THE FIGHT SOCAL'S MONTHLY LGBTQ MAGAZINE MARCH 2017 by The Fight Magazine

MAR CH 2017 | TH E F I GH T 1

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THECONTENTS FEATURES 14 KEEP ON FIGHTING

TRANSGENDER STUDENT GAVIN GRIMM

21 SAN DIEGO LEATHER PRIDE HARDER, DEEPER, LONGER

22 COMMUNITY SERVICE

JEFFREY ERDMAN, GODDESS MOON

28 L.A. LEATHER PRIDE GUIDE

CONTESTANTS, EVENTS AND MORE

42 THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH OF MILO YIANNOPOULOS A BRIDGE TOO FAR

44 LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TALK ABOUT SEX

UROLOGIC SURGEON JOSHUA R GONZALEZ, MD.

4 TTH HEE FFIIGH GHTT || www.thefightmag.com www.thefightmag.com 4

DEPARTMENTS 06 THE EDITOR IN THE ISSUE 08 THE CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS

11 THE LETTERS READERS RESPOND 12 THE TALK MERYL STREEP 17 THE STATE EQUALITY CALIFORNIA 20 THE CITY CENTER VANDALIZED 46 THE SHARE LOCAL RECOVERY 50 THE FINAL FIGHT GAY PANIC

ON THE COVER

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THEEDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stanford Altamirano MANAGING EDITOR Mark Ariel ART DIRECTOR Nadeen Torio MARKETING CONSULTANTS Tom Pardoe Sean Galuszka Roxie Perkins Jacci Ybarra SOCIAL MEDIA Joe Faragher Sinan Shihabi >> IN THIS ISSUE <<

Earlier this month the Supreme Court refused to hear the case for transgender student Gavin Grimm, whose fight to use the boy’s school bathroom has been sidelined by the Trump administration. “On Monday March 6, the High Court vacated the ruling and sent the case back to the Fourth Circuit for reevaluation. The Fourth Circuit opinion that briefly made transgender rights binding law through the region, is now gone,” explains Ann Rostow (“Keep On Fighting,” page 14). “This case turns on the interpretation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the law that bans sex discrimination in public schools and colleges. Beyond that, it turns on the more fundamental definition of ‘sex discrimination’ throughout federal law. If you fire a transgender man for transitioning, is that sex discrimination? If you force transgender kids to use a special bathroom, is that sex discrimination? If you won’t promote masculine women or feminine men to high positions in your company, is that sex discrimination? “The debate,” states Rostow, “is buttressed by competing court precedents, including a major 1989 ruling from the Supreme Court that says sexual stereotyping, like the promo-

tion example in the last paragraph, is indeed an example of illegal bias in the workplace.” No doubt this legal battle will continue. Also in this issue, Ms. LA Leather 2016, Goddess Moon, and Mr. LA Leather 2016, Jeffrey Erdman talk about their year as titleholders (“Community Service,” page 22). “It has been an overwhelming joy,” says Goddess Moon. “I am humbly thankful for those who choose me to represent such a diverse and bubbling community. I have been able to revitalize this title with what I hope has been a beautiful representation of the heart and spirit of the women and men in LA.” “It has been truly life changing for me,” reveals Jeffrey Edman. “I went into the leather contest process being a bit unsure of myself and my place within the leather community. But throughout this time, I have been treated with love, respect, admiration and support.” The complete official guide for Los Angeles Leather Pride week, taking place at various venues throughout L.A, March 24 - April 2, appears on pages 23-41. For more info visit losangelesleatherpride.com.

WEBMASTER Nadeen Torio ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Sinan Shihabi 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. 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 © 2017 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.

STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Editor-In-Chief

6 T H E F I GH T | www.thefightmag.com

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THECONTRIBUTORS >> WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS <<

PAULO MURILLO Paulo Murillo has been writing for LGBT media for over 18 years. He got his start writing a bi-weekly column called “Luv Ya, Mean It” for FAB! Newspaper. Read his blog at thehissfit.com, friend him on Facebook, and find him on Instagram and Tweeter as @paulo_murillo. ANN ROSTOW Ann Rostow writes news analysis columns for THE FIGHT and other gay publications across the country. For weekly LGBT News updates, visit her blog at: annrostow.blogspot.com. Ann can be reached at: arostow@aol.com. DUSTI CUNNINGHAM Los Angeles based photographer Dusti Cunningham grew up in a very clean single-wide trailer home in rural Kansas. His family didn’t own television so they watched tornadoes. None of his dogs were named Toto. Dolly

Murillo

Shucart

Pickle

Rostow

Cunningham

Parton and his mother were his heroes, both wore wigs. His inspirations are gypsies, pirates, circuses, 1970s glamour, and the National Enquirer. www.dusticunningham.com. PICKLE Pickle is a MILF who lost custody of her kids after the fire and is just trying to explore her creative side. She has a lot of opinions and in spite of her limited qualifications, she likes to share them.

Arellano

Her career was detailed in her retrospective: Pickle: 30 Years in the Business, and you can catch her as Peg Bundy in Purgatory in the upcoming show “Peg Bundy Has an Existential Crisis.” Pickle lives in Los Angeles where she drives a Prius (for now). Follow her escapades on instagram @itspicklebitch. JOSEPH ARELLANO A stage and film actor from Bedford, Indiana, Joe has been

involved in community events such as The Friendly House Luncheon, PATH, and LA PRIDE. Joe has appeared in Titus Andronicus, Dark Side of the Moon, and Take Me Out. He also co-starred in the music video Hopeful Romantic, Hallmarks’ Holly’s Holiday, and other various short films. BRENDEN SHUCART Brenden Shucart is an HIV AIDS-LGBT rights advocate, actor, and writer whose work has been featured in Out There,The Advocate and HIV Plus magazine among others. His essays around HIV-related health issues and stigma have been described as “humanizing and heartbreaking” and “beautiful, honest, and important.” As an actor Shucart has appeared in the short film “Bug Chaser,” James Franco and Travis Mathews’ “Interior. Leather Bar.,” and Mathews’ 2010 short film “I Want Your Love.”

“Under Coy Middlebrook's direction, Albee's lacerating insights retain their delicious sting” – LOS ANGELES TIMES T H E WA L L I S A N D D E A F W E S T T H E AT R E P R O D U CT I O N O F

DIRECTED BY Coy Middlebrook

MARCH 7 – 26, 2017

This production is made possible by the generous support of Meeghan and Michael Nemeroff.

8 T H E F I GH T | www.thefightmag.com

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THELETTERS >> FROM OUR READERS <<

Here. Right. Now. HANDLE THE GOODS Dear Editor, If the purpose of the cover is to compel the reader to pick up the magazine, tear off the wrapping and inspect the contents, then your February issue exceeds expectations (THE FIGHT, Issue #73). The perfectly highlighted curves and thrilling swell of the automotive design muscle car issue must have set many hearts aflutter - I certainly wanted to handle the goods and closely check all the details. Thanks for making my day (oh, and the car looks pretty good too). — Luke Shwart, via the internet

DON’T TRUST Dear Editor, I hate being bi and wish I was just gay. I get the ignorant, negative stigma that comes with being bi. People don’t believe it’s a real sexual orientation. One time I saw a comment on Reddit that perfectly summed up being bi. The comment said something like “gay people think you’re straight and straight people think you’re gay” and it’s completely true. I don’t feel like I fit in with either group, straight or gay. People don’t trust bi people either, because they fear that they are more prone to cheating and aren’t loyal. It’s complete bullshit and I loathe my sexuality. I don’t really think being bi is something I’m proud of. I feel like it unnecessarily complicates things for me. I know it’s something that I have no control over and I need to get over it but for some reason I can’t. I don’t really know why I’m writing this, I just wanted to vent. I hope I didn’t offend anyone, I don’t hate bisexuals, I just wish I wasn’t bi. —Name Withheld, via the internet

> WRITE TO THE EDITOR

Email: editor@thefightmag.com Fax: (213) 281-9648. Letters may be shortened due to space requirements.

