THE FIGHT SOCAL'S LGBTQ MONTHLY MAGAZINE JULY 2018

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JULY 2018 | T H E F I GH T 1


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THECONTENTS

FEATURES 14 VALLEY PRIDE

STREET FESTIVAL SAN FERNANDO VALLEY’S LGBTQ PRIDE

22 PODCAST OF COLOR

QUEER FRIENDS UNITE

24 SLICKING IT UP

FETISH GEAR DESIGNER DAVID MASON CHLOPECKI

26 A PRINCE OF

TWO CITIES ARAM GIRAGOS BRIDGES THE GAP

30 WE DON’T SERVE

YOUR KIND HERE A VICIOUS CYCLE OF ANTI-LGBTQ BIAS

34 THE WAR ON SEX

ON THE COVER DAVID MASON CHLOPECKI WWW.SLICKITUP.COM COVER PHOTO, TOC PHOTO AND FEATURE PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM

THE CONSEQUENCES OF SILENCE

37 WRANGLER WEEKEND LOS ANGELES COUNTRY WESTERN BALL & DANCE

40 BETWEEN THE SHADES

DIRECTOR JILL SALVINO

DEPARTMENTS 09 THE NATION

TRAVEL BAN

10 THE TALK

LAVERNE COX

12 THE CITY OUTFEST

16 THE TRANSACTION TRANS PRIDE

18 THE ROSTOW REPORT LEGAL NEWS

32 THE SHARE

LOCAL RECOVERY

42 THE ART

JOE NIVENS

44 THE EPIDEMIC

FUTURE VACCINE

46 THE EVENT PRECINCT

48 THE CALENDAR THINGS TO DO

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Come Celebrate With Us At San Diego Pride

JULY 2018 | T H E F I GH T 5

A10-17-0000039

Designer


THEEDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stanford Altamirano MANAGING EDITOR Mark Ariel ART DIRECTOR Nadeen Torio MARKETING CONSULTANTS Rufino Cabang Tom Pardoe Sean Galuszka Jacci Ybarra SOCIAL MEDIA Mark Ariel Sinan Shihabi WEBMASTER Nadeen Torio ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Sinan Shihabi EVENTS MANAGER Joseph Arellano >> IN THIS ISSUE <<

THE FIGHT is proud to be a sponsor of the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, taking place this month, July 12–22, at state-of-the-art venues around the city of Los Angeles. Screening more than 150 feature and short films to an audience of more than 40,000 people, Outfest Los Angeles is considered the preeminent LGBTQ film festival in the world. For more info visit www.outfest.org. In this issue Syd Peterson considers the implications of the Supreme Court’s recent Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission decision. (“We Don’t Serve Your Kind Here,” pages 30-31). The owner of a bakery in Colorado refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple in 2012, citing his religious beliefs opposing marriage equality. The couple sued, and the case slowly made its way up to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). SCOTUS decided the case in favor of the baker last month. Legally and politically, the ruling was only a minor loss for LGBTQ people. The ruling was “narrow,” since this particular baker prevailed only because a major-

ity of the Court concluded that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission didn’t fairly consider his claims. Although he won his case, SCOTUS refused to endorse the broad constitutional right to discriminate against LGBTQ people as the baker and his supporters had sought. Nevertheless, a lot of LGBTQ people were upset and angry about the Masterpiece decision, and Peterson definitely understands why. “Masterpiece points to a vicious cycle of anti-LGBTQ bias,” he writes. “If we think we might be discriminated against because of our identity, some may choose to keep that identity a secret to protect themselves. When a person hides their LGBTQ identity, it exacts an emotional toll. But it also takes a toll on LGBTQ communities as a whole by creating a false sense that there are fewer of us than there e actually are. This results in the larger world being less aware of us and our lives, which means more people will assume everyone is hetero and cisgender and develop policies and expectations that exclude us. And the cycle continues…”

CONTRIBUTORS Dusti Cunningham Stephan Ferris Orly Lyonne Victor Melamed Paulo Murillo Roxie Perkins Syd Peterson Ann Rostow Brenden Shucart Ruben Zambrano GET THE FIGHT AT HOME Sent Via First Class Mail 12 Issues: $36 6 Issues: $24 Mail check or money order to: Third Step, LLC 611 S. Catalina St. Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005 PUBLISHER Third Step, LLC DISTRIBUTION Pride In Media The Fight Magazine is published monthly by Third Step, LLC. 611 South Catalina Street, Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005 Telephone (323) 297-4001 Fax (213) 281-9648 Email info@TheFightMag.com THE FIGHT MAGAZINE LEGAL CAVEATS By listing in The Fight Magazine, advertisers acknowledge that they do business in the spirit of cooperation, fairness and service, maintaining a high level of integrity and responsibility. Providers of products or services are fully and solely responsible for providing same as advertised. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers. Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility and liability for the content of their advertisements in The Fight Magazine.

STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Editor-In-Chief

Every month THE FIGHT donates a portion of its proceeds to an LGBTQ community organization. This month’s donation has been sent to The Trevor Project, a non-profit focusing on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Learn more at www.thetrevorproject.org. www.thefightmag.com 6 T H E F I GH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com

Publisher assumes no liability for safe-keeping or return of unsolicited art, manuscripts or other materials. The Fight Magazine reserves the right to edit all material for clarity, length and content. All contents © 2018 Third Step LLC. All rights reserved. Content may be reproduced with permission. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for any claims or representations contained anywhere in this magazine and reserves the right to cancel or refuse advertising at publisher’s discretion. TheFightMag.com For Display Advertising, please call (323) 297-4001


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THENATION >> POWER TO THE PEOPLE <<

CA ATTORNEY GENERAL XAVIER BECERRA

TRAVEL BAN

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has announced that as a result of “discriminatory legislation” that became Oklahoma law last month, the western state will prohibit travel to its midwestern counterpart. A 2017 California law requires that its attorney general keeps a list of states subject to a state travel ban because of “laws that authorize or require discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.”

NO MASTERPIECE The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop, the bakery that refused service to a same-sex couple in Colorado. The Court ruling was limited, however, finding the state agency that rejected the baker’s religion and free speech claims had been improperly biased against him.

TRANS BAN THWARTED

A federal court last month again said the Trump administration cannot implement its ban on most transgender military service while a lawsuit against it proceeds. “The status quo shall remain ‘steady as she goes,’ and the preliminary injunction shall remain in full force and effect nationwide,” Judge Marsha Pechman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington wrote.

BREAKING RECORDS AIDS/LifeCycle announced that participants raised more than $16.6 million dollars—a record amount in the event’s history—to support San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the HIV/AIDSrelated services of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. AIDS/LifeCycle remains the world’s largest single event HIV/AIDS fundraiser.

LGBT VETERANS MEMORIAL A bill that would make the LGBT Veterans Memorial in Cathedral City’s Desert Memorial Park the nation’s first official state memorial to LGBT veterans cleared its first legislative hurdle last month. AB 2439, authored by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, was approved by the Senate Governmental Organization Committee. n JULY 2018 | T H E F I GH T 9


THETALK >> W H AT T H E Y ’ R E S AY I N G <<

RUPERT EVERETT

LIVE AND LOVE

“I dedicate this award to the countless LGBTQ people who have fought and died … for the right to live and love as we are created to.” —Andrew Garfield, accepting the Tony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Play for his performance in Angels in America, last month.

ALWAYS DREAMT

ABSOLUTELY BLOCKED

“There’s tons of roles that I haven’t got for lots of different reasons, some of them probably for not being a good enough actor, actually, or doing a lousy audition… But there were three or four big films, when I was successful, that I was absolutely blocked from, when the director and the other actors wanted me to be in the film, by a studio, just for the fact of being gay.” —Actor Rupert Everett In a Press Association interview, last month. RICKY MARTIN

WISH THEY

LAVERNE COX

“You’re not crazy for thinking you’re a girl. You are a girl. Everything you’re going through now, everything is for a reason. And you’re going to get through it. And you’re going to be the person that you’ve always dreamt you’re going to be.”

