METROSOURCE NY - OCT/NOV 2023

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. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

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.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and KEEP BEING YOU are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. © 2023 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-BVYC-0250 04/23

#1 PRESCRIBED HIV TREATMENT*

No matter where life takes you,

ELIAS SWITCHED TO BIKTARVY

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

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.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

Person featured takes BIKTARVY and is compensated by Gilead.

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

INDULGE IN A CELEBRATION OF LIFE

WELCOME TO THE LATEST EDITION OF METROSOURCE AND PREPARE TO INDULGE IN AN ISSUE THAT CELEBRATES LIFE’S MOST DELIGHTFUL PLEASURES—entertainment, travel, food, and wine. We invite you to join us on a journey through pages filled with a collection of stories, experiences, and insights that celebrate the art of indulgence.

In the following pages, you will find travel experiences spanning the globe - from the secluded beaches of Rhodes, Greece, to the timeless charm of Rome, Italy, to the rock-star accommodations in Vancouver, Canada, our travel writers will transport you to far-off places, immersing you in their rich cultures and captivating landscapes. Whether you’re an intrepid explorer or an armchair traveler, these tales will ignite your wanderlust.

As we delve into the culinary realm, we have curated mouthwatering Catalan delicacies, with recipes that entwine the essence of the Catalan culture and provide culinary secrets revealed by Marimar Torres. Prepare to be tantalized by the flavors of the world. But what would a celebration of indulgence be without the perfect wine pairing? We have curated a selection of wines that complement and pair with this culinary journey, along with tasting notes and where to buy these featured wines. The correct pairing only elevates your dining experience and deepens your appreciation or the world of viticulture.

In addition to our travel, food, and wine features, we’ve also included articles exploring the art of indulgence itself … stories of individuals who have mastered the art of living well, and who have crafted their own path to success. Take our cover story Cody Rigsby – who survived some of life’s hardest knocks, only to emerge a sassy

beacon of light for many people. Our exclusive interviews with Cody, Luxx Noir London, Gavin Creel, and Allison Reese, all provide authentic representation for our community and diverse narratives.

For our readers in New York, you have additional highlights featuring indulgent things to do in the City throughout October and November. Our Broadway column continues to give you the scoop on a diverse array of shows, from classic musicals to contemporary cabaret. A visit to a Broadway show while in NYC is a must for anyone who appreciates live theater, and the experience will leave you with a smile.

For our readers in Los Angeles, you will an inside look at Nerano, an elegant Italian eatery right on Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Executive chef, Michele Lisi, uses the freshest and finest ingredients to create authentic coastal Italian cuisine. In addition to Southern California, the chef has also crafted incredible dishes in such culinary hotspots as Rome, Tuscany, and Paris.

METROSOURCE is proud to serve as your guide for this journey, inspiring you to embrace the pleasures of travel, food, and wine. So, take some time to relax and savor the finer things in life – take a leisurely vacation, pamper yourself with a spa treatment, enjoy a hobby, eat decadent foods, drink luxurious wines – whatever you decide to partake in, do it without guilt or restraint! Here’s to the joy of discovery, the thrill of savoring new flavors, and the art of celebrating life’s indulgences.

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COVER: Cody Rigsby

Photography by: Bronson Farr

CURATED BY MICHAEL WESTMAN

KIM PETRAS PROBLEMATIQUE

ADDING TO THE EXCITEMENT AHEAD OF HER FEED THE BEAST WORLD TOUR, GRAMMY-winning international pop sensation and critically acclaimed songwriter Kim Petras has released her long-awaited album Problematique (https:// kimpetras.lnk.to/problematique)

Previously shelved after partially leaking and leaving fans clamoring for more, Problematique has been unearthed from the vault as 10 tracks of euphoric escapist pop inspired by French house music and Parisian soundscapes. Shimmering with magnetic, laissez-faire confidence and giving Kim even more new music to perform on her upcoming global tour, Problematique features stand out track “Treat Me Like A Ho,” a bratty flex that brims with untouchable, sugar baby confidence. The album also features starry-eyed, funk banger“Born Again,”a defiant, self-assured burst of fun in title track“Problematique,”sultry, smooth bop “Deeper,” and “All She Wants” – a materialistic, tongue-in-cheek anthem featuring the iconic Paris Hilton.

Kim also recently shared reimagined, symphonic, seven-piece string ensemble performances of fan favorites from her acclaimed debut album Feed The Beast – a declaration about being willing to be consumed by pop music, her biggest passion in life, that was inspired by the euphoric Eurodance hits that she would lose herself in growing up.

Kim is continuing a milestone year that has included winning her first (and LGBTQ history-making) GRAMMY Award (for “Unholy”) alongside Sam Smith – who she just jumped on stage with at The Forum in Los Angeles for a surprise live performance – attending the Met Gala as a guest of Marc Jacobs, receiving the Billboard Women in Music Chartbreaker Award, and gracing the cover of the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

The North American leg of Kim’s upcoming Feed The Beast World Tour, produced by Live Nation, kicked off September 27 in Austin, TX, bringing her larger-than-life live show to major cities coast to coast, including Brooklyn, San

THESCOPE

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Francisco, Los Angeles, Nashville, Houston and San Diego, as well as Canadian stops in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Kim will then embark on a UK/European run of shows beginning February 13 in Birmingham, UK which will take her to cities overseas including Manchester, London, Brussels, Paris, Cologne, Amsterdam and Milan. The tour

also offers a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include Meet & Greet and photo op with Kim, early entry into the venue, and limited-edition merchandise. Please visit KimPetras.com for tickets, VIP packages, and tour info.

SHINING VALE (SEASON

TWO, STARZ)

STARZ HAS RELEASED THE TRAILER AND KEY ART FOR SEASON TWO OF ITS HIT HORROR COMEDY, “Shining Vale,”which returns to haunt viewers’ screens on the frightfully appropriate Friday, October 13th.

Season one of Shining Vale introduced Pat (Courteney Cox) and Terry Phelps (Greg Kinnear), a dysfunctional family that tried to run from their problems by moving their kids into a Victorian mansion in small-town Connecticut. The only problem? It may be haunted. Once settled in, Pat encountered Rosemary, a demon who possessed her body and turned her life upside down. When the family steps in to“save”Pat, they commit her to a psychiatric hospital where she sees an old photo of a nurse who looks just like her demon Rosemary.

Season two kicks off four months later, when Pat’s insurance runs out and she is released from the psychiatric hospital early. Pat returns home, determined to pick up the pieces of her broken family, but she quickly finds out her children don’t need her, Terry doesn’t remember her and to make matters worse, Pat’s new neighbor Ruth looks exactly like Rosemary. Meanwhile, the house starts to reveal the shocking secrets of its dark past. Every mother feels like they live in an insane asylum, but Pat may be right!

The hysterical, spine-chilling trailer teases the repercussions following last season’s nail-biting cliffhanger and explores what’s in store for the Phelps family as they continue to be haunted by ghosts while Pat struggles to live with mental illness among a broken family, battling demons both internally…and externally.

Shining Vale stars Emmy Award® nominee Courteney Cox (Friends, Cougar Town), Academy Award® nominee and Emmy Award® winner Greg Kinnear (As Good as It Gets, The Kennedys) and Academy Award® winner Mira Sorvino (Hollywood, The Expecting).

In addition to Cox, Kinnear and Sorvino, Shining Vale also stars Gus Birney (Dickinson), Merrin Dungey (Big Little Lies, The Resident), and Dylan Gage (PEN15), and features Emmy Award® nominees Judith Light (Poker Face), Allison Tolman (Gaslit, Why Women Kill) and Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks).

For more show and streaming information, visit starz.com.

THE WORDS THAT REMAIN

BY STÊNIO GARDEL

(TRANSLATED BY

BRUNA DANTAS LOBATO) AMAZON.COM

IN THIS FIRST NOVEL FROM BRAZILIAN BORN AUTHOR STÊNIO GARDEL, A LETTER HAS BECKONED TO RAIMUNDO SINCE HE RECEIVED IT OVER FIFTY YEARS AGO FROM HIS YOUTHFUL PASSION, HANDSOME CÍCERO. But having grown up in an impoverished area of Brazil where the demands of manual labor thwarted his becoming literate, Raimundo has long been unable to read. As young men, he and Cícero fell in love, only to have Raimundo’s father brutally beat his son when he discovered their affair. Even after Raimundo succeeds in making a life for himself in the big city, he continues to be haunted by this secret missive full of longing from the distant past. Now at age seventyone, he at last acquires a true education and the ability to access the letter. Exploring Brazil’s little-known hinterland as well its urban haunts, this is a sweeping novel of repression, violence, and shame, along with their flip side: survival, endurance, and the ultimate triumph of an unforgettable figure on society’s margins. The Words That Remain explores the universal power of the written word and language, and how they affect all our relationships.

“A heartbreaking debut novel . . . The Words That Remain is not just a love story but an expression of queer desire, struggle, and resilience in spaces outside of romantic love. Gardel’s text and Lobato’s translation create a puzzle that the reader is trying to solve…. Through this process the reader is brought along on the journey of companionship, family, and love.”

FREE DEBBIE REYNOLDS EXHIBITION

AT LAS VEGAS CITY HALL

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DRAG

VOSSEVENTS.COM

GET READY FOR A SPOOKY GOOD TIME AT VOSS EVENT’S 12TH ANNUAL HALLOWEEN DRAG SHOW, hosted by Yvie Oddly, and welcoming Angeria, Denali, Icesis Couture, Jaida Essence Hall, Jorgeous, Plastique, Rosé, and Tayce. October cities include Albany, Atlantic City, Saint Louis, Nashville, Toledo, and wrap up on October 31st in Newark, NJ.

Hosted by Yvie Oddly, the winner of Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and selfdescribed “authentic weirdo” whose style ranges from high fashion glam goddess to dirty street punk. She loves anything that is going to shock the audience. Yvie states she is always changing and “looking in the future” which makes her drag very unique. Hailing from Denver, Yvie bucked what she thought was a “boring local drag scene” and brought conceptual artistry into the mix. Self-described as tall and weird, Yvie draws inspiration from fashion brands like Mugler, as well as non-conventional drag artists like Christeene. Yvie is all about the hustle and is not afraid of taking the “scrappiest, dirtiest, most back road option and making it work.” Known for bringing her brain to the table, Yvie made jaws hit the floor during the competition.

Yvie was one of the final four queens of the season and was the first to make it to the “Grand Finale” which aired on May 30th, 2019. Despite only winning one challenge, Yvie’s impressive track record, unique interpretation of drag, quirky personality and jaw-dropping lip sync skills helped win her the crown and title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar”, beating off Brooke Lynn Hytes, A’keria Chanel Davenport and Silky Nutmeg Ganache in the finale lip sync tournament.

For all the tour dates and to purchase tickets, visit vossevents.com.

VISIT

“THE PERSONA. THE PERSON: DEBBIE REYNOLDS IN LAS VEGAS” IS NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC INSIDE LAS VEGAS CITY HALL’S GRAND GALLERY. A headlining event within The Neon Museum’s annual design and culture festival, Duck Duck Shed, the free exhibition features a look into Reynolds’ brilliant life in Las Vegas – with her exquisite gowns, costumes and memorabilia on display now through October 26.

In partnership with Reynolds’ son Todd Fisher and the Debbie Reynolds Estate, this is the first exhibition The Neon Museum has curated. The display honors Reynolds’ Las Vegas legacy from 1962-2014 spanning her

time performing at the Riviera, Desert Inn and South Point to owning the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel. Her impact on the city is spotlighted with the display of costumes and memorabilia all tied to Las Vegas. Highlights within the exhibition include:

• Oscar for Lifetime Achievement – Reynolds’ glowing Oscar statuette can be seen within the exhibition, showcasing the lifetime achievement award she won in 2014. She received the accolade at the annual Oscars ceremony and was honored for her achievement as an actor, singer and dancer, her efforts to preserve historical films and for her humanitarian work to fight the stigma of mental illness.

• Reynolds’ Last Performances – The outfit Reynolds’ dawned during her last performances at the South Point in Las Vegas can be viewed at City Hall. Concluding more than 50 years of performing in the city, the farewell shows took place in 2014 where she shined brightly in an elaborately beaded gold dress and jacket designed by costumier Jeff Billings. She was joined onstage by her daughter Carrie Fisher, son Todd and granddaughter Billie Lourd to entertain the packed house with banter and songs.

• Red-Beaded Tuxedo – After signing Las Vegas’ first million-dollar contract at the Riviera, Reynolds wore her famed, red-beaded tuxedo while headlining at the Strip property. The production at the Riviera was similar to the vaudeville tradition dating back to the 1880s, and the show mixed musical performance with comedy and dance. Reynolds flourished in this genre, and it allowed her to interact with the audience in many ways.

The exhibit is free for all ages to view in the Grand Gallery of City Hall. Exhibition hours are Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit has been organized by The Neon Museum and made possible by a grant from the City of Las Vegas Centennial Commission.

GAVIN CREEL

SHOWING HIS MANY SIDES

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

THERE’S THE SIDE OF HIM THAT CAN TALK ABOUT THEATRE AND ALL ITS FACETS – FROM THE POWER OF THE ARTS TO THE LITERAL LEGENDS HE’S WORKED WITH, TO THE ROLES HE’S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY. There’s the side of him that can talk about activism and social philosophy, our responsibility to be allies to minority groups, the need to have open and honest communication with people whose beliefs may differ from our own, and the need to take a stand in the face of social oppression. There’s the side of him that could talk about his role in the LGBTQ community, the war he was fighting within in coming out, and his current exploration as a gay man in today’s culture. He could talk about the need for mental health, his emotional journey through COVID, and The Artist’s Way. No matter what direction the conversation turns, it all comes from a place of love and light. As cliché as that sounds, after having the opportunity to chat with him on numerous occasions, it is true. As with his stage performances, he comes from a place of sincerity and reflection, appreciating all the bumps and bruises along this journey we call life.

His work has placed him center stage on Broadway, across the US, and in the West End with credits that read like a Who’s Who of Broadway Characters with roles in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Stephen Sondheim’s Bounce, La Cage aux Folles, Hair, The Book of Mormon, She Loves Me, Hello Dolly! (with Bette Midler), Waitress, and his most recent, Into the Woods. His portrayal as the Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods has been lauded as the new standard, no small feat considering the show has been produced umpteen times, with the unforgettable Robert Westenberg first setting the bar high. Critics and audiences all fell in love with Creel’s portrayal of the character. Humbly, Gavin refers to the whole production as a success, and most needed in today’s social and political climate. What was meant to be a one-off production turned into a Broadway and, later, a Los Angeles run. What made this Into the Woods so special?

I think it’s simplicity. The world is so dense and confusing and painful and awesome and oversaturated, especially entertainment. And, if I’m honest, Sondheim is dense and hard to take and a lot and layered. This production reverberated with so many people because what Lear (director), Lorin (choreographer), and Rob Berman (music supervisor) did was just concentrate on the story. Just concentrate on the words. It was a 10-day rehearsal process for a 10-day concert at City Center. So, I already thought

we were biting off way more than we should have. But people wanted simplicity. And we gave it to them in a really classy, beautiful way. I think the cast that we were able to grab together was lightning in a bottle and electric at each level.