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

TILL THEY COME

“As Americans, men, women, LGBTQ, all of us have the human right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And if you think people got mad when they thought the government was coming after their guns, wait till they come and try to take away our happiness!” —Meryl Streep, speaking at the Human Rights Campaign’s 2017 Greater New York Gala dinner last month, where she accepted the National Ally for Equality Award. MERYL STREEP

NOT SURPRISING

“It’s unfortunately not surprising to me at all, and it’s kind of predictable and seems so transparent that this is an administration that doesn’t fucking care about transgender people.” —Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace on the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw Obama-era protections for transgender students, to Rolling Stone magazine.

GREATER RISK

ARNE DUNCAN

“This … decision by the Trump administration to withdraw guidance to schools about how to protect transgender students reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the federal role in protecting the civil rights of students… Worse yet, it confuses states and school districts, and puts real, live children at greater risk of harm.” —Former President Obama’s Education secretary Arne Duncan in a Washington Post op-ed last month.

A BULLY LOOKS

MAYOR “What kind of a bully looks for PETE BUTTIGIE the most vulnerable person they can find to attack? If you are a transgender teenager, high school is a complicated and intimidating.” —South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg during the Democratic National Committee debate in Atlanta last month. Buttigieg said the decision to reverse protections for transgender students would make things even harder for “one of the most vulnerable parts of America’s population.”

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IT’S OUR TIME

“It doesn’t matter where you were born, who you voted for, red or blue, whether you’re white, black, or brown, or all the colors in the identity rainbow—this is our time to resist... It is our time to show up and demand answers. It’s JODIE our time to tell our elected FOSTER officials to do their job.” —Jodie Foster at a rally last month, organized by the United Talent Agency outside of their Beverly Hills headquarters. United Talent Agency held the rally in lieu of its annual Oscars party, pledging to donate $250,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union.

SO EDUCATIONAL

“I was well aware of the civil rights struggle for African-Americans but did not realize that simultaneously there were other movements going on under the umbrella of civil rights… There was the women’s rights movement, the gay liberation movement and the fight against racism within the gay rights movement. Being in this series has been so educational for me.” —Actor Jonathan Majors in an interview JONATHAN with Chicago Sun Times on his role in When We MAJORS Rise, the ABC miniseries that chronicles the birth of the gay liberation movement, beginning with the Stonewall riots in 1969. Majors plays activist Ken Jones in his younger years.

LAURA JANE GRACE

FIRST CRUSH

RICKY MARTIN

“That underwear scene where he stands up, sits down and he… even puts it in order… I saw that movie back then like eight times and I didn’t know why… I’m sure we’ve met, but no, I never told him, ‘You’re my first crush!’” —Ricky Martin on seeing John Travolta strut his stuff in the 1970s disco classic Saturday Night Fever, to Andy Cohen on a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live!

MAR CH 2017 | THE F I GH T 13

THEROSTOWREPORT >> BY ANN ROSTOW <<

ast March, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit handed our community a major victory, ruling that transgender student Gavin Grimm should be free to use the boy’s facilities at his Virginia high school. After the full court declined to review that decision, the school district appealed the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case this session. Oral arguments had been scheduled for March 28. On Monday March 6, the High Court vacated the ruling and sent the case back to the Fourth Circuit for reevaluation. The Fourth Circuit opinion that briefly made transgender rights binding law through the region, is now gone. Well, some of you may be thinking, why would the Fourth Circuit change their minds when they revisit this case? Won’t they again rule in favor of Gavin? Won’t the case then travel back to the justices? Maybe yes, maybe no. This case turns on the interpretation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the law that bans sex discrimination in public schools and colleges. Beyond that, it turns on the more fundamental definition of “sex discrimination” throughout federal law. If you fire a transgender man for transitioning, is that sex discrimination? If you force transgender kids to use a special bathroom, is that sex discrimination? If you won’t promote masculine women or feminine men to high positions in your company, is that sex discrimination? The debate is buttressed by competing court precedents, including a major 1989 ruling from the Supreme Court that says sexual stereotyping, like the promotion example in the last paragraph, is indeed an example of illegal bias in the workplace. In Grimm’s case, the Fourth Circuit basically said that

GAVIN GRIMM

KEEP ON FIGHTING

The Supreme Court refuses to hear the case for transgender student Gavin Grimm, whose fight to use the boy’s school bathroom has been sidelined by the Trump administration. BY ANN ROSTOW

federal law is ambiguous. But instead of producing a new analysis in an effort to sort it out, the three-judge panel relied on the trans-friendly interpretation of Title IX from the Obama Department of Education. In fact, the panel said it was legally bound to follow administration guidance when a law or policy is unclear. And long before the Supreme Court’s decision to dump the case, the justices announced that they were interested in addressing

1 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

whether or not that kind of deference was justified. Now, the Trump administration has installed a new Secretary of Education and a new Attorney General, who, to no one’s surprise, disagree with Obama’s transgender policies. The new administration has revoked Obama’s guidelines and announced that the laws on sex discrimination will be subjected to further consideration. The reversal pulls the legs out from under the Fourth Circuit’s

original reasoning, and sets the stage for a complete doover of the Grimm case. Trump officials have not exactly reversed Obama’s policies. They have put a pin in them pending additional review. So assuming this non-policy persists, how will the Fourth Circuit evaluate Grimm’s claim? Perhaps the Fourth Circuit will again decide that Title IX covers transgender bias. If so, they must come to that conclusion on their own, without passing the buck to bureaucrats in the executive branch. And if that happens, the High Court would have to decide whether or not to tackle the core issue of sex discrimination rather than the side issue of who gets to decide the meaning of an ambiguous regulation. Most significantly, the Court’s move means that if the case returns to the docket, it will come before a ninemember bench. Previously, some of us hoped that the case might result in a four-four tie, which would not create a precedent, but which would at least preserve Grimm’s victory. Optimists had hoped (and still do) that Justice Kennedy might provide a fifth vote in favor of transgender rights. The Trump administration has also backed away from defending trans rights in two lawsuits filed by conservative states in opposition to Obama’s policy. Obviously, the states effectively won those suits once Trump’s appointees pulled down the pro-transgender legal views of the Justice and Education Departments. (Note that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos protested that decision but meekly gave way to Trump’s alpha dogs.) Finally, remember when the Obama Justice Department filed suit against North Carolina’s anti-trans bathroom law, HB2? Where do you think that one’s going? n

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SOCIAL JUSTICE

Equality California announces 2017 legislative package.

quality California has announced their sponsored bills of its 2017 legislative package. “The LGBT community faces significant challenges in Washington and across the country with attempts to roll back LGBT civil rights along with programs that LGBT people depend on, such as the Affordable Care Act,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “At the same time, California must not just hold the line, but continue to make progress in our goal of achieving full equality and social justice for LGBT people.” Some of the bills Equality California is sponsoring include: SB 239—Modernizing Discriminatory HIV Criminalization Laws. Modernizes California laws criminalizing and stigmatizing people living with HIV to reflect current understanding of HIV prevention and treatment. SB 179—Gender Recognition Act of 2017. Will enable transgender, intersex and nonbinary people to obtain state-issued identity documents that accurately reflect their gender identity. SB 219—Seniors Long Term Care Bill of Rights. Strengthens protections for LGBT seniors living in long-term care facilities against discrimination. SB 695—Tiered System for California Sex Offender Registry. Replaces California’s existing universal lifetime registration requirement for sex offenses with a tiered system based on the seriousness of the crime, the risk of reoffending and criminal history. Equality California is cosponsoring this bill to address the unfair circumstance of LGBT people who were targeted and often entrapped on charges when their actual actions hurt no one, including for simply engaging in same-sex contact when that action was criminalized in the past. n For a complete list of Equality California sponsored bills go to www.eqca.org.

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THECITY NEON TREES >> BY PAULO MURILLO <<

VANDALS DEFACE LA LGBT CENTER

The Los Angeles LGBT Center was vandalized with anti-LGBT graffiti on the side of a wall of the Center’s The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, near Santa Monica Blvd. and Highland Ave. last month. The words “Fuck trannies” and “Fuck all yall” were spray painted on the building. A security officer was patrolling other areas of the building when it happened. Video footage of the vandalism was turned over to the police. The Center will update the public as new information on the vandals becomes available.

WEHO SAYS NO TO TRUMP RELATED BUSINESSES MAYOR West Hollywood City Council approved LAUREN an item that directs staff to take steps in MEISTER prohibiting West Hollywood City Hall from doing business with entities that provide financial or other benefits to the President of the United States or his revocable trust. The City’s Finance Department will review the financial institutions, hotels, real estate-related companies, investors, and direct affiliates with which the City does business and develop a list in order to evaluate next steps. WeHo Mayor Lauren Meister called the item an ethics and legal issue. “We’re addressing public concerns that President Trump continues to benefit from his business interests while in office,” she said in a city statement.

