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OP-ED Will Texas leaders learn from February 2021 deep freeze?

6 THE GAY-ETY STARTS HERE!

MONTROSE STAR.COM

Wednesday March 3, 2021 e VOL. XI, 23

≈ Houston Rainbow Herald ............... 4

STANLEY TUCCI ≈ Foodie Diaries................................. 11

Is the gayest straight actor you know

≈ What A World................................. 12

INDEX Editorial Crossword Guide to the Clubs

5 24 26

8

PAGE 2 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021

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.

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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

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Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

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

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY GET MORE INFORMATION

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

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at

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

 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, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP ASPIRING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2020 © 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0220 04/20

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Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 3

DIMITRI LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 2018 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

KEEP ASPIRING.

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.

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See Dimitri’s story at BIKTARVY.com.

Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

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

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5/12/20 10:55 AM

PAGE 4 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021

HRH REPORT

Publisher / Executive

LAURA M VILLAGRAN Business Development Manager

RANDALL JOBE

Copy Editor

NANCY FORD Scene Writers

Production

RAFA ESPINOSA News Features

JOHNNY TRLICA

JIM AYRES JANICE ANDERSON Distribution

MIRIAM ORIHUELA ELIZABETH MEMBRILLO

TH E S TA R CO NTR I B UTI N G W R ITE R S JIM AYRES by day is an employee benefits and human resources writer. By night he turns his creativity toward the local food and restaurant scene. Do you know of a restaurant that needs a review? Info@montrosestar.com NANCY FORD has enjoyed a front row seat to the most remarkable and sparkly Cultural Revolution in the history of mankind. “What a world!” She reflects appropriately. After moving to Houston from Ohio in 1981, Ford became a highly visible player in Texas’ LGBT publishing circles as an editor and contributor to myriad other local and statewide LGBT magazines and newspapers.

RANDALL JOBE has been a fixture in the Houston LGBT Community for several decades in marketing and promotions for top nightclubs, as an actor/director/writer for dozens of theatrical productions, and is also known for his whimsical art pieces. He is the author of the 12-part series “This Old Queen”, which summarized his many experiences living in the gay Mecca, Montrose.

VIC GERAMI is journalist, media contributor and Editor & Publisher of The Blunt Post. Vic grew up in LA and has a BA in Theater Arts. He spent six years at Frontiers Magazine, followed

by LA Weekly and Voice Media Group. His syndicated celebrity Q&A column, 10 Questions with Vic, is a LA Press Club’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award finalist. Vic is a contributor for Montrose Star, DC Life Magazine, Out & About Nashville, Q Virginia, GNI MAG, QNotes, Windy City Times, WeHo Times, GoWeHo, Los Angeles Blade, Asbarez, California Courier, Desert Daily Guide, Armenian Weekly, GED, The Pride LA, IN Magazine and The Advocate Magazine.

FOREST RIGGS is no stranger to the adventures of life, he bills himself as a “raconteur with a gypsy spirit.” A former educator, public speaker, hospital administrator, counselor and gay owner, he was instrumental in the formation of OutSmart Magazine in the early 1990s. He has written for several newspapers, magazines and other publications. Recently he completed a collection of short stories about his beloved Galveston and is working on a novel. He currently resides on the island where he can be found wasting bait and searching for the meaning of life.

JOHNNY TRLICA has called the Houston area home all of his life. Four years ago he founded and still edits the Houston Rainbow Herald and has worked in the apartment leasing industry for the past two years. His passion is keeping the battle for LGBT rights at the forefront of today’s headlines and fighting complacency in the LGBT community.

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Texans left to freeze in the dark, demand answers

anti-gay legislation but not to work on ensuring a reliable energy source, because you know, Texans would rather freeze than do without chicken sandwiches. In 2019, Abbott signed what was dubbed the anti-LGBTQ “Save Chick-fil-A” bill into law. Not only did he sign the bill, he signed it while surrounded by Chick-fil-A food and drink cups because a good Republican never passes on an opportunity to “own the libs.”

“No business should be discriminated against simply because its owners donate to a church, the Salvation Army, or other religious organization,” Abbott said. “No business should lose a government contract because of their religious beliefs. The Save Chick-fil-A legislation that I’m about to sign is a victory for religious freedom in Texas.”

You know what else no business, and individuals for that matter, should lose? Electricity for days and days during the middle of the worst winter storm in a decade. e By Johnny Trlica Rather than take responsibility, the oil and gas owned governor tried to affix blame for Texas’ failure to keep its OMMENTARY: THEY KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN citizens safe to wind turbines and indirectly Alexandria sooner or later. They were betting on later.

Ocasio-Cortez and the Green New Deal. He can join They lost and Texans paid with their lives.

Perry where finding heat to stay warm isn’t a problem.

Back when George W. Bush was governor and drag Then there is Senator Fled Cruz. He booked a room at a queens did more than twirl their wigs and jump off stages Mexican Ritz, packed up a suitcase and fled his home in landing in a split, the Texas power grid was deregulated River Oaks in Houston. As millions of Texans were because “small government,” “regulations are bad for suffering in subfreezing temperatures without power business,” “capitalism not socialism,” blah blah blah. and water, Cruz traveled with his family to sunny None of this had to happen. In the dry language of the Cancún. Then lied, blaming his kids because that’s page Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Texas, one in the Republican playbook. They learned it from which maintains its own grid to avoid federal regulathe best, the former president. tion, was hit with a cold-weather event “unusually Perhaps worst of all, he left the family dog home alone severe in terms of temperature, wind, and duration.” with no power or heat. He can join Perry and Abbott This forced the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or where finding heat to stay warm isn’t a problem.

ERCOT, to resort to “system-wide rolling blackouts to In addition to demanding winterization of the power prevent more widespread customer outages.” grid, Texans need to know who made decisions on Unfortunately, “generators and natural gas producers whose electricity was turned off. We were initially told suffered severe losses of capacity despite having received there would be rolling blackouts and prepared for that. accurate forecasts of the storm.” ERCOT had reserves in But instead, someone decided to turn power off for anticipation of the storm, but those “reserves proved certain parts of Texas for days while others were only insufficient” once the cold hit. Many generators had minimally affected, if at all. In Galveston for example, “failed to adequately apply and institutionalize knowl90 percent of the island went dark and stayed that way edge and recommendations from previous severe winter for over 50 hours. weather events, especially as to winterization of People died because of Texas’ leaders’ incompetence, generation and plant auxiliary equipment.” corruption and failures. They put money and culture That’s a good description of the events of Texas’ recent wars over lives. Energy Capital of the World, my frozen winter storm that cut power to millions of people. middle finger.

Regrettably, that description is about the 2011 winter Texans don’t ask for nor expect a lot from government. storm by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission What we do expect is the basics — paved streets, clean investigating the failures of the Texas power grid that year. water and electricity — so as not to freeze to death in That report advocated that “all entities responsible for our own homes. e the reliability of the bulk power system in the Southwest prepare for the winter season with the same sense The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of MONTROSE STAR. Johnny Trlica is the administrator of the Houston Rainbow Herald Facebook page. Reach him at HRHeditor@gmail.com. of urgency and priority as they prepare for the summer peak season.”

Rick Perry, governor in 2011 and the Texas legislature failed to act on the recommendations. Securely in the grasp of the energy companies, Perry and his cohorts at ERCOT issued a set of voluntary “best practices.”

Given the choice between spending millions of dollars to winterize the Texas power grid or not, they decided to keep the money in their pockets.

“Texans would be without electricity for longer than three days to keep the federal government out of their business,” Perry wrote after the recent storm. He can go straight to where finding heat to stay warm isn’t a problem.