For Gavin, the show was an allegory to the pandemic. In Act II of Into the Woods, all the characters are in disarray, experiencing loss, confusion, and having to band together for a common good. One of the show’s most memorable songs says it all. It was just, come and sit with us and enjoy an evening of theater after what was probably the hardest three years of your lives of our existence as human beings in the last hundred years. “No One is Alone” is such a beautiful, bittersweet song. It’s all about “we’re with you.” But two or three scenes before they were pointing, “You’re the reason, you’re the reason, YOU ARE the reason!” They’re blaming. And then they come to a place where they get it.

And that to me is like the greatest message of the show. Do you want to be pointing fingers and saying “it’s your fault” for the rest of your life? Because that is atonal nonsense. Or do you want to get harmonious and say, “No one is alone. We just must accept that life is hard. But I’m here with you. I will stand next to you during this.” I’m on that team. I don’t want to blame anymore.

A major learning point in Gavin’s theatre career was working with two Broadway icons – Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim on the not-so-successful show Bounce (now called Road Show).

It was remarkable. I’m really honored that I got to work with both Steve and Hal on Bounce, because I got to watch these men who, to us, came out of the magma of the earth spouting musical theater genius at all points. And I got to watch them struggling to figure out how to put a show together. It was the most humbling thing to sit and watch them go - oh, I don’t know, what if we move this here or do this? And I thought, no, no. Everything you say is supposed to be good and nothing is supposed to be bad. And I watched, and there were parts of the show that weren’t good. I realized that no matter how good you get if you stop trying to perfect - not perfect, because perfectionism is poison - but as long as you try to refine and stay in a process, you’re on the right path. And Steve was just in a process, reading The New York Times, doing the crossword, laying on the floor of the upstairs hallways so he could escape everybody and their questions and me running into him when I would go to the rehearsal room to play piano. I was going through my first breakup, and I was miserable. And there he is just reading The New York Times. He’s just a man who reads the paper and eats an apple.

I WAS JUST MAKING SPAGHETTI AND THROWING FISTFULS OF IT AT THE WALL.”

I always thought that West Side Story is like Mars, they both existed before I was born, so they just are part of creation. And I’m watching him and Hal moving songs around and rewriting sections and cutting lines and John Weidman (playwright) being there, giving new pages and trying stuff out and all that didn’t work. I’m writing my new musical now; I sort of lean on watching the Titans. And, if I’m honest, it failed. Bounce made a beautiful cast recording, but it’s not everybody’s favorite piece by any means and it didn’t have a huge commercial success. But I was there, I was in the room, and that was a gift I will never forget. I’ll tell people that as long as they will listen.

Gavin has played a number of characters from musical theatre history that audiences know all too well. From the ingrained cast recordings to the many school and regional productions of classic works, audiences expect certain things from characters. What is Gavin’s creative process in making a character his own, while remaining true to the piece?

I try to stay away from what’s in my mind and what I’ve heard. I try not to listen to any recordings. I try to go to the sheet music and

pretend like it’s a new piece. I just try to pretend like this is a brand-new show. I look at what’s in the text that can give me an “in” that excites me. With Into the Woods specifically, because we didn’t have much time, I was just making spaghetti and throwing fistfuls of it at the wall. And I have to say Lear and Lorin and Rob, while wanting me to be word and letter-perfect as far as what Sondheim wrote (as much as we could know with, sadly, not having him there), I also was grateful to them for letting me play. That’s not always something that I’m afforded by a director, a choreographer, or a music director. I’m really grateful for my education at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance too, because it all begins with the text and the music. To make a choice for the sake of making a choice, in how I was raised and how I was trained and how I now believe, is a fool’s errand. Because that’s just centering yourself rather than centering the character.

I went to my costume fitting (for the Prince) with Andrea Hood, our costume designer, and she slapped me in this highlighter yellow coat. And I was like, oh, I

know who he is because there’s absolutely no subtlety. I just thought that’s going to translate into my chest and the way I walk and I talk. There’s not somebody who is looking for true respect from his subjects. I’m not looking for true respect from them, because if I did, I would have a little more taste. So, I always thought of him as somebody who was so insecure about who he actually was. At the end of the play when Cinderella takes him down, he’s like, I don’t know who I am now because all I am is the things I get and things I have and my conquest. And if I can’t get something new, then I lose. I identified a million percent with being a person who for 40-some years as a gay man, was constantly trying to please everybody and get things that made people see I was worthy when I actually didn’t really think I was worthy at all. I was just a shame-filled, sad, homophobic, self-loathing, homosexual for so long, you know? And I thought, oh, I know him. That guy’s insecure and scared. He is trying to puff up and show everybody that he’s a king when actually he feels like he’s a coward. Until he can face his cowardice, he can’t be a king. You know?

THIS PAGE: PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY AND EVAN ZIMMERMAN

We assume that growing up in the theatre offers a safe space for coming out. Gavin still had his struggles.

Religion. Fear. Losing my parents’ love, disappointing them. Physical danger. I still have it. People are like, oh, 2023, it’s so great. I say it’s still really hard to be gay. They’re always going to be coming for us because they have this religion to hide behind, and that breeds self-righteousness and judgment and shame and stigma. As long as they have their Bible, they will come for us; they’ll select the passages that work for them to vilify our community in ways that I have zero time for. You’re either with me or I’m not with you. That’s it. I’m not wrong, you are - period, end of story. If we’re going to talk about Christianity, you cannot believe that Jesus Christ walked this earth and did the unbelievably God-like beautiful work that the stories say that he did, and think that he’d be like, “I love all you. NOT you, queen, not you.” Absolutely not. He [Jesus] would’ve been like, “Queen, let’s go up in the mountains, we’re gonna dish!”

A personal milestone in Gavin’s career was playing Claude in the Broadway revival of Hair

Coming off the heels of a canceled production of Godspell, he felt humbled by the industry and, quite frankly, needed the money. His audition has been talked about in interviews with the casting director, Gavin brought pathos to a character we thought we knew. His performance was a hit. But this performance would mean more than just another credit.

I came out of the closet officially when I was in the press. I did an interview very early on before we started rehearsals even. It was for Out magazine for just a little blurb, a picture of me in the corner, it was tiny. It made AP News when it was revealed that I came out of the closet. I thought, first of all, that’s alarming that, for a second, it took up a bit of a news cycle, but it also made me aware that people weren’t publicly coming out. It’s different now. I’m encouraged by the way people are feeling more powerful. But I remember Hair changing my life because not only did I come out of the closet, not only was I forced to really break down barriers, breaking the fourth wall, crawling over the audience, going out into them, but I embraced my sexuality kind of publicly as the character.

We also fought for marriage equality during that time. We started Broadway Impact, and the sole purpose was to raise awareness in the theater community and mobilize the theater community around the issue of marriage equality. We did it and we were part of the movement. We marched on Washington on October 11th, 2009, with 1500 people from the Broadway community who we shipped down on free buses that we organized. There were 200,000 people on the U.S. Capitol lawn with Cynthia Nixon and Lady Gaga speaking. I sang at the HRC dinner with Barack Obama and Lady Gaga as the keynote speakers, and just felt very activated. And that had a lot to do with my truth coming out and owning myself. When we own ourselves, we step into our power. The universe is like, there you are authenticity, you are beautiful! But it’s hard to step out into the light when you’ve been told by religion or your parents or teachers or the Right or the law that you are wrong.

This November, Gavin will once again step into the light, center stage. In perhaps his most revealing project ever, he will perform Walk on Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice , an

original musical with book, music, and lyrics by Creel. Based on a concept originally commissioned by The Met, simply put,“invites you to join Gavin as he discovers - much to his and our surprise - what it means to be fully alive” inspired by the art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hard to believe he had never set foot into the museum in his 20 years as a New Yorker.

Walk on Through is the most vulnerable, most raw, open thing I’ve ever made or done. And people who’ve seen the few showcases that we’ve done have been like, how do you do that? And I say, you know, I don’t know. I’m excited to share it with people. I really hope people respond to it. But I also know that there was no way I couldn’t do it. I hope people will see Walk on Through and see someone who’s standing in front of them, who was given a challenge and a dare to face fine art when he has no sense of belonging. I tried to parallel why I don’t feel like I belong in a museum to feeling like I’m in my midlife crisis and I don’t know what I’m doing with my life.

Everybody looks at me from the outside and thinks, oh, that guy in the fluorescent coat and that guy with the Tony and the guy with all these things, what are you talking about? You’re always so happy when I read about you and you’re smiling. Both things can be true. Yes, I can be blissfully happy and also deeply anxious and severely lonely.

What inspired Gavin to do the show now?

Honestly, I needed it. I wrote these songs, many of them in the middle of sitting alone in my house for months, listening to Chromatica and Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia and doing pull-ups on my landing, and then

CAN BE BLISSFULLY HAPPY AND ALSO DEEPLY ANXIOUS AND SEVERELY LONELY.”

these things. No, that’s when you lean on the people that you love, and you’re allowed to have a balance of both.

standing in my living room and screaming. I felt like I was losing my mind. And then I would sit at the piano and then hate the piano and hate writing and then get back to it. Feel like I’m not being productive enough, or I should be making something and then meditating and going, there’s no should. There is no should. And then needing it, like sitting down and going, if I didn’t have that project, I don’t know if I would’ve made it through. I wasn’t going to hurt myself in any way, but I lost everything. I thought, who am I without my voice or without performing or without applause or without a lover or without a companion? My dog died at the beginning of the pandemic, 12 years, my longest relationship. And I’m in a house by myself. I can say this, it’s personal, but it’s all over my show where loneliness is my greatest fear and my greatest paralysis.

Gavin does not feel lonely under the theatre lights. It’s that connection with the audience and the need for that energy that he battles with.

That’s on us to look inward to go, why do I need it so much? I thought if I really wanted to get healthy and mentally well, I’d have to divorce myself completely from needing any external affirmation. My therapist was like, no, you need a balance of both. I thought when I had a breakup in the past, that meant I wanted to be alone. Therefore, I shouldn’t call any friends when I’m sad. I should be able to be fine because I wanted to be alone. And yet I’m miserable and I miss him and I’m heartbroken and I can’t function and I’m not eating and I’m not sleeping, and my parents are staying with me for a week because they’re worried about me and all of

As far as the future of our LGBTQ community goes, especially in the face of the upcoming elections, Gavin shares some advice.

Regardless of the outcomes, we are imperative to the process. I’m not going to get overwhelmed by it. I’m going to do as much of it as my brain and my emotional state can handle. Producer David Stone, who’s made a lot of money from Wicked and won the Tony this year for Kimberly Akimbo and is a very accomplished, successful producer, said he’s done a lot of advocacy work for the gay community and for marriage equality and for various causes because “if you do well, you have to do good.” And I thought, I love that. Stephanie Block told me this thing that I am going to take with me for the rest of my life. It’s the three Ts. Give one of three ways: your time, your treasure, or your talent. But fire up the queens and the queers and the trans community and the non-binary individuals out there who are thinking, I don’t know what to do! It doesn’t sound sexy, but the state legislature is where we’re going to turn this race around.

This is my ego talking, but it’s also not. I hope I get a chance to go even further and help, because what I love doing more than anything is this, I love talking, I love town halls, I love learning, and I love listening. I want to make people feel the possibility in whatever way I can. ■

Walk On Through plays at the MCC Theater Nov 13 to Dec 10th: WalkOnThrough.com

Follow everything Gavin at GavinCreel.com

I

ONE PERSON CAN REALLY CREATE CHANGE WITHIN SMALL COMMUNITIES AND HAVE A DOMINO EFFECT.”

CODY RIGSBY IS AN OPEN BOOK

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

CODY RIGSBY IS HEARTBREAKINGLY HONEST IN HIS DEBUT BOOK, AND OUT OF RESPECT, SO TOO WILL I. AT FIRST GLANCE, XOXO, CODY: AN OPINIONATED HOMOSEXUAL’S GUIDE TO SELF-LOVE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND TACTFUL PETTINESS, WITH THE NAUGHTILY DASHING PELOTON INSTRUCTOR-CUM-POP CULTURE SENSATION GRACING THE COVER, COULD BE DISMISSED AS, OH, ANOTHER ATTRACTIVE GAY INFLUENCER WRITES A BOOK … how (pardon the pun) novel. Flip open the book and there’s a dedication to Britney Spears, a dig at flip-flop wearers, and a promise of his infamous “Hit and Miss” lists. But, as the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. What a journey. I read it all in one sitting, sometimes laughing aloud, sometimes in tears, and sometimes in utter shock at what was being said. Forget what you think you know about Cody – his success at Peloton, his stint on Dancing with the Stars, his social media empire, his early years dancing for Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry, becoming the media’s darling – you don’t know squat. This book, more engaging than any superhero’s origin story, tells the tale of a kid who has survived some of life’s hardest knocks, complete with themes of poverty, addiction, codependency, broken hearts, and grief, and emerged a sassy beacon of light for many people. The book is raw and unfiltered, and entirely inspiring.

For Cody, this book was a natural progression from his time in front of his Peloton audience, even at the risk of revealing too much. Reading it, you get to experience Cody beyond the biggerthan-life persona, you see him broken by grief, you see him fight the odds, and you also get to see Cody a bit cocky, a bit slutty, and more than opinionated. All things he proudly takes ownership of.

I get to share a lot of my stories on the bike and on social media. They are these kinds of snackable portions of my life and people resonate with them. They find inspiration or they find laughter with it. If they’re reacting to such a condensed version of it, let’s go deeper, let’s give ‘em the full details. And that’s the inspiration for telling my story with more depth. But most importantly, I try to infuse purpose in everything I do, including this book. It is to inspire people to let their guard down, to not take life so seriously. Yes, life is serious and there are things we have to process and we have a lot of different emotions, but once we get through all of that, on the other side we can laugh because it doesn’t affect us anymore, or we’ve found the power to overcome. Or we’ve had that aha moment when we realize what that traumatic experience or hardship has taught us.

I wanted to be an open book - pun intended. Obviously, with this sort of medium, you can do it more methodically, you can be a little bit more thoughtful about how you approach it and put it all out there. But I laid it out as truthfully and as honestly and as vulnerably and as raw as I could. Again, with that hope that people connect to something. I felt like if I would’ve watered it down or tried to protect something, I wouldn’t be giving all the details and that it just wouldn’t be as authentic. Referring to fandom, I feel like people have come to know me because I am real, because I’m honest, and because I don’t hold back. I share my opinions on silly things, but I’m also super vulnerable about the things that matter. I think this is an alignment with every other thing that I do. If it’s Peloton, if it’s Dancing with the Stars, if it’s social media, it’s raw, it’s vulnerable, it’s real, it’s authentic. And I think that people that already follow me are going to love it. And hopefully, people who have no idea who I am will also find inspiration and connection to it.

Cody was raised in less-than-ideal conditions. With an early start in Burbank, California, he was born into a family of addiction, losing his father early on to the disease. With a single mom struggling with her own bouts of addiction and job loss, they were often scrounging for lodging. In his early teens, Cody found himself working a variety of jobs just to help out with rent and food. His mother is the other main character in the book and, as many gay boys say they are close to their moms, Cody is extremely close to his. Though his relationship with his mother always comes from a place of love, it is not without its hardships.

