Montrose Star April 6, 2016 by Laura Villagran

HouPaul: All Things RuPaul in Houston

E V E N T S C A L E N DA R APRIL 6 - 20 • p24

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» Foodie Diaries

» WhaT A World

GWEN

WEDNESDAY APRIL 6, 2016 e VOL. VII, 1

Speaks Her (Gay) ‘Truth’ p16

STEFANI

» HRH RePorT

THE PARTY STARTS HERE!

INDEX Editorial Crossword A Couple of Guys

7 27 30

PAGE 2 | Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

New Odefsey ® is now available

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Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 3

Actual Size (15.4 mm x 7.3 mm)

One small pill contains rilpivirine, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF). Ask your healthcare provider if ODEFSEY is right for you. To learn more visit ODEFSEY.com

Please see Brief Summary of Patient Information with important warnings on the following pages.

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PAGE 4 | Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

Brief Summary of Patient Information about ODEFSEY ODEFSEY (oh-DEF-see) (emtricitabine, rilpivirine and tenofovir alafenamide) tablets Important: Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with ODEFSEY. There may be new information about ODEFSEY. This information is only a summary and does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment. What is the most important information I should know about ODEFSEY? ODEFSEY can cause serious side effects, including: •

•

Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis may happen in some people who take ODEFSEY or similar medicines. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: –

feel very weak or tired

–

have unusual (not normal) muscle pain

–

have trouble breathing

–

have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting

–

feel cold, especially in your arms and legs

–

feel dizzy or lightheaded

–

have a fast or irregular heartbeat

ODEFSEY is a prescription medicine that is used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older: •

who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past and have an amount of HIV-1 in their blood (“viral load”) that is no more than 100,000 copies/mL, or

•

to replace their current HIV-1 medicines in people who have been on the same HIV-1 medicines for at least 6 months, have a viral load that is less than 50 copies/mL, and have never failed past HIV-1 treatment.

It is not known if ODEFSEY is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age or who weigh less than 77 lb (35 kg). When used to treat HIV-1 infection, ODEFSEY may help: •

Reduce the amount of HIV-1 in your blood. This is called “viral load”.

•

Increase the number of CD4+ (T) cells in your blood that help fight off other infections.

Reducing the amount of HIV-1 and increasing the CD4+ (T) cells in your blood may help improve your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or getting infections that can happen when your immune system is weak (opportunistic infections). ODEFSEY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. You must keep taking HIV-1 medicines to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. Do not share or re-use needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. Who should not take ODEFSEY?

Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems may happen in people who take ODEFSEY. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large and you may develop fat in your liver. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: –

your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice)

–

dark “tea-colored” urine

–

light-colored bowel movements (stools)

–

loss of appetite

–

nausea

–

pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking ODEFSEY or a similar medicine for a long time. Worsening of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. ODEFSEY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and take ODEFSEY, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking ODEFSEY. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. –

Do not run out of ODEFSEY. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your ODEFSEY is all gone.

–

Do not stop taking ODEFSEY without first talking to your healthcare provider.

–

If you stop taking ODEFSEY, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking ODEFSEY.

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What is ODEFSEY?

Do not take ODEFSEY if you also take a medicine that contains: •

carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®)

•

dexamethasone (Ozurdex®, Maxidex®, Decadron®, BaycadronTM)

•

dexlansoprazole (Dexilant®)

•

esomeprazole (Nexium®, Vimovo®)

•

lansoprazole (Prevacid®)

•

omeprazole (Prilosec®, Zegerid®)

•

oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®)

•

pantoprazole sodium (Protonix®)

•

phenobarbital (Luminal®)

•

phenytoin (Dilantin®, Dilantin-125®, Phenytek®)

•

rabeprazole (Aciphex®)

•

rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®)

•

rifapentine (Priftin®)

•

the herb St. John’s wort or a product that contains St. John’s wort

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking ODEFSEY? Before taking ODEFSEY, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have liver problems including hepatitis B or C virus infection •

have kidney and bone problems

•

have had depression or suicidal thoughts

•

have any other medical conditions

•

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

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Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 5

Pregnancy registry: there is a pregnancy registry for women who take HIV-1 medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry. •

•

are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take ODEFSEY. –

You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

–

At least one of the medicines in ODEFSEY can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in ODEFSEY can pass into your breast milk.

–

Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

•

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

•

Some medicines may interact with ODEFSEY. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. •

You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with ODEFSEY.

•

Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take ODEFSEY with other medicines.

How should I take ODEFSEY?

•

Take ODEFSEY exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. ODEFSEY is taken by itself (not with other HIV-1 medicines) to treat HIV-1 infection.

•

Take ODEFSEY 1 time each day with a meal.

•

Do not change your dose or stop taking ODEFSEY without first talking with your healthcare provider. Stay under a healthcare provider’s care when taking ODEFSEY.

•

Do not miss a dose of ODEFSEY.

•

If you take too much ODEFSEY, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

•

When your ODEFSEY supply starts to run low, get more from your healthcare provider or pharmacy. This is very important because the amount of virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may develop resistance to ODEFSEY and become harder to treat.

What are the possible side effects of ODEFSEY? ODEFSEY may cause serious side effects, including: • •

See “What is the most important information I should know about ODEFSEY?” Severe skin rash and allergic reactions. Skin rash is a common side effect of ODEFSEY. Rash can be serious. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get a rash. In some cases, rash and allergic reaction may need to be treated in a hospital. If you get a rash with any of the following symptoms, stop taking ODEFSEY and call your healthcare provider right away: –

fever

–

skin blisters

–

mouth sores

–

redness or swelling of the eyes (conjunctivitis)

–

swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat

–

trouble breathing or swallowing

–

pain on the right side of the stomach (abdominal) area

–

dark “tea-colored” urine

•

Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: –

feel sad or hopeless

–

feel anxious or restless

–

have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself

Change in liver enzymes. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus infection or who have certain liver enzyme changes may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening liver problems during treatment with ODEFSEY. Liver problems can also happen during treatment with ODEFSEY in people without a history of liver disease. Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with ODEFSEY. Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known. Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine. New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking ODEFSEY. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking ODEFSEY if you develop new or worse kidney problems. Bone problems can happen in some people who take ODEFSEY. Bone problems may include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones.

The most common side effects of rilpivirine, one of the medicines in ODEFSEY, are depression, trouble sleeping (insomnia), and headache. The most common side effect of emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide, two of the medicines in ODEFSEY, is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. •

These are not all the possible side effects of ODEFSEY. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

•

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about ODEFSEY. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about ODEFSEY that is written for health professionals. For more information, call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.ODEFSEY.com. Keep ODEFSEY and all medicines out of reach of children. Issued: March 2016

ODEFSEY, the ODEFSEY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and GSI are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. ODEC0006 03/16

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PAGE 6

| Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

HRH Report

Patty Duke, Amber Lamay Foxx and Other Top Stories e by

Johnny TrliCa

man never forgets his first love. I first fell in love when I was about seven years old. She was older than I was, very beautiful and a big star. Her name was Patty Duke. At the time she was starring in her own weekly television series, in which she played two characters very different from each other. I idolized Patty Duke, had her picture on my bedroom wall, purchased her records (yes, she could sing) and watched The Patty Duke Show, her ABC sitcom, every Wednesday night.

DJ JD Arnold hails from England, but has been spinning in the Lone Star State since the 80’s. He has spun records all over Houston, from the Venture N to Rich’s, as well as writing for Billboard Magazine. His dynamic sounds can now be enjoyed at Eagle Houston.

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@ montrose-star.com

John Buchanan is originally from Florida but

now calls Houston home for 20+ years. “Proud to be Gay and part of the Community – Your Gay Realtor of Choice!” johnwb214@aol.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.

Mark Kariel is from Marshall, Texas, but has

called Houston home for almost 40 years. An accounting supervisor by day, he can be found working most Saturday nights at South Beach’s RuPaul’s Drag Race events. His RuPaul obsession began 6 years ago in Palm Springs. It will all be in his book, plus much more. Stay tuned! mark@sobehouston.com

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 B&B 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.

Photos: Ms Duke courtesy Credit 20th Century Fox. Ms Fox via Facebook.

T H E S TA R C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S

arrived to witness the beating, according to a Go Fund Me page set up on the performer’s behalf. Charges are pending against three men arrested in the case. Foxx’s partner, Travis, posted on her Facebook wall: “To all of Amber’s Facebook friends, this is Travis her partner. Sunday around 3:30 p.m. Amber was the victim of a hate crime. She was attacked on the seawall in Galveston by a group of guys. She was beaten over and over by three of them until unconscious, beaten in a field for over an hour, as she tried to get away. A large muscular guy held her to the ground and choked her she told him ‘you’re going to kill me’ he responded ‘there will be one less faggot in the world.’ She went in and out of consciousness several times. Every time she came back they kicked, choked, and beat her until she passed out again. When the police arrived one attacker was on top of her choking her, she was unconscious. This was an hour after the attack started. When arriving at the hospital she was unresponsive and given a breathing tube. She remained unresponsive until Monday morning. It’s a miracle she is alive.” Patty Duke (left) as Neely O’Hara in the 1967 ﬁlm Valley of the Dolls; Amber Lamay Foxx regularly and Amber Lamay Foxx. performs at TC’s Showbar.

If it wasn’t Duke’s wily portrayal of lookalike, but oh-so-different cousins that endeared me to her, it was the 1965 theatrical release of Billie; she played a tomboy who did not quite fit in with the rest of the crowd. Patty Duke earned gay icon status in 1967 when she starred in Valley of the Dolls portraying a character loosely based on Judy Garland; more recently, she was featured in countless Lifetime movies. In 2013, Duke played a lesbian in Glee opposite Meredith Baxter. All this was preceded by her portrayal of the blind, deaf and mute Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1963. I remained a fan until she died on March 29 at 69 from sepsis due to a ruptured intestine. It was a shock hearing the news. It was the kind of news that causes your heart to drop. Knowing my feelings for the Oscar winning actress, my oldest sister even sent me a text asking if I was all right. I was, but very depressed. Later that evening I pulled out one of Patty’s albums from 1965, put it on the stereo and glanced through my collection of Duke memorabilia. After a brief trip down memory lane and setting the DVR to record a few episodes of The Patty Duke Show, I thought to myself, “I’m gonna miss her.” Losing your first love is rough but, like everything else, life goes on. Here’s what we’ve been reading at HoustonRainbowHerald.com Houston drag performer attacked in Galveston A Houston drag performer was the victim of what appears to be a brutal hate crime in Galveston on Easter. Amber Lemay Foxx was nearly beaten to death after being assaulted and taken to an open field by three men. She had fallen in and out of consciousness during the assault when the police

Legalized hate in North Carolina Some states just cannot get over the legalization of same sex marriage. North Carolina is the latest state to enact anti-gay laws in the name of religious liberty. Republican Governor Pat McCrory signed legislation that blocks all local LGBT rights ordinances and calls for restroom facilities to be based on the gender someone was assigned at birth, reports GayStarNews.com. Democratic State Attorney General Roy Cooper has now said he will not defend the law, calling it “shameful” and “a national embarrassment.” Meanwhile, the federal government is evaluating North Carolina’s new law to see if the regulation blocks the state from receiving aid from Washington, DC. Officials in the departments of Transportation, Education, and Housing and Urban Development announced they would reexamine the law to see if federal monies are impacted, which could result in the loss of billions of dollars to the state. Gays attacked in Miami and Los Angeles It’s been a rough couple of weeks to be gay or transgender. A gay couple was attacked at a fast-food restaurant in Florida after sharing a kiss while waiting for their food. “Jordan Schaeffer and his boyfriend, Eric Danko, both 25, who were visiting from Los Angeles, were attacked by a man who was waiting for his order behind them in the Burger King Whopper Bar. The couple told the police the man was ‘offended’ by their embrace and the confrontation quickly turned physical,” reports WFOR-TV. Across the continent in Los Angeles, prosecutors charged Shehada Issa, 69, with premeditated murder. Issa shot and killed his son Amir, 29, alleging that he committed the crime because his son was gay, reports LGBTQNation.com. e

Johnny Trlica is the editor of the HoustonRainbowHerald.com, the Bayou City’s only daily LGBT Internet newspaper. Contact him at TXHRH@yahoo.com.