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OP-ED

Creep of the Week

One Million Moms e By D’Anne Witkowski

A

MERICAN GIRL DOLLS ARE pretty ubiquitous these days. These expensive dolls have an endless collection of accessories and outfits that your stimulus check won’t even come close to buying.

There are also books. So many books. The dolls have their own history and backstory and kids apparently really dig it. Sounds pretty innocent.

But it is NOT. Or so say the One Million Moms group that is throwing a fit over Kira, the new American Girl doll. Apparently American Girl chooses a Girl of the Year each year and makes said girl into a doll? And there’s a book that goes a long with the doll. Kira is the Girl of 2021 and in her book she travels to Australia to help work at a wildlife sanctuary where she gets to bottle feed Koala bears and stuff.

Kira’s transgression? She has lesbian aunts in Australia. Two ladies. Married. To each other!

All Kira dolls must be rounded up thrown into a fire in the town square! May they melted down and then used to make something wholesome, like a doll that is actually a Bible.

One Million Moms, which does not actually have one million members, is livid. They are now boycotting American Girl until they do the right thing and kill off Kira’s lesbian aunts in the next book.

Oh, wait. I have that wrong. They want the

Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 5

aunts GONE. NOW. Like, burn the books gone.

In the One Million Moms petition they plead, “Please stick to making innocent dolls and books appropriate for any and all ages and refrain from making political and social statements. I urge American Girl to discontinue its storyline that includes Kira’s two lesbian aunts – immediately.”

You hear that? IMMEDIATELY! Off with their heads. “I’m not buying into your social agenda to push homosexuality,” the Moms continue. “Your ‘2021 Girl of the Year’ Kira Bailey storyline offends me and many other Christians and conservative families. Your company did not even include a warning so parents would have a heads-up.”

I’m trying to imagine what such a warning would look like: “Rated LA for Lesbian Aunts” or “Parental Advisory: Existence of Lesbians.”

Apparently the Million Moms are upset about some racy illustrations in the book. Come on, Million Moms, I’m sure they’re tasteful nudes.

“Within the first few pages of Chapter 1,” the Moms say, “Kira Down Under includes an illustrated picture of the two women walking down the aisle at their wedding.”

Oh, OK so no nudes then? Just two ladies at their wedding? SCANDALOUS. “This irresponsible storyline is dangerous to the well-being of our children,” they claim.

It’s exhausting, frankly, to have group like One Million Moms claim that the very existence of LGBTQ people is a threat to children. It’s also astonishing to me that they think if their children never learn about lesbian aunts then they can never become lesbian aunts.

Or lesbian uncles for that matter.

Kira’s book also deals with the topic of climate change, something a lot of those One Million Moms probably also find objectionable.

Everyone knows that globe warming is a hoax and that forest fires are started by Jewish space lasers (if that doesn’t make sense to you, Google

it or ask U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene).

One Million Moms helpfully points out that “American Girl could have chosen another storyline or characters to write about and remained neutral in the culture war.”

And they’re right! American Girl could have chosen to write about something else. They could have chosen to make Kira travel to MARCH 3, 2021 | VOL. XI, 23 space to gather moon rocks at the moon rock sanctuary run by her lesbian alien aunts. But something tells me One Million Moms would still find something to object about it. You just can’t please everybody.

“If your child has not seen this yet,” they warn, “then make sure she is not exposed to this content. Do all you can to avoid a premature conversation that she is far too young to understand.” First of all, young people are often the most understanding of two people who love each other. I remember helping out at a Valentine’s Day party when my son was in Kindergarten. While he and another boy cut out heart shapes the other boy asked him, “How come you have moms but no dad?” To which my son replied, “Because my mom married another mom.” And they went on crafting.

“Why can’t the toy manufacturer let kids be kids instead of glamorizing a sinful lifestyle?” COOKING WITH PAULA DREAM they ask on their website. “American Girl is Easy, flavorful chicken and dip confusing our innocent children by attempting to normalize same-sex marriage.”

It’s really not confusing. Some people are not heterosexual. That’s just a fact. And the existence of LGBTQ people is normal. We’re here, we’re queer—no, seriously, we’re right here. I’m a mom. And I’m married to a woman. And we love our son very much and the idea that we’re harming him by being his moms is what’s truly offensive here. Would a “Fuck off One Million Moms” be offensive here? Good. e

10

D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBTQ politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.

MY LIFE BEHIND BARS Does anything change?

14

CONTENTS HRH Report.......................................................... 4 OP-ED.................................................................... 5 OP-ED.................................................................... 6 Cooking with Paula Dream........................... 10 Foodie Diaries.................................................... 11 What a World..................................................... 12 My Life Behind Bars........................................ 14 Across the Causeway..................................... 17 Screen Queen................................................... 18 Yes, We Cannabis!........................................... 19 Crossword Queeries...................................... 24 Guide to the Clubs.......................................... 26 ©2020 Montrose Star All Right Reserved Montrose Star™ Newspaper since 1976, is owned

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PAGE 6 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021

OP-ED

Will Texas leaders learn from February 2021 deep freeze? e By Colby Etherton

A

S EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES

hit Texas in February, Texans all around the state experienced blackouts and a water crisis. Being privy to other parts of the country facing worse temperatures year round than we do, many were left wondering how this could have happened. There were a multitude of reasons, and sadly, many are inexcusable.

Texas’ energy infrastructure is unique in one key aspect: We are largely energy independent, relative to the rest of the country.

The United States has two main energy grids, a western and an eastern interconnection, respectively. Then there’s the Texas grid.

Leaders in Texas pride the state on being energy independent, but sadly, that comes with some consequences when we endure a crisis much like the one we weathered. In national grids that support a multitude of different states, when one state is in crisis, energy can be directed for assistance. Texas quite literally being an island when it comes to energy dependency means that it does not have that luxury.

Furthermore, Texas’ electrical grid is largely unregulated and does not have to abide by the same standards that the interconnected grids do. According to Alvin Chang of The Guardian, “some experts say this lack of regulation is why the Texas grid wasn’t properly maintained and, in turn, failed with these stressors.”

As temperatures dropped and more people started using electricity for relief, primarily

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turning their heaters on to stay warm, the huge demand for energy overwhelmed energy sources. Rolling blackouts were instated to prevent generators from going totally offline (and they were dangerously close to completely being overwhelmed, which would have caused a state-wide blackout for what could have been literal months).

Nonetheless, not all of us experienced rolling blackouts where power would go off for only a brief period of time; millions of Texans went days without power. The unregulated ERCOT, or the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, left many energy systems in Texas not winterized.

Although Texas Governor Greg Abbott course-corrected and blamed the failure on a multitude of different factors, he initially tried to blame it on wind energy failing.

While wind turbines did freeze, the frigid temperatures also took their toll on gas and coal energy sources. Texas uses a diverse mix of natural gas, wind, coal, nuclear, and solar, and its primary source of energy is natural gas. Gov. Abbott’s blaming it on wind comes off as posturing when the reality is that the grids simply couldn’t function under the dire conditions of the storm and the consumer demand that came with that.

In addition to the electricity crisis Texans endured, water pipes burst, or water pressure was so low that millions of residents lost water entirely. Many had to draw from water in apartment complex pools to flush toilets, and grocery stores were sold out of bottled water for days. Decreased water pressure allows harmful bacteria to grow quickly in water, causing millions to be on a boil-water notice in order to safely consume water.

It was particularly disheartening to see that downtown Houston’s largest buildings retained power, while so much of the city suffered; when in a time of crisis, it is as usual those who are less privileged that endure the brunt of hardship.

This will not be the last time that Texas endures severe weather conditions, and those conditions will become more frequent the longer that issues like climate change and infrastructure that desperately need to be updated go without being addressed.

