Mirror Summer 2014

Summer 2014 • Vol. 3 Issue 2

• Gay Rights’ Biggest Defeats • Gays & Crystal Meth • Movies & Music • Food & Fitness • Porn & Pride • Books Bi’s & Bears • Getting Frank with Franco

The Day I Met Harvey Milk

by Norm Kent

themirrormag.com

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Summer 2014 | Vol 3 | Issue 2

Table of contents Opinions & Columns

Chief Executive Officer PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI

EDITORIAL Art Director DAVE GRIFFITHS artwork@sfgn.com

News Features

Web Producer DENNIS JOZEFOWICZ dennis.jozefowicz@sfgn.com

Gay Adoption | 10 Gays & Crystal Meth | 12

Social Media Director SERGIO CANDIDO sergio.candido@sfgn.com

Special Section: History

Staff Photographer J.R. DAVIS

Gay Rights Biggest Defeats | 16 - 17 Gay Rights Movement’s Zaps | 18 Gays Who Were Executed | 20 - 21 Finding the ‘B’ in LGBT History | 22

International Features

CORRESPONDENTS CHRISTIANA LILLY GARY M. KRAMER J.W. ARNOLD BIL BROWNING DENISE ROYAL

SASHA RAZUMIKHIN TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER JOHN MCDONALD DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD MARK MOON

SALES & MARKETING

Pride & Progress in Israel | 6 Gay Rights in Guyana | 8

Director of Sales MIKE TROTTIER & Marketing mike.trottier@sfgn.com Sales Manager JUSTIN WYSE justin.wyse@sfgn.com

Film Behind the Scenes of ‘Seek’ | 36 - 37 Franco Pushes Boundaries | 44 A New Look at ‘Cruising’ | 45 Going Mainstream: Gay Porn Stars | 48 - 49

Advertising Sales Assoc. EDWIN NEIMANN edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Assoc. ADRAIN EVANS adrain.evans@sfgn.com Sales Assistant JASON GONZALES jason.gonzales@sfgn.com

Interview Talking Dirty with Colby Keller | 40 - 41 James Franco Talks LGBT Cinema | 46

Distribution Services BRIAN SWINFORD J.R. DAVIS

Lifestyles

National Advertising RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com

Feature: Find Your Inner Bear | 24 - 25 Books: Summer’s Best Reads | 26 Food: Exploring Fried Chicken | 32 - 33 Fitness: Workout for Super Shape | 34 - 35 Music: Aris’ ‘Twilight’ | 52

A Thing of Beauty | 38 - 39 Turnon: Sneax | 42 - 43 Gay Erotic Art | 50

Essay The Day I Met Harvey Milk | 28 Bil and the Chipmunks | 54

Accounting Services CG BOOKKEEPING

Copyright © 2014, South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

Associated Press

Cover “Harvey Milk Stamp”

Photo Courtesy: The Harvey Milk Foundation

• SUMMER 2014

Printing THE PRINTER’S PRINTER

The Mirror is published quarterly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor are those of the writers. They do not represent the opinions of The Mirror or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in The Mirror. Furthermore the word “gay” in The Mirror should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material that appears in The Mirror, both online at www.themirrormag.com, and in our print edition, including articles used in conjunction with the Associated Press and our columnists, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper.

Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher of The Mirror, Norm Kent, at Norm@ NormKent.com. The Mirror is published by the South Florida Gay News. It’s a private corporation, and reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

Coffee Table

2

Publisher NORM KENT norm.kent@sfgn.com Associate Publisher JASON PARSLEY jason.parsley@sfgn.com

Publisher’s Message | 3 Men Who Moisturize | 14 My Fabulous Disease | 30 - 31

From the Coffee Table book “A Thing of Beauty” featured on pages 38 - 39

2520 N. Dixie Highway | Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954.530.4970 Fax: 954.530.7943

David Vance

Florida Press Association National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association

Publisher’s Message Another Remarkable Year for Gay Life

Stop into our Wilton Manors branch and get ready to say...

Norm Kent

It’s so incredibly significant that Time magazine has put a transgender person on their cover in June, calling their challenge the ‘next civil rights battle.’

It’s just one more victory on the road we are traveling.

We who were all once deviants yesterday are now partners in tomorrow’s America.

Already this year, we are seeing federal court after federal court validating LGBT marriages. Not civil unions. Not domestic partnerships. We are witnessing a social affirmation of who we are. Not tolerance.

Not acceptance. Flat out equality.

Last month, President Obama nominated a gay ambassador to Vietnam. For this administration LGBT appointments are routine. Candidates for civil service are judged by the content of their character, not their sexuality. What was not routine was that the White House also saw to it that an openly gay man was commemorated on a U.S. Postage stamp. It’s but on the tiny corner of an envelope where the giants of American history reside.

On what would have been Harvey Milk’s 84th birthday, the slain San Francisco city supervisor was so honored. Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in the U.S., represents history on one hand, and hope on the other. His memory illuminates a past that cannot be forgotten. The Milk Foundation, today managed by Harvey’s nephew, Stuart Milk, illuminates the continuing need to still fight for global LGBT equality.

There is so much still to fight for. There are still countries on this globe that stone women and execute gays. There are still laws where laws discriminate and intolerance is tolerated. These obstacles stretch from Florida to the Far East.

In the last year, we have seen gays beaten and tortured in Russia, the same country that hosted the International Olympics. It’s illegal to be gay in Qatar, but that did not stop the World Cup from making that discriminatory venue the home of the 2022 World Cup. We have plenty of time to voice our protest against the continuing and unacceptable way gays and lesbians are treated in parts of our globe.

The LGBT community is growing in South Florida, but so is HIV amongst our youngest populations. The World AIDS Museum has opened in Wilton Manors, and it provides somber testimony to the past. Still, we have not arrested the pandemic. We still have cures to find and research to continue. We have seniors to care for and drug addictions to put an end to. There are still gay teens that are bullied and LGBT runaway youths in our communities.

The LGBT community should not be resting on its laurels. Our national organizations have to do more than throw muscle parties on beaches. As we grow, so too do our responsibilities emerge. There are elections to be won, and new candidates to support. Do your part to make a difference. Find your niche, whether mentoring a young student or volunteering at an HIV clinic. Be part of something that gives your life purpose and real meaning to the word pride.

It’s great that we can be proud to live in a philanthropic and thriving region of the world where the LGBT community prospers. Now let’s do something which makes that community proud of us.

We have our day in the sun every June, and we make it into one big festival and party. Stonewall was not a party. It was a riot, where gay men stood tall, forcefully revolting against the physical and social abuses that society wrongfully tolerated.

Stonewall was 1969, but it’s still 1969 somewhere. Don’t ever forget that. We made the cover of Time magazine in 2014, and we have a right to be proud. But there are still Stonewalls in the days ahead. Find yours.

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INTERNATIONAL

By David-Elijah Nahmod

W

“Israel wants to show that it’s one of the most progressive countries in the world.”

– Haya Shalom

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• SUMMER 2014

hen people think of Israel, images of violent conflict often come to mind. Founded in 1948 in the aftermath of the Holocaust, the country’s original purpose was to give the Jewish people a safe haven in their Biblical homeland. Israel’s Arab neighbors didn’t take too kindly to the new arrivals. And so many wars have been fought over that tiny strip of land.

Things have improved considerably in recent years. Though the conflict with Palestine has yet to be resolved, Israel has enjoyed a lasting peace with Egypt and Jordan, two of its immediate neighbors. Though parts of Jerusalem and small towns like Bnai Brak and Bet Shemesh remain strongholds of the conservative Ultra-Orthodox community, other parts of the country, like the beachfront city of Tel Aviv, have become an oasis of liberal tolerance and openness. Tel Aviv has in fact become one of the world’s gay meccas.

The Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, has undergone a sea change of it’s own. Israel can now boast about having some of the strongest federal LGBT equality laws in the world. It’s the only country in the Middle East to offer such benefits to its LGBT citizens.

Many Americans retain an outdated perception of Israel. In “LGBTQ Life In Israel: A Progressing Journey,” a short film produced

by Blue Star PR, interviewees in San Francisco’s Castro District assume that their Israeli counterparts live under the harsh umbrella of oppression. As the film progresses, we hear a different story from within Israel’s borders.

Blue Star PR is a non-profit public relations firm, which seeks to dispel the popular, if sometimes false myths people have about life in the Holy Land. Blue Star’s Write On for Israel Program affords young filmmakers an opportunity to make films which tell Israeli

stories. “LGBTQ Life in Israel” was produced as part of Write On For Israel.

Shai Doitch runs the Agudah, Israel’s primary LGBT advocacy group. “Things have changed dramatically,” he says in the film. “We’ve gone from being on the outside of Israeli society into the mainstream of society. But it’s like anywhere else in the world. As long as you go outside from the main city, it’s much harder to be gay.”

Haya Shalom, a lesbian volunteer organizer for Jerusalem Open House, the capital city’s community center, feels that the country has a long way to go. “Israel wants to show that it’s one of the most progressive countries in the world,” she said. “By law, yes, we have good laws. You cannot practice law unless society is educated and open.”

The film shares the story of Jonathan Danilowitz, a flight attendant for El Al Airlines.

Many years ago, Danilowitz filed suit so that his boyfriend could get spousal benefits. He won, and the floodgates were opened.

A national workplace anti-discrimination law, covering sexual and gender identity, went into effect in 2004. LGBT people have been able to serve openly in the Israeli army for twenty years.

Eyal Magen tells viewers that the Tel Aviv Pride Parade is now funded by Tel Aviv City Hall, with many leading politicians in attendance. This is an absolute first for the Middle East. Even the Orthodox have had to face the truth, with LGBT Orthodox Jews saying that they don’t want to give up their orthodoxy, or their homosexuality.

Israel isn’t perfect, but in the ultraconservative, war ravaged Middle East, it’s a beacon of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel.

For more information on “LGBTQ Life In Israel: A Progressing Journey,” go online to www. bluestarpr.com

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INTERNATIONAL

Fighting for LGBT Rights

in Guyana

By Denise Royal

G

uyana is one of the few Caribbean countries that is not an island. Still, homophobia is as rampant as sunshine in the country that is nestled between Venezuela and Suriname.

Guyana has recently been singled out as the only South American country bearing strong anti-gay legislation. Laws there make same-sex sexual acts illegal and are punishable by imprisonment — in some cases; gay sex is even punishable with a life sentence.

Zenita Nicholson is the Secretary for Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in Guyana, a human rights organization dedicated to achieving equality and justice for all Guyanese, especially those suffering discrimination based on their based sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

Nicholson says homophobia is ingrained in Guyana’s society. Simply walking the streets attracts insults, derogatory remarks, and threats.

Sometimes it even invokes strangers to pelt known or suspected homosexuals with bottles.

“I recall an incident where I was walking down the street in downtown Georgetown and suddenly I heard very derogatory remarks coming from behind me. I looked back and saw two young schoolgirls, no more than 15-years-old. At first I didn’t know it was me they were speaking to, as the comments did not make sense. ‘Aye yuh’ antiman,’ yes you yah’ bugga’ battie, you should be dead.’ I began looking around to see whom they were talking to since I am female. I looked back, and they said, ‘Yes, it’s you we talking to.’ That’s just one of many memorable discriminatory moments from the trip,” Nicholson recalled. “At that point I started walking faster because they were also walking faster and I was afraid. I walked faster, until I saw some taxi drivers who knew me and

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• SUMMER 2014

I stopped to talk with them. The girls went in another direction after they saw this.”

But the harassment didn’t stop there.

“Most recently, a female friend and I were walking down the road. There were about eight men sitting on the corner. As we passed, one said loudly, ‘Girl I would love to rub that bald head in bed.’ We kept walking, with no answer. He began following us while intensifying his advances. Then he said, ‘Well, wait, you doan’ like men, nah? Is girls you like, I could show you what you missing.’”

Despite these incidents there have been some signs that attitudes towards homosexuality in Guyana are progressing. But Nicholson says it’s not nearly enough. She has a list of initiatives she’d like put “on the books.”

1. Protection for LGBT people from all forms of discrimination and harassment so they can walk the streets without fear or feeling threatened.

2. Optimal healthcare for the LGBT community. To date, there are health care workers who are discriminatory in their manner and attitude towards LGBT people. As a result many LGBT people do not have access healthcare services.

3. Optimal education for the LGBT community. Many young LGBT persons drop

out of school due to homophobic bullying from both their peers and teachers. In higher learning institutions, homophobia is also prevalent, particularly for those who express their gender identity or cross dress.

4. Equal employment opportunities. Many LGBT persons are not being employed based on their gender identities and gender expressions, despite being qualified for the job.

5. Many LGBT persons suffer at the hands of landlords. Few persons are willing to rent LGBT persons an apartment or home regardless of their ability to pay. This results in LGBT people having to put up with the demands or inadequacies of the landlords who do rent to them since other welcoming places are hard to find.

6. Many LGBT people are often exploited by those who provide transportation services. Some taxi drivers demand double or triple fares for transportation, or threaten to leave them stranded on the road.

But, there are some reasons to be optimistic, Nicholson said.

“There are more conversations about LGBT rights and issues as compared to a few years ago.

There are many people such as the Roman Catholic bishop in Guyana who are speaking out against the discrimination and human rights abuses as well as Guyana’s archaic discriminatory laws,” Nicholson said. “LGBT rights are human rights. We are all entitled to same rights regardless of our differences including our sexual orientation, gender identities and gender expressions. Each one of us has an important role and responsibility in building an inclusive, supportive future with equal rights and justice for all. Let’s do it now.”

Visit www.sasod.org.gy for more information on gay rights in Guyana.

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NATIONAL

Family’s courageous fight to adopt transcends state borders; further highlights need for federal protection for gay adoption When William Sherr and his partner’s teenage son, Jared, was in kindergarten, his classmates just didn’t understand his drawing of his family.

With two stick figure daddies and no mommy to be found on the page, the other 5-year-olds were confused.

“I remember my son being very adamant in school that [his siblings] had two dads; they didn’t have a mother,” Sherr, a former kindergarten teacher himself, said. “A lot of kids back then were very confused by that.”

However, times have changed and now his daughter, 7, has a very different experience. Her classmates are unphased that she has two daddies, and that

other kids have two mommies, one parent, or a mommy and a daddy.