—Laverne Cox on what she could have told herself growing up, to The Huffington Post.

FULL DIVERSITY

“I don’t know, my kids are too young, but I wish they were gay.”

“In the past few years, Hollywood has made an effort to create and cast transgender characters in a more authentic way… However, we have a long way to go before the full diversity of the trans community is portrayed in film and TV.”

—Ricky Martin, in an interview with ABC last month, saying that being gay makes him “stronger,” and that he hopes his children will be too.

NICK ADAMS

—Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Media & Representation, in an interview with Variety.

UNDERSTAND US “A lot of companies join in on the Pride celebration to show they’re all-inclusive when they’re really not. They don’t research us. They don’t understand us. They don’t attempt to comprehend us.”

DOMINIQUE JACKSON

ANDREW GARFIELD

—Pose star Dominique Jackson calling out Coach for misgendering her in their “Pride Ball” invite, last month. The company later apologized for its mistake.

www.thefightmag.com 1 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com

MORAL OBLIGATION

“Maybe it’s TV’s moral obligation to educate the masses and introduce them to characters from all different walks of life, that identify as ADAM all different types of things— LAMBERT including queer or trans and bi-racial. All these issues we’re looking at right now, I think TV has been pushing in a good way.” —Adam Lambert in an interview last month with NME.


JULY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 11


THECITY >> BY PAULO MURILLO <<

L O S AN G E L E S

OVER 150 LGBTQ FILMS THROUGHOUT THE CITY Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival—eleven days of not to be missed world-class films, panels, and parties—takes place this month, July 12–22, at stateof-the-art venues around the city of Los Angeles. Screening more than 150 feature and short films to an audience of more than 40,000 people. Outfest Los Angeles is considered the preeminent LGBTQ film festival in the world. The annual festival will open with Matt Tyrnauer’s vibrantly nostalgic documentary, Studio 54, featuring interviews with many of the legendary nightclub’s famous patrons, as well as those who worked behind the scenes during its heyday. The festival will close on July 22 at The Theatre at the Ace Hotel with Desiree Akhavan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, The Miseducation of Cameron Post. For a compete list of screenings and locations visit: www.outfest.org. STUDIO 54

PA L M SPRIN GS

STATE LEGISLATURE RECOGNIZES ALL-LGBT COUNCIL California’s State Senate and Assembly recognized the city of Palm Springs for electing the nation’s first all-LGBT city council last month. Palm Springs’ city council consists of Mayor Robert Moon, Mayor Pro Tem J.R. Roberts, and Councilmembers Geoff Kors, Lisa Middleton and Christy Holstege, who make up three gay men, a transgender woman and a bisexual woman. The council members traveled to Sacramento for their recognition ceremony with City Manager David Ready. They met with state politicians about cityrelated issues including pensions, housing, transportation and land use.

H O LLYW O OD

TRANSGENDER WOMAN REPEATEDLY STABBED Police are investigating the attack of a transgender woman who was stabbed repeatedly last month in Hollywood. NBC Los Angeles reports that the victim was 1 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

walking alone and talking on a cell phone when she was stabbed twice in the right arm and once in the left. She was treated at the scene of the crime, which occurred around 2am near Franklin Avenue and the 101 Freeway entrance ramp. The woman told police the man was wearing a dark brown jacket and made a threatening remark before the assault. No arrests were reported as of yet. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

WES T HO L LY W O O D

LA PRIDE FESTIVAL OVERSOLD, SHUT DOWN BY FIRE MARSHALS The LA Pride Festival in West Hollywood last month was oversold, which prompted fire marshals to step in and shut down the venue two hours before it was supposed to end. People waited for upwards of three hours before they were turned away. A lot of them had already purchased their tickets. Christopher Street West promised to honor the unscanned tickets the following day, however, Sunday’s festival was sold out by noon and tickets holders were once again turned away.

LA Pride released the following statement after the fiasco: “We know that we made mistakes and we are sorry. Yes, we oversold tickets, and we accept responsibility for all the issues that caused at the door.” Anyone seeking a refund should contact help@seetickets.us or call 323.908.0607.

L O N G B E AC H

BLACK BAR TAKES OVER FORMER GAY BAR PARADISE GRILL Black Bar, a skater bar that also serves food and caters to a straight crowd, is taking over the LGBT watering hole, Paradise Grill space, which closed on March 20. New owners and business partners Shannon McManus, 51, Bethany Black, 41, and former professional skateboarder Heath Kirchart, 40, also operate the very straight Black Bar in Hollywood. Q Voice News reports that there are no queer nights in the horizon for the former Paradise space. Black Bar has no plans for specialty nights of any kind as of yet. The owners are concentrating solely on opening for business. n


O C C A B TO XIC IS TO

S I H T S I E LIF N O N C I X TO

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>> SAN FERNANDO VALLEY PRIDE <<

SEAN WOLF GALUSZKA

San Fernando Valley’s first ever LGBTQ Pride takes place next month.

CAZWELL

VALLEY PRIDE O STREET FESTIVAL

n August 12th, 2018, the first annual Valley Pride Street Festival will take place on Burbank Blvd from Cahuenga Blvd to Strohm Ave in North Hollywood. Celebrating “diverse and alternative lifestyles,” Bullet bar owner and event creator Michael Lara explains that “there is a need for a Pride Festival in San Fernando Valley. We have around over 1.7 million people living in the SFV—which means there are around eighty thousand LGBT people living in the area with nothing or close to nothing for them.” Performers at the festival include Candis Cayne, Cazwell, Big Dipper, Pickle, Don Mike and Sean Wolf Galuszka.

PICKLE

BIG DIPPER CANDIS CAYNE

The Valley Pride Street Festival will be offering a free shuttle from North Hollywood Metro and the festival. For more info—visit www.valleypride.org.

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THETRANSACTION >> TRANSGENDER IN AMERICA <<

Council member Andrea Jenkins, the nation’s first openly transgender AfricanAmerican woman to be elected to public office. “We’re always thrilled to welcome Trans Pride L.A. back to the Center,” said Gina Bigham, the Center’s Cultural Arts Coordinator and organizer of the festival. “It’s one of our signature events each year at the Center and a wonderful opportunity to bring Southern California’s trans and gender non-conforming communities together to celebrate our strength and resilience.” The event coincided with the opening of Let Me Show You Something Beautiful, an art exhibit in The Village’s Advocate & Gochis Galleries, featuring the photography of Academy Award-nominated filmmaker/ photojournalist Kimberlee Acquaro. The celebration also included a selfdefense workshop; a clothing swap sponsored by TransTribe Los Angeles; and a discussion with gender nonconforming/ nonbinary panelists. A day before the event THE FIGHT magazine hosted the Trans Pride LA Pre-Party at The Abbey in West Hollywood. Trans Pride L.A.’s sponsors included Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, THE FIGHT magazine, and Happy Hippie Foundation. Transgender Law Center and TransTribe Los Angeles were community partners. The festival’s music sponsor was Shadout. Exclusive vodka sponsor was Tito’s Handmade Vodka. ■

TRANS PRIDE LA

A weekend celebration, the event included speakers, exhibits, and a pre-party at The Abbey in West Hollywood, hosted by THE FIGHT. BY VICTO R MELA MED | PH O TO S BY TOM PARDOE

T

he Los Angeles LGBT Center’s annual Trans Pride L.A. festival, one of the oldest and largest trans celebrations in the country, took place last month at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza in Los Angeles. For the seventh consecutive year, Trans Pride L.A. kicked off with the Center’s ongoing community forum series Big Queer Convo. This year’s speaker was Minneapolis City

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THEROSTOWREPORT >> BY ANN ROSTOW <<

WINSTON GODWIN (L) AND GREG DEROCHE (R), A BERMUDIANCANADIAN COUPLE, CHALLENGED THE BERMUDA SUPREME COURT AND WON THE RIGHT TO MARRY ON THE ISLAND IN MAY 2017, BEFORE THE NEW LEGISLATION REPEALED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE.

