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

JULY 2017 | T H E F I GH T 1

through November 26, 2017 at the Getty Self Portrait with Red Braces, 2003. David Hockney (British, born 1937). Watercolor, 24 x 18 1/8 in. Courtesy of a private collection. ÂŠ David Hockney. Photo credit: Richard Schmidt. Text and design ÂŠ 2017 J. Paul Getty Trust

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You may earn up to $140 in gift cards for participating in the program, and you may earn an additional $15 for each potential participant that you bring to the program, who is eligible and is then enrolled in the program. Funded by State of California, Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS

friendscommunitycenter.org 1419 N. La Brea Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028

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JULY 2017 | T H E F I GH T 3

THECONTENTS FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

21 SAN DIEGO PRIDE

34 FINDING YOUR TRIBE

25 26 30

JULY 15-16, BALBOA PARK WE ARE ONE #RESISTMARCH FOUNDER BRIAN PENDLETON THE GLITTER RUN REGISTER AT GLITTERRUN.ORG RAINBOW RUCKUS THE FLAG CONTROVERSY THE FEMME FOUR THE HOUSE OF AVALON

40 42 44

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IML 2017 RALPH BRUNEAU LET LOVE WIN RUSSIAN VIOLINIST COMES OUT LOOSE WRISTS RAPPER CAZWELL ARTISTS TO WATCH LOCAL QUEER ART FRIDAY FLIGHTS SUMMER SERIES AT THE GETTY

11 16 18 20 28 36 46 50 54 56 58

THE TALK CHELSEA MANNING THE STATE TRAVEL BAN THE ROSTOW REPORT COURT MYSTERY THE CITY OC PRIDE THE TRANSACTION JAKE ZYRUS THE SHARE LOCAL RECOVERY THE MUSIC LORDE THE EVENT SOLD OUT CLOTHING THE EPIDEMIC GENERIC TRUVADA THE CALENDAR THINGS TO DO THE FINAL FIGHT LAST WORD

ON THE COVER

L-R: MARK MONROE, GRANT VANDERBILT, HUNTER CRENSHAW, CALEB FEENEY COVER PHOTO, TOC PHOTO AND FEATURE PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM

JULY 2017 | T H E F I GH T 5

THEEDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stanford Altamirano MANAGING EDITOR Mark Ariel ART DIRECTOR Nadeen Torio MARKETING CONSULTANTS Tom Pardoe Sean Galuszka Roxie Perkins Jacci Ybarra Joseph Arellano SOCIAL MEDIA Mark Ariel Sinan Shihabi WEBMASTER Nadeen Torio ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Sinan Shihabi

>> IN THIS ISSUE <<

A crowd estimated at about 100,000 took part in the #ResistMarch last month (“We Are One,” page 22). The march for human rights, organized by LA Pride, was in solidarity with the National Equality March for Unity and Pride, which took place in Washington, D.C. Starting at Hollywood & Highland, the site of the first Pride parade in Los Angeles, participants walked through Hollywood to West Hollywood where speakers included U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), Black Lives Matter founder Patrisse Cullons, and many other public figures, activists, comedians and actors. “You are me and I am you. And we are one,” Rep. Maxine Waters told the crowd. “We are here today to send a message loud and clear…We resist homophobia; we resist poverty, anti-Semitism, and we resist hatred toward Muslims and all religions.” “We are ecstatic about how it all turned out,” #ResistMarch founder Brian Pendleton told THE FIGHT. “It was a moving human rights monument—and it was a beautiful thing to be part of.” Also in this issue—the legendary Guy Baldwin (International Mister

Leather 1989) interviews IML 2017 Ralph Bruneau (“Finding Your Tribe,” page 34). Bruneau, a Los Angeles based psychotherapist, Mr. GNI Leather 2016, was named International Mr. Leather 2017 at the annual IML Competition in Chicago this past May. When asked about his personal goals during the coming year as the sitting IML, Bruneau says that he feels that “it’s time for me to get out and get back to more activist roots that I haven’t been able to in the past twenty plus years. I was a member of ACT UP. I was a member of the NAMES Project. Now I’m involved with Born Perfect, which is the campaign to end conversion therapy… We have now nine states that have outlawed conversion therapy and we have a great number left to go. I’ll be able to spend more time raising funds and being visible for them. As licensed mental health professionals, we are now barred from practicing conversion therapy. What we can do is influence the culture in that way. What we can’t do is dictate what people consider religious beliefs and pastoral counseling. What we can do is educate parents that it is a discredited science, which will hopefully change some minds.”

STANFORD ALTAMIRANO Editor-In-Chief

CONTRIBUTORS Guy Baldwin Larry Buhl Dusti Cunningham Sean Galuszka Robert Green Orly Lyonne Victor Melamed Paulo Murillo Ann Rostow Brenden Shucart Paul V. Vitagliano GET THE FIGHT AT HOME Sent Via First Class Mail 12 Issues: $36 6 Issues: $24 Mail check or money order to: Third Step, LLC 611 S. Catalina St. Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005 PUBLISHER Third Step, LLC DISTRIBUTION Pride In Media The Fight Magazine is published monthly by Third Step, LLC. 611 South Catalina Street, Suite 307 Los Angeles, CA 90005 Telephone (323) 297-4001 Fax (213) 281-9648 Email info@TheFightMag.com THE FIGHT MAGAZINE LEGAL CAVEATS By listing in The Fight Magazine, advertisers acknowledge that they do business in the spirit of cooperation, fairness and service, maintaining a high level of integrity and responsibility. Providers of products or services are fully and solely responsible for providing same as advertised. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers. Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility and liability for the content of their advertisements in The Fight Magazine. Publisher assumes no liability for safe-keeping or return of unsolicited art, manuscripts or other materials. The Fight Magazine reserves the right to edit all material for clarity, length and content. All contents © 2017 Third Step LLC. All rights reserved. Content may be reproduced with permission. The Fight Magazine assumes no liability for any claims or representations contained anywhere in this magazine and reserves the right to cancel or refuse advertising at publisher’s discretion. TheFightMag.com For Display Advertising, please call (323) 297-4001

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JULY 2017 | T H E F I GH T 7

THELETTERS >> FROM OUR READERS <<

ODD THAT Dear Editor, I found it odd that out of all of the wonderful LGBTQ activists in our city you chose to put a medicinal marijuana store owner on the cover of your Pride issue (THE FIGHT, Issue #77). I have nothing against people working in the cannabis field—and I understand the article title “Rebel With A Cause.” I just didn’t understand why you felt he was the right choice for your Pride issue cover. There are so many wonderful people working directly in and for our community that you could have chosen to highlight, especially here in Los Angeles. I think Mr. Modlin would have been appropriate for any other cover of the year, aside from Pride. —S. Thompson, via the internet

HUZZAH! Dear Editor, Kudos for featuring beautiful, not Caucasian Cody Evan Silver in “The Spread” in your June issue (THE FIGHT, Issue #77). WeHo is way too non-inclusive. Huzzah! —Robert Edborg, via the internet

YOU GUYS Dear Editor, I saw two guys wearing THE FIGHT t-shirts at the #ResistMarch handing out THE FIGHT fans but I was too shy to come up and say hi. LOL. Anyway I just wanted to send out this email and tell you guys that I love the mag and I think it is really cool that you participate in community events. Thank you! —Paul Rodriguez, via the internet

> WRITE TO THE EDITOR

Email: editor@thefightmag.com Fax: (213) 281-9648. Letters may be shortened due to space requirements. 8 T H E F I GH T | www.thefightmag.com

JULY 2017 | T H E F I GH T 9

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

MOST GAY

CHADWICK MOORE

“Most gay people aren’t political… Most gay people, you know, they care about pop music and going to the beach. They probably don’t even know what the Second Amendment is.”

—Gay Fox News commentator Chadwick Moore, last month, during a discussion about a vigil held at New York City’s Stonewall Inn, paying respects to the 49 LGBTQ people massacred at Pulse nightclub last year, which Moore argued was hijacked by the “radical ideology” of a “far-left anti-gun group.”

