta beads. like the Starbur st with canonclubbh.com There’s also a prime skirt Stoli Citrus, strawberries, $$$$$ steak for carnivores, served lemon juice and cane syrup. with garlic confit, arugula, Among other signatures is Atmosphere carrot and mint salad. an American Mule with Jim Upscale crab shack For desser t, options Beam, lime juice and Fever include a rich goat’s milk Tree ginger beer. Standout Dishes Lobster roll, Arctic char flan with caramel, and the A selection of oysters crowd pleaser—a chocoon the half-shell await you Drinks late crunch cake with fudge Basil Bourbon Smash, that might include anyGinny Hendricks sauce and pinch of gray salt thing from plump lit tle as a counterpoint to the Kumamotos from Baja to Hours 5:30-10 p.m. Tue–Sun sweet. It’s just the hint of enormous , juicy Pacific brine to end your seafood Plumps from Washington Reservations feast. —Eric Rosen State, served over ice and Recommended
★★★★★
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The best in TV, film, music and more
The stars of Carol, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara
Holiday Movie Preview When family time reaches a fever pitch this holiday season, these 11 films are the perfect respite for the Angeleno missing his Hollywood home By Drew Mackie
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he holiday season is upon us, but no worries: Drinking need not be your only escape from your family. In fact, the Hollywood gods are offering us a wide array of films in an effort to get two hours of relative quiet. Here’s what’s waiting for you when the theater of the holiday dinner table grows tiresome.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Out Now Historically, Christmas movies have been lacking in solid bro-comedy, and The Night Before attempts to amend that. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a bro whose parents died on Christmas Eve, and who has consequently made a tradition of celebrating Dec. 24 with a bro (Seth Rogen) and another bro (Anthony Mackie). We’re crossing our fingers that this Apatovian-seeming feature manages the right balance of heartstrings and belly laughs. The director, Jonathan Levine, previously directed Gordon-Levitt and Rogen in the cancer comedy 50/50, so it just might.
KRAMPUS
In theaters Dec. 4 Christmas-themed horror movies aren’t new, but we’re very stoked on this one from writer-director Michael Dougherty, who previously wrote and directed the cult favorite Halloween-themed horror anthology Trick ‘r’ Treat. It boasts a great cast—including Adam Scott, Allison Tolman, David Koechner and Toni Collette (!)—as members of a dysfunctional family visited on Christmas not by Santa Claus but by his demonic opposite, the Krampus.
MACBETH
In theaters Dec. 4 Soon we’ll find out whether the legend of Michael Fassbender’s penis is enough
to draw audiences to see a new take on Shakespeare’s best play about squabbling Scots. People may end up going, Fasspenis or no Fasspenis—the buzz is good, Fassbender certainly has the chops to play Macbeth and we’re dying to see Marion Cotillard’s take on Lady Macbeth. (To clarify, no, we don’t think you’ll see Fassbender’s penis in this movie, but hey, wasn’t Shame a trip?)
SISTERS
In theaters Dec. 18 Okay, so it’s not the Margot Kidder Sisters or even the Swoosie Kurtz Sisters, but we have faith in any film starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Ths one has the pair playing against type—Fey plays the wild child sibling, Poehler the tightly wound one—throwing one last bash in their childhood home. Veteran Saturday Night Live scribe Paula Pell wrote the script, and for the love of God, follow this woman on Twitter if you’re not already. Maya Rudolph co-stars, and that’s always one of our favorite sentences.
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
In theaters Dec. 18 Did you know there’s a new Star Wars coming out? Have you perhaps noticed that one or two people have opinions about it? The Force Awakens introduces a new generation of outer space swashbucklers—including Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega), who may or may not have some association with the original trilogy’s characters—as well as Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher), who’s now not a princess but a freaking general. Lucasfilm and Disney are hoping that this long-awaited follow-up will pack enough punch to make fans forget Jake Lloyd (who played young Anakin in Episode I) ever existed. DECEMBER 9, 2015
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film HITCHCOCK/ TRUFFAUT Opens Dec. 2
*****
A film for film geeks, Hitchcock / Truf faut is critic-turned-director Kent Jones’ artful and entertaining documentary that appreciates the seminal, eponymous book. Jones deftly uses film clips, photographs and passages from the work—along with interviews with Martin Scorsese among other directors—to discuss the magic and power of Alfred Hitchcock’s work. From illustrating how editing is used to expand or contract time to an interesting discussion of the director’s use of high-angle shots to evoke themes of sin, guilt and God, the film is an affectionate mini-master class that should prompt viewers to read (or re-read) the volume to gain insights about Hitchcock’s oeuvre. —Gary M. Kramer
(left) Cate Blanchett as Carol's title character; (right) Haynes directs Blanchett on set
WHERE TO INVADE NEXT
In theaters Dec. 23 Michael Moore’s first documentary since 2009’s Capitalism: A Love Story, Where to Invade Next has the filmmaker trotting across the globe to see how other nations deal with the various problems facing America today. It hits theaters just in time for you to spark explosive arguments with your parents around the holiday dinner table. Thanks, Michael Moore!
JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE Opens Dec. 4
*****
The legend of blues mama Janis Joplin was written in stone (or rock, to be precise) the day of her heroin overdose on Oct. 4, 1970. Retrospectives, biographies, thinly veiled movies (The Rose), documentaries—all have plumbed her backstory, and there’s nothing left to discover. So there’s a sense of déjà vu to Amy Berg’s documentary, yet it dissipates the moment Joplin, through archival footage, opens her to mouth to sing, wail, ululate and basically commune with the spirit of her muse. There are also interviews with former band members, family and more, as well as letters Joplin wrote, read in an approximation of her speaking voice, by Chan Marshall of Cat Power. It’s a portrait of both the artist and the creation of a prototype that’s never been bettered. —Dan Loughry
THE REVENANT
In theaters Dec. 25 This Alejandro Iñárritu-directed western serves as a gritty, violent antidote to all that holiday cheer. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, who sets out on a mission of revenge after his hunting companions (led by Tom Hardy) leave him for dead after he’s mauled by a bear. They also murder his son, so think of it as a more somber Kill Bill but with a bear. If that’s not enough to cut the merriment, it’s based on a real story. Mention this on the car ride home, and then add, “Do you see what happens when someone gets pushed to his limits?”
CONCUSSION
In theaters Dec. 25 Now here’s a tricky one. Concussion is a dramatization of the real events surrounding pathologist Bennet Omalu’s research into professional football players and brain damage. Will Smith plays Omalu opposite Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, but even the best-acted, best-scripted, best-directed film about NFL brain injuries will be fighting an uphill battle against Star Wars, football fans who’d rather not acknowledge the dangers the sport poses and non-football fans who just can’t be bothered. But hey, we’re betting Dr. Omalu will go see it, at the very least.
*****
This gritty and loose-ish adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Scottish play features plenty of atmospheric fog and s o m e th e a tr i c a li t y. T he ac tor s— Michael Fassbender as Macbeth, the killer of King Duncan (David Thewlis), and Marion Cotillard as his scheming wife—read their soliloquies with conviction, but despite the early, thrilling battle sequences (done with dazzling slow motion) and some striking imagery, costumes, sets and lighting, this raw, cold film yields little passion or emotion. It’s a film about power, but only the visuals have any. Moreover, Lady Macbeth’s “Out, damned spot” speech seems to be less about blood, and yet the film has buckets of it. —G.M.K. 44
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>> theatres
Out Now
November 25
By the Sea
Victor Frankenstein
Heist
The Good Dinosaur
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
November 27
James White Legend
The Danish Girl December 4 The Lady in the Van
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Opens Dec. 4
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MACBETH
music ADELE
25 (XL/Columbia)
*****
To say this is the most anticipated new record of the year is akin to saying water is wet, and the pressure to match or best the blockbuster that was 21 must have been excruciating for her. She needn’t fret, though. The good news is you’ll need fewer tissues listening to these new songs, as lyrically and thematiPRIME CUTS: cally, 25 has a slightly more hopeful and “Send My Love (to happy tone. Having said that, her garYour New Lover)” gantuan voice can still move us to tears, not least of which because we were starved for its sheer purity “Sweetest Devotion” "I Miss You" that requires zero studio tricks. The same can be said for the gorgeous, languid production and musicianship—piano, strings, brass, percussion. If there's a negative, it’s that Adele could (and should) have experimented more. But, like the old saying goes, if if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. —Paul V. Vitagliano
JOY
In theaters Dec. 25 Not yuletide joy but Joy Mangano, inventor of the miracle mop. Yes, it’s a biopic about a woman who invented a mop, but before you make that face, know that Jennifer Lawrence stars as the title character, it was directed by David O. Russell and it also stars Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper. Extra incentive: Russell co-wrote the script with Bridesmaids co-writer Annie Mumolo.
POINT BREAK
In theaters Dec. 25 Have you long suspected that the 1991 version of Point Break would be better without Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze? Well, have we got good news for you: This remake—directed by Fast and the Furious cinematographer Ericson Core—has the roles of Johnny Utah and Bodhi played by Luke Bracey and Édgar Ramírez, neither of whom are household names but are at the very least handsome enough to be. As of yet, there’s no mention of a cameo by Lori Petty, but goddammit, there should be.
THE HATEFUL EIGHT
In theaters Dec. 25 Quentin Tarantino’s new western unites some mainstays of his previous films (Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth and, of course, Michael Madsen), and that should be enticement enough if you’re a fan. But the real draw here should be the film’s sole female star, Jennifer Jason Leigh, who plays Daisy Domergue, a fugitive wanted dead or alive. It’s been a while since Leigh had a role she could sink her teeth into, and we should all be hoping her surely balls-to-the-wall performance will make the rest of Hollywood remember how awesome she is.