THE UNFATHOMABLE HORROR

It’s tough to focus on LGBT news when our country is incarcerating children and perhaps permanently removing them from their families. Readers, we have a monster in the White House. And his Republican colleagues are not much better, furiously grasping for political cover without any attempt to find a solution that could garner 60 votes in the Senate. Spineless. Oh, I see that Trump is going to sign something to mitigate the situation, but I will continue my rant anyway. I’ll believe it when I see it. Have any of you ever taken care of a toddler? Not your own child, but a nephew or niece, or in my case, a grandchild? Everything’s fine for several hours until the kid starts wondering where Mommy and Daddy may have disappeared to and when or if they might return. Then comes a period of tension when the strategy is to distract with shiny objects, candy or screen time, usually in vio-

BERMUDA’S SUPREME COURT LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LAST MONTH IN THE BRITISH ISLAND TERRITORY AGAIN— OVERTURNING A BAN THAT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW JUST FOUR MONTHS AGO. lation of parental regulations. If you’re lucky, you make it to bedtime. If you’ve mistimed the evening, get ready for the sudden crying and screaming, the fear that somehow the world will never be made right. Not even Uncle Tim or Grand Ann can calm a terrified child of a tender age. The notion that hundreds of these traumas have been taking place is unfathomable. As for the parents, many of whom are deported by force back to Central America without their children, what kind of torture is this? What did they do to deserve it? Trek

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through miles of dangerous country to reach the U.S. and ask for asylum? It would be kinder if we just broke their arms without anesthesia.

LEGAL NEWS BLAH BLAH BLAH. IT’S IMPORTANT!

Okay. Back to our main topic. You’ve already read the mixed reviews of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion in Masterpiece Cakeshop v Colorado. Yes, we basically won that case, even though the antigay baker, Jack Phillips,

got a special pass from the High Court. As proof, consider a ruling from an Arizona appellate court, which was waiting for Masterpiece before ruling on the case of an antigay stationary store that wanted to reject gay wedding clients. About a week after the June 4 Masterpiece Cakeshop decision, the Arizona court ruled against the store, quoting Kennedy’s opinion and upholding the primacy of the Phoenix civil rights ordinance. The bottom line is that no, you cannot use the First Amendment to avoid general anti-discrimination laws, whether they are protecting racial minorities or the LGBT community. So that’s good. But I’m still afraid that conservative courts can and will twist the Masterpiece ruling into an antigay weapon. Meanwhile, the Court has yet to take action on a petition from Washingtonbased Arlene’s Flowers, another business that declined to do business with two gay men who were getting married. Arlene’s Flowers was sued by the state of Washington, and


> > T H E U N F AT H O M A B L E H O R R O R • L E G A L N E W S B L A H B L A H B L A H . • R O YA L R O M A N C E , G AY S T Y L E < <

lost at the state supreme court. We expected the Masterpiece opinion to settle this case as well, but since that decision was somewhat convoluted, who knows whether or not the Court will accept review of this case? In other High Court news, we have another Title VII workplace discrimination suit on the Supreme Court’s list of petitions for review. You remember that the justices declined to hear the appeal of a gay rights Title VII loss at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. But in the Zarda case here, we won before the full bench of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, so the High Court would normally accept review in order to clarify federal law. At issue is whether or not Title VII’s ban on sex discrimination in the workplace inherently includes a ban on sexual orientation discrimina-

tion. Over a half century and change, courts have interpreted the scope of Title VII in thousands of cases, leading for example, to the conclusion that the law bans discrimination based on gender stereotyping. The idea that gay bias violates Title VII is increasingly accepted, but you know who has the final word? The High Court of course. And not to belabor this, but if the Court were to rule in our favor, that would mean that gay bias is illegal, not just in the workplace under Title VII, but throughout federal law wherever sex bias is prohibited. As such, Zarda could be the most important legal battle in the history of gay civil rights.

ROYAL ROMANCE, GAY STYLE Let’s see. There’s a ton of legal news as is often the case,

but do you need all the details? We got yet another ruling in our favor in one of the transgender military lawsuits. The Canadian High Court ruled against a proposed law school that planned to impose some kind of heterosexual mandate. A lesbian lost a Title VII case in Kentucky. Another Title VII case continues before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Oh, and the Filipino Supreme Court is reviewing marriage equality, which has the support of murderous dictator Rodrigo Duterte. Really? Speaking of marriage, you should know that the Bermuda Supreme Court reinstated same-sex marriage rights. The High Court had already ruled in favor of equality once, but the island’s parliament had replaced marriage with a domestic partner scheme. That maneuver was challenged in court, and the

judges reversed it. Okay then! I’m assuming there’s no chance of Parliament trying their little game a second time, and I suppose this means we can go back to booking vacations in the fussy little British outpost, where we can rent dangerous mopeds and crash them together with our samesex spouses. And speaking of the Brits, did you see that the Queen’s cousin, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, was planning on marrying his partner, James Coyle, late June? I suppose the men will already be married by the time you read this issue. Mountbatten’s ex-wife Pamela was to give him away in a ceremony that marked, in his words, “an acceptance of this great love.” (Cue: “A Time For Us”). n arostow@aol.com

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FILM BRINGS US TOGETHER

LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL JULY 12–22, 2018 OUTFEST.ORG 2 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

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GRAND SPONSOR


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TOP L-R:

> > D O N G Y I WRENE U < <HERNANDEZ,

RAKEEM CUNNINGHAM. BOTTOM L-R: BAIZE WHITE, JOHN ALEXANDER CAGANDAHAN.

Four friends r come togethe to create a st weekly podcase “to make sen.” of the world

A

B Y M A R K ARIEL | PH O TO BY RA KEEM CU N N IN G H AM

weekly show about four queer friends of color, from The Bay, LA and NYC, coming together to give their opinions on “pop-culture, social justice, and bullshit,” Podcast Of Color (POC) has been receiving rave reviews from listeners and critics alike. “A lot of the times the mainstream queer voices you hear from people of color tend to be from people who have to censor themselves in order to be successful,” says Rakeem Cunningham, 26, from Los Angeles, in an interview with THE FIGHT. “That’s why I love our show and podcasting because we say what we want and we aren’t censored.” “When I do see queer folks of color in the media they tend to fit the very specific aesthetic of the ‘palatable’ POC,” states Rene Hernandez, 22, originally from LA but currently living in the Bay Area.

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PODCAST OF COLOR

“Like a show or film will pride itself on diversity or representation and it turns out they only really represent ‘white’ Latinx folks.” While the podcast addresses a variety of issues affecting the LGBTQ community, some episodes stand out more than others. “Our episode about sexual assault still comes up a lot,” says Baize White, a 26-year-old LA native, who has been a New Yorker for the past year. “People aren’t used to hearing frank discussions about sexual assault in queer spaces. I think sexual assault is seen as par for the course in the gay community especially. So it’s not often talked about seriously.” “I opened up about a time where I was almost raped,” reveals Rakeem. “It’s the first and only time I’ve spoken about it publicly and the amount of love and support I’ve received from people that week

was overwhelming. I got messages from people I thought didn’t even like me to say thank you for sharing your story.” “There is an episode where I came to terms with my non-binary identity and I cried really hard,” confides John Alexander Cagandahan, 31, originally from New Jersey, currently living in LA. “After that episode we got a lot of sweet emails and someone wrote me a poem and I cried again the following episode.” “There was another episode where we talked about anxiety and sexual anxiety,” reveals Rakeem. “I think it’s things people experience but are embarrassed to talk about … and by shedding a light on it, we hope others feel empowered and not demonized.” For more info visit www.podcastofcolor.com. Twitter: @trashofcolor. IG @podcastofcolor.


