Great Beginnings, Happy Endings
Every Day is a Journey
Welcome to my birthday month! The best part about getting older (yes, there is one), if you’re open minded and continue to learn, you get wiser. In the past, I treated life’s journeys as a destination. I set goals and wasn’t happy until I reached them no matter how long it took. But the best advice I ever got was that life is not a destination, it’s a journey. So now, I enjoy every journey.
I’ve dated three men long-term and been with a lot more on my journey to find a partner that I loved mutually and are compatible. On the dating journey, I learned what I like, what I need, what I’ll put up with and what makes me happy with a partner. While happy endings are great, happy beginnings are better. I’m so excited to announce that I recently proposed to the greatest man I have ever met, Lucas Kimm. While it took too long to meet him, I appreciate and enjoy every day we have together. I’m excited to start my new life with him and enjoy many journeys and more happy endings.
While I celebrate my life every day, it’s nice to reach another birthday. As we have recently seen in our own community, life is precious and too short. I live my life every day like it’s my last. I have few regrets and as I enter my midlife crisis, I plan to have many more happy endings. Take care of yourself, watch out for predators, be safe and be good to each other so you too will have many more happy journeys to come.
Jack Tesorero Journeyman
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ION MELROSE STREET FAIR
PHX ATTRACTIONS
Queer Book Club
No, it’s not Instagram or TikTok. It’s about real books. Hosted by Aaron Mallory, this monthly reading club focuses on the experiences of the LGBT+ community and queer literature. Get lit & literary! Come for the community, stay for the books! Gracie’s Tax Bar, 711 N. 7th Ave. in Phoenix
First Sunday of every month at 5 p.m.
Maricopa County Fair
Monster trucks! The Globe of Death! Sea Lions! A petting zoo! Pies! Jellies and jams! Livestock! A midway! More food on a stick than you can, well, shake a stick at! 1826 W. McDowell Rd & 19th Ave. in Phoenix. For more info visit MaricopaCountyFair.org
April 4-6 and 10-13
Rainbows Festival
A sun ’n’ fun-filled weekend of entertainment, community information, food trucks and so much more! Pet friendly! Oh … kid friendly, too. Best of all, it’s free at Heritage Square, downtown Phoenix. Go to PhoenixPride.org for info.
April 5-6
Supernova Dance Party
Get ready to ignite the starry night at this cosmic, official Phoenix Pride Rainbow Festival Afterparty! Walter Studios, 747 W. Roosevelt St. in Phoenix
April 5, 9 PM to 2 a.m.
Phoenix Lights Solar Lights System
An EDM dance festival with mesmerizing light displays and stage productions. Although EDM is the fest’s focus, techno, dubstep, and hip-hop artists will keep you dancing. Go to PhxLightsFest.com for ticket info, line-up, and details. Rawhide Events Ctr. 5700 W. North Loop Rd. Chandler
April 4-5
Buds-A-Palooza
It’s reefer madness! Celebrate the Devil’s Lettuce with munchies, music, munchies, cannabis comedy, munchies, stoner movies, and munchies! Grab a chipwich and get your ganja on when Mary Jane takes over eight blocks at Roosevelt Row in Phoenix. Visit Budsapalooza.com for more info.
Friday, April 11
AZQCC
“Climb every mountain!” Arizona Queer Climbing Collective’s goal is to unite the LGBTQ+ community through climbing and outdoor activities. Membership fee/pass required. Search AZOnTheRocks.com for info. Meet at AZ on the Rocks 16447 N. 91st St. #105, Scottsdale.
April 16, 12-2 p.m. • April 25, 7-9 p.m.
BRÜT Party
A music lineup that will electrify your soul! DJs Mohammad, DJ Moody, and Dan Darlington will unleash beats that promise to shake you to your core. Walter Studios, 747 W. Roosevelt St. BrutParty.com
Saturday, April 19. Doors open at 9 p.m.
Always look for the rainbow. Phoenix Pride is hosting their annual Rainbows Festival, held annually in downtown Phoenix since it was founded 2002 and produced by Phoenix Pride since 2012. The free, two-day celebration is another great way to remind yourselves and each other that Pride is something we always carry with us. Remember, we are always stronger together! We are everywhere! Be sure to stop by ION Arizona’s booth at the festival and say, “Hello!” Show us your Rainbow Pride!
