Los Angeles Blade, Volume 07, Issue 06, February 10, 2023

(Los Angeles Blade/Photo by Dan Balinovic)

Frequent social media use may alter teens’ brains LGBTQ youth use platforms as an escape or method to connect with others

By ZACHARY JARRELL

Before the pandemic, Will Larkins said they spent an “excessive” amount of time on social media. But when COVID-19 hit the U.S. – bringing American life to a screeching halt – Larkins saw their screen time reach new heights.

During quarantine, Larkins said, they would spend an average of 10 to 12 hours a day on social media – TikTok, specifically, would garner at least four to five hours of their time everyday.

Larkins particularly found solace in the online beauty community – garnering a sizable following, including high-profile YouTubers James Charles and Shane Dawson. In June 2020, Larkins’ social media use even made it to The New York Times, which included their take on the controversy surrounding Dawson and fellow YouTuber Jeffree Star. (The two were facing allegations of racism and sexualizing minors; Charles has also faced backlash, including for allegedly sending nude photographs to a 16-year-old boy and pressuring him into inappropriate conversations on Snapchat.)

“This pyramid system where Shane and Jeffree are kings and everyone else is below them is over,” Larkins is quoted saying in The Times article, adding that “the next generation of beauty influencers, it’s going to be about artistry and not just drama. People are realizing we need more representation of people of color, Asians and every minority. The beauty world is a place to express yourself. The younger generation understands that better than the older beauty gurus.”

Despite the drama, Larkins said that social media made them feel like they “could be this tough, beautiful, strong person that I didn’t feel like I was in reality.”

“[Social media] was more of an escape,” Larkins, now 18, told the Los Angeles Blade. “And because I didn’t have friends, I felt like these strangers online – these people I watched on YouTube and the people that communicated with, even just briefly – were my friends or part of my social circle.”

LGBTQ+ youth have long used social media as an escape or method to connect with other queer young people. A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, for example, found that sexual minorities between 10 and 16 years old more often reported joining a group or web-based community to make themselves feel less alone compared to their heterosexual peers.

However, a recent study by researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill found that young teens who checked social media habitually – more than 15 times per day – become more sensitive to expected social feedback over time.

“In other words, these teens might become more attuned to social rewards and punishments,” Maria Teresa Maza, one of the study’s two lead authors, told the Blade. Researchers tracked 169 public middle school students in rural North Carolina over three years. At the beginning of the study, the participants were asked how often they checked three major social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat – with answers ranging from less than once to more than 20 times a day. Meanwhile, the students underwent yearly brain imaging sessions while

completing the social incentive delay task, which measures brain activity when anticipating social feedback from peers.

Notably, the research – published in JAMA Pediatrics on January 3 – also found teens who do not check social media as often become less sensitive to social feedback over time.

“The findings suggest that children who grow up checking social media more often are becoming hypersensitive to feedback from their peers,” said Eva Telzer, a corresponding author of the study.

Maza, however, noted that the team of researchers was “unable to make causal claims about these findings.” She added, “While we found checking behaviors to be linked to brain development over time, we are unable to say that social media caused this change.”

Adolescents, which the study focused on, are at a “unique period” in their brain development, according to Maza. “Teens go through a lot of changes in their brains that help prepare them for the transition into adulthood. And one of these changes is that they start seeking out more social interactions, especially with their peers,” she said. “The interesting thing about social media platforms is that they allow teens to have constant access to social feedback whenever they want to, which can be very rewarding to teens.”

Though the study didn’t focus on LGBTQ youth in particular, young queer people – who use social media at higher rates than their cisgender, heterosexual peers – may be especially vulnerable. According to a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) blog post, LGBTQ youth spend an average of 45 minutes more a day online than their non-LGBTQ peers.

Many LGBTQ+ advocates and researchers say LGBTQ+ youth use social media at higher rates to find people like them. In fact, in a 2019 Center for the Study of Social Policy article, writer Rebecca Torrence said that without the internet, “I would still be struggling with my sexuality today.”

“Social media can be a powerful tool for finding safe, affirming spaces and connections online – particularly for LGBTQ+ youth who might not have affirming environments at home or school,” Dr. Myeshia Price, director of research science at The Trevor Project, told the Blade.

Maza agreed. “One of the benefits of this, particularly among youth who may identify in ways that differ from their in-person peers, is that they can have access to support and affirmative individuals or systems at the touch of their fingertips,” she said, adding that the “increase in support and affirmation has been shown to improve social and emotional outcomes of these teens.”

Considering The Trevor Project’s most recent research shows only 37% of LGBTQ+ youth identified their home as an affirming space and just over half said the same of their schools, Price said “it makes sense why LGBTQ youth may often turn to social media and online communities in order to seek out affirming and supportive connections and spaces.”

There is a flip side, however. Though online communities can be a source of affirmation for LGBTQ+ youth, they can also be a source of bullying and harassment. The Trevor Project’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health found more queer young people reported social media having a positive impact on their mental health,

96%, than negative, 88%. Still, the overwhelming majority of LGBTQ+ youth see social media’s pitfalls.

Some say young teens shouldn’t have access to social media platforms at all. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said last month that he thinks 13 – the minimum age to join major sites like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter – is too young.

“It’s a time where it’s really important for us to be thoughtful about what’s going into how they think about their own self-worth and their relationships and the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children,” Murthy told CNN.

Murthy continued to say that “if parents can band together and say, you know, as a group, we’re not going to allow our kids to use social media until 16 or 17 or 18 or whatever age they choose, that’s a much more effective strategy in making sure your kids don’t get exposed to harm early.”

Mitch Prinstein, a co-author of the UNC-Chapel Hill study, agreed that “most adolescents begin using technology and social media at one of the most important periods for brain development during our lifetime.” However, he didn’t place the sole onus on parents, adding that policymakers must also understand “the benefits and potential harms associated with teen technology use.”

When asked what policymakers could do about this issue, Maza said she could not offer recommendations based on the recent study alone. However, as an expert researcher in the field, Maza noted how important it is to “engage in conversations with teens themselves to better understand their unique experiences online.”

“Given the highly self-selected and individualized nature of social media platforms, teens can engage in different behaviors and have distinct experiences online,” she said. “For this reason, it is important to include teens in conversation to better understand how they are spending their time online and how we can best support their healthy media use.”

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(Los Angeles Blade photo by Dan Balinovic)

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Exploring impact of social media use on teens

In terms of LGBTQ+ youth, specifically, Price pointed less to policies surrounding social media use and more to the record amounts of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation seen in statehouses across the country in recent years.

In only a little over a month into 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already counted over 250 anti-LGBTQ+ bills – many targeting the lives of queer youth, from sports to healthcare to the classroom. In fact, according to the ACLU, the majority of the legislation, 120, targets schools and education. In second place, with 82, are bills seeking to restrict LGBTQ+ healthcare, mostly transition-related services for trans minors (some lawmakers have even started to target trans adults, as well).

Late last month, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, signed into law a bill that bans minors in the state from receiving gender-affirming care – the first such measure signed this year. It was somewhat of a departure for Cox, who was celebrated last year for vetoing an anti-trans sports bill.

“I always try to err on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion,” he wrote in his veto letter. “I also try to get proximate and I am learning so much from our transgender community. They are great kids who face enormous struggles.”

In a statement, Cathryn Oakley – the HRC’s state legislative director and senior counsel – said Cox signing the anti-trans healthcare bill “has directly placed the LGBTQ+ youth he previously claimed to want to protect in harm’s way.”

“Politicians with no medical training and no real understanding of the harmful impact these bans have on transgender people should have no say in how best practice, age appropriate care is delivered,” she added.

