F A B U L O U S
AUG-SEPT 2015 FREE
MAGA ZINE The Pride Issue
ED WILLIAMS FIRST OPENLY GAY CLARK COUNTY GOP CHAIRMAN
BOY GEORGE ON FINDING HIMSELF, CAITLYN JENNER & BEING A MAD HATTER
CHRIS MILLER
CLARK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY RE-ELECT OPENLY GAY CHAIRMAN
CURRENT DIGITAL VERSION
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR What a summer it’s been so far for our community. Equal marriage became the law of the land and here in Nevada we’ve seen our trans brothers and sisters demanding more and, in fact, making gains. All the while, Gay Vegas has been here to shout that news from the rooftops. In this issue, we’ve turned our focus to LGBT representation in politics, as well as to the allies who support us throughout our battles. Speaking of allies, have you seen our cover girl?! Not only is Hilary Duff a stunner, she has a heart that’s just as beautiful. She talks all about her comeback and history in showbiz, as well as her excitement over the legalization of same-sex marriage and how cool she would be if her son ever came out to her. Now that’s what I call support! As for exclusive interviews, we have a double whammy this month – we’re thrilled to highlight two members of our local LGBT community who have turned to politics to make a difference. The Clark County Republican Party recently chose Ed Williams as their chairman, making him the first openly gay person to hold the position. On the other side of the coin is Chris Miller, who the Clark County Democratic Party has just re-elected for his third term as chairman. Well wouldn’t you know it, Miller is the first openly gay person to hold this position as well. Two gay men holding positions of influence within the nation’s two biggest parties – let the claims of a “gay agenda” begin! No, I jest. In actuality, these two individuals are dedicated to change, and we feel honored to have interviewed them both. I imagine this latest issue of Gay Vegas will bring out the political junkie in you and no, that doesn’t clash with your love of celebrity features! It didn’t for us, so I know you’ll get as much of a kick out of our August issue as we did. COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? ADVERTISING INQUIRIES? We would love to hear from you. Please drop us a line at info@gayvegas. com or call us at (702) 907-0605. DANIELA COSTA EDITOR
AUDITED BY
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PUBLISHER JOHN LAWRENCE EDITOR DANIELA COSTA ART DIRECTOR NATI DELGADO CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DANIELA COSTA JOHN LAWRENCE CHRIS AZZOPARDI TOÑO ESTRADA MIKEY ROX MYLES HELFAND ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES ALICIA WADINGTON ALEX GUEVARA FRONT COVER PHOTO BY: BEN COPE
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE RIVENDELL MEDIA 1248 Route 22 West Mountainside NJ, 07092 / Phone: 212-242-6863 GAY VEGAS MAGAZINE info@gayvegas.com phone: (702) 907-0605 www.GayVegas.com Copyright © 2015 Gay Vegas. All Rights Reserved.
We reserve the right to edit columns for style, grammar, length, taste, libel and general readability, although our goal is to preserve the writer’s voice. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Gay Vegas, the publisher, its staff or advertisers. The image or name use of any individual or organization in this publication is not necessarily indicative of their respective sexual orientation. Gay Vegas is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we value the benefits of diversity in our workplace. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 26
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Downtime Detox - Page 11 Gay Vegas en Espa単ol - Page 14 Boy George - Page 16 Ed Williams - Page 21
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Hilary Duff - Page 26 Giorgio Moroder - Page 32 HIV is not your enemy - Page 36 Insta-Fam - Page 38 Chris Miller - Page 42 Nightclub and Bar Schedule - Page 46 Community Resources & las vegas pride info - Page 54
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HEALTH
BY MIKEY ROX
Downtime Detox: Healthy Ways to Revive Your Summer Spirit
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We’re just about halfway through summer, and chances are you’ve worn yourself out – even though you don’t dare show it. Secret’s safe, playboys (and girls). But here are a few healthy ways to recoup and reenergize just in case.
Cut Back on the Booze, Hound If you have even a smidge of a social life, you can find a shindig just about every weekend during the summer – whether it be at your BFF’s barbecue, hanging by the pool at a friend of a friend’s, or dancing the night away at your favorite club. And what’s a party without a few cocktails, right? The problem is that too much of a good thing will start to take its toll on your body, and fast. Not only will the alcohol and resulting hangover make you sluggish, but you’ll interrupt your normal sleep cycle, make poorer food choices, and likely skip the gym. If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s time to cut back on the booze – or go cold turkey for a week (I did it for four months; it’s not that hard!) – and find more productive activities in which to engage that don’t involve inebriation.
Replace Go, Go, Go With No, No No Along with all those parties, there’s a million other things you probably enjoy during the summer – like exercising outside, taking the dog on adventures, hitting the beach and shopping summer sales – but every now and then you need to slow down. Life doesn’t have to move a mile a minute from May to September just because it’s warm out. Believe it or not, it’s perfectly acceptable to tell your friends
that you won’t be going out for the fourth night in a row. They’ll survive your absence – trust me – and you can enjoy time to yourself catching up on your DVR, reading your magazines, or whatever it is you like to do to unwind when you’re alone. Perv.
Stick to Clean Eating as Best You Can Personally I find it much harder to eat clean in the summertime than I do the winter because I’m out and about more often. During the winter months, I’m generally nesting at home, and since I cook for myself, I’m able to make healthy choices on a regular basis. Fast-forward to summer and my eating habits get a bit iffy with more junk food thrown in the mix. Some of that junk is a result of those poor food choices I mentioned as a result of being hungover, but I also find it hard to resist the burgers, hot dogs and other cookout goodies that are readily available most weekends. Because who wants to eat a boring salad when there’s a bacon cheeseburger calling your name? At some point, however – like when your abs start to fade into one summer gut – you’ve got to put down that bag of potato chips and remind yourself that it’s easier (just not tastier) to get laid on a diet of lean protein and produce. What more motivation do you need?
Turn Off the Electronics and Catch More Zs Studies show that our addiction to technology
12 Gay Vegas Magazine
HEALTH and electronic devices are negatively affecting our sleep patterns – when we let it. If you’re feeling run down, overwhelmed or like you’re about to implode from social-media overload, turn off your devices for a while. One night won’t kill you, and you can use the disconnect to catch up on some much-needed rest without any pings, whistles or chirps interrupting your nappy time.
Sit Back, Relax, and Listen to Soothing Music This summer has produced a few hot bangers – tracks from The Weeknd, Demi Lovato, Fetty Wap and Silento are among my faves – but one can take only so much bass pounding
their face. When the volume turn up too much, flip the switch and find a new, more demure Spotify station. Create a low-key playlist of smooth jazz; classical summer (look it up!); boutique hotel lounge; or the “Most Chilled Songs Ever,” which, based on the title, should mellow you right out.
Schedule a Massage or a Yoga Class Now that you’ve successfully reduced your alcohol intake, cut the crap food and had a good night’s sleep, it’s time to purge your body of all those toxins you’ve been filling it with over the past several weeks. One perfect feel-good way to do that is with a massage or a yoga class that’ll help the mind and body come together as one. If you go to a halfway decent gym, yoga classes are likely offered, so check the schedule for a session. As for the massage, well, you can go about that however you’d like, though I’ll always recommend a happy ending. Smiles for everybody – that’s my motto.
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GAY VEGAS EN ESPAÑOL
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY: TOÑO ESTRADA
Ahora, pasando a la alfombra roja, las que para mi gusto fueron muy bien vestidas fueron, Alejandra Espinoza, Gloria Trevi, Ninel Conde, las chicas de Fifth Harmony y Leslie Grace.
PREMIOS JUVENTUD Gay Vegas estuvo en Miami para cubrir la entrega de premios mas famosa del verano entre los jóvenes de la música latinoamericana para estar al tanto de todos los detalles de lo que pasó frente y detras de camaras! El regreso de Anahí, que tras su ausencia a la música regresó junto al reggaetonero Wisin con su nueva canción “Rumba” ... Que no es muy de mi gusto, pero pasable. Lo que no fue gustozo fue que Anahí no se le vio ni la sombra y esto a que ella pidió no hacer entrevistas ya que el próximo mes hay elecciones en el Estado de Chiapas en México ya que si no sabían, esta casada con el Gobernador de dicha ciudad. ¿Qué pasa Anahí? ¿No fuiste tú la que lanzaste una canción? En su próxima aparición sea mas accesible. Pasando a Chiquis Rivera, sean peras ó manzanas, ella fué la mas ovacionada. Tiene una fanaticada fuerte y es por eso que a la chica se le aplaude. Pero si su talento habla mas que ella, entonces tendrá un futuro prometedor. J Balvin, fué un amor y tiene bien merecido su lugar. Esperemos verlo próximamente en concierto. Estrenó su nuevo éxito “Ginza.” Que me gusta y lo recomiendo! TOÑO AND WILLIAM LEVY
14 Gay Vegas Magazine En Español
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Terminando la premiación nos fuimos al After Party, y a quién creen que nos encontramos en plena rumba y apojeo? Pues al guapísimo de William Levy. Tambien le entramos al círculo de baile con Luis Corel, Leslie Grace, la princesa de la bachata y Becky G. Nos encantó bailar con ellos y enfiestarnos toda la noche! Miami fue sin duda el lugar que se dió cita para esta super fiesta, que para muchos será difícil de olvidar.
EVENTOS SEMANALES TLGB MARTES / PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB LA NOCHE EN EL TROPICO LATINO. $2 tragos de casa. 11PM-1AM al mardar un texto. 4633 Paradise Rd. piranhavegas.com, 702-379-9500. 10pm, entrada gratis (excluye eventos especiales y dias festivos). SABADOS / GOODTIMES NIGHTCLUB AND BAR 2 por 1 3pm7pm. LATIN NIGHT Latin Hip Hop R&B Top 40. Precio de entrada varía. 1755 E. Tropicana Ave, goodtimesbarlv.com, 702-736-9494. 24 horas. DOMINGOS / PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB EL DESEO NOCHE LATINA 2 cuartos - Banda y Duranguense con DJ Virus. House, Top 40 & R&B w/ DJ Vago. 4633 Paradise Rd. piranhavegas.com, 702-379-9500. 10pm, entrada gratis (excluye eventos especiales y dias festivos).
