METROSOURCE NY - APR/MAY 2024

JIMBO

THE CIRCUS IS COMING TO TOWN

DANCE

LIFE

AN INSPIRING MIX OF DOCUMENTARY AND REALITY TV

IRELAND WILD SWIMMING IN THE IRISH NORTH SEA

THE SIMPLY MARVELOUS RUSSELL DAUTERMAN

KATHY GRIFFIN

FINDING THE FUNNY

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:

 Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

ABOUT BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.

Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:

 dofetilide

 rifampin

 any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY

Tell your healthcare provider if you:

 Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

 Have any other health problems.

 Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.

 Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks of breastfeeding during treatment with BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

 Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

 BIKTARVY and other medicines may a ect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:

 Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.

 Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.

 Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.

 Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

 Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

 The most common side e ects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side e ects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.

You are encouraged to report negative side e ects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY

Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION

 This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

 Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5.

 If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

People featured take BIKTARVY and are compensated by Gilead.

#1 PRESCRIBED HIV TREATMENT*

NOW THERE’S MORE TO LOVE.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

BIKTARVY® is now approved for more people than ever before.

BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

*Note: This information is an estimate derived from the use of information under license from the following IQVIA information service: IQVIA NPA Weekly, for the period week ending 04/19/2019 through week ending 05/19/2023. IQVIA expressly reserves all rights, including rights of copying, distribution, and republication.

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Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and at BIKTARVY.com.

VIEWS EDITOR’S LETTER

ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS ARE IN FULL BLOOM

THE FIRST SIGNS OF SPRING HAVE ARRIVED. FOR ME, THAT’S FRESH NEW BUDS ON MY FLOWERING PLANTS, BRIGHT GREEN LAWNS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND WINTER COATS HANGING

BY

MY KITCHEN

DOOR REPLACED WITH FLIPFLOPS. This springtime also brings shows, new books, exciting events, new restaurants and places to explore. It is certainly a season to indulge in all forms of entertainment.

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!’”

— Robin Williams

Our writers continue to capture interesting insights from many LGBTQ+ professionals (and allies) in the entertainment industry. This issue is no exception. One common theme is the use of their entertainment platform, whatever it may be, to further diversity, equality and inclusion. I hope you will find inspiration from their stories to do your part, within your sphere of influence, to shed light, understanding, and acceptance of LGBTQ+ causes.

Our cover feature, Kathy Griffin, is a prime example of using her voice, not only to entertain, but to fight for equality, expose anti-gay rhetoric and legislation, and encourage voter participation. As Kathy warns while discussing the need to vote, if a certain someone, whose name I do not utter, were to win the election, “You can kiss all of your civil rights goodbye on day one. Get out there and vote.”

Multi-talented voiceover actor and comedian, JP Karliak, not only entertains but has used his position to help other queer actors achieve equitable opportunities in the industry through Queer Vox. Plus, his organization NerdsVote encourages participation in the political process.

And the list goes on with the entertaining and inspirational people highlighted in this issue’s feature stories. Take talented illustrator Russell Dauterman, who is bringing gay characters to life

on the pages of Marvel Comics. With new stories and new characters, this is a medium for all ages, and it is prideful to see how the medium has grown more diverse. Most of us grew up watching and pretending to be like comic book characters, and it brings forth a sense of comfort and familiarity.

Stepping out of the familiarity zone, Jimbo’s Drag Circus World Tour, is billed as the “weirdest show on Earth” and is currently touring North America. Jimbo certainly is as outrageous as billed, and we have an exclusive interview with this drag superstar, who tells about his love of girls clothes growing up, his love of the energy of the circus, and his run on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 and Canada’s Drag Race

Outspoken comedian Dulce Sloan releases a no-holds-barred book Hello, Friends!, and talks about finding her happiness and giving back to our community.

On the small screen, the reality show/documentary Dance Life chronicles the lives of aspiring dance professionals in their final year of school. We have captured a behind-the-scenes interview with several of the cast members and makers of this insightful and uplifting project. We are happy to see a“reality”television project that includes characters that are supportive of one another.

We also take you to the North Sea of Ireland in this issue for an icy water plunge as well as a local culinary adventure. The Irish have been wild swimming in the icy Irish Sea for nearly three centuries, and one of our writers braved Dublin’s bone-chilling morning for a wild swim. Read about the experience of becoming a “wild swimmer” in this issue.

In our Los Angeles edition, readers will catch up with Too Hot Tamales restauranteurs Susan Feniger and Mary Ann Milliken. This dynamic duo of the culinary world has done it again with this fresh take on Mexican/Southern California fare.

In our New York edition, readers will find dozens of springtime activities in the five boroughs in our features NY Scope, Let’s Chat Broadway, and I Love NY.

There’s no doubt spring is in Full Bloom. I hope you all get there and enjoy the weather and indulge in the seasonal options awaiting you.

CULTURE

7 THE SCOPE

Best Música Urbana Album Grammy Winner Karol G is back with a new single. Modi Rosenfeld has a New Comedy Special. In Queering Rehoboth Beach, Historian and educator James Sears Charts the Significant Evolution of a Charming Beach Town in Southern Delaware.

MICHAEL WESTMAN

THESCOPE

LISTEN

KAROL G “CONTIGO”

Karolgmusic.com

AFTER MAKING HISTORY AS THE FIRST FEMALE TO WIN A GRAMMY FOR “BEST MÚSICA URBANA ALBUM” WITH MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO, KAROL G KEEPS THE MOMENTUM GOING WITH HER LATEST SINGLE, “CONTIGO”. The hypnotizing Pop and EDM fusion nods to the global recording artist’s pop roots highlighting a powerful message: everyone has the right to celebrate love in all its forms. “CONTIGO” is now available on all digital streaming platforms.

“CONTIGO” amplifies the success of Karol G’s GRAMMY-award-winning studio album Mañana Será Bonito and Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), she reintroduces an iconic fanfavorite duo alongside global sensation Tiësto. The song features an interpolation of Leona Lewis’ iconic hit“Bleeding Love”with a pop-synth fusion set to become an anthem. This track’s lyrics “no

quiero vida si no es contigo” (I don’t want a life if it’s not with you), echoes the heartfelt sentiment that underscores the importance of celebrating love in all of its forms.

Co-created by Karol G and Pedro Artola and produced by WeOwnTheCity, the story woven into “CONTIGO” is brought to life through a captivating music video starring Karol, Tiësto, and Young Miko. This video dives into a tender story of a couple with a pure and one-of-a-kind connection, creating an intimate world in which it seems as if they are the only people who exist, isolated from the world’s noise. They live and love intensely celebrating those feelings that cannot be controlled and that are so strong that they overcome all obstacles.

Karol G’s recent achievements stand as a testament to her unparalleled impact on the music

industry. Following her recognition as Billboard’s Woman of the Year, Karol is set to make 2024 another year about shattering the glass ceiling. Recently, she embarked on her Mañana Será Bonito Latam Tour, kicking off in Mexico City with an unprecedented feat: becoming the first female artist to sell out the Estadio Azteca for three consecutive nights, with a remarkable 80,000 attendees per night.

Karol’s remarkable ability to unite her loyal fanbase and transcend borders was demonstrated by their heartfelt gesture—a massive banner bearing the words “no quiero vida si no es contigo,” echoing the sentiment of her latest track. Karol G’s legacy as a pioneering force in the music industry continues to flourish, inspiring generations to come with her unwavering dedication and groundbreaking accomplishments.

WATCH

MODI LIVE

IN HIS NEW SPECIAL KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, MODI ROSENFELD CERTAINLY DOESN’T SHY AWAY FROM TALKING ABOUT HIS JEWISH BACKGROUND. He shows his ability to infuse humor into the mundane parts of life as he takes his audience through the experience of sitting shiva (the formal 7-day period of mourning a loved one) and the many fundraising events he so often takes the stage at. Modi fearlessly pokes fun at the differences between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews offering both insight and hilarity into the nuances of Jewish identity. Rosenfeld is currently on his Know Your Audience tour.

Born in Tel Aviv, Modi emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven and was raised on Long Island. After graduating from Boston University, he joined the workforce as an investment banker and was encouraged by a friend to try his hand at stand-up. His first open-mic night made him realize that comedy was his true calling.

Voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter, Modi is one of the comedy circuit’s most sought-after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment,

READ

Modi has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post. Now a regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, Modi also headlines around the country and across the globe. He is a co-founder of The Chosen Comedy Festival, a celebration of Jewish humor that was launched in 2022. The festival features diverse comedy acts and has brought laughter to thousands of people in NYC, Miami, Los Angeles, and more.

Co-hosted with Periel Aschenbrand and Leo Veiga, Modi hosts a podcast called AND HERE’S MODI which gives an inside look at the man behind the microphone. The episodes feature a raw and unfiltered side of the comedian that is rarely seen on stage.

Also seen on screen, Modi has played himself on HBO’s Crashing and Netflix’s When Jews Were Funny. He’s also appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in Waiting for Woody Allen, which won the LA Film Festival, and Stand Up, a feature-length film. In 2018, Mayor Bill De Blasio declared June 26th ‘Mordechi Modi Rosenfeld Day’ in the city of New York for his accomplishments and contributions to the artistic community.

QUEERING REHOBOTH BEACH: BEYOND THE BOARDWALK

BY JAMES T. SEARS

(PUBLICATION DATE: MAY 24, 2024; 368 PAGES, 22 HALFTONES,

“CREATE A MORE POSITIVE REHOBOTH” WAS A DECADES-LONG GOAL FOR PROGRESS AND INCLUSIVENESS IN A CHARMING BEACH TOWN IN SOUTHERN DELAWARE. Rehoboth, which was established in the 19th century as a Methodist Church meeting camp, has, over time, become a thriving mecca for the LGBTQ+ community. In Queering Rehoboth Beach, historian and educator James Sears charts this significant evolution.

Sears draws upon extensive oral history accounts, archival material, and personal narratives to chronicle “the Battle for Rehoboth,” which unfolded in the late 20th century, as conservative town leaders and homeowners opposed progressive entrepreneurs and gay activists. He recounts not just the emergence of the gay and lesbian bars, dance clubs, and organizations that drew the queer community to the region, but also the efforts of local politicians, homeowners and school boards among

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other groups who fought to develop and protect the traditional identity of this beach town. Moreover, issues of race, class, gender and sexuality informed opinions as residents and visitors struggled with the AIDS crisis and the legacy of Jim Crow.

Queering Rehoboth Beach is more than just an inspiring story about a community’s resilience and determination to establish a safe space for itself in the wake of the era of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It is also a terrific beach read.

James T. Sears is an independent scholar focusing on Queer History. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including Growing up Gay in the South; Lonely Hunters: An Oral History of Lesbian and Gay Southern Life, 1948-1968; Behind the Mask of the Mattachine: The Hal Call Chronicles and the Early Movement for Homosexual Emancipation; and Rebels, Rubyfruit, and Rhinestones: Queering Space in the Stonewall South

THE GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM, LOCATED IN THE HEART OF SAN FRANCISCO’S CASTRO DISTRICT, IS THE FIRST STAND-ALONE MUSEUM OF LGBTQ HISTORY AND CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. It celebrates San Francisco’s vast queer past through dynamic and surprising exhibitions and programming.

Open since January 2011, the museum showcases the sheer depth and breadth of the GLBT Historical Society’s archives, demonstrates the importance of queer history to the public, and mounts wide-ranging exhibitions with an emphasis on diversity and social justice.

YOU ARE HERE: CLAIMING YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY (Temporary Exhibition) (Opening Reception April 11, 2024)

For hundreds of years, small-minded groups have sought to erase LGBTQ people from the landscape and to write us out of history. There is a clear line connecting the people promoting “Don’t Say Gay” legislation today to the people who forced gay men and lesbians out of government jobs during the Lavender Scare; between those banning books in schools and the Nazisupporting youth who looted and burned the Institute of Sexology’s library in the 1930s; and between those erasing opportunities for trans kids today and the conquistadors who tried - and

VISIT OUT AT THE FAIR

failed - to erase the complex and diverse gender systems of the pre-conquest Americas.

At the same time as our enemies have sought to erase us, we have kept our stories alive for each other. Shared through oral traditions, hidden in plain sight through codes and secret languages, and carefully passed down from generation-togeneration LGBTQ people have kept our stories alive for centuries.

The GLBT Historical Society is part of a long line of people and organizations who maintain this tradition. We carefully preserve and share more than a thousand archival collections –one of the largest selections of LGBTQ historic material ever assembled in human history. Our archives hold intimate portraits of hidden love, brave stories of resistance and rebellion, the minutiae of countless groups working to make the world a better place, and so much more.

YOU ARE HERE is an intentionally incomplete exhibition, offering a timeline of some important moments in LGBTQ history. We invite visitors to learn about the people and moments that have shaped the world they inhabit today, and to consider how their life will be remembered in the future. Visitors are invited to share a memory they want to live on by adding them to the timeline, help us imagine what comes next by declaring a hope for the future.

OUT AT THE FAIR® IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND EVENT THAT CELEBRATES DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS IN A FUN AND FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE. The event takes place at a fairground, providing a perfect backdrop for a day filled with music, food, games, and entertainment for all ages. The main stage features a lineup of talented musicians, dancers, and performers from a wide range of genres, giving attendees the opportunity to enjoy a diverse mix of music and entertainment.

OATF® is a community-focused event designed to bring people together and promote a message of acceptance and love. The event is open to everyone, regardless of their background, sexual orientation, or beliefs, making it a safe and welcoming space for all. So come out and join the fun at Out at the Fair® – where diversity and inclusiveness are celebrated!

California events include the following: San Diego County, Solano County, Alameda County, Marin County, Santa Barbara County, California State Fair, Orange County, and Monterey County. Also coming up in Oregon is the Washington County Fair. Visit outatthefair.com for all the dates and details.

DANCE LIFE

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

AN INSPIRING MIX OF DOCUMENTARY AND REALITY TV

THERE’S A NEW REALITY SHOW ON THE SCENE THAT SKILLFULLY ESCAPES THE SHOCK VALUE AND CATTINESS THAT HAVE BECOME FUNDAMENTALS OF THAT GENRE. An inspiring breath of fresh air, Amazon Prime’s Dance Life mixes documentary and reality TV to present the lives of a handful of dance students in their final year (called full-time) at Brent Street, the top dance studio in Australia. These dancers, having studied dance from youth, have given up any sense of a normal life to live and breathe dance. These students are not just getting through their final year, but they are gearing up for perhaps the most important moment of their career, a bigger-than-life Grad performance that can mean being booked in the real world by a variety of agents. The chilling truth? Only 1% actually make it in the dance industry.

Written and directed by filmmaker Luke Cornish, the show not only details the students’ class life, but follows them on an in-depth look at their personal life, the mental, physical, and emotional struggles in the world of dance, and how much they have sacrificed to get to this point. This five-part series is intense and instantly captivating, whether you are a fan of dance or not. To see these youth, so mature for their age, fighting for their passion is intoxicating. To follow them on their journey to the climactic finale Grad performance, which could literally make or break their future in dance, is heartbreaking, emotional, and totally uplifting. There is a message here that is not limited to the dance life – how far are you willing to go to live your truth? Instead of seeing these students pitted against each other in normal reality TV fare, we see them band together in support and strength to get through Brent Street together. It warms the heart.

With over 10 years of experience in TV in Australia and the UK and with a string of industry accolades for his previous projects, LUKE CORNISH is one of the most sought-after shooter/ directors in Sydney. A proud member of the LGBTQ community, he has brought his queer sensibility and eye to the project, knowing what it feels like to be part of a community, yet feel alone at the same time. The dance life can be very isolating.

What about the world of dance appeals to you most?

It’s so rare to discover a world where so many different types of people are all fighting for the same dream, you just don’t see that very often as a documentary maker. The world of dance is full of the most determined people and they’re working in an industry where so few make it – those are some seriously compelling stakes for me to watch unfold! I also knew that the constant pressure the dancers are under would give me plenty of storylines to explore. Ultimately, I wanted to see how someone’s character, their past, their personality, all the things that made them them, would impact their ability to succeed.

What factors or points of view were most important to you in putting the show together?

The thing that runs through the entire series for me is: the need to be seen. That became the focus after we heard so many of the dancers say it in their interviews. It’s clearly very important in dance to stand out and literally be seen by an agent, a choreographer, or an audience but it’s also something non-dancers need as well. We all want to be seen by our friends, families, and

LUKE

partners. Ultimately we want our authentic selves to be seen and accepted. Using that as our theme allowed us to bring the dance journey and the human journey together and tell those parallel stories alongside each other. I think you’ll see in this series that what happens on the dance floor is just as important as what happens off it.

You gained very intimate and special access to the students, choreographers, and school. What affected you most, that you were not expecting, from the filming process?

We had SO many unexpected moments while filming, I spent an entire year filming with the dancers, which was such a privilege. In that year we saw people fall in love and fall out of it, I had phone calls at 5am telling me one of our subjects had broken their ankle. The students are 17-19 years old. That’s such a delicate time in our lives, where we’re still discovering who we are. That meant Dance Life turned into a true coming-of-age story. They didn’t start and end the year as the same people.

What were your biggest challenges – personally and director-wise – in getting this project filmed?

This answer is connected to what I love about the world of dance and what inspired me to make Dance Life. The dedication

every dancer showed to their craft, despite the odds, is something I can relate to. I literally broke my pelvis in the middle of the shoot but despite being on crutches and barely able to walk I turned up to shoot because one of our subjects was having her boot removed after breaking an ankle. It didn’t help she lived on the 5th floor with NO ELEVATOR. So, yes, I did slide up the stairs on my butt one step at a time. And yes, we did get the shot.

What do you want audiences to get the most from watching the show? What is the mission of the show?

The show is a love letter to people who are in pursuit of their dreams despite there being no guarantee of them coming true. I want people to watch these young athletes become artists and feel confident enough to chase their own goals. People often struggle to ask for what they want in life but this is a story that shows you what’s possible when you do!

As a queer artist, what is your take on the representation of the LGBTQ culture in dance? It is assumed that most male dancers are gay, which is not always the case. We don’t see much mention of lesbian representation in dance. And we saw the journey Archer, a trans student, took in getting

MY BODY IS BEAUTIFUL ALONE AND IN OF ITSELF.”

ARCHER

to represent her true self on the stage. Is there a struggle for representation in mainstream dance?

I think commercial dance is a progressive place and a lot further along than many industries, but that doesn’t mean it’s fixed. Archer mentioned her struggle to find a place in the industry in her very first interview and I knew instantly that I wanted to follow her on that journey, to discover where she belonged. Representation is so important to me, but I try not to turn people into labels. If their specific identity is relevant to their story, I’ll talk about it but I’m always looking to show that isn’t all they are.

We also get to see the struggles and lives of the dance teachers. Why is that so important to highlight as well?

The teachers are such compelling characters it was impossible not to feature them. They’ve made it through an extremely tough industry, often dancing since they were 2 or 3 years old. They’ve been through fierce training, injuries, and rejection and are still standing. Cassie Bartho is the main teacher we follow in the series. The students adore her. From the very first class I filmed with her I knew we had a show!

What are you most thankful to Dance Life for?

I’m most grateful for the subjects in Dance Life. They trusted us and shared so many intimate moments on camera. That’s

no easy thing and was fuel for the team and me when we needed to go the extra mile and work the extra hours to ensure the show was worthy of all they had given.

ARCHER’s story in the series is that of both personal growth and growth as a dancer. At the start of the series, Archer identified as non-binary. While the queer community has a strong presence in the world of dance, how gender roles present on stage is a different story. Not always clear where Archer fits in, her confidence would affect her dance work. A touching moment occurs after Archer is encouraged and allowed to wear the female dancer costume for the final Grad performance, and Arabella, a fellow student, helps her into her outfit. Archer emerges as a confident spirit and nails the performance. Since the taping of the show, she has embraced her transgender identity.

Not only did we get to see your dance journey, but we also got to see your personal identity journey. Were you nervous about letting the cameras into your life in such an intimate way?

Yes! During the filming of the show, I had become quite nervous. I remember being very anxious about how I would come across on camera. I would constantly send producers lists of things I didn’t want included. Looking back, I don’t think I had anything to really worry about!

How did you change the most from going through your final year at Brent?

That was the year I started working as a model but also as a dancer getting gigs outside of a full-time space. I think that, plus the training, opened my eyes to the vast possibilities in these industries. I decided to forge my own path, not the one I had been told was right.

How has being a queer performer added the most to your dance artistry?

I am a deeply creative and explorative artist - in my dancing and my creative work. My queerness and transness are woven into me and therefore my art as well. It’s not a conscious thing but rather an element of the identity I perform with.

Part of being a dancer and being part of the queer community is dealing with body issues, both commercially and personally. How have you worked through body issues to focus on dance?

I don’t think many of my friends other than me have recovered completely from what growing up as a dancer or even just a girl does to your self-image. I have learned that comparison is the killer. Especially when I’m in a room of gorgeous cis dancers and ESPECIALLY cis women. My body is beautiful alone and in of itself … obviously.

What is your take on the current state of representation of non-binary and trans culture in mainstream dance?

I think after leaving full-time is when I began to really question the integrity of

the commercial industry. That space is often not made from a love of art, movement, and trained technical foundations but sometimes, a sum of stolen parts constructed for the sake of profit, whatever that may mean. I think that trans and non-binary people have created the most beautiful spaces to dance in. I have yet to see that represented in mainstream dance in an important or consistent way.

What did it feel like to take the stage in your final performance in a costume that best fit your identity?

Honestly, at the time I was still struggling with the idea of ‘identity.’ But I’d say it was just fun! Fun to be on stage and still dance like no one is watching. Dancing the way I always do but being seen in the way I wanted finally.

What are your biggest challenges being a queer dancer in the mainstream industry?

I feel like I’m always trying to navigate an uncharted path. I go through highs but then extended lows of little to no work and it can be incredibly challenging. The hardest part is being characterized by the industry as ‘nice.’ Personally, I do have my own specific vibe but as a model and a dancer - I can do the work! It’s just the boxes other people put me into that annoy me a bit.

What are you most thankful to Dance Life for?

I’m just proud to get through it. At 18 and 19 years old I was so confused within my own head, and I am so grateful that this, regardless of everything, came out of that.