And while we’re at it, maybe it would be helpful that our leaders don’t flee to Cancun when there’s a statewide emergency. Or perhaps everyone that sits on the board of ERCOT could actually, you know, be residing in the state of Texas. e The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of MONTROSE STAR.

Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 7

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PAGE 8 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021 e By Chris Azzopardi

S

TANLEY TUCCI HAS SURVIVED THE ICY DE

stare of Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly an Cher to her face that she looks like a drag qu Aside from starring as the queer second-in-comma next to those gay icons in “The Devil Wear Prada” a “Burlesque,” the 60-year-old actor also donned a po wig in “Little Chaos” as the king’s gay brother.

The chameleonic actor is at it yet again with his latest gay role — Tusker in “Supernova,” a movin portrait of a couple in crisis written and directed

by Harry Macqueen. Here, he portrays a man suffering from early-onset dementia alongside Colin Firth’s Sam, his partner of 20 years.

Aboard their old RV, the couple head out on a road trip across the mountainous region of England’s Lake District to visit people and places that are special to them, their love tested as Tusker’s memory continues to deteriorate.

During a recent call, Tucci talked about being a straight man who’s been playing gay since 1996, his wife finding out that the internet thinks he’s gay, and how he can’t believe so many people actually tell him they love “Burlesque.”

STANLEY TUCCI Is the gayest straight actor you know

During the pandemic, I watched “The Daytrippers,” came out in 1996, and realized that you’ve been playin even longer than I thought.

Ha! That was my first gay kiss. I loved that movie so much. (Writer-director) Greg Mottola made th for no money, like $65,000 dollars or something.

When it comes to the way the film treated homosexu how do you compare a role like that, as Louis, to you as Tusker in “Supernova”?

What I love about “Supernova” is that sexuality isn’t even an issue. They’re just two people who’v been together in a long relationship for a long tim and they love each other. You could’ve made it with a heterosexual couple, but I think this is mo interesting. And the fact that it’s never dwelled o — it’s never even mentioned — is fantastic, and hopefully more movies like that will be made.

What I loved about “Daytrippers” was that was no judgment on the part of anyone and th that this character was gay. What I liked was t showed his complete confusion and how he f was supposed to live his life one way and then — see it only in the end — when he says, “Help don’t know what to do. I’m really confused.” I that because there are a lot of people like that.

I remember the days of a straight actor playing a ga and how there was talk of how “brave” that was. Wha the conversation around you playing gay in 1996 versu You know what, there wasn’t even a conversatio about it. I’ll be honest: It wasn’t a conversation.

Also, I was barely in the movie. You see me at the beginning and then you see me at the end, so the really wasn’t enough there to talk about. How have you gotten away with playing gay all these years when so many straight actors have not?

You have to tell me how I’ve gotten away with it. the one who has to tell me. Ha! I don’t know! I don’t Somebody said recently — it was written in a mag or something: Colin and I are the only two straigh who, as far as they’re concerned, are allowed to pla men, nobody else.

I’ve been telling my friends that I think you’re able to get away with playing gay because people think that you are gay.

Ha! There was a time when there were a lot of peop there who thought I was gay. I don’t think that’s th anymore, but I don’t know. Who knows. After this m you never know.

Listen, my feeling is: Whatever role you play, yo have to be truthful to the character and to the to the film. And if I’m presented with something, wh it’s a gay character or a straight character or wha character, if it doesn’t ring true to me, then I v Facebook.com & t Twitter Find us on P

Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 9

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can’t do it. Or I will do my best to have it rewritten, rewrite it myself, change the lines, and do it the way it should be done.

I’m curious about this time in your life when people thought you were gay. When was that?

What do you remember from that period?

I don’t remember anyone coming up to me and saying, “You’re gay, aren’t you?” It wasn’t quite that. Ha! But it was quite a while after “The Devil Wears Prada,” and I remember when I was dating Felicity (Blunt), my wife, she’d punch in my name on the internet and the first thing that would come up was “Stanley Tucci Gay.” She was like, “See, look!” I was like, “Wait a minute!”

I didn’t really care. And now if you punch my name in, I don’t think that’s the first thing that comes up. It probably just comes up “Stanley Tucci Old.” There’s been increasing pushback on straight actors playing LGBTQ roles. For you, is there apprehension or a different kind of thought process when considering playing a gay role, and how has that changed for you over the years?

No, I’m not apprehensive. I do want to make sure there isn’t — and I always feel this way — someone out there who’s better for it than I am. And if there are people who are gay who are more right

for it, then they should be doing it.

Now, I think that the problem here is that one of the reasons that gay actors have not played gay roles is that a lot of gay actors weren’t able to come out and be openly gay for so long, not just in society but in Hollywood. So you couldn’t be an openly gay actor because you would only be cast as a gay person, if you were lucky enough to be cast at all, and because you might be ostracized because you’re openly gay.

Now that that’s beginning to change, there can be more of a level playing field and gay characters and actresses can be openly gay and play straight roles, play gay roles, play whatever roles. And that’s where we need to get to. There was this, “You were either typecast or you weren’t cast.” That holds true for the African-American community.

It held true for the Hispanic community.

It held true for Italian-Americans, and I can certainly attest to that. And it’s very disconcerting. I think what’s happening now, finally: the playing field is at the very beginning of starting to be level.

What about your relationship with Colin allowed you to so naturally play two men who’ve loved each other for a lifetime?

Because we love each other. I love him.

The only thing that would be different than what’s on screen would be the sex.

But I just love him. I’d do anything for him. He’s like a brother I never had.

When you come to know each other so well over 20 years at our age, and you’ve been through a lot — you’ve been through a lot of loss, you’ve been through a lot of difficult times, you’ve raised children, you’ve seen them go through hard times, you’ve helped each other out through all of those hard times — that’s what great friends do for each other, which is not dissimilar to what married couples do for each other. And so you have all of that. It’s all there.

All of them. I met Elton John a couple of times, and I met Liza Minnelli a couple of times, and I mean, as a straight man, I almost had a heart attack. They’re just… these people are just incredible people.

That talent is just staggering to me.

And I think working with Cher — I know she’s a gay icon and I had the biggest crush on her as a kid, and to be able to meet her and work with her and become friendly with her is just … you know, sometimes I show my kids my phone and I go, “I’m just texting Cher.”

And you traded roles in this film with Colin.

Have you ever considered swapping roles before with another actor? Or ... an actress?

Ha! With an actress!

Did you dislike “Burlesque” as much as Cher?

She famously admitted she found it “horrible.”

Yeah, ha! You know what? It had potential, but it didn’t quite live up to it. Let’s put it that way.

Maybe Cher in Burlesque?

She was desperate for my role. The only problem was I couldn’t sing, so we had to keep it the way it was. Ha! But to answer your question, no, that’s never happened before. And it’s very unusual that that happens. Again, if you’re good friends, you can do that.

It’s lived on in the gay community, though.

You must know that.

I know! I can’t tell you how many people come up to me, and not only people from the gay community.

Everybody comes up and they go, “I love that movie. I love ‘Burlesque.’” And I’m like, “Oh my god –– really?” e

You’ve acted alongside Cher and Meryl. What other gay icons would you happily call your boss? Barbra, Gaga, Elton, Mariah, Madonna and Liza all come to mind as options.

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As editor of Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

PAGE 10 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021

COOKING WITH PAULA DREAM

Easy, flavorful chicken and dip e By Paula Dream ( A K A K a l e H a y g o o d )

W

ELL, I HOPE EVERYONE IS thawed by now and has sufficient water for a shower. What a memory to start the year.