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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW
BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI | PHOTOS BY DEAN STOCKINGS
Boy George
ON FINDING HIS BETTER SELF, CAITLYN JENNER AND HIS MASSIVE HAT COLLECTION 16 Gay Vegas Magazine
The falsetto is gone. When Boy George sings now, a rich tone resounds. He refers to it as “the voice of experience.” The voice, once fluttery and high, can be traced back to the early ’80s by way of a long, glittery trail that George blazed as the front man for Culture Club. The band formed in 1981, at the onset of a second, MTV-aided British invasion, and the foursome turned out a treasure trove of sonic gold, most notably “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” Within a few years of their emergence, Culture Club was a bona fide act of great significance. Instantly, they became the first band since The Beatles with three songs from their debut album, 1982’s Kissing to be Clever, to reach the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100. And it wasn’t just music they were influencing. It was fashion. It was politics. It was gender. It was the queer community as a whole. Now, Culture Club is back. After more than 12 years apart, the original members of Culture Club are reuniting for a tour and their forthcoming LP, Tribes, their first album together since 1999’s Don’t Mind If I Do. George, 54, recently rang to sound off on a smorgasbord of topics: Culture Club nostalgia, the Madonna vs. Lady Gaga rivalry, his massive hat collection and the lack of any pop star “stand outs.” Why is now the right time for Culture Club to reunite? The idea first started about four years ago. With all the different management, and just so many complications, it’s taken this long to actually get everybody together. When I suggested it four years ago it seemed like a really simple idea; it turned out to be quite complicated! (Laughs) Now we’ve gotten into rehearsing, and we recently did Today, although we didn’t have Jon (Moss)
there, but it was our first live thing together in a while. The thing about Culture Club, but also just bands in general: The fun is always the playing and the recording and the writing. It’s the other stuff that’s kind of boring. Culture Club makes the most sense when we’re on stage and concentrating on what we’re doing musically. (The tour is) gonna be interesting. It’s as much a surprise for me, but obviously, we know there’s a lot of affection out there for what we are collectively. Do people expect you to be the same band you were 20 years ago? Are you still the same band? I don’t think anybody expects me to be what I was 20 years ago. If they do, they’re deluded. (Laughs) I’ve never spoken to anybody who said, “You’re nothing like you were 20 years ago.” There are some people in the world who believe you could be suspended in animation, I think (laughs), but we all get older and we all develop. And, in fact, I think I’m a very different performer. I actually prefer what I do now. Why is that? I like the noise that I make now because I feel like I’ve earned it. I feel it’s a voice of experience. I feel I’m more connected to what I do. Vocally and emotionally I’m more connected to my life, full stop, and I’m kind of happy with who I am. There’s always room for improvement, of course, but I don’t have the sort of insecurities that I had when I was a younger man. People say to me, “You were so confident!” I probably appeared confident but, perhaps underneath, I wasn’t. I think life is about growing into yourself, accepting who you are and maybe having a better relationship with who you are, sort of liking yourself, and I think I’m closer now than I’ve ever been. GayVegas.com
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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW How long did it take you to reach that point? It takes a long time to get there, but you know, some people just don’t get there. And I don’t know how you get there, and I don’t know how you know you’re there, but you operate with a sense of peace. In life, it’s very easy to do what you’ve always done. It’s very easy to slip back into bad attitudes, bad habits and personality traits. Speaking of bad habits, you’ve been very vocal in discussing your drug and alcohol use early on in your life. These days, what’s the wildest you get? What’s a typical night for you like now? Obviously I don’t think of those past things as being wild days – I just think of them as being quite negative. I was talking about this last night at dinner. I think what you learn as you get older, if you’re smart, is that the joy is in the mundane things – the small things, like being with your family, taking a walk, having coffee with friends, having meals with friends, good company. It’s like that saying, “the devil is in the detail” – sometimes I have the most fun when I’m just walking around with no set plans. Because there’s so many special effects in my life in terms of the career thing and traveling and all of that kind of excitement, I counterbalance it with sheer ordinariness in a way, and that’s where I have the most fun sometimes. How did your signature look come to involve hats? Going to clubs as a kid, we were always trying to over-exaggerate our look – a hat is definitely a way of over-exaggerating an outfit! Back then I was sometimes doing a kind of Carmen Miranda thing (laughs) and wearing a turban. It was just basically plundering every kind of theatrical idea you could imagine, and hats – I just love hats. Hats have to wear you. You can’t buy somebody a hat because that’s like buying somebody a haircut. 18 Gay Vegas Magazine
How many hats would you say you have? I have quite a few that I can’t wear anymore because they’re damaged, but I refuse to let them go. (Laughs) I have about 40 wearable ones, and I’m always adding new hats to the collection. You must have a hat room. They’re scattered around. Also: They’re a really good thing to give to auctions. People are always asking me for things for charity, so I’m always giving them to people to sell. How many different hats do you wear on stage? At the moment I’ve got a few that I’m gonna try out. The thing about stage costumes is, they seem like a great idea until you put them on. Trying to dance around in them in the heat – the hat makes that decision for you. But I’ve got some quite fierce looks for this tour, and I’m gonna up the ante. I think it’s quite important, because at the moment everybody looks like everybody else. Everybody in a band seems like they’re in the audience. You look at a band on stage and you say, “Oh, it’s really nice that they’re on stage and they’ve wore their gym clothes to the gig.” (Laughs) There aren’t really many artists – just a lot of backroom boys pretending to be artists. A lot of producers who become pop stars. But there really aren’t many artists around or anybody that stands out. It’s a weird time for pop culture, and I suppose you can only measure current pop culture by what it was like when you were doing your thing. So, I’m always gonna measure it by what I’ve grown up with: David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Prince, Madonna… Of course I’m gonna measure it by that, and I don’t see any of that around at the moment. I mean, Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna – they’re working a bit of a hot look. More the girls. What do you think it says about the current
state of the music industry that Gaga ended up toning down her image? Actually, what I think is interesting about Lady Gaga is she’s an incredible theatrical vocalist. She has a whole Judy Garland / Liza Minnelli thing going on, and I’m actually more of a fan of what’s she’s doing now than – I mean, I loved what she did in the beginning. It was great. I remember seeing her on TV and thinking, “What’s she got on now?!” (Laughs) But in terms of her musicality, what she’s doing now is amazing. I was in bed a few months ago – I had to get up really early the next day – and there was an advertisement for Gaga and Tony Bennett. There was a show on TV and I said, “Well, I’ll watch a bit of it and then I’ll go to sleep.” I ended up watching the whole thing and being gobsmacked by how great she was.
How fair are the comparisons to Madonna? I’m not saying this to diss Madonna at all – I mean, Madonna doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone; she’s Madonna! – but I really felt all those comparisons were a bit stupid. Of course someone like Lady Gaga, who’s younger than Madonna, is gonna be influenced by Madonna. It’s a complete compliment. That’s how you have to view it. Whenever I see anybody working a look that I might’ve had back in the day – I’ve done it. Why do I need to get upset about it? As someone who’s always stood for gender fluidity and gender expression, what are your feelings on Caitlyn Jenner? I think it’s amazing, but there are a lot of other people being overlooked, like Candis Cayne. Caitlyn Jenner is getting the limelight because of
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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW
the Kardashians, but there are a lot of people who have made that transition – her transition – possible. I feel in a way we’re starting to, in part, live in a world I always wanted to live in. When I started my career, I was very naive. I wanted to change the world. I wanted to live in a world where it didn’t really matter if someone was gay or straight, transsexual, lesbian, whatever – and we’re certainly getting closer in some areas. You gotta remember that myself and Caitlyn Jenner live in a celebrity bubble to a certain extent, and there are different rules in that celebrity bubble. But I think it’s great. I think it’s always wonderful when someone 20 Gay Vegas Magazine
is allowed to be who they wanna be no matter how long it takes. I think that’s a beautiful thing to watch. When I saw that interview with Diane Sawyer, I was quite tearful. I have to say, though: There’s a daisy chain of people who affected change long before I was around, like Oscar Wilde and Quentin Crisp. There are people no one knows about from the Victorian time. I’m always kind of coming across drag queens and Bohemians who were around 100 years ago who were a part of that daisy chain. So, I think it’s amazing that we’re edging toward the kind of liberalism that I always dreamed of.
ed LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
INTERVIEW BY JOHN LAWRENCE WRITTEN BY: DANIELA COSTA PHOTO BY CHARLES MUNOZ
WILLIAMS First Openly Gay Clark County GOP Chairman Ed Williams is breaking ground as the first openly gay chairman appointed to the Clark County Republican Party. Having sold his successful business, this 43-year-old tech expert is dedicating himself full-time to his new role with the party, and you can bet he plans to make a difference. Williams spoke with Gay Vegas shortly after the news hit, and we got to know the man and his motivations. So Ed, tell us a little bit about who you are. Well I was born in Germany, son of an air force family. I was born into the air force and went all around the world with my family – stationed a lot in the southwest. I went to CSU Sacramento and got into computers – did computer science
there. And Sacramento’s really been my home base for a long time since then. I moved to Las Vegas about four years ago. I was looking for some new scenery, as it were. California was getting a bit oppressive for me as a businessman so I was looking for some new opportunities. I found that Las Vegas was a perfect match for me. A lot of my family lives in Irvine, and there’s a great airport here and I travel a lot. And, of course, moving to Nevada gives a guy an instant 20 percent raise. So all around, I’m very happy with Nevada, and very pleased with making this my new home. Did you have a job lined up in Las Vegas when you moved here? I’m a business owner, so I own different companies. The latest company I owned was called American Web, and I just recently sold that actually. So at this point in time I’m effectively retired, but I’m a little too young to not be doing things with my life. Right now GayVegas.com
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LOCAL SPOTLIGHT I’m choosing to give back to my country by serving in politics. How did you first get into politics? When I was running my Internet companies back in California we did lots of work for political campaigns, non-profits, membership organizations, and things like that. So that was really my first introduction into how we govern ourselves and what sort of interests groups there are that impact that, and so as I worked more and more with these organizations on communications, marketing, and technology, I got more and more familiar with that. I did some work with some political campaigns, and then worked my way through that. Probably the peak of my involvement was I was the IT Director for the 2004 Republican convention in New York. How did that come about? That came about because California has the largest delegation to the convention – it has the most number of delegates. A lot of the duties fell to California, so that was really my entry into it. It was actually really fun. It was the first convention after 9/11 and it was happening in New York so there was a lot of encryption and a lot of security and all those sorts of things going on because everybody wanted to make sure that the experience went well and that everybody was safe. That was very exciting. Now you’re the first openly gay person to chair the Clark County Republicans. Can you tell us a bit about this? It’s just part of my value system. I believe very strongly in our rights as Americans not to have our lives unnecessarily interfered 22 Gay Vegas Magazine
with by the government. And that includes my family, my religious beliefs, my relationships – and so when it comes to what would be considered gay issues, I tend to side on keeping the government out of that. That’s really where my beliefs as a Republican come in. Some might characterize that as somewhat Libertarian, and that might be the case, but I – I’m really uncomfortable with the concept of the government dictating my actions or my words or who I can associate with in the name of political correctness. That bothers me. That’s really where my personal and my political beliefs kind of come together. When did you come out in your political life? Did you pick and choose whom you wanted to come out to? In my life I generally pick and choose because I do feel it’s a personal thing for me. I’m somewhat of a private person. That’s just been a natural thing for me. So yeah, I’ve been selective of whom I reveal parts of my life to. It’s nice for people to get to know you before making a judgment call based on your sexual orientation, because unfortunately that does happen. And as you get older you get more tools for communicating with people, more practice at it, and so it’s become easier for me to engage in those conversations with people in a way that’s productive. The last few years actually I’ve been really surprised at the number of people I’ve talked to that don’t necessarily agree with all of my views, and yet they’re still willing to engage in a conversation and understand where I come from, and I can understand where they come from. Having that level of conversation with people takes some practice, but I’m at that point now where it comes much easier.
