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VOL 22, #3

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Jonathan Van Ness EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Jonathan Van Ness talks ‘Queer Eye,’ being nonbinary and new Netflix show

First Black President of HRC sues organization for racial discriminiation Bridget Everett on HBO series and the power of a chosen family

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Black queer cheerleaders paved the way for progress leading the L.A. Rams to a historic Super Bowl win featuring male cheerleaders for the first time

@GayVegas JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GayVegas

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

By: Chris Azzopardi

-----------------------------------------------------------------------JVN Front Cover Photo Credit: Netflix Photo Credit: Netflix

Jonathan Van Ness Gets Curious The ‘Queer Eye’ grooming expert’s new Netflix show explores everything from bugs to being nonbinary Before I talk to Jonathan Van Ness about their new Netflix show, “Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness,” they take me on a little on-camera adventure that involves them “needing cuter light.” They do a 180 with the computer.

They swivel in their chair.

“I need more natural light in my life, I’m sorry,” they say, still shifting and “getting comfortable.” And then once they find that magical spot 4 Fab Vegas

where the light hits their face in just the right place, the 34-year-old “Queer Eye” grooming expert grooms their computer, gently wiping the lens with a tissue. If you’re going to wear what they’re wearing — it appears to be a chiffon kaftan — you don’t want a dusty ol’ lens muddying its bright pink radiance, honey. “I did an outfit change for you,” they say, having slipped into their new, flowier ensemble just

before our interview. Van Ness, who is also a children’s book author and one of just a few openly nonbinary public figures, rocks an entire closet of gender-nonconforming fashion on Season 6 of “Queer Eye,” which hit Netflix on New Year’s Eve 2021. On their new six-episode series, a TV adaptation of their podcast “Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness,” the multi-hyphenate even has

Visit www.HawksGym.com

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

-----------------------------------------------------------------------an entire episode devoted to gender identity. Featured in the episode, titled “Can We Say Bye-Bye to the Binary?,” are gender nonconforming activist Alok Vaid-Menon and Geo Neptune, the first two-spirit elected official in the state of Maine. With Van Ness, who says they hadn’t even heard the term nonbinary until the age of 30, Vaid-Menon and Neptune explore what their identity means to them and the history of our rigid gender binary. The show also intends to open up minds on other topics as well, such as why bugs aren’t so bad, figure skating’s minority barriers and, naturally, an entire episode on the history of coifs called “Why Is Hair So Major?” All aglow through

a freshly cleaned computer camera, Van Ness spoke to me about the “sense of ease” they feel now, a dream “Getting Curious” guest star they’re not sure they could form words around, and their very personal reason for being completely theirself around young queer people.

I watched a lot of “Getting Curious” yesterday and wanted to thank you for modeling curiosity, first of all. I think as adults we tend to lose our imagination and we just accept some things for the way that they are. Is that what you felt going into the show?

Well, I started “Getting Curious,” the podcast, in 2015.

I’ve always been someone who loves to learn, and I’m just a very curious person. And I clearly love talking. So the idea — wanting to understand the world around me better — has been something that’s existed within me for as long as I can remember. So that was definitely something that I wanted the opportunity to break down on the Netflix stage ‘cause it’s a very big stage.

And I wanted to bring a more visual, multi-medium, multifaceted world in which the podcast — but as a TV show — could live. So I’m just really excited that we got the opportunity and that Netflix believed in me enough and that we can go explore the world together. So I’m just really excited that I have Photo Credit: Netflix

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Facebook.com/FreeZoneLV

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

-----------------------------------------------------------------------the opportunity and I hope everyone loves it.

You mention Netflix being a big stage, which it is. Is that why you were like, “You know what? We are gonna do an entire episode devoted to nonbinary and gender nonconforming people”?

Yeah. Being someone who is nonbinary is something that I think I’ve been my entire life.

I only had language for it in these last few years. But the amount of trans misogyny that I’ve had to endure and live through in my own life pales in comparison to some of the

Photo Credit: Netflix 8 Fab Vegas

trans misogyny that other people have had to go through within our community and within our trans community, specifically.