In this issue I share with you three more recipes I think everyone will want to try.

One more thing: Please remember to support MONTROSE STAR advertisers as many were hit hard financially by the ice storm.

SUNNYSIDE CHICKEN

EASY ORANGE CHICKEN

2 7 10 Montrose Blvd.

Houston, T X 7 7 006

713.526.0202 Order Online www.pepperonis.net

2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 cup orange marmalade 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons cilantro Place chicken in slow cooker. In a bowl, mix marmalade and chili sauce together, and then pour over chicken. Stir into chicken to coat. Cover and cook one-and-ahalf to two hours.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and soy sauce. Stir into slow cooker mixture. Cover again and cook another 15 to 30 minutes.

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2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder 1-1/4 teaspoon salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon pepper 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1-1/2 cup orange juice 1 cup uncooked long grain rice 3/4 cup water 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Combine curr y powder, one-half teaspoon salt, and pepper, and rub on all chicken pieces.

In a skillet, combine orange juice, rice, water, brown sugar, mustard and remaining salt.

Add chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes until juices run clear. Remove from heat and let stand, covered until all liquid is gone.

AVOCADO SPINACH DIP

2 cups fresh spinach, rinsed and patted dry 1 cup avocado, diced 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup red onion, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon jalapeno, chopped and seeded Hot sauce, to taste In a medium-size bowl, mix together all ingredients. Stir until reaching desire consistency. e

e By Jim Ayres

W

ANT A STEAK DINNER TONIGHT? WITHOUT

spending a fortune? Break away from the Outback/Saltgrass rut and try two higherquality alternatives without big spending Mastro’s-level cash. Jacket and tie not required!

I’ve written about Perry’s on these pages before. But that was a dine-in experience focused on their famous Pork Chop. And the newest location on West Gray was still serving BBQ Chicken Pizza.

This time, it was just me. I didn’t feel like leaving the house and Perry’s was running a three-course takeout special for $45.

(They still are.)

My order was mundane, but the food was spectacular! A cool and crispy Wedge Salad with double thick slab bacon was as fresh as dine-in when it got to my door.

It came with a mini loaf of warm, nutty bread with plenty of whipped butter to spread around. I felt no guilt after using it all.

My 14-ounce New York Strip was cooked a perfect medium rare, yet it was still warm by the time it reached my plate. So tender and so deeply flavorful. Perry’s thoughtfully included bacon marmalade and bleu cheese

Perry’s New York Strip

Steakhouses that taste more and cost less

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grill 1997 West Gray, Houston, TX 77019

346-293-8400 D A K A N D B O P. C O M

and stuffed baked potato

PERRY’S & LONGHORN

with the steak, normally a $5 upcharge.

I like sweet bacon jam as a counterpoint to savory dishes, and it elevated this steak as well. The cheese was kept for a later use.

The special gives you a choice of a side dish or a dessert. I broke out of the box and chose a sweet ending. And Perry’s Rocky Road Bread Pudding did not disappoint! It’s topped in four flavors of sin — chocolate chips, caramel sauce, candied walnuts and toasted marshmallows.

The following week was a small and “virusponsible” birthday celebration. My friend Sandi loves LongHorn Steakhouse on Katy Freeway near Bunker Hill, and it’s easy to see why. Sit in a comfy booth and savor a Fleming’s-like experience for less money.

Service here is first-rate. In their vests and white shirts, servers cordially offer menu and wine advice, mix cocktails tableside and coddle you all around.

Sadly, LongHorn doesn’t offer a wedge salad. Time for me to get out of that rut! I got a Caesar. A particularly good Caesar Salad, I might add. Impeccably fresh, the

LongHorn Steakhouse’s ribeye

FOODIE DIARIES

Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 11

LongHorn Steakhouse 9401-A Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77024

713-463-3734 LONGHORNSTEAKHOUSE.COM

dressing was light, and the croutons nicely toasted and seasoned. It was a great starter choice, but Sandi knew she wouldn’t be able to order a baked potato with her main dish. She got the Loaded Potato Soup instead. Fewer carbs and she relished every drop.

From there, we all ordered 12-ounce ribeyes. These were quality cuts cooked perfectly to order, well-seasoned and satisfying to the last bite. Only the $22 price tag (which includes a side dish) belies the fact that the steak isn’t from a more expensive restaurant.

As for the sides, two of us got loaded baked potatoes – couldn’t have asked for better – while Sandi ordered Crispy Brussels Sprouts. Odor-free, Sandi devoured every bulb.

We shared a dessert of angel food cake bites in whipped cream and fudge sauce, served in a giant martini glass.

Now that’s an ending anyone would be happy about! e

EXCITED FOR BRUNCH? SO ARE WE! SUNDAY BRUNCH 11AM - 3PM LAURENZOS.COM / 4412 WASHINGTON AVE / 713.880.5111

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PAGE 12 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021

WHAT A WORLD e By Nancy Ford

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ELL GANG, AT THIS

writing, Texas continued to reel from The Great Arctic Blow of ’21.

Are you doing OK? Got everything you need? Power?

Water? Food? Sunscreen for an impromptu getaway to Cancun?

Interesting that the Blow’s real name is Winter Storm Uri, which we assume short for Urinary. Appropriate. This storm has been a real pisser.

I fared relatively well despite Uri’s best efforts. Though not very warm thanks to the iffy rolling blackouts, my condo remained dry. Literally — the whole complex had no running water for 13 days; I became expert at maintaining (pretty) good hygiene by taking Dasani ho baths.

I had plenty of food, though if I never eat another turkey wrap on a stale tortilla for as long as I live, I’m good with that.

Don’t think for a second I don’t count myself among the very lucky, very fortunate, and very blessed. Most of those waterless 13 days were spent

in the warm, comfy suburban home of my Much Better Half while thousands of people endured loss of property, loss of home, and/or loss of sanity.

May their suffering end soon.

Frankly, my greatest hardship during Uri was getting a numb ass from sitting on the couch for too long, binge-watching Everybody Hates Chris episodes on Hulu. Thank you, Lord.

As they always do, heroes and zeroes emerged during Uri’s visit and aftermath.

One such hero is businessman “Mattress Mac” MacIngvale, the King of Gallery Furniture. Mac once again opened the doors of his showrooms, inviting those who were displaced to kick back on a 100 percent leather sectional sofa, warm up with a free meal while seated at a solid-oak dining room table or catch some ZZZ’s on a Sealy Posturepedic mattress.

Mac doesn’t just save you money; sometimes he actually saves you.

On the other hand, our own U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) skipped off to Cancun in the early days of Uri’s wrath like a frat boy on spring break. How very Brett Kavanaugh of him.

It’s the duty of every decent Texan to remember how Cruz valiantly defended his decision to high tail it out of town because he wanted to be “a good father” to his sun-seeking daughters.

Meanwhile, other Houstonians’ daughters whom he represents in Congress went cold, hungry and numb-assed for days.

Remember this when Ol’ Ted comes up for re-election in 2024, if he doesn’t selfimplode in a puddle of smirky slime before then.

Serving as a goofy distraction from plunging temperatures, busted pipes and ERCOTicide is U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Striving hard to make a name for herself as the female iteration of Ted Cruz, MTG is the working man’s version of Ivanka Trump — she’s blonde, holds too much power, and likely calls Donald Trump “Daddy.” Think of MTG as the Suave shampoo to Ivanka’s L’Oreal, but neither of them is worth it. And, as he has expressed he would his older daughter, the former president would likely “date” MTG quicker than you can say, “Ew, what’s this nasty

orange stain on my My Pillow?”

After being removed from the House of Representative’s Budget and Education and Labor committees for endorsing violence against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Greene now spends much of her spare time impeding LGBTQ equality.