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>> COVER INTERVIEW <<

Fetish gear designer David Mason Chlopecki (slickitup.com) on his love for leather, his childhood influences and his collaboration with Tom Of Finland. BY RU BEN ZA MBRANO | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNI NGHAM

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avid Mason Chlopecki has had a busy year. He and his husband (creative director/ graphic artist) Alvaro Masa have relocated from New York to Los Angeles. His hugely popular fetish gear company Slick It Up (slickitup.com) has begun collaborating with Tom Of Finland and business has been booming. In an interview with THE FIGHT Chlopecki talks about his love for leather, his childhood influences and his relationship with spandex. More of a statement into a question: You are a fine artist, a contemporary artist. An LGBTQX icon. When did fashion come into play? Thank you. My God… Well, I certainly remember when I was young talking about my mom’s Vogue magazine, pronouncing it “VO-Gooh” at the time [laughs]. I knew it was important to her and I wanted her attention. But I’m not really a “fashion” person, never have been really. I like style, creativity and costume. Slick It Up’s collaboration with Tom of Finland just launched. Tell us about that. The Tom of Finland Foundation asked us to collaborate with them. They’re so formative for me. It’s an honor to participate. All designed by my husband, Alvaro. There are four swim suits, ten shirts and a button down shirt. When I was in college, at 19, I was doing paintings w/ GI Joe, HeMan and Tom’s guys in a scenario before I knew who and what “Tom of Finland” was. Now at 43 we’re working with them for this collection. Incredible. You participated in the Off-Sunset Festival this year. How was that for you? I was very happy to be in a space where people where friendly, really open, having a great time. and what a good looking 2 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

“I ALWAYS FELT THAT I WAS A COMBINATION OF MASC/ FEMME. I WANTED A SPACE FOR MYSELF AND I’VE ALWAYS BEEN VOCAL ABOUT THAT—AND THAT MADE ROOM FOR ALL OF MY FRIENDS. I WAS RAISED BY A NEW YORKER, UNAPOLOGETICALLY BOLD.” crowd. We’re excited to be there again. “Big Leather” has been added to your brand. Tell us about that. I’ve always loved leather. It’s a high price point and costly to make. Spandex was more affordable and accessible to our audience. We’re at place now where we can work with leather. I personally wear a lot of spandex. But as I mature, leather comes into play, it’s a lot more structured. When were you drawn to the leather/ BDSM community? When I was 5 or 6. Seriously. Watching Billy Idol videos and seeing those women and him … thinking YES!!! Was the community welcoming when you started your business 14 years ago? In the beginning, no. Accepted by some,

mocked by others. But now its different. Most shops have spandex and leather side by side. They’re staples. You started Slick It Up with a thong, correct? No, a hood. Our logo is the “Hood.” Hoods to bodysuits to thongs. Now there’s dozens of styles in various categories. Who are your influences? From the personal to fashion and design. My childhood… Nature! Fantasy, Disney, HE-Man, Comics. Creatures more “fiercer than you” from my blog, a deep sea creature, a praying mantis… Mugler, Walt Disney, Jean-Paul Goude, Bob Mackie. I’m very limited. My spectrum of influence is deep and tight. In life—I’m inspired by my friends and husband the most. You have moved around a bit—Glens Falls, NY to Minneapolis MN, to CalArts in LA to NYC then back to LA. Why the move at this stage of your life and career? New York was done for me. I lived a full and complete wonderful life in New York. I went there a kid and I walked out an adult. I was ready to live a whole new life here in LA—where the quality of life is better. You merge the masculine and the feminine without apology and with complete abandon. I consider it brave. Where did that come from? I always felt that I was a combination of masc/femme. I wanted a space for myself and I’ve always been vocal about that— and that made room for all of my friends. I was raised by a New Yorker, unapologetically bold. Follow David Mason Chlopecki on Instagram: @slickitup. Follow Ruben Zambrano on Instagram @iloveruben.


> > LEO HERRERA, COLUMBINE DEMERS, BRENDEN SCHUCART < <

JULY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 25


> > F E AT U R E I N T E R V I E W < <

A PRINCE OF TWO CITIES Actor, musician, adult film performer, therapist, and writer Aram Giragos on bridging the gap between San Francisco and Los Angeles. B Y B R END EN S HUCART | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUN N INGHAM

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ven if you don’t know who he is, you’ve seen his face; smoldering wolf-yellow eyes piercing your soul from party fliers and go-go boxes up and down the West Coast. Or maybe you’ve encountered his thoughtful meditations on queer community and relationships on the internet or in the pages of some magazine. It’s even possible you’ve heard his music while listening to the radio, or flipping through YouTube channels. Aram Giragos (aka Adam Ramzi) is an actor, musician, adult film performer, therapist, and writer—part of a loose-knit class of LGBTQ artists, activists, thinkers, and leaders emerging to shape the conversation about what it means to be Queer in the post-equality/post-PrEP era. Aram was born in Los Angeles, and knew from an early age that he wasn’t “like the other boys.” At the small Armenian American private school Aram attended from kindergarten through his senior year, there was a very specific model of how a man should carry them-

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“SEX IS A HUGE PART OF HOW WE DEVELOP PSYCHOLOGICALLY, AND FOR ME PERSONALLY, IS A HUGE PART OF MY IDENTITY, AND OUR IDENTITY AS A COMMUNITY.” selves through the world, and he never quite fit into it. While the other boys listed to Metallica or Tupac, Aram was devouring Bjork and Radiohead. “It wasn’t until after I became an adult that I realized that even though I always had this desire for the other kids to like

me, especially the popular ones, I also quite enjoyed and even preferred being different from them.” After college Aram pursed music, playing base for the the band IO Echo at the height of his career before leaving the band. He wanted to help people. So he went back to school to study Queer Theory and LGBT Development. And while in school Aram was approached by an adult film studio, and “Adam Ramzi” was born. “Sex is a huge part of how we develop psychologically, and for me personally, is a huge part of my identity, and our identity as a community. Not having other queer kids around me as a young boy must have instilled that in me or something. I could not fathom speaking to someone else about finding a man attractive.


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>> ARAM GIRAGOS <<

That does something to a kid, way more than we could realize.” For Aram, Adam Ramzi was a way to turn that process on its ear, and gain an awareness of his physical body while processing all the implications that come with having sex with another person, as well as being okay with sharing his naked body with the world. “Call it attention seeking, call it being a slut, whatever, it’s both those things, and owning that and making the best of it has been absolutely liberating. So when it comes up in the room with a counseling client, I try my best to provide an environment where that shame that we’ve had all these years, and all these negative associations we have with some of our deepest desires... it all just disappears, and now we are just humans having a conversation about sex. And the more we know how to talk about it in a way that is healthy and open, the more we get to know our deepest selves.” Aram says that he will sometimes catch himself thinking about his alter ego, and wondering if it will impact his future career in negative ways, and he gets mad at himself. “I worry that maybe a certain counseling position at a school or something won’t hire me, or maybe a certain acting gig would be impossible to land, and sometimes I will even be careful how I word my experiences on a social media post, and I will actually question myself... Like wait, you can’t preach about openness and not be totally OPEN. So I’m working on that, and being open with even that struggle is part of my particular process.” After earning his Masters in Psychology, Aram received an invitation to apply for an internship in San Francisco—a city he had been visiting for years, and had always loved—at the SF Therapy Collective. He leaped at the opportunity. A few short months later he packed up and moved up to the City by the Bay. He was very happy here, but after three years he started to feel LA calling him home. “I will admit, there was something that always felt somewhat temporary about living in SF. I have an apartment in LA that I was never willing to let go of, so I sublet it out, and I’m very connected to my family here. I moved up to SF, did some good work, made some amazing friends, and learned so much about how to create and foster community. I felt the call to come 2 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

back and use what I’d learned down here, and continue to bridge the gap between the two cities.” As the Tech Boom in San Francisco both creates greater opportunity, drawing in many Angelenos looking to make their fortune, and displaces SF artists who move to LA looking for cheaper rents while staying within California lifestyle, the LGBTQ communities feel ever more connected and inspired by each other, and the gap between the two has begun to feel smaller, though it still exists. “When I first moved to SF, the disdain [expressed by San Franciscans against LA] was much worse, and I couldn’t help but

