THE FIGHT CALIFORNIA'S LGBTQ MONTHLY MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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THECONTENTS

F E ATU RES

12

PROUD TV

16

VIRTUAL TRANS PRIDE

18

LOUDER, PROUDER, GAYER

20

HOPE WILL NEVER BE SILENT

ON TH E CO VER & O N TH I S PA G E

22

THE STUFF OF LEGENDS

ONGINA

26

TRADING UP

LA PRIDE ON SCREEN AN ONLINE CELEBRATION RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE ALL STAR ONGINA

HONORING HARVEY MILK BRENDEN SHUCART ON LARRY KRAMER

EMOTIONALLY CONNECTING WITH “TRADE”

D E PA R T M ENTS

08 10 14 24 28 34

THE TALK THE CITY THE ROSTOW REPORT THE SHARE THE MUSIC THE FINAL FIGHT

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COVER PHOTO, CONTENTS PHOTO & FEATURE PHOTO

BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM

JUNE 2020 | T H E F I GH T 5

THEEDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stanford Altamirano MANAGING EDITOR Mark Ariel ART DIRECTOR Nadeen Torio MARKETING CONSULTANTS Sean Galuszka Antonio Garnica Shane Ivan Nash >> MOVING FORWARD <<

President Barack Obama participated in a virtual town hall last month in which he spoke about George Floyd’s death and the following protests.

Here are excerpts from his talk: “Let me begin by acknowledging that, although all of us have been feeling pain, uncertainty, disruption, some folks have been feeling it more than others.

Most of all the pain that’s been experienced by the families of George and Breonna and Ahmaud, Tony and Sean, and too many others to mention, those that we thought about during that moment of silence.

To those families who’ve been directly affected by tragedy, please know that Michelle and I and the nation grieve with you, hold you in our prayers. We’re committed to the fight of creating a more just nation in memory of your sons and daughters.” “… In some ways, as tragic as these past few weeks have been, as difficult and scary and uncertain as they’ve been, they’ve also been an incredible opportunity for people to be awakened

to some of these underlying trends.

They offer an opportunity for us to all work together to tackle them, to take them on, to change America and make it live up to its highest ideals.” “…There is a change in mindset that’s taking place, a greater recognition that we can do better. That is not as a consequences speeches by politicians.

That’s not the result of spotlights in news articles. That’s a direct result of the activities and organizing and mobilization and engagement of so many young people across the country who put themselves out on the line to make a difference.

I just have to say thank you to them and for helping to bring about this moment and just make sure that we now follow through, because at some point attention moves away, at some point protests start to dwindle in size.

It’s very important for us to take the momentum that has been created as a society, as a country, and say let’s use this to finally have an impact.”

“IT’S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE THE MOMENTUM THAT HAS BEEN CREATED AS A SOCIETY, AS A COUNTRY, AND SAY LET’S USE THIS TO FINALLY HAVE AN IMPACT.”

STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Editor-In-Chief

SOCIAL MEDIA Mark Ariel Sinan Shihabi WEBMASTER Nadeen Torio ARTS EDITOR Sinan Shihabi CONTRIBUTORS Dusti Cunningham Gabriel Gastelum Orly Lyonne Victor Melamed Paulo Murillo Ann Rostow Sinan Shihabi David Shinbone Brenden Shucart 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 © 2020 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.

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Brian, age 45, California JUNE 2020 | T H E F I GH T 7

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

THE POWER

BARACK OBAMA

MY FAMILY

“You have the power to make things better …

You’ve communicated a sense of urgency that is as powerful and as transformative as anything that I’ve seen in recent years.”

“I don’t really have a family, so my friends become my family,” Anderson explained. “And this is somebody that I was involved with for 10 years.

He’s a great guy.”

—New dad Anderson Cooper explaining why he will co-parent his son, Wyatt, with his expartner, Benjamin Maisani, in an interview with Howard Stern.

—President Barack Obama at a virtual town hall last month, on George Floyd’s death and the following protests.

ANDERSON COOPER

MY HEART

WHO SHE IS

“Today I joined the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction. My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled MELISSA to overcome his ETHERIDGE addiction and finally succumbed to it today. My heart is broken.”

—Singer Melissa Etheridge announcing on Twitter last month that her and filmmaker Julie Cypher’s 21-year-old son Beckett Cypher, died after losing his battle with opioid addiction. RIP.

BEING ERASED

“The history of the LGBTQ community is a history of fighting against invisibility.

Without data, we quickly become an invisible community and risk being erased.”

SCOTT WIENER

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—Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, introducing a bill last month requiring the state to collect data on how the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic affects the LGBTQ community.

“It was a process for us to sit down with our daughter and find out who she is and what she likes, and not put something on her—because as parents, we put our hopes and our fears on our kids.”