Most recently, her scholarly response to a colleague who displayed a transgender rights flag outside her own office was to hang a threatening and medically inaccurate sign beside her office door that claims “There are TWO genders: Male & Female. Trust the science.”

And call me crazy, but I like U.S. Representatives who don’t stand on stage at a campaign rally and fondle the cardboard crotch of a life-size cutout of Trump.

MTG is up for reelection in 2022.

You know what to do, Georgia.

These trying times have proven that Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is the anti-MTG. Judge Hidalgo has repeatedly represented the voice of reason when our county needed tough but true leadership. Her unrelenting commitment to doing what’s best for her

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Photo via Youtube.com

Winter storm Uri reveals heroes and zeroes

Marjorie Taylor Greene, shown here risking a paper cut.

constituents through plague and weather disaster makes us eager to vote for her in whatever capacity she chooses to run for in the coming years.

Time magazine shares our esteem for Judge Hidalgo by placing her on its “2021 Time100 Next” list, which lauds “100 rising stars who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, science, health and more.”

I’ll admit, I didn’t vote for her the first time she ran for office, but I sure will the next time. Mayor Hidalgo?

Governor Hidalgo? Senator Hidalgo? Queen Lina? I’m good with any of those options.

Despite its best efforts to wreak havoc, Uri finally fizzled out. And Houstonians have once again proven to the world that we can rise above and beyond nearly anything that Mutha Nature throws at us.

Houston Strong. Hang in there, friends.

PS: Hurricane season starts in three months. e

Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 13

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PAGE 14 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021

MY LIFE BEHIND BARS

Part 12

Does anything change?

e By Randall Jobe

I

STEPPED INTO MY FIRST GAY BAR

about the same time the last dinosaur roamed the Earth (1974).

I was trembling with a combination of excitement and fear — fear of the unknown and excitement of the vast possibilities. Some 47 years later, and almost 35 of that spent working both in front of and behind the bar, I wonder how much, if any, things have changed?

You would think that generations of flighty, flirty, over-processed boys would create different objectives.

However, from my vantage point, it seems as if I see the same things and people now as I did way back when. Not to pass judgment, because I fell headlong into the exact traps of which I speak.

The social element of drinking leads the way down the gay rabbit hole with

recreational drugs a fast second. I’d like to blame the excessive excesses on youth, but unfortunately, it seems to know few age restrictions. Those are the ones who find themselves sent to “dry out” Some successfully, some, not so much. We too often watch the steady decline of our friends, feeling helpless, or often enabling them.

Then there is the constant pursuit of sex. Oh Lord, the constant pursuit!

Now, I know this doesn’t apply be you, but surely you know more than one… horn dog! The person who racks up sexual liaisons like squirrels gather nuts (pun intended!) Although gone is the need for going to the bars to scratch the incessant itch, today there are a dozen ways to connect via social media apps.

Yet, the clubs still serve a purpose.

There is a certain comfort and security to gathering with others who share your sensibility, and lack thereof.

Though there is change in the mix, the acceptance seems to take on a broader sense. Gay, straight, bi, trans, non-binary all living together in harmony. So, maybe therein lies the change. There is a shift that, though subtle, demonstrates a movement that has, in it’s way, a positive quality that may lead to a different norm.

Plus, an education of the generations past may have created a broader

acceptance of ourselves as the creative, dynamic and unique beings that we are. There is a certain joy in watching youth carry on the torch of individuality, regardless of the striking extremes it might take and assurance that there will remain a semi-constant.

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The boozing and cruising will always have a place. In memories.

And in decades of generations of the LGBTQIA community. Change may continue to happen in small increments. But have no fear, the party won’t die anytime soon. e

Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 15

DEEP INSIDE HOLLYWOOD

Chalamet and Guadagnino finally get it together Luke Evans and Tom Hanks output over the years). But the question pull no strings in Pinocchio remains: will Benigni be offered a role?

HILE YOU WAIT FOR THAT here’s yet another “Pinocchio” on the That man needs a hat-trick.

“Call Me By Your Name” sequel way. You remember it, right? The 1940 Trans filmmaker Isabel Sandoval that may or may not ever classic Disney animated film, the story of sets up ‘Tropical Gothic’ happen, Luca Guadagnino is lining up a wooden puppet who longs to be a real another collaboration with Timothée boy? Well, after the strange debacle of ne of our favorite movies of 2020, Chalamet. The project is called “Bones Roberto Benigni’s live-action version, and Isabel Sandoval’s “Lingua Franca” & All,” written by Dave then a 2019 version (you can still watch it on Netflix), brought Kajganich (“A Bigger Splash,” that somehow also the trans Filipina filmmaker’s work to “Suspiria”) with Guadagnino starred Roberto a wider audience after her previous directing. Under superBenigni, Robert films «Senorita” and “Apparition.” And secret wraps at the moment, Zemeckis (“Back now she’s back with a follow-up feature, it’s being referred to as a to The Future”) “Tropical Gothic.” The premise sounds horror-love story, and those has a live-action ambitious and suggestive of a happily lovers look to be Chalamet take in the works larger budget: A surrealist drama set in and up-and-comer Taylor for Disney+. Tom the 16th century, it involves a Spanish Russell. She starred in the Hanks stars as conquistador who finds himself haunted indie drama “Waves” and in Geppetto in this in the Phillippine islands. In other words, the Netflix reboot of “Lost in one, and now Luke exactly the sort of colonizer comeuppance Space,” both of which earned Evans (Gaston in tale we want from popular culture. her critical acclaim. It’s all “Beauty and the Sandoval is heading to the European still in the talks stage right Beast”) has joined Film Market at the Berlin Film Festival the cast, as well. now, no production dates with the title for those all important Timothée Chalamet are set, and no other casting Evans is a busy one production money meetings and promises has been discussed, so this these days, starring of sales to non-U.S. markets. In the is one to put on your 2022/23 calendar. in “Crisis” opposite Gary Oldman, and meantime we’ll settle in and wait for this In the meantime, for all we know, that promised ghost story to revise history the Hulu series “Nine Perfect Strangers” wait period might involve Guadagnino sometime in the future. opposite Melissa McCarthy and Nicole independently fast tracking the “CMBYN” Kidman. He’ll play The Coachman here, sequel, shooting it over a weekend and perhaps opposite an animated Pinocchio dropping it by surprise on HBO Max. We (we assume anyway, if we can glean wouldn’t complain. anything from Zemeckis’ tech-obsessed e By Romeo San Vicente

W

T

O

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The long, slow return of ‘American Gigolo’

I

t’s taking forever, this resurrection of the classic ’80s fashion/sex/murder mystery/ sunshine-noir “American Gigolo,” but we’re committed to seeing it through to its destination as a series on Showtime.

Maybe it’s because Richard Gere taught us about Giorgio Armani and male frontal nudity in 1980, or maybe it’s because we’re still addicted to that film’s homoeroticism and simultaneous homo-fear. Whatever the case, there’s a casting update, as Lizzie Brocheré (“Falling Water”) and Gabriel LaBelle (“Dead Shack”) are joining as regulars alongside Jon Bernthal, Gretchen Mol and Rosie O’Donnell. Coming 40 years after the original yet only spanning an extra 18 (huh?), the story continues as formerly in-demand sex worker Julian (Bernthal), whose life was never the same after being accused of murder, tries to find his way in the world of contemporary gigolo-ing.

They’re still adding cast, as you can see, so cameras haven’t rolled yet. But they should, and soon, because we’re impatient. But while they’re taking their sweet time making this thing happen, could someone put a call in to Gere, Lauren Hutton or Debbie Harry for some throwback cameo appearance/ soundtrack love? At this point, why not? e Romeo San Vicente is forever pro-gigolo.