What is your message to other dancers going through their queer, self-discovery journey?

I think that any young people dancing who are queer should explore and have fun with themselves and their art. Everything is changing and that won’t stop so try to enjoy what you have right now. Be patient with yourself and your work and stay true to the person you know you are.

MAX SIMMONS, affectionally nicknamed Max S, is the longest-studying dancer at Brent Street, leaving mainstream education at the age of 14. For him, there is no plan B. Dance is his life. He does not shy away from being outspoken and flamboyant, but rather, uses it in his dance. Even with his many years at the school, he has to deal with the fierce competition with some of the other male students who take the spotlight.

How difficult was it to add cameras around cataloging your final year at Brent Street? Did

MAX

that increase the pressure? Did it change the way you danced?

To be honest, I was very skeptical and nervous about being filmed. At first, I was running away from the cameras, we hadn’t built relationships and connections with the production crew who were filming us. Once I got to know the director Luke Cornish and producer Jade Barnes better, I felt like that’s when the nerves of the cameras around us started to ease as we built a relationship of trust and understanding with the people filming us.

I wouldn’t say the cameras increased pressure on myself or changed the way I danced, I would have worked hard and danced my ass off regardless of a camera in my face or not. If anything, it could have changed the way I spoke or interacted with people. The first few weeks of being filmed, I found it hard to fully be myself and be comfortable with saying whatever I wanted as I was guarded and nervous but as the year progressed, I felt more comfortable

and was able to be myself.

What did you want audiences to see most about your journey?

I wanted audiences to see the hard work and determination I put behind my craft and the love I have for dancing and performing. Dance is truly such a difficult career to pursue and I think the show shed light on this and invited a new understanding of the effort that dancers have to put in.

You have been at Brent Street since an early age, leaving regular school to study. Do you ever regret that decision?

I absolutely do not regret this decision, if anything it was the best decision I ever made. I had friends at regular school but never really fit in, whenever I was at Brent Street I fit in, it felt like home. Leaving regular school to attend years 10-12 at Brent Street not only allowed me to improve as a performer and dancer but also gave me the confidence to be myself and express my sexuality with no shame.

What did you learn most about yourself this final year at Brent Street?

The difficulty of full-time and the struggles that it entailed really showed me how much I want to have dance and performing as my career. I always knew how much I loved to dance but my final year reinforced this.

What are the biggest challenges you face now, being gone at Brent Street? Did it take time to find your own footing on your own after leaving?

The biggest challenge I faced leaving Brent Street would have to be the unknown. For so many years I was used to doing the same routine every day, waking up and training at Brent Street. Sometimes I could feel lost not having this routine. I think also waiting and being patient was a challenging aspect of this change for me, knowing that what’s meant for me will come to me and my hard work will pay off. It did take time for me to find my own footing, but I am someone who whenever I don’t have much on, I will always find something to further my training and career and keep on pushing.

We got to see part of your relationship during the show. Is it possible to maintain a healthy relationship while being a dancer? It seems quite difficult.

I think it’s very possible to maintain a healthy relationship while being a dancer. It can be difficult as you’re in the same industry and trying to reach the same goals, yet I think it’s about being supportive of one another, uplifting each other, and celebrating each other’s wins.

What is your take on the current state of representation of the LGBTQ culture in mainstream dance?

Representation of LGBTQ culture has evolved rapidly in dance. I am no expert but from what I have seen, there are a lot more same sex partnering and storylines about LGBTQ experiences and relationships than there used to be.

How has being a gay man added to your dance artistry?

Growing up in the dance world I found comfort in expressing who I truly was through dance. It allowed me to be my truest self even before I could say I was gay. Whilst my sexuality and my artistry are independent of one another, they are both related to who I am and resultantly do influence each other.

DON’T EVER HIDE OR DULL YOUR SPARKLE. PASSION WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH.”

ARABELLA

What are you most thankful for Dance Life?

I am so thankful that Dance Life has brought dancing back into the limelight where people can appreciate and admire the craft whilst also being aware of the dedication we dancers have to our artistry. I am also thankful that the show has allowed me and the other cast members to share who we are as people and provide a platform to show our craft.

What is your message to other LGBTQ dancers trying to make it in the business?

I would say to be resilient and never give up, I am a firm believer that hard work always wins. If you know performing and dancing is what you’re meant to do in life, then the obstacles you face along the way shouldn’t matter.

Dancer ARABELLA believes she is destined for stardom and will do anything it takes to make a name for herself. While at Brent Street, she would take club jobs to earn a living. A triple threat, she was given the opportunity to shine during Graduation, with a showstopping number that would spotlight her skills. The night before

her performance, she would get very sick. But, as they say in the business, the show must go on, and she did take that stage. Her sexuality was not showcased in the show, but her queer resilience is evident in her work. She is star quality.

Did you have any trepidation in letting the cameras film your life on such an intimate level?

There was always a level of hesitation with letting the cameras in on my life so personally, a fear of judgment from others and general insecurity, but I knew that in order to create a truthful documentary I had to be open and honest. I also quickly learned that I (quietly) loved the cameras.

What did you want audiences to see most about your journey?

I suppose, in short, I wanted viewers to understand that becoming a professional performer isn’t always a linear process. Each journey is so different from another’s, and there is so much work outside of the full-time course that we have to put in to secure a spot in our industry. Every little thing counts! Every opportunity is just as important as the rest. The full-time course

is like a practice run of what our lives will look like for the rest of our careers.

What did you learn about yourself the most from your final year at Brent Street?

That last year of Brent Street really brought me out of myself. Looking back, I started off as a totally different person to who I am now! I’m really proud of how well I coped, and I learned that I’m really good at balancing out my life and coping with a rigorous schedule, but that could all just be because of my Libra sun sign.

What is the reality of dance life after leaving school?

The reality is a pretty humbling experience! You no longer have your schedule planned out for you, and you are your own boss - the transition to small fish, big pond. The first six months out I was all over the shop. I was still working three “muggle” jobs aka waitressing, children’s entertainment, retail, all whilst trying to put my name on the map. Being in my second year out of Brent Street, I feel like I have more rhythm now. Every single day is different and so busy but I’m so grateful that I get

to be busy, it’s a privilege to be busy as a performer.

You had a lot of pressure by being the star of one of the final pieces – triple threat! You had some health issues that plagued your final year. How are you maintaining your mental health while dealing with the spotlight and body health?

Great question! I think this is something so important to prioritize as a performer as our toolkit is our physical body and mind. I think I’m still trying to figure this out myself. I realized the tummy bug the night before Grad was because I was run down, and not properly looking after myself with good meals and good sleep so my immune system was very fragile. I try to keep a healthy lifestyle now full of good foods, exercise, and REST. Rest and downtime are the keys to recovery and revitalization. Mental resilience and mental health are so important in this career too, I see a regular psychologist who has been such a tremendous help. I’m learning that separating my work life and personal life is so important so in my downtime I love being around family, friends, and the ocean.

Your sexuality wasn’t highlighted in the show like some of the other cast members. Does your sexuality play a part in your dance artistry?

I think it does, subconsciously. I came out as gay in April of the full-time course and had a hard time coming to terms with it, to be honest. Most, if not all, partnering work is male/female and I don’t think I truly connect with that as an artist because it’s not how I feel. Of course, I can pretend and perform hetero partnering and dancing - I pretended to be straight for 18 years! But since full-time I’ve had the opportunity to dance with women and I feel like the performance comes so naturally there, and I feel comfortable. I hope our industry can create more opportunities and room for gay/queer stories to be told.

What is the current state of lesbian representation in mainstream dance? Have you ever been discriminated against because of your sexuality?

Lesbian representation almost doesn’t exist in mainstream dance. Of course, hetero representation is the foundation of our industry and over time gay representation has become more common thankfully. Unfortunately, I have yet to see a performance curated around or about lesbians and queer women. I’ve never been personally discriminated against for my sexuality, I’m not sure many people in the Australian scene even know I’m gay! Maybe I haven’t been loud about it because there is no room for lesbian roles at the moment, maybe it’s because our community isn’t as accepting of lesbians as they are gay men, especially in a female-dominated industry. But I feel separated from the community in the sense that I don’t have the opportunity to perform as a queer woman in a queer role. I do have plans and ideas to create that work for myself and others.

We got to see some of the realities of earning money while working as a dancer. Is there a stigma against dancers who take club gigs?

There is SUCH a stigma with podium/ club work. Most of that comes from the general public. My friend Poppy Derrington, who was working with me the night Dance Life filmed in the club, had an experience one night with some girls standing underneath her podium, where they pointed and laughed at her saying things like, “imagine being a dancer” and “she has no self-respect.” It’s such a degrading thing to hear whilst you’re working, dancing your

guts out for these people! But it’s such a good job to take when you are fresh in the industry as it teaches you basic skills about how to work gigs, bump in and out, how to prepare, to be adaptable, and to get some experience.

What are you most thankful to Dance Life for?

I’m so grateful for the opportunities Dance Life has given me, it’s been so lifechanging to be a part of this whole process. But I’m most thankful for the way this show has brought dance back into the spotlight in the media and for the general public. Society and the general public are really starting to tune into the dance world again with things such as the UDA National Competition, music videos like “Jungle,” “Back on 74,” Superbowl performances, and now our Dance Life series. I hope the love and appreciation for our craft keep growing! It creates work and opportunities for us performers, which is positive.

What do you want most from your dance career?

I don’t care what jobs I do, where I work, where I am, I just want to leave this earth knowing I’ve entertained. I want to tell stories with performance, and I want to provoke thoughts and emotions when I perform. My career is artistic and acts as

an escape for audiences. I want to work on screen and on stage, but as long as I’m performing and entertaining and making people feel things when they watch me, I’ll be a happy girl.

What is your message to other LGBTQ dancers trying to make it in the business?

Don’t ever hide or dull your sparkle. Your differences are actually your strengths and it’s this that will be your magical power. Our community is on a great trajectory where we are starting to see more and more representation in the workplace and there is and will always be room for you here. Everyone has a spot in the industry, even when at times it looks like there’s not one. It’s just up to you and you alone to find that spot and be committed to finding it. It can feel like a needle in a haystack, but when the time is right the universe will put it in front of you. Just don’t give up, passion will always triumph.

From what the students who filmed the series have reported, at the heart of the show was the creative team and crew behind the series. Spending time with the Dance Life was like being part of a family. Earning their trust, the team was literally with them during the highs and lows of their

experience. One of the show’s associate producers, MICHAEL SEAN WALTERS, has been instrumental in getting the word out in the States about the show.

What was the inspiration for getting this show made?

Jade Barnes, one of the executive producers, worked with director Luke Cornish to create the show. The idea initially was to show behind the scenes of a dance academy and how talented students handled the pressure of a final make-or-break year to become professional dancers. Many students at the young ages of 18 - 19 have already been dancing for 15 years. I want to put that in perspective: your whole life and your whole career in the 18+ years you’ve been on the planet, the thing you’ve dedicated your life to, often to the exclusion of other childhood experiences, to be good enough to get into the Brent Street course in the first place, now gets decided in this year. The comparison to other dancers and how hard you’re prepared to work to be seen and to improve in this final leg of a lifelong marathon is revealed.

What do you think the message of Dance Life is? Commit. But also, enjoy the ride. There are obviously coming-of-age elements to

the series, but I know from our broad audience to date that everyone appreciates the efforts and energy reflected on screen. We all want to live in a world where hard work is rewarded. And we applaud when it is.

As a series, I will add, that it has no brats, bitchiness, or backstabbing. This in itself, sets the series apart and has been regularly commented on. We are proof positive that you can make a show that includes characters supportive of each other – despite being competitors! That drama doesn’t have to be manufactured to be engaging and heart-wrenching. I’m tired of living in a Jerry Springer world of cutthroat reality shows that tear down rather than elevate.

What were the biggest obstacles in getting the project done?

We were a small crew, so there was constant concern about not having enough cameras to be everywhere at once. And in that worst-case scenario, we would miss something! I live close to the school, and there were a number of times I would get a call to drop everything, and I’d have to race to Brent Street because something had happened or was about to happen and we’d want to be on hand to film.

Also, because we’re not a scripted show, as a producer there was always an underlying anxiety that something wouldn’t happen, that everything would be smooth sailing but of course, that didn’t happen. Life is a rollercoaster, consistently tossing us curve balls – we just had to be on hand to film them when they happened!

Having filmed the show, what impressed you most about these students?

Their tenacity. There were 90 students in the course. As you see from the beginning of Episode One, they are told upfront, “Not all of you will make it.”Throughout the year not everyone was placed center stage or given solos and yet these students showed up every day, faced competition every day, the potential for injury every day, and committed fully whether they were upfront or down the back to do something they loved. They knew that every day they got to dance was a gift. This became particularly poignant the closer we got to Grad, with the students acknowledging that their opportunities to dance thereafter would be limited to employment opportunities.

What were the most important factors that

the team wanted to focus on in putting the show together?

Character. Trust was integral. Getting to know our characters, investing in them, having them open up to us, meeting their families, etc. Allowing themselves to be vulnerable in front of us with a camera rolling. Without that, the audience isn’t invested. It’s amazing to have a real-time reaction, yes, I cried! At times I knew something was going to make the final cut because it hit you right in the heart and if it’s done that to you, it’s going to do that to the audience.

And dance. We also knew the dancing was going to be amazing. It’s an elite dance school after all! But between executive producer Jade Barnes, who knows dance and would ensure a standard for those of us less in the know, and director Luke Cornish who managed to make music video edits out of all the impressive dancing – we know, that we have fulfilled the adage: Leave them wanting more!

As a gay man, what do you think of the state of LGBTQ representation in mainstream dance?

Men in high heels in dance videos, Swan Lake performed by a male dance troupe, contemporary pieces of two male lovers intertwined – the lines are being blurred

WE ARE PROOF POSITIVE THAT YOU CAN MAKE A SHOW THAT INCLUDES CHARACTERS SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER.”

and I guess that’s a good thing. But, it feels like it’s meant to shock. I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer this question. In short, I’d say this: Greater representation leads to greater exposure and despite bumps in the road I can only think that that leads to greater understanding, greater acceptance, and integration. ■

Associate producer Michael Sean Walters (flowered shirt), director Luke Cornish, and producer Philip Busfield at the Dance Life launch

THE SIMPLY MARVELOUS RUSSELL DAUTERMAN

A YOUNG GUN IN COMICS

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

GAY SOCIAL MEDIA WENT CRAZY WHEN THE ARTWORK WAS RELEASED FOR MARVEL’S VOICES: PRIDE NEW, ONE-SHOT COMIC RELEASE OF X-MEN: THE WEDDING SPECIAL #1, COMING MAY 29TH. The storyline features the long-anticipated wedding of one of the most prominent queer relationships in the comic book world - Mystique and Destiny. After more than a hundred years of dating, we finally get to see them tie the knot, making it Marvel’s first female same-sex wedding in Marvel history. But was that what the social media frenzy was about? No. A variant cover, created by Marvel illustrator Russell Dauterman, caused the stir as it featured a hunky Hercules with his arm around a twinkish Iceman. Just as any normal gays would, stealing the spotlight and inciting gossip. Who cares that other queer characters like America Chavez, Loki, Black Cat, Nico and Karolina from The Runaways, Spider-Gwen, and Web-Weaver were included in the cover as well? Is this Marvel’s hottest new couple? More importantly, and pardon our candor, the internet wanted to know who’s on top and who’s on bottom.

Perhaps the only one who truly knows is Dauterman. Russell is probably best known as the artist of Marvel’s comic book series The Mighty Thor, with Jane Foster in the title role. He’s designed covers, covers for trading card variants, and designed superhero costumes for some of comics’ biggest names. In 2018, he was named one of Marvel’s new class of Young Guns, a program that spotlights the best up-and-coming artists in the comic book industry. Members of the Young Guns have gone on to be some of the most well-known illustrators in the industry, known for being masterfully innovative in their craft.

For Russell, the comic book world was his only world growing up. In a superhero way, it was his

destiny, supported by his parents.

I was an anxious kid. I spent a lot of time in fantasy worlds from comics and cartoons - He-Man and She-Ra, Batman Returns, Gargoyles, and X-Men. X-Men: The Animated Series was my favorite - because of that show, I got into X-Men comics to get more of those characters. I’ve been a comic book fan ever since.

The way my parents tell it, I was drawing from when I could pick up a crayon. My parents put me in after-school art lessons from a pretty early age, which I’m very thankful for. I learned fundamentals there, and my parents got still-life paintings of fruit to hang in their house. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing. I started with crayon drawings of mermaids as a kid and graduated to marker drawings of Jean Grey or Princess Jasmine, and then pencil sketches in high school where I’d design new costumes for the X-Men. At the time I thought that stuff was brilliant, but once I started to pursue a career in comics, I realized I had to improve a lot - I needed to put in a lot of work to be hirable.

Even though the comic book world has been notoriously male-macho-based, there has always been a strong, yet silent queer faction of fans. Superheroes and mutants, different than“normal”people with sweeping storylines, saving the world. A fantasy safe space.

One of my earliest memories is of me having an inner monologue - very dramatic - about how I was different. I didn’t have the words at five years old or whenever to know I was gay, but I knew I wasn’t like everyone else around me.

The X-Men clicked with me immediately as a little kid. At seven years old, the appeal was probably the amazing powers and cool costumes and excitement - and the powerful women with big hair! But I also latched onto the concept of the X-Men being different from other people. The animated series really highlighted that - and made it clear that their difference made the mutants special and awesome. As a teenager, I saw the X-Men as a metaphor for being gay and appreciated them on another level as I was coming out.

After graduating from Boston College, Dauterman went on to get a master’s degree in costume design from the University of California, Los Angeles. Before making his way to comics, he found himself working in the film industry as an illustrator for costume designers for films like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Captain America: The First Avenger.

I wasn’t quite sure what art-related career I should go after. I wanted to be a comic book artist early on, thought about animation, and went to school for costume design. But I kept coming back to comics. I found out there are different disciplines involved in comic book art: character and costume design, graphic design, figure drawing, painting, lighting and set design, storyboarding, and storytelling. There are usually just one or two artists making each book, so you end up wearing a lot of different hats.

Russell began his career with Marvel ten years ago, drawing the first issue of CYCLOPS. His first Marvel comic cover was THOR (2014) issue 1, featuring a female Thor, Jane Foster. It debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List for graphic novels, and he earned an Eisner Award nomination, regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant award in the comics industry. The series would also serve as inspiration for the 2022 film, Thor: Love & Thunder. It would not serve as a proud first for his career, but it would also lay the ground for connecting with his fan base.

The story centered around Jane being a superhero despite having terminal cancer. I didn’t expect people to latch onto Jane so much. I started hearing from people who were affected by cancer, talking about how Jane’s story resonated with them. That really struck me, that even if it’s in some small way, these things that are made to entertain can mean something more to people.

Marvel’s, and comic books in general, have had a strained relationship with LGBTQ representation. With legal restrictions and a straight-dominated executive level, comic artists and storytellers had to get their message across in different ways.

An additional wrinkle for queer representation in comics is the Comics Code Authority, which started in the ‘50s and regulated the content of comic books. My understanding is that the CCA did not allow for overt homosexual content. I think those guidelines loosened over time, but the CCA lasted until the 2000s. Because of that, queer characters and relationships were censored. Famously, writer Chris Claremont intended for the X-Men villain Mystique to be in a romantic relationship with a woman called Destiny - but in the ‘80s, Claremont had to use coded language to describe their relationship. That continued until just a few years ago when writer Jonathan Hickman had Mystique call Destiny her wife on-page for the first time. Now we’re going to see their wedding in an upcoming issue.

And how has Russell’s experience been as a queer artist in a “straight world?”

There are going to be corners of most

industries or fandoms that aren’t welcoming of queer people, but I do my best to avoid those. Thankfully, Marvel has been super welcoming of me. I haven’t felt any sort of different treatment as a queer artist. They’ve been great to work for, and the fans I interact with are wonderful and very kind. Queer representation has been on the rise, in both the comics and in the comic films. The same is true of the sci-fi world. Fans are becoming more vocal, younger generations are becoming more open to ideas, and business heads know the power of a queer dollar. What is Russell’s take on the boom in LGBTQ representation in his industry?

Comics have broadened to be more inclusive of queer characters and sensibilities as attitudes about queer people have evolved in the real world. When I was young, there weren’t gay characters in the stuff I loved. Now I look at things like HEARTSTOPPER, Wiccan and Hulking at Marvel, or Iceman being a gay member of the X-Men and I wonder how different my self-worth might’ve been if I’d had those guys to identify with when I was younger.

In June of 2021, Marvel started releasing an annual anthology, Marvel’s Voices: Pride, in time

for Pride season, featuring LGBTQIA+ characters as well as creators behind the scenes, with a mission to “elevate and spotlight characters from all walks of life and identities in stories ranging from heartfelt and inspiring to action-packed and exhilarating!”As an integral part of Marvel’s new history, Dauterman was elated.

I think it’s wonderful that Marvel and DC put out these Pride anthologies and their anthology books that celebrate other marginalized communities. The books are a chance to spotlight often-underrepresented characters and give exposure to newer writers and artists which can hopefully be a steppingstone to more work.

As a costume designer, Russell has had the opportunity to design for some of Marvel’s most iconic characters, including Storm, Jean Grey, and Scarlet Witch. With such a hefty assignment, what is his creative process? Does it differ from creating a cover?

When I’m designing a character or costume, I always start with the character’s personality. Every visual thing about a character - from their body type to hairstyle to clothing or posture - can tell the audience something about that person. I

COMICS HAVE BROADENED TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE OF QUEER CHARACTERS.”

mean, the ultimate goal is to create an awesome, cool-looking costume, but the more it informs the character, the more impactful it’ll be.

I designed the current look for the X-Men’s Storm. The idea was that she was taking on a more aggressive attitude that harkened back to her punk era. I tried to combine a modern punk aesthetic with recognizable Storm iconography to create something new and representative of current Storm. I’ve been lucky to be part of the annual X-Men Hellfire Gala events, superhero versions of the MET Gala, celebrating mutant culture and mutant fashion. These are comics where Marvel heroes dress in high-fashion superhero couture. (And everything goes to shit, as you might expect in a superhero story!) When designing those looks, I’m trying to do more highfashion costumes, while still aiming for something that feels character-appropriate.