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NEW RELEASES
>> music
Out Now
November 27
November 20
Justin Bieber Purpose
Danzig Skeletons
Babyface Return of the Tender Lover
Enya Dark Sky Island
Coldplay A Head Full of Dreams
Chris Isaak First Comes the Night
Kid Cudi Speedin' Bullet to Heaven
Jeff Lynne’s ELO Alone in the Universe
Rick Ross Black Market
MOMUS
Glyptothek (American Patchwork/Darla)
*****
There are not many artists who release 30 albums in about as many years and remain relatively unknown. Scottish musician and wordsmith Nick Currie has done just that, and managed to do it with only one eye. Glyptothek is PRIME CUTS: comprised of 16 pop/folk songs using “The Art Creep” samples of aged Japanese 45s. The result, while “The Manticore” just shy of spectacular, is very impressive. Lyrically, “Gregor Samsa” he’s as sharp as he’s ever been. Momus tackles such universal topics as befriending a cockroach and naming it Gregor, famous statues coming to life and taking nude selfies, fingerless chefs and, of course, Momus’ favorite topic—his “big dead dick.” Glyptothek is at once hilarious, heartbreaking and a bit scary, but sadly, it’s not likely to drag him out of obscurity. This one’s best enjoyed with a dictionary. —Dominik Rothbard
SOPHIE Product (Numbers)
*****
Imagine that pop fireball Robyn hyped up on glitch beats and a canister of helium and you’ve an approximation of this debut by U.K. artist Sophie. Product is a weird and wondrous 26-minute PRIME CUTS: introduction to the electronic music “Lemonade” producer born as Samuel Long (and, “Hard” yeah, I was surprised to find out Sophie “Vyzee” is a guy) who has worked with Charli XCX and would make an extraordinary collaborator with Björk and Madonna (call him, ladies), because he’s both off-thecharts bizarre (those pitch-shifted vocals and tinkling video-game synths) and accessible. His sounds are the kind of weird that burrows under the skin and won’t let go. And once he calms down a bit (i.e., shoots for the commercial grail), he may well be an unstoppable force. —D.L. DECEMBER 9, 2015
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tv
By Nathaniel Grey
'Transparent' Returns to Amazon
stage
AWAKE AND SING! Odyssey Theatre Through Jan. 31
*****
Clif ford Odets’ 193 4 drama offers timelessly thoughtful ruminations on family dynamics and the age-old battle between leftist and far-right political ideologies as citizens struggle for their fair shares of the American Dream. Set in a lower-middle-class Jewish household in the Bronx during the Great Depression, the story is anchored by the fiercely domineering matriarch Bessie (the superb Melissa Weber Bales, who alternates with Marilyn Fox). Among causes for conflict are the personal and professional failures of Bessie’s husband Myron (the excellent Robert Lesser), the fanatic Socialistic beliefs of her live-in father (Allan Miller, sublime) and the desperate quests of her grown children (James Morosini and Melissa Paladino in finely nuanced portrayals) to make their own decisions on love and life. Other key characters are splendidly portrayed by David Agranov, Richard Fancy, Dennis Madden and Gary Patent. Director Elina de Santos achieves an enthralling and moving revisit to this landmark American classic. —Les Spindle 46
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and comedian Tig Notaro. Trans actress Hari Nef will play an ancestor of the Pfefferman family, showing in flashbacks how trans people lived in 1930s Berlin. These new chapters will pick up with a wedding for Sarah (Amy Landecker) and Tammy (Melora Hardin), while Josh (Jay Duplass) and Rabbi Raquel (Hahn) discover how their new relationship is impacted by their instant family and the return of Josh’s son, Colton (Alex MacNicoll). At the center will be new challenges for Maura (Tambor), who realizes that the hardest part of transitioning is still to come. Describing what lies ahead, Soloway told Variety, “We decided to take all of the positive regards and love and awards and use it to go crazy,” adding, “Let’s take chances and do things that we can because we feel safe; we have the third season ordered.”
EL GRANDE CIRCUS DE COCA-COLA Colony Theatre Through Dec. 13
*****
Originating in the 1970s, Ron House’s phenomenally popular romp El Grande de Coca Cola, has been re-imagined here in collaboration with director Alan Shearman. This production has moved to the Colony Theatre following an extended run at the Skylight. The show’s off-thewall sensibility falls somewhere between cabaret, comedy sketch and marijuana high. It follows the misadventures of gregarious Mexican impresario-performer Pepe Hernandez (imagine Maurice Chevalier crossed with Cantinflas). He and his itinerant family troupe (daughters played by Olivia Cristina Delgado and Lia Dupree; other relatives played by Paul Baird and Aaron Miller) cavort through a zany series of musical numbers, skits and assorted burlesque-style shtick. Tor Campbell’s choreography is delicious, design elements are a hoot and the spirited triple-threat performers milk the insane concept for all it’s worth. Just don’t go expecting Barnum & Bailey. We’re told the animals couldn’t make it across the border. —L.S.
AWAKE: ENCI BOX; EL GRANDE: ED KRIEGER
AFTER BECOMING THE FIRST STREAMING SERVICE-BASED SERIES to win the Golden Globe for Best TV Series Musical or Comedy, and to take home an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor, the only legitimate excuse you can have for not watching the groundbreaking Transparent is that you don’t have Amazon. For those uninitiated into creator Jill Soloway’s show, it centers on an L.A. family whose lives forever change after learning that their patriarch, played with remarkable depth and sensitivity by Jeffrey Tambor, is transgender. Overwhelmed with both public and critical praise following its Sept. 26, 2014, premiere, the series was quickly renewed for a second season less than two weeks later. That season will be unveiled Dec. 11 and will introduce new cast members Anjelica Huston, Cherry Jones, Parks and Recreation’s Kathryn Hahn
THE WIZ LIVE! Dec. 3, NBC Original film fans will likely enjoy this remake, which has a new perspective thanks to the involvement of creatives behind Cirque du Soleil. Producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan add their experience with musicals to the mix, having previously brought us the film versions of Hairspray and Chicago, as well as the TV series Smash. This live TV project has an impressive cast, including In Living Color’s David Alan Grier as the Lion, singer Ne-Yo as the Tinman, Queen Latifah as the Wiz, Mary J. Blige as the Wicked Witch of the West, Orange is the New Black’s Uzo Aduba as Glinda the Good Witch and Stephanie Mills (who played Dorothy in the original Broadway production) as Auntie Em.
SOUTH OF HELL Nov. 27, WE In this brand-new series, Mena Suvari (American Beauty, American Pie) is threatened by supernatural forces when she plays a beautiful demon-hunter-for-hire who struggles with suppressing a demon who lies within her—a creature that feeds off the terrifying entities she kills. This seven-episode series comes from horror filmmaker Eli Roth, best known for gore movies like Cabin Fever and Hostel, who teams with Paranormal Activity’s Jason Blum. The intense thriller is the first original scripted series for the more innocent channel for women, and in an unusual move, WE will air all seven episodes consecutively on this night. TELEVISION LONG DIVISION
SET YOUR Constantine
Grimm
Ash vs. Evil Dead
South of Hell
Sunday, Nov. 29 A Salute to Downton Abbey features series star Hugh Bonneville as host of this 90-minute look at clips from previous seasons and tantalizing previews of Season 6, which debuts Jan. 4. (9 p.m., PBS) Monday, Nov. 30
STRAIGHT WHITE MEN
Kirk Douglas Theatre Through Dec. 20
STRAIGHT WHITE MEN: CRAIG SCHWARTZ
AWAKE: ENCI BOX; EL GRANDE: ED KRIEGER
*****
The baggage accompanying social expectations of boys growing up to become high-achievers amid a distin c t s p e cies—the straight white male—is explored with ironic humor and a hint of classic tragedy in the L.A. premiere of this 2014 play by Young Jean Lee. Though the 90-minute work is compromised by too many similar scenes with questionable payoff, it's a thoughtful piece with a touch of originality. Three siblings—Jake, a successful banker (Gary Wilmes); Drew, a celebrated writer-professor(Frank Boyd); and eldest-son Matt, a floundering underachiever (Brian Slaten) who lives at home with widowed dad, Ed (Richard Riehle)—convene at pop’s Midwestern home for the holidays. Matt’s failures and obvious emotional crisis gradually become the focus, which the attempts at familial camaraderie can’t overshadow. The production is masterfully designed, and superbly acted, under Lee’s direction. Judicious editing—particularly fewer and shorter sibling horseplay shenanigans—would make the piece more coherent and affecting. —L.S.
Superstore, a new ensemble workplace comedy from The Office vet Justin Spitzer, features Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera and Drop Dead Diva’s Ben Feldman. These backto-back episodes act as a sneak preview for the series’ official Jan. 4 premiere. (10 p.m., NBC) Friday, Dec. 4 In A Very Murray Christmas, Sofia Coppola reunites with her Lost in Translation star Bill Murray for an
original holiday special that finds Murray playing host of a TV show with guests George Clooney, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock, Miley Cyrus and more. (12:01 a.m., Netflix) Sunday, Dec. 6 Beyond The Shadows: The Making of Shadowhunters is a preview for the series based on The Mortal Instruments book series by Cassandra Clare, which debuts Jan. 12. It details the world of 18-year-old Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she’s a human-angel hybrid. (9:30 p.m., ABC Family) Monday, Dec. 7 In Telenovela, Eva Longoria is a Spanish-language star who doesn’t actually speak Spanish and whose life is filled with ridiculous twists and turns. (10 p.m., NBC) Tuesday, Dec. 8 The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will feature a performance by Ellie Goulding and appearances by Kendall Jenner and Adam Levine’s wife Behati Prinsloo as models. (10 p.m., CBS) DECEMBER 9, 2015
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Gift Guide 2 15
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Holiday shopping has begun, so we offer our assistance in uncovering the perfect present—for friends, for coworkers, for loved ones and, once your gift-giving is done, for yourself
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By Stephan Horbelt, Mikey Rox & Brad Virata
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01. THE YARD WORKER
Innovative and ergonomic Bosse Tools—an essential line of all-season shovels—are designed with a rotating handle in the middle for better leverage to relieve stress on the wrists and back while you’re grunting your way through a hard day of sweaty, scruffy, shirtless yard work. Cold showers for everybody! $69, bossetools.com
02. THE CONCERT TICKETS
It’s gonna be a great show if you can score tickets (which has proven quite difficult) to see Miley Cyrus at The Wiltern on Dec. 19. She’s following up her famed Bangerz tour with something a bit more intimate (and, we hear, a bit more naked). Starting at $70, livenation.com
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03. THE CHRISTMAS CARD
Tell your friends you love them this holiday season with a Tom of Finland Greeting Card—also an opportunity to celebrate gay culture’s most iconic erotic artist. $3, tomoffinlandfoundation.org
04. THE ARTIST
Artist Miles Regis’ profound messages of love and unity provide inspiration in all aspects of life. His work seduces the audience to look deeper, where you’ll uncover undoubtedly poignant messages in every piece. $2,000-$20,000, milesregis.com
05. THE REVAMPED RETRO TOY
With 58 pieces, 102 stickers and 125 decillion possible configurations, the X-Cube is sure to keep a guy busy. Solve it for both shape and color. $32, fab.com
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06. THE STATEMENT SWEATSHIRT
Stand with Paris and look fashionable in this sweatshirt by Cuisse de Grenouille, founded by French brothers with a shared love of the ‘50s. $124, cuissedegrenouille.com
07. THE RIDE-OR-DIE BIKE
Super light, and compact enough for hall closet storage, the UltraX Carbon Fiber Folding Bike provides smooth rides all over town, from leisurely flat-terrain routes to meet up with buds to climbing hills up in the canyons to burn off the Buds. $4,999, available at Beverly Hills Bike Shop, 854 S. Robertson Blvd.
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08. THE WATER BOTTLE
Rehydrate in style with our favorite water bottle, the S’well Teakwood Bottle. At the gym or on a hike, you’ll never go thirsty again! $35, available at Nordstrom
09. THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL ACCESSORY
Handcrafted right here in DTLA, Sandast’s Leather Wine Carrier is a must-have for jaunts to the Hollywood Bowl next season. Also available in black, cognac and royal blue. $145, sandast.com
10. THE BOOZY BUY
Travel companions come in all shapes and sizes, like the Gentlemen’s Agreement Whiskey Set from Beekman 1802—a farm-operated, artisanal lifestyle brand owned by The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge— which includes a 6 oz. leather-wrapped stainless steel flask, two shot cups and a mini-funnel so you don’t waste a drop of special sauce. $72, beekman1802.com
11. THE 2016 ORGANIZER
The Spark Planner—“a proven goal-setting, planning and productivity system for superstars”—helps go-getters accomplish every single goal they’ll establish in 2016. Uh huh, even a date with that Tinder crush who hasn’t swiped right yet. $30, thesparknotebook.com 50
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12. THE HIGH-FASHION MUST-HAVE
Inspector Gadget meets Carrie Bradshaw in the Apple Watch Hermès, with leather straps handmade by the label’s French artisans and a special Hermès watch face. Will this replace the Birkin Bag as the ultimate status symbol? Only time will tell. $1,250, available at Apple Stores
13. THE HEADPHONES
Some technical accessories are downright beautiful, like these LSTN Troubadours Zebrawood Headphones, perfect for a morning hike, the gym or a walk to happy hour. $150, available at Nordstrom
14. THE SPEAKER
Modeled after a free-standing speaker from the dawn of radio, the E3 Speaker with Bluetooth marries vintage design and modern ingenuity. Stream music from your phone directly to it. $149, available at Restoration Hardware, 8772 Beverly Blvd.
