IN Magazine: May/June 2022

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LIFESTYLE

MAY / JUNE 2022

THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY IN THE DRAG QUEEN’S CLOSET DO GAY MEN REALLY GIVE A DAMN ABOUT GIVING BLOOD? SINGLENESS AND SOLITUDE CAN HELP US LEARN A LOT ABOUT OURSELVES DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN TRIES HIS HAND AT A ROM-COM WITH FIRE ISLAND 1

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inmagazine.ca PUBLISHER Patricia Salib GUEST EDITOR Christopher Turner ART DIRECTOR Georges Sarkis COPY EDITOR Ruth Hanley SENIOR COLUMNIST Paul Gallant CONTRIBUTORS Mike Bahr, Ben Benson, Jesse Boland, Hannah Duck, Scott Elliott, Adriana Ermter, Mikka Gia, Izzy Keith, Karen Kwan, Paul Langill, Luis Augusto Nobre, Ivan Otis, Jason Salerno, Tom Tietjen, Julia Valente, Doug Wallace, Casey Williams, Jaime Woo, Tyler Wynn, Adam Zivo DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Jumol Royes CONTROLLER Jackie Zhao

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ON THE COVER: PHOTO BY ZANE LEE ON UNSPLASH

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106 Issue 106 May / June 2022

“I had a secret…one that I kept from my father, my mother, my family, my friends – and you, all of you. Professionally, personally. And the secret is that I’m gay,” Jerrod Carmichael revealed in his recently released HBO comedy special, Rothaniel.

INFRONT

06 | THE AGE GAUGE When biology and life take over, leaving unwanted wrinkles and fine lines behind, it may just be time to take action 08 | WINDS OF HOPE The same wind that blows in toxic fumes of hatred also cleans the air and brings the fragrance of positive change

10 | LEXUS GOES ELECTRIC The 2023 Lexus RZ, which will be about the size of the current RX SUV, will be the brand’s first global dedicated battery-electric vehicle 11 | INCREASING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV The Dr. Peter Centre, located in Vancouver, was founded by Dr. Peter Jepson-Young in 1997 to provide comfort and medical care to patients with HIV/AIDS 12 | LOVING YOUR INNER HOE In his new book, the Love Guru teaches men how to unlock self-healing powers they didn’t know they had

16 | WHERE HAVE ALL MY GAY FRIENDS GONE? Making friends is easier to do when you’re the new kid on the block 18 | THE POWER OF ME-DATES Singleness and solitude can help us learn a lot about ourselves

20 | BODY AND SOUL American Idol's David Hernandez strips bare in his new album, Don’t @ Me, and his book of nude photos 22 | EVAN PEIX IS SWEET, BUT HIS MUSIC IS SPICY The popular gay social influencer and advocate shakes up the dance floor 24 | ITSAHIMMM.... MAARIOOOOOO Mario Adrion is sharing his experiences around the world as a model and YouTuber 26 | SONGS FOR AND BY NONBINARY TRANS VOICES Innovative publisher releases first-ever collection of vocal and piano music without gender

13 | EAT MORE SUSTAINABLY 7 ways to eat more sustainably that’ll boost your health, too

42 | CANADA SHOULD BE DOING MORE TO HELP LGBTQ+ REFUGEES Why are we so reluctant to work with organizations like Rainbow Railroad?

44 | DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN TRIES HIS HAND AT A ROM-COM WITH FIRE ISLAND “Okay, if there’s no dick in the movie, can I have as many butts as I want?”

46 | INDULGING IN TURKS AND CAICOS Providenciales delivers the world’s most perfect beach, with ample splurging on the side 50 | FLASHBACK: JUNE 16, 1992 IN LGBTQ+ HISTORY k.d. lang comes out on the cover of the Advocate Magazine FASHION 30 | RIDE ’EM COWBOY! Life is better on the ranch in ES Collection USA

FEATURES 14 | DO GAY MEN REALLY GIVE A DAMN ABOUT GIVING BLOOD? One can’t help but question if these men truly want to save lives, or are simply selfvictimizing to get attention

27 | THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY IN THE DRAG QUEEN’S CLOSET True tale: A wrapped-up body was found among the ball gowns of Dorian Corey, the breakout star of Paris Is Burning

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32 | SUMMER GROOVE A few suggestions on how you can get your summer groove on in style

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LOOKING GOOD MAY / JUNE 2022

E G U A G E G A E TH When biology and life take over, leaving unwanted wrinkles and fine lines behind, it may just be time to take action

By Adriana Ermter

Photo by Victoria Rokita on Unsplash

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LOOKING GOOD

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" IT'S THE EFFECT OF THE PASSAGE OF TIME ON THE SKIN " Mirror, mirror on the wall, who likes aging? None at all! Well, YOUTH ADVANCER #1: BOTOX at least we don’t…and, yet, it still happens. For some, aging is This injectable drug freezes muscles into place to help prevent graceful. For the lucky few, it’s imperceptible. But for most, it wrinkles and fine lines from forming on your face. It is most feels like our eyes are playing tricks on us and we don’t like what commonly injected on forehead lines, crow’s feet around the eyes, we see. Biologically speaking, though, aging is a rite of passage and frown lines. rather than something we can halt – particularly when a set of deep The procedure: Uses teeny tiny needles, takes about five to 10 elevens gouges into our forehead, a spiderweb of fine lines tangles minutes to administer and can cause slight bruising or redness. around our eyes, and dark age spots, thinning lips and sagging “Both men and women use Botox as a preventative measure for cheeks start reflecting back at us from the mirror. aging now,” says Dr. Solish. “Lots are even starting in their 30s, before deep lines have a chance to set in.”

“It’s the effect of the passage of time on the skin,” explains Dr. Lisa Longevity: Four to five months Kellett, a dermatologist and the founder of DLK on Avenue in Cost: $400-$600 per session Toronto. “It is usually depicted as the result of a loss of collagen and elastin in the skin and a change in the ground substance in the skin.”

While your birthday naturally factors into this equation, so can your genetics and lifestyle. If mom and dad’s skin now looks like dried apples, chances are yours may, too. And if you forgo sleep, fruits and vegetables, sunscreen and water for 16-hour days, booze, pizza and wings, you could be adding years to your face. “Intrinsic and extrinsic factors can affect the rate at which people age,” affirms Dr. Kellett. “Examples of intrinsic factors would be genetics and the presence of any health issues. Extrinsic factors would be a history of sun exposure, diet, and exposure to carcinogens.”

And then there’s gender. With the onset of perimenopause, the time during which a woman’s body ends its reproductive years and begins transitioning towards menopause (typically somewhere in the mid 40s to early 50s), women can seemingly age in one fell swoop. Men tend to experience a more gradual process, says Dr. Nowell Solish, a cosmetic dermatologist, the founder of Cosmetic Dermatology Toronto Yorkville and co-director of the Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Clinic at Women’s College Hospital.

No matter the gender, however, the outcome is similar. As we age, our skin becomes thinner and has less moisture, adds Dr. Solish.

“For women, though, when they go through menopause, the hormone estrogen that a woman’s body would normally produce begins to fluctuate and slow down.” As for men, whose bodies produce more collagen than women, the visible signs of aging appear more gradually as their facial collagen slowly dwindles. “Men also secrete more sebum, which can create a protective barrier on the epidermis [the outer layer of the skin] and keep it hydrated and therefore looking younger longer,” says Dr. Solish.

The good news is that with the right rejuvenating dermal procedures, such as Botox, hyaluronic acid and platelet-enriched plasma, anyone can gain back a few years and have more youthful-looking skin.

Here’s what you need to know.

YOUTH ADVANCER #2: HYALURONIC ACID FILLERS Hyaluronic acid is an injectable acid that plumps up your face, diminishing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and sunken or sagging skin. It exists naturally in your body and skin, but is depleted through aging.

The procedure: Uses multiple small needles, takes 10 minutes to administer and can cause some immediate redness. “Tiny drops are injected underneath the skin all over the face,” explains Dr. Solish. “The hyaluronic acid attracts water to bring moisture and volume back into the skin.”

Longevity: Six months Cost: $700-$1,000 per session

YOUTH ADVANCER #3: PLATELET-RICH PLASMA (PRP) FACIAL REJUVENATION In this procedure, your body’s blood plasma, which is full of healing and growth properties, is injected to improve skin texture, smooth fine lines and provide a tight and youthful appearance.

The procedure: Requires drawing your blood, removing the blood plasma and then re-injecting the PRP into your face with tiny needles that feel like 50 mosquito bites. It takes approximately 15 minutes to prepare the blood and another 10 to inject it. “The skin looks red and bumpy for about a day afterwards,” warns Dr. Solish. “So don’t make any plans for that evening.”

Longevity: Four to six months Cost: $600-$700 per session

ADRIANA ERMTER is a Toronto-based, lifestyle-magazine pro who has travelled the globe writing about must-spritz fragrances, child poverty, beauty and grooming.

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PRIDE AT WORK

WINDS OF HOPE The same wind that blows in toxic fumes of hatred also cleans the air and brings the fragrance of positive change

MAY / JUNE 2022

By Luis Augusto Nobre

Our world has been in constant change since its creation, and the neighbour to the south, several states have passed laws and acts to same process happens with human beings. The past 100 years have “protect” people that are actually putting many trans and nonbinary been so important to all of us for different reasons and aspects. kids at risk. Other states are working against queer communities Technology, human rights, science, education, transportation, in general. They want to block the constitutional right to exist, to diversity and inclusion.… But there is something weird going be who we are. Specific trans and queer rights are the target of on. The air has become a mixture of sweet smells and toxic an orchestrated movement. Who will protect us? ingredients: almost impossible to not inhale, to not get intoxicated.

It is becoming so dense that you can almost touch it. Or worse: it Some European countries are dedicated to being a “free zone” for can touch and harm you. queer people despite the hypocrisy of some of their leaders. Even the most progressive countries are not immune. A friend of mine I don’t know how you are feeling in relation to this noxious air was assaulted and physically attacked in the streets of Amsterdam, surrounding us, but I am not happy in the same way that I am not one of the most LGBTQIA-friendly cities in the world. Cases sad. I want to celebrate all the advances at the same time that I like that are popping up around the world. And rhetorically, I ask want to cry or have strong reactions because of all the inequity, myself: is there any safe place to go? violence and setbacks. In spite of all the progress I have witnessed personally and all that has been won over the past years for queer The toxic air is spreading fast and harming our rights to exist. For people, I always have this feeling that we are losing. sure it has arrived in Canada, and lawmakers might get contaminated.

It is why I am worried that the positive changes won’t last long.

Constantly, I am looking back to see when and where the winds Many statistical reports show that we still have a lot to do and have changed and we started to miss opportunities. Or maybe demonstrate the need to advance more. Workplace inclusion I’m being naive to believe in optical illusions. The status quo could be a nice example. Fifty per cent of trans people make less hasn’t changed at all, keeping us in invisible bubbles to simulate than $30,000 per year and and often experience discrimination inclusion when we are experiencing integration instead. Those when trying to secure a job or advance in their careers. Bisexual bubbles have directed queer communities to be in the spotlight women meet even more challenges and barriers, as they earn less for different reasons, helping us to occupy so many spaces and to than half of the median annual earnings for heterosexual men. If access rights previously denied to us here in Canada and worldwide. we check other studies showing the intersectionality aspects of demographics, the figures will indicate a tougher reality.

The ban on conversion therapy in Canada was a big win for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and really recharged our batteries. On the other hand, I should remind myself, and you too, that the However, our communities need more and to work together to stop wind spreading toxicity is the same wind that cleans the air and acts of violence against trans folks – including negative actions and brings the fragrance of positive changes. Recent advances in behaviours from other members within the big acronym umbrella. Canadian legislation (like the ban on conversion therapy) and provincial healthcare systems (like Yukon’s gender-affirming I might be repetitive, but what’s more repetitive is the constant care policy) give me hope that we can keep and even build more violence and hateful campaigns addressing trans folks. In our layers to protect us.

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PRIDE AT WORK Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash

Currently, many organizations are working hard and advocating for a better future for trans and queer communities both in Canada and worldwide. Initiatives such as the federal LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund (which supports 76 community-led projects nationally) and the federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan will build stronger and more resilient communities. Some projects and organizations contribute to changing realities in countries where it is illegal to be queer and where people are being persecuted or even sentenced to the death penalty. Other initiatives are helping immigrants and refugees who have to leave their home countries because it is unsafe to stay. Together, this big combo will create solutions and policies for a more inclusive world.

