MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 1
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MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 3
THECONTENTS FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
16 CALIFORNIA PRIDES
10 THE TALK
22
13 THE STATE
24 30 36 38 39 40
FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT THE STATE THE SEX POLICE LGBTQ LIVES IN DANGER FREE AT LAST LOTUS PLACE RECOVERY COMMUNITY TIES LA COUNTY ASSESSOR JEFFREY PRANG FINDING YOUR PEOPLE CALIFORNIA DRUMMER 2017 XAVIER ESPEJO FRONTING FEMININITY ARIANA AND THE ROSE PRIDE & PREJUDICE OLYMPIC DIVER ROBERT PÁEZ HIDDEN TRUTHS PHOTOGRAPHER ANDREW LEIGH GREEN
SARAH MCBRIDE EQUALITY CALIFORNIA
14 THE CITY
MAXINE WATERS
20 THE ROSTOW REPORT QUEEN MUM
26 THE SPREAD
JC MOUNDUIX
28 THE TRANSACTION
WELLNESS CENTER
32 THE PROFILE
LADIES OF THE LAW
34 THE SHARE
LOCAL RECOVERY
35 THE EPIDEMIC WEEKLY PILL
42 THE ART
STEVE MACISAAC
44 THE MUSIC
SOFI TUKKER
46 THE EVENT
QUEEN KONG
48 THE CALENDAR THINGS TO DO
50 THE FINAL FIGHT CHECHNYA
ON THE COVER
JAN ZIMMERMAN (L), LENA FANCHER LOTUS PLACE RECOVERY COVER PHOTO, TOC PHOTO AND FEATURE PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM
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Starline Tours CitySightseeing Los Angeles celebrates Pride Season in Southern California! Tour historic and current LGBT hotspots all within walking distance of our Hop-On Hop-Off stops. Arts, Culture, History, Shopping, Dining, Nightlife and more! Go to our website www.citysightseeingla.com and discover our special LGBT itinerary covering destinations over all routes. Enjoy our special offer with code FIGHT. 6 TH E F I GH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com
The fun starts here. Everyone is welcome.
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MAY 2018 | compliant TH E F I GH T 5 @starlinetours ADA
THEEDITOR
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stanford Altamirano MANAGING EDITOR Mark Ariel ART DIRECTOR Nadeen Torio MARKETING CONSULTANTS 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 <<
New laws, on local, state and federal levels, are driving more sex workers into the streets, putting their lives at risk, reports Larry Buhl (“The Sex Police,” page 22). In March, President Trump signed into law a new bill—a combination of the Senate’s Stop Enabling Sex-Trafficking Act (SESTA) and the House’s Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA)—which makes online platforms liable for content uploaded by their users. Even before the president signed it, online platforms that sex workers used to advertise their services voluntarily blocked access from the United States or shut down completely. Tara Coccinelle, a trans woman and inactive sex worker says that she worries that FOSTA/SESTA will drive more sex workers into the streets. “For queer trans women of color,
the risks of violence on the street are much higher,” she told THE FIGHT. Coccinelle noted that a new local law in Sacramento adds the danger of arrest to other threats by defining prostitution broadly. “Now a cop can stop and search you for leaning into the window of a parked car. If you have more than two condoms on you, that’s justification for arresting you and charging you with manifesting prostitution. It punishes people for preventing transmission of STDs and HIV.” The Sex Workers Outreach Project—Sacramento (SWOP) is a California State social justice network dedicated to reducing harm, improving health, and upholding both civil and human rights of sex workers and their communities.
CONTRIBUTORS Larry Buhl Dusti Cunningham Jeremy Lucido Orly Lyonne Victor Melamed Paulo Murillo Roxie Perkins Ann Rostow Paul V. Vitagliano 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
Learn more at: sacramentoswop.com. THE FIGHT MAGAZINE LEGAL CAVEATS
STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Editor-In-Chief
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 © 2018 Third Step LLC. All rights reserved. Content may be reproduced with permission.
Every month THE FIGHT donates a portion of its proceeds to an LGBTQ community organization. This month’s donation has been sent to Equality California. Equality California brings the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. For more info visit: eqca.org. 6 TTH HEE FFIIGH GHTT || www.thefi www.thefightmag.com 6 ghtmag.com
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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THELETTERS >> FROM OUR READERS <<
BATH HOUSE BAN Dear Editor, I would love to see an article about San Francisco’s bath house ban. San Francisco is (as far as I know) unique among American cities with this ban still in effect. Even red-state cities like Dallas and Houston have bath houses. As far as I know, there is little to no science or data supporting the idea that if you close bathhouses HIV transmission magically goes down because gay men magically stop having sex. In the age of the cocktail, PREP, and proven zero-transmission when men have zero viral loads, the ban that never made much sense now makes even less sense. San Francisco’s prohibition on bath houses is sex-phobic, heteronormative paternalism, and hypocritical in a city that paints itself as liberal and progressive. As the bath houses have shown, they can be a means for education, outreach, testing, and a safe space compared to taking a stranger home. For some reason the ban is ignored by the local gay media, the elephant in the room in a city that keeps proclaiming it’s the gay mecca. Your magazine looks like it has a different, sex positive perspective, so I hope you will explore this issue and give it the attention it deserves. —Mark Smith, via the internet
UNIQUE VOICE Dear Editor, Thank you for your interview with Brandon Stansell (“Are You Allowed To Go Back To Chattanooga?” THE FIGHT, Issue #87). I have been following his career for the past few years and I truly don’t think he gets the attention he deserves. He is a unique voice in the country music world. I was particularly moved by his song “Dear John,” about the break up with his boyfriend. Thanks again for including him within the pages of your magazine. —Roger Reynolds, via the internet
> WRITE TO THE EDITOR
Email: editor@thefightmag.com Fax: (213) 281-9648. Letters may be shortened due to space requirements. MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 9
THETALK >> W H AT T H E Y ’ R E S AY I N G <<
JACK HARRISONQUINTANA
GOOD INTENTIONS
ERIC JON SCHMIDT
“I am 100% transparent. I have nothing but good intentions and I am not running against anyone, just their seats. I have nothing negative to say about the others and never will.”
—Eric Jon Schmidt, one of four challengers thus far for West Hollywood City Council, in an email to WEHOville last month, on photos and videos of him having sex on the website called DudesNude.com.
MOST TRUSTED
“From now on, HIV status data will be isolated from the rest of the information that we have, so that it’s inaccessible to even our most trusted partners who we work with every day.”
—Jack Harrison-Quintana, vice president of Social Impact at Grindr, in a video on Grindr.com last month, after BuzzFeed reported it was sharing the HIV statuses of its users with two third-party vendors.
STEP UP “For me, the election of Donald Trump was a real wake-up call… for women across the country that if we don’t CYNTHIA NIXON like the direction our government is going in, we have to step up and we have to get involved like never before. So that’s what I’m doing.” —Out New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon on The Wendy Williams Show last month.
EVERYONE ELSE “I wanted to make sure that people understood that behind this national conversation on trans rights are real people who love and laugh, hope and dream, fear and cry just like everyone else.” —Transgender activist and HRC National Press Secretary Sarah McBride on Late Night with Seth SARAH Meyers last month, promoting MCBRIDE her new book, Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality.
www.thefightmag.com 1 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com
THE SAME STROKE “This year we’ve seen a number of mainstream stories focusing on straight people’s relationship to queerness—which insist that queer people are “normal” and “just like you!”—rather than queer people’s relationship to their JOHN SHERMAN own identities,… The doubleedged sword of normalcy-as-value is that it is always including and excluding with the same stroke.” —Writer John Sherman in an op-ed on BuzzFeed, last month.
RECEIVE A KEY
“Honored to be the Grand Marshal at today’s Miami Beach Gay Pride and to receive a key to the city! Like... What?!” GUS KENWORTHY
—Olympian Gus Kenworthy, in a tweet last month, after he was been given a key to the Florida city during Miami Beach Gay Pride.
NEVER SAW MYSELF “For me, growing up as a queer AfroLatino from the Bronx, I never saw myself in film and television… This proliferation of work that is coming from diverse content creators is specifically coming from a space of wanting representation.”