15. THE MOOD LIGHTING
The sweet, slightly smoky aroma of fine pipe tobacco fills the room when you wick up Wax Apothecary’s SoCal-born 100% soy wax Tobacco Candle poured into a Scotch tumbler. It’s sure to remind you of grandpa’s post-turkey puffs at Thanksgiving dinner. $17, waxapothecary.com
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16. THE GAME NIGHT SHOCKER
If Urban Dictionary and Balderdash met on Scruff, smushed and spit out a demon spawn, they would call it F**ktionary, the dirty-word game that reveals your twisted side. (As if you have another one.) $24.99, fktionary.com
17. THE TERRARIUM
Grow your own prehistoric habitat, complete with a mini dino roaming free. The Dino DIY Terrarium kit comes with everything you need to recreate the Jurassic Age—rocks, mulch, faux moss. Just add a plant of your choice. $15, available at CB2, 8000 Sunset Blvd.
20. THE TOOTHBRUSH
18. THE GYM BAG
21. THE MOISTURIZER
19. THE NOTEBOOK
22. THE ROOM DIFFUSER
Removable shoulder straps, long top handles, metal grommets and a fully lined interior featuring Herschel’s signature coated poly fabric comprise the durable Sutton Mid-Volume Duffle to help keep your style game together in the locker room—even when it’s all hanging out. $55, available at Nordstrom Jot it down so you don’t forget later! Whether you’re taking notes in the boardroom or while traveling across the globe, this notebook will come in handy anywhere you go. $80, smythson.com
More than a super-streamlined toothbrush, Quip is also a delivery service for fresh toothbrush heads, toothpaste and other essentials to keep your kisser healthy. From $25, getquip.com iS Clinical’s Hydra–Cool Serum will soothe inflamed skin and reduce irritation typically caused by shaving. It’s anti-acneic, anti-microbial and will hydrate the skin without clogging the pores. $90, available at The Four Seasons Spa, 300 S. Doheny Dr., Bev. Hills Packaged beautifully inside a beaker-like bottle, Tom Dixon’s Water scent is a subtle combination of watermelon and amber musk, like a cool ocean breeze. $115, available at Saks Fifth Avenue DECEMBER 9, 2015
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23. THE BOTANICAL ARRANGEMENT
Never show up to a holiday party empty-handed! Instead of flowers, opt for a beautiful air plant installation. These unique pieces are one-of-a-kind and make for the perfect centerpiece. $150, available at The Juicy Leaf, 1639 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice
24. THE BACKYARD THRILLER
27. THE HOT SEAT
25. THE NEXT-GEN DEVICE
28. THE ‘NETFLIX & CHILL’ NECESSITY
Set up the canopy-cruising adventure of your recent trip to Costa Rica at home with all-in-one zipline kits from SLEADD that come with everything you need— including safety measures like harnesses and helmets—to soar like a condor through your gated residential. $536-$740, ziplinegear.com Microsoft’s first-ever laptop, the Surface Book, boasts a workhouse battery for all-day power, a unique 360-degree dynamic fulcrum hinge and a detachable screen to transition to tablet mode in a jif. Plus, there’s a sixth generation Intel Core processor to—fingers crossed—eliminate all that delay between your ‘alone time’ vids. $1,499, available at Best Buy
26. THE BARSTOOL
A sleek and stylish bar stool like this one in Regal Laguna Velvet adds class to any get-together, because who doesn’t love the phrase “button-tufted emerald velvet”? $716, available at ModShop, 5901 W. 3rd St. 52
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Give your favorite room a punch of pop with the customizable, made-to-order Soto Chair Colored Edition, available in 16 vibrant fabrics like Key Largo Grass and woodstains like Joyride Blue. It’s a sophisticated, slightly chaotic statement piece inspired by Poul Jensen’s Selig Z. $899, joybird.com Warm, cozy, water- and stain-resistant—because the weekend!—Puffy by Rumpl turns synthetic-down jacket material into an ultra-luxe, premium sleeping-bag-style comforter you can wash, dry and play naked hide-andseek under. $65, gorumpl.com
29. THE HAIR SOLUTION
To avoid insensitivity, you’ll have to be really a really close friend to gift the HairMax LaserBand, which purports to stimulate hair growth thanks to 82 medical-grade lasers. At just 90 seconds (three times per week), it’s the fastest FDA-cleared treatment for hair loss. $795, hairmax.com
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30. THE PRINTED TEE
Haute couture has gone to the dogs, thanks to Givenchy’s Rottweiler prints. Wear a blazer atop this tee for an instant L.A. look. $555, available at Neiman Marcus
31. THE BIG BUY
You’re an audiophile, huh? The Orpheus Second Generation headphones were a full decade in the making, but they aren’t just about luxury—though that’s here, with marble, copper cabling and German leather. They have amps built into the ear cups, eight DACs and a sampling rate of up to 384 kHz (CDs use 44.1). They’re technically not available ‘til next year, which might just give you enough time to save up. $55,000, en-de.sennheiser.com
32. THE WAKE-UP CALL
34. THE MESSENGER BAG
This pressed leather N/S Messenger Bag is classic, timeless and uncomplicated, meaning it will look great with any outfit. $695, available at Shinola, 3515 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake
35. THE ADONIS COMPLEX
Fitness tracking via the Smart Gym app and real-time display capabilities—so you can view your exercise data midair like a GD Jetson—make next-gen jump rope the Smart Rope a must-have for both light-on-their-feet gym bunnies and jacked bros who train like Creed. $89.99, store.tangramfactory.com
Homemade joe (because plain red cups are so early November) gets a muchneeded makeover in the Ninja Coffee Bar, a barista-style setup featuring Auto-iQ, one-touch technology that delivers customizable options for cup, travel mug or carafe. You’ll also find an iced-coffee selection and a variety of brewing options, like Classic, Rich and Specialty. $140, available at Target
36. THE VARSITY LETTERMAN JACKET
33. THE SWEATER
Has there ever been a cooler-sounding product than the Das Boom Body Brick? This soap-infused exfoliating body sponge is what every guy needs, especially those who are only half-awake during their morning shower. Available in various scents. $22, dasboomind.com
“Bold gear for decisive men” is how Adidas Originals describes its highly anticipated collaboration with Kanye West. This charcoal ribbed wool sweater is the perfect example of that statement. $2,600, available at Barney’s New York
Remember how cool you felt wearing your letterman jacket in high school? The latest collaboration between Nordstrom and Opening Ceremony is all about designs reminiscent of your life in the suburbs. $395, available at Nordstrom
37. THE SHOWER STOCKING STUFFER
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Show your holiday party host that you appreciate his hospitality with the Dom Pérignon Rosé 2004 Vintage Release, designed by none other than Icelandic artist Björk and video artist Chris Cunningham. $175, available at most upscale wine and liquor stores
39. THE SWEATPANT
The next “athleisure” trend comes from the beach, not the gym, as evidenced by these Aviator Nation Sweats. Because being comfortable and looking sexy never goes out of style. $115, available at Aviator Nation, 22967 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu
40. THE TICK-TOCKER
Jump off the digital bandwagon and swag it old-school with Meister Watches, the latest line of which—Ambassador, in yellow gold, stainless steel and carbon fiber—was inspired by elements of pop culture, including automotive design, video games, sports, fashion and music. $300-$400, available at Traffic inside the Beverly Center 54
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41. THE HI-TOP SNEAKER
It’s always summer somewhere! Add a pop of fashion to your feet with the Royale High Top, a perforated shoe hailing from tropical Brazil, available in the most stylish prints, colors and patterns. $90-$149, thejibslife.com
42. THE STATIONERY
What to get a beer aficionado besides another case of artisanal brew? Cross your cerevisaphile friend off your list with a set of thoughtfully handcrafted alethemed stationery, the first note of which will be a thank-you for not sparking a hangover this holiday. $35, available at Etsy shop jhcards
43. THE HOLIDAY CANDLE
Produced by NEST Fragrances, the Sir Elton John Holiday Candle is a blend of evergreen and balsam fir needles with a touch of citrus. A portion of proceeds support the work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. $38, nestfragrances.com
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It’s time to throw away those beat-up boxers and opt for something a bit more sophisticated in the bedroom. Made from lightweight cotton, this Jersey Pajama Pant is stylish and, most importantly, comfortable. $65, available at James Perse, 357 N. Canon Dr., Bev. Hills
45. THE OUTDOOR CHEF
While your cave-neighbors are still debating how to stack coals for even outdoor cooking, all you need to do is give the WiFi-enabled Lnyx SmartGrill voice commands for chops, chicken, steak and seafood, all seared and prepared to perfection. This thing sends you texts when it’s time to flip! $9,499, smart.lynxgrills.com
46. THE QUILT
48. THE MEDIA CENTER
While your friends are fast-forwarding through commercials like it’s 2014, you can brush your shoulders off with the latest whole-house TiVo incarnation, Bolt, that introduces SkipMode to jump past ads and back to your recorded show instantly for 30% faster binge-watching; and QuickMode, which lets you comfortably speed through slow-moving shows like news, sports and those presidential debates. $299-$399, available at Best Buy
49. THE SUBSCRIPTION BOX
In case you weren’t aware, quilts are back. The hand-stitched City Quilts by Haptic Lab (yep, it’s a map of the city) are meant to inspire thoughtful connections to your favorite places. Twelve destinations available. $450, hapticlab.com
Late-night treks to replace grooming essentials you’ve run out of become a distant memory thanks to Morgans Personal Care Products subscription boxes of bathroom staples (yep, even TP), delivered direct to your door. $4-$72, morgans.me
47. THE ACCESSORY PIN SET
50. THE NEW-ERA OF COFFEE BEANS
Made from gold, oxidized silver, tin, brass and crystals, add a bit of ‘80s bling to your blazer’s lapel to stand out among the crowd. $995, available at Yves Saint Laurent, 469 Rodeo Dr., Bev. Hills
Saturdays Surf NYC has branched into coffee, and its Blend No. 01 (roasted and packaged by La Colombe) is a thick and flvorful medium dark roast. $13.50, available at American Rag, 150 S. La Brea Ave. DECEMBER 9, 2015
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More than a remarkable story of strength and self-identity, The Danish Girl proves that the time for trans stories on the big screen is now By Stephan Horbelt
EDDIE REDMAYNE, “LILI”: This is a story of authenticity, identity and courage, but at its heart it’s a love story. About the courage that it takes to find yourself—to be yourself.