For a cover, the goal is to create an eyecatching image - sometimes that means making an exciting pinup of a character, and sometimes a cover is more story-driven - where I’ll need to boil down a story into

one compelling image that lets the viewer infer narrative.

With his extensive career and illustration list that runs longer than a CVS receipt, what has been a crowning achievement for Dauterman?

I’m the cover artist for the recent SCARLET WITCH series - Wanda Maximoff, if you’re familiar with the Marvel movies or WandaVision. Those covers are probably my favorite work I’ve done. I love Wanda, and love drawing all the witchy, supernatural stuff in her world. I’ve been absolutely thrilled to draw Jean Grey, Scarlet Witch, and Storm - my all-time favorite characters. Drawing them all has been a nearly lifelong dream of mine, but I’ve also been incredibly happy to design their current superhero costumes. That has to be my proudest moment.

Ok, getting back to his variant cover for X-Men: The Wedding Special #1. Regarding Hercules and Iceman, can he tell us who the, um, dominant one is?

[Laughs] I’ll leave that to people’s imaginations! The assignment for that cover was to do something joyous with a group of Marvel’s queer characters and I was excited to do it. I tried to add in character moments, like Gwenpool hanging on Web-Weaver, and Nico and Karolina from Runaways beaming at each other. I love Iceman and Hercules and definitely wanted to include them. I thought it’d be fun if Iceman was very happy to be standing next to Hercules. Herc is canonically very sexy! I think that pairing would be exciting if it shows up again in the comics!

As a Marvel Young Gun and innovative voice in the comic book world, what kind of legacy does Russell want to create with his art?

I try to create the sort of art I want to see as a fan of these characters, and hope others like it too. A big goal of mine is to give people the same feeling I had as a kid seeing Marvel characters - an escape, a bit of joy, or something to look forward to.

And his message to his fans?

I’m so, so grateful to everyone who supports me and my work. Hearing from people who enjoy my work or find something in it that resonates with them - all of that really means the world to me! ■

You can follow Russell on Instagram @RDauterman

WILD SWIMMING IN THE IRISH NORTH SEA

BY MARK A. THOMPSON

Anantara

YOU PROBABLY NEED TO BE A LITTLE MAD TO GO WILD SWIMMING IN A “SCROTUMTIGHTENING SEA.” That’s the term that Irish author James Joyce used to describe the polar waters of the North Sea. With Joyce’s warning swimming in my subconscious, I woke into the pre-dawn darkness of Dublin, wondering just how coldand just how tight.

Not that I’m one to argue with the Irish who have been wild swimming in the icy Irish Sea for nearly three centuries. According to the book on my nightstand How the Irish Saved Civilization, these are the people who saved the world after the fall of Rome. Also, the Irish invented Guinness and if any people would know a hangover cure, it would be them.

We were a group of six international journalists traveling in Ireland - but only two of us braved Dublin’s bone-chilling morning for wild swimming at the Forty Foot. Certainly it was a comfort to be accompanied by a person equally insane, but Katie seemed far more confident, plus she wore a wet suit and Neoprene aquatic socks. Meanwhile, I was attired in a pair of vintage board shorts purchased for a surfing lesson in Hawaii - but Waikiki this was not.

Years ago, the Forty Foot was a gentlemen’s bathing place where Dublin’s notable and illustrious citizens swam in the nude. Located south of Dublin at Sandycove, the Forty Foot was solely for male nudists complete with its own bathers’ association - that is until July 1974 when a group of intrepid and determined women in bikinis staged an invasion of the public beach.

Reading an account of that summer invasion published in The Irish Times reminded me of Fire Island’s annual Invasion of the Pines, which honors the drag queen denied entry to a restaurant in the Pines in 1976. Both beaches are now open to us all - and the Forty Foot’s numerous devotees include celebrities such as Matt Damon, Harry Styles, Giancarlo Esposito, and other boldfaced names. Visions of Daniel Craig emerging naked from the Irish Sea danced in my head.

That said, nude swimming in the Irish Sea had never been on my own bucket list, and on this scrotumtightening morning, I was more preoccupied by fears of hypothermia and churning whirlpools - or a headbutt from an alpha seal. Which made me wonder about sharks. Were there sharks in the North Sea? The imagination whirls in the cold.

Fortunately, as we drove through early morning Dublin toward the southern tip of Dublin Bay, Katie and I were swaddled in

Anantara Dublin Wild swimming

Presidential Suite Dinning Room

Bearhug Thermal Parkas provided by our host hotel, Anantara The Marker Dublin. Wild swimming is one of the signature experiences of the luxury hotel, the sort of add-on that sounds alluring when surfing someone else’s social in the comfort of your own bed late at night. Then suddenly, it’s your turn to take the plunge.

Listen to any dedicated Irish wild swimmer and you’ll hear about the numerous reputed health benefits of throwing your body into waters that hover around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Some swear that cold-water swimming reduces pain and inflammation, and various studies do show an improvement in cardiovascular health. Of course, there’s nothing like the shock of icecold water to get the heart pumping. There’s also an emerging consensus about the mental health benefits of cold-water therapy in the reduction of stress and anxiety and long-term depression. On Christmas Day, the Forty Foot is so crowded with those who can’t stomach another round of “Silent Night”that lines form along the slippery rocks above the wild waters.

Dedicated fitness enthusiasts arrive at the Forty Foot via bicycle or on foot. We were not so dedicated. We arrived in a private hotel car, complete with a picnic basket of hot drinks, coffee, and homemade pastries from the hotel restaurant Forbes Street. We promised to share, and fortunately, no one raised an eyebrow at the sight of two amateur wild swimmers - who were greeted by our own Wild Swimming Guru as well as a local Irish lifeguard. Both the mermaid and the merman would supervise us and guide us for the next two hours. Two hours? In that icy water?

Actually, it was more like thirty minutes. Of course, the water was bracing, as the locals say, and it took a minute or two for us to calm our frantic breathing. But then, as our bodies acclimated to the temperature, there was a kind of calm that descended, and we, too, started swimming like the other amphibians around us. In fact, we swam out to the buoy, which had looked so distant when viewed from the shore. There was a sense of accomplishment and a flush of joy suffusing through us as we swam back to the slippery rocks down which we had descended. We had earned our bona fides and we, too, were now members of the Forty Foot Club.

We shared the pastries. We poured hot coffee. We listened to tall tales of whirlpools and rough waters and of those daredevils who had ignored the warnings, at their own peril. But we were survivors - and cocky as roosters as we returned to the hotel.

Spice Spoons Chef Breadmaking Gareth Mullins

Forbes St open kitchen Breakfast Buffet Setup

Hotel Rooftop Bar

In years past, most first-time visitors to Dublin gravitated toward St. Stephen’s Green and Trinity College, and only U2 fans sought out the city’s Docklands neighborhood where the Irish rock band recorded several albums at Windmill Lane Studios. What was once a scruffy area notable for its warehouses has been reborn as a glass-and-steel tech and cultural hub with the cheeky nickname Silicon Docks due to the EU headquarters of tech giants such as Salesforce, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and numerous startups. With an abundance of young professionals roaming the pubs, restaurants, and cafes, the Docklands feels like a postgraduate campus, anchored by entertainment hubs that include the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, the 3Arena, and the Aviva Stadium.

With an exterior façade that resembles an upright checkerboard, the five-star contemporary luxury hotel Anantara The Marker Dublin faces on to Grand Canal Square. Guests who return from a morning spent wild swimming might wonder whether to head to the hotel’s spa with its 75-foot pool and eucalyptus-infused steam room - or instead, to strap on a feed bucket at the breakfast buffet at Forbes Street where Chef Gareth Mullins works with a curated group of local purveyors. When given a choice, go for breakfast.

In keeping with Anantara’s commitment to integrate regional cuisine with immersive guest experiences, Chef Mullins is one of those chefs who invites you into his kitchen. A class on the preparation of his Irish soda bread results in a basket of small loaves served warm from the oven. Equally rewarding is a seafood-sourcing expedition with the chef as guide on a journey up the Dublin coastal trail to the nearby fishing village of Howth.

Since the 14th century, Howth has been home to fishermen - as well as seals, puffins, peregrines, cormorants, kestrels, and falcons. After a private visit to the smoked salmon house, we climb aboard a fishing boat and sail into Dublin Bay. We’re in search of dolphins and seals, although not for dinner. The chef’s menu for the evening ahead includes our fresh-baked Irish soda bread accompanied by Irish salmon smoked in oak and beech woods, as well as caviar and local oysters, roasted king scallops, and various steaks from the renowned Irish butcher John Stone Beef in County Longford. Obviously, Irish gastronomy is no longer an oxymoron.

Below us, the Irish sea churns while the chef and I salivate about dinner. We name-drop our favorite restaurants, several of which Mullins has helmed - and then the two of us are simultaneously silenced by the sight of a seal breaking through the seawater. For a long minute, the seal focuses on the two of us, as if we were kindred. The chef and I are mesmerized.

And at that moment I realize there can be only one explanation: the seal knows a fellow wild swimmer when he sees one. ■

Marker Bar Nightime

Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel Spa Pool

KATHY GRIFFIN

FINDING THE FUNNY

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

KATHY GRIFFIN IS ONE OF THE MOST RESILIENT ENTERTAINMENT PERSONALITIES ON RECORD. Living life as an open book, we have been witnessing her career triumphs as well as her personal and public low points. Hitting the road with her new show tour, My Life on the PTSD-List, and having just announced her Fall extension hitting up Carnegie Hall and The Chicago Theatre among a long list of others, she is once again using her voice to cause a sensation on behalf of the LGBTQ community, those who suffer from PTSD, and those who give a damn about the future of the nation. A recent cancer survivor and being diagnosed with PTSD, she is hitting the stage maybe a bit more delicate, but no less fierce.

I HAVE A-LIST MOMENTS NOW AND AGAIN, BUT THE D-LIST IS FREEING BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HANG OUT WITH MY GAYS AT THE PARTY.”

Before the fiery redhead hit the professional scene, she was already causing a sensation in her hometown of Oak Park, Illinois, entertaining the neighbors with stories about her family, taking lead roles in high school musicals, and antagonizing the nuns. Even as a kid, she was laying the foundation for being one of the queer community’s strongest allies.

I was an obnoxious kid who was in trouble constantly with the nuns. My poor mother would beg me not to show up at church with a wig because I wanted to look like Cher. So, I bought a long black hair wig thought it would blend in with my red hair, which by the way, I got from Sears. (Leave it to a drag queen like me to know where

to get wigs when you’re only six years old.) I was just that kid that was enamored with television and as much as I loved the Mary Tyler Moore Show, I wanted to be Rhoda. I Love Lucy, I wanted to be Ethel because I thought, let the pretty girl go in and have her name on the show, but I want to go in and do the jokes and get the laugh.

Believe it or not, my high school was a great training ground for Hollywood because it was very competitive. I was lucky to go to a big public school that had a great drama department, I was biting and scratching all my way through high school. And even in grade school, I was that kid that would find the gay kid and make him my friend whether

he liked it or not. We would talk about variety shows, about the Sonny and Cher Show, or anything. So, it’s a relationship that truly is organic. And if that kid was getting bullied, I’d get in trouble because I’d stick up for him or her, and then we’d be in the principal’s office together.

What was it about hanging out with the gay kids that Kathy gravitated towards?

It’s a feeling that we share about being an outsider but wanting to look in. It doesn’t always mean we want to be in, right? You don’t always want to be in with a cool crowd because sometimes those kids would be mean, but you still wanted to know what they were up to. That’s why I called my show My Life on the D-List because I love being on the D-List. I have A-List moments now and again, but the D-List is freeing because it means I can hang out with my gays at the party. And maybe I’m not in the VIP part of the party, but I’m still hanging out with my gays, judging everybody who’s on the inside of the cool crowd.

But let me tell you something. Being an ally is more than just hanging out with fabulous gay people and hanging out with industrious lesbians. My activism started as long ago as I can remember. Sometimes I would infiltrate a club in my high school that was not nice to the gay kids, and I’d be like a mole. I could go and say, “Hey, this football player is going to try to beat you up after school on Thursday. Let’s go form a little alliance and let’s make sure we get that kid in trouble.” That’s why when I got canceled by the government, they didn’t know I’ve had a lifetime of getting in trouble since I can remember. You’ve got to stand up to the bullies, and there are ways to stand up to bullies. Sometimes it’s going to a march and stuff, but the activism and the allyship continue.

Away from the spotlight or major media coverage, Kathy has been fighting on our behalf in the courts for the past three years, with little fanfare or support from our community. In 2021, Samuel Johnson, CEO of VisuWell, was caught on camera harassing two boyfriends taking photos for their prom, one of whom was wearing a dress. The video went viral with social media clamoring for an apology for his blatant homophobia. Griffin took to Twitter, tagging VisuWell, demanding action. The company not only fired Johnson as CEO but also from the Board of Directors. Johnson filed a suit against Griffin and is currently in the Tennessee federal court in its third year of litigation. The suit

sets a dangerous precedent regarding the responsibility for hate mongers caught on camera.

This guy’s not getting a dime from me. Let him try. And he has been trying for years and the case gets dismissed and then he appeals, he gets dismissed and he keeps appealing. If I lose this case, that means anybody who goes on social media, whether it’s TikTok or Twitter or Instagram, and voices how they feel about a powerful person harassing out and proud LGBTQ kids, if you post about it, or your mom posts about it, or your cousin posts about it, then you can be dragged into court. It’s a big case and there’s a reason he keeps going up to higher courts. Let’s see how far he gets because, let me tell you something, you don’t want me in a courtroom in Tennessee because I’m going to protect these kids, they’re minors. So what if one of them had a dress on, who gives a shit? They weren’t bothering this guy. All this guy had to do was go back and have his dinner. So that’s what I’m saying when it comes to being an ally, there are many forms that can take. Do what you have to, because if Trump gets reelected, you can kiss marriage goodbye on day one. You can kiss all your civil rights goodbye on day one, day two, and day three.

And it’s not just the presidential race that matters, it’s down ballot. It’s the judges, it’s your local reps. Find a good LGBTQ organization that’s done the research for you and just go on their website and make sure you get out there and vote. My friend Gloria Steinem, I’m gonna drop a name, but the great Gloria Steinem - feminist icon - gave a speech that just about had me in tears. She said it’s all about the Republicans and the far, far right. She said this movement that’s going on now is so anti-gay, they are not playing around. And they’re going to take every single civil right you have, marriage is going to be almost the least of it. This is a party that doesn’t think you guys should be allowed to exist. They don’t just want to throw you back in the closet. If you get attacked on the streets, good luck. I hate to be really serious, but I just want you guys to know I’m out there fighting for you and you guys got to fight too, because I feel kind of out there and alone on this Tennessee case, but I know if you guys know about it, you’ll help me out to get the word out.

From playing Hodel in her high school musical to convincing her parents to move to Los

Angeles when she was 18, to infiltrating Hollywood’s comedy scene, to having one of the first highly successful reality TV shows and putting Bravo on the map, to becoming a thriving brand unto herself, she has garnered a long list of career accolades. Two-time Emmy Winner, six-time Grammy nominee with a win, Guinness Book World record breaker for the highest number of air television specials ever, New York Times bestseller for her memoir A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin, GLAAD award recipient, are all titles under her belt, all while selling out comedy tours around the nation and building an on-screen resume. Even with these wins, the media still focuses on her bans and being canceled by a presidential regime. Is she able to step back and appreciate all that she’s accomplished?

I am and I’m not, because I hear my dear departed beloved mother Maggie, who’s drinking a box of wine in heaven if I know her, “You’re never done. And there’s always more.” And that’s how I feel. That’s why I’m so thrilled to be on this 40-city tour with bigger cities in the fall. I hope I’m un-canceled enough to eventually get a special because I’m just dying to do another special, I have this material I’m dying to get out there. So hopefully the networks and the streamers will hear this and give me that special.

Through all of Kathy’s career ups and downs, cancel culture nipping at her toes, and her long absence from the scene, her fans continue to

rally and fill seats. What is it about her that Kathy thinks they come back for?

No two shows are alike. I make every show personal. My peeps know every time I go out there, I give it 110% because that’s all I know how to do. And I love it. And the show’s personal and they know I’m gonna give ‘em the real deal dirt whether I get in trouble for it or not.

And get into trouble she has. The night before this interview she appeared in Tarrytown, New York, the home of the Headless Horseman. Needless to say, she prepared material just for the occasion, and it may have referenced another headless moment

from Kathy’s career, a comedy move that caused her to lose major gigs, become ostracized and targeted by the government, being detained at airports for hours, and, more importantly, lose close friends from her circle. The repercussions of that move would force Kathy into depression, isolation, and poor mental and physical health. But she picked up the pieces and persevered, firing back with her A Hell of a Story show.

I was so emotionally on edge, every minute. I felt the only time I got respect, honestly, was when I was on stage. But the notion that the former president and the former attorney general would put me

on the Interpol list, calling overseas allies, was just insanity. It was the kind of level of insanity that led me to probably get addicted to the prescription pills, which I’m now three and a half years sober from. My friends that ditched me, and I’ll say it was most of them, didn’t come back. A lot of people who turned their backs on me had a kind of selfrighteousness to it like they were going to put me in my place. These executives who fired me, and these executives who issued their public statement, everybody and their cousin felt the need to issue a statement. Every time I turned on CNN, there was a

THE MINUTE MY FEET TOUCH THAT STAGE, I’M AT HOME, I RELAX, I’M EXCITED, AND I’M A HIGH-ENERGY NUT BAG.”

new statement or there were people arguing about how terrible I was. And I didn’t have an advocate among them.

To this day, I still can’t believe the number of people who are supposedly smart, educated people going on news organizations saying, yeah, she should be on the no-fly list, she’s a terrorist, she might as well be in ISIS. It was just insanity. I think a lot of ‘em that stuck to that feeling, they never could bother and call me and say, “Hey, you know what? Maybe I overreacted.” I just gotta try to get over it.

Kathy would barely get her footing back when

lung cancer reared its ugly head. Having never smoked before, she had to have half of her left lung removed. Her voice, her one tool that never left her side, was gone. It continues to be a long road back to rehabilitation. She is self-conscious about her voice, even though her message remains loud, and is undergoing more surgeries to make her physical voice stronger. She is bringing everything to the stage for her My Life on the PTSD-List tour, bringing humor to her situation and spreading mental health awareness and pro-LGBTQ messages to the forefront.

I thank God for this tour because something happens; maybe it’s muscle memory, it’s psychological, I don’t know what it is, but something happens. I’m not kidding. The minute my feet touch that stage, I’m at home, I relax, I’m excited, and I’m a highenergy nut bag. My audiences have been on their feet every single show. And I know I sound like an asshole saying that, but it’s so meaningful and it’s true. It’s so meaningful because I think the people coming to this tour, they know, they saw the picture, they know I had freaking cancer. I wear a special headset now because it helps me amplify my voice and everybody’s really forgiving. My impressions aren’t as good as they used to be. But if I do an impression of Oprah or somebody, they know who I’m doing and they just kind of go along with it. It’s really been magical and I’m so thrilled to keep continuing and I get to play these wonderful venues. It’s just a dream.

What is she most excited to use her voice to talk about, being back onstage?

I was excited to talk about PTSD because I feel like our nation collectively has a bit of PTSD. COVID alone, let’s not act like we handled that well, that was not our finest moment as a nation. I mean, Jesus, the antivaxxers and the QAnons and honey, when I found out there were gay QAnons, I was like, hold it, hold the phone. There’s a gay QAnon who thinks Hillary Clinton is harvesting baby parts in the basement of a pizza parlor? For God’s sake, I gotta go back on the road. There’s just so much out there that needs to be said. But also, it’s still me, right? I’m still telling stories about when I went on vacation in Mexico with Sia and everything went wrong on the trip. It was hilarious.

She’s also added a story of a party where an exuberant Gigi Gorgeous gave her a piggyback ride which ended up with Kathy sprawled out on the floor, with her dress up and not much (if any) underwear to hide her goods. She’s waiting for that moment to go

viral, or she’ll start an OnlyFans, she hasn’t decided.

So, yes, Kathy has definitely been through the wringer. In her personal life, belying the comedy and brash we see as her persona, she has been through a number of losses in her family, including the loss of her beloved parents, which she so openly shared with the world. Her bouts with PTSD can be intense, resulting in vomiting, even in the middle of the night. But she goes on, with her next tour date keeping her going. She credits her gays and her girlfriends for being there, and for every part of her tour, she brings one with her to be there for comfort. During this interview, she had THE E. Jean Carroll by her side, while both in bathrobes, cheering each other on. So yes, Kathy is different, but that fire has not dimmed one bit.

And her message to her fans?

If you’re coming to the show, come with an open heart and an open mind. I’m still going to try to shock you. I still love getting the gay gasp. I did a show last night where I know I went too far and I’m going to do a show tomorrow night where I’ll go even farther. Just know I’m out there for you and I’m doing anything to make you laugh. I’ll do cartwheels. I’ll let Gigi Gorgeous drop me without underpants. Anything for a laugh, especially in the darkest of times. I just encourage you to look at whatever’s going on in your life, if it’s a struggle somehow try to find the funny, even if it’s cancer or addiction or depression. Try to find the funny and it’ll give you that little glimmer for your day that’ll somehow get you through.

I just want to say to the young gays, in particular, don’t feel disenfranchised. I know you feel hopeless, or you feel like your vote doesn’t matter. It DOES matter and it matters even in a blue state. I’m registered in California and that’s where I vote. But it matters everywhere, every single place. So please, young gays, get out there and make a party out of it. Bring your friends, do whatever, you must vote all the way down the ballot for your rights. Who are the representatives that know you, that see you? And don’t even start me on the trans community because you people are in such danger. It’s absolutely terrifying. So, get out there for the whole community.

