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JUNE 5–21, 2020 All performances are in the Amaturo Theater
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Hotspots.LGBT | 17
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2020 Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day
GIFT GUIDE
We do a few gift guides a year, but the Valentine's Day Gift Guide concentrates on items that you can give to and/or enjoy with your honey! by Scott Holland
Full-spectrum CBD Massage Oil $54.99 - Veritasfarms.com For an ultra-calming experience, gift Veritas Farms' Full-spectrum CBD massage oil to add to anyone's relaxation routine after a long day. Veritas Farms' 500mg Fullspectrum massage oil comes in an easy-touse pump-style bottle. This product c ontains .3% or less of THC, which is federally legal in all 50 states.
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Flooid - a fragrance for all humans - $125 Nongenderspecific.com This fragrance is deliciously seductive, sweet, and warm with a fresh twist.A hymn to purity both in structure and experience, Flooid maintains deep characteristics to attract all genders. The top notes: yellow citrus, orange & grapefruit, with mid notes: warm amber & patchouli, and base notes: sweet cedarwood, pine bark & mossy undertones
Addicted - For a few years now, Addicted has not only been designing swimwear, but has also been expanding its collection. Every year new underwear, swimwear and sportswear ranges are presented. Nowadays, Addicted is a model brand within men's fashion, and more specifically, within the gay sector, one that comes to mind when thinking about gay men's fashion. Addictedusa.com Circles Swim Brief - $56 Concentric oval circles theme on the top with solid color on the bottom made of 80% polyamide and 20% elastane. Ad grey and transparent silicone logo on the front and lace and piping in contrasting color and a removable pack-up.
Crop Ad Top - $24 Cropped t-shirt is 50% Polyester 50% Viscose; V neck with AD logo silver on the chest, and ADDICTED printed on the back.
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Valentine’s Day
GIFT GUIDE 2020
Roederer Estate Brut Rosé (SRP $35) The Roederer Estate Brut Rosé is full and round with smooth flavors and fine persistent bubbles. The extra measure of chardonnay contributes elegance and austerity, which balance nicely with the delicate fruitiness of the pinot noir. Pevonia - Pevonia.com Show off a stunning complexion in minutes. This flawless skin system will have you looking like a celebrity this Valentine's Day on social and in person!
Step 1: Polish your skin to a vibrant glow with the Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser; getting rid of dirt, pollutants, and oiliness without irritation or redness. $39 Step 2: Achieve a flawless look with YouthRenew Tinted Cream SPF 30 - $53.50. Super lightweight and ultra-hydrating, its subtle mineral tint really evens out skin tone. Infused with Collagen and Vitamin C, it also works to minimize lines/wrinkles and protect your skin from the sun. The best part…no clogged pores or breakouts – great for outdoor and indoor wear! Step 3: Wind down and let your skin hydrate and repair overnight with Pevonia's best-selling Marine Collagen Cream - $88 - and Evolutive Eye Cream - $74.50 - both loaded with de-agers. 28 | Hotspots.LGBT
Alberto Nani Prosecco DOC Extra Dry Organic SRP $11-20) Latordera.it This wine is produced without pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. This prosecco is pleasantly crisp with a floral bouquet, savory and complex on the palate with a mineral finish. The color is clear lemon yellow with intense, floral bouquet, and the taste is harmonic with a mineral finish. Pairings: Ideal as an aperitif, and also pairs well with appetizers and fish dishes.
Valentine’s Day
GIFT GUIDE 2020
"Leather and Steel" - $39 if you mention HOTSPOTS (Reg Retail $79) Argentidesignerjewelers.com. These beautiful creations are from the Argenti Men's Bracelet Collection, which has a store in South Florida at 218 Commercial Blvd, Lauderdale By The Sea. Mark has been designing fine jewelry since 1986, and has always based his unique jewelry designs using precious metals using only 14K or 18K Gold, Platinum and Sterling Silver.
Saomì – BRUT - Prosecco DOC Treviso – (SRP $1120) - Latordera.it The color is bright, straw yellow with tinges of green, and the bouquet is fruity with notes of rennet apple and Mediterranean spices, vanilla and acacia from the Chardonnay grapes.The Flavor is a well-balanced, fresh wine in which the aromas of fruit are enhanced by a good liveliness and has an elegant aftertaste. Pairings: Ideal as aperitif, it also pairs perfectly with formal lunches and dinners, especially with fish-based and fresh pasta dishes with vegetables.