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LOCAL SPOTLIGHT What do you think you being chairman says about your political party? Is it a sign of the times? Well it’s certainly not the first step by any means. If we go back a little bit, in 2014 both the Clark County Republican Party and the Nevada State Republican Party removed social issues from their platforms. They removed both traditional marriage and abortion from their platforms. So I think the change was well underway a couple of years ago. And there have been other openly gay people in our party that have had positions of leadership in varying sorts. We’ve had a Log Cabin Republicans chapter here in Nevada for many, many years. They were very active back in the ‘90s working to repeal Nevada sodomy law. So it certainly wasn’t an overnight thing, but I think it’s a positive development that people are willing to overlook personal issues to focus on things that are really important for our country. The question of how you can be gay and be Republican, how do you respond to that? My answer is conservative values protect my rights as well as yours. In order for me to have free speech, you have to have free speech too, and that sometimes means that we might not be comfortable with each other’s free speech. But the alternative is political correctness and censorship, and that’s no way to be an American. I had a choice to make, I suppose, in a sense. And it just made more sense to me to work at keeping the Republicans out of my bedroom more than I had a chance of keeping the Democrats out of my wallet. To me, ironically, the Republican Party has always been a party of choice because it’s actually represented a diversity of views. 24 Gay Vegas Magazine
Taking a step back now, when did you first come out of the closet? I came out to my mother when I was 14, and then kind of progressively throughout life, becoming more and more comfortable in my own skin. And then as our society has evolved and made it easier to be a full participant in society, that’s been most welcome. Are you a man of faith? Yes, yes I am. My background is Catholic. I was raised as a child as a Catholic, and my beliefs in high school changed over to something more non-denominational Christian, and I’ve kind of been in that space for a long time. Did you come out to both your parents at 14? My dad was a little later. And how did he take it? He’s a very levelheaded guy. I didn’t really sense any judgment from him. I think most of the feelings that I had were worries in my own mind about how things would be taken, because he’s a military man. But in reality he loves me, so that’s what came through. And here you are making your parents proud. Oh yeah. Absolutely. I’ve had a very blessed life. In every way possible. I have had the absolute thrill ride of running Internet companies in the middle of the dot-com boom. I’ve seen the success that hard work brings. You don’t get any luckier. I’ve had the blessings of prosperity that our country brings, and the freedom to be myself. I have nothing to complain about. I’m a lucky guy.
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FEATURED CELEBRITY
BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI | PHOTO BY BEN COPE
The Long, Duff Road
On marriage equality, her fascination with Grindr and why she took a break from showbiz “I’m like the dorky kid on the bus who’s like, ‘Hiiii.’” Wait a minute. Is that you, Lizzie McGuire? Maybe? No. It’s Hilary Duff, razzing on her cold-ridden, congested-sounding self as she does a nasally nerd impression. And though Duff is known to millennials (and their moms) for originating the dorky Disney icon in 2001 – which, she admits during our interview, has been “torturous” – the 27-year-old is ready to move on. Actually, she’s been ready. It’s the rest of the world that just can’t seem to let Lizzie go. During an insightful and surprisingly candid conversation, Duff spoke about her career as a whole just hours following June 26’s landmark Supreme Court ruling, which granted full marriage rights to LGBT 26 Gay Vegas Magazine
Americans. The child star-turned-music maker also talked about her latest album, Breathe In. Breathe Out., eight years in the making; the long break she took to find her true self; and not knowing how to be a “totally normal girl who doesn’t give a fuck.” You’re a longtime ally of the LGBT community, and you also have many gay friends, so you must have been thrilled about the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality. What does that momentous moment mean to you? Oh my gosh. I’m so excited. What a big day. It’s a huge step toward equality. Everyone should be able to be who they are, love who they want and marry who they want. It’s 2015; for us to still have judgment about people being gay is ridiculous, so I can’t believe it’s taken this long. It’s definitely a big day in history, and I’m just so excited. Considering you’re not feeling well, you probably won’t be celebrating just yet. Actually, I do have a party happening at my house tonight for my assistant / best friend. We just worked through her birthday during album release week, and I feel so bad, so we’re finally celebrating at my house tonight. But we’ll be celebrating (marriage equality) as well, I’m sure. It definitely deserves a big toast. Do you have a partner? I don’t have a partner, no. Is being on Tinder key to finding “the one”? Perhaps you can give me some dating advice. What are Hilary Duff’s tips for finding a husband? (Laughs) Obviously, I haven’t been so lucky. No – I don’t know. I would not, uh – I would not go with me on Tinder. I don’t know! God.
Geez. Maybe the right thing will be in the air tonight. Lately you’ve been a Tinder enthusiast; have you experienced Grindr? Well, I haven’t physically actually experienced it, like I don’t have it on my phone or anything, but it’s basically the same thing as Tinder, right? I know because my makeup artist, who’s one of my best friends, has used Grindr a lot and he’s told me all about it. I get to hear all the stories. And what are those stories? (Laughs) I mean, I don’t wanna put him on blast. You know what’s crazy is, I feel like you guys hook up a lot more freely. I don’t know if that’s just me because I’m a little more cautious, I guess. I don’t know what it’s like to be a totally normal girl who doesn’t give a fuck about anything. Because of your celebrity status? I think so, yeah. And also, I’m a mom and I’ve always been a relationship girl. I’m always surprised when he’s like, “Yeah, I was just in France and I met a dude on Grindr and went over to his house,” and like, they got it done. I’m so fascinated by it. Are you still on Tinder? I’m not still using it. It was really fun for me for a minute; I wanted to experience something totally normal and also shock people. No one thought I was really on it – and I was really on it! So I integrated that into my video (for “Sparks”) and showed a side of me that’s really real, really normal. I strive for normalcy in my life every day. GayVegas.com
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Do your gay friends ever set you up? Not so much. We go out a lot together, but honestly, when I go out I’m not on the prowl. I just wanna go out and have a good time, and a lot of times I feel like having someone I don’t know around would interfere with that. I only have a certain amount of time to enjoy myself. What’s a good night for you? Being with four or five really good friends that all know each other, so we all have a lot in common. Laughing a lot, having a few drinks and maybe dancing a little bit. Having a good meal. A lot of times we go to the Hollywood Bowl – that’s always a good time for me. There’s something about that place that’s magic. Speaking of venues, will you be touring for this record? It’s been too long. Yes, I will tour. It took me so long to make my record because it wasn’t where it needed 28 Gay Vegas Magazine
to be. When I started making the record, I wasn’t like, “I have to get it out at this time”; I was like, “It’s gotta be right – after seven years, why be in a rush now?” Halfway through the process of making my record I signed onto the show Younger(on TV Land) and that was really good for me because I think it helped get me out of – you know when you just need to shake it up? I was terrified. My son had just started school and obviously I was going through a separation and I was like, “I can’t just up and continue work,” and then I was like, “Actually, I can and I’m going to.” This is a great project, and I love New York and it was really good for me. I put a pause on the record and then came back to it after Christmas; it was a great thing for me. It helped turn the record into a proper direction, so now Younger got picked up for a second season. I’ll shoot from September until December and then I’ll tour after Christmas. A world tour? I think it’ll be a world tour. I don’t know if I can set it up like how I used to for five months at a time. Obviously my child is my number one priority, but I think I can do a month at a time and then come back and then go back out for a month. And it’ll have to be a world tour because some of my biggest markets are in South America and Australia and Asia, so we’ll see. No promises, but that’s what I want to happen. Your 3-year-old son, Luca, is so cute, by the way. He’s naked right now and covered in tattoos.
