JUNE 2019 | T H E F I GH T 1
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The Los Angeles LGBT Center proudly presents one of the country’s oldest and largest celebrations of the trans community.
Friday, June 14 7–10 p.m. For more information and updates about Trans Pride L.A., visit lalgbtcenter.org/transpride
Saturday, June 15 Noon–9:30 p.m. Admission to all events is FREE. To RSVP for Big Queer Convo, visit lalgbtcenter.org/tp19bqc
Los Angeles LGBT Center The Village at Ed Gould Plaza
Los Angeles LGBT Center Anita May Rosenstein Campus
1125 N. McCadden Place • Los Angeles 90038
1118 N. McCadden Place • Los Angeles 90038
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LENNIE ROMAN GENERAL MANAGER
“As the new general manager of NEW CENTURY HONDA GLENDALE, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to my brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ community. If you’re in the market for a new car but dread the hassle of the typical macho “hard sell” sales approach—please consider us. We will help you find the car of your dreams within your budget.” —Lennie Roman, GM, New Century Honda Glendale
JOSE NAVARRO INTERNET SALES
TONY LOPEZ GENERAL SALES MANAGER
Call: 833-707-2506 NEW CENTURY HONDA GLENDALE 1235 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204 www.newcenturyhonda.com JUNE 2019 | T H E F I GH T 5
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THECONTENTS
O N T HE C OVER & O N T HI S PA GE GRACIE CARTIER JACOB ROSTOVSKY COVER PHOTO, CONTENTS PHOTO & FEATURE PHOTO
BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM
DE PART MEN T S F E AT URES
18 22 24
BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER
RALLY AT LOS ANGELES CITY HALL
MORE THAN ENOUGH
IML WINNER JACK THOMPSON
WHAT MAKES A MAN
MINORITIES OPPRESSING MINORITIES
26
LA PRIDE FESTIVAL
30
A SENSE OF BELONGING
32
WE ARE FAMILY
40
TRANS PRIDE L.A.
42
NON-BINARY LOVE
46
2019 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW THE NEED FOR A TRUE CONNECTION LGBTQ SOLIDARITY AND LIVING AUTHENTICALLY THE OFFICIAL GUIDE ONE COUPLE’S HEARTWARMING STORY QUEER FILM FESTIVAL OPENS NEXT MONTH
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12 14 16 20 36 38 48 54 58
THE TALK THE NATION THE CITY THE ROSTOW REPORT THE TRANSACTION THE SHARE THE ART THE EVENT THE MUSIC
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THEEDITOR
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stanford Altamirano MANAGING EDITOR Mark Ariel ART DIRECTOR Nadeen Torio MARKETING CONSULTANTS Grey Crouch Sean Galuszka Shane Ivan Nash Jacci Ybarra SOCIAL MEDIA Mark Ariel Sinan Shihabi WEBMASTER Nadeen Torio ARTS EDITOR Sinan Shihabi >> IN THIS ISSUE <<
THE FIGHT is proud to be, once again this year, the official media sponsor of Trans Pride L.A., taking place on Friday and Saturday, June 14–15, at two of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s facilities in Hollywood: The Village at Ed Gould Plaza and, located directly across the street, the Center’s new Anita May Rosenstein Campus. Admission to the two-day annual gathering is free. “As one of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s signature events, Trans Pride L.A. continues to grow every year— as more trans, gender non-conforming/non-binary individuals gather the courage and resilience to live as their authentic selves,” said Gina Bigham, the Center’s Trans Lounge program manager and organizer of the festival. “We are excited this year’s festivities coincides with the Center’s 50th celebratory year of building a world in which LGBT people thrive!” For more on Trans Pride L.A. go to pages 40-41 in this issue, or visit: www.lalgbtcenter.org/transpride. Also in this issue, transgender community members Gracie Cartier and Jacob Rostovsky talk to Mark Ariel about various queer issues. When asked if the need for a separate Trans Pride celebration is a re-
flection on LGBTQ solidarity—Jacob Rostovsky said he has conflicting feelings on the matter. “In one way I’m always blown away by Trans Pride and how much it grows each year. I think it’s really awesome we have a community event and somewhere to go where we will be met with acceptance and safety. However, it saddens me that this couldn’t happen at general Pride. Every time I’ve been to Pride looking for anything trans related—I can’t find it. That shouldn’t be the case, regardless of us having our own event or not. The other issue is that while Trans Pride is a place for trans people, it doesn’t allow allies to be exposed to our community unintended. The T (along with the B) is very much forgotten in the LGBTQ acronym. By hiding away at our own event it just removes us even further from the acronym. It would be awesome to take the Trans Pride event and put it smack in the middle of Pride where people would have to get through us to go to everything else. Then there would be no possible way we’d be ignored.” Happy Pride!
STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Editor-In-Chief
CONTRIBUTORS Melanie Chapman Dusti Cunningham Sean Galuszka Orly Lyonne Victor Melamed Paulo Murillo Andy Nicastro Ann Rostow Sinan Shihabi Gabriel Uhuru GET THE FIGHT AT HOME Sent Via First Class Mail 12 Issues: $36 6 Issues: $24 Mail check or money order to: Third Step, LLC 611 S. Catalina St. Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005 PUBLISHER Third Step, LLC DISTRIBUTION Pride In Media The Fight Magazine is published monthly by Third Step, LLC. 611 South Catalina Street, Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005 Telephone (323) 297-4001 Fax (213) 281-9648 Email info@TheFightMag.com THE FIGHT MAGAZINE LEGAL CAVEATS By listing in The Fight Magazine, advertisers acknowledge that they do business in the spirit of cooperation, fairness and service, maintaining a high level of integrity and responsibility. Providers of products or services are fully and solely responsible for providing same as advertised. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers. Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility and liability for the content of their advertisements in The Fight Magazine. Publisher assumes no liability for safe-keeping or return of unsolicited art, manuscripts or other materials. The Fight Magazine reserves the right to edit all material for clarity, length and content. All contents © 2019 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
www.thefightmag.com 1 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com
JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 11
THETALK AMIYAH SCOTT
> > W H AT T H E Y ’ R E S AY I N G < <
CAN BE SOULLESS
CURRENTLY TIPTOEING
“People [in Hollywood] may not always be as genuine as they should be. I come from New Orleans. It’s a city based on realness. It’s just a feeling and people lack that somewhat in Hollywood. It can be soulless, you know?”
“The government will not protect us because there is no Equality Act. We are currently tiptoeing on American soil... no one’s rights should be determined by which state they live in.”
—Star’s Amiyah Scott, one of the first openly trans actors to be a series regular on a network show, in an interview with the Advocate.
MY ARMPITS
NYLE DIMARCO
MADONNA
“Growing up I always felt like an outsider, like I didn’t fit in. It wasn’t because I didn’t shave under my armpits, I just didn’t fit in.” —Madonna, in a speech accepting the Advocate for Change Awards at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, last month.
—Model and activist Nyle DiMarco in a video for the Human Rights Campaign, urging the full passage of The Equality Act, which would federally ban antiLGBTQ discrimination.
SEX WORKERS
“I think sex work is super important. I’ve used sex workers. I have RYAN a boyfriend, but I still O’CONNELL use sex workers. I think that they do an incredible service. And I think there’s still a stigma attached to the work that they do and I think that’s really fucked up.” —Ryan O’Connell, creator and star of Netflix’s Special, on the life of a gay man with cerebral palsy, in an interview with the Advocate.
DAN REYNOLDS
FILLS ME
“It fills me with an enormous amount of pride.” TARON EGERTON
NEEDS TO CHANGE
“We have seen with conversion therapy that our LGBTQ youth have double the rate of depression, triple the rate of suicide after conversion therapy. It’s not working and needs to change.” —Dan Reynolds, the frontman for the rock group Imagine Dragons, in his acceptance speech for the top rock artist award, at the Billboard Music Awards last month. 1 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
—Taron Egerton, the actor who plays Elton John in the new film Rocketman, on how he felt being a part of the movie, in an interview with Gay Star News.
MY CAREER
“I went through many, many years when I couldn’t do that. It would have killed my career. Immediately.”
—Barry Manilow, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, explaining why he didn’t come out sooner. The singer, now 75, came out in 2017 in an interview with People magazine.
