JUNE 2017 | T H E F I GH T 1
is PrEP e pill g on vent n i k e ta to pr ion y l i t a d infec V I H
t i is u? o Y r fo
n, a m wo man r e n d , or a e g P s E r n n ? a P a n r ut tive? a t xual m er me o u b o a g ga e y r bise ith oth n e r i n k A > gay o ex w hin ay HIV t u a yo to st ss a e r h A ay > w who a as Participants receive up to 5 one-on-one counseling navigation sessions to assess if PrEP is right for you and to help link you to a PrEP provider.
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JUNE 2017 | T H E F I GH T 9
THECONTENTS FEATURES 22 BE THE STORM
LORRI L. JEAN, LA LGBT CENTER
26 AMERICAN BEAUTY
THE #RESISTMARCH
DEPARTMENTS
12 THE EDITOR
IN THIS ISSUE
17 THE TALK
CHARLIE CARVER
33 CELEBRATING PRIDE
24 THE ROSTOW REPORT
34 REBEL WITH A CAUSE
29 THE CITY
THE LA PRIDE FESTIVAL MEDMEN’S ANDREW MODLIN
40 DOWNTOWN PROUD REDLINE’S OLIVER ALPUCHE
46 ONE CITY ONE PRIDE WEHO’S JUNE PRIDE EVENTS
52 UNITED EQUALITY:
RESIST CAMPAIGN AN ARTISTIC SOCIAL MOVEMENT
NANCY PELOSI
CHECHNYA PROTEST
36 THE SPREAD
CODY EVAN SILVER
45 THE TRANSACTION TRANS PRIDE
50 THE SHARE
LOCAL RECOVERY
56 THE REVIEW
PUMP RESTAURANT
60 THE MUSIC
BETH DITTO
68 THE EPIDEMIC
ERADICATING HIV
62 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES THE LGBT FILM FESTIVAL 64 MAURICE RELEASE MERCHANT IVORY’S CLASSIC GAY PERIOD DRAMA
ON THE COVER
ANDREW MODLIN COVER PHOTO, TOC PHOTO AND FEATURE PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM LOCATION MEDMEN WEST HOLLYWOOD
1 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
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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 Brenden Shucart Sinan Shihabi WEBMASTER Nadeen Torio ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Sinan Shihabi
>> IN THIS ISSUE <<
“Fighting for justice, and winning, is what we know how to do. It’s one of the things we do best,” Lorri L. Jean, CEO, Los Angeles LGBT Center said at “An Evening With Women,” last month (“Be The Storm,” page 22). “We should never sell ourselves short,” states Jean. “Simply hunkering down for the next four years is not an option. We cannot allow timidity or fear or even the prospect of short-term failure to reduce our expectations or our demands. That kind of determination has been the key to our movement’s success thus far. And it is key to our future.” “We have always fought for more than what the insiders and many outsiders advised. Often we’ve fought for more than what most even dreamed was possible. That has been our movement’s hallmark. In the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, we have always expected more. We have demanded more. More freedom. More equality. More justice. For women and girls, for our LGBT com-
munity, and for all oppressed people. We have always set our sights high and persevered, even in the most difficult times imaginable. In the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic, with death and devastation all around us, and the horrible backlash that followed against all LGBT people, we never let up. And in so doing, we’ve inspired others all over the world… … We must remember not only that we are on the right side of history, but that we are fierce and resilient and inspiring. We must use that power to ensure we do more than simply weather the storm. We must BE the storm!” This year, LA Pride is hosting a human rights march instead of a parade. The #ResistMarch takes place on Sunday, June 11, 8am-1pm. It will start in Los Angeles, at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland. It will end in West Hollywood. For more info visit www.resistmarch.org.
CONTRIBUTORS Joseph Arellano Dusti Cunningham Caitlin Donohue Robert Green Orly Lyonne Victor Melamed Paulo Murillo Roxie Perkins Ann Rostow Brenden Shucart 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 THE FIGHT MAGAZINE LEGAL CAVEATS By listing in The Fight Magazine, advertisers acknowledge that they do business in the spirit of cooperation, fairness and service, maintaining a high level of integrity and responsibility. Providers of products or services are fully and solely responsible for providing same as advertised. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers. Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility and liability for the content of their advertisements in The Fight Magazine.
STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Editor-In-Chief
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. TheFightMag.com For Display Advertising, please call (323) 297-4001
1 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
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THETALK >> W H AT T H E Y ’ R E S AY I N G <<
HOLY HELL
“I don’t think about it. It’s not a thing. I go to SHEPARD work. I manage a lot SMITH of people. I cover the news. I deal with holy hell around me. I go home to the man I’m in love with.”
—Fox News anchor Shepard Smith speaking at the University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism and New Media’s “It Starts With MEek” conference, an event that promotes diversity and inclusivity.
THE LOVE
WAR CLOTHES
“On 6th May 2017, I married the love of my life, @dlanceblack. We shared the day with 120 of our closest friends and family, from Texarkana to Plymouth! Thank you to everyone who made this weekend the most special
“It’s time to get your war clothes on—because from slavery, to emancipation, to the 13th Amendment, to Jim Crow, to the civil rights movement. From Stonewall, to AIDS, to marriage equality— we gotta remember the shoulders who we stand on.” —Broadway star Billy Porter at the 28th GLAAD Media Awards last month.
TOM DALEY AND DUSTIN LANCE
—British diver Tom Daley, 22, on his marriage to film writer and director Dustin Lance Black, 42, last month, on Instagram.
INTERNALIZED SHAME
BILLY PORTER
YOUR LIVES
“Your dreams matter, your stories matter, your lives matter and no matter what challenge you’re faced with, you can overcome it.” —Businesswoman, actress, and transgender rights advocate Angelica Ross at the 28th GLAAD Media Awards last month.
“I think he taught me, in the way that he lived his life, that your sexuality doesn’t define you. It’s an important part of who you are, but he had such a rich life… I think because I was frustrated by what I would call some of his own internalized shame, that it almost became this challenge to really get to the bottom of that quickly, for me.” —Teen Wolf and Desperate Housewives star Charlie Carver about his relationship with his late father Robert Mortensen, who was also gay, and its impact on the actor’s process of coming out publicly last year, in an interview with Attitude.
ANGELICA ROSS AJA
DOWN THE BINARY
“The idea of drag is to break down the binary of gender. We can apply those same principles to break down political binary positions as well.”
MAKE AMERICA
It’s time to make America gay again!’
—Will & Grace actress Debra Messing, accepting a GLAAD Excellence in Media award, last month.
CHARLIE CARVER
DEBRA MESSING
—RuPaul’s Drag Race star Aja in an interview with The Advocate.