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Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 7

OP-ED

Creep of the Week: One Million Moms e by

TOC APRIL 6, 2016 | VOL. VII, ISSUE 1

d’anne wiTkowski

Alert! Alert! All One Million Moms to their battle stations! fact that Jesus appears to Kenny, and only Kenny, during A new TV show has a gay. I repeat: a new TV show has a gay. a scene at a family restaurant and the fact that Kenny’s Until President Ted Cruz makes such defilements of the small mom encourages him to try having sex with a girl. screen a Federal Hate Crime against Christians, we must Other things 1MM failed to mention but were probably join our 2 million hands together and Pray the Gay Away! also aghast at: Kenny’s girlfriend wants him to have sex with The particular gay is the character Kenny O’Neal on the her and gives him a big box of condoms. When he goes into new ABC sit-com “The Real O’Neals,” a show about a Catholic the bathroom to put one on, a beefy shirtless dude appears family. To make matters worse, Kenny in the mirror and encourages him to is played by openly gay actor Noah “come out.” In a panic Kenny flushes ‘The Real O’Neals’ Galvin and the TV show is loosely based the condoms down the toilet which mocks Christianity around the life of Notorious Gay Dan causes it to overflow. The ceiling below and insults Catholicism,” begins to drip and then collapses, Savage. Which makes this a gay trifecta and is probably a sign of End Times. complete with condoms, onto the One Million Moms Or it could just be yet priest who is visiting downstairs. laments on their website another in a long line of Ha! So funny! Are you laughing likely short-lived mediocre sitcoms that deal with so hard? Or are you, too, wondering how the ceiling could all kinds of family trials and tribulations. have become so damaged so quickly from an overflowing But one can never be too sure! Which is why One Million toilet? It’s not realistic, I tell you! Why aren’t One Million Moms (a group that boasts 83,957 Facebook “likes” but Plumbers taking to the streets over this show? doesn’t let math get in the way of its mission) says that Seriously, though. As David Windsor, an executive “This Jesus-Ridiculing Show Needs to Go Dark Right Now” producer of the show, told the Huffington Post, “At and is urging its members to contact Simply Orange (a the end of the day, you are going to realize that (the Coca Cola product) and shriek at them for daring to run show) is about this family that just loves each other. commercials during the depravity of “The Real O’Neals.” And faith is an important part of their lives.” “ ‘The Real O’Neals’ mocks Christianity and I get that 1MM is upset because it’s their job to be insults Catholicism,” One Million Moms laments upset. But part of what they’re mad about is the fact that a on their website. “One Million Moms (1MM) Catholic family is being portrayed as dysfunctional, and yet recognizes this show ridicules people of faith, and they’re still Catholic. If every family had to renounce their Christians across America are offended by it.” Christianity every time the parents got divorced or a child Yeah! Cue Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take came out as gay, anorexic or a kleptomaniac (and the O’Neals It!” Because if there’s anything Catholics never do, it’s are all of those things), there would be no Christians left. poke fun at themselves! Humor is the devil’s work! Aside from the significantly less than 1 million Things that 1MM singles out as depraved include the self-righteous members of 1MM, of course. e

“

”

PFLAG HOUSTON NEWS Jeffry Faircloth Discusses ‘Homosexuality and the Bible’

COOKING WITH PAULA DREAM Greetings Comfort Food Heavenly Enough for a Church Social

GOVERNMENT CHEESE: 9 Gay Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund

HRH Report ......................................................... 6

OP-ED.................................................................... 7 PFLAG Houston News ...................................... 9

What A World .................................................. 10 Deep Inside Hollywood ..................................14

HouPaul: All Things RuPaul in Houston .... 17 Cooking With Paula Dream ..........................18 Foodie Diaries ................................................... 19

In The Gayborhood ......................................... 21 Across the Causeway..................................... 25

Across the Causeway..................................... 26

Crossword Queeries ....................................... 27 Hear Me Out ..................................................... 33 Guide To The Clubs ........................................ 34 ©2016 MONTROSE STAR All Rights Reserved. The Montrose Star™ Entertainment Newspaper is owned and operated by GLYP Media Services, a Texas minority-certified company founded in 1990. Published alternate Wednesdays. Subscription rates: $57/year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the main office at: Montrose Star|1712 Montrose Boulevard, Houston, TX 77006

CONTACT US: Office 713-875-9088 TheMontroseStar@gmail.com The entire content of every issue of the Montrose Star is protected under the Federal Copyright Act. Reproduction of any por-tion of any issue is not permitted without the express written permission from GLYP Media.

WAIVER: The Montrose Star newspaper reserves the right to refuse any advertising order. Only the publication of an advertisement shall constitute final acceptance of such an order. Ads accepted for publication are presumed to contain information that is true and advertisers are duly authorized to use images and logos shown in their ad. The newspaper is not liable for any ad content nor is Montrose Star responsible for advertisers’ claims or performance.

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National Advertising: Rivendell Media | 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com Printed in the USA on post consumer content CORRECTIONS & AMPLIFICATIONS:

April 6, 2016: None as of press time.

PAGE 8

| Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

Log Cabin Republicans ‘winning war of ideas’ e by

MarCo a. roberTs

Vega Immigration Law Firm

• Dream Act • Immigration • Assault • Unlawful Presence • Auto Accidents • Deportation Waiver • Visas • Wills • Family Petitions • Criminal • Deeds • Drug Offenses • Same Sex • Power of • DWI (DOMA) Attorney ----------------------––––--------------------- • ----------–––---------------------------------326 Erin Street, Houston, Texas 77009 (281) 460-2172 • (713) 370-2711• FAX: (713) 370-2482 www.vegaimmigration.com • info@vegaimmigration.com

n reading Ms. D’Anne Witkowski’s smug broadside “Creep of the Week: Log Cabin Republicans” (Op-Ed, March 9), we at Log Cabin Republicans had to wonder just what exactly is it that we do that moved her to smear us with her pen, and labels us “creeps”? Does it creep her out that Log Cabin Republicans successfully filed suit in against the government, in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, to end the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy instituted by the Clinton administration—that’s Clinton administration—and paved the way for the policy’s eventual repeal in 2010? Does it creep her out that the Log Cabin Republicans members in the red state of Utah for years worked on legislation that was passed by Republicans in 2015 that specifically protects GLBT people from unfair employment discrimination? Or, is she annoyed because, since every single elected state-wide office in Texas is held by a Republican, Log Cabin Republicans members spend hundreds of hours of their personal time to make sure GLBT interests are heard and understood in Austin? Does it make it worse for her that these Log Cabin Republicans do this not just in Texas, but in all the red states that carpet the center of the country from Arizona to Ohio? Maybe it creeps her out that Log Cabin Republicans members take on this task every day across the country, hour by hour securing each and every tiny hard fought inch, year after year, without regard to the taunts and ridicule we know will never cease from Democrat Witkowskis everywhere? Perhaps it bothers her that Log Cabin Republicans members, most just middle class Americans of no special means, do all this work as unpaid volunteers, using their personal money, their vacation time, forgoing parties and time with friends and family, without any expectation of thanks from anyone—knowing full well the likes of D’Anne Witowski are legion? Ms. Witkowski makes much of the position of current Republicans regarding the court-settled issue of same-sex marriage, as if the one issue alone should override all others like terrorism, unemployment, stagnant wages, and deficits that can bankrupt the country. Yet, there is no sign the same position on samesex marriage stopped her from voting Democrat in 2008 or 2012. The Republican Party is transforming, and is beginning to formally take steps towards changing its stance on Log Cabin Republicans and the issues we advocate. For example, last year the California Republican Party recently voted to

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charter Log Cabin Republicans of California in a landslide 861-293 vote as an official affiliate of the state GOP. This year for the first time Log Cabin Republicans were welcomed as fullfledged Participating Sponsors of the annual, high profile Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). In Houston, Republican members of Congress, state representatives, and top Republican County officials have defied extremists and have headlined fundraisers for Log Cabin Republicans of Houston. Meanwhile, a 2014 poll from the Pew Research Center found that 61 percent of Republicans under the age of 30 support same-sex marriage. All of this is not happening in a vacuum. It is happening because of the efforts of Log Cabin Republicans members everywhere, many of them who will never be publicly acknowledged nor personally rewarded in any way other than by knowing they worked for what they believed to be right. And, it is happening despite Ms. Witkowski. Maybe what really bothers the likes of Ms. Witkowski, what scares her, is the notion that Log Cabin Republicans might succeed. That little by little, with each tiny victory and quiet, unheralded success, ignored, mocked or demeaned by the grand poobahs of the dominant left-leaning media, Log Cabin Republicans over time actually wins the war of ideas, and achieves a more principled alignment within the Republican Party of its stated commitment to the idea of limited government, freedom of belief and conscience, of the fundamental value of the autonomous, self-reliant individual, and what it means to possess true personal independence. What would happen then to Ms. Witkowski’s perpetual call to the GLBT community that the only way to salvation is through the heavy hand of the state? What would become of her wails that only through high taxes, a large bureaucracy, and the growing presence of a ‘big brother’ government measuring, inspecting, and controlling every aspect of our lives can we reach GLBT nirvana? If this is what is getting under Ms. Witkowski‘s skin, what is making her break out in a nervous sweat in the middle of the night, then she is right to worry. If her fervent goal is to make sure that GLBT folks always see a bloated, totalitarian, and over-bearing nanny state as the only option for sexual minorities of all kinds, then Log Cabin Republicans should be giving her the creeps. Marco A. Roberts is president of Log Cabin Republicans of Houston. For more information, visit www.logcabinhouston.org

Photo: Via Facebook.

PFLAG HousTon News

JEFFRY FAIRCLOTH

Jeﬀry Faircloth

Discusses ‘Homosexuality and the Bible’ at April meeting e by

linda braTsen

n PFLAG Houston’s April public meeting features another speaker who is passionately dedicated to equality and nondiscrimination initiatives. Jeffry Faircloth, co-president of PFLAG Houston, presents “Homosexuality and the Bible.” Faircloth is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Houston, majoring in history, with a minor in religious studies. He plans to enter seminary to obtain a master’s degree in biblical scholarship, theology and religion. A member of the PFLAG Houston Board and active in numerous LGBT community organizations in the Houston area, Faircloth’s ultimate goal is to be a religious scholar. The public meeting is scheduled Sunday, April 10, 2016, 2 p.m. in the Jones Building at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 Main St. Small group discussions, where members and visitors can confidentially share their individual journeys, immediately follows the program. One of the small groups is dedicated to transgender issues, and another is available for Spanish speakers. At 4:30 p.m., the group continues its fellowship with dinner at Barnaby’s Cafe, 1801 Binz St. Leisure Learning Parent Education Class: “What If Your Child Is Gay?” Parents of LGBTQ youth who would like to learn what it is like to be an LGBTQ adolescent are encouraged to attend this free class. April 12, 2016. 2990 Richmond Ave, 6th Floor in Houston, Texas 77098. Registration: www.llu.com.