Rainbows Festival
April 5 & 6
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Heritage Square
7th St. & Monroe
PhoenixPride.org for details
Photography by: LeakedGlass
Models: Matthew Pesqueira and Travis N. Thomas
Charlie’s Sunday Funday (W)
Stacy’s @ Melrose Karaoke (W)
Sazerac Karaoke (W)
Royale Kitchen & Cocktails FLAMBOYANCE! Drag Brunch (W)
Charlie’s Saguaro Cup Champions Party
Bell Road Mint Free Tacos
Stacy’s @ Melrose Sunday Service Drag Brunch (W)
Walter Studios Supernova Dance Party Royale Kitchen & Cocktails FLAMBOYANCE! Drag Brunch (W)
Charlie’s Undie Mundies (W)
Charlie’s Undie Mundies (W)
Sazerac Karaoke (W)
Sazerac Karaoke (W)
Charlie’s Blackout Bingo / Karaoke (W)
Stacy’s @ Melrose Rising Star Drag Show (W)
Stacy’s @ Melrose Rising Star Drag Show (W)
Sazerac Karaoke (W)
Charlie’s WTF! Wednesdays (W)
Royale Kitchen & Cocktails Jukebox Bingo
Stacy’s @ Melrose Communion Goth Night (W)
Royale Kitchen & Cocktails Storytelling Show
WEDNESDAY 2 16 9 23 30
Sazerac Whiskey Flights / Cigars (W)
THURSDAY
FRIDAY 3 17 10 24 1 5 19 12 26 3 4 18 11 25 2
Sazerac
80’s Throwback Thursdays (W)
Sazerac 80’s Throwback Thursdays (W)
Sazerac / Roosevelt Row First Friday (M)
Rawhide Phoenix Lights
Mesa Cannaversary Mint Cannabis Free Tacos
Sazerac 80’s Throwback Thursdays (W)
Royale Kitchen & Cocktails DIY Class W/ StemSwag
Charlie’s Pipin’ Hot Friday’s (W)
Sazerac 80’s Throwback Thursdays (W)
Flex Spa’s Phoenix Blackout Night (W)
Sazerac 80’sThrowback Thurs (W)
Sazerac / Roosevelt Row
Charlie’s Jock Jam Party
Stacy’s @ Melrose POKE-Ball Dance Party
Walter Studios BRUT Dance Party
Stacy’s @ Melrose Dance Party (W)
Stacy’s @ Melrose Dance Party (W)
ION BRIDE’S OF MARCH
ION STREAMING
The Parenting
A gay couple, Rohan (Nik Dodani, an ex-Phoenix thespian) and Josh, host a weekend getaway with their parents in an AirBnB country home in this horror-comedy. Things take a turn when the three couples discover the presence of a 400-year-old evil entity. Co-starring Lisa Kudrow, Edie Falco and Parker Posey. Think Meet the Parents meets Poltergeist.
Mid-Century Modern
Three gay men decide to set up housekeeping in (where else?) Palm Springs. Created by Max Mutchnik and David Kohan of Will & Grace fame, starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham and Linda Lavin in her last role. Kinda like a 21st century gay Golden Girls, but “iffy.” Hopefully Bomer takes off all of his clothes. Oh, please, please.
The Residence
A screwball comedy mystery miniseries about a fictional murder investigation among the staff of America’s most famous mansion (no, it’s not Mount Vernon, but nearby), from the Shondaland production company. In addition to a gay president (Paul Fitzgerald, a real life bisexual), look for a guest starring turn by gay idol Kylie Minogue herself as, well, Kylie Minogue herself.
MID-CENTURY MODERN
The Wedding Banquet
From Director Andrew Ahn comes a joyful comedy of errors about a chosen family navigating the disasters and delights of family expectations, queerness, and cultural identity based on Ang Lee’s 1993 original romcom. In this updated reboot the characters can legally marry and become parents, which means conflict has to operate differently. The pressure of societal norms hasn’t entirely disappeared, but the interpersonal squabbles of the quartet here (rather than the trio in the original film) take the front seat.
Angela and her partner Lee have been unlucky with their IVF treatments, but can’t afford to pay for another round. Meanwhile, their friend Min, the closeted scion of a multinational corporate empire, has plenty of family money but a soon-to-expire student visa. If his family in Korea discovers he’s gay, he’ll lose his fortune. When his commitment-phobic boyfriend Chris (Chang, of SNL) rejects his proposal, Min makes the offer to Angela instead: a green card marriage in exchange for funding Lee’s IVF. But their plans to quietly elope are upended when Min’s skeptical grandmother (played by the 2021 Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung for Minari) flies in from Korea unannounced, insisting on an all-out wedding extravaganza.