BARRY MANILOW
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THENATION >> NEWS BRIEFS <<
GILEAD DONATES PrEP TO 200,000 PEOPLE
SUPREME COURT REJECTS TRANS POLICY CHALLENGE The Supreme Court declined to hear a case last month challenging a Pennsylvania school district’s bathroom policy allowing transgender students to use bathrooms of their choice, reports Politico. The conservative Alliance Defending Freedom represented a group of students in the case, Doe v. Boyertown Area School District, alleging that the district’s policy violates student privacy. The Supreme Court’s decision leaves standing the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals unanimous ruling last year that the Pennsylvania school district can continue allowing transgender students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
CITY THROWS HISSY FIT OVER RAINBOW FLAG A California town rejected a request to fly the rainbow flag during Pride Month because of hateful public comments, reports LGBTQ Nation. Shawn Kumagai, a gay member of the City Council in Dublin, California, initiated a request to fly the rainbow flag over City Hall. Members of the public were outraged by the idea of flying a rainbow flag in their town. Two people during the ensuing debate said that “P” should be added to the initialism “LGBTQ” to stand for “pedophilia.” Another person said that “LGBTQ” should have an “S” for “straight.”
UNIVISION: GAY COUPLE STAR IN LEADING ROLE
EMILIO OSORIO, JOAQUÍN BONDONI
Univision has announced that they are going to launch the first primetime telenovela with a gay couple as its lead characters, according to We Are Mitú. The new show, reports Instinct, will be in Spanish and be called El Corazón Nunca Se Equivoca or The Heart is Never Wrong. It will be a spinoff of the Mexican telenovela Mi Marido Tiene Más Familia or My Husband Has More Family. The show’s story will follow the love and daily struggles of the popular gay couple from Mi Marido, Cuauhtémoc or Temo (Joaquín Bondoni) and Aristóteles (Emilio Osorio). 1 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
The Department of Health and Human Services announced last moththat Gilead, the drug company behind the preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication medication Truvada, would provide PrEP for up to 200,000 individuals each year for up to 11 years. HHS wrote: The agreement between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Gilead will last until at least December 31, 2025 and possibly through December 31, 2030, and will provide medication to treat individuals who are at risk for HIV and who are uninsured. This donation will deliver Gilead’s PrEP medication Truvada, which currently carries a list price of more than $20,000 per patient per year, to up to 200,000 people per year, including in the states and counties identified as priority areas … to end the HIV epidemic in America.” GOV. JARED POLIS
COLORADO BANS GAY CONVERSION THERAPY Colorado is the latest state to move to ban gay conversion therapy for minors, aligning Colorado’s policies with the consensus among leading medical and mental health professional organizations. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the first US governor to identify as gay, signed a bill last month that prohibits health care professionals from engaging in conversion therapy for patients under the age of 18. “Colorado has joined a growing list of states that have banned so-called conversion therapy,” Polis said in a statement posted to his social media. “It’s a tortuous practice that has long been widely-discredited by medical and mental health professionals.” n
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THECITY >> BY PAULO MURILLO <<
KRISTINE W
ORA N G E C O U N TY
“STAND UP STAND OUT” AT OC PRIDE OC Pride 2019 will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2019 in Downtown Santa Ana with an expected attendance of over 25,000. The theme this year is “Stand Up Stand Out.” Dance legend Kristine W, ranked #3 in Billboard’s “Top Dance
WEST HO LLY W O OD
PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL PETE BUTTIGIEG VISITS WEHO Gay Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg visited the City of West Hollywood last month. He appeared at a sold out town hall fundraiser which was hosted at The Abbey Food & Bar. West Hollywood Mayor Pro-Tempore Lindsey Horvath was joined by Jennifer Childress, Sam Greisman, Ira Madison III, Brandon Sharp, Brent Weinstein, Sue LaVaccare, and David Cooley, the owner and founder of The Abbey, in welcoming Mayor Pete to the city. Buttigieg spoke about cyber security, election security, voter suppression and the rising tide of white nationalism. Mayor Pete also joined Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti at a community event in support of Measure EE. If passed, the Measure would raise about $500 million a year, or about $750 per student, by instituting a new
Artists of the Decade,” will perform her classic dance hit Feel What You Want along with songs from her soon-to-be-released summer album. Other performers include Deborah Cox, Willam, David Hernandez and Zee Machine. For more info visit: www.prideoc.com.
parcel tax on residential and commercial property throughout the school district.
L ONG B EA C H
LEGENDARY CLUB RIPPLES CLOSING The owners of Club Ripples, the oldest gay bar in Long Beach, have announced they are shutting down the two-story gay dance club that first opened in 1972. Owners Larry Herbert and John Garcia say they will sell the bar and soon retire. They will ring in the bar’s last call this summer. They have owned the bar for the past 40 years.
S A N D I EGO
CALL FOR INCREASED ARMED SECURITY AT LGBT CENTER
San Diego LGBT activists are raising funds to increase armed security in and around the San Diego LGBT Center after recent hate-based attacks around the
the gay Hillcrest area. San Diego Gay & Lesbian News reports that the shooting at a San Diego synagogue, which left one woman dead and three others injured, as well as the shooting at the busy Asian Bistro on University Avenue, could mean The Center may be next if left exposed without adequate defenses.
C OS TA M ES A
LGBT FLAG TO FLY AT COSTA MESA FAIRGROUNDS
Orange County Fair Board voted last month to fly a LGBT Flag at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds all year round. The vote was made following Costa Mesa and Laguna Beach’s decision to raise the LGBT banners at their city halls during Harvey Milk Day and throughout Pride Month in June. The board also voted to adopt a resolution recognizing the history and contributions of the LGBT community. n
F O R D A I LY U P D AT E D L G B T Q N E W S V I S I T: W W W . T H E F I G H T M A G . C O M 1 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
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>> PHOTOS BY MELANIE CHAPMAN <<
A rally for trans justice took place last month at Los Angeles City Hall. Over the past month we have lost three trans people to hate motivated violence. Michelle Simone, of Washington DC, was shot and later died at the hospital. Clair Lagato, of Cleveland Ohio, was shot and later died of her wounds at the hospital. Muhlaysia Booker, of Washington DC, was found dead on arrival in the streets of Dallas. 18 GH TT || www.thefightmag.com 1 8 TTHHEE FFIIGH www.thefightmag.com
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THEROSTOWREPORT >> BY ANN ROSTOW <<
FIFTY YEARS LATER... Is it really that time of year again? Are you feeling proud? Do you still have that fancy beer hat with the plastic rainbow straw that lets you walk around and drink with both hands free? Check your hall closet. I think I saw it there along with that cute little boy from your scout troop’s overnight camping trip in ‘92. I was just bitching to a friend about some of you Gen Z youngsters who either a) wish you had experienced more of the fun times back in the day when we all enjoyed a colorful queer community of bars and parades, or b) think we’ve all bought into a
“WHATEVER YOU MAY THINK OF OUR ALLIES IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, THEY ARE PICKING UP MOST OF THE $12 MILLION IN COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DOZENS OF MAINSTREAM GLBT PRIDE EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR NEW YORK ALONE… LIKE THEM OR NOT, AMERICAN BUSINESSES ARE NOT THE ENEMY.”
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corporate culture and have forgotten our roots as victimized members of a despised minority. Hint: it wasn’t all fun, we haven’t forgotten, we’ve come a long way and some of those corporate sponsors are powerful allies in our continuing fight for civil rights. In New York, for example, some four million people are expected to celebrate Pride on June 30, yet different organizers will hold two separate parades; one, the standard pride parade we all know and love, and two, a more political event reflecting the activist values of the Stonewall raid on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary. Here, as in other American cities, one of the
>> 50 YEARS LATER… • OXYMORONIC • AMERICA FIRST • MARRIED WITH CHILDREN <<
main fractures involves corporate sponsorship. Whatever you may think of our allies in the business world, they are picking up most of the $12 million in costs associated with the dozens of mainstream GLBT pride events scheduled for New York alone. But their support goes beyond finances. Tons of Fortune 500 companies have lobbied against the many antigay proposals leeching out of the various state legislatures, and indeed, corporate opposition is one of the main firewalls protecting us against North Carolina-style bathroom bills and Indiana-style religious freedom measures. Both of those states were forced to ratchet down, if not basically repeal, their nasty laws a few years back, to a large degree in response to boycotts and corporate activism. Other states took the hint and declined to pass such bills. By contrast, Texas has just enacted a religious freedom statute as the legislative session comes to a close, although the Lone Star State is an exceptional case and who knows how this bill might fare under certain circumstances in the courts. Meanwhile, think about how corporations will react to a law like the one we just saw pass in Alabama. Can you imagine companies like Amazon or Apple investing in big facilities in a state that basically criminalizes abortion? No one can, and that includes many GOP lawmakers who are aware of this dilemma. Finally, look at the federal Equality Act that just passed the House by a vote of 236-173. This, our signature civil rights effort, drew strong support from business, organizations and professional associations, most of whom recognize that history is on our side and that their employees and members welcome GLBT diversity. Like them or not, American businesses are not the enemy.