More PFLAG meetings. PFLAG Houston welcomes families and individuals to its Mid-Month Sharing Meeting on the third Thursday of each month, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The meeting is located at Bering United Methodist Church, 1440 Harold Street in Houston. Look for the rainbow flag once you get inside. With a Spanish translator available, PFLAG Houston’s East End Support Group meets the third Sunday of each month at 3 p.m. at St. Timothy Episcopal Church, located at 13125 Indianapolis Street. PFLAG Houston’s Clear Lake chapter meets the fourth Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. at Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church in the fellowship hall. The church is located at 17503 El Camino Real Drive in Clear Lake. PFLAG Houston invites all family members, parents and/or youth who are having problems with coming out issues, and welcomes everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, ethnicity or political persuasion. The group is proud of its rich history and the continued contributions of members, and invites all to learn more about the organization and join in efforts to create a more diverse, accepting society. PFLAG Houston’s Yahoo Group subscription list is confidential, and all members can immediately post messages to all other members of the network. Subscribers may search PFLAG Houston’s archives to look at all previous listings. e

For information about support, upcoming events and meetings, as well as up-to-date news relevant to PFLAG Houston’s family and friends, visit www.pﬂaghouston.org, email PFLAG Houston’s hotline at helpline@pﬂaghouston.org or call 713-467-3524.

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Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 9

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| Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

WhaT a World

Bumps in the Road to the White House e by

nanCy Ford

s faithful What a World readers know, I grew up in a deep rural area of northeastern Ohio, surrounded by woods. But in all the tears I lived there, I never once saw Bigfoot, that elusive, furry, probably mythical creature. I did, however, recently witness an even-more unlikely phenomenon here in Houston that leaves a Bigfoot sighting in the dirt: a car sporting a Cruz bumper sticker—a legit “Ted Cruz President 2016” sticker, replete with his signature red-white-and-blue flame logo which, in case you didn’t know, is a coded nod to his Pentecostal friends. It’s not all that unusual to see a Cruz bumper sticker here in Texas. Texas is, after all, Cruz’s home state, if you don’t count Alberta, in Canada. What dropped my jaw was the bumper sticker affixed to the other side of the same car’s bumper: a yellow equal sign on a sea of deep blue. Yep, HRC—and I’m not talking Hillary Rodham Clinton. Let’s think about this. The owner of this car supports both the Human Rights Campaign and the presidential aspirations of Senator Ted Cruz—the same Ted Cruz whose candidacy is endorsed by super-evangelicals whose religious convictions range from wanting to reverse marriage rights all the way to condoning the stoning of homosexuals. The same Ted Cruz who said: “I believe that engaging in homosexual conduct is a choice, and I do not believe that unelected judges should force States to adopt gay marriage against the wishes of the people.” Apparently this person driving the Cruzmobile isn’t aware that HRC, the organization, endorsed HRC, the Democratic presidential front-runner, for president way back in January. However… In March, HRC (again, the organization) also endorsed Republican Illinois Senator Mark Kirk over the Democratic incumbent, Senator Tammy Duckworth. To his credit, Kirk supports The Equality Act, a federal antidiscrimination bill protecting LGBT people, and had voted to end “don’t ask, don’t tell.” But Kirk has only earned a score of 78 percent out of 100 percent according to HRC’s “Congressional Scorecard”, while Duckworth has a perfect score of 100. HRC reps say they endorsed Kirk because they’re playing the “long game” to garner supportive Republican votes. Meanwhile, Kirk has said if Donald Trump wins the Republican presidential nomination, he’ll support him. That game is a little too long for my taste. On the other hand, HRC knows how to throw a helluva party with their major fundraising events. Unity, visibility,

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etc. Thanks for that. But those bow ties, though. Unless he or she is a nineyear-old boy, Pee-wee Herman or Liza Minnelli, a bow tie make its wearer look like gift-wrapped penis. But maybe that’s the look you’re going for in which case, no harm, no foul. When Bumper Sticker Guy drives up in front of the Hilton Americas hotel for HRC’s upcoming Houston gala, the chatter in the valet parking lane is going to be mighty interesting. Kirk and bow ties aside, I concur with HRC’s endorsement of HRC. She’s experienced, brilliant, globally respected, and doesn’t want to stone me for being queer or put me in jail for having an abortion. And while I love Senator Bernie Sanders’ scorched-earth, tear-it-all-down-and-start-over approach to government reform, it’s hard to live on a mound of scorched earth. Ask the dinosaurs. That said, I’d happily prefer either Democratic candidate to occupy the Oval Office, over Trump or Cruz. In fact, before I’d vote for any of the Republican front-runners for president, I’d vote for— —MY FAVORITE CHECKOUT PERSON at Kroger. She always asks if I want paper or plastic, so she’s not likely to foist her own agenda on the electorate. She understands that cans go on the bottom and bread goes on the top, so we know she has common sense and organizational skills. And she never puts cleaning products and fresh produce in the same bag, which clearly indicates she has a better working knowledge of ecological matters than both Trump and Cruz combined.

—A NINE-YEAR-OLD BOY. Pre-pubescence assures we wouldn’t have to worry about him engaging in extra-marital sex scandals. His fingers are supposed to be short.

—PEE-WEE HERMAN. So what if he’s never held elected office? Neither has Donald Trump. Pee-wee might not be much of a politician, but wouldn’t it be worth it just to see him dance at the inaugural balls?

—LIZA MINNELLI. Again, not much of a politician. But what a dancer.

—BIGFOOT. He’s never publically stated his political leanings, but how much worse could he be than Tea-baggin’ Trump or Lyin’ Ted? Just pull that hair back into a man bun, give him some talking points, slap on a bow tie, and hope for the best. e

Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 11

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Speaks Her (Gay) ‘Truth’

PAGE 12 | Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

STEFANI

GWEN +1 Google+ Find us on P F Facebook.com & P

Chris aZZoPardi

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Well, I Mean, Blake’s definitely like – how would I describe it? All the same people all the time are always in the room together

Did Blake have to get your gay friends’ approval?

I didn’T know who he was or anything, but the thing that was so great about working with Justin was that he had followed my career for the longest time. He knew everything about every song I’d ever done, whatever I’d worn, every piece of jewelry. It was like, whoa. And he’d wanted to work with me for a long time and I didn’t know that, but it was like God put us in the same room at the perfect time because I needed his understanding and compassion. He was so supportive of me and so confident in me, and I had lost a lot of my confidence, so he really brought that out of me. I felt so comfortable around him from the moment that I met him. So, he was a huge support in making this record and a good friend – an instant friend, weirdly, because I didn’t know him at all. But now I feel like he’s one of my closest friends. I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to say that any gay man would instantly connect with you. Awww! That makes me happy.

How did collaborating with Justin Tranter of SemiPrecious Weapons, who’s gay, aﬀect your recording sessions for This Is What the Truth Feels Like?

MosT oF My gay friends are talented, close people who work with me: my hairdresser, my makeup artist. Those are probably my two closest gay friends, and what I love about them is how unique they are and how spirited they are and how talented they are. I think “passionate” would be a really good way to describe them. They’re not representing all gay men, but they represent the ones in my life who’ve had a huge impact on me. I turned to them this whole time period, during my whole tragedy, and they have been really, really super supportive and loyal and made me look pretty when I didn’t feel pretty.

In the last year, when the going got tough, which gay friends of yours could you count on to have the wine cupboard fully stocked?

on’t speak? Gwen Stefani can’t help it as she opens up about her latest release – the “record that saved my life.” Featuring a multitude of diary-like outpourings related to Gavin Rossdale, whom the No Doubt frontwoman divorced in 2015 after 13 years of marriage, This Is What the Truth Feels Like is Stefani’s third solo album and first since 2006’s The Sweet Escape. “It’s so therapeutic to talk about it,” she says the day before the album’s release. “And I hope it saves some other lives. I really, really truly do hope that. That’s the message I wanna give.” During our candid tell-all, Stefani also talked about her gay besties who “made me look pretty when I didn’t feel pretty,” being a (mostly) respected woman in a man’s world and how she and boyfriend Blake Shelton hang with the same “big posse” of gays.

e by

BeCause I’M The kind of girl that’s just not good with secrets. I tell everybody everything. If ate too many Oreos, I’mma tell you about it! I grew up Catholic, so I just need to confess everything. I feel like I’ve always been really open, but there was a point in my marriage and in my relationship (with Gavin Rossdale) – because maybe we born out of the ’90s – it felt cooler and more protected to not talk about the relationship, or it felt awkward because maybe we were both doing the same thing and I didn’t wanna say something and he’d be like, “Why’d you say that?!” There were probably some limits during that relationship. And then with my children, obviously I can’t talk about them because they’re gonna be 15 and like, “Mom, why did you say S 15

You’re known for your sonic soul-barings, but lately, you also seem especially candid in interviews. Why did you decide to be so open about your life in the last year?

No, iT’s CraZy. I’ve been so unbelievably blessed. I grew up in a man’s world and it really doesn’t make any sense either. In the past, as a girl – a baby girl – I was a girly girl and I wasn’t guyish at all, but when I did discover music, I really got into this niche music, which was ska. I really related to it. All of the people who were my mentors as far as music, they were all guys, and to be in a band with my brother (Eric Stefani) and then my boyfriend (Tony Kanal), I was in this little family and very protected. I always felt like my opinion was counted, and not even counted but even counted with double stars. My creativity was respected. There was a moment back in the day when I was doing festivals and we were just getting known and I do remember being disrespected here and there – they’d want me to take my top off or whatever – but it really didn’t take long for me to be able to prove that I wasn’t gonna stand for that. I don’t know where the confidence came from, but I would get up there and I just knew I was gonna win them over and do whatever it took to win them over. I was not gonna leave the stage until I had a pit going. That’s it. No question. It was a fire that was inside of me. I wasn’t rebellious; I had this really normal, easy, beautiful, loving family. But I feel like I’ve always been respected and never had to really worry about, “Oh, I don’t get respect because I’m a woman.” And that’s a really good thing, because that means if I can have that, other women and other people can have that and we are making some progress.

As the frontwoman of No Doubt, there have been many times you’ve been the only female rocker on a festival bill. For you, what’s that experience been like? Did the boys take you seriously from the beginning?

and we do everything together, so it’s like we’re all a big posse. It’s funny, too, because Blake’s mom was a hairdresser growing up, so he was definitely introduced to that world a looong time ago.

Pop star talks sharing a queer posse with boyfriend Blake Shelton, The Danish Girl and her gay support system

Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 13

| Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

DeeP Inside Hollywood

Bella Thorne’s all grown up and ready for Babysitter action e by

roMeo san viCenTe

odeling since the age of 6 weeks and acting since the age of 6 years, Bella Thorne was never going to let a Disney Channel sitcom define her. She was one of the stars of that network’s kid-friendly Shake It Up, but now she’s 18 and ready to take on adult roles. And if the actor’s own description of her upcoming thriller, The Babysitter, is any indication, her career is going to get very adult very fast. According to Thorne, she will be involved in a same-sex encounter in that film, a project she calls “controversial.” And when that’s wrapped up, she’s taking a role in the new movie from queer Canadian auteur Xavier Dolan. In The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, she’ll play Jessica Chastain’s sister and co-star alongside Kit Harington, Nicholas Hoult, Kathy Bates, Thandie Newton, and Natalie Portman. The story involves the dark side of fame, fandom and scandals that arise from both, a subject most actors know plenty about.