“It just shows the culture is getting more open and understanding it… it’s interesting to watch the evolution of acceptance of gay families,” he said.

Sherr is a board member on the Family Equality Council, based in Boston, and this is a welcome change for the agency. A voice for LGBT parents who want to expand their families through adoption, the council has gone to federal and state governments to pass adoption laws and to have same-sex relationships be recognized, promote safer school, access to healthcare, equality opportunities in the workplace and much more.

On the federal level, the council is working with 90 other agencies to promote the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which would remove laws that ban LGBT adoption.

“Family Equality is our voice,” said Gabriel Blau, executive director. “This is the organization that works to ensure that my family can live with dignity and safety.”

Blau and his husband, Dylan, adopted their 6-year-old son, Elijah, as a newborn in Illinois. Living in New York, they experienced a smooth adoption as both states allow gay couples to adopt.

“It was the best, most incredible, most important moment of our lives,” he said.

Florida, Mississippi and Utah explicitly outlaw gay individuals or couples from adopting, while the rest of the 47 states have different variations differing legal opinions,, according to the Liberty Counsel. Some states allow gay adoption while others allow one person to adopt as a single parent while denying second-parent adoption for gay couples.

Still, for Sherr and his partner, Dr. Estevan Garcia, a pediatrician, adoption didn’t come easily. They adopted Jared while living in Texas under Garcia’s

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• SUMMER 2014

name, but state law wouldn’t allow Sherr to be listed as the a second parent on the birth certificate.

“I was a nanny in a way,” Sherr said. “It was difficult and it was hard for people in Texas to understand that he wasn’t going to be my son.”

It wasn’t until they moved to Washington state that he was legally recognized as his father.

Since then, the two have adopted another boy, Miles, 11, and the “princess” of the family, 7-year-old Bette. Garcia grew up with four adopted siblings, so the two were eager to give other children homes. It was in Washington that they also were convinced to help even more by fostering high-risk children.

Altogether, the couple have fostered 20 children, all infants except for a 4-yearold and a second grader.

“There are plenty of kids who need homes,” Sherr said. “We were always very well liked by the foster care system, and so we never really faced any discrimination in that sense.”

Besides working at the legislative level, the Family Equality Council works directly with families. A new initiative has been working with families in the South, particularly Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. At the end of the year, a new, free clinic will be opening in Mississippi to help LGBT families.

Also, the council has partnered with Living in Limbo to create a documentary film, “State or Union,” to chronicle the struggles of lesbian families adopting.

With more states providing some sort of protection or laws in favor of gay adoption than not, the tides are changing for gay families. Culturally the change is evident; take for instance the hit television show “Modern Family” featuring a gay couple with an adopted daughter as a part of the main cast.

Mitchell, a high-strung lawyer, and Cameron, a free-spirited lover of musical theater and sports, adopt a baby from Vietnam and go through the motions of parenthood – searching madly for her missing stuffed rabbit, convincing her the Tooth Fairy didn’t mean to give her 100 dollars, and taking time for a date night.

“It shows a glimpse into life as a gay family, and it kind of shows that we’re all the same,” Sherr said. “There’s funny moments and there’s serious moments and we’re more similar than not.”

Domestically, there are hundreds of thousands of children waiting for someone to adopt them and the more rights gay couples are given, the more homes that can be given to children. According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, as of November 2013, over 300 thousand children were in foster care and 100 thousand plus were waiting to be adopted. “[I hope] the kids in foster care that are sitting there, looking for a forever home, are going to be able to go to a forever home no matter what the family dynamic or make up looks like,” Sherr said.

Visit FamilyEquality.org to learn more about the Family Equality Council.

SUMMER 2014 •

9

FEATURE

A Look at Crystal Meth

By John McDonald

T

hey know the effects. They’ve seen the damage. And enough and is enough.

Community leaders and health care professionals in South Florida’s gay community are joining forces to fight an old enemy — Crystal Meth. Recently on top of the Conrad Hotel in Fort Lauderdale Beach, members of SunServe’s Guardian Circle raised $10,000 in a matter of minutes to stop the rise of what some in America feel is an epidemic.

“It’s a horrible drug and we all know someone who has been ravaged by it,” said Mark Ketchum, SunServe’s executive director.

SunServe, South Florida’s largest social services agency for the LGBT community, is the fiscal agent for the group No More Meth, which aims to “conquer and combat” the drug’s resurgence, said group member Dr. Joel Kaufman.

“It sounds like it is coming back with a vengeance,” said Kaufman, a psychologist, who has seen firsthand the horrors of meth use.

“Your brain is truly hijacked on this drug. There’s nothing in this drug that is not toxic. It’s loaded with battery acid and all sorts of other harmful things.”

Meth is short for Methamphetamine and goes by many names on the street – crystal meth, Tina, ice, glass – but its effects are all the same. The drug, whether injected intravenously (slamming) or snorted, gives users an enormous high.

Mark S. King, a gay blogger and AIDS advocate, has written candidly about his addiction to meth.

“There is something unique about the drug’s mystique as a sexual liberator that appeals to men who are so often judged by their sexuality,” King writes. “Just as I once did, countless men are abandoning their relationships, their careers and their personal dignity in pursuit of the insidious thrill the drug promises but never delivers.”

Such risky behavior is what concerns many social workers.

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• SUMMER 2014

“Methampetamine causes the brain to release a torrent of dopamine,” said Dr. David Fawcett, a clinical hypnotherapist who writes about meth and gay men for the HIV/AIDS website TheBody.com.

Fawcett said meth has been around a long time, was once known as speed, and is very popular in rural areas.

“Crystal meth anonymous meetings are overflowing right now,” he said.

No More Meth has been active in the fight for the past 12 years. The group, like the drug, has gone by other names with the same mission.

“Our task is to provide resources for health and wellness,” said Kaufman.

And it’s a difficult task.

Kaufman said it’s important to not hit gay men with what he calls “scare tactics” to keep them away from meth. Gay men, he said, are already battling many other stigmas and to throw at them images of rotting teeth, hair loss and drastic wasting would not be the best approach.

“Gay men are tired of hearing they are bad,” Kaufman said.

Fawcett agreed, adding, “Gay men carry a lot of layers of stigma and shame. Scaring them doesn’t do any good. It’s more about getting them to handle the cravings.”

One website is seeking to do just that.

Tweaker.org, a San Francisco based website, is in operation to provide helpful information about the gay meth lifestyle without any heavy handed condemnation.

Tweaker.org acknowledges the open secret that gay men are using crystal meth and is very frank in its analysis while providing ample tools and resources for those seeking to curb or stop their use.

“We keep Tweaker.org going because a lot of us make potentially dangerous choices while we’re high on speed,” the website states in its welcoming

introduction. “A lot of the choices that we make while we’re high come with results that we didn’t think about or didn’t want to think about.”

Aside from research, other solutions, Kaufman proposed, would be initiating a series of town hall style discussions with health care professionals and law enforcement, many of whom are on the front lines of this growing problem.

Fawcett agreed, noting the demographic he sees most affected among gay men is those ages 40 to 50.

“They are experiencing issues of aging,” he said.

“They do not feel as attractive anymore and meth gives them energy and self-confidence. There’s also a huge sexual component to it.”

The sexual component, Fawcett said, leads to risky behavior and ultimately contraction of diseases like HIV. “A lot of [people] in the community are tired of seeing their friends crashing and burning,” Fawcett said.

And that’s where SunServe is there to help.

The Guardian Circle’s fundraising effort was a big wakeup call for the community.

“Mark [Ketchum] is the epitome of a great leader,” Kaufman said. “When we came to him for help after hearing about meth’s resurgence, he said we’ll find some way to make it happen and they did.”

For More Information: Crystal Meth Anonymous www.CrystalMeth.org South Florida CMA www.SouthFloridaCMA.org SunServe www.SunServe.org

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11

FEATURE Exploring the rise of ‘manscaping’ and its relation to the evolution of a gay friendly society

By Pier Angelo

“Gay men provided the early prototype for metrosexuality by pioneering the business of accessorizing and combining masculinity with desirability.”

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Traditional definitions of masculinity have experienced a real shake up in the last two decades.

The metrosexual, a straight man meticulous about his grooming and appearance — with David Beckham as its poster child — came first, followed by men coming out as bisexuals and more recently by the “Yummies” or Young Urban Males. They are the twenty or thirty somethings that, for lack of other life projects, spend most of their money embracing customs and attitudes once deemed the province of women: pedicures, facials, manicures, aromatherapy, eyebrow waxing, expensive haircuts and clothing.

Traditional masculine norms have always included avoidance of femininity, restricted emotions, sex disconnected from intimacy, endless pursuit of achievement and status, self reliance, strength, aggression and, of course, homophobia. “Real” men believe they are not supposed to take interest in their appearance apart from being clean and adequately clothed. They often turn to self-deprecation or embarrassment should anyone make a favorable remark about their looks. In our culture, masculinity is a form of sexuality that it is much cruder, simpler and more binary than its female counterpart. It’s hopelessly defensive, almost an ideal of racial purity. Most straight men are incapable of transcending traditional sexual categories.

Surging tolerance for homosexuality is, albeit slowly, changing all that.

Gay men provided the early prototype for metrosexuality by pioneering the business of accessorizing and combining masculinity with desirability. Shows such as “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” “Will & Grace” and “Queer as Folk” have redefined traditional masculine norms. Men’s fashion magazines like Details, Men’s Vogue, GQ to name a few, go after what their editors call “men who moisturize.”

This has been a bonanza for manufacturers of grooming and care products.

Hair serums, exfoliating scrubs and eye creams are reaching a wider male audience. Even the most feminine obsession of the last twenty years, Botox, has crossed over to men. In the U.S. alone, Botox treatments for men have seen an increase of 300 percent in the last ten years with an increase of 6 million treatments in 2013 alone.

Researchers say that global sales of male toiletries other than razors and shaving creams will rise 5 percent next year to almost $18 billion. These companies have been able to convince men to pay attention to their looks by stressing the fact that their skin is thicker, tougher and oilier, hence in need of more specialized products. These men are targeted with words such as “resolutely masculine” or “modern and timeless.” L’Oreal, one time the kingdom of women, now appeals to half of American men over 18 who use the brand’s moisturizers, facial cleaners or self tanners as part of their daily routine.

A great shave at one of Manhattan’s high-end Fellow Barbers costs $40, an old tradition that is finding a new space, and many men think it’s worth every penny.

Urban gay enclaves have always been dotted with beauty farms, look around Wilton Manors for example, now these establishments are branching out.

A membership men’s salon, with a safe “butch” name, Kennedy’s All-American Barber Club, recently opened in Boca Raton. Its concept is to make male customers feel comfortable, not just for haircuts but for manicures, pedicures, back waxing and facials. Complimentary beverages, shaving products that make you think beyond your razor, and other amenities, are available for men who want to be pampered.

And even though a good part of straight society might still see this trend as a rest stop on the “highway to homo” its sociological impact in the long run can only be positive. It’s a form of gender integration and subtle revolution without political overtones.

The concept of what’s accepted as “masculine” will continue to shift and become more fluid, styles and behaviors which were always an integral part of the woman’s domain are being absorbed by its male counterpart at an increasing rate.

Finally, even bullies who make fun of other boys if they step just a little outside of the rigid masculine stereotype will mercifully become a thing of the past.

SUMMER 2014 •

13

HISTORY

10 of Gay Rights’ Biggest Defeats It hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows

By Jason Parsley In the past few years the LGBT community has seen a string of victories from the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the Supreme Court case overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, to voters approving gay marriage in three states at the ballot box and a sitting president coming out in favor of marriage equality.

But sometimes we forget that it took a lot defeats to get to those victories. In this article The Mirror takes a look back at gay rights’ biggest defeats.

was a part of the “Lavender Scare” and would be used to fire gays and lesbians for decades to come.

The policy wasn’t officially rescinded until President Bill Clinton did so in 1995 with Executive Order 12968, which included an antidiscrimination statement that reads: “The United States Government does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation in granting access to classified information.”

The Lavender Scare

Anita Bryant Wages Successful Campaign to Repeal Pro-Gay Rights Ordinance

The Lavender Scare refers to the persecution of gays and lesbians in 1950s and is related to the anti-communist campaign known as McCarthyism, named after Senator Joe McCarty. While McCarthyism is very well known, a lesser-known element of his campaign targeted gays and lesbians, and during this time thousands of federal employees lost their jobs.

At the time the psychiatric community also regarded homosexuality as a mental illness, and because of that some believed they were considered susceptible to blackmail (especially from communists), thus constituting a security risk.

APA Lists Homosexuality as a ‘Sociopathic Personality Disturbance’ Disorder

Homosexuality was first defined as a mental illness in the 1930s but it wasn’t until 1952 that the American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a sociopathic personality disturbance in its first publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). That report included a category called sexual deviation as a subtype of sociopathic personality disturbance. The second publication of the DSM in 1968 continued to list homosexuality as a disorder and formally gave the “disease” its own code — 302.0.

Many professionals were always critical of the listing due to a lack of empirical and scientific data. In 1973 the board of the American Psychiatric Association finally voted to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses.

Gays Banned from Working for Federal Government

President Dwight Eisenhower formally signed Executive Order 10450 in 1953, banning homosexuals from working for the federal government or any of its private contractors. Here’s an excerpt: “Any criminal, infamous, dishonest, immoral, or notoriously disgraceful conduct, habitual use of intoxicants to excess, drug addiction, or sexual perversion.” The order

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Singer and spokeswoman for Florida’s orange juice industry Anita Bryant led a successful crusade called “Save Our Children” repealing a gay rights ordinance in Dade County in 1977. Bryant faced severe backlash from gay rights supporters across the U.S. and many gay bars boycotted orange juice in their establishments.

The ordinance was finally reinstated on December 1, 1998, more than 20 years after the campaign.

Supreme Court Upholds Sodomy Laws

The Supreme Court decision, Bowers v.

Hardwick, upheld the constitutionality of a Georgia sodomy law criminalizing oral and anal sex in private between consenting adults when applied to homosexuals. It was a huge setback to the gay rights movement. The Supreme Court completely reversed their decision in 2003 in Lawrence v. Texas, which invalidated a similar Texas sodomy law.