Thank you, Kathy, for using your voice, in every condition, for our community. ■

For tickets for Kathy’s tour, head to KathyGriffin.net

JIMBO

THE CIRCUS IS COMING TO TOWN

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

IN JUST A FEW YEARS, JIMBO THE DRAG CLOWN HAS BECOME A LEADING NAME IN THE DRAG RACE WORLD. FIRST SEEN IN THE DEBUT SEASON OF CANADA’S DRAG RACE, HE WOULD GO ON TO COMPETE IN THE FIRST SERIES OF DRAG RACE: UK VS THE WORLD, AND THEN WIN THE EIGHTH SEASON OF ALL STARS He has gone from Werk Room clown to fashion maven, and his brand is instantly recognizable. He currently is taking the world by force on the Jimbo Drag Circus Tour, having started his North American leg at the end of February and continuing through the end of June, visiting a whopping 57 cities, before heading to Australia in August.

While drag was not primarily in his plan to dominate the entertainment industry, his clowning with drag started at an early age, to reemerge during his Britney era.

I’ve always kind of been a little bit girly, a little bit feminine. Growing up, my brother and I used to steal my grandma’s clothes and my mom’s clothes, anything that had that kind of sparkler fun. And then we would hide in my basement away from my dad and live our little gay boy fantasies playing around and swishing here and there, wearing towels for hair because we didn’t have wigs at that time. I loved playing in girls’ clothing growing up. Then it was a horrible thing to my dad at that time, he was just like, “No, not my boys!”We were really discouraged from that, and then it became quite embarrassing. But then later in high school, I did a little drag as a sexy schoolgirl, and I, of course, loved doing my Britney Spears fantasy. I got into drag later when I was doing clown, I started performing as another performance artist and I started to weave a little bit of drag into my persona. I really loved it and I was like, oh, okay, I’m going to become a drag queen.

At the heart of his signature looks and outlandish characters is a wit and style of comedy that sets him apart from the other Queens. Where did that sense of humor come from?

My parents are both naturally funny storytellers. We love entertaining people. My parents used to love having parties and inviting people over and going on wild holidays. My mom had a big family, lots of siblings, and that lends to kind of a quick wit. I didn’t really realize until I was in high school, going on the bus to school and no one really wanted to sit with me that I was awkward. I obviously didn’t really fit in very well. One day I ended up making a joke on the bus. I don’t know exactly what I said,

but I made people laugh and the next day people wanted to sit with me, and I was like, oh my God! And then I became known for being a little bit funny. I learned that telling jokes and being funny can make you friends, and it shifted for me there.

The drag world almost lost him to biology. Following in his father’s footsteps, he originally studied sciences, including a field course in Uganda with the University of Cambridge and ecology in Stockholm.

As an artist, it’s all about curiosity. I was really curious about how things work, and biology is all about the natural world and how our bodies work and how science works, and all of that weaves into your art form and your understanding of the world. I’m so glad that I have my science background, but when I was doing ecology and everyone was interested in studying the

wing of a fruit fly or like the leg of a centipede for 30 years, I was like, where are the people? Where’s the fun? This is fun to look at now, but I want to go do something awesome with people and entertain. So, needless to say, I’m no longer an ecologist.

Jimbo would work in local theatre, some Hallmark films, and even a children’s TV show. He would also get work as a costume and production designer, honing his performance art at the same time. That’s when the idea of being on Drag Race would start to take form.

I watched Drag Race as a fan, while I was working in theater and as a performance artist and clown. I saw a lot of similarities in the competition to what I was doing in real life, which is working with limited budgets and working with unconventional materials to create elevated costumes, or experiences, or to tell stories.

His friends would tell him over and over again that he would win, but the show wasn’t yet an international phenomenon. Jimbo credits fellow Drag Race alum and Canadian, Brooklyn Heights, for opening the doors to the idea of the competition show taking place around the world. A year after Brooklyn’s appearance on the show, it was announced that auditions were underway for Canada’s Drag Race. Together with his partner Brady and his video producer friend, Shiraz, Jimbo’s audition tape was on its way.

From his domination of Snatch Game on his debut season to his controversial elimination on UK vs the World, to his sweeping the wins on All Stars, each iteration has been a spotlight experience for Jimbo. Which experience taught him the most?

I guess they all taught me something different about myself just as who I was at that time as a performance artist and as a performer. I think definitely going into All Stars, I was the most prepared, I was the most comfortable. I was also presenting and operating at a level that I wanted to present and operate at. Coming into Canada’s Drag Race, I was still a baby queen in so many ways, and I had a lot of growing to do as a makeup artist and performer. I was just so grateful to have the opportunity to go back and perform at the level I did.

Like fellow alum Jinx Monsoon, Nina West, and Jackie Cox, representing drag in the theatre world, so too has Jimbo by taking center stage. But rather than playing a role, this is all on his own terms. Kind of a Pee-wee’s Playhouse for adults, with musical acts and appearances from Jimbo’s best-known characters, it is a two-hour show the highlights the many talents that have made Jimbo a standout.

My start was in improv theater, and then I moved into film and television and now I am happy to go back to the theater. I’ve never really done a big kind of acting role. I was always the guy behind the scenes making the wardrobe or making the sets or making the puppets. In my community, there weren’t so many people that could do that part and I always wanted to be in the show and they’re like, too bad, you better make all this. So, I did that for a long time, and I was always wishing that one day I would be the person on stage. One day I want to be the star of the show, one day I want all of that I’m doing to be in service of

I REALLY WANT TO CREATE AN ESCAPE FOR PEOPLE.”

my stories and my ideas and my creativity. I’m just so grateful I’m able to come back to my community here in Victoria and to work with a lot of the people I worked with in film and theater before to create this show which is an amalgamation of theater and drag performance, all kind of set in an old timey kind of circus vibe.

I really want people to laugh, to be entertained, to leave saying, what the heck did I just watch? Mostly, I really want to create an escape for people to come and feel immersed in an energy and a vibe, to have a good time and really just laugh about the absurdity of drag and character work and fun. I love the energy of the circus and the idea that anything is possible. I hope that people come and they have a sense of magic and wonder, and I hope it feels exciting and funny and weird.

Jimbo has become a brand unto himself. His company, House of Jimbo, not only produces his live events but also designs custom props and a series of Jimbo-related merchandise. During COVID, his design house also designed masks. With the character and name of Jimbo becoming the main focus of his career, does he, the artist James, ever feel overshadowed by his drag persona?

Luckily that was one thing that I tried to do with my name being my actual name, and not creating a real divide between myself and my drag character. I don’t feel overshadowed by my drag self. I love my drag self. I wish it was easier to be my drag self and I would just be like that all the time. But it’s so much work to look like that and to be in all that. And of course, once you get into it, all you can wish is to get out of it, but I don’t feel overshadowed. Sometimes, I do feel like I’m peeking out of a garage sale, though, it’s a lot of stuff on.

A lot of stuff indeed. Jimbo is also known for the size of his breastplates, making Dolly Parton jealous. As is the way in live theatre, sometimes costuming and props can be a performer’s undoing. One night, while touring with UK vs the World castmate Baga Chipz, an overzealous fan tugged on the nipples on Jimbo’s breastplate a bit too hard. He didn’t realize how hard until the next night.

I do an act where I put some silicone breasts on my butt and I twerk and I get these going and spinning. I was backstage with Baga and my friend Chanel was

there taking photos and she said, get your butt spinning, I wanna take a picture! I get these breasts (filled with silicone) spinning quite fast and long and he nipples gave out, they exploded green silicone slime all over Baga and the entire dressing room. And I just screamed and screamed .... My ass exploded! We got a good shock and a laugh.

It happened again, but this time in front of his live audience, while they cowered back in order not to be drenched in silicone slime. The show had to be stopped midway to replace the stage carpet, resulting in a minor injury for the promoter who slipped his way across. Audience - beware of Jimbo’s exploding breasts. Maybe a title of another music single for Jimbo.

For Jimbo’s Drag Circus Tour, he has trained his body and he has gotten himself mentally prepared. No longer drinking or doing crazy drugs, he is hitting the road as a bona fide star. He learned that there was no room for partying or dealing with a hangover while becoming a professional drag queen, a professional artist. Career comes first. Whether he is designing, meeting fans, or starring in his circus, he is a self-diagnosed workaholic. Clearly, entertainment and art are his passions, and he is showing no signs of taking a break.

I love people. I love drag. I love my fans. I’m so grateful. I hope that people see drag for what it is and Drag Race for what it is. It’s artists, community, a spotlight. It’s a moment for people to share themselves on a scale and hope to be received and loved. And that’s all these people are looking for and hoping for everyone when they go into Drag Race is connection, hoping for community, hoping for acceptance and love. I hope that as Drag Race grows and continues to grow. And as the fandom continues to look at itself, that it just continues to try and elevate and lift itself beyond tearing each other down, and really focus on celebrating all of the energy, love and work that goes into presenting on Drag Race. ■

Tour info can be found at HouseofJimbo.com

I LOVE THE ENERGY OF THE CIRCUS AND THE IDEA THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. ”

DULCÉ SLOAN

GIVING THE LOVE BACK

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

DULCÉ SLOAN IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC PERSONALITIES ON TV. UNABLE TO LIMIT OR CATEGORIZE HER MERELY BY PROFESSIONAL TITLES LIKE ACTRESS, COMEDIAN, THE DAILY SHOW CORRESPONDENT, AND NOW AUTHOR, SHE IS UNAPOLOGETICALLY OUTSPOKEN, NOT FOR SHOCK VALUE, NOT FOR PREACHING, NOT FOR SOUNDBITES, IT’S JUST HER BEING HER. From an early age, she has seen a lot, she has overcome a lot, she has worked hard a lot, and now she’s telling her stories. Her debut book, Hello, Friends! has hit the shelves and even her staunchest fans may be surprised by the intimacy of the book. She hides nothing. She talks about the strength of women, of the Black community, of curvy girls, and of the LGBTQ community.

This year she and Drag Race’s Sasha Colby were nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode for their Daily Show segment“Dulcé Sloan & Sasha Colby Talk What It Means to Be A Happy Trans Person.” With all of her successes, she remains down to earth and ready to hang. What was supposed to be a twenty-minute chat turned into an hourplus conversation that covered everything from

activism to minorities working together to Star Trek Klingons to bad relationships, and more. Much like her book, read in one sitting because it is that delicious, you never know where the conversation is going but you are definitely along for the ride.

Hello, Friends! is being touted as a memoir, but don’t you dare call it that. She will come to correct.

First of all, I wanted to call this book, Don’t Call It a Memoir, I’m Only 39. Right? But the publisher was like, okay, we can’t tell people what it’s not. I came up with the idea because I started just saying, “Hello friends,” as a fun thing. I remember watching Blackish one day and I heard Diane say it to Charlie, but in a very threatening way. Like, “Grrrr, hello friend.” I love the idea that she’s taking these two words and is just striking fear into the heart of this man. As someone who has done that more than once, struck fear in the heart of a man, I thought, this is fun. I started saying it and it really became a way for me to just reach out to people. I saw it more as a collection of stories because I love telling

stories. I’m a Southern girl, I love to spin a yarn, I like to tell a tale, I like to weave a wove. It’s dating, destiny, and day jobs, that’s what my life has encompassed.

At the beginning of the book, she takes a moment to thank and dedicate the book to herself, foreshadowing Niecy Nash-Bett’s inspirational Emmy acceptance speech who also thanked herself. Why?

We are taught that it’s ego as opposed to self-love. So that’s why when Niecy Nash got up and said, “I wanna thank me for this hard work that I did.” It was a shocking thing. But it also would be a Black woman to exclaim, “I wanna thank me, I did this, and you can also thank yourselves.” I had dedicated this book to myself, it had been printed way before we went to the Emmys, but I was thinking, thank you, Niecy Nash, for saying this was hard work that I did. This was emotionally draining. When you’re doing heavy work, we’re taught that it’s ego. We’re taught that, especially as people of color, we’re supposed to be humble, we’re supposed to

be grateful, we’re supposed to be thankful that some white man gave us an opportunity. I had me to rely on. I am the one who got me to where I am.

This book is not just a collection of stories. For Dulce, it was finally allowing herself to step back, take a moment in self-discovery, and stop being in a place of servitude.

I had to not be mad at the decisions that 25-year-old me made. I’m very single, I don’t have children, I turned 41 this year and I’m still not any closer than when I started dating. I had to go and give myself grace and think, she made the best decisions that she could based upon the information that she had. In reference to the servitude of it, I am Southern, I am Black, and I am a woman. The South teaches you gratitude, and grateful politeness, all of this being helpful to others, being polite to others. Being Black teaches you the same thing. Being a woman teaches you the same thing. You were taught that everyone else’s needs come before yours. I always think of what RuPaul says, “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love anybody else?” And I knew I loved myself, but I always didn’t like myself.

I had to figure out to always be happy for me and find happiness in what I’m doing. And if I’m not happy with something, to move and to take the fear out of things. We’re so motivated by fear and everyone’s pushed by fear. So, if you can be in service to someone else, if you can be paying attention to someone else and doing for that other person, you don’t have to focus on your fear.

Dulce has never subscribed to what were considered the norms. Wanting to be a star since her very early childhood, she found herself not fitting the regular lead roles in school plays, her theater career, or even her stand-up career. She looked different, she acted different, and her attitude was different. She’s played a bird onstage more than a handful of times, sometimes limited to just squawks, still, she was on stage and loving it. When did it click that she didn’t need to conform in order to have success?

There was no click. I never had more fun playing that bird. I never fit a box, so I never had a moment where I had to realize I don’t have to fit in a box to succeed. I came into my theater program, talented. And just because my theater professor

I AM THE ONE WHO GOT ME TO WHERE I AM.”

didn’t think I was talented, I was not gonna let one man stop me. I’m not gonna let this man stop me. Because what’s gonna happen is this man’s gonna stay in Gainesville, Georgia. I’m only here for four years. He’s here for the rest of his life.

Dulce doesn’t care what you think about her. She’s too busy thriving. She doesn’t care what you call her, with a few exceptions. In Hello, Friends! she writes that even with her outspoken opinions and activism, don’t call her an angry Black woman. Why?

Because no one asks us why we’re mad. No one’s asking, what happened? What’s wrong? They do not realize that being an angry Black woman is a defense mechanism. Do you know whose anger people do not care about? White women’s anger. That’s why feminism has not truly done what it wanted it to do. Because white men, do not care about white women’s anger. And do you know why? Because as Bill Burrs said when hosting SNL in his monologue, white men took over the whole planet for y’all. And you have the nerve to complain? They made everyone fit to your standard of beauty. They told us all of our skin was ugly, and all of our features were ugly. My hair, my nose, my

butt, my body, all of us. Because we did not look like skateboards with big ol’ titties, and you heifers have the nerve to be mad. How dare you? And so now I’m a woman and I’m Black and so I’m constantly under microaggressions, attacks - so you don’t care about my tears. Because you care about white women’s tears, but you don’t care about their anger. So white women’s tears are powerful. You don’t care about my tears because you have no sympathy or empathy for me. I’m gonna be me and mad you understand that. The reason that people have so much respect and fear of Black women’s anger is because they know that they deserve to have it. So, you don’t ask us why we’re mad because you know why we’re mad. So, just take the time to consider, what happened today? Anger is a defense mechanism. Anxiety in Black women presents differently, and one that presents is anger and frustration and lack of patience because I’m being told all the time to wait and all this other stuff and constantly being disrespected.

Dulce has very strong ties with the LGBTQ community, especially the drag community. Her time in church growing up did not teach hate towards

the gay community, nor did they support it. Her pastor’s teaching from the Bible was that no sin is greater than any other sin, if you lie you’re a sinner. Dulce’s exposure to the gay community was limited to school. It wasn’t until she did summer stock where she spent day after day with people of the queer community that she had the opportunity to bond and get into good gay gossip.

It was spending time with gay men and meeting them and really understanding them. Also having them see me and just being able to just go, oh, we know how all of this works. That’s the thing that people don’t realize is that when you’re in a marginalized group, you see everything and you comment on everything. There’s a connection there, growing up we were roasting each other, basically. And that is something very much that Black and brown communities, communities of color do. You come in, your tias, anybody’s aunties, cousins, were coming and busting balls, right? Shade – reading - same thing. But it came from a community, it came from queer Black people, they came up with shade and came up with reading because that’s what they grew up doing. But you do that because you see things. I think that’s where that support for me has always come from the queer community is that, oh, she sees what we see, we’re all seeing the same thing. And all of y’all are playing around, all of y’all are presenting, this is all drag, we’re all putting the things together.

Dulce’s love for drag and Drag Race rivals that of most from our community. She saw her first drag show while doing theatre in Savannah, Georgia. Awestruck when the headliner launched into a“Rolling in the Deep” number, she was hooked.

I’m a theater kid, so that’s what I saw first, right? And I love pomp and circumstance. I saw the costume, and I saw the man, I saw the show and I was like, if these are the folks putting this on stage, oh, we’re dealing with a whole different kind of human being. We’re dealing with people who I understand. This is the heart, this is the love, this is the dedication. I can see that.

She watched Drag Race when it first came out on Logo. She laughs.

Remember when Logo was on the back part of cable? You had to have the Africa Channel to get Logo! [Laughs]

She attended the first Drag Con and spent her money supporting all the queens’ booths. Her ultimate dream came true when she was welcomed as a guest judge on Drag Race, after telling her manager

to get her career to the point that she could appear on the show. She didn’t cry when she got cast on The Daily Show, she cried when she got the green light to appear on Drag Race

It is the Super Bowl, it is the Stanley Cup, it is Wimbledon, it is all of that for drag. So as a performer, you’re like, I gotta be a part of that. If I never go to the Super Bowl, I will be fine. But if I never got to be a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, that is something I would truly regret.

From driving hours through icy roads for outof-town gigs in hole-in-the-wall places, to doing children’s theatre in random cities, to holding her own in questionable situations at comedy clubs, to manning booths at college comedy fairs to get booked for college circuits, she’s put in the blood sweat and tears. In 2015, she was named a New Face of Comedy at the Just For Laughs comedy festival and won the 12th annual StandUp NBC comedy showcase. She made her late-night comedy debut on The Conan Show, to be followed up with appearances on The Steve Harvey Show, Comedy Knockout, and E! News Daily. She had the opportunity to co-host the infamous CNN New Year’s Eve Live with Don Lemon. But getting cast on The Daily Show in 2017 was a life changer, a passion project that has brought success, tears, and laughter. Bringing her two passions together – The Daily Show and Drag Race – was life coming full circle. She had the opportunity to host an entire episode of The Daily Show and insisted on interviewing the winner of that year’s Drag Race –Sasha Colby, whom she has now been able to call her drag mother. The interview was a rave success, garnering the GLAAD nomination. It was different. It presented the trans life as a happy one, something Dulce insisted on from the start.

They brought me the questions for her, and I thought, I didn’t want to talk about any type of trauma. When you’re someone who, again, is a person of color and part of a marginalized group, people want to hear about all the bad things that happened to you. And I love that she made a point to not talk about that. I made a point to not talk about that. I am not here to try to pimp somebody’s drama for these white folks on TV because I’m somebody whose trauma they have been trying to pimp. I’m not out here for that. That’s not how I walk.

I do not know what it is like to be a trans woman in this country, I know what it’s like to be a Black woman in this country. I also know what it’s like to be in a body that people hate. That’s what I can understand. So that’s why when Sasha Cole came on the show, I

wanted to convey that I don’t know what her life is like, but I know the feeling that people send to her. All she does is walk in nature and live her life. People have something to say about it when no one asks them. People have a lot to say about my body because I’m Black and plus size, and nobody asked you. So that’s why I made sure she talked about being happy.

With her vocal support of our community, her many appearances for our causes, and using her platforms to give us a megaphone, she is hesitant to use the word ally. In genuine tears, she slowly clarifies.

I think the term ally is a troublesome word because I think people are giving themselves credit for things that they’re not actually doing. There are people who legitimately love y’all. You know how we always give each other compliments? It’s because people don’t do that for us in the same way. If I see a trans woman, I’ll just go, hey girl, I see you! I make sure to give Black women and queer people compliments because Black women and the queer community give me compliments. And I wanna give the love back that I’m being shown. We are gonna get to a day, as people of color and as the LGBTQ+ community, when we don’t have to prove our humanity to people. We’re not going to have to beg or convince somebody that we are human, deserve our rights or should be cared for by a country we fought for, a country we live in.

And her message to the queer community?

Thank you. Because to be so misunderstood and so hated, I can understand that because I’m hated and misunderstood. But to show up every day and love yourself and love other people and have to deprogram yourself from all the stuff that you’re supposed to hate about yourself because of who you are, is special. I do not know what it’s like to be a queer person in America. I do not. But I understand the sentiment that is being put towards me because people do not understand who I am and all I want to do is just live my life… just walk into Applebee’s, get a wedding cake, be on somebody’s insurance, take care of my children. I just wanna do the things that humans are doing and somebody’s saying, no, bitch, sit down!

There are people who legitimately love you because there are people that legitimately hate you. And so, if someone can hate you for no reason, someone can love you for no reason. ■

You can get Hello, Friends! wherever books are sold. Head to DulceSloan.com

KARLIAK JP

A VOICE FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND ACTIVISM

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

ACTOR, PLAYWRIGHT, AND VOICEOVER ARTIST JP

KARLIAK IS JUST ABOUT AS COLORFUL AS SOME OF THE CHARACTERS HE’S PLAYED. Having been on the stage and screen, his voice work has now taken center stage. He’s voiced some big-name characters like Wile E. Coyote, Willy Wonka, the Tin Man, Green Goblin, the Vision, Loki, Netflix’s Boss Baby, and more. This season, his star got a major bump with not one, but two major roles. He brought to life the first non-binary lead mutant Morph for the highly anticipated Disney+/ Marvel series X-Men ’97. If that wasn’t high profile enough, he also took on the role of probably the most iconic comic villain ever, The Joker for the brand-new expansion pack for the hit video game Suicide Squad Kills the Justice League. His bigger-than-life personality and eyes on the spotlight belie his quiet upbringing in a small town close to Scranton, Pennsylvania. True to his destiny, getting bitten by the entertainment bug was inevitable.

Although it’s a small town, we still had things to do like movie theaters, which I went to a LOT. And Dunmore is really only two hours and change outside of New York, so I also got to see a lot of shows.

My first New York theatre experience was Guys & Dolls, and I was awestruck by the whole production. This only compounded my interest in “seeing my name in lights” as my mother reminds me was my earliest childhood desire. So, the bug bit me numerous times over the years.