—Retired NBA player Dwyane Wade about raising their 12-year-old transgender daughter Zaya, in an interview with Ellen, last month.

GEORGE TAKEI. PHOTO

BY GAGE SKIDMORE

DWYANE WADE. PHOTO BY KEITH ALLISON

THESE IDIOTS

“I’m starting a rumor on the Breitbart chats that Covid-19 turns you gay…

That should keep a lot of these idiots at home.”

—Actor George Takei on getting Trump supporters to following common-sense guidelines for slowing the spread of coronavirus during the global pandemic, on Twitter last month.

ALWAYS THERE

“It’s kind of a reminder that these things are always there festering, and our first step in dealing with it is acknowledging that it’s an actual thing.”

—Out actor BD Wong on the rising racial prejudice taking place during the global pandemic, in an interview with the Advocate last month.

BD WONG

JUNE 2020 | T H E F I GH T 9

THECITY >>

BY PAULO MURIL L O

<<

in recognition of her extensive accomplishments and contributions to athletics, women’s equality, the LGBT community, and American culture.

King who is a native of Long Beach, CA, King won 39 major singles, doubles, and mixeddoubles tennis championships during her more than 30-year tennis career, including a record 20 at Wimbledon. The Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Long Beach is named in her honor.

Last year, the new main library in downtown Long Beach was also named in honor of King.

NORTH HOLLYWOOD

SAN FRANCISCO

GAY LATINO BAR CLUB COBRA WILL NOT REOPEN

THOUSANDS JOIN DIGITAL FUNERAL FOR THE STUD

Club Cobra—the North Hollywood gay Latino bar—will not reopen after COVID-19, reports Phillip Zonkel at qvoicenews.com.

The property owner is selling the building, according to a post on Club Cobra’s Instagram last month.

Julio Licon, who owns Club Cobra with his business partner Marty Sokol, also shared a message on his Instagram page.

“It breaks my heart to have to make this announcement. @ClubCobra will not reopen,” Licon said. “Unfortunately, we were not able to come back from the COVID-19 shut down.”

Last month, on May 31, a digital funeral was held to mark the closing of the Stud, San Francisco’s oldest gay bar, reports Ryan Kost with the SF Chronicle.

The collective that has owned and operated the Stud since 2016 announced they’d be permanently closing the bar’s longtime home explaining that the global pandemic—accruing $13,000 in debt every month for rent—made operation untenable.

The owners say they’re committed to looking for a new home for the Stud, which has already moved once before.

LOS ANGELES

CENTER MOURNS DEATH OF PLAYWRIGHT AND AIDS ACTIVIST LARRY KRAMER In response to last month’s passing of Larry Kramer, the playwright who wrote the Tony Award-winning play A Normal Heart, among others, and gave a voice to AIDS activism, the Los Angeles LGBT Center issued the following statement: “It is impossible to overstate what Larry Kramer has meant in the battle against HIV and AIDS. His presence as a voice of conscience—and often, righteous anger—looms above all others. This dogged, relentless commitment was born out of a love for his community and an absolute conviction that if our leaders did not—would not—recognize our humanity, 10 0 TTH HE E FFIGH IGHTT || www.thefightmag.com www.thefightmag.com 1

then we would demand it and fight for it ourselves. This fierce passion and moral courage set a high bar—not just in the fight against HIV and AIDS, but also in the evolving struggle for LGBT rights. This is a gift—and a shared responsibility—that his life has imparted to all queer people as we continue to fight for the dignity, justice, and equality we deserve.”

LONG BEACH

CONGRESSMAN ATTEMPTS TO SECURE GOLD MEDAL FOR BILLIE JEAN KING

Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) joined 17 House colleagues to introduce the Billie Jean King Gold Medal Act to award King the Congressional Gold Medal

WEST HOLLYWOOD

“ONE CITY ONE PRIDE” LGBTQ ARTS FESTIVAL Each year, the City of West Hollywood celebrates the artistic contributions of the LGBTQ community with its vibrant One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival.

The festival runs for 40 days through Tuesday, June 30, 2020, which marks the end of Pride month.

Due to the coronavirus crisis, all festival events have moved to an online virtual platform.

A complete list of this year’s One City One Pride festival events is available at www.weho.org/pride. n

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>> VIRTUAL PRIDE PARADE <<

PROUD TV

CSW’s LA Pride goes virtual on ABC7

C

hristopher Street West (CSW), the producers of the annual LA Pride Parade and Festival, have partnered with KABC and iHeartMedia Los Angeles, to produce a virtual Pride Parade.

The 90-minute primetime special will air exclusively on ABC7, on Saturday, June 13 (7:30 – 9:00pm PDT), with an encore presentation on Sunday, June 14, 2020, at 2:00pm PDT. CSW announced the 2020 LA Pride Grand Marshals are CSW and LA Pride co-founder Rev. Troy Perry as the Community Grand Marshal and Project Angel Food as the Organizational Grand Marshal.