Inclusion is a long journey as we keep learning and bringing more people to the table. Inclusion has to create the sense of belonging and safe spaces for everyone, respecting their own identities. However, we cannot ignore the paradox of tolerance

developed by the Austrian philosopher Karl Popper. In what seems a counterintuitive statement, Popper argued that intolerant people (with their biases and prejudices) cannot be tolerated in a tolerant society, or they will end up destroying the tolerant people and, in consequence, will not allow for the development of inclusive societies. It’s why we experience this complex journey to eliminate barriers and obstacles that block airflow.

Although the future seems threatened with losing its (rainbow) colours because of this poisonous foggy movement, I want to encourage you to keep fighting for our rights and to celebrate all positive changes. Let’s keep repainting the colours that some people keep trying to wash out. Let’s open our windows to vent the rooms, circulate the air, and spray our sweet and colourful smells. Let’s feel the winds of hope. Let’s channel the wisdom of the Chilean poet and politician Pablo Neruda: “They can cut all the flowers, but they cannot stop the spring.”

LUIS AUGUSTO NOBRE is the marketing and communications coordinator of Pride at Work Canada/Fierté au travail Canada, a leading national non-profit organization that promotes workplace inclusion on the grounds of gender expression, gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, visit prideatwork.ca.

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WHEELS

LEXUS GOES ELECTRIC The 2023 Lexus RZ, which will be about the size of the current RX SUV, will be the brand’s first global dedicated battery-electric vehicle

By Casey Williams

Lexus is a little late to the electric vehicle ball, having only sold gas/electric hybrids thus far, but it will swirl a whirl when it begins selling its first all-electric model later this year – the first on a road to selling only EVs by 2030. Like the timeless Liza, these flashy performers are identified by their Z – which in this case means “Zero Emissions.”

Lexus gave us a preview with the “LFZ Electrified” concept in Tokyo a year ago. Beneath its exotic bodywork was an electric system that was fast charging and capable of a 600-km range. Door handles appeared upon approach; steering was by Tesla-style yoke.

Reality will be less thrilling.

The debut belle for Lexus is the RZ 450e, a luxury alternative to the similar Toyota BZ4X and Subaru Solterra that will be available by this summer. It’s not as exuberant as the concept that foreshadowed it, but it will have at least 215 horsepower, 354-km range, and allwheel-drive to enhance performance, and it will offer the concept’s quick charging to replenish the batteries to 80 per cent in under an hour. Styling looks like an angrier next-generation RX, but is closer in size to today’s compact NX. Styling ties the RZ to its famous gas-powered siblings, but advances key themes for the next decade. A large plastic panel replaces the brand’s trademark spindle grille, but thin edgy headlamps and deep body sculpting give it a more youthful attitude than today’s Lexus crossovers. The rear floating roof is more dramatic than recent models, but adds a sense of familiarity. Overall, it’s a pretty handsome ride.

A larger three-row companion crossover is also expected for those who have growing families or a large cadre of mates.

MAY / JUNE 2022

Sitting onstage next to the RX 450e during its unveiling was a smaller sedan that looks like a curvier, higher-performance IS without any hint of spindle. Instead, the front echoes the Porsche Taycan EV’s low bumper, pinched nose, and the smallest slits of headlamps. Twin air extractors on the hood imply a hot gasoline engine beneath, but it’s more likely to contain a large frunk (a “bonus” front trunk space) as it’s a car to compete with the Tesla Model 3.

None of these will be as invigorating as the Sport concept that takes the legendary LFA, a 553-horsepower supercar with a 10-cylinder engine, into the next decade. It sits low to the ground, straddling tracks with a wide bulbous rump. Its front, dominated by snarling nostrils on the corners, looks like it will eat you. Curves and scoops hint at classic performance cars, but it’s different. Energy-dense solid state batteries should zap the car from 0-100 km/h in under three seconds or, when driven economically, let you travel more than 640 km.

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All of the luxury automakers are on the verge of converting their lineups to all-electric. Mercedes, Cadillac, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo will exit gas-powered vehicles by 2030. BMW will follow soon thereafter. Lexus, it seems, is off to a good start, as it plans to offer all of these exciting rides by mid-decade.

CASEY WILLIAMS is a contributing writer for Gaywheels.com. He contributes to the New York-based LGBT magazine Metrosource and the Chicago Tribune. He and his husband live in Indianapolis, where Williams contributes videos and reviews to wfyi.org, the area’s PBS/NPR station.

COMMUNITY

INCREASING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV

The Dr. Peter Centre, located in Vancouver, was founded by Dr. Peter Jepson-Young in 1997 to provide comfort and medical care to patients with HIV/AIDS

By Scott Elliott

The Dr. Peter Centre in Vancouver has implemented a stigma-free approach towards HIV since its inception in 1997. We have tackled the AIDS pandemic with outstanding clinical and trauma-informed care, delivered daily. Due to the needs of the community, the Centre has emerged as one of the world’s most recognized care facilities for people living at the intersection of HIV/AIDS, substance use and mental illness. We share our best practices with agencies and governments across the country and around the globe.

While suppressing the HIV virus is the main goal of treatment, participants at the Dr. Peter Centre also have access to a variety of healthcare services that tend to their physical, mental and emotional well-being. This includes harm reduction services, counsellors, nutritious meals, nurses, art therapy, music therapy and recreation therapy. This holistic approach is vital in being able to meet our participants where they are at and to give them the opportunity to successfully engage in their own health care.

Another component of this holistic approach to care is peer support.

Support for men ages 50 and over has been established through an innovative program – the Men’s Evening Program, which was originally funded through a grant from ViiV Healthcare Canada.

The program supports older gay men with multiple medical conditions, who face the social stigmas of aging with HIV. No more than one or two showed up in the beginning, but now around 25 to 40 men participate every Wednesday night. Many of these men lost most of their friends in the 1980s and 1990s due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the trauma resurfaces as they each start to face their own aging process. This program creates a space for people to build relationships with others who understand what they are going through, and to work through traumas or challenges they face with a counsellor and activities such as eating a meal together, art therapy and music therapy.

The Men’s Evening Program is a great place to get caught up and socialize with people who have similar lived experiences. Aging with HIV/AIDS has its complications, and this program is a safe space for those who have lived through – and continue to face – stigma from healthcare providers and traditional seniors’ facilities.

It also helps them build the confidence they need to talk openly with healthcare professionals about how to best manage their HIV care, and to discuss their treatment desires and concerns, as well as their lifestyles. Attentive listening as part of active dialogue is essential in helping people feel comfortable discussing their treatment goals.

The Dr. Peter Centre is also at the frontlines of how HIV/AIDS has evolved. Today, women make up more than half (52%) of all adults living with HIV worldwide. This number remains much lower in Canada, but the Dr. Peter Centre has identified a need for developing a similar evening program for women who are living with HIV/AIDS.

Above: Scott Elliot

One participant in the Men’s Evening Program said, “The biggest effect on older folks like myself who live with HIV is...mental health. And these two years of the COVID pandemic really take a toll. Luckily I have the Dr. Peter Centre to call home and they help me get mental support.”

Another participant told us, “I was feeling more alone and becoming more anti-social since most of my friends are gone or died with HIV. This program really encouraged me to go out and meet other older folk who are living with it, without feeling judged. Now, I’m always looking forward for every Wednesday night to catch up with friends, good conversation and good food.”

To learn more or to support this amazing initiative for aging people living with HIV, visit www.drpeter.org.

SCOTT ELLIOTT is the executive director of the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation.

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BOOKS

LOVING

Y OU R INN E R HOE In his new book, the Love Guru teaches men how to unlock self-healing powers they didn’t know they had

By Ben Benson

Sex is natural and an integral part of adult life; however, while many of us share it with lovers, partners and even strangers, we often feel uncomfortable discussing it.

Byron Jamal was one of those people. When he recognized how his own sexual hang-ups were harming himself and people around him, he decided to dig deeper into its source. The former pastor confronted his sexual shame, the trauma from his youth, and the stigma he was carrying, and decided to abandon conventional views on sex and sexuality and develop his own approach to sex.

In How To Heal A Hoe, the bisexual author combines the spiritual principles he preached to his congregation with the practical everyday techniques he uses today in his sex therapy practice, live seminars and digital programs. He is known to his thousands of fans – single and married men of all sexual orientations – as the “Love Guru.”

Some of the topics Jamal coaches men on include overcoming the stigma, shame and trauma of their past; expanding the range of their emotional intimacy; ditching destructive sexual traits; and owning their journey through a self-healing approach. His biggest aim is to help men transform themselves into their best version.

MAY / JUNE 2022

In How To Heal A Hoe, readers learn to identify their sexual vulnerabilities and pain points, and find their own path to healing.

They also learn to love themselves, their bodies and their passions, as they are – as God created them to be. “Loving your inner hoe is the key to a healthy sexual love journey,” Jamal explains.

Byron Jamal’s How To Heal A Hoe is available on Amazon.

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BEN BENSON is a freelance journalist and book reviewer who covers stories of Black interest for the Edge online news network. He currently attends New York University, majoring in English education.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Eat

More

Sustainably 7 ways to eat more sustainably that’ll boost your health, too

By Karen Kwan

You can make a difference for the planet with the choices you make in what you eat. Small changes that you can probably easily adopt into your routine will be good for Mother Nature, and often are good for your health, too. It can be an intimidating endeavour, but you don’t have to become a zero-waste household tomorrow. Simple adjustments to how you approach your diet can add up quickly, and these baby steps can lead to an even greener lifestyle down the line. But first, start small with these easy eco diet updates.

1. Opt for sustainable ingredients Do a bit more research about a product before purchasing it. Sustainable ingredients have a minimal impact on the environment. When buying seafood, think about whether it is farmed or fished. Are the foods harvested in a way that doesn’t harm natural bodies of water or call for disrupting ecosystems?

2. Eat more plants The latest update to Canada’s Food Guide recommends eating more plants in your diet – and not only is this more healthy for you, it’s great for the planet. Meat consumption leads to the release of greenhouse gases, which leads to climate change.

Eating more plants in your diet helps to slow this process.

3. Be selective about the meat you do consume Look for meat that comes from farms where the livestock are fed grass and are free range. Learn about the farms that supply the meat you buy, and avoid ones that overfarm or overfish.

4. Focus on fewer processed foods The convenience and taste of many packaged foods make them irresistible. While you don’t have to cut them out of your diet entirely, shop more heavily for fresh foods; packaged, processed foods are less kind to the planet thanks to the impact of the actual production of these foods.

Photo by John Gary Butterfield on Unsplash

5. Pay attention to packaging options How your food is packaged impacts the planet, too. For your grocery shopping, invest in reusable totes and produce bags, and before you add something to your shopping cart, remember that a plastic bag to carry it home will take 10 to 20 years to decompose. Prefer meal-kit delivery services? Consider what type of packaging they use, and find out if they recycle any of the bags or containers the meals come in. And it goes without saying: ditch your plastic water bottle habit. These bottles can take 450 years to decompose.

6. Grow your own produce Not everyone has a yard for a garden, but many of us can grow a small herb garden either on our balcony or as indoor potted plants. With your own herbs, you can quit your weekly herb purchases, the ones in individual plastic packages. Plus, you can be confident that your herbs are organic.

7. Shop your local farmers’ market (or markets!)

The goods you get at the farmers’ market will be local and fresh. Supermarket produce, on the other hand, has made a long journey. A grocery store apple, for example, is on average 14 months old. Wouldn’t you rather bite into a freshly picked apple from the orchard you can easily drive to from the city?

Plus, fresher also means more packed with nutrients.

KAREN KWAN is a freelance health, travel and lifestyle writer based in Toronto.

Follow her on Twitter at @healthswellness and on Instagram at @healthandswellness.

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HEALTH

Do Gay Men Really Give a Damn About Giving Blood?

One can’t help but question if these men truly want to save lives, or are simply self-victimizing to get attention

By Jesse Boland

MAY / JUNE 2022

Photo by Nguyn Hip on Unsplash

As surely as death, taxes, and that there is a rerun of Ridiculousness showing on MTV right now, one may always be sure that for any time there is a headline pertaining to the ongoing blood crisis in North America, the most self-righteous, annoying gay guy you know is going to be the first in the comments to say, “Wow... if only all gay men could give blood!” While this indication of bigotry in the healthcare system may seem well-intentioned on the surface, the men who make such virtuous statements seldom extend their activism beyond a snarky tweet accompanied by a Rihanna gif from 2015. In fact, such attention-seeking quips often obfuscate from the actual crises of both the shortage of blood donations in the Canadian and American healthcare systems, and the rising numbers of HIV transmissions among heterosexuals.