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 17
TRIUMEQ is a once-a-day pill used to treat HIV-1. In some people, TRIUMEQ should not be used by itself. Take TRIUMEQ exactly as your healthcare provider tells you. APPROVED USES TRIUMEQ is a prescription HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus-type 1) medicine used alone or with other antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV-1 infection in adults. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. TRIUMEQ is not for use by itself in people who have or have had resistance to abacavir, dolutegravir, or lamivudine. TRIUMEQ should not be used in children under the age of 18. TRIUMEQ does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must keep taking HIV-1 medicines to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRIUMEQ? TRIUMEQ can cause serious side effects, including: • Serious allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death have happened with TRIUMEQ and other abacavir-containing products. Your risk of this allergic reaction to abacavir is much higher if you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701. Your healthcare provider can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation. If you get symptoms from 2 or more of the following groups while taking TRIUMEQ, call your healthcare provider right away: 1. fever; 2. rash; 3. nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain; 4. generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness; 5. shortness of breath, cough, or sore throat. Your pharmacist will give you a Warning Card with a list of these symptoms. Carry this Warning Card with you at all times. If you stop taking TRIUMEQ because of an allergic reaction, never take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir- or dolutegravir-containing medicines again. If you take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-containing medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, within hours you may get lifethreatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or death. If you stop TRIUMEQ for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to TRIUMEQ, talk with your healthcare provider before taking it again. Taking TRIUMEQ again can cause a serious allergic or life-threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before. If your healthcare provider tells you that you can take TRIUMEQ again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a healthcare provider if you need one. • A buildup of acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take TRIUMEQ. This serious medical emergency can cause death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you feel very weak or tired; have unusual muscle pain; have trouble breathing; have stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; feel cold, especially in your arms and legs; feel dizzy/light-headed; or have a fast/irregular heartbeat. • Serious liver problems can happen in people who take TRIUMEQ. In some cases, these serious liver problems can lead to death. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking nucleoside analogue medicines for a long time. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: • yellow skin, or the white part of the eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark urine; light-colored stools; loss of appetite for several days or longer; nausea; pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area • Worsening of hepatitis B virus in people who have HIV-1 infection. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B virus (HBV), your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking TRIUMEQ. A “flare-up” is when your HBV suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Worsening liver disease can be serious and may lead to death. Do not stop taking TRIUMEQ without first talking to your healthcare provider, so he or she can monitor your health. • Resistant hepatitis B virus. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus can change (mutate) during your treatment with TRIUMEQ and become harder to treat (resistant). ©2016 ViiV Healthcare group of companies. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. 723601R0 August 2016
1 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
• Use with interferon and ribavirin-based regimens. If you’re taking TRIUMEQ and interferon, with or without ribavirin, tell your healthcare provider about any new symptoms. Worsening of liver disease that has caused death has happened in people infected with both HIV-1 and hepatitis C who were taking antiretroviral medicines and interferon. Who should not take TRIUMEQ? • Do not take TRIUMEQ if you: • have the HLA-B*5701 gene variation • are allergic to abacavir, dolutegravir, or any of the ingredients in TRIUMEQ • take dofetilide (Tikosyn®) • have liver or kidney problems What are other possible side effects of TRIUMEQ? • People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests during treatment with TRIUMEQ. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your liver function before and during treatment with TRIUMEQ. • When you start taking HIV-1 medicines, your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having new symptoms after you start taking TRIUMEQ. • Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicines. • Some HIV-1 medicines, including TRIUMEQ, may increase your risk of heart attack. The most common side effects of TRIUMEQ include: trouble sleeping, headache, tiredness These are not all the possible side effects of TRIUMEQ. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRIUMEQ? • Before you take TRIUMEQ, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have been tested and know whether or not you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701 • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection; have kidney problems; have heart problems, smoke, or have diseases that increase your risk of heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes; drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRIUMEQ will harm your unborn baby • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take TRIUMEQ • You should not take TRIUMEQ if you also take: • abacavir (EPZICOM®, TRIZIVIR®, or ZIAGEN®) • lamivudine (COMBIVIR®, DutrebisTM, EPIVIR®, EPIVIR-HBV®, EPZICOM, or TRIZIVIR) • emtricitabine (Emtriva®, Atripla®, Complera®, Stribild®, or Truvada®)
THIS AD APPEARS IN TH
Important Safety Information continued on next page
Peter Diagnosed with HIV in 2015
Garland Diagnosed with HIV in 2016
Leopold Diagnosed with HIV in 2003
Jeannette Diagnosed with HIV in 2011
Jack Diagnosed with HIV in 2010
HE PRINT EDITION ONLY.
Real patients with HIV-1 taking TRIUMEQ as of 2014 or later. Individual results may vary. Individuals compensated for their time by ViiV Healthcare.
â&#x20AC;˘ Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements (for example, antacids or laxatives; vitamins such as iron or calcium supplements; anti-seizure medicines; other medicines to treat HIV-1, hepatitis, or tuberculosis; metformin; methadone; or St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wort). Some medicines interact with TRIUMEQ. Keep a list of your medicines to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Important Facts about TRIUMEQ on the following pages.
Ask your doctor about
learn more at
triumeq.com
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 19
IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about TRIUMEQ and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment. (TRI-u-meck) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRIUMEQ
ABOUT TRIUMEQ
TRIUMEQ® may cause serious side effects, including: • Serious allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death have happened with TRIUMEQ and other abacavir-containing products. Your risk of this allergic reaction to abacavir is much higher if you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701. Your healthcare provider can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation. If you get symptoms from 2 or more of the following groups while taking TRIUMEQ, call your healthcare provider right away: 1. fever; 2. rash; 3. nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain; 4. generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness; 5. shortness of breath, cough, or sore throat. A list of these symptoms is on the Warning Card your pharmacist gives you. Carry this Warning Card with you at all times. • If you stop taking TRIUMEQ because of an allergic reaction, never take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir- or dolutegravircontaining medicines again. If you take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-containing medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, within hours you may get life-threatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or death. If you stop TRIUMEQ for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to TRIUMEQ, talk with your healthcare provider before taking it again. Taking TRIUMEQ again can cause a serious allergic or life-threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before. If your healthcare provider tells you that you can take TRIUMEQ again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a healthcare provider if you need one. • Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. • Serious liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools (bowel movements), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain on the right side. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking nucleoside analogues for a long time. • Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRIUMEQ. Do not stop taking TRIUMEQ without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months. • Resistant HBV. If you have HIV-1 and HBV, the HBV can change (mutate) while you’re on TRIUMEQ and become harder to treat (resistant). • Use with interferon and ribavirin-based regimens. Worsening of liver disease that has caused death has happened in people infected with both HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus who are taking antiretroviral medicines and are also being treated for hepatitis C with interferon with or without ribavirin. If you are taking TRIUMEQ and interferon with or without ribavirin, tell your HCP if you have any new symptoms.
• TRIUMEQ is a prescription HIV-1 medicine used alone or with other antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV-1 infection in adults. TRIUMEQ is not for use by itself in people who have or have had resistance to abacavir, dolutegravir, or lamivudine. TRIUMEQ should not be used in children under the age of 18. • TRIUMEQ does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. You must keep taking HIV-1 medicines to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIVrelated illnesses.
DO NOT TAKE TRIUMEQ IF YOU • have a certain type of gene variation called the HLA-B*5701 allele. Your HCP will test you for this before prescribing treatment with TRIUMEQ. • are allergic to abacavir, dolutegravir, or any of the ingredients in TRIUMEQ. See the full Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in TRIUMEQ. • take dofetilide (Tikosyn®). Taking TRIUMEQ and dofetilide (Tikosyn) can cause side effects that may be life-threatening. • have liver or kidney problems. • If you also take: abacavir (EPZICOM, TRIZIVIR, or ZIAGEN); lamivudine (COMBIVIR®, DutrebisTM, EPIVIR®, EPIVIR-HBV®, EPZICOM, or TRIZIVIR); emtricitabine (Atripla®, Complera®, Emtriva®, Stribild®, or Truvada®) abacavir (EPZICOM, TRIZIVIR, or ZIAGEN)
THIS AD APPEARS IN THE PRINT EDITION ONLY.