However, I wanted to humanize us. And it’s not only my job to do this, obviously.

But I wanted to have a time where we could talk and be together and learn together and just have that humanity, ‘cause I think so often we are portrayed in this way that it’s just not human. It’s only around, like, violence or this feeling of, trans people are coming for our way of life. Or trans people are coming for tradition. Or trans people are

coming for sports. Or trans people are coming for public safety, or whatever it is.

And I wanted to show people that we are human and we are all sorts of different things that are not threatening, and actually very beautiful and amazing and are just as natural as the grass or rain. You know, we’ve been here forever. And I was really excited to get an opportunity to share that information.

There aren’t a lot of nonbinary public figures in the world, and you seem to be aware of that as you’ve been using your platform to really educate people.

Photo Credit: HBO

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Absolutely. I think that for me, being someone who was very mercilessly bullied all throughout my childhood and formative educational years, I’ve always been very moved by this thought of, “If I could make it easier for other people like me or put a little bit of an end to other people’s suffering, it would make my suffering more worth it.” And so I’ve always liked the idea of using what I’ve learned to help make other people’s lives easier.

I love that you said that because my colleague, whose queer son loves you, wanted to know how you feel when it’s a kid who looks to you as a huge inspiration as they’re navigating their own gender and identity.

That’s a really good question.

I think sometimes when I see much younger children, like in my standup comedy show, I just feel immediately guilty.

I’m like, “Oh my god. I hope I don’t traumatize them, honey, ‘cause we are going there tonight.” So in that sense, it can be a little bit harder, but so often I think about Margaret Cho when I think about how I want to live my life as a public figure. I was introduced to her work at a very young age.

I was maybe 10 or 11 when I first saw one of her specials on Comedy Central. And she did not hold back. She was herself. She is herself. She’s a full-bodied version of herself.

And look at how I turned out.

I’m fine.

So I just feel like I wanna be myself. I don’t wanna totally 10 Fab Vegas

limit my art or my creativity thinking about, like, “Oh my gosh, is this gonna be too much for someone?” I feel honored that people of any age would look to me and find more self-love, more selfacceptance, more comedy, more joy. More curiosity. So I think I wanna think about that because if I think about, like, “Oh my gosh, I’m a role model for a lot of young people,” and even just success in general, if I thought about it too much, I would become really full of anxiety and unsure of what to do. And so I think in order for me to stay connected to myself and my own vision, I have to not think too much about the way that it’s gonna be received.

Do you have moments in your mind where you’re like, “What would this have meant to little Jonathan growing up in Quincy, Illinois?”

Very much. And sometimes that’s actually another one of those feelings where sometimes I think if I felt that feeling all the way, I know I’d just be in a corner crying because I can’t believe that I’ve been able to do this with my life. But I do hope that other young people seeing me achieve what I’ve been able to achieve in my career won’t find it so shocking when they achieve their dreams. Because for me growing up, I felt like it was unheard of. I didn’t think that I was ever gonna see someone like me be so successful and beloved and accepted and able to create their own projects. It really is such an honor. And I want

other people, especially young people, to look at me and think that they can do it too.

Is this your first season on “Queer Eye” identifying openly as nonbinary?

I came out about being nonbinary in 2019, before we filmed Season 5, but I don’t know if me talking about it in that season made it to air.

I wondered because you are fully yourself this season in a way that I hadn’t really seen before. You’re really embodying your whole self, even down to the fashion.

Did you feel differently this season?

Yeah. I think it’s just been such a fast four years, you know? From shooting Season 1 and 2 in Atlanta in 2017, which is when we actually shot that, and then Season 3 and 4, which we shot in 2018, really soon after the show had come out. Season 1 and 2 we shot together. Season 3 and 4, together. And then 5 was its own thing. And then 6 was its own thing. And so each one of those chunks I feel like I was in just a wholly different life situation every single time.