Detoxelicious: Easy Soul Food Inspired 10-day Detox Cleanse Recipes and Fitness for Super Busy People Paperback - Paperback $32.30 Amazon.com Award-winning market researcher, health coach and certified yoga instructor Dena Dodd Perry has released her first book, a selfhelp food-fitness book that will assist readers make their food-fitness journey easier and delicious. In addition to plant-based recipes, DETOXELICIOUS provides readers with daily mindfulness exercises such as yoga movements and breath work. Hotspots.LGBT | 29
Valentine’s Day
Snoozies – $14.99 - Buyersdirectonline.com For those of you who regularly read my gift Guides Snoozies have been in there quite a few times, as I just can't get enough of them and their special Valentines Snoozies have caught my eye again. Snoozies! are not socks and they're not slippers - sort of a crossover between the two and that's why we call them "foot coverings"!
GIFT GUIDE 2020
Barefoot, which has been a proud ally to the LGBTQ+ community for more than 30 years, have a variety of perfectly pink options to bring to your Valentine's Day celebrations that range from bubbly to boxed and canned wines. Barefoot has a varietal for every setting whether you're enjoying an evening at home or on-the-go. Prices vary, available nationwide. 30 | Hotspots.LGBT
For local shopping you can check out Pride Factory, Tropix, Uptown Cheapskate or the many other fabulous retailers in South Florida.
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genre latino / Conexiones
buenos aires, arg
“Buenos Aires es una ciudad cosmopolita y un importante destino turístico. Su compleja infraestructura la convierte en una de las metrópolis de mayor importancia en América es una ciudad global de categoría alfa...”
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con Oscar Ambulo
Buenos Aires es la capital y ciudad más poblada de la Argentina. Esta es una ciudad autónoma que constituye uno de los 24 distritos que conforman el país. Tiene sus propios poderes ejecutivo, legislativo y judicial. Está situada en la región centro-este del país, sobre la orilla sur del 56 | Hotspots.LGBT
Río de la Plata. Los resultados definitivos del censo de 2010 contabilizaron la población de la ciudad en 2.890,151 habitantes junto a ciertos partidos-municipios de la lindera Provincia de Buenos Aires en el último conteo no oficial se estima que 17.200,000 habitantes
(2018),esta cifra la coloca como una de las metrópolis de Sudamérica de Hispanoamérica, del hemisferio sur entre las 20 mayores ciudades del mundo. Buenos Aires es una ciudad cosmopolita y un importante destino turístico. Su compleja infraestructura la convierte en una de las metrópolis de mayor importancia en América y es una ciudad global de categoría alfa, dadas sus influencias en el comercio, finanzas, moda, arte, gastronomía, educación, entretenimiento y principalmente en su marcada cultura. Según un estudio de calidad de vida en el año 2016, de Mercer Human Resource Consulting la ciudad se encuentra en la posición 93 a nivel mundial y segunda de América Latina tras Montevideo. Su perfil urbano es marcadamente ecléctico. Se mezclan los estilos colonial español, art decó, , neogótico, italianizante, francés borbónico. Por esto último sumado a su desarrollo edilicio y marcada influencia europea en su arquitectura en determinadas zonas, es que se la conoce en el mundo por el apodo de La París de América. En la llamada primera fundación, Pedro de Mendoza llamó al lugar Real de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre, para cumplir la promesa que hiciera a la Patrona de los Navegantes, que se hallaba en la Cofradía de los Mareantes de Triana y de la que él era miembro. En efecto, (Buen Ayre), la castellanización del nombre de la Virgen de Bonaria, es decir de la Virgen de la Candelaria, a quien los padres mercedarios habían levantado un santuario
para los navegantes en Cagliari, Cerdeña, y que era venerada también por los navegantes de Cádiz, España. Mendoza no fundó una ciudad, sino que estableció un simple asentamiento. Por muchos años se le atribuyó el nombre a Sancho del Campo, de quien Ruy Díaz de Guzmán en su obra La Argentina manuscrita recogió la frase: Qué buenos aires son los de este suelo!, que pronunció al bajar. Sin embargo, en 1892, Eduardo Madero, tras realizar exhaustivas investigaciones en los archivos españoles, terminaría por concluir que el nombre estaba íntimamente relacionado con la devoción de los marinos sevillanos por Nuestra Señora de los Buenos Aires. El autor Pastor S. Obligado atribuía el homenaje a la Virgen del Buen Aire a Leonardo Gribeo, escudero de Mendoza. Con la llamada segunda fundación se fundó oficialmente la ciudad, recibiendo de su fundador Juan de Garay el nombre de Ciudad de la Trinidad, que fue el nombre oficial de la ciudad hasta