STEVEN —Steven Canals, one of the creators and execCANALS utive producers of FX’s upcoming drama series Pose, which includes a groundbreaking number of transgender people, last month at at the first-ever “Creators Summit.” The summit, presented by GLAAD and the Creative Artists Agency, focused on the future of diversity, inclusivity and intersectionality in entertainment.
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 11
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
12 TH TH IGH www.thefightmag.com 6 E EF IFGH T T| |www.thefi ghtmag.com
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
THESTATE >> NEWS BRIEFS <<
EQUALITY CALIFORNIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RICK ZBUR
STILL, NO WILL OR TRUST? ESTATE PLANNING:
WILLS H LIVING TRUSTS H HEALTH CARE PROVISIONS H GAY & LESBIAN ISSUES H POWERS OF ATTORNEY H
AVOID Probate By “Pre-Planning” “Personal Attention. ALWAYS.”
PUSHING FORWARD Legislators and advocates meet at Equality California’s Fair Share for Equality event.
E
THE LAW OFFICES OF
RONALD A. LACHMAN FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION
323.655.6020
Past Co-President: LGBT Bar Association www.RonaldLachman.com
BY VICTO R MELA MED
quality California held its fourth annual Fair Share for Equality event last month at the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood. The program, with close to 400 attendees, included TED-style presentations from LGBTQ community leaders, as well as breakout discussions with legislators and advocates at local, state, and federal levels. Special guests included Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom; Assemblymember and LGBT Legislative Caucus Chair Evan Low; Assemblymember Todd Gloria; Senators Ricardo Lara and Scott Wiener; and many other LGBTQ leaders and advocates. Speakers addressed a wide range of topics including healthcare and mental health, HIV/AIDS, immigration, education, youth, seniors, data collection, homelessness, transgender rights and employment, and criminal justice reform. “So we know what we’re up against. That’s why you’re all here,” said Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur. “We need to mobilize our community to defend the progress we’ve made and continue to push the needle forward toward a world that is healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ people.” n
“WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THE NEEDLE FORWARD TOWARD A WORLD THAT IS HEALTHY, JUST AND FULLY EQUAL FOR ALL LGBTQ PEOPLE.” MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 13 THE
THECITY MAXINE WATERS
>> BY PAULO MURILLO <<
initially stemmed from a bartender believing the men had fake IDs. In their lawsuit, the men said they asked to speak to the manager—and were met with gay slurs from the bartender. They were then forcefully taken out of the bar by a customer seated at the bar, who they refer to as a “criminal thug.” Angel Bonilla, one of the suit’s complainants, is seen being physically pushed out by the customer in the recording of the incident, and is left writhing in pain on the sidewalk outside the establishment. In their lawsuit, Bonilla said he needed medical attention. The lawsuit alleges assault, battery, negligence, violation of civil rights and seeks at least $3 million in damages, reports Q Voice News. LONG BEA C H
LAWSUIT SEEKING TO REMOVE PRIDE FLAG DISMISSED SAN P E DRO
MAN WHO THREATENED TO KILL REP. MAXINE WATERS PLEADS GUILTY A 45-year-old San Pedro man pleaded guilty last month to threatening to kill Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, over her opposition to President Donald Trump, reports Los Angeles Daily News. Anthony Scott Lloyd faces sentencing July 16 on the single count of threatening a United States official. The charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 10 years behind bars. Lloyd made the threat during a phone call to Waters’ Capitol Hill office. “If you continue to make threats toward the president, you’re going to wind up dead, Maxine, ’cause we’ll kill you,” Lloyd said in a voicemail. He also used a racial slur—the N-word—to refer to Waters and an anti-gay slur in the message, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Nare, who read Lloyd’s voicemail message to the court.
VENICE
WORD’S LARGEST FREE-FLYING RAINBOW PRIDE FLAG AT VENICE PRIDE Venice Pride will unveil the world’s largest free-flying rainbow flag in Los Angeles for Venice Pride weekend, June 1-3, 2018. The flag will be unfurled June 1st to commemorate the first anniversary of the passing of rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker. The flag is set for a 10-City “United We Pride” Tour. L.A.’s Venice Beach neighborhood will host the flag for three days before gifting it to San Francisco to mark the rainbow flag’s 40th anniversary. 1 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
Throughout 2018 and early 2019 the flag will be passed to different host cities who will display it prominently during their own pride celebrations. NEWPORT B EA C H
RESTAURANT SUED FOR GAY BASHING Three gay men thrown out of a bar in an alleged gay bashing incident in Newport Beach, are suing the Siena Cucina Italiana restaurant for discrimination, reports Raw Story. The incident, which took place last month and was partially captured on video,
A United States District Court judge dismissed a lawsuit that was filed last year seeking to remove the LGBT Pride flag from the offices of four members of Congress. Long Beach Congressman Alan Lowenthal, the first to display the flag outside his Capitol Hill office, was one of four named in the suit. The suit was filed by Chris Sevier who alleged that the flag hanging in the halls of Congress violated his constitutional right to lobby congress, claiming that homosexuality is a religion and that all religions needed to be represented equally. Judge Randolph D. Moss ruled “the gay rights movement bears no trappings of ‘religion’ as that concept is widely understood.” S A N D IEGO
PADRES KICK OFF LGBT PRIDE NIGHT The San Diego Padres kicked off the Major League Baseball’s LGBT Pride night calendar with Out at the Park last month at Petco Park. They played against the New York Mets. The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus joined the San Diego Women’s Chorus and San Diego Pride and Padres staff for rendition of the National Anthem. More than half of MLB’s 30 teams will have a Pride night, with the majority taking place in June, which is LGBT Pride month. n
DEBT HAPPENS Call Me! (323) 525-2700 DEBT RELIEF & RECOVERY ~SINCE 1988~
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Saturday, June 2, 2018 VIP reception - 5:30 p.m. Event - 6 p.m. The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel Join us all for the kickoff of The Campaign for Radiant Health Centers to build the first LGBTQ Health Center in Orange County. We will honor the outstanding work of the Human Rights Campaign, especially in the area of LGBTQ health inequalities. For tickets and details: www.stairwaytothestarsoc.com
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 15
>> CALIFORNIA PRIDES <<
Save The Dates! MAY 19-20, 2018 LONG BEACH longbeachpride.com MAY 20, 2018 DAVIS davispride.org JUNE 1-3, 2018 VENICE www.venicepride.org
JUSSIE SMOLLETT, LONG BEACH PRIDE
JUNE 2, 2018 FRESNO fresnorainbowpride.com JUNE 3, 2018 SANTA CRUZ santacruzpride.org JUNE 9-10, 2018 WEST HOLLYWOOD lapride.org
EVE, LA PRIDE
CALIFORNIA PRIDES
A
A record number of Pride Festivals, taking place throughout the state over the next few months.
ctor, singer and songwriter Jussie Smollett of Fox’s hit television series Empire, will showcase his musical talents at the 35th Annual Long Beach Pride Festival on Saturday, May 19 at the event’s main stage. The festival will take place from May 19 to 20 at Shoreline Marina, Green Park, 450 E. Shoreline Drive, Long Beach CA 90802. Smollett, who came out as a gay man on Ellen in 2015, will headline the main stage during the two-day event. Besides the talented actor/musician, the event will feature a variety musical talent that ranges from pop, rhythm and blues, country, rap, hip hop, urban soul and much more. The event is marking its 35th year with a variety of activities such as the acclaimed Long Beach Pride Parade, on May 20, as well as games, raffles, food and drink booths, art exhibits, children’s activities as well as special presentations from its organizers and community leaders. For more info, visit www.LongBeachPride.com. Christopher Street West (CSW), the folks producing LA Pride, have announced that Eve, Natalia Jimenez, Icona Pop, Kim Petras, and Keri Hilson will join 2018 LA Pride Festival headliners, Kehlani and Tove Lo, making this one of the most diverse lineups in LA Pride Festival history. The annual 2018 LA Pride Festival (Saturday, June 9—Sunday, June 10) and 2018 LA Pride Parade (Sunday, June 10) will be the culmination of a full week’s worth of events— like PRIDE IS UNIVERSAL at Universal Studios Hollywood™— and community programming beginning on June 1. For up-to-date info on all LA Pride events visit: www.lapride.org.