JP was raised in a Catholic household. And not just any Catholic household, but Byzantine Catholic, known for its love of tradition and being very strict. As he began to realize that he wasn’t like the other boys, he also began to realize that his lifestyle was not the best match for the environment around him.

I had a massive crush on my childhood best friend, and I think it was somewhere around 5th grade when I realized all the time we spent playing make-believe with him as the hero and me as both the villain and the damsel in distress was not something most kids did. Especially when I’d “tend to his wounds.” Although my parents probably realized it first, when I came into our living room for one of my “performance nights” dressed as Carol Channing. Like, duh.

My parents were fairly devout, so we

definitely clashed over my queerness, and it took many years for them to understand. My mother came around first, she was always the more tender of my parents, but my dad was much more set in his ways and what masculinity was all about. I was fortunate that he saw my solo show (which, amongst other things, really got into my journey as a queer person) a few years before he passed away, and that really opened up his eyes. We did have some time, though not nearly enough, of him accepting me in some way.

Not only was JP discovering his true self on his sexual identity journey, but he was also finding himself as an adopted child. He was adopted when he was one month old.

I’ve always known I’m adopted. I don’t remember when I was told or how, I’ve just always known. So that was a given. The queerness part was much trickier to navigate due to my family’s religion and my hometown’s (and the 90s’) conservative viewpoints. But as I grew up, I could look back and see where my strong desire for acceptance and validation was fueled by both being adopted and being queer.

Part of his journey was finding his birth mother. After working with the agency that arranged the adoption, he wrote to his birth mother, who agreed to meet with him. Part of the puzzle as to his personality and make up was solved. His two mothers couldn’t be more different. We wrote his journey down into an award-winning one-man show titled Donna/ Madonna. The show was a critical and audience success, winning him Best One Man Show at the United Solo Theatre Festival in New York.

The show began as a love letter to both of my mothers - adoptive and birth. I really am a fairly even split of both of them - nature vs nurture - and I wanted to celebrate the two women who contributed to who I am and how different yet similar they are.

While my main goal was for them to enjoy it, it was a nice surprise that many other people did too, and I toured with it for a few years. I loved doing that show, and I think it exhibited such a clear picture of who I was at that time. But when I read it over again recently, I thought about how much I’ve changed (along with the whole world!) in the 15 years since I wrote it. I wrote and performed the show while identifying as a gay man, and that has evolved into being a genderqueer/ queer human - with a very different hair color. Sometimes that makes me feel the urge to write another show! And sometimes it makes me feel Donna/Madonna was a wonderful experience to let lie. Who knows how I’ll feel tomorrow?

He originally started studying drama at the Catholic University of America in DC, but left to study at USC’s School of Theatre to be closer to the entertainment action. His life would lead him to voice acting, once again bitten by the bug.

The same year my young brain started comprehending that one day I would need a job, I saw Aladdin. I loved Robin Williams’ work, and I knew I wanted to do that. I reasoned that Robin was a major Hollywood star, so I’d have to become a major Hollywood star before they ALLOWED me to do voiceover. And that was the mindset I took well into my college career before I discovered how voiceover worked. Did I mention I’m from a small town?

After I graduated, I started pursuing on-camera work and voiceover at the same time. Over time, on-camera yielded little

EVERY KID, EVERY PERSON, DESERVES TO TURN ON THE TV OR OPEN A COMIC BOOK AND SEE A HERO THAT THEY IDENTIFY WITH ON A MEANINGFUL LEVEL.”

more than a few typecast roles that were, let’s say, stereotypically swishy. Meanwhile, in voiceover, I was playing a loudmouth Aussie rocker werewolf, a few superheroes, and (eventually) Wile E. Coyote. There was so much more freedom and belief in my abilities to stretch. So, I left on-camera behind and have been on nothing but the VO train ever since.

Having the opportunity to voice some of animation’s biggest characters, he’s been able to mesh his acting skills while paying homage to the voice work before him in his creative process.

A lot of the characters I’m most known for are legacy characters, so some of that initial work is listening back to what’s been done before, and - based upon how close or how loosely production wants the voice to adhere to the original - start honing in on the voice from there. After that, it’s really just reading the script and getting a sense of how my point of view, and sense of humor, fits into that.

Comic books weren’t a big part of his life, but he was always a fan of the movies and TV series based on them. Now that he is entrenched in the Marvel and DC universes, he has gotten sucked into the lore. Playing Morph, the shape-shifting mutant, is big for the LGBTQ community. This marks the first non-binary lead character in an animated superhero series. What was most important to JP, as an actor and a gay man, in putting the character together?

Grounding him in reality. This was a character where I didn’t want to “do a voice,” I really just wanted to use my own. Morph is a mutant, a shapeshifter, and has been mindcontrolled - all sorts of fantastical things. But at his core, he is a misunderstood person who

felt betrayed by his friends, experienced serious psychological trauma, and then went through a long period of recovery to come to terms with who he is and what he’s experienced. Not to mention, he uses jokes and a sense of humor to mask a lot of that pain. I think that’s something so many queer people identify with, and something I really loved bringing to life.

X-Men ‘97 has come with a lot of attention, picking up where the 1997 finale of X-Men: The Animated Series ended. As much as the media outlets picked up the story and series as the hottest thing of the season, so did comic book fans. They took to the message boards with opinions on casting and storylines. As much support as there is for the growing LGBTQ representation in the comic book world, sadly, there are detractors saying the world of X-Men is getting too woke. Ironic, considering the message of the series.

I would ask them to look at the real world a little closer. It’s a very diverse place out there, with people of all different backgrounds, identities, body types, abilities, or disabilities …. To assume that every single one of them has to settle for white, straight, cisgender, ripped, slim, and non-disabled as the default that everyone needs to admire and idolize …. Gang, that is propaganda of oppression right there.

Every kid, every person, deserves to turn on the TV or open a comic book and see a hero that they identify with on a meaningful level. And for queer kids who are the targets of all manner of hate at this moment, they need positive, affirming representations in media. We must show them there’s nothing wrong with them and they are exactly who they are meant to be.

Barely a week went by between the premiere of X-Men ‘97 and then JP’s version of the Joker hit the market. A heavy-pressure gig indeed, considering the names that have taken on that role.

Playing the Joker is a field of landmines. And in each one of those many mines is an iconic performance of the Joker that millions of people think is the definitive version. I have those opinions myself! I’ve loved the Joker since I was little, watching reruns with Caesar Romero, seeing Jack Nicholson, and later Heath Ledger, on the big screen, and then watching every scrap of Mark Hamill’s performances. Iconic! I also am a big fan of John DiMaggio, Tony Hale, and Kevin Michael Richardson’s takes.

To enter the arena of so many great Joker performances is tricky, to say the least. What made this version kind of freeing is that he’s an Elseworld Joker, never seen before, and with a whole other reality as his background. So I could take little bits of what I loved from all the other Jokers and make this one my own. And I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn here to say he’s definitely a touch queerer than most other portrayals, so it was fun to bring that to the table as well.

In addition to his screen work, JP is an avid activist in both the queer and political world. He founded Queer Vox, “a non-profit organization providing training and professional support for LGBTQIA+ voice actors in the entertainment industry while advocating for equitable opportunities and authentic representation in voice performance work.” For JP, employing queer artists in queer roles is imperative.

I think what’s key to this argument is understanding this is not about talent. We have all seen cis/straight humans play queer roles in TV or film and found them deeply moving (my personal favorite is Bill Hader in The Skeleton Twins. So good!). But this is about the “business” part of “show business.” Queer people deserve to have an equal opportunity to make a living as voiceover actors.

The industry is lopsided in that cis/ straight folks can play anything under the sun, but queer people aren’t even allowed to play themselves, let alone cis/straight roles. And having access to the full gamut of roles is what allows a queer person to make a long-lasting career that goes beyond just being the diversity checkmark du jour. We deserve to earn wealth by telling the

stories that are about us. But we also deserve to make a living alongside our cis/ straight colleagues.

LGBTQ+ folks make up less than 10% of the population. Trans people make up a fraction of that number. There’s not a lot of us. Even so, getting a proportional amount of representation still eludes us and remains an uphill battle. It’s getting better, and I applaud the companies that have worked with Queer Vox or have taken the initiative on their own to do better. But we still have a long way to go. I hope one day we all can audition for whatever roles we wish. But as long as that imbalance of access exists, that day is far off indeed.

JP also co-founded NerdsVote, a non-partisan organization to get everyone from the nerd groups - cosplayers, con-goers, gamers, and pop culture fans of all kinds to get out and vote. With everything going on in our current climate, how does JP think we best get the voting message across without taking sides, and shouldn’t now be the time when being non-partisan is the least of our worries?

Courtenay Taylor (my co-founder) and I are anything but non-partisan personally. But NerdsVote has to be. Logistically because comic conventions usually don’t permit partisan politics on the premises. But more broadly, we’re responding to the needs of an audience disaffected by politicians, divisiveness, and broken promises. We just want to bring them back to the foundational level: “You have the power to make change. And it only happens if you make it happen.” Registering and voting is the first small step. Once somebody takes that, we believe the social justice issues that matter to them will lead them into deeper involvement.

What JP wants most from his work is for audiences to get a sense of belonging. A safe space. And his message to his fans?

It’s simple, but it’s deeply felt: thank you. ■

You can follow

EXPERIENCE THE BIG APPLE THIS SPRING

BY MEGAN VENZIN

LIVING IN NEW YORK MEANS THAT THE WORLD’S MOST VIBRANT FLAVORS ARE ALWAYS MERE FOOTSTEPS AWAY. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL IS A LUXURY THESE DAYS, AND IF YOU’RE AMONG THE FLOCK WHO’S CUTTING BACK ON SUCH EXPENSES, NOW IS AN EXCEPTIONAL TIME TO MAKE THE FIVE BOROUGHS YOUR FOCUS. From the renowned comedy clubs of Manhattan to the globally infused gatherings of Queens, to Brooklyn’s larger than life music scene, there’s no shortage of opportunities to explore a new location with those who share a similar zest for life and the global offerings in our midst. During a period where things feel ever so fractured and divided, there’s a sense of comfort that comes from witnessing dozens of cultures not only co-existing, but thriving, in tandem. How lucky are we as Big Apple residents to experience them all? And wouldn’t you know, you’ve got your picks of the very best, all right here.

NEW YORK QUEER COMEDY FESTIVAL PRESENTS: QUEER COMEDY WEDNESDAYS

April 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th

Greenwich Village Comedy Club 99 Macdougal St. New York, NY 10012

Heralded as the world’s largest event of its kind, The New York Queer Comedy Festival is an annual showcase bringing international comics from the LGBTQAI+ community to high-profile stages across NYC. Every Wednesday in April, fans of the funny can tuck into their seats at one of the best venues among that flock - the Greenwich Village Comedy Club - and catch sets from the scene’s established and rising stars. In a city ripe with comic legends, you never know who might take the mic that night, so arrive early, grab a drink, and get ready to laugh, because let’s face it - we all need this, badly. Get your giggle on at greenwichvillagecomedyclub.com.

photo by Elliot Sloman/Unsplash

QUEENS NIGHT MARKET

Returning in April 2024

New York Hall of Science

Flushing Meadows

Corona Park, Queens

Home to residents from more than 100 different countries, Queens is widely recognized as New York City’s most culturally diverse borough. One of the best places to experience this diversity in all its glory is at the Queens Night Market, a family-friendly, open-air destination featuring live performances, artisan crafts and ethnic dishes from around the world. Taking place during summer months, it’s long been a favorite among those who want a cheap night out that checks all the boxes for easy transportation, good food and worldclass entertainment. In the age of inflation, this beloved market has maintained its reputation as one of NYC’s most affordable warm-weather outings, so even on a tight budget you should be able to grab a delicious bite and see for yourself why Queens is truly one-of-a-kind. Celebrate the borough’s rich heritage at queensnightmarket.com.

photo by Jose Luis Marrero Medina

LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO

April 18th, 2024

Queensborough Performing Arts Center 222-05 56th Ave

Queens, NY 11364

Created in 1974 following the Stonewall Uprising, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo has emerged as one of the world’s most beloved “gender-skewering” performing arts events. Over its 50-year history, the “Trocks” have transformed their independent production from a DIY show in the West Side Discussion Group’s loft space in downtown NYC into a global sensation, bringing their enchanting comic ballet across 43 countries and counting. Now you can experience the masterful techniques, elaborate costumes, and an unparalleled wig collection in a world that’s not only ready, but positively craving their fierce brand of radical self-expression. The all-male drag ballet troupe will unleash magic in the Big Apple for onenight in April before continuing on their sprawling North American tour, so clear your schedule (or use this as an excuse to take a vacation to one of their other city stopoffs!). Squeeze into your slippers at trockadero.org.

BOY BAND BRUNCH

April 20th, 2024

City Winery NYC

25 11th Avenue (at 15th Street)

New York, NY 10011

Let’s take a walk down memory lane, back to when tuning into Total Request Live was akin to attending church, and Lance Bass was our own personal Jesus. (Okay, maybe we’re still bowing down to the latter.) At Boy Band Brunch, we flash back to simpler times when chiseled abs and matching linen pant suits were king. Get ready to sing-along with handsome triple threats as they reimagine the early repertoires and sweltering choreography of pop phenomena like N*SYNC, One Direction, Boys II Men, O-Town (Who allowed that name, really?), Hanson and many more in this matinee show fueled by humor, hotness, and harmony. In City Winery’s main room, you’ll be belting out the words “Backstreet’s Back, alright!” more passionately than you used to in your bedroom mirror, hairbrush in hand, but honey, did those studly divas ever really leave our hearts? Yeah, we didn’t think so. Relive your Tiger Beat dreams at citywinery.com.

The Boy Band Project

CARL COX: INVITES

May 18th & 19th, 2024

Brooklyn Mirage

140 Stewart Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11237

The undisputed king of techno will return to Brooklyn Mirage for two dates in May, and this time he’s bringing the homies. For Carl Cox: Invites, the “three deck wizard” curates a stacked lineup that links industry legends with rising stars for a night of breakneck bpms and festivallevel production. On the 18th, catch the legendary UKbred DJ alongside names like Australian producer, Juliet Fox, Space Miami resident Miluhska, and In the Mood label boss, Nicole Moudaber. The following evening will be filled with the booming beats of German firebrand, Magdalena, atmospheric-master Shahar and the progressive pairing of Franky Wah b2b Sasha. When Carl comes to town, it’s always a party, and that means it gets packed fast. Show up early and stay all night - consider yourself cordially invited. RSVP at avant-gardner.com.

DESIREE (CLUB SET)

May 4th, 2024

Elsewhere

599 Johnson Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11237

If a trip to South Africa looks unlikely this spring, then let the country’s intoxicating tones come straight to you. One of the continent’s hottest dance music exports - the fabulous, DESIREE - is bringing her signature brand of afro-house to Brooklyn’s most inclusive venue for a late-night celebration of global grooves and good vibes. The ascendant DJ and producer earned the coveted title of DJ Mag’s Future Star for 2023, and it seems she’s living up to the hype with upcoming shows scheduled in party meccas like Ibiza, Mannheim and beyond, but here’s a rare opportunity to catch this “intersex woman just doing her thing” in an intimate room, filled with beautiful people who appreciate the power of soulful sonics. She’ll be joined by Caribean queen AQutie, as well as Wemi, Dennis Free and more. Together, they’ll transport you to faraway places, no boarding pass required. Plan your journey at elsewhere.club.

YOUNG LESBIANS, ON SELFHOOD

Through May 26th, 2024

The Center

208 W. 13th St. New York, NY 10011

This “real time community-centered collection” asks its participants to answer a big question: What does your lesbian identity mean to you? Compiled entirely from oral responses and personal artifacts, this exhibition spotlights the voices of 42 lesbians between the ages of 18 and 25, revealing the nuances of what it means to exist as a young lesbian in today’s complex world. Featuring a vast assortment of self-produced mediums ranging from tactile collages and paintings, to the conceptual, such as Tumblr posts and fanfiction, as well as journal entries, audio diaries and more, Young Lesbians, On Selfhood invites marginalized voices to share their narratives through a lens entirely their own. The exhibition is on view on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the center with an additional portion at The LGBT Community Center National Archive, however, you can view the digitized materials and oral histories online too. Get to know these fascinating subjects at gaycenter.org.

JOHN OLIVER & SETH MEYERS: IN RESIDENCY 2024

April 14th & May 19th, 2024

The Beacon Theatre 2124 Broadway New York, NY 10023

Two staples of late-night talk are showing off a different suite of talents at one of New York City’s most iconic venues all year long - we’re pointing, of course, to the masters of observational humor, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver. During their collaborative residency at The Beacon Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the renowned duo treats their audiences to two 50-minute stand-up sets, filled with the kind of crowd work, sarcasm and irreverent jokes that have landed them repeat Emmy nominations, not to mention the lasting status as some of television’s finest comedians. And to catch the SNL alum and British satirist during an election year! There’s no doubt they’ll lend a much-needed lightness to your day. Get your reprieve at msg.com.

Moonrise

gayagenda

CarlCox

BY JEFFREY JAMES KEYES

same subway led me to The Limelight, Twilo, The Roxy, and even Florent, the legendary all-night diner in the Meatpacking District (anyone else still craving their disco fries?).

Like many New Yorkers, I’ve already lived a hundred lives in the city. Most of my adult life has been in Manhattan proper, but I have chapters in Queens as well as Brooklyn, definitely the Bronx and even a few all the way out in Staten Island. I’ve been watching with curiosity as the tourists make their way back to the Big Apple this past year and it seems like every corner has been pumping out the lyrics Alicia Keys emotionally belts out in the song “Empire State of Mind.”

Crowds pour in and out of Broadway theaters, ladies hunt for knockoff purses on Canal Street, or line up for a glimpse of the masters at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. In some ways New York is the same, and yes, compared to where we were in the spring of 2020 it can be said that New York is back but there are a lot of ways in which repeat visitors are going to be surprised by how different it’s become. You might hear“there’s never been a better time to visit New York City,” and on any given day there are likely a million different versions of NYC unfolding for tourists and locals alike.

If you haven’t been before, it’s time to come. If you haven’t been in a few years, you’re in for a welcome surprise. As Ms. Keys serenades us, “these streets will make you feel brand-new, big lights will inspire you, let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York.”

of great plays in front of a live audience. Company XIV, infamous for their holiday-themed burlesque production Nutcracker Rouge acquired Théâtre XIV, a stunning performance venue in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Book tickets in advance if you want to check out a show at St. Ann’s Warehouse, the popular theatre located in a former tobacco warehouse that features entertaining performances by theatre groups such as the Wooster Group and National Theatre of Scotland.

Looking for a good deal?

Head to Father Duffy Square in Times Square (look for the big red steps) and wait in line at the TKTS Times Square booth. Check their website at tdf.org for hours. And if you have a little time to kill before your show, the red staircase is a great place to sit, and people watch - you never know who will pass by.

Broadway. Photo by Matthew/PenrodNYC & Company

ART IMITATING LIFE

New York is never lacking art, and culture hounds are continually on the hunt for the next best thing in the art world. Institutions like the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and The Whitney Museum of American Art should definitely be on the agenda if you haven’t been, but there are a plethora of lesser known landmarks in NYC, like The Frick Collection, the private collection of Henry Clay Frick (Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Renoir, oh my!), The Jewish Museum, and Neue Galerie New York where you can get up close and personal with Gustav Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer” (aka “The Woman in Gold”).

The International Center of Photography, the world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture, just across the street from the new Essex Market where you can nibble on traditional Dominican fare at Dominican Cravings, authentic pierogies from Veselka, or mouthwatering Mexican bites at Puebla Mexican Food. Upstairs you’ll find everything from caviar to Moroccan spices in the main marketplace or keep your culture party going at Cuchifrito’s Gallery + Project Space. What about queer art? The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, the only dedicated LGBTQ+ art museum in the world, is definitely worth a visit.

LANDMARKS, PLEASE

Lady Liberty always appreciates her visitors, and you can spend about half a day on a trip out to see her and Ellis Island. A cheaper (and quicker) way to get up close and personal is by hopping The Staten Island Ferry at Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan. If you head that way the Staten Island Museum is worth a stop.

Ascending to the top of The Empire State Building is a must for newbies visiting NYC, but how about new landmarks? Hudson Yards is now home to the impressive Vessel and Edge, a protruding 100 story high observation deck in the clouds. What’s that tall building you’re facing when looking south? It’s One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower. One World Trade Center is truly the focal point of the Lower Manhattan skyline, and One World Observatory, 100 stories above the streets, offers unrivaled 360-degree views of the city’s four corners. Zip up to the top of the city as you ride up 102 stories in 47 seconds with their innovative SkyPod Elevators. Give yourself a little time to take in the unique and iconic views of the Big Apple.

When you come down from the clouds, be sure to take a moment to pause and reflect at the 9/11 Memorial Pools. These pools honor those killed in the 9/11 attacks as well as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The sound of the water at the fountain at this tasteful monument is a memorable stop for many visiting NYC.

Over in Queens, the Unisphere is a massive spherical stainless-steel representation of Earth. The landmark was designed as part of the 1964 New York World’s Fair and sits proudly in Flushing MeadowsCorona Park. Nearby, Queens Museum boasts a gigantic panorama of the City of New York that was also built for the World’s Fair.

ISLAND LIFE

A little further up the Hudson, Little Island rises up from the water, extending out from Hudson River Park at the intersection of West Street and 13th Street in the Meatpacking District and Chelsea neighborhoods of Manhattan. The brainchild of Barry Diller, this new public park was birthed in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Little Island features a secret garden called “The Glade,” food carts, a playground, an enormous 687-seat thrust stage and a smaller performance space for more intimate ticketed events. It’s a perfect place to wander through on a midsummer’s night.

Governors Island, the 172-acre recreation oasis within the NYC borough of Manhattan, has quickly become a favorite place for New Yorkers to day trip without even leaving the city. The island, open year-round, is a quick ferry ride from Lower Manhattan. Rent a bike and go for a ride through the Instagrammable terrain or walk around and explore fun spots like NYC’s longest slide at Slide Hill. Take a nap in a hammock in Hammock Grove or grab a bite at one of many food trucks. Visit during one of their theme parties like their notorious Jazz Age Lawn Party, or or come during NYC Pride.