FEATURED CELEBRITY If he were to come out to you one day, what would you tell him? Oh my gosh. I would be so accepting. I just had a long conversation with one of my adult friends who has grown children who are about to go off to college, and he’s like, “I haven’t really had this conversation yet,” and I’m like, “You better do it now because if a kid doesn’t feel accepted by his family, and they’re getting ready to move into a new town, it will just create a divide. He’ll go find his life and you won’t be a part of that. He’ll go find where he is accepted.” Ah, it could almost make me cry. I feel like... that must be such a lonely place if you don’t feel accepted by your family. I can’t imagine. So, 100 percent, I feel like I would notice all the signs and be the first one to bring it up if I had to, and I would want him to wholeheartedly be himself and know that that was accepted by me. What advice do you have for youth who want to pursue showbiz? Honestly, I don’t know. It’s a really hard road, to be honest. To make a transition from that is… I feel like even more so now than it was, your youth is totally taken away. You see these girls dressing like they’re 20 when they’re 14. With Instagram and all this – it’s a youth-sucker. Being 14 in 2015 is intense. I don’t know what I would’ve been like if I had all those outlets to pay attention to and all that babble shit. It’s kind of scary. It scares me raising my kid. The industry is very fickle, and you just do what you can and know that all this stuff doesn’t mean anything. I mean, obviously, appreciate the opportunities and work hard, but there’s so much more to life. This industry
is a tough one to crack, but then I look at someone like Miley, and as crazy as people might think the whole thing is, I commend her. She’s so wholeheartedly being herself and is unapologetic about that and she’s doing a great job. By just being herself, she’s become an idol for the queer community. She loves who she loves unapologetically, and that’s a huge statement, don’t you think? Yeah, I do. And she’s wickedly talented, so there’s that. As much as people wanna hate on her for wearing this or doing that or whatever it is people hate on her for, I think she gets the last laugh. At the end of the day, her talent backs it all up. I don’t always relate to everything that she’s doing, but I love that she’s unapologetically herself. Your show, Younger, revolves around a single mom who realizes the effect age has on starting a new career. But how about maintaining a career, because you started young. You’ve been in this business for more than half your life. From your own experience, what is it like to maintain relevancy in an ever-changing business like show business? Yeah, gosh. There is no secret code that works, as lovely as that would be. I think I have a few things working in my favor. As torturous as it has been at some points in my life to be Lizzie McGuire, I think that when that show came out, it was such a part of who I was, I didn’t feel like I was playing a part. The writers all knew me so well and were writing things that were happening in my life and things that I would say, and I was dressing exactly like I wanted. It was so me. For whatever reason, that show grabbed GayVegas.com
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FEATURED CELEBRITY people at a time in their life when they really needed her or related to her, so obviously I think I got a lot of fans from that who followed me into my music career. I’ve always been a very open and reachable person for them to relate to, but that’s one thing that has really tied us together and why I’ve kept fans for such a long time who have really followed my career and stuck by me and grown up with me. In what regard was being Lizzie McGuire “torturous”? I don’t think during the filming it was torturous. I loved it during the filming. I just didn’t know what a success the show was gonna be, and after that – four years, five years after that – and I was still Lizzie McGuire to people and that was super annoying. Now it’s not. I don’t care now. I’m grateful for it. What would Lizzie be like now as an adult? She’d be pretty rad. She would have stayed in school a little bit longer, and I feel like she’d be a sous chef or working at an architectural firm trying to make her way up but still fucking up at all times. (Laughs) I feel like she’d be cool – she wasn’t always a nerd! She was just, like, a nice girl. I feel like she’d still be that same way, but I think she would be getting drunk and doing normal things that everybody does. Is getting drunk a normal thing you do? Yeah, on occasion, of course. You gotta let your hair down every once in a while. After Lizzie McGuire, was it hard to make the next move? Is it still hard to make the next move? 30 Gay Vegas Magazine
It is hard. Instead of me trying to calculate how to do it and how to be successful at it – a lot of people chose different ways than I did, like Lindsay Lohan and the Olsen twins and even Miley Cyrus – I just chose to bow out for a minute. Why bow out? I really needed it personally. I grew up in the spotlight and on tour and with everyone just knowing me and knowing me a certain way. At some point I was like, “I don’t even know if I’m that person anymore, and I don’t even have the time to figure that out.” I was just making records and touring and making movies, and then doing it all over again. I basically did a cycle of that four times, and by the end of it, I was like, “I’m done. I don’t enjoy this anymore. I’m not who I wanna be.” So, I just took a break. Everyone thought I was just absolutely nuts because I was really successful and making a lot of money. And it was scary, because there was no guarantee that my career was still gonna be there. I think, personally, it was very healthy, and I’m proud of where I am now. My new record being top 5 on Billboard after working on it for eight years – I’m proud of that. I don’t need to be No. 1. I need to just do things that fulfill me and make me happy and hopefully connect with people at a certain level. Desperation is a dangerous road, isn’t it? Yeah. And having a child, too, puts a lot into perspective. I’m definitely grateful to still have a spot, and I wanna be an actress too and do a show. I can’t be where I used to be. I just have to be who I am now and be grateful for that. It’s good. I’m happy.
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PRIDE CONNECTIONS
BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI | PHOTOS BY KATHRYNA HANCOCK
Giorgio Moroder The Big Daddy of Dance At 75, disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder reemerges to once again produce some of the biggest icons of our time
It’s been 35 years since Giorgio Moroder and Cher hooked up for a late-night session to produce “Bad Love,” the diva’s disco rave-up from the soundtrack of the 1980 coming-of-age drama, Foxes. “We were supposed to start at 2 o’clock in the studio, and who comes in at 2 o’clock punctual? Cher,” Moroder recalls, tickled. “I said, ‘Shit, because with an artist like her – the big stars, you think, if it’s 2 o’clock, they come in at 5 o’clock, if you’re lucky. So she was there at 2 o’clock, and I said, ‘Cher, something is wrong – I was told you’re always late.’ And she said, ‘Yes, I’m always late... except the first time.’” Decades have passed and music has changed and Cher has not. One other thing remains the same: Moroder still lights up at the mere thought of the 32 Gay Vegas Magazine
ageless icon, how “I loved her” and “she was so funny.” Undoubtedly, Cher, to this day, can still smack you with a punchline. A star, an icon, the diva of all divas – her success is abiding. Now, returning to the scene at age 75 with his first album in 30 years, Moroder can say the same for his own monumental success. The Italy-born musical mastermind who unwittingly blazed a fruitful trail of radio hits is the father of such celebrated dance-floor relics as Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby” and Blondie’s ubiquitous No. 1 hit “Call Me.” A cavernous catalog of ’70s-era paragons and Moroder’s unprecedented artistic vision became the catalyst for modern-age dance music. Between 1974 and 1984, Moroder’s creative force was a hot commodity, and everyone who was everyone – Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Janet Jackson, Chaka Khan, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie – clamored for his heyday genius. During Moroder’s most musically prolific era, the producer, composer and DJ could be found
endlessly shacked up in a studio. There, he’d mix until the wee hours, never to succumb to his own burgeoning brand of sonic escapism that coaxed just about everyone but himself – the man behind those very beats – to the clubs. “If I go back, I remember one year, ’85, when I did the (music for the) Top Gun movie,” he says. “The whole year I was doing several projects, of which most didn’t work out, but I think I had one weekend by myself. I would work like crazy.” And even that’s an understatement. While producing for an army of iconic artists during the first wave of disco-dance, Moroder was also becoming a booming cinema presence. He won his first Oscar for his music in 1978’s Midnight Express, and then two more for “Flashdance… What a Feeling” and Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away,” from Top Gun. In 1983, he intensified Scarface with his music (he produced the soundtrack), and also contributed to the 1984 children’s fantasy classic The NeverEnding Story, for which he produced the theme song. At 75, his own story, it seems, is neverending. Thanks to a much-deserved salute to Moroder on their latest opus, the track “Giorgio by Moroder” from 2013’s Grammy-winning Random Access Memories, Daft Punk prompted a welcome resurgence. “My name is Giovanni Giorgio, but everybody calls me Giorgio,” he adorably notes during the spoken-word, EDM-charged caper. The song is Moroder’s memoir. And as he looks back on his teenage years, he says “(my) dream was so big that I didn’t see any chance.” But other dreamers did. Some – for instance, RCA Records, who commissioned his latest offering, Déjà Vu – even gave him the chance. Love to love him, baby Could anyone have predicted that Giorgio Moroder would change the future of music? Probably. But
in 1969, the only evidence of his ingenuity was “Looky Looky,” a frothy Beach Boys-esque concoction that, while slight, still sounded remarkably ahead of its time. Fast forward nearly 10 years to 1977, when, with the help of a blossoming singer named Donna Summer, his career boomed beyond his own wildest dreams. The two made music magic together, storming the charts with the steamy disco number “Love to Love You Baby” in 1975 and, two years later, “I Feel Love,” a slice of synth heaven released in 1977. By incorporating the newly developed Moog synthesizer, which generated a bed of pulsating, writhing throbs, the latter was instrumental in revolutionizing the techno movement. But still, Moroder insists, “I Feel Love” would not have been the same without Summer’s ethereal coos. Summer, he says, “humanized the machine,” a characteristic that was “one of the reasons it did so well.” Concerning their first hit together, “Love to Love You Baby,” Moroder recalls reluctantly finding the song a label home. “When I presented that song to some record companies – actually, I didn’t. Somebody did it for me, because I was embarrassed. I thought nobody would ever release this.” To his surprise, the song surged the charts, eventually becoming recognized as one of the greatest disco-era songs of our time. Moroder credits the song’s success with a 17-minute extended cut of the five-minute single, an idea brought to him by Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart, who was inspired to maximize the track’s running time after hearing it looped at a party in its original form like it was drug. So, Moroder tagged on 12 minutes, which he now calls “the key to its success.” GayVegas.com
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PRIDE CONNECTIONS Not all of Moroder’s projects managed the same level of commercial clout, however. Janet Jackson’s second studio album, Dream Street, which Moroder produced when the entertainer was just 17 years old, didn’t fare as hoped. In fact, it didn’t really fare at all. Peaking at No. 147 on the Billboard 200 upon its release in October 1984, the pop icon’s coming-of-age sophomore release was, in retrospect, a stepping stone, a small push to a big breakthrough: 1986’s Control. “Janet was such a darling, but at the time, she was so young,” Moroder says. “She was working on her voice, and I know that the father (Joseph Jackson) was involved with the production not directly but indirectly. It was difficult.” That same year, Moroder produced Freddie Mercury’s first song as a solo artist, “Love Kills.” Their collaboration, however, wasn’t a Janetlike situation – it was just the opposite. Freddie Mercury was so seasoned, he left Moroder feeling “intimidated.” “Freddie was relatively difficult,” Moroder reveals. “He was such a great singer, composer, lyricist, performer, diva, dancer, icon that (I thought), ‘Am I going to tell Freddie that that high note he sang was not perfect?’ So between that and the little problems we had before we even started, it was a tough production.” Tech advancements have certainly alleviated any potential social anxieties, but not, of course, without their own set of challenges. The process nowadays, Moroder says, is impersonal, two people – the artist, the producer – conceiving a song in a virtual world. Sia, Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue all appear on Déjà Vu, but during the recording, they and Moroder weren’t even in the same time zone. “Compared to Donna Summer – she was busy but nothing like singers are busy now,” he says. “Sia, for example, is all over the world. One day she’s in 34 Gay Vegas Magazine