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JUNE 10, 2018 SACRAMENTO sacramentopride.org JUNE 16, 2018 SAN MATEO facebook.com/PRIDEInitiativeSMC JUNE 23-24, 2018 SAN FRANCISCO www.sfpride.org JUNE 23, 2018 SANTA ANA prideoc.com JULY 14-15, 2018 SAN DIEGO sdpride.org AUGUST 12, 2018 SAN FERNANDO VALLEY www.valleypride.org AUGUST 17-19, 2018 VENTURA COUNTY vcpride.org AUGUST 25-26, 2018 DTLA PROUD dtlaproud.org AUGUST 25, 2018 SANTA BARBARA pacificpridefoundation.org SEPTEMBER 8, 2018 CHULA VISTA southbaypride.org SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 OAKLAND oaklandpride.org OCTOBER 14, 2018 SAN GABRIEL VALLEY www.sgvpride.org NOVEMBER 2-4, 2018 PALM SPRINGS pspride.org
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 17
2018
Celebrating 35 YEARS of our remarkable festival and parade!
JUSSIE SMOLLETT
SHEILA E.
ANA BARBARA
AMARA LA NEGRA
DANILEIGH
BRANDON STANSELL
DJ LEZLEE
For tickets & info visit longbeachpride.com
1 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
DJ IRENE
FESTIVAL
PARADE
TEEN PRIDE
MAIN STAGE FIESTA CALIENTE | URBAN SOUL | COUNTRY | DANCE LEATHER TENT | FAMILY FUN ZONE
TICKETS MORE INFO
FOLLOW US #LBPRIDE
@ @ @ MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 19
THEROSTOWREPORT >> BY ANN ROSTOW <<
REGISTER THIS!
such laws were introduced, and the legacy of discrimination, violence and even death that persists today.” “As a family of nations,” she went on, “we must respect one another’s cultures and traditions, but we must do so in a manner consistent with our common value of equality—a value that is clearly stated in the Commonwealth charter.” I’m looking at you Brunei! (The writer points two fingers at her eyes and points them back towards the homophobic south Asian nation.)
I was following a story out of Turin, Italy, where a lesbian mother was unable to “register” her newborn son, because he had not been conceived through intercourse. It seemed that an official form was involved, where new mothers had to check a box confirming that their baby emerged via an act of heterosexual sex. Up until now, women who conceived through artificial insemination simply checked the box to simplify matters, but City Council member Chiara Foglietta refused, forcing the city to change its policies in late April. Foglietta’s son is now “registered,” whatever that means. I’m assuming it’s an important status to achieve in Turin. These small victories add up, dear readers! Not so long ago, we covered ten defeats for every one win, and now the ratio is reversed.
SUN NEVER SETS ON ANTIGAY LAWS
Speaking of defeats, I remain obsessed with Bermuda, after the island territory reversed its court-ordered marriage equality policy by passing domestic partner legislation. Now I read that the head of tourism, surely Bermuda’s most pressing economic sector, is a gay man who has a UK civil union with his partner. Kevin Dallas told reporters that Bermuda is actually a great place for gay citizens and tourists alike, with an island-wide civil rights law that covers sexual orientation. But come on everyone. The man’s head of tourism! What else is he going to say? Meanwhile, British PM Theresa May called out the Commonwealth of Nations
RIP WILLOW
THE LATE QUEEN’S MOTHER … REPORTEDLY [HAD] A PENCHANT FOR DRINK AND A LOT OF GAY MEN ON HER PERSONAL STAFF. “WILL ONE OF YOU YOUNG QUEENS GET THIS OLD QUEEN A MARTINI?” SHE IS RUMORED TO HAVE SHOUTED DOWN THE HALL ONE EVENING. heads of state for the antigay rules and regs which survived the end of the British Empire in former colonies. Some 36 out of 53 Commonwealth countries still criminalize gay men and
2 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
women, including a few that impose a death sentence. “As the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister,” May told leaders at a London assembly, “I deeply regret the fact that
Sad that the Queen’s last corgi died, don’t you think? Let’s take a moment, shall we? Maybe I’ve been watching too much royal TV, (Victoria, The Crown), but I have developed a soft spot for the monarchy. Not so much for Charles and Camilla, but I appreciate the Queen and the younger generation. The late Queen’s mother was also reportedly a piece of work, with a penchant for drink and a lot of gay men on her personal staff. “Will one of you young queens get this old queen a martini?” she is rumored to have shouted down the hall one evening. As for the current queen, Vanity Fair says she has a glass of Champagne before bed every night. Hmmm. I like it. But as much as monarchy may tempt me these days, I prefer a democracy. And I read that animals and insects have their own democratic systems, with packs of dogs turning away from the leader if enough other dogs agree, and groups of bees signaling hive strategy by wiggling en masse. I just wish democracy wouldn’t take so damned long.
> > R E G I S T E R T H I S ! • S U N N E V E R S E T S O N A N T I G AY L AW S • R I P W I L L O W • S W E E T D R E A M S • H O T B E N C H < <
Four years minimum. And no, Trump is not going to be ousted, nor would we want President Pence in his place. We just have to suck it up, elect a Democratic Congress and get rid of these aberrations in 2020.
SWEET DREAMS
Sometimes when I can’t fall asleep I’ll think about the last day of the Trump administration, the Trumps (if Melania has made it through the term) greeting the incoming President and his or her spouse at the North Portico. The sound of Hail to the Chief being played for Trump’s successor. The helicopter leaving the Capital grounds. And then the ensuing years of books and articles laying bare the disaster that was the brief Trump administration. His descent into frustration, send-
standard for the administration’s legal team. (A few weeks earlier, Pechman ruled in favor of the “bikini baristas” of Everett, Washington, who were defending their right to serve coffee and booze in scanty outfits. That opinion has been appealed to the Ninth Circuit by Everett’s scowling town fathers.) And how does it happen that I still have interesting news but I seem to have exhausted my space? Could it be that I’ve wasted valuable column inches blathering about this and that rather than discussing the status of LGBT related bills throughout the country’s state legislatures? Surely not. In fact, the good news is that very few antigay bills get through these days; just a handful last year and so far, zero this year. Part of the reason is changing times, part of it is the threat of litigation,
ing crazed tweets that no one reads. Bloviating for interviews that few people follow. Thin crowds. Ridicule. Divorce. I imagine it all, and drop off with a smile on my face.
HOT BENCH
I’m a little short on important legal news this month, but I will make it up to you another time. Let me just say that Trump’s efforts to ban and/ or remove transgender men and women from the U.S. military are continuing to die at the walls of the federal courts, where several lawsuits continue and where all interim opinions have gone against the administration. Most recently, in mid-April, Seattle-based Judge Marsha Pechman wrote that discrimination against transgender Americans must be examined with strict scrutiny, an almost impossible
and another part is the backlash against Indiana and North Carolina, two states that had to reverse themselves after boycotts due to gratuitous antigay legislating. Big business is also on our side, and not afraid to tell politicians to keep their eyes on the prize and avoid antigay machinations. Think about the hoopla over Amazon’s second headquarters, a national competition that has cities from coast to coast trying everything to win favor. It’s pretty clear that conservative cities in antigay states have no chance with a company founded and run by a man who gave millions in support of marriage equality and other GLBT causes. Sorry North Carolina. The pain keeps coming, and for what? Meanwhile, every other state takes note and the antigay sentiment in their capitals continues to evaporate. n
The City of West Hollywood's Arts Division presents the
ONE CITY ONE PRIDE LGBTQ ARTS FESTIVAL
CELEBRATING PRIDE 2018 WITH THE THEME "I REMEMBER" MAY 22
Kick off event with a staged reading of "Dear Harvey" with Celebration Theatre
MAY 30
Lillian Faderman presents her new book, "Harvey Milk, His Lives and Death"
JUNE 2
Sneak peeks of works in progress "Light in the Water" (the story of the West Hollywood Aquatic Team) and "AIDS Diva: The Story of Connie Norman"
JUNE 13
JUNE 22-23
JUNE 30
Free preview of "Considering Matthew Shepard" New Stages presents "Heroic Lives," performed by LGBTQ seniors TransLifeLA PoPUp Film Festival
Also featuring the ONE Archives LGBTQ History display, and a visual art exhibition of Wayne Shimabukuro and Don Bachardy works at the West Hollywood Library .