2 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
BEFORE TAKING TRIUMEQ Tell your healthcare provider if you: • have been tested and know if you have a particular gene variation called HLA-B*5701. • have or had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection. • have heart problems, smoke, or have diseases that increase your risk of heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. • drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol. • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRIUMEQ will harm your unborn baby. • are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRIUMEQ. Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider
IMPORTANT FACTS (cont’d) MEDICINES THAT MIGHT INTERACT WITH TRIUMEQ • antacids, laxatives, or other medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium, sucralfate (Carafate®), or buffered medicines. TRIUMEQ should be taken at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after you take these medicines. • iron or calcium supplements taken by mouth may be taken at the same time with TRIUMEQ if taken with food. Otherwise, TRIUMEQ should be taken at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after you take these medicines • anti-seizure medicines: oxcarbazepine ( Trileptal ® ), phenytoin (Dilantin®, Dilantin® -125, Phenytek ®), phenobarbital, carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Equetro ®, Tegretol®, Tegretol® -XR, Teril®, Epitol®) • any other medicine to treat HIV-1, medicines used to treat hepatitis virus infections (such as interferon or ribavirin), a medicine that contains metformin, methadone, rifampin (Rifater ®, Rifamate ®, Rimactane ®, Rifadin®), St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)
The most common side effects of TRIUMEQ are: trouble sleeping, headache, and tiredness These are not all the possible side effects of TRIUMEQ. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRIUMEQ. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRIUMEQ. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
GET MORE INFORMATION • Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist • Go to TRIUMEQ.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved product labeling
THIS AD APPEARS IN THE PRINT EDITION ONLY.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRIUMEQ TRIUMEQ can cause serious side effects including: • See “What is the most important information about TRIUMEQ?” section • Changes in liver tests. • Changes in your immune system • Changes in body fat • Some HIV-1 medicines including TRIUMEQ may increase your risk of heart attack. (cont’d)
COMBIVIR, EPIVIR, EPZICOM, TIVICAY, TRIUMEQ, TRIZIVIR, and ZIAGEN are registered trademarks of the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. EPIVIR-HBV is a registered trademark of the GSK group of companies. The other brands listed are trademarks of their respective owners and are not trademarks of the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. The makers of these brands are not affiliated with and do not endorse the ViiV Healthcare group of companies or its products. ©2016, the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. All rights reserved. April 2016 TRM:4MG
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 21
>> AN EVENING WITH WOMEN <<
BE THE STORM
“Fighting for justice, and winning, is what we know how to do. It’s one of the things we do best.” Excerpts from a speech by Lorri L. Jean, CEO, Los Angeles LGBT Center at “An Evening With Women,” last month.
…When
we gathered here last May, I began my remarks with a joke about Donald Trump. At the time, it was scarcely imaginable to most of us that he could actually become President. Now we’re four months into the Trump Administration… … If they have their way with all the policies they hope to enact, what will our world look like in 4 years? How many people are going to languish or die because they don’t have healthcare? How many teenagers are going to get pregnant because they don’t have access to birth control? How many children will have their lives shattered because one of their parents has been deported? How many LGBT kids are going to suffer discrimination and violence in schools? How many LGBT adults are going to be denied vital services or even their jobs because of purported moral or religious objections? I know we’re all worried about these issues and many others. That’s why there’s so much talk about resisting and fighting back. Working to ensure that the Administration in 2021 is not one that is hell bent on harming us… We must fight back. We must resist, no matter how hard it may be. But tonight I’m here to remind us of a critically important fact: we cannot and must not operate solely from a frame of resistance. That is not how the women’s movement created a revolution. It is not how LGBT people came from the shadows to a place of pride. Focusing on resistance, alone, is not how we have literally changed the world. No matter the obstacles we faced, no matter who was in power, we NEVER
2 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
“WE SHOULD NEVER SELL OURSELVES SHORT. SIMPLY HUNKERING DOWN FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS IS NOT AN OPTION. WE CANNOT ALLOW TIMIDITY OR FEAR OR EVEN THE PROSPECT OF SHORT-TERM FAILURE TO REDUCE OUR EXPECTATIONS OR OUR DEMANDS. THAT KIND OF DETERMINATION HAS BEEN THE KEY TO OUR MOVEMENT’S SUCCESS THUS FAR. AND IT IS KEY TO OUR FUTURE.” accepted the status quo or settled for crumbs. And we certainly have not been satisfied with simply trying to limit the damage being done to us… … If I’ve learned anything over the years it’s that we should never sell ourselves short. Simply hunkering down for the next four years is not an option.
LORRI L. JEAN
We cannot allow timidity or fear or even the prospect of short-term failure to reduce our expectations or our demands. That kind of determination has been the key to our movement’s success thus far. And it is key to our future. We have always fought for more than what the insiders and many outsiders advised. Often we’ve fought for more than what most even dreamed was possible. That has been our movement’s hallmark. In the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, we have always expected more. We have demanded more. More freedom. More equality. More justice. For women and girls, for our LGBT community, and for all oppressed people. We have always set our sights high and persevered, even in the most difficult times imaginable. In the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic, with death and devastation all around us, and the horrible backlash that followed against
all LGBT people, we never let up. And in so doing, we’ve inspired others all over the world… Fighting for justice, and winning, is what we know how to do. It’s one of the things we do best. In these difficult times, it’s critical to remind ourselves of that fact. We must remember not only that we are on the right side of history, but that we are fierce and resilient and inspiring. We must use that power to ensure we do
more than simply weather the storm. We must BE the storm! …We will organize our community and our allies elsewhere, in red and purple states, so that voices like ours will be heard—at town halls, school board meetings, polling places and everywhere that our rights and health are at stake. We will speak up and expose wrongs and hold the perpetrators accountable. And in 2018 and 2020, with regard to those who would have us regress to an America that was never great for people like us, we will send them packing!
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 23
THEROSTOWREPORT >> BY ANN ROSTOW <<
LET US LIVE TO SEE ANOTHER DAY
NANCY PELOSI
R
eaders, I assure you there are few American citizens more disdainful of Donald Trump than me. But his comments to Jim Comey do not rise to obstruction of justice. They just don’t. The more some of us call for impeachment, the more our side sounds like the alt-right, screaming to “lock her up.” Nor do I think Trump himself conspired with Russian hackers to win the election. I think some in his circle knew what the hackers were up to and I’m sure Trump was pleased by the helping hand, but that’s a far cry from direct collaboration. Instead, I think Trump is likely enmeshed in a range of seedy financial deals with a range of seedy Russian backers and bankers. Trump may also have known and ignored compromising ties between Russia and some of his aides. These connections could be enough to do him in, but I’m hoping he sticks around long enough to act as a foil for Democrats in 2018. If he can avoid starting World War III or triggering another recession, I’d like him to bumble along for four years and deliver the White House to Democratic hands in 2020. I don’t want Mike Pence to ride in on a white charger and save the Republicans from themselves. I feel guilty and unpatriotic for this view. But really. Mike Pence is as big a liar as Trump, but he’s far more clever about it. Trump’s the kid who careens through the living room and denies breaking the lamp right after we heard the crash. Pence will find Mom in the kitchen just to let her know that he saw the new maid let it fall to the floor. And Pence, the crazoid who can’t have lunch alone with a woman out of respect for his marriage vows, won’t hesitate to throw our community under
MY WIFE’S FANTASY IS THAT DEMOCRATS TAKE THE HOUSE AND SENATE IN 2018, MANAGE TO IMPEACH BOTH TRUMP AND PENCE IN A SINGLE MANEUVER, AND NANCY PELOSI BECOMES PRESIDENT. the bus and drive it back and forth until we’re nothing more than a damp spot on the tarmac. Trump, by contrast, drives the bus with his eyes closed while Ivanka and Jared pop up every now and then to wrench the wheel away from him, swerve to the side and let us live to see another day. My wife’s fantasy is that Democrats take the House and Senate in 2018, manage to impeach both Trump and Pence in a single maneuver, and Nancy Pelosi becomes president. I like that idea as well, but is it my imagination or have we decided that
2 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
70 is the new 40 as far as political power is concerned? What’s with the idea that Joe Lieberman could run the FBI? He’s 75 years old! I love Pelosi, but she’s even older. Come on Gen Xers, it’s been your turn for awhile now. Maybe we should skip straight to the Millennials.
