Fab Las Vegas Magazine - Volume 22 - #2 by Gay Vegas

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VOL 22, #2

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Josie Totah

V-DAY GIFT GUIDE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Leading the trans charge on TV: former Disney star talks LGBTQ+ relatability on ‘Saved by the Bell’ and what’s next for trans representation

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Josie Totah Front Cover Photo Credit: Peacock

By: Chris Azzopardi Photo Credit: Peacock

Josie Totah Leads the Trans Charge on TV The former Disney star talks LGBTQ+ relatability on ‘Saved by the Bell’ and what’s next for trans representation If you were expecting more of the same from “Saved by the Bell” when Peacock revived the series in 2020, you wouldn’t just be mistaken — you’d be pleasantly surprised. A staple of TV for a generation of teens, the show, which originally ran from 1989 to 1993, has undergone a woke update that, this season, includes a powerful trans storyline. 4 Fab Vegas

Yep, in 2021, Bayside High now naturally reflects the world as we know it. And so there’s Lexi, the popular girl who just happens to be transgender. No big deal. At least that’s how the show treats it, and how former Disney star Josie Totah, the 20-year-old trans actor known for roles on “Glee,” the NBC comedy “Champions” and the Disney Channel series “Jessie,” prefers it.

Recently, Totah spoke about the important message for trans allies in the show’s latest season of “Saved by the Bell” and how she thinks trans representation on TV has finally started to depict transgender people in a relatable and authentic way.

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW This is not the “Saved by the Bell” I grew up with when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation. What does it mean to you to be a major part of that kind of representation on this more evolved and more queerinclusive revival that’s far less hetero-centric than the original? It’s awesome. Our show is so funny, and we get to tell so many cool stories that [weren’t] told in the original that are [relevant] to conversations that we’re having today, that represent people who’ve been around since the inception of time. And it’s awesome. It’s such a privilege. Have you gone back and watched any original

episodes of “Saved by the Bell”? I just wonder how you interpret the conversations that were being had then versus the conversations that are a part of this reimagining. Yeah, we went back and watched it as a cast. I mean, I had seen the show before just in its rerun phase in the early 2000s. I feel like that was a very big thing. I really based my character on the classic “Mean Girls” trope that we all know and love, and [I] flipped it on its head and gave her some surgery to make her very interesting and cool. Less stereotypically basic. Being a part of this show was so important to you that you put school off to be a part of it. Can you explain why?

Well, I put school off, and then school put me off because the pandemic happened. So I was ahead of the curve, but I’m still in college. Somehow, I’m still graduating in May. [Showrunner Tracey Wigfield] told me that she had an idea of a character that she wrote for me, and I fell in love. We met up at a coffee shop in downtown L.A., and she’s just so cool. I love that woman so, so much, and that’s sort of how it happened. It’s one of the best opportunities I ever said yes to. As a producer, can you talk about what kind of input you’re giving when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation on the show, specifically as it pertains to Lexi? I got to sit in the writers’ room Photo Credit: Peacock

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW this season, which was so fun. I joined once or twice a week and sat in and had a great time. Just to get to be in the room with so many fantastic writers from so many different walks of life and getting to bring my own authentic journey and story to the show was awesome. And I think it [made] the story truer to real life and more entertaining because it was more unique, and there’s relatability. So getting to that was awesome, but also getting to be a part of the other stories that we get to tell, like Aisha [played by Alycia Pascual-Peña]; her journey through her life,

Photo Credit: Peacock 8 Fab Vegas

particularly in episode seven, was super fun. I remember being in the writers’ room that week and getting to delve into that. Episode five blew my mind, especially as a fan of the original series. If I would’ve seen episode five when I was a kid, it would’ve changed my life. How did the idea to explore Lexi dealing with a really serious incident of transphobia evolve? Tracey has been very cool from the beginning and she’s just like, “We can talk about however much you wanna

talk about when it comes to Lexi’s gender identity.” It was clear to us that we wanted to tell a story that sort of delved into her identity in a way that was more nuanced, that we hadn’t been able to come to last season, and that also sort of progressed her arc as a character outside of her gender identity. I just had my second COVID vaccine at the time in March when we were pitching different things of how we would tell this story, and someone came up with an idea for Lexi to write a play that would solve transphobia, which I think is literally the funniest thing in the entire world. It just is a ridiculously

Photo Credit: HBO

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW beautiful episode in that way, and it’s so funny. It deals with a really important societal issue — who carries the burden of having to make change for the trans community when transphobia happens? How did that resonate with you on a personal level? That’s just a very real thing when it comes to the burdening of trauma, and it’s crazy how people put the oppressed in charge of educating and solving things that everyone really should be working on. It was sick to get to tell it; it was very cool. And I’m glad that we show people probably how not to be an asshole when it comes to things like that, and also how to be a better ally. By the end of the episode, Lexi realizes that she’s got real support in her peers. But you also have Slater, played by Mario Lopez, on your side. You’ve got Jessie on your side. The original cast is advocating for you; they’re allies of the community, clearly. What kind of conversations did you have with the original cast concerning that episode when it came to any kind of LGBTQ+ issues and transphobia? None of the original cast, but Belmont [Cameli, as Jamie Spano], Dexter [Darden as Devante Young] and Alycia are some of my best friends in the entire world, and I’m so honored, particularly with 10 Fab Vegas

Bel and Dex and Mitch Hoog [as Mac Morris], just to have three guys who are straight and cis and really understand me and see me for my full self and not just one part of me. But also recognizing that life is different for me. It’s so beautiful, and particularly with Bel and Dex just because they were in that episode the most. They’re just the most supportive guys ever. And I felt so loved and so privileged. It brought me to tears. We shared a lot of love, and I really felt like they were carrying me on their shoulders that week.