OXYMORONIC Speaking of the Equality Act, which is destined for a tough time in the Senate, USA Today just ran an op-ed by a rightwing gay college Republican, who called the bill dysfunctional. “From my vantage point as a gay conservative,” wrote UMass senior Brad Polumbo, “I can see that the Equality Act goes too far for any levelheaded gay rights advocate to support, and its blatant disregard for the basic right to religious freedom is appalling.” First, I’ve never been a fan of amplifying contrarians, like the one lesbian who opposes marriage equality or the only Black guy who thinks the Charlottesville demonstrators were fine people. It’s contrived, and these folks are anomalies for a reason. It’s easier to stand out when you simplify and defy the common wisdom in a jarring fashion, and it’s thus tempting to do so, particularly when you’re young. It may be “common,” but indeed there is often wisdom in the opinions of people who have thought about a shared experience for a long time and reached similar conclusions from their complimentary perspectives. Further, Polumbo is correct when he refers to the basic right to religious freedom, but he misses the point. Religious freedom is a core tenet of the First Amendment, and no Congressional act can ever tamper with its mandates. So cool your jets. Just as opponents of the Equal Rights Amendment back in the day warned that men would be allowed to use the ladies rooms and women would be immediately sent into combat should it pass, so the opponents of the Equality Act raise the alarm for Christians everywhere who would be forced to transact business or treat transition-related health issues in violation of their faith. Newsflash, the
Christian faith does not mandate hostility against GLBT people, conservatism does. And conservatism is not a religion. If you don’t want gay customers, don’t sell your wares in the public square. If you don’t want transgender clients, find another medical speciality. As for church groups offering straight-only adoption services, that’s fine if you don’t take public money or you don’t claim to be serving as a public charity. Enough of this subject!
AMERICA FIRST Faced with a court deadline of May 24, the Taiwanese legislature legalized marriage equality last month, after a year or so of confusion and acrimony. You may recall that the Taiwan voters rejected a marriage equality proposal in a referendum last year, or maybe you don’t recall that. Maybe you’ve just been ignoring the politics of Taiwan while you continue with your busy lives and social schedules down in southern California. I know you too well, don’t I? But it’s newsworthy nonetheless because it’s the first marriage breakthrough in Asia, so, um, yay! I myself have been guilty of rabidly following and reporting on the fight for marriage rights in the U.S., only to drop the subject like a lead balloon in 2015 and pay scant attention to progress elsewhere in the world for almost four years now. Sorry about that dear readers. Every now and then I get a list of marriage developments in, say, Ireland, Costa Rica or some Mexican state, and you know what? I can’t follow it anymore. I put a good twenty years into marriage equality starting with frigging Baehr v Lewin and I feel I’ve done my time. In this same vein, I just read an article about good things happening for our GLBT comrades in East Timor, and it made me happy.
But it’s so far away! I had to google it to find out that it was a former Portuguese colony just north of Australia.
MARRIED WITH CHILDREN Finally, you may have read about the married men in LA who shockingly find themselves fighting for their son’s citizenship. The bi-national couple had twins through a surrogate in Canada. Moving to LA, they applied for citizenship only to be forced into mandatory DNA tests that proved one son had biological ties to the American guy and the other was linked to his Israeli husband. A court overturned the State Department’s rejection, but the Trump administration has now appealed this decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. For God’s sake why? I figured the story would already have earned a lot of coverage in LA, but I hadn’t quite realized that there are several similar families, all under attack from Trump and company. One Atlanta family, two married men who are both American citizens, had a daughter born abroad using sperm from one of the Dads, who was born in Britain. This man is a U.S. citizen because his mother is American (please stay with me), yet the State Department insists their daughter is a foreigner. Remember, the other father is born and raised in the United States and the two are married! Then there are two married lesbians with two kids, one born to the American mom and one born to the Italian mom. They are also in court fighting for the rejected child. The list of these battles goes on, adding to the many horrific exploits from the Trump/Pence faction of the deep state. n arostow@aol.com. JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 21
Jack Thompson became the first trans man of color to win the title of International Mr Leather last month. BY VICTOR MELAMED
Jack
Thompson, the reigning Leatherman of Color 2019, beat out 67 other titleholders last month to win International Mr Leather (IML) 2019 on Sunday, reported out.com. The occasion, hosted in Chicago as it has been each year over the 41-year history of the competition, marked the first time a trans man of color had won the title. He was accompanied on the platform by Mr. Leather Ireland 2019 Fionn Scott who was the second runner up and Mr. San Francisco Leather 2019 Jawn Marques who was the first runner up. This year’s IML was the second to occur after the death of event founder Chuck Renslow. The weekend-long convention and competition hosted thousands of queer people for the well attended vendor mart, dance parties, Kink U classes, and more, reported out.com. Over the span of the competitions, contestants gave a variety of speeches, many touching on how the outsider status of being fetishists make the community revolutionaires, and how community members must and have embraced that. Some also touched on SESTA/FOSTA, a bill passed by Congress last year and signed by President Trump to curb online sex trafficking, that also ended up limiting the
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L-R: FIRST RUNNER UP MR. SAN FRANCISCO LEATHER 2019 JAWN MARQUES, IML WINNER LEATHERMAN OF COLOR 2019 JACK THOMPSON, SECOND RUNNER UP MR. LEATHER IRELAND 2019 FIONN SCOTT
“THERE’S PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW THAT DON’T BELIEVE I’M MAN ENOUGH TO BE ON THIS STAGE… IF YOU’RE ENOUGH FOR YOU, THEN YOU ARE ENOUGH. PERIOD… I’M JACK THOMPSON, AND I’M A PROUD BIRACIAL, OPENLY TRANSGENDER, HIV POSITIVE MAN AND I AM ENOUGH.”
abilities of sex workers. Jack Thompson, however, made an outsized impression, reports out.com. During the physique competition where contestants show off not only their body but their confidence, he wore a Transgender Flag jockstrap. During his speech he said: “There’s people in this room right now that don’t believe I’m man enough to be on this stage…If you’re enough for you, then you are enough. Period.” “I’m Jack Thompson,” he continued, “and I’m a proud biracial, openly transgender, HIV Positive man and I am enough.” At Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend in April this year, Thompson told Out that he was initially afraid that a rumored IML policy would bar him from competing. That policy was said to require all contestants to have a male gender marker on their government issued ID. Thompson was assured by IML organizers that this was never a policy of the event. Thompson’s win follows the win of Tyler McCormick who was the first trans man to win International Mr. Leather in 2010. The occasion also marks the first time that two members of Onyx have won the sash in a row. James Lee took home the IML sash in 2018 while Lucky Rebel, who is also a member of Onyx, was his IMBB (International Mr. Bootblack).
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JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 23
No one has the right to dictate who someone is or identifies as. The only person who has permission to identify you is yourself. “IT IS EXTREMELY DISHEARTENING WHEN PEOPLE, WHO KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE OPPRESSED BY THE MAJORITY, FEEL IT IS OKAY TO OPPRESS OTHERS BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT.”