NARCOTICS, HAIRBRUSHES AND CLONE BABIES
I
’m procrastinating. I just read that someone crashed their car into a pole last night
not too far from my house in Austin, abandoned the car, and left narcotics, cocaine, marijuana and a bottle of booze for the cops to find. The authorities suspect the driver was under the influence. You think? Nobody in their right mind would walk away from such a nice stash. Didn’t the guy have pockets? I’ve also switched the TV from cable news to Animal Cops Houston, because I need a break from politics. Frankly, I’m also a bit tired of LGBT community news, but don’t tell the editors. It’s not even ten in the morning, but I wouldn’t mind a small hit of somethin’ somethin’ out of last night’s police inventory. Back in the day we used to call that the “breakfast of champions.” Oh. Here’s an abused dog with multiple injuries, some old some new, and the owner is claiming that the animal “fell down the stairs.” Have you ever seen a dog fall down the stairs? Have you read, by the way, that Trump has a phobia about stairs and ramps? The presidential eccentricities abound. (Angel had hip surgery and has been adopted.) I should mention that some scientists may have found a way to turn mouse skin cells into eggs and sperm, a disturbing advance that makes me happy I won’t be around for the turn of the next century. Can you imagine stealing someone’s hairbrush and creating a clone baby behind their back?
DECIDING WHETHER ART IS EROTICA OR PORNOGRAPHY
L
ast month I was anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision to reject or accept review in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, the endlessly delayed appeal
> > L I V E T O S E E A N O T H E R D AY • N A R C O T I C S , H A R I R B R U S H E S A N D C L O N E B A B I E S • A R T A S E R O T I C A O R P O R N O G R A P H Y ? < <
of an antigay Denver baker who was slammed under state law for refusing to sell a wedding cake to two gay men. This month, I’m still waiting. The case has been scheduled for discussion and re-scheduled over a dozen times, yet the Court refuses to take action. (Unrelated tangent: I was going to use the phrase “fish or cut bait” but I was mentally sidetracked by the realization that “fishing” was not the opposite of “cutting bait.” The expression should be “catch a fish or cut bait,” because “fish” as a verb represents the indolent refusal to move on. The High Court is continually fishing; it is time to pull in a bass or cast the minnow back into the slipstream of rejected cert petitions.) So recently, the antigay Alliance Defending Freedom sent the justices a letter which
contained a recent Kentucky appellate court decision that relates to the core issue of whether faith can take precedence over anti-discrimination law. As you might imagine, given who sent the letter to the Court, the Kentucky panel ruled in favor of a Christian T-shirt maker who declined to make shirts for a gay group in Lexington in violation of the city’s civil rights ordinance. The prevailing theory was that the T-shirt people would be coerced into speech in violation of the First Amendment if they were forced to print the GLBT organization’s unholy message. Normally, we’d all agree that you can’t force unwanted speech on T-shirt makers or cake icing writers. You can’t force the Jewish baker to ice a swastika. You can’t force the clean living shirt-maker to produce an obscene mes-
sage. But the gay group in Kentucky wanted to print: “Lexington Pride 2012” with a number 5 and a rainbow. At some point, the religious speech objector has to provide some connection between his or her faith and the offensive speech in question. In this case, the purveyor simply denied service based on his dislike of gays, period. The essentially neutral message had nothing to do with it. This is a somewhat nuanced position. How do you decide when speech crosses the line from innocuous to unsupportable? The answer is, you decide the same way you decide whether art is erotica or pornography. You know it when you see it, and you leave enough room in the law for society to balance the competing constitutional claims of the marketplace—both the marketplace of ideas and the
(855) 415 4730
ones of cakes and T-shirts. That’s why it annoys me when commentators, both gay and straight, insist on a black and white test for religious businesses. Do they sell speech? Yes or no? If you say yes to the T-shirt guy, you must then ask whether making a cake a form of speech. You must ask whether taking a wedding photograph is a form of artistic expression. In the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, the baker never even asked what kind of cake the men would like. He just refused the sale on principle with no discussion. So was his artistic expression hampered? Was his right to free speech violated? Hell no! He discriminated against gay clientele in violation of state law, period! I still don’t want the High Court to take the cake case, but I think we’d win if it did. n
Ask for Stuart Lipschitz or Jonathan Shoffner
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JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 25
>> LA PRIDE FESTIVAL <<
AMERICAN BEAUTY The #ResistMarch takes place on Sunday, June 11, 8am-1pm. It will start in Los Angeles, at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland. It will end in West Hollywood.
W
hen any American’s rights are under threat, all our rights are threatened. We are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. We are people of color. We are people of different faiths. We are people of all genders and no gender. We are immigrants. We are dreamers. We are people with disabilities. We are parents. We are allies. And we are beautiful intersections of these. But most of all, we are American.Yet our rights are in jeopardy. Forces are gathering in government that intend to take away our hard-won basic human rights. We are calling on everyone to peacefully march with us on June 11th from Hollywood and Highland to West Hollywood. Instead of a Pride Parade meant to celebrate our past progress, we are going to march to ensure all our futures. Just as we did in 1970’s first LGBTQ+ Pride, we are going to march in unity with those who believe that America’s strength is its diversity. Not just LGBTQ+ people but all Americans and dreamers will be wrapped in the Rainbow Flag and our unique, diverse, intersectional voices will come together in one harmonized proclamation. We #RESIST forces that would divide us. We #RESIST those who would take our liberty. We #RESIST homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, sexism, and racism. Together we #RESIST
For more info visit www.resistmarch.org. 2 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
FORWARD TOGETHER
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti: “We will stand up for each other, speak out for our neighbors, and march boldly forward together in pursuit of equality.”
P
ride is about resisting with love, because hate has no place in Los Angeles. We will resist any effort to turn America away from the promise of tolerance, respect and dignity for everybody—whether you’re gay or straight, trans or cis gendered, Christian or Muslim, immigrant or native-born. I am proud to celebrate Pride this year with an unequivocal message: we will stand up for each other, speak out for our neighbors, and march boldly forward together in pursuit of equality for all people. Resisting with love, because hate has no place in Los Angeles.
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 27
2 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
THECITY NEON TREES
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEAN TESTERMAN
>> BY PAULO MURILLO <<
EN VOGUE TO HEADLINE SAN DIEGO PRIDE
All girl musical group En Vogue is scheduled to headline this year’s musical stage at San Diego Pride weekend. This year’s SD Pride musical lineup also include Hector Fonseca, Cazwell, Kodie Shane, Cakes Da Killa, Lucia Mendez, Jessica 6 featuring Nomi Ruiz and Paris Sukomi Max. More talent to be announced in later this month. Pride Music Festival will take place at Marston Point, Balboa EN VOGUE Park on Saturday July 15, from 12pm to 10pm, and on Sunday, July 16, from 11am to 8pm.
SOLIDARITY MARCH, RALLY FOR GAY CHECHENS
In an urgent effort to help stop the atrocities happening against LGBT people in the Russian republic of Chechnya—in which hundreds of gay men are reportedly being kidnapped and tortured in concentration camp-like facilities to “purge” the country of homosexuality—a solidarity march and rally—“Eyes On Chechnya”—was held downtown last month. Additionally Los Angeles City Council members Mitch O’Farrell, Mike Bonin and Paul Koretz, and Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, as well as LA LGBT Center CEO Lorri L. Jean held a press conference at LA City Hall last month to speak out against and condemn the atrocities being committed against gay men. As part of the global effort to save innocent lives—Lithuania has helped two gay Chechens to escape Russia and their foreign minister said an international effort was underway to protect others. The US, on the other hand, has denied visas to roughly 40 gay Chechens, according to a Buzzfeed report.
JOHN HEILMAN: NEW WEHO MAYOR John Heilman was sworn in as West Hollywood’s new city Mayor and John J. Duran as Mayor Pro Tempore at the city’s annual City Council Reorganization and Installation meeting last JOHN HEILMAN month. Mayor Heilman and Mayor Pro Tempore Duran are openly gay and they serve as two of three openly gay members on the five-member City Council.