1996. La razón sería que la festividad más importante cercana a la fecha había sido la de la Trinidad o, según algunos historiadores, porque la nave ancló el día de dicha festividad. Pero al puerto le dio el nombre de Puerto de Santa María de los Buenos Ayres. Sin embargo, los designios del burgalés no tuvieron éxito, ya que, a pesar de que jamás hubo disposición oficial alguna que cambiara su nombre, el uso inapelablemente consagró desde el primer momento el nombre de Buenos Aires para la ciudad. En Argentina, suelen referirse a ella con distintas denominaciones. El nombre de Capital Federal es uno de los más utilizados sobre todo para diferenciarla de la provincia homónima, en alusión
a la condición de distrito independiente que adquirió con la ley de federalización que promulgara Julio Argentino Roca. Muchas veces también se usa la expresión (Ciudad de Buenos Aires, o sencillamente (Buenos Aires), aunque esta última se presta a confusión con la provincia lindante, de la que fue su capital hasta 1880, año en que fue federalizada. Ciudad de Buenos Aires y Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires son las dos denominaciones que oficialmente le dio la Constitución de la ciudad sancionada en 1996. Es por esto que también suele emplearse la abreviatura 'CABA' para mencionarla. Informalmente suele llamársela Baires, apócope de la forma original, común dentro de la ciudad pero poco utilizada en el interior del país. Poéticamente se le han atribuido numerosos nombres, tales como la París del sur, por su belleza arquitectónica y su carácter cultural; o la Cabeza de Goliat, según un ensayo de Ezequiel Martínez Estrada, en alusión a su tamaño e influencia desproporcionada sobre el resto del país; o la Reina del Plata, como la denominan Manuel Jovés y Manuel Romero en un famoso tango, tomando una metáfora que ya había utilizado Esteban Echeverría en su poema Avellaneda; o La ciudad de la furia, término empleado por la banda argentina de rock Soda Stereo, para describir en su tema homónimo a Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires is the capital and most populous city of Argentina. This is an autonomous city that constitutes one of the 24 districts that make up the
genre latino / Conexiones country. It has its own executive, legislative and judicial powers. It is located in the centraleastern region of the country, on the southern shore of the Rıo ́ de la Plata. The final results of the 2010 census accounted for the population of the city at 2.890,151 inhabitants together with certain parties-municipalities of the border of the Province of Buenos Aires in the last unofficial count, an estimated 17.200,000 inhabitants (2018), this figure it places it as one of the metropolises of South America of Latin America, of the southern hemisphere among the 20
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largest cities in the world. Buenos Aires is a cosmopolitan city and an important tourist destination. Its complex infrastructure makes it one of the most important metropolises in America and is a global city of alpha category, given its influences on trade, finance, fashion, art, gastronomy, education, entertainment and mainly in its marked culture. According to a study of quality of life in 2016, Mercer Human Resource Consulting the city is in the 93rd position in the world and second in Latin America after Montevideo. Its urban profile is markedly eclectic. The Spanish colonial, art deco, neo-Gothic, Italianizing, Bourbon French styles are mixed. Due to the latter added to its building development and strong European influence in its architecture in certain areas, it is known in the world by the nickname of The Paris of America. In the so-called first foundation, Pedro de Mendoza called the Royal place of Our Lady Santa Marıá del Buen Ayre, to fulfill the promise he made to the Patroness of the Navigators, who was in the Brotherhood of the Dizziness of Triana and from which He was a member. Indeed, (Buen Ayre), the Castilianization of the name of the Virgin of Bonaria, that is to say of the Virgin of the Candelaria, to whom the mercedarian fathers had built a sanctuary for sailors in Cagliari, Sardinia, and which was also venerated by the navigators of Cá diz, Spain. Mendoza did not found a city, but established a simple settlement. For many years the name was attributed to Sancho del Campo, from whom Ruy Dıáz de Guzmá n in his work Handwritten Argentina picked up the phrase: What good airs are those of this soil!, Which he pronounced when he went down. However, in 1892, Eduardo Madero, after thorough research in the Spanish archives, would conclude that the name was closely related to the devotion of the Sevillian sailors for Our Lady of the Buenos Aires. The author Pastor S. Obligado attributed the tribute to the Virgin of Good Air to Leonardo Gribeo, squire of Mendoza. With the so-called second foundation the