Australia; the next day she’s in London. They don’t even have time to go into the studio with me as a producer. That’s the new way. The only problem is the communication – and that’s a big problem.” Deja woo With a cluster of white-robed men ogling a bearded Moroder, and a steamy haze obscuring the scene, the subliminal marketing of Moroder’s Knights in White Satin cover wasn’t exactly subliminal. By suggesting Moroder was gay by way of a not-sosubtle bathhouse setting – and changing “Nights” to “Knights” – Casablanca Records’ Neil Bogart could expand the producer’s already growing gay following. Moroder, though, was oblivious to the fact that he was being baited. “For months, I didn’t even notice,” he recalls, snickering. “I realized that (Bogart) was giving this to the gay community, which is great. But what a sneaky guy! I was just surprised at how cleverly he changed the title. And I was happy. It was absolutely OK with me. Although, I must tell you: I’m not gay, but I love gay people. It’s absolutely in my… feelings, actually.” In his “feelings”? In his thick, lovable Italian accent, Moroder clarifies, making you wish he were your smartphone’s knowledge navigator – your Siri. “I love gay people; although I’m not, I love them.” The feeling was mutual, as Bogart soon discovered. “‘Love to Love You’ with Donna Summer was a big hit in the discotheques,” he says. “And since I never really went to discotheques, I did not really know exactly what was happening. But everyone was saying that the gay community made that song a hit. Now, I hear other people, especially with the song ‘I Feel Love,’ (saying) that it became a little bit of an anthem for the gay community. But, at the time, I didn’t really realize it.” In fact, he wasn’t conscious of a gay following until just a decade ago, during his 60s. As Moroder
savored his semi-retirement, he discovered – along with, obviously, Bogart’s calculated assistance – that he’d wooed a rather significant queer following over the years. On occasion, while casually perusing gay press, Moroder says he’d see him come up in reference to the EDM sound he had pioneered years before. His influence on today’s dance music-makers du jour – Avicii, Dr. Luke, Calvin Harris and David Guetta – is as inescapable as it is indelible. “I noticed more and more the (gay) audience describing that production, which was similar or inspired by me,” Moroder says. “That made me think that maybe I have some (gay) following, at least with regard to the music.” He does. He must. And Déjà Vu, with a smoldering line-up of gayloved ladies, is just the beginning of a new beginning. In between DJ sets and solving one small booklet of crossword puzzles a week
– which, he says, has kept his mind sharp (“I’m solving the same puzzles as I did 30 years ago”) – the music pioneer continues to dedicate ample time to his still-coveted artistry. Coming soon: a collaboration with Lady Gaga, who has recruited Moroder for her next album. How is Moroder feeling about his sudden reemergence? Overwhelmed. Humbled. But, mostly, thrilled. “I remember I was on a press tour in the limelight – this was about 40 years ago, late ’70s, beginning of ’80s – and now I’m almost back as big and as known as then, and it’s quite something,” he says, uttering a blissful sigh. “Sometimes I think, ‘Shouldn’t I be playing with little dogs and having my hobbies?’ I’ve worked for two and a half years on this album and I’m happy. I’m absolutely not complaining. I mean, it’s a lot of work, but I guess it’s what keeps me happy.” GayVegas.com
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POSITIVE THOUGHTS
BY MYLES HELFAND
HIV
Is Not Your Enemy Please don’t be afraid of HIV. It doesn’t deserve it, and you deserve better. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not anti-fear. I’ve got a whole mess of fears myself – of failure, of illness, of crossing the hectic street outside my office in Manhattan. I’ve got fear pretty down pat. Heck, it’s even healthy. Fear is one of our most fundamental human instincts. It helps keep us safe. I even think it’s healthy to have some fear when it comes to HIV. It’s OK to fear becoming infected with HIV, and it’s OK to be scared of what HIV might do to your body if you’re positive, or to be concerned about the potential side effects of treatment. Those fears can be good if they result in action that makes us better. If we’re appropriately afraid of becoming infected with HIV, we’ll (hopefully) learn more about how the virus is transmitted and the right ways to protect ourselves, and we’ll seek to make changes in our lives that reduce our risk. For some of us, that’ll mean using condoms or starting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). For others, it may mean leaving an abusive relationship, or challenging conditions such as poverty and lack of safe housing that put many at greater risk. If we’re living with HIV and afraid of what comes 36 Gay Vegas Magazine
next, we’ll (hopefully) talk to our doctors and read information on reputable websites, like the four sites who have teamed up to write this monthly column, so that we can ease that fear with information and a plan forward. But to fear HIV itself? That’s where I think we run into problems. Fearing HIV because it exists isn’t logical: HIV itself is not some kind of cold, calculating, devious enemy that seeks to destroy us. It doesn’t care about us at all. It just wants a place to live, and we happen to be a pretty hospitable environment. Nonetheless, a whole lot of us fear HIV itself. Maybe part of that is sheer, animal instinct, but I think much of it is learned. Over the years, an endless array of awareness campaigns has cast HIV as a villain to be conquered, as though it were some kind of inherently evil creature. We’re at war with HIV, the common refrain goes (I’m as guilty as anyone of using it), and in that life-or-death fight, the virus is the big bad.
But here’s the thing: When we see HIV as a vicious enemy, many of us – far too many –tend to start seeing HIV-positive people as enemies by extension. “Those people!” we think. “They allowed this thing to get inside them. They’ve put others at risk. They bear as much blame as the virus itself.” When HIV-negative people become HIV positive, that fear – that judgment, that blame – needs somewhere to go. A lot of the time, it lashes out in two directions: inside, toward themselves; and outside, toward the person they think they got HIV from. This can also be the reaction when HIV-negative people find out that a person they’ve been intimate with has HIV, even when there’s little or no risk of transmission and they remain negative. This is how stigma happens, and when it happens, discrimination follows. It’s how people – Americans, in 2015 – get sent to prison for HIV exposure, some serving terms that are longer than sentences for voluntary manslaughter. These people didn’t share their status because they were afraid. Afraid to be judged. Afraid of the stigma. Afraid to be alone. And, in some cases, maybe at least a little afraid of themselves. It’s a cycle that feeds on itself. We see it in too many HIV education advertisements; one recent campaign features a couple in bed, one partner facing toward us, the other sitting behind them and looking down at them, wondering, “Do I trust him (or her)?” Screw that. Preventing HIV isn’t about whether we trust our partner. It isn’t about fearing the virus or people who live with it. Those instincts are the reason HIV continues to thrive in so much of the world, the U.S. included. Fear breeds stigma, and stigma breeds silence. No, preventing HIV means caring about ourselves enough to understand what HIV is, how it works
and what the risks are. And it’s about respecting ourselves enough to know that we’re worth the steps we can take to keep ourselves, and others, as healthy as we deserve to be. I’m not saying it’s easy to do this, neither for us as a society nor for you and me as individuals. But we need to, or HIV will continue to hurt us in ways that go far beyond the damage it does to our bodies. Maybe it can start with HIV education efforts that focus less on fear, and more on self-respect. In mid-July, humanity lost a man named Bob Munk. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, and immediately dove into AIDS activism, which became his passion. He was a brilliant, kind, deeply caring man. One of his most enduring legacies is AIDS InfoNet, a Web-based effort he started in the early years of the Internet to create and distribute a huge array of fact sheets on HIVrelated topics to as many people, in as many languages, as he could possibly manage. These fact sheets are short, to the point, easy to understand and deeply rooted in reliable research. They say to people: “Here’s what we know. We trust you with this information. Read it, learn it, and use it to make life better.” In a world so often gripped by an obsession with using fear as an HIV prevention tool, Bob Munk opted to take the high road: education, empowerment, self-care. His fact sheets have helped countless thousands, and they push back against what sometimes feels like a relentless tide of fear, stigma and ignorance. I think he had it right. Fear of HIV isn’t the answer, and doesn’t help anyone. We need to respect ourselves, and each other, enough to ensure that we each understand HIV so that we can help one another get past it. We deserve that. GayVegas.com
37
LGBT SOCIAL MEDIA
Insta-Fam:
Getting to Know a Few of Instagram’s Rising LGBT Superstars Love it or hate it, Instagram is here to stay – and for some members of the LGBT community that means greater exposure with every filtered pic they post. Who are some of these IG movers and shakers actively working to have all eyes on them? Meet a few of my favorites right here.
CHRIS SALVATORE Actor/Singer ChrisSalvatore.com
Age: 30 IG Handle: @ChrisSalvatore # of Followers: 98K Name five character traits your ideal dude must have. They have to have a sense of humor first and 38 Gay Vegas Magazine
BY MIKEY ROX
foremost. I would also like them to not be shy when it comes to decision-making time, like where to go on dates. I like to be with someone who is confident in himself. I like good kissers, too! Sexual chemistry is important to me. Also, I am 6-foot-3, so ideally someone around my height I find makes things better. Where’s your favorite place to kick it in L.A.? This is gonna be such a ‘dad’ answer but probably the dog park. My furry child, Bobby, has a lot of energy and needs to run free. There’s also a lot going on at dog parks, which can be highly entertaining. What’s your next project? I will be joining the cast of The Horizon, an Australian web series, which is kind of like Queer as Folk. We start filming this summer!
SHAKEIA MCCALL-BARNES Comedian/Speaker/Educator KiaComedy.com
Age: 30 IG Handle: @KiaComedy # of Followers: 7.3K Who are a few of your comedy idols? Some of my comedy idols are Melissa McCarthy, Eddie Murphy, Rickey Smiley and
Wanda Sykes, because they all started off doing open-mic standup comedy and were able to turn that into amazing careers in entertainment. They also took risks and stayed true to themselves, and the world fell in love with their comedy. They have influenced me the most, because their stories and careers encourage me to continue to do what I do. Favorite sitcom of all time? My favorite sitcom of all time is The Cosby Show, regardless of Bill Cosby’s fall from grace. It showcased a successful and diverse family and addressed difficult issues and concerns, but still managed to be hilarious. Who didn’t want to be Rudy, Theo or Denise Huxtable in the ’90s? Funniest movie of all time? The funniest movie of all time is absolutely Forrest Gump! The way it comically juxtaposes real-life issues like war, racism, death and American history while still cracking my side makes it the winner in my book!
CONNOR FRANTA YouTuber YouTube.com/ConnorFranta
Why do you think you appeal to so many online/social media users? I think people are attracted to normal people doing great things. I get inspired every single day by my YouTube friends dominating everything from the music industry to the fashion industry. We’re at the brink of a new era where anyone, including you reading this article, can achieve great things – all you need is an Internet connection. How do you keep your YouTube content dynamic and intriguing? Variety and consistency is key in keeping your audience engaged with your creations. I never want to fall into a cycle of uploading videos I feel aren’t somewhat unique to me or unique to the space. I’m always trying to add a bit of flare and a twist to my content to keep my viewers interested. Who are some of your favorite YouTubers? I’m a huge fan of the entire YouTube community. Each creator brings his or her own strengths to the table. Currently, I’m particularly captivated by what Joe Sugg, Marques Brownlee, Natalie Tran and Casey Neistat are creating. It’s all so good!
PATRICK JANELLE
Co-Founder of Spring Street Social Society & The Liquor Cabinet SSSSociety.com
Age: 22 IG Handle: @ConnorFranta # of Followers: 3.4M GayVegas.com
39
LGBT SOCIAL MEDIA Age: 33 IG Handle: @AGuyNamedPatrick # of Followers: 382K You were recently awarded the first Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Instagrammer of the Year Award. To what do you owe that honor? I won the award for the Instagram work I did with the Thom Browne team, integrating the designer’s pieces into my lifestyle over the series of two weeks after I was nominated. The nomination itself was a huge surprise, and I’m not actually sure how the CFDA found out about me – but I couldn’t be happier! Tell me a bit about Spring Street Society... Spring Street Social Society started as a series of cabaret shows in my backyard at the time, which was on Spring Street in SoHo. It has since become a series of different types of events, including dinners and social salons in empty buildings around Manhattan. We’ve also grown a membership following, in which guests can apply to become members for exclusive access to some of our activities. The events are always different, but some things stay the same: the location is announced the morning of the event, performances are an integral part of each gathering, and no two events are ever the same. Oh, and there are always cocktails. Which is a good segue to the next question: What’s the Liquor Cabinet all about? The Liquor Cabinet is a company I founded with my two brothers. We are developing an app and a website that will act as the authoritative place to get information about liquor and cocktails. As a culture, we are increasingly interested in the origin of what we eat and drink, but this type of information for liquor is either untrustworthy or hard to locate. 40 Gay Vegas Magazine
We aim to be the go-to destination whether you’re looking for cocktail recipes or general information about a spirit you’d like to learn more about.