Photo courtesy of The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art

9/11 Memorial & Museum. Photo by Brittany Patronella/NYC & Company

BIV at Little Island. Photo by Rebecca J Michelson Manhattan Bridge. Photo by Julienne Schaer/NYC & Company

Photo courtesy of The Jewish Museum

A GAY VILLAGE

Make your pilgrimage to The Stonewall Inn, the lively gay bar, National Historic Landmark and site of The Stonewall Riots in 1969. Nearby, Julius’ is a Greenwich Village tavern known as the city’s oldest gay bar famous for its tasty hamburgers, fun crowd, and the location of the “Sip-In” organized by the Mattachine Society in 1966. Other bars in the village worth a stop include The Monster where you can let your hair down and dance all night, Rockbar for the bears, and Marie’s Crisis Cafe or The Duplex if you want to “Sing out, Louise!”

Not looking for a pub crawl? There’s no shortage of great restaurants in the village. If you’re looking for the best pizza in town head to John’s of Bleecker Street or Arturo’s Coal Oven Pizza down on Houston Street (pronounced “How-stun,” not like the city).

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center), which opened its doors in 1983, is truly the main hub of everything gay in NYC. The Center offers health and wellness programs, arts, entertainment, and cultural services, BGSQD (a fab queer bookstore & exhibition space), and even a coffee shop. Nearby, The New York City AIDS Memorial honors the more than 100,000 New Yorkers who died of AIDS.

There are new experiences to soak in and shops to check out on Christopher Street. Keep walking west and the Christopher Street Pier will provide you with a glorious spot to take in the Hudson River as well as a smattering of eye candy relaxing in the grass.

HELL’S KITCHEN

Cute twinks and scruffy couples roam the sidewalks and live it up throughout the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. This neighborhood, just a stone’s throw from Broadway, boasts over a dozen gay bars including favorite hot spot HUSH.

Diners spill out onto the street for brunch, dinner, and everything in between at new and trusted restaurants like the ever-popular Añejo where you can dip into the best guac in the city. Have a sweet tooth? Huascar & Co. has the best cupcakes in NYC.

BROOKLYN’S BEST

Tourists could have a fabulous trip to NYC and never set foot in Manhattan. A visit to Coney Island is one of the best ways to spend a fun-filled summer day. Check out Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, the beach, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, the New York Aquarium, and even a modern-day freak show. Ever hear of the Coney Island Mermaid Parade?

Spend an hour in the trendy neighborhood of Dumbo (acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and you’ll feel like you’re walking on a movie set with its cobblestone streets and dramatic architecture. Thirsty? The two hottest bars in Brooklyn right now are Good Judy and C’mon Everybody where you can check out amazing performances before dancing the night away. Where’s the best place to catch a drag performance or even rub elbows with a Ru-girl? Williamsburg’s 3 Dollar Bill, of course. Grab a drink and head to the outdoor patio where you can catch performances by famous drag queens.

NYC AIDS Memorial Park

Photo by Brittany Petronella/NYC & Company

Hell’s Kitchen

Good Judy exterior. Photo by Dave Jeffers

Dumbo. Photo by Julienne Schaer/NYC & Company

WHAT’S DOWN IN UPTOWN?

Many driving to New York from New Jersey will enter by crossing the George Washington Bridge, and if you look down you just might spot an adorable landmark, The Little Red Lighthouse, officially Jeffrey’s Hook Light, a small lighthouse along the Hudson River in Manhattan. This idyllic picnic spot offers magical views of Fort Lee Historic Park on the opposite side of the Hudson. Nestled further north is The Cloisters Museum, a unique branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a grassy hill of Fort Tryon Park.

Harlem, the Upper Manhattan neighborhood that stretches from 125th up to 155th Street is known for the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s. You can still hear jazz up and down the streets of Harlem but these days it’s known for The Apollo, soul food, hip bars, and phenomenal museums like Studio Museum in Harlem, El Museo del Barrio, and Hispanic Society Museum & Library.

Over the East River, things are red hot in Mott Haven, one of NYC’s neighborhoods experiencing a significant revival. The Third Avenue Business Improvement District and Bruckner Boulevard District work around the clock to promote business while ensuring the neighborhood is safe and beautiful. The pocket of restaurants, bars, and shops just off of the intersection of Bruckner and Alexander Avenues is currently experiencing a renaissance with a number of new hot spots like the swank Bar 47 and The Lit. Bar, a charming bookstore

AND WHAT ABOUT NEW YORK MAGIC?

If you’re looking for a little New York“magic,” the kind you see in movies, there are always ways to position yourself in the right place at the right time.

Central Park is definitely one of the biggest stars of the city with The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park series at the outdoor Delacorte Theater being a summer favorite. You can rent a rowboat on“The Lake”in the middle of the park, and row past the spot where Carrie and Big fell into the water just off The Central Park Boathouse or stand in the middle of the Great Lawn where Diana Ross gave her epic 1983 concert in the middle of a massive storm.

You won’t even think about Breakfast at Tiffany’s when you sink into one of the comfy chairs for bubbles at BG Restaurant at Bergdorf Goodman. Keep the party going at The Plaza Hotel, just tell the doorman you’re going to dinner at The Palm Court or having a drink at The Champagne Bar and wander around the unbelievable

hotel where Truman Capote threw annual black and white balls, and films like Barefoot in the Park and The Great Gatsby were filmed.

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is one of those adventures that feels like you stop time or have stepped into a fairytale. Again, be sure your phone is charged so you can add to your IG story.

Magic happens just strolling the streets. Turn a corner and run into a street fair, pass the set of a Law & Order, bump into Steve Martin and Martin Short before a take of Only Murders in the Building, or get a nod as you pass Spike Lee only realizing it’s actually Spike Lee a block later.

Catch a live concert at Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, The Apollo or even an intimate performance by one of the regular musicians at Bemelmans Bar at the Cafe Carlyle. If you caught Hamilton during your trip, Eliza’s lyrics “Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now. Look around, look around.”It’s time to book your next trip to NYC, there’s plenty of magic to go around. ■

with a quaint cafe in the back.

Harlem. Photo by Michele Vacchiano/Getty Image

Central Park

Photo by Jen Davis/NYC & Company

Central Park

Photo courtesy of NYC & Company

LET’S CHAT BROADWAY

BY BEN RIMALOWER

BY FAR, THE MOST IMPORTANT NEW YORK THEATER NEWS THIS SEASON IS THE INSTANTLY LEGENDARY TALK-OF-THE-TOWN RUNAWAY SMASH, Oh, Mary! (Lucille Lortel Theatre, through May 5), written by and starring Cole Escola. While its producers figure out what’s the next in the obviously long life lying ahead for this watershed, you have the golden opportunity to catch in its earliest and most intimate form, OffBroadway at the West Village’s venerated Lucille Lortel, where such previous groundbreakers as Steel Magnolias, Falsettoland and The Threepenny Opera once packed ‘em in. Maybe you’re already familiar with Cole Escola from Search Party or At Home with Amy Sedaris, or Jeffery & Cole Casserole, or from online, but you’re not prepared to be riveted with laughter and awe as you will be at Oh, Mary! There’s a lot of whispering about the second coming of Charles Ludlam or Charles Busch, and the memory this star-is-born moment brings to mind for me is John Cameron Mitchell’s juggernaut with the original production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, just a few blocks away. The whole cast is fabulous and Sam Pinkleton’s production is flawless. Beg, borrow, or steal a ticket.

Speaking of they/thems lighting up the Off-Broadway scene, expectations are sky-high for RuPaul’s Drag Race double winner Jinkx Monsoon’s imminent turn as Audrey the longrunning revival of Little Shop of Horrors (Westside Theatre/ Upstairs, open ended). Someone was bound to follow through on La Monsoon’s triumph on Broadway as Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago and my hat is off to whomever came up with this casting coup.

Oh, Mary!

An Off-Broadway show opening on Broadway this season, the votes-for-women musical, Suffs (Music Box Theatre, in previews, opens April 18) is sadly far more topical than it ought to be in 2024. Shaina Taub wrote the book, music, and lyrics, and stars as suffragist Alice Paul, making her a strong contender for the Lin-Manuel Miranda historical auteur/actor lane this season. Rounding out the talented cast are Jenn Colella, Nikki M. James, Anastacia McCleskey, Grace McLean, and the great Emily Skinner.

Is it time for another revival of Cabaret (August Wilson Theatre, in previews opens April 21) again? Mein gott, where did the last ten years go? This new production transfers from London, where it’s still running with a revolving cast of replacement stars. On Broadway, though, we’re getting the lead who made it a hit across the pond, Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne in the role that won him London’s Olivier Award, the Emcee. Joining him will be Gayle Rankin ) as Sally Bowles, Ato Blankson-Wood ) as Cliff, and Bebe Neuwirth as Fraulein Schneider.

Swanky, sexy, sassy, jazz, that’s what I think of when I think of The Great Gatsby (Broadway Theatre, in previews, opens . Judging by the cast alone, a stonecold skulk of foxes led by Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada, you can check sexy off the list. I’m not one of the intrepids who trekked out to New Jersey to the show’s pre-Broadway engagement at the Paper Mill Playhouse, but reviews and reports were positive. I’m cautiously optimistic, since it feels like a very tricky needle to thread getting the tone right for this material - not to mention musicals are hard AF! At the very least, the costumes should be a treat.

I moved to New York City in 1999, immediately seeing a handful of plays that set the bar so high, most of my theatergoing life has been a disappointment. Chief among those early highlights was Paula Vogel’s The Mineola Twins, starring Swoosie Kurtz and Mo Gaffney. It is an understatement to say I’m excited for Vogel’s newest show, this season’s Mother Play (Hayes Theater, previews April 2), in which she will once again chronicle a pre-Sexual Revolution East Coast matriarchal family in their home. This time, Jessica Lange is the mom, with Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger as her teenage (!) children. I cannot wait!

Cabaret

Suffs

TheGreatGatsby

JinkxMonsoon

And if you’re craving something more up close and personal, check out some of the top offerings at New York City’s cabarets:

CAFE CARLYLE:

• Dianna Agron

April 2 - 6

• Candace Bushnell

April 23 - 27

• John Lloyd Young

May 14 - 18

JOE’S PUB:

• Rizo

April 11 - 13

• Penny Arcade

April 27 - May 2

• Justin Vivian Bond

May 1 - 5

• Tammy Faye Starlight

May 1 - 22

• Betty Buckley

May 16 - 18

Dianna Agron

Candace Bushnell

John Lloyd Young

Rizo

Penny Arcade

Justin Vivian Bond

Betty Buckley

Tammy Faye Starlight

54 BELOW:

• Storm Large

April 4 - 6

• Marilyn Maye

April 9 - 20

• Laura And Linda Benanti

May 2 - 6

• Melissa Errico

May 7 - 9

• Linda Eder

May 16 - 27

THE GREEN ROOM 42:

• Jon-Michael Reese & Natalie Walker

April 4

• Niki Haris

April 6

• Castrata & Kiki Ball-Change

April 11

• Lady Bunny

April 12 - 24

• Sis

April 14

• John Hill

April 15

• Felicia Finley

April 21

• Titanique Unplugged

April 22

• Josie De Guzman

May 4 - 5

• Travis Moser

May 6

• Sutton Lee Seymour

May 9 - 18

• Reeve Carney

May 13

• Sally Mayes

May 16

• John Coons & Matt Aument

May 22

• Andrew Bova

May 31

Storm Large Marilyn Maye

Laura and Linda Benanti

Melissa Errico

Linda Eder

Jn-Michael Reese & Natalie Walker

Niki Harris

Lady Bunny

John Hill

Travis Moser

John Coons & Matt Aument

Sutton Lee Seymour

Felicia Finley

Josie De Guzman

Sally Mayes

Andrew Bova

CHELSEA

BARRACUDA

This Chelsea lounge features cool music, cute crowds, wild drag shows, and talent competitions hosted on the tiny stage in the rear. Rumor has it RuPaul visited to “scout” Bob the Drag Queen at this classic watering hole. 275 W. 22nd St. at Eighth Ave., NYC 212-645-8613

BOXERS CHELSEA

A big gay sports bar outfitted with flat screens broadcasting all manner of games, multiple counters, pool tables and a smoking patio out back. A long bar faces a pizza oven dispensing mouth-watering pies to munch on while watching “the game”. Hottest bartenders in town? See for yourself! 37 W. 20th St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves., NYC 212-624-5942. boxersnyc.com

THE EAGLE

This dark and cruisy leather bar to end all leather bars boasts a great rooftop deck and some of the sexiest, burliest guys in NYC. 554 W. 28th St. between Tenth and Eleventh Aves., NYC 646-473-1866. eagle-ny.com

GYM

At this popular after work sports bar, a team of plasma-screen TVs broadcasting the hottest games, a pool table, and a basement dugout. Who are those cuties behind the bar? Pop in to get to know them (Admit it, you already follow them on IG). 167 Eighth Ave. between 18th and 19th Sts., NYC 212-337-2439. gymsportsbar.com

EAST VILLAGE/LOWER EAST SIDE

THE BOILER ROOM

A throwback to the days when the East Village was a haven for the punky and funky, this dark and comfy no-frills lounge is popular with the college set, attitude-free, and rocks with an eclectic mix of music and scruffy pool players. 86 E. 4th St. at Second Ave., NYC 212-254-7536

OSCAR WILDE

Acclaimed mixologist Johnny Swet sets the scene at this clever cocktail lounge. Ironically situated at the former headquarters of NYC’s Bureau of Prohibition, this glorious tribute to Ireland’s great writer is the gastropub to end all gastropubs. Marvel at relics such as their Belgian piano from the late 1890s, antique clocks, and intriguing bronze statues celebrating the late great Portrait of a Dorian Gray scribe. 45 W. 27th St. at Sixth Avenue., NYC 212-213-3066. oscarwildenyc.com

REBAR

Sexy Chelsea hangout where G Lounge (may she rest in peace) used to be. This neighborhood bar has a masculine industrial décor, a hot staff, and draws all kinds of men (especially local muscle bears) and boasts not distractions – sports, porn, dancers or otherwise. Their concept is simple: people meeting people. 225 W. 19th St. between Seventh and Eighth Aves., NYC 212-929-1085. rebarchelsea.com

EAST VILLAGE

CLUB CUMMING

Willkommen, Bienvenu, New York! Alan Cumming opened the swank new East Village performance-based club, and everyone’s invited. Cumming teamed up with Benjamin Maisani, Darren Dryden and Daniel Nardicio for this sassy adventure. Think backstage of an actual Berlin Cabaret where anything goes. Drag Race viewing parties, Drink & Draw, knitting (yes, knitting), and Cabaret (of course!) 505 E. 6th St. between Aves. A and B, NYC 212-777-2555. clubcummingnyc.com

THE COCK

Longtime late-night haven for naughty go-go boys and those in search of debauched shenanigans. Late nights are the infamous and the ever-popular Monday nights culls an elite yet shameless crowd of naughty boys and nightlife glitterati. 29 Second Ave. between First and Second Sts., NYC. thecockbar.com

NOWHERE

Ultra-mellow East Villager with distressed rustic décor, a pool table and what may be the smallest back room ever. 322 E. 14th St. between First and Second Aves., NYC 212-477-4744. nowherebarnyc.com

PHOENIX

The typically crowded Phoenix holds video games, a pool table, a jukebox, and a diverse crowd in an exposed-brick space as uncomplicated as its vibe. Daily Happy Hour runs from 4-8 and Saturday nights Wrecked party brings all kinds of cute boys (& Queens) to the East Village. 447 E. 13th St. at Ave. A., NYC 212-477-9979. phoenixbarnyc.com

HELL’S KITCHEN/MIDTOWN WEST

ATLAS SOCIAL CLUB

Josh Wood, Benjamin Maisani, Pablo Raimondi, and Asi Mazar hit a home run with the starry opening of the Hell’s Kitchen hotspot. When celebs like Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper, and Cher start making cameos the neighborhood definitely takes a closer look. 753 9th Ave. between 50th and 51st Sts., NYC 212-262-8527.

FAIRYTAIL LOUNGE

Glittery centaurs and other enchanted-forest motifs distinguish this cozy lounge in way-west H.K. Theme parties, specialty cocktails and guest DJs add interest. 500 W. 48th St. between Tenth and Eleventh Aves., NYC 646-648-3897

FLAMING SADDLES

When they’re not mixing up vodka sodas in glass steins, bartenders jump up on the bar to do choreographed boot-scootin’ to Achy Breaky-type tunes at this one-of-a-kind Hell’s Kitchen tavern. Red saloon décor and a small selection of down-home nibbles add to the authentic Western feel – call it Coyote Pretty. 793 Ninth Ave. at 53rd St., NYC 212-713-0481. flamingsaddles.com/nyc

HARDWARE

Cheap drinks are poured at the front bar and fun tunes are spun for the rear dance floor at this easy-breezy neighborhood haunt. In the summer, a garage door swings up, letting the scene spill onto the street. When DJs aren’t doing their thing, live performers like Shequida, Lagoona Bloo, Brita Filter, Boudoir Lefleur & Kimmi Moore hit the stage. Opens at noon daily. 697 Tenth Ave between 47th and 48th Sts., NYC 212-924-9885. hardware-bar.com

HUSH

Missing Therapy? Hush! There’s a naughty new bar in town and there’s never been a better time to check it out. Well, if you stop by before 9:00 p.m. you can get $3 off all drinks. The space is cute, hennies. We’ll see you on the dancefloor. 348 W. 52nd St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves. NYC hushhk.com

INDUSTRY

The owners of Barracuda and Elmo opened this capacious venue features couch-filled nooks, a game room with a pool table and an industrial design that’s a nod to its parking-garage past. Holly Dae, Egypt, Pixie Aventura, and Kizha Carr shake things up on a weekly basis at this popular hotspot. 355 W. 52nd St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves., NYC 646-476-2747. industry-bar.com

THE Q NYC

Alan Picus and Frankie Sharp joined forces with Billy Porter, Zachary Quinto, Charlie Carver, and Jake Shears to open one of the most epic nightlife spaces in NYC. Think four floors right smack in one of the biggest gayborhoods in the world. Pop in any night of the week and dance you’re a** off. 795 8th Ave. between 48th and 49th Sts., NYC theqnyc.com

RISE BAR

Kings of NYC nightlife royalty joined forces for a tres fabuleux yet unpretentious Hell’s Kitchen watering hole right in the middle of everything. Dance all night every Friday and Saturday, you deserve a little R&R, don’t you? 859 9th Avenue., NYC 646-892-3313. risebarnyc.com

THE RITZ BAR & LOUNGE

This upscale boy boîte boasts plenty of places to perch on multiple levels inside and outside — although the kickin’ sound system makes it hard to settle down. 369 W. 46th St. at Ninth Ave., NYC 212-333-2554.

THE SPOT

Happy Hour happens every day until 9:00 p.m. at The Spot. Pop in for weekly parties and catch local nightlife celebs like Ariana Trenta, Brenda Dharling, Pissi Myles, and more. Looking for Drag Brunch? Look no further! Seating happens at 12:15 and 2:30 every Sunday. Bring your dollars! 599 10th Avenue, NYC thespotbarnyc.com

EAST SIDE

THE TOOL BOX

This two-level dive bar hosts dance parties with a DJ and cute go-go boys on Friday and Saturday nights on the main floor, while the downstairs is a cozier lounge. 1742 Second Ave., between 90th and 91st Sts., NYC 212348-1288. thetoolboxnyc.com

THE TOWNHOUSE

Two levels of mature gents and their younger fans humming along to dance tracks and swaying to songs from Chicago and everything in the Jerry Herman oeuvre. 236 E. 58th St. between Second and Third Aves., NYC 212-754-4649.

UNCLE CHARLIE’S

This effervescent lounge, tucked on top of an unassuming store on a quiet block, boasts a patio and piano room, which hosts live entertainment. 139 E. 45th St. between Third and Lexington Aves., NYC 212-661-9097. unclecharliesnyc.com

UPPER WEST SIDE

SUITE

This adorable lounge attracts Columbia gays with their leopard-print lamps, cozy leather banquettes and the occasional drag star entertaining on the small stage. 992 Amsterdam Ave. between 109th and 110th Sts., NYC 212-222-4600. suitenyc.com

UPTOWN

ALIBI LOUNGE

This popular Harlem bar & lounge is a great spot for after work. Everybody need an alibi, right? Choose from their selection of specialty cocktails and order a little nibble, while you’re at it. 2376 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. at 139th St., NYC 917-472-7789.

WEST VILLAGE

CUBBYHOLE

Called home by the local lesbian crowd (though a few boys are usually thrown in for good measure), this small, unpretentious West Village bar features a capricious décor that’s heavy on the fish. 281 W. 12th St. at Fourth St., NYC 212-243-9041. cubbyholebar.com

THE DUPLEX

The Duplex is the city’s oldest continuing cabaret/piano bar. Downstairs, the staff performs in between bouts of serving. Upstairs is a more traditional boy bar and an intimate room that books cabaret acts. 61 Christopher St. at Seventh Ave. South, NYC 212-255-5438. theduplex.com

THE HANGAR

Neighborhood guy’s guy bar that attracts a diverse crowd grooving to classic gay tunes. 115 Christopher St. between Bleecker and Hudson Sts., NYC 212-627-2044

HENRIETTA HUDSON

Jam-packed lesbian club/lounge with a multicultural crowd that’s gay-boy friendly. 438 Hudson St. at Morton St., NYC 212-924-3347.henriettahudson.com

JULIUS’

Once the Village’s oldest continuously operating bar went gay in the 1950s, it would go on to become the city’s oldest gay bar. On a normal night, it’s a comfy place for cheap drinks, burgers, and fries, but once a month, the party Mattachine turns it into a crowded, rowdy dance affair with excellent vinyl music. 159 W. 10th St. at Waverly Pl., NYC 212-243-1928. juliusbarny.com

MARIE’S CRISIS

Old-school sing-alongs are on tap at this long-running piano bar. There’s no fuss and no frills at this late-night theater queen hot spot. Stop in and “sing out, Louise!” 59 Grove St. at Seventh Ave. South, NYC 212-243-9323. mariescrisis.us

THE MONSTER

A Sheridan Square stalwart where fabulous guys and dolls sing along to their show tunes upstairs while legendary DJs play to the fun crowd downstairs. 80 Grove St. at Seventh Ave. South, NYC 212-924-3558 Open Mon-Fri, 4pm-4am; Sat & Sun, 2pm-4am.