weho.org/pride @wehoarts
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 21
>> SB1204 <<
THE SEX POLICE
New laws, on local, state and federal levels, are driving more sex workers into the streets, putting their lives at risk. BY LARRY BUHL
O
n April 17, a new California bill meant to expand the definition of “pandering,” which means solicitation and recruitment for prostitution, was tabled in the Senate Public Safety Committee after it receiving a lack of support in the committee—and after dozens of citizens spoke out against it for hours in the hearing. Critics said the language of the bill, SB 1204, introduced by Senator Pat Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), was too broad and ambiguous and instead of just curbing sex trafficking would have the unintended consequence of putting harm reduction advocates at risk. “(SB 1204) would leave it up to the cops to determine what ‘induce’ means,” said Kristin DiAngelo, a trafficking survivor and Executive Director of the Sacramento chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project, (SWOP) online at sacramentoswop.com. “Our group distributes condoms, lube, and lists of potential predators with the knowledge that sex workers will use them. But the new bill would say we are encouraging and inducing prostitution. It would make what we do illegal.” At press time it was not clear whether or when SB 1204 would come back. But sex worker advocates say that if such a bill could pass in supposedly liberal California, restrictions on their industry could happen anywhere. LIABLE FOR CONTENT In fact, a crackdown on sex work is happening at the local, state and federal levels. In March, President Trump signed into law a new bill—a combination of the Senate’s Stop Enabling Sex-Trafficking Act (SESTA) and the House’s Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA)—which makes online platforms liable for content uploaded by their users. Even before the president signed it, online platforms that sex workers used to advertise their services voluntarily blocked access from the United States or shut down completely. In April the website backpage.com was seized by the feds its founders were charged www.thefightmag.com 2 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com
DANNY CRUZ
with 93 counts of money laundering and facilitating prostitution, although nobody was charged with human trafficking. Craigslist took its Personals section offline, saying it could not prevent postings of sex workers or possible sex traffickers on the site. SAFETY BARRIER Sex workers, particularly those who are LGBTQ, say they’re worried by these developments. “I went out to lunch with four trans sex workers after SB 1204 was pulled,” DiAngelo said. “They’re all frightened.” Frightened, she said, because the online sites being taken down were not only used for advertising and procuring sex services, they were a barrier between sex workers and clients. Tara Coccinelle, a trans woman and inactive sex worker who protested SB 1204, said that she worries that bill and FOSTA/SESTA will drive more sex workers into the streets. “For queer trans women of color, the risks of violence on the street are much higher,” she told THE FIGHT. Coccinelle noted that a new local law in Sacramento adds the danger of arrest to other threats by defining prostitution broadly.
“Now a cop can stop and search you for leaning into the window of a parked car. If you have more than two condoms on you, that’s justification for arresting you and charging you with manifesting prostitution. It punishes people for preventing transmission of STDs and HIV.” DiAngelo says SWOP has seen a significant increase in street-based sex work in the past month. And she points out that a large percentage of people working the streets had experienced rape and other forms of assault since moving from online to outside work. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT Danny Cruz, a sex worker in California who recently relocated to Texas, said he’s not working outdoors, but he’s seen a slowdown in business, which he attributes to the clampdown on advertising venues. “On the sites that are still up, they limit what you can say. You can’t display rates, for example, and you have to be called porn stars, not escorts. It takes ten more emails to get the negotiation settled because of all the things you can’t put in an ad.” Cruz added that there is fear among fellow sex workers that new sex laws could be used to go after workers and clients retroactively. “There is a lot of trepidation about what happens next.” Domina Elle, a Denver-based professional dominatrix and erotic service provider, says she believes the dangers to sex workers are a feature, not a bug, of so-called anti-trafficking laws. “They’ve been attacking the commercial sex trade for decades and they want to abolish the industry,” she said. Pointing to new legislation in Virginia, the Human Trafficking Prevention Act, which would require Virginians to pay $20 to unblock content on adult websites, Elle said wording of these bills often conflates prostitution with sex trafficking. And that’s by design, she said. “And so far the bills are getting bipartisan support. Because who could possibly be for sex trafficking?”
Pride Recovery LA is an LGBTQ focused program that is located in West Hollywood, CA. We offer quality care for our clients, ages 18 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 60, to help them lead healthy lifestyles and commit to lifelong positive change. Each facility is staffed with highly trained clinicians and educators who utilize a full array of treatment methodologies to help adults carve out a meaningful place in the community.
Our clients have the opportunity to live in a sober home while attending treatment and maintaining their sobriety. Each residence provides bedroom amenities, fully stocked kitchens, food for all meals, utilities, washer and dryers, and access to Wi-Fi, smart TVs, and computers. Sober homes also provide transportation to 12-step meetings, planned outdoor activities, beach days, and volunteer opportunities. For More Info Please Contact:
Pride Recovery LA IOP & OP
8300 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90069 admissions@priderecoveryla.com
844-303-5551
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 23
> > C O V E R F E AT U R E < <
LENA FANCHER (L), JAN ZIMMERMAN 2 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
> > LEO HERRERA, COLUMBINE DEMERS, BRENDEN SCHUCART < <
Free
At Last Addressing the needs of the LGBTQ community, Lotus Place Recovery’s Lena Fancher and Jan Zimmerman on living your authentic life. B Y M A R K A RIEL | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNN INGHAM
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otus Place Recovery is a gender diverse conscious organization located in in Fountain Valley, near Newport Beach, whose goal is to help clients grow into their authentic selves as they work towards self-acceptance and sobriety. Having established itself as a refuge for those in the LGBTQ Community that seek freedom from substance abuse, Lotus Place Recovery fosters a safe and gender affirming environment where clients can explore questions of sexuality, gender identity and gender expression, while working to develop coping skills for daily functioning and overall life improvement. Lena Fancher, a Certified Drug an Alcohol Counselor, is the founder and owner of Lotus Place Recovery. Lena says that growing up in a small town in Colorado, she “never felt I could be my true self until I moved to California where being a lesbian wasn’t abnormal. I was still slow to fully come out but after a few years in California I was fully out and I was and am living my authentic self.” “I had my own personal battle with addiction and went into recovery in 2009,” reveals Lena in an interview with
THE FIGHT. “I found that I liked helping people cultivate lives worth living. After getting some time sober, I began to work in the field of addiction and saw that there was a real need for the LGBTQ community to have place to go to and feel welcomed, not judged and over all comfortable.” That was the impetus, reveals Lena, to create Lotus Place Recovery—a full scale treatment center catering to and for the LGBTQ community. “If you are in the LGBTQ community and struggle with addiction—don’t hesitate to reach out to Lotus—we are here to help,” says Lena. Jan Zimmerman, a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, is the President of Lotus Place Recovery. Celebrating 25 years of her own recovery, Lena tells THE FIGHT that her “journey presented many obstacles, challenges, ups and downs. I lost a lot of my friends to addiction. Sobriety does not guarantee a life without hardship. It guarantees that you don’t have to survive the hardships alone. Sobriety provides a means to a support system, and gives you plan to live by.”
While Jan reveals that she knew she was a lesbian at a very young age— she did not have reference or role models to understand what that meant. “I grew up in the 50s and was a young adult in the late 60s and 70s. I lived in a time when it wasn’t accepted nor even polite to use the term ‘lesbian’ in any conversation. It was considered and looked at and treated as a sickness or disease.” Her recovery journey began “after succumbing to the illusionary life filled of being consumed by alcohol.” Jan reveals that she “was afforded a second chance at life. My prognosis of death within six months was my only future if I continued on this path. AA became an integral part of my life. I quickly discovered that drastic changes need to take place order to maintain my sobriety. I had to relinquish the power of alcohol over me.” Being a part of Lotus Place Recovery, says Jan, “has given me an opportunity to give back what I received while finding my way. I felt the need to share my experience, strength and hope.” For more info visit: www.lotusplacerecovery.com. 2018 | TH E F I GH T 25 MAY 2017
2 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
SOMETHING NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT YOU: I love reading.