Court Rules Gays Can be Denied Security Clearance

High Tech Gays, a social organization for gays in the high tech industry, challenged, in 1984, the Department of Defense’s long standing policy of not giving security clearances to applicants who were known, or thought to be, homosexual. The group won in district court but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals later reversed the decision citing Bowers v. Hardwick.

‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ Enacted The Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy was introduced as a compromise in 1993 by President Bill Clinton who campaigned in 1992 on the promise to allow all citizens to serve in the military regardless of sexual orientation.

DADT prohibited military personnel from harassing or discriminating against gay and lesbian service members as long

as they stayed in the closet. Before DADT all service members had to check off a box that stated they were not homosexual. With DADT that question was removed. The policy, however, turned out to be disaster with more gays and lesbians being discharged because of their sexual orientation than before DADT. DADT was ruled unconstitutional in federal court in 2010, but that point became moot when the policy was finally repealed by congress and signed into law by the president on December 22, 2010.

Defense of Marriage Act Becomes Law

In 1996, both houses of congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act with a veto proof majority and President Bill Clinton signed it into law. The law barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage and defined marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. It also stated that no state can be forced to recognize a same-sex marriage from another state. The first part of that was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013 with United States v. Windsor. The second part has since been ruled unconstitutional by several lower courts.

Anti-Gay Marriage Fervor Sweeps Nation

In 2004 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the state must recognize same-sex marriage making it state the first in the nation to do so.

And while that was a historic victory, 2004 is more known for the long string of defeats when 13 states formally banned gay marriage including Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, Oklahoma, and Michigan. Voters easily passed the bans across the county with the highest margin being 86 percent in Mississippi and lowest margin being 57 percent in Oregon.

California Voters Approve Prop 8 Banning Gay Marriage

California has had a complicated history in regards to same-sex marriage. In 2008 the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality. The anti-gay forces though quickly rallied together getting enough signatures to put the issue up for a vote later that year.

And in November the voters approved (52.24 percent) Proposition 8 making gay marriage illegal.

The loss was a blow, especially in liberal California. But when the law was challenged in federal court it was ruled unconstitutional and set the stage for a potentially historic Supreme Court decision. In the end the lower court’s decision was upheld on a technicality in 2013 making gay marriage in the state once again legal.

SUMMER 2014 •

15

HISTORY

sed u c o f t n veme o m s t h g TV ri n y o a t g e y g l r Ea s to

By Christiana Lilly ON stunt

I

t was 1973 and Mark Segal was sitting in the CBS studios watching America’s most trusted newsman, Walter Cronkite, conduct the evening news live. A journalism student, Segal was given a pass into the tiny studio to learn more about broadcast — but he had much more planned that night.

With a single camera pointed at Cronkite, Segal quietly walked onto the stage after a commercial break, sat on the broadcaster’s desk, and held up a sign for all of America to see: GAYS PROTEST CBS PREJUDICE. Needless to say, CBS went black, Segal was wrestled to the floor, and tied up with wires before being taken into a back room.

“America got to hear there was a gay rights movement,” Segal said. “The following morning, we were in most American newspapers.”

And that’s exactly what he wanted. Segal and his Gay Raiders participated in scores of actions like the one at CBS, called “zaps.” With the media largely ignoring the gay community or reporting on it with a negative slant, gay groups worked to get onto the news in various zaps.

For Segal, this included handcuffing himself to a news camera, to the Liberty Bell, or locking his neck around the doors of the United Way building.

“If the media wasn’t going to cover us, we were going to bash them, or in my case, zap it,” Segal said. “We were about, ‘In your face motherfucker!’”

Zaps were a popular means to getting onto the news, and the women’s liberation movement as well as other activists in the tumultuous ‘60s and ‘70s used it successfully.

“The zaps really were just one example of the kind of political action that occurred in the late 1960s in protest against the war, in protest against drug laws,” said Florida Atlantic University Professor Fred Fejes, who specializes in the LGBT community and media. “The whole action was organized around getting the media to pay attention to it.”

Richard Wandel came out at 24 and left

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behind his goal of becoming a priest. Instead, he would become a member of the Gay Activist Alliance.

Growing up in Queens, Wandel saw the discrimination against gays. On top of applications for housing or employment, people would write “HCF” — high class fairy. Anyone who looked gay walking through Times Square would be harassed and arrested, especially during election years when politicians vowed to “clean up Times Square.”

Walking home one day, Wandel encountered a demonstration that was organized at the square and decided to join in, including marching down to Greenwich Village. The march ended in a small riot.

“The police would retaliate by picking some small person in the front and beating the shit out of them,” he said. “It gave me a real sense that something had to be done.”

He became the president of the Gay Activists Alliance, participating in multiple zaps.

The alliance hounded New York Mayor John Lindsay, who was running for president, and his wife at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera season in 1970, shouting gay slogans and demanding that he take a public stance on gay rights. They also disrupted the taping of his weekly television program, “With Mayor Lindsay.”

The GAA also invaded ABC’s headquarters after a series of homophobic episodes on “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” including one that equated pedophilia to homosexuality.

In 1971, they picketed and conducted a sit-in at the Fidelifacts building — a private investigative agency that outed gays, the president claiming “If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it’s a duck.” So an alliance member dressed in a duck costume in front of the office, ridiculing Fidelifacts and making it onto the news.

“We liked humor, but the aim of course is to be on the news, that’s the whole point here,” Wandel said. “You’ve got to get on the 6 o’clock news.”

Wandel was arrested four times as a result of the zaps.

After Segal, who zapped Cronkite, was arrested, he bailed out and went to court a month later. During a break in the trial, Segal stepped outside with his lawyer when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Walter Cronkite.

The two talked about the bias in CBS’s reporting, with Segal giving multiple examples, such as the underreporting of gay rights legislation, that Cronkite refuted. Even so, the next week, Cronkite pulled up a map of the United States and listed off the dozens of cities that had recently passed gay rights protections.

Segal was found guilty of trespassing and fined $200. Even after their odd encounter, the two remained friends.

“Until his dying day he would never admit that he was wrong,” Segal laughed.

And the zaps didn’t stop.

Later, Segal used an ABC gold pass to interrupt taping of about eight television shows, allegedly costing $785,000 in tape delays, about $1 million today.

“More than half the game is how the media represents [you], and so they found that in terms of political awareness and political action that a fair amount of the action has to be directed at the media,” Fejes said of the zaps.

Today, Segal is living in Philadelphia, his hometown, where he is the founding editor of the Philadelphia Gay News. Wandel is still in New York City, running the LGBT Community Center National History Archives, which he founded 24 years ago.

Two fighters in the revolution for gay rights, the two continue their advocacy by telling their stories and living through times where issues such as gay marriage and serving in the military were things they could never imagine.

“It was an awful lot of fun,” Wandel said. “I’m very proud to have been a part of this, to say the least.”

SUMMER 2014 •

17

HISTORY

These 10 Folks Were Executed For Being Gay

H

omosexuality was once considered a normal part of life — especially in ancient Greece. But in modern times gays and lesbians have had it rough. Thankfully it’s not a crime anymore in the U.S. but in some parts of the world, it’s not only a crime, but is still punishable by death. For the most part though, those laws aren’t used to execute LGBT people.

In this article The Mirror takes a look back the history LGBT executions and highlights some of the more notable ones.

By Jason Parsley of having seduced one of his students to have him condemned to death for sodomy and beheaded on 9 July 1550; his body was then burned at the stake.”

Mervyn Tuchet (a.k.a. Touchet), (1593–1631) –

Was a knife maker and is the earliest recorded gay person executed for being gay.

According to historian Byrne Fone, in his book “Homophobia,” he wrote: “In 1292 John de Wettre, a knifemaker, was executed for sodomy in Ghent, burned alive for engaging with another man in an act ‘detested

by God.’ This is the earliest known execution for that act. We don’t know whether the other man was a lover or a passing stranger, whether the act was habitual or unique. All that we can know about John de Wettre is how his age defined him as it burned him — in Pope Gregory’s words, an ‘abominable’ person whom ‘the world despises.’”

Was the 2nd Earl of Castlehaven and in a tale fit for a soap opera was accused of not only sodomy but as well as accused of helping his manservant rape the Earl’s own wife.

According to Executed Today: “Convicted of rape and sodomy by a jury of his aristocratic peers, his crimes were alleged to have taken place under his roof and against members of his own family. While all of the witnesses against Touchet stood to gain materially from his death and various household servants did present evidence which contradicted that of his wife and son (who testified against him)… The results of this inquiry, conducted by the Privy Council, revealed abominable crimes, in particular rape and sodomy. On April 25, 1631, the Earl was put on trial, charged with committing sodomy with a servant and assisting another servant, Giles Broadway, with the rape of his own wife.”

In addition the Earl’s manservant was also executed for sodomy. “[Lawrence] Fitzpatrick copped to having sexual relations with the Earl — but crucially claimed that those acts had not entailed actual penetration.”

Giovanni di Giovanni (1350–1365) –

John Atherton (1598–1640) –

John de Wettre (1292) –

Was a 15 year old Italian boy charged with being “a public and notorious passive sodomite” and is credited with being the youngest person ever executed for being gay.

According to Michael Rocke in his book “Forbidden Friendships: Homosexuality and Male Culture in Renaissance Florence” he wrote: “His sentence unusually labels Giovanni himself a ‘public and notorious passive sodomite,’ and for this reason the podesta inflicted on him an exemplary and barbaric punishment. After being paraded on an ass to the ‘place of justice’ outside the city walls past the Franciscan basilica of Santa Croce, he was to be publicly castrated. Then, so that he would be punished ‘in that part of his body where he allowed himself to be known in sodomitical practice,” he was to be mutilated between his thighs with a red hot iron.”

Jacopo Bonfadio (1508–1550) –

Was an Italian humanist, historian and official historian of the Republic of Genoa (modern day Italy).

According to Robert Aldrich and Garry Wotherspoon in their book “Who’s who in Gay and Lesbian History: From Antiquity to World War II” they wrote: “He wrote a meticulous history of Genoa from 1528 to his own time, but his integrity in researching historical ‘truth’ had fatal consequences.

According to the most reliable reconstruction of events, several powerful families, who did not appreciate the way in which Bonfadio had written about them, took advantage of the fact that the historian had been accused

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Was the Anglican Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in the Church of Ireland. In a particularly ironic case, Atherton was executed under a law he helped institute.

According to David Norris, an Irish scholar and gay rights activist: “For in the 1630s a man called John Atherton, Lord Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, who had spotted a gap in the sodomy laws which meant that for technical reasons this vicious apparatus of persecution had not yet been extended to Ireland, engaged in a ‘Save Ireland from Sodomy Campaign.’ In doing so he was anticipating by several hundred years the inane activities of the Rev. Ian Paisley and similarly targeting as scapegoat a vulnerable group.

He was successful in the short term. But he was all too human, all too frail and his frailties were known to his enemies. As a result Atherton a former sub Dean of Christ Church Cathedral passed by this ancient building with the Cathedral bells tolling solemnly on his way to the scaffold on Gallows Green, where on the 5th of December 1640 he was hanged by the neck until dead as a result of the conviction of both himself and his Tithe Proctor John Childes on a charge of buggery.”

Lisbetha Olsdotter (died 1679) –

Was a Swedish cross-dresser and early female soldier (disguised as a man).

According to GLBT-contributions.com: “[Lisbetha Olsdotter] was executed on a number of different charges after having dressed as a man, serving as a soldier and marrying a woman. She was judged guilty of the charges under the law of the act of religion from 1655;

for having, with full intent, ‘mutilated’ her gender, ‘mocked God and the Order of God,’ and fooled authorities and her ‘fellow Christians’ by impersonating a man. Due to the unusual nature of the case it was sent to the Royal Court for review. On November 12, 1679 the Royal Court confirmed the verdict and it was decided that she would go to her execution in male clothing but wearing female headdress. She was decapitated on Hötorget (Haymarket square) in Stockholm.”

James (sometimes John) Pratt & John Smith –

Were two London men who, in November 1835, became the last two to be executed for sodomy in England.

According to Executed Today: “[James Pratt and John Smith] were hanged outside Newgate Prison for (in the exhausting fulminations of the Old Bailey trial records) ‘feloniously, wickedly, diabolically, and against the order of nature, carnally … commit and perpetrated the detestable, horrid, and abominable crime (among Christians not to be named) called buggery.”

Richard William Cornish –

Was a ship’s master in 1625 and punished for his crimes in the thencolony of Virginia.

According to OutHistory.org: “Richard Cornish was executed in the Virginia Colony for an alleged sexual attack on one of his male stewards, a crime that Cornish’s brother later denied. One witness claimed: ‘The Master would have buggered’ the steward. Cornish’s brother said his relative was “hanged for a rascally boy wrongfully. The Council and General Court that executed Richard Cornish was the ruling body of the Virginia Colony.”

William Plane (sometimes Plaine) (1646) –

Was an early American colonist and resident of Guilford in the colony of New Haven.

According to OutHistory.org: “The charges were that Plaine, though ‘a married man ... had committed sodomy with two persons in England,’ and ‘had corrupted a great part of the youth of Guilford by masturbations ... above a hundred times.’ When asked about such ‘filthy practice,’ Plaine ‘did insinuate seeds of atheism, questioning whether there was a God.’ [John] Winthrop reported in his journal that Governor Eaton of the New Haven Colony had written to the governor of the Massachusetts Colony seeking the magistrates’ and church elders’ advice about Plaine’s punishment. All agreed that he ‘ought to die,’ giving different reasons ‘from the word of God.’ Winthrop added: ‘indeed it was horrendum facinus [a dreadful crime], and he a monster in human shape ... and it tended to the frustrating of the ordinance of marriage and the hindering the generation of mankind.’ Winthrop’s reasons for considering Plaine’s activities so wicked, their alleged anti-marriage, anti-procreative effects, summarized two main Puritan objections to sodomy.”

SUMMER 2014 •

19

COLUMN

BY THE BI

Finding the B in LGBT History

By Faith Cheltenham Lani Ka’ahumanu, BiNet USA co-founder and leader in the bi movement for almost 35 years, turned 70 last October. Lani’s list of accomplishments is exhaustive: • 1983 – Co-founded BiPOL, the first and oldest bisexual feminist political action group.

• 1987 - Co-founded the Bay Area Bisexual Network, the oldest and largest bisexual group in the San Francisco Bay Area.