“IT TOOK A MINUTE, BUT I FEEL LIKE I’VE GOTTEN A BETTER HANDLE ON HOW TO CREATE THE KIND OF COMMUNITY I NEED AROUND ME TO THRIVE, AND FIGURING OUT A VARIETY OF WAYS TO FACILITATE IT.” be curious about it. I would actually ask people who had negative reviews of LA to clarify their positions, and the responses I got were sort of shallow and not really based in anything. ‘I just hate how fake LA is,’ or some nonsense. I see them each for what they are, and what they are is not for everyone!” Now that he’s had the opportunity to live in both cities, Aram has come to consider both of them his home, but the rich creative environment he sees permeating LA’s LGBTQ community keeps him excited about life in the Southland. “This is a city of creators, and I feel like I’m bearing witness to all this creative energy being tossed around, and it’s being reflected even in just the parties we go to. Pool parties aren’t just populated by haircuts in speedos anymore, and even the circuit party scene is being turned on its ear by transfolk, artists, people of color,

muscle boys who can turn a look and not be afraid of being judged. I take a step back and look around at these shared spaces, and then I’m like holy shit, these are my FRIENDS who are contributing to this mindset. It feels like we are changing the world, and it’s so exciting.” But he still hears San Francisco’s siren call in the back of his mind, still yearns for the “cozy village” life of the CastroMission-SOMA Triangle, the ability to walk and bike everywhere, and SF’s dream-like beauty. “There’s a lot I don’t miss too, but the good outweighed the bad, and that’s why I am visiting literally like every two months.” The thing Aram misses most of all about San Francisco is the feeling of being part of a “tribe.” The “importance of tribe” was a value he absorbed in San Francisco, and when he moved back to LA things felt very isolated for a while. “It took a minute, but I feel like I’ve gotten a better handle on how to create the kind of community I need around me to thrive, and figuring out a variety of ways to facilitate it. The power of a simple game night is shocking! Just to spend a few hours with some of your favorite people, laughing your asses off. It’s so important to me! SF taught me that it’s worth the effort. LA is teaching me how to make the effort.” Recently Aram began writing, DJing, and doing quote/unquote “legitimate theatre” under the name “Aram Giragos.” It was a name that had been rattling around his mind for years, but he decided to adopt it for his own after a conversation with his father. “He’s a pretty prolific lawyer in the Armenian community, and he legit said to me, all stern and serious, ‘You know, Aram...sometimes people google me, and they find you...and I just, uh, wanted you to know that.’ I blinked a couple times, and was like ‘Uh, well okay then!’ So I figured maybe privacy in some manners was warranted.” And while he has embraced to use of different names for use in different fields and situations, he is clear that this is not a Batman/Bruce Wayne situation. “It’s all the same. People are cute sometimes, when they’re like ‘I get it, Adam Ramzi is a persona!’ No. There are no personas. It’s all me. I cringe when I say things like this, but here it goes: I am my own brand. My brand is me. The names are just the labels that signify the different facets.”


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>> COVER INTERVIEW <<

WE DON’T SERVE Nothing says “you’re less than” like a business owner saying your life is too sinful to allow you to pay him for something he sells others. BY SYD PETERSON

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> > LEO HERRERA, COLUMBINE DEMERS, BRENDEN SCHUCART < <

y partner and I stepped up to the hotel’s front desk. From past experience, I already knew what was going to happen. Like most couples, when we booked the reservation online, we chose a room with one big bed. But when the hotel staffer saw us standing in front of her, she said. “I think there’s been a mistake. Do you want a room with two beds?” “No,” I said, looking her right in the eye. “The queen bed will be great.” She checked us in and gave us the keys. As we rode the elevator to our room, I wondered: would she have asked us that question if we looked like a hetero couple? No way. Did the staffer intend to be homophobic? Probably not. But, as they say, intent doesn’t negate impact. Her question implied that there was something wrong with two men sharing a bed. Even though we got the bed we wanted, I still winced. You’ve probably heard about the Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case. The owner of a bakery in

article, Charlie Craig, one half of the couple the baker refused to serve, said that bullies had taunted him for being gay in the small Wyoming town where he grew up. After moving to Denver as an adult, Craig said, he thought he’d be able to live his life openly and without fear. Instead, he reported feeling “’devastated and mortified‘” when he and his husband-to-be were refused service at the bakery. The thing is, it’s not just the people who directly experience exclusion who suffer. In the Masterpiece decision, Justice Kennedy expressed concern about allowing gay people and couples to be “treated as social outcasts or as inferior in dignity and worth” and about the “communitywide stigma” that could occur if all businesses were allowed to refuse the goods and services to same-sex couples that they offer everyone else. Even if those turned away ultimately are able to find what they need elsewhere, the damage will have been done. Nothing says “you’re less than” like a business owner saying your life is too sinful to allow you to pay him

and religious minorities are just a few of the groups at risk. My first thought when I heard about Masterpiece was the sit-ins in the 1960s South, where African-Americans protested by sitting at segregated lunch counters and refusing to leave after being denied service. Such racist exclusion continues to this very day: for example, earlier this year, two African-American men were arrested and forcibly removed from a Philadelphia Starbucks while waiting to meet a (white) colleague for coffee while white customers were allowed to linger as long as they wanted. Although some minorities can hide our minority status, some of us can’t hide the fact that our skin is dark or that we use a wheelchair or that we wear a hijab or that we look queer. Masterpiece points to a vicious cycle of anti-LGBTQ bias. If we think we might be discriminated against because of our identity, some may choose to keep that identity a secret to protect themselves. When a person hides their LGBTQ identity, it exacts an emotional toll. But it also takes a toll on LGBTQ communities

Colorado refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple in 2012, citing his religious beliefs opposing marriage equality. The couple sued, and the case slowly made its way up to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). SCOTUS decided the case in favor of the baker last month. Legally and politically, the ruling was only a minor loss for LGBTQ people. The ruling was “narrow,” since this particular baker prevailed only because a majority of the Court concluded that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission didn’t fairly consider his claims. Although he won his case, SCOTUS refused to endorse the broad constitutional right to discriminate against LGBTQ people as the baker and his supporters had sought. Nevertheless, a lot of LGBTQ people were upset and angry about the Masterpiece decision, and I definitely understand why. It feels terrible to be turned away based on who you are or whom you love. In an NBC News

for something he sells others as you approach what you hope will be the happiest day of your life. Many LGBTQ Americans are already suffering the stigma to which Justice Kennedy referred. A recent study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Psychiatry found that state laws permitting the denial of services to same-sex couples were associated with a 46% increase in the proportion of sexual minority adults experiencing mental distress. That means that LGBTQ people are being negatively affected by laws that allow discrimination against us, even if we don’t suffer that discrimination firsthand. That’s a consequence of fearing you may experience humiliating exclusion at any time without recourse. It’s the wince of my hotel check-in experience writ large. Being LGBTQ isn’t the only reason people experience discriminatory exclusion by businesses. People of color, women, people with disabilities,

as a whole by creating a false sense that there are fewer of us than there actually are. This results in the larger world being less aware of us and our lives, which means more people will assume everyone is hetero and cisgender and develop policies and expectations that exclude us. And the cycle continues… I used to think that invisibility and exclusion were different things. Masterpiece helped me understand they’re part of the same cycle. Fear of discrimination breeds less openness, which leads to less understanding by non-LGBTQ people, which leads to more discrimination, which brings about more fear. LGBTQs can empower ourselves and improve the world by being out (understanding that that’s not easy or even an option for some of us). But it is our society at large— mostly run by heteros—that ethically must support and work to maintain a world in which LGBTQs can live stigma-free.

YOUR KIND HERE

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THESHARE >> BY PAULO MURILLO <<

SUMMER FUN

We asked a few local sober folks with various lengths of recovery time, how they make sobriety fun during the summer months.