I think everybody’s relationship with their parents can be complicated. As much as we love them, there are lots of complications. There are things that we inherit from our parents that are not our fault but are our responsibility to change and break the cycle and to be better people. My mom’s parents did the best they could with her, and they made a great person who was also flawed. And then she made me, and I am also flawed, but conceivably better than what she was. I think that’s just a beautiful cycle and something to reflect on. But

THIS PAGE: PHOTO BY BRONSON FARR

most importantly, my mom taught me to be silly, to not take life so seriously, to laugh at stupid shit, to make fun of life, to just remember to have fun. I love that Cindy was not a normal mom. She was a cool mom and I appreciate that.

With everything from his childhood into his adulthood being brought out into the open, is he afraid of her seeing it in a public forum?

We are both very open people. Three months ago, she told me about the threesome she had. So, you know, [laughs], we’re both pretty open books and get a kick out

of just being honest. I made sure before I went into this process to tell her I was going talk about my life and some of those things, but also that I am not just telling stories for shock and awe. I wanted to tell these stories so people connect with them and don’t feel alone. Maybe it helps them process it. A lot of us hold on to some of the shame from our upbringing because we feel like we’re the only ones.

People say, oh, I didn’t have a mom and a dad and a sister and live in a beautiful white picket fence house. There’s some shame in that. I think it’s about owning it. I didn’t have a perfect upbringing. I had some hardships, but I made it out on the other end. And even through all that complication, I still have a beautiful, loving relationship with my mom and the people close to me. So, I think she knew that I was going to share these stories, but also knew that sharing these stories had a purpose. I hope that she’s proud of what she reads or listens to and knows that our story is being shared together with impact.

Tongue in cheek, Cody brandishes his sexuality. His hookups, his affairs, and his current relationship. It’s all there. For Cody, now is the time for our community to embrace sexuality, not hide it.

So many of the people who came before us had to dim their light, hide their joy. Like it or not, sex is fun, sex is joyful. So, no, we’re not going to tone it down. We’re not going to stop. This is a country where people should have the right to sleep with whomever they want. I don’t want to hear love is love. Even if you don’t love them, you should have the right to sleep with or marry or love whoever you want to. It’s not time to slow down. It’s disgusting to have the same tactics that were being used in the ‘80s calling us pedophiles, calling us groomers, used 30 years later. And there’s a large portion of the country that’s feeding into this narrative. We’re not going back into the closet, you know?

Reading XOXO, Cody is also a journey through Cody’s black book. All of the whispers among the gay community such as, was that him on Grindr? Was that him at Fire Island? Did he do that? It’s all answered. His relationships, no matter how short, are all explored. And yes, he’s back with his boyfriend.

A big reason that I dove into the relationship part of this is because the “XOXO Cody Rides” at Peloton were so popular and people really resonated with what I had to say when it came to relationships. I’ve had

I AM NOT JUST TELLING STORIES FOR SHOCK AND AWE.”

people ask me like, okay, well how, how are you an expert on this? And I say, I’m not an expert. I’ve had a lot of messiness. I’ve had a lot of failures. I’ve had a lot of mistakes happen, but I’ve learned how to get myself up and learn from those mistakes. And that is my authority. And that’s where I’ve become the expert here. I’m not trying to hide behind some fancy-looking degree or certificate and say that I’ve got it all figured out. I’ve got what I’ve got figured out, and I want people to learn from my mistakes.

Luckily, I’ve had enough time to make those mistakes and understand who I am up until this point, and I’ve got a lot of room to grow. Fortunately, I have a partner who loves my messiness. And I love their messiness. We give each other space to be imperfect, and we give each other grace. I think we’ve been on a great path of choosing to be with each other. Thankfully, we’re

aligned on a good chunk of the things in our lives, including having great conversations.

Another major character in Cody’s book is grief. Something universal that affects everyone. Where grief, especially experienced early on in life, can be debilitating, Cody fought through it and continues to learn from it.

My father was my first big loss. With much time processing, I’ve realized that I was grieving or angry about the idea of my father, not necessarily the person. I didn’t really know him and the more I came to know about him, the more I realized that having that person, that figurehead in my life, probably wasn’t a good idea. He was also an addict. He did toxic things to my mom that I don’t even go into in the book. I’m grateful for that upbringing of me being an only child, a single parent child.

When I think about the biggest loss I’ve had in my life, it is my friend Oscar. He was

just such a brother to me and someone who I absolutely loved, and we had such a special connection. I never expected to lose him so early in my life. Throughout that process, I was alongside him battling his addiction. Some of that came with caring so much and seeing Oscar continuously make bad decisions and having that affect me. I felt like my best self wasn’t showing up because I was not supporting him the way that maybe he deserved to be supported. I had to create boundaries for my own sanity. And that’s a really hard decision. It’s me choosing myself over someone else. And in a way, there’s a little bit of guilt because you feel like, oh, could I have done more? Should I have done more? What could I have done differently? I always come back to the idea that we only know what we know at that moment. I can’t make a decision from the place I am now. But I knew I did what was best for myself and that I continuously loved my friend as much as I could. I was also in the dark about a lot of the things that were going on. It was definitely hard to process the guilt that I felt, but I’ve let that go knowing that I did the best I could at that moment.

All of this backstory and emotion exists behind the bigger-than-life personality you see on the bike at Peloton. Leading the millions, he started at the then-unknown company, almost a decade ago. Without ever having led a fitness class, he was brought on board because of his personality. After studying other instructors, trying to fit a mold, he had a modest start - nothing to write home about. After he decided to stop emulating other instructors in the industry and add his signature flair and personal stories, he started to take off. COVID helped propel the company and Cody into the spotlight. When did Cody know he was becoming a sensation?

I mean, it still is very foreign to me. I’m not movie star famous. I’m not like pop star famous, but it is a nice somewhere on the D or C list famous. Most importantly, even though all the fame and success, what I really like about being in the spotlight is that I continuously get to affect people in a positive way, a way that’s inspirational. That’s really what is most important to me, knowing that my work is rooted in purpose and connecting with people.

All eyes are on Cody as of late. Not only has he inspired a large population to get fit or lead a healthier lifestyle, but he has also become a spokesperson for the LGBTQ community.

I feel like the bike is a trojan horse of LGBTQ acceptance. People buy the bike, or they get on the app and they find my workouts, and they just have fun. They are reminded that they cannot take life seriously, that they can be authentic, that they can be vulnerable, that they can be silly, and then they kind of fall in love with this person. For some people, they’ve never met a queer person, they don’t have a queer person in their community, and therefore they have this positive, genuine, authentic connection with a queer person. And hopefully, that really does change their mind or changes or inspires them to act differently within their community. I believe that one person can really create change within small communities and have a domino effect. Those are the people who are going to hopefully stand up when people say or do something trans or homophobic or they might vote differently or whatever it is.

I also think about the members who have shared their stories with me and how inspirational that is. In the book I share about someone who came into the studio who had their child come out to them recently as trans. Although I’m not trans, they felt that sense of community and a little bit more understood because they saw a gay person living their authentic life, or I was talking about trans people. They felt that they could process that on their own. I’ve also had people come to me who were in the closet and saw their parents riding with me. It gave them courage to come out to their parents. It’s my privilege and my honor to represent our community and to do it in a way that has a positive effect.

Even with all of his continued success and coverage, with this book bound to make him an even bigger household name, he is content and appreciative of his present state. Having a knack for knowing when to pivot and change the course, for now, he isn’t going anywhere.

Listen, nothing lasts forever, but here I am nine years later, and I still absolutely love my job. It’s fun, I get to change people’s lives. I inspire them to do something that’s really good for them. I still have that passion

for Peloton and it’s great. Fortunately, they’ve given me the reins to do so many different things. They push me to be who I am and have helped me build the brand and everything that I’ve done before.

I’m intuitive and I think I’ll know when it is time to move on. I’m not there yet and I’m just excited for all the things I have coming up, like this book. I’m also excited about the unknown projects. I will be ready to embrace them with open arms when they’re right for me. You know? As long as that next project is purposeful and allows me to stay connected and have a positive impact on people and this place we all inhabit, then I’ll move with it.

In true Cody fashion, he has a message for the LGBTQ community…

You know, we’ve done a bang-up job up to here. Some bitches are trying to snatch our wigs, but we’re gonna keep pumping and be fierce and be amazing. Don’t you dare dim your light for anybody who doesn’t respect you. Keep pumping and show the world how beautiful we are. ■

XOXO, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual’s Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness is available on Amazon and wherever you get your books. Check out the audio version done by the queen herself.

WRITER’S NOTE: Cody’s book is in no way a commercial for Peloton. But, because of his inspirational journey and love of the company, I just had to get my own. As someone whose idea of cardio is walking to the mailbox, I’m excited to start pumping and to be fierce and amazing.

AEGEAN ODYSSEY

FRIENDLY TRAVEL

THE LANDS OF THE GODS

BY MICHAEL WESTMAN

A YEAR IN THE PLANNING AND FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING, WE PLANNED OUR SUMMER VACATION AROUND A CELEBRITY CRUISE TO THE GREEK ISLANDS. Embarking in Rome and ending in Barcelona gave us ample excuse to extend our trip to explore these ports in more depth and experience the magic that comes with these historical spots.

Our holiday began in Rome, arriving at the Palazzo Nainer. This upscale 4-star boutique hotel is welcoming and friendly, and perfectly situated for walking throughout the city - in 15 minutes you can walk to many of the sites - Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, and Villa Borghese. With a rooftop terrace and bar, and a coffee shop/café, it is the perfect spot to grab a bite or a drink. Madeline and Pricilla provided service during breakfast in the most delightful way. Pamela and Mohammed at the front desk, are welcoming, helpful, and accommodating. Palazzo Nainer proved to be a perfect home-base for our Rome explorations.

Ah Rome - where to begin? There is no shortage of things to do in this capital city of Italy - from navigating ancient Roman ruins to a visit to the Vatican, there is something for everyone in this city alive with history, art, architecture, and yes, despite it being a top religious destination, LGBTQ friendly stops. While gay nightlife is a bit more subdued in Rome than other large European cities, it is a cosmopolitan metropolis, visited by millions of people every year, and as such is aware of the need for diversity and inclusion. Welcoming rainbows grace the walls of many streets, stores, and cafes.

Via San Giovanni, affectionately referred to as “Gay Street,” is one of the gayest parts of the city, with bars, restaurants, and hotels run by and for our community. And the view isn’t bad – as it is directly across from the Colosseum, Rome’s most iconic and famous monument. Making a stop, as we did, at Coming Out bar, notably the most famous in Rome, is always a must for a drink or a bite and to catch the regular drag shows.

Two neighborhoods giving you some classic Roma feels are Testaccio, home to Rome’s Gay Center, ArciGay and the Rainbow Wall, murals and benches honoring members of the LGBTQ+ community; and Trastevere with its various bars, circles, art galleries, and theaters.

Rome is a huge city, and you won’t be able to cover everything in one trip, so prioritize. Choose a few main attractions to visit and then spend the rest of your time finding hidden gems for the authentic vibe of Rome.

Of course, the Vatican is one of the most popular attractions in Rome and it’s obviously worth a visit. Vatican City is easy to get to, not far from the center of Rome. The best way to skip the lines and the crowds at the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are with VIP early-access experiences to enter before the public. These small group tours are worth the price to maximize your time in the city.

One hidden gem we discovered is the Le Jardin de Russie, a garden oasis of beauty and calm in the center of the Eternal City, renowned as one of Rome’s most exclusive restaurants. The colorful and fragrant dishes have been inspired by the Mediterranean ingredients of the region and are overseen by Michelin-Starred Chef, Fulvio Pierangelini. If you are looking for a drink, the Stravinskij Bar in the courtyard of the Hotel de Russie and just at the foot of the secret garden, is the gathering place for the city’s chic set. Crowned by mature trees, fountains, and lush botanicals, this private piazza is a tranquil escape from the city hustle and bustle. Sit back, relax, and watch their master bartenders go to work. We spent several afternoons with Michele, as he crafted for us the Stravinskij Spritz, their signature cocktail

(prosecco with a mix of wild berries, saffron flowers, spices, and passionfruit). You can even purchase the special secret liquor mix to take home. Open at 6:00pm, drinks come with complimentary bowls of Sicilian olives, roasted almonds, and potato chips.

Another must-do on the foodie tour of Rome is Pierluigi. Dating back to 1938, this once small osteria is now an elegant international restaurant, where locals and celebrities alike flock for the freshest local seafood and huge wine cellar. Get a table outside on the Piazza de’ Ricci and order the scallop carpaccio - thinly sliced, with lemon, basil oil and cantaloupe melon, it melts in your mouth. Or try the Fregola ai Frutti di Mare. Fregola is a tasty Sardinian pasta, similar to couscous, paired olive oil, garlic, and the freshest mixed seafood.

Comign Out Bar

Pierluigi Stravinskij Bar

Not sure what to have? Speak to your server for recommendations - there are always seasonal dishes and the freshest catch of the day. Book in advance, you’ll be glad you did!

Some final tips before we leave Rome - avoid eating at restaurants directly next to tourist attractions. Nine times out of ten, they are very poor quality and extremely over-priced. And ask the locals or your tour guide for recommendations – people are friendly in Rome and ready to offer suggestions.

From Rome to the cruise ship port in Civitavecchia, we took a private transfer which was about an hour drive with no traffic. Upon arrival, the porters took our large cases (we’re gay and we don’t

travel light) to be delivered to our cabin later that afternoon. We boarded the Celebrity Reflection at approximately 12pm after a very smooth and easy check-in procedure. Our cabin was ready and after a quick unpack we were ready to explore the ship and have lunch.

Celebrity Reflection is the fifth, final, and largest Solstice-class cruise ship at 125,366 GT and occupancy of 3046. First stop - the Sunset Bar at the aft of the ship. The elliptical shaped bar provides a great vista to watch the sun set over the horizon whilst sipping on a cocktail. We opted for a Patron Cadillac Margarita to get things started. Walking past the The Lawn Club with half an acre of real grass, we reached the Lawn Club Grill, with some of the best gourmet burgers I have ever had at sea. The Grill is a casual outdoor dining venue also open for dinner featuring steaks, kabobs, and flatbreads.

I could write a separate article on all the specialty dining experiences – suffice it to say that all presented different and fresh additions to the standard dining, were well-plated, and well worth it. From the Tuscan Grille featuring handmade pasta, fish, butcher cut meats, Italian wines, and authentic Italian cocktails and beers; to Murano with impeccable service and world-class French cuisine (we had tableside lobster presentation). One standout however, was one of the most unique dining events I have ever experienced, Le Petit Chef®, a 3D table animation dining experience beautifully choreographed with an elegant menu created by a Michelin Star Chef. The white tables, plates, and

PHOTOS BY METROSOURCE

Reflection

Lawn Club Grill

Acropolis

bowls are the canvas upon which the show takes place. It looks great from all seats at the table. The animation and sounds keep you entertained and drawn in, as the meal is timed to the storyline. This unique dining experience is available on several Celebrity ships, and I highly recommend booking (and paying the extra cost) if available on your sailing.