Just neck-spraining differences in life situations. So I do think that the season between being married and … definitely this was the first season where I was public about my HIV status. Just very public in all of the things. And so I think that that maybe did lead to just a more overall sense of ease.

In “Getting Curious,” you’ve

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

-----------------------------------------------------------------------got some great guest stars, including Rachel Dratch, Lea DeLaria and Michelle Kwan.

Who is on your dream guest star list for potential future episodes of the show?

I mean, once you do have Michelle Kwan, I don’t know

where else you’re gonna go from there. I kind of started with the most major one ever!

But I mean, I feel like… is Adele ever available? Beyoncé?

Michelle Obama, honey? Like, I’m shooting for the stars, but I don’t know. Who knows?

Oprah?

Oh my god, Oprah. Aaah!

I don’t know if I could even have Oprah ‘cause I think I would literally do that for the whole 22 minutes. Aah! Aaah!

Photo Credit: Netflix 12 Fab Vegas

FabLasVegas.com

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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

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

By: Chris Azzopardi

Bridget Everett on how her queeraligned life has become an HBO series about the power of chosen family Photo Credit: HBO

Bridget Everett is surrounded by queer people in her everyday life. She’s got queer friends, queer family, queer fans –– the latter of which she courted while performing her alt-cabaret (alt as in she’s been known to sing about buttholes to a ukuleleaccompanied tune) at New York City gay bars.

Everett, who Amy Schumer featured in her sketch show “Inside Amy Schumer,” is straight but, at this point, you’d have a strong case for making her an honorary member of the LGBTQ+ community. And now, with her new HBO series “Somebody Somewhere,” 18 Fab Vegas

in which she acts and produces, her queer-filled real life extends to the heart of this moving, semiautobiographical show.

That’s because a major part of the show is about chosen family, and in the case of Sam (Everett), who doesn’t fit her small-town Kansas mold, it’s the town’s queers who make her feel at, well, home.

Among them are Joel (openly gay actor Jeff Hiller) and Fred Rococo (Murray Hill, comedian and NYC drag king performer).

In a recent Zoom interview with Everett, the actress talked about how the queerness of “Somebody Somewhere”

mirrors her own life in some ways, her longtime relationship with Murray, and why she feels queer people “rescued” her.

I thought I knew you, until I started writing all these questions last night as if you were queer. Am I the first one to assume you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community?

I think that, you know, the people I run around with [are], and people make some assumptions. But you know, we’re all doing the best we can. [Laughs.]

It must have something to

do with your immersion in queer culture. Is the show a reflection of your real-world queer chosen family?

really interesting. I just know that if I still lived in Kansas, I would’ve found people like Murray.

Oh yeah, most definitely.

Murray Hill is one of my closest friends, and we’ve known each other for, like, 20 years. He was the first person to give me a job, to give me stage time, and was so supportive. And I started meeting people like Murray in New York, and I suddenly felt seen and encouraged to be more of myself. So I feel saved and rescued by the queer community [laughs].

So, I definitely wanted to be a part of this show because that’s who I think I would be looking for, you know?

What was it like for you growing up in Maine?

I spent summers in Maine at this “Dirty Dancing” kind of resort, and I would sing at night and wait tables during the day. And I went to school in Arizona, so I’d be there during the year. And then I finally moved to New York and left both of those behind. But in high school and growing up, I had a lot of friends. But I didn’t always feel seen by anybody. I had a foul mouth, I was dirty, I always got in trouble with my teachers for saying raunchy shit. I mean, even from the time I was a little kid. I was just always like that and always getting reprimanded for it. But also it made my friends laugh, you know?

How did your queer chosen family translate into “Somebody Somewhere”?

Paul [Thureen] and Hannah [Boss], the showrunners, pitched this world and the idea and had the character of Joel and the character Fred Rococo. They know that I’m friends with Murray. So that was nice. That also helped solve the concept for me. I was like, “Oh, well my buddy can be in this show. This is it [laughs].”