Viola Davis takes Custody to Tribeca Writer-director James Lapine is a man with three Tony Awards, one of them for Best Book of a Musical for Into The Woods. But he hasn’t directed a theatrically released feature film since 1993’s Michael J. Fox vehicle, Life with Mikey. No matter, he stays busy, most recently as a co-director of the HBO documentary Six by Sondheim. And now his next film, Custody, will take a bow at the Tribeca Film Festival. Starring Viola Davis as a family court judge, the cast includes Hayden Panettiere, Ellen Burstyn, and Catalina Sandino Moreno as women whose lives intersect in the context of various custody battles. There are some men here, too, like Raul Esparza, Tony Shalhoub and Dan Fogler, as well as a bit of currently unspecified queer content, but you’ll have to watch the movie to learn about all that. It should open sometime later this year. Coming soon: Check It, the LGBT gang documentary The idea of “bashing back” is often more of a wish than a reality, especially when individual queer people find themselves outnumbered, experiencing violence at the hands of more than one non-LGBT abuser. But in Washington, D.C., a group of young friends between the ages of 14 and 22 decided that enough was enough. They formed Check It, which may be the first organized LGBT gang, a crew of young queer people of color who keep each other safe. They aren’t afraid of fighting back against their attackers with the same aggression they’ve been victims of themselves; nor are they afraid of the camera, cooperating with documentary filmmakers Dana Flor and

Photo KathClick.

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Bella Thorne.

Toby Oppenheimer (The Nine Lives of Marion Berry) for their project also known as Check It. The movie, which premieres soon at the Tribeca Film Festival, explores the family dynamic of the gang and follows them as they build their own fashion business in the hopes of moving up and out of poverty and violence. Watch out for this one; it’s sure to start a few heated debates. Russell Tovey makes The Pass We assume the title of the new movie, The Pass, refers to several of that word’s definitions. In the British production, Looking star Russell Tovey plays a professional footballer (“soccer player” to you) struggling to come out of the closet and failing. So basically, he’s passing balls on the field, making passes at guys off the field and, since his character is afraid to deal with his own sexuality and would prefer not to be known as gay, he’s also passing for heterosexual. The debut feature from filmmaker Ben A. Williams – one that knows its target audience very well and does not neglect to put the actors in their underwear, so thanks, movie – The Pass also stars EastEnders regular Arinze Kene. It’s already available to be seen across the Atlantic, which means we’ll get it over here, eventually. e

Romeo San Vicente bends it like (Victoria) Beckham. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.

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Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 15

S 13 that? You’re embarrassing me!” I have to think a little bit about that now. But I just think… I don’t know how else to be. Everybody knows what happened to me. I got a divorce. It’s the worst thing that can happen to me besides death. My whole life all I wanted to do was be a mother and a wife, and I had the dream of having this family because that’s what I had. I have parents who’ve been married since high school, who are in love, and they’re still in love and having their big wedding anniversary. I had a perfect example, so it’s super tragic for me. My dreams are shattered and I feel so embarrassed about what happened. I don’t feel embarrassed to talk about it though, with respect to my kids. I just think what happened was: In February (2015), my family fell apart. It was devastating. I didn’t know what to do. It was a real big secret, but as I just explained, I’m not good with that. I tried everything to fix it. By June (2015), I went into the studio and started writing. I was praying. I had already started on a spiritual journey when I got pregnant with Apollo (in 2013) that was sort of like, “Wow, really? I’m gonna be blessed with a baby... now?” That was a miracle. It just started me on this spiritual journey and thank God it started then because I was prepared when I had the tragedy. I had that nest of spirituality in me. They say everything happens for a reason.

And you kind of can’t see it until you go through it and look back at it and see all the signs. I had the baby. Then I got The Voice, which was so needed. I needed to do something like that. I needed to play that role, and I also got in the room with Pharrell again who’s been like a guardian angel to me.

You mentioned Apollo, and you also have two other sons: Kingston and Zuma. There are people who don’t appreciate the fact that you allow them to explore their feminine sides by painting their nails. How would you respond to those critics?

Obviously I’ve lived my life with criticism for a very long time and my personality is, I live in truth and reality, and if somebody says something about me and I don’t know them and they’re not my friend or part of my life, it really doesn’t affect me. Of course everyone’s gonna have their perspective and their opinion, and I know what’s real and what’s honest and true, and that’s really all that matters to me and all that’s important. So, it doesn’t really bother me. As long as my boys are protected and happy and I’m spending quality time with them, whether it’s doing sports or doing nails, it really doesn’t matter. What would you say to one of your boys if they came out to you one day?

I would be blessed with a gay son. You know that I would feel blessed about that. I just want my boys to be happy and healthy, and I just ask God to guide me every day to be a good mother because it is not an easy job. I’ve been lucky enough to have such a blessed life. I’ve been able to travel the world and meet so many different kinds of people. And it doesn’t really

matter if you’re gay, straight, whatever. There are good and bad people, and I would be happy. I just want my kids to be happy, and whatever journey God gives them is their journey. I just need to be there to be the most supportive mom that I can be and that’s what I’m gonna be. I always ask my gay friends, “OK, so what was it like when you were a little boy?” Because I do know that it’s gotta be difficult to be the alternative, to not be the mainstream, or to be different, if you want to call it that. I feel like it’s less and less (like that) these days, and it’s hard for me to understand because it doesn’t seem different or weird or anything anymore because it just seems so normal to me. I just saw that movie… what was it… The Dutch Girl? The Danish Girl…?

Yeah, The Danish Girl. I think what was so incredible about that movie was just – that was so long ago. I mean, can you imagine back then? Whoa. Now it feels like nothing anymore. _

As a pop star over 40, what’s it like navigating the pop world with so much pressure on youth, age and beauty?

There was a moment right before I did The Voice, in between (2012’s No Doubt release) Push and Shove and The Voice, where I was concerned about it and desperate to have new music and it took a little earthquake to be like, “OK, let’s get some perspective here. You’ve already had the longest career. You’re so blessed to have any of this and any of this that happens after this is literally icing on the cake.” I’m not delusional about where I’m at in my career. I know that this opportunity to have new music is magical, and there’s not one second that I don’t appreciate it and I think it is what it is. I feel proud of the career that I’ve had and I feel so grateful for it and I mean, we all have to go through life. This is life. Life is… “born to blossom and bloom to perish.” That’s it. That is what it is. And the way to do it is to be grateful and to be spiritual and try to do the best you can every single day – to be in the moment. I’m not thinking about the future. I’m really trying to focus on right now, today. I wanna be in the moment right now because it’s so much better if you’re not thinking about the past or the future. Gwen, you have such a healthy perspective on life.

Oh, I have to work on it! I work on it every single day. Some days I’m a mental case. e Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. He once made Jane Fonda cry. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

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| Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

HouPaul: All Things RuPaul in Houston SEASON 8:

The Race (‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’, that is) e by

Mark kariel

eason 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race continues at a fast and furious pace. At press time, the first four episodes have aired. Starting the season with only 12 contestants (the previous three seasons had 14 contestants each), four queens have been eliminated, and only eight queens remain. Be sure and stay tuned! The next two fabulous Season 8 contestants scheduled to appear on the South Beach stage are none other than Thorgy Thor and Naomi Smalls! On Saturday, April 9, South Beach is proud to present Thorgy Thor. Then, on Saturday, April 16, South Beach welcomes Naomi Smalls to our fine city and to the South Beach stage. For each Saturday night, there will be one big show with an encore after midnight, followed by an autograph and photo shoot party. Don’t miss your chance to have your photo taken with these amazing Season 8 queens! For more information, visit www. sobehouston.com, or call 713-5210107. South Beach is located at 810 Paciﬁc Street, Houston, Texas 77006.

8 Things You Need to Know About Thorgy Thor One of two Brooklyn, New York queens (Acid Betty being the other), with a total of three from New York (with Bob The Drag Queen rounding out the group), Thorgy Thor is a favorite to keep moving on up in the race for America’s Next Drag Superstar. With what is described as a fashion clown style, Thorgy is also a classically trained violinist, violist and cellist! Expect the unexpected! Prior to descending upon the South Beach stage on Saturday, April 9, Thorgy Thor gave MONTROSE STAR a close-up glimpse into her world.

MONTROSE STAR: First of all, condragulations on being selected as ONE of only 12 contestants appearing on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 8! What were your thoughts and emotions when you walked into the workroom and saw your competitors together for the very ﬁrst time?

THORGY THOR: I thought… Acid Betty?! She’s gonna be extra! And she is! Like always, I’m there to have fun with drag, so I was focused on making good friends for life, then sending them home. STAR: How has being a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 8, changed your life?

TT: Well, ThinGs changed overnight– very busy. And every second there is something to look forward to, whether it is traveling to a new city or meeting a new crazy fan of drag or meeting a new queen who asks advice! I’ve had many crazy ideas for stage and film for years, so now I can crack open my book of ideas and unleash them to a huge audience! Thank you, Drag Race, for opening that door. STAR: Please tell me about the friendships that you’ve formed with other RuPaul queens since appearing on Drag Race. Thorgy Thor

TT: I’M sTill friends with those two New York clowns, Betty and Bob. Chi

Chi won my heart, because at first I thought she was bitch, but she’d take a dress off her back and hand it to a queen in need. Cynthia is a crazy person who I can’t get enough of. Naomi reminds me of some of my best friends for years. They always just watch me and point out how crazy I am and imitate all my eccentricities.

like in the life of Thorgy Thor?

STAR: What advice do you have for local queens considering applying for Drag Race? BTW, we have never had any of our fabulous Houston drag queens on the show. Don’t you think it’s about time?

STAR: What’s your favorite food? Favorite cocktail?

TT: APPly! I haven’t stopped applying since season 1. And there are a few odd balls they casted on the show during previous seasons that made no sense to me. If they can get on, anyone stands a chance! I’ve been a New Yorker my whole life, but when southern queens come into town, I always cry when they leave because I fall in love. It’s time for a Houston Texas queen to take it on home! Be yourself in the video and show your best stuff—don’t hold anything back, because no one will ever see this video. They own it. So, wear your best, and go all out. Have fun! Drag is fun! STAR: When you are not on the runway or traveling, what is a typical day

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TT: PraCTiCinG Cello. InviTinG queens over to raid my closet—and clean it out! Digging for treasures at flea markets and thrift stores. Catching up on old films. I have some very eclectic friends who recommend great films to me constantly, so I try to make time to sit, watch and study.

TT: I eaT like an old man. I love Reuben sandwiches. That’s right—pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and mustard on rye. And lemon tarts. I drink coffee all day, but when it comes to cocktails, I need a whole page to fill up my favorite cocktails. But I drink Makers Mark and Amstel Lite. Those are my go-to’s. STAR: Boxers, briefs, or none of my business?

TT: VinTaGe silk La Perla.

STAR: Lastly, please describe yourself in only three words. (I know, LOGO might have already done this, but maybe the answer changes over time!)

TT: ATTenTive. MaGneTiC. Ready. It changes every time I’m asked this question. There are so many adjectives in the dictionary, so ask again tomorrow! Looking forward to meeting y’all! Thanks again for inviting me!

Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 17

Continues 8 Things You Need to Know About Naomi Smalls Naomi Smalls is a tall California queen—seven feet tall, to be exact! With legs, legs and more legs, Naomi is the youngest of the 12 queens at the tender young age of 22. Her name is a combination of supermodel Naomi Campbell and rapper Biggie Smalls (may he rest in peace). Naomi has a keen sense of fashion, so expect her runway looks to slay! Prior to descending upon the South Beach stage on Saturday, April 16, Naomi Smalls gave MONTROSE STAR a close-up glimpse into her world, too! MONTROSE STAR: First of all, condragulations on being selected as one of only 12 contestants appearing on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 8! What were your thoughts and emotions when you walked into the workroom and saw your competitors together for the very ﬁrst time?