• 1987 - “The Bisexual Community: Are We Visible Yet?” by Lani Ka’ahumanu is included in the official Civil Disobedience Handbook for the 1987 March On Washington For Gay and Lesbian Rights.

• 1989 - First bisexual appointed to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.

• 1990 - Co-organized with Autumn Courtney the First National Bisexual Conference, which lead to the organizing of BiNet USA. • 1991 - Co-editor with Loraine Hutchins of “Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out,” the seminal book on the history of the modern bi rights movement.

• 1993 - Spoke at the rally of the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation.

• 1992-2004 - Worked nationally on HIV prevention and education with organizations like AIDS LIFE Lobby and Institute, National Gay Lesbian Health Association, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

As a bisexual elder, Lani now has the extreme (dis) privilege of witnessing what bisexual erasure looks like over decades. In the new BiNet USA Bisexual Media Guide, we define “bisexual erasure” as “the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or re-explain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, news media and other primary sources.” These days, bi erasure is big business, both nationally and internationally. The consistent effort to discredit bisexual contributions in LGBT history often presents itself in one of two ways: • Erasure of bisexual people by just not mentioning them at all.

• Erasure of bisexual people by incorrectly identifying them as gay, lesbian, or heterosexual.

This common form of bisexual erasure is also called “misorientation” and occurs when bisexual people are incorrectly identified as gay, lesbian or straight using current or previous relationship status instead of personal identification.

Bi erasure often is rooted in biphobia, the fear or dislike of bisexual people. Biphobia differs from homophobia in the central fact that most bi people encounter strong biphobia/erasure in gay and lesbian spaces, and then turn to find homophobia in

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heterosexual or straight spaces. Nowhere is this truer than the history of the LGBT movement, for many bisexual people have suffered the indignity of having their contributions erased and their community needs minimized. For example, Heritage of Pride, the organizers of 2014 NYC Pride, edited out Brenda Howard, “The Mother of Pride” from historical photos on their website. They followed it up with an announcement that they had chosen a lesbian, a gay man and a transgender woman to represent the LGBT community at the NYC Pride Festival this June. In

Australia, the Shout Film Festival renamed their event to the “Lesbian, Gay and Transgender” film festival because as they stated on Twitter, “biphobia is part of homophobia.”

The Rockway Institute, named after Alan Rockway, a founding member of the bisexual movement, even neglects to identify Rockway as bisexual, only calling him, “a pioneering psychologist who helped write and defend the first lesbian and gay employment nondiscrimination ordinance.”

Bisexual punk legend Stephen Donaldson founded the first gay student organization, the Student Homophile League, at Columbia University in 1969, but these days Columbia University calls “Donny the Punk” a lifelong gay activist. Biphobia and bi erasure support each other, as Dr. Herukhuti, bisexual sociologist, wrote recently on Bilerico.com, “By selecting which loved ones and sexual partners in someone’s life are worthy of being recognized, bi erasure is a violent amputation of a person’s chosen family and community.”

LGBT history could not have been written without us, but too many bisexual icons are stripped of their identity and become someone else’s role model, instead of our own.

George Santayana is quoted as saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Santayana also spoke to the larger issue of political memory saying, “Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual.”

As “among savages” stuck out to me, not only because of Santayana’s ignorance of oral history traditions for indigenous peoples, but also because of a recent quote from gay author and pundit, Dan Savage.

Earlier this year, in response to calls for him to re-frame his conversations about bisexual people, Savage said: “The main image for the 1987 March on Washington was a banner that read ‘Come Out, Come Out, Where Ever You Are.’ Harvey Milk exhorted closeted gay people to come out while pointing out that closeted gay people, by remaining closeted, were complicit in their own oppression and the oppression of out gay and lesbians. If exhorting closeted bis to come out is biphobic, then Harvey Milk was homophobic.”

Dan Savage and others consistently erase the history of bisexual people in the gay rights movement.

What’s the cost of erasing Lani’s contribution to the 1987 March on Washington, or 35 years of activism?

Bisexual lives, pure and simple. Bisexuals now report higher rates of suicide, cancer, smoking, depression, and sexual assault than our gay, lesbian or straight peers. Just last month the federal government launched www.NotAlone.gov and provided stats about sexual assault for LGBT people. 25 percent of transgender people report being sexually assaulted after the age of 13, while 46 percent of bisexual women report being raped in adulthood.

Lani recently coined a new term, “callous disregard” after attending a 2013 LGBT Elder Training conference where bisexual community issues like bi suicide, bi poverty and bi sexual assault weren’t mentioned even once. In 1987, she authored “The Bisexual Community: Are We Visible Yet?” for publication in the 1987 March on Washington’s official “Civil Disobedience Handbook.” Twenty-seven years later we are still here, demanding bisexuals be identified with pride.

Originally from San Luis Obispo, California, Faith Cheltenham is the current President of BiNet USA, a national non-profit advocacy organization for bi people. Faith’s been an LGBT activist for 15 years and is also an accomplished writer, poet, and stand-up comic. Faith is mom to two-year-old Storm, step-mom to six-yearold Cadence, and wife to Matt in a very modern family in Los Angeles.

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21

LIFESTYLE

Bears, Otters and Wolves... Oh my!

Stereotypes and discrimination within our community My friend and I were recently sitting at the bar hanging out. The topic of bears vs. cubs came up and I had to explain that I am not nearly as big as a bear, nor am I old enough to be a bear, so I suppose I fit more into the cub category because I do have a furry chest.

“What am I?” he asked. So we began to narrow down the list of possible options. My friend is too old to be considered a twink or cub, not large enough to be a bear, not muscular enough to be a muscle-bear, and not hairy enough to be an otter or a wolf.

“What is he?” we pondered. A guy sitting at the bar next us blurted out laughing, “He’s just a regular old fag!”

The expression on my friend’s face said it all. He was angry and hurt that there is nothing better in the gay list of stereotypes to call him, other than a “fag.” That got us thinking: “is this a form of discrimination?”

It’s always nice to wrap people up into one little package, so we can quickly tell who we are dealing with. It makes sense to categorize people, however few of us fit just one category.

For many of us, the term “bear” evokes thoughts of cute and cuddly toys, or of our favorite characters from our childhood; Winnie, Yogi (and Boo Boo). However, for others it invokes a different mental image.

According to UrbanDictionary.com, the term “bear” is defined as “a husky, large man, with a lot of body hair.” Throw in a flannel shirt and you might think of the “Brawny” man.

How much more superficial can we be?

So what happens if you don’t fit into just one clique? Well, the muscle bears won’t talk to you if you don’t work out at their gym. If you aren’t fat enough to be a bear, you’re not invited to any of their chili cook-offs or pool parties. And if you are over 30, even if you look younger, you ain’t a twink no more!

As in every group, there are subgroups in case you are not up to the physical standards of one particular group. If you aren’t heavy enough, big enough, old enough, then you’re in luck; you might be a cub, an otter, or a wolf.

There is prejudice and age discrimination going on in our community and it’s covered up by what we like to think as just “sexual preferences.”

Personally, I prefer to hook up with guys with hairy bodies and facial hair.

You can look through many online profiles and you see a lot of negativity out there. Many of them state their requirements. You must be this tall, under this weight, above this age, this big below the belt, and if you aren’t,

22

By Dave Griffiths

don’t even consider contacting me; a response won’t be forthcoming!

Here is where the entire spectrum of cuteness becomes a little more clouded and the lines of racism begin to blur. A Koala bear is a gay man of Australian descent. A polar bear is an older bear with white hair.

Sure, these are still physical characteristics to define someone. It makes it easy for us to classify people. However, an Asian man, who may be portly, but doesn’t necessarily have to be hairy, is called a Panda bear and a large African-American man is known as…you guessed it… a Black bear.

So where is the line between sexual preferences and racism or discrimination? Is it alright for me to say “I am not into pocket bears,” because I am not into short guys. But if I were to say, “I don’t want to date a Black Bear or a Panda,” is that still OK? It used to be that gay men could tell each other apart from our straight counterparts by their eyes. Cruising used to be more about eye contact than the body aesthetic. In today’s world, we have become picky and complacent. With all of the options out there, gay bars where you can meet people, apps in the palm of your hands, which can find someone within fifty feet, eye contact isn’t necessary any longer. So yes, we have our preferences. We discriminate against those who aren’t our “type.”

Contrary to what many people believe, all gay men are not the same.

We don’t all enjoy Broadway shows, the latest fashions, or walk with a sashay and talk with a lisp. Some gay men actually enjoy getting dirty in the yard, watch sporting events, and don’t run away from manual labor.

Our gay male culture is actually a cornucopia of men with different tastes, interests, and body types. To believe that every single person within any particular culture is representative of the culture as a whole is not only ridiculous, but also illogical.

So I propose that instead of using these physical characteristics to determine categories for us to fit into, let’s change the way we look at each other and propose new terminology. Forget about using the terms twink, bear, circuit queens, or even an “Ursula” which is a female version of a bear (Named after the evil witch in “The Little Mermaid”) Let’s stop describing each other visually and start describing each other by what is truly important. “He is a caring, loving, professional, hard-working, talented, and dedicated person,” will tell you more about a person than what he is wearing, how hairy, or how much he weighs.

So once again my friend and I were propping up the bar in our usual spot when he said, “Gosh, look at those two miserable old queers across the bar.” I replied, “That’s a mirror.”

I asked several of my friends, “Do we really need all of these names to classify each other? Why can’t we all just BE?” These are their responses: “Well I like being a bear. I am not sure I am a cub anymore, and I can’t wait to be a daddy! So I suppose it helps me work out what I am at what age?”

• David Goodman – Publisher, Bear World Magazine, BearWorldMagazine.com “Yes, everything needs a label!”

• Dominique Robbins – Writer, Musician & Marketing Manager, KWER.fm “Stereotypes. We all seem to need to feel like we are part of something, like we really belong. Although it may seem ridiculous to be classified by animals like bear, cub, or otter, I think they are actually easy images to grab onto. The fact that there are so many subcultures popping up within the community shows the need to feel special. Like we really matter; the individual within the collective. It may seem like a contradiction, but it does make sense to me.

It’s funny yet at the same time, a very human need. I am considered a bear. I smile and say thank you. I guess it’s better than being referred to as an aardvark.”

• Daniel Bergmann – Publisher, Atlanta’s Pocket Rocket Guide, PocketRocketGuide.com “Do we really need them? I don’t know if they are needed, but they are a quick way to dial-in and describe a bear or/preference. My only concern with the labels for bears is if they become derogatory in the least bit. Does that answer your question, you hot little ginger otter?”

• Doug Strahm – Musician & Singer/Songwriter, DougStrahm.com “I couldn’t agree more! Labels never define anyone.”

• Rick Copp – Author/Actor, “Where the Bears Are” Web Series, WhereTheBearsAre.tv “When the community first started it was a cute way to describe the different types of men in the bear community. Based on size, shape or age. You had Mr. Bear this contest and Mr. Cub that contest. People found comfort in finding the group they belonged to. But then magazines started to show you what a bear was and it wasn’t always what you thought a bear to be. Then they created chubs, so it was another group within the bear communit, and I think that was when the divide started. People started to feel that big guys didn’t fit the “Bear” mold based on what you saw in magazines. Once you try to give something obscure meaning then it all goes to hell. Soon bears had to be this and cubs had to be that. And this type of thinking is destroying the community. We just have to bring back the community and stop trying to make everyone feel separated by looks and accept people for who they are and who they want to be. No matter the label you associate yourself you are still a part of one community full of love and acceptance. Not segregation, hatred and stereotypes.”

• Tony Banks – Musician & Singer/Songwriter, MusicBearTonyBanks.com

What Are You? Bear

Typically a hairy man with a heavy stature

Cub

A younger gay bear

Daddy Bear

A dominant, older bear that typically is looking for a younger cub for a relationship

Grizzly

Typically a tall, dominant, heavyset gay man with a furry body all over

Otter

A hairy gay man that is not heavy, typically leaner or muscular

Wolf

A rugged and outdoorsy bear; a.k.a. the biker type

Pocket Bear A short bear

Trapper

A man of smaller stature who is attracted to bears

Ginger Bear

A red-headed bear

Muscle Bear

A muscular version of a hairy gay man

Chub

A heavyset gay man who may or may not be hairy

Chaser

A “Chubby Chaser” is a skinny gay guy who likes heavy guys

Teddy Bear

A version of a bear that is furry all over; chest and back

Sun Bear

A bear with a tan typically from Florida or Arizona

Sloth Bear A lazy bear

Leather Bear

A bear with a leather fetish

Fuzzy Lumpkin

A red-haired bear with a Southern Accent

Brown Bear

A bear of Latin descent

Black Bear

A bear of African-American descent

Panda Bear

A bear of Asian descent

Polar Bear

An older bear whose hair is predominantly white

Goldilocks

A female, often heterosexual, who hangs out with bears (a bear “fag hag”)

Ursula

The term for a heavyset lesbian who hangs out with bears

SUMMER 2014 •

23

BOOKS

Your Guide to the Summer’s Best Reads

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Y

ou made your reservations months ago.

This was a vacation you’ve been planning for… well, it seems like forever. One of those once-in-a-lifetime trips is what you’ve always dreamed about, and you’ve bought all new clothes and even a new suitcase for it.

So why would you take just any old book on your vacation this summer?

Instead, why not look for something new by an author you love?

JUNE

Summertime reading bolts out the door like a teenager off curfew with new novels by Mary Alice Monroe, Dorothea Benton Frank, and Jeff Shaara; cookbooks; a business book by William Poundstone and one on commodities; a book about Sally Ride by Lynn Sherr; and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s much-anticipated biography. And that was just the first week…

Later in June, look for new novels by Diana Gabaldon, Jennifer Weiner, Janet Evanovich, Linda Fairstein, Ridley Pearson, James Patterson, Jude Deveraux, and Dean Koontz. You’ll find a book about a dog that flew during World War II (and why). Learn how to do math in a fun way. Read about Justice Antonin Scalia. Pick up some new Will Shortz puzzle books in June. And learn how to use your manners when you have to swear.

For the kids, look for a new “Dork Diaries” installation; an encyclopedia of animated characters; a few new mysteries for middle-grade readers; a new book about “Charlie the Ranch Dog”; and a book about farting fish.

JULY

Just because summer’s half over doesn’t mean your reading list is!

