30. THE PRIDE LA NOVEMBER 4, 2016

the pride ISSUE NUMBER 2, VOLUME 3 11.04 — 11.17.2016

WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM ELECTION 2016 ⚫ 5

Florida or bust for Clinton as she launches major outreach in gay South Florida

INTERVIEW ⚫ 6

Interview with L.A.’s nortorious “Scorecard Killer,” Randy Kraft ELECTION 2017 ⚫ 10

Trump is ‘nightmare waiting to happen,’ say int’l LGBT groups NEWS ANALYSIS ⚫ 12

Steep odds for nation’s LGBT Congressional office seekers

REMEMBRANCE ⚫ 21

Herb Hamsher, Judith Light’s brilliant manager, dies of cancer

GET OUT ⚫ 30

The Chapel is David Cooley’s sacred new space right next door

| NOV. 4 — NOV. 17, 2016

LOS ANGELES

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THE LOS ANGELES LGBT NEWSPAPER

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11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

What is TRUVADA for PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis)?

TRUVADA is a prescription medicine that can be used for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection when used together with safer sex practices. This use is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This includes HIV-negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex, and male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV-1. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP?

Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: uYou must be HIV-negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. uMany HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin.

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: uYou must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. uYou must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. uTo further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: • Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.

• Have fewer sex partners.

• Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. uIf you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: uToo much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats. uSerious liver problems. Your liver may become large and tender, and you may develop fat in your liver. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain.

uYou may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you

are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time.

In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. uWorsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking TRUVADA, they will need to watch you closely for several months to monitor your health. TRUVADA is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

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

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you also take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: uKidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA for PrEP. uBone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. uChanges in body fat, which can happen in people taking TRUVADA or medicines like TRUVADA. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? uAll your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or

have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. uIf you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Pregnancy Registry: A pregnancy registry collects information about your health and the health of your baby. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take medicines to prevent HIV-1 during pregnancy. For more information about the registry and how it works, talk to your healthcare provider. uIf you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. The medicines in TRUVADA can pass to your baby in breast milk. If you become HIV-1 positive, HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. uAll the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. uIf you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA for PrEP, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include ledipasvir with sofosbuvir (HARVONI).

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

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

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

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Have you heard about

TRUVADA for PrEP ?

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The once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when used with safer sex practices.

• TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex.

• You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA. Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.

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visit start.truvada.com

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11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

4

IMPORTANT FACTS (tru-VAH-dah)

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

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP

Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.

• Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP" section.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Bone problems.

• Changes in body fat.

Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight.

These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.

• You must stay HIV-1 negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • Tell your healthcare provider if you have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away.

• If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

• See the “How to Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information.

TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats.

• Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time.

BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Have any other medical conditions.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you become HIV-1 positive because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.

HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1.

• Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• You must practice safer sex by using condoms and you must stay HIV-1 negative.

HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS) TRUVADA is a prescription medicine used with safer sex practices for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults at high risk: • HIV-1 negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex.

• Male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

To help determine your risk, talk openly with your doctor about your sexual health.

Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status.

• Take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

TRUVADA, the TRUVADA Logo, TRUVADA FOR PREP, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and HEPSERA are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

Version date: April 2016 © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0067 10/16

• Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.

• Have fewer sex partners.

• Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV-1 infection.

• Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.

>

11.04 — 11.17.2016 FEATURE

HILLARY CLINTON

LOS ANGELES

ALL EYES ON FLORIDA

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⚫ BY JOHN MCDONALD

Clinton talks LGBT rights in critical Florida speech Visiting the largest concentration of LGBT Floridians on Sunday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton assured supporters she would continue to fight for equality.

“Here’s what I will do as President,” Clinton told a packed crowd inside the Manor Complex in Wilton Manors.

“We will call upon Congress to pass the Equality Act.” The line received the biggest applause in a 20-minute speech delivered to what Clinton acknowledged was her base of support.

“I know I’m speaking to the choir here,” she said.

The Democratic nominee for the U.S. Presidency made a surprise stop in Wilton Manors with just nine days remaining until the general election’s conclusion. Polls have Clinton leading nationwide over her Republican challenger Donald Trump, but Florida – and its 29 electoral college votes — is a battleground prize.

Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1 in Broward County and turning out those Democratic votes is key to Clinton’s strategy of winning Florida. The majority of self-identified LGBT voters have long been aligned with the Democratic Party and Clinton reminded those voters of just what is at stake this election cycle.

“Donald Trump has a terrible record on LGBT rights,” Clinton said. “This election will determine whether we continue the progress we’ve made or let it be ripped away. We know Trump has promised he’ll appoint Supreme Court justices who will overturn marriage equality and that he will repeal President Obama’s executive actions to protect LGBT people from discrimination.”

Clinton went on to give examples of Trump’s unsavory ways. She said one of Trump’s golf courses fired an employee who had been harassed at work because they were gay. Elsewhere, in New York City, Trump showed up for a photo-op at a children’s HIV charity and left without offering a donation, Clinton said.

“Who does that?,” Clinton asked the crowd. “Donald likes to construct an image that he is generous, but it’s a façade. He abuses his power and games the system.”

WHOEVER WINS FLORIDA WINS THE ELECTION AND CLINTON HAS TAKEN THE LGBT VOTE OF SOUTH FLORIDA VERY SERIOUSLY, HOLDING A RALLY IN WILTON MANORS, THE GAY TOWN JUST WEST OF FORT LAUDERDALE.

The line waiting to get in to see Clinton stretched far down Wilton Drive.

Several elected officials attended the event, including U.S. Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Lois Frankel, Florida Representative David Richardson and Wilton Manors Commissioners Justin Flippen, Julie Carson, Scott Newton and Tom Green. Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick delivered brief remarks.

“We can’t take this election for granted,” Resnick said. “The courts are so important for our rights.”

Keeping with the spirit of the community, members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida performed the national anthem and later Jennifer McClain, a popular performer at the nearby Alibi bar, entertained the crowd with a special rendition of “Man! I Feel Like A Woman.”

“The best thing about being a woman, is our prerogative to have a little fun,” sang McClain, dressed in a red,

white and blue outfit.

Police estimated the crowd to be a little over two thousand inside the complex and another thousand who were re-routed into an overflow area outside. DJ Tracy Young provided the music, warming up attendees with songs such as “Holiday,” “Celebration,” “Dancing Queen” and “Respect.”

“DJs speak through their music,” said Miik Martorell, a DJ himself and President of Pride Fort Lauderdale.

Martorell said Clinton holding an event at a gay club speaks volumes as to how far the country has evolved on LGBT equality.

“This is huge,” Martorell said. “I don’t know if there has ever been a Presidential candidate speak in a gay club.”

Security was tight on Sunday in Wilton Manors just four months and three hours away from the Pulse Nightclub tragedy.

“We are going to bring people together to reform our gun laws and keep guns from falling into the wrong hands so that what happened in Orlando will never happen again,” Clinton said.

As for LGBT issues, Clinton said there is still much work to be done.

“There is still no federal law that stops an employer from refusing to hire someone just because he or she is LGBT,” Clinton said.

By passing the Equality Act, Clinton said, “we will then be able to protect LGBT Americans from discrimination in all aspects of our lives.”

Also on her list is achieving an AIDS free generation, taking on homelessness, bullying and violence among LGBT youth and ending the “harmful practice of so-called conversion therapy.”

“LGBT kids don’t need to be cured of anything, they just need to be accepted,” Clinton said to raucous cheers.

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11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

6

FEATURE INTERVIEW

THE DEATH PENALTY

⚫ BY MATTHEW BAJKO

Interview with L.A.’s nortorious “Scorecard Killer,” Randy Kraft SAVE 10% 1

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For nearly 30 years Randy Kraft has sat on California’s death row attempting to clear his name. A gay man given the nicknames “the Scorecard Killer” and “the Freeway Killer,” Kraft has been described as one of the “deadliest and most depraved serial killers” in the state’s history.

In May 1989 a jury convicted him of killing 16 men over the course of 11 years in southern California and, that November, recommended the death penalty. Prosecutors had also tied him to the deaths of eight additional men in Oregon and Michigan.

In the summer of 2000, with Kraft’s appeals of his verdict in state court exhausted, the California Supreme Court upheld his conviction and death sentence. Kraft then turned to the federal courts to seek a new trial of his case. He has been mired in the federal appeals system ever since, and on numerous occasions, he has petitioned to have a new federal public defender assigned to represent him.