For more information, visit sandiegopride.org
ORANGE COUNTY “AS ONE“ LGBT PRIDE Join Orange County LGBT Pride on Saturday, June 24 as it celebrates their 9th annual festival. Located on the East End in front of The Yost Theater stretching between 3rd and 4th Street, this hip and trendy location coupled with the Orange County LGBT Pride Parade is ADORE sure to draw even bigger crowds than ever. DELANO The Parade and Vendor areas are free. Kicking-off this year’s “As One” Main Stage will be their Official OC Pride Rainbow Dancers and Host; the one-and-only Dita Vodka. Other performers include Adore Delano, Katya, Dev and Adam. Keeping the love alive well into the night will be their Celebrity Grand Marshals of the PRIDE Parade and Host of the “As One” Main Stage—Billboard Top 20 Dance Artist, Adam Barta, and Logo’s very own Prince Charming—Robert Sepulveda Jr. For more information log onto prideoc.com.
COOLEY HOSTS BENEFIT FOR PULSE MEMORIAL David Cooley, the owner of The Abbey Food & Bar and The Chapel is partnering with Barbara Poma, the owner of Pulse Nightclub in Orlando for a fundraiser to benefit the onePulse Foundation, the official charity created by the Pulse Nightclub owners. The event is taking place at The Chapel next to The Abbey on June 5, in recognition of the one-year mark of the Pulse Nightclub mass shooting on June 12, last year. The $150-ticketed event will a hold a cocktail reception and a multi-course dinner, followed by a charity drag show that will be open to the general public. Several survivors are expected at the event to share their stories. Tickets are limited to 125 people. They can can be purchased at theabbeyweho.com/onepulse.
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 29
What is TRUVADA for PrEP? TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
|Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP? Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: u Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. u Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
|What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: u Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney |What is the most important information I should know problems, your healthcare provider may about TRUVADA for PrEP? tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: u Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic u You must be HIV-negative before you start taking acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain u Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your u Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night u Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomachu You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away. u You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: |What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. TRUVADA for PrEP? • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider u All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider right away. if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, u To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: including hepatitis. • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. u If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, you should keep taking TRUVADA. such as having fewer sex partners. u If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not • Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. baby in breast milk. u If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine u All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. u If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. u Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, infection. your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.
3 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
Have you heard about
TRUVADA for PrEP™? The once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when used with safer sex practices. • TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. • You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.
visit start.truvada.com
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 31
IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEPTM (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.
(tru-VAH-dah) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative. • Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. • You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. • See the “How To Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information. TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. • To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. • Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1. • Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices. • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP” section. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. • Bone problems. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.
BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. • Have any other medical conditions. • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. • Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.
HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. • Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.
GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV infection. • Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.
TRUVADA, the TRUVADA Logo, TRUVADA FOR PREP, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0092 05/17
3 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
>> LA PRIDE FESTIVAL <<
CELEBRATING PRIDE The LA Pride Festival returns to West Hollywood park for two days of live entertainment and community programming on June 10th and 11th. BY VICTO R MELA MED
T
a unique duo known for a unique mix of guitar, synth, and vocals to create their signature sound., will appear on Saturday. The following night Brandy takes the stage as the evening’s headliner. The award-
his year’s Main stage at the LA Pride Festival, renamed the Park Stage Presented by Blue Shield, will feature a collection of pop artists including established and emerging talent, including weekend headliners Chromeo and Brandy. Chromeo (Dave 1 and P-Thugg), CHROMEO
winning singer, songwriter, recording artist, and actress will bring her R&B hits from the past and present to LA Pride. Also performing is a distinct collection of artists from openly queer performers to ones who openly celebrate our community. The Park Stage weekend lineup includes: Young M.A, Erika Jayne, Brooke Candy, Kat Dahlia, Aaron Carter, ILOVEMAKONNEN, Spencer Ludwig, Starley, Tish Hyman, Leon Else, Connell Cruise, and Jesse Møntana. A week-long celebration, LA Pride will host both free and ticketed events beginning on Monday, June 5th and continuing through Sunday, June 11th. Key events include a trans party and the annual LA Dodgers LGBT Night (in partnership with LA Pride). For a complete list of LA Pride Festival events visit: lapride.org.
ERIKA JAYNE
YOUNG M.A
BRANDY
ILOVEMAKONNEN JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 33
>> COVER INTERVIEW <<
REBEL WITH A CAUSE MedMen co-founder Andrew Modlin on reshaping the cannabis industry. BY CA ITLIN D ONOHUE | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNI NGHAM
O
ver the course of his 10 year career in the marijuana industry, Andrew Modlin, oil painter turned brand designer turned co-founder of the SoCal based marijuana investment firm MedMen, has made it his firm’s goal to bring professional standards and training to cannabis. “I feel that MedMen is my canvas,” says Modlin, a gay man, in an interview with THE FIGHT. “This is the biggest art project of my life. I want to create the first national, or even international, cannabis brand.” It all started back when Modlin and business partner Adam Bierman were running ModMen, their marketing and branding firm. “We were doing okay,” Modlin remembers. “Then one day, we got a call from a medical marijuana dispensary that wanted to hire us.” The two were shocked at the amount of business their new client, a small Sunset Boulevard company, was doing. They decided they too wanted in on the green rush and 10 years ago, opened their own Marina Del Rey dispensary called Treehouse. Through operating Treehouse, they learned that while the marijuana industry was flush with expert growers and passionate distributors, it lacked people with a background in skills like accounting, HR, employee training, inventory management. Sensing that they could fill this gap, Modlin and Bierman modified the name of their marketing firm to reflect a shift in focus. From now on, they’d be known as MedMen, and provide business support and training for budding (ahem) marijuana companies. Today, the company specializes in turnkey management and has helped over 100 cultivation, extraction, production and retail businesses. MedMen currently has 10 facilities under management in California, Nevada, and New York. Last year marked the birth of their private equity fund, with to date has raised $60 million. 3 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
In addition to brains and organization, building an empire like this one involves faith that your industry is not about to be eradicated by zealous Republicans. “Marijuana carries a particular set of circumstances, but there are ways to mitigate the risk if you truly understand them,” he says. Despite their big talk, says Modlin, there has been no former policy changes announced by the Trump administration in relation to the way that the US government will be approaching state legal marijuana industries. What’s more is that current laws state the United States’ Department of Justice is banned from using taxpayers’ money to go after statesanctioned medical marijuana operations. “Every public poll in recent years show that the vast majority of Americans across the board favor legalization,” Modlin says. Lingering concerns over the industry’s viability can be largely dispelled with a visit to MedMen’s own West Hollywood dispensary. The Santa Monica Boulevard location eschews the sterile waiting rooms and reinforced glass barriers between customers and budtenders that used to characterize California’s cannabis businesses. Here, you get professionally grown and tested product displayed in a well-lit, walnut paneled showroom. Modlin is proud of the fact that the dispensary stocks thousands of products, from premium eighths of Pearl Pharma hybrid to a line of CBD-infused pet products. The sleek design is indicative of MedMen’s larger mission. “It is not just about changing the look of dispensaries, it is about fundamentally transforming how we deal with marijuana, taking it from its illicit drug status to a well-regulated, legal product for patients and recreational users,” says Modlin. Part of this evolution involves the acknowledgment that people from all walks of
life are marijuana users. Modlin, who lives in the neighborhood himself, says that at MedMen’s WeHo location both the clientele base and employees represent the same wide swath of Los Angeles society; “gay couples walking in, soccer moms, nine to five professionals, old, young,” he says. At 30 years old himself, Modlin sees this variegated employee and client base as an indicator of marijuana’s evolving values. “If the tech industry reflected Gen X demographics and sensibilities, the cannabis industry very much reflects millennial demographics and sensibilities,” he says. The company also focuses on programming and events that reflect a changing world of marijuana. The West Hollywood dispensary donates cannabis to Being Alive, a local non-profit providing services to HIV/AIDS patients. MedMen’s focus on quality extends to extensive branding guidelines for all those associated with the firm. Gender neutral language is preferred and “we don’t talk about stoners, we don’t talk about sophomoric dispensaries,” state the guidelines, which are available on the company’s website. “We talk about the tremendous opportunities to shape this growing industry.” Modlin sees himself as proof that cannabis’ focus has become more expansive. “I am not looking to make an impact in the cannabis industry as a gay man,” he says. “I am making an impact on the cannabis industry, and I happen to be gay. I think it says something larger about what’s going on in the cannabis industry itself.” “As marijuana comes out of the shadows and becomes more mainstream, it is opening itself up to a larger audience, both in terms of those who consume it and those who are looking for business or career opportunities,” he continues. “Marijuana is not just for stoner dudes. It never really was.”