city was officially founded, receiving from its founder Juan de Garay the name of the City of the Trinity, which was the official name of the city until 1996. The reason would be that the most important holiday near to date had been that of the Trinity or, according to some historians, because the ship anchored the day of the festival. But to the port he gave the name of Puerto de Santa Marıá de los Buenos Ayres. However, the designs of the Burgos were unsuccessful, since, although there was never any official provision that changed its name, the use unavoidably enshrined from the outset the name of Buenos Aires for the city. In Argentina, they usually refer to it with different denominations. The name of Federal Capital is one of the most commonly used to differentiate it from the homonymous province, in reference to the status of an independent district that it acquired with the federalization law promulgated by Julio Argentino Roca. Many times the expression is also used (City of Buenos Aires, or simply (Buenos Aires), although the latter lends itself to confusion with the bordering province, of which it was its capital until 1880, year in which it was federalized. The City of Buenos Aires and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires are the two denominations officially given by the Constitution of the city sanctioned in 1996. This is why the abbreviation 'CABA' is also used to mention it. Informally, it is usually called Baires, an apocope of the original form, common within the city but rarely used in the interior of the country. Poetically they have been attributed numerous names, such as southern Paris, for its architectural beauty and cultural character; or the Head of Goliath, according to an essay by Ezequiel Martın ́ ez Estrada, in reference to its size and disproportionate influence on the rest of the country; or the Queen of Silver, as Manuel Jové s and Manuel Romero call it in a famous tango, taking a metaphor that Esteban Echeverrıá had already used in his poem Avellaneda; o The city of fury, a term used by the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, to describe in its homonymous theme to Buenos Aires.
g wh ha at’s noppen w in
z
The TOP 5 Things We Love This Week
By Scott Holland
z
HOT LIST
1 2 3 4 5
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>>>>> Feb 09 - Feb 15
ICON – ANDREA BOCELLI Andrea is an Italian opera singer, songwriter, and record producer. Celine Dion was quoted as saying: “if God would have a singing voice, he must sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli, and record producer David Foster, often describes Bocelli’s voice as the most beautiful in the world. Tues, February 11; 8pm; American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami); Tix: Start at $79; aaarena.com
LEGEND – MANDY PATINKIN The acclaimed actor/singer/ storyteller portrays his most electrifying role: concert performer in Mandy Patinkin: Diaries with Adam Ben-David on Piano. Don’t miss him in this powerful, passionate evening of popular song. Mandy Patinkin will take you on a musical journey you’ll never forget. Tues, February 12; 8pm; Broward Center for the Performing Arts (201 Southwest 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale); Tix: start at $39; BrowardCenter.org MAGIC - MASTERS OF ILLUSION Only the best, most unique, amusing, astounding and amazing performers have been chosen to perform in Masters of Illusion. This 21st century magic show is filled with modern illusions and arts of deception, performed live on stage. Watch closely as you experience things that just can’t be done...or can they? Sat, February 15; 8pm; Coral Springs Center for the Arts (2855 Coral Springs Drive, Coral Springs) Tix: start at $46; thecentercs.com. COMEDIAN – BOB SAGET Yes, Bob Saget has starred in many successful television shows, including two of the most family-friendly shows network TV has ever produced (“Full House” and “Americas Funniest Home Videos”) but he’s also an out of his mind standup comedian for over thirty years. Fri, February 14 through Sun, the 16; Miami Improv (3450 NW 83 Avenue, SUITE 224, Doral); Tix: $32 and $42; Miamiimprov.com 45TH ANNUAL GREEK FESTIVAL - FOOD & WINE FEST GreekFest 2020 will include a live Greek band, free Greek dance lessons, vendors of imported Greek jewelry, boutiques, arts and crafts, and Greek paintings, Greek Tavern with imported Greek wine and beer, Greek wine tastings, Greek kitchen and Greek grill with authentic Greek menu, Greek bakery and coffee shop, live Greek folk dance performances, a kid’s zone, and so much more fun for the whole family!