I will say. Very supportive of gender diversity and sexual orientation, and they were very cool. I was very, very privileged to not have a toxic experience.

It’s important for straight men to see that it’s cool when you stand up for people in the queer community.

There’s obviously been so much talk over the years concerning trans representation. How can we improve the representation of trans characters in TV and film? And how do you think Lexi advances trans representation in a positive way?

Yeah, it’s hot. What was your high school experience like? I mean, I went to a Catholic high school where I would call teachers by their first names and they’d be like, “Shut the hell up, sit down. My name is Sister Rebecca.” And I’d be like, “Becca.” I thought that I was really cool, but I wasn’t. [I was] kind of just this kid who people knew from the Disney Channel and they’re like, “That’s that weirdo.” Yeah, I was crazy, but I met two of my best friends there, and we’re still best friends to this day, and we survived. I think if you can survive Catholic high school with people, you’re with them forever. But also it was an awesome Catholic high school,

I grew up Catholic too, and you don’t hear that very often about the Catholic experience. You really don’t, but they always told me, “Boo boo, like, you might be weird, but God created you. So we blame him and not you. And you’re meant to be who you’re meant to be.”

First and foremost, it’s played by me, an actual trans person, which obviously is unfortunately revolutionary since so many of our stories have been appropriated and have been told by people who have no idea what the trans experience is like and have surrounded it with [the] negativity of violence. Also, I’m a producer, which is sick. Like, that’s amazing because I think it speaks to the authenticity in front of and behind the camera, which is very, very important. I’m not just being tokenized; I’m being listened to and I’m being valued, and it does

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW change the show. It makes it better in my opinion, at least I’d hope, because it makes it more authentic. And I think that’s sort of the goal, right? Not just placing people in these positions to sort of fill a diversity hire, but valuing their experience and capitalizing on their experience and their willingness to share for the benefit of the story, which is awesome. It makes our show so good. Like you mentioned, so many trans narratives are told through the lens of trans

Photo Credit: Peacock 12 Fab Vegas

struggle. That’s important, but it’s also important to tell other stories too, because we’re fully encompassing human beings. Do you see a change in how Hollywood is representing trans people that isn’t focused on trans struggle? I think we’re turning a corner, but I wanna see a trans romcom of a girl starring in her own movie and living her best life. I wanna see an undercover spy movie where a trans girl

has to travel to Bulgaria and take down a drug heist. There are so many different realms that I wanna see and I’m going to do. And I’m so excited that I get to be young and able and afforded that opportunity to throw my hat in the ring. I’m grateful that I’m living in this time, and I’m also excited to hopefully be able to tell other trans stories and other stories of people of color and people from different marginalized communities too, and highlighting their own journeys as well, which I think is very important.

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Handwashing

at Home, at Play, and Out and About Germs are everywhere! They can get onto your hands and items you touch throughout the day. Washing hands at key times with soap and water is one of the most important steps you can take to get rid of germs and avoid spreading germs to those around you.

How can washing your hands keep you healthy? Germs can get into the body through our eyes, nose, and mouth and make us sick. Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands and helps prevent sickness. Studies have shown that handwashing can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related sicknesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu.

Handwashing helps prevent infections for these reasons: People often touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without realizing it, introducing germs into their bodies. Germs from unwashed hands may get into foods and drinks when people prepare or consume them. Germs can grow in some types of foods or drinks and make people sick. Germs from unwashed hands can be transferred to other objects, such as door knobs, tables, or toys, and then transferred to another person’s hands.

What is the right way to wash your hands? 1. Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap. 2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. 3. Scrub all surfaces of your hands, including the palms, backs, fingers, between your fingers, and under your nails. Keep scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice. 4. Rinse your hands under clean, running water. 5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them. CS 280522A

When should you wash your hands? Handwashing at any time of the day can help get rid of germs, but there are key times when it’s most important to wash your hands. • Before, during, and after preparing food • Before eating food • Before and after caring for someone who is sick • Before and after treating a cut or wound • After using the bathroom, changing diapers, or cleaning up a child who has used the bathroom • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing • After touching an animal, animal food or treats, animal cages, or animal feces (poop) • After touching garbage • If your hands are visibly dirty or greasy

What type of soap should you use? You can use bar soap or liquid soap to wash your hands. Many public places provide liquid soap because it’s easier and cleaner to share with others. Studies have not found any added health benefit from using soaps containing antibacterial ingredients when compared with plain soap. Both are equally effective in getting rid of germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

How does handwashing help fight antibiotic resistance? Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria resist the effects of an antibiotic – that is, germs are not killed and they continue to grow. Sicknesses caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be harder to treat. Simply using antibiotics creates resistance, so avoiding infections in the first place reduces the amount of antibiotics that have to be used and reduces the likelihood that resistance will develop during treatment. Handwashing helps prevent many sicknesses, meaning less use of antibiotics.