MALCOLM RENÉ RIBOT Freelance Graphic Designer YouTube.com/GorillaShrimp
Age: 26 IG Handle: @GorillaShrimp # of Followers: 11.6K Who is your favorite superhero? Captain America. What’s on your summer playlist? A whole lot of indie folk. What advice do you have for other trans boys, girls, men and women who may be having a hard time right now? Trust the process, stay positive, and have patience with yourself and others. Embrace each step forward, and celebrate them. It really is a beautiful journey.
LUKE & ADAM MONASTERO
Twin YouTubers YouTube.com/TheMonasteroTwins Ages: 22 IG Handles: @MyNameIsLuke, @Adamonastero # of Followers: Luke, 4K; Adam; 6.4K Which one of you is older? Adam: Luke is older by two minutes, which doesn’t bother me – but the fact that he’s an inch taller does a little. Ever had a crush on your brother’s date/ boyfriend?
Luke: No, I don’t think that would never happen because Adam likes younger guys and I like older guys. Using only three adjectives, describe your brother. Adam: Funny, sociable and trustworthy. Luke: Creative, ambitious and very articulate.
GayVegas.com
41
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
BY DANIELA COSTA
tells Gay Vegas. “From that point we set out on a top-to-bottom review of how we do business.” For him, the July 18 decision means three terms of “doing business.” He plans on using his prior experience to the good of the party, and the people. “People want their voices to be heard and their votes to matter,” he says. “I think the last election showed me that voting matters and it is my job, along with others in the Party, to ensure people understand what is at stake and the difference one vote can make.”
Chris Miller OPENLY GAY CLARK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN RE-ELECTED TO THIRD TERM The Clark County Democratic Party reelected its openly gay chairman Chris Miller to a third term on July 18. Miller ran uncontested for his third two-year term. He is the first openly gay chairman of a Democratic Party organization in Nevada. Miller’s goal is clear – help return Nevada to Democrat hands. In the 2014 midterm elections, Democrats lost control of the Legislature and all statewide offices. Miller’s been working to revert this ever since. “That process started the day after the 2014 election. I met with my team and we set out to listen to Democratic voters, the grassroots of the party, to find out why some of them sat out the election,” Miller
Despite his notable rhetoric, it wasn’t until 2008 that Miller got involved in politics. He attributes the change in him to President Barack Obama’s election and the passing of Proposition 8 that same day in his home state of California. “I realized that it was time for me to take more direct action. I got involved in LGBTQ rights issues and organizations, was one of the planners of the 2009 National Equality March in Washington, DC, and found ways to get involved in local Democratic Party politics.” And because he became involved in politics a bit later in life, Miller says he never actually had to come out in the political world, having entered it as “an out and proud gay man.” What’s more, he claims he’s been an out individual in a welcoming environment, politics and all. “From day one, the Democratic Party has been open and welcoming to me as a gay man.” It’s a party like this he says he will gladly lead. “I am proud to lead a party that has been at the forefront of many civil rights issues, including LGBTQ rights.”
OUT & ABOUT
PHOTOS BY MARLEE SANCHEZ
GOLDEN RAINBOW-RIBBON OF LIFE
THE PERFECT SHADE OF STAND UP
AUGUST 15
LONI LOVE AS SEEN ON THE REAL速
BEST COMEDY SHOW
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43
OUT & ABOUT
PHOTOS BY MARLEE SANCHEZ
GOLDEN RAINBOW-RIBBON OF LIFE
EVENTS & CONCERTS AUG 1
Aerosmith at MGM Grand Garden Arena ticketmaster.com
AUG 7
Melissa Etheridge at Palms Casino Resort ticketmaster.com
AUG 14
Aretha Franklin at The Colosseum Caesars Palace ticketmaster.com
AUG 15
Reno Gay Pride renogaypride.com
AUG 22
2015 Black & White Party at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino afanlv.org
AUG 29
Ariana Grande & Prince Royce at Mandalay Bay ticketmaster.com
AUG 30 SEPT 7
Burning Man burningman.org
SEPT 8 - 13
Gay Days Las Vegas gaydays.com
SEPT 12
Picnic by Design thecenterlv.org/picnic
SEPT 18
Las Vegas Pride Parade lasvegaspride.org
SEPT 19
Las Vegas Pride Festival lasvegaspride.org
OCT 17
Kaleidoscope: The Center’s 21st Annual Honorarium thecenterlv.org/honorarium
Text GAY to 33733 for FREE STUFF
44 Gay Vegas Magazine
NIGHTCLUB & BAR SCHEDULE MONDAY
BASTILLE Any drink 2-for-1 daily 11am-2pm, 4pm-7pm, and 11pm -2am. MARTINI MONDAYS 1/2 price 8pm-11pm. 1402 S. 3rd St, bastillelv.com, 702-385-9298. Open 10am-2am, gaming, free entry. CHARLIES LAS VEGAS 2-for-1 3pm-8pm & 3am-8am. $1 well & domestic 8pm-10pm. SING-A-LONG MUSICAL MONDAYS 9pm. 5012 Arville St, charlieslasvegas.com, 702876-1844. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. THE GARAGE 2-for-1 drinks 11am-7pm. Beer bust 1am-4am & 9pm 12am $5 domestic $8 import. $4 Absolut cocktails 8pm4am. 1487 E. Flamingo, thegaragelv.com, 702-440-6333 24 hours, gaming, free entry. GOODTIMES NIGHTCLUB AND BAR 2-for-1 drinks 3pm7pm. Flavored Vodka $140 a bottle. Daily lunch special 1pm-8pm 100oz $20 beer tower. 1755 E. Tropicana Ave, goodtimesbarlv.com, 702-736-9494. 24 Hours, gaming, free entry. THE PHOENIX 2-for-1 4pm-7pm everyday. BURNER MONDAYS 6-9pm Weekly Burning Man Meetup Group. DRAG RACE w/host Keyska Diva 8:30pm 4213 W. Sahara Ave, facebook.com/thephoenixlv, 702-826-2422. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB HOTT MESS MONDAYS 2 for 1 on all liquor & Draft Beer 12pm-9pm. Hosted by Des’ree D St James. Open talent showcase. INDUSTRY MONDAYS 50% off drinks 4pm-9pm with industry card. 4633 Paradise Rd, piranhavegas.com, 702-379-9500. 24 hours, gaming, free entry (excluding special events and holidays). QUADZ VIDEO BAR 2-for-1 12pm-8pm. KARAOKE MONDAY. 4640 Paradise Rd, quadzbar.com, 702-733-0383. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
E. Flamingo, thegaragelv.com, 702-440-6333. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. GOODTIMES NIGHTCLUB AND BAR 2-for-1 3pm-7pm. KARAOKE w/ E’stefano 8pm. Flavored Vodka $140 a bottle. Daily lunch special 1pm-8pm 100oz $20 beer tower. goodtimesbarlv.com, 1755 E. Tropicana Ave, 702-7369494. 24 Hours, gaming, free entry. THE PHOENIX 2-for-1 4pm-7pm. FUNDERWEAR NIGHT 9pm.-1am. Party in your Underwear for $5 liquor bust, $2 beer specials 4213 W. Sahara Ave, facebook.com/ thephoenixlv, 702-826-2422. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB LA NOCHE AT THE TROPICS LATINO. 2-for-1 liquor and draft 12pm-11pm. KARAOKE WITH SHIELA 7pm-11pm. 4633 Paradise Rd. piranhavegas.com, 702-379-9500. 24 hours, gaming, free entry (excluding special events and holidays). QUADZ VIDEO BAR 2-for-1 12pm-8pm. BEER AND LIQUOR BUST 8pm - 11pm $5 beer $10 well liquor bust. TRIVIA TUESDAY quadzbar.com, 4640 Paradise Rd, 702-733-0383. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
WEDNESDAY
BASTILLE Any drink 2-for-1 daily 11am-2pm, 4pm-7pm, and 11pm -2am. $3.50 Patron Silver Shot. 1402 S. 3rd St, bastillelv.com, 702-385-9298. Open 10am-2am, gaming, free entry. CHARLIES LAS VEGAS 2-for-1 3pm-8pm & 3am-8am. 8am-3pm $2 well & domestic. SKIN UNDERWEAR NIGHT 10pm Men and Boyz in underwear drink free well & draft beer. Go-Go dancers at 10:30pm. 5012 Arville St, charlieslasvegas.com, 702-876-1844. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
TUESDAY
THE GARAGE 2-for-1 drinks 11am-7pm. BEER BUST 1am-4am and 9pm-12am $5 domestic $8 import. $4 Jack Daniels 8am-4am. MUSIC VIDEOS 9pm-12am. 702-4406333, thegaragelv.com, 1487 E. Flamingo. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
CHARLIES LAS VEGAS 2-for-1 3pm-8pm & 3am-8am. 8am-3pm $2 well & domestic DRAG QUEEN GAME NIGHT. 9:30PM WIN PRIZES. 5012 Arville St, charlieslasvegas.com, 702-876-1844. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
GOODTIMES NIGHTCLUB AND BAR 2-for-1 3pm-7pm. Flavored Vodka $140 a bottle. Daily lunch special 1pm8pm 100oz $20 beer tower. goodtimesbarlv.com, 702736-9494, 1755 E. Tropicana Ave, 24 Hours, gaming, free entry.
BASTILLE Any drink 2-for-1 daily 11am-2pm, 4pm-7pm, and 11pm -2am. TOP SHELF TUESDAYS; $3 off 8pm-11pm. Beer Bust 9pm-12am 1402 S. 3rd St, bastillelv.com, 702-385-9298. Open 10am-2am, gaming, free entry.