Before the fireworks even begin, look for new novels by Jojo Moyes, Susan Wiggs, J.A. Jance, Jacqueline Winspear, and Amy Sohn. There’s a new book coming out about Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio; a new book that debunks myths about sex; a new book by Ja Rule; a skinny book about crossword puzzles and why we love them; a self-help book on “wallowing” the right way; and a cool true-crime book about how amateurs have been solving cold cases and bringing killers to justice.

24

• SUMMER 2014

Later in July, you’ll find more favorites: novels by Brad Thor, Iris & Roy Johansen, Anne Rivers Siddons, Terry Brooks, Catherine Coulter, Brad Taylor, Conn Igguldon, Stuart Woods, James Lee Burke, Ace Atkins, and Julie Garwood; a new memoir by singer Rick James; a biography on Michelangelo; a new book about families and race; a tell-all about the Clinton’s political life; and a memoir of faith and football.

The kidlets will love finding new “Guardians of the Galaxy” books; new joke books to while away the summer; the latest “Fancy Nancy” installment; and a new graphic novel by Neil Gaiman.

AUGUST

You’re not done yet. There’s still plenty of summer – and plenty of time to read – left!

The first part of August will see a new book by Andrew Cuomo; a new novel by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child; a new W.E.B. Griffin tome; a new book about crime-scene profilers; and a book about the woman behind the Mona Lisa.

Also in August, look for a book about college football conferences; a business book about getting organized and one on prosperity; new cookbooks for backyard and for fall; and new novels by Carl Weber, William Kent Krueger, Debbie Macomber, Kelly Armstrong, Elaine Hussey, Randy Wayne White, Tami Hoag, Paul Coelho and Kathy Reichs.

Get the kids in back-to-school mode with a new children’s book by Malala Yousafzai; a new Cupcake Diaries installment; ghost stories; and a kid’s book about paying it forward.

AND NOW THE DISCLAIMER…

Yes, some of these books can be shifted, moved, or cancelled altogether. Titles can change; so can subject matter. If you’ve got a question about your favorite author, nicely ask your librarian or bookseller – this is why they get paid the big bucks. Seriously, they’re experts at this stuff.

Have a great summer and Happy Reading!

SUMMER 2014 •

25

ESSAY

By Norm Kent

O

n May 21, 2014, I was honored to be in attendance at the White House ceremony when our nation released a United States postage stamp honoring Harvey Milk, a gay man who became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, when he spectacularly won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Harvey’s tenure in office was short, assassinated in November of 1978, by a crazed colleague only eleven months into his term. I know, it’s a long time ago, but his life has been memorialized in a moving documentary, and then captured again in the award winning film, “Milk,” so amazingly played by actor, Sean Penn.

For me, Harvey’s life was more than a movie. In no small measure, Harvey’s life touched my own. I grew up and went to high school in Woodmere, Long Island, New York. That’s where Harvey was from. He taught at Hewlett High School, but left for the west coast in the early 1970’s.

It was 1976 when I left New York and moved temporarily to South Florida. I never thought I would stay here. Except for the weather, I really hated this place. There was no sense of community or purpose.

In 1977, I left for California, staying in San Diego, Venice, LA, and San Francisco, trying to find a comfort zone on the West Coast.

It was in San Francisco in 1977 that I met Dennis Peron, an openly gay man, also from Long Island.

Not surprisingly, Peron was a prominent cannabis activist, and I met him through NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Peron was a little older than me but he showed me the Castro, openly gay life, and we hit it off and hung out at his Island Restaurant. Active in politics and the soul of the community, Peron introduced me to this fiery candidate for city hall — Harvey Milk.

Ironically, as much as I wanted to learn about them and San Francisco, their eyes and ears were focused

• SUMMER 2014

on South Florida. Milk wanted to know all about this ‘crazy lady,’ Anita Bryant, the Orange Juice Queen, a former Miss America, who wanted to repeal a Dade County human rights ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation. I remember giving Milk a button that read “Anita Bryant Sucks Oranges.” It was 37 years ago, a brief moment in time decades ago.

On that day he was shot, less than a year later, I remember being so stunned and shocked. It was not only Milk who was killed, it was the Mayor too, George Moscone. For me, it was Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy all over again; another civil rights leader slain by the bullets of false revenge. This one was more personal. This was my friend from Woodmere, a man I had just met in the last year and now would never see again.

Never did I ever imagine when I was playing softball at the age of 12 at School Number 6 on Branch Boulevard in Woodmere, that at the age of 62, I would be invited to the White House to celebrate his life, the life of a gay rights leader from Woodmere. Never did I ever imagine I would become one myself. I guess life is what happens when you are making other plans.

Offered a job at Florida Atlantic University as an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, I wound up staying in South Florida. I would teach for a few years, before deciding whether to stay here or move there.

I stayed here, and visited there. Years later, I would establish dual residency with an apartment in San Francisco. It’s still my favorite place to go.

Stuart Milk, Harvey’s nephew, was a teenager when his uncle was shot. Today, he stewards the Milk Foundation, a global ambassador for LGBT rights, working with an administration that has done more

for our community than any other, ever.

Last month, SFGN featured a new national drug czar who happens to be a gay man.

Last week, President Obama signed an executive order prohibiting federal contracts from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation.

He has also appointed over 250 LGBT persons to positions of stature in the federal government, from ambassadors to district court judges.

Being gay has opened doors, not closed them.

Being gay in 1978 meant breaking down those doors, at great personal risk. We scared people. Laws were lined up against us everywhere. When I applied for the Florida Bar in 1978, being gay was grounds for denial. Being open was professional suicide. Being gay made you a target. Harvey knew that. He understood that he might have to give up his life in the struggle for human rights. He understood he could be shot. But he fought on.

Peron is still in San Francisco, ever the activist, having worked on Prop 215 and marijuana legalization in California for decades. He also runs Castro Castle, a guest house in the LGBT district. Today, bars as well as high schools memorialize Harvey Milk’s name. Now so does a U.S. postage stamp.

Milk was a natural to become the first openly gay supervisor. His passion, his voice, made him known as the “Mayor of Castro Street.” He had started the Castro Street Fair in 1974. He helped make gay people feel safe and secure, yet visible and open to the world. He helped make San Francisco a safe haven for homosexuals. What we take for granted for today he gave his life for yesterday.

Milk did not win in his first try for the board of supervisors, or his second, or third. He kept on plugging away. So must we.

We only lose out in life when we have no purpose.

Harvey Milk stood tall and died proudly, for all of us; for the cause of equal rights. There is no greater calling.

SUMMER 2014 •

27

COLUMN

MY FABULOUS DISEASE

Will HIV Ever be Safe Enough for You? Gay men still denying the science of transmission

By Mark S. King

28

• SUMMER 2014

T

here’s a classic episode of “Oprah” from 1987 that can still raise my blood pressure.

That year, the tiny town of Williamson, W. Va, became part of a national discussion about AIDS when Mike Sisco, who had returned to his home town to die of the disease, dared to step into a public pool.

The community freakout was immediate. Sisco was quickly labeled a psychopath (rumors emerged accusing him of spitting into food at the grocery store), and the town pool was closed the next day to begin a Silkwood-style pressurized cleaning.

Soon thereafter, Oprah Winfrey arrived with cameras for a town hall forum about the incident. Fear was the order of the day.

“If there’s just one chance in a million that somebody could catch that virus from a swimming pool,” the town’s mayor told Winfrey’s worldwide audience, “I think I did the right thing.”

Sure. Why not react in the most extreme way possible, if there is a chance in a million?

Williamson citizens were not swayed by health officials who calmly explained the established routes of HIV transmission and the impossibility of infection from a pool.

“The doctors can say you can’t get it this way,” a woman countered, “but what if they come back someday and say, ‘We were wrong?’”

Indeed. What if? If there’s a chance in a million?

That broadcast might have remained a sad footnote in HIV/AIDS history, an instructive example of people ignoring scientific fact to protect a satisfying fear, if history didn’t enjoy repeating itself so much. Today, though, the willful ignorance isn’t coming from uneducated residents of a southern town you can barely find on a map.

It’s coming from gay men.

And they are just as threatened, frightened and dismissive of science as the townsfolk of Williamson were 30-years-ago.

Recently, research known as The PARTNER Study was presented at the prestigious Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). The PARTNER study proved something HIV advocates have long suspected: people with HIV with an undetectable viral load are not transmitting the virus to their partners. The study included nearly 800 couples, all involved in a relationship where only one partner is HIV positive, gay and straight with the positive partner maintaining an undetectable viral load.

Over the course of two years, more than 30,000 sex acts were reported and documented (couples were chosen based on their tendency to have sex without condoms).

Not a single HIV transmission occurred during the study from someone with an undetectable viral load. If PARTNER had been researching a new medication, they would have stopped the trial and dispensed the drug immediately.

The PARTNER results bolster the prevention strategy known as “Treatment as Prevention” (TasP), meaning, a positive person on successful treatment prevents new infections. To date,

there is not a single confirmed report of someone with an undetectable viral load infecting someone else, in studies or in real life.

Just don’t tell that to a sizable contingent of skeptical gay men, many of whom took to their keyboards to dismiss PARTNER’s findings.

Phrases like “false sense of security,” “positive guys lie,” “junk science,” and “if there’s even a small risk,” appeared on Facebook postings and in website comment sections. The people of Williamson must be slowly nodding their heads.

Resistance to the PARTNER study corresponds with stubborn doubts about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis, or HIV negative people taking the drug Truvada to prevent infection). Although virtually every nervous argument against PrEP has been overruled by the facts, naysayers continue to either reject the evidence outright or make moral judgments about the sex lives of HIV negative gay men on PrEP. Yes, there are unknowns. There always are when scientific studies meet the real world. And every strategy will not work for every person. But the vehement rejection of such profound breakthroughs suggests there is something more, something deeper, going on in the minds of gay men. What is it?

Our collective memories of AIDS horrors are hard to shake, and that’s a good place to start. On a gut level, any study suggesting that HIV could be neutralized is met with a weary doubt. Good news is no match for the enduring grief that has shadowed us for 30 years.

The PARTNER study also threatens the view that positive men are nothing more than risks that must be managed. The study kills the HIV positive Boogeyman. It means positive gay men who know their status might actually care enough about their health to seek out care, get on treatment and become undetectable. And once the positive partner is no longer a particular danger, both partners would bear responsibility for their actions. What an enormous change of psyche that would require in our community.

It’s tough to do that when fear creeps in and “what if?” fantasy scenarios take hold. What if my partner missed a dose yesterday and, even though HIV meds stay in the bloodstream for extended periods, his viral load has inexplicably shot up? What if he isn’t being truthful about his viral load?

What if he doesn’t know?

The greater threat, folks, isn’t positive guys who think they are undetectable but are not. It’s men who think they are HIV negative but are not. But we’d rather stay focused on the positive person being at fault, because, well, people with HIV lie a lot. We miss doses constantly because we have a death wish or we’re too busy finding our next victim.

I have some “what if?” questions of my own. What if these unrealistic fears were meant to stigmatize and isolate HIV positive people? What if I am undetectable and feel no responsibility to discuss my status with a sex partner because I don’t care to engage in a science lesson? What if everyone availed themselves to prevention options that worked best for them? What if my HIV status were none of your damn business?

These risks could be alleviated, of course, if everyone simply protected their own bodies when having sex with people they don’t know or trust.

But that would place an equal burden on negative men, and what a bother that is. Better to leave that discomfort to those with HIV, vectors of disease that we are. Just consider us criminals, lying to you about our viral loads and spitting in the food in Williamson, just waiting to infect you when we get the chance.

As long as we’re giving undue attention to fantasy scenarios we’re not focused on the real threats. The rates of STD’s are up. Young gay black men in the U.S. don’t have proper access to healthcare and have infection rates worse than any developed country. Our community is plagued by alcoholism, addiction and mental illness. Do we want to debate established science or should we devote that energy to other challenges to gay men’s health?

If you still have the arrogance to believe you could win the HIV Powerball Lottery and be the one person who gets infected in ways science has disproven, you’re perfectly entitled to that point of view.

Here are some helpful instructions, however. Carefully step away from your computer and don’t touch the cords because 50 people die of product related electrocutions each year. Walk slowly to your bedroom, being mindful of debris in your path because slip-and-falls kill 55 people every single day. Once there, refuse food or water because, well, you never know. Now slip into your bed of willful ignorance and try to make yourself comfortable.

The good people of Williamson are keeping a spot warm just for you.

P.S. In the time it took you to read this article, the number of people who were infected by someone with HIV who had no viral load was zero.

SUMMER 2014 •

29

FOOD

“FRIED & TRUE” SoBe Fest founder explores the South’s greatest delicacy: fried chicken

By J.W. Arnold Brined, battered, double battered, bathed in buttermilk and slathered in secret sauce. Everyone loves fried chicken and there are countless ways to prepare this distinctly American dish.

And now Lee Brian Schrager has written the definitive guide, “Fried & True: More than 50 Recipes for America’s Best Fried Chicken and Sides,” now available online and at leading bookstores from Clarkson Potter Publishers.

Schrager, the founder of the Food Network South Beach and New York Wine and Food Festivals, has plenty of opportunities to savor the latest fancy creations from the biggest stars of the culinary world.

But, if fried chicken is on the menu, he almost always goes with the tried and true —his secret guilty pleasure — “whether I’m eating at a white tablecloth restaurant or a greasy spoon diner,” Schrager admitted.

How did he become the expert on fried chicken?

“Sadly enough from eating so much,” the longtime Miami Beach resident said.

The book includes more than 50 recipes, including many from his Food Network festival friends Tyler Florence, Paula Deen and Andrew Carmellini.

The idea for the cookbook, his second, came up during an event at the 2013 South Beach festival hosted by country singer Trisha Yearwood.

“We were sitting around talking about how much we both loved the incredible fried chicken and my publisher, who was also her publisher, was nearby and said I should do a book,” Schrager said.

After writing the “Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival Cookbook” nearly four years earlier, Schrager swore he would not take on another book project, but he jumped on this one, completing the manuscript in a matter of months.

Schrager started with his friends’ versions and even hit the road to sample some legendary recipes across the country. The result was even more referrals.

“We’d be eating in one restaurant and then somebody — sometimes a server or a cook — would tell us about another place to try,” he recalled, noting their list of unique recipes seemed to grow exponentially through the process.