TREAT EACH OTHER

“My intention was to draw attention to this … and do the right thing… I struggled with that, but the intention was very much like, ‘this is about improving the country.’”

CHELSEA —Chelsea Manning, the MANNING transgender soldier who leaked hundreds of thousands of classified military documents—a move that would eventually lead her to serve the longest prison sentence of any leaker in U.S. history— in an interview with ABC News last month.

FEEL SAFE

“I believe that God wants us to treat each other with kindness, even if people are different — especially if they are different.” —Twelve-year-old Savannah, standing before her Mormon church community last month, telling them she identifies as a lesbian and believes that God intended to make her that way, reported by The Huffington Post.

MY INTENTION

PARSON JAMES

SAVANNAH

CHANGE THE NARRATIVE

“This is as serious as it gets… We have a chance to change the narrative.”

—Danica Roem, in an interview with The Advocate, after winning the Democratic primary for the Virginia House of Delegates’ 13th District last month, making her the first out transgender candidate to win a Virginia state legislative primary.

DANICA ROEM

WASN’T AN OPTION

“My dad was gay and closeted—born in 1926, where it wasn’t an option… He was 72 when he told me. He told me he was gay right before he died.” —Actress Molly Shannon, at a Q&A last month celebrating the theatrical release of Miles—a movie about a gay teen’s fight to bridge the gender divide in a high school sports team. Shannon portrays the mother and ally of a gay person.

“I think at the end of the day, we all want to feel included. So many of us have grown up feeling like outcasts, and there are particular artists who have been able to create communities through their art that allow us to feel safe.”

—Gay singer-songwriter Parson James in an interview with Billboard, sharing his top gay icons who helped him feel “invited to the party.” Among those he mentioned were Madonna, David Bowie and George Michael.

THE WORLD GETS

“I hope that one day, the world gets to a place where you don’t need to politicize your sexuality any more than someone needs to politicize their JORDAN GAVARIS race… and that no one’s afraid, MOLLY maybe, to come out.” SHANNON

—Orphan Black star Jordan Gavaris coming out as a gay man in an interview with Vulture last month. JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 11

What is TRUVADA for PrEP? TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

|Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP? Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: u Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. u Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

|What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: u Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney |What is the most important information I should know problems, your healthcare provider may about TRUVADA for PrEP? tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: u Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic u You must be HIV-negative before you start taking acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual getting HIV-1 unless you are conﬁrmed to be HIV-negative. muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain u Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your u Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night u Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomachu You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away. u You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: |What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. TRUVADA for PrEP? • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider u All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider right away. if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, u To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: including hepatitis. • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. u If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, you should keep taking TRUVADA. such as having fewer sex partners. u If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not • Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. baby in breast milk. u If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine u All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. u If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. u Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, infection. your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without ﬁrst talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.

1 2 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

Have you heard about

TRUVADA for PrEP™? The once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when used with safer sex practices. • TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. • You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.

visit start.truvada.com

JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 13

IMPORTANT FACTS

This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEPTM (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.

(tru-VAH-dah) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative. • Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. • You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. • See the “How To Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information. TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. • To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. • Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1. • Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices. • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP” section. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. • Bone problems. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.

BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. • Have any other medical conditions. • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. • Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.

HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. • Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. • Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV infection. • Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.

TRUVADA, the TRUVADA Logo, TRUVADA FOR PREP, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0092 05/17

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

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alifornia Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) will bar state employees from business trips to four states after those states passed measures limiting the rights of LGBT people, reports The Hill. The new restrictions prohibit state-funded or state-sponsored travel to Texas, Alabama, Kentucky and South Dakota, Becerra said Thursday. State legislators in Texas, Alabama and South Dakota this year passed new laws allowing adoption or foster parent agencies to refuse service to LGBT families. A new Kentucky law would allow student organizations at state schools to block LBGT people from membership. California’s Democrat-dominated legislature passed a measure last year barring state-funded travel to states that allow discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Already, the law has blocked employee travel to four other states— Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee, reports The Hill. “While the California [Department of Justice] works to protect the rights of all our people, discriminatory laws in any part of our country send all of us several steps back,” Becerra said in a statement. “That’s why when California said we would not tolerate discrimination against LGBTQ members of our community, we meant it.” n

“WHEN CALIFORNIA SAID WE WOULD NOT TOLERATE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBTQ MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE MEANT IT.”

Integrating Substance Use, Mental Health, and Primary Care Services in Our Communities: Resilience in a Changing Environment October 25—26, 2017 Hilton Universal City Hotel at Universal City 555 Universal Hollywood Dr.

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Featured Track:

● Topics Include ● Unique Needs of LGBT Seniors Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth Family Acceptance Project: Family Support Model of Wellness, Prevention and Care for LGBT Children and Youth JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 17

THEROSTOWREPORT >> BY ANN ROSTOW <<

THERE WILL COME A TIME

litigation. We will see. THE FIGHT’s legal analysts want both the Colorado and the Washington cases to be rejected. We are likely to see a Title VII workplace discrimination case reach the Court next year, and a win there will be critical. Without belaboring the legal rationale, we are far more likely to get a clean victory in a “religious freedom” case if the Court has already ruled that discrimination against the LGBT community is impermissible.

couldn’t help but notice that you FIGHT readers showed your Pride early this year in solidarity with a national day of Trump protests on June 11. Well, they don’t call it Pride month for nothing, although I prefer to celebrate on the traditional last Sunday in June myself. I was reading up on Pride the other day and saw that early activists were torn between calling it gay “pride” or gay “power.” But there should be no debate. The men and women who fought back at the Stonewall Inn were sick, not just of being subjected to police raids, but they were sick of being ashamed of who they were. Gay pride is the antithesis of gay shame, and that’s why it makes no sense when people pop out of the woodwork to embrace “Straight Pride.” We’re not proud of being gay, per se. We’re rejecting society’s disdain, a disdain that heterosexuals have not experienced. Obviously, Pride has evolved over the decades from defiance to celebration. But it’s ironic, isn’t it, that the welcome decline of antigay sentiment will slowly ease the tension that we’ve long used to galvanize our annual revelry. We’re not there yet. And the Trump administration’s conservative swing has reminded us that our struggles for civil rights are far from over. But there will come a time when no one quite remembers what we’re celebrating or why. Kind of like June-teenth or Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t worry. We’ll still be having a blast.

COURT MYSTERY DEEPENS

he Supreme Court has yet to take a stand one way or another on the Colorado bakery case, Masterpiece Cakeshop

QUEER AS FOLK

I “GAY PRIDE IS THE ANTITHESIS OF GAY SHAME… WE’RE NOT PROUD OF BEING GAY, PER SE. WE’RE REJECTING SOCIETY’S DISDAIN, A DISDAIN THAT HETEROSEXUALS HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED.” v Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The case, appealed to the High Court by a baker who was fined for violating the Ski State’s ban on sexual orientation discrimination, is now enjoying the second longest period of limbo in High Court history. Week after week, the justices have scheduled the petition for discussion, but they have not rejected it. Instead, they just list it for the next conference agenda. No one knows what’s going on! I know I have returned to this topic again and again, but the mystery just deepens. For a time, people thought the Court was waiting for Justice Gorsuch to join the bench and have a chance to weigh in. But

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he’s been seated for a couple of months now. Other people suggest that the Court has rejected the case, but is waiting for a justice or two to write a dissent. Normally, petitions are accepted or rejected without comment, but sometimes a justice will explain why he or she disagreed with the others. But this theory has the same problem as the first. Why would it take months to present a few objections? Finally, it’s possible that the Court is waiting for a similar (florist) case out of Washington State, which is expected to be appealed to the nine justices in July, and which could be combined with the Colorado

just saw an interesting article about the latest LGBT fun facts from Pew Research. First, it looks as if our numbers are increasing, which suggests that more people are comfortable telling the surveyors that they’re gay or lesbian. We’re up to about 10 million Americans, or roughly 4.1 percent of the population. After the 2000 election, exit polls showed gays and lesbians comprised about 4 percent of the electorate, while other research indicated our community voted at a rate of 80 percent, which would have put our overall percentage below 4 percent although transgender voters weren’t included in those exit polls. (I’m not sure I believe that 80 percent figure, but if true, Republican gays and lesbians elected George Bush. Thanks guys.) The other notable trend, according to a 2016 Gallup poll cited by Pew, is that the percentage of LGBTs drops significantly by age. Some 7.3 percent of those aged 18-36 identify as LGBT, versus 3.2 percent of 37-51, 2.4 percent of 52-70 and 1.2 percent of people over 70. I think we all know what’s going on here. Get with the program Grandpa! Times have changed. As for LGBT popularity, in 2016 some 63 percent of Americans thought homosexuality should be accepted by

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society, compared to 51 percent in 2006. That’s quite an improvement, but I’ve always found this question a little dispiriting. That’s a pretty large subgroup still hesitating to support gayness in general, let alone LGBT rights. Do we have to wait another generation before we hit 80 or 90 percent favorability?