PIECES

You’ll either be singing to retro dance tracks or laughing at the antics of drag queens at this longtime West Villager. Ms. Vodka Stinger’s B-Movie Mondays are always worth a stop. Show starts at 8:30 sharp. 8 Christopher St. at Sixth Ave., NYC 212-929-9291. piecesbar.com

ROCKBAR

For boys who prefer fur over sheen, there’s this butched-up bar with a fistpumping soundtrack and cheap drinks. Things get steadily burlier and beefier as the night goes on…attend one ROCKSTRAP and you’ll be more than hooked. If you’re on GROWLr there’s a good chance your notifications will start to flutter inside. 185 Christopher St. at Weehawken St., NYC. rockbarnyc.com

STONEWALL

Daddies, faux thugs, and girls who like girls rule the roost at this two-story birthplace of gay pride. Every night of the week offers a different theme, from drag-hosted game shows to karaoke to beer blasts. 53 Christopher St. at Seventh Ave. South, NYC 212-488-2705. thestonewallinnnyc.com

TY’S

This Ye Olde Boy Bar serves a loyal and friendly Christopher Street clientele — young, old and everything in between. NYPD and Firemen especially welcome. 114 Christopher St. between Bleecker and Hudson Sts., NYC 212-741-9641. tys.nyc

OUTER BOROUGHS & BEYOND

3 DOLLAR BILL

Self-declared as “Brooklyn’s Premiere Queer Bar & Performance Venue”, 3 Dollar Bill is known for their legendary parties and literally brining all the fine boys & gurls to the yard. They are the largest queer venue in Brooklyn and ready for your visit. Go ahead & live your life at 3 Dollar Bill (but be sure to look cute!) 260 Meserole St. Brooklyn 3dollarbillbk.com

ALBATROSS

Homey Astoria bar with a pool table and jukebox. Sultry bartender/host Dean Dante heats things up with his now legendary parties where everyone has a chance to explore their fantasies. 36-19 24th Ave. at 38th St., Astoria, NYC 718-204-9045. albatrossastoria.com

C’MON EVERYBODY

Popular Brooklyn Queer space, known for great cocktails, fun parties, and hot live music shows. C’mon Everybody is a queer owned and operated bar and independent venue that was founded by the desire to amplify the underserved creative voices of the LGBTQ/QTPOC people (and allies). 325 Franklin Ave. Brooklyn cmoneverybody.com

FRIEND’S TAVERN

This bar seduces the large Latino gay community with theme nights and daily drink specials. 78-11 Roosevelt Ave. at 78th St., Jackson Heights, Queens 718-397-7256. friendstavern.net.

GOOD JUDY

Good Judy is a lounge, dance floor, piano bar, patio, and home for Queers + allies to join together in unity and solidarity. Meet your Good Judy for happy hour and plan on closing the joint! 563 5th Avenue, Brooklyn goodjudybk.com

ICON ASTORIA

Fasten your seatbelts because you’re in for an unexpected ride at this hot NYC bar nestled into the backyard of Astoria. Beefcake dancers and NYC nightlife legends flock to this unassuming watering hole for great beats, impressive drag performances, and all-around friendly faces. 31-84 33rd Street., Astoria, NY 347-808-7592. iconastoria.com

GINGER’S

Especially popular with lesbians, this long and dark bar has a popular jukebox and an outdoor garden. 363 Fifth Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn 718788-0924

METROPOLITAN

This B-burg bar is comfy and cozy with a fireplace, jukebox, and a sprawling warm-weather patio. 559 Lorimer St. at Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn NYC 718-599-4444. metropolitanbarny.com

MUSIC BOX

Fun neighborhood bar great if you’re in Jackson Heights and looking for a pint or a little fun. 40-08 74th St. at Roosevelt Ave. 718-457-5306

THE ROSEMONT NYC

Sexy mixed Williamsburg cocktail bar with a great happy hour and fun weekly entertainment. Looking for Mr. Right, Mr. Right for tonight or just a fun gurls night out? They’ve got you covered. 63 Montrose Ave., Brooklyn, NYC 347-987-3101. therosemontnyc.com

Dikman, Bernard L , C P A

37 W 20th St, Ste 703, NYC 212 929-4299

Woloshen, Robert A CPA

29 W 15th St, Ste 1

NYC 212 843-3486

www rawcpa com

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture-NYC

80 Fifth Ave, Ste 906 NYC 212 874-0898

www acupuncture-nyc com

ADOPTION SERVICES

Friends in Adoption NYC 800 982-3678

www friendsinadoption org

AESTHETIC SERVICES

Advanced Dermatology Associates

200 Central Park South #107

NYC ........................................... 212 262-2500 NYC 212 246-0800

www.adv-derm.com

Lexington Plastic Surgeons

113 E 39th St, NYC 646 374-2410

www try lexingtonplasticsurgeons com/metrosource

Sexual Health Men

290 Madison Ave 6th Fl NYC 973 493-7607

www sexualhealthmen com

Stoller, Roy B , D O 515 Madison Ave, Ste 1205 NYC 212 920-4499

www hairdoctornyc com

ALLERGIES

Aziz, Michael, M D , FRSM

Midtown Integrative Medicine

509 Madison Ave @ 53rd St, Ste 1111 NYC 212 906-9111

www michaelazizmd com

ARCHITECTURE

David Stern Architecture

www davidsternarchitecture com

Torre, Martin B RA AIA

Architecture + Planning PLLC

605 E 14th St, #8

NYC 646 257-9081

ATTORNEYS

Bing, Steven E 276 5th Ave, Ste 1008

NYC 212 286-1666

Chianese & Reilly Law, P C 122 E 42nd St, Ste 3900

NYC 212 953-6447

100 Merrick Rd, Ste 103E Rockville Centre, NY 516 599-2020

www awclawyer com

Chou, Luna, Esq NYC 212 226-2610

www

Goldman, Jeffrey E , Esq

Li-Lac Chocolates

West Village: 40 8th Ave, NYC

Greenwich Village: 162 Bleecker St, NYC

Grand Central: 43rd & Lexington, NYC

Chelsea Market: 75 Ninth Ave, NYC

Industry City: 68 35th St, Brooklyn

Paul

Dave’s New York

Jackson Boutique

com

Law

www

Parker | Waichman LLP

Tesler, Richard, Esq

COUNSELING/PSYCHOTHERAPY – DENTISTS

Bloom Psychotherapy NYC

19 W 34th St, PH

NYC 347 921-0431

www nycbloomtherapy com

Campbell, Robert D , LCSW Psychotherapy for Individuals & Couples NYC 646 783-8155

www robertdcampbell com

Davies, Ann Conant, M S W , L C S W 740 West End Ave, Ste 1

Cell 917 923-2257

Dicker, Phyllis D , L C S W , A C S W , B C D

NYC 718 855-5171

Factor, Rhonda J , PhD 85 5th Ave, Ste 912 NYC 347 834-6057

www rhondafactorphd com

Jarratt, Kent, L C S W

19 W 34th St, NYC 212 947-7111, ext 119 Oceanport, NJ 917 686-6179

www kentjarratt com

Johnson, Thomas E , L C S W

Chelsea 212 645-3952

Kingan, Peter L , Ph D

99 University Pl, 4th Fl

NYC 917 428-2431

Koetting, Michael E , L C S W

NYC 212 741-2606

www koettingpsychotherapy com

McFadden, Stephen, LCSW SEP 435 W 23rd St

NYC 212 627-8419

www smcfadden com

Nelson, Joshua, Ph D 71 W 23rd St, Ste 1115 NYC 646 512-0043

www jnelsonphd com

Rayhill, Daniel, Ph D 276 Fifth Ave #1101

NYC 212 683-2454

Ross, Steven, LSCW Union Square 917 406-7900

www stevenrosstherapy com

Schuetz, Volker, PsyD 1133 Broadway #913 NYC 212 470-9024

www nychangemanagement com

Schwartz, Alan, M D , Psychiatrist West Village/Chelsea

NYC 212 727-0923

Tallent, Marc, Ph D 51 Fifth Ave

NYC 212 645-5795

http://therapists psychologytoday com/rms/33692

Lew, Spencer, D D S

30 E 40th St #706

NYC 212 286-1717

www nycdental com

LuxDen Dental Center

2579 E 17th St, Ste 11

Brooklyn 718 382-3444

www luxden com

Rosa, John D , D D S , P C

40 Newport Parkway, Ste P-1 Jersey City, NJ 201 626-2700

Sengos, Demetrios, D D S

West 10th Dental P C

45 W 10th St

NYC 212 982-5883

www west10thdental com

DENTISTS/PERIODONTISTS

Bizzell, Steven J , D M D , D A B P

50-02 5th St Ste B, Long Island City 718 530-6539

www licdentalassociates com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S

5 W 19th St

NYC 212 257-0007

www omniaestheticmd com

DENTISTS/SUBURBAN

Rosa, John D , D D S , P C

40 Newport Parkway, Ste P-1 Jersey City, NJ 201 626-2700

Dermatology

Advanced Dermatology Associates

200 Central Park South #107

NYC ........................................... 212 262-2500

NYC 212 246-0800

www.adv-derm.com

(SEE AD IN THIS ISSUE)

Arora, Navin, DO, FAAD

Arora Dermatology

115 Broadway, Ste 1800

NYC 212 244-1252

www aroraderm com

Goldman, Barry D , M D

150 Broadway #111

NYC 212 962-1115

Juva Skin & Laser Center

60 E 56th St #2

NYC 212 421-9501

www juvaskin com

Lumos Dermatology

Peter Chien, MD, PhD

37 E 28th St, Ste 304

NYC 646 820-1716

www lumosdermatology com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S

5 W 19th St

NYC 212 257-0007

www omniaestheticmd com

EMPLOYMENT

Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)

1700 Stadium Way

LA 213 847-LAFD

www joinlafd org

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)

700 E Temple St, B-38

LA 866 444-LAPD

www joinlapd com

EVENT PLANNING & EVENT SPACE/RENTALS

SEE ALSO CATERING, WEDDING SERVICES

Elite Private Yachts NYC 866 862-7245

www eliteprivateyachts com

www entertainmentcruises com/new-york

Hornblower Cruises & Events

Pier 40, NYC 646 832-2805

www hornblowerny com/metrosource

Houston Hall

222 W Houston St

NYC 212 582-2057

Patina Events - Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Brooklyn 718 307-7133

www patinaevents com

The Riverside Church 490 Riverside Dr NYC 212 870-6762

www trcnyc com

Yachts for All Seasons

NYC 212 534-6380

Cell 917 864-7670

www y4as com

EVENT SERVICES

Big Apple Event Audio Visual 519 8th Ave, Ste 815

NYC 212 518-3175

www avnycrentals com

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Ameriprise Financial Services

Lance R Kash, Financial Advisor, CFP®

964-9400

Law Offices of Thomas Sciacca, PLLC

Wall St, 12th Fl, NYC

www sciaccalaw com

New York Life/NYLIFE Securities

Marlon J Altoe

420 Lexington Ave, 15th Fl

www newyorklife com/agent/maltoe

761-4372

Peloso-Barnes, Julia A , CFP, CPM, CRPC

www advisor morganstanley com/the-pelosobarnes-group FITNESS/GYMS/PERSONAL

Mercedes Club

495-0317

FLORISTS

la Fleur d’Harlem

FRAMING

14th Street Framing Gallery

GIFTS

Li-Lac Chocolates

West Village: 40 8th Ave, NYC

Greenwich Village: 162 Bleecker St, NYC Grand Central: 43rd & Lexington, NYC

Chelsea Market: 75 Ninth Ave, NYC

Industry City: 68 35th St, Brooklyn

924-2280

Chelsea Pines Inn

Colonial

Incentra Village House

HAIR REMOVAL

Advanced

www

929-1023

243-9669

NEW YORK DIRECTORY

HAIR REMOVAL – PHARMACIES/DRUGS

Brisk N Posh

132 Crosby St, Ste 8E

NYC 212 433-4477

www brisknposh com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S

5 W 19th St

NYC 212 257-0007

www omniaestheticmd com

HAIR REPLACEMENT/REPLICATION

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S

5 W 19th St

NYC 212 257-0007

www omniaestheticmd com

Stoller, Roy B , D O

515 Madison Ave, Ste 1205 NYC 212 920-4499

www hairdoctornyc com

HOTELS

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Atlantic City, NJ 609 317-1000

www outatborgata com

Foxwoods Resort & Casino

www foxwoods com

The Graham & Co

Phoenicia, NY 845 688-7871

www thegrahamandco com

Holiday Inn Manhattan 6th Ave - Chelsea 125 W 26th St

NYC 212 430-8500

www hi-nyc com

Hotel Hayden 127 W 28th St

NYC 844 423-6004

www hotelhaydennyc com

Hotel Henri

37 W 24th St NYC 844 277-9123

www hotelhenrinyc com

Opus Hotel Vancouver

322 Davie St, Vancouver, BC Canada 604 642-6787

www opushotel com

Sandman Suites on Davie 1160 Davie St Vancouver, BC Canada 604 681-7263

www sandmanhotels com

Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel 1088 Burrard St

Vancouver, BC Canada 604 331-1000

www sheratonvancouver com

Sunset Marquis 1200 Alta Loma Rd

West Hollywood CA 800 858-9758

www sunsetmarquis com

VIVE Hotel Waikiki

2426 Kuhio Ave

Honolulu, Hawaii 808 687-2000

www vivehotelwaikiki com

INSURANCE

HealthSherpa

Toll Free 844 346-9476

www metrosource healthsherpa com

INTRODUCTION SERVICES

SEE ALSO DATING SERVICES

ManMate

NYC 212 564-4025

www manmate com

LASER VISION CORRECTION

SEE ALSO OPHTHALMOLOGISTS

Coad, Christopher T , M D , F A C S

Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology

157 W 19th St

NYC 212 220-0066

www chelseaeyeophthalmology com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S

5 W 19th St

NYC 212 257-0007

www omniaestheticmd com

LIPOSUCTION

Marfuggi, Richard M D , D M H, F A C S

50 E 69th St, NYC 212 317-1188

Denville, NJ 973 377-8950

www askdrm com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S

5 W 19th St, NYC 212 257-0007

www omniaestheticmd com

MARKETING SERVICES

Brand2Fly

San Jose 408 763-7924

www brand2fly com

GayVan com Travel Marketing

www gayvan com

OPHTHALMOLOGISTS

Coad, Christopher T , M D , F A C S

Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology

157 W 19th St NYC 212 220-0066

www chelseaeyeophthalmology com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S

5 W 19th St

www omniaestheticmd com

OPTOMETRISTS

212 257-0007

Coad, Christopher T , M D , F A C S

Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology

157 W 19th St, NYC 212 220-0066 www chelseaeyeophthalmology com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S 5 W 19th St

www omniaestheticmd com

212 257-0007

West Village Eyecare Associates

Sheridan Square

www eyecarenyc com

Samuelson, Stefan T , MD 44 E 12th St, Ste MD1

PERIODONTISTS

212 242-6592

212 993-8573

212 594-1600

Bizzell, Steven J , D M D , D A B P Periodontist 50-02 5th St Ste B Long Island City 718-530-6539

www licdentalassociates com

PET SUPPLIES

Nulo Pet Foods nulo com/love

260-3131

Bigelow Chemists

Sixth Ave, NYC 212 533-2700

Chelsea Specialty Pharmacy

Seventh Ave

255-9900

NEW YORK DIRECTORY

PHARMACIES/DRUGS (CONTINUED) – PLASTIC SURGERY

CVS Specialty

126 8th Ave

NYC ........................................... 212 807-8798

(SEE AD IN THIS ISSUE)

Mayfair Chemists

21 Seventh Ave, NYC 212 242-1444

New London Pharmacy

246 Eighth Ave, NYC 212 243-4987

New York Chemists

77 Christopher St, NYC 212 255-2525

www newyorkchemists com

Thompson Chemists & Thompson Alchemists

137 Thompson St

449 West Broadway

NYC 212 598-9790

www thompsonchemists com

Village Apothecary

346 Bleecker St

NYC ........................................... 212 807-7566

www.villageapothecary.com

(SEE AD IN THIS ISSUE)

PHYSICAL THERAPY

Galán, Antonio, PT, DPT, MBA, CHC

RestoreRehab Physical Therapy

664 10th Ave

NYC 212 245-5259

www restorerehabpt com

Symbio Physio Therapy

214 W 29th St, Ste 901

NYC 917 338-6268

www symbiopt com

PHYSICIANS & MEDICAL SERVICES

Advanced Dermatology Associates

200 Central Park South #107

NYC 212 262-2500

NYC 212 246-0800

www adv-derm com

Amida Care

NYC 855 462-6432

www amidacareny org

Astor Medical Group

67 Irving Place, 5th Fl @ E 18th St NYC 212 253-2968

www astormedical com

Central Park Medical Associates

200 Central Park South #107

NYC 212 262-2500

NYC 212 246-0800

www.centralparkmedicalassociates.com

Coad, Christopher T , M D , F A C S

Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology

157 W 19th St

NYC 212 220-0066

www chelseaeyeophthalmology com

Dillon, Stephen, M D

Int Med , Inf Dis

314 W 14th St

NYC 212 620-0144

Dormer, Anita L , M D , F A C C P

22 E 72nd St, 5th Fl

NYC 212 535-5905

Fonville, T W , Int Med

29 Fifth Ave @ 10th St

NYC 212 674-1020

Goldberg, Edward S , M D

Int Med , Gastr

121 E 60th St, 3rd Fl

NYC 212 980-8800

Hsu, Ricky K , M D

154 W 14th St, 4th Fl

NYC 212 627-7560

Icochea, Rosendo S , M D

117 E 18th St NYC 212 387-9199

Jaeger, Lawrence D , D O

200 Central Park South #107

NYC 212 246-0800

NYC 212 262-2500

www adv-derm com

Jarratt, Kent, L C S W

19 W 34th St, Penthouse Ste NYC 212 947-7111, ext 119 Oceanport, NJ 917 686-6179

www kentjarratt com

Leach, Eric G , N P 154 W 14th St, 4th Fl, NYC 212 627-7560

Lexington Plastic Surgeons

113 E 39th St NYC 646 374-2410

www try lexingtonplasticsurgeons com/ metrosource

Mandell, William, M D Infectious Diseases

31 Washington Sq West

Midtown Integrative Medicine

Aziz, Michael, M D , FRSM

509 Madison Ave @ 53rd St, Ste 1111

906-9111

www michaelazizmd com

Namdar, Isaac, M D Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S

Pearl, Alan, M D , Psychiatrist

W 70th St, NYC

Samuelson, Stefan T , MD 44 E 12th St, Ste MD1

PLASTIC SURGERY

475-8833

Marfuggi, Richard A , M D , D M H ,

50 E 69th St

NJ

www askdrm com

317-1188

377-8950

Maze Sexual & Reproductive Health

Maze Men’s Health

Maze Women’s Health

Maze Labs

Maze Cord Blood 633 Third Ave, Ste 9B

www.mazehealth.com

(SEE AD IN THIS ISSUE)

724-5188

594-1600

Dr WW Med Spa and Laser Clinic 85-16 Queens Blvd, 2F, Elmhurst, NY

Centre St #224, NYC 718 457-0707

www drwwmedspa com

Lexington Plastic Surgeons

113 E 39th St NYC

374-2410

www try lexingtonplasticsurgeons com/ metrosource

Marfuggi, Richard A , M D , D M H

585-8980

PLASTIC SURGERY (CONTINUED) – RETAIL

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S

5 W 19th St, NYC 212 257-0007

www omniaestheticmd com

Sexual Health Men

290 Madison Ave 6th Fl, NYC 973 493-7607

www sexualhealthmen com

Skintology

Cosmetical Aesthetics

157 E 57th St, NYC

181 7th Ave, NYC 212 989-6555

www skintologyny com

PODIATRISTS

Ciment, Ethan J , D P M

Collins, Michael, D P M

Chelsea Foot & Ankle Center

37 W 20th St, Ste 308, NYC 646 929-4149

www chelseafootandankle com

REAL ESTATE

Bonavita, David Compass NYC 212 501-8281

www davidbonavita com

Chroughan, Judy

Julie B Fee Sotherby’s

49 Purchase St

Rye, NY 914 262-5323

Coldwell Bank Residential Brokerage

JC Waterfront – Team Francesco

Robert G Harris

1 2nd St, Ste 1 & 4

Jersey City, NJ 201 604-4200

Cell 646 334-0559

Enzo Morabito Team

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Bridgehampton 631 537-6519

Cell 516 695-3433

www theenzomorabitoteam elliman com

Hendler, Lisa E

Berkshire Hathaway Blake Realtors Kinderhook, NY 518 929-4519

McGrotty, Amy, JD

Castelli Luxury Real Estate Services Fort Lauderdale, FL 954 347-1732

www amy castellihomes com

Powell, DeWayne A

Town Residential

NYC 917 748-5100

www townresidential com

Prince, Keith A

Brown Harris Stevens

NYC 917 826-3451

www brownharrisstevens com

TF Cornerstone

www tfc com

Wright, Daniel Compass NYC 917 304-4270

REAL ESTATE/SUBURBAN

Habeeb-Clark, Deborah Keller Williams Hudson Valley, NY 845 800-5413

Perasso, Matt

Prominent Properties/Sotheby’s International Realty

2 Main St, Edgewater, NJ 201 840-8898

Cell 917 834-0454

www goldcoastcribs com

RETAIL

Eva’s Supplements

11 W 8th St (bet 5th & 6th Aves) NYC 212 982-2500

www evassupplements com

NEW YORK DIRECTORY

SCHOOLS

Brooklyn Heights Montessori School

185 Court St, Brooklyn 718 858-5100

www bhmsny org

Rudolf Steiner School

15 E 79th St

NYC 212 535-2130

www steiner edu

SPA/SALON SERVICES

Brisk N Posh

132 Crosby St, Ste 8E NYC ........................................... 212 433-4477

www.brisknposh.com

(SEE AD THIS ISSUE)