The result was an eclectic collection of recipes that highlighted regional tastes like Cajun and Southwestern seasonings from local restaurants, a fiery General Tso’s Chinese fried chicken and gourmet versions from haute cuisine chefs including Jacques Pepin.

He also included cooking tips in the book, as well as a collection of his favorite side dishes, such as a savory tomato pie topped with crumbled Ritz crackers and a cheesy hash brown casserole recipe from the Loveless Café in Nashville.

Schrager’s favorites?

“Well, that’s like asking a parent about their favorite child,” he said with a chuckle as he headed off to do other media interviews about the book.

For now, Schrager continues preparations for the New York festival this fall, as well as planning for next winter’s South Beach event, in addition to his duties as vice president for special events at Southern Wine & Spirits. He doesn’t have plans for another book… at least for now.

He concluded, “I love what I do and I do what I love.”

• SUMMER 2014

Lee Schrager’s Perfect Fried Chicken Dinner Paula Deen’s Best Ever Southern Fried Chicken Serves 4

Before I actually met Paula Deen in person, I fell in love with the heavenly fried chicken (and the cheese biscuits) she served at The Lady & Sons, her Savannah restaurant. Looking at the long line of people waiting outside the front door, I wondered what all the fuss was about ... then understood after just one bite why Paula was — and is — the reigning queen of Southern cooking. Let the record stand; it was her fried chicken — simply dipped, dredged and fried — that first caught my eye.

The combination of eggs and self-rising flour promises extra-airy, crispy results that will be the star of your next dinner party or picnic.

Ingredients: • 3 large eggs • 2 cups self-rising flour • 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning • Sea salt • 1 whole chicken, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 10 pieces • 4 cups solid vegetable shortening (such as Crisco), for deep-frying Make the dredge: In a shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs with 1/3 cup water. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the flour and the black pepper. Set aside.

Dredge the chicken: Lightly season the chicken all over with salt and black pepper. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off, and then coat well in the flour mixture.

Fry the chicken: In a large (at least 12-inch diameter), high-sided skillet, heat the shortening to 350°F and until it has melted to a liquid of 2 inches deep in the skillet. Slip the chicken into the melted fat (the fat should just come up over the chicken), and cook the pieces until browned and crisp, 13-14 minutes for the dark meat and 9 to 10 minutes for the white meat. Drain on paper towels and serve warm or at room temperature.

The Loveless Café’s Hash Brown Casserole Serves 8-10

The Loveless Café was founded in 1951, about a 30-minute drive outside of downtown Nashville, as a motel and restaurant designed to feed travelers rolling by on Highway 100 as it lazily winds down to Natchez, Mississippi. Many a famed musician’s tour bus has pulled over for a dose of southern comfort (and we suspect, Southern Comfort); legend has it the Loveless was where the late, great George Jones came to sober up after a particularly long bender….The hash brown casserole is sinfully rich and unabashedly made from pantry staples; one of its main ingredients—a can of creamed, condensed soup—has been half-jokingly referred to as the “duct tape of the Southern kitchen.”

Ingredients: • 1 30-ounce (or 2 16-ounce ) bags shredded refrigerated hash brown potatoes, defrosted if frozen • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped • 1 8-ounce bag shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 cups) • 1 10 3/4-ounce can cream of chicken soup • 1 16-ounce container sour cream • 2 teaspoons kosher salt • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish and then set it to the side.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients until well mixed. Place in a casserole dish and bake, covered with tin foil, until the edges begin to brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and continue to bake until completely golden brown, an additional 30 to 40 minutes.

Mary Mac’s Tea Room Tomato Pie Serves 8-10 In Atlanta, a “tea room” isn’t a place for finger sandwiches and Earl Grey, but rather a traditional “meat-and-three” dressed up just enough to suit occasions ranging from a workaday lunch to a family celebration. There used to be 16 such establishments in Atlanta, but now there’s only one: Mary Mac’s. Originally opened in 1945, this warren of comfortable rooms serves a combination of classic Southern food and Atlanta history, with photos of politicians, celebrities and plain old patrons, featured alongside ephemera that tells the story of Mary Mac’s three owners and those staff members who have been in the restaurant’s employ for decades. The labyrinthine kitchen balances the high volume with a devotion to batch-by-batch quality… The guilty-pleasure tomato pie is a more recent addition, and one of Mary Mac’s most popular sides since being introduced a few years ago.

Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste • 2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed by hand or in a food processor (about 2 ½ crushed cups) • 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice • 2 cups mayonnaise • 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or domestic Parmesan cheese) • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with oil and set aside.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper and set aside. Reserve ½ cup of the crushed crackers, then scatter 1 cup of the remaining crackers in the bottom of the baking dish.

Pour 1 can of the tomatoes, juice included, over the crackers. Layer half the onions on top of the tomatoes; repeat the layering with the remaining can of tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cracker crumbs over the top onion layer.

In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cheddar, Parmesan and basil. Spread over the top of the layers and top with the reserved ½ cup cracker crumbs. Bake the pie until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Lee Schrager’s Favorite South Florida Chicken Joints • • • • • • • • •

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, Miami Beach Michy’s, Miami Joe’s Stone Crab, Miami Beach (Crabs aren’t always in season!)

Publix, Location near you (Yes!) Popeye’s, Location near you Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering, Miami HuaHua’s Taqueria, Miami Beach (Fried Chicken Tacos!)

Versailles, Little Havana (Chicarrones) The Federal Food, Drink & Provisions, Miami

SUMMER 2014 •

31

FITNESS

super set for

shape super

By Mark Moon

I am sure you have all heard the term Super Set before, along with the terms Single Set, Drop Set, Alternating Set, Giant Set and so forth. The questions is though, which set should you do?

Well the correct answer is all of them. The trick though is to know why, and more importantly when to do each one of them. There’s a phrase I like that goes like this “The best workout is the one that you haven’t done before.”

This phrase is spot on the money because the human body is an extremely intelligent creation, and will adapt to conserve energy and make a task as easy as possible. This will of course vary from person to person.

The first question you need to answer before you race of to the gym holding a copy of the latest Men’s Health magazine with their hottest new workout is what would you like your training outcome to be?

It’s like anything in life really; you need to have a clear vision of what you would like you efforts to produce, or you will more than likely not produce much at all. Also remember that what works for one, won’t always work for another. So if something isn’t working, then you need to change your approach.

So for the sake of this article, our goal is to create a more muscular shape, not to be confused with definition, as they are not the same thing. I am sure you all know the guy who looks buff with a tight t-shirt on because he has great muscularity and shape, but with the shirt off he has no definition.

This is an example of the difference between shape, definition, or both, and why the intention of your training is important. Super sets are a great way to improve your shape. They give you the ability to constantly change your workouts to shock your body. This will give your muscles the stimulation they need to grow.

Before we go any further though I would

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• SUMMER 2014

like to clarify the meaning of a super set, as I know a lot of people get this term confused. Technically a super set is when you perform two exercises for the exact same body part, with minimal rest inbetween. Not just two exercises of any body part.

This is a misconception I see a lot, especially with new clients who haven’t trained much before. The combination of these two exercises can consist of a compound (double joint), or an isolation exercises (single joint) done in any order.

For example I could do a Wide Grip Pull Up, rest 10 seconds then perform a Close Grip Lat pull-down. This would be an extremely hard set; however the end goal would be to recruit as many muscle fibres as possible during both exercises.

The beauty of this type of training is that across the length of your 10-12 week training program (the summer period) you will have plenty of options to choose from; therefore you will never do the exact same workout twice.

So to circle back to where this article started, every workout has the potential to be your best, because you will always be doing something you have never done before. You only need to change one or two small things each workout, something as simple as the exercise order, or switching from 10 to 12 to 15 reps.

As an example for the purpose of this article I will demonstrate with a back workout. There are two good reasons for this. Firstly, the back is just one of my favourite body parts (note I said just one) and when trained correctly it has the ability to give the illusion you are much bigger than you actually are.

Secondly for anatomical and posture reasons, this is one body part that should take top priority in your training, especially if you sit at a computer all day. So having covered all of that, let’s get down to business.

There are numerous variations you can apply to this workout using the same six exercises. If you would like your FREE copy of the PDF that downloads to your iPhone or any portable device simply go online to MarkMoonFitness.com/ MirrorMagazine and enter your details.

SUMMER 2014 •

33

FILM

Behind the Scenes of

‘Seek’

New indie film explores gay nightlife and its diversity

By Gary M. Kramer Out writer/director Eric Henry’s debut film, “Seek,” is an engaging drama about Evan (Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski), a young man who chronicles the queer community for a local gay magazine. He interviews various drag queens, cross dressers, and fetishists for his work.

Evan lusts after Jordan (Matthew Ludwinski, of “Going Down in LA-LA Land” fame) a sexy model, and also meets Hunter (Ryan Fisher), a club promoter who helps him navigate the nightlife scene. In separate Skype sessions, Henry and Ludwinski spoke to The Mirror about seeking love, truth and happiness.

How did you conceive the film and the character of Evan?

It wasn’t autobiographical, but elements of the film are from my experiences, or things I’ve witnessed in the community. Evan is new to the city. He’s being exposed all these different things. Evan sees how other people [the couples he interviews] are happy in their lives in ways he doesn’t think people would be happy.

Your film can be seen as a social commentary on the superficiality of young urban gay men. Was that your intent?

The short answer is “yes.” There is a little bit [in the film] to show how shallow people can be, but I didn’t want it to be too much of that sort of message. That’s why we played off these different [happy] couples.

What is your experience with the party scene and the “in” crowd?

I don’t think I would be considered part of the “in” crowd. And I’m OK with that. I’ve gone to events and clubs, but I’m not at the VIP table. Mostly when I’m going out with my friends, I just want to have a good time. I’m not interested in being seen or holding court.

“Seek” features chiseled bodies but there are only a few same-sex kisses and no nudity. Was this deliberate?

I didn’t want to make an exploitative film. I don’t have anything against nudity in films. I just didn’t want to put the actors in the position where they would have this kind of exposure.

Evan talks about fighting for his dream — what is your dream?

My dream is to keep being able to create films, particularly with total freedom to fulfill my creative passion and make things true to myself.

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• SUMMER 2014

An Interview with Matthew Ludwinski What appealed to you about playing Jordan?

He was a powerful, possibly manipulative, sex symbol. It was fun to play someone like that.

Jordan is the fantasy object in the film.

How did you research the role?

[LAUGHS] I understand that idea of an unattainable romantic ideal that most of us have from childhood. My character Jordan becomes that for the other characters in the film.

Did you have a childhood fantasy ideal?

I was brought up on Disney movies. The culture puts that on you.

There was no specific person.

You model underwear in the film. You used to work as a model?

Do you feel objectified by the camera’s attention?

I was a model for years in New York, Milan and London. It does make you think of your body in a different way. You start to think of your body as your product. You are objectifying yourself. It makes you familiar with your own skin. I’ve had days where I felt everyone was looking at me walking into a room and moments where I felt sexy and wanted. A good hair day kind of feeling. In real life, those moments are fleeting, but it was how [Jordan] carries himself in every scene.

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You gained considerable attention from “LA-LA Land.”

Do you actively seek out gay roles in indy films?

One thing led to another. It wasn’t a choice. I had a small role in a Casper Andreas film [“Between Love and Goodbye”] and that led to a lead role in Casper’s next film [“LA-LA Land“], and other gay film offers followed. I was happy to get all of those roles. I know I’ve gotten gay roles based on previous gay roles. Netflix got me recognized from “LALA Land.”

What are your experiences with the club scene?

Are you a denizen of the night? Do you feel part of the “in” crowd?

Oh…NO! I like to go out. Sometimes I wish I was part of the “in” crowd, but when I look at acquaintances who are, it looks like a full time commitment, and I have to get up in the morning sometimes.

The film chronicles Evan’s encounters with drag queens, fetish guys, and cross-dressers. Do you have any interesting inclinations to share?

If you gave that question to me in writing, I would have come up with something hilarious…I’ll try anything once.

Do you read Evan’s character as naïve and Jordan’s character as jaded?

Evan’s naïve in the sense that he still has his hopes and dreams.

Sometimes, because of inexperience, they are a bit misplaced. Jordan became jaded by living too fast too young, and getting too much attention, and getting things too easily too soon.

Just like you, right?

I was a really late bloomer, and I don’t get everything I want.

SUMMER 2014 •

35

COFFEE TABLE

A Thing of

Beauty “It’s CockyBoys.”

“A Thing of Beauty” shows fresh, unspoiled faces in an offbeat way. Photographers Jake Jaxson and RJ Sebastian effectively and emotionally draws attention to the young performers.

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• SUMMER 2014

Read Colby Keller’s Interview about being featured in “CockyBoys” on pages 40 & 41 of this issue

A Thing of Beauty Hardcover: 128 pages Publisher: Bruno Gmunder Group (April 1, 2014) Language: English ISBN-10: 3867876622 ISBN-13: 978-3867876629 Dimensions: 11 x 11.4 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) List Price: $75.99 (Amazon.com, $51.22; Barnes and Noble, $54.71)

SUMMER 2014 •

37

INTERVIEW

s eller get K y b l o s star C s, dislikes y o B y k c Co s like i h t u o b candid a tarring in porn is s and why just an act n more tha Kramer .

M y r a

By G

Colby Keller is a porn star who has developed a considerable following from the CockyBoys website and his blog www.ColbyKeller.com. Featured in the film series “A Thing of Beauty,” and photographed for the affiliated coffee table book of the same name (featured on pages 38 & 39), the sexy Keller describes himself as “a big old man”— quite a contrast to the other CockyBoys.

“I don’t think I’m cocky. I’m the inverse. I’m the foil to the erotic potential of the cocky boy!” he said with considerable self-deprecation in a recent Skype session.

Keller exhibits a refreshing candor about his sexuality. He spoke with The Mirror about his work and what turns him on.

Since you’re not gay for pay, let’s break the ice by talking about your coming out experience.

I came out when I was 15. I came out because of porn. I had a box of [gay] porn under the sink in my bathroom and my parents found it and confronted me. I think I hid this partly in the hope it would be discovered. My mother is an evangelical Christian and it was very traumatic. I locked myself in my bedroom and we had “the conversation” through the door.