J
BY GABRIEL GREEN
ack Thompson, Mr Leatherman Of Color 2019, is the newly crowned International Mr. Leather 2019. Jack Thompson is a proud biracial transman. In his IML speech Jack said “My whole life, I’ve been told that I am not enough. Not black enough, not queer enough, not smart enough, not strong enough. Hell, there are people in this room right who don’t think I’m man enough to be allowed on this stage…” As person who is a multi-racial gay man of color, his speech resonated with me. My whole life, I have also been told that I am not black enough, not strong enough or man enough simply for being gay. These messages came from the community I grew up in and more so from my mother who shortly before I came out to her (and later kicked me out for being gay) told me, “If you’re gay, people won’t see you as a man anymore, they’ll just see you as male.” My mother later became an educator at the University I went to and taught her students about the marginalization of Black women in America. Not a day had passed after Jack had received his title when someone decided to express his opinion on Facebook about the win,
writing: “I am happy for the winner, BUT it is International MR Leather. He identifies as a man. But not born a man. I feel that decision is politically motivated… Unless he has fully changed all parts, I feel that the decision is politically unacceptable.” His opinion harkened back to the sentiment my mother has about gay men: “You’re not a real man unless you (fill in the blank).” It saddens me that in this day and age, that people, especially those who are in a marginalized group, tend to marginalize those in another group they don’t understand. It is extremely disheartening when people, who know what it feels like to be oppressed by the majority, feel it is okay to oppress others because they are different. In the LGBTQ community, we as gay men specifically have been told we are disgusting, sinners, ungodly, abominations, filthy, not worthy of love, not worthy of God’s love, along with a whole host of other slurs. More importantly we are told we are “not man enough” or “real men” based on our sexuality. We know how hurtful and painful it is to have these things said about us. To have these things so ingrained in us that it creates shame and low-self esteem, which takes years for a lot of us to overcome before, and especially after, we come out. Given our experience, how can we then do the same to someone else, who is brave enough to share with us who he is and live his truth? It’s okay not understand someone when we are not in their shoes and walking their walk. But it is certainly not okay to tell them they are not enough, not a real man/woman or deserving of the accolades they received because of their gender identity. No one has the right to dictate who someone is or identifies as. The only person who has permission to identify you is yourself. Gabriel Green is President of the Los Angeles Band Of Brothers, President of Bears LA and Executive Producer at Green Mirror Entertainment.
2 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
5 STAR RATING ON YELP
Located above Gym Bar and Five Guys JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 25
>> JASON LOUV <<
2 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
>> LA PRIDE 2019 <<
YEARS & YEARS
PAULA ABDUL
FRIDAY, JUNE 7
FREE OPENING CEREMONY West Hollywood Park, (San Vicente Blvd. between Santa Monica and Melrose) 6:00pm –12:00am Want to get LA Pride Weekend in West Hollywood started early? Then head on over to West Hollywood Park for a FREE night of entertainment, programming, and festivities presented before the LA Pride Festival opens its doors the next day. This free evening will include:
An official “Opening Ceremony” with a welcome from leaders and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community. Non-stop entertainment: Weho Vogue Ball & Drag Show, music from local DJs, live performances, dancing, and surprise guests. An exclusive screening of Verizon Media’s 5B, the remarkable story of courage and compassion by the nurses and caregivers of SF General’s Ward 5B, at 8 PM at the Plaza Stage. And a special 60-minute concert beginning
at 10:30 PM by the one and only, Paula Abdul—powered by Caesars Entertainment.
SATURDAY JUNE 8– SUNDAY JUNE 9
2019 LA PRIDE FESTIVAL West Hollywood Park (Along San Vicente Boulevard
MEGHAN TRAINOR
COMMUNITY GRAND MARSHAL PHILL WILSON
between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard), 12:00pm–1:00am A diverse group of LGBTQ+ and allied performers take the stage at the 2019 LA Pride Festival in West Hollywood, presented continued on page 28
F
or the first time, LA Pride and the City of West Hollywood are teaming up to host the first-ever “Pride on the Boulevard,” a free block party of entertainment, vendors, exhibitors, non-profit organizations, rides and attractions, beer gardens, and more along Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood (between Robertson and Hancock). This free-to-the-public event will take place on Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9 from 12:00pm–7:00pm. RYAN O’CONNELL
A
ctor and writer Ryan O’Connell is this year’s Celebrity Grand Marshal. In 2019 O’Connell blazed new trails of LGBTQ representation with his hit Netflix show, Special, and is being honored for using his voice and platform to expand visibility for LGBTQ people. The Community Grand Marshal, Phill Wilson, is an LAbased activist whose career began after he and his partner were diagnosed with AIDS in the early 1980s. Since moving to Los Angeles, Wilson has served as the director of Policy and Planning for the AIDS Project, AIDS coordinator for Los Angeles, co-chair of the Los Angeles HIV Health Commission, and a member of the HRSA AIDS Advisory Committee. He eventually founded the Black AIDS Institute in 1999 and was appointed to President Obama’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. The Organizational Grand Marshal, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, has supported the LGBTQ community in Los Angeles since 1969— and today provides services and programs for more LGBTQ people than any other organization in the world. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Center is dedicated to building a world where LGBTQ people thrive as healthy, equal and complete members of society; and their passion for equality and inclusion embodies this year’s #JUSTUNITE theme.
JUNE 2019 | THE JUME TH E F I GH T 27
>> LA PRIDE 2019 <<
ASHANTI
AMARA LA NEGRA
T
he City of West Hollywood’s One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival celebrates Pride through the end of June Pride month (June 30) with the theme “Love is Love,” celebrating the universal bond that unites us especially during this 50th anniversary year of the Stonewall riots. Highlights include: “LA: A Queer History,” a documentary about LA’s contributions to the LGBTQ rights movement taking place on June 26. And a full day of programming on June 30 including the launch of “Crush: First Love, New Talent” an LGBTQ comic anthology about first (queer) love and “Where Love is Illegal” featuring portraits of people who live in countries where it is illegal to be LGBTQ. “One City, One Pride” is organized by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. For up-to-date event listings, visit www.weho.org/pride or follow @WeHoArts.
continued from page 27
GREYSON CHANCE
by Verizon. GRAMMY® Award-winning global superstar Meghan Trainor and British electronic pop trio Years & Years will headline this year’s festival on Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9—joined by GRAMMY® Award winner Ashanti, plus Amara La Negra, Dej Loaf, Greyson Chance, MNEK, Pabllo Vittar, Ah-Mer-Ah-Su, and others! For A complete list of entertainers visit www.lapride.org. Regardless of genre, this year’s performers— a collaboration with Club Papi and BASH LA—will come together on the Festival’s two
MNEK
main stages to embrace this year’s theme, #JUSTUNITE. In addition to the on-stage performances across the three Festival stages, the LA Pride Festival will host the Trans Galeria (formerly, Trans Station), Erotic City (Leather/S&M), and Sizzle (alcohol- and substance-free) activations again in 2019. There will also be a
W
ith an expanded footprint for the 2019 LA Pride in West Hollywood celebration on June 7, 8, and 9, the City of West Hollywood’s free shuttle to Hollywood and Highland, Cityline Commuter, and the City’s free weekend nighttime and Sunday Funday ride, The PickUp, will get together and become “Pride Ride” for the weekend. Pride Ride will offer a safe and convenient way to and from Metro rail service at Hollywood and Highland and destinations in the City of West Hollywood, traveling along Santa Monica Boulevard. In Hollywood, vehicles will stop on Highland Avenue (just south of Hollywood Boulevard on the west side of the street). For more information about Pride Ride, please visit www.wehopickup.com or www.weho.org/cityline.
www.thefightmag.com 2 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com
variety of local vendors, non-profit organizations and companies exhibiting at the Festival.
SUNDAY JUNE 9
LA PRIDE PARADE Santa Monica Boulevard in West
Hollywood (Between Fairfax and Doheny) 11:00am– 2:00am. The annual LA Pride Parade—telling this year’s #JUSTUNITE story—returns to Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood on Sunday, June 9th. This is one of the highlight events of LA Pride Week 2019 and definitely should not be missed. Be sure to arrive early to get a great spot along the parade route!
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JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 29
SCENE FROM POSE. PHOTO: JOJO WHILDEN / FX >> COVER INTERVIEW <<
As Pride Season begins, I would like to highlight the need for sincere and true connection between members of our community.
I
recently completed the first season of Pose [the second season premieres on FX on June 11]. Thank you Netflix! (Praise dance!) I know I’m hella late, but, cable just happens not to suit a brotha’s budget! Queer ball house culture is something irreplaceable and invaluable. Pray Tell (Billy Porter), says something I found prolific in the first episode to Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) and the rest of the fledgling House of Evangelista. “You want a reason to keep going on after tonight?” pointing to a young Papi (Angel Bismark Curiel) who came seeking induction to their house, “There it go right there. Houses are homes to little boys and girls who never had one, and they keep coming every day just as sure as the sun rises.” 3 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
BY GABRIEL UHURU
OUR PEOPLE ARE BESIEGED AND WE MUST SAVE OURSELVES. NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US. WE MUST BECOME THAT PROTECTION AND STAND IN REAL SOLIDARITY WITH OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
Families, especially those of color, were notorious for throwing their children out if they were suspected of being queer or if they came out to their parents. In the late 1980s, there was the added stigma of the then newly discovered HIV/AIDS crisis. Loss was rampant and pain was like a permanent shroud draped over the LGBTQ community. Out of this struggle, those Houses created a haven of love, structure, protection, and acceptance. Those houses were families, a legacy that lives on. For queer children, the security that comes with unconditional love, acceptance, and support is severely negatively impacted when birth parents, educators and the immediate community refuse to accept them, and instead choose to ostracize and trivialize them.