Studies have shown that handwashing can prevent

1 in 3 diarrhea-related sicknesses and

1 in 5 respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu.

For more information and a video demonstration of how to wash your hands, visit the CDC handwashing website:

www.cdc.gov/handwashing

SÍNTOMAS DE LA ENFERMEDAD DEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 Los pacientes con COVID-19 han presentado enfermedad respiratoria de leve a grave.

Los síntomas* pueden incluir

TOS

Consulte a un médico si presenta síntomas y ha estado en contacto cercano con una persona que se sepa que tiene el COVID-19, o si usted vive o ha estado recientemente en un área en la que haya propagación en curso del COVID-19.

FIEBRE

*Los síntomas pueden aparecer de 2 a 14 días después de la exposición.

DIFICULTAD *Symptoms may PARA RESPIRAR appear 2-14 days after exposure.

cdc.gov/COVID19-es CS 315252-B March 16, 2020, 1:35PM

SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 Patients with COVID-19 have experienced mild to severe respiratory illness. Symptoms* can include

COUGH

Seek medical advice if you develop symptoms, and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or if you live in or have recently been in an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19.

FEVER

*Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

SHORTNESS OF BREATH

cdc.gov/COVID19-symptoms CS 315252-A March 20, 2020, 12:51PM

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GOODBYE BETTY WHITE

By: Mikey Rox

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‘Friend’ Til the End: A Final Farewell to Betty White Photo Credit: Alan Light

Last Thanksgiving, I spent by myself. I live in my van and travel full time as a roaming nomad, and I wasn’t near anyone special to celebrate. Naturally, I was in my feels, lonely on a holiday. So I published this to Facebook: “Need something to be thankful for today? We’re less than two months away from Betty White’s 100th birthday.” Current events considered, that post didn’t age well over the course of a few weeks; certainly not as well as its subject had over the course of her lifetime. I know what you’re thinking: I killed Betty White. Of course not, but when the tragic news broke of the legendary 18 Fab Vegas

actress’s passing on New Year’s Eve, I felt guilty for perhaps jinxing her chances of achieving centenarian status with my premature hopefulness. Thankfully, I’m not superstitious. The fact is, Betty White was old. Ninetynine years old. It was her time. There was something else I felt when I read TMZ’s report the morning of 2021’s last hurrah: Cheated. Yes, I felt cheated. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that we all deserved – after enduring several years of mounting setbacks and increasingly terrible headlines – to see America’s grandmother reach a milestone birthday that less than 1% of the human population reaches. Nobody

deserved it more than Betty White herself, but we deserved it too. Still, her last-day-of-theyear death wasn’t altogether surprising. Chalk it up to one more way the 2020s are royally fucking us. Blue-check Twitter user Qasim Rashid, Esq. managed to soften some of that blow, however. Hours after Betty’s death dominated the news, he offered a virtual Band-Aid for our collective hearts with this (unedited) tweet: “On one hand she was 99 years 348 days old when she died. On the other hand she lived through 24 leap years, i.e. 24 extra days. All I’m saying is mathematically, it arguably checks out that she lived 100 years and 7 days.”

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----------------------------------------------------------------------That declaration is hereby official as far as I’m concerned. Digging a little deeper, what was it about Betty White that endeared us to her – perhaps more than any other Golden Girl our queer community quotes, imitates and venerates? That she was the last one left? Her singular dedication to animal welfare? Her Guinness World Record for the longest working person in television? Those inevitable appearances on our lazy Sunday game show rerun marathons? Or maybe it was the way she played Rose Nyland with such believable naivety. There’s something to the latter. Betty played plenty of memorable TV characters before Rose: The title character on “Life With Elizabeth,” where she made history as the first female producer of a sitcom in the 1950s; perpetually perky Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”; and Ellen Harper Jackson on “Mama’s Family.”

But Rose was different than any character Betty had played before – and that’s exactly why she chose to play her. Any homo worth his salt knows that Betty was offered the role of Blanche, and Rose was meant for Rue McClanahan. The former didn’t want to play another iteration of sex-charged Sue Ann – the part she was most famous for before the 1985 premiere of “The Golden Girls” – nor did McClanahan want to regurgitate the sweetbut-scatterbrained Vivian Harmon, whom she played on Bea Arthur’s previous vehicle “Maude.” So they switched. And none of us can imagine it any other way. “The Golden Girls” was popular among queers then and now because we see ourselves in them. Among our own friends, we know a Sophia, Blanche, Dorothy and Rose. We personally identify ourselves as one of those character types as well. Or a blend of two or more. Me? I’m a quick-witted, smartmouthed Dorothy-Sophia hybrid. Proudly.