To this day Kraft has never confessed to the murders he was found guilty of committing.

And other than an interview with a Los Angeles Times reporter six months after his arrest in 1983, Kraft has not spoken publicly about his case other than through copious court filings over the years.

During his jury trial, Kraft did not testify on his behalf. After the trial court judge refused to grant his request to testify about only one of the murder charges he was facing, he opted, based on the advice of his attorneys, not to take the stand to defend himself.

Kraft, 71, contacted the The Pride Los Angeles last fall about his desire to publicly discuss his case before he dies.

“This has been bottled up so long,” a graying Kraft, dressed in dark blue pants and a light blue shirt, said during an interview in March over a lunch of a microwaved southern fried chicken sandwich and a cheese and bean burrito. “I am getting older. I am going to die here.

And I am frustrated my attorneys aren’t saying these things. If I don’t say something it will never be said.”

Over the course of 10 months, through written correspondence and three in-person meetings at San Quentin State Prison, Kraft repeatedly maintained his innocence and alleged he had been the victim of a criminal and judicial system biased against him because of his sexual orientation.

“To begin, I did not kill Terry Gambrel,” Kraft wrote last November in one of his first letters, referring to the Marine found slumped over in the passenger seat of his car when two CHP officers pulled him over on Interstate 5 in Or-

5.75 in.

11.04 — 11.17.2016

SERIAL KILLER RANDY KRAFT KEPT A DETAILED SCORE CARD OF HIS SIXTY-ONE MURDERS

ange County for suspected drunk driving late one night 33 years ago. “And neither did I kill or assault any of the other persons as the authorities claim.

Notwithstanding that, I have been imprisoned since May 14, 1983, some 32 years, nearly half of my life.”

Nonetheless, several times Kraft stressed that he has no expectation of ever stepping foot aside of jail. At his age, he expects he will die an inmate.

“Even if the federal courts agree with

LOS ANGELES everything I am saying and sends it back to the state courts, I will still die in here because it takes so long. That is just the way it is,” said Kraft during a May interview. “I think the court is waiting for me to die. It is death penalty by attrition.”

Odds are Kraft, one of 741 death row inmates in the Golden State, will die of natural causes rather than be put to death. As the The Pride noted in September, California has not executed anyone since 2006. Two years ago, a federal judge ruled that the state’s death penalty system was unconstitutional because it is arbitrary and plagued with delays.

And, for the second time in four years, the state’s voters this fall are being asked to abolish the death penalty.

Polling indicates the fight to pass Proposition 62 next Tuesday on the November 8 ballot is tight, with the latest poll released this week by Stanford’s Hoover Institution showing voters evenly split on the measure.

A competing ballot measure, Proposition 66, which would keep the death penalty in place and accelerate the state appeals process, had been trailing with voters. But the Hoover Institution poll found it leading 38 to 24 percent, with as many Californians undecided as they are in favor of the measure.

“It looks like it will pass, and then at 10.0 in. the last minute, everyone changes their mind,” said Kraft about the death penalty repeal efforts. “Maybe it will pass

this time.”

In 2012 many of his fellow death row inmates were rooting for defeat of the measure, said Kraft, since it would not only have dismantled death row but have sent the prisoners to various prisons around the state.

“Last time it was on the ballot, some people here didn’t want it to pass because they didn’t want to be transferred elsewhere,” recalled Kraft.

Should this year’s Prop 66 pass, Kraft said he wouldn’t mind being transferred to a prison closer to Orange County, where his sister, who is in her 80s and frequently speaks with him by phone, lives and could potentially visit him. Yet he expressed some misgivings about leaving San Quentin, it having been his de facto home now for close to three decades.

As for being released from prison, Kraft admitted he doesn’t see himself resuming his old life. As he recalled telling one of his former attorneys, who asked what he would do if his conviction was overturned, Kraft replied, “My life is here now. Almost all of the people I care for are here. I don’t have any former life to return to; it is obliterated.

I don’t pine for release; my life is here.

I’ll die here, and that’s OK with me.”