The virtual festivities will air as an exclusive primetime special that honors the journey through historical vignettes and celebrates the central role of the LGBTQ+ community in the culture and history of Los Angeles. The special will feature in-depth interviews, and spotlight local unsung heroes, Queer culture, community activists, and never-before-seen footage that bring to life all the achievements LA’s LGBTQ+ community throughout the years.

The celebration will include special performances and appearances by Alex Newell, Amara La Negra, Asher Entertainment ft. The House of Ninja, Bob the Drag Queen, Carson Kressley, Erika Jayne, Greyson Chance, Hayley Kiyoko, Jake Borelli, Jordy,

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LEE DANIELS

Justin Tranter, Lance Bass, Lee Daniels, Leslie Jordan, Megan Hilty & Brian Gallagher, Mj Rodriguez, Neve Campbell, Sandra Bernhard, Shea Diamond, The Pussycat Dolls and others.

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JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 13

THEROSTOWREPORT >> BY ANN ROSTOW <<

INDULGING IN THE HISTORY CHANNEL

Oh my God. How is it possible that another month of this torpor has elapsed and we find ourselves continuing to ferment in a slow marinade of television and cocktails? Say it ain’t so, LA! This week, we indulged in the History Channel, rewatching the documentary about the industrial titans of the late 1800s, as well as the three-part miniseries about Grant. This, combined with our in-depth study of World War II, both on screen and in books, makes me feel prepared for a graduate exam in American history. I am also halfway through a history of the CIA ( Legacy of Ashes ) and just finished two books about World War II spies, including one about Virginia Hall, an American society girl who basically organized the French resistance single handedly.

With an amputated leg!

At one point, Virginia Hall had to escape France by hiking through the Pyrenees in November and crossing into Spain over a high mountain pass—on her wooden leg. So once again, I was reminded of the fact that our virus quarantine is really not much to complain about.

RIP LARRY KRAMER

As I glide through news items, memes and old emails, I see that Larry Kramer has just died at the age of 84 of pneumonia. A quick calculation leads me to conclude that you will have seen this and read several Kramer biographies by the time this issue goes to press. I will not attempt to add to the coverage here.

Let’s just say, however, that this whole period feels like the end of an era. The backwash of the 20th Century finally

Court releases all its opinions by the end of June or the first one or two days of July each year, so our waiting period is necessarily coming to an end.

VIVE LES DIFFERENCES

“BEFORE WE KNOW IT, LIFE WILL RETURN TO SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL, AND WE’LL LOOK BACK ON THESE DAYS AS A DREAMLIKE INTERVAL. NOVEMBER WILL COME, AND THE PURE ECSTASY OF PUTTING AN END TO THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY WILL LIFT OUR SPIRITS BEYOND IMAGINATION.” rolling out to leave the postmillennial terrain to its own designs. Activists like Kramer and Phyllis Lyon, dead. Gay bars and clubs, anachronisms never to return to their former glory. Civil rights, perhaps stalled for decade or more.

Our community, fractured and diverse, in transition. Pride month, not real but virtual.

Massive crowded white parties full of naked men and fun drugs? Well, let’s not give up on the 21st Century quite yet!

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As May trails away, we still have not heard from the Supreme Court, where our near-term fate is being decided in those two Title VII workplace discrimination cases we keep mentioning. Meanwhile, the lead plaintiff in one of those cases, the transgender funeral parlor employee Aimee Stephens, died in hospice recently. She will not be around to witness the up or down vote on our very humanity that we face in the next four weeks. The

So the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit gave us a mixed bag of a ruling in the case of a non-binary person, Dana Zzyym, who was born intersex and is trying to get a passport without having to select male or female. The State Department, which has lost in lower courts, came up with five reasons why a non-binary option is impossible, including three reasons that the court dismissed and two others that the court thought might have merit. As such, the panel told the State Department to reconsider Zzyym’s application, and I guess we’ll see where things go.

One of the State Department’s court-approved objections involved the sheer difficulty of allowing for a third gender option, which just doesn’t ring true. The other involved the possible confusion that could arise if a person’s listings on various forms include different gender markers. Indeed, think about the chaos that could ensue if Dana Zzyymm was wanted for murder as a female, but non-binary Dana Zzyym snuck through a passport application with a gender bending sleight of hand and escaped to Tasmania.

Zzyym’s travails may become moot if other agencies continue to allow X markers to indicate a non-binary gender, and indeed it seems as if such accommodations are slowly being made, given how easy it is and how visibility is increasing. Speaking of increasing non-binary visibility, the only morally decent character on “Billions” is Taylor Mason, played to complicated perfec-

>> INDULGING IN THE HISTORY CHANNEL • RIP LARRY KRAMER • VIVE LES DIFFERENCES! • JUSTICE DELAYED • MOVING ON <<

tion by non-binary actor Asia Kate Dillon. Much like the early gay and lesbian characters in 1990s TV, the small screen is a valuable teacher for a society that knows next to nothing about its trans or intersex members.

