Los Angeles Blade, Volume 07, Issue 31, August 04, 2023

Optimism and truth

Oscar Stembridge’s music addresses mature themes, current events, page 02

Oscar Stembridge’s music reveals his optimism and emotional

truth

Singing about mature themes and current events, he urges people to embrace activism

By NOAH CHRISTIANSEN

MALMO, Sweden - With the rapid onslaught of new music coursing through our ears, many of us are looking for something authentic in music – something real. And although authentic music exists, it only exists in small doses and quantities. Oscar Stembridge, a 15-year-old singer-songwriter from Sweden, gives his listeners much more than a small dose of authenticity: he gives us what he calls his “emotional truth.”

Unlike today’s contemporary hyper-consumerist culture of music that follows a strict formula for likes, shares, and retweets, Stembridge’s music carries themes of endless possibilities and coming-of-age optimism from his personal experiences. His music is an anthem for Generation  Z, a suspended cry of hope and disparity amid a larger global socio-political struggle.

Ed Sheeran, Queen, Guns n Roses, Van Halen, Sam Fender, Domink Fike, Nirvana, and others, he has built up a strong global following on social media.

From a young age, Stembridge has been a musician, but he was born to perform. Whether he performs for a small, intimate crowd or a large festival, Stembridge feels calm and collected. “I’m never nervous,” Stembridge laughs, “I’m just gonna have fun.” And he can be seen having fun in every one of his performances – including his rendition of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing in front of the Swedish Royal Family. And maybe, Stembridge was a bit nervous that one time. “It’s not every day you get to play for the Royal Family,” he says laughing.

To perform without error – and without a sense of nervousness – Stembridge spends a lot of time perfecting his craft; evidenced by one’s listening to Stembridge’s carefully crafted album Thir13en. “The reason why it’s called 13 is because I wrote It when I was 13 years,” he tells the Blade adding; “That time period was a rollercoaster for me… I wasn’t in the happiest place, but I came out of that. Writing this EP was very therapeutic.”

Rather than embarking upon the creation of an EP alone, Stembridge shared his vulnerability with two of his friends in the process. “I wrote [Thir13en] with two of my music buddies and awesome singer-songwriters, Isa Tengblad and Kristofer Greczula.” Stembridge described the process of working with Tengblad and Greczula as both positive and innovative with the vocals for the EP being recorded in Tengblad’s bedroom. “It was never a static formula, and it never has been – We would bounce around as a team.”

young ones.”

His original music echoes the concerns of his generation facing climate change, destruction of natural habitats both in the oceans and across seven continents, and the crisis brought about by wars and natural disasters.

Stembridge won the Rookie Artist of the Year at the Sweden Pop Awards in 2022 (he was the youngest awardee) for his EP titled ‘Thir13en’ – an EP that details the teenage anguish of being belittled by the system and the hope that follows. We must ask ourselves, “who is Oscar Stembridge?” (Newsflash: he’s more than just a young kid with floppy dirty blonde hair and who speaks with an endearing British-Swedish accent)

The Blade had the privilege recently of interviewing Stembridge, and asked him that very question.

“I write songs, I play music, I sing and I perform” Stembridge replied ever-so-humbly. But he doesn’t just play music, he plays four instruments – guitar, piano, drums, bass, and then there’s his vocals. Stembridge’s music is amazingly eclectic and versatile.  Inspired by artists such as

Thir13en, in all of its anguish, optimism, and truth raw in its sound, is ultimately true in its emotions and eclectic in its composition. Rather than starting with lyrics first and music second or vice-versa, Stembridge isolates that the album started out as a concept – a sound on the brink of possibility in the wake of being told what to do and how to act.

In fact, the cover of the album would be a good place to start. “[The cover comes from] a notebook that my godfather gave to me.... I wrote out the mind map for the EP –and the cover of the EP is that mind map.”

As a mind map, Thir13en is incredibly cohesive in how it encapsulates the teenage lament towards a system that seeming refuses to listen.  The ep is about teenage angst but not in a punk rock type of way, more of an activism way on subjects and issues that Stembridge and his fellow Gen Zers are confronting in an increasing complicated world.

But Thir13en dares to showcase the optimism that adults seem to lose as they age but when they witness the vitality of kids like Stembridge they are able to regain hope.

From the EP, the song Young Ones is the statement that the youth has made – and has been making – regarding the older generations not listening to them. “It’s like we’re the enemy // Don’t forget we’re in the same team” // “All you do is blame it, blame it on me” // “Youth is wasted on the

In Don’t Lie To Me, the chorus sounds like a group of teenagers pleading to not be lied to. “Don’t lie to me // I know everything you don’t want me to know.”

Unlike the type of teenage angst seemingly solely directed at older adults, [read] parents not listening to them or the ‘no one understands me’ trope, Stembridge sings about mature themes and current events, all while finding music to be a catalyst for urging people to embrace activism.

“What if bombs were confetti,” Stembridge sings in his song “What If” which posits a series of questions about how the world could be. But although Stembridge notes that he won’t be the one to stop all bombs, he still has hope that he can make the world a better place.

The one cause that Stembridge continues to be a  fierce advocate for is the climate movement. “I am a climate activist and am very vocal about that,” Stembridge says with certainty in his voice. As Stembridge marches alongside his friend, Greta Thunberg, herself a Gen Zer and longtime Swedish environmental activist, known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation- he stays positive about his effort to bring awareness to climate change.

Rather than falling into apathy – which most of us seem prone to do – Stembridge uses his energy to write music. “I

CONTINUES ON PAGE 04

OSCAR STEMBRIDGE (Photo by Martina Monti)

OSCAR just before a performance. (Oscar Stembridge Music/Instagram)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 02

Urging people to embrace activism

had a positive outlook on my song ‘We March’ – “we can [solve the problem] if we all march together.”

Whether Stembridge plays music at the climate protest rallies or marches along with the crowd, he is sincere and passionate about his activism. “Music is the language of emotion – it breaks all norms and boundaries – it reaches a wider range of people,” Stembridge stresses ecstatically.

But the climate movement isn’t the only thing that Stembridge cares about. The LGBTQ+ movement has been one of Stembridge’s advocacies as well. “I am 100% an ally,” Stembridge says, “I think people should be able to identify themselves how they want. I don’t think that anyone should be restricted to some gender thing.”

Rather than adhering to someone else’s view of how you should be, Stembridge’s song ‘Fake Front’ advises the listener to be authentic. He states that “a lot of people in the world have their fake façade… you don’t have to have a façade in order for people to like you– everyone should be authentic to themselves.”

By playing music with an emotional truth, Stembridge believes that “a lot of people can relate to the songs and can use them as a way of helping themselves.”

Although Stembridge’s critically acclaimed EP Thirt13en was released just last year, Stembridge has music on the way. “I’m creating an official album release… Some of the songs I’ve written are really really really good” (The Blade took note

that there were three “really(s)” excitedly uttered so it must be really good).

Stembridge describes that his new album is going to be a more mature version of Thirt13en; and no, it won’t be called Four14en. “This is like, ‘okay. I’m going to write an album now,’’ Stembridge says happily. Oscar hinted that his new, unreleased music will be performed at an event in Austin, Texas on August 9, as he headlines his first ever U.S. concert.

Ultimately, Stembridge’s emotional truth is one that he tells the Blade that everyone should live by. “Be who you are. Just be yourself and be confident with it because it will be great,” Stembridge advises. And with a great pause, Stembridge leaves the readers with one final note: “Believe in yourself.”

J-Pop idol Shinjiro Atae comes out publicly as gay

His decision to come Out was based on the seven years he spent living and working in LA

By BRODY LEVESQUE

TOKYO, Japan - In a rare move in this conservative nation, Shinjiro Atae, a J-Pop idol announced on social media and during an in-person event Wednesday, standing in front of a few thousand fans onstage in a darkish auditorium in central Tokyo, that he was gay.

In a statement posted to his Instagram, the 34-year-old wrote:

To all my fans, today was a very special day for me. For years, I struggled to accept a part of myself...But now, after all I have been through, I finally have the courage to open up to you about something. I am a gay man.

It has taken me a long time to be able to say I am gay. I could not even say it to myself. However, I’ve come to realize it is better, both for me, and for the people I care about, including my fans, to live life authentically than to live a life never accepting who I truly am. I hope people who are struggling with the same feeling will find courage and know they are not alone.