SILVER LAKE BLACK CAT PROTEST RE-CREATED

More than 500 people gathered outside of the Black Cat in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake last month to mark a milestone anniversary of a protest that took place at the same spot exactly 50 years earlier, reports Greg Hernandez at greginhollywood.com. “This is sacred ground,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told the crowd. ‘It’s true, New York always out hustled us but it started right here.” The Black Cat protest was one of the earliest major organized gay rights demonstrations in US history. It was in reaction to what happened at the Black Cat tavern—one of Silver Lake’s 12 gay bars then—on New Year’s Eve in 1967. Plainclothes policemen infiltrated the bar and when men began to kiss each other at midnight, the officers began making arrests for “lewd conduct.” “I didn’t organize tonight’s event but I did organize another event 50 years ago on this night. The spirit is still here,” 80-year-old Alexei Romanoff told the crowd which included politicians, police officers, celebrities and multiple generations of LGBTI people and straight allies.

For more information and details about the City’s Legislative Affairs efforts, visit www.weho.org/wehoresponds.

LONG BEACH PUSHES TO REACTIVATE HARVEY MILK PARK

Long Beach officials are pushing to reactivate Havey Milk Park and its Equality Plaza with several events that started in late February and will HARVEY continue throughout March. The series of events, MILK co-hosted by the city of Long Beach and Work Evolution will include music, coffee meetings, education sessions and recreation of Long Beach Debate club “Spin ‘n’ Argue.” The LGBTQ Center Long Beach is currently conducting a survey about the future of the park. The survey explores the meaning of Harvey Milk, what is most inspiring about his legacy and how that legacy reflects the park. Questions also include ways of making the park more inclusive and what sort of activities should be included with the park. For more information, visit the LGBTQ Center Long Beach at centerlb.org. 1 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

HOSPITALS OFFER TRANS CHILDREN SPECIALIZED CARE

Two hospitals in Orange County now offer transgender children medical and psychological services. Children’s Hospital of Orange County is newly set up with a Gender, Puberty and Sex Development Program. UC Irvine Medical Center also opened the Pediatric Gender Diversity Program last fall. California state law requires that insurers cover gender transition services for children and adults. Both hospitals offer services that range from family counseling, social support, and hormone treatment. Preteens have the option of delaying their start of puberty with medications that block the release of sex hormones, to give them time to make decisions. Older patients have the option of hormone therapy to match their gender identity.

PrEP STUDY DISCOVER is a new clinical study for men who have sex with men and trans women who have sex with men. This study is to evaluate if a once-daily investigational medicine can help reduce the risk of getting HIV infection from sex (“PrEP”, or Pre-exposure Prophylaxis).

TO BE ELIGIBLE: • You must be at least 18 years of age • You must be HIV negative If you are accepted into the DISCOVER Study, you will receive study-related exams, lab tests, and study medicine at no cost. For more information, please contact: Evan Fuller, Study Coordinator (310) 967-3620 or efuller@pacificoaks.com

Or go to www.clinicaltrials.gov and search NCT number 02842086

MAR CH 2017 | THE F I GH T 19

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an Diego Leather Pride Weekend is ready to blow your mind! New owners and producers AJ Turner and Buster Adams invite you to five event-filled days March 15-19, 2017 in San Diego. We’re not sure you can take it all, but want to see you try!! Friday after Opening Ceremonies and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence blessing, Rodman Productions presents Leather Fetish Ball 2017 with Special Guest Hostess Glitz Glam, guest appearances by sexy Boylesque Mykul Valentine, Bebe Gunn, erotic demos by local Leatherfolk, choice music, and of course love for leather. This pansexual event celebrates all genders, sexualities, leather & fetish gear, and deeply honors the diverse tribes of San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and surrounding cities. Join us for a night that will leave you wanting more! More you say?!! Saturday day check out workshops at Pleasures and Treasures or contestant interviews at the contest venue. Saturday night attend the San Diego Leather and Bootblack Contests with co-emcees Mike Russell (International LeatherSir 2003) and Fabrique (Long Beach Empress 41 and 44). Bootblacks and servers attend to your desires. Enjoy exhibits, cigars, incredible contestants with LOTS to show, TRUE High Leather cocktails, and Mankind’s genderqueer fashion show. Come see who will become the third 2017 San Diego Bootblack and the 23rd and 35th Ms. and Mr. San Diego Leather, respectively! n

For a complete list of events—and to get tickets—go to www.sandiegoleatherpride.com. 2 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

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JEFFREY ERDMAN

munity. Doing the best you can and being the best version of yourself is what others need to see. That’s how you inspire others to their best… Have I accomplished that goal? I truly hope so. But, that’s really not for me to say. It’s for my community to show. Jeffrey Edman: I have dedicated myself to increasing awareness and understanding of the issues affecting older LGBT people. By partnering with national organizations like SAGE (Services GODDESS MOON. and Advocacy for GLBT HAIR STYLING AND MAKEUP: ADAM WINTER. HAIR COURTESY OF ROCKSTAR WIGS. Elders) and working with the senior services program of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, I hope to bring light to the needs of older LGBT adults and find better ways to meet those needs… Older LGBT people have too long been the lost generation, and we need to do more to rally behind this community of pioneers and make sure they are never forgotten.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Ms. LA Leather 2016, Goddess Moon, and Mr. LA Leather 2016, Jeffrey Erdman on their year as titleholders. BY VICTOR MELAMED | PHOTOS BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM

How would you describe your past year as Mr / Miss LA Leather? Goddess Moon: It has been an overwhelming joy. I am humbly thankful for those who choose me to represent such a diverse and bubbling community. I have been able to revitalize this title with what I hope has been a beautiful representation of the heart and spirit of the women and men in LA. Jeffrey Edman: It has been truly life changing for me. I went into the leather contest process being a bit unsure of myself and my place within the leather community. But throughout this time, I have been treated with love, respect, admiration and support. I have been transformed by the experience into a confident and valued member of this wonderful family, with a strong sense of self-worth and an even greater capacity for love.

Has being a title holder changed your outlook on the community? Goddess Moon: Absolutely. It showed me the things that need to be changed, and it also showed me that when things need to be done that LA puts its best foot forward. Jeffrey Edman: I have come to better understand and appreciate how members of the community can come together in support and appreciation for one another. The leather tribe is a large and accepting family, all coming together to make a positive impact in people’s lives while celebrating their sex positive diversity. Leading by example, we can fight against shame and stigmatization still prevalent in the larger gay community.

What did you want to accomplish as a title holder? Goddess Moon: What I wanted to do as Ms. LAL 2016 was to show up and support. I wanted to be there for my sisters and brothers. I wanted to show others that you don’t have to look a certain way, have a particular amount in the bank to be a light for your com2 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

What advice would you give to the next title holder? Goddess Moon: Be you! Don’t try to emulate anyone else. Have fun! Listen to those who you trust to tell you the truth. They will keep you grounded. Take time for you and those you love. They were beside you before the title and you want them beside you during and after it… Choose one thing you really want to do during your year (teach, host an event, raise money for charity) and do it well. Try to attend at least one conference or event that you never thought about before, or one that you’ve always wanted to attend. It could be life changing. Jeffrey Edman: Find your passion and make it count... Don’t waste this precious opportunity to do good in this world. And, also, have fun with it. But more importantly, be your authentic self and let the world see you for who you are, because you will see that is the person people want to look up to and respect. If the winner of Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2017 can combine a passion for positive change with a commitment to service to the community, all while having a blast along the way, he will be forever changed as I have been.

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

MAGAZINE

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MOTORBOOT PHOTOGRAPHY

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WELCOME TO LA LEATHER PRIDE

Letter From the Chairman: Marlon Morales

elcome to LA Leather Pride 2017, our annual week-long celebration. In a couple of years we will celebrate 20 years of Mr. L.A. Leather as produced by the Los Angeles Leather Coalition since 1999. In advance of that milestone, we present to you a very special 2017 LA Leather Pride festival.