YOUR BEST AND WORST QUALITY: I’m a really good friend. But I like to tell a lot of stories with details etc. My ADHD shows up.
HOBBIES: Different things. Always something new. I don’t like to be bored.
PET PEEVE: People who aren’t humble.
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single.
CHILDHOOD CRUSH: I was never sexual at all while I was a child. (I know, weird).
CURRENT AND PAST OCCUPATIONS: Event production, dancer, some modeling gigs.
SELF IDENTIFY AS: Gay.
HOMETOWN: Miami.
AGE: 25.
THESPREAD
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 27
PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM
CONTACT INFO: Instagram; jcmounduix Fb: JC Mounduix Twitter: @JCMounduix
THETRANSACTION >> TRANS WELLNESS CENTER <<
ALTERNATIVE ADDICTION TREATMENT
(L-R) APRIL SARAVIA, LESLIE MONROY, MARIANNA MARROQUIN, LORI L JEAN. PHOTO BY PAULO MURILLO.
TRANS WELLNESS CENTER
Providing hormone therapy, transition resources, occupational training, housing and legal services and more. BY PAULO MURI LLO
T
ransgender and non-binary people will now get comprehensive services and support under one roof at the nation’s first-of-its-kind Trans Wellness Center (TWC), which opened last month in Los Angeles. The 3,000-square-foot “one-stop shop” will provide hormone therapy and transition resources; HIV testing and care; mental and sexual health services and education; occupational training; and housing and legal services, to name a few. The pioneering Trans Wellness Center was funded by a grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The development and opening of TWC is 10 years in the making. It is the result of a collaboration of the following six local community organizations: APAIT (Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team), Bienestar, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA), Friends Community Center, Translatin@ Coalition, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, which is leading the management and operations support for TWC. “I am honored to be part of this new and exciting effort to empower the transgender and non-binary communities—no matter how challenging life may be for some of us. Let’s fight for our rights and a better future!” said TWC Program Manager Mariana Marroquin. The TWC is located near the Koreatown and Wilshire Center neighborhoods, at 3055 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ZEN RECOVERY PATH seamlessly weaves traditional Eastern Philosophy (martial arts/healing arts/ Chinese Medicine) and Western Philosophy (clinical addiction therapy, counseling, psychotherapy) into a cohesive pattern of healing that is unique to every student we serve. Human suffering comes in so many varieties. Thus, the methods we utilize reach back in time to ancient ways as well to the future for modern ways to live serenely. Through spiritual guidance, friendship, holistic methods, innovative clinical treatment interventions and transitional services, we guide both men and women of all ages, races, colors and creeds on their personalized path to recovery. IOP | PHP | MOST PPO INSURANCE ACCEPTED | PRIVATE
zenrecoverypath.com
Located in the coastal community of Costa Mesa, CA 92627 800.759.1930
To learn more, visit mytranswellness.org.
www.thefightmag.com 2 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com ZEN_RECOVERY_AD_1/2.indd 1
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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.
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>> JEFFREY PRANG <<
JEFFREY PRANG
COMMUNITY TIES
time in jail,” reveals Prang. “Restoring public trust and employee morale was paramount. However, a crisis also provides an opportunity, of which I took advantage. I initiated an aggressive program to transform the department into a more effective and efficient public service agency. I began by launching a 5-year, $80 million program to update our outdated 1970s era, mainframe/green screen technology systems. We digitized all of our property records, 2.3 million files with over 100 million documents, which were previous maintained in paper format. The department’s website was modernized and we released over a dozen years of assessment data on the County’s open Data Website to increase transparency. With the support of the Board of Supervisors, we lowered ‘business personal property’ taxes for 50,000 small businesses, and opened a one-stop public service counter to help taxpayers more easily navigate the complex property tax process. We have also helped more taxpayers take advantage of tax savings programs designed for homeowners, seniors, the disabled and veterans.”
os Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, former West Hollywood council member, currently running for re-election, is no stranger to politics. A gay man, originally from Warren, Michigan, Prang says that “public service has appealed to me for as long as I can remember. While I was shy and introverted in high school, I always aspired to be engaged in the community. My first real effort was while I was at MSU and I served as a Legislative Intern in the Michigan House of Representatives. The summer preceding my senior year, I actually ran for city council in my home town. I got clobbered at the polls, but learned more than I could ever learn sitting through political science classes.” After moving to California, at the age of 25, Prang “re-engaged in politics, including LGBTQ activism. I joined the board of the Stonewall Democratic Club and served as President of the West Hollywood Democratic Club. I also worked as a staffer on campaigns, until I was hired by former LA County Assessor Kenneth P. Hahn, who was the first out-gay assessor.” Overall, says Prang, the West Hollywood city council experience “was the greatest thing I’ve ever done. I loved (and still love) the City, its history, its people and the role it plays in our state and nation.” During his tenure, reveals Prang, “we led on a number LGBTQ issues, including marriage equality, transgender rights and empowerment, environmental sustainability, affordable housing, and animal welfare.”
A STRONG VOICE Prang admits the while his current position does not have as big of an impact on LGBTQ issues as during his days as Mayor and Councilmember in West Hollywood, he notes that. as of right now, “as Assessor of the nation’s most populous county with nearly 11 million residents, I represent the largest constituency of any out LGBTQ elected official in the world!” Prang, however, still has the community’s interest at heart. “I am currently sponsoring legislation, being carried by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), AB 2663, that will correct an inequity for same sex couples who filed as domestic partners between 20002015 and who had their property reassessed in circumstances in which a married couple would not be reassessed,” he reveals. “ If signed into law, the program will create an amnesty of sorts, that will treat domestic partners as though they were married during this period of time. As you know, a reassessment of your property can be very expensive… As an elected official holding a significant public office, I have the opportunity to influence public policy and public opinion, and have a platform in which I can be a strong voice on behalf of our community.”
RESTORING PUBLIC TRUST When Prang took over the position of Los Angeles County Assessor in 2014 it was a very troubled agency. “The previous Assessor was charged with public corruption and had served
To learn more about Jeffrey Prang’s re-election campaign (the election is next month) visit his website, www.JeffreyPrang.com.
Former West Hollywood city council member, Los Angeles County Assessor, Jeffrey Prang is running for re-election.
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BY MA RK A RIEL
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THEPROFILE >> C R I M I N A L D E F E N S E AT T O R N E Y A L A N A YA K O V L E V & FA M I LY L AW AT T O R N E Y R E G I N A R AT N E R <<
ATTORNEY REGINA RATNER
ideals and principals as well.” “Civil rights and freedom of expression, association, freedom from discrimination are all inviolable rights,” states Yakovlev. “Having trust in the ability to express oneself in a way that is consistent with their identity and beliefs is secured by our Constitution. I want to make sure no one tramples on these rights.” FAMILY UNITS
ATTORNEY ALANA YAKOVLEV
LADIES OF THE LAW
Criminal defense attorney Alana Yakovlev and family law attorney Regina Ratner are both passionate about serving the LGBTQ community. BY VICTO R MELA MED
I
“
always wanted to fight for people facing the criminal justice system,” says Los Angeles based criminal defense attorney Alana Yakovlev in an interview with THE FIGHT. “The prospect of civil rights and freedom was always a value worth fighting for in my mind and I wanted to know the process of how to safeguard these rights for people.” “I can’t say I qualify as a social justice warrior, but I pretty much love anything that has to do with passionate advocacy,” states Yakovlev. “The greater the adversity, the greater the challenge, the more motivated I become to succeed in making an impact for everlasting change.” TRANSGENDER CASES
Currently, reveals Yakovlev, “we are actively working on several transgender cases right now in an employment context. We are working to safeguard freedom of speech and how to move beyond tolerance and acceptance. A safe working environment is not just one that is physically safe, but one that is psychologically and emotionally conducive to those www.thefightmag.com 3 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
Los Angeles based family law attorney Regina Ratner tells THE FIGHT that she has “always been fascinated by law and order and appreciate that humanity has devised a system to resolve disputes between people in a civil way. I love helping people and helping families of all kinds.” “I practice family law and estate planning for traditional and non-traditional families,” explains Ratner. “Families come in many different configurations. The law as it relates to the rights of the LGBTQ community is rapidly changing and there are so many opportunities to serve the LGBTQ community in my practice. I am excited to help all kinds of families form and re-form in their own vision for their family units. My practice is primarily dissolution of marriages and domestic partnerships, but it is also estate planning for the future, which is very important for non-traditional families to be able to plan their legacy as they envision. I also prosecute and defend Domestic Violence Restraining Orders.” “Family law issues affect everyone, gay or straight,” states Ratner. “With the laws moving toward parity we are lucky to live in a time where more and more there is a recognition that people can love whom they love and be who they want to be without being defined by traditional constructs. With that come legal issues that affect the LGBTQ community in ways that, in the past, have not been terribly regular or prominent. I handle cases in the same way for all my clients regardless of whether they are gay or straight. All people have the right to respectful and competent representation and I strive to make all my clients know that they matter and their legal issues are important and will be handled with care.” ■ Criminal defense attorney Alana Yakovlev can be reached at 213-674-7323. Web site: www.walkfreelaw.com. Family law attorney Regina Ratner can be reached at 213-674-7211. Web site: www.RRatnerLaw.com.