BAD CAT, GOOD BOOZE

’m briefly tired of gay news, but I still feel like writing to you! Let me complain about a recipe for a Negroni popsicle in my local paper this morning. First, the directions call for two cups sugar water, one fourth cup gin, one fourth cup Campari, one fourth cup vermouth. Why waste good booze by diluting it to this extent? Second, no one makes a Negroni with equal amounts of gin, vermouth and Campari, let alone with sugar water. Basically,

you make a gin martini on the rocks and top it off with Campari. And finally, why in God’s name would you turn a perfectly delicious cocktail into a popsicle to begin with? Was the food section editor under a deadline? Had she had one too many Negronis? Also, for various reasons I use my FIGHT deadline as the monthly date for giving flea medication to the cat and dog. The dog eats hers in pill form, but the cat needs to be dosed on the back of the neck with some extremely expensive product that the vet counter person talked me into buying. Well, it turns out the cat doesn’t like this flea stuff, and she goes ballistic when she sees it or when I touch her neck. Since each tiny tube cost almost $15 there’s no way I’m letting her get away without her monthly “Cheristin.” But it’s nearly impossible to apply so I spend several days feeling anxious be-

cause this is on my mental list of things to do and it’s so hard! She disappeared completely after I opened the tube just now. She’ll be gone for hours.

DYKE TO WATCH OUT FOR

o, what else is new you ask? We may have a lesbian Prime Minister of Serbia, a locale not known for its progressive LGBT policies, and a lesbian not known for any particular activism. Appointed by President Aleksandar Vucic, Ana Brnabic might have a tough time winning confirmation from a somewhat homophobic parliament. Six out of 21 members have resigned from the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS noting that the Trump administration has zero interest in their mission, and that the attack on Obamacare (if successful) will

devastate people with HIV. And a gay conservative who once edited the Advocate explained to Tucker Carlson that a one-year vigil for the victims of the Pulse nightclub was hijacked by anti-gun activists. “Most gay people aren’t political,” Chadwick Moore told the Fox host. “Most gay people, you know, they care about pop music and going to the beach. They probably don’t know what the Second Amendment is. And so they show up to be together, to celebrate the community, to mourn together and instead they are fed this anti-gun nonsense.” Some gay people took off their earphones and rolled over on their towels long enough to object to Moore’s generalization. He later tweeted: “It’s a family show, so I couldn’t say “dick and meth.”’ There’s a reason political partisanship has become the great divide in this country. n

JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 19

THECITY NEON TREES

PHOTO BY TOM PARDOE.

>> BY PAULO MURILLO <<

THE FIGHT AT OC PRIDE, LAST MONTH.

“transformed.” “Conversion therapy” is illegal in California. ORANGE COUNTY

OC PRIDE HITS SANTA ANA

LOS ANGELES

CENTER HOSTS TRANS PRIDE LA 2017 The Los Angeles LGBT Center hosted Trans Pride LA last month at The Village in Hollywood. Trans Pride LA is one of the oldest and largest trans celebrations in the country. The event offered more than 30 organizations - part of a resource fair that offered information on a wide selection of services and programs vital to the trans community. The event also featured a name and gender change clinic sponsored by the Transgender Law Center. Interactive workshops included a self-care workshop, a special activism-through-social-networking seminar, and a Supernova Self-Defense workshop. There was also a clothing swap; and a photo shoot by Jen Rosenstein for her book Transformational Project.

WEST HOLLYWOOD

ANNUAL RAINBOW KEY AWARDS The City of West Hollywood held the annual Rainbow Key Awards last month to recognize people and groups that have made outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ community. This year’s Rainbow Key Awards honorees included Cleve Jones, who conceived the NAMES Project National AIDS Quilt; JQ International, an organization dedicated to promoting a healthy integration of LGBTQ and Jewish identities; Eric Paul Leue, HIV awareness and prevention advocate; Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, dedicated to advocating 2 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

on behalf of LGBT businesses; and Michaela Ivri Mendelsohn, transgender activist, public speaker and CEO of Pollo West Corporation to name a few. SAN DIEGO

“GAY-CONVERSION” CONFERENCE PROTEST The LGBT community in San Diego came together last month to hold a vigil and a peaceful protest to oppose a controversial religious conference that took place in the city. The conference was organized by the Restored Hope Network. The group believes they can help people who want to overcome “sinful sexual desires,” like being homosexual. The weekend conference included biblical teaching, workshops, and stories from people who’ve struggled with sexual attraction and were allegedly

The OC Pride LGBT parade and festival returned to downtown Santa Ana last month. This year’s theme was one of unity, solidarity and working “As One.” The day-long festival featured live music and lectures, as well as the crowning of the Mr., Ms. and Miss Gay Pride Orange County. Last year’s parade was well attended with more than 15,000 people. It was the first large gay pride event in Orange County in more than a decade, according to reports. Festival headliners included drag performers Adore Delano and Katya, as well as singer-songwriter Dev. Speakers at the Frida Cinema included comedian Jaleesa Johnson and author Josh Sabarra. PALM SPRINGS

THOUSANDS JOIN UNITY MARCH Thousands of people in Palm Springs participated in a Unity March in support of equality and resistance for equal rights last month. Supporters took to the streets in downtown PS to support sister resist marches that took place at LA Pride in Los Angeles and across the country. “I think its important all of us in Palm Springs come together and express how important it is to make sure LGBT rights are preserved. [LGBT Rights] are under attack. We gained many gains in the last administration and we need to preserve those,” pride advocate Linda Middleton told local news. n

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SAN DIEGO PRIDE San Diego’s Pride Festival will take place July 15–16, in Balboa Park, and will include over 90 acts across 4 different stages.

he multi-platinum female music group En Vogue will be headlining at San Diego’s Pride Festival this month. “We are excited to perform at San Diego Pride this year! It’s always been important to us to use our voices to speak about something of substance. We’re proud to stand allied in action with the LGBTQ community,” said En Vogue “Our community volunteer lead team has been working diligently to put together a phenomenal Pride celebration that reflects the beautiful and authentic diversity of our community,” said Fernando Lopez, Director of Operations for San Diego Pride. Additional headlining artists include Hector Fonseca, Cazwell, Kodie Shane, Cakes Da Killa, Lucia Mendez, Jessica 6 featuring Nomi Ruiz, and Paris Sukomi Max. San Diego’s Pride Festival will take place July 15–16, 2017 in Balboa Park, and will include over 90 acts across 4 different stages. The “Allied in Action: United for Justice” Pride parade will take place on July 15, at 11am. The parade begins at the Hillcrest Pride Flag at University Ave. and Normal St. n

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WE ARE ONE

#ResistMarch founder Brian Pendleton: “It was a moving human rights monument—and it was a beautiful thing to be part of.”