EVERYDAY LIFE

THOMAS CLENNEY

“Here’s the thing, I enjoy all the things that I thought would be boring in sobriety. I thought nightlife was the most fun thing that I could do. I’d go out and drink until three o’clock in the morning and then get up and do it again. I thought that would be my death. But going to the Broad or the Getty Museum with a group of friends is a lot more fun. Finding healthy sober options like the Descanso Gardens in Pasadena and going to concerts--I think the joy that people find in everyday life is always there. You just have to be patient and tune into it. Make your own fun. I do a lot of outdoor stuff. I make a conscious effort to get out into the world because I spent so much time sleeping and recovering from a hangover. People forget that we can do things like jumping out of airplanes, go horseback riding, scuba diving, hiking, skying, surfing—whatever it is that gets you connected to this beautiful world that we used to hibernate from, so that was my take when I got sober. I didn’t want to hibernate anymore.” —Thomas Clenney, sober TOKEYO since July 4, 2010.

PETERSON

THINGS JUICY “What I do to keep things juicy is I don’t stick to the basic norms. I switch it up. I get exotic with my lifestyle. I work in nightlife and it’s so taboo to work in nightlife and to be sober, but I do it because I enjoy it. I’m an exotic dancer and host parties

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in the Hollywood and WeHo area. I enjoy the yin and the yang of it. During the day I take care of myself and hold myself responsible for my sobriety. I go to meetings, I work with newcomers and I’m also a part of the fellowship, but then at nighttime, I have fun with the whole vibe of gritty, dirty, hairy and sweaty fun. It’s not triggering for me, because I always see people who are sober at the parties. It’s one-hundred percent fun… I didn’t get sober and start going to night life right away. I took a year to figure out what was comfortable for me and what was not. After a while, I just found a really comfortable place where I could make it happen. —Tokeyo Peterson, sober since S RTI CU December 22, 2016. HUTCHINSON

CUPCAKE SHOPS “I stay busy busy. I look for new things to do that are interesting like pop-up shops. I went to a blacklight slide event over the weekend in Bakersfield—that was kind of cool. One day out of the week we get a group together and go to the movies. Most of the guys are sober, sometimes they’re not. I think it’s all about keeping things fresh and doing new things like going kayaking in Redondo Beach, going to cupcake shops, visiting museums… I surround myself with people who I click with, we have a good time, we check in on each other. Sometimes I don’t want to see the movies they want to see but I go anyway, because it makes them happy and that makes me happy. —Curtis Hutchinson, sober since December 25, 2007.


Lotus Place Recovery is a gender diverse conscious organization whose goal is to help clients grow into their authentic selves as they work towards self-acceptance and sobriety. Utilizing our team of experienced professionals, we provide a vast array of therapeutic modalities unique to each client’s journey towards healing. Clients explore multiple components of Self and Safety in Gender Expression, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Acceptance, Grief and Loss, Deconstruction of the Critical/Negative Self and the Impact of Trauma on the Self Experience while learning to live a substance-free lifestyle. Lotus Place Recovery’s core foundation is the SelfAcceptance ProgramÓ uniquely designed by Heidi Wells, Clinical Director and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, whose extensive background in diversity and trauma recovery contributed to the formulation of a program tailored to address the needs of the LGBTQIA? Community. The SelfAcceptance Program seeks to increase client awareness of the Self (strengths and challenges) while decreasing negative belief systems that mediate the daily functioning experience and contribute to chronic relapse and selfdestructive behaviors. This is accomplished by facilitating trauma resolution; deconstructing negative self-concepts and helping clients discover their unique journey to healing the Self while maintaining long-term sobriety.

For more information about Lotus Place Recovery in Orange County, California please contact our staff 24/7 at (888) 735-3832. JULY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 33


>> SESTA-FOSTA <<

SESTA-FOSTA and its implications on stigma in gay culture. BY STEPHAN FERRI S

S

ESTA-FOSTA stands for Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act. The two pieces melded together to become law on April 11, 2018. Both purport to halt sex trafficking, but in reality, are a tool for censorship. Censorship through costly litigation. Censorship through automatic filters. Censorship through elimination of online communities and hook-up sites. Everyone agrees that there is an automatic negative association with the term “sex trafficking,” but what exactly does it mean? Federal Law roughly defines sex trafficking as the harboring, transportation, or soliciting of “a person for a commercial sex act which is induced by force, fraud, or coercion. SESTA-FOSTA makes online platforms liable for “assisting, supporting, or facilitating” sex trafficking, with “facilitating” interpreted as “to make easier or less difficult.” However, this law does nothing to protect victims of sex trafficking. The law makes platforms liable upon federal and state definitions of “sex trafficking.” However, each states’ definition varies, and some state statutes omit elements of force, fraud, or coercion. This muddies the terminology and expands the definition of sex trafficking to include consensual sexual behavior. For example, posting a m4m ad for sex on craigslist in Alaska would legally be considered a misdemeanor sex trafficking offense. Additionally, the distinction between forced sex trafficking and consensual sex work is eradicated. Now, these concepts (at least as they exist online) are viewed the same in the eyes of the law.

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THE GOVERNMENT IS USING SEX TRAFFICKING AS A PRETENSE TO ROB US OF OUR VOICE AND STRIP AWAY OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY SPACES. FORCED ONTO THE STREETS Eliminating online spaces does more harm than good for both consensual and non-consensual sex work. Consensual sex workers no longer have a platform to safely advertise or screen clients, nor to discuss industry issues or problematic clients. The former is construed as explicit sex trafficking and the latter is construed as facilitation. This conflation forces sex workers onto the street, with increased risk of harm and sex trafficking as it is commonly defined. When Craigslist initiated a personals section, there was a decline in sex worker deaths, which is attributed to the safety of online platforms. Since the platform has been removed, many sex workers are forced onto the streets. Law Enforcement and sex trafficking victims oppose this legislation. Detectives rely on websites to track down and prosecute sex trafficking. Online platforms

create visibility of the perpetrators and the victims, whom are almost impossible to track down on the streets. SESTA-FOSTA closes this avenue of investigation. So, you may be thinking, I’m not a sex worker and I don’t pay for sex, why should I give a fuck? SESTA-FOSTA is a huge blow to Freedom of Speech. Porn is already declared a public health crisis in some areas of our country while net neutrality is simultaneously threatened. Additionally, another act, the HTPA (Human Trafficking Prevention Act), would require government-controlled filters on all internet capable devices, which could only be removed by the government for a fee. As a community that prides itself on literally wearing our sexuality and kink on our sleeves and in our back pockets, this is very concerning. SESTA-FOSTA amends Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Section 230 protects online platforms from being liable for illegal or inflammatory content that users post. It allows blogs and social media to operate and utilize comments sections by operating on the assumption that platforms are not liable until receiving actual knowledge of the offending content. This simply translates to receiving a take-down notice and failing to act. SESTA-FOSTA broadens this standard to merely “reckless disregard.” Now, platforms only need to be aware of any risk of sex trafficking. This is the reason why Craigslist shut down their personals section two days after the law was signed. Craigslist, and other platforms, are now liable for even a risk of sex-trafficking, or


>> SESTA-FOSTA <<

worse, risk of facilitating sex trafficking based upon user content. When “facilitate” means “to make easier or less difficult,” the law implicates hookup apps, LGBTQQIA community spaces, and social media. Any conceivable medium that could be used to make sex trafficking easier.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF SILENCE This leaves three choices: fight each infringement in long court battles with expensive attorney fees, use bots to scan and filter user generated content, or just censorship. Large companies may have the capital to lawyer up, but smaller platforms would be sued out of existence. Section 230 was crafted without platform liability to advance smaller platforms. Most of us have already encountered bots or filters. Try updating your Scruff or BarebackRT profile with certain banned words and your profile is removed or flagged for mandatory editing. The problem is that automatic filters cannot determine context. A filter cannot differentiate between “party” and “does not party.” It blocks more speech than it intends to prohibit. If automatic filters are applied to websites where there is risk of sex trafficking, there will be speech unrelated to sex trafficking that is censored. It’s impossible to talk about sex trafficking without using words that have different and secondary meaning pertaining to sex. Automatic filters would severely restrict the

way we speak and connect with others about sex online. What’s alarming is that censoring platforms altogether is the easiest way to avoid liability. If platforms restrict all user content, there is no risk of liability. This doesn’t just implicate Craigslist, but any platform potentially used to facilitate sex trafficking, including social media, WhatsApp, bitcoin, and sex education resources. This is dangerous to the LGBT and kink communities, as most of our more recent interaction, planning, and community building have been facilitated by online platforms and hookup apps. SESTA-FOSTA is a major blow to our community’s Freedom of Speech. Today, the government uses sex trafficking as a pretense to rob us of our voice and strip away our online community spaces. I have been able to explore my kink and sexuality by making connections through online communities. Finding someone with similar deviations fights feeling “othered.” Stigma and shame thrive on silence. We fight stigma when we speak and share our truth with others. Censorship is silence, and we’ve all been warned about the consequences of silence. JULY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 35


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>> WWLA <<

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LOS ANGELES WWLA: Country Western Ball & Dance Workshops, July 27–29 at The Garland.