I held this event today because I wanted to tell as many of you as possible directly. For those unable to attend I will be posting my full speech on my website tomorrow so you can hear the news in my own words. The link is in my bio (English subtitles available).

When I think of my work in the entertainment industry and the many things for which I am grateful, it is my relationship with my fans that first comes to mind. I thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for standing beside me over the years. I’d also like to thank my family, friends, staff members and my fellow AAA members for providing me their full support throughout this process.

Speaking to his fans in Tokyo, Shinjiro Atae known simply as Shinjiro said: “I respect you and consider you deserve to listen to this straight from me,” he mentioned, studying from a letter he had ready. “For years, I struggled to just accept part of myself. However now, in any case I’ve been via, I lastly have the braveness to divulge heart’s contents

to you about one thing. I’m a homosexual [gay] man.” “It has taken me a long time to be able to say I am gay. I could not even say it to myself,” he added.

nity in neighborhoods such as West Hollywood, and he bumped into Japanese vacationers and expats, there was the fear somebody may leak a photograph of him at a gay club or out with another guy on a date to the press back in Japan or on Japanese social media.

Shinjiro first entered the highly competitive J-Pop scene eighteen years ago at age 14 as a dancer in 2005. Starting with J-Pop powerhouse ‘AAA’ as a dancer he built his career as a performer singing in Japanese and then later in English. AAA quickly built a large and fiercely loyal group of followers, recording eight number 10 hits on Billboard Japan’s Prime 100 chart.

In 2016, as the members of AAA launched into solo acts, Shinjiro moved to LA and studied English among his other music business pursuits.

Building on his LA experiences, Shinjiro realized that his need to be himself and accepting of his sexual orientation was not political. All he needed was to “normalize” being a gay man. The first person though he noted that he needed to tell was his 66-year-old mother.

Telling the fans his story, Shinjiro related that his decision to come Out was based on the seven years he spent living and working in Los Angeles, he noticed how freely gay couples expressed affection in public and had such a intensively supportive community.

“Everybody was so open,” Shinjiro said. “Individuals would speak about their vulnerabilities. In Japan, folks assume it’s finest to not speak about these issues.”

There were drawbacks though he noted to living in LA. When he visited places common with the LGBTQ commu-

“I used to be tremendous stunned, and I had by no means imagined it,” she said to a reporter. Asking that her last name not be revealed fearing harassment as there is not wide-spread acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in Japan, she also noted that while she supported her son personally, she was opposed initially when he mentioned he needed to go public. She was anxious about the on-line attacks, bullying or even the resulting discrimination.

However she added; “I’m 200 percent supportive.”

His AAA bandmates were shocked yet showed up on Wednesday to cheer him on. Misako Uno, 37, a AAA member, in a backstage interview told reporters; “I need to be a great cushion” for him.

As the event drew to a close Shinjiro ended debuting his new single and video, “Into The Light.” The English-language song is in apparent reference to his decision to come out.

SHINJIRO ATAE (Screenshot/YouTube [Into The Light] - Music Video)

LOS ANGELES - Vlogging on his YouTube channel for the first time in approximately 23 months, Tom Daley announced Saturday that while he hasn’t formally made a decision yet, he is seriously considering competing in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Clearly emotional at times, the Olympic Gold Medalist said that he wasn’t ready to “let go of diving yet.” Daley related that during a recent trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado, home to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, he and filmmaker husband Lance Black, who were in the Springs with their oldest son Robbie to pick-up their newborn son Phoenix, toured the U.S. Olympic facility.

It was during that tour Daley said that he realized; “I don’t feel I was ready to hang up my trunks!”

“Coming out the museum,” Daley said on the video; “I realised that I wasn’t ready to be done. I don’t feel I was ready to hang up my trunks and move on with that part of my life. Especially when my son Robbie said to me, ‘Papa I want to see you dive at the Olympics - and that kinda lit a new flame, a new fire inside of me to want to see where this goes.”

Reflecting on this being a potential recreational activity at

first he noted that it would be an opportunity to see if his body would be ready for the rigors of Olympic training required to compete again.

The champion British diver noted that “Paris 2024 was definitely a goal.” Although he acknowledged that it may not be possible. The 29-year-old athlete has been competing in his sport of diving since at the age of 14, he was selected to represent Great Britain in the 10m platform at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Daley stated that he was quasi-retired having taken the past two years off since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He stressed that he felt the drive to role model for his sons but admitted “I don’t know where this is going to go.” He added that he was documenting his desire to get “back in the pool” in part because “I wasn’t ready to let go of diving yet - so the journey begins.”

Daley recently moved to Los Angeles from London with his husband and their two sons, Robert – known as Robbie (age 5) and newly arrived Phoenix (age 3 months).  Daley whose enthusiastic passion for his knitting is well known, has recently partnered with Lion Brand Yarn for a new venture.

Daley founded his own Made With Love fashion label in November 2021, stemming from his genuine love for knitting and crochet and his desire to share it with the world and encourage others to take up the hobby.

Banned trans swimmers may compete in new ‘Open Category’

FUKUOKA, Japan — A year and a month after banning transgender competitors, the head of World Aquatics told the World Aquatics Congress that his organization is setting up an “open category” that will include trans swimmers, at some point in the future.

“This is a very complex topic,” Husain Al-Musallam said at the meeting in the southwestern Japanese city of Fukuoka. “But I am delighted to tell you today that we are now making plans for the first trial of an open category, and we hope to be able to confirm all the details soon.”

“Our sport must be open to everybody,” said the first vice president of FINA, the International Swimming Federation, according to the Associated Press

Al-Musallam did not disclose any details of how the “open category” would work or when it would be held among other races. Generally speaking, such a category would allow all competitors, cisgender men, women, transgender and nonbi-

nary athletes to compete against one another, instead of in categories delineated by binary sex.

As the Blade has reported, FINA members voted to restrict transgender athletes from elite women’s competitions at a meeting in Budapest in June 2022. The final vote tally of the representatives was 71.5% approval for the new policy which requires transgender athletes show that “they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 or before age 12, whichever is later.”

Tanner Stages describe the physical changes people undergo during puberty.

The move effectively eliminated trans women from being eligibile to compete in the women’s category.

That ban followed the landmark victory by American swimmer Lia Thomas in March 2022, when she won the women’s 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA championships in Atlanta, becoming the first transgender NCAA Division 1 champion.

Thomas competed for the University of Pennsylvania women’s swim team after beginning her medical transition, having quit the men’s squad at the Ivy League school in 2019. She was allowed to compete despite a change in transgender participation policies by USA Swimming that would have disqualified her. The NCAA ruled in the weeks prior to the championship meet that Thomas was qualified to swim.

Thomas graduated in 2022 and is pursuing a law degree, having expressed an interest in civil rights and public interest law in recent interviews. She told Sports Illustrated in 2022 she planned to continue to train with the intention of swimming in the U.S. Olympic trials in 2024, but that was before the ban and this new announcement of an “open category.”

In addition to World Aquatics, aka FINA, other sports organizations that have banned trans athletes include Union Cycliste Internationale, the British Triathlon Federation, the International Rugby League and World Athletics. The U.S. Disc Golf Pro Tour recently canceled five events where one trans athlete, Natalie Ryan, might be able to compete because of discrimination laws in those locales, as the Blade reported

DAWN ENNIS

Phoenix Mercury: No Brittney Griner for next couple of away games

PHOENIX, AZ. - WNBA All-Star Phoenix Mercury center player Brittney Griner will not travel with the team for the next series of away games the team announced Saturday in a tweet.

“Mercury center Brittney Griner will not travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip to Chicago and Indiana (July 30-August 1) to focus on her mental health. The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return.”

Griner, affectionally known as ‘BG’ to family, friends and her fan base, had returned to the game in May after being released from a Russian penal camp last December. She played in the game between the LA Sparks and Phoenix Mercury at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.

Traveling with the team in June, returning to their home hardwood, Griner and her Mercury teammates were harassed by a right-wing extremist at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. That incident sparked concerns over her safety

Blaze Media YouTuber Alex Stein posted video of himself shouting at Griner in the Texas airport. Among his taunts: “Do you still want to boycott America, Brittney?” “She hates America” and “What about the merchant of death, Brit?”