How did you develop the ability to be comfortable posing nude and having sex on camera?

It took a lot of work to make that look realistic. I’m actually very shy. When I first started in porn (more than 10 years ago, working off and on) I was very nervous. As soon as the camera came on, my armpits were like Niagara Falls. I’ve learned techniques to work beyond it. The porn personality has to be an exhibitionist, and a narcissist with no sexual inhibitions. And those can be positive traits — well, not the narcissist part. Porn is a tool in that respect.

There’s a very erotic image of you in the book “A Thing of Beauty,” where you are seen from the side, lying a on a bed and resting on your elbows sporting an erection. You look ready for sex.

If someone were to walk in that room, and see you like that, what would you want them to do to you?

In my own fantasy, I love fucking. So I love the idea of someone walking in and sitting down on it. I’m less interested in someone sucking me off. There’s something powerful in going right to fucking. There’s an erotic potential in not having sex in a regimented way — strip, touch, suck, rim, fuck. It’s a challenge to break the routine.

How are shooting the photos different from shooting the films?

RJ Sebastian [film director/photographer] is so talented behind the camera, and he knows the shots he wants and how to get it. He’s cued in to what looks good on camera. That makes my job easier. He takes the best photos of me. He’s captured something in me that others can’t.

The photos are done before the film shoots, and that’s the hardest part for me.

Do you watch your films?

I can’t watch myself in porn. It’s really hard for me to look at the photos in the book. When I have to blog about a video, I have to look at photos, but I feel it’s hard to be objective.

What’s your ideal man? Do you have a “type”?

I like a lean athletic body, someone who is smart and kind and a nice round butt and really big dicks. Sometimes it comes down to the obvious things about a body. Turn offs: A guy who wears a lot of deodorant, or if they are too groomed. I’m not the best looking guy and I don’t have the biggest dick, but I like sex, and sex can be fun and hot and for someone average like me.

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• SUMMER 2014

What makes a good sexual encounter for you?

Sex with reciprocity. I want to turn my partner on and find the things that really gets them off. I love kissing and touching bodies and finding that space. I just did a scene and figured out what this guy liked, and his whole body was covered in goose-pimples and I was so happy and turned on because I turned him on so much. When you are doing something to satisfy them, and they are trying really hard to hit your buttons, that turns me on—that back and forth.

CockyBoys promotes safe sex. What can you say about the issue of barebacking and HIV in the industry?

In the gay community there isn’t an honest or realistic discussion of safe sex and barebacking. Truvada was approved, and if you take the pill effectively, you will reduce your chances [of contracting HIV]. Young gay kids are not using condoms as much as previous generations did. It can keep them safe.

What is something folks would be surprised to learn about you?

I’m a Marxist, so it’s important for me to understand what it is I do, and my ethical obligations are to other people in this profession.

I can’t control some things — I don’t make or produce the films — but I have commitments to my fans and scene partners and I feel it’s important to be transparent about those things. My work as an artist is to address porn as a phenomenon of labor, and emphasize the values that I want to see brought in the world.

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39

COFFEE TABLE

M

en in shoes, or more precisely almost naked men in shoes. That’s what “Turnon: Sneax” is all about. This anthology shows off the work of more than two dozen photographers.

Since we can’t speak to them all The Mirror is featuring Patrick Mettraux from the book. Mettraux is a 43-year-old native of Switzerland where he’s been taking photos since he was a teenager.

Visit www.PatrickMettraux.com for more information about him.

What inspires your photography?

Well, a little everything, like movies, fashion, music, art, but most of all the person I shoot. I like to have a lot of spontaneity, so I like also to be inspired by the moment. Also whatever the person I’m shooting wants to share with me.

What are your favorite things you like to shoot?

People obviously. But I like to shoot male or female, model, professionals, friends, celebrities or unknowns. At the end of the day the good thing about this job is I get to meet so many different people and I enjoy learning about their personality.

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• SUMMER 2014

How did you get involved with Sneax?

In my photo book “So Sexy It Hurts” there were already a lot of boys wearing sneakers. I love sneakers, so I always had them in my pics.

The book SNEAX is a compilation of many other photographers, so I’m happy the publishers asked me to be part of it. I shoot a lot of gay guys, some with different fetishes, different styles, this time the focus just happened to be sneakers.

What’s your favorite photo you took in this book and why?

I would say the cover of the book with Jordan Fox. He’s a great guy, nice body, and very cool to work with. I saw him once in a movie, and got in touch with him to do some photos.

What’s next for you?

Right now I’d like to shoot more outside, in the nature. I’m planning a few shoots in the mountains — some healthy, sunny, Swiss mountains. But it’s something really different for me since most of the time I’m in the studio. So I’m really to see how nature will inspire me.

Turnon: Sneax Hardcover: 160 pages Publisher: Bruno Gmunder Group Language: English ISBN-10: 3867876363 ISBN-13: 978-3867876360 Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.5 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds List Price: $54.99 (Amazon.com, $39.33; Barnes and Noble, $49.49)

SUMMER 2014 •

Photo: RabbitBandini Productions

FILM

Franco Pushes Boundaries With ‘Interior.

Leather Bar’

By David-Elijah Nahmod

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A

udiences were shocked when the Al Pacino film “Cruising” was released in 1980. In the film, the Oscar winning Hollywood legend played a straight police detective in New York who goes undercover in the gay leather scene to find a killer. As the dark, disturbing story unfolds, he becomes more immersed than he’d ever imagined.

“Cruising” was shot on location in some of New York City’s most popular and notorious leather bars and sex clubs of the period. Actual leather men appeared as themselves in their full regalia, sniffing poppers and licking each others bare chests . There were implications that a great deal more was going on just beyond the camera’s range.

And as a whole, the film was critiqued for it’s shock value — by both the straight and gay communities.

Director William Friedkin (“The Boys in the Band”, “The Exorcist”) was reportedly forced to trim 40 minutes from his final cut just to achieve an “R” rating and be able to keep the movie in the public eye. Legend has it that the director shot hardcore scenes in Pacino’s presence, though Pacino did not participate in any sex acts.

“Interior. Leather Bar” (the dot after the word “Interior” is a reference to “Cruising’s” shooting script) finds actor James Franco producing a documentary on the shooting of “Cruising’s” lost scenes.

Franco, who is straight, put the new film together with openly gay director Travis Matthews. Lesser known actor Val Lauren, an old friend of Franco’s, plays the Pacino role. He’s straight as well.

As the film progresses, a mix of gay and straight actors agree to appear in the production, each speaking openly about their sexual preferences. As they get into their make-up and costumes, each of them speaks openly about their sexual identities and what they’re willing to “do” on camera. In a series of interviews, a somewhat manic looking Franco questions society’s sexual and gender norms, and wonders when Hollywood’s aversion to showing gay sexual relationships is going to end.

Under the guidance of the filmmakers, two men shoot an explicit sex scene surrounded by cameras and lights. Yes, they really do it.

Presented as though it were an actual documentary, “Interior.

Leather Bar” is in fact a “mockumentary,” a fictional film pretending to be factual. It’s a fascinating and daring work which raises many questions about who we are and the labels we place on ourselves and each other.

“Interior. Leather Bar” is now available on DVD.

'Cruising'

The 1980 Gay Thriller Pushed the Envelope

By David-Elijah Nahmod With the release of “Interior. Leather Bar,” SFGN decided to take a look back at the film, “Cruising,” which inspired James Franco’s “mockumentary.” “Interior” reimagines the scenes that were cut from the 1980 thriller.

There were massive protests when “Cruising” was being filmed in New York City during the summer of 1979. Instigated by Arthur Bell, the openly gay film critic and columnist for The Village Voice, New York City’s premier weekly alternative paper, gay activists were concerned the film would paint a portrait of the gay community as a group of outcast, sexual predators incessantly on the prowl.

In recently shot interviews for “Cruising’s” DVD, director William recalled hundreds of activists showing up for location shoots on the city’s streets, shouting over his every attempt to complete a scene. Parts of the film’s dialogue had to be re-recorded in a studio as a result of the disturbances.

Friedkin, who is straight, was no stranger to controversial gay topics.

A decade before “Cruising” he called the shots on the film version of the play “The Boys in the Band.” That film focused on a group of gay men at a birthday party where their bitchiness spirals out of control. These men, allegedly close friends, had been hurting each other for years under the guise of being “witty.”

Many have raised questions regarding Friedkin’s alleged homophobia because of the subject matter of his gay themed films. On the “Cruising” DVD, he says that nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, both films focus on very real segments of the gay community, and paint a sad (if sympathetic) portrait of gay men who struggle with with issues of self-esteem and sexual identity.

In “Cruising,” superstar Al Pacino, undoubtedly one of the finest actors of his generation plays Steve, a New York City police officer.

Steve accepts an assignment to go undercover in the city’s leather and sex club community in search of a serial killer targeting gay men in the leather community. As the story progresses, an unnerving game of cat and mouse ensues between Steve and the character he believes to be the killer.

No one is who they seem to be. A homophobic cop (Joe Spinnell), harasses transgender prostitutes, then heads to the Ramrod, a popular leather club, to pick up guys.

Is Steve tailing the right guy? Is he struggling with his own sexuality as he falls deeper and deeper into the leather world? How does he really feel about his girlfriend (Karen Allen) and his cute gay neighbor

(Don Scardino), who’s obviously interested in Steve and doesn’t know he’s a cop?

And whose side is the chief of detectives (Paul Sorvino) really on?

“Cruising” is a dark, gritty and unnerving film, which offers viewers a peek into the tormented souls of the killer, his victims and the cop who’s hunting him down. Friedkin and Pacino daringly took their cameras into real leather and sex clubs, hiring actual patrons to recreate their nightly rituals. Parts of the film are shockingly graphic, even after Friedkin cut forty minutes of footage in order to avoid an “X” rating.

One scene left mainstream moviegoers gaping in 1980. As Steve looks on, a man greases his hand and arm with lube as he prepares to fist the naked man in the sling before him.

Straight Pacino, always an actor willing to immerse himself in his roles, allows other men to fondle his body, and even allowed himself to be tied up while fully nude. Though the actor doesn’t engage in any sex acts on camera, he reportedly was present for the filming of hardcore sex acts between other men.

“Cruising” is a thriller in more ways than one. Yet despite the protestations from some, it is an accurate portrayal of what goes on in gay sex clubs. It’s a riveting and scary thrill ride, which continues to fascinate today and is more than worth making the subject of your next movie night.

SUMMER 2014 •

43

INTERVIEW

E

s e Jamnco Fraperstar

u T S B y Sex alks LG a m T e n i C

y arsle P n so

By Ja

• SUMMER 2014

ver since James Franco emerged in Hollywood, gay men around the country have been infatuated with the actor, who Salon.com named the sexiest man alive in 2009.

Franco’s first big hit happened in 2001 where he played the title role in the biopic film James Dean. But it was his role in the Spider Man franchise playing Harry Osborn, the son of the villainous Green Goblin, where he achieved worldwide fame.

Later it would be his role in the critically acclaimed biopic “Milk” when he truly became beloved by the LGBT community.

In that movie he played political activist Harvey Milk’s boyfriend Scott Smith. Since then he’s gone on to play gay men twice more.

Those movies include “Howl,” a biopic about 20th-century American poet, Allen Ginsberg and “The Broken Tower,” a biopic of American poet Hart Crane, who committed suicide.

But Franco’s interest in gay and lesbian film began long before his role in “Milk.” It dates back to the 1991 independent movie “My Own Private Idaho,” starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. That film tells the story of two best friends living on the streets as male hustlers, who embark on a journey of self-discovery about their sexualities and their relationship.

“I have a lot of different connections to the LGBT community and I have a lot of aesthetic or artistic connections or reasons I am interested in queer cinema,” Franco said. “‘My Own Private Idaho’ was a big influence on me in many ways. I watched it when I was in high school and since then.”

After high school Franco went on to study queer cinema at New York University. And as noted above Franco hasn’t shied away from gay roles.

“For a long time it was seen as something that was harmful to your career,” he said. “I find that it hasn’t hurt me at all, and even if it did hurt me, it wouldn’t deter me from doing the kinds of projects that I want to do.”

While it hasn’t kept the actor from getting the roles he’s wanted, it’s been reported that it may have hurt his sponsorship opportunities.

“Well, who knows what their reasons are, but some companies are maybe a little conservative, so yeah,” he said.

One of his most recent projects include “Interior. Leather Bar.” (see page XXX) premiered last year at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. That project pushed the boundaries of sexuality.

“I’m just happy that this film that we’ve made seems to have a great life and I’m glad that people are responding to it,” he said. “Now that I’ve been doing movies for [17] years I find that the most exciting movies and most gratifying experiences are when you make films that get people talking, get people to think or have conversations.”

“Interior. Leather Bar.” is a docufiction film starring Franco as himself working on a film project, which reimagines and attempts to recreate the 40 minutes of deleted sexually explicit footage from the controversial 1980 film “Cruising” (see page XXX). Franco also co-directs and co-produces the film.

“Sometimes you don’t know all of the reasons why you want to do it, but you can feel that there is energy there. I guess that’s what I felt and I wanted to explore it,” he said. “I have been drawn to the movie ‘Cruising’ for a while. I knew it had a complicated history. When it was made, it was very controversial, and it made some unfortunate connections between gay lifestyle and murder. There were a lot of protests when the original film was made. But you know 30 years later I just felt like maybe it was time for it to be re-explored and that there were some things about the original movie that have become more valuable and their significance has since changed.”

Another sexually charged movie Franco has recently been involved with is “Kink,” which tells the story of Kink.com, the world’s premier BDSMporn site. Franco is only the producer on that film; he does not star in it.

Visit KinkDoc.com to learn more about that film.

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45

PEOPLE

Gay Porn Stars Who Went Mainstream Doing porn usually isn’t a good way to get started in the film industry or to give your career a boost. But these gay porn actors defied the odds and despite their association with the sex industry went mainstream.

In 1975 straight porn superstar Jamie Gillis made “Boynapped,” his lone gay feature. He and a handsome actor named Wade Nichols kidnapped two wealthy straight boys and introduced them to the joys of gay sex. Nichols went on to appear in about a dozen straight tripe X features.