PAGE 16 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021

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≈ Crossword Queeries ......................

24

Dynamic Ceramic THE GAY-ETY STARTS HERE!

MONTROSE STAR.COM

ACROSS THE CAUSEWAY

Over the Rainbow Again and Again

A resilient Galveston welcomes March e By Forest Riggs

Remember the old rhyme so many of us have often quoted, “Spring has sprung, Fall has fell, Winter is here and it’s cold as hell”? Well, we sure got it this year. The wintry storm that blanketed Texas in mid-February certainly left its mark on Galveston Island. But slowly the sun arrived and the ice started melting. After much finger pointing and responsibility dodging, the power returned and Texans rose from the icy tomb that had buried them for days.

To top it off, it looks as if masking and vaccinations is working in the battle against Covid-19. Hospital admissions and even deaths are down in numbers.

And, Lafitte’s reopened! Galveston has survived yet another crippling blow and done so with the same great resilience that has sustained the Island for many years.

Normally, March is welcomed as an early entry into spring. It is noted for being windy (kite flying time) and a good time to begin preparing for the new growth and projects that come after a long winter.

Galveston winter, when it does arrive, is very short and rather sporadic. This year it came and packed a wallop; with no water, power, heat and groceries, Galveston might well have been an island crossing through the Donner Pass!

Years ago, before special effects and Star Wars changed the entire concept and

make up of movies, the celluloid world was about all folks had for escape and fantasy and all done in a style to which they could relate: life stories, dramas and even cartoons that were as intricate as movies.

The Wizard of Oz, a beloved treasure, aired on television every year around the first of March. That 1939 classic was as anticipated as Christmas. At the time, and up until the late 1970s and early ’80s, it was, as the young people say, the bomb! Computer technology had not yet been employed to manipulate images and add surreal effects. What did come across on the screen, seemed more real and believable, especially to the millions of views that waited each year for the annual showing on television. It was not until much later that the picture began to resurface in revival movie houses and festivals.

Everyone knows the plot and the storyline for The Wizard of Oz. Little girl unhappy at home, runs away, encounters many hurdles, meets a bunch of interesting characters, wants to go home and is given a challenge to meet in order to return home. There is good and bad and they battle it out with great symbolism and analogies to social situations going on in American then and now. Let’s see, who would the Wicked Witch of the West represent?

Instead of green, might she be orange?

For me, and millions of others, the scariest component of the movie was

the flying monkeys released by the bad witch to capture Dorothy and her companions. Seeing those things fly out of the castle, darkening the sky, combined with the witch’s shouting, “Seize them!” was enough to scare viewers to death.

When the monkeys caught up with the wandering band, they tore them to shreds and carried them away in running lift-offs. “They threw my legs over there,” the assaulted Scarecrow lamented.

With its wind, March has continued to bring the annual viewing of The Wizard of Oz. Every year, viewers young and old, have an opportunity to “go over the rainbow” once more with Dorothy, Toto and the other characters. By today’s standards, the movie is simple and lacking in special effects; perhaps this alone makes it so real to the viewers. The tornado, the witch appearing in fire, the scary wizard, a face in a crystal ball and Technicolor — these are the effects. There are no lasers, no transformers battling it out on screens of star-dotted blackness, no rockets and no explosions that cover the screen and all with deafening Dolby Sound. There are just people, albeit a little odd, but people dealing with obstructions that come their way.

There are a great many morals and lessons to be learned from the L. Frank Baum story that became the great movie.

Perhaps we are better in our own back yard and, in the end, good triumphs over evil.

The messages are strong and even better at the end when one can simply awake from a bad dream and see that all is well.

It would be wonderful to suddenly wake up and realize that all the hateful politics, corona virus and nastiness that comprised the recent past, was only a dream. Sadly, and try though we may, there is no magical rainbow to cross over, nor an unhappy dream from which to

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Wednesday March 3, 2021 e VOL. XI, 23

awaken and find perfection. Perhaps this is why movies such as The Wizard of Oz and others, offer a brief respite from a troubled world. I think were Mr. Baum alive and writing today, he would have a whole new collection of good and bad characters with which to fill his story.

This March, it just might be a good time to blow the dust off the DVD, visit a theatre showing The Wizard of Oz, read the classic book, or if lucky, catch it on your television at home with friends. In these difficult times, everyone would love to go over that rainbow and, for short time, leave their troubles behind.

Be on guard, and by all means, in life, watch out for the flying monkeys, they are out there and waiting to seize you.

In the words of the Wicked Witch and Nancy Ford’s popular and long-running column, “What a world, what a world.”

In memoriam The Galveston community recently lost an iconic figure in the LGBTQ world.

Eldredge Langlinais passed away after a long period of ill health. Eldredge, ever the leader, was instrumental in so many ways. In his time, he owned several bars (usually some incarnation of The Pink Dolphin), created the beloved Krewe of Banners with its famous Banner Party, owned and operated a successful real estate company and, for a time, was proprietor a Bed and Breakfast. Eldredge was a delightful person, kind and generous to his core and will be missed by many.

Somewhere in heaven, if there is a stage, some bright lights, make-up and silliness, you can bet Eldredge will be there, emceeing and, as always, entertaining. Rest well, old buddy. e A resident of Galveston where he can be found wasting bait and searching for the meaning of life, Forest Riggs recently completed a collection of short stories about his beloved island and is working on a novel.

PAGE 18 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021

Screen Queen

2021 Sundance Film Fest

14 Lgbtq-inclusive films to watch ● Unliveable

e By Mikey Rox

V

IRTUAL

SCREENINGS

AND

collaborative showings with partner organizations across the country allowed home audiences to enjoy Sundance Film Festival’s elevated and celebrated independent films — for $15 a pop streaming via Sundance’s online portal — that this year included 14 queer-inclusive entries. From dramatic narratives and documentaries to shorts and a touch of terror, here’s what to watch wherever they’re distributed now that the festival’s proverbial curtains have closed.

S

et in Brazil, where a trans person is murdered every three days, Marilene searches for her missing trans daughter Roberta before time runs out.

▲ Ailey

D

irector Jamila Wignot’s documentary “A iley” includes the namesa ke visionary artist himself through audio recordings and public interviews recorded before his death in 1989. The film is a deep dive into the prolific performer’s life, from Alvin’s Texas childhood to modest beginnings in Los Angeles to his eventual move to New York City, where he established the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

▲ Flee

D ▲ Together Together

T

rans actress Patti Harrison stars as adrift young loner Anna who’s hired as a surrogate for 40-something single man Matt, played by Ed Helms, in this dramedy about the unconventional, non-romantic relationship that the pair develops. Bleecker Street purchased “Together Together” late last year, making it one of few Sundance films to secure distribution ahead of the virtual festival. Tig Notaro co-stars. ● At the Ready

I

n El Paso, Texas, 10 miles from the Mexico border, students enroll in lawenforcement classes and participate in extra-curricular activities, like the criminal justice club. But as this Maisie Crow-directed doc details, future careers in border patrol, policing, and customs enforcement clash with the values and people the Mexican-American students in the program hold dear.

anish f i lmma ker Jonas Poher Rasmussen presented his animated documentary “Flee,” about an Afghan refugee named Amin who arrives in Denmark as an unaccompanied minor only to become a successful academic as an adult. Ready to marry his long-time boyfriend, Amin rises above all odds in this poignant tale of survival and love conquering all. ● The Most Beautiful Boy

in the World

F

ifty years ago, Italian filmmaker Luchino Visconti declared Björn Andresén, star of his 1971 film “Death in Venice,” “The Most Beautiful Boy in the World,” thrusting the then 15-year-old into overnight international stardom. Andresén looks back on the past half-century of his life in this documentary directed by Swedish filmmakers Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri.