NAOMI SMALLS: Hey, thank you so much! When I first entered the workroom was a very surreal moment. I have been watching the show since I was in high school and never thought I would actually be able to share the same experience as my favorite queens. STAR: How has being a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 8, changed your life?

NS: BeinG a contestant has changed my outlook on drag so much. We are fortunate enough to have so many different styles of drag and so many different personalities on this season that it really forces you to broaden your horizons and your outlook on what is “right.” Drag can be done and perceived so many ways, and that’s what keeps it so interesting.

NS: IF you are considering applying for RPDR, my best piece of advice would be to audition with your 100 percent self. The casting crew and producers can smell bullshit a mile away and if you are putting on a front in your audition video then they will press eject/exit. Also if you do make it on, come prepared! You can never be too prepared. You can never have enough costumes, wigs, lashes, nails, etc. STAR: When you are not on the runway or traveling, what is a typical day like in the life of Naomi Smalls?

NS: I aM most likely home all day in my underwear, online shopping or avoiding cleaning my room. Then at night I actually love going to local drag shows and seeing what everyone is up to, supporting the shows. It’s so much fun seeing your friends perform when you get a chance, rather than being backstage and trying to rush costume change between numbers. STAR: What is your favorite food? Favorite cocktail?

NS: I eaT like a picky seven-year-old kid, my favorite foods are dry cereal— Frosted Flakes, in particular—and French fries. My favorite cocktail is a pineapple vodka with peach Cîroc. STAR: Boxers, briefs, or none of my business?

NS: BrieFs! I need all the support I can get. STAR: Lastly, please describe yourself in only three words. (I know, LOGO might have already done this, but maybe the answer changes over time!)

NS: ThaT Tall bitch. e

Stay tuned for the next edition of MONTROSE STAR for many more upcoming RuPaul’s Drag Race events.

STAR: Please tell me about the friendships that you’ve formed with other RuPaul queens since appearing on Drag Race.

NS: The besT thing that has come from Drag Race so far is my relationship with Kim Chi. She has become one of my best friends. Even though our drag is so different from one another we pull a lot from similar references and have very similar opinions on how to do drag or execute a look correctly. We can facetime for hours just talking about runway collections or other queens’ makeup or some random episode of Sailor Moon. Kim is great—love him so much! STAR: What advice do you have for local queens considering applying for Drag Race? BTW, we have never had any of our fabulous Houston drag queens on the show. Don’t you think it’s about time?

Ru-minder:

Season 8 is in full swing! Head on over to JR’S BAR & GRILL each Monday night for a viewing party. The show starts at 8 p.m. JR’S BAR & GRILL is located at 808 Pacific St. Houston, TX 77006. +1 Google+ Find us on P F Facebook.com & P

PAGE 18

| Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

CookinG WiTh Paula DreaM

Comfort Food Heavenly Enough for a Church Social e by

Paula dreaM (aka kale hayGood)

H e by

Paula dreaM

(AKA KALE HAYGOOD)

2 7 10 Montrose Blvd. Houston, T X 7 7 006

713.526.0202 Order Online www.pepperonis.net

ello again, everyone! Hoping everyone had a good and safe Easter holiday. In my family, it was just understood that we would be in church almost every Sunday. However, it was even more understood that we would travel to my grandmother’s house to go to her little country church up in East Texas, so she could show off her grandkids to all her little old lady friends. We would absorb all the kisses from the little old ladies we didn’t know, while also absorbing all the smells of lavender, lilac, and sometimes Ben Gay. And I don’t mean “been gay!” One little couple of the little old ladies reminded me of the Baldwin sisters from The Waltons television series. I think that’s how I learned about “the recipe.” But the highlight of that visit was the after-church lunch my grandmother had been preparing for days. Oh my, so much food and so good. With spring here and summer coming, we think of barbeque. Let’s start with some ribs. We have to have some dessert to go with those yummy ribs, right? I can’t remember where I got the second recipe, but it is definitely not a low-calorie dessert! Have you ever found out at the last moment that family and friends are coming over and you feel like you have to have a little snack for them, or you are asked to bring something to a party? Our last recipe is every homemaker’s answer. » SO GOOD SOY-HONEY RIBS.

2 good-sized slabs of ribs 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepper ½ cup honey 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons Asian chili-garlic sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse the ribs and pat them dry with a paper towel—a very important step. Remove the thin membrane on the back of ribs as best you can (this makes them more tender). Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper, then wrap each rack of ribs tightly in foil. Place in a baking dish or on a cookie sheet and bake for about two hours, until tender. Bring honey and next six ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, stirring now and then. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for five minutes until liquid is reduced by about one-half. Remove ribs from oven and increase oven heat to broil. Carefully remove ribs from foil and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush each slab with three tablespoons of honey mixture. +1 Google+ Find us on P F Facebook.com & P

Broil for about five minutes until browned and sticky, Remove from oven and brush ribs with remaining mixture. » VERY CHERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE.

1 16-to-16-½ ounce package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened ⅔ cup sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 21-ounce cans cherry fruit filling (divided)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat deep dish 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Press cookie dough evenly into bottom of dish. Bake for 12 minutes then allow to cool completely. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla in a large mixing bowl ‘til smooth. Stir in one can of fruit filling, then pour mixture into cooled pie crust. Bake for 60-to-70 minutes until filling is set and slightly browned. Refrigerate, then top with the remaining can of fruit. » EASY MEATY BACON CHEESEBURGER DIP.

8-to-10 ounces ground beef or sausage 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream 1 cup chopped Roma tomato 4 pieces crispy bacon, crumbled ⅓ cup red onion, chopped salt and pepper, to taste pickle chips (optional)

Brown the ground beef, and drain. Break into small pieces. Season with a little salt and pepper. Leaving meat in skillet, reduce the heat to low-medium, and stir in cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Cook, stirring frequently until cheese is melted. Spread evenly in a shallow two-quart baking dish, topping with tomato, onion, bacon and pickle chips. Serve with chips or assorted crackers for dipping. I hope all my little dippers have a good week. Thanks for the comments and questions, and for supporting our advertisers who help make this publication possible. And, just possibly, I will share some stories of my trip to WeHo next edition. e Paula Dream, AKA Kale Haygood, owns Beyond Service, a Montrose-based, home-cooking catering company. For more information, call 713-805-4106 or email barrykale@yahoo.com.

Foodie Diaries

PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE & GRILLE:

A Pork Chop You Won’t Believe e by

JiM ayres

erry’s Famous Pork Chop may be the most magnificent protein to ever pass my lips. It’s so much more than a pork chop. Measuring “seven fingers high” (according to Perry’s website) and carved tableside, you actually get three ribs, an equivalent amount of loin, and a bit of the belly. It’s all roasted, smoked and caramelized to utter tenderness. It fills an entire platter. You can’t eat it all in one sitting, but you wish you could, so juicy is the meat, so velvety-sweet its cloak. It’s Perry’s most famous dish, the one folks keep coming back for, but the rest of the menu shines just as brightly. Not that the lighting does. Perry’s creates a conversation-oriented ambience that makes everyone look great. At a recent dinner at the Memorial City location, service was smooth as silk throughout the meal, with questions thoughtfully answered and dishes gracefully juggled. That our server was so easy on the eyes was purely by coincidence. Vodka martinis at Perry’s are elevated to an art form. Frosty glasses, chilled Ketel One, and decadent bleu cheese stuffed olives are the perfect icebreaker. From the cocktail menu, a Mango Passion Fizz takes those flavors and tops them with Chandon Brut. Colorful and refreshing! My companions raved over the wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette. But I wouldn’t be Jim Ayres if I didn’t order a wedge whenever available, and Perry’s is superb. Ice cold iceberg, bacon, red onion rings, grape tomatoes and bleu cheese—it’s all there, but each component is of the fine quality you expect at a steakhouse. And of course, a steakhouse is what Perry’s is at heart. Ribeyes arrived at our table perfectly cooked to order, with a

crispy (but not overbearing) sear sealing the medium-rare succulence within. Side dishes were generally wonderful, with Roasted Sherried Mushrooms and Grilled Asparagus—which you can also get fried—among the standouts. Of course, you can get a loaded baked potato anywhere, and I’d suggest doing just that. Perry’s put its spuds under the broiler after loading, and the congealed result just didn’t measure up to the rest of the meal. We paired our entrees with wine— specifically that king daddy of all steakhouse cabernets, a bottle of Stag’s Leap. The 2012 vintage shown on the wine list promised the big, bold flavors you expect from the brand, but the 2013 we were served was…quieter. Still, it was a smooth and agreeable compliment to steak and pork alike. Topping everything off was a Dessert Trio featuring cute but rich portions of Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, a Grand Marnier Chocolate Truﬄe and Praline Cheesecake. All were amazing. At the end of the meal, is Perry’s really any different than the 20-odd other steakhouses dotting the Houston market? I like to think Perry’s is special. That pork chop really will be a lifetime memory, and there’s a lot to be said for getting it at six area locations. Plus Perry’s is a local success story, having started in Houston in 1979. I’m going back soon, and you should, too! e

Perry’s

Steakhouse & Grille

9827 Katy Freeway (and other locations) Houston, Texas 77024

(832) 358−9000 www.perryssteakhouse.com +1 Google+ Find us on P F Facebook.com & P

Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 19

PAGE 20 | Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

YOU DESERVE

ANSWERS HIV Answers gives you the information you want, privately, right on your phone. Get started online at

Download the app at

HIVanswers.com

HIVanswers.com/app Answers

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10/29/15 11:10 AM

In The Gayborhood SPLASH, SPLASH, SPLASH:

Pros and cons of having your own pool e by

John buChanan

ello, my Gayborhood residents! Each and every issue we tap (I wish it was the tap your thinking about!) on topics pertaining to your home or real estate. This week we are going to discuss something fun, wet, exciting and always puts a smile on your face. Nope, you naughty boy—wrong topic, but close! Pools are this week’s topic. We will discuss the pros and cons of having or getting a home with a pool. Yes ma’am, in our Gayborhood I have attended and will attend some fabulous pool parties. They always start out so innocently, then they turn into…well, you know without me saying. Yes, they are a lot of fun and, just like in Vegas, what happens at the pool party stays at the pool party (or at least we hope). Every year about this time up until June I show lots of folks homes. One of the number one requests during this period of time is wanting a home with a pool. If you are seriously thinking about having a home with a pool, you should buy one with a pool already installed. Somebody else already paid the $50-to-$70,000 dollars. You have to understand, when you put a pool in it has to be for your pleasures because a pool costing $50,000 will not increase your home value that much. Do it for selfish reasons and spoil yourself for the fun of it, not for trying to make money because you probably will not make the entire cost of the pool back when selling. Lots of families with children try to find the home with a pool at this time so the kids can get established for the summer and have lots of new friends over because, yes, if you have a pool, all your friends and strangers wanting to be friends will be knocking. Another thing I want to make sure you understand is, yes, pools come with many advantages, but they do also have disadvantages. Cost, for one.