With so many men feeling obliged to centre themselves as the

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point of focus in the midst of a collapsing healthcare system, one can’t help but question if these men truly want to save lives or are simply self-victimizing to gain attention.

It should be noted that there has been some progress made in recent years. In Canada, gay men are currently eligible to give blood if it has been more than three months since their last sexual contact with another man. A submission recommending further changes to the policy was submitted to Health Canada in December 2021.

That submission is currently under review with Health Canada, and the Canadian Health Services hope it will be approved in the coming months. (For more information on the evolving eligibility criteria for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, visit www.blood.ca.)

Having said all that, it is essential to state that it is indeed fully possible for all queer men to donate their blood if they so desire, regardless of when their last sexual contact with another man occurred. How could that be, you may ask? LITERALLY JUST LIE. I cannot stress how simple and easy this is to do if you genuinely wish to donate your blood to save the lives of vulnerable people in need. Here’s how. When the medical practitioner asks you if you have sex with men, simply say “no” instead of “yes” – and voilà! The underpaid medical worker has completed their legal duty without being obligated to challenge this answer, a desperate person in need gets to receive a lifesaving resource, and you get your orange juice and cookie. In 50 words or less, please explain to me how this is difficult to do.

One simply cannot help but feel piqued that so few gay men choose to circumvent this inch-high hurdle that’s set in place to prevent us from donating a lifesaving resource to those desperately in need.

While it can undoubtedly feel regressive – and for some, even humiliating – to be forced to hide your queerness for the sake of manipulating bigoted legislation, it is but a minute tribulation for the purpose of saving a stranger’s life. When we prioritize queer visibility over the health and safety of vulnerable members of our communities, it becomes clear that our pride has morphed into vanity.

The act of lying about your identity may seem like a temporary fix based on individual choice – you know, kind of like the entire act of donating blood itself – but it actually holds the key to repealing the ban. If enough gay men were to lie about their sexualities to donate blood, to the point that it became common knowledge that we do so, this would serve as a valid argument that not only is the ban pointless and ineffective, but also that there is no more risk in gay men donating our blood than there is for anyone else. By refusing to defy the ban that has been set in place by homophobic legislators, we are in turn validating their bigotry by demonstrating compliance with the rules they have set in place for us. Be reminded that these homophobes don’t want us to give our blood because they view us as “less than” and dirty, so by righteously refusing to illicitly donate our blood, we are doing exactly what they want.

The conversation about blood does not end there, though. Our community has spent decades fighting to destigmatize HIV and AIDS, which had for years been colloquially been referred to as

HIV cases in heterosexuals have been silently skyrocketing over the years, with straight men making up a higher cases of HIV patients than gay men in numerous regions across the globe. This is not news worth celebrating (as many members of pastel infographic Instagram did back in February of this year), but rather an indication of failure by our healthcare and education systems. Straight people are not being educated on the risks of HIV in the same way that queer people are, neither are they being actively encouraged to get tested regularly to learn their status, as it is not seen as a cause of concern for them. While the concept of cis-heteronormativity may call to mind an elitist, privileged white man (of whom ridiculing may feel justified), the reality is that cases of HIV infections in straight people have predominantly been found in impoverished Black women. While HIV itself may not discriminate on gender, race or sexual orientation, the same cannot be said of the Canadian and American healthcare systems.

I often ponder how rarely I have heard the topic of marriage equality brought up as a current human rights issue since 2015. The LGBTQ+ community fought valiantly for our right to same-sex marriage equality with the understanding that it was about more than declaring our love, but also for the legalities to protect our families that came with said licence. With that, I can’t help but feel dejected that our community has abandoned the disabled community in their identical fight for marriage equality in the years following our historic win. For those who don’t know, people with disabilities risk losing their government benefits if they marry an able-bodied partner, as their partner would then be viewed as liable for their household financial income. So why are we not demanding their equality the way we demanded ours? Did we really want equality, or did we just want to get the same privileges as our able-bodied straight peers without caring about anyone else?

It is my fear that this may one day become the same fate for the gay community’s solidarity in the fight against AIDS. As the most privileged of us strive forward in ways thought unimaginable 50 years ago, who are we leaving behind? While HIV infection rates for upper-middle class gay white men with access to health care may have plummeted since the epidemic of the 1980s, numbers have only grown for lower-income Black communities in recent years, showing us that AIDS is not a gay disease, and that we should still care. AIDS doesn’t kill: miseducation and inaccessibility to health care kills, and it kills the most vulnerable among us. Gay men can’t save the world, just as we can’t solve the blood crisis even if we were all legally allowed to give our blood. These are the responsibilities of our leaders and our elected officials, who hold the resources necessary to make it happen (though, sadly, history has taught us that they likely never will). So for now, do what you can to keep your community safe and give whatever you can by whatever means possible, even if it means swallowing your pride.

I promise you’ll feel proud of yourself for doing so.

JESSE BOLAND is that gay kid in class who your English teacher always believed in. He’s a graduate of English at Ryerson University with a passion for giving a voice to people who don’t have data on their phones and who chases his dreams by foot because he never got his driver’s licence.

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"Gay men are currently eligible to give blood if it has been more than three months since their last sexual contact with another man"

“gay cancer,” to educate the world that it is indeed an illness that does not discriminate and can affect anyone. The understanding that AIDS is not a disease that can be eradicated through the efforts of “responsible” individuals themselves, but requires a global effort of education and compassion, has been an imperative pillar in the advancement of the fight against it. But in recent years, I have begun wondering if gay men still understand this.

PERSPECTIVE

WHERE HAVE

GAY

Making friends is easier to do when you’re the new kid on the block

MAY / JUNE 2022

By Jumol Royes

Photo by Ronê Ferreira on Pexels

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But the perks of the job became apparent after the sun went down.

Weeknights were made for hopping from one new or newly redesigned restaurant or lounge to another with various groups of friends. We regularly ended the night sipping cocktails at Lobby Lounge (may she rest in peace), the hip spot where all the cool kids hung out at the chic corner of Bloor Street and Avenue Road in Yorkville. During Toronto Fashion Week, there was always an abundance of fashion shows to attend featuring designs by the likes of Andy Thê-Anh and Bustle, two of my personal faves.

Not to mention the regular rounds we made at charity galas like CANFAR’s Bloor Street Entertains.

I wore being a social butterfly like a badge of honour back then, probably because it made me feel seen and like I belonged.

"As the years went by, though, my gay friendships started to change.

It didn’t happen overnight. It was a gradual process."

I went from being the gay Black boy who was bullied growing up, to running in the same social circles as the bold-faced names I used to read about in the society pages of newspapers and glossy magazines as a teen. I was hobnobbing with high society, rubbing shoulders with socialites, and revelling in every champagne-soaked moment of it. And always with a coterie of fabulous friends in tow.

Meeting new people and making friends – more specifically gay friends – felt effortless.

Once, during film festival season, I ended up at Remington’s, formerly the city’s most famous male strip club. Queen Latifah just happened to be there that night. I reminded her of the time she had driven me and my co-worker Josh to a party after our shifts had ended at the hotel where she was staying while in town filming the movie Hairspray. Josh was a gregarious gay who introduced me to pretty much everyone he knew, and I enjoyed being one of his wingmen.

I met my gay bestie Steve that same night at the strip club. We were both bright, young things full of energy. We laughed hard and partied even harder. The hangover I experienced the next day was epic, but that’s a story for another day.

Then there were the friends I made while out and about in Toronto’s gay Village. The Barn was the first gay bar I ever went to. I didn’t know what to expect, and was scared to death. Somehow, I mustered the courage to walk up to the door. Once inside, I was showered with attention and acceptance. The people I met there became fast friends who felt more like family. We spent countless hours talking and texting with each other during the week; on weekends, we’d meet up at the club and dance until the wee hours of the morning before going back to someone’s house and making plans to do it all over again.

As the years went by, though, my gay friendships started to change.

It didn’t happen overnight. It was a gradual process.

People paired up, got into relationships, and left the single life behind. Others moved away and started new lives in different cities or countries. Some simply outgrew the friendships. Whatever the case, the texts and phone calls became less and less frequent until they stopped altogether. We drifted apart and moved on without each other.

These days, I find myself looking back wistfully at that time in my life, back when I had more friends than I could count. Maybe I should have made more of an effort to stay in touch. It’s not the partying that I long for, nor the drama or chaos that often accompanied it.

It’s the connections, the conversations, the sense of community I felt then that I miss most.

I have struggled to make and maintain gay friendships in recent years, and I worry about being lonely as I grow older. I live just north of the city and it’s not easy connecting with old friends or meeting new ones, especially given the lack of safe spaces for gay and queer folks in the suburbs. The pandemic didn’t help, either.

When I do venture downtown, everyone seems to have their friend groups already established, and it’s hard to break into those tightknit social circles.

Sometimes I’ll see a group of gay friends hanging out, laughing and sharing stories, and I’ll feel a pang of sadness mixed with a sense of loss.

I found that once, I think to myself. I like to think I’ll find it again.

JUMOL ROYES is IN Magazine’s director of communications and community engagement, a GTA-based storyteller and a glass-half-full kinda guy. He writes about compassion, community, identity and belonging. His guilty pleasure is watching the Real Housewives. Follow him on Twitter at @Jumol and on Instagram at @jumolroyes.

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PERSPECTIVE

I was in my early 20s and fresh out of the closet when I found my way into the world of public relations as a young PR executive for a pair of boutique hotels in the city. I credit my mentor and fairy godmother, Dalia, for showing me the ropes. My days were far from glamorous and were usually spent working at my desk in a windowless basement office.

SELF-CARE

The Power Of Me-Dates

Singleness and solitude can help us learn a lot about ourselves

By Jaime Woo

The idea of a me-date came to me last year, ahead of the second winter of the pandemic. I live alone, and each winter the blues dutifully arrive once the holidays finish. Last year, I bought my first pairs of snow pants and Sorels since becoming an adult. I was ready for the climate, but still had to confront my worries of feeling lonely and isolated.

In How Emotions Are Made, Canadian neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett discusses how we each have “body budgets,” which the brain is responsible for keeping in balance. From morning to night, the brain works to ensure the resources we need to survive, and while we can borrow from our budgets occasionally – like enjoying a few late nights out – if we don’t repay those withdrawals, eventually things will malfunction. One suggestion of hers was practising yoga, which appeared, if practised long term, to particularly restore people’s body budgets over other exercises.

MAY / JUNE 2022

I thought of my yoga practice, and how I love not only the exercise component but also the mindset it fosters. I reflect on the importance of showing up for myself with each session, and tend to my limits with kindness. Yoga gives me space to be curious about where my body is at, which deepens the relationship with myself. So I thought: if yoga could restore my body budget, maybe a me-date rooted in a similar mindset could, too. At the very least, there seemed no harm in trying.

Part of the fun of dating is in the planning. How could I make the night special? I began by choosing cocktails from Grey Tiger, a bar in Toronto’s Bloordale neighbourhood run by an artist couple where I’ve spent many memorable nights. The Silent Practice caught my eye, a take on the old-fashioned with Gaelic whisky, cacao-infused sherry, and black tea bitters. I’m perhaps telling on myself that the planning order went: drinks first, then food.

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IN MAGAZINE

Photo by Jackson David on Unsplash

On the night of my “big date,” the first dish was a pâté de campagne terrine. As I toasted the accompanying baguette slices, I remembered trying pâté en croute for the first time at Sanagan’s, a butcher shop around the corner from Inez, and how I’d promised myself to one day eat it in France. That got me thinking about travel. I wished I spoke better French, one of a handful of languages I partially speak.

I also have the remnants of Chinese from my childhood, and the muy poco Spanish I’d learned while living in Los Angeles. I felt self-conscious about not knowing these languages better, because I believe the connection that comes with speaking another language is worth the frustration and exhaustion that comes with learning it; there’s a relief that washes over people’s faces when they discover you can communicate in a language they’re more experienced in.

In my self-talk, I was surfacing the core of my love for languages.

Dolly Parton famously said, “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” A me-date is an opportunity to do that, just as dating others helps us answer the question, “Who are they?” It’s easy to feel like we know all about ourselves because of how close we feel to our thoughts and feelings. But this belief is challenged whenever we try something new or get put into a situation and are surprised by our response. I’ve had it happen in small moments, such as when I discovered how much I love bouldering, and I’ve had it happen in big moments, like after a long-term partner and I separated.