THE GARAGE 2-for-1 drinks 11am-7pm. LIQUOR BUST $10 well $20 call 9pm-12am. $3 Fireball shots 8pm-4am. 1487 46 Gay Vegas Magazine
THE PHOENIX 2-for-1 4pm-7pm. HUMP DAY LATE
NIGHTCLUB & BAR SCHEDULE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR 2-for-1 drinks if you check in on facebook or other social media, 9-1; play $20, get $10 free match play when logged in. 4213 W. Sahara Ave, facebook. com/thephoenixlv, 702-826-2422. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB BOYLESQUE cabaret and burlesque performers. 2-for-1 drinks 12pm-9pm. piranhavegas.com, 4633 Paradise Rd. 702-379-9500. 24 hours, gaming, free entry (excluding special events and holidays). QUADZ VIDEO BAR 2-for-1 12pm-8pm LIVE VJ $7 mini pitcher beer Video Jockey 10pm. 4640 Paradise Rd, quadzbar.com, 702-733-0383. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
THURSDAY
BASTILLE Any drink 2-for-1 daily 11am-2pm, 4pm-7pm, and 11pm -2am. LIQUOR BUST $10/$20 8pm-11pm. THURSDAY TRIVIA! - win prizes. 1402 S. 3rd St, bastillelv. com, 702-385-9298. Open 10am-2am, gaming, free entry. CHARLIES LAS VEGAS 2-for-1 3pm-8pm & 3am-8am. 8am-3pm $2 well & domestic. 8pm-10pm $1 well & domestic. FREE COUNTRY DANCE LESSON w/ Joe 8pm. 5012 Arville St, charlieslasvegas.com, 702-876-1844. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. THE GARAGE 2-for-1 drinks 11am-7pm. $3 off top shelf 8pm-4am. 1/2 price martinis 8pm-11pm. 1487 E. Flamingo, thegaragelv.com, 702-440-6333. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. GOODTIMES NIGHTCLUB AND BAR 2-for 1 3pm-7pm. INSURGENCE NIGHT Flavored Vodka $140 a bottle. Daily lunch special 1pm-8pm 100oz $20 beer tower. 1755 E. Tropicana Ave, goodtimesbarlv.com, 702-736-9494. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. THE PHOENIX 2-for-1 4pm-7pm. THERAPY THURSDAY Karaoke w/ Shiela Del Monte 9pm - 1am. 4213 W. Sahara Ave, facebook.com/thephoenixlv, 702-826-2422. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB DRAG QUEEN BINGO NIGHT 7pm-11pm Hosted by Michelle Holliday. 2-for-1 drinks 12pm11pm. piranhavegas.com, 4633 Paradise Rd. 702-379-9500. 24 hours, gaming, free entry (excluding special events and holidays). QUADZ VIDEO BAR 2-for-1 12pm-8pm. FREE POOL ALL DAY. BEER AND LIQUOR BUST 8pm - 11pm. $4 Three Olives drinks. POKER LEAGUE 6pm. 4640 Paradise Rd,
quadzbar.com, 702-733-0383. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
FRIDAY
BASTILLE Any drink 2-for-1 daily 11am-2pm, 4pm-7pm, and 11pm -2am. BEER BUST $5 8pm-11pm. 1402 S. 3rd St, bastillelv.com 702-385-9298. Open 10am-2am, gaming, free entry. CHARLIES LAS VEGAS 2-for-1 3pm-8pm & 3am-8am. 8am-3pm $2 well & domestic. LIQUOR BUST $10 well $20 premium 9pm-12am. 5012 Arville St, charlieslasvegas.com, 702-876-1844. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. THE GARAGE 2-for-1 drinks 11am-7pm. $3 Cherry/Jager bombs 8pm-4am. 1487 E. Flamingo, thegaragelv.com, 702-440-6333. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. GOODTIMES NIGHTCLUB AND BAR 2 for 1 3pm-7pm. LATIN NIGHT COUNTRY WESTERN STYLE 9pm. Liquor Bust 10pm-1am. GLO-NIGHT EVERY FIRST FRIDAY wear neon colors. Deception Show 1am. Flavored Vodka $140 a bottle. Daily lunch special 1pm-8pm 100oz $20 beer tower. 1755 E. Tropicana Ave, goodtimesbarlv.com, 702736-9494. gaming, 24 hours, free entry. THE PHOENIX 2-for-1 4pm-7pm. PHIRED UP PHRIDAYS w/ Tyler Caiden 9pm - 1am. Drag show starring Keyska Diva 11:30pm. BEER BUST10pm-1am $10. 4213 W. Sahara Ave, facebook.com/thephoenixlv, 702-826-2422. 24 hours, PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB F*CK IT FRIDAYS All you can drink for $25 11pm-4am. Fierce Drag Show w/ India Ferrah & Desree St. James 12am. 4633 Paradise Rd. piranhavegas. com, 702-379-9500. 24 hours, gaming, free entry (excluding special events and holidays). QUADZ VIDEO BAR 2-for-1 12pm-8pm. SHOWTUNES NIGHT Video Jockey 10pm. Beer / Liquor Bust 8pm - 11pm. $5 beer $10 well liquor. 4640 Paradise Rd, quadzbar.com, 702-733-0383. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
SATURDAY
BASTILLE Any drink 2-for-1 daily 11am-2pm, 4pm-7pm, and 11pm -2am. MUSIC VIDEOS BY REQUEST and Drink Pitcher Specials 8pm-11pm LIQUOR BUST $10/$20 8pm11pm. 1402 S. 3rd St, bastillelv.com, 702-385-9298. Open 10am-2am, gaming, free entry. CHARLIES LAS VEGAS 2-for-1 3pm-8pm & 3am-8am. 8am-3pm $2 well & domestic. BEER BUST $5 domestic and $8 premium from 9pm-12am. 5012 Arville St, charlieslasvegas.com, 702-876-1844. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. NEWLY UPDATED PROMOTIONS INDICATED IN PINK
NIGHTCLUB & BAR SCHEDULE THE GARAGE 2-for-1 drinks 11am-7pm. Beer bust 8pm11pm $5 domestic $8 import & $1 off well cocktails. 1/2 price Long Islands 8pm-4am. 1487 E. Flamingo, thegaragelv.com, 702-440-6333. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. GOODTIMES NIGHTCLUB AND BAR 2 for 1 3pm-7pm. LATIN NIGHT with Barbara de la O - Latin Hip Hop R&B Top 40. Flavored Vodka $140 a bottle. Daily lunch special 1pm-8pm 100oz $20 beer tower. Entry charge varies nightly depending on special events and holidays. 1755 E. Tropicana Ave, goodtimesbarlv.com, 702-736-9494. 24 hours, gaming. THE PHOENIX 2-for-1 4pm-7pm. 4213 W. Sahara Ave, facebook.com/thephoenixlv, 702-826-2422. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB SELFIE SATURDAYS Goddess Show w / India Ferrah & guests. 2-for-1 drinks 12pm-9pm. 4633 Paradise Rd. piranhavegas. com, 702-379-9500. 24 hours, gaming, free entry (excluding special events and holidays). QUADZ VIDEO BAR 2-for-1 12pm-8pm. LIVE VJ Video Jockey 10pm. $1 schnapps shots. $3 fireball shots. 4640 Paradise Rd, quadzbar.com, 702-733-0383. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
SUNDAY
BASTILLE Any drink 2-for-1 daily 11am-2pm, 4pm-7pm, and 11pm -2am. LE DISCO SUNDAYS Music Videos 4pm7pm. BEER BUST $5 8pm-11pm. 1402 S. 3rd St, bastillelv. com, 702-385-9298. Open 10am-2am, gaming, free entry.
*Venue responsible for submitting updated information. Promotions are not guaranteed. Please call venue to verify.
CHARLIES LAS VEGAS 2-for-1 3pm-8pm & 3am8am. 8am-3pm $2 well & domestic. 4pm-8pm beer bust $5 domestic $8 premium. LINE DANCING & DRAG REVUE Line dance lessons 5-9pm. 10pm Drag Revue. $2 Long Islands 8pm-12am. 5012 Arville St, charlieslasvegas.com, 702-876-1844. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. THE GARAGE 2-for-1 drinks 11am-7pm. Beer bust 5pm9pm $5 domestic $8 import. $3.50 Patron Silver shots 8pm-4am. MUSIC VIDEOS & LIQUOR BUST 9pm-12am $10 well $20 call. 1487 E. Flamingo, thegaragelv.com 702440-6333. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. GOODTIMES NIGHTCLUB AND BAR 2 for 1 3pm-7pm. FOOTBALL PARTY SUNDAYS 4pm. VIP SUNDAYS / RISE LGBT No Cover 10pm-4am Hip-Hop, R&B, Top 40 and Reggae. 1755 E. Tropicana Ave, goodtimesbarlv.com, 702-736-9494. 24 hours, gaming. THE PHOENIX LIVE MUSIC - AMPED! w/ Jeff St. Germain 4pm - 6pm SUPERSTAR KARAOKE w/ Shiela Del Monte 9PM-1AM. 4213 W. Sahara Ave, facebook.com thephoenixlv, 702-826-2422. 24 hours, gaming, free entry. PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB EL DESEO LATIN NIGHT 2 rooms - Banda and Duranguense w/ DJ Virus. House, Top 40 & R&B w/ DJ Vago. Latin Show 1am. 2-for-1 drinks 12pm9pm. 4633 Paradise Rd. piranhavegas.com, 702-379-9500. 24 hours, gaming, free entry (excluding special events and holidays). QUADZ VIDEO BAR 2-for-1 12pm-8pm. $3 Seagrams Sweet Tea vodka. 4640 Paradise Rd, quadzbar.com, 702733-0383. 24 hours, gaming, free entry.
DOWNLOAD OUR APP GAY VEGAS FROM YOUR APPLE OR ANDROID DEVICE. 50 Gay Vegas Magazine
NIGHTLIFE GAY NIGHTCLUBS FLEX LAS VEGAS 4347 W. Charleston Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102 (702) 878-3355. flexlasvegas.com Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. FREEZONE NIGHTCLUB & BAR 610 E. Naples Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89119 (702) 794-2300. freezonelv.com Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. GOODTIMES NIGHTCLUB & BAR 1775 E. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89119 (702) 736-9494. facebook.com/goodtimesbarlv Open 24/7. Gaming. COVER VARIES NIGHTLY. PIRANHA NIGHTCLUB 4633 Paradise Road. Las Vegas, NV 89169 (702) 791-0100. piranhavegas.com Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. SHARE NIGHTCLUB 4636 Wynn Road Las Vegas, NV 89103 (702) 258-2681. sharenightclub.com Open Thur - Sat 10pm. NO COVER.
GAY BARS BADLANDS SALOON 953 E. Sahara Ave. #22 Las Vegas, NV 89104 (702) 792-9262. facebook.com/badlandssaloonlv Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. BASTILLE ON 3RD 1402 S. 3rd St. Las Vegas, NV 89104 (702) 385-9298. bastillelv.com Open 10am-2am. Gaming. NO COVER.