TRAVEL

Bucks County Pennsylvania

www visitbuckscounty com

Kennedy Travel

130 W 42nd St #401

NYC 212 398-0999

Toll Free 800 237-7433

www kennedytravel com

Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce

36 Main St

Ogunquit, ME 207 646-2939

www visitogunquit org

Sullivan Catskills

Catskills, NY 800 882-CATS

www sullivancatskills com

TRAVEL/GETAWAYS

Foxwoods Resort & Casino

www foxwoods com

Visit Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA 215 599-0776

www visitphilly com

WEDDING SERVICES

Bespoke Matchmaking

1180 Avenue of the Americas, 8th Fl NYC 888 422-6464

www bespokematchmaking com

Elite Private Yachts NYC 866 862-7245

www eliteprivateyachts com

www entertainmentcruises com/new-york

Feinstein’s/54 Below

254 W 54th St, Cellar NYC 212 302-5559 x114

www 54below com

Gatherings Floral Design

www gatheringsfloraldesign com

Hornblower Cruises & Events

Pier 40, NYC 646 832-2805

www hornblowerny com/metrosource

Houston Hall

222 W Houston St, NYC 212 582-2057

Li-Lac Chocolates

West Village: 40 8th Ave, NYC

Greenwich Village: 162 Bleecker St, NYC

Grand Central: 43rd & Lexington, NYC

Chelsea Market: 75 Ninth Ave, NYC

Industry City: 68 35th St, Brooklyn

212 924-2280

Make

Oheka Castle

Our Wedding Officiant NYC

Peter Boruchowitz

Patina Events - Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Paul

The

Yachts

WILLS

Law Offices of Thomas Sciacca, PLLC

495-0317

WINE & SPIRITS

Cork Wines & Spirits

NEW YORK DIRECTORY

FIRE ISLAND PINES – CHERRY GROVE

FIRE ISLAND PINES – CHERRY GROVE

Blue

www bluewhalefireisland com

Cherry’s

Cultured Elephant

www thepinesfireisland com

Harbor Club Pines

www thepinesfireisland com

Sip n Twirl

36 Fire Island Boulevard

The Pavilion

www pavilionfireisland com

CLOTHING/GIFTS

Gostoso

Summer Solstice

Horizon Beach House

Cherry Grove 631 597-6278

NYC 212 689-2699

www horizonbeachhouse com

SeaBreeze Rentals

Cherry Grove 917 763-9029

GYM

597-6500

597-6500

597-3599

631 597-6500

Steel Gym

Pines

www steelgym com

HARDWARE

Pines Hardware & Sundries

Bay Walk

Pines 631 597-6237

LANDSCAPING/FLORAL

Beachscapes

Pines 631 597-3746

LIQUORS/WINES

The Pines Liquor Shop

646 262-1910

597-4200 CONTRACTING

Walter Boss, Custom Builder

Pines and Pools

Pines Propane

GROCERIES

Grove Market Main Walk

Harbor Walk

Pines 631 597-6442

POOL MAINTENANCE

Dependable Pools Pines 631 597-7748

REAL ESTATE

A Summer Place

Main & Bayview

597-6262

597-9191

Cherry Grove 631 597-6239

The Pines Pantry Harbor Walk

Pines 631 597-6200

GUEST HOUSES/HOTELS

Belvedere Guest House

Bay View Walk, Cherry Grove 631 597-6448

www belvederefireisland com

Carousel Guesthouse

185 Holly Walk

Cherry Grove 631 597-6612

Cherry Grove Beach Hotel Cherry Grove 631 597-6600

Dune Point Cherry Grove 631 597-6261

Cherry Grove 631 597-6140

D Katen Fire Island Properties, LTD

Pines 631 597-7000

www fireislandpines com

Pines Harbor Realty

36 Fire Island Blvd

Pines 631 597-7575

RESTAURANTS

Blue Whale

Pines 631 597-6500

www bluewhalefireisland com

Cultured Elephant

Pines 631 597-6500

www thepinesfireisland com

Grove Pizza & Restaurant

Cherry Grove 631 597-6766

Pines Bistro & Pizza

Pines 631 597-3597

TRANSPORTATION

Sayville Ferry River Rd

NYC 631 589-0810

NEW YORK COMMUNITY RESOURCES

NEW YORK COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Metrosource is committed to helping non-profit organizations in their ongoing efforts to serve our diverse community.

Metrosource is committed to helping non-profit organizations in their ongoing efforts to serve our diverse community.

ATHLETIC

ATHLETIC

BIG APPLE SOFTBALL LEAGUE 208 West 13th St New York, NY 10011 212 696-7482

BIG APPLE SOFTBALL LEAGUE 208 West 13th St New York, NY 10011 212 696-7482

CHEER NY CHEERLEADING Felipe Hernandez 888 671-7312 www.cheerny.org

CHEER NY CHEERLEADING Felipe Hernandez 888 671-7312 www.cheerny.org

NORTH JERSEY G&L BOWLERS Belle Aire Lanes West Caldwell, NJ 201 823-2250

NORTH JERSEY G&L BOWLERS Belle Aire Lanes West Caldwell, NJ 201 823-2250

NY GAY POOL LEAGUE PO Box 1502 Ansonia Sta New York, NY 10023 212 496-4585

NY GAY POOL LEAGUE PO Box 1502 Ansonia Sta New York, NY 10023 212 496-4585

NY RAMBLER’S SOCCER CLUB, INC. 917 767-9789 www.nyramblers.com

NY RAMBLER’S SOCCER CLUB, INC. 917 767-9789 www.nyramblers.com

CITY CRUISERS MC Old Chelsea Station PO Box 1614 New York, NY 10011 www.citycruisers.com

CITY CRUISERS MC Old Chelsea Station PO Box 1614 New York, NY 10011 www.citycruisers.com (gay men’s motorcycle club)

EZRYDERS SNOWBOARDING 445 W 46th St #4D New York, NY 10036 www.ezryders@ondbdx.com

EZRYDERS SNOWBOARDING 445 W 46th St #4D New York, NY 10036 www.ezryders@ondbdx.com

FAST AND FABULOUS CYCLING P.O. Box 23008, Ansonia Sta New York, NY 10023 212 567-7160

FAST AND FABULOUS CYCLING P.O. Box 23008, Ansonia Sta New York, NY 10023 212 567-7160

FRONT RUNNERS NY P.O. Box 87 Ansonia Sta New York, NY 10023 212 799-8781 www.frny.org

FRONT RUNNERS NY P.O. Box 87 Ansonia Sta New York, NY 10023 212 799-8781 www.frny.org

GARDEN STATE GAY BOWLING LEAGUE www.gsgbo.com

GARDEN STATE GAY BOWLING LEAGUE www.gsgbo.com

GOTHAM VOLLEYBALL P.O. Box 961 New York, NY 10034 212 388-8208 info@gothamvolleyball.org

GOTHAM VOLLEYBALL P.O. Box 961 New York, NY 10034 212 388-8208 info@gothamvolleyball.org

KNIGHTS WRESTLING CLUB P.O. Box 720161 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 718 815-3244

KNIGHTS WRESTLING CLUB P.O. Box 720161 Jackson Heights, NY 11372 718 815-3244

LONG ISLAND RAVENS MC CLUB c/o Long Island Eagle 94 Clinton Ave Bayshore, NY 11706 631 968-2750 www.liravensmc.org

LONG ISLAND RAVENS MC CLUB c/o Long Island Eagle 94 Clinton Ave Bayshore, NY 11706 631 968-2750 www.liravensmc.org

MONDAY NIGHT FOURPLAY BOWLING LEAGUE Syosset Bowl 631 842-5166

MONDAY NIGHT FOURPLAY BOWLING LEAGUE Syosset Bowl 631 842-5166

NYC GAY BASKETBALL LEAGUE www.nycgaybasketball.org

NYC GAY BASKETBALL LEAGUE www.nycgaybasketball.org

OUT OF BOUNDS

NYC & TEAM NEW YORK PO Box 372, Times Sq Station New York, NY 10108 www.oobnyc.org

OUT OF BOUNDS NYC & TEAM NEW YORK PO Box 372, Times Sq Station New York, NY 10108 www.oobnyc.org

PINK PONG NY Sunnyside, Queens 718 623-2926 www.pinkpongfoundation.org

PINK PONG NY Sunnyside, Queens 718 623-2926 www.pinkpongfoundation.org

SUN/MON/TUE

NIGHT TEAMS c/o Chelsea Piers AMF Bowl Pier 60, New York, NY 10011 212 835-2691

SUN/MON/TUE NIGHT TEAMS c/o Chelsea Piers AMF Bowl Pier 60, New York, NY 10011 212 835-2691

SUNDANCE OUTDOOR

SUNDANCE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE SOCIETY www.sundanceoutdoor.org sundanceoutdoor@yahoo.com

ADVENTURE SOCIETY www.sundanceoutdoor.org sundanceoutdoor@yahoo.com

TEAM NEW YORK AQUATICS 212 691-3440 (hotline)

TEAM NEW YORK AQUATICS 212 691-3440 (hotline)

CULTURAL, ETHNIC & SOCIAL

CULTURAL, ETHNIC & SOCIAL

APICHA

APICHA 400 Broadway New York, NY 10013 212 334-6029 www.apicha.org

400 Broadway New York, NY 10013 212 334-6029 www.apicha.org

BEST FRIENDS

BEST FRIENDS

ANIMAL SOCIETY 5001 Angel Canyon Rd Kanab, UT 84741 435 644-2001 www.bestfriends.org

ANIMAL SOCIETY

5001 Angel Canyon Rd Kanab, UT 84741 435 644-2001 www.bestfriends.org

NEW YORK COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Metrosource is committed to helping non-profit organizations in their ongoing efforts to serve our diverse community.

BIG GAY MEN OF NEW YORK 9111 Liberty Ave #662 Ozone Park, NY 11417 631 780-2807 www.convergence.nyc

EMPIRE CITY MEN’S CHORUS P.O. Box 1017 New York, NY 10185 empirecitymenschorus.org

GAY & BI FATHERS FORUM OF GREATER NY PO Box 1321, Midtown Sta New York, NY 10018 212 721-4216 (recording) 718 728-0476

GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION (GLAAD)

150 West 26th St New York, NY 10001 212 807-1700 www.glaad.org

GAY FATHERS OF NY 245 Eighth Ave #897 New York, NY 10011 212 388-2618

GAY MEN OF AFRICAN DESCENT

44 Court St, 10th Fl, Ste 1000 Brooklyn, NY 10201 718 222-6300 www.gmad.org

GAY MEN OF THE BRONX PO Box 511, Bronx, NY 10451 www.gmob.org

IMPERIAL QUEENS & KINGS OF NY

70-A Greenwich Ave #120 New York, NY 10011 212 229-5900 x3655

IN OUR OWN WRITE

208 West 13th St New York, NY 10014 212 620-7310 x305 (monthly readings)

IN THE LIFE 30 West 26th St, 7th Fl New York, NY 10011 212 255-6012

JERSEY CITY LESBIAN & GAY OUTREACH (JCLGO)

113 Pavonia Ave #247 Jersey City, NJ 07302 201 333-5725

LATINOS & LATINAS DE AMBIENTE/NY (LLANY) 208 West 13th St New York, NY 10014 212 367-1092

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER 208 West 13th St New York, NY 10014 212 620-7310 www.gaycenter.org

LESBIAN & GAY NATURAL HISTORY GROUP OF NY

80 Garfield Pl Brooklyn, NY 11215 718 965-0013

LESBIAN HERSTORY ARCHIVES PO Box 1258 New York, NY 10116 718 768-3953

LESLIE-LOHMAN MUSEUM OF GAY AND LESBIAN ART 26 Wooster St New York, NY 10013 www.leslielohman.org

LIVE OUT LOUD 45 West 36th Street, 6th Fl New York, NY 10018 212 378-4095 www.liveoutloud.info

THE LOFT-LOWER HUDSON VALLEY LGBT CENTER 252 Bryant Ave White Plains, NY 10605 914 948-2932 www.loftgaycenter.org

THE L.I. GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL ORG P.O. Box 360 East Northport, NY 11731 www.liglff.org

LONG ISLAND GAY & LESBIAN YOUTH 34 Park Ave Bay Shore, NY 11706 631 665-2300 www.ligaly.org

LONG ISLAND RAVENS M.C.

c/o The Long Island Eagle 94 North Clinton Ave Bay Shore, NY 11706 631 968-2750 www.liravensmc.org

MALES AU NATUREL (MAN)

MEN’S NUDIST GROUP 347 704-0704 www.males.org

MEN OF ALL COLORS

TOGETHER NEW YORK PO Box 1518

Ansonia Station, NY 10023

NYC GAY MEN’S CHORUS 561 Seventh Ave, Ste 803 New York, NY 10018 212 344-1777 www.nycgmc.org

NYC PRIDE 154 Christopher St, Suite 1D New York, NY 10014 212 807-7433 www.nycpride.org

PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LESBIANS AND GAYS (P-FLAG) PO Box 553 New York, NY 10021 212 463-0629

THE POINT FOUNDATION 5757 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 370 LA, CA 90036 866 33-Point www.pointfoundation.org

PRIME TIMERS

c/o Don Hargus 208 Anderson St, Suite 8DS

Hackensack, NJ 07601 201 488-4839

QUEENS L&G PRIDE COMMITTEE PO Box 580445 Flushing, NY 11358 718 460-4064

QUEENS PRIDE HOUSE

76-11 37th Ave Jackson Heights, NY 11372 718 429-5309

QUEENS RAINBOW COMMUNITY CENTER

30-74 Steinway St, 2nd Fl Astoria, NY 11105 718 204-5955

SERVICES AND ADVOCACY FOR GLBT ELDERS (SAGE) 305 Seventh Ave New York, NY 10001 212 741-2247

www.sageusa.org

SOUTHERNERS/L&G MEN IN NY PO Box 881 New York, NY 10008-0881

STONEWALL CHORALE Box 920, Old Chelsea Sta New York, NY 10011 212 971-5813

STONEWALL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

119 West 24th St, 7th Fl New York, NY 10011 212 367-1155

www.stonewallfoundation.org

TRI STATE

LG&B STUDENT COALITION 208 West 13th St New York, NY 10014

HEALTH/ COUNSELING

AIDS CENTER OF QUEENS COUNTY 97-45 Queens Blvd #1220 Rego Park, NY 11374 718 896-2500

AIDS DRUG ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ADAP) 800 542-2437

AIDS HEALTHCARE

FOUNDATION 475 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217 718 637-2970 888 AIDS-CARE www.ahfpharmacy.org

AIDS HOTLINE/NYC DEPT OF HEALTH 311 Broadway, 4th Fl New York, NY 10007 800 TALK-HIV

AIDS RELATED COMMUNITY SERVICES 2269 Saw Mill River Rd Elmsford, NY 10523 914 345-8888

AIDS SERVICE CENTER NYLIVEC

64 West 35th St New York, NY 212 645-0875

www.ascnyc.org

THE ALLIANCE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

64 West 35th Street, 3rd Fl New York, NY 10001

212.645-0875

www.alliance.nyc (SEE AD PREVIOUS PAGE)

AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH

120 Wall St New York, NY 10005 212 806-1600

ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT

240 West 35th St, 12th Fl New York, NY 10001

212 714-1184

212 714-1141 (Hotline)

BAILEY HOLT HOUSE 180 Christopher St New York, NY 10014

212 337-3000

BAILEY HOUSE

275 Seventh Ave, 12th Fl New York, NY 10001 212 633-2500

BETH ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTER AIDS CLINICAL TRIAL UNIT DIV OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

350 East 17th St, 3rd Fl New York, NY 10003

212 420-4519

BODY POSITIVE OF NY 19 Fulton St Suite 308B New York, NY 10038

212 566-7333

800 566-6599

BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS

165 West 46th St #1300 New York,

BROOKLYN

CALLEN

CHEST

GAY MEN OF AFRICAN DESCENT 44 Court St, 10th Fl, Ste 1000 Brooklyn, NY 10201

718 222-6300 www.gmad.org

GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS

446 West 33rd St New York, NY 10001 212 367-1273 212 367-1489 800 243-7692 www.gmhc.org

GOD’S LOVE WE DELIVER 166 Ave of the Americas New York, NY 10013 212 294-8142 212 294-8100 www.godslovewedeliver.org www.racetodeliver.org

GREENWICH HOUSE 80 Fifth Ave New York, NY 10011 212 691-2900

HEALTH EDUCATION AIDS LIAISON PO Box 1103 New York, NY 10113 212 873-0780

HETRICK MARTIN INSTITUTE 212 674-2400 www.hmi.org

HEALTHSHERPA 844 346-9476 www.metrosource. healthsherpa.com

HISPANIC AIDS FORUM, INC.

213 W 35th St, 12th Fl New York, NY 10001 212 868-6230 www.hafnyc.org

HIV STOPS WITH ME www.hivstopswithme.org

INSTITUTION FOR HUMAN IDENTITY 322 Eighth Ave, Suite #802 New York, NY 10011 212 243-2830 www.ihi-therapycenter.org

LI ASSN FOR AIDS CARE (LIAAC) 631 385-AIDS (hotline) 631 385-2451

DESIGN

F.E.G.S. MANHATTAN

212 366-8289

FRIENDS HOUSE IN ROSEHILL

212 995-5000 www.friendshousenyc.org

NAMES PROJECT NYC 75 Varick St #1404 New York, NY 10013-1917 212 226-2292

NYC DEPT OF HEALTH OFFICE OF G&L HEALTH 125 Worth St, Suite CN67 New York, NY 10013 212 442-6944

PROJECT ACHIEVE New York, 212 305-2201

Project ACHIEVE (Union Square) New York, 212 388-0008 www.nycvaccine.org www.hopetakesaction.org

THE SAMARITANS OF NEW YORK SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE PO Box 1259 New York, NY 10159 212 673-3000 (24 Hours)

TALK SAFE + PLUSES 203 West St #408 New York, NY 212 604-1500

TREVOR PROJECT 9056 Santa Monica Blvd #100 West Hollywood, CA 90069 310 271-8845

VILLAGE NURSING HOME DAY TREATMENT PROGRAM 133 West 20th St, Ground Fl New York, NY 10011 212 633-1616

LEGAL

LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND 120 Wall St #1500 New York, NY 10005 212 809-8585

LEGAL (L&G LAW ASSN OF GREATER NY) 799 Broadway #340 New York, NY 10003 212 459-4873

LESBIANS

LESBIANS ABOUT VISUAL ART 118 Fort Greene Pl Brooklyn, NY 11217

MEN OF COLOR AIDS PREVENTION PROGRAM (MOCA) 125 Worth St, Box 67 New York, NY 10013 212 788-4402

MEN’S HIV SUPPORT GROUP 212 877-8227 x214

MINORITY TASK FORCE ON AIDS 475 Riverside Dr New York, NY 10115 212 870-2691

NAMES PROJECT NJ P.O. Box 716 New Brunswick, NJ 732 249-3933

LES HERSTORY ARCHIVES PO Box 1258 New York, NY 10116 718 768-3953

LESBIAN MOTHERS @ THE LOFT

180 East Post Rd Lower Level, White Plains, NY 914 948-4922

POLITICAL

LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS OF NY Radio City Station PO Box 2321 New York, NY 10101 212 202-6431

www.newyork.logcabin.org

NEW YORK COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Metrosource is committed to helping non-profit organizations in their ongoing efforts to serve our diverse community.

PRIDE DEMOCRATS

70 Greenwich Ave New York, NY 10011 212 613-6039

STONEWALL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

119 West 24th St, 6th Fl New York, NY 10011 212 367-1155

STONEWALL DEMOCRATIC CLUB 212 561-9008 www.stonewalldems.com

STONEWALL REPUBLICANS PO Box 650052 Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 718 357-7075

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LESBIAN AND GAY AFFIRMATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPISTS

250 West 15th St New York, NY 10011 212 517-1722

FSIX FINANCIAL SERVICE INDUSTRY EXCHANGE www.fsix.org

GAY OFFICERS ACTION LEAGUE PO Box 2038, Canal St Sta New York, NY 10013

NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NY 340 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10108 646 964-5027 www.nglccny.org

OUT PROFESSIONALS

332 Bleecker St #149 New York, NY 10014 212 462-9255

THE PUBLISHING TRIANGLE 332 Bleecker Street #D36 New York, NY 10014 www.publishingtriangle.org

REFERRALS/ SWITCHBOARDS

G&L SWITCHBOARD P.O. Box 693 New York, NY 212 989-0999

THE GAY PARENTING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FUND New York, NY 10011 www.menhavingbabies.org

TREVOR PROJECT 212 545-0081 www.thetrevorproject.org

RELIGIOUS

BROADWAY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 263 West 86 St, 3rd Fl New York, NY 10024 212 316-5700 www.bwayucc.org

CHURCH OF ST PAUL & ST ANDREW 263 West 86th St New York, NY 10024 212 362-3179

COMMUNITY CHURCH OF NY 40 East 35th St New York, NY 10016 212 683-4988 www.ccny.org

CONGREGATION BEIT SIMCHAT TORAH 130 West 30th St New York, NY 10001 212 929-9498

DIGNITY NEW YORK PO Box 1554 New York, NY 10150 646 418-7039

Brooklyn - 718 565-2171

Metro NJ - 973 857-4040

New Bruns. - 732 968-9263

Nassau - 516 781-6225

Suffolk - 631 654-5367

INTEGRITY/NEW YORK (LBGT EPISCOPALIANS) PO Box 20067 New York, NY 10011 212 691-7181

MARBLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH

1 West 29th St New York, NY 10001 212 686-2770 www.marblechurch.org

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF NY 446 West 36th St New York, NY 10018 212 629-7440 www.mccny.org

MIDDLE COLLEGIATE CHURCH

112 Second Ave @ 7th St New York, NY 10003 212 477-0666 www.middlechurch.org

NOT SO CHURCHY www.notsochurchy.org

ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH Reverend Mark Erson 81 Christopher St. New York, NY 10014 212-242-5737 www.stjohnsnyc.org