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any people are unfamiliar with the story of transgender pioneer Lili Elbe. Come Nov. 27, however, as The Danish Girl swiftly moves into theaters across the country in time for the holidays, a remarkable tale largely unspoken until now will illuminate discussions surrounding the trans experience, true courage and the incalculable value of self-realization. Eddie Redmayne, fresh off an Oscar win for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in last year’s The Theory of Everything, brilliantly and respectfully portrays Elbe, believed to be the very first individual to undergo gender confirmation surgery. As the film opens, Elbe self-presents as Einar Wegener, a famed landscape artist in 1920s Copenhagen, happily married to fellow artist Gerda, portrayed by Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), who herself gives a noteworthy performance destined to be part of the coming awards season. More than simply the story of Elbe’s struggle with self-identity and a disapproving society, The Danish Girl presents the love story of Lili and Gerda, a relationship that is not without its flaws but is pure of heart. Adapted from David Ebershoff’s 2000 novel of the same name—which itself is based on the 1933 work Man into Woman: The First Sex Change, purporting to be Elbe’s memoirs—The Danish Girl has been brought to the big-screen by director Tom Hooper, who won an Oscar for his feature The King’s Speech in 2010 and is no stranger to scrutiny, having also directed 2012’s Les Misérables and the 2008 HBO miniseries John Adams. Frontiers was shipped overseas to London last month to speak with the film’s talented team— Redmayne, Vikander, Hooper and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon—about what went into creating one of the year’s most captivating and important films. Here is their journey with The Danish Girl, told in their own words.
TOM HOOPER, DIRECTOR: Our casting director Nina Gold said, “I know of this great unmade script.” I fell in love with the script as soon as I read it, which was in 2008 when I was preparing The King’s Speech. It was the best script I’ve ever read. I wept three times when I read it, and I’m not sentimental. I’ve wanted to make the movie ever since. LUCINDA COXON, SCREENWRITER: I think when I first read the book, I thought, God, this is extraordinary. It’s a love triangle between two people in some sense. EDDIE: I was at the Les Misérables barricades, and Tom said, “I would like you to read something.” Tom then got me the script and I sat down to read it, knowing nothing about it. I was profoundly moved. It blew my mind. I found it extraordinarily passionate and deeply felt. I told Tom I wanted to be part of telling this story. ALICIA VIKANDER, “GERDA”: I had heard about the Lili story, because I know people who have been on this film—not even actors, but in production—for years. So when I read in the newspaper that Tom and Eddie were going to do it, I was like, Wow, that’s great casting, and a great director. I’m really looking forward to seeing that. Then it was two days later when my agent called me and said there was a second female—a good part in this film. I didn’t know that. I didn’t know about Gerda’s story. EDDIE: I’ll never forget Alicia’s audition—we read a scene together, and I turned to Tom, and he was sobbing. I thought, Nailed it! Seven or eight months before filming began, she and Tom and I started having long, long discussions about the characters and about Man Into Woman and The Danish Girl. ALICIA: Eddie is one of the most lovely, humble, down-to-earth men, and he’s now a great friend of mine. I already knew he was a brilliant actor, but he’s very ... he always pushed me to take new paths. And I always felt like I had to step up and challenge him back. Connection and friction between two people is very interesting, I think.
Like many films that successfully exit the ‘Hollywood machine,’ The Danish Girl was many years in the making. (Coxon first began work on the film’s screenplay more than a decade ago.) The cast and crew mimic each other in one respect—they were each far from familiar with trans issues before The Danish Girl entered their lives. EDDIE: I was incredibly ignorant three or four years ago when I started researching this film. One of the things that I hadn’t realized is that being trans doesn’t involve having had any physical transformation necessarily. It’s about who you are inside. That’s something that was so important to me. ALICIA: Before the film I knew nothing close to what I know now. I think it’s been a very educational journey for everyone involved. TOM: One thing that had an impact on me was on Les Misérables—the musical director, Jennifer White, was a trans woman who was transitioning during the shoot. She actually played the piano for Eddie to sing “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.” I think that fed into my experience. Also, Jennifer is one of the first people I showed the unfinished film to, and her response meant a lot to me. LUCINDA: I didn’t know a huge amount about the trans community, I suppose. Well, I knew what anyone who wasn’t particularly involved in the community knew 11 years ago, until I started working on this film. Lili Elbe was my way in, in a sense. TOM: I think Eddie felt tremendous desire to be an ally to the trans community in every way he could, and to be as conscientious as possible. And he is. I can’t overstate how much he cares about getting it right, and his process of outreach was ... it was pretty much a full year before we started shooting. EDDIE: Most important of all for me was meeting people from the trans community and hearing about their lives, their strengths, their realities. Across the board everyone was so, so generous with me in sharing experiences in order to educate me. Lili underwent gender confirmation surgery almost 100 years ago, and people transitioning now know much more than she would have. So to hear from elder members of the community was to learn of the trans experience 40-50 years ago. It was then
Alicia Vikander and Eddie Redmayne as Gerda Wegener and Lili Elbe; (right) director Tom Hooper
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about trying to learn from them, but also finding their stories in Lili’s story, remembering that Lili did not have a predecessor or the language with which to contextualize what she was going through. Every trans story is unique and individual. There is no one trans experience. But every single trans person I’ve met has talked about knowing, from their youth, that their assigned gender was different from their own identity. While there’s always pressure for film talent to deliver his or her best work, The Danish Girl’s heretofore largely undiscovered subject matter resulted in added pressure and a fierce sense of responsibility for much of the cast and crew. EDDIE: If you’re lucky enough to be given the opportunity to play Lili Elbe and tell her story, you should be giving every ounce of yourself. It’s a great privilege, and a great responsibility. LUCINDA: I think maybe Tom and Eddie felt more pressure than I. I think I’d been on it for so long. I felt I’d been battling in the trans corner so unfashionably for such a long time. This was a story that was just waiting—and had been waiting too long—to be shipped out into the world. Obviously one is respectful of it and conscious of it, and you hope that people will like it, but no film is ever going to satisfy everybody. You take your chances. EDDIE: I knew I didn’t look anything like Lili, but also, there’s the truth of what happened to Lili and Gerda, and there’s Lili’s journals—the diaries—but people question whether they are a reliable source or not. And you then have David Ebershoff’s book, The Danish Girl, which is a fictionalized version, and then you have our script, which is an adaptation. It’s so many levels from the truth that what was most important to me was trying to depict an authenticity of experience. TOM: I did feel added pressure. I suppose I felt the
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burden of responsibility of making a story, albeit fictionalized, about Lili Elbe, because I felt she was ... I was amazed how little her story was known when I first came across it, and how little there was on the internet at that time in 2008, and I wanted to do justice to the spirit of her memory, or certainly bring more people to the real Lili Elbe. I suppose I keep picking topics where there is a lot of pressure. But I think the fact that there’s a community of people who really, really care about what you’re doing is a good thing, because it sharpens your A-game. EDDIE: What I think I quite like as an actor is playing far from me. I feel that often I’m least successful when I’m playing characters that are similar to me. Because, ultimately, when you’re playing a character that is very different from you, you have to take a proper leap into the unknown, whereas if you’re playing someone close to you, you can always keep pulling it in. Despite the film taking place in 1920s Europe, The Danish Girl creates a familiar environment onscreen, which helps strengthen its storytelling. That universality, though—when acknowledged as a lack of change for the better on trans issues in the past century—can also be seen as disheartening. EDDIE: The most shocking thing for me was that this film—Lili’s story—involves discrimination, it involves violence, and almost 100 years on, you can still be fired in 31 states for being trans. The amount of violence towards trans people, particularly trans women of color, is extraordinary. It was quite shocking to me to realize how little progress has been made, although it is accelerating now. ALICIA: All the issues the transgender community has today resemble everything Lili goes through in our film, 100 years back. All of that is so present—all of the physical and mental abuse. I think the suicide rate is 50% higher for trans people. I mean,
it’s endless. It’s been wonderful to see the cultural change over the last couple of years. LUCINDA: Lili and Gerda are frighteningly modern. They’re in some ways more modern than we are, they’re so far ahead of their time. On the other hand, it was really important to me that I didn’t impose a kind of 21st century sensibility, and certainly any of the landscape and the language that we use around ‘trans’ was something they could not possibility have any access to or knowledge of. I didn’t want to retrospectively give them any of that. So what you have is people who are laying the road ahead of themselves a little bit at a time. They don’t really know where they’re going, and they are very isolated with their issues. Lili, at the point where she finally meets the surgeon who she believes will give her what she needs, she’s suicidal and is considering a lobotomy. She thinks she’s gone completely mad and is struggling to go forward in life. You could say, Well, of course that would never happen now. But, of course, that’s just not true. So she encounters extraordinary prejudice. She has a sense of herself as completely isolated and different from everybody else. And we know that the suicide rates in the trans community remain high. Just as some activists took Amazon’s Transparent to task for casting Jeffrey Tambor, a cisgender male, in the role of its trans female lead, The Danish Girl has encountered its own share of backlash from critics who highlight the lack of opportunities for trans individuals in the entertainment industry. EDDIE: I think [the backlash] is an incredibly important conversation, because of what it represents— that it’s not just about Hollywood and our industry; it’s about job discrimination. With this film, many trans people were involved in its making. TOM: It’s funny, I probably became aware of the backlash—a little bit of it—when we were starting
“I always felt like I had to step up and challenge him back,“ Vikander says of Redmayne. “Connection and friction between two people is very interesting, I think.“
to shoot. Of course, I offered the film to Eddie four years ago or something. But I think there is a lot the industry needs to do to create a level playing field of access for trans actors to trans and cis roles. There’s definitely not an equality of opportunity. The industry also needs to encourage trans filmmakers and trans screenwriters. And there’s evidence the world is moving. It feels quite fast at the moment, that we’re moving in the right direction. EDDIE: There needs to be more opportunity. If trans actresses and actors had more opportunity, it wouldn’t be such a prominent discussion. And hopefully that will shift and change. That being said, I do think that in a dream world, actors should be able to play anything. I mean, my first professional play was playing Viola in Twelfth Night, and last year there was an all-female production of Julius Caesar. I hope there comes a time when more trans women are playing cis characters. I don’t think actors should be restricted. TOM: We used trans extras in London, Copenhagen and Brussels, and we had a couple of trans actors playing cis roles—Rebecca Root, who played the nurse, and Jay Graf, who played a small role. I thought it was important to reach out to the trans acting community in London, which is the base where we were shooting, and make the point that trans actors can play cis roles, too. Rebecca Root is hugely talented. She’s got a great sitcom on the BBC, which is doing really well here [in the UK]. Both of them saw the film before it was finished and gave us input, so that was great. Each cast and crew member of The Danish Girl will take something different away from their time spent working on the film, but they are all changed—as artists and as individuals—and have high hopes for how the film will surely affect others. EDDIE: The people I’ve met, and the experiences they have shared with me, have changed me, and I’m so grateful for that.