BY MA RK A RIEL

crowd estimated at about 100,000 took part in the #ResistMarch last month. The march for human rights, organized by LA Pride, was in solidarity with the National Equality March for Unity and Pride, which took place in Washington, D.C. Starting at Hollywood & Highland, the site of the first Pride parade in Los Angeles, participants walked through Hollywood to West Hollywood where speakers included U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), Black Lives Matter founder Patrisse Cullons, and many other public figures, activists, comedians and actors. “You are me and I am you. And we are one,” Rep. Maxine Waters told the crowd. “We are here today to send a message loud and clear…We resist homophobia; we resist pov-

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erty, anti-Semitism, and we resist hatred toward Muslims and all religions.” “We are ecstatic about how it all turned out,” #ResistMarch founder Brian Pendleton told THE FIGHT. “It was a moving human rights monument—and it was a beautiful thing to be part of.” “The idea was to lend our rainbow flag to other minorities within our communities… basically to anyone feeling disenfranchised in the current political climate… We are fighting against discriminatory policies and making sure America is for all of us, not just a few.” Pendleton, the founder and organizer of the #ResistMarch, was recently awarded a spot in the David Bohnett Foundation’s Leadership program. Designed for executives working with state and local governments—this intensive, three-week Executive Education program at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, hones skills and furthers the leadership potential of accomplished individuals from across the United States. When asked if participation in the program signals a future in politics, Pendleton told THE FIGHT: “It’s possible but it’s a bit too early for me to think about that … Obviously a whole new world has opened up to me personally—and I am grateful for that—however—at the end of the day—I just want to give back to my community and be of service.”

HEADSHOT PHOTO: BRIAN PENDLETON

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ORIGINAL RAINBOW FLAG CREATOR GILBERT BAKER.

RAINBOW RUCKUS In the current political climate, with the jackals sniffing at our collective door, the flag controversy feels like a potentially deadly distraction. BY BREN D EN SH U CA RT

fter a series of nasty events exposed deep fissures of racism within Philadelphia’s LGBT communities, that city’s Office of LGBT Affairs unveiled a new flag for Pride Month—a version of the traditional six stripped rainbow bearing two new bars—black and brown. This new flag—intended to fly alongside, and not replace the traditional Rainbow Flag—was created to celebrate the many contributions made by black and brown bodied queers on behalf of the LGBT communities. The too often forgotten art, activism, fearless sacrifices and passionate leadership that have helped to shape the modern LGBT rights movement. But what should have been a loving gesture of inclusion to a quarter of our community that has often been excluded and dismissed instead became the inciting incident of a rhetorical civil war which raged across social media for days. Those who objected to the Philly Flag claimed a spectrum of reasons for doing so. There were calls to tradition, to aesthetics, and to the memory of the Rainbow Flag’s creator Gilbert Baker who died early this year. Some felt excluded by the change, and others didn’t like the idea of race being injected into a symbol that (in theory) already represented the entirety of the LGBT communities. They neglected to look beyond how changes to the flag made them feel personally, or muster up the compassion to see the intent behind the gesture. For their part, those in favor of the revamped flag seemed to dismiss all of their opponents’ arguments as racist. And some significant part of the push-back is certainly rooted in racism—being queer is no guarantee against being an asshole or having a small mind— but to dismiss everyone who wasn’t in favor of the redesign (including some number black and brown bodied persons) as racist is a failure to imagine those people complexly.

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WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LOVING GESTURE OF INCLUSION TO A QUARTER OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAS OFTEN BEEN EXCLUDED AND DISMISSED INSTEAD BECAME THE INCITING INCIDENT OF A RHETORICAL CIVIL WAR WHICH RAGED ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA FOR DAYS. Symbols have power, and people grow attached to their symbols—they give us comfort and orient us within the world. When we propose changing the symbols people love, even with the most noble of intentions, we shouldn’t be taken by surprise when some people have strong emotional reactions. Folks on both sides had very strong emotional reactions. Things were said—by people I love, to people I love—that can’t be taken back. And this “debate” was made all the more frustrating and depressing for taking place the same week as the anniversary of the Pulse Massacre in Orlando. Infighting like this was a luxury we enjoyed while Obama was president. But now, in the current political climate, with the jackals sniffing at our collective door, it just feels like a potentially deadly distraction. That’s not to say that there isn’t room for disagreement. Diversity—of color, shape, thought, desire—is what makes the LGBT communities beautiful. A cornucopia of backgrounds and experiences make us strong. But when we do fail to see eye-to-eye with our fellow queers, we should—all of us—imagine those who disagree with us complexly, give them the benefit of the doubt, and hold compassion for them in our hearts.

JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 27

THETRANSACTION >> JAKE ZYRUS <<

“GLEE” STAR COMES OUT AS TRANSGENDER

The official debut of Jake Zyrus. The singer comes out on social media, thanks his fans. BY O RLY LYO N N E

he singer formerly known as Charice Pempengco announced on Twitter last month that his new name is Jake Zyrus and he identifies as a man. Before transitioning, Zyrus was out as a lesbian. The 25-year-old Glee star had scrubbed his social media accounts when he made the announcement, changing his usernames to fit his identity and deleting all of his past photos on Instagram, reported The Huffington Post. After the digital overhaul, the singer thanked his fans for the support on Twitter. “My first tweet as Jake. Overwhelmed,” Zyrus wrote last month. “Saw all your love and comments and I’m so happy.

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Finally. I love you, everyone and see you soon.” The official debut of Jake Zyrus comes four years after the singer publicly came out as gay in 2013 on the Filipino TV show “The Buzz, ” reports The Huffington Post.

“Yes, I’m a lesbian,” Zyrus said then. “I don’t see a problem with that, because for me there isn’t a problem. Now, I would like to ask for forgiveness from the people that don’t understand.” n

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THE FEMME FOUR

A gay street gang from Little Rock, Arkansas, “The House of Avalon” is redefining party life and fashion in L.A. BY MA RK A RIEL | PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNI NGHAM

erformance artists, event planners and fashion queens “The House of Avalon” have taken Los Angeles by storm, throwing fabulous queer parties throughout the the city (the next one “Snap Out Of It!” is at Micky’s on July 5) and generally strewing madness and mayhem at every turn. Originally from Arkansas, the four— Grant Vanderbilt, Mark Monroe, Hunter Crenshaw and Caleb Feeney—recently told Alright, Darling (www.alrightdarling. com) that they began throwing house parties because “we were bored. There wasn’t any sort of interesting night life or a place where we felt like we could really be ourselves. There was literally nothing. We just wanted to have fun! If we did go out, we would see the same heteronormative gays in the exact same khaki pants and polo or Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt—and it was just bland. We lived in the Bible Belt, and most people are just living afraid and ashamed. That wasn’t our scene at all. So, we got creative and made it ourselves—throwing house parties and advertising them on Instagram.” They moved to LA this past March in the search for a more open environment. “I think we as a community need to remember that living in a city like Los Angles is such a privilege,” Caleb tells THE FIGHT. “Everything we do comes from a place of love and a sense of escapism. We tired to escape the mindset of Arkansas our whole lives…” “Our childhoods were all vastly different,” reveals Hunter. “I grew up pretty poor with a drug head father and an incredible mother. Grant grew up in a pretty religious household. Mark grew up religious as well but pretty blue collar. Caleb

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“EVERYTHING WE DO IS FOR THOSE UNDERDOGS AND DISENFRANCHISED WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.” grew up in a mountain home with a single mom... We all have our childhood issues of course but I think that’s what makes us. I don’t regret the way i grew up … I don’t think any of us really do.” Growing up queer in the southeastern region of the country had its challenges. “I don’t want to sound cliche, but it really is tough,” reveals Hunter. There are so many pockets of backwoods in Arkansas and so many queer kids live in those pockets. I think thats why what we did [throwing house parties] was so important and it’s something I am most proud of. From the start we had those kids seeing our stuff on Instagram and driving from two three counties away to join us. It was incredible. If you could hear some of the stories we have heard you would be very unsettled. I started to become a mother figure to some of them [laughs]… I would take care of them emotionally all the time…” “Everything we do is for those underdogs and disenfranchised within our community,” says Mark. “Everything. If someone can laugh have a good time for just a second—we did our job.” “I agree,” says Grant. “We were those kids. We just got lucky cause we found

> > THE HOUSE OF AVALON < <

each other and started a gay street gang!” Their clothing brand “The House of Avalon” (www.thehouseofavalon.com) started “because of the parties. Its another way to feel the fantasy,” reveals Grant. “It’s another way to tell the story, to con-

vey the feeling and concept. The clothing is SUPER important to us now,” says Mark. Upcoming projects include a new monthly party at Mickys (“Snap Out of It!” this month on July 5) and a new line of Enamel Pins and Shirts coming out in col-

laboration with DragQueenMerch.com. For more info visit www.thehouseofavalon.com. Follow them on Instagram: @thehouseofavalon, @Marko_Monroe, @HunterCrenshaw, @Calebf, @GrantVanderbilt.