Cox, in a statement issued announcing his approval of the bill, argued “pausing these permanent and life-altering treatments for new patients until more and better research can help determine the long-term consequences” was necessary. Many major medical groups in the U.S. – including the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics –support gender-affirming care for minors and oppose legislation aiming to restrict it.

“While we understand our words will be of little comfort to those who disagree with us, we sincerely hope that we can treat our transgender families with more love and respect as we work to better understand the science and consequences behind these procedures,” Cox said.

The legislative attacks aren’t going anywhere, either. Terry Schilling, the president of the conservative American Principles Project, told The Times in a Jan. 25 article that

anti-LGBTQ+ bills are a “political winner.”

Furthermore, many states across the country already have anti-LGBTQ+ measures in place. According to the Movement Advancement Project (LGBT MAP), six states have laws on the books that censor discussions of LGBTQ+ people or issues in school; four states ban or restrict best medical care for trans youth; and 18 states prohibit trans students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity. The group also rates 21 states “low” or “negative” for their LGBTQ+ policies.

uplifts LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health and wellbeing.”

Larkins’ online life has changed dramatically since the days of pandemic-induced lockdowns, they told the Blade. Last year, Larkins found themselves in The Times again –but not over internet drama. Instead, their appearance was as a guest writer, explaining how Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill will hurt teens in the state. (Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation, limiting classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity, in March 2022.)

“I have come to realize that those who have been so openly hateful toward me often knew little about the queer community — they thought being L.G.B.T.Q. was a conscious choice,” Larkins, the president and a co-founder of the school’s Queer Student Union and one of the organizers of a mass student walkout over the bill, wrote in the essay. “Education didn’t just give me a sense of self worth but also the knowledge of a community and lifeline there for countless young people.”

Reflecting on their social media use, Larkins said they felt like their phone “was pulling me away from moments I was having in my real life.” It was something they became aware of around the time their essay was published in The Times.

“I was spending more time with mature people who would go to dinner, go get coffee, and they wouldn’t be on their phone,” Larkins said. “They’d be present with the person who’s in front of them. And I’m a high schooler still addicted to my phone like everyone else, so I would be the only one who would check their phone at these more sophisticated events and things.”

These policies affect the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, according to The Trevor Project – and it even affects how they are treated. The recent poll found 86% of trans and nonbinary youth said recent debates around anti-trans bills have negatively impacted their mental health; 75% of LGBTQ youth say that both anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes and threats of violence against LGBTQ+ spaces often give them stress or anxiety; and 45% of trans youth experienced cyberbullying.

“The harmful rhetoric and vitriolic debates surrounding these bills, and the confidence they give people to make anti-LGBTQ+ remarks in public spaces, are being felt online and taking a negative toll on the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth,” Price said.

So in addition to ensuring that online communities are safer and more supportive of LGBTQ+ youth, Price also urged policymakers to “pass legislation that protects and

I started noticing [my phone] was pulling me away from these moments, and it was a source of stress,” they added. “It really just came together for me.”

Larkins also realized that social media was “fake,” they said. “I had a persona [online]; I was just fake,” Larkins said. The final breaking point was during Larkins’ spring break last year when they were reflecting on their phone usage. “I looked back at how much time I’d wasted,” they said.

Now, Larkins uses social media as a tool, limiting their usage to their laptop. “I started cutting down,” they said. “I completely deleted TikTok, and I started setting a time for myself to check my social media.”

That made Larkins have “think of things to do,” they said. “I discovered so much about myself, about things that I liked about myself, about skills that I had, things that I was interested in, places in my neighborhood that I’d never explored,” Larkins said. “I was bored, and I let myself be bored – which is terrifying that kids just don’t have that anymore.”

DAVID M. HOGG, co-founder ‘March For Our Lives’ (L) JEN COUSINS, founding member of the Florida Freedom to Read Project (M) and WILL LARKINS, Florida student activist-LGBTQ+ rights advocate (R) (Photo Credit: Cousins/Twitter)

Costa Mesa police arrest suspect in mural vandalism

On Oct. 31, 2022 Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) officers were dispatched to the 3000 block of Killybrooke and upon arrival officers found that the Poderosas mural, a local landmark that commemorates Latina heritage, was vandalized with white supremacy language.

The mural is well known in the community and spans over 70 feet of a block wall and honors immigrant Latina women. The mural was created in October 2020 by an all women crew and was led by artist Alicia Rojas.

Individuals in the area observed the suspect vandalizing the mural by spray painting a hate crime message on it. Witnesses reported the crime and also provided video of the incident to CMPD investgators.

During the investigation, Daniel Alec Hotte, 27, of Dana Point was identified as the vandalism suspect. Shortly thereafter, CMPD Gang Investigators checked numerous locations in Orange County and Riverside County but Hotte could not be located. Investigators then learned Hotte had a pending court date on Mon-

day, Jan. 30, 2023.

On Monday morning, Hotte was located at the Harbor Justice Center and arrested. Hotte was then booked at CMPD Jail on an outstanding warrant, vandalism, and hate crime. CMPD will file the case with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for charges.

“Costa Mesa is a great city known for its inclusivity. We celebrate our diversity and are proud of our various backgrounds,” said Mayor John Stephens. “This type of crime flies in the face of what we have achieved as a multi-cultural community. I’m grateful for the witnesses who came forward to help identify him and thankful the police stayed on the case and captured the suspect.”

“I represent a community rich in culture,” said Councilmember Loren Gameros. “This suspect came from another city into Costa Mesa to commit this crime and hurt the identity of some of our neighbors. That is unacceptable and now he will have to face justice.”

FROM STAFF REPORTS

WeHo to host public hearing on PrEP, PEP Feb. 23

The City of West Hollywood will host a public hearing to gather input from community members about whether individuals at high risk for HIV transmission are able to effectively access medications approved as part of FDA-approved protocols for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis(PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).

City staff and officials have become aware from anecdotal information in the community that there may be barriers to easily accessing PrEP and PEP at pharmacies in Los Angeles County and other regions of the state.

While statewide legislation, SB 159, authorizes pharmacists to furnish PrEP and PEP without a physician prescription and prohibits insurance companies from requiring prior authorizations to obtain PrEP coverage, there is concern that national pharmacy chains and local pharmacies may not be participating in ways the legislation intended.

City outreach to local pharmacists indicates that many local pharmacists have not taken the California State Board of Pharmacy (CSBP) training to dispense PrEP and PEP, and may not have been aware of the training at all.

The City’s aim in hosting a public hearing is to gather input from impacted residents and community stakeholders; findings will then be relayed to legislators and other key decision makers.

The public hearing is open to the public and will take place on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. at the West Hollywood City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Limited validated parking will be available in the adjacent West Hollywood Park five-Story structure.

Community members may view the public hearing live on WeHoTV on Spectrum Channel 10 within West Hollywood; by clicking on the ‘Watch Live’ link on the City’s WeHoTV website page www.weho.org/wehotv; or through City’s WeHo YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ wehotv.

It will also be live-streamed on streaming services such as AndroidTV, AppleTV, FireTV, and Roku. Digital streaming platform viewers can find programming by searching for “WeHoTV.”

Individuals who would like to provide comments but are unable to attend the hearing, or who would prefer to share their experience directly, can send their comments by email to Hernán Molina, the City of West Hollywood’s Governmental Affairs Liaison, at hmolina@weho.org.

In January 2019, Senator Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco introduced SB 159 HIV: preexposure and postexposure prophylaxis. The bill, which was signed by Governor Newsom into law on October 7, 2019, seeks to make PrEP and PEP more readily available to HIV negative individuals who are at high risk of HIV infection. SB 159 does so, among other things, by:

• Authorizing a pharmacist to furnish PrEP and PEP in specified amounts and requires a pharmacist to furnish those drugs if certain conditions are met, including that the pharmacist determines the patient meets the clinical criteria for PrEP and PEP consistent with federal guidelines; and

• Requiring a pharmacist, before furnishing PrEP and PEP, to complete a training program approved by the California State Board of Pharmacy.