But I think that’s the thing: When you live in a small town, and you don’t feel like you fit in, you have to find your chosen family anywhere.

We all look for our chosen family, right? But for me, thinking about what that might look like in Kansas was

When I got to New York, I remember doing this show with Murray, and we had this song called “Can Hole,” which is about butt sex, and I sang that. The response that we got, I was like, “Oh my god, people think this stupid shit is funny. These are my people.”

You got your start in gay bars, right?

I was doing a lot of Murray’s shows [at] gay bars. It feels like queer culture is always on the cutting edge; queer culture usually identifies what’s next and what’s new, and

encourages you to be yourself.

And the only way you’re ever going to succeed and have an original voice is if you’re holding true to yourself.

That’s what I felt like I was getting.

As you were building a career, it must have felt like a real esteem booster for you to have your LGBTQ+ audience believe in you and your work.

Yeah, because I struggled with self-worth and all those things growing up, and low self-esteem. And even though I had a lot of friends, I just didn’t feel special. And I felt special when I got to the gay bars and the gay clubs, and also, encouraged to push it even further. [Laughs.] The reason I am the way I am is because of those days.

You get to sing in this show, you get to act, there’s a bunch of queers, you get to do Zumba. This feels like what you were born to do, am I right?

I mean, I hope so. I feel like I wouldn’t have been able to do it until this exact point in my life. I would’ve been too nervous or not comfortable in my skin. But because I got to be such a part of the whole process, I felt really at home in it and I didn’t let myself get in my own way, and I felt not just a part of it, but I felt celebrated, you know?

I felt like we tried to make everybody feel like that on set.

But we felt like we were doing something a little bit different, FabLasVegas.com

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Photo Credit: HBO

and let’s just be ourselves, and cut loose and see what happens.

You’ve come a long way since “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Fully. Believe me, I remember… oh my god, that’s so funny. We did [that] in Maine at that resort, Quisisana, where I worked for many summers. I was singing “Those Canaan Days.” I felt like such a star. I didn’t know that I could go further. I didn’t know that life would get better from there, but it did.

[Laughs.]

Going back to Kansas, where you were born, what was your introduction to the queer community?

Two of my favorite cousins 20 Fab Vegas

were both gay. And my oldest sister, Brinton, who has since passed away, I remember her and my cousin Bruce, we would be at a big family event, and they would sort of take me under their wing.

And I still love my cousin Bruce. He’s great. Every Friday night, he goes and plays a piano at a nursing home. Super sweet, and he’s fabulous and works for Ralph Lauren. But I didn’t have a lot of queer friends in high school. College, yes. I mean, there were some. But now, I have found the queer people in my hometown, so when I go home, I see them. When I moved to New York, that’s when I found all my people, and my friends. All my queer friends. It was just the community I was looking for and waiting for. And I know that there were friends of

mine that have since come out of the closet. But in Kansas, in the ‘80s, it just, sadly, wasn’t as easy as it is now.

And maybe it’s not easy now.

You know, I don’t know. I don’t know the right answer.

Please just edit some of this out because I sound like a real ding-dong. [Laughs.] But my heart’s in the right place.

How close is the series to your actual family dynamic?

We tried to make the character of my mom like my mom, who you can’t even believe she’s real because she’s so larger than life. I don’t even know how to describe her. We tried to make the character work, and it was just like, “No.” Every time, it just seemed like a clown. I’m like, we can’t do this. And then the dad, I didn’t have a close relationship with my dad at all, and I have a close

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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Photo Credit: HBO

relationship with my dad in the show.

But the dead sister was something that was really great for me, because like many Midwesterners, and many people from Kansas, I dealt with my grief in a very solitary, sort of bottled up way. And this show has been a nice way for me to grieve her and honor her.

I wish you could’ve seen me here while I binged it. I mean, I was watching this alone the other night eating a turkey sandwich and just, like, blubbering into the turkey sandwich.

Oh, Chris. [Laughs.]