After settling into our cabin with a day at sea, our first port was Olympia, Greece, home of the original Olympic Games. Olympia has preserved monuments, many dating back to the first games in 776 BC. This important archaeological site was also a place of worship dedicated to the Greek god Zeus from about the 10th century BC. Most intriguing is the stadium, which is still standing, and the gymnasium. The stadium still echoes the cheering of the first superstars of sport. I did the obligatory pose on the marble starting blocks where the first marathoners once stood and enjoyed walking through the ruins and a visit to the museum. Returning to the port of Katakolon, we sat on small waterfront and savored traditional Greek gyros before returning to the ship.

Common to Celebrity ships, an LGBTQ meetup was scheduled nightly at 6pm. This gave us a great opportunity to meet and talk to several other LGBTQ passengers and allies as well. On Reflection we met at the World Class Bar, where special hand-crafted cocktails are on the menu – but don’t order from the menu – these bartenders are so skilled and so ready for challenge, that many nights we just suggested a base spirit and watched as they concocted a cocktail masterpiece before our eyes. We enjoyed this nightly meet-up to talk about daily adventures and plans for the evening or next day and made some friends along the way.

Next up on the itinerary - Athens, Greece. Once home to the world’s most powerful and civilized empires, Athens is the world’s foremost archaeological playground. The towering columns of the Parthenon still stand in homage to the virgin goddess Athena. The Parthenon sits atop the Athenian Acropolis and watches over the city where it can be seen from just about anywhere in Athens. Make it a point to visit the incredible Acropolis Museum on your cruise to Athens. The joint effort between two architects, one American and the other Greek, this outstanding building was completed and opened to the public in 2009. It focuses primarily on the Greek period dating to 5 B.C., considered to be the apex of art, culture, and philosophy in ancient Greece, but it also has artifacts from the Bronze, Roman, and Byzantine Ages. There’s even a plexiglass walkway from which an excavated section of an old Athenian

neighborhood can be viewed. At the foot of the Acropolis is the area known as“The Plaka,”one of the oldest neighborhoods of Athens. This area is great for wandering the tiny cobblestone streets, lined with shops for all things Greece - souvenirs, clothing, jewelry, and authentic Greek goods. This is also a great spot for getting some photos of authentic Athens.

Santorini, Greece is the classic Greek seascape - whitewashed houses accented by sea-blue roofs. Santorini, with its terraced homes, shops, and hotels, lies on a caldera - a huge basin formed by an erupting volcano. The island’s volcanic past has also produced delicious grapes for wines that are

well worth investigating while on Santorini. The village of Oia not only has the ancient Minoan site of Akrotiri but is also known to be the best vantage point from which to witness the spectacular sunsets. You can get up/down the cliff to/from the old port to Fira (the capital of Santorini), via steps, donkey, or cable car. While the donkey ride sounds compelling, it’s a hot smelly long journey. And if you are feeling athletic and want to climb the steps, keep in mind that the foot path is the same one used by the donkeys. So, unless you are prepared to throw out those shoes after the trek, the best option is the cable car. There may be a short wait for the cable car, but the route

Olympia

The White Door

Hermes of Praiteles

from the old port to the beautiful capital and vice versa takes only three minutes and costs only 6 euro. Save your time (and your shoes) and capture some incredible photos. While in Fira be sure to stop and visit our friends Marcello and Evi at The White Door. This store is fun and creative with unique Greek items - collectibles, clothes, loom handbags, jewelry, and fun decorative items with color and style… all by Greek designers. Look for the rainbow flag out front.

After a wonderful day in Santorini, dinner awaited in Luminae, an exclusive restaurant for those in the suite accommodations of The Retreat. Being part of The Retreat certainly has its perks, and access to Luminae is one of them, with signature dishes created by Michelin-Starred Chef Daniel Boulud. Luminae made us feel like we had a“home”restaurant, which gave us the small ship vibe that we crave when cruising. After checking in the first time, they know who you are when you walk in, call you by name, and seat you without any wait. Celebrity staff is great like that! Luminae is open for breakfast and dinner every day and is also open for lunch while at sea.

Rhodes, Greece was one of many places that faced scorching temperatures and wildfires this past July. The fire ravaged about 15% of its land, destroying more than 50,000 olive trees and 50 homes, and led to the mass evacuation of tourists from the area. As tourists, we saw none of the impact. Rhodes, (pronounced ro-dose) is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands and is incredibly welcoming to LGBTQ visitors. The varied landscape with beaches, wooded areas, and ancient ruins also makes this one of the most alluring of the Greek archipelago. Exploring the picturesque Old Town, you step back to a time when the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem built a Christendom stronghold.

This island has a friendly and laid-back atmosphere and there are various gay beaches in Rhodes, including Faliraki, Kallithea, and Kato Petres. Faliraki is located on the northern part of the island’s eastern coast, a short distance south of Rhodes town. The“Nudist Beach”or“Mandomata” is in a cove just south of the center of Faliraki, and stretches a few hundred yards, and nudity is acceptable on the entire beach, including where the chairs and umbrellas are set up. Grab a lounge and an umbrella (the Greek sun is a scorcher) and relax. The attendant will be by in time to collect a small fee for their use. Or walk to the southern end of the beach just beyond the umbrellas and lay out your towel…. It is predominately gay, with many German and Easten European visitors. Partake in a drink and a Greek salad at the little taverna

the view!

The island of Mykonos is known for its whitewashed villages sprinkled with blue and green. It’s also famous for its windmills, sophisticated nightlife, and gay appeal. The most popular island in the Cyclades is bustling with activity, awash in beautiful alleyways, and home to enticing sandy beaches, including Elia Beach (gay clothing optional beach), Agrari Beach (secluded gay beach a five-minute walk from Elia Beach), and Super Paradise Beach. You can also experience JackieO’ Beach Club located above the dazzling turquoise waters of Super Paradise Bay. Be yourself and relax among the attentive team all day on the beach,

jacuzzi or poolside. Jackie O’Town Bar is probably the most popular gay bar and club on the island, and a perfect setting for sunset cocktails, predinner drinks, or dancing the night away among the friendly bartenders and welcoming staff. Great people watching and nightly drag shows spice up the hottest party scene in town.

There are many fun spots to eat, drink, shop, and party on Mykonos. One such seaside restaurant with a great view, friendly staff, and delicious food, is Kadena restaurant. Enjoy the Mediterranean flavors in the freshest of dishes, such as the Sea Bass and Octopus Ceviche with yuzu ponzu, lemon zest and fresh herbs, or the Lamb Chops

Santorini

Grand Master Palace

Faliraki Nudist Beach

with salad, strawberries, pasteli and forest fruits. Traditional Greek items such as Greek Salad, Tzatziki, or Gyros are all on the menu as well. I particularly enjoyed the savory Steamed Mussels with spring onion, bisque and Prosecco, and the Grilled Calamari with crispy broccoli, cauliflower, raisins and lime. Because good food is always part of any travel itinerary, a stop at Kadena will not disappoint. Say hi to Timoleon, one of the wonderful servers at Kadena. So pull up a seat, relax, and enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Kadena.

Mykonos was defiantly one of our favorite ports, with friendly welcoming people everywhere we went - from our tour guide, to shop

keepers, to restaurant servers. And the nightlife here is legendary. This is one place that we plan to experience for a longer period next season. We’ll be back, Mykonos.

The fortifications built by the Knights of Malta, who for years helped care for European pilgrims and crusaders en route to and from the Holy Land, is one of the first things you notice when arriving in Malta. The walled city of Valletta was founded in 1565 by the Knights of St. John and it remains a masterfully preserved medieval treasure. From the glittering baroque interior of the Co-Cathedral of St. John to the charm found wandering the old, cobbled avenues, it’s no wonder this tiny

city has earned World Heritage status. While the cobblestone streets of Mdina are nearby the cruise port and easily accessible, having been to Malta before, we opted for a tour to Malta’s megalithic temple Hagar Qim, a UNESCO world Heritage Site. Hagar Qim which simply means ‘standing or worshipping stones’ in Maltese, is actually three structures of which are the oldest free-standing buildings on the planet - 3850 B.C. By way of comparison that is older than the earliest Egyptian pyramids and up to 1,800 years older than Stonehenge. Archaeologists don’t really agree how and why the Megalithic temples of Malta were built. But there is a consensus that the primary temple at Haga Qim was added to in stages, possibly over as much as a thousand-year period. But when this place was built, there was no written language on Malta and there wouldn’t be for at least another thousand years. There were also no metal tools. No technology really of any sort. So why the temple was built and what the function of each of the rooms and the objects found inside them was, will remain the subject of conjecture. If archaeology teaches us one thing, it is that nothing is written in stone (pun intended).

A much-needed day at sea gave us time to relax awhile at the Solarium pool, get pampered with spa treatments, and explore some of the bars and restaurants that we had not yet visited. We even won a few bucks in the casino. And of course, one last cocktail at the World Class Bar that evening to bid farewell to our new LGBTQ friends. We could only delay the inevitable so long, and it was soon time to plan and pack our luggage for our early morning disembarkation in Barcelona.

I will detail all our adventures in Barcelona and Sitges for you in the next issue. But let me just thank Celebrity Cruises for, not only the trip of lifetime, but for always supporting, embracing, and standing by the LGBTQ+ community. Celebrity Cruises stands for, and practices, inclusion, diversity, and equality. That deserves recognition.

Bon Voyage.

Malta

Mykonos

Kadena

PHOTO COURTESY OF KADENA

EACH OF THE SEASONS HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART WITH A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSONAL FOCUS WHEN THE WORK WHISTLE BLOWS. IN THE SPRINGTIME, IT’S ABOUT FITNESS AND GETTING IN SHAPE FOR ME. SUMMERTIME IS VACATION, FUN AND OUTDOORS. And fall is my favorite season of all – for indulging with friends in the many foods and wines that mark the harvest season. It’s when I head back to my kitchen after taking six months off. How ya doin’, Dutch oven? Rember me, KitchenAid?

Let’s face it, is there any better food that holiday food? When you think of your favorite meal, if you’re anything like me, it’s warm, savory, aromatic, comforting and you’re surrounded by loved ones. I often take inspiration from dishes I’ve savored at wineries and adjacent eateries. Delicious cuisine abounds in wine country.

I’m at home in the wine country in autumn. The energy and excitement of the harvest is in the air. Now, I’m referring mostly to the Northern California Wine County of Napa and Sonoma, but plant me in any wine country in the fall and I’m a happy boy – oh, those light berry-scented Pinot Noirs from Willamette Valley, Oregon, the big Syrahs from Columbia Valley, Washington, or a crisp Reisling from Finger Lakes, New York. Yessir, all these areas produce world-class wines worthy of stirring a chef to create the perfect culinary accompaniment.

Our wine and food journey today takes us to the hamlet of Graton, California in West Sonoma County where we’re going to find inspiration to create some truly unique Spanish meals and pair them perfectly with a sumptuous wine varietal. I can, with almost certainty, guarantee your dinner guests will be pleasantly awed. But how did we get to Spain via Sonoma? It’s a fun story.

Back in the early aughts on a Labor Day weekend visit to the Russian River, my travel companions and I took one of the windy roads through West Sonoma County on our way back to SFO. We had time for one more winery visit as we came upon a sign that read Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery – Wine Tasting. Let’s do it! Well, let me tell you … we enjoyed the most delightful tasting at this Catalan style winery and indulged in their rich history. Marimar Torres comes from generations of legendary Spanish wine makers. The Torres family remains one of the largest and most heralded wine producers in Spain.

We were compelled to buy our favorite bottles and keep the party going on their sun-drenched patio overlooking the tree-filled hills with hawks soaring in thermals above and ripe bountiful grape vineyards below. Marimar Estate’s ‘Dobles

INDULGE IN FOOD AND WINE WITH CATALAN STYLE

BY JIM DELYEA

Lias’ Chardonnay on a warm September afternoon with that vista ... we almost missed our flight.

Over the years, we’ve come to know the proprietors, Marimar Torres and Christina Torres. We learned early on this warm and gracious mother-daughter duo, not only produce some of the most outstanding wines in the region, but they’re also legit culinary artists specializing in Spanish dishes. Marimar has even published two cookbooks, The Catalan Country Kitchen: Food and Wine from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean Seacoast of Barcelona and The Spanish Table: Cuisine and Wine of Spain. Whenever Marimar invites you to her winery or home for a meal, say yes immediately.

A few years ago, these enterprising ladies launched a monthly food and wine show Marimar’s Spanish Table: A Live Cooking Show. It airs the first Tuesday of every month at 5pm Pacific on Facebook Live and Instagram Live. I never miss an episode of their lighthearted cooking show. While I don’t usually cook along at home, I always sip wine along with Marimar and Christina (and laugh along with them too).

Having tried dozens of their recipes in my home kitchen from Miramar’s Spanish Table over the years, and paired with the recommended wine, I’ve had great success as a novice cook of Spanish cuisine following the steps. And admittedly any missteps had more to do with me enjoying too much wine while cooking. (Hic!)

Here are three of my favorite recipes from their collection and paired with a Marimar and Christina approved wine. I invite you to indulge in the season – Catalan style!

Huevos Rellenos con Anchoa (eggs stuffed with anchovies and cheese) which is an easy to prepare and flavorfilled appetizer perfect for serving as a first course or taking to another host’s dinner party. Bring this along with an unoaked Chardonnay and you’re sure to be invited back.

See recipe and wine tasting notes on page 32.

Codorniz con Manzanas (quail with apples and raisins) is a real treat for a cozy dinner party at home when you want to treat a few guests to something special. This one takes a little extra effort, but it’s well worth it! Raise a glass of Pinot Noir to toast your success. It’s the perfect partner for this dish.

See recipe and wine tasting notes on page 33.

Arros a la Cassola amb Marisc (shellfish paella in clay casserole) is an ambitious recipe that is sure to wow the crowd. Just the mention of paella makes one think bounty. This dish is the party. Open a bottle or two of Tempranillo to accompany your masterpiece – this is a food and wine pairing made in Spanish heaven.

See recipe and wine tasting notes on page 34.

For more exciting Catalan recipes, food and wine ideas, and to order wine you can visit www.MarimarEstate.com.

Huevos Rellenos con Anchoa

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 small eggs, or 12 quail eggs

• 1 ounce flat anchovy fillets, drained, well rinsed and patted dry

• Pinch of hot red pepper flakes

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

• White pepper, to taste

• Niçoise olives, or other small black flavorful olives

TO COOK THE EGGS:

Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to very low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes (less for quail eggs). Run cold water over eggs to stop the cooking. Peel eggs, cut them in half lengthwise, and carefully remove yolks. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE FILLING:

In a food processor, puree anchovies with pepper flakes; add olive oil and Parmesan, and whirl until a thick paste is formed. Add egg yolks and lemon juice, and mix thoroughly. Taste for seasoning. Place in a pastry bag and refrigerate until shortly before serving. (Can prepare the day before and keep in fridge until ready).

TO ASSEMBLE THE STUFFED EGGS:

Using a pastry bag, pipe filling into the egg white halves. Cut olives in half and remove pits; garnish each egg with half an olive. Serve at room temperature.

WINE PAIRING

Marimar Estate Acero Chardonnay Acero is the Spanish word for steel and it refers to the fact that this wine has never seen any oak. Specially selected for fruit intensity and aromatics, the grapes are fermented in stainless steel to capture the purity of the flavors. The wine is then kept in the tank until bottling in early spring

TASTING NOTES

Fresh, floral aromas of white flowers and apple blossoms, with some citrus and stone fruits. On the palate it is savory and lively, with good acidity and refreshing minerality reminiscent of wet pebbles. Perfect with foods like tapas, seafood and lighter dishes.