Russian authorities released Griner from a gulag in December, almost ten months after the out lesbian was detained at a Moscow airport on drug charges. The Biden administration made a prisoner swap with the Russians that conservatives

have condemned because it involved a notorious arms dealer.

In the aftermath of that incident, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association is calling on the league to immediately change their travel protocols, which prevent teams that can afford to charter flights from doing it so as not to create a competitive advantage.

In a statement, the league said Griner has been approved to fly charter for WNBA games. Phoenix Mercury officials did not explained why she was not doing so ESPN reported.

It’s unclear if Griner will return to play to start the team’s next home game as of Sunday.

BRODY LEVESQUE

Tom Daley: “I don’t feel I was ready to hang up my trunks!”

TOM DALEY returns to YouTube after a 24 month long hiatus. (Screenshot/YouTube Tom Daley Channel)

World Aquatics Congress, World Championships Fukuoka 2023. The 20th edition of the World Championships take place from 14 to 30th July.

(Photo: World Aquatics/Facebook)

New WeHo street lanterns are up & lit on Santa Monica Blvd

WEST HOLLYWOOD - Street lanterns have been installed on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Mid-City area and they are currently lit without any glitches. The string of colorful rainbow lights start on Santa Monica Boulevard where Holloway and Olive Drives meet and stretch towards Crescent Heights Boulevard.

The mid-city street lanterns are similar to the temporary lights installed during 2019 LA Pride in West Hollywood, on Santa Monica Boulevard between Robertson Boulevard and Hancock Avenue.

The City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a permanent, commercial-grade system of lanterns. The original permanent colorful globe lanterns were installed on December 2019 and provide a bright atmosphere and welcoming feel to the City’s LGBT “Rainbow District” during nighttime. The cost of installation for the Westside was $289,000.

In May 2021, Council directed staff to move forward with issuing a RFP to establish a similar system of lanterns on the City’s eastside. The new lights were installed on April 2022. They highlight the City’s eastside gateway and make the entrance into West Hollywood more obvious along Santa Monica Boulevard. The eastside lights run along Santa

Monica Boulevard from N. Vista Street to La Brea Avenue. The cost of installation for the eastside project was estimated to be $329,000.

On April 2022, Council decided to extend the colorful lan-

West Hollywood Sheriff’s investigating recent break-in at Micky’s

WEST HOLLYWOOD - West Hollywood Sheriff’s are investigating a recent break-in at Micky’s WeHo, located at 8857 Santa Monica Blvd. The incident occurred this past weekend on Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 5:30 a.m.

According to Operations Manager Adam Eramian, surveillance footage shows a man breaking-in through the back alley entrance. He used a crowbar to get inside the popular nightclub located in the heart of West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ Rainbow District.

The suspect was seen roaming the building, and at one point even entered one of the offices.

“He didn’t steal a single thing or destroy anything,” Eramian told WEHO TIMES, “He was in the office and didn’t take a laptop or anything. He was carrying a crowbar.”

Eramian says it was still a close call that could have endangered one of his employees. “My manager was seen leaving through the front door at 5:28 a.m. and the man entered through the back at 5:30am” he said “They missed each other by minutes. Who knows what would have happened if they had encountered each other.”

Deputies were called and a sheriff’s report was filed. Micky’s WeHo also provided the station with video footage of the incident.

The person is hard to describe in the footage. He appears to be male of  average height and build. He was wearing a hoodie over his head, a mask over his nose and mouth and he was also wearing gloves over his hands.

If you see something, say something. Anonymous tips can be called into Crimestoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. Anyone with information can also drop a tip at https://www.lacrimestoppers.org

Your identity is always encrypted and anonymous. No personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked or monitored. Period.

The purpose of Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers is to prevent and reduce crime, by forming a partnership among the community, law enforcement and the media to offer anonymity and cash rewards to anyone providing in-

terns to Mid-City and once again, the city issued a RFP for a permanent, commercial-grade system of lanterns on Santa Monica Boulevard.

The City contracted St. Nick’s of T&G Global, LLC. They are same vendor that the city used to install the lanterns in the LGBT Rainbow District and at the West Hollywood Gateway. The bid for the most current project in Mid-City was $298,206.

The lanterns are programmable either as individual lanterns or entire strands of lights, which allow the City of West Hollywood to recognize national events or celebrations that traditionally use signature colors.

All lanterns have UV protection to prolong the life and ensure clarity of the shield around the light fixtures. In addition, the lanterns feature easily replaceable fixtures and are custom-made in the United States of commercial-grade construction to withstand the elements for successful permanent exterior installation.

The lanterns are engineered to meet the weight and wind-load requirements of existing light poles to which they are attached and are compliant with fire safety regulations.

formation leading to an arrest.

Crime Stoppers encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and apathy.

PAULO MURILLO

PAULO MURILLO

West Hollywood Rainbow lanterns in Mid-City (Photo courtesy WEHO TIMES)

Micky’s West Hollywood (Photo courtesy WEHO TIMES)

Pride month saw 145 incidents of anti-LGBTQ violence: report

GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism report there were 145 incidents of anti-LGBTQ violence, harassment, and vandalism during Pride Month this year in the U.S.

The “dramatic spike” has seen at least five murders of LGBTQ people in recent weeks, GLAAD wrote in a statement about the killing of gay dancer O’Shae Sibley over the weekend in a suspected hate crime.

“Politicians spewing lies and proposing policies filled with disinformation, and media repeating their false and dangerous rhetoric unchallenged, are creating an incredibly hostile environment that endangers all LGBTQ people and all queer people of color,” said Darian Aaron, GLAAD’s director of local news, U.S. South.

GLAAD notes the following recent murders of LGBTQ people in addition to Sibley:

• 18-year-old Jacob Williamson in South Carolina, a transgender man who was killed after going on a date.

• 24-year-old Akira Ross, who was shot and killed at a Cedar Park, Texas, gas station by a man who reportedly yelled a homophobic slur at her.

• Three transgender women, Cam Chamberlain, Ash-

ley Burton, and Chanell Perez Ortiz, who were killed in separate incidents in Central Texas, Atlanta, and Carolina, Puerto Rico, as first reported by PGHLesbian.

• Colin Smith, a straight, cisgender man, who was killed defending an LGBTQ friend being harassed by a man using homophobic slurs according to The Oregonian.

GLAAD’s research also found “more than 160 attacks against drag events and performers over the last year, increasingly with violence and fomented by extremist and white supremacist groups,” the group wrote.

In addition to the incidents documented over Pride month, GLAAD and the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism found “more than 350 incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault over an eleven-month period beginning in June 2022.”

Aaron said, “There are reports that Sibley was vogueing to a track from Beyonce’s Renaissance album, music from the biggest pop star in the world celebrating Black queer people.

O’Shae Sibley had the audacity to live without the restraints of patriarchy and toxic masculinity, embracing freedom and joy. He should still be alive to celebrate all that made him great

and inspired others to live their truth. “

Police sources told CBS News New York on Monday that a suspect involved in the stabbing death of Sibley has been identified by the NYPD.

ACLU sues Mo. school for denying trans student bathroom access

The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri filed a lawsuit against Platte County School District for allegedly denying a transgender former student access to bathrooms matching her gender identity, the group announced on Tuesday.

The complaint argues the district’s policies and practices violated provisions of the Missouri Human Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the state’s constitution.

“Forcing transgender students to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their sex designated at birth is not only discrimination but dangerous and causes serious harm to Missouri’s youth,” said Gillian Wilcox, deputy director of litigation at the ACLU of Missouri, in a press release announcing

the move.

The student “lives as a female and was living as a female when she was denied the use of the girls’ restroom at her school,” and received “a series of escalating punishments ranging from verbal warnings to out-of-school suspension” for noncompliance with the policy, according to the press release.

When she began using the boys’ restroom after serving a suspension, the student was harassed and threatened with rape, the ACLU of Missouri said. Suffering anxiety and depression, she was unable to return to school and finished her freshman year virtually.

The Movement Advancement Projects tracks laws across

the country restricting trans people’s access to restrooms and facilities consistent with their gender identities. These range from statutes defining “sex” in ways that may impact access to Florida’s law that criminalizes the use of “bathrooms and facilities consistent with their gender identity in all schools, colleges and government-owned buildings and spaces.”

The ACLU of Missouri is challenging efforts to ban gender affirming care for minors through implementation of Senate Bill 49 and the state attorney general’s attempt to use consumer protection laws for this purpose, joined in litigation by Lambda Legal and the law firm Bryan Cave.

Mich. becomes 22nd state to ban conversion therapy

A ban on conversion therapy for minors was signed into law in Michigan last week in the latest development of the new Democratic-led state legislature’s push for LGBTQ rights in Michigan.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release that as the mother of a gay daughter, she is grateful to have the opportunity to make the state a more welcoming place to live for everyone’s children.

“Today, we are banning the horrific practice of conversion therapy in Michigan and ensuring this is a state where you can be who you are,” Whitmer said. “Let’s continue working together to ensure anyone can ‘make it’ in Michigan, expand fundamental freedoms, and fight back against any and all forms of discrimination.”

The legislation, House Bill 4616 and House Bill 4617, effec-

tively bars mental health professionals from seeking to alter a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity, or risk facing disciplinary action that could result in the loss of their professional licenses.

The legislation does not prohibit the practice of gender-affirming care or support during exploration of gender or sexuality or counseling to prevent unsafe relationship practices.

There is no evidence that conversion therapy works, but there is evidence that shows it is dangerous to children, bill sponsor Rep. Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield Township), who is also a clinical psychologist, said in the news release from the governor’s office and in her testimony on the House floor in June.

“I am acutely aware that kids need to be free to express

themselves without the fear or threat of damaging pseudo-psychology like conversion therapy. With the support of several mental health organizations throughout our state and nation, I can confidently say that this law will help to ensure that therapists like myself continue to do no harm in our practices, while protecting the LGBTQ youth in our state,” Brabec said.

Proponents of banning conversion therapy say legislation like what’s being implemented in Michigan prevents suicide.

When Whitmer signed an executive order in 2021 banning the use of state and federal funds being used for conversion therapy on minors, the Trevor Project, a non-profit group working to create a safer environment for LGBTQ kids, applauded the action. The Trevor Project added at the time that a 2020 report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that lesbian, gay and bisexual youth who experienced conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the last year than their peers who hadn’t been in conversion therapy.

ANNA LIZ NICHOLS

CHRISTOPHER KANE

CHRISTOPHER KANE

KEMAR JEWEL (left) with O’SHAE SIBLEY (Photo courtesy of Kemar Jewel/Facebook)

Michigan Gov. GRETCHEN WHITMER on July 26 signed House Bills 4616 and 4617. (Photo courtesy of Whitmer’s office/Facebook)

Meet Poland’s out gay lawmaker fighting for LGBTQ rights

By EVAN KOSLOF

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Speaking with the Washington Blade outside of the European Parliament building here, Polish lawmaker Robert Biedroń was quick to smile and exuded an unassuming confidence. The openly gay leader has become a well-known figure in the LGBTQ movement in Poland, even as the ruling party has gained international headlines for its anti-LGBTQ stances.

Biedroń grew up in the small southeast city of Krosno, about 80 miles from the Ukrainian border, where he said he struggled to find others who were like him. He said he did not know of a single gay person in his village.

“I was growing up in an area where there was a lot of forest,” he said. “And I had the chance to meet wolves, birds, and foxes. But never any gays.”

Eventually though, Biedroń found books about the LGBTQ experience, and learned of others who were living freely and openly. This opened his eyes and set the course for his career and life.

“The day I found out that there are people who are like me — who can live with dignity,” he said. “This was the day that I knew I’m unstoppable. And nothing will stop me from this fight.”

His home country stands out among European Union countries when it comes to LGBTQ policies. A May ranking by ILGA-Europe, placed Poland at the bottom of the EU, and 42nd of the 49 countries in Europe.

Same-sex couples cannot legally marry in Poland and Article 18 of the Polish Constitution defines marriage as “a union of a man and a woman.” During the 2020 presidential election, leaders of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) Party made headlines, calling LGBTQ identity an imported “ideology.” During this timeframe, various local and regional governments in Poland established primarily symbolic “LGBT Ideology-Free Zones,” which were condemned by the EU.

“We are the most homophobic country on the map of Europe in the EU,” said Biedroń.

Poland is one of the most conservative countries in the European Union and is heavily Catholic. According to the U.S. State Department, roughly 85 percent of the country identifies as Roman Catholic.

Public opinion has lagged behind Western Europe when it comes to support of the LGBTQ community. Forty-seven percent said ‘homosexuality should not be accepted by society,’ when the Pew Research Center conducted a poll, in between 2015 and 2016.

Despite all this, Biedroń, decided to enter activism, co-founding the Campaign Against Homophobia in 2001.

“Because I have only one life,” he said. “There is no other chance. If I wanted to live in dignity — if I wanted to live my full life — I had to do it. Because nobody else would do it. Besides I knew I’m the ‘only gay in the village.’ The wolves and birds will not fight for my life.”

After years of activism, Biedroń decided to enter politics. In 2011, he became the first openly gay member in the Sejm, the lower House of the Polish Parliament. In 2014, he became the first openly gay mayor in the country, taking the top leadership role in the northwest city of Słupsk.

Then in 2019, he founded a new political party called Spring “Wiosna,” which won more than six percent in the European elections. This election sent Biedroń into the European Parliament, as the first openly gay member from Poland.

“The thing I want to achieve,” he said. “Is that at the end of my life, I will say I’ve done everything to be happy. And if this could help other people it will multiply by millions my happiness.”

Poles are set to cast their votes in parliamentary elections this fall. A coalition led by the PiS currently has the majority in the Sejm. Aaron Korewa, the director of the Warsaw office at The Atlantic Council, said that the Sejm is the dominant chamber in Poland.

“It’s whoever wins the majority in the lower house, in the Sejm, that forms a government with a prime minister,” he said.

Biedroń’s domestic political party is called “The Left,” or “Lewica,” although Korewa said that this is not currently a major party. He said the two dominant parties are the PiS, which formed under an alliance called the “United Right,” and the (CO) “Civic Platform” Party.

Korewa said that these parties are dominated by two

strong central figures, Jaroslaw Kaczyński from the PiS and Donald Tusk, from the CO.

“It’s basically Donald Tusk and Jaroslaw Kaczyński having at it again for the future of the country,” he said.

Poland does not have a presidential election until 2025. In 2020, Biedroń ran for president, garnering just over 2 percent of the vote. Biedroń remained coy when asked about his intentions to run for president again in the future.

“Of course it’s good to be a president,” he said. “It’s good to be a member of the parliament. But at the end of the day, the best is to be happy. And that’s what I’m fighting for.”

Biedroń’s fight in Brussels and Warsaw might seem far away from those in the United States, but the lawmaker argued that LGBTQ advocates should not become complacent.

“Democracy, human rights, rule of law,” he said, “they’re like beautiful flowers. You need to water them every day. Otherwise, they fade away. And this is the Polish reality of today.”

Venezuelan police arrest 33 men at gay sauna

Police in Venezuela’s Carabobo state on Sunday raided a gay sauna and arrested 33 people.

A Venezuelan activist told the Washington Blade the arrests in Valencia, which is the country’s third largest city, took place “without a search warrant, without due process” and violated “the fundamental rights of 33 Venezuelan adults who were in full use of their mental and physical faculties.”

“[They were subjected to] degrading treatment,” said the activist. “[The police] deprived them of their liberty and subjected them to public ridicule.”

One local media report indicates an “orgy” was taking place during a “sex party” at the sauna when the raid took place.

The report indicates one of the participants who police arrested lives with HIV. It also said party organizers planned to sell videos of the men having sex they recorded.

The activist with whom the Blade spoke said a judge on Wednesday released 30 of the 33 men who were arrested and ordered them to report to authorities every 30 days until they go to trial. The activist noted the sauna’s owner and two masseurs will remain in custody until they are able to pay bail.

Discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity and HIV is commonplace in Venezuela, a South American country that remains in the midst of an ongoing political and economic crisis.

Members of Venezuela’s General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence in January 2021 raided the offi ces of Azul Positivo, an HIV/AIDS service organization and arrested the group’s president and fi ve other staff members. Police on Feb. 15, 2019, raided the offi ces of Fundación Mavid, another HIV/AIDS service organization in Valencia, and arrested three staff ers after they confi scated donated infant formula and medications for people with HIV/AIDS.

“Persecution against LGBTIQ+ people in Venezuela is increasing,” said the Venezuelan Education-Action Program on Human Rights (PROVEA), a Venezuelan human rights organization, in a tweet.

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

‘We are the most homophobic country’ in Europe

Polish lawmaker ROBERT BIEDROŃ became the first openly gay member of the lower House of parliament. (Washington Blade photo by Evan Koslof)

Two nights in Bangkok: The spectrum of Thailand’s sex industry

Male sex workers come from variety of backgrounds

By JACK MORNINGSTAR

BANGKOK — At around 11 pm, the door knocked. “I think that’s Pop,” my friend Natalie said. She opened the door and he entered the apartment. He had a bob haircut, and smiled big, like he was trying to suffocate me with it.

“Is Pop a nickname?” I asked him. “Yes,” he said, still smiling and bobbing his head up and down. “It’s short for Popcorn.” Oh, of course. “What do you guys want to do tonight?”

I had spent most of the day touring Bangkok’s many temples. “Let’s do something fun. What’s the craziest thing you’ve experienced living here?”

Pop’s eyes lit up. He stared at Natalie and snickeringly mumbled something in Thai, which made Natalie laugh. “What? What is it? Include me!”

Pop turned back to me and explained that he had recently heard of a gay brothel, where all the men stand on a stage and you can point a laser to indicate which one you want. “Well, that does sound like a unique experience ... Are we allowed to go and just talk to them,” I asked.

“I don’t see why not.” Pop googled the place, but it was closed for the night. “I have another idea. Follow me.”

Moments later, we were driving the streets of Bangkok, jamming to Pop’s Disney playlist. “Part of Your World” came on the queue. Pop looked at me questioningly. “What do you think about the new little mermaid?”

“I haven’t thought much about it,” I said. “Why?”

“I ask because some people here are angry about it. They don’t think Black people deserve to be mermaid.”

I puckered my lips contemplatively. The State Department had not briefed me on this issue. “You know what, I think they’ve earned it. They deserve to be mermaids if they want.” Pop smiled and nodded. “I agree.” We high-fived — a civil rights triumph!

“Ok, this is the street,” Pop said. Natalie put on a face mask, handing me one after. Pop remained maskless to help build trust.

We circled around the block. “Him? Him?” Pop pointed out the window at the nonchalant men loitering along the curb.

“I have no preference, whatever you want, Pop.” “Okay, I want him,” pointing at a man wearing basketball shorts, which I learned is the universal watermark for Thai male sex workers. We looped back around but someone else had snatched him by the time we got there.

“Noooo!” We all screamed. Pop buried his face in the steering wheel. After a prolonged moan, we resumed our search.

“Okay. Him.” We stopped and Pop negotiated with him for

a bit before he entered the car. His name was Mai. Handsome, thin, kind eyes.

“A Million Dreams”from “The Greatest Showman” blared through the stereo. “I’m still upset that we lost the first guy,” Pop said. “Take it easy Pop. Can this guy speak English?” “No, we’re safe.”

We arrived at the motel where the parking lot was almost full. The hostess greeted us outside. “It’s 200 baht ($5.85) per person.”

“Per person?” Natalie asked. “But we’re just interviewing him.” The hostess was not buying the “interview” defense. “How many towels do you want?”

An incandescent bulb swung shyly, illuminating the hall. Doors cracked open and then slammed shut after paranoid eyes peeked out to find the coast not clear.

We got to our room. The mosquito-swarmed lights buzzed. The sheets had gone through some mileage, a Jackson Pollock with only colors that the body can produce.

Pop, totally unfazed by the bed’s condition, hopped on it, practically making snow angels in the bodily sediment. “Pop, what are you doing?”

“What? They wash them!”

There were two leather love seats by the bed. Natalie and I looked at each other, trying to recollect how expensive each of our shorts was should we decide to burn them afterward.

“You can’t get an STD from them — they’re leather,” Pop groaned. We begrudgingly sat at the very edge of the seats, minimizing contact.

Pop started asking Mai questions. I had to read Pop and Natalie’s faces to get the tone of what Mai was saying. Jaw drops, gasps, oohs.

Turns out, a hurricane of tragic circumstances brought Mai into the sex industry.

He moved to Thailand from Myanmar 10 years ago, sponsored for a work permit at a shrimp peeling facility. Every day he got to work at 8 a.m. and worked until 2 a.m., paid 3 baht for each kilogram of shrimp he separated, roughly $.09.  Desperate to build a more lucrative career, he got a 30,000 baht ($876.95) from a loan shark to start a food stand. Now working without a permit, he was unable to visit home. When his father fell sick and died he couldn’t go to his funeral. Making matters worse, he inherited financial responsibility for his aging mother.

His food stand fell under, and he had no choice but to make it back to the shrimp peeling facility. There, he met his current girlfriend. She became pregnant, adding to his financial stresses.

One day after work, he got in a cab and asked for the best place to be dropped off which was the same area where we picked him up. This is his first month in sex work, and we were his seventh customers.

Mai’s whole family thinks he’s working at a restaurant. Asking what would happen if they were to find out, he shook his head. “I’d have to explain that this was the end of the road for me. I had no other choice.”

I sensed, however, a creeping optimism from Mai. Since starting sex work, he has been able to make his loan payments, while supporting his family. Although, he still goes to bed hungry. “I don’t eat unless if I’m too tired to work, because I have to save,” he explained. He’s lost 8 kg (17.64

lbs.) these past few months.

This made Mai’s experience with his third client sting even more. After the session, Mai went to the bathroom. When he came out, his client was gone. Having just been cheated for free sex, he also had to pay for the room and the cab back to the curb.

Thai sex workers qualify for free STD testing, but Mai doesn’t qualify since he’s here with an invalid permit. He said one of his biggest concerns was getting diseases from standing outside in a long line of other sex workers while getting bitten by mosquitos. He gestured to several large welts on his arms.

Hearing this made my legs start to itch. I looked up at the ceiling to see a herd of swarming mosquitos. Looking over at Natalie, I saw she too was suffering from the same psychosomatic syndrome. She looked up if one could get STDs from mosquitoes, and confirmed that one cannot. We reassured Mai that the mosquitos were, in fact, the least of his worries.

Moving forward, Mai hopes to save enough to take care of his family, before ultimately moving back into the food industry. “My town never had good fresh food. My mother lives off dried noodles, and is very thin. I hope to someday bring her to Thailand, so I can take her out to dinner at a nice restaurant.”

The drive back to the curb was a solemn one. Pop, teary eyed, screamed “it’s too sad!” He turned the Disney playlist back on — «He Mele No Lilo” from “Lilo and Stitch” —  to boost morale. At the curb, Mai waved goodbye and perched back up by his lamppost.

Pop, devastated by Mai’s story, still thought that we should interview someone else to get a more nuanced view of Bangkok’s sex industry.

The next day, we took a tuk-tuk to V-Club. V-Club. What a curious name for a gay sex parlor. Maybe it’s a bad translation, or maybe they’re trying to be facetious. From the outside, it looked like any old office building. You started to get a better sense of it in the courtyard, where a statue of a large phallus was planted in the dirt.

The lobby housed the infamous stage where a dozen-orso shirtless men stood, winking, and waving. Periodically a laser would shoot across the room. Like a pseudo assassination, the escort would peel off the stage.

“This is craaaaazy,” I mumbled to Pop. After some arm wringing, we convinced the manager to let us both in the room. “No hanky panky!” We promised. We chose Bon: Chiseled, friendly and flamboyant.

Unlike the sex workers on the street, we didn’t have to go to a motel. This was a full-service stop. The room was nice, but steamy as hell, like someone had just showered. I winced. “Ahhhh! What is happening?!” “Sorry,” Bon said. He turned on the mini-split and the swampiness slowly began to dissipate.

After our conversation with Mai, we reflexively braced ourselves for something tragic. Bon explained to us how, if customers complain to management, for whatever reason, they’re not paid. Pop and I gasped, and bowed our heads pityingly.

MAI, a male sex worker, in Bangkok.

(Photo by Jack Morningstar)

ROB WATSON

is host of the Hollywood-based radio/podcast show RATED LGBT RADIO. He is CEO of Watson Writes, a marketing communications agency, and can be reached at robertgwatsonjr7@gmail.com.

Jamie Lee Curtis on trans kids: ‘Love is Love’

Showing up, not just for children, but for all human beings

HOLLYWOOD — Years ago, as a gay dad, my kids’ elementary school had PTA meetings and events, and lots of chores needing parental support. I showed up and joined a bunch of, usually, moms to pitch in.

Many of the women would gush “Oh, you are SUCH a great dad!” I heard it a lot.

NO I AM NOT, I would think, well, OK, maybe I was striving to be that, but not for the reason they were saying I was one. I was, as they were, doing what my children needed me to do. I was a decent dad in those moments. I was doing what, to me, was the bare minimum, nothing outstanding, nothing heroic. I was just showing up.

I do not personally know the national treasure known as Jamie Lee Curtis, but her reaction to praise of her parenting is similar to mine, “People have said ‘you are so great to accept her,’ and I am ‘WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?’ This is my daughter. This human being has come to me and said, ‘This is who I am ‘ and my job is to say ‘Welcome Home’ and defend her right to exist to anyone who claims that she doesn’t, and there are those people.”

Jamie Lee is an actress, author, sober advocate and more. Her role with her daughter takes priority, however. She has said, “Being a parent … that is the real reason we are here.”

Jamie Lee Curtis is about showing up, not just for kids, but for all human beings. Her recent Oscar win was for putting depth to a character she describes as “a forgotten woman.” In her children’s book “Is There Really a Human Race,” she writes “Take what’s inside you and make big, bold choices. And for those who can’t speak for themselves, use BOLD voices.”

Jamie Lee uses a bold voice. She showed up visibly at Disneyland dressed in Pride. She wrote to the world, “Love is love. A mother’s love knows no judgment. As a mother, I stand in total solidarity with my children as they move forward in the universe as their authentic selves with their own minds and bodies and ideas. On this trans visibility day my daughter and I are visible.”

Her voice has inspired her daughter not just to be herself but to pass it on and stand for others as well, “My mom has supported me ever since I came out as trans. I love her so much. There are allies everywhere for the trans community. You just need to look for them, and we will stand by your side for the long run,” Ruby has declared.

Jamie Lee also exemplifies the struggle of parents of trans kids. While she does not point this out, parents, such as she, are under as much attack as their kids. They are being villianized, derided

and in some cases, legally harassed. Many are fleeing unfriendly states, just so they can continue showing up for their kids.

“The most important thing is that I don’t know everything, and I wake up every day sober saying, I don’t know everything. I’ve gone to teachers, I’ve gone to people and said please teach me,” Jamie Lee confesses.

Jamie Lee Curtis knows a lot more than she thinks she does. Somewhere in her, she knew she would not get a second chance at this. Eight years ago, another mother did not recognize a crucial moment when it came.

That mother was the parent of Leelah Alcorn, who had come out to her as trans. “We don’t support that, religiously,” Alcorn’s mother told CNN later. “But we told him that we loved him unconditionally. We loved him no matter what. I loved my son. People need to know that I loved him. He was a good kid, a good boy.”

Leelah left a note before walking in front of a truck, not long after that talk with her mother.

Her note said, “After 10 years of confusion I finally understood who I was. I immediately told my mom, and she reacted extremely negatively, telling me that it was a phase, that I would never truly be a girl, that God doesn’t make mistakes, that I am wrong. If you are reading this, parents, please don’t tell this to your kids. Even if you are Christian or are against transgender people don’t ever say that to someone, especially your kid. That won’t do anything but make them hate them self. That’s exactly what it did to me.”

Leelah’s mother had not even listened enough to know her child’s name was now “Leelah.” The first she heard of her daughter’s chosen name was on the note left behind. She had wanted to be a good mother, but she failed to show up when her child needed her the most. The Alcorn story is not a rare one, and parents of trans kids have learned that their reaction, their support, their willingness to advocate for their kids, is a matter of life or death. (A study by the National Center for Transgender Equality found that 41% of 6.450 trans respondents had attempted suicide.) So, yes, Jamie Lee Curtis had the instinct, and the guts, to show up. She lays it out simply, in a way that any parent, mom or dad, can follow: “They have demonized trans people. It’s awful. It’s terrifying. Every day, it is getting worse. Bottom line, life is about love. Being a parent is about love. I love Ruby. Love her… There is no handbook, there are people who can be helpful guides, but I get it wrong, I’m learning, I’m trying, I’m human. But the bottom line is—I am a mom.”

Be a mom. Fight for your kids. Their lives depend on it.

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CHARLES BEAL

is president of the Gilbert Baker Foundation.

The rainbow flag: Flown,

banned,

and raised again

Michigan resident this month defied prohibition

When Adm. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary of health, declared 2023 the summer of Pride, she rang a clarion bell but also delivered a challenge in our hate-filled era because, as per the ACLU, LGBTQ communities have recently seen close to 500 anti-LGBTQ pieces of legislation proposed across the nation.

Yet LGBTQ communities persist in celebration, resistance, and resilience. More than 30 cities from Silicon Valley, Calif., to Atlanta are scheduled to commemorate Pride from July to November. Tragically, many communities face homophobic legislation that now bans flying the rainbow flag.

I was dismayed to learn this trend of hatred had reached my home state of Michigan — because it’s a reflection of a broader effort to disappear our flag and disenfranchise our communities.

I am a proud native son of Michigan, a graduate of the Lansing public school system, an alumnus of Michigan State University. My state taught me to respect neighbors from all walks of life. It’s a lesson I keep close to my heart I was profoundly disappointed to learn of the recent ban on flying the rainbow flag in Hamtramck. Since the shocking June 13 vote banning flying the flag, compassionate citizens have protested this legislation. They held a large rally on June 24. Many businesses and citizens proudly flew the rainbow flag in defiance. And, in an act of civil disobedience, a brave soul raised the flag on July 9.

The injustice in Hamtramck reflects a larger trend of rising bigotry.

Make no mistake; these bans and attacks on the rainbow flag are not in Michigan alone. Across the country we are seeing a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation: They include bans on LGBTQ-inclusive school curricula, on books and on lifesaving trans healthcare needs. Suppressing speech and removing our cherished symbols is part of a larger mission: Relegating the LGBTQ community to permanent second-class citizenship.

As bigotry and violence increase, we must unite and push back against the bullies.

I’ve committed my life to social justice. That is why I founded the Gilbert Baker Foundation. Our group honors the legacy of artist and activist Gilbert Baker, who created the rainbow flag in 1978. Through art and education projects, we confront the haters.

The rainbow flag offers LGBTQ+ people a message of hope and sanctuary. Small wonder right-wing extremists want to destroy it. In the past two years, they’ve had the rainbow flag banned from flying in more than 40 American towns.

In response to this alarming trend, the Gilbert Baker Foundation launched a counter-offensive: Save The Rainbow Flag. Working with the ACLU, we‘ve created a toolkit to help you confront and stop bigotry in your hometown.

Hamtramck, like so many other towns, uses faulty thinking in banning the rainbow flag. Their residents and all-Muslim town council said that the Pride flag — and homosexuality — clash with their religious beliefs. Hamtramck’s new policy also bans flags with racist and political views. To identify the rainbow flag this way is a smokescreen for bigotry. The rainbow flag is not a political flag. It is a flag for sexual and gender minorities from all parties, from all races.

To deny public display of the rainbow flag is to place a target on our back. Studies show that when communities remove our flag from public property, there is a concurrent rise in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes. This past January, federal legislation to ban the rainbow flag was submitted to the U.S. Congress — with 30 Republican sponsors.

Public officials are elected to decide between right and wrong. Instead of shirking from these civic duties, leaders of towns like Hamtramck should stand up and state publicly that there is a difference between a bad symbol like the Confederate flag, which celebrates racism, and the rainbow flag, which offers a message of hope and acceptance.

This is my plea to elected officials everywhere: Embrace our founding values of inclusion and justice. By removing the rainbow flag, you send a message of support to our persecutors. Upholding bigotry will be your legacy.

Fighting back against bullies is an American value. And it works. Citizens have already reversed rainbow flag bans in cities in Oregon and New York. Every state needs an energetic community response to end this wave of hate. Let’s prove that America supports all of its people.

What do these two icons mean?

To answer that question, read NOT THAT IT MATTERS (OR, HOW GRACE TOOK THE HELM OF OUR SHIP OF STATE) an alternative history novel about a confident young woman who “trumps” an old confidence man in 2016 and is elected president of the United States.

Not that it matters, Grace is gay—and so is her wife.

To read this free novel about how Grace, her wife, and their kids stole the White House from Donald Trump, google: not-that-it-matters.com

‘And Just Like That’ ditches preachiness to become addictive TV

Second season wraps

Aug. 24 with Samantha Jones cameo

By KATHI WOLFE

“Do you know where your children are?” New York TV station WNYW asks the parents in its audience every night.

This isn’t a worry for Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) or Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) two of the main characters featured on season two of “And Just Like That,” (AJLT), the “Sex and the City” reboot, airing weekly on Max through Aug. 24. Their children (from elementary school kids to teens) are safely ensconced at a posh summer camp. While their off-spring are away, Charlotte, who back in the day ran an art gallery, is having sex so good it’s like fireworks on the Fourth of July with her husband Harry (Evan Handler), a highly successful divorce lawyer.

Lisa, a distinguished documentarian filmmaker, and her husband Herbert (Christopher Jackson), a wealthy investment banker who’s thinking about running for New York City comptroller, devote themselves to their work. And to enjoying the rare treat of having a drink at a swanky bar by themselves (sans children).

Meanwhile, corporate (turned human rights) lawyer Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) knows all too well where her son Brady (Niall Cunningham) is. He’s living with Steve (David Eigenberg), his dad, in their Brooklyn townhouse. Miranda’s relationship with Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), a nonbinary, bisexual, Mexican, Irish comedian who’s making a TV sitcom pilot with Tony Danza (playing himself), has brought Miranda, Steve and Brady into therapy. Carrie Bradshaw, writer, (Sarah Jessica Parker), Seema Patel, a hot real estate agent, (Sarita Choudhury) and Dr. Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman), a Columbia Law School professor, are so busy grieving, having exit-out-of-grief sex and mourning stolen Birken bags that they wouldn’t have time for children. Nya is divorcing her musician husband Andre Rashad (LeRoy McClain) after many years of marriage because he wants kids and she doesn’t.

Yes! It’s summer in the city, “And Just Like That,” the fab ladies are back! With less sizzle than in “Sex and the City,” but still fun watch.

No matter how hard the writers try, no amount of additional characters could make up for the absence of Samantha Jones, the utterly fabulous PR maven, who was an integral part of “Sex and the City.” Even the highly talented Samantha Irby, a bisexual producer and writer of AJLT, couldn’t create a character as captivating as Samantha, who is slated to make a cameo in the final episode.

But the sophomore season of “And Just Like That” has its share of style and juice. How can you resist a series that, in the seven episodes that have aired to date, has given us a (fictional) Met gala and a “cum slut?”

The first season of AJLT spent much time trying to make “Sex and the City” (SATC) more diverse.

It succeeded in many ways. Che, Seema, Lisa and Nya, the new featured characters of color, have intriguing stories. They have good chemistry with the original SATC characters. Yet, it sometimes felt heavy-handed and joyless.

The current season of the show, mostly, dispenses with the exposition and preachiness of season 1. In this season, sex and glam fashion are back in the city.

The episode of “AJLT,” when Charlotte becomes Harry’s Kegel coach to help him with his “dust balls” when he can’t ejaculate and Carrie talks of “Casper, the friendly cum,” is nearly as good as SATC’s “funky spunk” episode.

The women on AJLT are fab. But one of the most enjoyable characters is Anthony Marantino (Mario Cantone), who runs the Hot Fellas bakery. In one hilarious scene, he turns to his BFF Charlotte when he desperately needs to find a Hot Fella to appear with him on Drew Barrymore’s talk show. This being AJLT, Charlotte instantly finds a hot Italian poet who more than fits the bill. Dressed in his Hot Fellas uniform, the poet’s “package” is so great, that looking at him makes Barrymore sweat.

In another scene, Lisa, wearing a dress (designed by Valentino) with a huge train that won’t fit into a cab, has to walk 10 blocks to the Met Gala. “It’s not crazy,” she says to Herbert, who’s holding her train, “It’s Valentino.”

“And Just Like That” isn’t prestige TV. It’s more important: it’s addictive entertainment.

The returning women of ‘And Just Like That.’ (Screen capture via HBO Max)

A legacy bigger than ‘Pee-Wee’

Reubens never came out despite character’s roots in camp

By JOHN PAUL KING

Even though most of us assumed he was gay, Paul Reubens never officially came out.

He scarcely had to, really. His public image – indelibly associated with a character whose name became essentially synonymous with his own – was built on a foundation of camp, and the children’s TV series that brought him into the households of millions of grateful parents was renowned for its ability to offer genuinely innocent entertainment for kids while simultaneously keeping the grownups in the room laughing with the kind of winking adult humor that would go right over the little ones’ heads. Much of that humor was laced with obvious queer subtext, and the overall look and tone of the show, from its kitschy design to its to Pee-Wee’s starry-eyed fondness for his friend Cowboy Curtis (as portrayed by a young Laurence Fishburne), made his queerness appear so obvious that coming out would be a mere formality. This was queer underground culture exploding into the mainstream under camouflage of whimsy, all being orchestrated by a master showman who had to know exactly what he was doing.

Yet in the public record, there was never any verification of Reubens’s place on the sexuality spectrum. Indeed, the facts favor a heterosexual orientation – a temporary “marriage” to Doris Duke heiress Chandi Heffner, concocted as an impromptu publicity stunt, and his long-term relationship with actress Debi Mazar, whom he credited with helping him overcome his depression after the notorious 1991 public indecency charge that derailed his career.

As to that incident, Reubens came to be as known for it as much as for being Pee-Wee. Arrested for public masturbation during a surprise police inspection at an adult theater in Sarasota, Fla., he avoided the misdemeanor charge with a plea bargain and 75 hours of community service –but the real punishment, which no court of law could stay, was assured as soon as the news of his salacious “crime” broke to the press the day after his arrest.

A victim of “cancel culture” before the term had ever been coined, he became the butt of 1,000 prurient jokes by late-night TV comedians; worse, he was the target of countless tabloid “exposés” playing to the alarmist fears and prejudices of religious conservatives. Both Reubens and his bow-tied alter-ego quickly became persona non grata in the eyes of pop culture.

A decade later, there was another scandal. In 2002, after Reubens was named by an informant in the child pornography case against fellow actor Jeffrey Jones, Los Angeles police raided his home and found images they claimed

depicted minors engaged in sexual conduct; though the material consisted mostly of old beefcake magazines and other gay-themed vintage erotica, he was charged with misdemeanor possession. There was another plea bargain, this time leading to a three-year registration as a sex offender, but Reubens maintained his innocence, characterizing the images in question as art rather than pornography – an eternal debate that hardly mattered to anyone who had already made up their mind about him.

Incredibly, perhaps, that wasn’t the end of his story. In 2010, he mounted a new version of “The Pee-Wee Herman Show” stage performance that had originally launched the character in the early 1980s, and thanks to a shift in attitudes, coupled with inexorable childhood nostalgia from the now-grown fans of his TV show, the rebooted Pee-Wee was a hit once more. After a sold-out Los Angeles run, the production moved to Broadway for a limited engagement and played to equally packed houses.

Reubens would continue to be active. After several attempts to develop a new film project for the character – the first, “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” (1985), had been a surprise sensation that established director Tim Burton as a star in his own right – he succeeded with Netflix’s “PeeWee’s Big Holiday” (2016), which took him on a cross-country quest fueled by his budding “bromance” with hunky actor Joe Manganiello. More overtly gay in subtext than any of his prior efforts, it still became a hit; in retrospect it felt like the moment when Reubens – and Pee-Wee, of course – finally achieved redemption.

Looking at the legacy he has left behind, however, perhaps he never really needed redemption. In the context of their time, his “crimes” were surely sensationalized by what is now an all-too-familiar pattern of culture warfare, in which the hardcore religious right, emboldened by the Reagan-era political maneuvering that amplified their influence and bent on enforced conformity to social “norms” as they defined them, embarked on a campaign to dismiss, demean, and demonize a beloved public figure they saw as dangerous. That he was never officially “out” was immaterial – what he represented was queer as could be, and that was all that mattered. They took him down with gleeful abandon, either way, because they recognized the subversive message of acceptance embedded in his goofy comedy.

They weren’t wrong. It’s easy to draw a direct line of influence between the subversive camp of “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” and the drag queen story hours that have so many

conservatives clutching their pearls today. Pee-Wee was paving the way for a future they feared, and they made it their mission to stop him. That might sound like a conspiracy theory, but no conspiracy is necessary when there’s a shared commitment to a common goal; given the well-documented history of police persecution toward openly queer expression, it doesn’t take much imagination to read between the lines to surmise a deeper intent behind his arrests, and all that would then be required from civilian homophobes would be to decry his immorality in the name of “saving the children”— a tactic so familiar as to be banal.

Of course, it’s easy to see patterns and speculate about what’s behind them; but even if Paul Reubens was an unfortunate victim of overzealous law enforcement who literally got caught with his pants down, the result was the same. He was made into a pariah because he carried a vision of a world where queerness could be family-friendly, too.

Seen that way, the eventual comeback of Paul Reubens seems less like a redemption than a triumph against small-minded bigotry. In the end, the good will he temporarily lost came back with a vengeance, because instead of giving up, he kept fighting. He survived the best efforts to erase him from cultural memory and was welcomed back to the spotlight with open arms.

Now, in the wake of his passing at 70 after a six-year bout with cancer that he kept secret, headlines of his obituary are describing him as “beloved.”

Reubens’s real contribution may well be summed up in the example he set for the rest of us. Though he never declared himself to be queer, he became a queer hero, simply by outlasting the hatred until it was forgotten and irrelevant. In a time when such hate has turned itself against so many, and with such terrifying virulence, that accomplishment stands as a much-needed reminder that though it may sometimes overwhelm us, it can never truly defeat us if we stay the course – and if Pee-Wee was able to do it, then maybe the rest of us can, too.

PAUL REUBENS died this week at age 70.

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Kevin Spacey acquitted of 9 sexual offense charges by UK jury

a lot for me to process after what has just happened today,” Spacey told the press

By BRODY LEVESQUE

LONDON - Actor Kevin Spacey, 64, was acquitted in a London courtroom today by a jury of 9 sexual assault offense charges. Those charges related to incidents reported by 4 men that allegedly took place between 2004 and 2013 when the Oscar winning actor was the artistic director of the Old Vic theater in London.

“I imagine that many of you can understand that there’s a lot for me to process after what has just happened today,” Spacey told the members of the press gathered outside the Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday.

“But I would like to say that I am enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached the decision. And I am humbled by the outcome today. I also want to thank the staff inside this courthouse, the security and all those who took care of us every single day, my legal team ... for being here every day and that’s all I have to say for the moment. Thank you very much.”

Allegations surfaced against Spacey in November of 2017 when  The Old Vic theatre told the BBC that it had received 20 personal testimonies of alleged inappropriate behaviour by Spacey. The actor’s behaviour was alleged to have ranged from making people feel uncomfortable to sexually inappropriate behaviour, an investigation by the theatre found.

The BBC reported at the time that no-one alleged rape but three people told the Old Vic they had contacted the police,

while 14 of the 20 complainants were told by the investigators that they should consider going to the police.

There were 20 individual allegations and 16 were former staff, all of whom were men.

Spacey’s career came to an abrupt halt in 2017 when Star Trek: Discovery  actor Anthony Rapp publicly accused him of sexual misconduct.  Rapp accused the star of assaulting him at a party in the 1980s, when Rapp was a teenager. Spacey denies the allegations.

Yahoo E reporter Suzy Byrne reported Rapp claimed he was 14 years old in 1986 when Spacey, then 26, made a sexual advance. Spacey said he did “not remember the encounter,” and used the moment to come out as gay (for which he’s been criticized).

Yahoo’s Byrne also noted:

Spacey hopes to return to acting. Just before the start of the U.K. trial, he said that a not guilty verdict — his last major pending case — would lead to him getting back to work in Hollywood.

“There are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London,” Spacey told  Germany‘s Zeit magazine in June. “The second that happens, they’re ready to move forward.”

He said he’s “still processing” the many allegations against him and he didn’t feel “ready to talk about it yet.” Spacey did say, “Everything happens for a reason. And even if that reason doesn’t display itself instantly or things don’t get resolved instantly, it will eventually all make sense.”

Spacey also said he has been writing scripts and short films — but nothing related to the accusations. (“I’m not trying to even the score,” Spacey said. “I have no interest in fighting something that’s not worth fighting against.”) He said he feels like he’s “back at the beginning of my career when nobody wanted me. Just because I was being benched for a while, I’m not going to stop working. I don’t want to get rusty. I m ready.”

“There’s

Actor KEVIN SPACEY speaks to reporters after being cleared of sexual assault charges in UK Trial (Screenshot/YouTube)

Oft banned gay author’s new kids’ book a fun treat

‘Monster Mac and Cheese Party’

with humor, color

By KATHI WOLFE

It’s the hottest party ever! A green, oneeyed, three-toothed fuzzy monster has invited a sea monster, a bat, a witch, and other guests to bring and eat mac and cheese. The witch favors “glow-in-the-dark mac with snakes and furballs.” The bat enjoys “mac ‘n’ bugs.”

Whether you’re eight or 80, wouldn’t you like to crash this gathering?

Thanks to bestselling, award-winning, gay children’s book author and artist Todd Parr, we can all join in the fun.

“The Monster Mac and Cheese Party” (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), Todd’s newest book, replete with his signature, eye-catching art, is a celebration of hanging out and scarfing down your fave food with your friends (monsters and human). The picture book written for 4-8 year-olds, is a funread for mac-and-cheese-and-monster-aficionados of any age. Except, perhaps, for those who’ve called for Parr’s books to be banned.

Parr, author of “It’s Okay to Be Different,” “The Family Book” and other much-loved as well as often-banned children’s books, is known for fostering values of kindness and inclusivity in his work. Not through preaching or boring messaging. But through bold images — art brimming with humor and bright colors. There are few words. But the words Parr uses are just what kids would say.

Take “The Family Book” which features Parr’s bright-hued illustrations. “Some families are big, some families are small,” Parr, who was born in 1962, writes in “The Family Book,” published in 2003, “… some families have two moms and two dads.”

You might think this message of inclusivity wouldn’t have caused a ruckus. But you’d be wrong. “The Family Book” was one of the most banned picture books of the 2021-2022 school year, according to Pen America.

“Every time a book is banned, we’re denied our right to learn freely,” the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement accompanying a video of actor Randall Park reading “The Family Book” on Father’s Day on You Tube.

“My goal in the book was to make every kid feel that no matter what kind of family they have, that their family is special,” Parr, who lives in Southern California with his adopted pit bulls, said in an interview with the Blade.

Parr knew some people might not like “The Family Book” and that it might be banned. “It didn’t matter to me,” he said, “One page [that mentions two moms or two

brimming

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dads being parents] generates a lot of hate.”

“Like drag queens reading stories to kids,” Parr added, “it’s a free-for-all on social media.”

Parr wrote the mac-and-cheese book because after the pandemic, kids “needed a break,” he said.

After COVID, “we didn’t want to think about the feelings we’ve experienced,” Parr said, “we just wanted to feel good again.”

His publisher had asked him to do a Halloween book, and mac and cheese is one of Parr’s favorite things. The book contains kid-friendly recipes for “Todd Mac” and “Vegan Mac”.

“Thick black lines and neon colors make for a zany tale,” “Kirkus” said of “The Monster Mac and Cheese Party, ” “perfect for group readalouds. Parr keeps the laughs coming fast and furious.”

Parr has written and illustrated more than 60 children’s books. His work has been translated into 20 languages. More than 6.3 million copies of his books have been sold.

Parr is the co-creator with Gerry Renert of SupperTime Entertainment of the Daytime Emmy-nominated animated TV series “ToddWorld.” Several short films for “Sesame Street” were based on Parr’s work.

Parr gets what it’s like to feel different, hurt or sad, Juanita Giles wrote in “When In Doubt Pretend To Be Todd Parr,” an essay for NPR.

“Todd Parr knows my son’s long hair makes him different,” Giles wrote, “Todd Parr knows our best friends moved away and our dog died.”

Growing up gay in a small town in Wyoming, Parr had no inkling that he’d be so successful, acclaimed and loved.

CONTINUES AT LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

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