LAW OFFICE OF REGINA RATNER WWW.RRATNERLAW.COM CALL: 213-674-7211 FAMILY LAW PRACTICE COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE/DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS PROPERTY DIVISION SPOUSAL SUPPORT CHILD CUSTODY/SUPPORT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PRE & POST NUPTIAL AGREEMENTS ADOPTION & ART CONTRACTS ESTATE PLANNING MEDIATION REGINA RATNER (L), ALANA YAKOVLEV, ESQ.

he L.A. Wranglers is a group of performing line dancers who hold a passion for all things country. This award-winning dance troupe, formed over 16 years ago by Rick Dominguez, has maintained a presence in the LGBTQ community, performing at numerous pride, rodeo, and fundraising events. The L.A. Wranglers have recently incorporated into the nonprofit organization Wranglers Los Angeles Dance Association. WLADA is dedicated to supporting and promoting country-western dance for the Los Angeles LGBTQ community through instruction, performance, and special events, such as Wrangler Weekend Los Angeles. WWLA is LA’s annual three-day countrywestern dance conference offering dance workshops, social dancing, performances, and more! This event, taking place July 27–29 at The Garland, supports the country-western LGBTQ community and its allies in the Los Angeles area.

For more info visit: www.thelawranglers.com. Use promo code THEFIGHT for 15% off your advanced registration.

WALK FREE LAW

ALANA YAKOVLEV, ESQ. WWW.WALKFREELAW.COM CALL: 213-674-7323 FEDERAL AND STATE CRIMINAL DEFENSE CIVIL HARASSMENT RESTRAINING ORDERS CIVIL RIGHTS 1983 ACTIONS— POLICE MISCONDUCT, DISCRIMINATION, FAIR HOUSING CONTRACT DRAFTING AND BUSINESS LITIGATION IMMIGRATION CANNABIS LAW/BUSINESS SET-UP/LICENSING EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FOR SAME SEX COUPLES SEXUAL ASYLUM WORKPLACE PETITIONS RESPECT IN THE WORKPLACE— HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION CONSUMER RIGHTS ADVOCACY

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7th Annual WWLA

Los Angeles’ Country Western Ball & Dance Workshops July 27– 29, 2018 at The Garland Register online! www.thelawranglers.com/wwla

Use promo code THEFIGHT for 15% off your advanced registration.

www.daddysbarbershop.com Daddy’s Barbershop San Francisco 4102 19th St., San Francisco 94114 Tel: (415) 552-5101

Daddy’s Barbershop Palm Springs 192 S. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs 92264 Tel: (760) 537-1311

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HARRY JAMES HANSON IN-BETWEEN THE SHADES

>> COVER INTERVIEW <<

BETWEEN THE SHADES

Director Jill Salvino on producing documentaries, queer films and “the female filmmaker question.” BY ROXI E PERKI NS

J

LGBTQIA. People that came out 50 years ago and people that came out yesterday—what they faced and what they feared—people in love and people never in love—how we label people and how they label themselves. Then we weaved all of that into a story that ended up telling itself. Truth be told, we are all the same. At the end of the day… Everyone just wants to be loved.

ill Salvino is a writer and director who tells stories of under represented communities with particular interest in sharing authentic LGBTQ stories through the art of documentary filmmaking. Her first feature documentary, Between The Shades, centers on interviews with a vastly diverse group of LGBTQ+ people sharing their experiences of love and identity. The film premiered in Los Angeles at the The Dances with Films Festival and will be set for distribution soon. To learn more about Jill Salvino and her film visit the films’ website: betweentheshades.com. What inspired Between The Shades? It was inspired by a conversation. I was describing a friend to another friend and we started talking about all of the different shades of gay that exist. I wanted to www.thefightmag.com 4 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com

JILL SALVINO

examine that and then the premise just grew and expanded to [include all of]

What about the present political climate made you want to put out a film like Between The Shades now? In a political climate where not having human decency has become acceptable, supporting a group of people who have lived somewhat marginalized lives seems to be the epitome of human decency. So I hope people will find the time to come and see this film.


> > J I L L S A LV I N O < <

“TRUTH BE TOLD, WE ARE ALL THE SAME. AT THE END OF THE DAY… EVERYONE JUST WANTS TO BE LOVED.” What made you choose to present the stories through the lens of a documentary instead of a fiction film? The audience knows what’s real versus what’s written. These are real stories told by real people—real moments that make your heart swell. Besides, I never could have scripted this. I’m not that good of a writer. As a female filmmaker telling queer stories, what is one thing you would like to see change in the film industry? I always have trouble with the female filmmaker question— I think we all make our own opportunities. It also feels like this is the “year of the woman” to me. I have been invited to submit to many film festivals this past year just because they were looking for more female made films so I can’t complain but rather thank those that suffered through. [...] I think things are always changing and that’s a good thing to me. [...] Queer stories, straight stories—they are all just stories. Did you always know you wanted to be a filmmaker? I went to art school and I knew I wanted to be a storyteller. I always wanted to boil things down and present a vision, my vision. Storytelling can come in many forms. From the written word to the silent nuances between moments on film—I respect them all. How did you get your start in film? I got my start in film by being an advertising art director which later led me to being a commercial director. Thirty second commercials always felt really confining to me, so I graduated from there to making content and then to making short films. Between The Shades is my first feature. Who are your queer and/or femme filmmaker heroes? Penny Marshall because she came first for me. Kathryn Bigelow because she actually plans on how to blow shit up. And Patty Jenkins ’cause… Well, just cause. What advice would you give to queer and/or femme people that want to become filmmakers today? Passion. Passion must come first. Opportunity will follow. We all make our own way. Aside from your own film, what are recent queer films that you’ve been excited about? Call Me By Your Name was a beautiful film and currently I’m in love with Disobedience. Rachel Weisz has two of my scripts right now so I paid particular attention to her performance. It was a bold and compelling film. Where can people come see and support the film? Please keep following the film on Facebook and at www.betweentheshades.com. Distribution is just around the corner! In terms of what’s next for me.....stay tuned!

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THEART >>

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JOE NIVENS

<<


>>

LGBTQ ARTISTS

<<

JOE NIVENS

A

mix-media artist from Tuscola, Illinois, Joe Nivens is a graduate of the Experimental Animation department at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) with a focus in Stop Motion Animation as well as an MA recipient from Eastern Illinois University. In addition to his studies he has worked on productions for Stoopid Buddy, Lift Animation and Netflix. Currently he is an MFA candidate in sculpture and mixed media at LSU. Nivens: “My interests lie in the examination of life’s many transitions and fluctuations as well as the resulting sadness, rage, uncertainty and joy that are a part of that process. Influences from children’s literature, pop culture and the exploration of identity inform the foundation of my work. Through a blend of animation, puppet fabrication and design aesthetics my work deconstructs an array of characters and worlds that allow me the ability to step outside the limitations of traditional art making and the boundaries of our own personal narrative.” n Links:Instagram: @joenivens. Shop: www.joenivens.bigcartel.com.

JULY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 43


THEEPIDEMIC >> HTV VACCINE <<

BREAKTHROUGH VACCINE

We may be one giant step closer to solving HIV thanks to a new vaccine set to start human trials next year.