JUSTICE DELAYED

Here’s an odd piece of welcome news. Perhaps you recall the spate of murders Down Under back in the 1980s and ‘90s, in which dozens of gay men were found dead under the beachside cliffs near Sidney, victims of “suicide.” According to the BBC, up to 80 men may have been murdered by violent homophobic gangs of the era, thrown to their deaths in a years-long killing spree that authorities chose to ignore.

A couple of years ago, authorities in New South Wales opened up an inquiry into 88 deaths of gay men between 1976 and 2000. Now, 32 years after one of these murders, police have arrested 49-yearold Scott White for the killing of American Scott Johnson, who was found dead on the beach in 1988. White was reportedly not surprised by his arrest, and reports say he acted alone. Johnson’s brother Steve, along with the local government, had offered a $2 million reward for information in the case.

Better late than never, I suppose, although that’s not much consolation for Johnson and his murdered cohort. Stories like this remind us that while we may wax nostalgic for the colorful GLBT follies of the late century, there is also good rea-

son to applaud the relentless march of time.

MOVING ON

So, what else is new? Samesex couples may now get married in Costa Rica, so that’s nice, right? And the Supreme Court declined to get involved in the case of a transgender prisoner in Idaho, who won a court order that will force the state to provide gender confirmation surgery. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had ordered the surgery to proceed, but the state of Idaho begged the High Court to put a hold on that ruling, to no avail.

Justices Thomas and Alito disagreed with the Court’s lack of action, which gives me a vague sense of hope.

I’m sure there’s other news of communal concern, but it all

eludes me for now. I recall reading about a transgender mayor elected in a small town in northern France. And the President of Zambia pardoned two men who have been in jail since November 2019 for having sex.

Oh, and we also have a barrage of conservative crazies blaming gays for the virus and thanking God for cancelling Pride festivities. Same old, same old.

You know what? We feel like we’re spinning our wheels at the moment, but before we know it, life will return to something like normal, and we’ll look back on these days as a dreamlike interval. November will come, and the pure ecstasy of putting an end to the Trump presidency will lift our spirits beyond imagination. Let’s keep our hopes up, dear readers. n arostow@aol.com

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JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 15

>> JEWEL THAIS-WILLIAMS <<

D’LO

The two-day celebration takes place Friday and Saturday, June 19–20.

A

mid the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Trans Pride L.A. will be streamed live for the first time in the festivity’s history on Friday and Saturday, June 19–20. The two-day event remains as one of the nation’s oldest and largest celebrations of the vibrant Trans/ Gender Non-Conforming/Non-Binary (Trans/GNC/ENBY) community with virtual workshops, panel discussions, art exhibit, and the highly-anticipated VarieTy Show.

The full schedule of Trans Pride will be posted online at www.lalgbtcenter.org/ transpride.

“The strength and resilience of the Trans/GNC/ENBY community is a continual source of pride—not even a pandemic will stop us from celebrating ourselves,” says Trans Pride L.A. organizer Gina Bigham.

“Trans Pride has always been our annual 1 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

“TRANS PRIDE HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR ANNUAL FAMILY REUNION WHEN WE SHARE THE JOY OF SIMPLY BEING WHO WE ARE… IT WILL BE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR, BUT EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATES VIRTUALLY WILL EXPERIENCE THE SAME SPIRIT OF CONNECTION AND PRIDE!”

family reunion when we share the joy of simply being who we are. During this difficult time of self-quarantine and shelter in place, we still want our reunion to happen.

It will be different this year, but everyone who participates virtually will experience the same spirit of connection and pride!”

For the ninth consecutive year, Trans Pride L.A. kicks off on Friday evening with the Center’s community forum series Big Queer Convo. This year’s special guest is actress, model, and activist Isis King who starred in the Netflix series When They See Us and competed as the first transgender woman in the reality competition show America’s Next Top Model. She has become one of the most visible trans people in the country and will share inspiring stories of her struggles, achievements, and ongoing efforts on behalf of her

community. King will be interviewed by acclaimed actress, teacher, singer, and activist Alexandra Billings (Transparent, How to Get Away with Murder, Wicked, HRC Visibility Award).

Immediately following Big Queer Convo will be the virtual opening of an art exhibit curated by Micah Bazant (they/ them), co-founder and Artist-inResidence of Trans Life + Liberation Art Series and Trans Day of Resilience art project. The opening will feature a guided tour of the artworks and both live and pre-recorded readings by trans poets of color. The exhibit will continue to be available for virtual viewing on Saturday.