The fact that Kraft is still alive continues to cause outrage in Orange County. In 2013 the local magazine Orange Coast ran a story titled “Why Isn’t Randy Kraft Dead?” and quoted several of the jurors who convicted Kraft ex-

RANDY KRAFT continued on p. 24

Insurance companies vary by region.

The health needs of Californians are as unique as we are. That’s why Covered California offers a choice of health insurance plans from brand-name companies. Our experts are available to help you select the right plan for you and find out if you qualify for health insurance at a lower cost.

CoveredCA.com

7

pressing disbelief that he has yet to be executed.

The author also spoke with Max Gambrel, a cousin of Terry Gambrel who grew up next door to him in Indiana. He expressed mixed emotions about Kraft, saying that while he has thought about killing him himself, he is also “glad” he remains behind bars.

“He loved his freedom, and the longer he’s in jail ... it’s the only justice my family has,” Max Gambrel told the publication.

THE NIGHT OF HIS ARREST Born in Long Beach, the youngest child of four and the only son of parents Opal and Harold Kraft, Randy Kraft grew up largely in the Orange County town of Midway City. He attended Claremont Men’s College, from which he graduated in 1968 with a B.A. in economics.

He then joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in southern California. He was discharged in 1969 after disclosing his homosexuality to a superior and moved back home with his parents.

Seven years later he had met Jeff Seelig, who worked as a baker, and the two were living together in a home in Laguna Hills. Kraft was working as a computer consultant, a job that often had him traveling to other states.

The night of May 12 Kraft said that he and Seelig had gotten into a fight

BEING COVERED IS THE BEST PLAN

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ELECTION 2016

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1

WHAT?

Gay billionaire Peter Thiel, who gained notoriety both in Silicon Valley and in the LGBT community for his support of Donald Trump, defended his choice Monday by insisting the Republican candidate “gets right” the harm the status quo has caused America.

A co-founder of PayPal and Facebook board member, Thiel made the case for his candidate during an event at the National Press Club in D.C. shortly after donating $1.25 million to the Trump campaign.

Thiel acknowledged 2016 has been a “crazy election year” and compared the campaign to a skit on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” but said “it is less crazy than the condition of our country.”

“Not everyone is hurting,” Thiel said. “In the wealthy suburbs that ring Washington, D.C., people are doing just fine. Where I worked in Silicon Valley, people are doing just great. But most Americans don’t live by the Beltway or the San Francisco Bay. Most Americans haven’t been part of that prosperity.”

Among the problems Thiel cited in the United States are a health care system that he said subsidizes the world, but doesn’t help Americans; an education system in which students take on increasing debt they can’t escape even in bankruptcy; stagnant income and the wasting of money on foreign wars.

Thiel said the candidate’s supporters continue to back him because of the “big things Trump gets right.”

“Free trade has not worked out well for all of America,” Thiel said.

“It helps Trump that the other side just doesn’t get it. All of our elites preach free trade. The highly educated people who make public policy explain that cheap imports make everyone a winner, according to economic theory, but in actual practice, we’ve lost tens of thousands of factories and millions of jobs to foreign trade. The heartland

has been devastated.”

Thiel, who declared he’s “proud to be gay” at the Republican National Convention, has faced criticism in the LGBT community for supporting Trump, who opposes marriage equality and has staked out other anti-LGBT positions during his campaign.

Making the case “louder voices” won’t tolerate views of one-half of the country, Thiel criticized the Advocate magazine over an op-ed saying he shouldn’t be called “gay,” despite his declaration in Cleveland, because of the word’s political connotations.

“This intolerance has taken on some bizarre forms,” Thiel said.

“The Advocate, a magazine which once praised me as a ‘gay innovator’ even published an article claiming that as of now I’m, and I quote, ‘not a gay man,’ unquote because I don’t agree with their politics. The lie behind the buzzword of diversity could not be made more clear: If you don’t conform, then you don’t count as diverse, no matter what your personal background.”

Calling both major presidential nominees “imperfect,” Thiel also said he doesn’t agree with Trump about everything and condemned the 2005 recording unearthed in early October in which the candidate was heard bragging about sexual assault.

“Nobody thinks his comments about women were acceptable,” Thiel said. “I agree they were clearly offensive and inappropriate, but I don’t think the voters pull a lever in order to endorse a candidate’s flaws. It’s not a lack of judgment that leads Americans to vote for Trump; we’re voting for Trump because we judge the leadership of our country that failed.”