Culturally, we don’t have many rituals to reflect on positive and meaningful ideas about ourselves. “Know thyself” is a thousandsyear-old saying, and yet many of us still underestimate how frequently we need to introspect to get a clearer picture. A lot more has been written about our romantic relationships. To further the relationship with ourselves, what could we draw from that work?

myself. The themes of chosen family, loneliness, and how social structures can fail us had always resonated with me, but now felt more poignant. When I had first watched it nearly two decades ago, I wouldn’t have foreseen how deeply I would connect with the film’s message that to discover ourselves as we are now means perpetually letting go of who we were or thought we had to be.

I’ve had many more me-dates since that first one, and over that time I have noticed an increased willingness to ask myself “why not?” about things that previously I have been afraid to do or leery about attempting. I’ve moved away from being as self-judgmental towards a stance of curiosity, which researchers have shown improves well-being. Something about the cultivation of loving-playfulness towards myself gave me the freedom to experiment more, and to feel all right if those experiments weren’t successful.

"Part of the fun of dating is in the planning. How could I make the night special? "

Fostering playfulness is tough even without a pandemic raging on, American therapist Brené Brown writes in The Gifts of Imperfection and during one, it can feel downright gluttonous and inappropriate. about people who thrive because they are living wholeheartedly, But play might be exactly what we need in this moment – precisely which she defines as “engaging with our lives from a place of because when this uncertainty makes us want to close up, we need worthiness.” To practise wholehearted living requires courage, to regularly practise reopening ourselves. Brian Sutton-Smith, a compassion and connection. She clarifies that her definition of psychologist who was one of the first to seriously study play, said: courage comes from the etymology of the word, from the heart, and “The opposite of play is not work. It’s depression.” she means the willingness to say what’s true from within. In other words, expressing the deep knowledge within. What if a me-date What started as a way for me to get through a cold, lonely winter was one way to build a friendlier relationship with ourselves, so has become something more rewarding. Me-dates are something that we could weather more and rougher storms? we could all use, whether we’re single or not. The reality is that post-pandemic, we will all have to examine who we have become.

After dinner, the plan was to watch one of my favourite films, Lilo Many of us will try to rush back to our old idea of normal – and and Stitch. This animated Disney classic is an odd-couple story those familiar comforts might be there – but we’ll quickly discover of a young Hawaiian girl who befriends a furry, blue alien on the that it won’t feel the same. Because we’re not the same. run from intergalactic law enforcement. It’s perfect for me, as it features two places I would love to visit one day: space, and the I’m holding Dolly Parton’s advice close to my heart. The process island of Kaua’i. of finding who you are never ends – it is a continual, unfolding process. Waiting to check in with ourselves until major changes Something about the me-date made this experience refreshing. I have happened leaves far too much time in between. We deserve wasn’t just passing time, or watching something comforting on to pay more attention within. After all, we are our own lifelong TV: I was watching because I genuinely wanted to enjoy it with companion – and we’re all we’ve got.

JAIME WOO is a writer based in Toronto, focusing on the intersection of technology and culture. He’s best-known for his Lambda Literary-nominated book, Meet Grindr, dissecting how the design of the infamous app influences user behaviour.

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SELF-CARE

For dinner, takeaway from Lake Inez, a charming restaurant in the Gerrard India Bazaar neighbourhood. Inez changes up the theme for its weekly dinner, and I was a sucker for the country French-inspired meal. The five-course meal was designed for two, although it’s my belief that any meal can be personal-sized if you try hard enough.

MUSIC

BODY AND SOUL American Idol’s David Hernandez strips bare in his new album, Don’t @ Me, and his book of nude photos

By Jason Salerno

David Hernandez knows about public shaming. When he was 24, competing on American Idol, Perez Hilton outed him to the world as gay and revealed his stripper past. The following week after the news broke, America voted to eliminate Hernandez from the show.

Has Paula Abdul [a former American Idol judge] weighed in on the images in #NSFW yet?

Paula has not seen them! (Laughing) I’m pretty sure she would not want to! She’s like a sister/mentor to me.

“I cried like a baby backstage. I mean, I was just a kid,” he reflects today. “Just when I had this big, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity based off of my God-given talent, it was all taken away from me and I became an instant pariah.”

What would Simon Cowell [a former American Idol judge] say if he were to see them?

Who cares what Simon would say? On the show, his critiques were always super harsh and hurtful. I was so young at the time and everything was new to me. His comments were pretty devastating. I have thicker skin today. Whatever he might say wouldn’t bother me.

MAY / JUNE 2022

His fall from grace led Hernandez to serious depression, followed by addiction, jail, and eventual rehab. “It got to be pretty dark,” he continues. “But God saw me through it and I learned to love myself, flaws and all, and to not allow the negative YouTube comments to bring me down.”

He sings about the reckoning and its aftermath in his provocative new EP, Don’t @ Me, and proves he’s no longer hiding anything in its accompanying book of nude photography, #NSFW. Hernandez spoke with us from his home in Los Angeles.

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American Idol did amazing things for many artists.

That’s true. In terms of my music career, I have a lot to be thankful for. Despite the fallout, the show put me on the map. It exposed me to 35 million people every week and helped me get my foot in the industry. Because of the exposure, I was able to sing at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, and performed with incredible artists like Bryan Adams, George Michael and Donna Summer.

I’ve been a touring artist for over a decade, which is a blessing.

Not many singers can say that they have worked consistently for

Did the show support you when you were outed?

The producers were supportive. They allowed me to say whatever I wanted on the carpet. They never told me I couldn’t be myself or that I couldn’t confirm or deny the story. But I was young and without personal representation. I wasn’t ready to acknowledge my sexuality so publicly.

Did your fellow contestants lend a shoulder to cry on?

All of the contestants were super supportive, but they thought it best to ignore the story and keep moving forward in the competition.

Unfortunately, the story overshadowed a lot of things.

You were the same season as David Archuleta [Archuleta finished second on the seventh season of American Idol]! How did he respond?

David was 16 at the time. I don’t think it was a focus for him at all. He was always super sweet, though.

What are your thoughts on his coming out?

I think I always kind of knew but, again, he was so young. I applaud David for being authentic to himself and his journey. I’m sure it has been difficult, but I’m happy that he was able to come out on his own terms. I hope that one day sexuality isn’t such a major topic of discussion and that people can just be people.

Let’s discuss your life after Idol. You took some wild turns, David: arrested for a DUI and landing in rehab. What was all that about?

Oh jeez, I can write a book…but the abridged version is that after the show and after the traumatic events of being outed, I fell into a toxic relationship and when we broke up, I started drinking a lot.

To top it off, I had been taking Xanax to fall asleep, not realizing that it was super addicting.

The combination of being at an all-time low in my life and relationship, and drinking and taking Xanax, sent me into a bit of a spiral. I made the stupid decision to drive home from a friend’s house, not realizing how intoxicated I was.

In retrospect, I’m happy the police officers pulled me over when they did, because who knows what could’ve happened? I’m lucky to have made it out alive.

How did you finally get sober?

Rehab and a great support system. I want to make clear that I went to rehab for prescription pills and not alcohol. I still drink wine, although I’ve cut back on that, too. I encourage everybody out there to do what’s best for them. There’s no ‘one shoe fits all’ in recovery. Everyone is unique and has different demons to conquer.

Tell us about your new EP. It is some of the most personal work I’ve ever written and sung.

I’m really excited about it. People will finally hear me speaking out about my past and how it affected me.

You get into some pretty graphic material, David.

I do, and it’s not just about my struggles. One song, “Special,” is a joyful song about climaxing with my partner. It’s very D’Angelo-inspired.

Why did you title the EP ‘Don’t @ Me’?

That’s for all the keyboard warriors out there who love to slide into my DMs with negative comments and unsolicited advice.

If you don’t like what I’m doing, there’s no need to comment.

Keep it moving.

What kind of advice do you get?

A talent manager messaged me on Instagram the other day. Let me find it. (Pulls out his cellphone) Here it is. He says: ‘David, who told you to go this route with your career? I am not saying I am a miracle worker but showing your ass is not going to help. Your voice, talent and face should be enough. DM back if interested or keep doing what you are doing.’ Who is this Simon Cowell wannabe telling me how to run my career? I learned long ago that listening to other people’s opinions has never gotten me anywhere. Every single time I’ve listened to myself and done what was authentic to me, I have excelled. By the way, I looked up his company and his followers are all fake.

What finally brought you to the point where you had no more f-cks?

In retrospect, competing on a nationally televised show so early in my life probably wasn’t the wisest thing for my mental health.

It left me with PTSD where for so long, I was overly concerned about what the world thought of me. I think it’s true that the older you get, the less you really give a shit about things that don’t matter, like pleasing others. It’s not my job to make everyone happy. I need to make myself happy. I’m proud of who I am. Why hide it?

Is that what the album and book are about…coming out of hiding?

Yes, they’re about revealing myself, being vulnerable and transparent.

The music is beautiful, as are the photos. The photographer captured the best in me and I’m excited for everyone to see it.

Everything seems to have come full circle for you.

That’s true. America may have sent me home for being a gay stripper, but look at me now…I’m gay, stripping again and making an honest living from it. I guess I get the last laugh! This is on my terms now. I even launched an OnlyFans page! A lot of the images in the book can also be found on my OnlyFans.

Are you ready to forgive Perez Hilton for outing you?

I can never forget how awful I felt being so publicly outed. Next to Britney Spears shaving her head, it was the only thing entertainment media was reporting on for weeks! At the time, it felt like the end of my world. But since then, Perez and I have become friends.

We even chat on Instagram occasionally. I don’t hold a grudge against him. I mean, at the end of the day, it wouldn’t be healthy for me. Everything happens for a reason. I’ve grown up. I think we all have. It’s time to move on.

Follow David Hernandez on social media at DHernandezMusic, and visit OfficialDavidHernandez.com for more information.

JASON SALERNO is a freelance journalist, editor, ghostwriter, speaker and cartoonist. He lives in New York City's Upper East Side, but longs for the day when he can find a reasonably priced apartment in Greenwich Village so he can live the life of a real beatnik poet.

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so long. I’m grateful to the mentors and the producers for helping me to learn the ropes. Those lessons were invaluable.

MUSIC

EVAN PEIX IS SWEET, BUT HIS MUSIC IS SPICY The popular gay social influencer and advocate shakes up the dance floor

MAY / JUNE 2022

By Mike Bahr

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IN MAGAZINE

MUSIC

,,

FANS ARE ALWAYS SURPRISED WITH HOW MULTIFACETED I AM. I PRODUCE SONGS, CREATE AND EDIT VIDEOS, PLAY INSTRUMENTS, DANCE, SING, TUMBLE...GIVE ME A STRIPPER POLE AND ,, PREPARE TO BE AMAZED! Evan Peix is injecting caliente Latino flavor into today’s gay After dropping out of high school at 18, Peix moved to Miami with clubs with his two energetic singles, “Tu Si” and “Me Elevas.” $500 in his pocket. “I found a room in Little Havana, Miami, for The songs are part of a music genre called Guaracha, a sound $300 and spent the rest on protein shakes and a gym membership. that originated in Cuba and is acclaimed for combining a rapid I couldn’t afford furniture so I slept on a piece of cardboard.” tempo with bold lyrics.

He found a job bussing tables, but wasn’t very good at it. “I “I was introduced to Guaracha two years ago while in Colombia,” dropped more than one plate on the lap of an unfortunate diner,” Peix explains from his Miami home. “A cab driver played he recalls. A gym buddy suggested he try stripping, and when he Fumaratto’s ‘Me Provocas’ and it literally threw me into a three- did, he found it to be, in his words, “easy as breathing.” It was minute trance! I went into the studio to try my hand at Guaracha. also very lucrative. He saved his first $60,000 and enrolled in That’s when ‘Tu-Si’ was born.” audio engineering school. “Fans are always surprised with how multifaceted I am,” he continues. “I produce songs, create and Written and produced by Peix, “Tu Si” and its follow-up single, edit videos, play instruments, dance, sing, tumble…give me a “Me Elevas,” are being distributed independently. stripper pole and prepare to be amazed!”

Videos for both are available on YouTube, and they echo the frenetic, sultry joy of the singles. Many of the dancers, including Malik Delgaty, who poses with a ball python in “Tu Si,” are models Peix regularly collaborates with on his OnlyFans page.