Beginning at noon on Saturday, June 20, the celebration continues with exciting workshops, panel discussions, and online activities, among them: workshop on trans history presented by ONE Archives; workshop for parents of Trans/GNC/ENBY children facilitated by youth from TAG (Trans: A Group), a program of the Center’s Children, Youth & Family Services; Spanish-language workshop presented by

IAN HARVIE

ISIS KING

the Center and Latino Equality Alliance for parents and relatives of Trans/GNC/ENBY youth; panel discussion exploring Non-binary, Genderqueer, and Gender-expansive identities and their place in the community; and more.

Throughout Saturday, June 20, Trans Pride L.A.’s website will present a community Virtual Resource Fair with information and links to many local organizations offering services to the Trans/GNC/ENBY community. There will also be a virtual Wall of Hope where guests can post their messages of love, hope, and support, as well as an interactive “community courtyard” where guests can socialize and connect with each other.

Trans Pride L.A. will culminate with the

ALEXANDRA BILLINGS

SHANE IVAN NASH

6th Annual VarieTy Show, a fully-produced concert to be streamed live on Trans Pride L.A.’s website. This year’s edition will include new, pre-recorded performances as well as archived performances from past VarieTy Shows. Hosted by Kelly Mantle, the VarieTy Show includes performances by Alexandra Billings, D’Lo, Flavia, Jakk Fynn, Abdullah Hall, Ian Harvie, Our Lady J, Ezra Michel, Clear Mortifee, Delia Danae Rawdon, Shane Ivan Nash, Gio Bravo, and the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles.

To accommodate guests from around the world, both Big Queer Convo and VarieTy Show will be rebroadcast on Sunday, June 21. The two segments will also be available on demand in Trans Pride L.A.’s website for the month of June.

Official Sponsor is Happy Hippie Foundation. Media Sponsor is THE FIGHT. For more information and updates about Trans Pride L.A., visit www.lalgbtcenter. org/transpride.

JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 17

>> ONGINA <<

LOUDER, PROUDER, GAYER RuPaul’s Drag Race All Star Ongina on her drag mother, advocating for HIV and AIDS and dealing with pressures and expectations

BY MARK ARIEL | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM

When did you become interested in drag?

I became interested in dressing up back when I first moved to NYC and started to make friends with some amazing, incredible artists and club kids. It wasn’t until a couple of years later, when I started working at Lucky Cheng’s, where I really got into female illusion drag which became the biggest inspiration to what you see of Ongina today. The ladies that worked there really helped me get started and I would say Gretchen is sort of like my drag mother because she was the one who put in a good word for me that landed me the job!

How did being on the inaugural season of RuPaul’s Drag Race affect your career?

Season 1 was filmed in 2008 and I was barely a queen when I got casted, but the experience gave me the push to pursue the art further and the business that goes along with it. It opened so many doors for me and the opportunity to travel and perform for so many of my fans across the world; those opportunities helped me become a better drag queen and entertainer.

I have also been able to bring awareness and advocate for HIV and AIDS because of my coming out story on episode 4 where I disclosed my status as being HIV positive.

How did people react when you revealed your status as HIV positive on the show?

At the time, I didn’t realize what effect this would have on people around the world and the effect it would have on me. Not only did it help me come to terms with my own status and eliminate the shame and fear I felt, but when people started sharing their status with me and how they’re living their lives, it made me feel less alone.

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“THIS IS OUR TIME TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO SPREAD THAT MESSAGE OF LOVE… I KNOW WE CAN’T CONGREGATE THIS YEAR, BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT WE WILL BREAK THE INTERNET BY CELEBRATING VIRTUALLY, TOGETHER!” Since revealing your status you have become an HIV activist. How has that changed your life?

I didn’t realize that my coming out story would make me an HIV activist but I’m glad it did. I have been able to truly share my life without the same shame and fear I once felt and I believe that people find inspiration in that, the same way I find inspiration in others who are doing the same. I have been able to work with organizations local, national and international to raise awareness to continue to fight stigma and raise money to hopefully find a cure. I’m hoping that I will still be alive for when that happens so I can celebrate it with the rest of the world.

You are one of the ten queens competing on the upcoming fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. How has that experience been for you?

AS5 was definitely a different experience than S1. The inaugural season was

different in terms of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent! I felt S1 was raw, genuine and to be honest—really low expectations; they just wanted us to do whatever and they rolled the film all day long and edited from those footage. It seems like I was doing it to have fun and have a great time often forgetting it was a competition. Now, the pressure and expectations are so incredible stressful that my mind was playing tricks on me every day I was on set. I was finding myself worrying about not only the competition but also the opinion of my peers that are competing against me, the staff and crew and what the fans would think once it airs.

What does Pride mean to you?