FROM L TO R: HUNTER CRENSHAW, CALEB FEENEY, GRANT VANDERBILT, MARK MONROE.

JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 31

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JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 33

IML 2017 RALPH BRUNEAU <<

FINDING YOUR TRIBE

Excerpts from a conversation between International Mister Leather (IML) 1989 Guy Baldwin and IML 2017 Ralph Bruneau. TRANSCRI BED BY SEAN GALUSZKA

Guy Baldwin: Hello Ralph. First off—can you tell us a little about yourself? Ralph Bruneau: I’m a psychotherapist here in Los Angeles, been doing this for a little over 20 years. Originally I became an actor, but my impulse, more than being an actor, was finding a tribe. I knew that’s what community was. I went to Notre Dame in Indiana and the one person I knew was the chairman of the theatre department. I found out very quickly that’s where the gay boys were and I wanted community. In a school full of what I thought were all heterosexual men except for about six of us, I wanted to find the other five and I thought, “They must be in the theatre department.” So I stayed, was very lucky and successful very quickly so I went to NY to continue working in the theatre. Did well there and I stayed in that community for a while. And then I came out to make television and film in Los Angeles. The second ten years were not with community because making television and film is so different. The AIDS crisis hit in the mid eighties and I lost the two loves of my life both to AIDS. I was feeling helpless and powerless and my work became somewhat meaningless to me. It didn’t have the same appeal anymore. So I started working with the Shanti Foundation as an emotional support and hospice volunteer. They suggested I look into this as something I might be good at. And I listen to people when they tell me I’m good at things. So I went back, got my masters, got my doctorate and I’ve been practicing ever since. I see a wide variety of patients, a lot on sexual intimacy issues. It’s what I used to teach in graduate school. Less than a month ago, at an annual event that takes place in Chicago, judges chose you from among sixtythree other contestants worldwide to 3 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

“… I’M INVOLVED WITH BORN PERFECT, A CAMPAIGN TO END CONVERSION THERAPY… WE HAVE NINE STATES THAT HAVE OUTLAWED CONVERSION THERAPY AND WE HAVE A GREAT NUMBER LEFT TO GO. I’LL BE ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME RAISING FUNDS AND BEING VISIBLE FOR THEM.” become the 39th International Mister Leather (IML). Congratulations to you! (You are one of my successors because I won back during the Jurassic period). Presuming many, if not most, of those reading this may not know, please tell us what exactly is IML? Is it a cultural institution, is it an event, is it a contest? I think it’s all of those. It’s the current iteration of what used to be a contest at a place called the Gold Coast in Chicago, run by a man who still runs IML Chuck Renslow. Remarkably, over all these years it has grown and become something that is sort of the flagship experience of our people. People come from all over the

world to talk with each other, to party with each other, play with each other, and to participate in this contest where they pick International Mister Leather for that year… a remarkable, indescribable weekend with 20,000 people in Chicago and a theater that sat 4,000 for the actual contest. I’m very honored to have been invited and I’m thrilled to walk away with this. Thirty-nine years, one of the few remaining cultural institutions that have survived in the leather world. When you talk about “our people,” what do you mean by that? … There are new iterations of leather men that are puppies, that are bears, that are wearing latex and neoprene and naked. I’m a naturist, Mr. GNI Leather 2016, which is Gay Naturist International. So there are naturists, there are any kind of member of our community that define themselves by being sexually free, sexually disinhibited, sexually transgressive to the larger, popular culture, invited to come and experience in real time and in a real place, not on social media, not through books but in a real space, 20,000 people who have an affinity similar to yours. When I grew up in New York we had to find each other by what side our keys were on and if we were wearing 501s in the Village and if we had flagged the black bandana on the left or the right, or the blue, or the yellow… To me, I walk away invigorated by the idea there are countless others who feel what we feel, who do what we do, who live the lives that we live. And I’m a part of that. In some way, an emblem of that for people. As are you. You’ve told us what you think IML is, but can you now tell us what it means?

IML 2017 RALPH BRUNEAU AT TOMS BAR LAST MONTH AT THE FAULTLINE. > > L E O H E R R E R A , C O L U M B I N E D E M E R S , B R E N D E N S C H U PHOTO < ROBERT C A R T <BY GREEN, MOTORBOOT PHOTOGRAPHY.

The meaning morphs over time. So your take on what it means today might be very different from what my take would be twenty-eight years ago when I won the same medal that you’re wearing. I think people, and this isn’t just me—it’s the sixty-two other men who were onstage and the countless other men who competed in the competitions they won all over the world—our community selects leaders for whatever reasons, leaders in whatever way. They don’t need to be social leaders, political leaders, physical or aesthetic leaders. They pick people to represent their interests. I studied Jungian work and Joseph Campbell’s work when I was in graduate school and it still very much guides me. I think we need archetypal figures in our lives to help shape the way in which we move through our experiences. I think IML helps provide that for people. Did you want to win? … I had my hesitations. The difficulty and the sacrifices this would entail and whether or not I was willing at this point in my life to go through another crucible, or if I just wanted to participate and have that be enough. I’ve never served myself from backing down from an opportunity to challenge myself beyond my comfort levels. I knew

it would do that but by the time we got to Chicago I turned to my husband and some of my people and said, “I do want to win. Just so you know.” And I gave it my all. How many people were in your support system? My husband being the primary one, probably about a dozen. Starting with the guy who had my title before Dave Barnett—a loving wonderful man who from day one said, “I’m here for any thing you need.” People in LA, Lou Romano, past IMLs, you, Patrick Smith, Michael Gerle, Tom Pardoe. People who just showed up to my house to go through whatever I needed to walk me through the process because it’s a lot. What are your personal goals for yourself during the coming year as the sitting IML? To continue to grow. I’m a relationship expert, it’s what I do. To build relationships with people in a way that I haven’t been able to. I’ve spent so much of my life in this room talking to patients, it’s time for me to get out and get back to more activist roots that I haven’t been able to in the past twenty plus years. I was a member of ACT UP. I was a member of the NAMES Project. Now I’m involved with Born Perfect, which is the cam-

paign to end conversion therapy. I’ve been involved with NCLR and Born Perfect since I was on the board of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. We have now nine states that have outlawed conversion therapy and we have a great number left to go. I’ll be able to spend more time raising funds and being visible for them. As licensed mental health professionals, we are now barred from practicing conversion therapy. What we can do is influence the culture in that way. What we can’t do is dictate what people consider religious beliefs and pastoral counseling. What we can do is educate parents that it is a discredited science, which will hopefully change some minds.