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Hotspots.LGBT | 77
Robyn Crawford Photos: Random House.
By Chris Azzopardi
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After four decades of speculation that they were romantically involved, Robyn Crawford has spoken her truth: She loved Whitney Houston. In her heartfelt autobiography released late last year, A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston, Crawford shares that their love was real but sti led, a romance that, at irst intimate and sexual, wavered as Whitney rose to fame in the '80s. Whitney and Crawford became friends as teenagers, during the summer of 1980 while both working at the East Orange Community Development Center in New Jersey. Their relationship deepened into
romantic love, and inally, with Crawford as Whitney's assistant, a trusted professional alliance. A loving, digni ied tribute buoyed by Crawford's generosity of spirit through her many grievances, including the loss of Whitney, the autobiography is the irst time Crawford has disclosed the extent of their relationship. It reveals in intimate, evocative detail many lesser-known facets about how Whitney operated and their supportive, tumultuous shared experiences on tour and at home: the rise, the fall, the fallout. The tragedy of Whitney's death. Crawford, as depicted in the book, is no saint, either. She's remarkably forthcoming about the drugs she and Whitney did when they were teenagers. But beyond their longtime relationship is the life story of Crawford, whose tabloid-spun persona was limited to her association with Whitney. Now, Crawford takes her story back, her remarkably candid tell-all illustrating her loyalty to the troubled icon but also serving as a deeply moving rumination on loss: in addition to Whitney, Crawford lost her brother and mother, both to AIDS-related illness. As much as Crawford expands the narrative of Whitney Houston's life beyond its tragic end, she also lovingly memorializes her mother – the book's real hero, she tells me. From New Jersey, where she lives with her wife Lisa Hintelmann and their twins, Crawford spoke about Whitney's relationship with her LGBTQ fans, how she doesn't think the legendary singer was experiencing selfhate related to her sexuality, and the in luence of Whitney's song “The Greatest Love of All” on Crawford's daughter.
I'm happy that we know your story, not just the story the media's been telling us all these years.
I had a life too, right, Chris?
You did, and so much of it is in the book, it seems. But as a longtime Whitney fan who grew up with Whitney's music, the book made me sad. It made me sad for what we lost, when it seems it didn't have to be that way. As you were writing this, what emotions were you wrestling with? What was that process like?
Shoot. There were many different emotions. Sometimes I felt sad, sometimes I laughed. It was like an emotional rollercoaster. I was reliving the '80s and the '90s like I was there.
I was in it. I just… I felt like I could keep writing. I couldn't see an end.
Because there were so many more stories?
Yeah. It was huge: the experiences on aircrafts, and feeling like the plane was gonna drop out of the sky. The irst award show and what that was like. And when it was just us, and not so many people, what that was like. I wrote a lot. I had a very good editor in Jill Schwartzman, but there was so much more of the journey that's not on the pages.
How did you manage to stay silent on your relationship with Whitney for so long? Was it challenging not to speak out sooner?
I mean, no. I cherish those years. We had a bond of trust and loyalty from the get-go, from the very beginning. And we made a pact to support each other. I felt good about what I had experienced and the love that I had for Whitney and that we shared. It was always there.
“...obviously her mother (Cissy Houston) made her feelings clear about our closeness. She didn't even know how deep we were; she just made it clear that she didn't like how close we were.”
I guess what I'm asking is, because we never heard your side of the story until very recently, and knowing there was so much tabloid talk about the kind of relationship you had with Whitney, was it challenging for you to keep that inside all these years?
Honestly, I didn't read a lot of the stuff. People called me and said, “Robyn, did you hear this? Did you see this?” I did not see the documentaries (two documentaries on Whitney's life were released in the last few years: Whitney, in 2018, and Whitney: Can I Be Me, in 2017), I haven't even seen Sparkle
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(Whitney starred in the 2012 remake of the 1976 drama-musical). I had twins and that kept me busy. I'm guilty of staying focused on where I am, and I did get angry when I heard stuff. Like when Whitney passed, I really was angry and frustrated every time I heard something that was said (about us), but I didn't know what to say or who to say it to. Once you start talking, you're just out there, and that wasn't a comfortable feeling.