Having easy access to PrEP and PEP and proper adherence to the recommended treatment are just two necessary steps in the efforts to reducing community transmission of HIV. PrEP is a key prevention strategy for ending the HIV epidemic in the U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports fewer than 25% of the approximately 1-million Americans who could benefit from PrEP are using this preventative medication. One of the goals of the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative is to have 50% of people who could benefit from PrEP using it by 2025.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had a significant impact on the City of West Hollywood. The disease’s elevated infection rate among gay men caused a devastatingly high number of deaths in the City in the era following the City’s founding in 1984.

The City of West Hollywood was one of the first government entities to provide social services grants to local AIDS and HIV organizations. The City sponsored one of the first AIDS awareness campaigns in the country in October 1985 and the City’s response to the AIDS crisis has been recognized as a model for other cities, nationally and globally.

In 2015, the City of West Hollywood City Council adopted the HIV Zero Strategic Plan. The City Council directed staff to work with social service providers, community clinics, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and other governmental agencies to develop a strategic plan aimed at reducing the rates of transmission and slowing disease progression.

The City’s HIV Zero Initiative embraces a vision to “Get to Zero” on many fronts: Zero new infections. Zero progression of HIV to AIDS. Zero discrimination. Zero stigma. The City currently contracts with APLA Health, Healthcare in Action, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Men’s Health Foundation, and Planned Parenthood to provide biomedical interventions, such as PrEP and PEP to community members at risk of acquiring HIV.

For more information, please contact Hernán Molina, the City of West Hollywood’s Governmental Affairs Liaison, at (323) 848-6364 or at hmolina@weho.org. FROM STAFF REPORTS

ALICIA ROJAS in front of her defaced “Poderosas” mural October 2022 (Photo courtesy of Rojas)

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis pills (Photo courtesy San Francisco AIDS Foundation)

WeHo considers making restaurant OutZones permanent

WEST HOLLYWOOD – The West Hollywood City Council will discuss and debate the process, guidelines, and policies regarding making the restaurant OutZones permanent in the city.

Its Agenda Item 5.A. will be under review and is slated to be taken up at the regular city council meeting scheduled for Monday, February 6, starting at 6pm.

City Staff is recommending the City Council adopt an ordinance amending Chapter 11.28 regarding outdoor dining in the public right of way, authorizing the Director of Finance & Technology Services to allocate $25,000 from unallocated reserves in General Fund for the development of the Outdoor Dining Eligibility and Site Design Guide and related costs.

City Staff will provide any feedback, if necessary, on the proposed updates, including the eligibility criteria and design standard.

According to the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, City Commissions, Boards, and Staff met with the Chamber numerous times and then attended a number of the chamber’s standing meetings with business leaders. Overall, there was support for developing new standards to convert the temporary OUTZones into permanent outdoor dining.

An email from the The Chamber states that businesses expressed concern over the limited applicability of using

on-street parking spaces for outdoor dining. As outlined in the report, the use of on-street parking for outdoor dining would only apply to businesses fronting a narrow sidewalk condition.

of neighboring businesses. Because this item is addressing outdoor dining on the public-right-of-way and not outdoor dining on private property, the current proposal does not allow the business to establish separate arrangements with neighboring businesses for use of their adjacent public right-of-way.

“We are grateful to the Staff and Council for moving this issue forward, allowing us to keep this critical element for our restaurants and bars to continue to recover and help us to thrive,” reads a statement by WeHo Chamber CEO Genevieve Morrill.

In July 2020, the City began its Temporary Outdoor Expansion Permit (TOEP) program by offering streamlined approval for businesses to use sidewalks, on-street parking spaces, and private parking lots as areas to expand operations.

In August 25, 2020, the city had a soft opening for the first phase of the new OUT Zones program.

On August 31, 2020, the installation of protective k-rail barriers were completed in time for National Eat Outside Day, which is a day when people are encouraged to enjoy a meal, picnic, or snack in the outdoors.

There were also concerns around the inability for a business with a limited frontage to expand dining areas in front

Community members and business owners are encouraged to make comments, express concerns, and provide suggestions.

PAULO MURILLO/WEHO TIMES

Calif. bill would strengthen penalties for Fentanyl trafficking

Assemblymember Brian Maienschein introduced legislation this week to help California take action to stop drug traffickers from contributing to the fentanyl epidemic.

Fentanyl overdoses have spiked across the nation in recent years. In California, over 5,700 fentanyl-related deaths were reported in 2021 alone. According to the California Department of Public Health, fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. An alarming increase in counterfeit pills and other illicit substances being sold on the drug trafficking market have been laced with a fatal amount of fentanyl, leading to thousands of deaths and serious injuries.

Assembly Bill 367 will provide stronger criminal penalties for individuals who sell or otherwise furnish controlled substances, such as fentanyl, that result in great bodily injury or death.

“Fentanyl has had devastating effects in San Diego County and throughout the state, and the data shows us that action to address this epidemic is critically overdue,” said Assemblymember Maienschein. “My bill would help California hold drug dealers accountable for the destruction and trauma they cause by knowingly distributing this deadly substance.”

Last year, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria signed an exec-

utive order calling for bold action by state and federal lawmakers to help the region and the state address the fentanyl emergency. Assemblymember Maienschein has partnered with Mayor Gloria on AB 367 to take the necessary steps to address this crisis in San Diego County and throughout California.

“The nationwide proliferation of illicitly manufactured fentanyl is a deadly crisis that claimed more than 800 lives in San Diego County in 2021 alone – and the death toll continues to climb,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “We need action at every level of government, and Assemblymember Brian Maienschein is stepping up with bold legislation that I’m proud to sponsor. AB 367 will crack down on predatory dealers of a dangerous poison that’s complicating our efforts to address homelessness and fueling a crisis of addiction, mental illness, and overdose across our region and the nation.”

AB 367 is also supported by San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan who has championed fentanyl overdose awareness and action throughout the region, as well as the San Diego Police Department.

“This bill gives a measure of dignity to the suffering of the thousands who were inflicted with great bodily injury or

death due to drug dealers selling fentanyl,” said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. “This proposed law allows our prosecutors to hold those who are causing this devastation accountable for their actions. Current state law treats a seller of drugs who does not result in injury the same as a fentanyl seller that results in the person becoming paralyzed or dying and that is not justice. I fully support this bill and thank Assemblymember Maienschein for helping us fight to save lives.”

“Law enforcement needs help from the legislature in updating our laws to meet the needs of our communities,” said San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit. “We must ensure that when crimes are being committed, including the predatory actions of fentanyl dealers who have little regard for whether their actions lead to loss of life, there are real consequences so we can stem the tide of rising drug-induced deaths. Combatting the drug overdose crisis from all levels is what it will take to save lives. Thank you to Assemblymember Brian Maienschein for enhancing our ability to hold criminals accountable with AB 367.”

AB 367 will be heard in policy committees later this spring and will move on to the Assembly floor this summer.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

OutZone in front of Stache

(Photo courtesy WEHO TIMES)

Biden’s State of the Union prioritizes bipartisanship

President Joe Biden’s second State of the Union address on Tuesday focused on building upon recent accomplishments, especially legislative milestones that were reached with bipartisan cooperation.

Nevertheless, the speech was met with vocal objections from Republican lawmakers over Biden’s comments about the debt ceiling, the Southern border and his mention of some GOP members’ plans to cut social security and Medicare.

“From reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, to the Electoral Count Reform Act, to the Respect for Marriage Act that protects the right to marry the person you love,” Biden said, “To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress.”