LUCINDA: For me, the combination of vision and courage in the film ... that idea that once you have seen something, if it’s true, even if it’s difficult ... Lili and Gerda refused to look away. Once they’d seen it, they pursued it. I think that’s a moral to live by. I felt slightly wanting when I witnessed that. I felt, Goodness, we could all do with more of that. EDDIE: The past three years have been a great education for me. What’s been amazing is then seeing it come into mainstream media, becoming much more prevalent, and that cisgender people are being educated and learning to be allies. TOM: I certainly have gone into it a lot more deeply and have met a lot more people and read much more widely, and it has been a fascinating education over the last seven years. EDDIE: I hope the film can in any way catalyze the same reaction I had when I read the script—that it’s about love, and what love is, and that love should not be defined by gender or by bodies or by sexuality. It’s about souls. The other thing is this idea of ‘being yourself’— it’s something that gets thrown around a lot. Oh, just be yourself. And it’s the most basic human right. And yet actually what Lili had to undergo and many trans men and women continue to undergo in order to get to the most simple human place of being authentic and content in yourself ... I hope the film encourages this. Actually, I hope the film continues this discussion that has accelerated in the past year or two. ALICIA: The educational, profound thing that I really took with me was to have so many people who generously shared experiences and personal stories. There was a trans woman—I read her amazing book, and I just called to thank her and tell her that this film was being made and that her book had really meant a lot to me. Over the phone she was like, You can ask me anything. You’re probably thinking this and this and this right now. No, you can
ask me. To have somebody do that for you is pretty extraordinary. LUCINDA: I suppose I want audiences to get out of it what I did, in a sense. I don’t want to feel preachy in that respect, but I think there’s something in it about openness. Not particularly openness towards trans people but just openness towards the incredible diversity of human experience in the world, and just seeing people for who and what they are. I mean, that applies to Gerda Wegener as much as it does to Lili Elbe. Seeing people for who they are rather than whatever societal strictures have been placed around them. I hope in that sense it’s a film about acceptance and openness. EDDIE: I think it’s important this story gets out, but I also think this is a film based on a book that is in itself an interpretation. Lili and Gerda’s story is so extraordinary that we’ve had to compress time, the length of their relationship—the complexity of their relationship—into two hours. I think there’s a miniseries to be made about this, and I think Lili and Gerda were such extraordinary people that this will continue. I don’t see it as the final word. ALICIA: I don’t think anyone will walk out of the theater after seeing this movie not being touched by Lili’s journey. It’s a love story between two people, but above all a love story of learning how to love yourself. EDDIE: While this is a very specific story about a very specific woman undergoing her own journey to be herself, I feel like all of us have barriers put up in front of us. Do we confront them? Get rid of them? Or, worst-case scenario, live with them? The bravery and courage that it takes to be yourself should never be underestimated. The Danish Girl, starring Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts, Amber Heard and Ben Whishaw, is in theaters starting Nov. 27 DECEMBER 9, 2015
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D N O C SE UAL ANN
GAY-FRIENDLY
HEALTH CARE GUIDE FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
DMITRIY SHIRONOSOV | DREAMSTIME.COM
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re you happy with your health care? Do you feel comfortable talking to your doctor? Could you afford a medical emergency? If you hesitated when answering any of these questions, you’re far from alone. According to a Gallup survey, one-third of Americans don’t believe the health care system works for them. Face time with doctors hovers around 15 minutes, with only five dedicated to whatever ailment originally brought you into the room. Almost half of Americans couldn’t afford an unexpected $400 bill. For LGBT Americans, the picture is even worse. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly a quarter of bisexual men are uninsured. Half of transgender Americans have skipped necessary medical care because they couldn’t afford it. As for those with access to care, a stunning 50% of LGBT Americans aren’t out to their doctors. Health care in the gay community is a pressing issue, whether it’s affordability or comfort with a provider. For the second year in a row, Frontiers has created a comprehensive guide to health care in Southern California. We’ve expanded the range of providers covered and compiled more information on each. Specifically, we’ve added two new categories—mental health and senior services—and provided a brief summary (albeit not comprehensive) of the insurance each individual or practice accepts. The goal of this information is to let you discover a provider you truly like, whom you can afford, and one that offers the services you need. A good doctor-patient relationship is one of the bedrocks of great health care, but finding that great general practitioner or psychotherapist is a challenge most aren’t equipped to take on. “The most important part of finding a doctor is finding one you can have a consistent relationship with,” says Dr. Anthony Scarsella, the President and Medical Director of Pacific Oaks Medical Group, one of the most prominent gay-friendly providers in SoCal. “It doesn’t matter if it’s someone you see through an HMO, or if they take your PPO, Medicare or Medi-Cal; you want
a doctor who knows you.” As the massive health care industry still settles into the laws and requirements of the era-defining Affordable Care Act, it’s becoming harder to maintain a consistent provider. “Insurance can change yearly; that’s what’s happening now,” says Dr. Scarsella, “and it can be confusing and upsetting. As a doctor, it’s not easy to start a relationship and figure out a person’s medical needs in one visit. It’s too daunting.” For the LGBT population, this problem is conflated with finding a doctor whom we trust and with whom we feel comfortable discussing intimate details and issues. Most often a person’s sexuality won’t be relevant information, but when it becomes a part of the discussion, doctors unequipped to deal with an LGBT client can make mistakes that either bristles or silences a patient. Dr. Scarsella believes that because most doctors received training years—even decades—ago, their sensitivity training and knowledge can be limited. In fact, a Kaiser Family Foundation survey of providers reported that most respondents’ only training regarding gay and lesbian patients was limited to HIV/AIDS. “A doctor might be too timid to bring up important information, because they don’t want to offend someone, or they might start asking really uncomfortable questions,” says Dr. Scarsella. “They might ask if you have HIV, or a drug problem, and the patient might be sitting there thinking, ‘I wanted to just talk about this other issue!’ It feels like they’re searching you for every possible problem. You don’t feel like they’re seeing you as a whole person. It’s a form of subtle discrimination.” Dr. Scarsella believes gay patients might be more forthright with information if their doctor is also LGBT. However, he points out that finding a doctor who clicks with you should encompass a wide range of choices and could take effort. “I think that if you meet a doctor and they might not be the right person for you, it’s perfectly OK to give another one a shot, whether it’s in the same practice or elsewhere,” he says. “A doctor should be someone you feel comfortable with, DECEMBER 9, 2015
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continued
PPO Accepted HMO Accepted Covered Calif. Accepted MediCal Accepted Medicare All except MediCal Accepted All Accepted CareCredit (Dental Only)
Los Angeles, CA 90035 (310) 557-2273 SPECIALTY: Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Pediatrics
Mark M. Davidson, MD
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562 SPECIALTY: Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine
Joseph T. Defoto, MD
Southern California Men’s Medical Group 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010 SPECIALTY: Gastroenterology, Family Medicine
Cheng Robles Enrique, MD 9040 Telegraph Rd. Downey, CA 90240 (562) 927-0033 SPECIALTY: Family Medicine
John Foster, MD
Sunset Walk-in Health Care & Occupational Medicine Clinic 9201 Sunset Blvd., Level M-155 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 273-1155 SPECIALTY: General Practice
Christopher Gadomski, DO
GENERAL PRACTITIONERS Peter Anderson, NP
Southern California Men’s Medical Group 9201 W Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010 SPECIALTY: Internal Medicine
Dr. Robert Bolan
Medical Director, L.A. LGBT Center 1625 N. Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 993-7500
Dr. Ward Carpenter
Director of Primary Care, L.A. LGBT Center 1625 N. Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 993-7500 SPECIALTY: Transgender Care
Emery Chang, MD
UCLA CARE Clinic & Santa Monica Med-Peds 1399 Roxbury Dr., Ste. 100
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456 E. Orange Grove Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91104 (626) 683-8818 SPECIALTY: Pediatrics
Dr. James E Gaede
Eisenhower Primary Care 4791 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Ste. 100 Palm Springs, CA 92264 (760) 834-7930 SPECIALTY: Family Medicine
Abbey Gaske, MD
Urology Group of Southern California 1127 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 1001 Los Angeles, CA 90017 (213) 977-1176 SPECIALTY: Urology
Brian Gaudio, DO
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562 SPECIALTY: Family Medicine
Dennis Holmes, MD
Chief Breast Surgeon, Medical Director Los Angeles Center for Women’s Health 1513 S. Grand Ave., Ste. 400 Los Angeles, CA 90015
Frontiers Media’s Gay-Friendly Health Care Guide was created from reader-generated nominations and research that included information from the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, the Southern California Lambda Medical Association and the American Academy of HIV Specialists. In this second edition of the guide, we do not cover alternative medicine, though we welcome suggestions and updates for our ongoing directory online and in future print editions. Please email us at editorial@frontiersmedia.com.