● My Name is Pauli Murray

T

hrough never-before-seen footage and audio recordings, directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen introduce Black non-binary legal trailblazer Pauli Murray, whose progressive ideas influenced our country’s greatest court battles, including the late RBG’s fight for gender equality and Thurgood Marshall’s civil-rights arguments. ● We’re All Going

to the World’s Fair

T

here’s not muc h pre - prem iere infor mation on this A mer ican drama directed by Jane Schoenbrun, but if the mystery premise of a teenager documenting the changes she experiences after participating in an online role-playing horror game piques your interest, this film, scored by Alex G, is for you.

▲ Passing

B

ased on Nella Larsen’s same-name novel, “Passing” stars Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson as mixed-race childhood friends who both can “pass” as white but choose to live on opposite sides of the color line in 1929 New York, becoming obsessed with one another’s lives. André Holland (“Moonlight”), Alexander Skarsgard and Bill Camp also star in this Forest Whitakerproduced drama.

▲ The World to Come

I

n this 19th-century period piece from director Mona Fastvold, two married women find solace — and eventually intimacy — in each other’s company as their respective home lives on the frontier deteriorate. Vanessa Kirby and Katherine Waterston star alongside Casey Affleck and Christopher Abbott. ● This Is The Way We Rise

Y

ou can catch this short, about poetactivist Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, and her continued work toward justice for Hawaiian natives, directed by Ciara Lacy, under the American Masters banner on PBS online. ● 4 Feet High

C

ollaborators from Argentina and France have created a virtual-reality experience for viewers of this film about a wheelchair-confined teenager eager to explore her sexuality despite dealing with body dysmorphia.

▲ Knocking ▲ Ma Belle, My Beauty

F

irst-time filmmaker Marion Hill tackles the oft-complicated particulars of polyamory in this narrative about newlyweds whose fresh start is interrupted by an unexpected visit from the couple’s quirky ex.

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A

fter experiencing a traumatic incident involving a same-sex partner that sent her to the psych ward, Molly moves into a new apartment where she can’t escape the haunting knocking sounds that her neighbors don’t hear. e Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.

Photo via NaturalCareGroup.com

Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 19

YES, WE CANNABIS!

Cannabis and the immune system B y Rena McCain

H

APPY WEEDSDAY!

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex system that connects every single organ in our bodies.

It is essentially the molecular system that regulates and balances many processes in the body, including immune response, communication between cells, appetite and metabolism, memory and more.

It is not like any other system in that it is not isolated like the other biological systems in the body, like the pulmonary system or lymphatic system, and so on.

The ECS is most famously known for being the “regulator” of our bodies, or creating homeostasis within all of us mammals, including dogs and cats. With that tidbit of knowledge, in this issue of MONTROSE STAR we will explore how ECS acts on the immune system.

Cannabinoid receptors in the body bind with cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, CBG and others (there are many cannabinoids). This action of binding is where homeostasis is created. Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite fluctuations in the external environment. With this binding, our bodies begin to self-regulate and balance a plethora of physiological functions by essentially influencing conditions that help aid digestion, improve

appetite, center one’s mood and alleviate stress in the body. It influences the nervous system and the immune system, as well.

Cannabinoid receptors are found throughout the body. They are present in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands and immune cells. In each tissue, the cannabinoid system performs and array of different tasks, but the end goal is always the same: to create homeostasis.

One of the most important effects the ECH has on the body is that it also regulates the body’s anti-inflammatory response. People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, irritable bowl syndrome and other autoimmune diseases may know that the body is way off balance when they experience flair-ups or other irregularities as a result of these conditions. Cannabis has been shown to return the body to a balanced state after consumption and with regular usage, resulting in less flair-ups and less inflammation that damage the body. This alone, for me, has been a blessing as I have RA, and have found enormous relief in cannabis use to keep my flair-ups in check.

There is much, much research that remains to be done on how cannabis helps aid the immune system — it’s not completely understood yet. Research does exist to some extent and, to many with autoimmune diseases, it looks promising.

The United States has had ongoing research into many issues regarding cannabis and how it works in our bodies for over 50 years now. Although the research here in the U.S. has been limited and stunted, the U.S. has funded research conducted in Israel for many years; I suggest reading further into their documentations of findings.

Hopefully one day soon we will all be able to have the freedom of choice of what we use to heal our bodies. Even cannabis.

Rena McCain is a cannabis activist and humanitarian. She is active in the cannabis community to bring awareness and education about cannabis, and works to effect legislation in the state of Texas and elsewhere. She is also co-owner of KM420Radio.com and spends her time promoting local artists all over the globe. Find her on Facebook at ganjagrrrl420 or visit KM420Radio.com.

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Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 21

Autobiography of a porn pioneer e By David-Elijah Nahmod

J

OHN AMERO WAS THERE AT THE VERY DAWN OF THE PORN INDUSTRY. AT A

time when working in porn carried a huge stigma, at a time when people in the business worked under assumed names out of fear of being “discovered,” Amero and his late brother Lem proudly put their real names in the credits of early X rated classics such as Every Inch a Lady (1975) and Blonde Ambition (1981).

In Amero Brothers productions, the films told a story and featured performers who could act. In many ways the brothers tried to emulate the classic Hollywood films they adored, such as the glorious MGM musicals of the previous generation.

Amero worked on more than thirty feature films in various capacities. He called the shots in both gay and straight films and had a wonderful time doing so. Now, in his newly published memoir American Exxxtasy: My 30-Year Search for a Happy Ending, Amero recalls those bygone days with wit, humor and heart.

Amero writes vividly of his youth in New England where he was raised by a conservative grandmother after his parent’s divorce. His father remarried and moved away and his mother had serious mental health issues. It wasn’t an easy childhood and so Amero often escaped to the movies. But he loved his grandmother and his family dearly, and he remained close to them even after he moved to New York City and had made a name for himself in the world of adult cinema.

A New York City which no longer exists comes to life as Amero recalls his early days in the Big Apple where he shared an apartment with his beloved older brother Lem. At first Amero hid his homosexuality from Lem. It was a different era and being gay was not accepted by mainstream society.

But one fateful night Amero wanders into a gay bar and runs into Lem, and the two were best friends from that day forward. The book is dedicated to Lem, and to Amero’s long-term partner Chuck, both of whom are now deceased.

In his salad days Amero worked at CBS and ABC, editing commercials into TV shows for the latter. As he did during his youth, he went to the movies constantly. The movies were his escape, and he absorbed everything he saw like a sponge.

One day he went with his friend Michael Findlay to see a low budget exploitation film and his whole life changed. Amero agreed to work on an exploitation film with Findlay, producing a black and white film called Body of a Female (1964), a film which promised its audience all manner of sexual activity. These forerunners of adult films were never quite as dirty as they promised to be, though they definitely were not for kids. The film was a success, and Amero was on his way, producing, writing, or directing one film after another, working closely with Findlay and with his brother. When hardcore became the industry standard in the early 1970s, Amero accepted it and continued working.

Amero goes into great detail about the making of many of the films. He offers insight into what goes into the casting process, securing locations, dealing with performers’ egos, the trials and tribulations of actual film shoots, and getting a good distribution deal. Whether a reader is interested in making adult films or working in mainstream Hollywood, Amero’s prose serves as a teaching guide in how to make a film.