In 1979, Nichols changed his name to Dennis Parker and recorded “Like An Eagle,” a dance album for Casablanca Records, which was also disco superstar Donna Summer’s label. He performed the record’s hit title tune on the Merv Griffin Show that summer. Notorious closet case Griffin never brought up Parker’s porn past.

That same year, still billed as Parker, he joined the cast of the daytime soap opera “Edge of Night,” playing Police Chief Derek Mallory for six years. A few gossip columnists noted that the serial’s sexy new top cop had “been in a few movies” but declined to name them.

Parker, who was openly gay in his private life, left the soap two months before it’s cancellation in December 1984. Dying of AIDS, he was too ill to continue to work. The producers included him in the closing credits of the show’s final episode on December 28, 1984. Parker died less than two months later, age 36.

He can still be seen in dozens of “Edge” episodes now posted complete at YouTube, and in a “Like an Eagle” music video.

Dylan Vox Vox began his career as Brad Benton, a reliable gay porn regular who won GayVN Awards in 2004 and 2005.

His non-porn acting career was launched with supporting roles in the Here TV horror series “Dante’s Cove” and “The Lair.”

He has since found steady work in Syfy Channel movies like “Jersey Shore Shark Attack,” “Mega-Shark VS. Crocosaurus,” “Titanic II,” among others.

He also writes for a number of gay websites.

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• SUMMER 2014

By David-Elijah Nahmod

Dennis Parker

Billed as Fox Ryder in a series of films for the iconic gay porn studio Falcon, Lockhart achieved enormous popularity for his porn work at other studios, who billed him as Brent Corrigan. Some of his Corrigan films were removed from circulation because he was reportedly under-aged when he shot them.

Lockhart has been involved in several controversies. He was sued by Cobra Video after his underage status was revealed, and was questioned in the 2007 murder of Cobra owner Bryan Kocis. He was not implicated in the killing.

In 2011, Lockhart co-starred in the musical horror spoof “Chillerama” and has since had starring roles in a number of independently produced, albeit nonporn gay features.

Stephen Geoffreys

Sean Paul Lockhart In 1985 cute, talented Geoffreys became a horror film icon when he played Evil Ed in the cult classic “Fright Night.” His line “Oh Brewster!” became an 80s catchphrase. Until 1991, Geoffreys worked steadily in B movies, increasing his horror fan base with his starring role in “976-EVIL” (1989). He seemingly vanished after his early 90s role in the sci-fi adventure “Moon 44.”

Colton Ford Buffed Daddy type Ford starred in about a dozen gay porn features before embarking on a music career. He won Gay Performer of the Year at the 2003 GayVN Awards, the Oscars of gay porn.

In 2005 Ford was the subject of the theatrically released documentary “Naked Fame,” which chronicled his move from porn to mainstream entertainment. He has since released several well-received dance albums and has made Billboard’s Top 100 a number of times. His single “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” reached number 9 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 25 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales Chart.

From 2007-09, Ford played Sheriff Trout on the Here TV gay vampire series “The Lair.” He’s had roles in other Here productions, including “Hellbent,” the first gay slasher film.

Lou Cass Cass was a popular gay porn performer during the late 1980s. Known as an appreciative bottom, he appeared in many titles. After leaving the porn biz in 1990, he began auditioning for mainstream roles while retaining his gay porn moniker. He surprised many by getting cast in the Julia Roberts film “I Love Trouble” (1994), along with many guest starring appearances on hit prime time TV. This has included Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210, Picket Fences, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, among others.

Cass is also a dance music artist and has appeared at many AIDS fundraisers.

A few years later, Geoffreys resurfaced. In what might be the most bizarre decision in show-biz history, Geoffreys chose to crossover into gay porn. Billed as Sam Ritter, he appeared in nearly two dozen gay features like “Seamen Training Day” and “Men Who Crave Big C---s.” After leaving porn, he reclaimed the Geoffreys name and began to work steadily in low budget, direct to DVD/cable horror flicks, which he continues to do today. He also appears regularly at horror conventions, where he’s embraced by a large, straight fan base unconcerned with his gay porn past.

SUMMER 2014 •

COFFEE TABLE

“Art of the male nude and especially gay erotic works are often excluded or overlooked by the supposedly ‘enlightened’ art community. In producing this book we sadly realized that all of these highly talented and wonderful men, even the most successful, have been hidden and barred from the eyes of most of the art world due to their depiction of the male nude.”

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Capolavoro di Uomo : Masterpiece of Man The book showcases the work of 46 artists from around the world representing Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, England, France, Holland, Israel, Italy, South Africa, Spain, New Zealand and the United States.

When and how did you become so fascinated with gay erotic art?

Once we started having discussions about the book we realized that the genre needed more attention. It’s very important that people are not only exposed to the genre, but that they start to discuss it again. In a lot of ways, this genre is trying to come out of the closet again, so to speak. I mean, you’ll have men who say, “The artwork in the book is beautiful. Stunning! But I don’t know if I can put this on my coffee table?”

Art of the male nude and especially gay erotic works are often excluded or overlooked by the supposedly ‘enlightened’ art community. This book brings together these outstanding artists to create the most breathtaking art book of its kind.

We wanted to publish a book that had never been published before. 100 percent art — no photographs — all art. This was really about showcasing the best of the diversity in gay erotic art featuring a dream team of the finest gay erotic artists in the world.

Who is your favorite artist in the book? And why?

Andrew Potter. He creates luminous figures that are both classic in style and composition but are also beautiful to behold and very intriguing. But Michael Cox from The Edge said it best about Andrew, “Primarily working in oil, he soothes his paint into the canvas leaving smooth, buttery flesh over lean, taut muscle. The narrative of these paintings is veiled and voyeuristic, an adoration of gorgeous male bodies unaware or unconcerned that they are being watched.”

Biggest challenge in putting this book together?

We have 46 artists in the book — 45 living and a tribute to the legendary Steve Walker who had such an influence on the genre. The biggest challenge was deciding what art works would go in the book — all of these talented artists are prolific — we could have had a book twice the size. The other challenge was that not only did we want to present the art but we wanted to give the artists an opportunity to express themselves in their own words…and for a number of them English is not their primary language. We wanted to make sure we were printing exactly what they wanted.

Did you learn anything interesting while putting this book together?

It is a travesty that in the [supposed] “age of information” we have embraced certain traditions from ancient Greece and Rome but shun the most basic, the beauty of the male nude and gay love. The world suffers artistically and culturally when not exposed to the full breadth of talents and ideas of its society.

The book can be found at two locations in Wilton Manors, Art Frenzie (954-560-3685), 2151 Wilton Drive, and Gallery XO, 2376 Wilton Drive. Visit CapolavoroArt.com for more information.

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MUSIC

Aris’ ‘Twilight’

Out rocker talks new album, loss of mother and homelessness

By Gary M. Kramer New York born and based, Aris is an out rocker who balances soulful music with his sexuality. His latest album “Twilight Revival,” highlights his range from his single “Twilight” to the powerful ballad “Pray for Change” and his upbeat track, “Astral Symphony.” “Twilight Revival” is dedicated to his mother, who died in Hurricane Sandy.

Aris spoke, via Skype, with The Mirror about his music.

What prompted you to become a musician and pursue a career in music?

I’ve always loved music and from a very young age, I was drawn to it. I started writing poetry in my late teens. The poems took on melodies, and the songs came through me. I have no professional music training. I’m self-taught. In the last few years I decided a career was something I could do, I had the drive for and I had something to say. My message right now is about perseverance through difficult times. I have faced adversity with my mom passing away and a difficult break up, and during this time I really started relying on music to give me strength and focus. It was very transformative.

You wrote this album in response to your mother’s death with Hurricane Sandy. Why did you feel this was the appropriate way to honor her?

My mom was such an amazing woman. She toured as a belly dancer in the 1960s. She loved rock music, and instilled in me a sense of community and passion in my work and for celebrating life. She knew some of these songs before they were recorded; others were inspired by my journey of loss and grief. I felt this was what she wanted, for me to share that experience of mourning and celebrating the legacy of love.

You are also using your music to raise awareness for social issues by donating the proceeds for your song “Pray for Change” to a New York homeless project.

What can you tell us about that?

New York has a very large homeless population. My mother introduced me to the soup kitchen and it changed my life. It’s not just for food but, but a social service and a place for comfort. The more I volunteered, the closer it touched my heart. As I did my music, it was a chance to bring more awareness to the program and more volunteer contributions.

What influenced your more ‘industrial’ style and led you to a rock/ballad genre?

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I have a lot of influences — from really hard rock and pop to world music. So mixing genres is natural to me. Making this album, I didn’t feel I had to be confined to one genre. Some are ballads and some tracks are folky and raw; some are louder and rock out more.

Let’s talk about your personal life. Do you feel being an openly gay musician is a challenge?

I think it’s a double-edged sword because in a way, you can say you are an out musician and people will want to talk to you because you are representing a community, but there is a resistance. [Folks] act like I’m the only gay rocker. I think a stereotype has been that gay people identify with dance music, but we are a diverse community. We like to rap or rock out at times.

I’m proud of who I am and I use this platform as an activist.

I sleep with men and that’s not going to change. I talk about my relationships in my work. I might not be easily identified as a member of the LGBT community, but maybe I can change minds and open some hearts, and hopefully be a role model. I spend my time when I’m not making music working for social and environmental causes. I hope to encourage people to live their personal truths.

Watching your video for the song “Twilight” we would have thought you were straight.

For “Twilight,” I wanted something really accessible. I didn’t want to be overly gay with a go-go dancer. I wanted it to transcend sexuality. It was more about letting the music empower you and take you to a place of primal instinct and sexuality. I can respect that it might confuse people to see me with a girl. But I do identify as gay, and I’ve dated women in the past, so it’s not unrealistic. Sometimes I bump and grind on a girl, but I probably have a boyfriend at the time.

Let’s talk showmanship. What can folks expect from seeing you in concert?

I really like soul singers. They are the people I connect best with in my own life.

They are the singers I listen to the most. When I perform live, I get inside the vocal and get inside the emotion behind it. It’s more real. I’d rather you feel something than be caught up in a momentary spectacle. I appreciate the classic rock moves, like Elvis’s hip swivel. It was so sexy in a time when sex wasn’t popular. I try to reference that. I just want the audience or viewer or listener feeling good, whether I’m singing an uplifting pop or rock song about spirituality, or performing a dance song that makes you think. Hopefully people feel they can celebrate their own lives in that moment in time that they share with me.

SUMMER 2014 •

51

ESSAY

Bil & The Chipmunks

By Bil Browning I was in middle school when I unexpectedly became a surrogate mother for a chipmunk.

We lived in the country back then and you could find all sorts of critters – rabbits, snakes, chipmunks, you name it – in the yard.

A neighbor girl was mowing her grass when she hit a chipmunk nest full of babies. Mother chipmunk and all but one of her young were killed instantly.

Patty ran to our house cradling the baby chipmunk in her hands to ask my mom what to do since her parents weren’t home. I was home alone too, so we took the tiny thing and put in a nest of tissues we made in a shoebox and sat down to wait on an authority figure to help.

When mom got home she was none too happy to see a rodent in the house, but, as mothers do, she set about quietly figuring out what to do with the thing. A quick check with a local vet taught us that the chipmunk needed to be fed every few hours with an eyedropper full of fake milk. Mom and I took shifts getting up at night to feed the little guy throughout the weekend.

When Monday came, we were in a dilemma. She had to go to work and I had to go to school. Who would feed the chipmunk? Mom to the rescue yet again!

She called the school and soon enough the chipmunk and I were on our way to school where he would become the honored guest of the science classroom.

The school administrator was kind enough to allow me to go feed the chipmunk baby during classes. I’d excuse myself quietly and go feed the tiny thing it’s surrogate milk from the eyedropper one slow drip at a time. I took him with me to school each morning and brought him home every night. After a short while, the little guy was gulping down the milk and his eyes opened.

The first thing he saw in his short life was me.

Since I had few friends at that age and my parents were divorcing, he became my best pal and confidant.

Once he was up and running about, we had to keep him in a cage.

The science teacher provided a suitable contraption that gave him plenty of room to run about and climb all over the bars and I was able to give him seeds, bits of fruit and veggies, and other morsels that keep a chipmunk happy and healthy.

The chipmunk didn’t stay inside with us much longer. I’d take him out of his cage so he could run around and exercise each afternoon and evening, but a wild animal needs to be, well, wild; soon enough the vet warned us that the longer we kept him as a pet, the harder time he’d have adjusting to life outside.

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I begged and pleaded to keep my little friend, but Mom was insistent. (He didn’t help his cause when he launched off of my shoulder to land - not so gracefully - in Mom’s hair one afternoon.) The small creature was obviously attached to me though and didn’t seem to be in any particular rush to be on his own.

We let him loose in our yard – a couple of acres away from where he was found and a chipmunk’s natural curiosity took over. He ran to look at the carport, checked out the shrubs, took a long trip out to the shed and then scurried back to me when I started to go inside the house. Peeping softly, he cried until I picked him up again and let him run to his usual spot on my shoulder.

It took three or four days of inside and outside trial runs before he seemed to understand that it was okay for him to stay outside and come and go as he pleased. For the few remaining weeks of school he’d show up each morning as I left to catch the bus and would follow me down the country lane to the stop peeping and jumping in front of me.

I’d stop to pick him up and he’d ride along on my shoulder until he decided it was time to leave. When I got off the bus in the evenings, he’d be waiting on me on the porch for our regular play time. During the summer months after school was out, we were constant companions in the yard.

As fall deepened, the chipmunk started growing fat as he prepared for his winter hibernation. He’d built a burrow in the shrubs next to the house and was busy enlarging it so we spent less and less time together.

One day, he didn’t show up at all. Or the next day. Or the next.

The next Spring I found a small thin chipmunk waiting for me patiently one morning before school. He didn’t climb up on me like he used to do, but he did let me touch him once on the head. He bounded off after that and didn’t even stop to collect any of the seeds I’d thrown out for him. He ran straight to the hole to his burrow and peeped and then took a few steps back as another head popped out. Apparently my little chipmunk had found a wife.

The chipmunk never came back after that.

He didn’t wait for me on the porch or meet me at the school bus, but I’d still see him in the yard collecting his seeds and nuts.

He’d bounce around excitedly but wouldn’t let me touch him anymore. He had different priorities now that he was a father; he didn’t have time for a lonely little boy any more.

I, however, have never forgotten him.

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