With a pitch-perfect cast of multigenerational talent that includes Bowen Yang, Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung, this fresh reimagining of Ang Lee’s beloved, Awardwinning rom-com teems with humor and heart in a poignant reminder that being part of a family means learning to both accept and forgive.
Directed by: Andrew Ahn (Fire Island)
Starring: Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Bobo Le, Camille Atebe, with Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung
Written by: Andrew Ahn, James Schamus
Produced by: Anita Gou, Joe Pirro, Caroline Clark, James Schamus
See the trailer at BleekerStreetMedia.com In theaters nationwide April 18
CIRQUE MECHANICS: PEDAL PUNK
Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk
Enter the world of Pedal Punk, a place where cycling is the way to escape a technology-obsessed society. Experience the excitement, and thrill when a wacky bike shop mechanic interacts with cyclists and bikes. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Chandler Ave. in Chandler. Tickets & info: ChandlerCenter.org or call 480-782-2680
ION ARTS
Aïda
Star-crossed lovers in ancient Egypt face jealousy, war, and betrayal. Who dies? A cast of over 100 perform live on-stage against the backdrop of a stunning, first-of-its-kind, feature length
Generative-AI film following the singers and conductor in real time. Phoenix Symphony Hall, 75 N. 2nd St. in downtown Phoenix. Tickets: ArizonaOpera.org or call 602-262-7474
April 12 & 13
The Collection: Keith Haring
Pop artist and political activist Keith Haring, collaborated with Phoenix Art Museum in 1986 at the height of his career. Featured works include prints, sculptural work by the artist, and archival materials. Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave. at McDowell Rd. Info and tickets: PhxArt.org
thru’ July 20, 2025
Laughing with the Lesbians!
Our Sapphic Sisters promise to tickle your funny bones when they take the stage in Phoenix this month. The humor is on the house, but you still gotta pay for the tickets to get in.
Wanda Sykes
“Please & Thank You”
Don’t miss this actor/comedian’s first tour in six years. She has ranked among Entertainment Weekly’s “25 Funniest People in America.” Sykes got her start in 1987 during an open mic night. In 1990 Sykes opened for Chris Rock who later hired her in 1997 to write and appear in HBO’s “The Chris Rock Show.” Sykes’ counts “Monster-in-Law,” “Evan Almighty” and “License to Wed” among her film credits as well as a recurring character in the sitcom “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” She recently produced and was a part of the Apple TV+ 5-part documentary series “Visible; Out on Television” about how the LGBTQ movement has shaped the history of the medium. Sykes is currently co-starring in the Neflix sticom, “The Upshaws.”
Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W. Washington St. in Phoenix. For tickets go to LiveNation.com or call 800-653-8000
Saturday, April 5 at 8 p.m.
Fortune Feimster -“Takin’ Care of Biscuits” Tour
Through laughter and storytelling, Fortune s shows audiences that common ground is only a joke or two away with her storytelling brand of comedy, examining love, relationships, sexuality and shared experiences with her Southern charm and insight. She isn’t afraid to entertain the masses with tales of her own good fortune, her debutante ball experience, her insecurities, and faux pas. Fortune’s streaming stand-up specials include the 2024 Netflix special “Crushing It,” “Good Fortune” (2022) and “Sweet & Salty” (2020). She has appeared in several movies. (Her debut appearance in 2016’s “Office Party” as a cabbie is hysterical.) Feimster also co-hosts the podcast “Handsome” with stand-up stars and friends Tig Notaro and Mae Martin.
Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St. in Phoenix. Tickets are available at CelebrityTheatre. com or call 602-267-1600
Friday, April 11 at 7 p.m.
CIRCUIT MOM’S
It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time
The Worst TV Shows in History and Other Things I Wrote
by Bruce Vilanch
“Bruce Vilanch, a storyteller without peer, has written a tell-all … on himself! And it’s hilarious! He’s finally coming clean and owning up to his part in creating some of the worst television of the twentieth century, and that’s saying a lot. There’s no one like him. As they’ve been saying since I discovered him as a cub reporter at The Chicago Tribune, when you’re in a pinch … get Bruce!”