> > POSE < <
I read headline after breaking headline about children, some as young as 5, who after insurmountable torment from peers and sometimes educators and parents alike, decide to take their own lives as a preference to a continued existence of being tormented merely for being who they are. I see article after article of trans women and men, most of who are black and brown, brutally and grotesquely murdered or who die by suicide because the burden of life while queer or trans was too unbearable posted all over social media. Loss is rampant and pain seems like a permanent shroud draped over the community. But this time, out of this struggle, what are we building? What lasting human structures are we building to secure resources, to provide real love and community for ourselves? When you factor race and culture into orientation and/or gender identity, the impact of trauma in the childhood home is multiplied exponentially. In my experience, it was especially isolating. The effect of growing up in a heavily evangelical family is that you grow to mistrust yourself on a
fundamental level. For evangelicals, anything that makes you (sin) is a result of your human failure to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;devoted enoughâ&#x20AC;? to the Christian god. I learned to associate my actual nature as being at odds with god. If this god was all that is good and holy, and yet my very nature at default was at odds with god, then it followed to me that my very nature must be evil, something to be despised and destroyed. Hello dissociative years! I struggled for a long time after undoing my faith in the Christian god. Because that premise was the foundation to all I had come to understand. I struggled to understand myself outside the confines of that belief structure, to understand the world, to understand how to relate to people. There are elements of that are still under construction for me. The most valuable thing that the queer ball house culture gave young queer kids is guidance and a sense of belonging. Young people are already going through a difficult enough time trying to navigate the world, finding themselves truly solely responsible for their own actions. Learning
to navigate the world is especially difficult if you are navigating alone. The importance of mentors who bring clarity and provide a voice of reason, a skill developed by experience, is paramount to the success of queer teens and young adults. As Pride Season begins, I would like to highlight the need for sincere and true connection between members of our community. We no longer have HIV to fear as a death sentence, but we are still facing mortality in large numbers because of it. We are facing mortality in large numbers because swaths of children are committing suicide to find relief from the torment of bullies both at home and at school. We are facing mortality in exploding numbers because cis men who are attracted to and want to engage in sexual activity with trans women feel so guilty, ashamed, and riddled with self-hate afterward that they resort to killing these women in the most horrifically, tragic ways. Our people are besieged and we must save ourselves. No one is coming to save us. We must become that protection and stand in real solidarity with our own community.
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JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 31
>> GRACIE CARTIER & JACOB ROSTOVSKY <<
Transgender community members Gracie Cartier and Jacob Rostovsky on LGBTQ solidarity, the pros and cons of a separate Trans Pride celebration and living authentically. BY MARK ARIEL | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM
First off—please tell us a little about yourselves. Gracie:I am Gracie Cartier aka Madame Jeuge (My IG is @madamejeuge). I’m a 40 year old Glam Ma originally from the hard core streets of Philadelphia (North Philly’s Finest). I am an artist and Nite Life’s Disco Diva living my best authentic life here in La La Land while navigating through this beautiful yet challenging world. Jacob: I am 28 years old and born and raised in Los Angeles. Well, mostly I’m a valley boy but have been living West Hollywood adjacent for about eight years now. I live with my fiancé, Jason, and our two dogs and cat. Right now I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist earning my hours towards licensure. I work part time at Being Alive Los Angeles with the HIV+ population and at Gateways Mental Health Hospital as a forensic clinician. I absolutely love it. In my “spare time” I work on developing and running and organization called Queer Works, www.queerworks.org, which is working to reinvent the ways in which the Queer population accesses and receives mental health services. Recently a few leather men expressed disapproval of the new International Mr. Leather, Jack Thompson, because he is trans. Do you feel supported by the gay community? Gracie: Personally—I feel that, for the most part, the gay community has been supportive of the trans community. I’m fortunate to have some amazing gays in my corner. However I know that may not www.thefightmag.com 3 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com
JACOB ROSTOVSKY: “IT’S VERY EASY TO FORGET THAT OUR ENTIRE MOVEMENT AS A COMMUNITY WAS STARTED BY A TRANS WOMAN OF COLOR. WE WERE THERE FIGHTING THROUGH GAY MARRIAGE RIGHTS, IT’S TIME THE COMMUNITY IS THERE FOR US.” be the same for other trans folks. Do I feel that the gay community could step it up in supporting us in other ways... absolutely. Posts and pics about “TransLives Matter” on social media shouldn’t be your only outlet of support. How are you showing up in your day to day when you see a trans person on the street that you may not know. Are you extending love, kindness, a word or ear in that very moment? Jacob: This question brings up a lot for me. I identify as a transgender gay male, which means I was born female, transitioned to male and am sexually attracted to men. I’m engaged to a cisgender gay male who
has been nothing but supportive, accepting and a vocal and active champion for Trans rights. I am extremely lucky to have him, as he is me. With that said, most of my experience as a gay trans male is has either been met with exclusion or fetishizing. When a cisgender gay male finds out I’m trans the first reaction is usually “when can I see you naked” or “when can I try you.” While that’s nice and all, I’m not a piece of meat to “try” or an item off someone’s bucket list. If I’m not met with that then I’m met with “girls don’t belong in our space” or “sorry, this is a man’s only event.” Last time I checked I was a man, and if you don’t believe me check my ID. But I get it, the gay community is super fascinated with penis, and if you don’t have one then how can you really be gay. That’s just my experience. I can’t really speak to the experience of a trans woman, but from what I’ve seen they are often left out of conversations even more. But all that aside, I really think there are some fantastic opportunities for the gay community to be supportive of the trans community, especially around Pride season. Whether or not they partake in these opportunities is another question. It’s very easy to forget that our entire movement as a community was started by a trans woman of color. We were there fighting through gay marriage rights, it’s time the community is there for us. Do you feel that the need for a separate Trans Pride celebration is a reflection on LGBTQ solidarity? Gracie: I believe it is simply an expansion of our pride and solidarity. I don’t see it be-
> > C O V E R F E AT U R E < <
JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 33
>> GRACIE CARTIER & JACOB ROSTOVSKY <<
ing a problem with us celebrating ourselves within our trans family and also the LGBTQ community as a whole. We all deserve the right, freedom and power to celebrate ourselves and others no matter what branch of the LGBTQ family tree you’re on. It’s all extensions and branches of Pride! Jacob: I often think about this question on my own. In one way I’m always blown away by Trans Pride and how much it grows each year. I think it’s really awesome we have a community event and somewhere to go where we will be met with acceptance and safety. However, it saddens me that this couldn’t happen at general Pride. Every time I’ve been to Pride looking for anything trans related—I can’t find it. That shouldn’t be the case, regardless of us having our own event or not. The other issue is that while Trans Pride is a place for trans people, it doesn’t allow allies to be exposed to our community unintended. The T (along with the B) is very much forgotten in the LGBTQ acronym. By hiding away at our own event it just removes us even further from the acronym. It would be awesome to take
GRACIE CARTIER: “WE ALL DESERVE THE RIGHT, FREEDOM AND POWER TO CELEBRATE OURSELVES AND OTHERS NO MATTER WHAT BRANCH OF THE LGBTQ FAMILY TREE YOU’RE ON. IT’S ALL EXTENSIONS AND BRANCHES OF PRIDE.” the Trans Pride event and put it smack in the middle of Pride where people would have to get through us to go to everything
else. Then there would be no possible way we’d be ignored. Is there anything we haven’t asked that you would like to share with our readers? Jacob: I think it’s really important to emphasize the work that’s being done around mental health and stigma in the trans community, as well as the LGBTQ community as a whole. If you are interested in doing any work and being involved please visit my website, www.queerworks.org, as well as follow me on Instagram, @jrostovsky. We are always looking for volunteers and individuals who’d like to make a difference in the community. Also please check out the amazing work Being Alive Los Angeles does with the HIV+ population. We are working on adding a component for trans competent mental health care as we speak. Also, never stop fighting for what you believe in and be yourself. In a time that is so troublesome and scary it can be really hard to live authentically. I am always here for my community. Please reach out to me via instagram or Queer Works if you need someone to fight with you.