Codorniz con Manzanas

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ounces raisins, preferably a mix of dark and golden

• 1/2 cup full-bodied brandy

• 8 quail, trussed

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 large leek, finely chopped, with about one-third of green part

• 1 small tender celery stalk, with leaves, finely chopped

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 pound tart apples (Gravenstein, Pippin, or Granny Smith), peeled and cut in wedges

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2-1/2 cups homemade chicken stock

• 1-1/2 cups dry white wine

Soak raisins in brandy for at least 30 minutes.

Pat quail dry and season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a large, lidded flameproof casserole, heat olive oil and quickly brown quail over medium-high heat. Remove from casserole and set aside. Add carrot, onion, leek, and celery to the casserole; scrape bottom with a spatula to release browned particles and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium skillet and sauté apple wedges over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Add sugar, increase heat to medium-high, and cook for about 5 minutes, turning apples until they caramelize. Add raisins with brandy and when hot, flambé. Cook, shaking pan, for 2-5 minutes, or until dry. Set aside.

Add stock and wine to casserole, and season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, add quail, turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer quailto a serving platter, arrange raisins and apples around them, and keep warm. Transfer sauce in casserole to a blender and purée. Strain through a medium sieve into skillet where apples were cooked. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring, until reduced to about 1 or 2 cups. Pour sauce over quail and serve warm.

WINE PAIRING

Marimar Estate Mas Cavalls Pinot Noir (Wine Spectator: 92 points)

The cool breezes and drifting fog from the Pacific Ocean, six miles away, make it an ideal site for Pinot Noir. Planted in the European style of super-high density, with 2,340 vines per acre, the yields are low and labor is intensive; but the vines live longer and the grapes acquire better balance and greater concentration, as well as more elegance and finesse.

Beautiful, classic Pinot color and a nose that reflects its ancestry: sweet black fruits like blackberries, rhubarb and cranberry, plus the classic forest floor, meaty and earthy, with floral notes of lavender and rose hip. On the palate it is soft but mouth- filling, with minerality, bright acidity and wellintegrated tannins.

Arroz a la Cassola amb Marisc

Serves 8

(In a large flameproof clay casserole)

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SOFREGIT:

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 2 pounds red onions, minced

• 2 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE PICADA:

• 2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

• ¼ teaspoon powdered saffron

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• ¾ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE RICE AND SHELLFISH:

• 16 small live clams, scrubbed

• 16 small live mussels, scrubbed

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 pounds squid, cleaned, bodies cut into rings, tentacles whole

• 1 ½ cups short grain rice

• 4 cups fish stock

• 16 large prawns in shells

• ½ pound large scallops

TO PREPARE THE SOFREGIT:

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté slowly over low heat stirring from time to time until onions are brown and almost caramelized adding water as needed so onions don’t burn (45-60 minutes). Add tomatoes and increase heat to medium; cook until dry. Transfer to casserole.

TO PREPARE THE PICADA:

In a food processor, finely grind all ingredients. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE CLAMS AND MUSSELS:

In a large pot, bring ½ cup water to a boil. Steam clams and mussels on a rack above boiling water until they open (4-5 minutes for mussels, 5-10 minutes for clams). Set aside, discarding any that don’t open. Strain broth through a fine mesh strainer and reserve.

TO COOK RICE AND SHELLFISH:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet and add squid rings and tentacles. Sautee for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add sauteed squid and juices to casserole with sofregit. Stir in rice and picada.

Measure reserved broth and add enough fish stock to equal 4 ½ cups. Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add to casserole and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes gently moving rice to cook evenly. Add prawns and scallops pushing into broth so they are covered.

Transfer casserole to oven and cook for 10 minutes, so that rice is slightly underdone. Remove from oven, arrange mussels and clams on top. Cover with a cloth and let it sit 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with garlic aioli, if desired.

WINE PAIRING Marimar Estate Tempranillo

This is recognized as the finest red variety indigenous to Spain. West Sonoma is proving ideal for this grape to thrive, just like it does in the cool areas of Ribera del Duero and High Rioja of Northern Spain.

Classic aromas of the variety like black cherry and figs, beautifully integrated with the notes of baking spices, fennel and hints of tobacco contributed by the elegant oak. The palate is rich and round, with soft and chewy tannins.

"Bringing together wine "Bringing together wine lovers and LGBTQ+ friendly lovers and LGBTQ+ friendly wineries, restaurants, hotels, wineries, restaurants, hotels, and others for a community and others for a community experience." experience."

ALLISON REESE

A

COMEDIC STAR ON THE RISE

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

TAKING CENTER STAGE AT UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE THEATRE IN LOS ANGELES, ALLISON REESE CASUALLY GREETS HER SOLD-OUT AUDIENCE WITH AN ARMFUL OF WIGS, COSTUMES, AND A GUITAR. She exuberantly explains, “Oh, I’m going to put everything on all at once, it will save time later,”and proceeds to put shirt over sweater over shirt over another shirt over…a hot dog costume? Yes. Even a hot dog costume. As she launches into her fastpaced one-woman show, Unhinged: Beyond the Kamala, her masterful comedic abilities quickly unfold in a dizzying one-person SNL-esque evening that includes characters that range from a TSA officer to a collegiate enthusiast to a coffee shop open mic goer to yes, even a hot dog, and, of course, her signature Kamala Harris impression that has made her a social viral star to the millions and earned her a spot in the Bros movie. Even as the audience doubles over in laughter, Allison is skillfully making a commentary on racism, queerism, transphobia, misogyny, and classism. Presented tongue in cheek, she slips it all in under the veil of comedy. On stage and on social media, she’s a bigger-than-life personality. In person, she is down-to-earth and open about her long journey to her present time in the spotlight.

Comedy for Allison is a family affair of sorts. Smack dab in the middle of five siblings, Allison learned that being funny was a way to keep your voice being heard at the dinner table, although perhaps a bit awkward at first.

I used to tell five-minute-long jokes, in the first grade, and I think, at the time, they were not funny or endearing. I think people were just like, oh my God, wrap it up! Yes, it was a talent for sure. Just going dead in the eyes and just reciting five minutes of stuff.

The more time goes on, the more I think everybody else (in my family) is actually way funnier than me. My siblings are so funny. My parents both have their own brand of humor. My mom does a lot of voices, is kind of cartoony, and loves puns. And my dad is on the other end of the spectrum, he likes artsy stuff. He’s a trip.

She would mature from her first-grade joketelling to doing comedy shows in high school in Phoenix, where she grew up. And while she was finding her footing in comedy, her sexuality was not as forthcoming.

It sheltered me in not a great way. I was in Arizona, a very Mormon-heavy place which definitely influenced me big time. I didn’t come out till I was 20. I just remember I would always hang out with all the Mormon cliques, and thought, yeah, these are all my

friends. But really, we were all just the same level of being sexually repressed is what was happening, after looking back.

Allison packed her bags and headed to Los Angeles to pursue her career in entertainment. It was at that point that she made the crucial decision to live her truth and came out to her family in the most modern of ways.

In my mind I thought, I can never be the successful artist that I want to be if I’m not honest with myself and with the people I care about. I won’t be able to do anything meaningful unless I’m true to who I am. I had to come out. I was so scared, and I didn’t want to do it face-to-face or even over the phone. So, I just sent a group text. I was just like, “Hey, think I’m gay. That cool?” Several minutes went by and I was like, oh God. And my dad finally responded, “Yep, you’re good.” And that’s truly it. And my mom called and was like, “Hey, I know you’re doing comedy. Is that like a joke?” I was like, no, it’s real. And she’s like, “Okay!”

My oldest sister is also gay and came out way before I did. So that really alleviated any pressure that I had. She did make it a lot easier, and she never lets me forget it.

Her earlier years in Los Angeles would get her deeper into the comedy scene. She felt she was too young to appreciate what LA had to offer at that time and eventually headed off to Chicago to hone her improv skills. After hitting the pavement, networking, and doing work at smaller theatres, she became a performer and staff writer at the esteemed Second City Chicago (where she is also

an alumnus of the coveted Touring company), and her one-woman show You Listen To White People Music? became a Chicago Tribune-recommended show to see, all the while focusing on uplifting and empowering women of color and the queer community through her work.

Turning commentary into comedy (or maybe it’s the reverse?) is number one in Allison’s toolbelt. During her time in Chicago, she founded and created the Matt Damon Improv group. Strange name for an improv group? Oh, there’s an explanation.

Have you seen Project Greenlight? There was one Black female producer on it, and (Matt Damon) mansplained diversity to her in the most problematic way, it was so upsetting. I saw that and I was like, man, if he could just listen to a woman of color for five minutes, he could stop whatever this is. So that was the inspiration. The team was all women of color, all different walks of life, and we had one white person and they were our Matt Damon or Lena Dunham, if you will, and they weren’t allowed to speak unless they were saying something we said to really force them to listen to women of color.

Not one to be restricted by a little thing called COVID, Allison engaged the Matt Damon Improv group for the hilarious web series In-Diana. The series follows six women who work at a company called In-Diana that makes personal back massagers. The success of these massagers increases very quickly, although not as massagers for the back, but rather for the nether regions. Presented as Zoom meetings that go awry, the series kept the laughs coming and got some great press along the way.

Not only has Allison had to deal with the usual obstacles of being a queer artist, but, as a Black woman, she has had her fill of racism.

I’ve moved around a lot. I lived in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, just all over the place, and I always find it so interesting that each city has its own flavor of racism, and no city is immune from it. It’s just how they’re doing it. So, Chicago really threw me for a loop.

As far as the comedy scene when I was

there, there were a lot of growing pains, but also a lot of growth. In the early days, there were definitely times when I would come on stage and my white scene partner would make me a slave. And it’d be like, oh my God, why did you do that to me? The teachers were older Chicago people who were like, remember Tina Faye in the nineties? That was fun! But wouldn’t know how to handle that situation. It would be a lot of self-advocacies from a lot of the people in that scene. The

improv world is very North Side. Chicago is an incredibly segregated city. There are definitely blind spots, but I’ve definitely seen a ton of growth. What I went through would not happen today in any way, shape, or form.

During her time in Chicago, her Kamala Harris impression was born, for an SNL showcase no less. How did Allison end up picking Kamala of all people?

It was an election season and she was still in the running at this point. SNL had been coming around and I was like, Allison, what other chance are you going to get to try to portray another half-black person in an impression? You gotta try! So I researched her, I watched the videos of her at the debate stages, and was like, okay, I got to figure it out.

She did not make it to Saturday Night Live This was in 2019, before the show’s dedication to diversity and inclusivity. Perhaps it’s time for them to reconsider. In any case, the Kamala impression was born, though it would take a few years for Allison to transition it to social media. She was an instant hit.

My friend Bobby told me, that impression is so good. You need to get the pearls, you need to get a jacket, you need to get a wig. And I was like, what? That’s crazy. But okay. And then it just took off and I was like, oh my God. I’ve always been able to do voices and stuff, and I’ve always prided myself on that. But for whatever reason, I think somebody along the way told me impressions online don’t go anywhere. Don’t even try it. And I was like, you know, it’s the Wild West of the internet, so why not try it?

People clamor for Allison’s Kamala wherever she goes. Recently, she was lauded by Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang on their podcast, Las Culturistas. Allison’s own podcast, The N’Kay Hour, is hosted by her alter ego but is a highlight of a bevy of sketches and characters. Smartly, Allison’s one-woman show features a segment with Kamala, as part of her full library of characters. With so many other personalities in her wheelhouse, does she ever feel overshadowed by her Kamala impression?

It is a double-edged sword. I’m very grateful for it. I have a lot of fun doing it. It feels so weird to be so connected to a character and it feels so artsy to even say that, but it’s true. I take it as a gift and use it to share other gifts that I may have that

people hopefully like.

Being able to pivot has been another major skill set that Allison possesses. Day jobs in her early years ranged from call centers to coffee shops (ask her about the coffee shop with the weed and a gun). And for her career? Web series? Sure. One woman show? Sure. Write a comedy? Sure. Write a song? Sure. Become a TikTok influencer? Yep!

It goes back to just trying to be the best creative I could be. I don’t ever want to be stuck to one thing, which is kind of a line I walk with Kamala. I’m like, okay, this is what the algorithm is hungry for, what it will reward me for, but there’s no way I could do just that.

Her characters couldn’t be more different than the others. Each character, no matter how big, is always grounded in reality. Audiences and critics respond to her material because it is so organic, it is so accessible, even if presented in a highly comedic form. Her characters also act as mirrors, reflecting back what society is giving at any particular moment. One of the funniest, and most poignant, characters is a guitar-playing, coffee shop singing“That White Girl,”based on a real-life white girl Allison heard in Chicago. In a Jewel-like voice and demeanor, the singer starts off singing about the travesty of racism, homophobia, classism, and everything else under the sun. As the verses continue, “That White Girl” becomes unraveled, marveling at their own wokeness and their heroism in speaking against these atrocities they have never had to deal with in reality. The segment makes fun of insincere activism and questions what makes an ally a true ally…all the while the audience is roaring in laughter. With each character having its own complexity, even the hot dog, what is her creative process in creating these characters?

I feel like I’m always trying to find what my process is. I feel like it’s just always evolving. A thing from The Second City that I really, really love is improvising into writing. The way they do shows is you come out, you improvise a scene, and then later you write it up and then you edit it, and then maybe you do that scene again and then you feel free to improvise new stuff. That’s how I view writing, particularly characters. A lot of my Kamala stuff is like, oh, I have this idea, I’m just going to get into character and go and do a few takes and see where it goes from there. So, it’s never the first one I do, it’s usually the third or the fourth where I really got everything, I wanted in that one piece. But with writing scripts, I’m still trying to figure that out. I also have this

mild obsession with Nicola Tesla. It’s very strange. I know. But he’s a genius and just so unhinged. He was said to have never written anything down and he would just go over stuff in his head a bunch, and then when he would go to write it down, it was near perfect every time. The equations and everything he would never have to redo because he was just kind of always editing it in his head. So that’s kind of been my process as of late. I’ll walk around, I’ll think about whatever my ideas are and try to see it in my mind’s eye and kind of think about it over and over. I try to get new ideas and then put pen to paper and just really let my imagination go.

In addition to Allison’s fervent fan base and industry acclaim, she has a support system at home. Meeting at The Second City, she fell in love with and married August, a trans artist with his own world of creativity. The two are a dynamic force and have weathered Allison’s star on the rise.

I definitely lean on my spouse for support and I’m very lucky. He has a degree in comedy writing and performance, so we come from the same world. He has gone off into his own creative path, whereas I have gone off into this creative path and it’s been nice to be with somebody who has such a knowledge base for what I’m doing and was in the same scenes and community as me and really gets it. He’s been so supportive and just so lovely with all of that.

I find that we have a very nice Venn diagram of when we do work together. We definitely appreciate the boundaries of the personal-creative-business relationship. And we really try to keep those things in mind. As

far as my social media on the rise, he is like, wow, this is the first time I felt like I’ve had to share you in this way with strangers. So, it’s made me that much more protective of our home life and keeping that sacred.