“It’s important for me that my songs and videos reflect the same Evan Peix that guys know from OnlyFans,” Peix says. “For me, the singer and the social influencer are intertwined. Everything I create is a reflection of my art and sexuality.”

Peix was born in New York, but moved to Bolivia when he was nine years old to join the South American version of the Mickey Mouse Club. He was one of just 10 kids selected for the show out of the 10,000 who had auditioned. “I loved going to the studio every day for rehearsals and our weekly filming,” he says. He and the cast were the closest of pals for the four years of production and in that time, they released multiple albums together. The friends remain in touch today. “Each one of the members has paved their own unique careers in life,” Peix attests. “From TV news anchors to super models, singers, dancers…even a drag queen! I was always the provocative stripper,” he adds with a grin.

Peix is also a social advocate. He runs The Dreamer Project, an initiative that raises money for the needy in South America.

The group recently came to the aid of male webcam models in Venezuela who were facing incarceration, charged with creating and distributing indecent content. The Dreamer Project helped to pay their hefty fines so the men could find safety out of the country.

The Dreamer Project is now raising funds for Niños del Sol, an orphanage in Medellin, Colombia. The orphanage, which houses more than 20 children, is in desperate need of food, clothing and basic supplies for its youth. “Everyone should have the opportunity to pursue their life’s dreams,” says Peix. “Many good people have helped me to achieve mine. I’m happy to have the opportunity and the platform to be able to help others achieve theirs.”

You can follow Evan Peix on Instagram at @evanpeix.

Visit EvanPeix.com for more information.

MIKE BAHR is a freelance travel and fashion writer who grew up in Los Angeles, attended college in New York, and now resides in Chicago with his husband and their two dogs. On weekends, he plays soccer and Ultimate Frisbee with the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association.

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ITSAHIMMM....

MAARIOOOOOOO Mario Adrion is sharing his experiences around the world as a model and YouTuber

MAY / JUNE 2022

By Jason Salerno

Photo by Riley Hersey

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IN MAGAZINE

Adrion came to national attention when he appeared on last season’s American Idol. He wowed judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, performing his audition song in his signature outfit.

At one point, Perry challenged Adrion to a catwalk duel! While Adrion’s fashion moves slayed, his song didn’t quite measure up and he was eliminated. Still, the appearance introduced the funny male model to a national audience, and now he’s trading the runway for the stand-up comedy stage.

and I had to cancel my shows to attend the funeral. At the funeral, I realized how unhealthy I looked, and promised myself to never do that again.

In your act, you discuss the sexual propositions. Can you tell us about those?

It all started with some underwear shoots where photographers would try to adjust my underwear and touch me inappropriately.

I learned to tolerate it because I didn’t want to lose the jobs. But then there were times when I would be offered a magazine cover in exchange for receiving a blow job from a photographer. Nobody told me what to do in that situation. I didn’t get much guidance from my agents.

Is it common for male models to engage in these

In his act, Adrion reflects on his life as an underwear model, propositions? revealing what really happens in model apartments…and the Yes, advances are quite common. It’s an unspoken rule that models importance of the big bulge. He also dives into the dark side can’t be too sensitive. We’re expected to play along. I have often of the fashion industry, discussing the sexual propositions he endured these advances because I was paralyzed and didn’t encountered and even the time he was drugged and sexually know what to say without upsetting the photographer or casting assaulted by a photographer. “I don’t make light of the experience,” director. One time, after being groped, I told the photographer he emphasizes. “There is nothing funny about rape. But sharing I didn’t feel comfortable, and he told me: ‘This is fashion. You my story openly and publicly has helped in the healing process. have to be more open if you want to succeed in this industry.’ I’ll It has given the assault purpose.” never forget how he accused me of not being open after sexually assaulting me. I am not saying all successful models have engaged For more, we reached out to the popular YouTuber at his home in these propositions, but I know a lot of guys who are doing big in Los Angeles. campaigns with huge designers after spending a weekend in the Hamptons with them.

How did you find your way into stand-up comedy?

I just started doing it. I have so much to learn, but nothing beats the energy of a room full of laughing people. It is magical.

You’ve been open about your experiences on your YouTube channel.

I remember being a kid and putting on a performance at my uncle’s 50th birthday, making little jokes about my cousins and all the people there. Everybody agreed I was a natural!

My YouTube viewership went up once I started sharing my personal stories. Instead of showing some perfect life as a model, I chose to reveal my struggles, which made my channel more relatable.

I combine the boldness of doing embarrassing things in public with a clear inspirational message of getting out of one’s comfort zone and being open and vulnerable.

Why did you decide to pursue modelling first, over comedy?

Is the ultimate goal of your videos – and now comedy act – to inspire?

Were you always funny?

I’m from a small town in Germany where nobody does anything creative. Out of nowhere, I was approached by a modelling agent from New York City who offered me an opportunity. I decided to pursue it, not because I loved modelling but because I loved the challenge and the possibility of travelling around the world!

It really is! I want to inspire people to be bold, overcome fear and make fun a priority in life. I left the security of my small town, and despite some of the challenges I have encountered along the way, I couldn’t be happier.

Was modelling filled with glamour and wild nights out?

I’ve been to some of the most insane parties as a model. Especially the after-parties of Milan Fashion Week.

Do you mind being objectified?

I definitely like the attention and admiration I sometimes receive.

For more information, visit marioadrion.com.

What are some of the hardest parts about modelling?

I found that having to fit into the body that fashion brands wanted was hard. I am a naturally athletic guy. My agents always wanted me to lose muscle mass so I could fit into tiny designer jackets for Fashion Week. One Fashion Week season, I starved myself and lost 20 pounds. Then my grandmother passed away unexpectedly

JASON SALERNO is a freelance journalist, editor, ghostwriter, speaker and cartoonist. He lives in New York City’s Upper East Side, but longs for the day when he can find a reasonably priced apartment in Greenwich Village so he can live the life of a real beatnik poet.

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Mario Adrion’s legions of fans on YouTube know him as the ITSAMEEE....MAARIOOOooo! guy. The Wilhelmina fashion model has been lighting up the internet with his man-about-town videos where he asks silly questions of unsuspecting men and women, all while wearing nothing but a skimpy Speedo.

MUSIC

SONGS FOR AND BY N O N B I N A RY T R A N S VO I C E S Innovative publisher releases first-ever collection of vocal and piano music without gender

By Tom Tietjen

NewMusicShelf has released the first-ever volume of songs written for and/or by transgender and nonbinary people, Anthology of New Music: Trans & Nonbinary Voices.

“As a trans nonbinary singer, I often found opera and musical theatre compositions to be aggressively gendered and binary,” reflects the book’s curator, Aiden Feltkamp. “I was at a loss for repertoire that spoke to me.”

They approached Dennis Tobenski of NewMusicShelf, a boutique music publishing company in New York City, with the idea of building a first-of-its-kind collection of vocal and piano music: a volume not centred on a particular instrument or voice type, but on identity.

to Caitlyn’s experience of wanting to be someone that society is telling her she can’t be.”

Tobenski and Feltkamp hope the pieces in Anthology of New Music: Trans & Nonbinary Voices will be a resource for voice teachers and presenters, and will reach audiences beyond the book through live performances.

“Now no one can say that there aren’t any roles for trans/ nonbinary singers or that there aren’t any trans creators in opera and musical theatre,” Feltkamp reflects. “My hope is that the collection is a jumping-off point that encourages readers to seek out more works by these, and other, trans and nonbinary composers.”

The concept intrigued Tobenski. As a gay man in the early 2000s, he could remember very little music at the time featuring a man loving another man. “What did exist wasn’t exactly visible for a kid like me growing up gay in the cornfields of Illinois. I was forced to either sing about loving women, co-opt soprano repertoire about loving men, or not sing about love at all.”

The duo envisioned the anthology as an opportunity to present songs that music lovers could connect with, without the barrier of gender. They decided selections would include all vocal ranges in multiple music styles that told a variety of stories of the transgender and nonbinary experience. Their only criteria: 1) the composer was trans or nonbinary, 2) the lyricist was trans or nonbinary, or 3) the song was written for or premiered by a trans or nonbinary singer.

A total of 21 songs were chosen. Among them are Yoshi Weinberg’s “Captain of My Soul,” selected because the piece artfully blends contemporary composition with fantastically haunting and dramatic poetry and “is an ideal song for an undergrad or graduate level recital,” says Feltkamp. Pax Ressler’s “Love Song for Me” is included because of its upbeat, pride-centric theme.

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Dana Kaufman’s “To My Mother’s Closet” was chosen for its topical reflection of Caitlyn Jenner and the impact her televised interviews have had on the trans community.

“Frankly, Caitlyn’s a terrible ally to her own community and I don’t have any positive feelings about her,” Feltkamp laments.

“That said, Dana Kaufman does a fantastic job of portraying Caitlyn realistically yet empathetically. The act of going into a parent’s closet is relatable, at least to me and a few other trans people whose stories I know, and I can’t help but relate

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NewMusicShelf’s Anthology of New Music: Trans & Nonbinary Voices, Vol. 1 is available on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com and wherever books and music are sold. Visit newmusicshelf.com.

TOM TIETJEN is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles. His celeb interviews have appeared in Palm Springs’ Standard Magazine and Desert Life Magazine. In his spare time, he enjoys whacking on the tambourine to old Monkees songs and catching waves at Huntington Beach.

COVER

The Mystery Of The Mummy In The Drag Queen’s Closet True tale: A wrapped-up body was found among the ball gowns of Dorian Corey, the breakout star of Paris Is Burning

By Christopher Turner

Dorian Corey in a scene from Paris Is Burning

Fans of Jennie Livingston’s classic 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning will without a doubt remember drag queen Dorian Corey, the grande dame of the New York ball scene who helped popularize the concept of “shade” that is now immortalized in queer and mainstream culture. In the film, Corey delivered memorable oneliners and, of course, defined the “fundamental” act of “reading” as “the real art form of insult” long before the library opened for the fan favourite “reading” challenge that pops up every season on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Corey could probably never have imagined the impact her cadence and observations would have on the LGBTQ+ community in the years to come. On August 29, 1993, three years after Paris Is Burning was released, Corey died in New York of AIDS-related complications. That’s when one of the oddest mysteries in LGBTQ+ history and ball culture was born. After her death, it was discovered that the drag queen had kept a mummified corpse in the closet of her New York apartment for an untold number of years. The preserved body was found among her belongings, wrapped in fake leather and stuffed in a garment bag.

Wondering how Corey ended up with a dead body in her closet?

Here’s the fascinating – and true – story.

Paris Is Burning Born in Buffalo, New York, on June 6, 1937, Corey graduated from New York City’s Parsons School of Design before she began performing in drag. She became an established costumer, winning over 50 grand prizes from voguing balls in the Harlem drag ball scene with her innovative looks – including a feathered cape she wore that transformed into a tent covering the entire audience.

She was house mother to Angie Xtravaganza (who later became a mother of her own house), and in Paris Is Burning she offered the first real definitions of terms such as voguing, reading and shade to mainstream audiences.

Her experience and motherly personality led her to mentor and support numerous young queens as the mother of the drag family she created, the House of Corey. “You lend money to your friends – not very much money – and [give] advice.… Sometimes, if someone got evicted or whatever, you might take them in,” she explained on a 1991 episode of the Joan Rivers Show.

Corey may have made her mark in Paris Is Burning, but she actually appeared, decades before that, in another mesmerizing documentary following a New York City drag pageant. Frank Simon’s 1968 film The Queen captures the experiences of a group of drag queens

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organizing and participating in the 1967 Miss All-America Camp and when he began to cut it open, a “horrible stink came out of Beauty Contest held at New York City’s Town Hall. Corey’s the dusty fabric bag.” appearance in the documentary, although brief, is memorable – but nothing like her star-making commentary in Paris Is Burning. “That’s when we called the police, ’cause honey, I wasn’t chancing it,” Taylor told New York.

Jennie Livingston’s documentary Paris Is Burning was first released on September 13, 1990 – it premiered at the Toronto Festival of When the police arrived on the scene, they initially insinuated that Festivals (which later became the Toronto International Film Taylor had something to do with it.