Thiel also faulted Hillary Clinton, saying her idea to impose a no-fly zone over Syria would “risk a direct nuclear conflict” with Russia.

“Incredibly, that would be a misTHIEL CLAIMS continued on p. 11

11.04 — 11.17.2016 ELECTION 2016

LOS ANGELES

RHETORIC

⚫ BY CHRIS JOHNSON

Trump claims Clinton backs antigay Isis

United States Representative

TED LIEU Representing California’s

33 rd District

ISIS HAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED FOOTAGE OF MEN BEING EXECUTED ‘FOR BEING GAY’

The Trump campaign continues to insist Hillary Clinton has accepted millions of dollars from countries that execute gay men by throwing them from buildings — a line that mischaracterizes the Islamic State of Iraq & Syria as a supporter for the Clinton Foundation.

Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s campaign manager, made comments along those lines during an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in response to Chuck Todd’s question about Trump’s continued assertion the presidential election is rigged.

“Of course we respect the principles in American democracy, and if we’re so high-mindedly concerned about the principles of American democracy, as so many chest-beaters were this week, Chuck, ask Hillary Clinton why she takes tens of millions of dollars from countries that hate women and disrespect women, that throw gays off of buildings,” Conway said. “That is not respecting our democracy, using the State Department as a concierge for foreign donations, not really respecting our American democracy.”

Conway, a former pollster for

anti-LGBT National Organization for Marriage, appears to be referring to controversy over the millions of dollars the Clinton Foundation has accepted from countries with anti-LGBT laws and harsh laws against women.

Among them is Saudi Arabia, which has donated between $10 million and $25 million to the Clinton Foundation and punishes being gay and cross-dressing with death, imprisonment, fines and corporal punishment. Other countries with anti-LGBT laws that contributed to the Clinton Foundation are Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Brunei, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Bahrain.

Despite the harsh laws against LGBT people in these countries, they don’t have a record, as Conway said, of throwing “gays off of buildings.” The perpetuators of that crime is the ISIS, which has repeatedly thrown men perceived as gay from buildings — at least one time while small children were forced to watch.

But ISIS isn’t recognized as a legitimate country, nor has it made contributions to the Clinton Foundation or to Clinton in any TRUMP CLAIMS continued on p. 28

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⚫ 9

⚫ 10

HUMAN RIGHTS TRUMP

>

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

INTERNATIONAL

⚫ BY MICHAEL LAVERS

Trump is ‘nightmare waiting to happen,’ say int’l LGBT groups LGBT activists from overseas who took part in a panel at Freedom House in Northwest D.C. on Monday said they remain deeply concerned about a Donald Trump presidency.

“Donald Trump is a nightmare waiting to happen,” said Monica Tabengwa, executive director of Pan Africa ILGA, a group that advocates on behalf of LGBT and intersex people across Africa.

Tabengwa said in response to the Washington Blade’s question about the global impact of the U.S. presidential election that wars and other conflicts have displaced millions around the world. She also noted people are “getting on a boat” in hopes of reaching Europe.

“What does it mean to have the United States . . . having such a possibility that the president will be someone who will shut the door down and won’t allow these people to come,” said Tabengwa. “It’s a worrying thing.”

RHETORIC REDUCES ‘SPACE’ FOR LGBT MUSLIMS The Human Rights Campaign and other LGBT advocacy groups sharply criticized Trump last December over his proposed ban on Muslims from entering the U.S. The Republican billionaire announced his proposal in the wake of

MONICA TABENGWA

UROOJ ARSHAD OF THE WASHINGTON-BASED ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH SAID TRUMP’S RHETORIC HAS CREATED “INCREASED POLARIZATION AGAINST” MUSLIMS AND JUSTIFICATION FOR ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM IN HER NATIVE PAKISTAN AND OTHER COUNTRIES.

terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., and Paris for which the socalled Islamic State claimed responsibility. Trump reiterated his call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S. in the days after the June 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. The gunman, who was born in New York to parents from Afghanistan, pledged his allegiance to ISIS. Officials maintain there is no indication the Sunni extremist group ordered him to carry out the massacre at the gay nightclub that left 49 people dead and 53 others injured.