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JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 35
THETRANSACTION >> PIONEERING TRANS WOMEN <<
TRANSGENDER ICONS HONORED The statues of these pioneering trans women of color will be the first in the United States to honor transgender people. BY VICTOR MELAMED
T
he riots at the Stonewall Inn in June 1969 in New York were a turning point for LGBTQ rights, however for transgender activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, the days-long uprising was just a mile marker in a lifelong fight for justice, reported CNN last month. Their lifelong commitment to ending oppression for marginalized communities will be commemorated with statues in Greenwich Village, home of Stonewall Inn, the site of the historic uprising. The statues of these pioneering trans women of color will be
MARSHA P. JOHNSON AND SYLVIA RIVERA the first in the United States to honor transgender people, according to the New York Mayor Bill de Blasioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office. The mayor officially announced the installment of the statue in a press confer-
ence last month, days before the start of Pride month in June. New York is hosting the annual World Pride parade, which started to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots 50 years ago. n
www.thefightmag.com The mission of the Gay Elder Circle is to support and encourage older gay men in becoming mindfully conscious and effective Elders. Our fellowship is united in the purpose of community building and perpetuating LGBTQ+ cultural and ancestral wisdom. By doing so, we encourage gay men to discover and actualize their innate gifts and choose to serve a greater good. Invitation: Experience Fellowship, Community Building, Monthly Heart Circles, Workshops and Retreats www.gayeldercircle.org gayeldercircle@gmail.com 3 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com
By the Community. For the Community. De la Comunidad. Para la Comunidad. 323-993-2900 mytranswellness.org | IG: Transwellnesscenter 3055 WILSHIRE BLVD., STE. 360 LOS ANGELES CA 90010
JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 37
THESHARE
THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY
>> BY PAULO MURILLO <<
LONG TERM SOBRIETY
We asked these three individuals who recently celebrated clean and sober milestones, what their lives are like as members of long term sobriety.
MIND BOGGLING
your life without feeling things, and then you start to feel, that’s the part that’s really different and unique. That’s what I think about. I love having the feelings of what it’s like to be celebrating 33 years. That’s been extraordinary for me. 33 years ago, I felt so lost and unsure about where I was going to go in my life. I didn’t know what the next step would be. Today I basically surrender everyday, all day, throughout the day. It is amazing how my life ends up becoming everything I want it to be.” —RJ Holguin, sober since May 15, 1986
SONDRA MARTIN
“Turning 19 years sober is mind boggling. I don’t know quite how I’ve done it, other than to have realized that I had no idea how to live life. Things were getting very dangerous. I had to learn to listen to other sober people once I learned to trust them. I used to be very panic-driven. I was very selfish. It involved the hustle. I felt that I needed to take anything I could possibly take, from anyone who crossed my path or I’d end up with nothing. And of course, I ended up with nothing, anyway (laughs). I didn’t understand what was going on. Today is a lot calmer. It is more rewarding. Now I’m not so concerned about survival. Now I look at how I’m behaving. Am I giving back to my community? Am I a productive member? I look at what I can do for the people around me instead of taking. I reap greater benefits from RJ HOLGUIN not thinking about myself and helping other people instead. It’s organic. Things come to me naturally.” —Sondra Martin, sober since May 20, 2000.
EXTREME GRATITUDE “There is an extreme amount of gratitude, when I stop to think about where I was in my life 33 years ago. They say sobriety gives you a life beyond your wildest dreams, but when you lived
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RITCH COLBERT
FEELING BLESSED “I can’t become 37 years sober without understanding that I’m a man of a certain vintage. You can’t get to 37 without also being a mature adult. I feel great. I feel blessed. I feel like I’m still on the journey. I feel like there is more journey left. I don’t feel like I arrived anywhere, let’s put it that way. 37 years ago, I had totaled five cars; I wrecked two motorcycles; I had been arrested three times; I had six failures to appear in five different counties; My drivers license had been taken away. My life was very messy. My life now is so simple. I’m in a 28-year relationship. I have bountiful friends. I cherish my recovery. I never have to be nervous when I see flashing red lights or I hear a siren. Life is great.” —Ritch Colbert, sober since May 16, 1982.
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>> FOLSOM STREET FAIR <<
ACTOR, MODEL, SINGER EZRA MICHEL
QUEER RIGHT ACTIVIST MARSHA P. JOHNSON
SISSY: A COMINGOF-GENDER STORY AUTHOR JACOB TOBIA TRANSGENDER RIGHTS ACTIVIST SYLVIA RIVERA â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
www.thefightmag.com 4 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefi ghtmag.com
TRANSPARENT CAST MEMBER ALEXANDRA GREY.
>> TRANS PRIDE L.A. 2019 EVENTS <<
All events take place June 14-15, at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden PL. Los Angeles, and the Anita May Rosenstein Campus across the street at 1118 N. McCadden Pl, CA 90038. FRIDAY, JUNE 14
7:30-9pm: The Big Queer Convo—Evolution of a Gender Revolution—The Emergence of the Non-Binary/Gender Non-Conforming Community and Their Place Under the Trans Umbrella—The Renberg Theatre For the eighth consecutive year, the two-day Trans Pride L.A. kicks off on Friday evening with the Center’s ongoing community-forum series; the Big Queer Convo. This year’s topic will focus on the emergence of non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals and their place under the transgender umbrella. The panelists include Jacob Tobia, author of Sissy: A Coming-ofGender Story, and Transparent cast member Alexandra Grey. Admission to Big Queer Convo is free, but reservations are recommended by registering at lalgbtcenter.org/tp19bqc 9-10pm: “Free to Be Free—The Evolution of the Gender Revolution” Gallery Opening & Reception—Advocate & Gochis Galleries Immediately following the Big Queer Convo, join us in the Center’s beautiful Advocate & Gochis Galleries for a reception and an opportunity not only to meet the guest panelists but we will also be unveiling our latest art exhibit—an intergenerational work created especially for Trans Pride L.A. titled Free to Be Free—The Evolution of the Gender Revolution. The exhibit uses the spark of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson and the forgotten Gay Liberation Front manifesto that preaches breaking the gender binary. It is a true celebration of our new gender revolution. The Trans Pride art exhibit, Free to Be Free—The Evolution of the Gender Revolution, is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Free to Be Free is also supported in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
SATURDAY, JUNE 15
12–5pm: Trans Pride L.A. Resource Fair— Pride Hall; Anita May Rosenstein Campus Trans Pride L.A. welcomes over 40 unique community organizations available for outreach and resources. 12–5pm: Trans Pride L.A. Quiet Zone—Anita May Rosenstein Campus A space for those who might feel a little overwhelmed by all of the activities of the day. The Quiet Zone will be an air-conditioned, lowlight space to relax and recharge. 12:30-5pm: Transgender Law Center Name & Gender Change Clinic—Cyber Center Trans Pride L.A. is proud to welcome back the Transgender Law Center’s Name/Gender Change Clinic. TLC will assist you with your application for legal name/gender change and answer any questions you may have. SE HABLA ESPAÑOL. 12:30–5pm: TransTribe L.A. Presents Clothing Swap—Davidson/Valentini Theatre
Are you looking to update your wardrobe? Do you need a pair of shoes or a tie that will make that outfit just right? TransTribe L.A. sponsors the 2019 Clothing Swap. Here is a perfect opportunity to go treasure hunting for that perfect item(s) that is special to YOU. Your closet can never be full enough, so please feel free to take what you like! Leftover items will be donated to the Trans Wellness Center, the Center’s Transgender Economic Empowerment Project, Youth and Senior Services. Bags will be available, so you can take away your new wardrobe. 1-5om: Jen Rosenstein Transformational Project Photoshoot—Room 135 Renowned photographer Jen Rosenstein will be on hand, photographing subjects in a private, professional photoshoot setting for those who are interested in being included in her amazing photo series, the Transformational Project. Jen is very open to freedom of expression during the shoot, so those who would like to participate are asked to bring whatever clothing or effects they would like to use in their shoot. 1-2:15pm: Non-Binary & Genderqueer—A New Awareness of Gender Identities— Renberg Theatre With the fresh understanding and acceptance of the transgender experience, there may be questions about those who identify as Non-Binary (ENBY) and Gender Nonconforming (GNC). What do these terms mean? Are these folx part of the trans community? Even among the LGBT community there are questions, and this panel will take the first steps toward understanding those who identify as ENBY/NB, GNC, Genderfluid, Genderqueer, Two Spirit, Bi Gender, or any other identity that is not considered Cisgender. 1-2pm: Los Angeles LGBT Center’s LifeWork’s Youth Mentoring Program presents LGBTQ Storytime Reading Hour— Room 139 Trans Pride L.A. has seen so many more families with young children attending our event, so we wanted to have something special for our younger guests. Youth from our amazing LifeWork’s Youth Mentoring Program will be reading selections from trans and LGBTQ positive children’s books. 2-3pm: Los Angeles LGBT Center’s LifeWork’s Youth Mentoring Program presents a Workshop for the Parents of Trans/ Non-Binary Children—Room 209 Who better to present a workshop for the parents of trans/ENBY children then actual trans/ENBY youth? Members of the LifeWorks group, TRANS: A GROUP will determine the subject matter and facilitate this exciting new Trans Pride L.A. offering.