How much traveling do you think you’ll be doing in the coming year? I don’t mean recreational, I mean the job. The IML job. … I’m so lucky to have so many men willing to share their experience with me. Patrick Smith and I were talking about this. I want to go and I want to judge contests and I want to be a part of people’s experience here. Patrick spent a great deal of his time engaging in political activism and also doing what traditional IMLs would do which is to go to different cities around the world and participate in fetish and leather events and judge contests which are feeders to IML. I want to do both. I want to spend as much time as possible working with the Mister Friendly Campaign, Born Perfect, trying to help people in Chechnya through Rainbow Railroad. I stumbled across Rainbow Railroad. We need to get those people out of Russia and into some safer country. Unfortunately the United States has not been very responsive as a safe harbor for them. But we can work with Canada to get people to safe places… Watch the full interview with IML 2017 Ralph Bruneau online at www.thefightmag.com. JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 35

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>> BY PAULO MURILLO <<

SUMMER SOBRIETY

The associates at My 12 Step Store in West Hollywood on how they’re staying sober these hot summer days. HAVE FAITH

“

hen I was in my addiction, I’d be running around and always looking for the next place where I could get high. I’d FERNANDO be walking in the heat for hours ROJO at a time. Now that I’m sober, none of that sounds like fun. I plan to stay sober for the summer by continuing to nurture my relationship with my Higher Power. I believe that’s what made me fall the first time. I strayed and I didn’t have faith that God existed, or that having faith could keep me sober. That’s what I plan to continue doing, which is to practice my prayer and meditation, so I could have have that connection. I also plan to continue going to meetings and fellowship and stay connected to people who are sober. To anyone who is struggling this summer, I say find a way to get connected to something bigger than yourself. That’s the only thing keeping me sober. That’s the bottom line for me.” —Fernando Rojo, sober since October 2016.

HANG CLOSE

“

JACOB HALL

efore I got sober I spent most of my summers alone hidden away. I’d be afraid to go out in public because I was so paranoid from my drug use. When I’d party, I’d lose control. I’d go full throttle. There was no middle ground. I was never able to enjoy it. My summers today are full of life, love and recovery. I get to hang out by the pool, go to the beach, travel, and go to concerts. I can do all of these things sober. I enjoy my life in recovery. I could not imagine it any other way. 3 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

I don’t see myself getting triggered during the summer anymore, because I know it’s not what I want. It just doesn’t seem appealing to me, because I know what it was like. If people want to drink and use, it doesn’t bother me, because everyone is entitled to live their own life. If they want to party, then let them party. It doesn’t really affect me. For those who struggle to stay sober during the summertime, I recommend they hang close to a group of sober friends and attend as many 12-step meetings as necessary. Staying open and honest about how they are feeling is also very important. —Jacob Hall, sober since November, 2015.

RICKY CARDOOS

DO THE WORK

“

uring my addiction, I had a lot of opportunities to do things with my friends and my family, but I would never go, because I spent most of my time indoors and isolating. Now that I’m living clean and sober, I have a whole new lease on life. I’m engaging with my family who are very supportive of me. They are doing a lot of outdoor events and taking vacations that I’m always invited to and that I’m a part of. I’m spending a lot of time with my girlfriend at the beach and hanging out with my sober friends. My sponsor recently had his sponsees over to his house and we all hung out at his pool in the valley. It was nice. Being triggered during the summer for me is a little different than most people. I get triggered from emotional stuff. Today I’m equipped to deal with it. I do the work and I get to check in with my sober friends and support group. To the sober person struggling during these hot summer days, I tell them that it’s very possible to have fun in recovery and experience the summer fun while being sober. You just have to surround yourself with love and people who support your sober lifestyle.” —Ricky Cardoos, sober August, 2015

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>> GAY LONELINESS <<

LET LOVE WIN Violence against Russian LGBTs prompts young violinist to come out to the world.

BY LARRY BUHL

3 8 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

> > RUSSIAN LGBT RIGHTS < <

rtem Kolesov didn’t plan to be a spokesperson for Russian LGBT rights. The 23-year-old violinist thought his coming-out would be limited to a Facebook status update on his birthday that a few people, and his mother, might see. In an interview with THE FIGHT Kolesov confides that he never expected his YouTube video would eventually get more than 50,000 views. But when he heard about a teenager in Russia who was arrested for joining an LGBT group, he decided coming out for any Russian was now by definition a political act.

A BIRTHDAY WISH “There are still many LGBT people in the world, especially in Russia who are not safe,” says Kolesov, adding that the surge in violence against gay men in Chechnya cemented his decision to come out publicly. In recent months, violence against LGBTs in the Russian states has spiked, and in April reports of more than 100 gay men arrested and tortured—and some reportedly killed by police—in Chechnya have shocked the world and led to rescue efforts. Authorities continue to deny both the arrests and the deaths. In the video, published on March 29, Kolesov begins with a birthday wish to himself, then speaks about how he no longer wants to hide because of his sexuality. Kolesov also recounts wrenching episodes from his childhood and his suicide attempts. “When I was five I realized that I liked boys,” he says to the camera. “In my family I often heard that all gays should be destroyed and that if anyone in m family should turn out gay that my family should kill them with their bare hands.”

EDUARDO DIAZ (L), ARTEM KOLESOV

IF IMMIGRATION LAWS TIGHTEN UP KOLESOV MIGHT APPLY FOR REFUGEE STATUS, BECAUSE HIS PUBLIC COMING OUT, AND EVEN THIS ARTICLE, HAVE PUT A TARGET ON HIS BACK IN RUSSIA. Speaking Russian, with English subtitles—he speaks perfect English—was a way of reaching more LGBTs in his home country, he tells THE FIGHT. The video is part of the Russian “Children-404” project, which allows LGBT youth in Russia to share their stories in Russia. Most of the photos and videos feature a “Children-404” sign in front of participants’ faces.

ISOLATION, RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY Kolesov, the son of to Pentecostal pastors in a small town an hour away from Moscow, moved to Canada at age 16 to study at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “Growing up, I didn’t even know there were others around who were LGBT. Knowing there were people like me was a big issue in Canada because they were not hiding.” Kolesov says, with wry irony, that just a few months ago politicians in Russia were saying that they can’t possibly discriminate against LGBT people because they didn’t have any LGBT people. Kolesov now lives in Chicago, where he is first violinist in the Yas Quartet. He plans to move to Los Angeles to be with

his new husband. Homophobia in Russia and the Russian states, explains Kolesov, is partly based on religious intolerance, partly on willful ignorance, and partly on 60-year-old Cold War politics. “Since the Cold War, the former USSR believe that whatever the United States does now is bad,”states… If being gay is promoted in America, therefore it’s bad. If Americans like jazz music, then jazz music is bad.” Kolesov says he fears for his safety if he returns to Russia. “My mom said you cannot be that - she can’t say the word gay—and she insists I am just confused. She said ‘come back to Russia and we will take you to a professional and do an MRI on your brain.’” Beyond getting an unwanted brain scan, Kolesov fears arrest, because he technically broke Russia’s 2013 anti-propaganda law by creating the video. The 2013 law says it’s illegal to tell minors that being gay is acceptable.

LOVE AND MARRIAGE Just a few weeks after becoming an international gay freedom icon, Kolesov is taking on another role by doing something he could never do in Russia: marry a man. Two and a half years ago, while Kolesov was auditioning in Los Angeles at Coburn school, he met a UCLA student, Eduardo Diaz, and fell in love. They built a longdistance relationship on phone calls and occasional vacations. After the unexpected election of Donald Trump in November, they decided to get married as soon as possible, fearing under a Trump regime, the freedom to marry, and Kolesov’s freedom to stay in the U.S., might end. “Trump is unpredictable, but (Vice President) Pence had a long antigay history,” “Eduardo told me, ‘the only logical conclusion is to get married, because I don’t see myself with anyone else,’” Kolesov continues. The couple tied the knot in late May at a courthouse in San Francisco. The reception was small, at a nearby restaurant with less than twenty friends. They honeymooned in Chicago, during a break in their schedules. Kolesov is applying for a Green Card, but he says if immigration laws tighten up he might apply for refugee status, because his public coming out, and even this article, have put a target on his back in Russia.

JULY 2017 JULY | TH E F I GH T 39

>> I’M FINE <<

CAZWELL, MIDDLE, WITH DANCERS, FROM “LOOSE WRISTS.”