Trump in August said his administration would subject potential immigrants to the U.S. to “extreme vetting” and require them to pass an “ideological test” with questions about LGBT

rights. He would also temporarily ban immigrants “from some of the most dangerous and most volatile regions of the world that have a history of exporting terrorism.”

U.S. Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Sean Patrick Maloney are among the Democrats who voted for a bill in the wake of last November’s Paris terrorist attacks that sought to suspend the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the U.S. The Trump campaign continues to assert the Clinton Foundation has accepted millions of dollars from countries that execute men accused of sodomy by throwing them off of buildings, even though ISIS is the only governing entity to have done so.

Urooj Arshad of the Washington-based Advocates for Youth said Trump’s rhetoric has created “increased polarization against” Muslims and justification for Islamic fundamentalism in her native Pakistan and other countries. Arshad also said the proposed ban on Muslim immigrants to the U.S. after the Pulse nightclub

massacre and the debate over burkini swimsuit bans in France are indicative of the rise in what she described as “right-wing populist” movements in the U.S. and Europe.

“Anyone who is an LGBTI person who’s also Muslim, it reduces the space for them to exist anywhere in the world,” said Arshad.

“That’s what me and my friends talk about,” she added. “Where are we supposed to go and how come we can’t live in Pakistan full time? We can’t here based on what’s going on with Trump.”

Mark Bromley, chair of the Council for Global Equality, also noted Trump has cited anti-LGBT violence from ISIS and other extremist groups in the Middle East on the campaign trail. Bromley said the Republican billionaire has “used that in a way as rhetoric to justify very anti-refugee, anti-Muslim” policies.

“That’s a disturbing sort of argument that we see perculating out there,” said Bromley.

‘More people are used to’ Clinton Hillary Clinton supporters are quick to point out she delivered her “gay rights are human rights” speech in Geneva in 2011.

Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time, gave the landmark address on the same day the Obama administration directed government agencies that implement U.S. foreign policy to promote LGBT rights abroad. Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, opposed these efforts when he was a member of the House of Representatives.

Log Cabin Republicans President Gregory T. Angelo in August criticized Clinton after emails revealed the Clinton Foundation accepted millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia — in which those convicted of consensual samesex sexual relations face the death penalty — and other countries with anti-LGBT rights records. Clinton’s supporters were quick to note the Clinton Foundation has fought HIV/ AIDS and funded other efforts around the world.

“More people are used to her,” said Tabengwa, referring to Clinton. “She’s been in the system for a long time.

She’s been with the Obama administration.”

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

Peter Thiel defends Trump THIEL CLAIMS continued from p. 8

take even more reckless than invading Iraq,” Thiel said. “Since most of the planes flying over Syria today are Russian planes, taking that as the first choice of action would do worse than involve us in a messy civil war, it would risk a direct nuclear conflict.”

Thiel, who said he supported Ron Paul in 2008 and 2012 and Carly Fiorina early on in the 2016 election, said he hoped to see a match between Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders (IVt.) because both candidates challenged the establishment.

“I think both of them viscerally felt the decline and viscerally, they very much disagreed about what caused it, what to do about it, but that would have been a very different sort of debate,” Thiel said. “What we have is a debate between the one candidate who says everything is more or less fine, or is as good as it can be, and the another one who says, ‘We’re on the Titanic that’s about to sink,’ so I prefer the second one.”

Under questioning from moderator and National Press Club President Thomas Burr, Thiel distanced himself from other Trump proposals, such as a ban on Muslims from entering the

United States or the candidate’s proposal to open the nation’s libel laws.

“The media is always taking Trump literally,” Thiel said. “It never takes him seriously; it always takes him literally. I think a lot of the voters who vote for Trump take Trump seriously, but not literally. So when they hear things like the Muslim comment, or the wall comment, things like that, the question is not whether you’re going to build a wall like the Great Wall of China, or how exactly are you going to enforce these tests. What they hear is we’re going to have a saner, more sensible immigration policy. We’re going to try to figure out how do we strike the right balance between cost and benefits.”

Asked whether Trump is a successful business person, Thiel said Trump is “a very successful real estate developer,” but can’t render an evaluation because the nature of the technology business is different from real estate.