As a Filipino-American immigrant, who is HIV positive, gay and a drag queen— I have a lot to be proud of and I’m so happy and thankful for you in allowing me this platform to share what pride means to me. Pride month is so important because it allows the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate a little louder, a little prouder and a lot gayer! There’s no doubt that we as a community do this daily but in June we can do it bigger so that our message for equality is heard on a global scale. There are so many issues we as LGBTQ+ people have to overcome and we are far from being treated equally.

Pride month allows us to reach an even bigger audience to share our message of hope and in fighting discrimination. It is also our time to come together as a community to spread that message of love while looking good on the the streets and parade floats. I know we can’t congregate this year, but I have no doubt we will break the internet by celebrating virtually, together!

Happy Pride everyone!!

> > C O V E R F E AT U R E < <

JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 19

>> SCOTTY BOWERS <<

Honoring Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person ever elected into public office.

G

overnor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation last month declaring May 22, 2020 as “Harvey Milk Day” in the State of California.

Milk was the first openly gay person ever elected into public office in the US. Less than a year after being elected to the board of supervisors in San Francisco in 1977, he was fatally shot by his former city supervisor opponent, Dan White.

The text of Gov. Newsom’s proclamation is below: Today we honor a hero for not just his own community, but for every Californian fighting for freedom and equality. Born on this day in 1930, Harvey Milk settled in San Francisco and found a thriving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community that faced widespread hostility and had no voice in government. Milk fearlessly organized this community and extended a hand to others, working with labor and civil rights activists who were all struggling for justice. Milk’s fierce advocacy and skillful coalition-building helped him win a seat on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors in 2 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

“MILK STOOD FIRM IN HIS BELIEF THAT FREEDOM AND DIGNITY SHOULD EXTEND TO ALL HUMAN BEINGS, REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR IDENTITY, AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK.” 1977, making him one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States.

Milk stood firm in his belief that freedom and dignity should extend to all human beings, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, at great personal risk. Milk paid the ultimate price for his advocacy when

he was struck down by an assassin’s bullet just a year into his term on the Board of Supervisors. His legacy lives on in laws and policies that protect the LGBTQ community and in the hearts of generations of activists.

As we honor Harvey Milk today, let us remember his words, “Hope will never be silent.” Members of the LGBTQ community—in the United States and around the world—still face discrimination and violence, rooted in the same hatred that Milk died fighting. They deserve hope, and they cannot abide our silence. We must carry on his fearless advocacy as we work towards a California for All. NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim May 22, 2020, as “Harvey Milk Day.” IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 22nd day of May 2020.

GAVIN NEWSOM Governor of California

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JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 21

THE STUFF OF LEGENDS

LARRY KRAMER, RIP. PHOTO BY DAVID SHANKBONE

“I am one of the hundreds of thousands of gay men who would not be alive today if not for Larry Kramer.” Brenden Shucart on author, essayist, playwright and activist Larry Kramer, who passed away last month.

B

efore I eulogize Larry Kramer I feel obligated to state up front that I never met the great man in person. Yet I feel intimately acquainted with him, because I wouldn’t be who I am today without his guiding hand.

His activism sets the standard for all who come after, his novels shape our shared view of the Golden Age of Gay Culture, and to be Gay in this antediluvian age is to live in a world Larry Kramer built with his sweat, tears, and—most of all—his anger.

Anyone who’s heard of Kramer, knows his anger was the stuff of legends. It had the power to shame the mighty, energize movements, and change the course of history. And, speaking from first hand experience, finding one’s self on the receiving end of that righteous fury is both a memo2 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

BY BRENDEN SHUCART

rable and unpleasant experience—but I’m getting ahead of myself.

We were talking about his anger.

Kramer’s writing crackles with the stuff. In his first great novel, Faggots, (a bitingly hilarious and often quite sad satire of Gay life in the late ‘70s), his anger is a simmering frustration for the shallow decadence he perceives in Gay culture on the eve of the AIDS crisis.

In The Normal Heart, that anger burns blue hot, fueled by a grief born from the loss of literally everyone and everything that he loved and the indifference of a world that let it happen.

Together they are practically the definitive narrative of Gay life immediately before and after AIDS swept through our community.

That anger would act as fuel, carry-

ing him forward as he tried to save that which was left of his shattered world.

When the medical landscape proves unwilling and unable to care for his plague stricken brothers, he used it to found to the Gay Men’s Health Crisis: an institution whichwould become a model for HIV care replicated around the Western world.

Then he turned that fire on the glacial indifference of the Reagan administration, creating ACT UP to shame the federal government into action.

Larry Kramer’s righteous fury—for all of its power and effectiveness—made him few friends. The unrelenting heat caused him to be forced out of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) and made him not always a welcome presence at ACT UP. Now keep in mind, I didn’t know Larry

>> LARRY KRAMER <<

Kramer, but I don’t think he cared. History would prove him right: the hundreds and thousands of Gay men who weren’t lost to the AIDS epidemic because of the GMHC, ACT UP, and their successors is the proof.