They are not cheap you have to clean them or have them cleaned. You have to maintain their chemicals (again, not cheap) and you also have higher insurance premiums because you do run the risk of someone getting hurt in your pool. Make sure you have proper gates and locks on the pools entries to ward off potential dangers or folks looking to have some fun when you’re not home. This is why it’s always a great ideal to find out who your Gladys Kravitz is in your neighborhood. Trust me, they will watch everything about your home whether you want them to or not. Sometimes this is good and— ha—not so good when you’re trying to have a naked swimming party. Yes, I said it and I am going to have one soon. Who wants to come? Another issue is keeping and maintaining your pool to make sure it always looks great and sparkling. I have a house with a pool and I have decided it’s easier and better management of my time to let someone else keep the pool ready at all times. It’s much easier. Yes, it costs, but I have a very affordable pool cleaning company, so there you go. I will say this: When I started looking and researching local pool companies, I was shocked at all the negative reviews some of them have. How hard is it to do what you say and say what you do? Some of the complaints were charges not approved, or saying you come when you didn’t. I love a home with a pool. That’s my preference, just like some prefer top and some prefer bottom—there is no wrong answer here. I would love to help you or your family find a great home to call your own, so please contact me and let’s make it happen! e Intero Realty’s John Buchanan has more than twenty years’ experience as a realtor, and writes ‘In the Gayborhood’ to communicate, educate and save his clients money. He welcomes all referrals whether you’re buying, selling, renting or leasing. For more information, call 832-969-4352 or email Johnwb214@aol.com.

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Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 21

PAGE 22

| Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

guidance that maybe would’ve made everything turn out a little differently. With that said, is the facial hair intended to shift you from the “All-American Boy” image?

(LauGhs) I’M really trying! I’m really, really trying. It’s not growing right! But it’s natural and nice. I just feel like it fits my personality to be more cuddly and look like a bear a little bit. Even having shitty facial hair fits my personality. (Laughs)

BOY PROBLEMS Steve Grand talks new music, touchy-feely fans and moving beyond ‘All-American Boy’ e by

Chris aZZoPardi

teve Grand can barely stand himself – that is, the superficial, Internet-packaged version of the singer/songwriter/dreamboat presented to the public since even before his 2013 viral hit “All-American Boy” rocked our gay world. “I don’t like the me that most people probably see,” admits Grand, 26. Now, the self-proclaimed “weird guy trapped in a douchey gym guy’s body” is tackling YouTube with a fun and frank smattering of endearing, no-holds-barred confessionals. He takes on his constantly-criticized image… and also a half gallon of Breyers, which he (in)appropriately slurps as he dishes practical advice on clean bottoms. In another video, called “Steve and Trev PUMP it up at the GYM,” Grand delivers on the dream of him wearing compression pants over his jockstrap. As he preps new music, the “AllAmerican Boy” is certainly less all American-y these days. In our new freewheeling interview, Grand opened up about everything and anything: people’s “low expectations” of him, his more carefree career attitude, his junk, boner kills, handsy fans, haters and his fear that someone will start singing “All-American Boy” while having sex with him.

I have a confession to make: I like you better now than I did at the beginning of your career.

FuCk you! (LauGhs) ... I’m kidding. Yeah, fuck me. I blame the Internet. I got bits and pieces of you. The abs. The music. But now, through your YouTube videos, we’re ﬁnally seeing the real you.

I’M noT so bad. People have (such) incredibly low expectations of me, that I just need to show up. For my performances, I need to not be terrible and people will be impressed. I just know people have really, really low expectations of me and that’s what the Internet does. I’m such an easy person to target. Young, goodlooking, white, gay men – we love to hate those people. But there’s been a real person there the whole time. It’s weird. For a long time there’s been a big disconnect between how much I could expect to be understood by people and how much I actually was understood by people. I had this unreasonable expectation that I was going to be understood by people and it took me a long time to get over that. I don’t make sense in any kind of headline, so I’ve kinda given up on that and I’m fine with it. The more you kind of give up and don’t care, the more people feel that and like that. When did you stop caring as much?

OF Course I do care. I revel in not caring, but I still am human. I’m not very good at crafting the public image version of me. I’m just not. I’m too messy of a person, and I care too much about being able to be a real dimensional human being. Why do you say you’re “messy”?

(HesiTaTes) There’s a good answer to this. Some people just make more sense in a headline. Taylor Swift – she’s an example of someone who’s not really messy. She’s a well-oiled machine. Everything about her is very comfortable and that’s one of the reasons she’s so massively successful. That’s not a criticism; it’s an objective observation. With me, I still am just a regular person operating in the same world as everyone else. I’m not rich and famous. And I think there’s a weird disconnect that, when someone has any degree of fame on social media or

whatever, we discount them as being a real, complicated human being. I feel like I have always fought for myself to be seen as a complex, nuanced human being, to the point where I would rather not have lots of success and notoriety if it means that I can’t let all the messy edges of me show.

“All-American Boy” categorized you as “country music’s ﬁrst out gay male,” but then you didn’t make any “country” music after that and even resisted the label. Was that time in your career as confusing for you as it was for other people?

WhaT I’M MosTly confused about is how important labels are to people. Music is music and maybe “AllAmerican Boy” is a country song to some people and maybe it’s not to other people. I just never put much energy into thinking about what it was classified as. I probably would’ve been smarter to, but I just genuinely don’t care about labels that much. I never called myself a country singer, so yeah, it was kind of confusing and another reason why you have to separate yourself from the way that you’re seen publicly. Even going down to the most basic details of who I am publicly, it’s not even correct. I never said I’m country and I never said I’m the first anything; those are all things that people associated with me and it had absolutely zero to do with anything that I said or did myself. Do you regret having that song be country-tinged at all because it put you in a box that you didn’t want to be in?

No – I have To learn everything through life experience. I didn’t have anyone taking me through this. It’d be so easy to get caught up in, “I regret this, I regret that.” We’re not all on the same playing field, and I’ve had certain advantages and I’ve also had certain disadvantages. One is that I really got into this on my own and I didn’t necessarily have the

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Can you talk about the struggle to be taken seriously as a music artist when there are half-naked photos of you circulating all over the Internet?

IT used To be really frustrating, but I’ve readjusted my expectations. I don’t have that high of expectations for the general public – I mean, we don’t even understand things that really actually fucking matter, like, with this election. So why should I expect people to take the time to understand me? I don’t matter. And people don’t even care about things that do matter. I take my music seriously. I’m a good musician and I’m a good performer, and I also like to work out my body and show it off sometimes. It’s a fleeting thing; when I’m 50, I’m not gonna look like this. Everybody has to feel like they have to be a special snowflake. People can’t just look at a picture of a hot guy and let it be beautiful. It has to be some statement about them. Let people just fucking appreciate what is beautiful and let things be beautiful if they’re beautiful. So, you never look at a photo of another guy and think, “I wish I could look that good”?

Oh My God – of course I do. But I try to take personal responsibility and not lash out at that person because they maybe make me feel less. I just fucking look at the picture and enjoy it. I’ve had a lot of moments where I’ve seen someone who is maybe more beautiful or someone who sounds better than me or has written a song that I think is gorgeous – yeah, sometimes I have that envy and that jealousy rises up. I could either leave a really bitter comment about it on the Internet or I could go work on my own shit and be the best I can be. Do you think your more risqué photos have helped or hurt your career?

Oh, I don’T know. It is what it is. I’m just trying to be myself. Would you ever go back into modeling full time?

I never was a model. I never got paid for any of it. I’m just another guy who has photos online of me in my underwear and that’s really all it is. It’s really true. I don’t know what qualifies as being a model anymore because we all have Instagram accounts. Max Emerson is a model. I’m not. I just wanted to take pictures of myself with my clothes off. You recently got naked for a promo advertising bassackwards tees. Tell me about that.

I GoT wiTh them and worked with them and we’re still figuring out which organization it’s gonna benefit. It’s definitely gonna be an LGBT

Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 23

organization. If people are gonna click on this shit then yeah, I’ll be a part of this cool T-shirt (campaign) and we’ll give some of the proceeds to our cause and everyone wins. How do they decide how much butt to show in a video like that?

Everyone’s seen My butt, but some days I’ll feel more like an instigator than other days; other days I want no part of that. With this, I don’t think I’d done anything that I hadn’t done before. I just wanted to make a video that was beautiful and sexy. Under what circumstances would you go completely au natural?

And show My dick? You can pretty much see it in some of the shots from the past, but I probably wouldn’t. I’d rather not. But if someone was like, “Here’s a million dollars,” I would be like, “Sure.” But, like, I don’t think my dick is that exciting. It’s just like, whatever. It’s pretty unremarkable. I think it’s good to be proud of what you have but I think there are more interesting things about me than my relatively… what’s the word I’m looking for? It’s very appropriately sized and shaped, that’s what I would say. That’s gonna be the headline somewhere: “Steve Grand calls his dick ‘unremarkable’

and ‘appropriately sized.’”

ThaT’s Fine. IF it makes people happy… How has notoriety changed your life?

ThaT’s a biG question. I don’t know. I have a Wikipedia page! Googling myself is a really scary thing that could have really adverse effects on my psyche! You’re not supposed to do that, Steve.

I deFiniTely don’T anymore. It took a long time. It’s been months since I’ve done it. I’m terrified of what’s out there. How has it changed dating for you?

When “All-AMeriCan Boy” came out I couldn’t be on dating apps without getting shit for it, but now it’s fine. It doesn’t really have any effect. Have you ever been faced with a ﬂirty fan that made you uncomfortable?

SoMeone was TiCklinG me as we were taking a picture and I’d kind of had it, and I think they thought they were being sneaky about it. But I really reacted and made a scene. “That tickles!” And I jumped. There’s a picture of me reacting. It’s hilarious. I was gonna repost it but I didn’t wanna embarrass the guy. Like, it’s fine. He was tickling my side; I don’t know what he got out of that. Sometimes people, if they’re more drunk, their hand will lower to my ass and I’ll be like, OOOK.

You have to slap their wrist?

Yeah. (TiCklinG) is one of those things. I felt like tickling me was really presumptuous and I didn’t like it. It was uncomfortable. One time there was someone who was a fan and I was like, “You’re really hot,” and, you know, that whole thing happened, but that doesn’t really happen. I just feel like I’m automatically put in a position when someone is a fan. I’m already something to them. There’s an expectation there. It freaks me out to think about if I’m having sex with someone they might be thinking about my music video, like that’s really weird to me. I wouldn’t like that. Or if they wanted to play your music during sex.

My Fear is that someone will start singing “All-American Boy” during it. People joke like, “Oh, I feel like we’re in your music video,” and that’s a boner kill. I like to keep those things separate. It’s so pure. What I put out there is so pure and I don’t want to think about purity when I’m actually having an intimate moment. What’s next for you?

I really do wanna have something out in the next couple of months and I wanna move more quickly with getting content out there. I really want to put

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out a full album, so I’m working on that right now. I’m in a better frame of mind and what I’m putting out is gonna be about a lot of things that happened in the last two years. I’m more grown up and things are gonna be more stripped down. I just feel like I’m better and more comfortable with myself, so I’m letting the edges of me be present on the album and in the recordings more than before. I was always trying to round off my edges because I wasn’t comfortable with them. It’s gonna be a little more gritty. It’s gonna fuck up people’s brains. So the “Anti All-American Boy”?

Yeah, I have a rebellious spirit and that’s what made me want to do “AllAmerican Boy” as my first thing, but now I’m rebelling against something different. I don’t feel like making a music video about two guys is an act of rebellion. So, what am I saying now? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself while making this music. It’s gonna be interesting. I’m grateful I’ve relieved myself of the burden of trying to be whatever expectations people had of me because I think I fucked all that up good enough to where I’m able to freely be myself now. e Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. He once made Jane Fonda cry. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@ chrisazzopardi).