Festival). The film, which was shot over several years in the mid to late 1980s, documented gay culture and took an intimate look at the ballroom culture at the end of the “Golden Age” of New York City drag balls. Today critics consider the film to be an invaluable time-stamp and a thoughtful exploration of race, class, gender and sexuality in America during the late ’80s…in fact, in 2016, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

In the film, in between footage of balls, trophies and interviews, “house mothers” Corey (House of Corey), Pepper LaBeija (House of LaBeija), Angie Xtravaganza (House of Xtravaganza), Willi Ninja (House of Ninja) and Paris Dupree (House of Dupree) discuss the highs and lows of ballroom culture. Corey truly shines here: she “They said, ‘If we find your fingerprints on it….’ I said, ‘I’ll tell is witty, realistic and unflappable. In addition, emcee of the balls you one motherf**king thing: you might see my hands on top Junior LaBeija; model Octavia Saint Laurent; ballroom attendees of the damn thing, but I only weigh 135 pounds. I couldn’t even Kim and Freddie Pendavis; and House Xtravaganza members move that thing.”

Brooke, Carmen and Venus Xtravaganza are featured heavily in the film. It all ends on a sombre note, with the announcement of When investigators peeled through multiple layers – first the the tragic murder of Venus Xtravaganza. In the film, Xtravaganza bag’s green fabric, then taped wrappings of Naugahyde (a type describes a time she narrowly escaped an attack by a man who of faux leather), and then plastic – they discovered a grisly sight: discovered she was transgender during an intimate encounter, and the partially mummified body of a man in the fetal position who it is possible her murder occurred during a similar situation. appeared to have died from a gunshot wound to the head. The man’s formerly brown complexion was now purple and yellow, Before the credits roll, we hear this bit of philosophy from Corey: his ears were mere cartilaginous vestiges, and his blue-and-white “I always had hopes of being a big star. But as you get older, you boxer shorts were tattered. The body had reportedly been covered aim a little lower. Everybody wants to make an impression, some in baking soda and then wrapped tightly to neutralize the inevitable mark upon the world. Then you think, you’ve made a mark on the odour. Also encased within the layers of faux leather and plastic, world if you just get through it, and a few people remember your detective Raul Figueroa found vintage beer can lids. name. Then you’ve left a mark. You don’t have to bend the whole world. I think it’s better to just enjoy it. Pay your dues, and just enjoy it. If you shoot an arrow and it goes real high, hooray for you.”

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The mummy in the closet On August 29, 1993, at the age of 56, Corey died of AIDS-related complications at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in Manhattan. Her cremated remains were scattered in the waters off City Island, New York.

After Corey’s death, her friend Lois Taylor, a fellow drag queen and caretaker of Corey in her final days, was put in charge of handling Corey’s personal belongings and began sorting through her apartment on 140th Street in Manhattan. In October 1993, she began selling Corey’s costumes. An article in New York magazine tells what happened next. One day, Taylor brought two men who were searching for Halloween costumes to Corey’s apartment.

As they rifled through the fabric, feathers and sequins in Corey’s closet, they came across a musty green-plaid garment bag on the floor that piqued their collective interest. Unable to open the garment bag, Taylor handed a pair of scissors to one of the men,

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"That’s when we called

the police, ’cause honey, I wasn’t chancing it" Despite the technical hurdles posed by the body’s decay, Figueroa managed to extract fingerprints. The corpse was eventually identified as Robert “Bobby” Worley (also known as Robert Wells), born December 18, 1938. The only existing records from Worley’s life were criminal; he’d been arrested for raping and assaulting a woman in 1963 and served three years in prison. By most accounts, he was estranged from his family and had last been seen by them (or anyone else) in 1968.

Coupling this information with the detachable pull-tabs from flip-top beer cans that were found wrapped with the body, the

A mystery unravelled The discovery prompted plenty of questions. What was Corey’s relationship to Worley? Could Corey have committed murder?

How was the body preserved, and why had it not been disposed of? The police have never provided any official answers to the murder, and that just left the field open for speculation.

No one who had socialized or lived with Corey during that time ever recalled her mentioning Worley, let alone confessing to killing him. And superficial cues dictated that Corey had little reason to engage in violent crime.

Some of Corey’s fellow drag queens speculated that Worley was a burglar who had broken into Corey’s home, prompting her to act in self-defence. After all, Corey lived in Harlem, where violent crime ran rampant at the time. In fact, Jennie Livingston recalled that during interviews for Paris Is Burning in the late 1980s, she had witnessed numerous gunfights outside Corey’s apartment.

And, in an interview shortly after news of the murder surfaced, Corey’s friend Jessie Torres affirmed that Corey had “a little .22”.

Plus, there were rumours that Corey had allegedly attached a note to the body reading, “This poor man broke into my home and was trying to rob me.” Police never confirmed or denied that they found a note with the body.

Another theory speculates that the body was already in the closet when Corey moved from her apartment at 150th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue to one located 10 blocks over on West 140th Street in 1988.

Yet another theory speculates that Corey was hiding Worley’s body, either for a friend or for someone in the House of Corey.

little chance of garnering sympathy from the police. As for why Corey kept Worley’s body wrapped up in her closet…she took that secret with her to the grave.

Legacy For some reason, the fascinating true crime story is often buried in LGBTQ+ history. It did, however, inspire the short-lived musical Dorian’s Closet, which premiered in 2017 at Rep Stage, a regional theatre in residence at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland.

“I don’t think she had a criminal mind. She didn’t plan the murder, and when it happened, she had to think fast,” says Richard Mailman, who wrote Dorian’s Closet. “In the mind of someone who commits a crime of passion, that kind of makes sense.”

The story also loosely inspired an episode of Pose, the groundbreaking TV series celebrating the LGBTQ+ community that aired on FX from 2018 to 2021. In “Butterfly/Cocoon,” the third episode of Season 2 (which originally aired on June 25, 2019), transgender house mother Elektra (Dominique Jackson), who secretly works as a dominatrix in a BDSM club, discovers that one of her clients has died from an overdose in her private dungeon. She enlists the aid of other characters to transport, mummify and hide the body in a trunk before she confesses to Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) that even though she hid the body of the man she had accidentally killed, she knows “he will be with me for the rest of my life.” After the episode aired, director Janet Mock and Our Lady J, who wrote the episode, confirmed on social media that it had been loosely based on the legends surrounding Corey.

Most people believe that Worley had potentially been an abusive ex-lover of Corey and that she may have shot him in self-defence during a fight; after all, as was pretty clear from the murder of Venus Xtravaganza, abuse against transgender people by their partners was (and still is) a common occurrence in the trans community.

According to Taylor, Corey had once written a short, third-person story about a transgender woman who killed her lover in revenge after he pressured her into having sex reassignment surgery. Handwritten on a piece of paper yellowed with age, the story seemed at least loosely autobiographical – Corey had had breast implants and had possibly taken female hormones – and the story was peppered with references to her life, including the Pearl Box Revue, a touring drag show she’d performed with in the ’60s.

A final detail that supports the former lover theory: according to a police interview, Worley’s brother Fred claimed that he remembered an occasion when Worley was drunk and rambled on about someone named Dorian. So there was some sort of corroboration that Worley was in a relationship with Corey. And if that’s true, it could mean that Corey got away with murder.

Why hadn’t Corey gone to the authorities if Worley had been abusive? It’s safe to say that a Black drag queen who lived in a poor, dangerous area of New York in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s had

Of course, no one actually knows what happened except for two people, who are both dead. Without any kind of firsthand testimony from either Corey or Worley, it seems the mystery of how Worley died – and how he ended up wrapped like a mummy in Corey’s closet – will never be solved.

However, mummy in the closet or not, Corey’s legacy remains one of importance to the transgender, drag and ballroom communities, and her particular importance in the development of voguing as a cornerstone of New York ballroom culture is venerated and memorialized in the modern day. But it’s also okay to be a little fascinated with the potentially darker side of Corey, because… well…there was an actual mummy in her closet!

CHRISTOPHER TURNER acted as guest editor for this issue of IN Magazine. He is a Toronto-based writer, editor and lifelong fashionisto with a passion for pop culture and sneakers. Follow him on social media at @Turnstylin.

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detectives concluded that the shooting must have happened at least 20 years prior.

FASHION

RIDErIde ’EMCOWBOY! rIde ’eMCO’eM r WbO Life is better on the ranch in ES Collection USA

By Tyler Wynn

The new spring line from ES Collection USA is out now and its message is clear: it’s time to hit the hay, y’all.

Add some giddy-up to your underwear drawer this season with eco-conscious, exquisitely perfect-fitting stretch briefs, thongs, bikinis and jocks. All items are made with recycled fabric built from plastic residues found in the Mediterranean. Production is done in one factory to eliminate unnecessary emissions from travel.

Photographer Carlos Campos shot the Cowboys campaign in Las Vegas with models Darrien, Rouss, Alvaro, Ty, Jeb, Davide, Richard, Ken, Caleb and Felix. The entire collection is available now at ESCollectionUSA.com.

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Richard is moonshining in ES Collection USA’s 7 Days 7 Colors jock ($31) in navy blue while Rouss ponders his next move in ES Collection USA’s 7 Days 7 Colors jock ($31) in white.

Their boots are made for walking! Darrien pairs his westerns with ES Collection USA’s Recycled Rib thong ($34) while Caleb opts for ES Collection USA’s 7 Days 7 Colors jock ($31), both in black.

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Rouss commands front and centre in ES Collection USA’s 7 Days 7 Colors jock ($31) in white, while Richard awaits his return in ES Collection USA’s 7 Days 7 Colors jock ($31) in navy blue.

It’s a cowboy draw with Jeb and Davide wearing opposing colors of ES Collection USA’s recycled rib bikini ($38).

Jeb (in grey) and Davide (in black) are buckaroos in ES Collection USA’s recycled rib bikini ($38).

Darrien plays the villainous outlaw in his black hat and matching ES Collection USA’s recycled rib bikini ($38).

Howdy partners! Felix and Ty buckle up in matching colours: Felix in ES Collection USA’s recycled rib jock ($38) and Ty in ES Collection USA’s recycled rib bikini ($41).

Ken, Darrien and Alvaro are the red bandana posse in their ES Collection USA’s recycled rib thongs ($31). Ken wears green, Darrien is in black and Alvaro is in blue.

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RIDE ’EM COWBOY! !

Y O

FASHION

Summer Groove MAY / JUNE 2022

A few suggestions on how you can get your summer groove on in style

PHOTOGRAPHER: Ivan Otis CREATIVE FASHION DIRECTOR/WARDROBE STYLIST: Paul Langill ASSISTANTS: Hannah Duck, Izzy Keith (The Toronto Fashion Academy) MEN’S GROOMING: Mikka Gia (The Groomed Society and Barbers To Go styled with STMNT Products) MAKEUP: Julia Valente (Working with MAC Cosmetics) MODELS: Jackson Toro, Rhyss Paris, Seth Falk (all from Le Drew Models) Special thanks to Mikka for providing her studio, The Groomed Society, for the shoot

SUMMER OFF-WHITE SUIT: Boss OFF-WHITE BOW TIE/RIBBON: Michaels

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FASHION

OFF-WHITE COMBINATION SHIRT AND SHORTS: Zara Man BLACK BOW TIE/RIBBON: Michaels RUNNERS: Boss 33

FASHION MAY / JUNE 2022

GOLD JACKET: Shelli Oh ORANGE SHORT-SLEEVE SWEATER: Boss SKINNY PAINTER JEANS: Amiri (available at The Webster) JEWELLERY: H&M and Elite Force SUNGLASSES: Prada (available at Eyes On Church Optical)

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FASHION

GRAFFITI PYJAMA PANTS AND MATCHING TOP: Vetements (available at The Webster) YELLOW SOCKS: Ralph Lauren WHITE SLIDES: Boss 35

FASHION MAY / JUNE 2022

CROCHET-STYLE SHORT-SLEEVE BUTTON-DOWN SWEATER: Zara Man OFF-WHITE DISTRESSED DENIM JEANS: H&M NEON GREEN SUNGLASSES: Christian Roth (available at Eyes On Church Optical) NECKLACE: Elite Force 36

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FASHION

SHORT-SLEEVE CREME HOODIE: Zara Man PATTERNED BANDANA: Zara Man BLUE AND WHITE CHECKERED SUNGLASSES: Etina Barcelona (available at Eyes On Church Optical) 37

FASHION MAY / JUNE 2022

LEFT

SKINNY PAINTER JEANS: Amiri (available at The Webster) RED AND YELLOW ALL OVER BANDANA NYLON SHIRT AND KIMONO: Marcelo Burlon County of Milan (available at The Webster) 38 MAGAZINE Ozzaz BLUEINSNEAKERS:

RIGHT

RED AND YELLOW ALL OVER BANDANA ANORAK AND SHORTS: Marcelo Burlon County of Milan (available at The Webster) WHITE SNEAKERS: Boss

FASHION

LEFT

LAYERED WINDBREAKER AND SHORTS: Boss WATCH: Guess

RIGHT

GOLF SHIRT AND SHORTS: Boss WATCH: Guess 39

FASHION MAY / JUNE 2022

TERRACOTTA THREE-QUARTER SLEEVE BUTTON-DOWN SHIRT AND SHORTS: H&M HAT: San Diego Hats

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FASHION

MULTIFABRIC NEON JACKET: Christopher Bates BLACK SLEEVELESS SHIRT: Levi’s NEON SHORTS: Zara Man 41

POLITICS & CULTURE

Canada Should Be Doing More To Help LGBTQ+ Refugees Why are we so reluctant to work with organizations like Rainbow Railroad?