So during that period, were you tracking your experiences in a journal? Or did the writing for this book
happen all at once?
No, I did not keep a journal. I did have notes and books along the way when I was touring. I kept those books and they were incomplete, but there were some things I had written down. But no – all of that came from inside, from what I felt.
The book is so vivid, in a way that I'm just like, there's no way I would remember all of that. But I also didn't tour with Whitney Houston. Ha!
(Laughs.) And you didn't live with her either, right? My wife often says, “Robyn has an unbelievable memory,” and you know, I do. Those were great times. I didn't talk about my mother and my experience with my brother to really anyone that I've worked with, people that were around me, and I didn't talk to people at Nippy, Inc (Whitney Houston's New Jersey-based management company once run by her father, John Houston). They knew what was going on, but I kept it all with me. And that's where it's been.
Did it feel like a burden to have to keep your sexuality on the down-low because Whitney couldn't be out about your relationship?
I've been saying this: That we never looked at our friendship and our experiences as anything other than, this is me. You were you. And when I say it was open and honest, I mean, we could say anything to each other or just look at each other and we just knew exactly… we were communicating. But the '80s were the time where you were either this or that, and my world at that age was so much bigger as far as adventurous. I had a boyfriend growing up and I talk about him in the book, and I loved him. We were like brother and sister; that close. He respected me. With Whitney, she was perfect in every way. Someone that I met and everything we were doing together was beautiful; it really was. We were having a good time. And I
“We had a bond of trust and loyalty from the getgo...And we made a pact to support each other. I felt good about what I had experienced and the love that I had for Whitney and that we shared.” 88 | Hotspots.LGBT
never felt like… I mean, I knew musically and show business-wise, that was a world that we wanted to learn more about and be prepared and ready for, and with that thought, I could see more of, “Boy, if people ind out we're doing this…” because that's just how it was. And obviously her mother (Cissy Houston) made her feelings clear about our closeness. She didn't even know how deep we were; she just made it clear that she didn't like how close we were.
Whitney didn't seem to mind when you were romantically involved with a man, but when she learned that you were linked with other women, she became jealous and furious. Did you ever question that logic?
Whitney didn't explain things. She just would let me know if she didn't like something and she didn't have a problem asking me to tell this person to leave. I think she felt a certain possessiveness, and it wasn't like Whitney had a lot of friends. Her life was so like… it was just really me. She was a very private person who didn't have a lot of friends, who didn't want a lot of friends. She could've had them if she wanted to. She didn't like to do a whole lot, she was a homebody. So I look at it like that: She was possessive. Because, really, all she had to do was say, “OK, it's me and you” (laughs) and it would've been, “OK.” But that's not what she wanted. She didn't want it like that. And who wants to be with someone or
wants to harbor those kinds of feelings when they don't want that? You better get yourself together. And our love was bigger than that.
Do you think that if she were a part of today's music landscape, with so many out artists, life might've been different for Whitney?
Well, you've heard Whitney speak and how she always said “I'm not gay” and she was tired of answering that question.
She was, but I wonder if that was her self-hate and internalized homophobia speaking.
From her?
Yeah.
(Mumbles in disagreement.) There was nothing partial about Whitney in her thoughts of people; she just resented folks trying to put her in a box with categories. She pushed back on that with music. She hated that. She was the type of person that loved people for who they were, she had no problem. We had lots of gay people around us, whether it be makeup, hair people, you name it. They were beautiful people, and they were close to us. I mean, (her makeup artist) Kevyn Aucoin…
You recount her 2000 Out Magazine interview with Barry Walters in the book. After being asked about the lesbian rumors, Whitney said, “I ain't suckin' no d*ck. I ain't gettin' on my knees. Something must be wrong: I can't
Hotspots.LGBT | 89
just really sing. I can't just be a really talented, gifted person. She's gotta be gay.” You say in the book her response was “uncalled for and wrong.” But you never felt her own struggles with her sexuality caused her to spew anti-queer vitriol?
You are absolutely right. And no, I do not believe that she was internalizing and projecting – no. Absolutely not.
I think that's important to clarify.
She was asked that question from the beginning of her career. I mean, that rumor followed her forever. And she rejected it. She rejected all labels. Even calling her a “diva”
HBO-televised Concert, March 1991. and the way she felt about her colleagues, the female so-called rivals. Every single last one of them, including Mariah, will tell you that Whitney treated them with the utmost respect and love and admiration. They will tell you.