WE ARE A REFLECTION OF YOU We are a grassroots community organized festival, not a commercial entity, and so we begin by thanking all our volunteers. Each year we depend on hundreds of unpaid L.A. Leather “ambassadors” including a hugely talented planning committee who produce the events. We are about making connection-between the producers of feeder contests, clubs, bars and businesses in Southern California. We rely on the generous support of our sponsors to defray the cost of putting on the main events of the week. Our purpose is to showcase and crate a space to celebrate the amazing range of fetish and kink interests that makes the L.A. scene unique. In the end we are able to make meaningful contributions to our charity partners: Tom of Finland Foundation, ONE Gay & Lesbian Archives, and SAGE.

WE ARE THE CODE The theme for 2017 is CODE L.A. which allows us to look to the future and account for current events that

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MARLON CHAIRMAN

have changed the way we view our community. We invite you to reflect on a time when we communicated our sexuality in code. Just before the AIDS crisis Los Angeles was at the center of a moment of sexual freedom and American culture took notice. Many of the fetish codes still in use today began here. We believe the future is happening here. We are a scene with striking inter-generational connections, cultural exchange where we nurture the spaces for the curious to reinvent themselves. What’s striking about the L.A. scene is we refuse to settle for mediocrity and we encourage new forms of play. These are among reasons that makes Los Angeles a unique place. We believe you will experience our message of renewed focus on unabashed fun, playful, sex.

WE ARE YOUR CELEBRATION We will celebrate over 10 days beginning with our KICK-OFF on MARCH 24th in a special way with the MS LOS ANGELES LEATHER Contest and Weekend. We have been working toward combining forces for some time and we are thrilled that the diversity of the L.A. scene will shine in this way. During the week we are excited to introduce the LA BOOTBLACK CONTEST which is woven into the entire week’s activities. And while we are

adding new events, we are preparing to surprise you with very special versions of the events you have come to expect such as THE ASSEMBLY, The ROAST of MR. LA LEATHER and all the PARTIES. The week will reach its height at the MR. LA LEATHER CONTEST and DANCE on APRIL 1. We will wrap it all up with the OFF SUNSET STREET FAIR on April 2, 2016 were we expect the largest attendance ever. You are going to love all the events we have planned for you.

WE ARE GIVING YOU THE CHOICE We are excited to bring you a brand new raffle; EPIC EURO LEATHER & FETISH ADVENTURE. It will be your choice: Barcelona for lovers of beach, bears, and leather; Berlin for the nasty at Folsom Europe; or a weekend romp-all the gear all the time- at London Fetish Week. We’ve dropped the price down to as little as $10 per ticket! This opportunity is made possible by our continued support of sponsors which are giving you a choice. Hotel and airfare for two! It’s a great deal we want you to take advantage of.

WE ARE HERE TO WELCOME YOU For those who are planning their travel around Los Angeles, we are excited to share that we will be offering you expanded Leather Concierge to help you plan your visit. Please visit our website losangelesleatherpride.com and engage with us on the app so we can help you make the most of your LA Leather Pride 2017 experience. The next part is up to you. Browse our site—losangelesleatherpride. com and app to explore the experiences that are waiting for you. We look forward to seeing you at LA Leather Pride 2017! Yours in leather, Marlon I. Morales LALC Chairman & LALP17 Chair

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L.A. LEATHER PRIDE PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: CHRIS RYAN, MR. CHRISTOPHER STREET WEST LEATHER 2017; DANIEL SOTO, MR. LA LEATHER BEAR 2017; JEFF WILCOX, EAGLE LA MR. LEATHER 2017; AJ CHIER, MISTER BULLET LEATHER 2017; LANE JANGER, MR. OIL CAN

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2017 CONTESTANTS

KEN BRADLEY, MR. SOCAL LEATHER 2017; MARCO.A.VALADEZ, MR. REGIMENT 2017; DAVID SANFORD, MR SISTER LEATHER 2017; HARRYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEATHER 2017; FIFI LABILE, MR. PRECINCT LEATHER 2017; ROMALDO MANCILLA, MR SANCTUARY LEATHER 2017.

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COMMUNICATING OUR SEXUALITY IN CODE

THE CONTESTANTS FIFI LAFILLE

CHRIS RYAN

DAVID SANFORD

MARCO.A. VALADEZ

ROMALDO MANCILLA

JEFF WILCOX

KEN BRADLEY

DANIEL SOTO

LANE JANGER

AJ CHIER

The 18th Annual Mr. L.A. Leather Contest will take place on Saturday April 1, 2017 at the historic Globe Theater in Downtown LA’s Broadway Theater District. Ten men will compete to succeed Mr. L.A. Leather 2016 Jeffrey Erdman. For more info visit losangelesleatherpride.com. PHOTOS BY DUSTI CUNNI NGHAM

FIFI LAFILLE

MR. PRECINCT LEATHER 2017 FiFi was born in the 3rd stall of the 1st floor bathrooms of the Casino de Monte Carlo and was quickly abandoned at the doorsteps of L’Orphelinat de Cannes. She grew up a child of the streets, learning the hard lessons of the world in the different cultural capitals of Europe. However, at some point in her early twenties she found herself back on the Cote d’Azur catering to the needs of various Sheiks and Russian Oligarchs, spending her leisure time on the multi-million dollar yachts found in the harbor. Finding it harder to keep a steady clientele that were up to her standards, she moved to Los Angeles, in hopes of becoming an Hollywood Star. She can however be found most nights working the corner of Orange and Santa Monica Blvd.

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CHRIS RYAN

MR. CHRISTOPHER STREET WEST LEATHER 2017 Chris Ryan was born and raised in Los Angeles. For over 10 years, Chris has worked in the corporate healthcare industry and recently launched a catering business, The Caterer LA. Chris is an ex-Catholic school boy who was introduced to the leather community when a friend brought him to a 2014 Kinkster event held at the Eagle. In 2015, he created the Black Ball, an awards event benefiting the Los Angeles Band of Brothers, which sparked his drive towards event hosting and created connections that would lead his towards his current title as Mr. Christopher Street West Leather 2017. Chris currently volunteers at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, Aids Life Cycle, Human Rights Campaign, and The Tom of Finland Foundation.

DAVID SANFORD

MR SISTER LEATHER 2017 David Sanford, aka Pup TeeToe, has been an active member of the Los Angeles leather community for over two years. He volunteered for the Los Angeles Leather Coalition at the 2016 leather pride event, the 2017 Christopher Street West leather contest and is the den daddy for the 2017 Mr. SoCal Leather contest. This was the first contest he competed for in January of 2016 and placed first runner up. He also was a volunteer for Erotic City in 2015 in the pup mosh area as well as other pup events throughout the city. He was the handler for Mr. Sister Leather 2016 at the Los Angeles Leather contest. In recent months, he has become a founding member of the rebooted Los Angeles Boys of Leather.

MARCO.A.VALADEZ MR. REGIMENT 2017

Born in Mexico City, Valdez and his family migrated to the US when he was 6 years old. After graduating High School he found a minimum wage job to help support his family. At the age of 27 Valdez became a student USC, majoring in Economics and American Studies & Ethnicity with a minor in Business Entrepreneurship, graduating with honors. Today he is a bank analyst, dealing with Corporate Governance, Risk & Compliance. Valdez says that he loves what he does “because I think it is important for LGBT people of color to take space in corporate environment in today’s homophobic, racial social structure.” “Overall,” states Valdez, “I want my events to help raise money for the LGBT community while people enjoy and express their sexual identity without shame.”

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ROMALDO MANCILLA MR SANCTUARY LEATHER 2017

“My passion for this community is endless, my love and support can always be found,” states Romaldo Mancilla, revealing that “leather has been a part of my life for a very long time now since I was 22.” Now, with his new title in hand, Mancilla, says that he has “been on a mission to do even more in the community that has accepted and embraced me… I’ve even gotten back to my roots becoming a member of the L.A. Boys of Leather, a group that exists as a forum through which self-identified Leather Boys may learn and educate others about the Leather Community.” “I look forward to what else my leather journey has in store, those I will meet, those I can teach, those I can learn from and the great things I can contribute to the community.”