CHARLIE’S LAS VEGAS 5012 S Arville Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89118 (702) 876-1844. charlieslasvegas.com Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. THE EAGLE 3430 E. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89121 (702) 458-8662. facebook.com/thelasvegaseagle Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. FUN HOG RANCH 495 E Twain Las Vegas, NV 89169 (702) 791-7001. funhogranchlv.com Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. THE GARAGE 1487 E. Flamingo Rd., Ste. C Las Vegas, NV 89119 (702) 440-6333. thegaragelv.com Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. THE PHOENIX 4213 W. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89102 (702) 826-2422. facebook.com/thephoenixlv Open Noon - 4am daily. Gaming. NO COVER. QUADZ VIDEO BAR 4640 Paradise Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89169 (702) 733-0383. quadzbar.com Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. SPOTLIGHT LOUNGE 975 E. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89104 (702) 431-9775. spotlightlounge.com Open 24/7. Gaming. NO COVER. LAS VEGAS LOUNGE 900 Karen Ave C101, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 737-9350 Open 24/7. NO COVER.
PROMOTIONAL GLOSSARY:
LIQUOR BUST OR BEER BUST - a promotion involving a one time fee for an all-you-can-drink time frame.
GAMING - this establishment has a gaming license, and you can expect gambling machines such as video poker, etc.
GAY VEGAS FUN
YOU CAN’T TIE THE KNOT? NOT!
PHOTO CREDIT: JAMES MINCHIN
ACROSS
1 Protection for one’s head 6 Sweet dream spoiler 11 Prepare for phone sex 15 “I am ___ than grass...” (Sappho) 16 Hub-to-rim lines 17 Event for Geert Blanchart 18 Cara of _Fame_ 19 Right on the button 20 What Dorian Gray never does 21 Porno film _ ___ 69_ 22 “I Do” singer 24 “Chapel of Love” singer 28 You betcha 29 Like sex for one 30 Threesome member for Dumas 34 Gaza Stripper, e.g. 38 Rick’s old flame 40 Frame of mind 41 “Wedding Serenade” singer 44 Bound by routine 45 Mishima’s continent 46 ‘50s talk-show pioneer 47 Homosexuality and more, in Leviticus 48 Sea eagles 50 LBJ’s veep 52 “Beautiful Day” singer 57 What the four songs in this puzzle celebrate for LGBTs 61 Frightfully strange 62 Architecture, to Julia Morgan 63 Blue material, but not porn 66 Persona non ___ 67 Diplomacy breakdown 68 De Wolfe of design 69 Rob on the screen 70 Lambda Legal Defense suit, e.g. 71 Shirt spoiler 72 What a chicken hawk may raid *See answers in next issue.
DOWN
1 Cathedral of Hope topper 2 Claire McNab’s inspector Ashton 3 Alaskan tongue 4 Slow, to Saint-Saens 5 Emulates a peacock 6 “We ___ Family” 7 Overly permissive 8 Butler’s last words 9 Affluent, to Lorca 10 Walter portrayed by Danny Kaye 11 Where cross-dressers race 12 He did Moor good, then harm 13 Perfect serves from Mauresmo 14 It’s sometimes more 23 _Coffee, ___ Me?_ 25 Floorboard supporter 26 Earthen pot 27 Biblical prophet married to Gomer 31 “If I Only ___ Brain” 32 Poet Broumas 33 One available for future reference? 34 In the center of 35 Butch Janet 36 _The Spell_ author Hollinghurst 37 Gay honeymoons won’t contribute to this 39 Cruising, maybe 40 Had in mind 42 Kind of bar 43 Al who blew it 49 Pete of folk 51 Hell for the Greeks? 52 Head-oriented group 53 Left page, in a manuscript 54 Muse for Millay 55 Removal of the foreskin and more 56 It helps a baker get it up 57 _South Park_ composer Shaiman
41
across
58 Vehicle for the high C’s? 59 New York Liberty game officials 60 Moola 64 Caesar’s three 65 Queens on a chessboard, ironically
ANSWERS FROM LAST ISSUE
COMMUNITY RESOURCES Welcome to our community resources section. This community resources section has been created for our LGBT community and is made possible by the following community sponsors. These sponsors allow us to provide our readers with the resources they need and highlight the non-profit organizations that make a positive impact on our LGBT community.
COMMUNITY SPONSORS
VIOLET SPONSORs
BLUE SPONSORs
green SPONSORs
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
yellow SPONSORs Country Club Towers
orange SPONSORs
red SPONSORs RED SPONSORS
SOCIAL AND SUPPORT GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES ACT III Senior Drop-in Monday–Friday 10:30AM–2PM Gay Men’s Forum Every Wednesday 6–7:30PM Identi-T* FLUX TRANS* YOUTH GROUP Wednesdays 3PM. OUT OF THE (GENDER) BOX Tuesdays 7–8PM. SWITCH TRANS* CLOTHING SWAP Thursdays 5–6PM and Fridays 5–5:30PM. T*GETHER July 15 on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. TRANS.LATION Fridays 5:30–7AM. TRANSMASCULINE GROUP A Third Saturday of every month 10:30–11:30AM. The L Group RAP N’ MORE social group meets each Friday at 7pm. The group features a rap/chat group the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month, crafts on the 2nd Friday and lesbian movie night the 4th Friday. Many Loves: Polyamory/Non-monogamy Group Second Tuesday of Every Month 8PM. PFLAG Second Saturday of Every Month 10AM Prime Timers Third Saturday of Every Month 12–2PM QVolution Youth Program Every Tuesday and Thursday 6–10PM Social CirKish SUMMER: Thursdays 4–6PM (6/8–8/13) FALL: Tues./Thurs. 5:30–7:30PM (9/8–12/19) Southern Nevada Bisexuals Second Monday of Every Month 5–6PM Vegas Mpowerment Project Every Monday and Friday 7:30PM
HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS Addiction Recovery Groups The following peer-led recovery programs meet at The Center every week: ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (AA) Monday–Friday 6:30–7:30PM AA EN ESPAÑOL Every Saturday 10:00AM–NOON GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS (GA) Every Wednesday 8:15PM NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS (NA) Every Saturday 2–3PM SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS (SAA) Every Tuesday 6–7PM SMART RECOVERY Every Monday 7–8:30PM FLUX Trans* Youth Group Every Wednesday 3PM Free HIV and Syphilis Testing and Counseling Monday–Thursday 10:30AM–5PM and the first Saturday of each month 10:00AM-3PM Free Vaccinations Monday and Wednesday 10:30AM–4PM Living Well Every Tuesday 6–7PM
ADDITIONAL SERVICES Community Information & Referrals Our information and referral desk staff and volunteers happily provide information on topics such as LGBTQ activities, support groups and organizations throughout the Las Vegas Valley as well as referrals to public assistance, counselors, doctors, attorneys, churches and more. Cultural Competency Training The Center’s knowledgeable program staff can lead a variety of cultural competency trainings for companies and organizations, on topics such as HIV, gender identity and the LGBTQ community. A complete menu of trainings is under development. David Bohnett CyberCenter Our CyberCenter, recently refreshed by the David Bohnett Foundation with internet service proudly powered by Cox Communications, provides individuals with two free hours of computer and internet usage Monday through Saturday during Center business hours. Many users enjoy access to social media, games and streaming video while others take advantage of the Microsoft Office suite for resumé-building and other tasks. David R. Parks Lending Library Named by the community in honor of Nevada State Senator David Parks, our lending library offers more than 4,000 fiction and non-fiction books and hundreds of DVDs to borrow at no charge for a two-week period. While the majority are of an LGBTQ nature, we also offer a wide variety of mainstream works. Multipurpose Event Spaces Perfect for meetings, social events, banquets and much more, our Event Hall provides 3,000 sq. ft. of versatile space. Through the use of movable walls, the space can be divided into six smaller meeting rooms or opened to accommodate 200 individuals for dinner or 300 for a live performance. A stage, dance floor and projector with screen are all available to use. In addition, we have 18-seat and 12-seat conference rooms with marker-boards and 42” televisions for smaller meetings. Room usage prices and other details may be found online at www.thecenterlv.org/rooms. Outdoor Sports Court & Courtyard A half-court, outdoor basketball court to the east of our main entrance is available for public use. Observers may enjoy the game from nearby benches and picnic tables. To the west of our entrance, a lushly landscaped courtyard with five picnic tables may be used for simply enjoying the weather or sharing a meal with friends.
the center
Serving the LGBTQ Community of Nevada
THE CENTER 401 S. MARYLAND PKWY. LAS VEGAS, NV 89101
702-733-9800 • THECENTERLV.ORG
aging communities together
men’s mondays
transgender tuesdays
inclusive thursdays
women’s wednesdays
free-for-all fridays
IT’S TIME FOR A
COMPREHENSIVE
FEDERAL LGBT NON-DISCRIMINATION LAW
IT’S TIME FOR THE
EQUALITY ACT HRC.ORG/EQUALITYFORWARD #EQUALITYFORWARD
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.
AUG 29
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Purchase your tickets at afanlv.org
COMMUNITY RESOURCES AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE
AID FOR AIDS OF NEVADA
PARENTS, FAMILIES FRIENDS OF LESBIANS & GAYS (PFLAG) LAS VEGAS
North: 702-639-8110 South: 702-862-8075 aidshealth.org
1120 Almond Tree Ln. Las Vegas, NV 89104 702-382-2326 AFANLV.org THE CENTER
401 S. Maryland Pkwy. Las Vegas, NV 89101 702-733-9800 TheCenterLV.com COMMUNITY COUNSELING CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA
714 E Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89104 702-369-8700 CCCofNV.org
GOLDEN RAINBOW
801 S. Rancho Dr., Ste. B-1B Las Vegas, NV 89106 702-384-2899 GoldenRainbow.org HRC LAS VEGAS
HRC.org/LasVegas info@hrclv.org
IMPERIAL ROYAL SOVEREIGN COURT OF THE DESERT EMPIRE
P.O. Box 46481 Las Vegas, NV 89114 DesertEmpire.org
1-800-SUICIDE suicidepreventionlifeline.org
P.O. Box 20145 Las Vegas, NV 89112 702-738-7838 PFLAG.org
SAFY SPECIALIZED ALTERNATIVES FOR FAMILY & YOUTH
4285 N. Rancho Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89109 702-385-5331 SAFY.org
SAINT THERESE CENTER HIV OUTREACH CENTER
100 E. Lake Mead Pkwy. Henderson, NV 89015 702-564-4224 SaintThereseCenter.org
SIN SITY SISTERS SADAP
P.O. Box 60005 Las Vegas, NV 89160 702-592-6969 SinSitySisters.org
SUICIDE HOTLINE
LGBT Youth 1-866-488-7386 thetrevorproject.org
A PRIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY
ENTER TO WIN FREE TICKETS
text PRIDE to 68398 VegasPride.org GayVegas.com
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