From those early years in Chicago, she was named 2022 Just For Laughs New Faces of Comedy, for the world’s most prestigious comedy festival in Montreal, took part in the 2022 CBS Sketch Comedy Showcase, where her scene, “Belinda’s Mom” went on to win numerous awards in the Festival Circuit for Best Parody, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and made her theatrical debut in Bros. Even with her highlighted success, her mission of supporting her communities stays at the forefront. Hailing back from her early years in sports, she is still a team player.

I think until I started living out in the world and experiencing how the world treats me as a woman of color and as a queer woman, I didn’t fully appreciate community in that respect. And that’s when I decided I needed to foster this. I want to create this. I really want to create a safe space for women of color, particularly in comedy and in improv, because at that time, if there was a woman of color, you were the only one on that team typically. And that led to things like your teammate being “…and you’re the slave in this scene.” Nope. I wanted to create a space where we could play and fail and have fun and actually have the space to grow and get better. ■

Check out everything Allison at AllisonReese.com

BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

EVEN ON A DAY OFF, FROM THE COMFORT OF HER HOME, without the spotlight or judges panel, without makeup or a gown, there is no mistaking Luxx Noir London’s star quality. As one of the youngest competitors of RuPaul’s Drag Race, she made it to the finale of Season 15, after a season of outspoken commentary and high fashion looks. Performing “It’s Giving Fashion” in dashing red, she was giving fierce energy, showing off her stage skills, and whether her off-handed comments ruffled some feathers, there is no denying that she’s got talent. Taking her newfound audience with her, she is moving from Drag Race herstory to high fashion and entertainment with self-branding projects on the horizon.

Hailing from East Orange New Jersey, her instruction in all things entertainment started early, her path was clear. She would also learn that her fascination with career and entertainment would single her out. Her life as an outspoken performer had begun.

I think my exposure to pop culture and things like that as a child really shaped the way I saw life in entertainment and performance. My aunt was very in tune with pop culture, was always reading the magazines, watching all the award shows, all the reality shows, things like that. I would just watch along with her, and I would be enthralled by how glamorous or how amazing these people’s lives seemed. It was always so colorful and vibrant, and I was someone who just thought in color and thought in vibrance. It’s always been something I resonated with. I marched to the beat of a different drum than everyone else. I was always just gravitating

towards things that other kids were not. And no one ever spared me the expense of not telling me that I was different; I was told early on I was different than everyone else. Her relationship with her parents, always supportive, would evolve and come to be challenged as Luxx’s personality and drive started to become evident.

I think it was just in their nature to try to protect their child from the outside world. I was getting a lot of different things being said to me by different people. I would tell my parents what people would say and they would assure me, “It’s okay. You’re different. It’s not good to be the same as everybody else. You being different is good.” And then there was kind of a shift when I got older to where they started to tell me that what I was doing was a little off. I think it’s because it went from trying to protect a child to seeing that child become something they didn’t expect.

There was a little bit of pushback when I started getting older and started expressing myself a little more outwardly and freelythe way I thought they had told me I could. But things are fine now. They’re incredibly supportive, they’re very loving. They’re my biggest fans and biggest cheerleaders, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I didn’t expect coming out or becoming the person I am today to be an easy road. I heard and saw so many horror stories in the media and things about kids not having accepting parents. I already knew what to expect and it was a lot. It wasn’t as drastic as the stories I’ve heard, but there were definitely some growing pains. I knew that was to be expected.

Luxx studied at the Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts, a special magnet public school where students are accepted for their talents. She went on to earn a degree in musical theater from New Jersey City University, though it would take a bit for her to find the spotlight.

I was born with charisma. I didn’t have to learn how to have a presence in front of people, I’ve had it for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been a performer or seen myself as a star. I also just have a natural singing voice. Those are the things that came easy. The thing that was not as easy was losing out on roles because I was so feminine. And I didn’t have a growth spurt until I was a senior in high school. I was reading young amongst all these sophomores, juniors and seniors who read a lot more mature than me - and a lot more masculine. So, it was always the ensemble for me.

I never had the moment to shine as the star in musicals and theater, even though I knew that I was more than capable of doing so - even more capable than some who were in lead roles. Had I looked a little more mature when in high school, I could have played those parts.

As early as she fell in love with entertainment, she also fell for Drag Race. It was inevitable that she would be on the show herself.

My first exposure to a drag queen was Ru Paul. I remember watching the season three casting special of RuPaul’s Drag Race with my aunt. It was the first episode of season three and I saw all these drag queens and I saw RuPaul, and I was like, oh my gosh, I love this! I told a lot of my cousins, there’s this show Drag Race …. I liked it because it was a cross between two shows I loved - Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model.

IF PEOPLE HAVE AN OPINION OF ME, THAT MEANS THEY’RE WATCHING.”

I loved wearing makeup and dressing up. They were like, “No, you can’t watch that. That’s bad.” So, it wasn’t until the seventh grade when I started watching Drag Race again. Ever since then, it’s been a major part of my life - obviously. [Laughs]

Luxx took the stage in drag for the first time ever in a theater in the summer of 2018 performing “S&M” by Rihanna and “Vogue” by Madonna. She was hooked, and knew drag is what she would be doing for the rest of her life. She had finally found her spotlight and comfort zone on the stage. Where to go next? The Werkroom of course. With her years of training, her fascination with reality TV, and her confidence, she would prove to be a presence to reckon with - even if certain fans found her a bit cocky.

Some think young people need years and years of experience to be sure they can do something successfully. I don’t think that that’s the case. People are born with gifts and talents, and I was born with all of the gifts and the talents that I needed to conquer something like Drag Race. Now, my confidence can be a little off-putting to some. I’ve been told it comes from a place of “I wish I was as confident as you at your age.” I just grew up with the idea that if someone else can do something, why can’t I do it? I was always that kid who was like, oh, it’s their birthday, they’re getting gifts, why can’t I get gifts too? I went into Drag Race and into drag saying, if all these people are humans just like me, why can’t I achieve what I want to achieve?

And indeed, she did. Season 15 had one of the most diverse finale casts yet with the young Luxx holding her own. Because of her self-confidence, outspoken Drag Race confessionals, and social media posts, she has become the focus of misogynoir, a cultural phenomenon of misogyny directed specifically at Black women. Drag Race fans as keyboard warriors came out in fervor with their opinions of Luxx’s personality. How did that affect Luxx?

If I’m going to be very honest, it didn’t really affect me all too much. I grew up in the age of celebrity - where celebrities were plastered on the cover of magazines, edited to look horrible or not look horrible, but not looking like themselves. From the era of Perez Hilton, TMZ, and Wendy Williams, I knew what to expect coming into celebrity because I followed being famous for so long. I never really feed into what people are saying because like RuPaul always says,

“People’s opinions of me are none of my business.”They are always going to have an opinion on something someone’s doing. If people have an opinion of me, that means they’re watching. And at the end of the day, that’s all you want, right? It’s for people to watch what you’re doing.

As people continue to watch what she’s doing, she is taking her Drag Race fame and building her own empire. She already has collaborated with such brands as Calvin Klein, Savage x Fenty, Maybelline, and MAC Cosmetics, and has been featured in leading publications such as Vogue, People, PAPER, Them, TODAY.com, Cosmopolitan, and more.

This is my brand coming out of the show - it is the modern-day supermodel of the world. RuPaul is the queen of drag which is something completely different from the supermodel of the world. I am the second coming of RuPaul in my head. I want to do it all. I want to be the name that’s in the household. I want to be the name that is going to be everywhere in the media. I want to show culture that drag queens are not just this accessory that you can put on a Christmas tree. Drag is at the forefront of modern pop culture. And I do think there is a place for us besides being the novelty act in a runway show or the comic relief in a TV show. I want to go into culture, and I want to show that I am not a star because I’m a novelty; I’m a star because I’m a star.

My biggest wish for my career is to leave a mark on the world that shows when you think you can do something and you want it bad enough, it will come true. We’ve seen a lot of cases of things like this happen, but I know my legacy is going to be something we’ve never seen before, and I’m really excited about that.

Her biggest wish for her personally, beyond her career?

I just want to be happy; you know? A lot of the time, people don’t allow themselves to be genuinely happy. I just want to live a life where everything I’m doing brings contentment. If I’m not happy doing it, I don’t want to. Getting to the point in my life where I can just live every day and just be happy and content, that’s what I’m striving for.

There is no doubt Luxx has that star quality, she also has the attitude, and fortunately has the talents. One of her social media posts describes her best, “I’m not cocky, I’m correct.” Is she

cocky, and isn’t it ok to be a bit cocky in this industry?

It’s needed in the world. Especially for queer people, there are so many people trying to tell us that we’re less than, or that we don’t deserve to have freedom or rights or good things in life.

If you walk into every room saying, I know that I’m the best and I know that I have every right to be here, it can only be beneficial. But you also have to put your money where your mouth is. So, there is cockiness, but it’s not coming from a place of just being cocky to be cocky. I’m cocky because I know what I bring to the table.

Gird your loins, because this holiday season, Luxx will hit the road for A Drag Queen Christmas with Drag Race alumni Todrick Hall, Jimbo, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Trinity the Tuck, Heidi N Closet, Miz Cracker, and Crystal Methyd. Can you imagine that tour bus?

As she keeps her eyes on the future, she continues to work hard and abide by her daily mantra.

The thing that keeps me motivated every day is I tell myself I am going to get somewhere and I’m going to do everything it takes. I don’t want to lie to myself. It gets a little scary when you start lying to yourself. I never want to allow myself to feel like I was pulling the wool over my own eyes by telling myself that something was going to happen and then not doing everything in my power to make it so. I’m not doing any of this for anybody else. I need to go to sleep at the end of the day knowing that I’m making myself proud.

And her message to her fans?

If I can do it, you can do it too. ■

You can follow Luxx on IG: @LuxxNoirLondon

I’M COCKY BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE.”

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PHOTO BY MRNY

INDULGE LIKE A ROCK-STAR IN VAN COU VER: BRITISH COLUMBIA’S ‘HOLLYWOOD NORTH’

BY MARK A THOMPSON

SOME HOTEL SUITES ARE JUNIOR, AND SOME ARE ROYAL OR PRESIDENTIAL, BUT WHEN YOUR HOTEL SUITE IS LARGE ENOUGH TO HOST YOUR ROCK-STAR FANTASIES, then there’s every reason to indulge. In fact, now that you know you’ll be living like a rock star at the DOUGLAS in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, rewind the camera and let’s start this journey anew.

For those of us who live on the East Coast, there’s something magical about flying cross-country against time and then landing in the West beneath an endless blue sky. That Western blue sky and the brilliance of the Pacific, shimmering beneath the sun. For some people, Vancouver feels like the San Francisco of Canada: an emerald-green peninsula surrounded by cerulean waterways, coniferous forests, and snow-capped mountains.

A picture-perfect city ready for its close-up, Vancouver merits its nickname“Hollywood North,” a title it’s held for more than twenty years as the third largest film and television production center in North America. For a glimpse of Vancouver’s residential grandeur, have your driver cruise through the prestigious First Shaughnessy neighborhood, a leafy enclave well-known for its historical estates and magnificent mansions built in a heritage“English picturesque aesthetic,” many of which have been featured in various films.

By the time you arrive at the DOUGLAS in downtown Vancouver, your head will be swimming with celluloid dreams. Named for British

Columbia’s ubiquitous coniferous tree, the DOUGLAS opened in 2017 as an Autograph Collection hotel within the Parq Vancouver entertainment complex situated above the waterfront between Yaletown and Gastown.

To access the lobby at the DOUGLAS, a private elevator bank with infinity mirror whisks you upstairs to the sixth-floor Park, a verdant oasis in the sky. Designed by landscape architect Christopher Phillips, the urban forest holds more than 200 pine trees and 15,000 local plantings. Stone and wood walkways wend through groves of trees surrounding a pristine pond while providing access to various rooftop bars and restaurants, as well as the hotel lobby.

Pride in Yaletown, Vancouver

A 25-foot glass-enclosed Douglas fir serves as the hotel’s front desk, complemented by artworks from local indigenous artists. Guests are greeted with a restorative glass of locally brewed kombucha which fuels you for the rock-star fantasy that awaits you in your one-bedroom king suite with panoramic views. If your cameras aren’t yet rolling, you’re missing your entrance.

The DOUGLAS suites measure 1,200 square feet and run the entire width of the building, from east to west, offering breathtaking vistas from downtown Vancouver to the ferries traversing False Creek. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area look onto BC Place and the nightly light show illuminates the exterior of the 50,000-seat stadium. The dining area seats four, and there’s a powder room done in marble with all-natural Aesop toiletries. A plush sectional in the living room is flanked by a mid-century sling chair and leather ottomans.

At this point, if there’s not already Champagne chilling in a bucket, then dial room service and order flowers and bubbly. With a suite this size, there’s no excuse for not living large. Go ahead and FaceTime your mother; let her know you’re living well by walking her through the living area with its 55-inch television and Pullman kitchen with Illy coffeemaker, and then show her the walk-in closet, and the bedroom with desk and sitting area, and that king-sized bed. Then head on into the marble bathroom with a shower large

enough to fit the entire swim team. Not that you need to mention this to your mother, not unless she, too, is living your rock-star fantasy life.

As the birthplace of the 100-Mile Diet and its locavore principles, Vancouver benefits from a bounty of regional farms and farmers’ markets.

Farm-to-table and conscious dining are embraced by most local restaurants, many of which purchase their produce at Vancouver’s beloved Granville Island Public Market. What was once an industrial wasteland beneath the Granville Street Bridge was transformed in the 1970s into one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in British Columbia. Each

year, the island attracts millions of visitors, most of whom wander in a kind of blissful daze amongst the seemingly endless variety of food purveyors.

Open seven days a week, the Public Market is where foodies go to graze. My idea of no-guilt gluttony is to linger all day. The False Creek Ferries drop you off at the base of the market, and from then on, you’re free to eat whatever you want whenever you want from more than 70 food vendors. Arrive early enough for breakfast, and then meander through the numerous shops and boutiques, and then eat some more for lunch, and then consider where to eat again for dinner.

The Den at The Douglas

D_6 bar and lounge at The Douglas

Amuse-bouche at the Victor at Parq Vancouver

During the summer, Granville Island is home to the Vancouver International Jazz Festival - and then in September, the island hosts Vancouver Fringe, the provocative, boundary-pushing theatrical festival with a pop-up Fringe Bar that provides as much entertainment as the various theatres. Equally wild and wonderful is Vancouver’s week-long Vancouver Pride Festival, which has become the largest Pride celebration in Western Canada since its inception in 1978.

Notable for its Barbie pink park benches and bus stops, Vancouver’s Davie Village has been the center of the city’s LGBTQ+ community for years.

Rainbow banners fly from the lampposts, and the rainbow crosswalks are reminders of the neighborhood’s reputation as a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ people. For a lesson in Canadian LGBTQ+ history, head into Little Sister’s book emporium and learn about the censorship trial that the little bookstore won against Canadian Customs. The decision by the Supreme Court of Canada is not only a victory to be celebrated, but also a reminder of the need for LGBTQ+ pioneers in the fight against censorship. If you’re so inclined, step lively into the giant Barbie pink megaphone on Jim Deva Plaza and exercise your voice, loud and proud.