3-4pm: Mind-Body-Safe—A Self-Defense Workshop—Anita May Rosenstein Campus It’s a wonderful and exciting time for the trans and ENBY communities but we must always remain vigilant. Being prepared for any and all situations is a must to today’s world, so Trans Pride L.A. is pleased to present Mind-Body-Safe—A Self Defense Workshop designed to show you how to protect yourself without relying on physical strength. In this exciting mix of demonstration and participation, you will learn how to protect yourself from threats, which can help give you confidence, discipline and comfort in your body. While this workshop will be drawing on martial arts techniques, this is not a martial arts class! Led by Trans Lounge Instructor Juniper McCoy. 4-5pm: Los Angeles LGBT Center’s LifeWork’s Youth Mentoring Program presents LGBTQ Storytime Reading Hour Part II—Room 139 Trans Pride L.A. has seen so many more families with young children attending our event, so we wanted to have something special for our younger guests. Youth from our amazing LifeWork’s Youth Mentoring Program will be reading selections from trans and LGBTQ positive children’s books. 4-7pm: Tito’s Handmade Vodka presents the Trans Pride L.A. Happy Hour Trans Pride L.A. would like to thank Tito’s Handmade Vodka for being our exclusive vodka sponsor and hosting the Trans Pride L.A. Happy Hour. Each attendee (21 years of age and older with valid ID) will receive two complimentary drink tickets that can be redeemed at the bar. Please go to the ID check in the lobby. You will be given a wristband to show proof of valid ID. 5-7pm: Dinner Each attendee will receive a dinner ticket upon entering Trans Pride LA., which is good for a free taco meal or a free plate from a delicious food truck. Each guest will receive a dinner ticket upon entry to the festival. Please note the color of your dinner ticket and listen for your ticket color to be announced before making your way to the food area. 8-9:30pm: VarieTy Show—The Renberg Theatre Stars of the trans galaxy shine in Trans Pride L.A. ’s fifth annual VarieTy Show. Join us for a spectacular evening of music, comedy and celebration. Hosted by the incomparable Ezra Michel, this is truly an amazing and uplifting way to end your Trans Pride L.A. experience. All Trans Pride L.A. events take place at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden PL. Los Angeles, and the Anita May Rosenstein Campus across the street at 1118 N. McCadden Pl, CA 90038.
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>> ETHAN & ADDISON <<
“BEING TWO NON-BINARY TRANS PEOPLE, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR IDENTITIES HELP US CONNECT AND UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER IN WAYS THAT CISGENDER PEOPLE HAVE NOT OR COULD NOT.”
Ethan Alexander Patron (he/they), 29, transmasculine and Addison Rose Vincent (they/them), 26, transfeminine, on creating a completely new, beautiful vision.
We
first met technically on the dating app Tinder in July 2016, but with Addison having just moved back to Detroit to live with their family and Ethan still living in Los Angeles, the conversation did not go very far. We met in person for the first time a few months later when Addison returned to Los Angeles for a new job serving survivors of violence in the San Fernando Valley. It was at the TransLatin@ Coalition’s annual fashion show fundraiser event when Ethan approached Addison. Ethan was serving
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as an event volunteer and Addison was an impromptu model for a friend’s fashion line. There was an instant attraction and connection, and we began messaging each other and commenting on personal social media posts the weeks following the event. Our flirtation grew into a more romantic relationship the night of Quest, an annual transgender advocacy pageant hosted by APAIT. Addison was competing as a candidate, and Ethan volunteered to escort them on stage for the evening wear category. That night after getting dinner, we went
back to Ethan’s house and talked for hours sharing our deepest secrets, shame, fears, dreams, and desires. We opened to each other in ways that we couldn’t with others, knowing that we respected each other incredibly well and could trust each other to hold our hearts. We knew that night that whatever direction our relationship would go in, whether as a platonic or romantic one, it would be rooted in a deep friendship built on vulnerability, courage, healing, and unconditional love. It has been two and half years since that night, and our relationship has grown deeper, stronger, and more resilient. Ethan has since come out more publicly as a nonbinary transmasculine person, and Addison has been growing out a beard after a year and a half of hormone therapy. We often feel like pieces in a puzzle box who, to others, seem misshapen or out of place, but when combined fit perfectly together and create a completely new, beautiful vision. Being two non-binary trans people, we believe that our identities help us connect and understand each other in ways that cisgender people have not or could not, but we understand that these identities are just a small part of ourselves and not the defining characteristic of our individuals lives or relationship. There is a great sense that when we come home each day from work, events, or general errands, that we can find comfort, safety, and validation in each other’s arms from whatever we face. Despite the harassment we face and the fears that may haunt us, we work as a team to protect, support, and empower each other. We try to live in the present, in the now, for who knows what tomorrow may bring. And for now, we celebrate the fact that we still exist, both as individuals and as a couple, and that we deserve happiness and love.
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PRIDE CELEBRATION + RALLY civic center plaza, san francisco
•
saturday, june 29 noon to 6:00 pm sunday, june 30 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
•
over 20 locally-programmed community stages and gathering spaces free to the community $1 to $5 contribution earns $1 off drinks from official beverage vendors
SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE MAIN STAGE the steps of majestic city hall
the best in bay area talent, speakers, music, and dance featuring performances from Amara La Negra, Pabllo Vittar, Big Dipper, local and touring artists, inspiring speakers, and more! visit SFPRIDE.ORG for the full lineup
49TH ANNUAL SF PRIDE PARADE + MARCH market street [ from beale to 8th ]
•
sunday, june 30 begins at 10:30 am over 250 floats, groups, and supporters will march down market street in a spectacular display of solidarity, celebration, and acceptance
THE OFFICIAL SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE VIP PARTY under the rotunda at san francisco city hall
• featuring a hosted bar, delicious bites, and three rooms of non-stop entertainment sunday, june 30 2:00 to 5:00 pm
SF PRIDE FREE COMMUNITY CALENDAR visit our website for a glimpse into the many events and opportunities in the city for Pride month
for more information and to purchase event tickets visit
JUNE 2019 | THE F I GH T 45
“CHANGING THE GAME”
“ADAM” NISHA GANATRA “THIS IS NOT BERLIN” “STRAIGHT UP”
“CIRCUS OF BOOKS”
Outfest
—the Los Angeles based non-profit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen—has announced its 2019 Achievement Award recipient, Nisha Ganatra, and its galas, including Opening and Closing Night, for the 2019 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, presented by HBO. The nation’s premiere LGBTQ festival will be held July 18-28, 2019. Nisha Ganatra, an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter, will receive the Achievement Award, Outfest’s highest honor, presented in recognition of a body of work that has made a significant contribution to LGBTQ film and media. Her most recent feature film, Late
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Night starring Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling, was picked up by Amazon Studios after debuting at Sundance Film Festival. In a time where women and people of color still make up only a fraction of directors, Ganatra is breaking barriers in both film and television as a multi award-winning female filmmaker including Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Girls and Transparent, for which she received a Golden Globe Award. The annual festival will open on the evening of Thursday, July 18th at the Orpheum Theater with Rachel Mason’s intimate and absorbing documentary, Circus of Books, about L.A.’s legendary gay pornography emporium run by her parents, Karen and Barry Mason. The film was recently picked up by Netflix.