I remember gay fans were especially happy to see them present together at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1998.
Whitney called Mariah her “little lamb.” That's how she spoke about her. Whitney was not anything that she was branded for. She wasn't
90 | Hotspots.LGBT
black enough; she was cool as can be. And she was not raw, or edgy, or ghetto either. All the stigmas and labels that people say you are, she was none of those things. She refused to take on what others wanted to saddle her with.
Did Whitney know she was loved by her LGBTQ fans?
Yes, absolutely. Her mother had a huge gay following and they were always there. And, yes, Whitney knew that the LGBTQ community had love for her, without a doubt. And she loved them.
Having been with her for so long, do you remember the moment where it first dawned on her that, “The LGBTQ community, they're really showing up for me”?
The one experience where the whole world was there was Gay Pride down on the pier (in New York in 1999). I write about it and I remember that night: We had been touring and touring and touring and, inally, there was a date, and she was on the books for it. I mean, dance music, club music; that was what Arista (Whitney's label at the time) did more than anything. The clubs. And they remixed every record that you could name. “The Greatest Love of All” has a remix. And (music executive) Hosh Gureli was at the helm of that (album), and we went to the Paradise Garage (also known as the “Gay-rage,” a now-defunct discotheque frequented by LGBTQ club-goers) with (DJ) Jellybean Benitez. The clubs were big back then. Studio 54. We went through there. She didn't perform at Studio 54, but we went through there and we talked about Sylvester and just how he could sing, and how beautiful he was. I mean, there was none of that (internalized homophobia) from Whitney. I put my hand on the Bible and am very comfortable making that clear.
Do you still listen to Whitney?
I do, I do. I do listen to The Preacher's Wife and “Dancin' on the Smooth Edge.” I do. I had not listened to a lot of her music after she passed. But one day I was talking about friends with my daughter, because my daughter is loaded with empathy and did not have any friends, and I told her, “Don't give your friendship away. You make them earn it.” I played “The Greatest Love of All” for her one time, and I came into her room and she had printed out the lyrics and had them on her wall.
“...‘A Song For You’ is one that I really felt, when I listened to the last album, she was talking to me.” “Good Morning America,” New York, 2009.
That's sweet. So many of Whitney's songs, after reading your book, have taken on a different life for me. For instance, knowing you were on set during the filming of The Bodyguard, I can't help but hear Whitney singing “I Will Always Love You,” a song about a love that could never be, to you. Did you ever think of that song in the context of your relationship?
I didn't. I'm being honest, I didn't. But you know what, when I hang up from you, I'm going to listen to it that way. I'm going to listen to it with that in mind. But “A Song For You” is one that I really felt, when I listened to the last album, she was talking to me.
What made you think that?
Because I write in the book about a moment where music held us together. We talked about it a lot, and I played that (“A Song From You”) from The Temptations album, and then she performed it one time, and then she recorded it the last go 'round (for the album I Look to You, in 2009). I know that was her idea. She never told me, and I've never spoken to anyone about that – and it may not have been her idea to do the club mix on it – but I know she wanted to record that song. That is the most covered song ever, and when you listen to each cover, they all bring a different interpretation to the song. And Whitney uses the word “friend” I don't know how many times. So that really captured me. And you know, I've been in the studio with her so many times that the way she approached it, I was right there. It was like I was in the studio with her listening to it.
Clearly that song meant a lot to you – enough to make it the title of your book.
Music is in the book. My brother was big into music; my mother and my father had a love for music. So “A Song for You” encompasses all of them. But I dedicate the title of the book to Whitney in my heart.
Did you hear Kygo's version of “Higher Love” that was released last year?
I didn't hear the full version, but I did click on my Apple iTunes and listened to part of it, yes.
Why didn't you listen to the full song?
Maybe because I would've rather heard “I'm Knockin',” which was the track that Whitney had on that Baby Tonight album. When I heard “Higher Love,” I knew that it came from the Japan album of Baby Tonight. It wasn't something new that they found in a vault.
Were you in the studio when she recorded it?
I was. So I knew where it came from. What I did watch was the video. I watched the video and I did not like the video. Sorry, but I didn't.
What didn't you like about the video?
It was missing her.
As editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi. Hotspots.LGBT | 91
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