“We can debate how many zeroes he has exactly in his net worth, but has a lot, he has a huge number even,” Thiel said.

In response to a question submitted by the Washington Blade on whether Trump would roll back LGBT rights or reverse the Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, Thiel

said he hasn’t had that conversation with Trump.

“I do think that he represents a sea change for the Republican Party of Bush 43,” Thiel said. “Just think about the way Bush 43 was speaking negatively about gay marriage at every single campaign event in the 2004 election. It’s something where Trump has — everything he indicated is that he would be quite expansive on gay rights.”

Despite the criticism he faced for supporting Trump, Thiel said his friendships and business relationships have remained intact.

Thiel also said he knows “not a large number, but a small number” of individuals in Silicon Valley who support Trump but haven’t said so publicly out of fear of reprisals.

Outed as gay by the now-defunct website Gawker, Thiel also defended the lawsuit he funded against the website over the its publication of a sex tape featuring Hulk Hogan, which forced the company to close, denying the litigation sets a dangerous precedent.

“If you make a sex tape of someone with their permission, you are a pornographer,” Thiel said. “If you make a sex tape without their permission, we are told now you are a journalist.

11

I would submit that is an insult to all journalists.”

The entrepreneur called Gawker’s action the most “egregious violation of privacy imaginable,” which is why he said the website lost the lawsuit “catastrophically.”

Insisting he thinks journalists are a “privileged group,” Thiel said he doesn’t think what happened to Gawker could happen to other news outlets and more generally discouraged similar litigation.

As for a future for himself in politics, Thiel said he will occasionally get involved, but plans to remain in the technology industry and doesn’t want to make politics a full-time career.

“I always have this somewhat schizophrenic view of politics, where I think it’s a horrible business, it’s incredibly destructive, a lot of it is like trench warfare on the western front where there’s crazy amounts of carnage and nothing ever changes,” Thiel said. “That’s one part of my schizophrenic view. The other part is that it is really important. There’s some problems that can’t be solved outside of this political arena and the way that I deal with my schizophrenia is that I occasionally get involved, but don’t want to make it a full-time thing.”

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⚫ 12

NATIONAL

OUT CANDIDATES

>

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

ELECTION 2016

⚫ BY CHRIS JOHNSON

Steep odds for LGBT Congressional hopefuls A plethora of non-incumbent openly LGBT candidates is seeking election to Congress this year, but a look at the polls reveals many of them are facing an uphill climb.

The Pride identified 10 openly LGBT non-incumbent candidates running for seats in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate in 2016, including two candidates who are the first-ever openly transgender people to win nominations from a major U.S. political party, two openly gay Republicans and a candidate who’d be the first out lesbian with children elected to Congress.

The best prospect in this lot is business executive Angie Craig, a lesbian Democrat running against Republican Jason Lewis to represent Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district, which comprises suburbs of the Twin Cities.

According to a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll published on Oct. 17, Craig has a lead with 46 percent of the vote compared to the 41 percent who support her opponent, although 12 percent of voters were undecided.

A victory for Craig would mean Democrats retake a seat held by Republicans for 13 years, most recently by anti-LGBT Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), who’s retiring this year.

Additionally, it would mark the first time since Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) left the House to serve in the Senate that an out lesbian served in the House as well as the first time a married lesbian with children served in Congress.

Kyle Kondik, managing editor for “Sabato’s Crystal Ball” at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said Craig has a good chance of winning the race.

“She is a small favorite thanks to a controversial opponent and Clinton’s likely ability to run ahead of Obama’s 2012 performance in this suburban swing district,” Kondik said.

Another bright spot lies in the six incumbent openly LGB members of the U.S. House. Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) are Democrats and relatively safe as they pursue re-election during a presiden-

PUBLISHER & EDITOR TROY MASTERS troy@smmirror.com

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tial year with Hillary Clinton at the top of the ballot. The Pride couldn’t find polls bothering to monitor these races.

But the good news ends there for LGBT congressional candidates. The two openly LGBT candidates running for seats in the U.S. Senate — Lexington Mayor Jim Gray in Kentucky and Misty Snow in Utah — face daunting odds, according to polls.