It’s very, very moving, Bridget.

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Thank you, thank you.

And this also feels like a big moment for you, career-wise. Do you feel like Hollywood has had a hard time figuring out what to do with you?

Yeah, most definitely. And, you know, it’s not their job.

[Laughs.] I’m lucky to be in this position. I’m lucky that HBO wanted to take a chance on me. And HBO’s been super supportive and patient and helpful. But it’s hard for me to not get emotional. Even when we’re just watching edits and the HBO logo comes on and the sound — I grew up, like, thinking HBO was the shit. And now I’m on HBO. And not just on HBO, but I’m in my own show. And I can’t really stop and think about it that way, because

it’s too much, and I’ll be the one crying into my turkey sandwich. [Laughs.]

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LGBTQ+ NEWS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------rife within HRC. And I’m just the latest person to be affected.”

“I’m hoping that we peel back the onion and find some sunlight. I’m hoping that we recognize that institutions that purported to represent all members of our community actually have to do just that.”

First Black HRC President sues organization for racial discriminiation The first Black President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Alphonso David, has filed a lawsuit against the organization for racial discrimination.

His complaint states that he was was underpaid and then terminated because he is Black.

The Lawsuit states that a board member told him that he was paid less because he is Black.

In one of the incidents mentioned, a board member stopped him from mentioning “racism” in public comments.

Alphonso said that a senior HRC executive told him that “white gay men” who donate to HRC don’t want to hear about racism.

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David also mentioned that the same executive told a Black staff member that he should have brought a white person to deal with a BlackOwned consulting firm as they wouldn’t work as hard is they thought they were working for a black person.

The case was filed in the federal court of New York and he’s seeking both compensatory and punitive damages.

In an interview with the Washington Post, David says, “I had to challenge a system and a pattern of bias that has not only affected me, but it has affected way too many Black and Brown people,” “Discrimination and bias are

HRC was formed in 1980 and has faced many challenges and criticism for entertaining racial discrimination. David was the eighth leader of this organization. The previous seven leaders were all white and cisgender.

In a conversation with the Washington Post, a former communications specialist for HRC named Richard Brookshire told them he left the organization after working there for 90 days for various reasons.

Brookshire is Black and said he was unable to gain proper guidance and mentorship while working there.

He added that he was warned at the start, not to trust anyone.

He stated, “The reason I left was because there wasn’t a culture of belonging at HRC,” “I was a Black face in a high place. A lot of racism in liberal organizations is in what is not said, what is not done. You can feel that. You can feel when you are being excluded.”

The full lawsuit is available online at: T.co/iSOBaB0RL2

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LGBTQ+ NEWS

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Black queer cheerleaders paved the way for progress leading the L.A. Rams to a historic Super Bowl win featuring male cheerleaders for the first time On Sunday February 13, 2022 history was made with Black queer cheerleaders paving the way for progress leading the L.A. Rams to a historic Super Bowl win featuring male cheerleaders for the first time.

This was also the first Super Bowl win for the city of Los Angeles.

In an Outsports article, male cheerleader Jose C. celebrated his team captains Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies 24 Fab Vegas

who started as rookies in their 2018 season. Referring to their first Super Bowl performance in 2019 he stated, “It really did start with the Rams, and it started with these two men here, Quinton and Napoleon,” “I think it’s a great point to note it started with Black queer men.”

Another L.A. Rams male cheerleader Brendan Ryan told Outsports, “I still pinch myself,” “I remember watching Quinton and

Napoleon on ‘Good Morning America,’ and now they’re sleeping over at our house in between practice. I get to call these men who were my idols my best friends now. It still feels so surreal.”

Jose told Outsports that he also saw his team captains on “Good Morning America” and that their success showed him that his dreams could come true.

Follow them at instagram.com/LaRamsCheer

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MATCHMAKER INTERVIEW

By: Mikey Rox

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Playing Cupid: Gay Matchmaker Amari Ice Aims For the Heart Recently or still single? No sweat. Game-changing, history-making queer matchmaker Amari Ice (he recently paired the first successful gay couple on Lifetime’s “Married at First Sight”) answers our burning questions on love, relationships, and whether we really need either one.