JEFF WILCOX

EAGLE LA MR. LEATHER 2017 Jeff moved from a small farm town outside of Sacramento, CA to Los Angeles in 2003 to finish school at Pepperdine University, in Malibu. He has been working in IT security and compliance since 2005, most notably as Director of IT Compliance for Paramount Pictures and Viacom Inc. He is currently a consultant for entertainment and media companies implementing Cybersecurity and IT Risk Management programs. A self-proclaimed and proud nerd, Jeff enjoys anything that deals with sci-fi, fantasy, anime, and/or comic books/Manga. One of his greatest pleasures is playing video games where he can experience a number of different fantasies and worlds, both individually as well as with others. When Jeff goes out he can usually be found at The Eagle LA where he feels most at home in Los Angeles.

KEN BRADLEY

MR. SOCAL LEATHER 2017 Ken’s journey into leather began approximately 12 years ago upon discovering the play area at a now-defunct bar called Padlock in Phoenix, AZ. He remained on the sidelines until moving to Long Beach two and a half years ago, where he found a wealth of friends involved in the leather community. With their encouragement and assistance, he chose to become more involved by running for and winning the Mr. SoCal Leather title. One of his main goals as a title holder is to expose and invite other people, locally and internationally, to join and discover this tribe as others did for him when he started out on his journey. Outside of leather, he enjoys video games, pinball, punk/metal, travel and reading.

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DANIEL SOTO

MR. LA LEATHER BEAR 2017 Daniel became the youngest fully professed Sister of Perpetual Indulgence at the age of twenty four. He has been working in HIV Prevention for the pst three years, specifically helping young gay men of color access services to help them get ahead in life. He assists uninsured, under-insured, and undocumented people get access to PrEP at no cost because he believes “in ending this HIV epidemic and I do not feel like it should cost an arm and a leg to do so.” Moving forward with his title David says that he aims to “become a stronger pillar in this community. I aim to create more events where people are not shamed of their sexuality. I aim to create safe spaces for all people to come together as one—regardless of what they may look like or identify as.”

LANE JANGER

MR. OIL CAN HARRY’S LEATHER 2017 Currently the CEO of an event/crowdfunding app called Feasty – A Cause to Celebrate. Lane received his Master of Fine Arts degree in filmmaking from NYU and was an award winning independent film producer, director, writer and actor. Lane is also the co-founder and co-executive director of a new non-profit called Diversity Fest. Diversity Fest intends to create a yearly show, which promotes awareness and understanding amongst teens, and gives them a way to celebrate their diversity and inclusivity. Lane also recently joined the Board of Directors of The Thrive Tribe Foundation. Thrive Tribe’s mission is to end HIV transmission through peer-to-peer empowerment, building community and connecting members to care. At Thrive Tribe Lane is making it his personal mission to help the organization add a mental health and addiction component to their already strong healthcare services.

AJ CHIER

MISTER BULLET LEATHER 2017 Raised in San Diego, it was about four years ago in Washington when AJ “found the Leather Family…I went to the Mid-Atlantic Leather host hotel and bought my first harness. It’s been an incredibly rewarding journey since then.” Today, states AJ, he is “extremely proud to represent The Bullet Bar of North Hollywood in this year’s contest.” AJ has dedicated almost 17 years to the US Air Force, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The “bedrock principles” he embraces are “family, inclusion, and education.” His charity of choice is the Los Angeles LGBT Youth Center. “I believe strongly that we need to build strong foundations under the younger members of our family so that they can become the leaders of tomorrow.” For more comprehensive bios on each contestant please visit losangelesleatherpride.com.

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L.A. LEATHER PRIDE WEEK EVENTS

For more details on these events please visit losangelesleatherpride.com FRIDAY, MARCH 24

CODE: SPEAKEASY | LALP 2017

Gala, Kick-off & Number Draw.vSanctuary Studios LAX, South La Cienega Boulevard, Lennox. 9pm -21:59pm. The week-long Los Angeles Leather Pride Week festival begins with a community-wide gala celebration. Included this year is the number draw for both the Mr. Los Angeles Leather contest and the Ms. Los Angeles Leather Contest.

Angeles Leather Community dressed in gear. Audience members are also strongly encouraged to dress in leather/fetish attire. THURSDAY, MARCH 30

MR. LA LEATHER MEET AND GREET & ROAST

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

Faultline Bar, 4216 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles. 9pm-11:59pm. Meet the contestants for Mr. LA Leather 2017 and stay for a, sure to be hilarious, roast of Mr. LA Leather 2016 Jeffrey Erdman.

MS. LA LEATHER 2017

FRIDAY, MARCH 31

Sanctuary Studios LAX, South La Cienega Boulevard, Lennox. 7pm-11pm. For the first time the Ms. LA Leather contest joins LA Leather Pride—kicking off and extending the event to 10 days! SUNDAY, MARCH 26

CODE: CONVERGENCE | LALP LOT PARTY KICKOFF

The Bullet, 10522 Burbank Blvd, North Hollywood. 3pm-7pm. The official kickoff party—including the Mr. LA Leather contestant motorcycle ride-in, and the victory celebration for the newly elected Ms. LA Leather. MONDAY, MARCH 27

LA LA LEATHER

MCC in the Valley. 5730 Cahuenga Blvd, North Hollywood. 7pm-9pm. In the tradition of the successful “Classic Meets Fetish “ concerts now part of the annual Folsom Europe festivities in Berlin, LA LA LEATHER will be an “only in LA” evening formal concert of original and classic music from films and television performed by talented members of the Los

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THE ASSEMBLY

Rough Trade Gear, 3915 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles. 7pm-10pm. Once again The California B&B Corps, BLUF, and The Regiment of the Black and Tans present the Southland’s hottest uniform dress code event! Note: Strict Dress code applies to this event

DEN LA PRESENTS CODE—OFFICIAL DANCE & PLAY PARTY OF LA LEATHER

Sanctuary Studios LAX, South La Cienega Boulevard, Lennox. 9pm-3am. Welcome to LA’s hottest, exclusive, private, Euro-Style Dance and Play Party just for men. Throw on your hottest gear, dance to the sickest beats and have an awesome time playing in the backrooms, beds, and slings with no holds barred …

NASTYKINKPIGS.COM & BUBBA BANG PRESENT: AFTERMATH— AN OFFICIAL LA LEATHER PRIDE AFTER HOURS PARTY Threshold, 11260 Hartland St, North Hollywood. 9pm-5am. A NastyKinkPigs.com & Bubba Bang

Presentation. Tickets available @ the door as well as via Retail @ 665 Leather in West Hollywood or Online @ NastyKinkPigs.com/aftermath.

DOG POUND: OFFICIAL LA LEATHER PRIDE EVENT The Bullet, 10522 Burbank Blvd, North Hollywood. 9pm-1am. Bring your leather. Bring your boys. Remember to follow code. Flag a colored hanky representing your favorite fetish. SATURDAY, APRIL 1

MR. LOS ANGELES LEATHER 2017 CONTEST / LEGION LEATHER DANCE PARTY The Globe Theater, 740 S Broadway, Los Angeles. 6pm. The class of 2017 assembled and ready to show you why they earned the titles they represent. Followed by Legion Leather Dance Party. SUNDAY, APRIL 2

OFF SUNSET FESTIVAL

Off Sunset Association, Santa Monica Blvd from Hoover to Sunset, 1044 Myra Ave, Los Angeles. 11am-7pm. Closing out LA Leather Pride in style, our partners at the Off Sunset Association produce one of the hottest events in town. check out offsunsetfestival.com.