On the subject of legislation, for the second year in a row, Biden repeated his plea for Congress to revisit the Equality Act “to ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.”

“President Biden included LGBTQ people in his vision for a more equal, more free and more compassionate country,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a Tweet. “In re-upping his call for Congress to pass the Equality Act and protect transgender youth, the President is leading by example to expand freedom so no one is left behind.”

He also focused part of Tuesday’s address on public health. “Twenty years ago, under the leadership of President Bush and countless advocates and champions, we undertook a bipartisan effort through PEPFAR to transform the global fight

against HIV/AIDS,” Biden said.

The successful effort should be repeated in the fight against cancer, he added.

These matters aside, Biden included little mention of LGBTQ issues, or the extremism of Republicans who are poised to run for the presidency next year. Instead, the bulk of his remarks were focused on themes like implementing the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law.

The country’s economic recovery was another well-trod message, on the heels of a January jobs report whose data showed record low unemployment and steady growth in new jobs and workers’ wages.

Biden did devote some time to reproductive rights.

“The vice president and I are doing everything we can to protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient privacy,” he said. “But already, more than a dozen states are enforcing extreme abortion bans.”

The president then vowed to veto a national abortion ban if Congress should pass one.

During last year’s State of the Union, Biden said “the onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is wrong,” adding, “As I said last year, especially to our younger transgender Americans, I will always have your back as your president, so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential.”

One sign of solidarity with the LGBTQ community this year was the invitation of Gina and Heidi Nortonsmith, plaintiffs in the Massachusetts case that led the state to become the first

to legalize same-sex marriage, to join first lady Jill Biden’s box. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) brought Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson as his guest. Biden honored Jeffries’ predecessor, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), as “someone who I think will be considered the greatest speaker in the history of this country.”

“Tonight, in front of Congress and the nation, President Biden called attention to the campaign of hatred that is driving discriminatory legislation that targets transgender kids in statehouses around the country,” said Robinson. “Extremist lawmakers are banning best-practice, doctor approved care, kicking kids off sports teams, censoring curriculum and more.”

Eagle NYC bar patrons robbed of thousands

The New York City Police Department, (NYPD) confirmed that a series of robberies committed at The Eagle NYC, a Chelsea gay leather bar last Fall, had the three victims losing thousands of dollars after the criminals used facial recognition to access the victims’ phones.

NBC News Out correspondent Matt Lavietes reported the three men, who were in their late 30s and 40s, visited The Eagle NYC, on separate nights in

October and November and were each robbed of $1,000 to $5,000, according to the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of public information.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, authorities said.

Capt. Robert Gault of the city’s 10th Precinct, who spoke about the incidents at a police community council meeting last week, told NBC News that NYPD in-

CHRISTOPHER KANE

vestigators believe the criminals used facial recognition to access the victims’ phones and funds once they were incapacitated.

“What we think is happening with this scheme is they’re being lured away from the club, maybe to say, ‘Hey, you wanna come with me? I got some good drugs,’ or something like that,’” Gault said. “And then, once they get into a car to do whatever it is that they’re going to do, at some point or another, they don’t know what happened when they wake up.”

BRODY LEVESQUE

Va. House passes two anti-trans bills

The Republican-controlled Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday approved two anti-transgender bills.

State Del. Karen Greenhalgh (R-Virginia Beach)’s House Bill 1387, which would ban trans athletes from school sports teams that correspond with their gender identity, passed by a 51-47 vote margin. State Del. Dave LaRock (R-Loudoun County)’s House Bill 2432, which would require school personnel to out trans students to their parents, passed by a 50-48 vote margin.

“We are dealing with forcibly outing kids regardless of the safety of their home,” said state Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) on Monday when she spoke against HB 2432. “You have

no idea of the harm you’re causing. Do better for them.”

Roem, who is the first openly trans woman seated in a state legislature in the U.S., also spoke against HB 1387 on the House floor.

Equality Virginia and the Human Rights Campaign are among the groups that condemned the bills’ passage.

“It can be hard for people to understand what it means to be a transgender or nonbinary young person if they’ve never met one. But trans and nonbinary young people are our friends, family members and neighbors, and like all young people, they deserve safe and inclusive learning environments where they can thrive and be supported as they are,”

said Kasey Suffredini, vice president of advocacy and government affairs at the Trevor Project, in a statement. “These bills would only contribute to further isolation and stigma at a time when trans young people are already struggling.”

The two bills will now go before the Democratic-controlled Virginia Senate.

The Senate Education Committee last week killed six measures that would have banned transition-related health care for minors in Virginia and prevented trans athletes from school teams that correspond with their gender. It is likely HB 1387 and HB 2432 will meet a similar fate.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

President JOE BIDEN at the State of the Union address on Feb. 7. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Eagle NYC (Screenshot/YouTube)

Victory Institute urges Senate to confirm Sohn for FCC

The LGBTQ Victory Institute submitted a letter Monday with more than 375 signatories urging Senate leadership to confirm Gigi Sohn’s nomination for commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission.

Sohn, whose appointment has been languishing since October 2021, would be the first LGBTQ person ever to serve in that role where she would become the tie-breaking vote on the bipartisan-led commission.

“Gigi is one of the nation’s leading public advocates for open, affordable, and democratic communications networks,” the Victory Institute wrote in its letter. “Gigi has worked across the country to defend and preserve the fundamental competition and innovation policies that have made broadband internet access more ubiquitous, competitive, affordable, open, and protective of user privacy. During this time, she has worked across the industry, notably as Counselor to former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler.”

Despite these qualifications – and the Biden-Harris administration’s decision to nominate her for a third time – Sohn’s confirmation has been delayed amid coordinated attacks by industry lobbyists, conservatives on the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and right-wing media organizations.

Fox News, Breitbart, and the Daily Mail have recently focused on Sohn’s membership on the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a respected organization that has come out against a pair of laws that were enacted in 2018 amid the panic over child sex trafficking.

The laws, according to the Los Angeles Times, “have proved to be largely ineffective for their stated purpose and rife with adverse side effects,” with the EFF writing that they “will not stop sex trafficking and will instead make stopping it harder.” Regardless, the matter has nothing to do with the work in which Sohn would be engaged at the FCC.

Nevertheless, these attacks on Sohn, an out lesbian, dovetail with efforts to link the LGBTQ community with child sexual abuse and exploitation. The EFF came out in support of Sohn, too, arguing that the attacks against her were “dog whistles.”

“Democrats can’t claim to support LGBTQ rights while fail-

ing to stand up to blatant bigotry targeting one of their own nominees,” Evan Greer, director of the digital rights organization Fight for the Future, told the Los Angeles Times. “If they remain silent and complicit, this will become a go-to strategy to tank LGBTQ nominees to any public position,” she said.

According to research provided by GLAAD, one of the groups that signed the Victory Institute’s letter, “These criticisms [of Sohn] have led extremists, especially those from the QAnon movement, to conclude that Sohn supports sex trafficking and is participating in a secret plot by Democrats and other ‘far left elites’ to silence conservatives.”

Former U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) called Sohn a “shemale” and “fringe lunatic,” claims that prompted other users to make death threats against her, according to research provided by GLAAD.

Separately and in the past, Sohn earned criticism for her social media posts, including one authored by the acclaimed actor and comedian Issa Rae that Sohn shared, which read: “Your raggedy white supremacist president and his cowardly enablers would rather kill everybody than stop killing black people.”

CHRISTOPHER KANE

Va. Senate approves marriage amendment repeal resolution

The Virginia Senate on Monday approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

The resolution that state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced passed by a 25-14 vote margin. The openly gay Alexandria Democrat in a tweet noted Republicans supported it.