How did you become a professional matchmaker?

Technically, I’m a love coach first – matchmaker and hypnotherapist are tied for second – since the number one reason anyone is single is because they’re trying to have a Level 25 relationship with Level 3 skills. We’re 26 Fab Vegas

200% to 300% more likely to find love (with or without a matchmaker) if we’ve gone through some sort of romantic coaching first. I primarily help gay singles develop their dating skills and only consider matching a client once their dating skills are already up to par so they don’t sabotage themselves. I think this

approach – coaching 100% of my clients – is definitely a key component of what’s made me successful.

Explore the matchmaking process with me. What’s the criteria? How do you know this person is right for that person?

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----------------------------------------------------------------------Matchmaking is part science, part art. The art piece is more intuitive and can’t necessarily be taught or described, but anyone can learn the science piece which includes the criteria you asked about.

Here’s my easy-to-remember model for assessing whether or not someone is a good match for you.

which type is best for you by taking my gay compatibility quiz at www.LoveAlchemyTest.com.

M: MAJOR LIFE VALUES This is the most important component of compatibility.

Your values pave the growth path of your life. If your highest priority values aren’t aligned with your partner, you’ll eventually grow apart.

C: CAPACITY TO MEET NEEDS Your partner must have certain mental, emotional, spiritual and/or material qualities in order for you to be happy. The only way to guarantee that your partner has the capacity to meet your needs in the future is to verify they have the capacity to meet them now; potential might not be developed in this lifetime.

Potential is the icing. Capacity is the cake.

A: ATTRACTION It doesn’t have to be an immediate or intense pull, but sexual interest must exist in order for romance to exist.

The important thing to note here is that chemistry doesn’t predict relationship longevity, and knowing how to create and sustain passion is a skill all successful relationship partners must develop since passion naturally levels off around the two-year mark in a relationship.

H: HAZARD FREE This component of compatibility is actually the simplest: To be hazard free means neither of you have any of the other’s deal breakers.

But the key is to ensure you aren’t using preferences as deal breakers. For example, someone’s height range is generally a preference, not an indicator of compatibility. But if you’re allergic to cigarettes, smoking would be a deal breaker.

T: TEMPERAMENT Temperament is your energetic disposition aka your personality. If you and your partner’s energetic temperaments aren’t synergistic, you’ll likely have a rocky relationship. While any mature individuals who share major life values can form a happy relationship, there are certain temperaments that you’ll naturally gel without as much effort. You can find out

You recently made history by pairing Matt and Daniel, the first successful gay couple in the “Married at First Sight” TV franchise. Yours is a risky business, and much of your professional reputation rides on whether or not matches – least of all high-profiles matches – work. How do you deal with that?

Matt and Daniel are so adorable together aren’t they?!

It was a ton of fun putting

that pair together. Running a business in general is risky but I don’t view mine as any more or less risky than any other business. In terms of navigating the pressure, I look at it like this: My job is not to fix people’s love lives or save them from singlehood, my job is to give people the tools and help them develop the skills that make their relationship goals inevitable. Recognizing the difference between what’s your responsibility and what isn’t is the key to navigating any business, but especially one like mine.

You and I – as gay men – know firsthand that queer romance and love, especially between gay men, can be difficult. First, we’re men – inherently sexually charged – but then there’s all this eager and available temptation, only amplified by GPS-based social media. And that’s not even considering the constant non-monogamy agenda of influential relationship “experts” like Dan Savage. In your honest opinion, can gay men find true love or is it all just a pipe dream?

I take a slightly different perspective one this: All people are sexually charged.