Betty wasn’t Rose, though. According to her friends, she was bawdy, a little bit crude at times. She enjoyed vodka and hot dogs. During World War II, she drove a PX truck as a member of the American Women’s Voluntary Services. She never had a single acting lesson. While those first few characteristics make her relatable, especially for a celebrity who’s been a celebrity the entirety of most people’s lives still living on this planet, it’s the last detail that stands out for me. She never had a single acting lesson because she didn’t need one. She was a natural, but she also was genuine. We saw it and we felt it, in our homes and in our hearts, decade after decade. We didn’t have to meet her in person to know that, unequivocally, if we threw a party, invited everyone we knew, we would see… You know where I’m going with this. Betty White – thank you for being our friend.

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LGBTQIA+ SPORTS

By: Mikey Rox

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The Super-Straight Super Bowl Is Queerer Than You Think The NFL, like most professional sports leagues in America, is notorious for its lack of LGBTQ+ representation and infamous for its rampant internal homophobia, which the NFL itself denies but that gay former players have confirmed exists. We all know it anyway. Acceptance of homosexual and bisexual sports stars – even in hyper-masculine football – is becoming more commonplace, however, and if you need proof, just look at the Super Bowl. Queer people have been scoring big for visibility at the big game for the past few years, a trend that we hope continues at LVI on February 13 and well into the future. In the meantime, here are a few proverbial 20 Fab Vegas

touchdowns for the queer community in NFL world championship history and beyond. Four known gay players have appeared in Super Bowls past Although the 2010s failed to produce a self-identified queer player who made a Super Bowl appearance, the previous four decades didn’t disappoint. Washington Redskins tight end Jerry Smith (Super Bowl VII, 1972), New York Giants offensive lineman Roy Simmons (Super Bowl XVIII, 1983), Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo (Super Bowl XXXIII, 1998), and New England Patriots offensive lineman Ryan O’Callaghan

(Super Bowl XLII, 2007) have all competed for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy, albeit before coming out publicly post-NFL career. In total, 15 NFL-ers have come out as gay or bisexual after their league careers ended, and only one – Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib – has come out while active; he made history on Sept. 13, 2021, as the first openly gay player to appear in a regular season game in the NFL’s 101-year history. Super Bowl ads are more LGBTQ+ inclusive than ever before Fifteen years ago, Snickers aired a spot featuring two men ripping out their chest hair

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LGBTQIA+ SPORTS

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to prove how not queer they were after accidentally kissing while trying to eat a candy bar, and you can bet your ass hair that GLADD and the HRC had something to say about it. Fast forward to 2021, and those protests were exchanged for praise at the level of LGBTQ+ inclusivity during the year’s most-watched sportscast, with Super Bowl ads starring openly queer product promoters, including Lil Nas X, “Queer Eye”’s Jonathan Van Ness, drag queens Kim Chi and Miz Cracker, and YouTuber/latenight host Lilly Singh shilling everything from Pop-Tarts to pimple cream. How gay will the costliest commercials of the year get in 2022? Tune in to find out. Modern halftime shows are chock-full of queer artists In 1991, New Kids on the Block kicked off the popfocused mini-concert halftime shows we enjoy 22 Fab Vegas

today (prior to the ’90s, most Super Bowl halftime shows featured marching bands and a set list of musical standards performed by lounge acts), and one member, Jonathan Knight, identifies as gay, though he wasn’t out at age 22 when the group were “Hangin’ Tough” on the gridiron. Among a long list of other queer Super Bowl halftime milestones (like Lady Gaga’s entire performance in 2017) sexually fluid pop icon Katy Perry holds the record for the most-watched halftime show with an audience of 118.5 million viewers back in 2015, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Gay male cheerleaders broke ground in 2019 as the first to perform at a Super Bowl Openly gay cheerleaders Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies joined the all-female L.A. Rams squad in 2018, and less than a year later they made history at Super Bowl

LIII as the first gay men to represent their team at the biggest sporting event in the United States. Katie Sowers made Super Bowl history as the first openly gay and female coach American football coach Katie Sowers made history in 2017 as the first openly LGBTQ+ coach in the NFL, a distinction she’d double-down on in 2020 when, as offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers, she became the first female and openly gay coach in a Super Bowl. In 2021, Sowers joined the Kansas City Chiefs, which took her to the Super Bowl for a second time. A threepeat seems to be in her future as the Chiefs inch closer to another AFC West victory as of press time.