“My proposed constitutional amendment to repeal the de-

funct same-sex marriage ban has passed the Senate on a bipartisan vote of 25-14,” said Ebbin. “It is time our constitution reflects the law of the land and the values of our society.”

Virginia voters approved the Marshall-Newman Amendment in 2006. Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014.

The General Assembly in 2021 approved a resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment. It must

pass in two successive legislatures before it can go to the ballot.

The state Senate last month approved Ebbin’s Senate Bill 1096 that would affirm marriage equality in Virginia law. Democrats currently control the chamber by a 22-18 margin. Republicans have a 51-47 majority in the Virginia House of Delegates.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Levine tackles bad information on COVID, gender-affirming care

In a visit to one of America’s most prestigious institutions of higher learning, Adm. Rachel Levine answered questions and offered insight about two of the most controversial healthcare issues of this decade, long COVID-19 and gender-affirming care.

Long COVID is the mysterious phenomenon in which patients endure debilitating, long-term effects from being infected by the coronavirus and gender-affirming care, treatments for transgender youth that are being targeted by lawmakers nationwide.

“Long COVID is real,” said Levine, the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the highest-ranking transgender official in the Biden administration. “We heard from patients who have suffered heart issues, lung issues, issues of fatigue and brain fog, after their COVID-19 infection. And we heard from providers at Yale who are forming a multidisciplinary clinic in order to evaluate and treat these patients.”

In a public session held Monday at the Yale Law School, four of these “long haulers” shared their challenges with the admiral: Shortness of breath, pulmonary disorders, lifestyle and work limitations and disabilities that are hidden to most observers.

“Hearing the patients tell their stories is so meaningful,” she said, calling it a privilege to better understand the challenges

they face.

“That helps us drive policy as well as research,” Levine said.

“I was very active,” said Hannah Hurtenbach of Wethersfield, Conn., a 30-year-old registered nurse who was diagnosed with post-COVID cardiomyopathy, cognitive brain fog and pulmonary issues. “I loved hiking and being outside. I was constantly on the move and now I barely leave my couch. I barely leave my house and I can’t really handle even a part time job now when I used to work full time. So that has been really difficult at age 30 to be facing those sorts of issues that I never really anticipated feeling.”

Hurtenbach told the Blade she appreciated Levine’s visit.

“Sharing my experience today with the admiral was probably one of the more highlight moments of this experience,” she said. “Knowing that the federal government is taking action, is paying attention, and listening to these stories means more to me than anything else, and especially knowing that what I’ve gone through over the last couple of years can be led and used into the future research and help others just like myself.”

A woman named Christine told the Blade that even though she is so impacted by long COVID that she needs assistance

to walk and has to pause as she speaks because of her shortness of breath, she felt attending this event was worth all the struggle to get there.

“I’m so glad I came. I learned a lot from hearing from the others,” she said, who like her are trying to recover from long COVID.

Levine told the Blade that so far, she herself has not contracted COVID, and that she is double-vaccinated and double-boosted. With the president announcing the end of emergency COVID declarations on May 11, she said the administration is pushing Congress to approve extra funding for long COVID and other related needs. But how can she expect to get that through a House of Representatives full of anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers and COVID-deniers, including in GOP leadership?

“Long COVID is real and we hear you,” she said. “We plan to engage Congress to talk about the funding that we need. And we’ll continue to work. We do have to get past misinformation in this country, but we are here to give the correct information about COVID-19 and long COVID, and we’ll continue to engage Congress on that.”

DAWN ENNIS

Activists welcome pope’s comments against criminalization laws

But church’s teachings about homosexuality remain unchanged

By MICHAEL K. LAVERS & ANDRÉS I. JOVÉ RODRÍGUEZ

Activists around the world say Pope Francis’ comments against criminalization laws are a milestone for the global LGBTQ and intersex rights movement.

Toni Reis, president of Aliança Nacional LGBTI+, a Brazilian LGBTQ and intersex advocacy group, told the Washington Blade that Francis’ comments are “a message that needs to be assimilated by at least 70 countries that still criminalize homosexuality in some way, including 11 countries in which the death penalty can be applied.”

Reis and his husband, David Harrad, in 2017 baptized their three adopted children at a Catholic cathedral in Curitiba, a city in southern Brazil. Reis later received a letter on official Vatican letterhead that said Francis “wishes you happiness, invoking for your family the abudance of divine graces in order to live steadfastly and faithfully as good children of God and of the church.”

“We are unable to find in the recorded words of Jesus Christ, on whom the Christian faith is founded, any reference to homosexuality as a sin,” Reis told the Blade. “There is no longer room for deliberately decontextualized interpretations of the Old Testament and the books of certain Apostles in this sense.”

Francis during an exclusive interview with the Associated Press on Jan. 24 described criminalization laws as “unjust” and said “being homosexual is not a crime.”

The pontiff acknowledged some Catholic bishops support criminalization laws and other statutes that discriminate against LGBTQ and intersex people. Francis told the Associated Press that cultural backgrounds contribute to these attitudes, and added “bishops in particular need to undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone.”

In a related development on Sunday, Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and the world’s top Presbyterian minister publicly denounced laws that criminalize LGBTQ and intersex people and said their respective churches should welcome them.

The Associated Press noted Francis told reporters during a press conference onboard his plane after it departed from South Sudan that “criminalizing people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice.” Welby and the Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields, the Presbyterian moderator of the Church of Scotland, were standing alongside the pontiff.

“There is nowhere in my reading of the four Gospels where I see Jesus turning anyone away,” said Greenshields, according to the AP. “There is nowhere in the four Gospels where I see anything other than Jesus expressing love to whomever he meets.”

Chantale Wong, the U.S. director of the Asian Development Bank who was born in Shanghai, is the first openly lesbian American ambassador.

Wong’s aunt and uncle enrolled her in a Catholic bording school in Macau, which at the time was a Portuguese colony, after she fled China with her grandmother in 1960. Wong was baptized and given the name Chantale after St. Jane Frances de Chantale.

She later attended an all-girls Catholic high school in Guam.

“He is definitely my pope,” tweeted Wong on Jan. 25.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who is openly gay, in a tweet thanked Francis “for your strong and clear

POPE FRANCIS described criminalization laws as ‘unjust’ and said ‘being homosexual is not a crime.’

trine and nothing has changed in the catechism of the Catholic Church. Everything remains the same,” Serrano told the Blade. “As long as all that remains the same, there is no change.”

Serrano further stressed Francis’ categorization of homosexuality as a “sin” is paradoxical.

“Homophobia: That is the real sin,” said Serrano.

Frank Mugisha, executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, a Ugandan LGBTQ and intersex rights group, on Tuesday noted to the Blade that he is Catholic.

Uganda is among the dozens of countries in which consensual same-sex sexual relations remain criminalized.

words against the criminalization of LGBTIQ+ persons in the world.” Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the independent U.N. expert on LGBTQ and intersex issues who traveled to Cambodia last month, echoed Bettel.

“Criminalization based on sexual orientation is contrary to international human rights law,” tweeted Madrigal-Borloz on Jan. 25. “I welcome this recognition by (the pope.)”

The Vatican’s tone towards LGBTQ and intersex issues has softened since Francis assumed the papacy in 2013.

Francis — who vehemently opposed a marriage equality bill in his native Argentina before then-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner signed it into law in 2010 — a decade later publicly backed civil unions for same-sex couples.

The pontiff in 2013 said gay men and lesbians should not be marginalized.

Francis in 2016 later said the Roman Catholic Church should “ask forgiveness” from gay people over the way it has treated them. The pontiff in 2017 compared politicians who use hate speech against LGBTQ and intersex people and other minority groups to Adolf Hitler.