LOOSE WRISTS

Rapper Cazwell aims to make America femme again through music and fashion.

BY O RLY LYO N N E

azwell’s Loose Wrists, the first single off his new music label Snow Cone, is oldschool hip-hop with a beat that is purposely simple and bass driven. “I moved to Los Angeles a year ago and I wanted to make a song that people could drop their convertible tops down to and head bang along with,” explains the artist. Along with the track, Cazwell is releasing a highly anticipated music video featuring the rapper and his male dancers in pastel colored lace shorts by designer Hoza Rodriguez of Hologram City.

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“I noticed a real femme pride movement brewing on social media a few years ago,” says Cazwell, discussing the inspiration for the song. “I love that it is so visible right now. It’s about time we all embrace femme. Whether we are gay or straight, when men get in touch with their feminine sides, it gives a real sense of empowerment.” Described as ‘what would have happened if Eminem had grown up on Madonna’s front lawn,” Cazwell has over 10 million You Tube / VEVO views for such tentpole videos as “Ice Cream Truck,” “I Seen Beyoncé At Burger King,” “Get My Money Back,” “No Selfie Control” and “Rice & Beans.” Cazwell’s “Loose Wrists” is available on iTunes now. For more information, visit Cazwell.com and PeaceBisquit.com.

JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 41

>> LOCAL QUEER ART <<

ARTISTS TO WATCH

Local artists to look out for in 2017. The first in an ongoing series promoting local queer art.

DAVIS MALLORY

SINGER-SONGWRITER, DJ, ACTOR

Davis Mallory from MTV’s The Real World is gearing up to get Loud this spring with the release of the title track from his upcoming album. Cowritten with Mitchell Rose and produced by Ricca Vita and J. Hanna, Loud is an upbeat summer dance song about hooking up with someone you quietly desire. It’s seductive R&B with a funky, chilled, head-swinging vibe and sex-soaked lyrics; much in the way of Zayn’s Pillowtalk. “It’s a bit outside of the norm of what I usually write and sing about,” reveals Mallory. “It was inspired by a guy, another singersongwriter, who I had a major crush on. At the time, I couldn’t figure out how he felt about me but he turned out to be straight. He has a girlfriend now.” Loud is now available at online retailers. For more information, visit DavisMallory.com.

LEOPOLD NUNAN

SINGER/SONGWRITER, DANCER, ACTOR, CHOREOGRAPHER

Leopold Nunan is an award-winning performer, singer/ songwriter, dancer, actor and choreographer with roots native to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At 18, he turned to electronic music for it’s creative expression and struck a popular note with first house music hit I’ve Got It, which led to nationwide touring. The music video for the song aired on MTV Brazil and was played in clubs across the country. His follow-up hits Feel The House and Generator also reached a global audience and cemented his presence in the house music community. Determined to broaden his horizons and continue upwards in his flourishing career, Nunan decided to pack up and move LA at 23. He has since been an integral part of the LA nightlife and entertainment scene, bringing a Brazilian flavor with him that has led him to land performances at various venues and nightclubs across the greater Los Angeles area. For more info visit www.leopoldnunan.com.

4 42 2 TTH HEE FFIGH IGHTT || www.thefightmag.com www.thefightmag.com

GREGORY BARNETT

INTERDISCIPLINARY PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTIST

Gregory Barnett creates signs, dances and altars, and believes he is better for it. He wants the things he creates to assure people they are not alone. He wants to further feelings of compassion and trust. He wants everyone to relax. An interdisciplinary performing and visual artist based in Los Angeles, Barnett’s recent works include A Home For Wayward Satyrs, presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, as part of Ann Magnuson’s One-Hour Bacchanal. Upcoming projects include restaging his 2015 project Edenic Idyllic: I Can Take You To Heaven, Let Me Take You To Heaven (a rotating partner dance based on the adolescent game Seven Minutes In Heaven) as a pool party. For more info visit: facebook.com/gregory.barnett.7.

NATHAN RAPPORT MULTIMEDIA ARTIST

Nathan Rapport is a California based multimedia artist working and showing in galleries and alternative creative spaces across North America. Rapport works as a painter, illustrator, designer, performer, director, and has a long history in scenic work for a number of producing theaters in San Francisco and Austin. In October 2015, Rapport released his queer adult coloring book “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me,” receiving tremendous visibility and press for the project. In 2016, while on the road in support of the book, Rapport launched a queer focused line of wearables and fine art, and continues to add to the collection regularly. Currently Rapport works full time as an artist, splitting his time between San Francisco and Los Angeles. For more info visit www.nathanrapportart.com.

JULY 2017 | TH E F I GH T 43

> > AT T H E G E T T Y C E N T E R < <

FRIDAY FLIGHTS A summer series of interdisciplinary happenings, brings together Los Angeles-based artists to respond to the Getty Center’s unique architecture and gardens and forge new connections to the collections and exhibitions. July 14

Visual artist Molly Surno presents We of Me, a choreographed soundscape featuring Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and 20 men who use musical hairbrushes to create a meditative composition and explore the intimacy of grooming; musician

Sun Araw (aka Cameron Stallones) plays an experimental, psychedelic set; and The Institute for New Feeling, an artist collective that describes itself as “a research clinic committed to the development of new ways of feeling, and ways of feeling new,” performs a site-specific project.

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August 25

Kenyatta A. C. Hinkle presents Exploring the Nowannago: Kentifrican Modes of Resistance with Tyler Matthew Oyer, a provocative performance that confronts contemporary issues including the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQ+ awareness; visual artist Scott Benzel, known for his analytical and sound-driven work, performs the site-specific Unauthorized Live Score; and Psychic Ills, a hypnotic psych-rock band of the cult-followed record label Sacred Bones, plays a set. 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; free; no ticket required. For more information, visit getty.edu/360.

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THEMUSIC

MELODRAMA

The second studio album by New Zealand singer Lorde: simple yet intricate songs with a hushed, expansive technicolor sheen. BY PA U L V. VITA G LIA N O

t’s felt like an eternity waiting for Lorde to graduate to sophomore status with her 2nd album, but damn—the wait was worth it! The New Zealand phenom seemingly came out of nowhere with her acclaimed 2013 debut (released when she was only 16) that helped usher in a bit of a sea change on the pop charts: people were starving for something else besides prefab, cookie-cutter female pop tarts, and Lorde’s youthful, earnest, and yes, kind of odd/witchy style was the perfect antidote. This time, wunderkind producer Jack Antonoff (of fun and Bleachers) perfectly assists her in shapeshifting these simple yet intricate songs with a hushed, expansive technicolor sheen. Lyrically and thematically, she remains gifted beyond her years by not only challenging us with her candid take on life, but crafting hook-filled earworms in the process. The effort is a textural mix of ethereal, bare-bones confessionals and bedroom-beat pop (a la Royals or Team), with Green Light, Homemade Dynamite, and album closer Perfect Places

4 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

all destined for hit status. Meanwhile, Liability is a gorgeous, post-clubbing piano ballad that is seemingly written about a female lover (is Lorde coming out here?) I’ve likened Lorde to Kate Bush at times, and when I listen to the fantastic Writer In The Dark, it absolutely sounds like a brilliant torch has been passed from a legend to an upstart. Listen to this on some good headphones. You ears will thank you! n

LO S A N G E L E S P R E M I E R E

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL West Coast Premiere of Katherine Fairfax Wright’s documentary, part of the Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival.

“sheer

stage magic!” – Times of San Diego

ast year Todrick Hall, the singer, dancer, actor, director, American Idol sensation, and YouTube superstar unveiled his biggest project yet: The Wizard Of Oz—inspired musical Straight Outta Oz. Influenced largely by his small-town Texas upbringing and his close relationship with his conservative Christian mother, Hall brings this deeply personal yet ambitious project to fruition over the course of this up-close-and-personal documentary. Directed and edited with an intimate, you-are-there immediacy by Katherine Fairfax Wright (Call Me Kuchu, Imperial Dreams), Behind The Curtain shows Hall and his team displaying passion that shines through every frame. This special centerpiece, which wowed audiences at SXSW, is a portrait of an artist reconciling his small-town past with his widescreen future. The film’s uplifting conclusion proves beyond a doubt that this impressive young man behind the curtain is well worth paying attention to. The screening takes place on Thursday, July 13 at 8pm at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel. n For tickets and the complete lineup for the 2017 Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival go to www.outfest.org.