By Adam Zivo

Canada is often more than willing to open its doors to refugees.

However, is the federal government doing enough to help LGBTQ+ refugees who, in virtue of their orientation, experience exceptional danger? To answer that question, I had a chat with Kimahli Powell, executive director of Rainbow Railroad, an international organization based in Canada and the U.S. that helps LGBTQ+ people escape violence and persecution in their home countries.

It is the leading voice in Canada on LGBTQ+ refugees, and is perhaps one of the most prominent organizations in the world that works with this population.

After speaking with Powell, it seemed fairly clear to me that, although Canada often positions itself as a global leader on LGBTQ+ rights, the federal government has been dragging its feet when it comes to queer refugees. As a result, bureaucratic inertia and red tape keeps refugees trapped in countries where their lives and safety are threatened.

Powell says, “One of the things we’ve been calling for, even before Afghanistan, was the need for a crisis response plan. How can Canada quickly support LGBTQI+ people when a crisis emerges – whether it’s a state-sponsored crackdown or a conflict that disproportionately affects the community? The Government of Canada needs more tools to deal with these situations, which it currently does not have.”

Because Canada lacks a proactive response plan, its humanitarianism tends to be reactive and ad hoc. In a sense, the federal government needs to reinvent the wheel with every new conflict because it simply does not have a blueprint on hand to help it quickly and efficiently assist refugees.

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Not only does this slow down humanitarian aid initiatives, it also creates inconsistent responses to different crises – something that has been very noticeable when contrasting the aid provided to Afghan and Ukrainian refugees. These inconsistencies open up the government to accusations of racism, and, unfortunately, pit various communities against one another.

Personally, I believe that this infighting ultimately undermines refugee aid efforts, as political energy that could be spent on evacuating vulnerable people is instead spent on relitigating racial justice issues. While racial justice is indispensable, humanitarian crises predispose people towards unproductive conversations that are unlikely to advance racial equity – because emotions run high and information about decision-making processes is scarce.

Conversations tend to turn adversarial rather than co-operative.

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One can see that in the Ukrainian refugee crisis today, where racial justice has been occasionally abused by people who, for whatever reason, hold a grudge against Ukraine and feel compelled to undermine Ukrainian relief efforts. In this situation, the search for racial justice becomes a tit-for-tat battle focused on vengefully withholding aid from those who need it – as though a race to the bottom would somehow benefit refugees who have unfairly been denied assistance because of their skin tone.

A crisis response plan would provide some degree of standardization and accountability to Canada’s humanitarian aid, which would not only reduce actual racial disparities, but would also, relatedly, ensure that more focus stays on helping vulnerable people.

Though the absence of a crisis response plan disproportionately harms LGBTQ+ refugees – because those refugees are always disproportionately impacted by gaps in refugee policy – it is more of a system-wide problem. When it comes to challenges that are more specific to the LGBTQI+ community, Powell points to problems with Canada’s refugee referral program.

Individuals who want to apply to be a refugee in Canada first need to be “referred” to the Canadian government by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The UNHCR acts as a screening mechanism – it verifies that people are actually refugees before admitting them into the first steps of Canada’s refugee system. This process makes sense in theory, because it reduces fraud and allows Canada to use its finite resources to process legitimate refugee applications more quickly. However, the process can often be messy, with complicated paperwork and bureaucratic confusion leaving many applicants in an extended limbo.

All of this may seem a little abstract, but these barriers are visceral for refugees who find themselves trapped in unsafe places because of the UNHRC bottleneck. To illustrate: a few weeks before speaking with Powell, I had an extended conversation with a Christian Iraqi refugee. His frustration was palpable as he recalled dealing with the UNHRC, which he characterized as “useless.” Processing his referral paperwork was so slow that he ultimately ended up hiding in the Kurdish mountains for three months, lest he be harassed or killed by insurgents. He had the capacity to leave his country, but was trapped by the shambolic and faceless bureaucracy of an international super-agency.

As of now, the UNHRC is the only referring partner Canada will work with – and that’s a problem. This is where Rainbow Railroad would like to make a difference. The organization has extensive

For this reason, Rainbow Railroad has been asking the Canadian government to give it the authority to make refugee referrals – after all, why should referrals be monopolized by the UNHCR?

makers tend to err on the side of caution, preferring to accept a weak argument that minimizes the risk of international conflict.

During the 2021 federal election, the Conservative platform uniquely included a pledge to expand the definition of “refugee” to include internally displaced persons, which would allow people to make refugee claims from within their home country. Since the election, there has been no public evidence that the government is pursuing a similar expansion of the definition of “refugee.”

Although the narrow definition of “refugee” is a problem that affects all people seeking asylum, Powell emphasizes that it has an outsized impact on LGBTQ+ communities.

One might wonder: if Canada has historically relied exclusively on the UNHRC for referrals, is it even possible for it to rely on other partners? Powell says yes to this, pointing out that there “You can look at sub-Saharan Africa as an example. Kenya is the is recent precedent for expanding the referral process. In 2019, only East African country that allows refugees to make a claim the Minister of Immigration’s mandate letter (a letter provided based on sexual or gender identity. So you have that country to ministers that outlines the objectives they should accomplish) receiving refugees from all across the region. You also have called for the creation of a new refugee stream to resettle 250 Ugandan refugees going to Kenya to file for refugee status, despite humanitarian workers, journalists and human rights defenders. the fact that Kenya also criminalizes same-sex intimacy.”

“The government chose a referring partner outside of the country which had experience working with human rights defenders but which was not Canadian. What this shows is that Canada can have referring partners outside of the UNHCR. What we’re doing is calling for Canada to work with a Canadian NGO [nongovernmental organization],” says Powell.

Powell’s suggestion makes sense: if Canada can work with foreign NGOs to make refugee referrals, what is stopping it from working with a Canadian NGO that has hyper-specialized expertise within a niche group of refugees? However, there hasn’t been much headway with getting the Canadian government to change its policies. Rainbow Railroad has managed to form partnerships with provincial governments, and although these partnerships do not involve refugee referrals specifically, at the very least they show that some governments can – and do – see Rainbow Railroad as a viable partner for formal co-operation on refugee aid.

Powell notes that Rainbow Railroad operates in the United States as well, where it has made headway with the Biden administration on working together on LGBTQ+ refugee referrals. If the United States is willing to work with Rainbow Railroad, why is Canada so reluctant?

Referrals aren’t the only area where refugee policy could be improved. As with many other countries, Canada only accepts refugee applications from individuals who have fled their home country for another country. If someone is experiencing persecution in Afghanistan, for example, they cannot make a refugee claim from there. They must first travel to a neighbouring country, such as Iran or Pakistan, and make a claim from there.

This widely used system is used out of concern for violating other countries’ sovereignty. If a country such as Canada evacuates citizens directly from another state, such as Ghana, it might be interpreted as luring away or stealing citizens from a sovereign state – which is bad. Though this argument is not a particularly strong one, the world of international relations can be quite fraught and policy-

It’s an odd conundrum when you have a country that recognizes homophobia and transphobia as a legitimate basis for refugee claims, but then criminalizes being LGBTQ+. However, this is the reality that many LGBTQ+ refugees face. Not only do they have fewer options when it comes to possible host countries, they must also seek refuge in countries that see their very existence as a legal and moral abomination. This discrimination then bleeds into the very support systems that ought to be helping them.

“In some countries, the UNHCR blatantly refuses to accept registrations from LGBTQ people. Or, if they are registered, they are discriminated against in the refugee camps. We see this in Kenya, because they have to work with the Kenyan government.”

Powell notes that this is partially why so many refugee organizations were initially deeply concerned about the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

“One of the reasons why there was a lot of fear about what would happen to LGBTQ Ukrainian people was not just persecution within Ukraine, but knowing that people would be going to Hungary and Poland – countries which are adopting regressive laws against the LGBTQ community.”

All these factors taken together, Powell says, show that there is a need to reform and improve Canada’s refugee policies – to take a more proactive stance on planning for crises, so humanitarian aid can be more equitable and efficient. He argues that Canada should be open to working with domestic NGOs, such as Rainbow Railroad, to fix existing bottlenecks with refugee referrals.

He argues that the current definition of “refugee” is too narrow and unfairly excludes internally displaced persons. These reforms are not particularly revolutionary, and would vastly improve outcomes for LGBTQ+ refugees who view Canada as a safe haven.

Yet, despite Rainbow Railroad advocating for these common-sense reforms, and seeing traction from its international partners, the Canadian government remains strangely slow to act. It’s a shame.

ADAM ZIVO is IN Magazine’s politics and culture columnist. He is a Toronto-based social entrepreneur, photographer and analyst best known for founding the LoveisLoveisLove campaign.

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networks within global LGBTQ+ communities, and, in 2021, it fielded 7,000 requests for aid. Rainbow Railroad’s history of effectively providing humanitarian aid across the globe means that it is uniquely equipped not only to evaluate the legitimacy of LGBTQ+ refugee claims, but to even transport claimants to Canada. In fact, in this particular niche, Rainbow Railroad would arguably be a better assessor than the UNHRC itself.

FILM

“Okay, if there’s no dick in the movie, can I have as many butts as I want?”

By Paul Gallant

Back in the 1990s, when gay cinema was starting to go mainstream, my friends and I would complain that what kept lovers apart in these films – the plot’s main engine – was always homophobia.

Straight people’s falling-in-love was interrupted by careers or misunderstandings or an ex or whatever, but gay love was always “forbidden love.” The lead would meet a cute guy, but then they had to hide or abandon their love because nobody would ever accept it. It got tiresome. Trick, a 1999 romp with Tori Spelling, Christian Campbell and John Paul Pitoc, is noteworthy because it broke this formula: the rom-com obstacle was simply the two guys finding a place to be alone together.

Fire Island is definitely more, um, rambunctious than your first two films. Did you have to adapt your directing style?

I’m always trying to find the emotional truth of the scene, and I don’t think something is funny or moving unless it feels authentic.

So in a grand philosophical sense, I don’t think I did. But on a micro level – directing comedy is super hard. Sometimes the difference between a joke working and a joke not working is a quick reaction shot or a couple of frames in the edit. When I think about filmmakers that I really love, like Ang Lee, he hops genres and tries different things, which is what I really hope to do in my career.

In Andrew Ahn’s Fire Island – a rom-com written by Joel Kim The film is a bit racy and it’s certainly blunt about casual Booster, and starring Booster himself along with Bowen Yang, sex. Did you wonder if you went too far, especially since Conrad Ricamora, Matt Rogers and Margaret Cho – there is no it’s essentially a Disney release [Disney owns Searchlight homophobia in sight. In this gay holiday setting, there’s barely Pictures, which is releasing the film]? even a straight person to be shocked by the hilariously naughty With Spa Night, I showed a lot of nudity because that’s just the dialogue (“Why would you say hello to someone you don’t want world of the film. I knew with Fire Island that we wouldn’t to fuck?”), the cruising through the Meat Rack or the dark-room necessarily be able to go super, super far. I basically negotiated: mishaps. Based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the obstacles “Okay, if there’s no dick in the movie, can I have as many butts as to love are, well, pride and prejudice, particularly the human I want?” So that was the arrangement. But on Fire Island, a lot of habits of self-doubt and misreading other people’s desires. It’s sex happens, so we didn’t want to shy away from that. also a fish-out-of-water story with a sassy band of brunch waiters dropped amid the monied (and mostly white) body fascists of You must have felt some additional pressure because this New York gay society. film is much more high profile than your first two films,

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with wider distribution and bigger stars.

While Ahn’s first two features, Spa Night and Driveways, could be described as artsy festival faves, Fire Island is a snappy carnival of gay friendship, eye candy and saucy commentary on modern queer life. “I knew I smelled some bottoms!” declares Cho’s character, Erin, when her gaggle of gays arrives to spend a week in her Fire Island beach home. Streaming on Hulu/Disney+ starting in June, it’s a major studio release that, like its characters, doesn’t care what straight people think of it.