> > LEO HERRERA, COLUMBINE DEMERS, BRENDEN SCHUCART < <
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 35
THESPREAD
3 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM
AGE: 25 HOMETOWN: Orange SELF IDENTIFY AS: A gay dude. CURRENT AND PAST OCCUPATIONS: Currently working at Precinct in DTLA and doing freelance illustration, previously worked in tech. CHILDHOOD CRUSH: Trunks from Dragon Ball Z. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Excruciatingly single. PET PEEVE: People who ask “what are you?” when they really mean to say “what’s your ethnicity?” *eyeroll* BEST AND WORST QUALITY: My smile and my personality. You can guess which is which. SOMETHING NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT YOU: I wear glasses to look smart. THOUGHTS ON THE PRIDE FESTIVAL AND THE #RESISTMARCH: Pride is resistance to oppression, but also a celebration of whatever it is about your identity that you’re proud to own and celebrate. I feel as if pride has lost its meaning and is treated as another excuse to party, with no sense of history of community. We need a march now, more than ever. It’s about resisting complacency and remembering that noncomformity got us where we are. CONTACT INFO: IG—fortune dynasty FB—/fortunedynasty
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 37
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>> LA PRIDE FESTIVAL <<
Redline’s Oliver Alpuche on DTLA Proud, diversity and expanding the festival’s footprint. BY MARK ARIEL
D
TLA Proud is committed to celebrating everyone’s story, to spreading optimism, to growing our community and to expanding our definition of diversity,” states California native and Redline bar owner Oliver Alpuche. Alpuche, along with other downtown bar owners and community members, created the DTLA Proud festival last year. “There was such a vibrant community downtown and there was so much happening with all the gay bars opening—we wanted to celebrate DTLA as a destination for the LGBTQ community,” reveals Alpuche in an interview with THE FIGHT. “It was amazing to see a festival come together [last year] that was solely focused on the community. From the local bars to the non-profits that service our community, people were interacting, laughing and connecting.” “We truly want DTLA Proud to be a festival where everyone is welcome,” says Alpuche. “We are actively focusing of segments of the community that were not present last year.” Taking place this year on August 26-27 at Pershing Square, Alpuche is hoping “to expand our footprint… We are preparing for a larger audience. Last year we prepared for 4,000 and 9,000 people showed up!” The organizers have also implemented a few changes this time around. “We have streamlined the bar service and got rid of drink tickets and there are double the amount of bars. We are also remapping the park for a better layout, adding the shade structures… there are still a few surprises we reveal closer to the festival…” For up to date info on the festival visit: dtlaproud.org.
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2017 Celebrating the Strength of L.A.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trans Community All events included in the two-day Trans Pride Los Angeles Festival are FREE. All members of the trans community, friends, families, and allies are welcome. For more information, call 323-860-7336.
lalgbtcenter.org/transpride
This event is funded in part through the generosity of
Los Angeles LGBT Center The Village at Ed Gould Plaza 1125 N. McCadden Place Los Angeles, CA 90038
FRIDAY, JUNE 16 & SATURDAY, JUNE 17
4 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
THETRANSACTION >> AYDIAN DOWLING <<
TRANS PRIDE L.A.
June 16-17 at The Village. With special guest trans activist and fitness model Aydian Dowling. BY ORLY LYONNE
T
he 19th annual Trans Pride L.A. festival, one of the oldest and largest trans celebrations in the country, take places on Friday and Saturday, June 16-17, at The Village at Ed Gould Plaza in Los Angeles. Admission to the two-day gathering is free. The festival kicks off with the Center’s ongoing community forum series Big Queer Convo. This year’s speaker is Aydian Dowling, a trans activist, motivational speaker, and fitness enAYDIAN thusiast who gained national acclaim in 2015 for being the first DOWLING trans person to be on the cover of Men’s Health magazine. Other festival highlights include an art opening and reception for the We Can Be Heroes exhibit—held at the Center’s Advocate clinic sponsored by the & Gochis Galleries. The exhibit features a mural project celebratTransgender Law Center. ing pioneers of trans history created by up-and-coming trans Trans Pride L.A.’s sponartists from the Center’s youth programs. sors include the Amazon The celebration will also feature a name and gender change Original Series Transparent,
Tito’s Vodka and THE FIGHT magazine. n For more info and updates visit lalgbtcenter.org/transpride.
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>> NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION <<
DYKE MARCH Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial, 8447 Santa Monica Blvd. 6pm. The annual Dyke March begins with a program at 7pm, and march down Santa Monica Blvd. at 8pm. More info: www.weho.org/pride. ONE ARCHIVES LGBTQ HISTORY PANEL DISPLAYS. WEST HOLLYWOOD PARK. THROUGH JUNE 30.
ONE CITY ONE PRIDE 2017 A sampling of West Hollywood City’s June Pride events. For a complete list visit: www.weho.org/pride.
FRIDAY, JUNE 2
LESBIANS TO WATCH OUT FOR: ‘90S L.A. ACTIVISM Plummer Park, Long Hall, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. Opening reception June 2 from 7pm-9pm. Runs through June 30. This year marks the 24th anniversary of the National Dyke March in Washington DC and the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Lesbian Avengers. These two events inspired national activist efforts and a legacy of Dyke Marches across the country. From protest and street activism to grassroots community groups, ‘90s activism in LA and WeHo reflected the energy of the decade. This exhibit tells the stories of LA queer women from groups like ACT UP LA, Queer Nation LA, Dyke March LA, the United Lesbians of African Heritage (ULOAH), Los Angeles Asian Pacific Islander Sisters (LAAPIS), Lesbianas Unidas (LU) and other organizations. It also features ‘The Lesbian Avengers: 25th Anniversary’ traveling exhibition.
STUART TIMMONS LGBTQ HISTORY TOUR West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625. N. San Vicente. 11am-1pm. Written by acclaimed author/historian Stuart Timmons and directed as a performance art piece by Jason Jenn, this tour dazzled audiences in 2015 and 2016. It returns for one more special invigorating event to celebrate Stuart’s legacy and how his life’s work and research is available for all to enjoy. The tour involves a brief shuttle ride followed by a refreshingly accessible urban hike encountering over a dozen costumed characters for surprising fun and history along the way. SUNDAY, JUNE 4
VOX FEMINA: WOMAN RISING, A TASTE OF SEASON 20 Congregation Kol Ami, 1200 N. La Brea Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90038. 3pm. This free concert combines repertoire from VOX Femina’s 20th Anniversary season, a snapshot of the organization’s past, present and future.
SATURDAY, JUNE 3
DRAG QUEEN STORY TIME West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., 11am. Organized by RADAR productions (the same folks who first brought Drag Queen Storytime to San Francisco’s Public Library) join the City of West Hollywood through WeHo Arts and the West Hollywood Library for children’s stories and crafts. 46 6 TTH HEE FFIGH IGHTT || www.thefightmag.com www.thefightmag.com 4
FRIDAY, JUNE 9
OUT THERE EXHIBIT Gallery 825, 825 N. La Cienega Blvd. Opening Reception on Friday, June 9, 6-9 pm. Runs Through June 16. An all media exhibition celebrating the LGBT experience at Los Angeles Art Association during One City One Pride. Gallery hours 10am5pm every day except Monday. Run through June 18. Free admission.