VICTORY BRUNCH

LA Band of Brothers, Farmboy Kitchen, 1052 Vine St, Los Angeles. 11am-1pm. Join the gentlemen of the LA Band of Brothers to salute the winner and contestants for Mr. LA Leather 2017 at Farmboy Kitchen before heading over to the Off Sunset Festival! No cover—order off the menu and get 10% off.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 // 11 am - 6 pm FOLSOM STREET // SAN FRANCISCO BETWEEN 8TH & 13TH FOLSOMSTREETEVENTS.ORG

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSO RS :

/FOLSOM STREET EVENTS @FOLSOMSTEVENTS @FOLSOMSTREETEVENTS MAR CH 2017 | THE F I GH T 33

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THE JUDGES Your judges for the Mr. L.A. Leather 2017 contest. For more detailed bios on each judge visit losangelesleatherpride.com. JEFFREY ERDMAN MR. LOS ANGELES LEATHER 2016

Jeffrey Erdman is Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2016, and placed in the Top 20 at IML this last year. Jeffrey has been a proud and prominent member of the LGBT community since moving to Los Angeles in 1992. In addition to working with a variety of community organizations, Jeffrey has served on the board for the ONE Archives Foundation for the past ten years. Photo by Motorboot Photography. MATTHEW MULLLINS LEATHER TITLEHOLDER

Matthew Mullins (Pup Ashtray Boner Kain) is a community enthusiast and activist who has been interested in the Leather BDSM/Fetish lifestyle for 21 years. In the last few years, he has become known as a strong supporter, promoter and major player in the expansion and inclusion of the LA Pup Community. He has had four leather titles, Mr Bullet Leather 2014, So Cal Leather boy 2014, And Mr. West Coast Olympus 2015. Photo by Austin Wondoloski. DEMETRI MOSHOYANNIS FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FOLSOM STREET EVENTS

Most recently, Demetri Moshoyannis served as Executive Director of Folsom Street Events, working diligently to breathe new life into the agency. Under his direction for nearly 11 years, the organization created new areas at the infamous Folsom Street Fair such as The Playground (the leather women and transgender areas), the Erotic Artists’ Area, and attracted top-name entertainment to the Fair. The agency now operates nine annual leather and

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fetish events with an operating budget of $1.5 million, donating nearly 30% of the operating budget back to direct service charities. Photo by Bill Weaver. MARC RANSDELL-BELLENGER LEATHER TITLEHOLDER

Marc Ransdell-Bellenger, Mr. Long Beach Leather, 2013, Mr. Fort Lauderdale Eagle, 1994, Mr. Pride in Leather 1993 and Mr. Long Beach Leather, 2013 is currently a Curator at Tom of Finland Foundation, overseeing Community Development. He has been clean and sober 23 plus years. Earlier this year he founded “Hitting Bottoms”, a 12 step recovery meeting for members of the leather tribe. Photo by Motorboot Photography. DON MIKE LA BAND OF BROTHERS

Don Mike will take any chance to get on camera or stage to spread his message of love, brotherhood and hot leathersex. Previously with the LA Boys of Leather, Avatar and LA Pups and current member of the LA Band of Brothers, he was also canonized by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as Saint Bernard of the Consecrated Canines. Photo by Dusti Cunningham. TODD HARRIS MR. CHICAGO LEATHER 2016

Retired veterinarian Todd Harris is the current 2016 Mr. Chicago Leather and the current 2016 International Mister Leather First Runner Up. A lifelong Chicagoan, he flags left for red, yellow, black and gray. He is the owner of Stonewall Construction, Inc. and a proud member of the Chicago band of brothers, BLUF and Titans of the Midwest.

DON DOYLE PRESIDENT OF AVATAR CLUB LOS ANGELES

Don Doyle is the current President of Avatar Club Los Angeles. A native of Los Angeles, Don traces his membership in the Southern California leather community for over 45 years. He served as a judge for the precursor Mr. LA Leather contest held at the Faultline bar in 2000 and for Mr. Utah Leather. For 15 years, he has served as Fantasy Committee chair for Inferno sponsored by the Chicago Hellfire Club. Besides leather, Don is a Past-Commander of the former Los Angeles Corps of Rangers uniform club. BOB MILLER PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CO-FOUNDER OF CLAW CORP

Bob is the President, Executive Director and co-founder of CLAW Corp, a non-profit 501 c3 charity dedicated to education, fundraising, volunteerism and other charitable needs of the adult leather community. CLAW produces a large annual conference every April in Cleveland, Ohio and helps dozens of other organizations and events every year with sponsorships, publicity and other support. Photo by Christina Court. DOUG KUHN AMERICAN LEATHERMAN 2016

Doug Kuhn, American Leatherman 2016, originally from Grosse Pointe, MI, received his B.A. from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. Professionally he has worked in many fields and is currently Sr. Database Developer for a company that develops software for blood banks. Doug has been active in the Phoenix community as a member of Bears of the West, Arizona Men of Leather, and Arizona Leather Bears and Cubs. Photo by DJ Reed, MAXIMUS.

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Extraordinary leaders ensuring our future.

he LALC has established The LA30 Program in order to identify supporters of LAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leather community willing to make a commitment of at least $250 per person ($500 per couple) on an annual basis in order to assure the ongoing financial stability for the Coalition and L.A. Leather Pride. Members of The LA30 have a high level of access and priority, and serve as

an attentive liaison between the LALC and the leather community it serves. The Los Angeles Leather Coalition wishes to recognize and thank those who made extraordinary leadership commitments to secure the future L.A. leather Pride. The following individuals are members: Jim Neuman Doug Beardslee

Dr. Lawrence Burden and William Terrell Randy Carmenaty in Memory of Bob Tomasino Kevin C. and Brian D. Carlos Dievez Steve Ganzell Mike Gerle and Garret McClure Steve Harman Charlie Matula and Hunter Fox Marlon Morales Jon Wright and Eric Womack Esteban Jimenez and Leo Iriarte Jeffrey Erdman Xavier O. Espejo Lou Romano Michael Lara and Dennis Schulte Donald Jones Jr. Anspauch Gary Burg and Todd Sahara John Freeman Apolonio E. MuĂąoz III Eric Paul Leue Robert Green Patrick Smith and Michael Milenitza Dave Rhodes

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THE CHARITY PARTNERS The LA Leather Coalition is proud to have named the following organizations as Charity Partners designated to receive the proceeds after expenses for LA Leather Pride 2017:

ONE NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN ARCHIVES AT THE USC LIBRARIES One National Gay & Lesbian Archives At The USC Libraries is the largest repository of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) materials in the world. one.usc.edu

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THE TOM OF FINLAND FOUNDATION The Tom of Finland Foundation promotes the work of the Los Angeles artist Tom of Finland, offers a safe haven for all erotic art in response to rampant discrimination against art that portrays sexual behavior or generates a sexual response, and educates the public

as to the cultural merits of erotic art and in promoting healthier, more tolerant attitudes about sexuality. tomoffinlandfoundation.org

SAGE (SERVICES AND ADVOCACY FOR GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER ELDERS) SAGE, Inc., founded in NYC in 1978, is the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT older adults offering supportive services and consumer resources for LGBT elders and their caregivers, advocating for public policy changes that address the needs of LGBT older people, and providing training for aging providers and LGBT organizations. sageusa.org

COMMUNICATING OUR SEXUALITY IN CODE

A HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR FEEDER CONTEST PRODUCERS

April 27-30 Cleveland, Ohio CHRISTOPHER STREET WEST Chairman: Chris Classen; Contest Producer: Jeffrey Erdman

clawinfo.org

SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE Abbess/President: Sister Corkie Scroo, Contest Producer: Sister Candy Cide

REGIMENT OF THE BLACK AND TANS President and Contest Producer: Esteban Bartholo

PRECINCT DTLA Co-Owners and Contest Producers: Thor Stephens and Brian McIntire

SANCTUARY LAX Owner and Contest Producer: Mistress Cyan

EAGLE LA Owner and Contest Producer: Charlie Matula

ASHRAM WEST/SOCAL LEATHER Owner: William Schindler. Contest Producer: Eric Slayton

BEARS LA President: Sir Frank Cavallo. Contest Producer: Gabriel Green

OIL CAN HARRYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Owner: John Fagan. Contest Producer: Wyatt Oliver-Ronceros.

BULLET BAR Owner and Contest Producer: Michael Lara.

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COMMUNICATING OUR SEXUALITY IN CODE

GRAND PRIZE EUROPEAN FETISH TRIP RAFFLE

ast year’s raffle of a weekend at legendary FOLSOM EUROPE IN BERLIN was so successful we have come up with an even more incredible prize:

YOUR CHOICE OF ONE OF THREE EPIC FETISH ADVENTURES: • #1 FOLSOM EUROPE WEEKEND 2017 in Berlin, Germany, OR • #2 LONDON FETISH 2017 WEEKEND (last weekend of the famous LONDON FETISH WEEK) London, OR • #3 BARCELONA LEATHER BEACH BEARS WEEKEND in Barcelona/ Sitges during Sitges Bear Week 2017

Includes airfare for 2 and 4 nights hotel accommodations, event tickets (subject to availability), and much more. If you have never been to these European destinations, this is a perfect opportunity to get to know these cities during some of the most festive leather events of the year.