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 33
THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY
THESHARE >> BY PAULO MURILLO <<
PAST AND PRESENT
We asked these clean and sober individuals to share what their life is like now in recovery, in contrast to the life they had before sobriety. JAZZMUN NICHCALA
NEW DESIRE
“My life today is hopeful and full of possibilities. Not that there weren’t possibilities before, but there was a disconnect from my own personal truth where I would camouflage it with chemicals and substances, so I wouldn’t have to feel my feelings. I’m not in victim consciousness today. There is a freedom. There is a new desire. I’m open to unbound awareness. I used substances because I thought I had a good time. When it became a problem, it was difficult to see. Having some time away from it and not being in that relationship, I put on a new pair of glasses. I don’t beat myself up for it. I’m better today for it. I’m grateful for the air I breathe, for the motion of my body, having a roof over my head and a job where I get to express myself and do work is gratifying to me. I have friendships with people who care about me. Today I’m open to possibilities.” —Jazzmun Nichcala Crayton, sober since November 13, 2007.
STRONGER FOUNDATION “I’m just over 14 months sober this time. Everything is different. I had 12 years clean and sober and I relapsed in 2014 after 12 years. I lost everything. They say everything you put in front of your sobriety will be the first thing you lose and for me, it was my career. I put money, property and prestige above my sobriety. I moved to Miami and I got disconnected. I coasted for a year.
ROB TURNER
www.thefightmag.com 3 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com
Then the idea to have a drink hit me. I tried it, didn’t tell anyone and before I knew it, alcohol led to cocaine and cocaine led to crystal meth. Within like six months, I lost everything. I ended up homeless in Florida and in L.A. I literally ended up in Skid Row in downtown. In 2017, I went back to the Van Ness Recovery House where I had gotten sober before. I was there for six months and I worked on myself like I never have before. I really do credit everything to the Van Ness House and the foundation they gave me. I also have an amazing sponsor who is spiritual-based and God-based. My foundation is stronger now. I’m slowly building my life. I’m grateful to be alive, and for my relationships with my family and friends. To be a functioning member of society again is just the best feeling ever.” —Rob Turner, sober since February 13, 2017.
GETTING BETTER “My life is very different. It’s simple, but it’s very busy. I have the life that I have created by watching other people in recovery and taking notes. What works for them? What didn’t MIKE work? Something CATIVO good came out of those fourteen years that I was doing meth and that is the new me. I don’t remember the old me. I have glimpses—especially towards the end, when it was dark and lonely and sad and that’s not the life I have now. I have a lot to be grateful today. I just got proposed to. I’m able to take care of my dogs. I’m able to be a good fiancé. I pay my mortgage on time. At the same time, I surround myself with people who hold me accountable. I love my sponsor. I’m able to be a brother and be a part of my family. Life keeps getting better and better. I’m very curious to know what God has in store for me.” —Mike Cativo, sober since May 10, 2009.
THEEPIDEMIC >> A NEW DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM <<
STUDY AUTHOR GIOVANNI TRAVERSO
ONCE A WEEK PILL
Replacing daily pills with a weekly regimen could help patients stick to their dosing schedule.
R
esearchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a capsule that can deliver a week’s worth of HIV drugs in a single dose. This advancement could make it much easier for patients to adhere to the strict schedule of dosing required for the drug cocktails used to fight the virus, the researchers say. The new capsule is designed so that patients can take it just once a week, and the drug will release gradually throughout the week. This type of delivery system could not only improve patients’ adherence to their treatment schedule but also be used by people at risk of HIV exposure to help prevent them from becoming infected, the researchers say. “One of the main barriers to treating and preventing HIV is adherence,” says Giovanni Traverso, a research affiliate at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and a gastroenterologist and biomedical engineer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “The ability to make doses less frequent stands to improve adherence and make a significant impact at the patient level.” Traverso and Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT, are the senior authors of the study, which appears in a recent issue of Nature Communications. MIT postdoc Ameya Kirtane and visiting scholar Omar Abouzid are the lead authors of the paper. Scientists from Lyndra, a company that was launched to develop this technology, also contributed to the study. Lyndra is now working toward performing a clinical trial using this delivery system. “We are all very excited about how this new drug-delivery system can potentially help patients with HIV/AIDS, as well as many other diseases,” Langer says. n MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 35 THE
> > F E AT U R E I N T E R V I E W < <
FINDING YOUR PEOPLE
Xavier Espejo, California Drummer 2017, on taking advantage of opportunities that come your way. BY KIA N KA MATAKI | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNI NGHAM
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alifornia Drummer 2017, Xavier Espejo, leaving this month for Chicago to participate in International Mr Leather 2018 contest (IML), talks to THE FIGHT about racial diversity, sex positivity and representing his title to the best of his ability. When did you first realize you were interested leather and kink? After attending my first Folsom I knew I liked leather and kink… I had done a little research on the leather community, but I was shy and I kept thinking that the men would make fun of a 22-year-old Latino twink. At the time, it felt like all leather guys were older white men so I would just go to MJs and Folsom. Fast forward to the end of 2013, I met a member of the leather community who invited me to go to an event—a bootcamp for those interested in running for a leather title. I didn’t even know what that all meant, but I was impressed with how racially diverse and young the men attending were and also how friendly and sex-positive they were. It was then where I knew I had found my people. Two months later, I was at the Eagle running for the Mr. SoCal Leather title and I won. I haven’t stopped being an active member of the community since then.