TRANS PARTY AND #SIZZLE West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. 7pm. More info: www.lapride.org. The LA Pride Festival grounds are partially open on Friday, and devoted to trans programming and the #SIZZLE sober area. This event is free to attend. SATURDAY, JUNE 10
LA PRIDE FESTIVAL West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. Runs through Sunday, June 11. More info: www.lapride.org. The LA Pride Festival has been organized by Christopher Street West (CSW) since the 1970s. This year’s line-up includes Chromeo and Brandy. SUNDAY, JUNE 11
#RESISTMARCH Begins at 8 am at Hollywood and Highland and finishes near West Hollywood Park. More info: www.resistmarch.org. This year a march will take place from Hollywood (where LA Pride was born in 1970) to West Hollywood, where LA Pride grew up. Instead of a parade celebrating our past progress, the LGBTQ+ community and its allies will march in solidarity with and on the same day as the National Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington DC. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14
RAINBOW KEY AWARDS West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. 6pm. Free Admission. More info: www.weho.org. Since 1993, the City of West Hollywood has presented Rainbow Key Awards to those who have done outstanding work for the Gay and Lesbian community. The 2017 Rainbow Key Honorees are: Cleve Jones (former aide to Harvey Milk, author of When We Rise), JQ International (LGBTQ/Jewish organization); Eric Paul Leue (Mr. LA Leather 2014); LA Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce; Michaela Ivri Mendelsohn (Transgender activist, public speaker, and business leader); Jewel Thais-Williams (operator of Catch One, the now-legendary discothèque, where Latino and African American LGBT people were not subjected to prohibitive door policies); and Ruth Tittle (16-year member of the Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board).
>> PRIDE 2017 <<
TRANS PRIDE Los Angeles LGBT Center’s The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038. 7:30pm. Runs through June 17. As part of the TransPride kickoff, a Big Queer Convo will take place on June 16 from 7:30-9pm, followed by a reception in the gallery from 9-10pm. An all day festival will take place on June 17 from 12-9:30pm. SATURDAY, JUNE 17
“CELEBRATING ALL LIFE AND CREATION” POW WOW Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd.. 10am-6pm. Join Red Circle Project of AIDS Project LA for a full day of traditional Native American music, dance, crafts and food, along with HIV testing and prevention resources. SUNDAY, JUNE 25
GO WEST SUNDAY FUNDAY MINI BALL POWERED BY REACH LA Rage Nightclub, 8911 Santa Monica Blvd. Free admission. 3pm. Reach LA supports youth of color through the House / Ballroom Community, and have performed at MOCA and various One City One Pride events over the years. This year, they will be hosting West Hollywood’s first ever Sunday Funday Mini Ball which celebrates this year’s theme of Go West by showcasing the migration of House / Ballroom Culture from the East Coast to West Coast. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28
OUTFEST WEHO SCREENING OF “WHITNEY: CAN I BE ME?” West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. 7:30pm. Free admission, but RSVPs are required. RSVP at: www.outfest.org/weho-series A powerful film about musical icon Whitney Houston from acclaimed BAFTA Award winner Nick Broomfield (Kurt & Courtney). Using behind the scenes footage, candid interviews, and performance footage, the film explores all sides of Whitney, her life, and the impact her death had on those close to her and her fans. THURSDAY, JUNE 29
WORLD PREMIERE: “JEANNE CORDOVA: BUTCHES, LIES, AND FEMINISM” West Hollywood City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. 7:30pm. Free admission. A new documentary on the life and accomplishments of activist & author Jeanne Cordova, directed by Gregorio Davila. The director and Jeanne’s partner, Lynn Harris Ballen, will participate in a post screening discussion. THROUGH JUNE 30
ONE ARCHIVES LGBTQ HISTORY PANEL DISPLAYS West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. The City of West Hollywood through One City One Pride has sponsored two outdoor exhibitions of LGBTQ History Panels from ONE Archives. These will be displayed during the month of June on temporary construction fencing surrounding West Hollywood Park. For a complete list of West Hollywood’s June Pride Month events visit: www.weho.org/pride. JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 47
4 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
JUNE 2017 | THE F I GH T 49
THESHARE
THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY
>> BY PAULO MURILLO <<
GALVANIZING THE COMMUNITY
ROBERT GAMBOA
“
T
he way I stay sober during Pride season is I am of service. I get to be of service at a multitude of capacities. Being of service helps me get out of my head. One of the big things that we’ve come to realize is that pride and the holidays are two periods of the year where we see a lot of relapses, a lot of mental health episodes, and a lot of suicides.” “Pride season can be very chaotic. There’s too much alcohol, too many drugs, too many sexual overtones and innuendos. #Sizzle is our anchor event put on by alcohol-free people, so we can create a safe space and allow people to come and enjoy Pride. Pride is for everyone, including those who no longer drink or use drugs.” “This year we have the #ResistMarch happening. We decided #Sizzle is going to have an additional component called Take a Sober Stand (visit takeasoberstand.org). This is co-sponsored by the LA LGBT Center’s Addiction and Recovery Services and the Institute of Public Strategies. We are helping to galvanize the sober community, because so many people are having struggles right now. They are worried that their healthcare is going to be
5 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
taken away. They are worried that their loved ones or themselves are going to be deported. Reports in The Center’s Addiction and Recovery Services indicate that people are having trouble staying sober as a result of these increasing worries.” “Everyone is meeting for Take a Sober Stand. You can go online to purchase a shirt. It says ‘Take a Sober Stand’ on the front and on the back it says, ‘I stand for...’ and there’s a white patch where you can write whatever you like, be it healthcare protection, or whatever it is that’s going to help you stay sober or what you want to protest in the current political situation.” “Everyone that’s participating is going to meet at the LA LGBT Center. Then we will walk to the #ResistMarch and join everyone at Hollywood and Highland. That way we can find each other, because it is going to be madhouse central. So that’s very exciting. There will be a group of people probably marching with The Center, but you’ll see a group of us in our blue shirts who are taking a sober stand.” “I don’t think a people realize how today’s political climate impacts those of us in recovery. Especially those of us dealing with things, like HIV or other pre-existing conditions. This is really affecting our sobriety and serenity. Take a Sober Stand is a great way for people to step up. It doesn’t mean they’ll be breaking their anonymity or anything. This could be for supporters of people in recovery as well. It will be a nice movement to get people going.” —Robert Gamboa, sober since November 28, 2009.
PHOTO BY JON VISCOTT
Robert Gamboa, one of the producers of the sober #SIZZLE at the LA Pride Festival, on staying on track, the #ResistMarch and “Take a Sober Stand.”
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>> GAY LONELINESS <<
UNITED EQUALITY: RESIST CAMPAIGN PHOTOS BY JOSEPH DANIELS
U
nited Equality is an artistic social movement in which subjects bare their bodies with the exception of a single bandanna. The subjects, photographed by Joseph Daniels, appear bare as a symbol of equality. The current campaign—#Resist—was created to “fight back against bigotry, sexism, racism, homophobia and xenophobia” in Trump’s America. For more on the campaign visit: facebook.com/unitedequality. For more about the photographer, Joseph Daniels, go to: www.josephdaniels.com.
5 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
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A hidden oasis just a few feet away from the West Hollywood strip—that feels like a million miles away from the world. B Y R O X I E P E RKIN S
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he lights. The music. The crowd. These things all could describe any great party yet they are also the predominant impression one gleans from an evening spent at Pump in West Hollywood- and exactly what made it the perfect place for my girlfriend and I to celebrate our one year anniversary. Owned and operated by Lisa Vanderpump, the restaurant is the crown
5 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
jewel of everything that makes her brand so successful: the feeling. Though it seems unlikely that everyone at Pump that night was also celebrating an anniversary it certainly felt that way. Seated on the open air patio with string lights hanging off vines, fresh flowers surrounding the tables, a stone fountain burbling away, and music coursing through the air- the experience of dining at Pump feels like being inside a decadent, fantastical party from a Baz Luhrman film. In an especially Luhrman-esque turn, Pumps’ signature birthday treat is a large, eruptive, sparkler served in a shot glass to the great delight of its unsuspecting recipient. With delighted yelps accompanying its arrival, this ritual of celebration occurred at least eight times over the course of the evening, almost like a clock counting down to our own impending celebration. This fantasy evening of course would not be complete without the meal itself.