PAGE 24 | Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

Ġ Thur › April 14

Ġ Wed › April 6

Ġ Wed › April 13

Q AD Players Grace Theatre presents The

Q Ripcord: Geeks Who Drink, 8:30pm Q Tony’s Corner Pocket: First Fling Q Tony’s Corner Pocket presents What the Duck? Variety show hosted by Duckie DuJour, 8:30pm – New dancer audition, 9:30pm

Apostle, 7:30pm (Thru 4/17) Q Alley Theatre presents Oliver! , 7:30pm (Thru 4/17) Q Ensemble Theatre presents Detroit ’67, 7:30pm (Thru 4/17) Q Ripcord: Geeks Who Drink, 8:30pm Q Tony’s Corner Pocket presents What the Duck? Variety show hosted by Duckie DuJour, 8:30pm

Ġ Fri › April 15

Q Numbers Nightclub

presents Classic Numbers – Pet Shop Boys X2 Release Party/ Giveaway Q Tony’s Corner Pocket: First Fling – New dancer audition, 9:30pm

Ġ Thur › April 7

Q Tony’s Corner Pocket: First Fling – New dancer audition, 9:30pm

Ġ Sun › April 16

Ġ Fri › April 8

Q Meteor Lounge hosts

Q East End Studio Gallery: Frida (Kahlo)

Q Numbers Nightclub

Carnival Saturdays, 9pm

Festival 2016 feat. adult and children’s lookalike contests, 6pm (Thru 4/22) Info at fridafestival.com Q Numbers Nightclub presents Classic Numbers Celebrates 25 Years! Q Ripcord: NLA Houston presents Spring Iniquity: A Leather Fest (Thru 4/10) Q Tony’s Corner Pocket: First Fling – New dancer audition, 9:30pm

Ġ Sat › April 9

Ġ Sun › April 10

Ġ Mon › April 11

Q Hobby Center for the Performing Arts presents Q MATCH: Bayou City Performing Arts’ Musiqa: Music from Near and Far, 7:30pm Q Meteor Lounge hosts Carnival Saturdays, 9pm Q Ripcord: NLA Houston presents Spring Iniquity: A Leather Fest (Thru 4/10) Q South Beach presents, from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Thorgy Thor Q Tony’s Corner Pocket: First Fling – New dancer audition, 9:30pm

Spring Concert Fundraiser, 4:30pm Q Ripcord: “Church” A Sunday Funday Party feat. DJ Tina, 3-8pm Q Shade Heights: April’s Out4Brunch, 12pm

presents Leaether Strip – The Zoth Ommog Tour, 9pm Q South Beach presents, from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Naomi Smalls – PLUS – Los Angeles (DJ Dawna Montell) vs Houston (DJ Joe Ross) for one night only Q Tony’s Corner Pocket: First Fling – New dancer audition, 9:30pm

Q Ripcord: Geeks Who Drink, 8:30pm Q Tony’s Corner Pocket presents What Ġ Sun › April 17

the Duck? A variety show hosted by Duckie DuJour feat. Male Dancers, Drag Queens and Games, 8:30pm

Ġ Tue › April 12

Q House of Blues: Live Nation presents The Divas of Drag, 9pm Q Ripcord: “Church” feat. DJ Tina, 3pm

Q KPFT 90.1 FM: Legacy Community Health’s

drive-time radio show every Tuesday, 4:30-5pm

Ġ Tue › April 19

Ġ Wed › April 20

Q Hobby Center: Theatre Under the Stars Q Ripcord: Geeks Who Drink, 8:30pm presents the Tommy Tune Awards Q Tony’s Corner Pocket presents What Q KPFT 90.1 FM: Legacy Community Health’s drive-time radio show every Tuesday, 4:30-5pm

the Duck? Variety show hosted by Duckie DuJour, 8:30pm

Please confirm your event–Dates and times subject to change without notice.

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Crossword.............................................................................................. 27

AMAZON, BUT NOT DOT COM P F FACEBOOK.COM/MONTROSESTAR

Hear Me Out ................................................................................. 33

Across the Ca .......................................................................... 30

Bonnie Raitt

A Couple of Guys

Gwen Stefani THE PARTY STARTS HERE!

THE MONTROSE

Section

WEDNESDAY APRIL 6, 2016 e VOL. VII, 1

Across the Causeway

Heavenly Homes and Homos e by

ForesT riGGs

iscover both at Galveston Historical Foundation’s 42nd Annual Historic Homes Tour Just about every gay man and woman dreams of owning a beautiful

home that showcases his or her exceptional tastes in art, decorations and furnishings—not to mention “to-die-for” landscaping that screams “look at me!” Heck, who wouldn’t

want a house that everyone else only dreams about? It is no secret that Galveston Island is chock-full of beautiful old homes. From the stately mansions that line Broadway and

the avenues, to charming cottages, bungalows and former tenement houses stacked on the alleys— Galveston has ‘em all. There are antebellum, columned S 24

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| Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

S 22 monsters, Victorians, Queen Annes, Italianates and even pre-Civil War slave-built and dwelt structures— everything architectural and all on one small bar island in the Gulf! Year ago, when I was teaching school in Navasota, I used to drive to work down LaSalle Boulevard and stare at the elegant old homes lining each side of the street. Tucked among the huge live oaks were grand structures built back when cotton was truly king, and a successful man’s worth was most often demonstrated in the size and construction of his domicile, a beacon for all to see what good fortune and wise dealings can manifest. I passed those homes everyday on my way to drab, WPAbuilt middle school and with every passing, I longed to see the gilded insides behind the massive columns and towering turrets. In those days, there were no “Historical Home Tours” or a fancy historical society to even suggest such a tour. Mostly, those activities fell to one little old lady, a former school teacher who prided herself on keeping and recording the history of the city. If you have visited Galveston or perhaps live(d) there, you are of course aware of the abundance of architectural masterpieces that dot every block. Some say there are more Victorian homes on Galveston Island than in any other U.S. city its

Across the Causeway

size. Casting your gaze in just about any direction, seems to validate this claim. As everyone knows, the good folks of Galveston love to share everything whether it’s food, fun, beaches, bars or gardens—and yes, even their beautiful homes!

Every year, through the efforts of the Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) and some generous homeowners, folks can enter selected homes and see firsthand the magnificent interiors and finery that one rarely gets to see.

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This year marks the 42nd annual Historic Homes Tour sponsored by the foundation. Every year the event grows bigger and better with a variety of offerings and variations in style, size, furnishings and design. Dwayne Jones,

Crossword Queeries AMAZON, BUT NOT DOT COM Across

1 With 28-Across, TV series with explicit lesbian content that NBC hopes to reboot 5 With 62-Across, actress of this puzzle’s theme 10 With 64-Across, actress of this puzzle’s theme 14 Club for Spencer-Devlin 15 Pisa place 16 Tennis stadium in Queens 17 Zips 18 Hot to trot 19 Tobacco wad 20 Cause lingering anxiety 22 De-balls 24 Composer Rorem 25 The Name of the Rose writer 27 Title for Derek Jacobi 28 See 1-Across 34 Tarzan portrayer Ron 35 Pears of a gay pair 36 Pro partner

37 Amanda of Married... With Children 40 Em or Mame 43 “John Brown’s Body” writer 44 Lending letters 47 Witherspoon of Cruel Intentions 48 Sidekick of 1-Across 51 J. Edgar org. 54 Moby Dick, to Ahab 55 Female flyer 58 Be deficient in 60 You wait for him to come on stage 61 Facetious “I see” 62 See 5-Across 64 See 10-Across 66 Elton John’s “You Got to Love ” 67 Makes potent 68 Looked like Rupert Everett in Inspector Gadget 69 Firing point for neurons

Down

1 Shortened street sign word 2 Wilde country 3 Pitcher who shares a name with Idol of porn 4 “Speak up!” 5 What Edith Piaf regretted 6 Place for trinkets 7 Albert to Armand, in The Birdcage 8 Title girl in a 1968 Turtles hit 9 Jane of a 1944 Moorehead flick 10 Milk acid 11 “My Boo” singer in drag? 12 Burn a bit 13 Bow source in Robin Hood - Men in Tights 21 “Big Daddy” Amin 23 Org. for your first mate 26 Von Trapp’s rank

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PAGE 28 | Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

president of GHF, says the tour offers a little something for everyone and this year will be the best yet. More than eight specially selected properties ranging from mansion style to rehabilitations in progress will be showcased on the tour. GHF maintains a revolving fund program that is used to save endangered structures, as well as promote inventive green technologies and stewardship. Over the years, the homes tour has been a tremendously wellreceived Island event, one that draw folks from near and far. It is amazing to pass the selected properties and see the colorful crowds waiting to get inside and have a glimpse. The properties are staffed with trained and knowledgeable docents who make each tour unique and amazingly interesting. LGBT folks flock to this annual event and do so with gusto; many are on the inside donating their time and talents

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as docents, ensuring that each visitor has an enriching experience. If you have enjoyed flipping through architectural or design magazines but never visited the homes tour, this annual event is the mother lode! Galvestonians are loveable, happy and proud—a community that takes pride in sharing its best with visitors, and these homes reflect that! The tour dates are April 30, May 1, 7 and 8 from 10 a.m. ‘til 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 after April 30. Tickets are good for all four tour dates and there are no individual home tickets. Tickets may be purchased at The Shop at the Palace (1402 Broadway), Eighteen Seventyone (2217 Strand) and the Architectural Salvage Warehouse (2228 Broadway). The very special “Dinner at 1893” provides those wanting to experience a catered delight in the beautifully restored James S. and Violet H. Waters home on April 30,, 7:30 pm. Price is $150 and includes a tour ticket. 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.

Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 29

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PAGE 30 | Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016

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Hear Me OuT

Gwen Stefani, Bonnie Raitt e by

Chris aZZoPardi

Gwen Stefani, This Is What the Truth Feels Like Poor Gwen Stefani, all heartbroken on “Used to Love You,” the launch single from her long-delayed album that set the stage for what seemed like a return to the rawness of her No Doubt days. Uncertainty and sadness and the rebuilding of her self-confidence – in just four minutes, the not-a-Hollabackgirl’s face scaled the full scope of emojis. In fact, the single and its understated video said more than the album that would follow a few months later. No, This Is What the Truth Feels Like isn’t the breakup confessional it wants you to think it is, and its truth-telling is only pop-star real, guised by indistinguishable trend chasers. With so few inspired offerings in its factory of store-bought Top 40 beats (among them, yes, a Gwen rap), what’s good? Gwen and her moxie are on the mend thanks to Blake Shelton, her current beau, so there’s that. She sings about it on the enjoyable “Make Me Like You,” gushing like a little girl smacked by love’s newness over a dizzying disco skate sound. In places, her feelings are raw and real. This is true of “Used to Love You,” which channels vulnerability and angerturned-defiance into a seambusting chorus that turns a literal twinkle into a typhoon of woeful dramatics. Greg Kurstin produces the folk-pop stargazer “Rare,” which refreshingly flavors the album’s predictable fare with some muchneeded acoustic-guitar-assisted rawness before it reaches a dreamy Kylie-esque chorus wherein Gwen confesses she’s “broken and insecure” and feels “worthless.” It’s the same kind of messy authenticity you wish was mirrored in more of this music.