The Vatican in 2020 gave money to a group of transgender sex workers in Italy who were struggling to survive during the coronavirus pandemic. Francis in 2021 named Juan Carlos Cruz, a gay Chilean man who is a survivor of clergy sex abuse, to a commission that advises him on protecting children from pedophile priests.

Francis last year during several of his weekly papal audiences met with trans people who were living at a Rome church.

Church teachings on homosexuality and gender identity remain unchanged despite these overtures.

Francis during the Associated Press interview referred to LGBTQ and intersex issues within the context of “sin.” The pontiff later sought to clarify the comment.

“When I said it is a sin, I was simply referring to Catholic moral teaching, which says that every sexual act outside of marriage is a sin,” wrote Francis in a handwritten letter he sent to the Rev. James Martin, editor of Outreach, a website for LGBTQ and intersex Catholics, on Jan. 27.

Pedro Julio Serrano, founder of Puerto Rico Para Todes, a Puerto Rican LGBTQ and intersex rights group, during an interview with the Blade acknowledged Francis “is giving a message that criminalization of the LGBTQ+ community must be fought.” Serrano added, however, the pontiff’s comments do not change church teachings.

“There is no change in dogma, there is no change in doc-

Singapore, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Botswana, Bhutan and India have decriminalized homosexuality in recent years.

Mugisha said Sexual Minorities Uganda welcomes Francis’ statement, which he made ahead of his trip to Congo and South Sudan. (Consensual same-sex sexual activity is legal in Congo, while South Sudan continues to criminalize it.)

“Being Catholic, I know the Catholic Church will respect the pope’s views and I hope the church in Africa starts working with us towards discrimination of homosexuality,” Mugisha told the Blade.

ILGA World Co-Secretaries General Luz Elena Aranda and Tuisina Ymania Brown in response to Francis’ comments said “such a simple statement has now the potential to initiate a much-needed change and will provide relief to millions of persons in our communities across the world.” ILGA World Executive Director Julia Ehrt, like Serrano, said Vatican doctrine towards LGBTQ and intersex people needs to change if the pontiff’s position against criminalization laws will have any meaningful impact.

“We urge the Holy See to turn these words into concrete action,” said Ehrt. “The Catholic Church and its institutions can and should play an active role in supporting decriminalization efforts across the world and within the United Nations and multilateral fora, where demands to scrap these profoundly wrong laws have long been reiterated.”

Outright International, a New York-based global LGBTQ and intersex rights group, in its response to Francis’ comments also noted church teachings.

“We welcome Pope Francis’ message of inclusion and acceptance,” said Outright International in a statement to the Blade. “Discrimination, persecution and marginalization are common experiences for LGBTIQ individuals and communities around the world. In some countries, many are subjected to conversion practices and its lifelong physical and emotional damages, which are often performed and sanctioned in the name of church teachings.”

“Religious leaders have a storied history of perpetuating misconceptions about same-sex relations, promoting them as threats to society. As such, LGBTIQ people are subject to violent attacks, harassment and social stigmatization. The church’s actions have also influenced efforts to oppose the advancement of human rights for LGBTIQ people,” added Outright International. “Our hope is that the pope’s statement will foster respect, dignity and conversations that will lead to change in attitudes and lasting legal protections in this arduous journey for full equality.”

(Photo by palinchak via Bigstock)

PETER ROSENSTEIN

2024 campaign dash-for-cash is well underway

Democrats must stop funding doomed candidates

Raising money for the 2024 campaigns is already well under way. I recently received invitations to two fundraisers for the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund sent from the Deputy National Finance Chair of the DNC. I had to look twice to see if I was reading it right. One in New York with President Biden and one in Philadelphia with both the president and Vice President Harris. The cost to attend a reception, not a meal, and have a photo opportunity, was $36,500 per person. You could become a host for $100,000.

I remember helping to arrange a fundraiser for President Obama’s reelection campaign on Sept. 30, 2012. It was held at a friend’s home in Georgetown. The cost to attend was $35,000 a couple, and it was for dinner and a photo op, and $5,000 per person for a reception with the president before the dinner. The reception was planned in conjunction with the Human Rights Campaign. So, in 10 years the price has more than doubled and no meal. The allowed personal contribution to an individual federal candidate has also gone up to $3,300 for a primary and $3,300 for the general election. So the same kind of reception we did would now cost $6,600 per person. Guess that is what they mean by inflation.

In the last 10 years we have seen the amount raised in small online contributions increase dramatically. Anyone who has ever given even $5 to a Nancy Pelosi email request for donations now sees hundreds of more emails in their in-box on a regular basis. I would urge anyone responding to one of those to read it very carefully. Many of them say they are for a particular candidate, but if you read the small print, you find the candidate only gets a very small percentage of what you donate. Most of it goes to a PAC, and often ends up in the pockets of consultants.

Democrats are very generous. But the reality is we end up donating millions to what are sure to be losing races. The current DNC Chair, Jamie Harrison, raised $104 million in his primary and general election for the Senate in South Carolina, which he predictably lost to Lindsay Graham by 12%. In what was called a long-shot campaign, Democratic candidate Marcus Flowers raised more than $15.6 million in his effort to defeat Marjorie Taylor Greene. He lost by 31 points. Giving money to him, thinking he could win in that District, is surely the definition of insanity.

There is also a lot of dark money going into campaigns. But with the increase in small donations, it is definitely harder for the big money people to have influence. I remember when the Clintons were attacked for inviting some big donors to sleep in the Lincoln bedroom in the White House as a thank you for donations. Surely Biden doesn’t have to do that. But as the dollar requests go up for a picture with the president, those donors will at least expect an audience with someone in the administration.

Now in some ways the pandemic was a lucky break for President Biden when it came to campaigning and raising money in 2020. He had an excuse not to do photo ops, or any in-person events, and still raised incredible amounts of money. In August of 2020 alone, he raised a record-shattering $364 million, for combined Democratic committees. I did my little bit in 2020 and was on a list of 800 bun-

dlers released by the Biden campaign — those who raised more than $100,000 for the campaign. I don’t know about the others on the list, but I haven’t received any special favors for this, and didn’t even receive my usual Christmas card from the White House. What I do get are regular email and snail mail requests from the DNC for more money. Also, that bundler list is shared far and wide. Along with my email that list apparently has my phone number. So, when every Democratic candidate around the nation gets the list, I am inundated not only with emails but with text messages on my phone. I recently received a phone call from a reporter I know at NBC news. She wanted to know what I got for my donation to the campaign and what I thought of how President Biden was handling his donor politics. I went off the record and said, ‘terribly.’ I haven’t received anything and a major donor through me didn’t get anything either. Recently, through friends who are working in the administration, I was invited to three events on the White House lawn. Now that the pandemic is easing this is how masses of people get to go to the White House. I guess the people who arrange them are out of practice as the two I went to were not well planned. Those there were clearly not invited based on their donation levels, except maybe the few in the front section with seats. I definitely was not one of those.

The first event was the celebration of the Deficit Reduction Act. It was a very hot day and they did have some water stations. But they didn’t have any Jumbotrons, or a raised stage, so no one toward the back, and there were hundreds, could see what was happening. You could hear, but couldn’t see the president, or the entertainer of the day, who happened to be James Taylor. He is of the president’s and my generation, and I think he is great. But I asked many of the millennials standing around me if they knew who he was, and they all said no.

The second event was the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act. I was proud to be there based on my work for marriage equality. It was held on a very cold day. Once again, no Jumbotrons and no stage, so again anyone in the back simply saw hundreds of people in front of them holding up iPhones trying to get a picture over the heads of others. I was lucky to stand next to a tall person who could hold the phone higher. The entertainment for the mostly LGBTQ audience was more appropriate, Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper. The third event, which some friends invited me to as their guest, was the concert by Elton John, which I didn’t attend. I understand there were Jumbotrons but then the event was paid for by the A&E networks and the History Channel for possible broadcast. So maybe the time when bundlers, or bigger donors, can expect a reception in the White House for raising or giving more than $100,000, or a reception photo-op for $6,600 is over.