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LGBTQ+ SURVIVOR

By: Mikey Rox

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4 Things We’re Not Gon’ Do in 2022

The 2020s been bending us over for a couple years now – time to switch positions What’s our motto for the new year? No-effiing-more. Starting now. Here’s what we’re not gon’ do in 2022. 1. Allow straight guys to gaybait us for profit I get it: Straight men are hot. And they’re arguably even hotter when they’re dipping their hairy toes in the musky man waters. But you know what’s not hot? Pretending to be queer on social media for likes and clicks that translate to real-life profit. Because the likely truth of the matter is that this growing army of online gay-baiters are using that extra cash to take their opposite-sex girlfriends out on dates, supporting antiLGBTQ+ causes (wittingly or not), and referring to us as cocksuckers and faggots whenever the cameras aren’t rolling. Are we gluttons for punishment? Of course we are. Why do you think we text our exes “You up?” every time we’re fucked up? Regardless, it’s time to break up with these no-homo narcissists once and for all. They’re taking us for a ride – and not the kind we douched for. 24 Fab Vegas

2. Pay more while doing more Prices are out of control all over the place, including the supermarket, and it burns my biscuit that not only is my wallet taking a beating but now I’m also expected to do the jobs of employees. Like cleaning up carts from the parking lot or bagging my own groceries. What else is the cashier doing, besides scanning my items, if I have to bag them? That’s their whole job – just beepin’ shit across the laser? Meanwhile, I’m tasked with paying the bill and dodging the next customer’s purchases coming down the line before I’ve removed mine from the collection end of the belt. That’s not to mention that in California they pay 10 cents per bag, a fee that’s promoted as helping reduce the amount of plastic in the environment, but which is really just another way for corporations to dig into our pockets. And that’s even if there are bags to offer. I was at a Walmart recently that had no bags to provide customers – the second separate store where I’ve encountered this issue – forcing me to throw dozens of loose pantry staples and produce all over my trunk. This year, join me in my crusade to not do anything that somebody else is getting paid to do – unless we’re getting a check, too. 3. Allow toxic people to destroy our self-esteem

I struggle with depression and anxiety as a result of trauma – trauma that stems from my childhood, past relationships, alcohol and drug abuse, and various other contributors. While I’m in control of some of those contributors, I can’t control other people and what they say or do to me. What I can control, though, is their access to me. I’m cutting ’em off this year. Kickin’ ’em to the curb. Doesn’t matter who they are – parents, siblings, boyfriend, boss. I’m fed up. Had enough. Fuck with me in 2022 and you’re gonna get the boot right out my life. Take a similar stand (and stop drinking so much while you’re at it) and you’ll surprise yourself in myriad ways. 4. Pretend like everything’s OK when it’s not Mental illness is a collective topic of conversation much more now than in the past. Open discussions with friends, family and professional therapists help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety but it doesn’t remove them altogether. And that’s OK. It’s also OK for everything to not be OK, and for you to admit that. If you’re feeling down, let yourself feel down. But if it lasts too long, it’s your responsibility to identify why you feel that way and work toward a resolution or at least seek treatment. In 2022, we all deserve happy days to be here again. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

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V-DAY GIFT GUIDE

By: Mikey Rox

-----------------------------------------------------------------------their name(s) or initials in the brand’s “good vibes” font. Also available in pink, white, black, and root beer colorways. $68, bffsandbabes.com

Queer-ish V-Day Gifts for the Queer You Love-ish Surprise bae this Valentine’s Day with something sweet, special, and completely unexpected from this list of offbeat gifts sure to make their pitter patter. heart-shaped Mt. Tam, plus three additional artisan cheeses that were made in the Sonoma/Marin region of the San Francisco Bay Area. $99, cheesetrail.org

Marriage Retreat in a Box Relationships don’t get easier after you “put a ring on it” – and nobody knows that more than married folx. Take some time to relax, reflect and recognize how important you are to one another with the DIY Marriage Retreat in a Box, which provides fun and exciting tools to strengthen, enrich, and add more adventure to your forever love. $72, diy-retreats.com

Big Love Cheese Collection In 1992 Pastor Gary Chapman outlined the five love languages – words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts – in his best-selling book on the subject. But he forgot the sixth one: Cheese! California Cheese Trail’s got you covered with its Big Love Collection starring Cowgirl Creamery’s 26 Fab Vegas

Heart You Most 2.0 Sweatshirt Perfect for campground cooking or gourmet meals mad If your chest-beater’s bursting with pride for the one(s) you love, show it off on BFFS & BABES made-toorder fleece sweatshirt in Pink Punch stamped with a vinyl heart and personalized with

LOVE Cigar Band You can’t put a price on love, but Ariana Rabbani makes a valiant effort with this 14k gold cigar band embedded with micropave diamonds that spell out everybody’s secondfavorite four-letter word. $1,975, arianarabbani.com

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Maison Marcel Sparkling Hearts Rosé Besides Valentine’s Day, we’re all looking forward to February for another reason: the end of Dry January! Celebrate by popping a bottle of Maison Marcel Sparkling Hearts Rosé – with delicate notes of white peach and nectarine – housed in a fanciful vessel adorned with artist James Goldcrown’s signature hearts design. $25, drinkmarcel.com

Eat Me Guilt Free Brownies Indulge in a few sweet treats this Feb. 14 – like the decadent birthday cake, peanut butter bliss, and red velvet brownies – from Eat Me Guilt Free, which specializes in protein-packed, lower-carb pastries (under 200 calories per serving) baked in small batches by Miami-based certified sports nutritionistturned-momprenuer Cristie Besu. $30-$129, eatmeguiltfree. com