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THEEVENT >> PHOTOS BY PHILLIP @PHILLIYT <<

SOLD OUT Clothing held a runway show at Mickyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in West Hollywood during LA Pride week. Keith Webb and David Kahauolopua showed variations of their Tom of Finland designs on the models. The show included a special segment honoring the Orlando 49 in collaboration with the Orlando Ribbon project as June 12 marked one year since the Pulse tragedy. For more info visit: soldoutclothing.com

5 0 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

>> PHOTOS BY ROBERT GREEN, MOTORBOOT PHOTOGRAPHY <<

The 26th Annual Daddy’s Day Funraiser—TOM of Finland Foundation #TOMsBar2017 took place at the Faultline Bar last month, welcoming home Ralph Bruneau—International Mister Leather 2017. For more info on the TOM of Finland Foundation visit: tomoffinlandfoundation.org. For more on events at the Faultline Bar visit: faultlinebar.com.

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THEEPIDEMIC >> GENERIC TRUVADA (PrEP) <<

GENERIC TRUVADA

A generic version of the drug has been approved by the FDA. BY VI CTOR MELAMED

he Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic version of Truvada, the drug used as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), aimed at preventing HIV-negative people from becoming infected with the virus, reports The Advocate. Truvada, also used in HIV treatment in combination with other medications, is a mix of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. The generic is made by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries of North Wales, Pa. Brand-name Truvada is a product of Gilead Sciences of Foster City, Calif. Generic drugs are generally far cheaper than brand-name ones. The price is about $1,500 a month, or $18,000 a year, for the onepill-daily dose of Truvada, as prescribed for PrEP, Medscape reports, with insurers and patient assistance programs covering much of the cost. Just when the generic will be available isn’t certain. Tim Horn of Treatment Action Group told Poz, “Approval of a generic product doesn’t necessarily mean that product launch is imminent. … It’s not uncommon in patent settlement agreements for generics to negotiate language permitting full approvals months and years in advance of the settlement license date. Regardless, now is the time to start thinking seriously about the advantages as well as the drawbacks of generic products to prevent and treat HIV.” n

JUST WHEN THE GENERIC WILL BE AVAILABLE ISN’T CERTAIN. 5 4 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

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THECALENDAR >> THINGS TO DO <<

SATURDAY, JULY 1

GLOW ME Bullet Bar, 10522 Burbank Blvd, North Hollywood, CA. 9pm–2am. Celebrate your independence at Glow Me at the Bullet Bar! It’s going to be a hot and steamy summer night for this body paint blacklight underwear party! Come get glown by their professional make up artist! $6 cover. #glowme #glowparty #noho #northhollywood #gay #fetish #kink #underwear #Bulletbar META WOOF: WOOF SCREENING AT MEGAWOOF Precinct DTLA, 357 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA . 8pm–9pm Come watch WOOF and then dance your tail off at MEGWAOOF. Screening begins at 8pm, but get there nice and early to meet some local pups. Free admission, donation suggested. NEON DAYGLO Faultline Bar, 4216 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029. 2pm–2am. Beat the heat and Stroke the meat at Neon DayGlo! Kick off Summer right with the Hottest Queens in Town! Join them for an ALL DAY event with games, contests and prizes that leads to their FULL ON Dance Party in the heat of the night. DJs: Ambrosia Salad, David Banjela and Noir D Costas. $5. SUNDAY, JULY 2

LONG BEACH HER SUMMER PARTY Bo-Beau Kitchen + Rooftop, 144 Pine Ave, Long Beach, California 90802. 12pm–5pm. For the first time ever, HER is

FINALLY coming to Long Beach to make your SummHER daze even HOTTER! Join them on the rooftop of Bo Beau’s Rooftap & Kitchen for an EPIC Sunday Funday. HER is a dating and social networking app that allows all women to come together. SIEMPRE PUTERIA Precinct DTLA, 357 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA. 4pm–9pm Las Comadres Del Barrio Nabor S. Aries y Ricado Sebastian present their Beer Bust with DJ Ernie Vee spinning. No Cover. WEDNESDAY, JULY 5

SNAP OUT of IT! Micky’s WeHo, 8857 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. 9pm–2am The House of Avalon’s first party in LA. THURSDAY, JULY 6

JULY 2017 NETWORKING MIXER Abbey Food & Bar, 692 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. 6:30pm–9pm Join the LAGLCC for their July networking mixer. Mixer is free for members/$20 for future members. Bring plenty of business cards and get ready to meet your next client or strategic alliance! SATURDAY, JULY 8

DILF LOS ANGELES JOCK/ UNDERWEAR PARTY BY MAN UPP & JOE WHITAKER Los Globos, 3040 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. 9pm–3am Wear your JOCK and get ready for a HOT SWEATY NIGHT with HOT MEN & HOT MUSIC! Music by DJ COREY CRAIG of New York & DJ J WARREN of BOSTON!

5 6 T H E F IGH T | www.thefightmag.com

SUNDAY, JULY 9

HANDBALLING Eagle LA, 4219 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029. 4pm–8pm Party with the men of ONYX SoCal-Southwest. TUESDAY, JULY 11

TOM OF FINLAND—OUTFEST LOS ANGELES LGBT FILM FESTIVAL Directors Guild of America, 7920 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. 7pm–8:55pm Tom Of Finland, Directed By: Dome Karukoski, Cast: Jakob Oftebro, Jessica Grabowsky, Werner Daehn. Finnish/German/ English with English subtitles. Post-screening reception: DGA Atrium FRIDAY, JULY 14

LOST PUPPY: HORN DOG! (3YR ANNIVERSARY) Eagle LA, 4219 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029. 9pm–2am Green Mirror Entertainment proudly presents an event for Puppies, Handlers, Boys and Daddies! The first official LA Puppy Party is back to celebrate its 3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY and to celebrate all those who get turned on by being a puppy, handler, boy and daddy! This event will feature a PUP MOSH PIT, GO-GO PUPS, DRINK SPECIALS, and much more. $6 COVER! SATURDAY, JULY 15

SAN DIEGO PRIDE Balboa Park, through July 15. For more info visit www.sdpride.org. En Vogue headlining. Over 90

acts across 4 different stages. Pride parade will take place on July 15, at 11am. RUSH Tom of Finland Foundation, 1421 Laveta Terrace, Los Angeles, CA. 9pm–2am. Tix: eventbrite.com/e/rushtickets-35215400210 A play party for men presented by the Los Angeles Band of Brothers. Discover the depths of fraternity. Pledging is only the beginning! Please be aware that: You MUST purchase a ticket for the event in order to attend. NO tickets will be sold at the door. NO ENTRY will be allowed to anyone without a ticket. Tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE. SATURDAY, JULY 22

STUDIO FIFTYSQURRRL Akbar, 4356 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029. 9pm–2am Your favorite San Francisco creators of shennanigans are back in Los Angeles for some DISCO REALNESS! Groovy Front Room: Ryan Jones & Omnibot (Gabriel Garcia), Far Our Back Room: ChakaQuan (Svko Qvan) & Tiffany Roth. Hostess Tamale Ringwald will be keeping you supplied! $4.99. FRIDAY, JULY 28

BEARRACUDA LONG BEACH SUMMER BEEF BALL! Executive Suite Nightclub, 3428 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90804. 9pm–2am Bearracuda returns to Long Beach with 500+ guys socializing and dancing all night!. DJs: RYAN JONES & BIJOU CLOUCHARD. $5 before 10pm, $7 after.