A

new experimental vaccine regimen, tailor made to fit of the structure of a vulnerable region on HIV, generated antibodies in mice, guinea pigs and monkeys, and it neutralized dozens of HIV strains. The findings will lead to human clinical trials for a vaccine capable of neutralizing a large fraction of common HIV strains, reports www.hivplusmag.com. The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine, and it was led by investigators from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which falls under the National Institutes of Health. “NIH scientists have used their detailed knowledge of the structure of HIV to find an unusual site of vulnerability on the virus and design a novel and potentially powerful vaccine,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “This elegant study is a potentially important step forward in the ongoing quest to develop a safe and effective HIV vaccine.” The vaccine is epitope-based. An epitope is the specific site of an antigen to which an antibody binds. This vaccine is based on the site of a broad number of HIV strains that antibodies can bind to. This epitope was identified only two years ago. Now, investigators are looking at ways to improve the vaccine candidate by making it more potent and provide more consistent results. It’s one of the latest approaches in their attempt to develop a broadly neutralizing vaccine fit for the public that works on multiple strains of HIV. n

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THEEVENT >> PHOTOS BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM <<

BEARRACUDA

AT PRECINCT DTLA

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Bearracuda LA, taking place the 2nd Saturday of every month, celebrated LA PRIDE at Precinct DTLA. Hosted by Big Dipper, Shawn Morales, Jeremy Lucido and Matt Bearracuda, with music by DJ Mateo Segade & Pure Noise.


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THECALENDAR >> THINGS TO DO << www.thebaldwingentlemen.com/intimateexcursions/gardenoftom. An outdoor Private Garden Party at the Tom of Finland Foundation in Echo Park, offering an open bar, a special tour of the homoerotic artwork of Tom of Finland, and a LIVE erotic art performance.

TUESDAY, JULY 03

SHEETS EXHIBITION 11AM-6PM

Kohn Gallery, 1227 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, 90038. Sheets, a solo exhibition of new work by Philadelphia-based artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase. His powerful figurative paintings highlight the daily lives of black queer men and the difficulties faced by defining one’s identity as such in contemporary society.

SUNDAY, JULY 22

DRAG BINGO FUNDRAISER 8PM-9PM Hamburger Marys WEHO, 8288 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood. The drinks are cold, the bingo is hot and the drag queens hilarious. Help OurTown LA raise funds to continue serving the LGBTQ community.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 04

DRAGGED OUT 9PM-2AM

Revolver Video Bar, 8851 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, 90069. Weekly Cash Prize PLUS a $5,000 Grand Prize announced on the Final Night. Music by DJ Patrick Kuzara, Hosted by Billy Francesca & Beau Byron. THURSDAY, JULY 05

DARE TO FLAIR 8PM-10PM

Echoes on Pico, 5025 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, 90019. Monthly Queer Open Mic hosted by D’Lo w/ support from OUTFEST. for queer comics, storytellers, musicians and poets.

THURSDAY, JULY 26

BOWLING NIGHT 8:45PM-11:45PM

TLC (TIONNE “T-BOZ” WATKINS, LEFT, AND ROZONDA “CHILLI” THOMAS) WILL PERFORM AT SAN DIEGO PRIDE. MORE INFO AT WWW.SDPRIDE.ORG.

FRIDAY, JULY 06

IMPROV COMEDY FESTIVAL WITH PRIDE! 7PM-11:45PM

Finest City Improv, 4250 Louisiana St, San Diego, 92104. In partnership with San Diego Pride to bring you their 2nd annual LGBTQ Pride Comedy Festival; benefiting Pride’s LGBT youth arts program beneficiaries. SATURDAY, JULY 07

INSPIRED VOICES 6:30PM-10PM

SADDLE UP LA!

LA Horse Rentals, 1850 Riverside Dr., Glendale, 91201. Tel: (818) 242-8443. The hills of Griffith Park, enjoy an afternoon riding and laughing with friends followed by a festive country BBQ, all to raise money to support the Life Group LA and its mission to bring it’s nationally recognized POZ Life Weekend Seminar to the HIV/AIDS community.

SAN DIEGO PRIDE FESTIVAL & PARADE

Tuesday, July 10

TRANS IS BEAUTIFUL ART WALK 3PM-6PM

BEARRACUDA LA: ASSQUAKE

1631 Nadeau St, Los Angeles, 90001. A Queer Greenhouse event, a collective of artists working to increase exposure for queer and trans created art.

GENDER FLUIDS 8PM-9:30PM

Cavern Club Theater, 1920 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Bearded Brooklyn and YouTube drag sensation, Levonia Jenkins makes her Los Angeles debut in her first-ever half-woman show at the Cavern Club Theater. A cabaret en-gay-gement not to be missed. FRIDAY, JULY 20

SATURDAY, JULY 14

Marston Pt., Balboa Park (6th Ave. & Laurel St.). Saturday noon-10PM; Sunday 11AM-9PM. For more info: www.sdpride.org. The annual Pride Festival includes multiple stages of entertainment, more than 100 entertainers, and dozens of vendor booths, exhibits, cultural presentations, delicious food booths, and over 40,000 of your closest friends!

Moss Theater, 3131 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, 90404. A Fundraising Event Benefiting Inspire Spiritual Community for LGBTQ+ People & Allies. Featuring: Inspire’s Singing Ensemble, “The Inspired Voices”, Special Guests: The Trans Chorus of Los Angeles.

TUESDAY, JULY 17

357 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA. Hosted by New York (Tiffany Pollard) & Meatball. Doors at 9pm. DJ Mateo Segade. $100 ASS CONTEST at midnight. $5 all night.

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LOST PUPPY! RUFF! 4YR ANNIVERSARY 9PM-2AM

Eagle LA, 4219 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, 90029. Green Mirror Entertainment proudly presents: an event for Puppies, Handlers, Boys and Daddies! SATURDAY, JULY 21

DILF LOS ANGELES “STRAPPED” UNDERWEAR/JOCK PARTY 10PM-2AM

Los Globos, 3040 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90026. A Joe Whitaker & The DILF Party Presentation. Music by DJ Alex Ramos.

GARDEN PRIVATE PARTY 1PM-5PM

Tom Of Finland Foundation, 1421 Laveta Ter, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Tickets & Info:

Pickwick Bowl, 921 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, 91506. Join members of all skill levels for an evening of fun and laughter and brotherly bonding. The $13 admission includes shoe rental and unlimited bowling. FRIDAY, JULY 27

WRANGLER WEEKEND LOS ANGELES

The Garland, 4222 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, California 91602. Country Western Ball & Dance Workshops, July 27–29. A three-day country-western dance conference offering dance workshops, social dancing, performances, and more! For more info visit: www.thelawranglers.com. Use promo code THEFIGHT for 15% off your advanced registration. TUESDAY, JULY 31

GENGORAH TAGAME’S PORNSPIRATION

The Tom of Finland Foundation,1421 Laveta Ter, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Tickets & Info: www.brownpapertickets. com/group/3535233. An outdoor screening of iconic Japanese artist Gengorah Tagame’s favorite American VHS gay pornography from the early 1980s, including works by Joe Gage and John Christopher.


FOLSOM STREETEVEN TS.ORG

S U N DAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2018 11AM - 6PM FOLSOM STREET BETWEEN 8TH & 13TH SAN FRANCISCO, CA

PRESENTING:

PREMIER:

C H A RT E R :

S U P P O RT I N G :

MEDIA:

@FolsomStEvents @FolsomStreetEvents @FolsomStreetEvents

JULY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 49


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ONLINE NOW!

Prty SEXY

Paranoid, Desperate and Horny Looking 4 Same‌

A hungry bottom, can party all night and always available. HIV STATUS: UNKNOWN

CALL: 323-463-7001

VISIT: friendsgettingoff.org

Friends Getting Off provides free drug counseling for gay and bisexual men who use methamphetamine. The program combines group counseling with an intervention that gives rewards for negative urine samples. Participation is 8 weeks followed by a 16 week support group and one follow-up assessment.

1419 North La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90028 A clinic of Friends Community Center, a division of Friends Research Institute, Inc. This project is supported by funds received from the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD Programs and the City of West Hollywood.

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