Gay men aren’t more sexual than anyone else. However, as a result of cultural unacceptance of LGBTQ+ people, gay men tend to only be able to engage with each other in private, or secret spaces that tend to only have enough space for sex to occur. Love needs more room to thrive and one of FabLasVegas.com

27

------------------------------------------------------------------------

MATCHMAKER INTERVIEW

-----------------------------------------------------------------------the primary indicators of relationship success is the level of social support the relationship has access to. Let’s remember that most gay men alive today didn’t grow up in a world that immediately accepted who they love or have sex with, so a lot of that cultural conditioning around shame is still present in the subconscious minds of many of us. The only reason the closet of sexual orientation exists is because the living room wasn’t a safe space. Gay men can absolutely find – and sustain – true love, but only if they are committed to developing the skills to do so.

Do you think love and/or partnership is necessary for a fulfilling queer life?

The longitudinal data on happiness reveals that love and money are the two most important factors in a person’s level of life satisfaction. Love is most important, though, as money’s influence levels off after we make around $75,000 to $85,000 per year. This doesn’t mean you have to be in a relationship in order to be happy, but it does mean that some form of love is probably necessary for most of us to feel fulfilled at some point in our lives.

Is there virtue in being and/ or remaining single?

Singlehood is neutral. It’s neither good nor bad. It just is. But if we’ve been made to believe we are somehow inadequate if we aren’t in a relationship – which isn’t true – it’s easy to see why 28 Fab Vegas

many of us struggle with our self-esteem when we’re single.

The only thing is, improving your self-esteem is one of the secrets to increasing the likelihood that you’ll both find love and be able to create a healthy relationship once you’re in it.

We’re all out here looking for the “perfect” partner. Do they exist? Should we settle for “less”? What expectations are realistic, and should we compromise?

Perfect partners don’t exist, but excellent partners do.

There are many excellent lovers available for all of us, but if we’re looking for perfect, excellence will never be good enough and perfection will never arrive because it isn’t real.

We only ever settle when we don’t believe what we want is possible. Plus, our true expectations of others almost always reflect our expectations of ourselves. Therefore, the question we must ask ourselves is, What unrealistic expectations am I holding myself to that don’t serve me? The only way to have realistic expectations of others is to shift our expectations of ourselves, as our own identities are what form the template of our expectations.

The more we shame ourselves for not being perfect, the more we shame others. The more we deem ourselves unworthy of love and affection, the more we tear down others who seem to be thriving when we aren’t. And yet, the more we acknowledge and accept

our own excellence and our own humanity, the easier it is to see and accept another excellent human as our equal in partnership.

Recognized by the Matchmaking Institute as the first Black, gay, certified matchmaker in the entire love industry, Ice and his expertise have helped 500+ gay men level up their love lives. Ice is also the author of the international best-selling book Lasting Love at Last: The Gay Guide to Attracting the Relationship of Your Dreams and is currently working on his second title, Love Alchemy: The Gay Guide to Transforming Your Love Blocks into Relationship Gold.

What You Can do if You are at Higher Risk of Severe Illness from COVID-19 Are you at higher risk for severe illness?

Here’s what you can do to help protect yourself: Get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Limit contact with other people as much as possible.

Based on what we know now, people who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 include: • Older adults

People of any age with the following:

Wash your hands often.

• Cancer • Chronic kidney disease • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant • Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2) • Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)

Avoid close contact (6 feet, which is about 2 arm lengths) with others outside your household.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

• Pregnancy • Sickle cell disease • Smoking

Avoid all unnecessary travel.

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Call your healthcare professional if you are sick.

For more information on steps you can take to protect yourself, see CDC’s How to Protect Yourself.

cdc.gov/coronavirus 316216A October 20, 2021 2:32 PM

FabLasVegas.com

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------------------------------------------------------------------------

LGBTQIA+ BOOK CLUB

By: Terri Schlichenmeyer

-----------------------------------------------------------------------white cis people – even though there are many cis people who are Ballroom fans...

“And the Category Is...

Inside New York’s Vogue, House, and Ballroom Community” by

There are two ways of approaching “And the Category Is...”: one, if you’re a Ballroom follower or participant. Another, if you’re not.