Michael Hughes
45280 Seeley Dr. La Quinta, CA 92253 (760) 834-7920 SPECIALTY: Family Practice
Robert J. Joseph, DPM
Beaver Medical Group 2 West Fern Ave. Redlands, CA 92373 (909) 793-3311 ext. 2404 SPECIALTY: Family Medicine
(213) 742-6400 SPECIALTY: Surgery UCR Health Family Medicine El Mirador Medical Plaza, Ste. E425 Palm Springs, CA 92262 (760) 537-1632 SPECIALTY: Family Practice Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562 SPECIALTY: Podiatry
John Kowalczyk, DO, FACOS
Urology Group of Southern California 1127 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1001 Los Angeles, CA 90017 (213) 977-1176 SPECIALTY: Transgender Care, Urology
Miriam Mackovic-Basic
Complete Women Care 3650 E. South St., Ste. 403 Lakewood, CA 90712 (562) 634-8812 SPECIALTY: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Lisa Matzer, MD
2121 W. Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, CA 91506 (818) 840-9200 SPECIALTY: Cardiology
Kia Michel, MD
8631 W. 3rd St., Ste. 715 E Los Angeles, CA 90048 (310) 278-8330 SPECIALTY: Urology
Anthony Mills, MD
Southern California Men’s Medical Group 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010 SPECIALTY: Internal Medicine
Zuri Murrell, MD
8737 Beverly Blvd., Ste. 10 West Hollywood, CA 90048 (310) 6289-9224 SPECIALTY: Colon and Rectal Surgery
Dr. Phillip A. Musikanth, MD
5901 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. 401 Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 954-1072 SPECIALTY: Internal Medicine, HIV
Scott Nass, MD, MPA
Eisenhower Medical Associates George and Julia Argyos Health Center
Timothy Neufeld, MD
Gifty-Maria Ntim, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Gleicher/Chen Health Center 3743 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016 (323) 329-9900
Ryan C Peterson, MD
California Back & Pain Specialists 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 Los Angeles, CA 90069 (310) 670-0281 SPECIALTY: Pain Management
Brad Piche, PA-C
Southern California Men’s Medical Group 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010 SPECIALTY: Internal Medicine
Patrick Portiz, MD
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562 SPECIALTY: Family Medicine
Yoshi Rahm, DO
Oasis Family Medicine Inc. 3527 Ocean View Blvd. Glendale, CA 91208 (818) 646-6909 SPECIALTY: Family Practice, Herbal Medicine, Women’s Health
Dr. Nery Rivas, DC
Invivo Natural Health Center 17203 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 1, 2nd Fl. Encino, CA 91316 (818) 986-5565 SPECIALTY: Chiropractic Care, Natural Medicine
Jorge Rodriguez, MD
Southern California Men’s Medical Group 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010 SPECIALTY: Gastroenterology
Mossi Salibian, MD, FACS
9201 W. Sunset Blvd. #917 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-0750 SPECIALTY: LGBT Care, Plastic Surgery
ILLUSTRATIONS: VECTORSTOCK.COM
but a person you’ll listen to when they have to tell you information you don’t want to hear. What works for you is very personal.” As for L.A.’s gay population and its health, a trend Dr. Scarsella sees is young men moving to the city alone, attempting to navigate both a new life and their wellbeing. “A lot of the time they don’t have insurance, and their health suffers. They won’t get care because they can’t afford it,” he says. “They’re worried about what happens if they get sick, because they don’t know many people,” he says. Free or low-income clinics can be useful for those without coverage. Ranging from STD testing to low-cost immediate care, these clinics—which are both private and government-run, can have a massive impact on the overall health of the city’s gay population. Even with rigorous testing, proper treatment and the advent of PrEP, gay or bisexual men make up one-half of those living with HIV and an unbelievable two-thirds of new infections. Commitment to care—whatever the form—makes a critical difference in everyone’s quality of life and overall health. “Accessibility, comfort and consistency are what we need out of health care,” says Dr. Scarsella. “We should make sure everyone has those opportunities.” —Patrick Rosenquist
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GAY-FRIENDLY Health Care Guide 2016 General Practitioners cont’d Anthony J. Scarsella, MD
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562 SPECIALTY: Family Medicine
Michael Seibert, MD
Southern California Men’s Medical Group 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010 SPECIALTY: Internal Medicine
Michael Soles, MD
Smart Health LA @ Valley Community Healthcare 6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Ste. 2B North Hollywood, CA 91605 (818) 301-6334 SPECIALTY: Infectious Diseases
Myles Spar, MD
Southern California Men’s Medical Group 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010 SPECIALTY: HIV, Integrative Internal Medicine
Dr. David E. Tannenbaum
HIV SERVICES Mary Adair, PA-C, AAHIVS AIDS Healthcare Foundation 6255 W. Sunset Blvd., 21st Fl. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 860-5200
Peter Anderson, NP, AAHIVS 9201 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 872 Los Angeles, CA 90069 (323) 660-6458
Dr. Clayton Barbour, MD, AAHIVS
9150 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 250 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (310) 271-9968 SPECIALTY: Chiropractic Care
12520 Palm Dr. Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240 (760) 676-5800
Robert Tuchler, MD
Marvin Belzer, MD, FACP, FSAM, AAHIVS
Southern California Permanente Medical Group 6670 Alton Parkway MOB 1, Office #4110 Irvine, CA 92618 (949) 932-5048 SPECIALTY: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles 4650 Sunset Blvd., MS#2 Los Angeles, CA 90027 (323) 953-8116
Koppány Visnyei, MD
Kaiser Permanente 6041 Cadillac Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90034 (323) 867-3118
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562 SPECIALTY: Internal Medicine
Steven J. Waltrip, MD
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562 SPECIALTY: Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Medicine
Casey Weitzman, MA
Gender Wellness of Los Angeles 2035 Westwood Blvd., Ste. 204 Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310) 441-0411 SPECIALTY: Transgender Services Referrals
George Yen, MD
Maryse Boulange, PharmD, AAHIVP
Pamela Burian, PA-C, BS, AAHIVS JWCH Comprehensive Care Center 522 S. San Pedro St. Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 486-4045
Derrick Butler, MD, MPH, AAHIVS T.H.E. Clinic, Inc. 3834 S. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 730-1920
Felix Carpio, MD, MPH
AltaMed Health Services Corporation 5427 E. Whittier Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90022 (323) 869-5428
UCLA Health Santa Monica Internal Medicine 1245 16th St., Ste. 309 Santa Monica, CA 90404 (310) 319-4377 SPECIALTY: Adolescent Medicine, Sexual Health
Joseph Dahman, FNP-C, AAHIVS
Les Zendle
L.A. County & University of Southern California 1300 N. Mission Rd., Ste. 355 Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 343-8271
Kaiser Permanente 75-036 Gerald Ford Dr. Palm Desert, CA 92211 (760) 778-6782 SPECIALTY: Geriatrics, Internal Medicine
12520 Palm Dr. Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240 (760) 676-5800
Jocelyn Dee, MD, AAHIVS
Joseph T. Defoto, MD
Southern California Men’s Medical Group 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010
Brian Downs, DO, MBA, AAHIVS
St. John’s Well Child and Family Center 808 W. 58th St. Los Angeles, CA 90037 (323) 541-1600
Brian Gaudio, DO
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562
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DECEMBER 9, 2015
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GAY-FRIENDLY Health Care Guide 2016 HIV Services cont’d Michael Gottlieb, MD, AAHIVS
Synergy Hematology & Oncology Associates 5901 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. 401 Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 954-1072
Jason Hall, MD, AAHIVS
L.A. LGBT Center 1625 N. Schrader Blvd., 3rd Fl. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 993-7500
David Hardy, MD, AAHIVS
David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA 10833 Le Conte Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90048 (310) 709-3505
Cynthia Harrison, FNP- BC, AAHIVS L.A. LGBT Center 1625 N. Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 993-7500
John Hodges, MD, AAHIVS Jeffrey Goodman Clinic 1625 N. Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 993-7548
9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010
Michael Soles, MD
Smart Health LA @Valley Community Healthcare 6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Ste. 2B North Hollywood, CA 91605 (818) 301-6334
Christian Takayama, MD
APLA Health & Wellness Gleicher/Chen Health Center 3743 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016 (323) 329-9900
Dr. Elvina Torres-Campos, MD
Smart Health LA @Valley Community Healthcare 6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Ste. 2B North Hollywood, CA 91605 (818) 301-6334
Koppány Visnyei, MD
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562
Kathleen Jacobson, MD USC – PAETC 1975 Zonal Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 343-8255
Ronald Jefferson, MD, AAHIVS Physician Specialist , Oasis Clinic 12021 S. Wilmington Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90059 (310) 668-4213
Wilbert Jordan, MD, MPH, AAHIVS Director, Oasis Clinic 1807 E. 120th St. Los Angeles, CA 90059 (310) 668-3199
Michael Karp, MD, AAHIVS USC Keck School of Medicine 1520 San Pablo St., Ste. 1000 Los Angeles, CA 90033 (323) 442-6157
Scott Kim, MD, AAHIVS
AltaMed Health Services Corporation 5427 E. Whittier Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90022 (323) 869-5428
Raphael Jeremiah Landovitz, MD UCLA Center for Clinical AIDS Research & Education 1399 S. Roxbury Dr., Ste. 100 Los Angeles, CA 90035 (310) 557-2273
Anthony Mills, MD
DENTISTS Jonathan Kahn, DDS
Gleicher/Chen Health Center 3743 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016 (323) 329-9900
Janet D. Kanzanjian, DDS 1635 Silver Lake Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 (323) 665-1211
P. Eli Mastour, DDS
5620 Sawtelle Blvd. Culver City, CA 90230 (310) 390-6212
James McFadden, DDS
8500 Melrose Ave., Ste. 203 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 659-1000
Southern California Men’s Medical Group 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 550-1010
Dennis J. Norheim, D.D.S
Patrick Portiz, MD
Dan Pinar, DDS
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562
Michael Sampson, MD
L.A. Special Care Med Associates 1300 N. Vermont Ave., Ste. 805 Los Angeles, CA 90027 (323) 953-2956
Anthony J. Scarsella, MD
Pacific Oaks Medical Group 150 N. Robertson Blvd., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (310) 652-2562
Myles Spar, MD, AAHIVS
Southern California Men’s Medical Group
1000 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Ste. 202 Palm Springs, CA 92264 (760) 325-2579 8500 Melrose Ave., Ste. 203 West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 659-1000
Arash Sabbargh-Fard, DDS 5620 Sawtelle Blvd. Culver City, CA 90230 (310) 390-6212
David Shouhed, DDS
6200 Willshire Blvd., Ste. 1709 Los Angeles, CA 90048 (323) 634-6334
Fabian Taghdiri, DDS
Camden Dental Group 414 N. Camden Dr., Ste. 626 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 929-7886
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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES Augustus F Hawkins Family MH Center 1720 E. 120th St. Los Angeles, CA 90059 (310) 668-4272
Ricki S. Bander
Nbalanz Consulting & Coaching 77-564 Country Club Dr. Bdlg. B, Ste. 408 Palm Desert, CA 92211 (310) 751-7063 SPECIALTY: Relationship Issues, Anxiety
C. Nathan Bergeron, LMFT, L.Ac.
Erik Edler, Licensed Psychotherapist
Body Minds Medicine 1913 N. Las Palmas Ave. Hollywood, CA 90068 (323) 850-6508 SPECIALTY: Acupuncture, Depression
Seal Beach Therapy 610 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. 205 Seal Beach, CA 90740 (949) 735-1725 SPECIALTY: Depression, HIV/AIDS
Blue Tiger Recovery
Christopher Emerson, Ph.D.
340 S Farrell Dr., Ste. A208 Palm Springs, CA 92262 (888) 405-3395 SPECIALTY: Meth Addiction, Sex Addiction
1900 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Ste. C-3 Palm Springs, CA 92262 (310) 550-4560 SPECIALTY: Couples Therapy
Dr. Vallerie E. Coleman
Gleicher/Chen Health Center
Stand InBalance 5655 Lindero Canyon Rd., Ste. 726 Westlake Village, CA 91362 (310) 450-8136 SPECIALTY: Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy
3743 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016 (323) 329-9900
Coreena Hendrickson, LCSW
611 S. Kingsley Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90005 (213) 201-1621
Director of Behavioral Health Services Valley Community Healthcare 6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Ste. 2B North Hollywood, CA 91605 (818) 301-6393
Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services
Ken Howard, LCSW
The David Geffen Center
672 S. La Fayette Park Place Los Angeles, CA 90057 (213) 381-3626
566 S. San Vicente Blvd., Ste. 103 Los Angeles, CA 90048 (310) 726-4357 SPECIALTY: Couples Therapy, HIV/AIDS
Huntington Hospital Della Martin Center 100 W. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 397-5000
Joey Sarcoz, MA, LMFT
West Hollywood Counseling 8235 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 400 West Hollywood, CA 90046 (424) 335-0144 SPECIALTY: Couples Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Carl H. Shubs, Ph.D.