Be,” a ballad you listen to with the lights out, Raitt’s voice is Namaste for the soul, working over the delicate keys slowly, soothingly, resting in just the right places, aching with just the right amount of ache. It’s a perfect ballad, but of course it is: Raitt knows her way around a tearjerker just as we know deep breaths and thinking happy thoughts won’t block the pain of a Bonnie ballad (you’re still recovering from Raitt’s 1991 Grammy winner “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and you know it). “I Knew” is good because it sounds like it should have already been included on a Best Of; the song is right within Raitt’s bluesy ’90s-era wheelhouse, and that chorus and its key change – during which she pleads “I would’ve run, but I couldn’t run; I would’ve flown, but I couldn’t fly” – is golden. All of Dig in Deep, though, calls for repeated plays, unraveling its lyrical truths layer by layer and doing the blues as only Bonnie Raitt can.

Grade: B+

ALSO OUT Zayn, Mind of Mine Ex-One Direction member Zayn Malik is damning his boy-band days with an act of rebellion that’s apparently indicative of adulthood: random caps. Though the 23-yearold’s solo debut goes to extremes to cut the 1D cord (like Cher, he calls himself, simply, Zahn), thankfully it’s far less contrived than his

Grade: C

Bonnie Raitt, Dig in Deep Imagine if Bonnie Raitt sang Donald Trump’s tweets. The point is, Bonnie Raitt can make the ugliest things beautiful. And for the last four decades, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s soulful rasp has done just that, turning sadness into catharsis, all the while demonstrating such impressive and seemingly effortless guitar skills she could nail performances in her sleep. And because, yes, good things happen in this world too, she has a new album out. Cue the heartbreak, right? On “The Ones We Couldn’t

grammar riot suggests. “rEaR vIeW” builds into a warm, electro looped, vibing with a Frank Oceanmeets-Miguel chicness that masks any traces of boy-banding. But it’s Malik’s falsetto, offering plenty of coo-y eargasms, that’s the most potent potion on Mind of Mine. Mmmmm. Let freedom ring. e

Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com. +1 Google+ Find us on P F Facebook.com & P

Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 33

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PAGE 34

Guide To The Clubs

HOUSTON

n MONTROSE - MIDTOWN

n DOWNTOWN / EADO

n HOUSTON - SW

Bayou City Bar & Grill

Lucky's Pub - Downtown

Crystal Night Club

2409 Grant St, Houston (713) 522-2867 | • bayoucitybar.com Dance | Food | Patio | Mixed

801 St Emanuel St, 77003 713-522-2010 • Luckyspub.com $$ | Sports Bar

6684 SW Fwy, Houston (713) 278- 2582 • crystaltheclub.com Latin Dance | Salsa

Crocker Bar

Moon Tower Inn

2312 Crocker St, Houston (713) 529-3355 Large Deck | Karaoke

3004 Canal St, 77003 832-969-1934 • damngoodfoodcoldassbeer.com $$ | Hot Dogs, Beer Gardens

Montrose Mining Company 805 Pacific Ave, Houston (713) 529-7488 Cruise | Levi South Beach 810 Pacific Ave, Houston (713) 521-0107 • sobehouston.com Dance Club | Dancers | Trance/House

Bonham Exchange

211 W. Fourth St, Austin (512) 320-8823 Dance | Pub | 20/30-Somethings

411 Bonham St, San Antonio (210) 271-3811 • bonhamexchange.net | Dance | House Brenda’s 81 Bar 7811 New Old Laredo Hwy San Antonio (210) 927-2337 | GLBT Friendly | Pub

Rain on 4th

n HEIGHTS CORRIDOR

/ WASHINGTON

13 - The Heights Bar 1537 N. Shepherd Dr. (713) 426-1313. Neighborhood Bar | Patio

Neil's Bahr 2006 Walker St, 77003 281-352-7456 • NeilsBahr.com Premier Nerd | Gamer | Intellectual hangout

217 W. Fourth St, Austin (512) 494-1150 • rainon4th.com Dance | House | 20 Something

4216 Washington, Houston 832-740-4933 • pearlhouston.com

Tout Suite

121 W. Eighth St, Austin • theironbear.com. Bear | Pub | Scruff

322 Milby St, 77003 713-555-5666 •damngoodfoodcoldassbeer.com $$ | Casual bar with 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

1500 N. Main Ave, San Antonio (210) 227-2600 | heatsa.com Dance | Lounge | House

23rd Street Station

Orleans Street Pub and Patio

One-O-Six

1706 23rd St, Galveston (409) 621-1808 | Neighborhood Bar | Pub

650 Orleans St, Beaumont (409) 835-4243 • orleanspub.com Neighborhood Bar | Pub

106 Pershing Ave, San Antonio (210) 820-0906 Neighborhood Bar | Pub

n NW HOUSTON

TC’s Show Bar

Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon

817 Fairview Ave, Houston (713) 526-2625 • tcshowbar.com Shows | Neighborhood Bar | CD/Trans

11410 Hempstead Highway Houston, TX 77092 (713) 677-0828 • neonbootsclub.com

The Ripcord

Viviana’s Night Club

715 Fairview Ave, Houston (713) 521-2792 • www.facebook.com/ripcordhouston Leather Uniform | Fetish | Men

4624 Dacoma St, Houston (713) 681-4101 • vivianasniteclub.com Latino | Tejano | Dance

802 S Staples St, Corpus (361) 882-5002 Neighborhood Bar | Pub

800 Lexington, San Antonio (210) 225-7330 | Neighborhood Bar | Show Bar | Drag

512 S Staples St.,Corpus Neighborhood Bar | Pub 609 McBride Lane. Corpus (361) 289-1442 Neighborhood Bar | Nite Club

Chain Drive

The Saint

Seven

3102 Seawall, Galveston (409) 974-4176 • Spashbargalveston.com Galveston’s only beach bar | Shows

6607 N I-35, Austin TX 78752 (512) 419-9192 • bouttime2.com Neighborhood Bar | Pub

1402 N. Main Ave, San Antonio (210) 299-4222 | Neighborhood Bar | Karaoke

The Hidden Door

Triangle Nite Club

‘Bout Time II

Pegasus

CORPUS CHRISTI

Rumors (Opening soon!)

AUSTIN

Neighborhood Bar | Shows | Dance | Mixed

1010 N. Main Ave, San Antonio (210)223-5418. Neighborhood Bar | Pub

BEAUMONT 304 Orleans St, Beaumont (409) 832-4206 Dance/Club | Lounge | Mixed

The Room Bar 4915 FM 2920 Rd, Spring (281) 907-6866 • theroombar.net.

Essence

Heat

GALVESTON

Voodoo Queen

820 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio (210) 212-6635 Dance | Latin | Lounge

The Copa

Neighborhood Art Bar | Live Music | Women

2001 Commerce, 77002 713-227-8688 • toutsuite.co $$ | Bakery | Cafe | Pub

Electric Company

The Iron Bear

Pearl Lounge

Michael’s Outpost Piano Bar 1419 Richmond Ave, Houston (713) 520-8446 Neighborhood Bar | Pub | Piano

Oilcan Harry’s

Silver Dollar Saloon 1812 N. Main Ave, San Antonio (210) 227-2623 | Dance Club | Drag | Country Sparky’s Pub

The Vault Night Club

1416 N. Main Ave, San Antonio (210) 320-5111 | Neighborhood Bar | Pub

424 Schatzell, Corpus Neighborhood Bar | Nite Club

Wax Club (Alternative) 2211 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio (210) 737-9191 • alternativetx.tripod.com Neighborhood Bar | Lesbian

SAN ANTONIO 2015 Place

504 Willow st • Austin chain-drive.com Leather | Bear | Neighborhood Bar

2015 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio (210) 733-3365 Neighborhood | Bar | Lounge | Karaoke

Lipstick24

Annex

606 E. 7th St, Austin (512) 474-2950 • lipstick24austin.com Women | Pub

330 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio (210) 223-6957 • theannex-satx.com Neighborhood Bar | Cruise | Leather

BRYAN COLLEGE STATION Halo Bar 121 North Main St, Bryan (979) 823-6174 | Dance Club

SOLUTION FROM P 27

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Montrose Star e | Wednesday April 6, 2016 | PAGE 35

THE FRIVOLIST

GOVERNMENT CHEESE:

Gay Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund

e by

Mikey roX

etting a well-deserved kickback from the IRS this year? Spend your tax refund gay-ly with these fey ways to enjoy that new stash of cash.

Spend the weekend at a ‘family’-style campground

Your idea of gay camping is likely that

one time you and your dude banged it out a la Brokeback Mountain under a tent at a local KOA, but there are actually entire campgrounds and sprawling wilderness resorts dedicated to hosting LGBT people for weekend getaways. You can find gay- and lesbianonly and even mixed-crowd sites across the country – some of which are clothing optional – by visiting Gay Camp USA online. The directory

distinguishes between male- and femaleexclusive locations, and lets you know which grounds are simply gay-friendly, if you prefer a little more inclusion.

Venture to Vegas for Britney, Mariah, Celine or J. Lo

With four of the biggest names in

pop music on the bill in Vegas, the decision is not whether to book a trip to Sin City but rather who to see – first. Between shows, pop over to Luxor for its Temptations Sunday gay pool party, which runs from May 15 to September 25; grab a bite in the glittering Cosmopolitan (affordable French restaurant Comme Ca is always a solid choice); or make it rain

aon go-go boys at off-the-Strip Share, a local favorite for flirty dancers and reliable DJs.

Pick up a few great LGBT books for spring reading

A couple Frivolists ago I recommended a double handful of LGBT-themed or -written books for your spring reading list. Pick up a few of those, or strike out on your own to find a few underrated titles that support our community of incredible authors.

Pamper yourself from head to toe, boo

Get your hair did, nails buffed, booty

massaged. You probably need a little dusting off after a long winter, anyway.

Rent a hotel room for a naughty nearby getaway

Book a room at fine

accommodations for you and old boy – or a new on-the-go beau (or both!) – to shake up your sex life. Pack a few toys,

create a sexy playlist, and go at it like two grizzly bears in heat since you don’t have to wash the sheets.

Pick a new Pride celebration to attend this summer

If you take your gay pride seriously,

show it off in a different city this year. Pride parades and other festivities are held all over the country – in municipalities large and small – to help you get in the spirit of telling whoever’s watching that you’re queer and you’re here. For a few under-the-radar ideas, check out this list of “Big Prides in small regions” I compiled last year.

Hire a hot handyman to play Mr. Fix It

Splurge – and do a little redecorating

Have a few “honey-do” projects around the house but don’t have a honey to do them? Farm the work out – hunky college students are generally willing to strap on a tool belt for a few hours for a decent wage – to start crossing items off your list. Don’t forget to tip.

Cover a wall with exquisite paper,

paint a room a vibrant color, sell off old art and buy new works, and swap out worn furniture for a few fresh pieces. I recently did a bit of redecorating myself, and I’ll let you in on a little secret: If you’re making an expensive purchase (like multiple pieces of furniture), buy the items in store opposed to online. I saved more than $500 in shipping fees and surcharges – and received 20 percent off two pricey items in store that didn’t qualify for the deal online – by shopping in person.

Gather your besties for a bavaallgame

One of my favorite all-time activities is

going to the ballpark – mostly due to the baseball players’ ample butts (I’m lookin’ at you, Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy!) – because there’s nothing quite like kicking back and enjoying a beer, a brat and a few hours of America’s pastime with my buddies. I have a goal to visit all the Major League stadiums and parks (there’s a difference) before age 40, and this summer I’ll be halfway there. Take a portion of your tax refund and support your local team (major or minor; AAA clubs need your love, too) this season. Say hi if you see me; I’ll be the guy flying my phone number in paper airplanes out onto the field. 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. He splits his time between homes in New York City and the Jersey Shore with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

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