I was and am very aware of that. I wanted to focus on the story of friendship and I wanted to have as much fun making the movie as the characters have in the film. That was a big guiding principle.

Joel told me he wrote this movie because he wanted to spend time with Bowen and to have a fun summer with his best gal pal, and I adopted that philosophy to making the film.

How much did you know about Fire Island and its unique gay culture – with its shade-throwing muscle boys – before

I talked to Ahn while he was in New York doing a final edit of the film.

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you read Joel Kim Booster’s script?

I will fully admit that I had never been to Fire Island before. I had

Did you watch a lot of rom-coms before you started this?

I’m a romantic at heart. There’s nothing more compelling on screen than seeing people fall in love. For me, the romance was a lot easier than the comedy. I grew up watching a lot of those popular rom-coms, like You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle. That was my coming of age. The Pride and Prejudice of it all – I love the novel, I’ve watched the BBC series. The Joe Wright adaptation is one of my favourite movies. I was in awe of how Joel’s adaption mapped onto gay culture.

Because the characters, most of the cast members themselves and the situations are all so queer, did you worry that straight people wouldn’t have an entry point into the film, aside from their curiosity about this bubbly world you’re showing them?

As a gay person, I’ve watched so many straight movies and I don’t necessarily think that it is difficult to connect to those films. So I hope that straight audiences watch this and still connect to these characters because we made a great movie. Ultimately I didn’t make this movie for straight people. I made this for my group of gay Asian-American friends in Los Angeles, and that’s the audience that I really care about. oel and Bowen are friends, so I’m curious if that was noticeable while making the film.

Every time they acted in a scene together, I could see this extra layer of friendship, experience, history. It was special to watch the way they could be vulnerable with each other, the way they could joke around with each other.

"I’M A ROMANTIC AT HEART. THERE’S NOTHING MORE COMPELLING ON SCREEN THAN SEEING PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE"

Was Margaret Cho just ‘one of the guys’ or was she a mother figure on set?

You got some of the biggest Asian-American Hollywood stars in the lead roles, but you’ve also got actors from lots of diverse backgrounds. What was your thinking

Like her character in the movie, a little bit of both. When we were on Fire Island, the cast and I stayed in a compound together. It was like summer camp. We could hear each other, we could knock on each other’s windows.

around casting?

Maybe this sounds a little selfish, but as an Asian-American I love putting Asian-American people on screen. Working with Conrad Ricamora and Margaret Cho was a dream come true, but you know those characters weren’t written as Asian-American.

They just fit the roles. I joked on Twitter that everything I touch becomes a little gayer and more Asian. Then to cast other actors of colour, when it’s set in a space where they may not feel totally represented – that felt really valuable, meaningful and truthful.

There’s such a burden on queer filmmakers and filmmakers of colour, and I think it really hinders creativity. It’s important to be mindful of how we’re representing the community, but at the same time, we need to give ourselves freedom as artists to be able to tell one perspective. This is one perspective of Fire Island. Are there other perspectives of Fire Island? Definitely. I’m excited to see those and happy to support them as long as they’re respectfully made.

I realized very quickly that my air vent led directly into Joel’s bedroom, so I could hear him watching Real Housewives with Bowen and Matt. Margaret was there with her dog Lucia. She was giving clothes to Tomás. She was going to the Blue Whale with us, telling us stories about performing comedy in Cherry Grove.

The story she tells during the dinner scene in the movie is a story that we adapted from her own life. Every time she was in a scene, the cast, if they weren’t in that shot, would gather around the monitor because they wanted to see what funny shit Margaret was going to do.

Obviously you have six sequels lined up.

I joke that, yeah, Fire Island 2: Now We’re in Provincetown. Then there’s Puerto Vallarta. With this cast of characters, there are definitely places we could go with this.

PAUL GALLANT is a Toronto-based writer and editor who writes about travel, innovation, city building, social issues (particularly LGBT issues) and business for a variety of national and international publications. He’s done time as lead editor at the loop magazine in Vancouver as well as Xtra and fab in Toronto. His debut novel, Still More Stubborn Stars, published by Acorn Press, is out now.

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heard about it a lot. But I’m from Los Angeles. I’ve been to Palm Springs a lot; that’s my gay mecca. I’ve been to Provincetown. So I was wary of it because the island has a certain reputation that it’s for a certain type of queer person. But that’s all in the script and the story doesn’t sanitize or avoid the bad stuff that happens there, like racism, classism. I liked that I had an outsider’s perspective.

I see it with a certain kind of objectivity, while relying on Joel and the cast to make sure the film felt authentic.

TRAVEL

Indulging IN

TurksAnd Caicos Providenciales delivers the world’s most perfect beach, with ample splurging on the side

By Doug Wallace

My rapper reverie evaporates with my first glimpse of Grace Bay just beyond the Wymara’s glistening pool, which is ringed with the afternoon crowd lazing away in private cabanas, pink bougainvillea petals drifting everywhere. This upscale Canadian-owned resort – my home for a few days – is on the quieter end of Grace Bay Beach, which is once again the winner of TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice award for Best Beach in the world. My trunks are on and I am in the ocean in a flash.

girls having a week away, a few small families with youngsters.

Many guests have an “entrepreneurial” look about them – devilmay-care hair, a few tattoos, expensive sunglasses, whispering into their headsets.

The LGBTQ community also finds Turks and Caicos welcoming, due in part to the number of expatriates who have made their home here. “Providenciales, the island with the most hotels, has a population comprising 60 per cent expats,” says Jorge Collazo, Wymara’s general manager. “The combination of cultures makes it a place where being different from the norm is not that unusual.”

And the pink dollar is a boon to many Caribbean islands these days, as they try to make up for two years of lost income. Every little bit helps. At the beach, I see a couple of gay couples enjoying the sun and sand, spotting the tell-tale shorter-than-hetero swimwear.

Collazo is an immaculately groomed force of nature, a whirlwind I am more than just washing away winter, I am also hitting two big of linen and energy and wit, with a bit of cheek thrown in for good travel trends: privacy is the new luxury, and revenge travel is at measure. The guests adore him. “In my personal experience, I have the top of everyone’s list. After two years of staying home, people not felt judged on the island for being gay,” he says. “I am openly are ready to spend, celebrate milestones that went uncelebrated, gay, and if somebody assumes otherwise, I politely correct them.” corral their friends into private villas and get a head start on their tan. My micro-trip to Turks and Caicos feels like a prize, my light He explains that gay guests like the Wymara for a few reasons. at the end of the pandemic tunnel. And by the looks of Instagram “We want our guests to feel that they can be themselves. We treat this spring, I see that I’m not alone: people are treating themselves, gay couples with the same level of normalcy that we treat straight because they deserve it. couples, of course,” he says. “And from an architecture and decor perspective, Wymara is a departure from the colonial Caribbean This is your new favourite place style – we have always been the modern alternative in Turks and Just a four-hour flight from Toronto, the Turks and Caicos Islands Caicos. Our service is not intimidating or stuffy. We are more about is a British territory, two groups of 40 or so tropical islands sitting the environment and less about the ceremony of luxury travel – less at the bottom of the Bahamas, just above the Dominican Republic. formal, more fun. On a personal note, I do go out of my way to Other than off-shore finance, tourism is the money-maker, with meet and recognize gay couples who visit our hotel. It really is a one and a half million people arriving in 2019 – mostly from the pleasure to have them here.”

United States, Canada (including plenty of Quebecers) and the United Kingdom, followed by Italy, France and Germany.

From the beach to the buffet Truly, it’s all about the water in Turks and Caicos – diving, snorkelling, A few different languages at the Wymara reach my ears. There are fishing, sunset sailing, sand-castling. The water is so clear, the honeymooners, of course, special-occasion celebrants, groups of snorkellers and scuba divers are thrilled with the visibility and

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Drake’s private jet is taking up a huge parking spot at the Turks and Caicos airport, and the whole of Providenciales is aflutter.

Apparently, he has rented a mansion on the south side of the island that once belonged to Prince, and he had dinner the other night at Indigo, its top restaurant, set within the Wymara Resort and Villas, where I’m checking in. Maybe he and I are destined to meet, over a snifter of something expensive, perhaps.

TRAVEL

with the third-largest barrier reef in the world. Boat charters let you explore the coastline, head out for some fishing, or whale-watch in the Turks Island Passage.

Naturally, there are small sailboats and kayaks for combing the shore. Waterskiing and wakeboarding come second, followed by the wind-oriented kite-surfing, kite-boarding and wind-surfing.

There’s electric foil surfing, which is a combination of surfing and kite-boarding, and a slower sport called sub-winging, where you are slowly pulled around underwater while holding on to a winged board that you can steer up or down whenever you need to take a breath. The list goes on.

Me, I’m content to just read a book for a change, then wander into the beachfront restaurant for a chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries.

The food scene in Turks and Caicos is a blend of culinary cultures and combinations, including those of the Taíno people, the islands’ Indigenous ancestors. African, Jamaican, Hispaniolan and Bahamian heritages all play a part in the kitchens here, as do the Bahamas’ original residents, the Lucayans.

While all the resorts have multiple restaurants (fancy or not) to choose from, it’s worth stepping out into the real world to discover delicious conch soup or conch fritters (on practically every menu), succulent grouper done a dozen different ways, grilled lobster tails when they’re in season from August to March, and blue crab and rice, an island comfort food. Take-home tip: the local hot sauce makes a great souvenir.

Wymara chef Andrew Mirosch, a former commercial fisherman, adds an Australian touch to dishes that champion local ingredients, particularly the fresh seafood. He hosts a weekly fish fry on the beach, where guests kick off their shoes and sit down to grilled lobster, smoked chicken and crispy grouper.

A lifestyle you could get used to For those who truly value their privacy, the series of four- and five-bedroom Wymara Villas at Turtle Tail Bay on the south side of the island offer more luxury, more privacy, more space, more everything – tennis courts, a marina, security. The water is even bluer over here, it seems.

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Considered a lifestyle investment – for memory-making rather than merely money-making – the villas are enjoyed by their owners for a few months a year, then available for rent the rest of the time.

Regardless of the price, value can be found: for a group of eight friends, a villa can be less expensive than four one-bedroom suites over at the resort. There’s no beach, but the limestone cliff makes for little lounge nooks all the way down to the water, which reaches into the limestone undercutting. There’s a waterslide down the last few metres of the cliff that lands you in the ocean – a video op if ever there was one.

We settle in for a few hours of lunch and pool time. We stare out at the water, watching the colours shift, the buzz of distant personal watercraft our soundtrack to the rosé-soaked afternoon. Three SeaDoos, in fact. We hear the next day that Drake and two bodyguards were out for a spin that same afternoon. Best sighting ever.

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DOUG WALLACE is the editor and publisher of travel resource TravelRight.Today.

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FLASHBACK k.d. lang Comes Out On The Cover Of The Advocate Magazine (June 16, 1992)

MAY / JUNE 2022

Against their label’s wishes, k.d. lang (who reduced her name, Craving.” The album became a monstrous, multi-platinum Kathy Dawn, to its initials, prefers the lowercase spelling and hit for lang and would go on to be nominated for a slew of recently started using she/they pronouns on social media) Grammy Awards, but it was also a important milestone in the publicly came out as a lesbian on June 16, 1992, in a cover ’90s LGBTQ+ rights movement. Ingénue pushed LGBTQ+ story with The Advocate magazine that ended earlier speculation issues into the mainstream conversation: the entire album captures lang’s unrequited love for a married woman – a trope about their sexuality. now, but groundbreaking back then. lang was one of the first to openly celebrate their sexuality – at a time when doing so was almost unthinkable. In fact, the When asked in a 2019 interview if they recognized that their bold move predated Ellen DeGeneres’ famous “Yep, I’m gay!” coming out had opened the doors for other celebrities to come Time magazine cover by six years, and turned the Canadian out, lang said they did, “although I try not to take huge credit for that because it’s not a competition. icon into the world’s most visible lesbian.

The article “A Quiet Life,” by Brendan Lemon, came out three “It’s something bigger than all of us. I am certainly proud, but months after the release of lang’s exquisite 1992 album Ingénue, at the same time, I’m just one of many. Gay culture isn’t just their second album, which featured the smash hit “Constant one sliver of humanity – it’s a huge cross-section of people.”

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