I am not looking for anything and I can only imagine what kind of money will be needed, and raised, for campaigns in 2024. Or what mega-donors will expect or receive for their donations. My only hope is whatever money is raised is spent wisely so Democrats win. It is clear the 2024 campaign dash-for-cash is well underway.

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Petras makes history at 65th annual Grammys

Big night for Harry Styles, Beyoncé

By ROB WATSON

LOS ANGELES – The 65th annual GRAMMY Award Ceremonies held Sunday evening at the Crypto.com Arena saw a significant LGBTQ+ presence and wins in several categories including a GRAMMY for Best Solo Pop Duo/Group Performance awarded to out trans artist Kim Petras alongside nonbinary artist Sam Smith for their song “Unholy.”

Madonna was on hand to introduce the duo, and in doing so, seemed to shout praise to the entire queer community. “Here’s what I have learned after four decades in music. If they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problematic, provocative, or…dangerous. You are definitely on to something. So I am here to give thanks to all the rebels out there forging a new path, and taking the heat for all of it. You guys need to know, all you trouble makers out there, you need to know your fearlessness does not go unnoticed, you are seen, you are heard, and most of all you are appreciated.”

While online chatter seemed obsessed with Madonna’s physical appearance, there is hope her message reached queer teens, currently under the ire of current conservative politics, in the same way the singer elevated HIV positive people in the 1980s by not only accepting them, but calling them heroes.

Sam Smith insisted that Kim Petras give their acceptance speech so that she could experience the full effect of being the first openly transgender woman to receive the award in the Recording Academy’s 65-year history.

der legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight. SOPHIE, especially, my friend who passed away two years ago, who told me this would happen and always believed in me. Thank you so much for your inspiration, SOPHIE. I adore you and your inspiration will always be in my music.”

“I grew up next to a highway in nowhere, Germany, and my mother believed me that I was a girl and I wouldn’t be here without her and her support,” Petras concluded her historic speech. “Sam, thank you, you’re a true angel and hero in my life and I love you. And everyone who made the song, too, I love you guys. Sorry, I didn’t write down the names. I love you.”

Longtime LGBTQ+ ally Harry Styles received a GRAMMY for Album of the Year for his Harry’s House. Styles also picked up a GRAMMY win Best Pop Vocal Album for Harry’s House. Earlier Styles received a GRAMMY trophy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical also for Harry’s House.

Beyoncé, who was the most nominated artist going into Sunday’s ceremonies, made GRAMMY history breaking the record for the most wins ever by an artist. In her acceptance speech where she mentioned her late uncle who died from HIV/AIDS she acknowledged the queer community for their support and “for inventing the genre” of dance music, which she honors in her album.

“I’m trying not to be too emotional. I’m trying to just receive this night. I want to thank God for protecting me. Thank you, God. I’d like to thank my uncle Johnny who’s not here, but he’s here in spirit.

I’d like to thank my parents, my father, my mother for loving me and pushing me. I’d like to thank my beautiful husband, my beautiful three Children who are at home watching.

I’d like to thank the queer community for your love, for inventing the genre. God bless you. Thank you so much to the GRAMMYs. Thank you.”

She also posted a thank you note on Instagram celebrating the three awards she won earlier in the evening: Best Traditional R&B Performance (“Plastic Off the Sofa”), Best R&B Song (“Cuff It”), and Best Dance/Electronic Recording (“Break My Soul”).

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden walked on stage during the ceremonies to a standing ovation.  GRAMMYs host Trevor Noah, who introduced her, described her as “the only person in the world who knows which of tonight’s songs the President sings in the shower.”

The First Lady presented two awards – the Song of the Year and the new award “Best Song for Social Change.”

Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour won the new social change award. His song Baraye has been described as the anthem of the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.  Biden described the song as a “powerful and poetic call for freedom and women’s rights.”

He was arrested on September 29, 2022 – two days after his song was released on social media – and was released two days later. He is not allowed to leave Iran.

Biden then presented Song of the Year to Just Like That by Bonnie Raitt.  She kissed Raitt on the cheek.

Petras acknowledged Madonna’s effect as an icon when she said in her acceptance speech, “I want to thank Madonna for always fighting for LGBTQ rights, I would not be here if not for Madonna.”

She also called out SOPHIE, the transgender Grammy-nominated DJ, producer and recording artist who died in Athens after a tragic accident. “I just want to thank all the incredible transgen-

Vanessa Valdivia, Press Secretary for Biden told the traveling press pool:  “The First Lady was honored to be asked by the Recording Academy to announce the GRAMMYs’ first Social Change award to Shervin Hajipour for his song ‘Baraye’. As a steadfast champion for women and girls around the world, the First Lady was inspired by his song that served as an anthem for freedom and women’s rights.”

KIM PETRAS and SAM SMITH accept the Grammy for their duet ‘Unholy.’ (Screenshot/YouTube)

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Gay dads face the apocalypse in ‘Knock at the Cabin’ Whether it scares you or not, a movie that gives us lots to think about

By JOHN PAUL KING

As horrors go, it’s hard to get more horrible than the end of the world.

It’s the ultimate existential threat, a potent fear that has fueled nightmares for millennia, but while it may feel chillingly plausible in our modern era, many of us tend to imagine it in terms of scientific reality – climate change, collision with an asteroid, or simply the eventual death of the sun – rather than as a literal enactment of the doomsday scenarios proscribed in the myths, folktales, and religions of the ancient world.

What if we’re wrong, though?

That’s the essential hook in “Knock at the Cabin,” the latest thriller from horror movie maestro M. Night Shyamalan, which gambles that its viewers – even those who staunchly believe in a science-and-reason-based conception of the universe –might still occasionally be kept awake at night by a flicker of doubt, and spends a slow-burning 100 minutes trying to stoke that flicker into an apocalyptic flame.

Based on Paul Tremblay’s Stoker Award-winning 2018 novel “The Cabin at the End of the World,” Shyamalan’s compact adaptation (co-written with Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman) doesn’t waste much time setting up its confrontation between rational secularism and End Times prophecy; gay dads Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge), vacationing in the woods with their daughter Wen (Kristen Cui), have barely settled into their rented cabin when a quartet of ominous strangers – led by hulking-but-soft-spoken Leonard (Dave Bautista) – shows up at the door, insisting to be let in and not willing to take “no” as an answer. The visitors claim they are on a mission to prevent the apocalypse, and that they have been compelled by visions to deliver a message: mankind can still be saved, but only if this terrified little family is willing to make an unthinkable choice.

To reveal more would definitely constitute a spoiler; suffice to say that it’s a decidedly unpleasant proposition, and the two protective papas – who are convinced they are being terrorized by a homophobic cult of religious fanatics despite Leonard’s assurances to the contrary – are understandably resistant to it. Still, these seemingly reluctant home invaders are prepared to use extreme measures to ensure the couple’s cooperation, and Andrew and Eric are forced into an escalating standoff in which they must try to outwit their captors if they have any hope of whisking Wen away to safety; yet even as they forge a desperate escape plan, troubling news from the outside world

begins to suggest the threat of impending cataclysm might not be so far-fetched, after all.