Meathearts Where’s the beef? It’s in this bag of flirty jerky that offers a savory spin on holiday-staple conversation hearts, featuring laser-etched phrases like “Meat Me,” “XOXO” and “Beef Mine.” $23, manlymanco.com

Lovers Artist Bundles Westend Hartford Sunglasses

Costa Farms Mini Succulent V-Day gifts don’t have to be grand to send a special message. Case in point: the 2.5-inch Echeveria “Life Would Succ Without You” mini succulent – alive, well, and fully rooted, just like your love for him, her or them. $20, amazon.com

If the past couple years’ events still got you down in early 2022, slap on a pair of rosecolored shades – heart shaped, no less – to add some moodboosting pep in your step and put all that hindsight back in 2020. $30, discountsunglasses. com

Give the gift of dual pleasure with the Lovers Artist Valentine’s Series that pairs a coveted sex toy with a cutebut-provocative greeting card to help eliminate the awkwardness of unwrapping an out-of-context dick in a box. $112-$222, loversstores. com

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V-DAY GIFT GUIDE

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You’re My Lobster Dinner “Friends” fans will fall head over heels for the delivereddirect-to-your-door You’re My Lobster Dinner, including a pound of freshly cooked lobster meat, lobster bisque, and a pair of decadent crustacean-shaped chocolates to share with your own Rachel or Ross. $119, lobsteranywhere.com

Absolut Elyx Copper Love Bird Gift Set A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush – or more, depending on how many Elyx Spritz’s you toss back from these super-luxe copper cocktail cups. $199, absolutelyxboutique.com

Wolf Spit Lubricant Wolf Spit’s silicone-based lube and bareback balms don’t require a full moon to have a howling good time. $30-$50, sellingspit.com

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Café Affetto Espresso Machine Whether you’re sharing a work-from-home space with your S.O. or serving them breakfast in bed, your morning routine gets a pickme-up from GE Appliances’ compact Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine + Frother, whose claim to fame includes custom cups of espresso, Americano and lungo in less than 90 seconds. $729, cafeappliances.com

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LGBTQIA+ BOOK CLUB

By: Terri Schlichenmeyer

-----------------------------------------------------------------------“The Audacity of a Kiss: A Memoir”

And then Beth came back into her life...

by Leslie Cohen.

Let’s face it: author Leslie Cohen’s life story is basically like that of a lot of lesbians born at the beginning of the Baby Boom. A solid childhood, confusion, selfawareness, entrepreneurship all make a somewhat familiar story set apart by one abundant thing: warmth.

$24.95 / 235 pages Don’t move. Stay entirely still, don’t even breathe. You’re about to become a symbol of something that’s bigger than you are, something you’ll be proud of for the rest of your days. Don’t flinch, scratch, or sneeze, just don’t do anything. Don’t. Move. Unless it’s to turn the pages of “The Audacity of a Kiss” by Leslie Cohen. Behind every statue is a story, and the one behind those representing four people in Christopher Park in New York’s Greenwich Village is no different. But to explain how this monument came about means also telling a long love story and a tale about a nightclub. Leslie Cohen’s mother was her very best friend, although there were misunderstandings in the relationship. Sevenyear-old Leslie couldn’t see why she received pink girly things for her birthday. In later years, she couldn’t understand why her mother deferred to Leslie’s father and endured his abuse. The one thing Cohen did understand was that once puberty hit, the boys in her neighborhood were no longer pals to roughhouse with. She was supposed to want to date them and it didn’t entirely 30 Fab Vegas

make sense, but Cohen went along with it even after she left home for college. She went out with boys and lost her virginity to one, but meeting Beth was the most remarkable thing about higher learning. She was sure she was in love with Beth, but Beth was obsessed with a boy and so Cohen moved on. She moved on to other men and then women, at a time between when women loving women was unthinkable, and the Summer of Love. Cohen embraced her lesbianism, fell in and out of love, and went into a partnership with three other women to open New York’s first lesbian club, where lesbians and straight feminists were welcome to dance and drink.

Indeed, “The Audacity of a Kiss” is an easy tale. It’s comfortable, like a crackling fireplace and a glass of wine on a cushy sofa. There are accomplishments here, told so that you really share the pride in them. Readers are shown the struggle that Cohen had, too, but experiences are wellframed by explanations of the times in which they occurred, with nothing overly-dramatic – just the unabashed truth, and more warmth. Opening this book, in a way, then, is like accepting an invitation to own the recliner for an evening, and you won’t want anything else. Younger lesbians will get a lot from this book, but anyone who’s been there will relish it. Get “The Audacity of a Kiss,” then sit down... and don’t move.

To be sure, it was a heady time. Cohen worked nonstop, gained confidence and learned to run a bar business. She was busy, but happy. Leslie Cohen

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Information for Teens: Staying Healthy and Preventing STDs If you choose to have sex, know how to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). What are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)? STDs are diseases that are passed from one person to another through sexual contact. These include chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, and HIV. Many of these STDs do not show symptoms for a long time. Even without symptoms, they can still be harmful and passed on during sex.

consider before having sex. It’s okay to say “no” if you don’t want to have sex. •

If you do decide to have sex, you and your partner should get tested for STDs beforehand. Make sure that you and your partner use a condom from start to finish every time you have oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Know where to get condoms and how to use them correctly. It is not safe to stop using condoms unless you’ve both been tested for STDs, know your results, and are in a mutually monogamous relationship.

•

Mutual monogamy means that you and your partner both agree to only have sexual contact with each other. This can help protect against STDs, as long as you’ve both been tested and know you’re STD-free.

•

Before you have sex, talk with your partner about how you will prevent STDs and pregnancy. If you think you’re ready to have sex, you need to be ready to protect your body. You should also talk to your partner ahead of time about what you will and will not do sexually. Your partner should always respect your right to say no to anything that doesn’t feel right.

•

Make sure you get the health care you need. Ask a doctor or nurse about STD testing and about vaccines against HPV and hepatitis B.

•

Girls and young women may have extra needs to protect their reproductive health. Talk to your doctor or nurse about regular cervical cancer screening, and chlamydia and gonorrhea testing. You may also want to discuss unintended pregnancy and birth control.

•

Avoid mixing alcohol and/or recreational drugs with sex. If you use alcohol and drugs, you are more likely to take risks, like not using a condom or having sex with someone you normally wouldn’t have sex with.

How are STDs spread? You can get an STD by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has an STD. Anyone who is sexually active can get an STD. You don’t even have to “go all the way” (have anal or vaginal sex) to get an STD. This is because some STDs, like herpes and HPV, are spread by skinto-skin contact. How common are STDs? STDs are common, especially among young people. There are about 20 million new cases of STDs each year in the United States. About half of these infections are in people between the ages of 15 and 24. Young people are at greater risk of getting an STD for several reasons: •

Young women’s bodies are biologically more prone to STDs.

•

Some young people do not get the recommended STD tests.

•

Many young people are hesitant to talk openly and honestly with a doctor or nurse about their sex lives.

•

Not having insurance or transportation can make it more difficult for young people to access STD testing.

•

Some young people have more than one sex partner.

What can I do to protect myself? •

The surest way to protect yourself against STDs is to not have sex. That means not having any vaginal, anal, or oral sex (“abstinence”). There are many things to

36 Fab Vegas

against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

If Iare getsexually an STD, how will Idiseases know? (STDs)? What transmitted STDs are diseases that are passed from one person to another Many STDs don’t cause any symptoms that you through sexual contact. These include chlamydia, gonorrhea, would notice. only way(HPV), to know for sure genital herpes, humanThe papillomavirus syphilis, and HIV. if you haveSTDs an STD to get tested.forYou can get an Many of these do notis show symptoms a long time. Even without they can stillwith be harmful and passed STDsymptoms, from having sex someone whoonhas no during sex. symptoms. Just like you, that person might not

even he or she has an STD. How are know STDs spread?

You can get an STD by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with Where can I get tested? someone who has an STD. Anyone who is sexually active can get an STD.There You don’t have that to “gooffer all theteen-friendly, way” (have anal or vaginal areeven places sex) to get an STD. This is because some STDs, like herpes and HPV, confidential, and free STD tests. This means that are spread by skin-to-skin contact.

no one has to find out you’ve been tested. Visit

How common to arefind STDs? GetTested an STD testing location near

STDs are common, especially among young people. There are you. about 20 million new cases of STDs each year in the United States. About halfSTDs of thesebe infections are in people between the ages of Can treated? 15 and 24. Young people are at greater risk of getting an STD for Your doctor can prescribe medicine to cure several reasons:

some STDs, like chlamydia and gonorrhea.

• Young women’s bodies are biologically more prone Other STDs, like herpes, can’t be cured, but you to STDs.

can take medicine to help with the symptoms.

• Some young people do not get the recommended If STD youtests. are ever treated for an STD, be sure to

•finish Manyall young peoplemedicine, are hesitanteven to talkifopenly and better of your you feel honestly with a doctor or nurse about their sex before you finish it all. Ask the doctor orlives. nurse

testing and treatment for your partner, •about Not having insurance or transportation can make it more difficult young people to access STD avoid testing.having too. Youfor and your partner should until you’ve both been •sex Some young people have moretreated. than one Otherwise, sex partner you may continue to pass the STD back and forth. It is possible to get an STD again (after

What can I do to protect myself?

• The surest way to protect yourself against STDs is to not you’ve been you have sex with have sex. Thattreated), means notifhaving any vaginal, anal, or someone who has anThere STD. oral sex (“abstinence”). are many things to consider before having sex. It’s okay to say “no” if you don’t want to What happens if I don’t treat an STD? have sex.

Some curable STDs can be dangerous if they aren’t treated. For example, if left untreated, CS287360A chlamydia and gonorrhea can make it difficult— or even impossible—for a woman to get pregnant. You also increase your chances of getting HIV if you have an untreated STD. Some STDs, like HIV, can be fatal if left untreated. What if my partner or I have an incurable STD? Some STDs, like herpes and HIV, aren’t curable, but a doctor can prescribe medicine to treat the symptoms. If you are living with an STD, it’s important to

tell partner before youyouhave sex. partner Although • Ifyour you do decide to have sex, and your should get tested for STDs beforehand. Make sure that you and it may be uncomfortable to talk about your your partner usehonest a condom from start to finish every STD, open and conversation can help time you have oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Know where to your partner make informed decisions to get condoms and how to use them correctly. It is not protect his or her health. safe to stop using condoms unless you’ve both been STDs, knowwho your results, and are them? in a mutually If Itested havefor questions, can answer monogamous relationship.