The drink menu is punchy and filled with unique names like “Pump-tini” and “ByeFelychee”. The menu provides enough options for variety and every dish is a well-executed classic presented with flair in line with the restaurants’ own eclectic glamour: wonton chips feather out dramatically from the perfectly rounded tuna tartare, cocktails shine in jewel tones like rose quartz and Lucite, and finally—a silver tray of desserts decorated with fresh cut flowers is presented for you to select your last treat from. As the evening ended and my girlfriend and I clutched hands across the table amid the shouts of delight coming from another happy couples sparkler appearing, I could feel our own laughter being added to the larger mosaic of celebrations occurring among the ivy and bulb lights of this hidden oasis just a few feet away from the West Hollywood strip that feels like a million miles away from the world. n
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Beth Ditto succeeds in spades by serving up sweet but urgent songs with shades of funk, disco, indie rock, and country flourishes. BY PA U L V. VITA G LIA N O
A
s the founder and lead singer of queer indie stalwarts Gossip, Beth Ditto seemingly came out of nowhere with a voice that was able to blow the roof off any church and every punk rock dive bar. She also lent those featured pipes on electro dance tracks from Simian Mobile Disco, Netsky and The Shoes (her blistering take on Cerrone’s classic Supernature is not to be missed). But as a band, Gossip never quite graduated from underground darlings to pop superstars. On her first proper full length solo effort, Ditto, hopefully, just might change all that. She is as much influenced here by her country upbringing as she is by the best of 70s and 80s pop and rock, most notably heard on the rootsy, ballsy and bluesy lead single Fire, which is indeed a slow-burning, hot hoedown. Meanwhile, Oo La La is a drum-heavy indie dance footstomper, and Go Baby Go serves as a moving tribute to late Suicide singer Alan Vega. Another fave is We Could Run, which shows just how enormous her prowess is, by holding notes in the chorus that’ll tingle your spine. All told, Ditto succeeds in spades by serving up these sweet but urgent songs with shades of funk, disco, indie rock, and country flourishes. I 6 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
personally love Beth for being so fearless, too; she’s been openly gay since forever, she’s a feminist, she’s an unapologetic big girl, and she is talented as all hell. And once you hear that voice? All bets are off! n
“I PERSONALLY LOVE BETH FOR BEING SO FEARLESS… SHE’S BEEN OPENLY GAY SINCE FOREVER, SHE’S A FEMINIST, SHE’S AN UNAPOLOGETIC BIG GIRL, AND SHE IS TALENTED AS ALL HELL.”
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>> LA PRIDE FESTIVAL <<
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GOD’S OWN COUNTRY
OUTFEST LOS ANGELES Eleven days of not to be missed world-class films, panels, and parties. July 6–16, 2017. BY O RLY LYO N N E
E
ach summer Outfest Los Angeles screens more than 150 feature and short films to an audience more than 40,000 people. Outfest Los Angeles is the oldest film festival in Los Angeles and is considered the preeminent LGBT film festival in the world. The 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival will open with Francis Lee’s poignant and masterful feature debut, God’s Own Country starring Josh O’Connor and Alec Secareanu. The Achievement Award Ceremony honoring Bryan Fuller will take place at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on July 6, followed by the screening of God’s Own Country. Additional gala screenings include: a rare spotlight on a bisexual lead character in the West Coast premiere of the TV series Strangers, (U.S. Centerpiece) written and directed by Mia Lidofsky; the groundbreaking, Japanese trans family drama Close Knit (International Centerpiece) from filmmaker Naoko Ogigami; the
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World Premiere of Logo Documentary Films and Putti Media’s KEVYN AUCOIN Beauty & The Beast In Me (Documentary Centerpiece), directed by Lori Kaye, on makeup artist legend Kevyn Aucoin; and Awesomeness Films’ Behind The Curtain: Todrick Hall (Special Centerpiece), directed
FREAK SHOW
by Katherine Fairfax-Wright, following the life of multifaceted performer Todrick Hall. The 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival will close on July 16 at The Ace Theatre with Trudie Styler’s comedic Freak Show, starring Bette Midler, Alex Lawther, AnnaSophia Robb, Abigail Breslin, Ian Nelson, Larry Pine and featuring a cameo from Laverne Cox. Outfest Los Angeles screens at state-ofthe-art venues including the festival headquarters at the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the historic Orpheum Theatre and Ace Theatre, REDCAT: Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater, outdoors at the Ford Theatres, and Harmony Gold Theatre. The complete lineup for the 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival can be found at www.outfest.org.
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MAURICE RELEASE Merchant Ivory’s classic gay period drama has been restored ahead of a rerelease in New York and Los Angeles. B Y V IC TO R M ELA M ED
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new 4K restoration of Maurice—the 1987 romantic drama about gay love in early-20th-century England, based on E.M. Forster’s novel—will open theatrically in Los Angeles on June 2 reports Variety. Directed by James Ivory, featuring Hugh Grant, James Wilby, and the incredibly sexy Rupert Graves—Maurice takes place in early 20th-century England, following its main character Maurice Hall from his school days through university, until he is united with the love of his life. Maurice Hall (James Wilby) and Clive Durham (Hugh Grant) find themselves in love at Cambridge. In a time when homosexuality was punishable by imprisonment, the two must keep their feelings for one another a complete secret, even though Clive refuses to allow their relationship to move beyond the boundaries of platonic love. After a friend is arrested and disgraced for “the unspeakable crime of the Greeks,” Clive abandons his forbidden love, marries, and enters into the political arena. Maurice, however, struggles with questions of his identity and self-confidence, even seeking the help of a hypnotist to rid himself of his undeniable urges. But while staying with Clive and his shallow wife, Anne, Maurice is seduced by the affectionate and yearning servant Alec Scudder, (Rupert Graves), an event that brings about profound changes in Maurice’s life and outlook.
Maurice opens at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles on June 2.
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Marvelous, sad and blisteringly funny. A brave and rewarding drama that speaks to us all.” - The Guardian
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THEEPIDEMIC >> SMYD2 <<
ERADICATING HIV New treatment method might lead to the end of AIDS. B Y V I C T O R MELA MED
R
esearchers believe they have found a new method to execute the “shock and kill” strategy aiming to eliminate HIV hiding in viral reservoirs inside our own T cells, reports David Artavia at hivplusmag.com. Even though an HIV-positive person on antiretroviral therapy is able to suppress the virus to undetectable levels, which makes it impossible for them to transmit the virus, HIV still hides inside reservoirs found within a certain amount of affected
T cells—they’ve been hiding there since early stages of transmission. Antiretroviral therapy cannot eliminate these hidden HIV cells, but it can make them dormant, or inactive. When a person stops taking their meds, the HIV that’s been hiding in these reservoirs all this time will sneak out and spontaneously reactivate, thus rekindling its prior task of destroying T cells. But, scientists at Gladstone Institutes have now discovered an enzyme called SMYD2 that could be a new way of flushing out HIV hiding in reservoirs. If this were to happen, an HIV cure could be the next step.
The “shock and kill” strategy, which is a method to wake up hidden HIV, and act with the body’s own immune system to eliminate the virus and kill other infected cells housing more reservoirs, has been the largest barrier in finding a cure. n
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Daniel James is a 23 year old disabled amateur pornographer and CAM4 performer living in Toronto. Daniel loves attending local sex clubs, and private play parties. He states: “I was hooked after my first visit. Most of us are just more open and expressive about our sex lives than others. These days, when I’m feeling hot and heavy late at night I’ll just open a hookup app and try to pull… The most exciting aspect of cam work is being able to interact directly with the fans, and make friends with the other models. Internet porn has really evolved over the years to a point where people have requests and fetishes they want fulfilled in a certain way at a moment’s notice, and cam work has satisfied that demand in the marketplace where a video on a tube site cannot.”
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7 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com