How did you get involved with the Drummer North America (drummerna.com)? I had been approached to run for the California Drummer contest right after I had stepped down from the Mr. SoCal title, but I wanted to take a break and focus on my MBA. Then last year, I had the time to do it and I wanted to experience another facet of the leather community. I had been told that this title was an inclusive title meaning that it was open to trans, bi and gay men, and that it was not only leather title, but a player’s title which celebrated other sub-groups within the 3 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
“THERE WERE TRANS MEN AND WOMEN, LESBIANS, GAY, PANSEXUAL PEOPLE, BEARS, OTTERS, SIRS, BOYS, BOOTBLACKS, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. IT WAS SOMEWHAT EYE OPENING FOR ME BECAUSE I HAD NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO THAT SIDE OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT I LIKED IT.” community (like rubber, uniforms or whatever else you were into), which sounded intriguing and exciting so I decided to do it. The contest took place the weekend of July 4th in Palm Springs. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was really excited. The California Drummer family comprised of the producers, previous Drummer title holders and people affiliated with and friends of Drummer was very diverse. There were trans men and women, lesbians, gay, pansexual people, bears, otters, Sirs, boys, bootblacks, and everything in between. It was somewhat eye opening for me because I had not been exposed to that side of the community, but I liked it. Tell us about “Positively Proud: CA Sex-Positive Men Calendar.” The two platforms I ran for the California Drummer title were to fight slut shaming and HIV stigma. This calendar, which runs
on a LA Leather calendar year (April 2018 through March 2019), is the materialization of these two platforms. On one hand, it celebrates being sex-positive by showcasing men, many of them leather title holders, who are proud and secure of their sexuality. Since I am a representative for the entire state, I wanted to not only include models but also photographers from Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Diego and San Francisco. I chose Being Alive Los Angeles as the beneficiary for the funds raised through this calendar as they are an organization that provides many services including medical and mental services for people with HIV/AIDS, while also fighting stigmas associated with being positive. The calendar is $20 and you can order it online from the Positively Proud: CA Sex-Positive Men Calendar Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CAsexpozcalendar). You’re on your way to IML. What do you expect to gain from that experience? I had always wanted to be on the IML stage at some point, and while I never thought it would happen like this, I believe a person needs to take advantage of opportunities that come your way. What I expect to gain from it is an experience that I will always cherish. All my previous leather contest experiences have been special and I don’t foresee this one being any different, if anything, it will probably be more rewarding than all the other ones as I’ll be sharing the stage with more than 70 other men, my brothers, all representing our titles to the best of our abilities. I know it will be stressful, emotionally and physically draining, but I’m going into it with an open mind and heart, never forgetting to have fun. I’m not seeing it as a competition with other guys, I’m seeing it as a competition against myself and I will do the best I can and whatever the outcome is, I know I will be happy and proud of myself for doing that.
> > LEO HERRERA, COLUMBINE DEMERS, BRENDEN SCHUCART < <
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 37
>> ARIANA DiLORENZO <<
“I NEVER GREW UP CALLING MYSELF AN ALLY—I JUST GREW UP KNOWING THAT THE QUEER COMMUNITY WAS MY PEOPLE.”
Fronting Femininity Ariana and The Rose’s Ariana DiLorenzo on musical influences, Studio 54 and female front women. BY RO XIE PERKIN S
A
riana DiLorenzo, the creator of Ariana and The Rose, the synth, art-pop band that headlined at The Dinah last month, says that she “decided early on that with my music I want to make spaces for the queer community to come party and have a voice.” “I never grew up calling myself an ally—I just grew up knowing that the queer
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community was my people,” reveals DiLorenzo in an interview with THE FIGHT. “It’s been really interesting being a musician and having a platform to write music that can put a highlight on the LGBTQ community.” When asked about her musical influences, DiLorenzo says that “Madonna is a big one. ‘Blonde Ambition,’ specifically. I really loved that world with the suits and the finger wave and the cone bra world… I really love those classic artists that were androgynous. Obviously people like David Bowie and Prince from a performance standpoint… Blondie is another big one. I always thought that it was really interesting that I could never find a contemporary band that lived in that synth pop world but had a female front woman so I decided that’s the music I would make. I strive to make music that has that kind of, like, energy and balls of a full band but with this femininity fronting it.” DiLorenzo, currently working on a new album, has created a show called “light + space”—a combination of theater, a live concert and a party. “It’s inspired by early 80s, late 70s club culture where people were dancing to live music acts like Grace Jones and Madonna in clubs. That live band dance culture has kind of gone away so I wanted to make an event that made my band the house band of a club… The whole concept is that my band is this crew of aliens that have come down to throw this amazing glitter party. It’s based off my own artistry and I’m obsessed with the cosmos and galaxies. I describe it as Studio 54 in outer space. We’re hoping to tour it and bring it to LA early next year.” More information on Ariana and The Rose and her upcoming shows and installations can be seen at her website: arianaandtherose.com.
>> ROBERT PÁEZ <<
“ACCEPTING OURSELVES AND RESPECTING OURSELVES ARE BIG FIRST STEPS. LIFE IS TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BE HIDDEN IN A CLOSET.”
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Olympic Diver Robert Páez: “It was up to me whether I lived in happiness, or sank and lived in a lie that never would be.”
R
obert Páez, 23, a professional diver from Venezuela, who represented his country in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, came out publicly last month in a moving op-ed at outsports.com. “I’ve been in sports since I was 7 years old. Growing up in Venezuela, I knew from a very young age that I was different, despite not knowing what exactly that meant,” wrote Páez. “It’s a difficult road, to know at a young age that we feel something that makes us
believe we are not ‘right’ in the eyes of society. Yet the truth is that if I was born that way, it was because God created me and he wanted it that way. When I finally came to believe that, that’s when I understood that I should accept with pride and courage what others called ‘mariconería.’” “I understood that this was and would be my truth forever, and my own self-acceptance was only in my hands,” wrote Páez. “It was up to me whether I lived in happiness, or sank and lived in a lie that never would be.” “Accepting ourselves and respecting ourselves are big first steps. Life is too beautiful to be hidden in a closet,” writes Páez. Read the full op-ed at outsports.com. THE MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 39
>> COVER INTERVIEW <<
HIDDEN TRUTHS
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> > THE RADICAL FAERIES < <
SIDING STUCCO ANDREW LEIGH GREEN
A
.
EXTERIOR PAINT LIFETIME COATING AND MORE FINANCING AVAILABLE
P H O T O S BY A N D REW LEIG H G REEN
ndrew Leigh Green, an award winning photographic artist based in Launceston, Tasmania, was the odd, creative kid who didn’t fit in, the one who just wasn’t normal and should be ostracized in the eyes of the conservative community. As a proud gay photographic artist Green makes full use of his past experiences with prejudice, judgement and hidden truth to empower himself and enable others to embrace their own individual truth and strength.
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THEART >>
LGBTQ ARTISTS
<<
STEVE MACISAAC
An expat Canadian living in Los Angeles after several years in Japan, Steve MacIsaacâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comics explore contemporary gay culture, identity, and sexuality. MacIsaac has released five issues of his solo series Shirtlifter, with the sixth due for release later in 2018. His wordless collaboration with Dale Lazarov, Sticky, was recently re-released in a 10th anniversary edition by German publisher Bruno Gmuender. MacIsaac is an enthusiastic contributor to comics anthologies, including Best American Comics 2010 (Houghton Mifflin), Blocked (Little Red Bird), and Alphabet (Stacked Deck Press). His 240-page graphic novel Unpacking will be collected by Seattle LGBT Comics publisher Northwest Press. n To support the project, please go to http://northwestpress.com.
STEVE MACISAAC
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MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 43
THEMUSIC >>
SOFI TUKKER
<<
MILLIONS OF FANS ARE IN LOVE WITH THEIR SASSY AND CUNNING EURO-FLAVORED ELECTRONICA VIBE.
A HAPPY ACCIDENT
New York-based duo Sofi Tukker releases Treehouse, an outstanding debut album.
make music. Yet here we are with their outstanding debut album. Sophie mainly handles the cooing lead vocals, but Tucker’s throaty deliver on the electrofunkin’ “Batshit” is crazy good, too. Other standouts include earworm-extraordinaire “Best Friend” (with The Knocks, Nervo and Alisa Ueno and featured in the iPhone X ad), the Le Tigreesque “My Body Hurts,” “Energia,” and “The Dare” (sung in both English and Portuguese), and a soon to be in every drag queen’s lip-synch repertoire playlist: the flawless “Baby I’m A Queen.” Color me hooked! ■
BY PAUL V. VITAGLIANO
Y
ou might not know Sofi Tukker by name yet, but I bet you know their music Apple Watch featured their debut single “Drinkee” (that went on to rack up over 40 million Spotify streams) which received a 2015 Grammy nomination for “Best Dance Recording.” And oh yeah: it was sung in Portuguese! The language barrier meant little to millions of fans in love with their sassy and cunning Euro-flavored electronica vibe. It should also be noted that having a non-English, Grammy nominated track (from a band that has yet to even release a full LP) is no small feat. Rather, it speaks to the band’s inherent talent and ability to attract audiences from a plethora of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. And one could also say this upstart duo (Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern) are basically a happy accident. They met at an art show and never really intended to 4 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com www.thefightmag.com
TOVE LO
SUNDAY
AUGUST 12
2018
11:00 AM-8:00 PM BURBANK BLVD
(Between Cahuenga Blvd & Strohm Ave)
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 45
THEEVENT >> PHOTOS BY JEREMY LUCIDO <<
QUEEN KONG
AT PRECINCT DTLA
Last month at Precinct—with Mistresses of Ceremonies The BOULET BROTHERS featuring stage shows by: YUHUA HAMASAKI (RPDR S10), HOLLOW EVE (San Francisco), ROXY-COTTEN CANDY and MILITIA TOWERS (San Francisco). DJ: Mateo Segade. KING DONG DANCERS: Aram & Teddy Bear. QUEER POP UP SHOP BY GAYPIN’ GUYS
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TH E E F F II GH GH T T 47 47 O CTOMAY B ER 2018 2017 || TH
THECALENDAR >> THINGS TO DO << PORTRAIT BY DAVID HOCKNEY. AT LACMA. SEE SUNDAY, APRIL 15.