321 S. Beverly Dr., Ste. L Los Angeles, CA 90212 (310) 772-0520 SPECIALTY: Addiction, Depression
Maria Solano, LCSW
Behavioral Health Clinician Valley Community Healthcare 6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Ste. 2B North Hollywood, CA 91605 (818) 763-8836 ext. 261
FREE AND LOW-COST SERVICES
L.A. County Dept of Health Services
The David Geffen Center 611 S. Kingsley Dr., Ste. 202 Los Angeles, CA 90005 (213) 201-1504 (Tuesdays and Fridays Only)
Antelope Valley 335-B East Ave. K-6 Lancaster, CA 93535 (661) 723-4511
South L.A. 1522 E. 102nd St. Los Angeles, CA 90002 (323) 563-4112
Central L.A. 241 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 240-8225
South L.A. Dr. Ruth Temple Health Center 3834 S. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90062 (323) 730-3507
Glendale 501 N. Glendale Ave. Glendale, CA 91206 (818) 500-5762
Torrance 2300 W. Carson St. Torrance, CA 90501 (310) 222-6571
Hollywood-Wilshire 5205 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90038 (323) 769-7932
Whittier 7643 S. Painter Ave. Whittier, CA 90602 (562) 464-5350
Riverside County HIV/STD Testing Program
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Inglewood Curtis Tucker Health Center 123 W. Manchester Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90301 (310) 419-5362
Los Angeles LGBT Center 8745 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069 (323) 957-5280
Pomona 750 S. Park Ave. Pomona, CA 91766 (909) 868-0235
McDonald/Wright Building 1625 Schrader Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 993-7400
Santa Monica Yvonne Burke Center 2509 Pico Blvd., 2nd Fl. Santa Monica, CA 90405 (310) 998-3203
APLA Health & Wellness Gleicher/Chen Health Center 3743 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016 (323) 329-9900 APLA Health & Wellness Tarzana Treatment Center 907 W. Lancaster Blvd. Lancaster, CA 93534 (661) 729-9070 APLA Long Beach Health Center 1043 Elm Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 (open January 2016)
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Riverside Neighborhood Health Center 7140 Indiana Ave. Riverside, CA 92501 (Tuesdays Only) Perris Family Care Center Dr. Robert Bruce Reid Health Clinic 308 E. San Jacinto Ave. Perris, CA 92570 (Wednesdays Only)
PHOTO CREDIT TK
AIDS Project Los Angeles
health services for those unable to pay. Valley Community Healthcare also works on a sliding scale for similar services, though a nominal fee is applied. For both organizations, a simple screening regarding income, employment and family pressures is used to calculate the patient’s financial burden, if there is one at all.
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here are numerous locations in Southern California where you can get confidential HIV and STI testing for free, provided by both the county and various nonprofits. Beyond STI testing, several groups offer low-cost medical care for those without insurance. For example, AIDS Project Los Angeles offers comprehensive medical, dental and behavioral
DECEMBER 9, 2015
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GAY-FRIENDLY Health Care Guide 2016 Mental Health Services cont’d Katherine W. Smith, MA, MFT Intern 11847 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 300 Los Angeles, CA 90025 (323) 943-1978 SPECIALTY: Couples Therapy
Yan Somoza, PhD
9171 Wilshire Blvd., Penthouse Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (323) 238-8007 SPECIALTY: Clinical Psychology for LGBTs
Steven A. Uribe, M.A., L.M.F.T.
8170 Beverly Blvd., Ste. 200 West Hollywood, CA 90048 (323) 852-1262 SPECIALTY: Couples Therapy, HIV/AIDS
Robert Weiss
Promises 20723 Rockcroft Dr. Malibu, CA 90265 (562) 303-9735 SPECIALTY: Addiction
Casey Weitzman, MA
Gender Wellness of Los Angeles 2035 Westwood Blvd., Ste. 204 Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310) 441-0411 SPECIALTY: Transgender Services Referrals
SENIOR SERVICES Seal Beach Therapy 610 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. 205 Seal Beach, CA 90740 (949) 735-1725 SPECIALTY: Depression, HIV/AIDS
SAGE of the Desert
The LGBT Community Center of the Desert 700 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Ste. F Palm Springs, CA 92262 (760) 416-7790
Shirley Gould Senior Center
Gay & Lesbian Center Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N. McCadden Place Hollywood, CA 90038 (323) 860-5830
Carl H. Shubs, Ph.D.
321 S. Beverly Drive, Ste. L, Los Angeles, CA 90212 (310) 772-0520 SPECIALTY: Addiction, Depression
Stonewall Gardens
Assisted Living 2150 N. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs, CA 92262 (760) 548-0970
Triangle Square
1602 N. Ivar Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 466-4372
Les Zendle
Kaiser Permanente 75-036 Gerald Ford Dr. Palm Desert, CA 92211 (760) 778-6782
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NEED HELP NAVIGATING COVERED CALIFORNIA?
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ith the Affordable Care Act, gay and trans Americans are explicitly protected from discrimination when it comes to health care options. Insurance providers are barred from differentiating between gay, straight and bisexual individuals. In one of many cases of discrimination that existed before the recent law, a Florida insurance provider insisted on a 40% co-pay and $1,000 deductible for HIV medication. It was something that put treatment out of reach for middle-class consumers, let alone those most vulnerable. Today, insurance providers cannot discriminate against those who have HIV—a pre-existing condition under the old formulation that barred many people from obtaining or changing their health care plans. Lisa-Marie Vasquez, the Benefits Specialist at the L.A. LGBT Center, reinforces this point. “LGBT Americans are finally treated equally with regards to their health care. We are no longer being discriminated against for pre-existing conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, or refused medical services due to our sexual orientation. Our
community and those living with HIV/AIDS can now receive the proper care they require.” Equal treatment is now enshrined in the law, though navigating the Covered California system or making sense of different coverage tiers—which still exist, despite the far-reaching consequences of the legislation—can be difficult. You can now apply for Covered California year-round; however, in order for your coverage to start on the first of the month, Covered California must receive your application no later than five business days before the first. Along with the L.A. LGBT Center, AIDS Project Los Angeles and Gender Health Center provide workshops about Obamacare enrollment and coverage, as do The Center Orange County and the San Diego LGBT Center. These workshops are there to help potential LGBT enrollees find suitable and comprehensive coverage. The Transgender Law Center holds workshops statewide, and will help guide the trans community through the unique aspects of health coverage. —P.R.
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Erik Edler, Licensed Psychotherapist
DECEMBER 9, 2015
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THE WORLD OF BILLY MASTERS From left: Nick Jonas, Chris Zylka, Sir John Gielgud, Thomas Dekker, Christopher Sieber
THE LATEST SCANDAL IN GAY PORN, ACTORS WHO BARE IT ALL, PLUS WHY IS NICK JONAS STILL GAY-BAITING FANS?
Jonas Druthers For the last few years, Nick Jonas has been courting gay fans with performances in gay bars, provocative pictorials and supportive sound clips—to say nothing of actually playing gay in the series Kingdom and Scream Queens. He even jumped in at the last minute to headline Pittsburgh Pride. I’m not criticizing any of this. In fact, I applaud his efforts. But I think there’s a “gay baiting” aspect to this—a kinda deliberate teasing. There’s the insinuation that he not only enjoys the attention of his gay fans but perhaps harbors some secret desires of his own. Those hints got a bit more explicit last week. At the Radio One Teen Awards, Jonas was asked about gay sex. “Well, I’m gay in Kingdom. If you keep watching the series, you’ll see more of that.” He was then asked 74
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point-blank if he’s ever hooked up with guys. “I can’t say if I have or haven’t, but if you watch the show you’ll see more of that.” Oy! Dropping Trou These days, the line between mainstream and porn is blurred regularly. But even I was shocked to read about a scandal regarding a gay adult flick and Sir John Gielgud! Way back in 1976, the venerable actor (among his more than 60 films was 1981’s Arthur) wrote a script for Peter de Rome, a notable figure in the history of gay porn. How Gielgud knew de Rome is unknown. But, hey, if I can have Sophia Loren on speed dial, anything’s possible. The heretofore unknown script, Trouser Bar, was unearthed by David McGillivray, who came across it while researching a documentary about de Rome. He says, “John Gielgud was obsessed with trousers, loved corduroy and leather. And so he wrote a film set in a menswear shop.” McGillivray has filmed the script but, since he’s not a director, he hired one—the notable gay porn auter Kristen Bjorn. The flick begins with actors Nigel Havers, Julian Clary and Barry Cryer on a sidewalk watching a gay orgy inside a men’s shop. McGillivray calls the 22-minute silent film an “erotic fantasy.” Predictably, the Sir John Gielgud Charitable Trust is not thrilled about this and has denied permission for the film to be exhibited. Here’s the problem—there’s not a single mention of this script in Gielgud’s letters or diaries. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have ever written another screenplay. But by this organization seeking to ban the film, they’re seemingly confirming that Gielgud actually wrote it. For the time being, McGillivray’s flick remains under wraps, which is fine by him. He’s planning a new documentary, which he’ll
trot out to film festivals next year. Inside Leg: The Making of Trouser Bar will fully detail the history of the project. Without even trying, the charitable trust has given McGillivray and his dirty movie thousands of dollars of free advertising. Banned or not, I have some stills from the short on my site. Ask Billy: Baring All for HBO Our “Ask Billy” question sounded familiar. Cary from Dallas asked, “You never write about Chris Zylka. He’s so hot on The Leftovers, and he even showed his penis. What more do you need?” If this sounds familiar, it’s because Cary from Dallas previously wrote to me about Zylka almost five years ago to the day! Back then, Zylka was in The Secret Circle, a show I’d never heard of and one which quickly disappeared from TheCW. But I most certainly remembered the Hannah Montana alum from Gregg Araki’s Kaboom, where he bared all as the hunky roomie of the delicious Thomas Dekker (who, as it turns out, was also on The Secret Circle). In the HBO series The Leftovers, Zylka not only continues to flaunt his fantastic physique, but also those extra inches. How many inches? A soft four, which could turn into an impressive amount once aroused. In addition to his penis, the 30-year-old is maturing rather nicely, as you’ll see on my site. When I’m picturing being in my own secret circle with Zylka and Dekker, it’s definitely time to end yet another column. I barely have time to remind you to check out BillyMasters.com, the site that will never leave you high or dry. If you’ve got a question for me (even a repeat question), send it along to Billy@BillyMasters.com, and I promise to get back to you before Nick Jonas shows us what’s inside his trousers. So, until next time, remember, one man’s filth is another man’s bible.
PHOTO CREDIT TK
Justice, Finally! When I was an acting student at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC, I felt as if I were a target of discrimination. Virtually every one of my classmates except for me had been hired by the TV show Unsolved Mysteries to re-enact various bloody crimes. I started to get a complex—perhaps nobody wanted to see me as a murder victim. Well, I am in good company. Christopher Sieber has often joked that he is the only working actor in NYC who has never appeared on an episode of Law & Order. In fact, his Broadway bio ends with these words: “Mr. Sieber has not appeared on Law & Order.” Well, he’s gonna have to take that “not” out. Sieber recently appeared on an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Congrats! Meanwhile, I’m still looking for someone who wants to see me as a stiff. I already know dozens of people who enjoy seeing me stiff, but that’s another story.