Given the focus on well-being in Vancouver, it’s not surprising that the city offers more than 200 miles of bicycle paths. Whether you’re walking or cycling, the DOUGLAS makes an excellent base camp for wandering the city - and all the better when you return for a signature stress relief spa treatment at Spa by JW. Located on the 17th floor of JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, the expansive spa features a fitness center, treatment rooms, and eucalyptus-infused steam rooms, as well as access to Aqua Lounge where an outdoor hydrotherapy pool overlooks False Creek. Poolside service features a collaboration with Veuve Clicquot, so raise a Champagne toast to the night ahead.

Culinary indulgence is basically a fact of life in Vancouver. With one of the highest rates of Mexican immigrants in the world, Vancouver offers some of the most vibrant Mexican food outside of Mexico. Vancouver is also home to North America’s second-largest Chinatown, as well as multicultural neighborhoods such as Greektown, Punjabi Market, Little Italy, and Japantown. Whether you’re eating a fish taco at Tacofino, or the signature flame-seared sushi at Yaletown’s Minami, grabbing a Japanese hotdog at Japadog, or dining on Vietnamese street food at Lunch Lady, you’re eating some of Vancouver’s best.

For the finest of Pacific Northwest cuisine, there are few better options than the Victor, the breathtaking open-air restaurant located atop the Parq Vancouver. Managed and operated by Blau + Associates (as in Elizabeth Blau, the woman who transformed Vegas into a world-class dining destination), the Victor buzzes with incandescent theatrical energy, thanks to a crackerjack team of professionals serving a savvy clientele of catwalking locals and in-the-know visitors. In a room so elegant and effervescent, Champagne is almost de rigueur - and a perfect prop as you try not to stare at the actor in the Gucci shades seated in the green leather banquette. Executive Chef Garett Blundell earned his chops at various Michelinstarred restaurants, so order without restraint; you’re in good hands as you graze the menu as avidly as you gaze around the room.

Be sure and save room for a nightcap at D/6 - because you don’t want to miss the speakeasy hidden behind the bookcase. Later, when it’s time to retire upstairs, do so with the awareness that breakfast awaits at Honey Salt. The farm-totable restaurant is a verdant haven with a design scheme befitting the core philosophy of Vancouver’s clean-living lifestyle. As you dive into the avocado toast with poached eggs, you’ll find it hard not to smile. It’s another beautiful day in Vancouver - with so much more to indulge. ■

MAKE at Granville Island

Honey Salt restaurant at Parq Vancouver

PHOTO COURTESY OF PARQ VANCOUVER

COME TO YOUR SENSES

BY MEGAN VENZIN

SUMMER’S GONE, AND WE’RE FEELING FINE. AND WHY

WOULDN’T WE? New York is one of those lively locales where life refuses to stop just because the swimsuits and shorts are in storage. The sweater sales erupt in full force, and so do the social engagements - we’re talking of course, about the forthcoming cascade of wine and food celebrations, stand-up shows and costume parties that would leave nana’s jaw agape. If you’re feeling bummed that vacation season is in the rear-view mirror, then we urge you to come to your senses, which shouldn’t be difficult if you plan to attend any of the delicious events we’ve handpicked, here. The leaves are showing their true colors, and so should you.

THE NEW YORK COFFEE FESTIVAL

October 6 - 8, 2023

Metropolitan Pavilion

125 West 18th St. New York, NY 10011

www.newyorkcoffeefestival.com

When the caffeine craving takes hold, The New York Coffee Festival has your back. This sip-sational event returns to Manhattan this fall with worldfamous exhibitors in tow, as well as DJ sets and enough coffee samples to keep you cruising through to Monday. Swing by the live latte art station to watch foamy masterpieces take shape or hit the cocktail master class to level-up your espresso martini game, and don’t miss out on the year’s big showdown when 12 contenders from around the globe put their skills to the test in disciplines such as brewing, cupping, espresso blending to take home the title of Coffee Master NYC. Those beans are brewing for a good cause too - 100% of profits from ticket sales will go to support Project Waterfall and charity: water, two organizations that bring clean water to coffee-producing countries. Think of VIP tickets as a duplo-special because each one includes fast-track entrance, a limited-edition tote, a copy of The Meaning Coffee and tokens for premium coffee cocktails. Let’s get buzzed, baby.

Photo courtesy of The New York Coffee Festival

PhotocourtesyofFoodNetwork

Who’s in for an upscale evening of craft cocktails? Or perhaps you prefer a sit-down dinner hosted by your famous celebrity chef? If interactivity gets you hype, then enroll in a master class to sharpen your cooking skills for the next dinner party on your calendar. At NYC Wine and Food Festival, there are more than 80 exceptional events to choose from, all taking place in one of the leading culinary capitals of the world. Grab tickets for our top pick taking place Sunday October 15th: the annual Drag Brunch hosted by Lea DeLaria of Orange Is The New Black fame, alongside the impeccable queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Suntan Raja, Shangela and Symone. This daytime bash is sure to pair racy performances with the best pancakes in town (and loads of Champagne, because of course.)

But if you’re not early bird, Rachel Ray is putting Pat LeFrieda in the spotlight at the Blue Moon Burger Bash and Claudio Oshrey (@GirlWithNoJob) and Ben Soffer (@BoyWithNoJob) will be dishing out soul beats and brews at their Disco and Drinks event unfolding at familiar Pride hangspot, Harbor NYC Rooftop. Once again hosted by God’s Love We Deliver, an organization offering medically tailored meals to the chronically ill, food lovers can grab a NYWFF ticket knowing that their good time will go far. Whet your appetite with a peek at this year’s schedule and do it quicklya lot of these gatherings are sure to sell out.

Photo courtesy of Food Network

WINE SPECTATOR’S 42ND ANNUAL NEW YORK WINE EXPERIENCE

October 19 - 21, 2023

The New York Marriott Marquis

1535 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

www.nywineexperience.com

Join the world’s best vintners for a three-day weekend of wine and wonder! Now in its 42nd year, Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience returns to the Times Square area with rare pours incoming all the way from Argentina to Uruguay, plus speaking engagements from the likes of Sex in the City star, Sarah Jessica Parker and California Governor, Gavin Newsom. Guests can attend the signature Critics’ Choice Grand Tastings on Thursday and Friday evenings where they’ll sample sips of more than 200 wines rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator Magazine, but the most committed oenophiles should join the waitlist for the coveted VIP weekend package. This all-inclusive option grants early access to the aforementioned tastings, seated seminar programs, decadent wine luncheons and an exclusive Saturday night Champagne reception where it’s time to toast another fabulous year of grapes and glamour. The New York Wine Experience is also committed to educating the great sommeliers of the future, so proceeds from the event will go to support The Wine Spectator Scholarships Foundation, which provides grants and scholarships to forwardthinking wine and food programs. We can’t think of a better reason to keep the corks popping.

DIRTY CIRCUS VARIETY SHOW: HALLOWEEN EDITION!

October 26 - 28, 2023

House of Yes

2 Wyckoff Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11237

www.houseofyes.org

Bushwick’s favorite weekly variety show takes a twisted turn just in time for spooky szn with three consecutive nights of circus spectacle and powerhouse performances at the award-winning House of Yes. Expect off the wall absurdism and gravity-defying aerial acts all designed by the city’s most daring artistic minds - it’s the perfect pregame before you hit the town for more Halloweenrelated hijinks. These high-flying dancers, juggling clowns and sensational contortionists are trained to the max, so don’t try these acts at home - leave this insanity to the professionals.

Dirty Circus.

Photo by Kennyrodz

M.E.A.T. XXL HALLOWEEN EDITION

October 27, 2023

3 Dollar Bill

260 Meserole St. Brooklyn, NY 11206

Round up all the Kens and Barbies because a rowdy night of cosplay and craziness awaits at M.E.A.T. XXL Halloween Edition, taking over Brooklyn’s premiere queer bar and performance venue, 3 Dollar Bill. Immerse yourself in a mysterious, spooky and all together ooky atmosphere ahead of the holiday with DJ sets from Alex Acosta, Allan Natal, Enrico Meloni, Le Grand Phoenix and Diego Barros (live) in two rooms, plus a massive playspace where the wild ones can let their freak flag fly. This naughty party is set to be sweeter than a pillowcase packed with full-sized candy bars so grab a ticket and get yourself some sugar, honey.

CITY OF GODS HALLOWEEN 2023

October 27 - 28, 2023

Industry City

599 2nd Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11232

www.tickets.cityofgods.nyc

If news reports from Burning Man’s soggiest edition, have you second guessing whether you could hack it on the playa, then Brooklyn’s got a soul-shaking alternative sans the soak. Dubbed City of Gods, this “gathering of immense opulence” invites revelers to skip the mud and still go deep in Industry City at a sprawling, five-stage arena fit for Dionysis on a bender. Presented by House of Yes and ZERO, this annual art and music-fueled bash is always one for the deities, so dust off your fauxfurs and get down with a secret lineup curated by legendary camps of Black Rock City. The residents of Distrikt, GlamCocks, MikiBeach, Pink Mammoth and more are on hand to conjure vibes more powerful than Zeus himself. On second thought, plan for lightning.

City of Gods Halloween.

Photo by Bryan Kwon

NYC AUTUMN CRUSH: WINE AND ARTISANAL FOOD FESTIVAL

November 11, 2023

The Grand Hall at St. Mary’s 440 Grand Street

New York, NY 10002

www.crushwinexp.com

Sitting at the top of Wine Enthusiast magazine’s “can’t miss” events is NYC Autumn Crush, an annual shebang that unites a posh and fun-loving crowd that loves the finer things in life. In this case, the “finer things” come in fermented and flavorful packages, and ticket holders can sample them all (responsibly, of course). This year’s extravaganza extends tastings of more than 100 unique wines and craft beverages and delicious bites from NYC’s best eateries, all to be enjoyed across two lively sessions. There’s one in the afternoon, perfect for bolstering brunch plans, or an evening option for those who prefer to imbibe after dark. You can’t go wrong either way!

NEW YORK COMEDY FESTIVAL

November 3 - 12, 2023

Various Venues

www.nycomedyfestival.com

The world is on fire, and we could all use a good laugh. So, join a city in stitches for 10 days straight when the New York Comedy Festival returns in November, bringing with it more than 100 shows and over 200 comics to soften any feelings of existential dread. Appearing on iconic stages such at BAM, Beacon Theatre, Carnegie Hall and the Apollo are the industry’s heavy hitters, like Conan O’Brien, Margaret Cho and Broad City’s, Ilana Glazer, just to name a few. There’s plenty for the heads too — for example, Dave Attell will hit the Town Hall stage with his irreverent friends, and roast king Jeff Ross will unveil his one-man show Take a Banana for the Ride to The Venue at Hard Rock. And don’t forget to catch the return of Matteo Lane: The Al Dente Tour, Nicole Byer Live and Donnell Rawlings… we could keep going and try to say something else clever about what it means to chuckle in the face of end times, but we’ll leave that to the folks who write jokes for a living.

Matteo Lane

Ilana Glazer

JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE

NEITHER A CONVENTIONAL BIOPIC NOR A TRADITIONAL CONCERT FILM, JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE IS A RAW AND INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF THE LEGENDARY FOLK SINGER AND ACTIVIST THAT SHIFTS BACK AND FORTH THROUGH TIME AS IT FOLLOWS JOAN ON HER FINAL TOUR AND DELVES INTO HER EXTRAORDINARY ARCHIVE, INCLUDING NEWLY DISCOVERED HOME MOVIES, DIARIES, ARTWORK, THERAPY TAPES, AND AUDIO RECORDINGS. Baez is remarkably revealing about her 60-year musical career, life on and off stage - from her lifelong emotional struggles to her civil rights work with MLK and a heartbreaking romance with a young Bob Dylan. A searingly honest look at a living legend, this film is a compelling and deeply personal exploration of an iconic artist who has never told the full truth of her life, as she experienced it, until now.

Joan Baez is a musical force of nature whose commitment to social activism has never wavered. Baez began her career performing in coffeehouses in Boston and Cambridge, rising to fame as an unbilled performer at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. She began her recording career in 1960 and achieved immediate success. Her first three albums, Joan Baez, Joan Baez, Vol. 2, and Joan Baez in Concert all achieved gold record status. These early recordings included performances of traditional ballads and exerted a powerful attraction on a generation and songs like “House of the Rising Sun” and “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” found their way into the rock vernacular. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 and honored by the Kennedy Center in 2021 among countless other accolades.

At the same time, Baez’s role in the human rights and anti-war movements around the world has earned her place in history, alongside friends and allies, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, the Irish Peace People, Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, and others.

Baez has also been prominent in the struggle for gay and lesbian rights. In 1978, she performed at several benefit concerts to defeat the Briggs Initiative, which proposed banning all gay people from teaching in the public schools of California. Later that same year, she participated in memorial marches for the assassinated San Francisco city supervisor, Harvey Milk who was openly gay.

In the 1990s, she appeared with her friend Janis Ian at a benefit for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a gay lobbying organization, and performed at the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride March.

Since retiring from active performing in 2019, Baez has focused her formidable talents on painting and drawing. Today, the life and times of Joan Baez are reflected in her “Mischief Makers” series of paintings that immortalize risk-taking visionaries, ranging from Dr. King and Bob Dylan to the Dalai Lama and Patti Smith. Additionally, her book of drawings, AM I PRETTY WHEN I FLY? An Album of Upside Down Drawings, was recently published on Godine. Released to critical acclaim, Kirkus praises in a recent starred review, “The pages come alive, taking readers on a pictorial trip through Baez’s life…by gracefully walking a fine line between blunt-force honesty and flights of fancy, the book is satisfying, enjoyable, and rewarding…fans and newcomers alike will appreciate this intimate look into Baez’s unique artistry.”

Karen O’Connor, one of the directors of JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE, had this to say about the

cinematic testament to Baez’ life…

“Documentaries about well-known people are inherently tricky. Typically, much is already known and a presented narrative is often carefully curated and controlled. But Baez, who has been a good friend of mine since 1989, was ready as never before to take an unflinching look at her own life--free of hagiography and dewy-eyed nostalgia. Although Joan understood, from the beginning, that she wouldn’t have any control over the film, there was never a time when she held back or hesitated from digging into the harder, darker truths of her life, which gave us a rare opportunity to make a film about Joan Baez that could be as honest, complicated, funny and layered as the woman herself.

Famous at 18, on the cover of Time magazine by age 21, dubbed the “Queen of Folk,” Joan Baez was far bigger than folk singers had ever

gotten. She was a phenomenon. The otherworldly soprano, the ethereal beauty: no one had seen or heard anyone like her. Men fell in love with her and women wanted to be like her. She became the icon of a new generation of musicians, from Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen to Joni Mitchell and Patti Smith. But it was her political passion as much as her prodigious talent that made her a legend. Long before “celebrity activism” was cool, Joan used her influence and commitment to nonviolence to relieve suffering and fight injustice. For Baez, the personal is always political.

The outlines of Baez’s large, history-making life are widely known, but with this film we wanted Joan’s past to come alive. Not with gimmicks or “talking heads,” but with the trove of original source material from Joan and her family that we unearthed: newly discovered home movies; Joan’s amazing artwork and drawings;

journals and diaries, photographs, therapy tapes, and a gold mine of audiotaped letters that Baez sent home–all capturing what she was experiencing in real time, rather than recollected from a distant remove. At every turn, we wanted the film to feel immersive and immediate–more like time travel than biography.