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ONLY ONE ADVENTURE WILL BE AWARDED: YOU GET TO CHOOSE WHICH ONE YOU WANT! For a better chance at winning, buy more tickets at the new more affordable prices. See lalptickets.com for more information.

COMMUNICATING OUR SEXUALITY IN CODE

MASTERS OF CEREMONIES Your hosts at The L.A. Leather Pride Contest

BRUCE BECKHAM Bruce made a wildly acclaimed return to adult film in 2016 after remembering that he could monetize his ASSets for cash and cock. Filming scenes with TitanMen will continues in 2017, and he’s excited and honored to be a part of the Mr Leather Los Angeles contest this year. When he’s not face down in a pillow or a bowl of ice cream, you can find him either at the gym or volunteering for his two favorite charities; StandUpForPits, a pitbull rescue and advocacy group, and the Trevor Project, who provide 24 support to LGBTQ youth in crisis.

瀀愀氀洀猀瀀爀椀渀最猀氀攀愀琀栀攀爀瀀爀椀搀攀⸀漀爀最

JASUN MARK Jason didn’t seem to understand what a “bio” is and instead of telling us about his work directing for Titanmen or being Eagle LA Mr. Leather 2009, he sent us a bunch of naked selfies and a list of all the title holders he’s “gotten naked.” We apologize for including him, and promise to get someone more respectable next year. n

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COMMUNICATING OUR SEXUALITY IN CODE

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS PRESENTING

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

PARTNER David Quirk McGrath

FRIEND

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING MS LA LEATHER 2017 SPONSORS 12 Days / Dusti Cunningham Photography / IML The Leather Foundation / Mid-Atlantic Leather Woman One Web Company / Rough Trade We Are Leather Women / ABW / Gnomey Designs / IMSL Leather Masters / Mid-Atlantic Leather Woman Boot Black Photos by Dirty Luxe / Sanctuary / The Bootblack Daddy Hooker & Boys / Inquisition Unlimited / MAL / MIR Pleasure Chest / The Trophy Guy LA

AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR MEDIA PARTNERS The Fight Magazine / The Leather Journal / GED Magazine

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MAR CH 2017 | THE F I GH T 41

THE MFORTABLE UNCO OF TRUTH

MILO

S O L U O P O N YIAN

Milo’s acknowledgment of sexual encounters with adult men when he was a teenager was a bridge too far for his friends and foes alike.

BY BREN D EN SH U CA RT

come not to praise Milo Yiannopoulos but to bury him. After a violent clash with protestors at Berkeley, the self-proclaimed “free speech advocate” and darling of the White Supremacist “Alt-Right” seemed on the precipice of glory. With a book deal from Simon and Schuster, invitations to appear on mainstream political roundtables the

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likes of Real Time with Bill Maher, and a key note slot at CPAC, the Breitbart Senior Editor appeared on the verge of attaining Ann Coulter-like levels of cultural saturation and influence, only to be engulfed in a firestorm of controversy and plummet—suddenly, dramatically—into the metaphorical sea. It was not his overt racism which brought Milo low, not his virulent misogy-

>> MILO YIANNOPOULOS <<

ny, nor the incoherent transphobic bile he recently spewed all over Bill Maher’s set (bile the political comedian sadly lapped up). His ascent was not halted by the dangerous misinformation he routinely spread, or the gleeful savage cruelty with which he spread it. Milo is a monster, a proudly amoral sociopath, but sadly none of these sins was egregious enough to eject Milo from polite society. The arrow that tumbled Yiannopoulos’s meteoric ascent was fired by his own hand, though it was none of his numerous social malformations but something much more complicated. Shortly after his appearance on Real Time a video surfaced of Yiannopoulos wherein he described without shame experiences he had as a “young teenager” with “older men.” He was not advocating pedophilia (sexual relationships between adults and pre-pubescent children), but rather he was drawing on his own experiences as a teen pursuing sexual experiences with adult men (a relationship properly described as “pedagogy”), and the benefits he felt those experiences brought to him personally. Of all of Milo’s speeches and public appearances that I have been able to watch (and in the service of writing this essay, I have watched many) it is the most sincere I have ever seen him, the most awkward, the most honest, and the most vulnerable. But that was a bridge too far for Milo’s friends and foes alike. Breitbart’s great avatar of “Free Speech” learned to his detriment that his fans only loved him when he was speaking the uncomfortable truths that they wanted to hear. Later he would try and clarify, to expound on the nuanced nature of such encounters, to allow that at least some of his teenage encounters with adult men might have involved unhealthy power imbalances, may have in fact been damaging in some way to his budding sexuality. The great loather of victims even acknowledged that he himself may have been victimized. But it was too late, the damage had been done. He’s been excoriated by talking heads on the Right and the Left, called “disgusting,” and “monster,” and worse. And of course he is disgusting, he is a monster, and I for one am elated that—for the time being at least—I won’t have to see his hateful, malicious, bleach-blond head on my television screen. But I hate that this absence will be because of this. Not because he’s an objectively shitty person, or a bully, or a promoter of lies so toxic they are corrosive to the very fabric of the Republic.

> > D A R L I N G O F T H E W H I T E S U P R E M E S I S T “ A LT- R I G H T ” < <

No, Milo Yiannopoulos had sexual encounters with adult men when he was a teenager, and he had the temerity to not only acknowledge those experiences publicly, but refused to be ashamed or performatively victimized by those experiences—and that just can’t be tolerated by the Right or the Left. The thing is, experiences like the one’s Milo has described, wherein gay teenagers seek out adult men—for sex, approval, and emotional support—are quasi-universal. I know precious few gay men who didn’t go hunting for just such experiences when they were teens. I myself had similar encounters when I was a young teenager (though not quite as young as Milo, and not with a teacher or a priest: situations of such extreme power differential that I have trouble seeing how they could not be damaging on some level) and I have similarly complicated/not-negative feelings about those encounters. I don’t feel like a victim, in fact I remember at the time feeling an overwhelming sense of empowerment accompanying each encounter. That’s not to say I recommend such encounters. I most emphatically do not. Cruising the park at 16-years-old was incredibly dangerous, incredibly foolish, and I am keenly aware of how lucky I was not to have met the wrong person. I could have been hurt. I could have been killed. But I wasn’t. The blossoming of sexual identity is a fragile and mysterious thing and many teenagers are simply not ready for sex. But I was. Or at least I thought I was. It’s complicated. It’s messy. It’s nuanced. But there is little room for nuance in the public sphere when you are discussing sex between men—even less when one of

those men is still a teenager. It’s subject that even gay men don’t want to talk about, don’t want talked about at all. In fact I have been asked not to write about Milo, or my teenage excursions. I was told—by friends of mine—that any such honest accounting on my part could only stoke pearl-clutching and renewed fears of the “predatory queer” on the Right, but I think it’s important in this moment, to share my story. Not for Milo—that dude is an embarrassment our people and if I ever see his face on my television screen again it will be too soon—but for the young gay men awakening to their sexual identity now and in the future. As a teenager I sought out sexual experiences with adult men because it was really the only avenue of exploration available to me. I would have preferred emphatically the safety and convenience of just being able to ask my classmates out on dates and explore my sexuality with people my own age—just like everyone else I went to high school with. I would have loved to have been able to turn to my parents and other guiding presences in my life for advice— but I couldn’t. And now in some places, in some towns and some schools, maybe teenage boys can just ask each other out. Maybe their experience has been embraced and normalized. And that’s amazing, but until it’s the norm young gay teenagers are going to continue to put themselves into precarious situations. It’s important for gay men to talk about these uncomfortable subjects, to be honest about the experiences that shape us, because those experiences do not happen in a void. They are very much a product of the world gay men find ourselves thrust into—a world our parents and teachers are complicit in creating.