—Bette Midler
Vilanch is a two-time Emmy winner, and has written material for the Tony Awards, the Grammy Awards and the Academy Awards. As a lyricist, he’s written songs for legends like the Village People and Eartha Kitt, and has even worked in musical theater, as the co-creator of the Broadway musical “Platinum” not to mention a four-year long stint sitting in the middle square next to Whoopi Goldberg on The Hollywood Squares as well as a behind-the-scenes head writer for the show. He’s also known as a go-to comedy writer for award shows, sitcoms, and top-heavy variety specials, but he has also been responsible for quite a few of the worst shows ever put on television—legendarily bad productions.
Some of his work lives in infamy—The Star Wars Holiday Special, The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, or the spectacularly memorable Rob Lowe dancing with Snow White on the 1989 Oscars broadcast, and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. How did these ever seem like a good idea?
Well, everyone has screwed up a few times, or had their work screwed up by others. It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time is a lifetime reflection of what Vilanch has experienced, learned, forgotten, dismissed, and embraced in decades of working in show business, specifically the south forty acres known as comedy. It involves very famous people and people who were not very famous but should have been.
And it explains to the person in the audience who says to himself, once he has gotten his jaw off the floor, “How did this ever get made?” Don’t we all want to know?
NAVIGATION
Use the ION ARIZONA APP for Google Maps turn-by-turn directions with links to UBER & LYFT!
DON’T DRINK & DRIVE!
ION AIDS WALK
ION FABULANCE
April starts off with April Fool’s Day, but let’s be real — Mercury Retrograde is the real prankster this month. Just when you think you’ve got everything figured out, BAM! Your texts get misread, your plans unravel, and that ex you buried deep in the emotional graveyard suddenly rises like a zombie, but in a really cute outfit. Fear not! Taurus season swoops in to remind us all that brunch, naps, and overpriced skincare can fix almost anything. There you have it, celestial sugar pies — April is messy, chaotic, and sprinkled with drama, just the way the ever-tricky Universe intended. May your Wi-Fi stay strong, your texts stay unproblematic, and the stars be always in your favor.
ARIES Mar. 21 - Apr. 20
ION HOMOSCOPES
It’s your season, which means you’re louder, bolder, and more impatient than usual. Slow down before you accidentally set something (or someone) on fire. If it’s your birthday, you are influenced by Jupiter. This makes you secretive and a little sneaky. Well, a lot sneaky.
TAURUS April. 21 - May 20
You’re thriving in your element: cozy, cute, and craving snacks. Mercury Retrograde is throwing curveballs, but as long as your fridge is stocked, you’ll survive. Is it your birthday? Prioritize pleasure, always. Fart like nobody’s listening. Never change.
GEMINI May 21 - June 21
You’re already a human glitch in the Matrix, and now Mercury Retrograde is making it worse. Expect miscommunication, tech failures, and a chaotic love life. Honestly? You kind of love the drama.
CANCER June 22 - July 22
April has you feeling like an emotional sponge—so many feelings, so little time. Protect your energy, avoid messy people (yes, even if they’re hot), and cry only when necessary. Preferably in public, for added attention.
LEO July 23 - Aug. 22
Your are on fire this month, but be warned: Mercury Retrograde is here to humble you. Maybe double-check your texts before you accidentally start a group chat war. You know how you are.
VIRGO Aug. 23 - Sep. 22
Your perfectionist psyche is suffering because Mercury is retrograding all over your carefully made OCD plans. Accept the chaos, and maybe just pretend you’re going with the flow.
LIBRA Sep. 23 - Oct. 22
Decisions? You? In April? Good luck with that. Mercury is scrambling your ability to choose, so maybe hold off on drastic haircuts and impulsive relationship decisions. Or don’t—chaos can be fun.
SCORPIO Oct. 23 - Nov.23
You thrive on mystery, but the stars are calling you out, Jessica Fletcher. People are asking questions, secrets are spilling, and you might have to express feelings. Scary, I know. Take a few deep breaths. More deep breaths.
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 23 - Dec. 23
Your wanderlust is peaking, but so is the risk of booking the wrong flights or getting lost in a foreign city. Doublecheck everything—or at least bring snacks for survival.
CAPRICORN Dec. 23 - Jan. 20
Mercury Retrograde means your “ToDo” list is a dumpster fire. Lower your expectations, and remember: world domination can wait.
AQUARIUS Jan. 21 - Feb. 19
You question everything—your job, your love life, your oddly specific obsession with niche conspiracy theories. It’s okay to overthink, just don’t spiral. Touch some grass, babe.
PISCES Feb. 20 - Mar. 20
You’re floating through April in a trance, but Mercury Retrograde says “Wake up!” Keep your receipts, double-check your messages, and maybe don’t fall in love with a stranger at brunch.