Because of my history with Joan, our team was able to embed with her on tour and at home and that extraordinary access enabled us to create an intensely intimate film filled with unexpected insights, heartbreak and humor. A biographical strand captures Joan’s early years and meteoric rise to fame, a darker psychological thread delves into her inner “demons” and a contemporary strand tracks Joan facing the end of a 60-year music career. Although we knew Baez’s final tour would anchor her contemporary story, we weren’t ever trying to make a concert film.

To maintain the immediacy of Joan’s story, we also decided to limit our interviews. While many famous people were ready to speak about Joan’s influence, we didn’t want to make a biopic with celebrities talking about other celebrities so we included only those from Joan’s inner circle whose recollections and insights would feel as intimate and authentic as the rest of the film. We also worked closely with our cinematographers to develop an informal, “verité” shooting style that worked for both the contemporary and archival strands. All our interviews were done with only natural light and the concert and tour sequences were all shot behind-the-scenes to match the look and feel of the rest of the film. All the creative elements in the film–picture and sound, graphics and animation, music and score come together to sharpen and deepen Baez’s remarkable story.

Joan’s willingness to explore the uncomfortable

and painful places in her life gives this film its emotional power. And by going there, Joan may be opening a door for somebody else to go there too. And others may find themselves in the ideas raised in the film-about fame and identity, creativity and mental illness, aging and grief, and memory and forgiveness–all deeply human and universal themes that reach far beyond the particulars of Joan Baez’s story. Throughout the film, there is a real gravitas in following such a fiercely creative and committed artist as she reckons with her past and pushes toward a newly imagined future.”

Magnolia Pictures will release JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE in New York theaters on October 6, 2023, expanding to Los Angeles and additional markets on October 13, 2023. ■

OVERTURE, CURTAIN, LIGHTS! BROADWAY IN THE FALL

BY BEN RIMALOWER

WELP, IT KILLS ME TO LET SUMMER GO, BUT AUTUMN IN NEW YORK DOES HAVE ITS PLEASURES - JUST LIS TENING TO THE LYRICS OF THE SONG. CERTAINLY, CHIEF AMONG THOSE PLEASURES MUST BE THE FALL THEATER SEASON. Broadway, Off-Broadway, and the cabaret world are abuzz with new shows opening almost every week. These new Broadway shows have the advantage of less competition than in the spring, but they’ll need every bit of help they can get if they’re gonna sustain a run through June when they can hope for the added audience’s exposure the Tony Awards broadcast might bring. Of course, that’s only if they’re nominated - a big if indeed. Let’s look at the new shows in the pike and what their prospects look like.

First up this fall is the first Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s backwards musical Mer rily We Roll Along (Hudson Theatre, opens October 10), starring Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, and Daniel Radcliffe. Sondheim veteran Maria Friedman’s smash hit production transfers from New York Theater Workshop, where it was in turn imported from a successful UK run. The original 1982 production was the notorious flop that ended Sondheim’s landmark collaboration with Hal Prince, but the piece really deserves this new look. It’s certainly one of the master’s most accessible, tuneful, and Broadway brass-heavy scores. And we still must wait decades for Richard Linklater’s forthcoming real-time film adaptation.

Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez in Merrily We Roll Along

Photo by Joan Marcus

Next comes Gutenberg! The Musical! (James Earl Jones Theatre, opens October 12) Book of Mormon megastars Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells return to Broadway with this musical about two guys writing a musical about Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the printing press. From the creators of the Beetlejuice musical and directed by the brilliant Alex Timbers, who directed that show, as well as Moulin Rouge and Here Lies Love

Fanilows may not be the only market targeted by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman’s Harmony (Ethel Barrymore Theatre, previews October 18). The Weimar Berlin era singing group The Comedian Harmonists are the focus of this timely tale. Transferring from an acclaimed run Off-Broadway, the cast is led by Chip Zien (Into the Woods, Falsettos), Sierra Boggess (Phantom of the Opera, The Little Mermaid), and Julie Benko (Funny Girl).

The Kennedy Center revival of Monty Python’s Spamalot (St. James Theatre, previews October 31) is rolling into town and promising a good time. I was a big fan of the hilarious original, which featured a cast of comedy titans led by Tim Curry, Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce, Chris Sieber, Christian Borle, and in her star-making Tony-winning turn, Sara Ramirez long before Grey’s Anatomy, let alone Ché Diaz. Those are big shoes to fill, but the outlook is bright with Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart, Michael Urie, Ethan Slater, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Broadway’s best kept secret, the inspired comedian and singer Leslie Kritzer.

Off-Broadway gets a revival of the show that put Barbra Streisand on the map–before Funny Girl–Harold Rome’s I Can Get It for You Wholesale (Classic Stage Company, previews October 10). The heavy hitting cast features Adam ChanlerBerat, Santino Fontana, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Judy Kuhn, Sarah Steele, and in the role created by Babs, Julia Lester, who made a strong impression stealing scenes as Little Red Riding Hood in last season’s Into the Woods

For everyone who associates New York with either Alicia Keys or musical theater, you’ll get your chance to combine the two with her new musical Hell’s Kitchen (Public Theater, previews October 24)

With Michael Grief (Dear Evan Hansen, Grey Gardens, Rent) directing a cast led by Shoshana Bean, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Kecia Lewis, this can’t help but be a wow.

For something more intimate, check out the revival of John Patrick Shanley’s classic two-hander, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (Lucille Lortel Theatre, previews October 30), starring Christopher Abbott (Catch-22, Sanctuary, Girls) and everybody’s #1 favorite curmudgeon, Aubrey Plaza.

Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells in Gutenberg! The Musical!

Adam Chanler-Berat, Santino Fontana, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Judy Kuhn, Sarah Steele, and Julia Lester in I Can Get It for You Wholesale

Christopher Abbott and Aubrey Plaza in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea

Harmony

And finally, if you want the performers to look you right in the eyes, and like to drink during, visit one of New York City’s world class cabaret shows.

The Café Carlyle:

• Patina Miller

Oct 11 - 14

• John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey

Oct 17 - 28

54 Below:

• Linda Eder

Oct 3, 7, 11

• Marilyn Maye

Oct 14 - Nov 14

• Jai Rodriguez

Oct 26 - 28

• Melissa Errico

Nov 1 - 4

• Lillias White

Nov 22 - 25

Patina Miller

John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey

Marilyn Maye

Jai Rodriguez

Linda Eder

Melissa Errico

Lillias White

John Cameron & Mitchell Amber Martin Justin Vivian Bond

Leola Lady Land Natalie Joy Johnson Candace Bushnell

Shevlin

Mamie Parris

Matteo Ferrari

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

ACCOUNTING – COUNSELING/PSYCHOTHERAPY

ACCOUNTING

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 lunachoulaw com

Goldman, Jeffrey E , Esq 501 Fifth Ave #1900 NYC 212 983-8999 NYC 212 949-5085 www jgoldmanlaw com

Law Offices of Thomas Sciacca, PLLC 44 Wall St, 12th Fl NYC 212 495-0317 www sciaccalaw com

Long & Associates NYC 212 360-0394 www landapllc com

Parker | Waichman LLP 6 Harbor Park Dr Nationwide 800 JUST-CALL www yourlawyer com

Tesler, Richard, Esq 41 W 72nd St NYC 212 362-6961

CATERING

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 NYC 212 924-2280

www li-lacchocolates com

Paul Evans Catering 20 W 20th St NYC 212 321-1822 NYC 212 243-4494

www paulevanscatering com

CLOTHING

Dave’s New York 581 Ave of the Americas, NYC Toll Free 800 543-8558

www davesnewyork com

Jackson Boutique

www jacksonboutiquenyc com

CONTRACTORS/CONSTRUCTION

ABS Design & Construction NYC 212 731-0642

www abs-construction-nyc com

COUNSELING/PSYCHOTHERAPY

Angers, Marc E , M A Oxon, L C S W /L P Licensed Psychoanalyst, NCPsyA NYC 917 678-7929

Barneson, Jeff, LCSW

119 Washington Place NYC 212 252-2314

www jeffbarneson com

Blatter, Andrew, LCSW NYC 917 442-5213

www andrewblatter com

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

COUNSELING/SUBURBAN

Kingan, Peter L , Ph D 31 Oak St Patchogue, NY 631 447-6425

DATING SERVICES

SEE ALSO INTRODUCTION SERVICES ManMate NYC 212 564-4025 www manmate com ManMate Dinners For 8 NYC 212 564-4025 www manmate com Wheaton, Grant Dating Coach NYC 212 564-4025

DENTISTS

Babushkin, Howard, D D S , L L C 525 West End Ave #1G, NYC 212 874-2880

www manhattanoasisdentistry com

Cassidy, J R , D D S West 10th Dental P C 45 W 10th St NYC 212 982-5883

www west10thdental com

De Bonis, William B , D D S World Wide Plaza Dental Associates 370 W 50th St NYC 212 333-2650 www wwpdental com

NEW YORK DIRECTORY

DENTIST (CONTINUED) – HAIR REMOVAL

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® 122 E 42nd St #2215 NYC 646 964-9400

Law Offices of Thomas Sciacca, PLLC 44 Wall St, 12th Fl, NYC 212 495-0317

www sciaccalaw com

New York Life/NYLIFE Securities

Marlon J Altoe 420 Lexington Ave, 15th Fl NYC 646 227-8605 Cell 646 761-4372

www newyorklife com/agent/maltoe

Peloso-Barnes, Julia A , CFP, CPM, CRPC Purchase, NY 914 225-6391

www advisor morganstanley com/the-pelosobarnes-group

FITNESS/GYMS/PERSONAL TRAINERS

Mercedes Club 550 W 54th St NYC 212 265-1111

www themercedesclub com

FLORISTS

la Fleur d’Harlem 203 W 144th St NYC 646 850-5973

www lafleurnyc com

FRAMING

14th Street Framing Gallery 225 W 14th St NYC 212 691-8156

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 NYC 212 924-2280

www li-lacchocolates com

GUEST HOUSES/B&B’S

Chelsea Pines Inn 317 W 14th St NYC 212 929-1023

Colonial House Inn 318 W 22nd St NYC 212 243-9669

Incentra Village House 32 8th Ave @ W 12th St NYC 212 206-0007

www incentravillage com

MisterBandB

www misterbandb com

HAIR REMOVAL

Advanced Dermatology Associates 200 Central Park South #107 NYC 212 262-2500

NYC 212 246-0800

www adv-derm com

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 NYC 212 257-0007

www omniaestheticmd com

OPTOMETRISTS

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

West Village Eyecare Associates 10 Sheridan Square NYC 212 242-6592

www eyecarenyc com

PAIN MANAGEMENT

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

PERIODONTISTS

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

NEW YORK DIRECTORY

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 NYC 212 475-8833

Marfuggi, Richard A , 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

Maze Sexual & Reproductive Health

Maze Men’s Health

Maze Women’s Health

Maze Labs

Maze Cord Blood 633 Third Ave, Ste 9B NYC 646 585-8980

www.mazehealth.com

(SEE AD IN THIS ISSUE)

Midtown Integrative Medicine

Aziz, Michael, M D , FRSM 509 Madison Ave @ 53rd St, Ste 1111 NYC 212 906-9111

www michaelazizmd com

Namdar, Isaac, M D Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist 425 W 59th St NYC 212 262-4444

1090 Amsterdam Ave NYC 212 663-2210

www newyorkentspecialist com

www namdarmd com

OMNI Aesthetic MD

Eviatar, Joseph, M D , F A C S 5 W 19th St, NYC 212 257-0007

www omniaestheticmd com

Pearl, Alan, M D , Psychiatrist 135 W 70th St, NYC 212 724-5188

Samuelson, Stefan T , MD 44 E 12th St, Ste MD1 NYC 212 993-8573 NYC 212 594-1600

PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr WW Med Spa and Laser Clinic 85-16 Queens Blvd, 2F, Elmhurst, NY 139 Centre St #224, NYC 718 457-0707

www drwwmedspa com

Lexington Plastic Surgeons 113 E 39th St NYC 646 374-2410

www try lexingtonplasticsurgeons com/ metrosource

Marfuggi, Richard A , 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

PHARMACIES/DRUGS (CONTINUED) – PLASTIC SURGERY

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

• Guidance from a patient advocate and pharmacists trained in HIV therapy

• Timely Rx refill reminders

• Contactless delivery at no extra cost or pick up at any CVS Pharmacy®* retail location

*Where allowed by law. In-store pick up is currently not available in Oklahoma. Puerto Rico requires first-fill prescriptions to be transmitted directly to the dispensing specialty pharmacy. Products are dispensed by CVS Specialty and certain services are only accessed by calling CVS Specialty directly. Certain specialty medication may not qualify. Services are also available at Long’s Drugs locations. ©2020 ProCare Pharmacy, L.L.C. and affiliates. 75-53590A 121820

Call 1-800-362-7828.

NEW YORK DIRECTORY

SCHOOLS– WINE & SPIRITS

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 NYC 212 924-2280

www li-lacchocolates com

Make My Cake NYC 212 234-2344

www makemycake com

Manhattan Penthouse NYC 212 627-8838

www manhattanpenthouse com

New York Zoos and Aquarium NYC 718 741-3836

www nyzooevents com

Oheka Castle 135 West Gate Dr Huntington, NY 631 659-1400

www oheka com

Our Wedding Officiant NYC Peter Boruchowitz NYC 917 523-1438

www nyc-gay-weddings com

Patina Events - Brooklyn Botanic Garden Brooklyn 718 307-7133

www patinaevents com

Paul Evans Catering 20 W 20th St NYC 212 321-1822 NYC 212 243-4494

www paulevanscatering 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

WILLS

Law Offices of Thomas Sciacca, PLLC 44 Wall St, 12th Fl NYC 212 495-0317

www sciaccalaw com

WINE & SPIRITS

Cork Wines & Spirits 1450 Washington St Hoboken NJ 201 942-9964

www corkwines net

NEW YORK DIRECTORY

FIRE ISLAND PINES – CHERRY GROVE

FIRE

ISLAND PINES – CHERRY GROVE

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

CLOTHING/GIFTS

HARDWARE

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

LANDSCAPING/FLORAL

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

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

LIQUORS/WINES

The

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

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 (gay men’s motorcycle club)

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

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

SUNDANCE OUTDOOR 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

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

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

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

BEST FRIENDS 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, NY 10036 212 840-0770

BROOKLYN AIDS TASK FORCE 465 Dean St Brooklyn, NY 11217 718 783-0883

CALLEN LORDE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 356 West 18th St New York, NY 10011 212 271-7200

CHEST (CTRHIV/AIDS EDUCATION STUDIES & TRAINING) 250 West 26th Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 212 206-7919

DESIGN INDUSTRIES FOUNDATION FOR AIDS (DIFFA) 200 Lexington Ave #1016 New York, NY 10016 212 727-3100

F.E.G.S. MANHATTAN COUNSELING CENTER 80 Van Dam St New York, NY 10013 212 366-8289

FRIENDS HOUSE IN ROSEHILL PMB#248 50 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10010 212 995-5000 www.friendshousenyc.org

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

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

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

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,

NEW YORK COMMUNITY RESOURCES

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