Ricky Tucker.

$25.95 / 248 pages You love Bette Davis.

Always have, always will. Ever since Madonna vowed that she did, too, you’ve voiced your passion while you Vogued, white-gloved hands splayed, slap the floor, frame, pose, pose, pose. It’s not All About Eve this time; it’s all about you when you dance like that. And in the new book “And the Category Is...” by Ricky Tucker, you know where you do it.

The culture known as Ballroom is a little hard to define.

It’s not a single song, although you can’t have Ballroom without music. It’s not one specific place; you can attend Ballroom classes in many places and dance wherever there’s a Ball. Ballroom is “a freedom, a fearlessness... in deconstructing and reinventing oneself in front of a crowd...” And it’s “a thriving arts-based culture founded over a century ago by LGBTQ African American and Latinx people of Harlem.”

“In so many ways, house30 Fab Vegas

Ballroom culture is... the invisible creating visibility for themselves,” says Tucker.

In his eyes, Ballroom is “smart, innovative, loving, and funny...” At its very basic, it’s pageantry, masquerade, and glitz, and awards are given in various categories that exhibit “realness.” Hand-movements are graded, as are spins, dips, and the way one walks; what you wear is as important as how you dance. And yes, taking a Ballroom class is better than making a fool of yourself and bringing shame to your House. That, by the way, could be a literal home led by a house mother or father and a multi-membered, created family for anyone who might need one.

Ballroom gives trans and gay people a safe place to be themselves and maybe win a trophy for it. It also offers Black dancers a chance to unite “under one cause: freedom” and to display “a powerful performative act of defiance” toward rich, straight,

Aficionados of Ballroom will devour every page of this personal memoirmixed-with-cultural-history.

They’ll love author Ricky Tucker’s breathlessly-told tale of finding Ballroom, and himself in it; his experiences in learning how to dance properly; and the sense of insider that he lends overall.

Readers will also enjoy Tucker’s extensive interviews with LGBTQ BIPOC: Ballroom members, legends, organizers, activists, house parents, his own “fathers,” and other performers.

There, and in his analysis of the interviews, we see how defying racism is a large part of the essence of Ballroom, how HIV activism fits in, and how Ballroom has been appropriated for wider audiences.

On the other side of the dance floor, if you’re not into Ballroom, this book will take some getting used-to.

Tucker jumps in with both feet and very little preamble to prepare readers unfamiliar with Ballroom culture. Stick around; you’ll get it eventually, if you have patience.

If you don’t, then fasten those seatbelts. Reading “And the Category Is...” will make for a bumpy night..

Vacúnese.

Tome su teléfono inteligente.

Empiece a usar v-safe.

10:18 AM

10:18 AM

Use su teléfono inteligente para decirles a los CDC si presenta algún efecto secundario después de vacunarse contra el COVID-19.

También recibirá recordatorios si necesita una segunda dosis de la vacuna.

Inscríbase usando el navegador de su teléfono inteligente en

vsafe.cdc.gov O Apunte la cámara de su teléfono inteligente a este código

Infórmese más sobre v-safe www.cdc.gov/vsafe 12/21/20

U. He Ce Co

Get vaccinated.

Get your smartphone.

Get started with v-safe.

10:18 AM

10:18 AM

Use your smartphone to tell CDC about any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

You’ll also get reminders if you need a second vaccine dose.

Sign up with your smartphone’s browser at

vsafe.cdc.gov OR Aim your smartphone’s camera at this code

Learn more about v-safe www.cdc.gov/vsafe 12/01/20

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35

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

37

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)

2.

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

3.

Follow-up bloodwork

4.

Hepatitis screening, diagnosis and treatment

5.

High-risk behavior counseling

6.

HIV Nursing Case Management

7.

Injection series for syphilis medication

8.

Partner notification

9.

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.

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PRIDE FLAGS

PRIDE FLAGS

COMMUNITY RESOURCES 44 Fab Vegas

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.