Two chapters of the book are devoted to the gay films that Amero worked on, which he did under the nom de porn Francis Ellie. As with his straight films, Amero put a good deal of thought into each film, coming up with fully fleshed out stories and hiring the best talent he could find. Navy Blue, one of the Francis Ellie films, was a homage to the 1949 musical On the Town, which had starred Hollywood legends Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly. Audiences ate up everything Amero did. His films always made money.

Amero also writes about his encounters with various celebrities in New York, such as movie star Montgomery Clift, jazz chanteuse Rosemary Clooney, 1950s Oscar winner Gloria Grahame, and Donald Trump, long before anyone ever thought Trump would ever be president. It seems that the Donald wasn’t a nice guy even back then.

But it wasn’t all fun and glamour. Amero writes movingly of the three biggest losses in his life — the death of close friend Findlay in a helicopter accident, his brother’s demise from AIDS, and the loss of Chuck, his beloved life partner of many years, who had been suffering from a variety of health issues. These losses affected Amero greatly and his recollections of losing them are beautifully written and quite moving.

The book is also filled with the names of people who were superstars during the porn industry’s early years. Names like Harry Reems, Andrea True and gay porn legend Jack Wrangler are remembered as consummate professionals and Amero humanizes them with his deft writing. e American Exxxtasy: My 30-Year Search for a Happy Ending is a wonderful book, a time capsule of an era that will never be again. Regardless of whether you’re a porn fan or not, it’s well worth a read

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Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 23

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PAGE 24 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday March 3, 2021

CROSSWORD QUEERIES

Dynamic Ceramic Across 1 Bas reliefs of Lincoln 6 Verdi slave girl 10 Macbeth segments 14 Words before once 15 Barneys, e.g.

17 Cobblers put the tongue here 18 Start of a quote by ceramic artist Colin J. Radcliffe 21 Woolf in blue stockings?

22 Dukakis of Tales of the City 23 All’s Well That Well 24 Gladiator area

50 More of the quote

24 ”Beg pardon ...”

53 End of the quote

25 A Village People

58 Tigers of the NCAA

character

59 Cruising, maybe

26 King Lear daughter

60 Stud fees?

27 “Hello” singer

61 Auto of Pasolini’s land

29 Mark on

62 Kind of mill

Bernstein’s staff

63 Howard, who

30 Where the bouncers

crossdressed for

are friendly?

Miss America

31 Future queen

64 Like a top

of Star Wars

65 Nuts don’t have this

32 Craft store bundle

66 Bodybuilding mag

37 Indicator of

67 Roz portrayer

too much sex

on Frasier

38 Scandal involving

Down

bottoms?

1 Cable syst.

25 Other people’s

2 K-12 grades, collectively

children.

3 Glenn Burke, formerly

28 More of the quote

4 Backside, to a top

33 Unwelcome ink color

5 Gertrude with

34 Ref for Lytton Strachey

a beer mug?

35 Stephen of

6 Town in da Vinci’s land

Breakfast on Pluto

7“

36 Insurance worker

8 Toon canine

39 It swallows plastic

Scooby-

40 Two-timer’s liaison

9 With thick plates

43 More of the quote

10 Disney lyricist Howard

45 The Children’s

11 Shot type for

Hour playwright

Patty Sheehan

46 Stonewall rioters

12 Tara portrayer Collette

and cops

13 Video game name

47 Get back, as losses

16 Lurer of phallic fish

48 Initial serving

19 Neither Rep. nor Dem.

with meat in it?

20 Timothy Daly’s sister

49 Waikiki paste

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shame”

39 Capp and Capone 40 Old nuclear power org.

41 Gay pride parade sight 42 Totally screw 44 Phi Kappa 45 Young farm animals.

47 Team lineup 49 Bicolor mount 51 Old line for cockpit workers -frutti

52

53 Luggage 54 To be lesbienne 55 “Beauty the eye...”

56 Pole of your first mate?

57 Dickinson’s “There frigate like a book” 61 Metrosexual

Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 25

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GUIDE TO THE CLUBS HOUSTON n MONTROSE - MIDTOWN

n DOWNTOWN / EADO

Buddy’s 2409 Grant St Ste A, Houston (281) 310-1050 Cocktails | Beer | Karaoke |Pool | DJ’s

Moon Tower Inn 3004 Canal St, 77003 (832) 969-1934 • damngoodfoodcoldassbeer.com Hot Dogs | Beer Gardens

Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon 11410 Hempstead Highway Houston, TX 77092 (713) 677-0828 • neonbootsclub.com

Neil’s Bahr 2006 Walker St, 77003 (281) 352-7456 • NeilsBahr.com Premier Nerd | Gamer

Viviana’s Night Club 4624 Dacoma St, Houston (713) 681-4101 • vivianasniteclub.com Latino | Tejano | Dance

Tout Suite 2001 Commerce, 77002 713-227-8688 • toutsuitetx.com Bakery | Cafe | Pub

n SW HOUSTON

Crocker Bar 2312 Crocker St, Houston (713) 529-3355 Large Deck | Karaoke George’s Country Sports Bar 617 Fairview Ave, Houston (713) 528-8102 Sports Bar | Pool & Darts | Patio JR’s Bar and Grill & Santa Fe 808 Pacific St, Houston (713) 521-2519 • jrsbarandgrill.com Videos | Patio | Karaoke | Shows Michael’s Outpost Piano Bar 1419 Richmond Ave, Houston (713) 520-8446 Neighborhood Bar | Pub | Piano Rebar Houston 202 Tuam Street, Houston (346) 227-8613

https://www.facebook.com/rebarhouston/

Barcode Houston 817 Fairview Ave, Houston

(713) 526-2625 • facebook.com/barcode77006

Shows | Neighborhood Bar | CD/Trans The Ripcord 715 Fairview St, Houston (713) 521-2792 • facebook.com/ ripcordhouston

Leather | Uniform | Fetish | Men Papi’s Houston 570 Waugh Dr, Latin gay club (713) 524-3359 | Dancing Drag Game shows all week long!

Voodoo Queen 322 Milby St, 77003 713-555-5666 • damngoodfoodcoldassbeer.com Casual | Po’ Boys | Games n DOWNTOWN / WARDS 1-4 Tony’s Corner Pocket 817 West Dallas Street, Houston (713) 571-7870 • tonyscornerpocket.com Neighborhood Bar | Pool | Dancers n HOUSTON - NORTH SIDE Ranch Hill Saloon 24704 Interstate 45, Spring (281) 298-9035 • ranchhill.com Country | Cowgirl | Neighborhood Bar The Room Bar 4915 FM 2920 Rd, Spring (281) 907-6866 • roombarspring.com Neighborhood Bar | Shows | Dance | Mixed n NW HOUSTON

Crystal Night Club 6684 SW Fwy, Houston (713) 278- 2582 • crystaltheclub.com Latin Dance | Salsa n HEIGHTS / WASHINGTON CORRIDOR Pearl Lounge 4216 Washington, Houston 832-740-4933 • pearlhouston.com Neighborhood Art Bar | Live Music | Women

GALVESTON 23rd Street Station 1706 23rd St, Galveston (409) 443-5678 • 23rdstreetstation. com Piano Bar | Pub | Live Entertainment Robert’s Lafitte 2501 Ave Q, Galveston (409) 765-9092 • galveston.com/robertslafitte Neighborhood Bar | Pub | Cruise | Shows Rumors Beach Bar 3102 Seawall Blvd., Galveston (409) 497-4617 • RumorsBeachBar.com Beach bar | Shows

La Granja Disco & Cantina 5505 Pinemont Dr., Houston (713) 518-6753 • lagranjadisco.com Latin dance club

Solution From PAGE 24

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Wednesday March 3, 2021 | MontroseStar.com e | PAGE 27

FP NEW AD Megaflix

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