For Breaking Daily LGBT News Visit

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>> JOSHUA R GONZALEZ, MD <<

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX “I think the most common misconception about erectile dysfunction (ED) is that it’s all in your head and that’s just totally untrue.” An interview with urologic surgeon Joshua R Gonzalez, MD. BY JO E FA RA G H ER

oshua R Gonzalez, MD, is an L.A. based fellowship-trained urologic surgeon specializing in men’s health, erectile dysfunction, hormonal management, and female sexual dysfunction. In an interview with THE FIGHT Dr. Gonzalez reveals that he is “interested most in using my expertise to reach members of the LGBTQ community who may be suffering with a sexual problem but have been too embarrassed or not had the opportunity to talk about it with a medical professional.” “All too often,” says Dr. Gonzalez, “I have heard from my LGBTQ patients that no one has ever taken the time to discuss sex with them. Admittedly many doctors find the topic of sex uncomfortable. That level of discomfort is often heightened when doctors have to ask about non-heterosexual behaviors. I think being gay allows me to speak freely in a way that some doctors cannot. Many of my patients have told me that they feel a sense of relief when they find out that I’m gay. A weight is lifted, the embarrassment goes out the window, and they can finally be honest about what’s going on. Only when that happens can we work together to start fixing things.”

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Many of Dr. Gonzalez’s patients seek his help when dealing with erectile dysfunction (ED), defined as a consistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection suitable for sexual activity. “I think the most common misconception about ED is that it’s all in your head and that’s just totally untrue,” states Dr. Gonzalez. “Yes, psychological factors such as anxiety can play a part, but many times there is some underlying biological reason that you’re having difficulty with your erections. Another common misconception is that ED isn’t common or that it only happens to old men. Approximately 30 million men in the US alone suffer from ED, so you’re definitely not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that 1 in 4 men will experience some form of ED in their lifetime. It’s also a disease that can affect men of all ages. It certainly increases with age, but I’ve treated men in their 20s and men in their 80s with this problem. At the end of the day, being younger doesn’t mean ED can’t happen to you. If your having problem with your erections it is okay to seek help at any age.” “Not all erections are created equal,” explains Dr. Gonzalez. “ED can mean different things to different men. We have models by which we literally grade erections and it’s something I review with every patient that I treat. Like most medical conditions, ED can be described according to severity and the treatments for ED are based in part on that assessment. My goal is to get their penis rigid enough to engage in whatever kind of sex they want to have.” “The good news is that there are solutions for all kinds of ED. And most of them are covered by insurance,” reveals Dr. Gonzalez. Severity is an important factor in picking the right solution. Broadly speaking, there are hormonal treatments, oral and injectable medications that help improve blood flow, and even surgery. I make a promise to every patient I see with ED: one way or another I will get them an erection. They just have to trust me and be willing to follow my advice.” “The last thing I would say to anyone having issues with their erections is to say something. If you have had health care professionals in the past convince you it’s all in your head without doing a formal work up, seek help elsewhere. If no one has offered you a solution to your problem, find some one else. If you have ED, you are not alone and there is a way to fix it.” For more info call Dr. Gonzales at 818-301-8912 or visit advantageurology.com.

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>> BY PAULO MURILLO <<

DAYONE

We asked a few local sober folks with over 10 years of sobriety to reflect on their first day sober and what life is like for them now. MICHAEL PATRICK COUGHLIN

GOOD SAMARITAN

“

had passed out in front of the Laurel Pet hospital and a woman picked me up and took me home. I call her my crack whore angel, because she was a good Samaritan; apparently we did crack together, and then she tried to steal money from my roommate. I had to explain to him--who was sober for 16 years--why this woman was in our home trying to steal from him. The jig was up. He asked me what I was going to do, and I told him I was going to go to a [12-step] meeting because I knew that was the right thing to do. A friend took me to a meeting on day one and that night I had the best sleep I had in a very long time.” “You can only go up from a crack whore angel. Where I am today - I’m getting married. That relationship is normal in the sense that it’s healthy. Even through uncertainty in my life, there is stability. When you do the work then everything else falls into place.” —Michael Patrick Coughlin, sober since November 3, 2005

KEVIN CHASE

VERY GRATEFUL

“

was fresh hot mess at day one. I was living in New York and ended up in a treatment center in Minnesota. When I told them I was coming, I was high out of mind. I checked in and slept. And when I woke up the next morning, MEETING CHER I was like, ‘Oh my STEPHEN n day one, I sat at Starbucks God. What have I MALINARO debating on whether to find done?’ I thought I overreacted. I woke up in an institutional a trick to mooch off of, or hospital-style bed in this crappy building. At the time I was if I wanted to give sobriety a try. I a fancy New York executive and the guy in the bed next to was really tired of my old routine. me had just got out of prison. But I stayed and I did what I was withering away at 130 they told me. It was the first time I ever told the truth about pounds. I was homeless. I had my drug use. I admitted I smoked cocaine and the shame no friends, and I thought people cascaded out of me. I never told anyone I smoked a lot of were out to get me.” crack with horrible people.” “My sister had just celebrated “Today I feel very grateful to be free from the obsession one year sober. That kind of to drink and do drugs. life is life. Life is hard. Life is great. It inspired me to call a friend who can be easy and fun and complicated sometimes and I just took me to a meeting. The take it as it comes. Somebody made a dumb statement to me applause I heard in my head in the beginning that life gets better in sobriety, but the truth when I stood up at that meetis, we get better and the better we get, the better we become ing as a newcomer was thunderat dealing with life.” ous and the people that came up to me to give me their phone —Kevin Chase, sober since September 19, 1999.

“

numbers and hugged me—that was what I was looking for. It felt good. That’s what kept me coming back.” “Life today is amazing. I went back to school to get my bachelors and I graduated with honors. I’m in a loving relationship. The psychosis is gone. I have a better relationship with my family. I have a lot of friends. Oh, and I got to meet Cher. That never would’ve happened if I wasn’t sober.” —Stephen Malinaro, sober since September 11, 2005

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THEFINALFIGHT >>DISNEY’S GAY “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” CHARACTER <<

GAY PANIC Joy and anger over Disney’s gay “Beauty and the Beast” character.

isney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast has quickly become one of the most eagerly anticipated movies in history, smashing records when its first trailer racked up more than 127 million views in just 24 hours last November. While the reimagined romantic classic, featuring Emma Watson and former Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens, might seem like the ultimate celebration of heterosexual love, it’s actually harboring a treasure trove of gay secrets—and is set to make history with Disney’s first ever “exclusively gay moment” on film, reports Attitude, a British gay lifestyle magazine, online at attitude.co.uk. In the magazine’s April issue (available to download now at their website)—director Bill Condon reveals the heartbreaking true story that helped shape the 1991 film, and how it inspired him to create a character who would break new ground when it comes to LGBT visibility on screen. Played by actor Josh Gad, the character of LeFou serves as the sidekick to the film’s primary antagonist Gaston (Luke Evans), and is set to feature in a small but significant subplot of his own when it comes to his sexuality. “LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” reveals Condon. “He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realizing that he has these feelings. And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its payoff at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.” As Attitude’s April issue arrives on newsstands in the UK and the world prepares for Beauty and the Beast to hit screens on March 17, Attitude editor-in-chief Matt Cain has welcomed the news as a landmark moment for LGBT representation. “It may have been a long time coming but this is a watershed moment for Disney,” he says. “By representing same-sex attraction in this short but explicitly gay scene, the studio

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is sending out a message that this is normal and natural—and this is a message that will be heard in every country of the world, even countries where it’s still socially unacceptable or even illegal to be gay. Matt adds: “It’s only a first step towards creating a cinematic world that reflects the one in which many of us are now proud to live. But it’s a step in the right direction and I applaud Disney for being brave enough to make it—and in doing so hopefully helping to change attitudes and bring about real social progress.” While many celebrated Disney’s progressive move—others were not as ecstatic. Entertainment Weekly reports that an Alabama theater has canceled its plan to screen Disney’s Beauty and the Beast due to the inclusion of a gay character.

“IF I CAN’T SIT THROUGH A MOVIE WITH GOD OR JESUS SITTING BY ME THEN WE HAVE NO BUSINESS SHOWING IT.” The new owners of the Henagar Drive-In theater alerted its customers via Facebook that they have decided to not screen the film as previously planned after reports confirming the live-action remake’s version of LeFou is gay. “When companies continually force their views on us we need to take a stand,” read the post. “If we can not take our 11-year-old granddaughter and 8-year-old grandson to see a movie we have no business watching it. If I can’t sit through a movie with God or Jesus sitting by me then we have no business showing it. I know there will be some that do not agree with this decision. That’s fine … We will continue to show family oriented films so you can feel free to come watch wholesome movies without worrying about sex, nudity, homosexuality and foul language.” n

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