QUEERSAY
BY GOSSIP GAY
DEAL-BREAKERS, DEFINED
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regular reader wrote to me seeking the advice of yours truly. “I recently started dating this guy,” he says. “I told him I didn’t drink, but he proceeded to have three glasses of wine at dinner and got a little slurry. Is that a deal-breaker? What is a deal-breaker anyhow these days?” It was signed by Carl H. in Culver City. Well, Carl, when it comes to judging and ultimately rejecting men, you’ve come to the right place, b e c a u s e we ig hing the “should I stay or should I go? ” conundrum is my s p e cialt y. For example, recently I found myself cruising d ow n t h e P C H with a name-withheld Bravo reality star. With the conver tible top down, I ’m relishing in the crisp afternoon autumn breeze as it whips through my hair. As if predestined by the Broadway Gods, Barbra Streisand’s “As If We Never Said Goodbye” comes onto the XM airwaves. I turn it up and lipsync for my Sunset Boulevard-inspired life. Despite my fabulous rendition, this (totally basic) basic cable bitch turns to me and says, “Who is this singer?” That, my dear reader, is a deal-breaker! To help you navigate the waters of LGBTQIA dating, I have devised dealbreaking warning signs into three categories: First, there’s the Slight and Subtle Deal-Breaker. Example: He gets his mullet coiffed at SuperCuts. More Clearly Defined: Your Nana would call him a “schlep,” and your fag-hag would call him a “slob.” Severity: Low-grade. Resolution: Educate your Neanderthal in SoCal’s finer things. From grooming to dining to dressing, expose your beau to betterment. You’d be surprised at what sticks! Result: Time will heal his classless wounds; no break-up needed. Then there’s the Petite Yet Permanent Deal-Breaker. Example: He’s got heinous halitosis. More Clearly Defined: One man’s trick is another man’s treasure. Learn to love it or leave it, because these issues aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Severity: Mild to moderate. Resolution: Make a list: “What do I want?” vs. “What does he have?” If one column outweighs the other, you’ve got your solution. Result: Dumpsville is probable but not guaranteed, and it will be on your terms. Finally, there’s the Silent But Deadly Deal-Breaker. Example: He can’t commit without Mommy’s consent. More Clearly Defined: Whether it’s a personality disorder or character quirk, what lies beneath his surface is far freakier than any exterior imperfection. Severity: Danger, Homo-Robinson! Danger! Resolution: The grass is definitely greener on the other side, so cut on out of there! Result: Head for the Hollywood Hills in search of your next favorite mistake! Carl, as for your beau-to-be’s penchant for wine, I’m solidly putting this deal-breaker somewhere between categories one and two. My suggestion? Talk to him about why you don’t like the hooch and set some ground rules on when you feel comfortable with him indulging in a little vino. If you can’t agree (or he can’t hold his liquor), it’s Splitsville. Of course, maybe a little honesty will bring the two of you closer together. Either way, remember that there are plenty of fish in the sea, and twice as many singles in SoCal. Don’t let the threat of a dating deal-breaker break you. For more Gossip Gay, go to FrontiersMedia.com. Drop me your dirty little secrets at QueerSay@hotmail.com, and don’t worry, I never give up my deep throat! DECEMBER 9, 2015
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PALM SPRINGS
LOVE ALL
LGBT tennis players from around the world are welcomed to the desert for the 22nd annual Palm Springs Open By Lydia Mack
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22ND ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS OPEN Coachella Valley Country Clubs Nov. 27-29 deserttennis.us
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here’s more to look forward to this Thanksgiving than too much turkey and massive crowds waiting to storm the doors of their local Best Buy. The weekend also marks the Palm Springs Open, an international gay tennis tournament put on by the Desert Tennis Association. All proceeds benefit the AIDS Assistance Program, a nonprofit that has been giving food vouchers to men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in the Greater Coachella Valley since 1991. Throughout the weekend, you’re able to cheer on LGBT players from around the world while supporting the great work AIDS Assistance Program does for the community. Now in its 22nd year, the Palm Springs Open is as popular as ever. “It’s the largest gay tennis tournament in the world,” says tournament director Nabil Najjar. “A few years ago we attracted over 380 players from all over the world, and this year we are closing in on about 270 players who represent over 12 countries.” And who can blame them? The great weather and constantly sunny skies make Palm Springs ideal for outdoor tennis year-round. The three-day tournament is free and open to the public, though you’ll need to grab tickets to Saturday’s banquet, taking place at 7 p.m. at the Mission Hills Country Club. The $45 tickets include a no-host cocktail reception, dinner and entertainment, but trust us, this isn’t your everyday banquet. Sure, there’s a silent auction and raffle prizes, but there’s also a talent show and a chance to mingle and congratulate the players in person. Feeling generous? There will be plenty of chances to donate to the AIDS Assistance Program directly. “Everything that gets raised at the banquet goes directly to the AIDS Assistance Program. We are very fortunate to have a very successful event every year,” says Najjar. Compared to other charity events, the fundraising process is kept pretty transparent. “I’m very lucky and fortunate to have about 14 volunteers that help me run the event,” he says. “And it’s very simple. We basically pay our bills after the event is over and then whatever money we have leftover, goes to the AIDS Assistance Program.” As a former tennis pro himself, Najjar is one of many volunteers
dedicated to the work. “To volunteer my time for a worthy cause is very important to me,” he says, “so I’ve been doing this since 2001.” It may have been 14 years since he took over organizing the event, but his passion and mission have remained the same. “Our main goal was to keep it a charity event and to raise money for multiple AIDS foundations in the desert area.” Since partnering with the AIDS Assistance Program in 2004, the Palm Springs Open has donated more than $100,000 to HIV/AIDS services. Last year, the Desert Tennis Association was able to donate $10,000. “We are hoping this year to exceed that number,” Najjar says. In addition to a great team of volunteers, Najjar attributes the success of the Palm Springs Open to a supportive local community. “The local LGBTQ community in the desert, they support pretty much everything that goes on in the Valley. For example, during Thanksgiving, there’s a big softball tournament as well—a gay softball tournament—that the the local softball group puts on. So not only is there gay sports going on in the desert area, there’s also many other functions around the same time,” he says. The Palm Springs Open also receives equal support from the AIDS Assistance Program itself, including its own volunteers and Executive Director Mark Anton, who helps rally up local businesses to donate raffle and silent auction prizes for the banquet each year. There are plenty cities where gay tennis players do not have the same amount of support as they find in Palm Springs, and Najjar believes those cities have the most room for growth. “We are very fortunate in the Palm Springs area,” he says. “I’m in the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance. I’ve been on that board for 14 years. We do have tournaments all over the country and the world, and almost every major city is represented by a gay tennis nation. There’s a lot of room for growth in cities that are just starting out with gay tennis.” For a list of upcoming GLTA tournaments around the globe, their schedule is available at glta.net, and for anyone interested in registering for tournaments in the Palm Springs area, there will be one in March and another in May. You can find all the details online at deserttennis.us.
Fri. | Nov 27 CAROLE COOK Purple Room
Sat. | Dec. 5 SUZANNE WESTENHOEFER Copa Nightclub
Even at 91 years old, singer-actresscomedian Carole Cook is still going strong. A longtime friend of Lucille Ball, Cook performs Nov. 27-28 at 8 p.m., Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. purpleroompalmsprings.com
The award-winning lesbian comedienne, the first openly gay comic to have an HBO comedy special, never fails to entertain. Showtime is 8 p.m. copapalmsprings.com
Fri. | Nov. 27 A QUEER CAROL Desert Rose Playhouse
This contemporary gay retelling of the Charles Dickens classic will leave you laughing—and shedding a few tears, too. Through Dec. 20. desertroseplayhouse.org
Tue. | Dec. 8 BARRY MANILOW McCallum Theatre
“Copacabana” singer Barry Manilow, who married his longtime manager Garry Kief last year, sings his hits and more in five shows through Dec. 13, with proceeds benefitting Coachella Valley charities. mccallumtheatre.com
Fri. | Dec. 4 VICKI LAWRENCE AND MAMA Aqua Caliente Casino Resort
Beloved Carol Burnett Show singeractress Vicki Lawrence and her bestknown comic character share a stage, starting at 9 p.m. hotwatercasino.com SAT. | DEC. 5 FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS Palm Canyon Drive
What’s gayer than a parade? A Christmas parade going through Downtown Palm Springs with all the floats decked out in colorful lights. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m.
WORLD AIDS DAY IN THE DESERT THROUGHOUT WORLD AIDS DAY on Tuesday, Dec. 1, Desert AIDS Project hosts a number of activities for desert residents. A special rededication ceremony of the red AIDS ribbon in DAP’s main lobby starts at 11:30 a.m., followed by a luncheon for clients and staff. Come 5:30 p.m. at the Camelot Theatre, the AIDS service organization hosts is second annual Everyday Heroes awards ceremony, honoring hostess Bella da Ball, journalist Nicholas Snow and several volunteers. Additionally, DAP has free screenings of the acclaimed documentary Desert Migration, about gay men with HIV/AIDS living in the Coachella Valley, at 9:30 a.m. and at 3 p.m. at its offices. Author David “Cat” Cohen will discuss his new novel, Longer Road Home, at 2 p.m. Health-related classes offered throughout the day include chair yoga, relaxation and breathing techniques, acupuncture and Reiki massage. Additionally, DAP has workshops on job interviewing and résumé writing. Desert AIDS Project is located at 1695 N. Sunrise Way. desertaidsproject.org. —James F. Mills DECEMBER 9, 2015
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Calligaris at Pomp Home This is the first Calligaris monobrand showroom on the West Coast of the United States featuring the complete collection of Italian furniture, lighting, rugs and accessories. Calligaris boasts one of the largest quick ship programs in North America, offering a huge inventory ready for shipping nationwide as well as special order items shipping out of Italy.
Yan Somoza, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist PSY25253 9171 Wilshire Boulevard. Beverly Hills (323) 347-1277 yansomozaphd@gmail.com TRAVEL
In addition to the Calligaris monobrand showroom, Pomp Home features their second showroom, THE ANNEX, with more Calligaris items, as well as Eilersen, Jesse and rugs and lighting from a variety of vendors. THE ANNEX is also a great place to find clearance items and floor samples. The showroom is open 11-6 Monday to Saturday and 12-5 on Sundays. 633 North La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 592-3058 pomphome.com
Showtime Clothing
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Eric B. Fromer Chiropractic, Inc Full Service Chiropractic: Family, Personal Injury, W/C, Diagnostic Testing. 5123 W. Sunset Blvd., #202 Los Angeles, CA. 90027 (323) 962-8520 chirohollywood.com
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Interior Design / Home Store • Unique new and handmade home furnishings • Original art work • Vintage ‘finds’ • Unique lighting • Repurposed artisan creations The studio is inviting, casual and great idea space. Stop by and check it out. Opening Special: 10% off all items with flyer 650 (#R2) S. Spring at 7th Los Angeles, CA, 9014 (213) 840-2895 jalfaro411@yahoo.com
BLADES - Men’s Hair Salon Santa Monica & Larrabee corner Free Parking on Palm 801 Larrabee., Suite 1, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 659-6693 SERVICES
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Tim Lyons Law Give yourself peace of mind this holiday season. Let Tim prepare your will, trust and/or healthcare directive. Make sure your wishes are followed and your assets go to those you want and not the state or a relative you have not spoken to in years. LGBT people must be prepared with the right legal documents. Flat fees available. Buying or selling your home? Renovating? Let Tim guide you through the process. Tim is an experienced attorney working day in and out to help people navigate the legal world so they can focus on their lives. Find out how his services can help you. (424) 265-8465 tim@timlyonslaw.com timlyonslaw.com
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#GAYDAR
WIG IN A BOX Film and TV are chock-full of bewigged protagonists—some LGBT favorites and some not—but how often do they get it right? SADLY SYNTHETIC
YOUR ROOTS ARE SHOWING
NOT TEASED BUT TERRORIZED
SO FLAMING IT’S FLAMMABLE
LOOKS LIKE A LACE-FRONT
ANGRY INCHER
Beware of Big Momma
Nope.
God bless Divine, our favorite jungle jezebel
It’s true—girls will be girls
Candy Darling walked on the wild side
Was White Chicks really necessary?
Are they all this gorgeous in Transylvania?
No one wigs out like Hedwig Supermodel (and spokesmodel) of the world Do To Wong Foos make a right?
Some like it tepid Nope.
Stewie spends as much time in a dress as he does Garanimal overalls
Nope.
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