I experienced that anger myself in 2012—as the great PrEP debates consumed the Gay community. I was the HIV editor for the now defunct Frontiers magazine, the “LGBT newspaper of record,” based out of Los Angeles. In PrEP I saw kind of a salvation for the Gay community—a pathway out of the valley of the shadow a the virus and free of the trauma it inflicted on every Gay man, positive and negative, old and young.

In an essay titled “What PrEP Means For Gay Men Living With HIV,” I wrote of my hope that PrEP might bridge the chasm of fear that AIDS had created between men living with the virus and those without.

Reading Kramer’s response I remember feeling pride that this legend of the Gay rights movement knew that I existed that was quickly washed away by his clear disdain for me and the work I was doing.

He thought that I was naïve for trusting

HIS ACTIVISM SETS THE STANDARD FOR ALL WHO COME AFTER, HIS NOVELS SHAPE OUR SHARED VIEW OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF GAY CULTURE, AND TO BE GAY IN THIS ANTEDILUVIAN AGE IS TO LIVE IN A WORLD LARRY KRAMER BUILT WITH HIS SWEAT, TEARS, AND—MOST OF ALL—HIS ANGER. the pharmaceutical industry, and that myself and the other PrEP advocates would bring about in the death of the Gay community. I had never been an apostle of Kramer’s, his uncompromising moralistic

approach to activism was always an ill fit for my naturally diplomatic and vaguely hedonistic nature. But I respected him. I am one of the hundreds of thousands of Gay men who would not be alive today if not for Larry Kramer.

That said, I didn’t expect to be as emotional at Kramer’s passing as I find myself.

And then I came across this quote from Harvey Fierstein.

“In just a few months we’ve lost Larry Kramer, Mart Crowley, Terrence McNally and Jerry Herman. The hole they leave in our culture, our community, our consciousness is almost unimaginable. But as I mourn, I also look toward the future. I wave the next generation forward. You’ve got some big heels to fill, children. Step on up and claim today!”

And I realized: I’m emotional because I’m afraid to live in a world without the benefit of Larry Kramer’s righteous fury, and afraid I can’t fit those heels. As much as I hated his moralizing and his disdain for me and my generation of activists, there was a comfort in knowing he was looking over our shoulders. Now it’s up to us.

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NEWLY SOBER DURING COVID

We asked these sober folks what who are fairly new in recovery what their experience has been like while adhering to the Los Angeles County Safer at Home Order during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A FIGHTING CHANCE

“Staying at home is challenging, but given the tools that I’ve obtained from going through the Van Ness House, I’m able to face the challenges. It doesn’t mean it’s always easy, but I do have the foundation and it’s just a matter of choosing to use them.

When I don’t use them, JOEY I slip. I found it easier to PARKER relapse recently. It was easy to fly under the radar, because my default is to isolate when I’m having feelings. I learned to reach out to people, but I chose not to. I learned that I could reach out via phone or through Zoom meetings. The connection never went away. I was only out for a week, but now I’m happy to be back.

I want people to know that you are not alone and as long as you reach out, you have a fighting chance.”

—Joey Parker, sober since May 2, 2020.

A SUPPORT SYSTEM

ADAM DOWNS

“It’s challenging. When I checked myself into the Van Ness Recovery House, it didn’t turn out to be what I thought it was going to be. I’ve gone through this program before, so when I came out here from Virginia, I expected it to be similar.

To have this wrench get thrown in has really made me get in touch with the idea of powerlessness and acceptance to what I can’t control. It sucks not being able to give people hugs or be in the same room with a bunch of people. On the positive side, it’s forced me to call people more than I’m used to. I also like knowing that 2 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

my call is helping others as much as it helps me, because they are isolated as well and they’re going through the same situation. I’m grateful I’m in rehab during this pandemic. I have a support system with eighteen other alcoholics and addicts and I’m grateful I’m not alone in a basement in Virginia. For now, it is what it is.”

—Adam Downs, sober since July 28, 2019.

WITH MY PEERS “I was in the Van Ness Recovery House for nine months and I’m currently in sober living, which I’m really grateful to be in. I feel a different type LEO VAZQUEZ of isolation.

When I was using, my isolation was sad and dark. Now I’m isolating with my peers. We all check in and the support here is really great. I feel like my connection with my support group has gotten a lot stronger. I’m definitely using my phone a lot.

During this pandemic I’ve been able to grow closer to people, which I find a little bit weird.

Zoom meetings make it easy. I don’t have to worry about transportation to get to a meeting and I can just jump in and do as many as I want. I find myself making more Face Time calls. It’s the step down from meeting someone in person. I make more of an effort to connect with people and I’m getting used to not meeting people face to face. I’m just grateful to be where I am today.”

—Leo Vazquez, sober since April 15, 2019.

JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 25

>> SCOTTY BOWERS <<

Trading Up

Audiences are emotionally connecting with “Trade”—an independent film on the relationship between two men, one a streetwise hustler, the other a straight-laced lawyer.

W

BY VICTOR MELAMED

ith over 30,000 streaming hours in its first 120 days on Amazon Prime, TRADE, written and directed by Trae Briers, is becoming a successful independent hit.

This dark and very compelling story is inspired by Christopher Bryant, sibling of the producer, Rubin Bryant, who has lived her life as a transgender woman for over 20 years. TRADE is in the top 15 percent of all movies streaming on Amazon over the past three months.

The social media presence of TRADE has grown virally to over 5M views between Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest and YouTube. In addition, TRADE has received in excess of 20 million impressions, where more than half of all viewers are coming from South East Asia and Mexico. With Iflix, the largest streaming platform in Southeast Asia, TRADE has streamed over 3,000,000 minutes in the Philippines since its release. TRADE’s new found social media impact and its online popularity has allowed the film to find a home on multiple streaming channels. With the media collaborations of FilmHub, Amazon Spain, Amazon Latin America, Tubi TV, fearless, Avail TV, Watch Now, Revry TV, Gay Binge TV, and Obbod, TRADE has now grown to over 100,000 hours worldwide.

Audiences are emotionally connecting with TRADE—the story of two men, one a streetwise hustler, the other a straight-laced lawyer, who meet and form a relationship that 2 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

brings to light who they really are.

Its very talented ensemble has helped capture the dark truth and the hearts of so many with its inclusive storytelling and cast: Austin Miller, most recognized as Hawk from NBC’s Days of Our Lives; T. Ashanti Mozelle from the cult classic film, A Very Sordid Wedding and the award-winning HBO short, The Pretty Boy Project; Tiffany Fallon, Playboy’s 2005 Playmate of the Year and reality TV shows; Rain Valdez, transgender actress, activist, and star of TV Land’s Lopez, Amazon’s Transparent and award-winning filmmaker of the short film Hexed, which premiered at 2018 Outfest Film Festival; Robert Catrini, veteran actor and producer, known for Birds of Prey, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and Kidnapped: The Hannah Anderson Story.

As TRADE continues to reach new heights and new audiences, the fight for self-identity, exploration, and acceptance will be the journey, in which so many individuals today strive to achieve.

TRADE is produced by FFAM Group, LLC, a film production company that focuses on creating quality projects that invoke emotion, humility, and humor to tell a story.

For more info visit: www.ffamgroup.com/trade.

JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 27

2 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV

The basics for protecting yourself from COVID-19 are almost the same as for everyone.

STAY IN PLACE

1

You are safest at home. Only leave your house for essentials such as a trip to the grocery store or pharmacy.

MAINTAIN YOUR SPACE

2

Avoid close contact with others and maintain at least 6 feet of space.

COVER YOUR FACE

3

When out in the public, cover your face with a bandana, neck gaiter or homemade mask. Leave N95 and surgical masks for the medical professionals.

CONTINUE YOUR MEDICATION

4

Continue your HIV medications to keep your immune system as healthy as possible, establish a plan for clinical care or talk to your provider about the use of telemedicine.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.RIVCOPH.ORG/CORONAVIRUS 951.358.5307 JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 29

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JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 31

THEMUSIC >>

BIG DIPPER

THE HAM AND CHEESE

I

LA-based queer, hip hop artist Big Dipper releases video for “Like This” single, and spankin’ new “The Ham and Cheese EP”

<<

Director of Photography Kain O’Keefe, the music video features choreography performed by Big Dipper, Boy Radio and a squad of sexy dancers; all set to the catchy pop track. n

n his first release of the new decade Big Dipper follows his 2018 album release LATE BLOOMER with an ep project: THE HAM AND CHEESE EP. The five unique tracks are all produced by collaborator So Drove and include features from New York singer Boy Radio and club music icon TT The Artist.

So Drove and Big Dipper collaborated in the past on Dipper’s song LOOKIN’ which has over 400K views on YouTube and has received praise from Paper Magazine, Gayletter, OUT TV and others.

THE HAM AND CHEESE EP is available for purchase and streaming everywhere, and the music video for LIKE THIS can be seen on Big Dipper’s YouTube channel: bigdippermusic.

Directed by Big Dipper in collaboration with choreographer Melissa Schade and

Bring Back The Beauty Of Your Bathroom!

BIG DIPPER. PHOTO BY GABRIEL GASTELUM

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JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 33

THEFINALFIGHT

“You have to decide who you are and force the world to deal with you, not with its idea of you.”

—James Baldwin. 1924-1987.

Novelist, Playwright, Activist.

3 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

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WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY LGBTQ PRIDE!

JUNE 2020 | THE F I GH T 35

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