The Abbey, 692 N Robertson Bl, West Hollywood, CA. 4pm-2am. The fiesta starts at 4pm. At The Abbey & The Chapel!
The Pleasure Chest, 7733 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, 90046. 7pm-10pm. Raising funds to cover costs associated with the Dyke Day LA Pride Picnic in the Park.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9
FRIDAY, MAY 18
JINKX MONSOON & MAJOR SCALES: THE GINGER SNAPPED
POSITIVE SEXUALITY CONFERENCE
SATURDAY, MAY 5
CINCO DE MAYO
Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth, 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 7pm. Jinkx and Major have come to showcase their new music from their upcoming album... however Jinkx worries that her best years are behind her. In order to avoid a breakdown of diva proportions Major must act as both pianist and therapist to the Manic Miss Monsoon. Music and mental health collide in this witty, biting look at the dark side of Drag fame. SUNDAY, MAY 13
BEARS IN SPACE PRESENTS HONCHO
Akbar, 4356 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029. 2pm-2am. Set phases to stunning! For our lot party season opener we’ve invited none other than the boys from Pittsburgh’s infamous queer rager to come throw down with us for a day into night get-down of epic proportions.
ONYX SOCAL: PERVERSION
Eagle LA, 4219 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029. 4pm-8pm. Party with the men of ONYX SoCal-Southwest. WEDNESDAY, MAY 16
ANNUAL PLEASURE CHEST DYKE DAY FUNDRAISER
Burbank, CA. 10am-7pm. Info: http://sexposcon.com The 2018 conference theme is “Strengths, Well-being, and Happiness,” which is one of eight dimensions of positive sexuality CSP supports. Keynote Speaker: Susan Wright from National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. SATURDAY, MAY 19
LONG BEACH PRIDE
Shoreline Marina, Green Park, 450 E. Shoreline Drive, Long Beach CA 90802. Thru Sunday, May 20. Info: www.LongBeachPride.com. Musical talent that ranges from pop, rhythm and blues, country, rap, hip hop, urban soul and much more. The event is marking its 35th year with a variety of activities such as the acclaimed Long Beach Pride Parade, on May 20, as well as games, raffles, food and drink booths, art exhibits, children’s activities as well as special presentations from its organizers and community leaders.
OVERBOARD LBC’S OFFICIAL LONG BEACH PRIDE DANCE PARTY
201 Pine Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802. Saturday, May 19, 2018 7pm-closing. Sunday, May 20, 2018 4pm-closing. Info:
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www.overboardlbc.com. Nothing says class like partying at a mega nightclub in the middle of Dowtown Long Beach, which is why 900 guests will be traveling downtown to Overboard LBC’s official Long Beach Pride dance party. Dance with a chic crowd and a vodka martini on hand as you escape into a lush, musical wonderland. Witness gogo dancers perform their breathtaking numbers on stage or break a sweat with our global DJs. SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2018
DAVIS PRIDE
Central Park (located on C Street—between 3rd and 5th Streets), Davis, CA. 10am 4pm. Info: davispride.org. The festival is free to attend and open to all members of the public. Headliners include Thea Austin, Dida Ritz and David Hernandez. WEDNESDAY, MAY 23
ONE CITY ONE PRIDE & WEHO READS: LAMBDA LITERARY AWARDS FINALISTS READING
West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, West Hollywood, 90069. 7pm-8:30pm. Join the City of West Hollywood’s One City One Pride festival and WeHo Reads program for readings from the 30th Annual Lambda Lit Award Finalists. “The Lambda Literary Awards (the “Lammys”) identify and celebrate the best lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender books of the year and affirm that LGBTQ stories are part of the literature of the world. The Lammys, which receive national and international
media attention, bring together 600 attendees—including nominees, celebrities, sponsors, and publishing executives—to celebrate excellence in LGBTQ publishing. It is the most prestigious and glamorous LGBTQ literary event in the world.” SUNDAY, MAY 27
SUMMERTRAMP DTLA
The Escondite Bar, 410 Boyd Street, Los Angeles, 90013. 11am-7pm. A magical Brigadoon of decadence and delight, burning brightly from the sunny shores of DTLA. WEDNESDAY, MAY 30
ONE CITY ONE PRIDE & WEHO READS: “HARVEY MILK: HIS LIVES AND DEATH”
West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, West Hollywood, 90069. 7pm-9pm. Join the City of West Hollywood’s One City One Pride festival, WeHo Reads program, and Lesbian Speaker Series as historian Lillian Faderman (Gay L.A., Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America, The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle) discusses and signs her new book Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death.
DOM & SUB WITH MISTRESS MARY
Pleasure Chest, 7733 Santa Monica Blvd WEHO 90046. 8pm-10pm. This free workshop will introduce you kink and give you tools to create a dominant/submissive roleplay.
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
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 49
THEFINALFIGHT >>
NO JUSTICE FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN MURDERED IN CHECHNYA
<<
PRISONERS WERE HELD IN APPALLING CONDITIONS: STARVED, HUMILIATED, BEATEN AND SUBJECTED TO EXTREME TORTURE. SOME WHO WERE ROUNDED UP DID NOT GET OUT ALIVE.
ZELIM BAKAEV
NEVER AGAIN (AGAIN) Over a year later—and still no justice for gay and bisexual men murdered in Chechnya. B Y MATT BEA RD , EXECU TIVE D IRECTO R, ALLOUT. ORG
O
ne year ago last month, news broke of a wave of terrifying, state-sponsored violence in Chechnya against men perceived to be gay or bisexual. In scenes that would not have been out of place in Nazi Germany, innocent men were rounded up and removed to illegal detention centers. Men like Maxim Lapunov, who spent 12 days in a KADYROV PUTIN blood-soaked cell just because he is gay, but who today is bravely speaking out for justice. Men like the pop singer Zelim Bakaev, who disappeared last August during the round-ups and has not been seen since. Prisoners were held in appalling conditions: starved, humiliated, beaten and subjected to extreme torture. Some who were rounded up did not get out alive. The authorities also outed many of the men to their families, directly inciting relatives to carry out honor killings
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against their sons, brothers and fathers. Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, has both denied the existence of LGBT people in his country and said that gay people should move to Canada “to purify our blood”. But it is Vladimir Putin and the Russian government who have the final say on what happens in Chechnya. Russia has failed to conduct any meaningful investigations into the appalling abuses that took place. Nobody has been brought to justice. This is unacceptable. On Saturday, April 7, All Out, its members and partners came together outside the Russian embassy in London and in cities around the world to honor our gay and bisexual brothers murdered in Chechnya. We stand in solidarity with men like Maxim who survived the torture camps. We will make sure the world does not forget about what happened in Chechnya. We will tell the Russian government “we are watching you.” We won’t rest until we get justice for Maxim, for Zelim and for the dozens of other men who were tortured and murdered in Chechnya. n Ed. Note: In related news—Belgium said last month it has given humanitarian visas to five gay men from Chechnya who face persecution for their sexual orientation in their native region in Russia’s North Caucasus. Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Theo Francken added that more humanitarian visas may be issued to LGBT people from Chechnya in the future. Help save LGBTQ lives. Go to: www.rainbowrailroad.com.
ONLINE NOW!
Prty SEXY
Paranoid, Desperate and Horny Looking 4 Sameâ&#x20AC;Ś
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.
MAY 2018 | TH E F I GH T 51
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