If• you have questions, talk to a parent or other Mutual monogamy means that you and your partner both trusted be afraid be each openother. andThis agreeadult. to only Don’t have sexual contactto with honest with themagainst aboutSTDs, yourasconcerns. If both you’re can help protect long as you’ve been and know evertested confused or you’re need STD-free. advice, they’re the first place to start. After were young once, • Before you have sex, all, talk they with your partner about how too.you will prevent STDs and pregnancy. If you think you’re ready to have sex, you need to be ready to protect your

Talking about sexalso with parent or another body. You should talkato your partner ahead of time adult doesn’t need bewill a one-time about what you willto and not do sexually. Your partner conversation. bestyour to leave the forthat should alwaysIt’s respect right to saydoor no to open anything doesn’t feel right. conversations in the future. • Make sure you get the health care you need. Ask a doctor It’s also important to talk honestly with a doctor or nurse about STD testing and about vaccines against or nurse. Ask which STD tests and vaccines HPV and hepatitis B. they recommend for you. • Girls and young women may have extra needs to protect

their reproductive health.information? Talk to your doctor or nurse Where can I get more

about regular cervical cancer screening, and chlamydia

CDC and gonorrhea testing. You may also want to discuss

unintended birth control. How You Canpregnancy Preventand Sexually Transmitted • Avoid mixing alcohol and/or recreational drugs with sex. Diseases If you use alcohol and drugs, you are more likely to take www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/

risks, like not using a condom or having sex with someone

Teen youPregnancy normally wouldn’t have sex with. https://www.cdc.gov/ teenpregnancy/teens/ index.htm

CDC-INFO Contact Center 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) Contact wwwn.cdc.gov/dcs/ ContactUs/Form HealthFinder.gov STD Testing: Conversation Starters https://healthfinder.gov/ HealthTopics/ Category/health-conditions-and-diseases/ hiv-and-other-stds/std-testing-conversationstarters American Sexual Health Association Sexual Health and You http://www.iwannaknow.org/ teens/ sexualhealth.html FabLasVegas.com

STD (SEXUALLY TRASMITTED DISEASES) INFO SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES INFO, TESTING & RESOURCES WHAT IS A SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE? Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), are infections that are commonly spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex and oral sex.

WHAT IS HIV? HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system.It is usually spread by anal or vaginal sex or sharing syringes with a person who has HIV. The only way to know you have HIV is to be tested. Everyone aged 13-64 should be tested at least once, and people at high risk should be tested at least once a year. Ask your doctor, or visit gettested.cdc.gov to find a testing site. Without treatment, HIV can make a person very sick or may even cause death. If you have HIV, start treatment as soon as possible to stay healthy and help protect your partners.

Nevada is the fifth highest state in the United States for rates of new HIV diagnoses and is #1 in Syphillis *According to CDC HIV Surveillance Report, 2017 and the CDC Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report, 2017 released in 2018

38 Fab Vegas

STD TESTING RESOURCE SOUTHERN NEVADA HEALTH DISTRICT ADDRESS 1: 280 S. Decatur Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89107 HOURS: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed 12 – 1 p.m.) ADDRESS 2: 4201 W. Washington Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89107 HOURS: Monday – Wednesday 9 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The following services are offered at the Sexual Health Clinic: 1.

Diagnosis and treatment of active or suspected cases of:

•

Chlamydia

•

Gonorrhea

•

Syphilis

•

HIV

•

Trichomonas (females only)

•

Bacterial Vaginosis (females only)

Free condoms and instruction on how to safely use them (both male and female condom)

Follow-up bloodwork

Hepatitis screening, diagnosis and treatment

High-risk behavior counseling

HIV Nursing Case Management

Injection series for syphilis medication

Partner notification

Referrals by private physicians

10. Sexual assault follow-up 11. Test results and couseling Clients seeking treatment at the Sexual Health Clinic should know that the Health District is required to report cases involving assault or abuse to appropriate agencies. HIV Testing: HIV antibody testing is a simple blood test performed by a trained professional. This procedure is strictly confidential. Counseling regarding the meaning of the test and its result take place before the actual testing to ensure you understand HIV infection and the testing procedure. HIV testing procedure: Blood Test – Blood drawn from a vein is tested for HIV antibodies. This test is available at the Sexual Health Clinic (280 S. Decatur Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89107 ), Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please call (702) 759-0702 for more information. If you have questions, contact the clinic by phone at (702) 759-0702 or by email at SexualHealth@snhd.org. FabLasVegas.com

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www.afanlv.org Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) provides support and advocacy for adults and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada. AFAN works to reduce HIV infection through prevention and education to eliminate fear, prejudice and the stigma associated with the disease.