Additional gala screenings include: Adam (U.S. Centerpiece), Ariel Schrag’s novel adaptation of the same name directed by Outfest alum and Transparent producer Rhys Ernst; Hari Sama’s Sundance hit This Is Not Berlin (International Centerpiece), set in the 1980s Mexico City queer music scene; Michael Barnett’s Changing the Game (Documentary Centerpiece) which focuses on three resilient transgender high school athletes fighting to compete as their authentic gender amidst national scrutiny; and Straight Up (Breakthrough Centerpiece), a sharp and witty Los Angeles-set comedy written/directed by and starring newcomer James Sweeney. For the complete lineup for the 2019 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival visit www.outfest.org.
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IAN O’PHELAN
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riginally from Toledo, Ohio, Ian O’Phelan graduated from the University of Cincinnati, where he pursued a Frankenstein curriculum of fine art and graphic design classes. O’Phelan currently lives and works in Los Angeles. n
Contact info: www.anophelan.com, IG @ianophelan, https://society6.com/ianophelan
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>> CHEF PINK <<
IT SOUNDED IMPOSSIBLE, BUT THAT’S WHAT INVENTORS DO, MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE…”
PINK AT ROOT 246
Chef Pink’s creations at Hotel Corque’s Root 246 in Solvang rival any Parisian, Italian, or even Deep South food experience one could have. BY SEAN GALUSZKA
I
’m a food snob and have enjoyed meals from Romanian cafes to an Alaskan base camp where I found the most perfect salmon, (and chocolate cake). Chef Pink’s creations at Hotel Corque’s Root 246 in Solvang rival any Parisian, Italian, or even 50 0 TTH HEE FFIGH IGHTT || www.thefightmag.com www.thefightmag.com 5
Deep South food experience one could have. Weaving different cultures and traditions and insisting on locally sourced food, she delivers an experience that is eclectic, elevating, and simultaneously decidedly “down home authentic”.
The individuality and careful presentation of her recipes remind me of early Wolfgang Puck. With appearances on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen, Spike TV’s Bar Rescue, and with wife, Courtney Rae in the LOGO documentary Hungry, Pink has garnered a following, but our tattoo clad, smiling, gorgeous celebrity chef took the time to visit our table. Farthest from hifalutin, she’s as genuine as her ingredients. We began with her delicately Grilled Wild Shrimp with a Thai Peanut-Mole sauce. Mexican Thai? It sounded impossible, but that’s what inventors do, make the impossible possible. The tastes mixed beautifully—a multicultural dance party in my mouth. Next up was her take on bagels and locks/homage to Solvang’s Danish food culture; a Smoked Local White Sea Bass with salmon caviar, dill, rye bread, and crème fraîche. Beyond amazing. Finally we tried another Pink signature dish, her Legit Fried Chicken, hands down some of the best I’ve had; a familiar, Southern Comfort food taken levels beyond. Plenty of gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options are available as well. Don’t miss fan-favorite, Garlic-Tamari Sauced Brussels Sprouts. We finished with a homemade Butterscotch & Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich, while making plans for our next meal. Food NewsFeed quotes Chef Pink, “My goal is to share with the surrounding community my personal mix of fine dining techniques using local ingredients. I’m continuing to utilize my years of training as a proper chef, combining that with my philosophy of hyper-local, organic, whole, sustainable food systems. And my dedication to a memorable food experience that’s accessible to everyone.” Truly, once you dine, you’ll never forget Chef Pink. Goal accomplished. Find out more about Root 246 and other great dining opportunities, accommodations and places of interest at: www.solvangusa.com.
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CASA DUMETZ WINES
Chocolate Means
LOVE in Any Community
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Named Best Aebleskiver By The Los Angeles Times
(805) 688-4645 2759, 1672 Copenhagen Dr, Solvang, CA 93463
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We began as a
> > M AT T H E W J A M E S < <
platform for trans men to have the ability to tell their own narratives instead being handed who they were according to the world. From there we grew realizing we could do more with the visibility we were gaining. We decided to expand the organization to identify or create resources lacking for this demographic.
SERVICES • TransMasc Specific Trainings & Workshops • Scholarships and Name Change Navigation Assistance • Binder Exchange and Community Closet • Mentorship & Support Programs
WWW.INVISIBLETMEN.COM Matthew James’ single “Right Now” on suicide and victimization also elevates the message of brotherhood within the LGBTQ+ community.
Email: Admin@InvisibleTMen.com | FB: Invisible Men | Instagram: @invisibletransmen
atthew James, a Los Angeles based MoroccanAmerican singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and professional pianist has released his debut single, Right Now—just in time for Pride month. The single sleeve for Right Now contains a strong dedication towards suicide victims globally but illuminates a strong emphasis towards the LGBTQ+ Community. In a national study: LGBTQ+ youth seriously complete suicide at almost 3x the rate of heterosexual youth. 40% of transgender adults reported having made a suicide attempt. 92% of these individual reported having attempting suicide before the age of 25. 1 out of 6 students nationwide (grades 9-12) seriously considered suicide in the past year. Each episode of LGBTQ+ victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increased the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average. With Right Now being anthemic, Matthew James collaborated with the West Coast Singers (LGBTQ+ Chorus of Los Angeles) in lifting the final chorus of the anthem elevating the message of brotherhood within the LGBTQ+ Community. This song hopes to inspire those who hear the message to hold on and understand that suicide is never the answer… the feels are only temporary…as the lyrics states: “Right Now Doesn’t Last Forever.” n For more info visit: www.officialmatthewjames.com
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THEEVENT >> PHOTOS BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM <<
The warm weather brought LA’s own Critter Control with their Bears in Space season opener lot party that took place at Akbar in Silverlake. MYSTIC BILL (Dark Entries, Miami) and JEFFREY SFIRE (Macho City, Detroit) provided the tunes along with residents Chris Bowen, Victor Rodriguez, Stacy Christine and Mike ETC. Drew Droege as Chloe Sévigny emceed the show with a cast of colorful performers.
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THEMUSIC >>
BILLY WINN
<<
WOKE IN DREAMLAND
A queer kid of color, Billy Winn, on the inspiration for Another Broken Heart. BY ORLY LYONNE
“MY HOPE IS THAT REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU COME FROM, WHO YOU ARE NOW, OR WHO YOU ARE BECOMING; YOU’RE ABLE TO FIND SOMETHING IN THESE SONGS THAT RESONATES…”
B
illy Winn’s Dreamland II picks up where Dreamland I left off. Thematically, at least. Sonically, its debut single, Another Broken Heart, released last month, turns up the drama with a heavy-octane dance number. “I love going back to EDM, where it all started for me,” Winn explains. “High energy dance is always a great place to get things started.” Both EPs tell stories from the perspective of a queer kid of color who has had his heart broken. “It’s the only position that I can write from and it’s one that I can’t recall ever hearing in pop music,” Winn continues. “My hope is that regardless of where you come from, who you are now, or who you are becoming; you’re able to find something in these songs that resonates and makes you want to play them over and over again.”
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Another Broken Heart was inspired by a series of circumstances in Winn’s life, including the death of his father. “He and I weren’t close but at the end of his life, I was asked to return home to take care of him and my family. It was an extremely emotional situation, and definitely something that I’m still healing from.” Winn is a Billboard-charting singer, songwriter, recording artist, and performer who regularly thrills audiences with his shows and music releases, ranging from high energy dance records to emotionally charged EDM. With Dreamland II, Winn notes his inspirations as being a mix of 90s R&B and the EDM of the last decade. “I was listening to a lot of TLC and Janet Jackson while I was working on Dreamland II; specifically, Crazy, Sexy, Cool, Fanmail, and Janet’s Velvet Rope album. At the same time, I was listening to artists like Flume,
Owl City, Robyn, and Tove Lo; trying to find a place musically where all those influences could exist or become something completely different altogether.” It’s been a year since Winn released Dreamland I and the acclaim from the album has allowed him to tour and expand his fan base. It has also taught him to not doubt or second guess himself. “I’m trusting my instincts a lot more these days and I have to admit I’m pretty confident in the road ahead.” “Things will happen that are outside of my control, but I’m not letting those forces control me.” n Billy Winn’s Dreamland II is distributed by Ferocious Music and OneRPM and is available on iTunes, Spotify and all digital platforms. For more information, visit BillyWinn.com or follow him on Facebook.
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