The screenplay for “Knock at the Cabin” – or at least, the initial draft of it, penned by Desmond and Sherman – was already a hot property before Shyamalan became involved, having been touted both by Hollywood’s highly influential “Black List” and by GLAAD as one of the best unproduced scripts of 2019. It’s easy to see why; for a mainstream film industry under pressure to prioritize inclusion, there’s an obvious appeal to the idea of a taut, commercially viable thriller featuring a same-sex couple as heroes, especially when it’s based on a popular bestselling novel. Good ideas frequently go bad in Hollywood, however, and it’s fortunate that the veteran Shyamalan saw the appeal, too, because without his experienced eye behind the camera –and his legion of loyal fans in the theater seats – this one could easily have gone either way.

Mounted almost as a “Twilight Zone” style morality play, “Cabin” juggles a hotbed of topical ideas and themes as its handful of characters, loosely representing a cross-section of humanity, engage in an unapologetically allegorical battle of beliefs – though it’s never explicitly stated that any God or devil is behind the supposed approaching apocalypse. There’s an implausibility to its premise that’s hard to dismiss, and while that might be a key factor in the movie’s ploy to undermine its heroes’ – and its audience’s – sense of certainty, it also makes it harder for it to scare us. With so many layers of “meta” in play, there’s sometimes too much intellectual distance in the way for us to feel fear.

A similar obstacle is created by the script’s use of broad strokes in defining its characters. Though the four antagonists – a mismatched assortment of eccentric but painfully ordinary strangers – are sharply drawn and unique enough to stir an interesting dynamic into the mix, Eric and Andrew are less substantial; the things we know about them are revealed to us in brief flashbacks and snippets of dialogue, serving more as plot devices than insight into what makes them tick. They’re a collection of positive traits, but they are largely blank underneath - and that doesn’t make it any easier to invest in them.

Fortunately, these potential shortcomings are largely overcome in Shyamalan’s finished product. “Cabin” is a perfect fit for his trademark style, laden with an unrelenting sense of dread and looped through a high concept framework that lends itself to the kind of puzzle-box storytelling with which he

made his name. His magic doesn’t always work; sometimes, his succinctness of detail tips us off too early, or feels too precise to be convincing. Nevertheless, he keeps us fascinated by what he shows us on the screen – even if the story sometimes tends to stall.

His cast serves him well in making that happen. While their characters may be thinly drawn, Groff and Aldridge – especially the latter, fresh from his MVP performance in “Spoiler Alert” – fill in the gaps by infusing the leading men with personality and anchoring them with an authentic sense of depth. Young Cui gives a devastatingly genuine child performance as Wen, and Rupert Grint (of “Harry Potter” fame) gives a memorable against-type turn as a hapless blue-collar thug in Leonard’s company. The MVP in “Cabin,” however, is Bautista, whose Leonard is the kind of giant whose gentleness only makes him us fear him more.

As for fear, that’s where “Knock at the Cabin” might fall flat for some viewers. While it’s mostly a gripping ride, there are few moments that really hit us where we live. It pokes at our deeper fears, but it never quite stirs them up; even the nightmarish prospect of a home invasion feels strangely blunted of its edge. Violence happens, but only sparingly onscreen, and despite Shyamalan’s penchant for ingenious twists, this time he leads us almost predictably toward a conclusion that owes more to Hitchcock’s “The Birds” than any fire-and-brimstone apocalyptic thriller.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to see it, not the least of which is the placement of a same-sex couple at the center of a mainstream genre film which successfully displaced “Avatar: The Way of Water” from its top seat at the box office. Besides, whether it scares you or not, it’s a movie that gives us lots to think about – not just notions of Old Testament divine retribution, but universal human experiences like love and loss, death and grief, and how much we are willing to sacrifice for the sake of the people we care about.

Maybe that’s what the apocalypse is really all about, anyway.

BEN ALDRIDGE, KRISTEN CUI, and JONATHAN GROFF in ‘Knock at the Cabin.’

‘Fieldwork’ is food for thought — and the soul

Michelin chef Iliana Regan on the art of foraging, addiction and grief

Nature makes me queasy. Reading about poison ivy or mosquitoes makes me itch. I don’t see myself in the woods enjoying the beauty of a pack of wolves. I adore eating all kinds of foods, but would I, in my wildest dreams, forage for mushrooms in the forest?

Sipping Starbucks coffee, eating a croissant I hadn’t baked, I came to “Fieldwork: A Forager’s Memoir” by Michelin chef Iliana Regan with a food lover’s fascination and a city-aficionado’s trepidation.

I’m glad I foraged into “Fieldwork.” The book, Regan’s second memoir, is a mosaic of memory, hope, fears, family, love, gender identity, respecting the land, food,and hospitality.

Regan owned and operated Elizabeth, the acclaimed Chicago restaurant, from 2012-2019. She passed on Elizabeth to collaborator Tim Lacey in 2020. Each year of its operation, the renowned eatery earned a Michelin star.

In 2020, Regan and her wife Anna Hamlin left Chicago to open the Milkweed Inn in the woods of northern Michigan. Regan forages in the forest and nearby river for the food that she feeds their guests This brings Regan full circle to her roots – to her ancestors, birthplace, and childhood.

Regan’s first memoir “Burn the Place” was long-listed for the 2019 National Book Award. This was the first book of writing on food to be so honored since Julia Child won the Award in 1980.

Even as a tot on her family’s farm in Indiana, Regan didn’t feel like a girl. The youngest of four sisters, she dressed in a shirt and tie. Her Dad, who she foraged with for mushrooms,

By KATHI WOLFE

berries and other foods in the woods, called her “the son he’d never had.”

“I always thought I was a boy,” Regan writes, “even before Dad ever said I was.”

Regan, born in 1979, grew up with a heritage of foraging, Eastern European ancestors, feeding people, love, and addiction. Her father’s grandmother Busia helped her family run an inn in Eastern Europe. Later, she settled in Gary, Ind., where she told stories of the forests in her native land. In Gary, she opened Jennie’s Café, frequented by generations of steelworkers.

Regan’s mother married young. (Regan’s parents’ union was in many ways not a happy marriage.) On her mother’s side of her family, there was alcoholism and domestic strife.

Even as a child, Regan was careful to stay away from her father’s brother, her Uncle George. Early on, she sensed that this uncle was a predator who should be avoided.

“Fieldwork” has much lyrical writing about mushrooms, forests, the wind, honoring the land and animals. But Regan, who earned an M.F.A. in writing from the Art Institute of Chicago, is at her best when she writes, with unflinching, trenchant honesty, about we, humans, with our stew of strengths, resilience, sadness, joys, addictions and flaws. Regan is a magician with images. She’s a wizard at using metaphors of foraging and food to draw us into the stories of the people, past and present, in her world.

Regan remembers her mother as being like “the kitchen” and her father as seeming like “the forest.” In the middle of

the two, she was “the sheep’s head — wily, twisting — and the honey mushroom–Stretching, symbiotic,” Regan vividly recalls.

Regan had three older sisters. She and her family were devastated when her sister Elizabeth, struggling with addiction, died in jail at age 39. “Grief may be the worst thing I’ve ever experienced,” Regan writes, “and at the same time the only thing that keeps me going.”

“Fieldwork” will convert even the most nature-averse into a respect for the land and the animals that inhabit it. Yet, the memoir is free of new age woowoo.

Sometimes, memoirs about addiction are too pat. People in them often end up in seemingly untroubled recovery. Regan avoids this pitfall. Without pretense or self-recrimination, she describes how, during the pandemic, she began drinking again after becoming sober.

Regan forages as much into her memories and dreams as she does into the forests. “Fieldwork” is food for thought and the soul.

‘Fieldwork: A Forager’s Memoir’ By Iliana Regan c.2023, Agate | $27 | 329 pages

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CITY OF WEST HOLLYWOOD | PREP/PEP PUBLIC HEARING

The City of West Hollywood will host a public hearing to gather feedback about obstacles people may face in getting PrEP and PEP and about increasing access and awareness.

Thursday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m. West Hollywood City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard