Los Angeles Blade, Volume 07, Issue 45, November 10, 2023

(Photo Credit: Jennifer English/Instagram)

The Blade chats with Baldur’s Gate 3 queer actors Jennifer English & Aliona Baranova, PAGE 04

NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • VOLUME 07 • ISSUE 45 • AMERICA’S LGBTQ NEWS SOURCE • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

CALIFORNIA

Mikeal Maglieri, Whisky A Go-Go & Rainbow Bar & Grill owner has died

QUIET RIOT’s FRANKIE BANALI (right) presented the Rainbow In The Dark Award to Rainbow Bar & Grill and Whisky A Go Go owner MIKAEL MAGLIERI in March of 2020.

(Photo Credit: Frankie Banali)

WEST HOLLYWOOD - Mikeal Maglieri, the owner of The Whisky a Go-Go and The Rainbow Bar and Grill died on November 5, from a reported heart attack. He was 73 years old.

The Whisky A Go Go confirmed Mikael’s death in a social media post on Facebook stating: “He Was The Best Person In The World. The Most Generous. The Most Loving. Just The Best

Person In The World.

Maglieri was the son of legendary Rainbow Bar & Grill and Whisky-A-Go-Go owner and founder Mario Maglieri who passed away in May of 2017.

In 2019, Gravitas Ventures unveiled a documentary titled “The Rainbow.” This film delves into the captivating story of

the esteemed owner of Rainbow Bar & Grill, The Roxy Theatre, and Whisky A Go Go, along with his family, and their profound influence on the Los Angeles rock scene over the past six decades. Directed by Zak Knutson, the documentary includes insightful interviews with iconic figures in the world of rock, such as Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Gene Simmons, Lita Ford, and the late Lemmy Kilmister.

Since its inception in 1964, the Whisky A Go Go, located on the iconic Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, has played host to a stellar lineup of rock legends. The roster includes renowned acts such as THE DOORS, THE BYRDS, Janis Joplin, Neil Young, Smokey Robinson, THE TEMPTATIONS, LED ZEPPELIN, Alice Cooper, VAN HALEN, GUNS N’ ROSES, MÖTLEY CRÜE, and METALLICA. Notably, in 1972, Mario Maglieri, in collaboration with Whisky co-founder Elmer Valentine, Lou Adler, and other notable figures, initiated the Rainbow Bar & Grill just down the street from the Whisky. During its zenith, the Rainbow attracted the likes of Keith Moon, John Lennon, and Alice Cooper as regular patrons.

The Whisky held a pivotal role in the trajectories of many musical careers, particularly for bands rooted in Southern California. THE BYRDS, BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD, and SMOKESTACK LIGHTNIN’ were regular fixtures, while THE

DOORS briefly served as the house band until their departure. Van Morrison’s band, THEM, enjoyed a two-week residency in June 1966, featuring THE DOORS as the opening act. On the final night, they joined forces for a memorable jam session on “Gloria.” Notably, Frank Zappa’s THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION secured a record contract based on their performance at the Whisky.

THE TURTLES took the stage at the Whisky as their hit single “Happy Together” was soaring in popularity, though they lost their bassist, Chip Douglas, who had arranged the song, to THE MONKEES. Guitarist Michael Nesmith invited him to become their producer, although Douglas later returned to THE TURTLES a year later in a producing role. Neil Diamond also made occasional appearances at the Whisky, adding to its musical legacy.

A significant chapter in the venue’s history unfolded when METALLICA bassist Cliff Burton was recruited by the band after an electrifying performance with his group TRAUMA at the Whisky. Additionally, CHICAGO served as the house band when Jimi Hendrix witnessed their performance, subsequently inviting them to tour and open for him, further cementing the Whisky’s role in shaping the music industry.

PAULO MURILLO

LAPD investigates hate crime at Canter’s Deli in Fairfax district LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Police Department has launched a hate crime investigation after antisemitic messages were spray-painted onto a wall next to the historic Canter’s Deli in the city’s Fairfax district.

Canter’s Fairfax is a Deli, Bakery, and Bar located at 419 N. Fairfax. It was opened in 1931 and has long been a gathering place for Angelenos because of its 24 hours-a-day 7 day a week service and its outdoor seating area.

According to a LAPD spokesperson, Canter’s workers discovered the racist graffiti scrawled under a mural outside the Jewish-owned restaurant Wednesday morning. LAPD also noted that a nearby synagogue and other business were also targeted.

In a statement released on Twitter and to media outlets, the Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Los Angeles, Jeffrey Abrams said: Robert Trestan, Vice President of the ADL West told me-

dia outlets, “Since the terror attack on Israel in October, we’ve seen almost a 400% increase in antisemitic incidents across the United States. That’s a dramatic increase.”

In the wake of the violence erupting between Israel and Hamas, earlier this week FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Congress warning threats against the Jewish community are reaching historic levels.

“We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration, the likes of which we haven’t seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago.

In just the past few weeks, multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West,” Wray told the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee during a hearing on worldwide threats on Tuesday.

“The reality is that the terrorism threat has been elevated throughout 2023, but the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the

United States to a whole ‘nother level,” the FBI Director warned.

Jewish leaders say it’s more important than ever for everyone to speak out against hate.

“The moral voices of the community are actually much, much stronger and more powerful than the people who want to commit acts of antisemitism. And if we all speak out, we can actually overpower it,” ADL’s Trestan said.

The FBI Director told Senators that threat levels, in some ways, were reaching “historic levels.” Wray said in response to a question by Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen, who has been targeted by antisemitic threats, that the Jewish community has been targeted by terrorists across the spectrum. Jews make up just 2.4% of the U.S. population, Wray noted, but were targeted by 60% of religious-based hate crimes before the Middle East conflict began.

BRODY LEVESQUE

Woodland Hills church targeted with vandalism & thefts WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. - The Los Angeles Police Department’s Topanga Division detectives are seeking the person or person’s responsible for the acts of vandalism and thefts against the Woodland Hills Community Church located at 21338 Dumetz Road in Woodland Hills.

The United Church of Christ congregation’s rainbow peace sign artwork was vandalized with black paint graffiti on October 21, after an altercation with a MeetUp group that agreed to gather at the church without the church’s permission, a church spokesperson representative told KTLA. KTLA reported that when the MeetUp members tried to get into the church, and were questioned by the youth minister, they responded with “aggressive and racial threats,”

according to the church.

An entry for that day on the MeetUp Los Angeles website shows a game-night social was planned, and 68 people had indicated that they would attend.

Later that day, the rainbow peace sign artwork was vandalized with black paint, according to the church, and it was struck again five days later with spray paint and “USA” graffiti.

The church told KTLA that on Oct. 27, the day after the second attack on the peace-sign artwork, all exterior copper piping and back-flow regulators that supply water to the meeting hall and nursery were stolen. Then, on Oct. 30 and 31, one person came back to the church and “damaged and stole” outdoor security cameras and flood lights.

02 • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

“We are replacing the cameras and repairing the sign for it to be rehung. The emergency pipe repair cost the church $3900 which we did not have in the budget,” said the church spokesperson. “We have since heard from many neighbors that our PEACE sign was a joy to them and gave hope to the neighborhood.”

The LAPD noted that if you have any information about these criminal acts, you can remain anonymous by submitting a tip to Crime Stoppers at www.lacrimestoppers.org, or call 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Anyone with information is also asked to call the church at 818-346-0820 or email whccucc@gmail.com.

Additional reporting by KTLA LA BLADE STAFF

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FEATURE

Baldur’s Gate 3 has received widespread critical acclaim, the Blade chats with two key queer figures in the game LONDON, UK - Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) is perhaps the most LGBTQ+-friendly AAA video game ever made. It’s also one of the best role-playing games ever, according to Metacritic, the premier website owned by Fandom that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums and video games.

Baldur’s Gate 3 by Ghent, Belgium-based Larian Studios, is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting.

The game has spawned two series, known as the Bhaalspawn Saga and the Dark Alliance.

Baldur’s Gate 3 was released on August 3rd, 2023 to widespread critical acclaim. Unusually for a AAA game, it had spent six years in development, and almost three years of that in early access open beta testing. Larian Studios developed BG3 as a sequel to the first two games, which were released in 1998 and 1999 respectively.

Recently the Blade had the opportunity to interview two of the key figures in the game’s development.

Actress Jennifer English played the role of Shadowheart, one of the main characters of the game whom the player can have a romantic relationship with, regardless of their gender. Her partner is Aliona Baranova, an actress and motion capture (mocap) performer who worked as one of the Performance Directors on the game. They met during the production of the game and worked closely together during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Jennifer identifies as lesbian and queer, while Aliona identifies as bisexual and queer. They graciously agreed to give the Blade an hour of their time, right after a grueling weekend at London Comic Con. How was London Comic Con 2023? How were you both received?

Jennifer: It was like being a rock star. It was incredible.

We were both there for Comic Con [2022] this time last year [and] when I first turned up there was no one in my queue [for autographs]. Now this year, there were people queuing for 6 hours at one point. It was absolute madness. But it was also just really beautiful.

We did one of the panels [this year]. And I was expecting it to be like a five hundred or a thousand seater.

When I looked out, it was about 4,000 people. It was really wonderful because Aliona was next to me the whole time, and so many people wanted her autograph as well--like a good third to a half.

Aliona: The number of people that wanted to take a photo of the both of us was so touching, as was how many people [that] came up to us and said, “We watch your streams” and told us that the representation that we gave them, and how open we are about being neuro divergent, was so meaningful.

Did either of you play dungeons and dragons before you started work on this game?

Jennifer: I always wanted to. I just hadn’t been invited.

Aliona: No, never!

Jennifer: I was really lucky that the first time I got to play D&D was with the cast for High Rollers, and we got Mark Humes, who was the best dungeon master, to walk

us through it. We felt so safe and guided. It was a really wonderful start into D&D. The space felt very welcome as well, which was nice, and no one seemed to mind too much that we were fumbling through somewhat. And it was really nice to play together as a couple.

Aliona, you posted how you auditioned for the role of Shadowheart in BG3, and Jennifer got it. This led to an interesting start to your relationship.

Aliona: So I auditioned, and didn’t get the part. And then another call went out looking for people that had mocap (motion capture) experience, which I did have, to direct. When I sent in my mocap reel I was secretly hoping they’d watch and think, she should be in the game as an actor. But no, they didn’t. They rang me to say they thought I should direct.

I came to direct, did a couple of sessions, and then, during my fourth or fifth session, Jen comes in to record Shadowheart. Everyone is telling me “Jennifer is coming in today. She’s lovely. You’re gonna love her”. And I’m like, yeah, yeah, I’ll see.

When Jen came into the studio she was an absolute ray of sunshine. It was sickening--she was so wonderful, I could not hate her. I wanted to, so badly, but I just couldn’t. She got along with everyone; she was so friendly. I thought, “you’re making this so hard for me”.

Then we went in to record, and I thought, okay, well, maybe she’s not that good at the role, and I can swoop in and save the day and be Shadowheart instead. But she was amazing. I wanted to hate her even more, but I couldn’t, because she was so talented and incredible. I was very naive and very confident. I definitely couldn’t do what Jen has achieved, and she was a far better performer than I was back then. I’ve learned a lot from her since then to become a better performer myself.

It could have gone one of 2 ways: I could sabotage her and direct her really badly, or I could help this incredible and kind woman out and be a good director for her. The rest is history. And I think we nailed it with Shadowheart.

Jennifer, how did you find out Aliona wanted to be frenemies initially?

I can’t remember how I found out, but I remember being shocked, to say the least. And now we laugh about it quite a lot.

What was it like finding the character of Shadowheart?

Jennifer: I found the voice quite easily, and felt like I accessed her [character] reasonably quickly. There was a lot of collaboration and creativity involved with it. But the one thing I really struggled with at the beginning was the physical side of it, because it’s such an overwhelming thing…you’re put into a grey room with loads of cameras on you, and you’re wearing what is essentially a Velcro cat suit with bobbles on it, and then you’re just told to act naturally.

One thing that Aliona quickly picked up on was the fact that I have ADHD. A lot of our creative process together was working to find Shadowheart within that—to not fight against it, but use it. That was really wonderful.

04 • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

Are you having any problems with people blurring the line between Shadowheart and Jennifer when you meet them in real life or online, or are people pretty good about keeping them keeping them distinct?

I think if I had [Shadowheart’s] kind of black cat energy, perhaps. But I am a golden retriever puppy with blonde hair that’s five foot one. I don’t have that kind of statuesque, armor-clad cleric-of-Shar thing going on. So I think our energies are so distinct that it would be pretty impossible to get us confused.

There is a lot of me in Shadowheart, because I wanted to make her as truthful as possible. [She’s] the part of myself that you’d have to find me in a very vulnerable state to see. That’s a deeper part of myself. Certainly not one that you’d see at Comic-con, or if you bumped into me on the train.

I know people who generally don’t like video games who are really into BG3. What’s your take on why this is?

Jennifer: Yeah, it’s interesting, isn’t it? Baldur’s Gate 3 is mainstream. It’s been on South Park.

Aliona: It’s the mocap. It’s not often that you have nearly all 248 actors do their own mocap. I think that’s why it feels like a TV show or film. I’m biased, but I do think it makes a difference, because I’ve looked at another recent release and you can tell that the voice is done separately from who’s doing the body. You can’t care for them as much as you do in this game, because there’s a disconnect.

Jennifer: It feels quite jarring because you can’t be immersed in this in the same way, you can tell everyone’s acting, whereas [Baldur’s Gate 3] feels like people are their characters. They’re so good in them.

All of the main characters can have romances with members of any sex or gender identity. Did that change how you played or directed the characters?

Jennifer: I don’t get to play a lot of queer roles. I certainly haven’t in the past, though hopefully I will in the future. But even as someone who identifies as gay, I think we’re so heteronormative with our storytelling. When I was thinking about the player at the very beginning, I imagined a [relationship with] a guy. Which is ridiculous because we knew that it could be any gender. So it’s really good to challenge our own heteronormative defaults in our own brains, even as gay people.

It was a very conscious choice early on [for me], to shake up who I was imagining. So, I would sometimes imagine a hunky dragon born who identified as male, and then sometimes it would be a beautiful female -identifying wood elf or a non-binary human. I think it did massively inform my performance.

When you did romance scenes, did you do separate takes for male and female player characters, or was it the same for both?

Aliona: If there were no specific pronouns [in the script], then it would be just one. But if there were pronouns, then we would do one of she, one of he and one of they.

FEATURE

Shadowheart, played by out lesbian actor Jennifer English (Photo Credit: Screenshot/Larian Studio’s Baldur’s Gate 3)

(Image courtesy of Larian Studios Games Ltd.)

When there were no pronouns involved, how did the fact that it could be any gender affect your direction?

Aliona: I don’t actually think it did that much. The voice director or I never asked [the actor] to imagine whether a woman or a man stood in front of them, or a non-binary person, because we needed the actor to play attraction and romance with whoever they were imagining. We can’t dictate who they are imagining…it has to be real for them.

So, we would leave that up to them. Luckily every actor in the game was completely comfortable with that.

Do you think this reinforces the narrative that love is love at some fundamental level for people, given that actors played romantic lines the same regardless of the player’s gender?

Aliona: I can’t really add anything to that. Love is love.

Jennifer: Completely. And I feel that if there’s one message I would want to spread about the romance of this game in particular, it is indeed that love is love.

A lot of players got very emotionally invested in the romance plot lines, and Shadowheart is by far the most popular according to data from Larian Studios.

Aliona: I think… that the reason her romance option is so popular is because Jen had the luxury of having her partner on the other side of the glass while recording.

Jennifer: You were the barometer of “did this work or not?”, depending on how much you were blushing.

Aliona: I had the voice director next to me and the technicians on either side. Jen would say whatever her romance dialog was, and I could feel people’s eyes on me as I’d be looking down and saying, “Yeah, that was a great take.”

How were the intimate scenes shot?

Aliona: If there was an intimacy scene and the character was speaking, that was done with the cast. If there was an intimacy scene and they were not speaking, that was done with motion capture performers separately. Both cases would have an intimacy coordinator present.

Why do you think that BG3 is so effective at pulling in players emotionally?

Aliona: We’ve been streaming ourselves playing the game, and I’m so invested in my relationship with Shadowheart that when I click the wrong thing and upset her, I get genuinely upset myself. I think, “No, I don’t wanna screw up my chances!” But I’m literally in a relationship with Jen the actor playing Shadowheart, and also have Shadowheart on tap at home. So I really get it!

Jennifer: I think one of the many reasons why this game is so special, from our point of view, is how the voice and the performance direction were very much grounded in truth and reality.

The acting style is very naturalistic, and even when it’s not, that’s for a reason. If it’s more dramatic or more urgent, or someone’s got a bit more of a personality, it still feels like a genuine interaction. I worked very closely with my voice directors - Beth Park, Tilly Steele, Kirsty Gilmore, Natalie Winter, and Tom Mitchell - who, alongside Aliona, were all very keen on it never sounding like bullshit.

Aliona: I’m obviously biased, but I think a secret ingredient of why it feels so real is that we didn’t just focus on the voice. We had performance directors like me focusing on the body, because you can fake truthfulness vocally but you cannot fake it in the body. That lends itself to this incredible performance across the board for everyone. I think when it’s motion capture, and every single minute [of voice and acting] can be seen in the body, you can’t fake it.

What are your thoughts on people playing queer characters, and being able to see themselves in those relationships, who are playing BG3 in countries where stigma and persecution are still rampant, or getting worse?

Aliona: I think it meant one thing before ComiCon. Now it means not something different, but something more.

Now that we’ve met some of these people and spoken to them face to face, and heard their stories, and how much

it means to them, it’s just so much more meaningful.

Jennifer: It’s impactful. When somebody looks you in the eyes and tells you that they can’t be out to their family…

Aliona: This game is giving them solace. It means the world to them, and I think we realize that now. I think all the directors know this, and the actors and the writers.

And props to the writers--we didn’t mention this before, but the writing is incredible, shoutout to John Corcoran the amazing writer for Shadowheart, Halsin and Nocturne!

Jennifer: To add to the answer before--why people feel so emotionally sucked in--the writing absolutely is a huge part of that.

Aliona: Knowing that this game could be an escape for a lot of people, or a way for them to live out the life that they currently can’t have, was one of the reasons we worked so hard to always ensure truthfulness and authenticity in the performances. We knew that this would mean a lot to many people, especially when we started to use they/them pronouns.

Jennifer: That was a huge turning point for me. That’s where I realized how important this game was going to be for people, especially in our community. One of the things I’m most proud of is knowing how we’ve created a world of endless exploration and opportunity. It’s a world for people to explore parts of themselves that they don’t feel safe to [explore in real life]. We all took our time over the romance scenes. We wanted to get it right because we knew that this would be significant for people. It might be people’s first opportunity to explore that side of themselves. I’ve heard stories where people have explored their sexuality for the first time through this game.

Anything else you want people to know?

Jennifer: I would love to say thank you, especially to the alphabet mafia, and to allies, for being so welcoming to the pair of us.

Aliona: I just wanted to add to that that we’re incredibly grateful for this community. There was a moment when we thought…should we be private about our relationship?

And we realized we can’t, because we’re always together (laughs). We were a team working on this. We fell in love while making this game and love sharing that joy with other people. And we’re also so grateful for the love and support we get back. There’s been times when I’ve posted on my Instagram story some of the homophobic comments that we get, and I see people drowning it out with love and defending us, and that’s so beautiful and heartwarming for us. This community is really something special.

BRYNN TANNEHILL

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • 05

CALIFORNIA

UCLA Police investigating hate crime using BB Gun, student injured

(Photo Credit: University of California Los Angeles Police Department)

LOS ANGELES - University of California LA Police are investigating an attack on a student early Sunday. The suspects, in a white four door sedan came up alongside the victim in the 200 block of De Neve Drive, near the Rieber Hall dorms. A rear passenger yelled a homophobic slur and then fired at the victim striking him in the face.

The student victim sustained minor abrasion below

his eye. According to the UCLA Police, the suspected shooter and the driver of sedan took off shortly after.

The driver was described as a male wearing a black ski mask, while the passenger was described only as a male and the weapon was identified as a BB gun or Pellet gun.

It is unknown if the suspects are UCLA students. University police detectives are treating this as a hate crime.

LA BLADE STAFF

California launches first two guaranteed income pilot programs SACRAMENTO - California just launched the first two state-funded Guaranteed Income Pilot Programs – focused on former foster youth. These pilots, through the Department of Social Services, will provide unconditional, individual, regular cash payments intended to disrupt poverty, advance equity, and support the basic needs of recipients.

PILOT PROGRAM DETAILS: • The State awarded the City and County of San Francisco $3,439,090 to provide 150 former foster youth with $1,200 per month for 18 months.

• The State awarded Ventura County Human Services Agency $1,538,758 to provide 150 former foster youth with $1,000 per month for 18 months.

Recipients will also receive benefits counseling to evaluate the impact of guaranteed income payments on their eligibility for various public benefits.

“Guaranteed income programs help level the playing field and will give these former foster youth the support and resources they need to pursue their California dream,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

(Los Angeles Blade/Ventura County Government graphic)

“The City and County of San Francisco is honored to be one of only two public entities across California to be awarded this state grant to launch a guaranteed income pilot project for former foster youth aging out of our care,” said San Francisco Human Services Agency Deputy Director of Policy, Planning, and Public Affairs Susie Smith. “Transitioning out of the foster care system can be incredibly challenging for many of our youth, and this sustained unconditional income over 18 months will help systems-involved youth pursue their hopes and dreams. In doing so, our goal is to disrupt the cycle of poverty and advance a more equitable future for former foster youth.”

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“This is an amazing opportunity to break the cycle of poverty experienced by many young adults transitioning out of foster care,” Ventura Human Services Agency Director Melissa Livingston said. “Investing in them is not only an investment in their future but in that of the broader community.”

BUILDING ON PRIOR SUCCESS The pilot programs build on the success and lessons learned from prior guaranteed income pilot projects, including an effort launched in Stockton, California. The Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration enabled recipients to find full-time employment, reduced income volatility, and resulted in recipients showing less depression and anxiety.

“Nearly 4.5 million Californians live below the poverty line -- not because of personal failures, but because of policy choices,” said Special Advisor for Economic Mobility and Opportunity and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income Founder Michael Tubbs. “It’s far past time for us to end poverty in our state and the California Guaranteed Income Pilot Program is a critical step in doing that. We saw with the first mayor-led guaranteed income program that I ran in Stockton that guaranteed income is effective at increasing not just financial stability but also mental and physical health, parent-child relationships, and people’s ability to strive for goals. I’m excited to see those results replicated as the first payments of the CDSS pilot begin to go out in Ventura and San Francisco.”

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Queer youth launch incubator fund to drive progressive change GAINESVILLE, Fla. - To an outside observer, it’s easy to dismiss Florida as something of a lost cause in a culture war that has propelled its governor Ron DeSantis into the national spotlight.

But a group of young queer activists is aiming to flip that script. They see Florida as the front line in the fight for a progressive America and youth activism as the secret weapon that will change the game in the Sunshine State.

They’ve founded Youth Action Fund, a new organization that provides resources and training for young activists across Florida who want to drive progressive change.

“We’re fighting because we believe our lives are at stake.

Youth Action Fund is a way to build the capacity of our generation to be the change we want to see,” says Cameron Driggers, YAF’s executive director. “A large segment of our population is invested in making transformational change, because there are so many people who have a deep anxiety about our future.”

Driggers, an 18-year-old gay freshman at University of Florida—Gainesville, says he’s been interested in politics since he was very young, but became motivated to take action when his home state stepped up its campaign against queer youth by passing the “Don’t Say Gay” bill last year.

The Republican-controlled state legislature and the board of education effectively banned classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in March 2022, a development Driggers says was devastating as a high school student.

“We had classrooms and areas that were marked as safe spaces, with reaffirming literature and signage on walls, and over the course of months, we saw those ripped off the walls.

That seems mundane, but it’s a very disturbing reality to feel as though who you are is no longer accepted. I’ve even had teachers who were outspoken about this and were quickly fired from their positions. We had a gay-straight alliance that was disbanded because no teacher wanted to risk sponsoring

it,” he says.

But the young activists behind YAF didn’t sit back and take it. Nineteen-year-old board member Jack Petocz organized a state-wide student walkout to protest the bill, while eighteenyear-old board member Will Larkins organized a “Say Gay Anyway” rally at their Orlando high school.

CAMERON DRIGGERS, (centre) with other youth activists occupy the Capitol Hill congressional offices of then U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA.) protesting GOP inactivity on federal funding for climate change & environmental issues.

(Photo Credit: Cameron Driggers)

For his part, Driggers took the fight to his school board, where he led a recall effort against two far-right board members who had called police on school librarians for providing books with LGBT themes to students. Both members were ultimately replaced with progressives his team endorsed.

Driggers says that successful campaign, which included knocking on thousands of doors and making thousands of phone calls, is proof that when young people organize, they can effect change.

That’s where Youth Action Fund comes in. While Driggers

says he was able to pour his own time and money into the campaign, he knows that not all young people have the ability to do that.

Driggers spent his whole summer notching up that improbable win in deep-red Flagler County, “I spent hundreds of my own dollars putting that together, and I’m from low-income household,” Driggers says. “I don’t think we should be asking any high schooler to do that.”

Youth Action Fund has already secured $25,000 that it plans to distribute to youth activists across the state who are working on progressive causes like LGBT rights, gun control, and climate justice.

Driggers says grants of up to $1000 can be used to cover costs related to printing voter registration forms, printing campaign literature, rally and event costs, and transportation.

The group hopes to build up a chest of $100,000 to distribute annually. Driggers says that by helping youth get engaged early on, YAF will help build a durable coalition of leaders for the future.

“We don’t want these struggles to fly under the rug, just because young people don’t have the resources to get started,” Driggers said. “If they’re able to put on these programs, they’re more likely to continue down that road and stay active and become leaders in the movement.”

And for those who think Florida is a lost cause, Driggers has a message.

“It’s easy to think that FL is a lost cause, but remember the election before last, DeSantis won by less than half a percentage point. DeSantis probably feels that he’s invincible at the moment, but he just benefits from a state that’s underorganized. Youth Action Fund is the answer to that,” he says.

“We’re not going to win back the state by posting memes on Twitter. It’s by getting out on the street and making change.

It’s resources and money and these tools. It is the only practical option we have to retake the state.”

ROB SALERNO

House spending bills again include anti-LGBTQ+ riders provide such care.

WASHINGTON - A letter to License to Discriminate President Joe Biden and DemoRiders: These riders would cratic congressional leadership create a license for people and sent on Wednesday by 163 organizations—including those members of the U.S. House receiving taxpayer funds—to of Representatives, including discriminate against LGBTQI+ Congressional Equality Caucus people under the guise of reliChair Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and gious liberty, and they prevent the eight other openly LGBTQ (Photo Credit: U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations) the federal government from co-chairs, objects to Republican adequately responding. For members’ efforts to “hijack the example, they prohibit the federal government from reducing appropriations process to restrict the rights and fundamental or terminating a federal contract or grant with an organization freedoms of LGBTQI+ people.” that discriminates against LGBTQI+ people if the organization With the Nov. 17 funding deadline looming, the letter argues, justifies their discrimination based on the belief that marriage “These members lack the votes and public support to pass should only be between a man and a woman. their anti-LGBTQI+ agenda into law as standalone bills, so they Pride Flag Riders: These riders would prohibit funds from are working to include them in must-pass funding legislation.” being used to fly pride flags at covered facilities.

These total more than 40, according to the letter, which specDEI EO Riders: These riders would prohibit funds from ifies they fall largely within four categories: being used to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry Gender-Affirming Care Ban Riders: These riders would out three LGBTQI-inclusive Executive Orders (EO Nos. 13985, restrict access to evidence-based, medically necessary care for 14035, and 14091) meant to ensure the federal workforce is an transgender people or eliminate funding to organizations that

inclusive and affirming workplace for employees with marginalized identities.

Also on Wednesday, Pocan issued a statement on behalf of the caucus objecting to the House’s passage of H.R. 4364, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. “In 2013, I had to fight for my marriage to be recognized so my husband could receive his House Spouse ID,” the Wisconsin Democrat wrote.

“Now, a decade later, Republicans are using this bill to bring us back to a time where Legislative Branch employees and contractors can discriminate against me and other members and staff in same-sex marriages.”

Then, on Friday, a Democratic aligned group called the House Accountability War Room issued a statement objecting to passage of the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, H.R.4821.

Among others, the group highlighted provisions prohibiting “discriminatory action against a person” based on their “sincerely held religious belief, or moral conviction, that marriage is, or should be recognized as, a union of one man and one woman.”

CHRISTOPHER KANE

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • 07

NATIONAL

Buttigieg: House Speaker should have dinner with his family

NEW YORK - Appearing on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told Colbert he may invite virulently anti-LGBTQ+ House Speaker Mike Johnson to have dinner with his family.

Colbert asked Buttigieg about working with someone who would write something like that. “His [Johnson’s] record on LGBTQ issues is, what’s the word? Awful,” Colbert noted.

Buttigieg responding saying that the answer may be simply for the Speaker to get a glimpse of his household, which he said shows “the love of God.” “I’ll work with anybody who can help us get good transportation available to the American people, but I don’t know, maybe we’ll just have him over, ‘cause our little house isn’t that far from the Capitol,” Buttigieg, who shares twin toddlers with his husband, Chasten, told Colbert.

Buttigieg described an average day in his home, complete with day care pickups, diaper changes and a rush to feed their toddlers dinner.

“If he could see what it’s like when I come home from work, and Chas is bringing the kids home from daycare or vice versa, and one of us is getting the mac and cheese ready and the other one’s microwaving those little freezer meatballs – that are a great cheat code if you’ve got toddlers and you gotta feed them quickly – and they won’t take their shoes off and one of them needs a diaper change.

Everything about that is chaos, but nothing about that is dark. The love of God is in that household,” Buttigieg said.

The Hill reported that in the days since he was elected Speaker, Johnson’s anti-LGBTQ statements and views have come to light, including a column CNN uncovered, from 2004, in which he wrote “[e]xperts project that homosexual marriage is the dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy that could doom even the strongest republic.”

In his first sit down in-person interview after he was elected House Speaker, Johnson told Fox News host Sean Hannity, “I don’t even remember some of them.”

Johnson told Hannity, as he was defending his record as a lawyer for the anti-LGBTQ+ legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, which has been listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-LGBTQ+ hate and extremist group: “I think it was over 35 states, somewhere in that number, that the people went to the ballot in their respective states, and they amended their state constitutions to say marriage is one man, one woman,” the Speaker said. “Well, I was a religious liberty defense lawyer, and I was called to go in and defend those cases in the courts.”

“Let me state this very clearly – and there’s been questions about this,” he continued. “Let me say where I am.

Anybody that knows me will tell you this is true: I am a ruleof-law guy. I made a career defending the rule of law. I respect the rule of law. When the Supreme Court issued the Obergefell opinion, that became the law of the land, okay? I respect the rule of the law, but I also genuinely love all people, regardless of their lifestyle choices. This is not about the people themselves. I am a Bible-believing Christian.”

BRODY LEVESQUE

U.S. Secretary of Transportation PETE BUTTIGIEG with husband CHASTEN. (Photo courtesy of Chasten Buttigieg)

3 years federal prison time for Idaho anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime spree BOISE, Id. – A federal judge on Friday sentenced a 31-year-old man to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release for attempting to run over three people with a car as part of a week-long crime spree targeting the LGBTQI+ community around Boise, Idaho, in October 2022.

“The defendant’s attacks on LGBTQI+ individMATTHEW LEHIGH (Photo visA Ada County, Idaho Sheriff’s office) uals were terrifying not only for the individual victims, but for our entire community, and that is why hate crimes enforcement is so important,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “I am grateful to the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Boise Police Department and the FBI for their work in helping us to hold this defendant accountable for his hateful and violent acts.”

According to court records, on Oct. 8, 2022, while at the Boise Public Library Main Branch in downtown Boise, Matthew Alan Lehigh, 31, approached a transgender library employee, called her a slur, punched her and threatened

to stab her. A member of the library’s security staff intervened, and Lehigh fled into the parking lot. When the security guard attempted to speak to Lehigh in the parking lot, Lehigh got into a car and suddenly accelerated it toward the guard, intending to collide with him. The guard narrowly escaped being struck by jumping behind a concrete barricade at the last moment, and Lehigh fled the scene.

Four days later, while sitting in his car in a public parking lot elsewhere in Boise, Lehigh saw two women walking together towards another vehicle. Assuming that the women were lesbians, Lehigh began shouting threats and slurs at them, then suddenly accelerated his car toward the women, intending to collide with them. The women jumped out of the path of Lehigh’s oncoming car, which struck the other vehicle at significant speed.

On June 15, 2022, Lehigh pleaded guilty to one felony count of violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act for the vehicular assault on the library security guard, and a second felony violation for the vehicular assault on the two women.

As part of his plea agreement, Lehigh also admitted that he was responsible for three other instances of anti-LGBTQI+ vandalism and violence that occurred in Boise during early October 2022. Specifically, he admitted to setting fire to a rainbow-striped “pride” flag attached to a residential property in North Boise, breaking several windows at a commercial building jointly occupied by an LGBTQI+

08 • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

community organization and an LGBTQI+-affirming religious congregation and punching a grocery store customer after calling him an anti-LGBTQI+ slur.

“The defendant’s crime spree not only endangered and terrified his victims but damaged an entire community’s sense of safety in their city,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We recognize the very real threats and acts of violence faced by the LGBTQI+ community and are determined to use every tool available to preserve the life, safety and dignity of this community. Nobody should live in fear that their identity will make them a target of random, senseless violence while going about their daily lives. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit unlawful acts of hate-fueled anti-LGBTQI+ violence while seeking justice for the victims.”

The Boise Resident Agency of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and the Boise Police Department investigated this case.

“The defendant went on a week-long crime spree to intimidate and harm members of the LGBTQ+ community in Boise,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentence shows that the FBI and our law enforcement partners stand together against hate and will work to protect communities everywhere from bias-motivated attacks.”

LA BLADE STAFF

SPORTS

GOP governors demand ‘guaranteed’ fairness on trans athletes

Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, Gov. INDIANAPOLIS, IND. — Nine ReTate Reeves of Mississippi, Gov. Mike publican governors, several of whom Parson of Missouri, Gov. Greg Gianhave signed laws banning transgender forte of Montana, Gov. Joe Lomardo of student-athletes from competing as Nevada, Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, their authentic selves, sent a joint letGov. Greg Abbott of Texas and Gov. ter Monday to the National Collegiate Mark Gordon of Wyoming.

Athletics Association and its Board of Among the many bogus claims and Governors, about its transgender stutransphobic statements, including ladent-athlete policy. beling out trans NCAA All-American Lia The first signatory is Gov. Kristi Arkansas Gov. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDThomas a “biological male,” the letter Noem of South Dakota. She and her ERS, anti-trans pundit RILEY GAINES & South Dakota Gov. KRISTI NOEM meeting misrepresents what happened after fellow GOP governors make it clear at the July, 2023 Republican Governors Thomas tied with a cisgender competithey are telling the NCAA to abandon Association gathering in Aspen, Colorado.

(Photo Credit: Republican Governors Association/Facebook) tor, Riley Gaines, at the NCAA Women’s its current policy, which changed in Swimming and Diving Championships 2022 from allowing trans competitors in Atlanta, Ga. In March 2022. The two women tied for fifth to compete, to putting the onus on individual sports organizaplace in the 200 freestyle. But the governors’ letter claims tions to decide participation rules.

Gaines was denied posing with “the first-place trophy that she Not good enough, say the governors. rightfully earned.”

“The NCAA has the chance to guarantee an environment Unlike the governors the Los Angeles Blade was at that where female college athletes can thrive without the conevent and witnessed the heat, as well as the podium cerecern of inequities,” the wrote. “ We trust that you also want mony that followed. Not expecting a tie finish for fifth place, to guarantee just such an environment. But this policy allows officials handed Gaines a trophy for another event for the the NCAA to avoid responsibility for ensuring the fairness of photo op following their contest, and chose to give Thomas collegiate sports – therefore it must be changed.” the fifth place trophy. The NCAA mailed Gaines her trophy at In addition to Noem, the letter was signed by Gov. Sarah

a later date. Gaines never finished first at that event, and has turned her alleged slight at the championships into a national anti-trans media campaign.

The letter goes on to repeat false misogynist claims about Allyson Felix being unable to compete against high school boys, accusations that trans athletes are “average male athletes stealing” the honors due women athletes and falsely claims that the issue of fairness has been determined by science.

The letter was condemned by the American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming in a statement Tuesday.

“Whatever Gov. Gordon and this letter’s cosigners might say, this isn’t about leveling the playing field for student athletes or protecting fairness in women’s sports. If it were, these governors would be tackling the actual threats to women’s sports, such as severe underfunding, lack of media coverage, sexist ideologies that suggest that women and girls are weak, and pay equity for coaches and players,” said Libby Skarin, deputy executive director for the ACLU of Wyoming, in a press release.

“This letter to the NCAA is just another attempt to erase transgender people from society while stirring up support from their base of anti-trans activists with fear-mongering tactics and discriminatory rhetoric that harm some of the most vulnerable people in our state,” Skarin said.

DAWN ENNIS

Gay Games 11 begin in Hong Kong & Mexico- where is everyone?

HONG KONG — Organizers call it the world’s largest inclusive sports, arts and culture event: The 11th Gay Games, delayed by a year and cohosted by the cities of Hong Kong and Guadalajara, Mexico. They got underway Nov. 3rd, and for the first time in the 40-year history of the games, they are being held in a city in Latin America and another city in Asia.

More than 2,300 athletes from 45 countries, including the United States, Britain, South Korea and China are expected to take part in the Hong Kong games, according to organizers.

Soccer is the main event this weekend.

Dodgeball, soccer, swimming, powerlifting and track-andfield are among the events this weekend in Guadalajara, according to that event’s website.

But according to reports, the number of athletes and spectators at both venues is far below the standards set in previous Gay Games.

These games were originally planned for just one city, Hong Kong, this time last year. The intent was for Gay Games 11 to serve as what organizers called “a beacon of hope” for the LGBTQ+ community in a Chinese-ruled region that challenges restrictions on gay rights.

While it is legal to be gay in China and many of its major cities have thriving LGBTQ+ social scenes, same-sex marriage and adoption by gay people are illegal and there are no legal protections against LGBTQ+ discrimination.

To many Chinese government officials, being gay is “a malign foreign influence that is stopping youth from getting married and having children,” Darius Longarino, a senior fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School, recently told NBC News.

That and the summer shutdown of the Beijing LGBT center by the government in May, affirmed the decision to divide Gay

Games 11 across two continents, which was at first driven by Hong Kong’s strict Covid protocols, as Reuters reported. Organizers postponed the games for 12 months due to the city’s strict Covid protocols, and it was decided to divide the competitions with runner-up bidder Guadalajara in western Mexico.

Despite the locales being more than eight thousand miles apart, organizers have coordinated a series of sporting events under the slogan, “unity in diversity.”

“Everyone aged 18/+ is welcome to participate,” according to the Hong Kong venue’s website, “regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, or even training level.”

Inclusion isn’t as much of a problem at this Gay Games as is the lack of participants and spectators.

Original estimates for the 2022 event in Hong Kong was for 12,000 participants, 75,000 spectators and 3,000 volunteers from 100 countries. The 36 events were to include Dragon Boat Racing, Dodgeball and eSports.

But for 2023, Reuters reports registrations fell far below expectations, due in part to ongoing worries about Covid and LGBTQ+ rights in China and concerns over safety in Guadalajara, where crime and kidnappings are common.

One week ago, organizers in Guadalajara had registered only 2,458 participants, and Hong Kong had under 2,400, for a combined 4,839 athletes. It’s unheard of for a Gay Games to have fewer than 8,000 participants.

The Games were first held in San Francisco in 1982. Organizers boast this is “one of the largest global events of their kind,” according to the Gay Games 11 website, bringing people together” to experience unforgettable moments of joy through a unique combination of sport, community and culture.”

But according to Reuters, what is bringing people together in Guadalajara are the criminals who prey upon visitors. The

10 • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

city is located in the state of Jalisco, where drug cartels operate freely.

Wayne Morgan, a senior Australian athlete who has competed in six prior Gay Games, told Reuters he was drugged and robbed last year when he visited Guadalajara for a planning conference related to this year’s games. He said he made his way to the police station and found himself in a long queue of other crime victims, where he was told: “This happens a lot.”

A spokesperson for the Federation of Gay Games told Reuters the decision to split the event had a “significant impact on registration numbers” but added that the organizers believed the choice of two locations “allows even more people from around the world to celebrate LGBTQ+ sports with us”.

But to Morgan, splitting the host cities was “a mistake” and that low numbers could deter corporate sponsorship in the future.

“In my heart of hearts, I wish the whole thing was canceled and we could skip to Valencia in 2026,” he said. The next Games are planned for Valencia, Spain.

Taiwan’s competitors withdrew their registration from the Hong Kong event in August, citing fears their participants could be arrested if they display the island’s flag or use its name. Human rights activists called for the games in Hong Kong to be canceled, accusing organizers of aligning themselves with “pro-authoritarian figures responsible for widespread persecution against the people of Hong Kong.”

In response to the low registration numbers, Hong Kong organizers canceled several events, including field hockey and Rugby 7s as well as some in the category of track-and-field.

Gay Games 11 runs through Nov. 11.

DAWN ENNIS

VO L U M E 07 IS S U E 45

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RENE MELENDEZ

is a trans activist based in New York City.

We must eliminate barriers to gender-affirming care

How I overcame refusal by insurance company to cover surgery In July 2015, I wrote something down that would change my life forever. In a note in my journal, I scribbled: “I think I am a trans woman.” I was 55 years old, but that moment was the first time I knew what it felt like to love myself.

I knew I was a transgender woman, but for some reason I didn’t have the strength to write “I am transgender.” Like many people coming out, I worried. It was scary to know that my life was going to change. I wondered if my family and friends would accept me. But I realized that I was fighting the urge to be my authentic self my entire life, and I wasn’t going to live a lie anymore.

Thankfully, at that moment I knew I needed to speak with someone. I went to the LGBT Community Center in New York City and met with a counselor.

This lifted a tremendous weight off my shoulders. They soon directed me to Apicha Community Health Center – a local medical facility with doctors, therapists, and social workers that have expertise in serving people of trans experience.

At this point, I chose to pursue gender-affirming surgery.

While I was nervous, I was also excited for my body to finally align with my brain. After waiting a year, it was time to have my first procedure. I then encountered an obstacle that stands between many trans people and their ability to access the care they need: My insurance company told me it wouldn’t cover my care. This is unfortunately all too common: a survey from 2020 found that 46% of trans people had their gender-affirming care denied by insurance.

I was devastated. I didn’t want to have to continue living a lie.

Thankfully, my health providers referred me to Amida Care – a

Medicaid Special Needs Health Plan in New York that specializes in helping people affected by HIV. It also provides gender-affirming care to transgender, gender-nonconforming, and non-binary (TGNCNB) people. Amida Care was one of the first to advocate for gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and surgeries. Thanks to Amida Care, I was elated to be able to have my surgery on the date it was initially scheduled for.

From being stonewalled by insurance companies, to discrimination from healthcare providers, trying to access gender-affirming care can be a minefield. This is the case in progressive places like New York – but even more so for trans people in openly hostile states. It was a godsend to have people in my corner to help me navigate the process.

From the counselors at the LGBT Community Center, to the providers at Apicha, to the gender-affirming care team at Amida Care, I’m so thankful to the people who helped me access the care I needed, and to my friends and family who continue to love and support me.

As I celebrate my 7th Transgender Awareness Week as a trans woman, I feel stronger, more confident, and more at peace with myself than I did before I took that leap. I have the healthcare I need—from primary care, to being cured of Hepatitis C, to mental health services—to take care of my full self. Recently, I joined Amida Care’s Member Advisory Council, which allows me to use my lived experience to advocate for the needs of people of trans experience. I want to live in service to my community, because everyone should know what it feels like to love themselves. We can make that possible by eliminating barriers to access gender-affirming care.

2023 GLAAD Media Awards

©2023 LOS ANGELES BLADE, LLC.

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • 11

JASON FELDMAN

is principal of JMF Communications and a member of the Atlanta Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Board.

To my queer community: You are failing your Jewish members Our struggle is your struggle, so stand with us, or stand down

In the landscape of identity and activism, there comes a moment when peoples’ true intentions and unabashed biases are unveiled, revealing the stark incongruities within our own communities. As a Jewish gay man, I can say this moment is now, and the battlefield is none other than the war-torn narratives surrounding Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization, which has been the de facto governing body in the Gaza Strip since 2007 when it ousted the Palestinian Authority from power (this is after Israel completely withdrew from Gaza in 2005).

Let’s cut through the noise: In the grand theater of activism, where the LGBTQ community has long demanded education, patience, and understanding on queer issues, it seems these courtesies vanish when the topic switches to Middle Eastern politics. “Apartheid!” they scream, from the comfort of their free societies, neglecting the fact that in parts of the Middle East, being queer isn’t just taboo, it’s a crime.

The stark parallels here are maddening. As queer individuals, we’ve spent lifetimes imploring others to look beyond black-or-white narratives. “Educate yourselves,” we’ve pleaded, “understand the spectrum, the stories, the struggles behind each letter of LGBTQIA+.”

Yet, when it comes to Israel, a land teeming with stories as diverse as our own community, the rainbow lens suddenly flips to monochrome.

This isn’t just hypocrisy; it’s a betrayal of the very principles of social justice. It’s a slap to those of us who sit at the intersection of being queer and Jewish, fighting on two fronts for recognition and understanding.

We have not demanded that others walk on eggshells, only that they walk in knowledge before they talk.

Let’s address a big elephant in the room: the claim of “pinkwashing” by Israel. Critics, quick to label, fail to grasp the genuine strides Israel has made in LGBTQ rights, which are not a facade but a reality for countless people who live, love, and thrive there. The accusation of pinkwashing is not only reductive, but it negates the lived experiences of an estimated 25% of Tel Aviv’s residents alone who identify as LGBTQ, and the undeniable fact that Israel has become a sanctuary for LGBTQ Palestinians seeking asylum. These are not hollow gestures meant for international optics; they are tangible freedoms, hard-won by local activists and safeguarded by an independent judiciary.

The blunt truth? Our queer spaces, once sanctuaries, have now turned into forums where Jewish voices are drowned out, where our history and pain are oversimplified into soundbites. The irony is biting—our community, which fiercely demands inclusivity, has become selectively deaf to our cries against anti-Semitic propaganda.

12 • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • LOSANGELESBLADE.COM

I have never felt more embraced for my queerness than in my Jewish circles, yet I am watching in dismay as parts of the queer community dismiss the perils we face. When a popular LGBTQ platform with more than a million followers on Instagram alone labels Hamas, a brutal terrorist organization, as a mere “resistance movement,” it’s a sobering wake-up call fraught with unspeakable danger.

Israel stands as a haven for LGBTQ rights in a region where such freedoms are scarce. From the legal milestones achieved in the 1960s to Tel Aviv’s renowned Pride parade, Israel has been at the forefront of LGBTQ advocacy. The path isn’t perfect—same-sex marriage isn’t legal, but Israel recognizes same-sex unions from abroad and grants comprehensive rights domestically. The Israeli Supreme Court’s decisions to uphold LGBTQ rights are beacons of hope, shining examples of progress that have come from the demands of its citizens, not from the desire to distract.

Yet, here we are, witnessing a disturbing paradox.

While Israel fosters LGBTQ rights, in the territories under Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, being queer can mean imprisonment, and yes, death. This dichotomy is conveniently ignored by too many self-proclaimed progressives. Their silence on this is deafening and damning.

It’s time for the larger queer community to wake up.

Our struggle for rights doesn’t stop at our doorstep; it stretches across the globe. To my queer “social justice warriors” who soak in the sun at Tel Aviv Pride but cast shadows on Israel, or for that matter don’t speak up at all, your hypocrisy and silence are noted.

Your selective advocacy is not only noticeable; it’s a betrayal.

To the queer activists who have let anti-Semitism taint their advocacy: Your narrative is not complete until it includes us. We demand a seat at the table. We demand to be heard. And to those who stand with us, know this: our fight is united, our cause is just, and our spirit is indomitable. We will not retreat into the shadows.

Before you raise your banners, remember the diligence you asked of others to understand your queerness. Apply that same rigor to unravel the narratives you consume and the stances you adopt. Recognize that this isn’t a game of ‘pick a side and shout the loudest.’ Lives, histories, and truths are woven into this complex narrative, and they deserve more than a cursory glance and a hasty hashtag. To be truly progressive, the queer community must embrace complexity, reject hypocrisy, and fight for every member’s right to be seen and heard.

We are a part of this community, and we will hold it accountable. Our struggle is your struggle. Stand with us, or stand down.

Long-awaited ‘Rustin’ restores queer hero to the historical record A career-making, Oscar-worthy turn for Coleman Domingo

subject demands, he allows the personal to take center stage within historical events that Though his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement were monumental, the late Bafar eclipse the individual lives of any of its players. The personal impact of warring ideoloyard Rustin has long been considered one of America’s most unsung heroes. gies – and of deeply ingrained cultural homophobia – comes to the forefront of the story Now, that name (or the second half of it, at least) is the title of one of the year’s most as he tells it; driven by a freeform, improvisational-toned jazz soundtrack from Branford highly anticipated movies, and if the real Rustin was anything like the Rustin delivered to Marsalis, and informed by a commitment to lived truth over normalized homogenization, us by star Colman Domingo in the film – and we’d like to believe that he was – it’s likely he’d his film is clearly designed to cut through political posturing in pursuit of a scrupulously get an ironic chuckle out of all that. honest portrait of both its titular character and the vastly important sociopolitical moveWhat the real Rustin was like, of course, is the essence of what “Rustin” – now playing in ment in which its story is set. theaters for a limited run due before dropping on Netflix next week – aims to convey. Like Most important of all, however, is the contribution of the film’s leading player. As Rustin, all historical biopics, its essential goal is to present an iconic figure as a relatable human Domingo is a singular force to be reckoned with, being, and thanks to a slickly crafted screenplay an unflinching and entirely approachable portrait

by Julian Breece and Oscar-winner Dustin Lance of a man both physically and psychically scarred Black, this one devotes much of its screentime by a life of uncompromising activism. It seems to doing exactly that. But since their script must a shame even to have to add that his identity as also address the additional challenge of educatan out gay man lends an aura of authenticity that ing a presumably unfamiliar audience about their provides measureless value and impact to his persubject’s place in history, they also apply the same formance; it’s a career-making, Oscar-worthy turn knack for conveying both political atmosphere which in our view places him neatly as a front-runand cultural context that Black deployed with such ner for this year’s “awards season” honors. If the success in 2008’s “Milk” to chronicle Rustin’s signafilm lands solidly – and it does – it’s on the strength ture political accomplishment – spearheading the of this star-making performance.

1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, There’s also a host of outstanding supporting at which Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his culperformances, though Chris Rock’s turn as NAACP ture-shifting “I Have a Dream” speech – with all the leader Roy Wilkins feels jarringly one-dimensional, succinct-but-nuanced precision necessary to get in addition to being hampered by a less-than-conthe point across. vincing application of age makeup to bridge a gap The film – after establishing Rustin’s initial break of not-very-many years; yet “Rustin” can’t help but with King (Aml Ameen) when threats to expose his COLEMAN DOMINGO (with AML AMEERN, left) stars in triumphant biopic ‘Rustin.’

(Image courtesy of Netflix) be slightly diminished by a permeating aura of homosexuality threatened to undermine the latHollywood “gloss.” Well-intentioned as it may be, ter’s political viability – follows Rustin as he conit’s a film with an obvious imperative to present its title character as a hero, though it ceives the largest demonstration in history and sets about reuniting with his estranged must be said that, for queer audiences, Rustin’s refusal to obscure his own sexuality for comrade to make it a reality. Observing the interplay between politics and idealism as it the sake of political convenience renders such efforts unnecessary. Nevertheless, while it interweaves the romantic dramas of Rustin’s fictionalized private life, it chronicles the varnever flinches from presenting Rustin’s queerness or exploring the (arguably problematic) ious hurdles the pair face on the treacherous path toward fruition of their history-making inconstancy of his romantic commitments, it conveniently avoids addressing more chalplan. lenging aspects of his record – for example, his late-in-life evolution away from pacifism Breece and Black’s screenplay – upon which the success or failure of “Rustin” as a worthy and embrace of neoconservative ideals in international policy – in service of cementing his tribute to the queer man whose life it aspires to encapsulate hinges – succeeds to a higher reputation as a pillar of the modern human rights movement. degree than most biopics. By limiting its scope to a single chapter in Rustin’s career, it’s In the long run, of course, such matters do not erase his earlier contributions, nor can able to emphasize the qualities that define Bayard Rustin as both a man and a cultural they be summarily condemned in the context of contemporary world politics. Yet we can’t hero, and that scores a lot of points; many ambitious biopics have settled for an idealized help but feel that, by omission, they render a less than-fully-honest cinematic portrait of a portrait in an attempt to define an entire life, only to fall short by ignoring or sugarcoating man who, as a queer person of color, inarguably deserves his status – warts and all – as the darker corners that exist within any person’s tenure on Earth. one of the most impactful forces in the fight toward equal rights, regardless of either race Still, a screenplay is only one aspect – albeit a crucial one – contributing to the success or or sexual identity. failure of a film’s ambitions, and fortunately for “Rustin,” the other indispensable elements That said, “Rustin” is still one of the most engaging and unflinchingly heartfelt films we’ve are all firmly in place, too. seen this year, a perfectly apt tribute to a towering figure who is only now – nearly a decade To begin with, attention must be called to the direction by George C. Wolfe, a two-time after receiving a posthumous Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama – receiving Tony-winning theater veteran (“Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”, “Bring in ‘da due credit for his impact on the fight for equality, and possibly the most overdue recogNoise, Bring in ‘da Funk”) whose screen credits include the much-acclaimed “Ma Rainey’s nition Hollywood has ever bestowed upon a non-heteronormative public figure in recent Black Bottom,” and who brings a larger-than-life sense of dramatic storytelling to the mix. memory.

Blending tried-and-true narrative approach with an internet-era edginess of flow, he manThere’s a reason it’s accompanied by a buzz, one that’s more than enough to make it a ages to weave a story involving multiple important-yet-little-known historical facts and figmust-see for anybody “in the fight.” And if you can lend your support to Black-and-queer ures without being mired in clumsy exposition. filmmaking by buying a ticket to see it in the theater before it streams on your TV screen Far more importantly, his finger is planted firmly on the human element, allowing factual at home, all the better. details to become secondary to the insights he ekes from the history explored in his film.

JOHN PAUL KING Though he never fails in delivering the emotionally weighted cinematic call to action his

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • 13

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BOOKS

Explore the history of drag in ‘Glitter and Concrete’ Book traces art form from 1800s through Prohibition to present day

By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER You simply have nothing to wear.

Old joke, that one. Really old because these days, it’s easy for anyone to have racks and shelves and dresser drawers full of casual wear, fancy duds, comfy things, and finery to put on their body.

Yes, you have plenty to wear but, as in the new book “Glitter and Concrete”

by Elyssa Maxx Goodman, you just have to look in the closet.

Like nearly every kid in America, Elyssa Maxx Goodman loved to play dress up. In her case, though, she didn’t hope for a princess costume. She wanted to dress like the characters in “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.” Later, as an adult, she “sought to learn as much about drag as” possible and she began to see New York City as its epicenter.

“From the mid-1800s to 1900, gender impersonation became a beloved genre of theater” in New York, she says, but social attitudes and morals changed in the early 20th century. Female drag performers were often scrutinized, and worked under sometimes-unpredictable ‘Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural rules while male impersonators might History of Drag in New York City’ have enjoyed the ability to live as a man,

By Elyssa Maxx Goodman travel alone, and keep company with c.2023, Hanover Square Press women in public. $32.99 | 464 pages By the beginning of World War I, social reformers had begun to shut down places where they thought homosexuality might be found, and that included drag venues. They did so despite that gender impersonations were important to the morale of soldiers.

Says Goodman, “female impersonator roles were incredibly popular with enlisted men” and one drag show became “an instant hit.”

Prohibition sent both booze and drag underground, but while the former was widely available again in 1933, the latter was not. And yet, it was impossible to keep drag performances from happening; in fact, the mob ran several drag clubs, including one owned by Anna Genovese, the bisexual wife of mobster Vito. Yes, drag could be found in the years 1933 to 1968, but audiences both straight and gay had to search for it.

Still, change was coming.

Then again, doesn’t it seem like change never stopped happening in the world of drag? Like, a now-you-see-it, oops, now-you-can’t kinda thing? Understanding that, and the future of drag, entails knowing its history and that’s easy to do, once you’ve read “Glitter and Concrete.”

In taking readers back some 170 years, author Elyssa Maxx Goodman shows how New York City led the way for drag to be both condemned and enjoyed in the rest of America, often seemingly in the same breath. Intuiting the difference between illegal and permissible was a matter of splitting hairs then; the scandalous nature of drag was often youknow-it-when-you-see-it, and not always firmly defined. That repeating juxtaposition, a social flip-flop-flip, if you will, is fascinating to follow here. Indeed, it was sometimes a case of one man’s trash being another man’s pleasure.

So what’s changed about that? So much and not much, and the rest of the story is inside this necessary book. Read it, and “Glitter and Concrete” will make you wear a smile.

BOOKS

A good read for anyone who’s ever struggled at work Memoir ‘All Pride, No Ego’ reminds us to ‘leave space for the possible’

By TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER Auditions are always nerve-wracking. Will the part be yours?

You sure practiced enough before you were judged – and that’s what an audition is, a judgment. Can you handle the lines? Are you a fit for the part you want, or would you be better at a walk-on? Being someone else in a play is fun, but not always easy. Neither, says Jim Fielding in his new book “All Pride, No Ego,” is being someone else at work.

Born in Toledo into a big extended clan, Jim Fielding says that it looked like he was a member of “the perfect, nuclear family.” The truth was, though, that “vulnerabilities and dysfunctions were numerous” and that included homophobia, which was a problem: when he was six years old, Fielding realized he was gay.

To cover for it, he became an overachiever with a lack of self-confidence and an abundance of insecurities. To help him to conquer his weaknesses, he built a great support system but still, “I wish I had a book like this when I was starting out in my career.”

‘All Pride, No Ego: A Queer His first point here is his mantra: “Control the Executive’s Journey to Living controllable, but leave space for the possible.” and Leading Authentically’ Color “within the lines” if you must, but do it

By Jim Fielding at “a company whose ethics and values align c.2023, Wiley | $28 | 213 pages with your own.” If you’re in control, set clear goals, “hire people who are smarter than you are” and get to know them well.

“Never stop learning.” Accept that you can forgive without forgetting transgressions.

Remember that if the job is right, you won’t have to change who you fundamentally are. Learn to “define FAMILY however it works for you...” Know the difference between want and need. Trust your intuition, tamp down impulsiveness, but be flexible – which will help you attract and keep the best team possible. Know that selfishness is a righteous thing sometimes.

Strive always for “cultures of excellence.”

And always “leave [your] corner of the world a better place than [you] found it.” Donate.

Volunteer. Do good.

In his preface, author Jim Fielding says that he wrote this book because he “realized that my leadership style and success... are completely dependent on my personal journey.”

Those words should alert readers that “All Pride, No Ego” is preponderantly a memoir, which isn’t a bad thing but it bears mentioning.

If you don’t have the patience it takes for rambling stories, you won’t like this book at all, in fact. Fielding is a storyteller, and he smartly uses his experiences to show, not tell, in a way that’s pleasant and relatable for anyone who’s ever struggled at work. Yes, the workplace tales mean that business advice is sometimes embedded, sometimes apparent, and sometimes down a rabbit hole for you to follow but for most readers, it’ll be a useful scavenger hunt.

While this book is perhaps best for the person who’s looking for a first job or who just found one and is sweating to fit in, “All Pride, No Ego” is worthwhile for anyone. Enjoy the memoir, find the helpful parts.

LOSANGELESBLADE.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2023 • 15