In Kentucky, Gray is challenging Republican presidential candidate and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has overwhelming name recognition in the Bluegrass State. Gray’s election would double the openly gay representation in the U.S. Senate, but that doesn’t look to be in the cards.

A WKU Social Science Research Center poll published on Tuesday found Paul has 55 percent of support compared to the 39 percent for Gray and six percent who are undecided.

In Utah, Snow made history by being the first openly transgender person nominated by a major U.S. party for a U.S. Senate seat, but faces overwhelming odds against incumbent Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). A UtahPolicy.com survey published last month

found Snow trailing Lee by a whopping 39 points. Lee had 61 percent support, while Snow had just 22 percent.

In Colorado, Army veteran Misty Plowright made history on the same day as Snow by becoming the first openly transgender person nominated by a major U.S. party for a U.S. House race, but she faces daunting odds in the state’s 5th congressional district against five-term incumbent Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.). The Pride couldn’t find a poll monitoring the election.

The situation is reversed in terms of party in a Connecticut race. Clay Cope, an openly gay Republican who serves on the board of selectman for the town of Sherman, faces an overwhelming challenge in his bid to unseat two-term incumbent Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.), who represents the state’s 5th congressional district.

No polls could be found monitoring this race.

In Arizona’s 1st congressional district, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, who came out as gay in 2012 amid controversy during an earlier congressional bid, is running against

THE PRIDE L.A., The Newspaper Serving Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender L.A., is published by MIRROR MEDIA GROUP. Send all inquiries to: THE PRIDE L.A., 3435 Ocean Park Blvd. #210. Phone: 310.310.2637 Written permission of the publisher must be obtained before any of the contents of this paper, in part or whole, can be reproduced or redistributed. All contents (c) 2016 The Pride L.A..

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© 2016 The Pride L.A. All rights reserved.

Democratic former state Sen. Tom O’Halleran. It was once considered a competitive race, but a poll commissioned by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee made public last month found O’Halleran had opened up a 10-point lead over his gay Republican challenger.

In California’s 46th congressio-

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

JOBS!

ELECTION 2016

⚫ BY KAREN OCAMB

LGBT Resumés sought for new White House First and foremost—the race for president of the United States is not over! Every vote on Nov. 8 still counts, even if polls show former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton in the lead. And down-ballot races matter, as well, with the Democratic Party hoping to win back the U.S. Senate and soften up the House so “compromise” replaces “obstructionism” in the congressional lexicon.

Full disclosure: The Pride Los Angeles has officially endorsed Clinton for president, joining the other 11 members of the National Gay Media Association in taking this unprecedented step to ensure the progress of LGBT equality, rather than the roll-backs promised by Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Hillary Rodham Clinton Signs Copies Of Her Book ‘Hard Choices’ In New York Meanwhile, preparations are underway to ensure that the LGBT community has more than a few seats at the table in the upcoming Clinton administration. On Monday, the Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute, victoryinstitute.org the non-profit partner of the Victory Fund political action committee, announced that it has hired Reginald Greer to head the important Presidential Appointments Initiative (PAI). Created in 1992 just before the tide-changing election of pro-gay Bill Clinton, the Presidential Appointments Project (now PAI) fought against strong anti-gay right wing sentiment in Congress to secure the first-ever appointees at high levels in the new administration.

By the end of his administration, President Barack Obama has “vastly changed the face of the federal bureaucracy” through his appointments, according to the Washington Post last month. Indeed, in anticipation of Obama’s presidency in 2008, the Victory Institute collected more than 3,000 LGBT resumes which lead to six out gay ambassadors; the first gay special envoy to promote LGBT rights globally; five transgender officials at federal agencies; the first full-time trans employee in the White House; the first gay

male White House Social Secretary; the first secretary of a branch of the military with Army Sec. Eric Fanning; and hundreds of other staffers and interns.

Now Greer, a former Obama appointee himself as Deputy Director of Public Engagement at the U.S. Department of Transportation, is leading a coalition of 30 organizations to identify and submit a diverse pool of resumes from exemplary LGBT candidates applying for all levels in the federal government. Additionally, once selected, PAI promises to advocate for the prospective appointees.

“Presidential appointees influence the policies and direction of federal agencies and the executive branch, so it is essential that LGBT appointees are well-represented in the next administration,” Victory Institute President & CEO Aisha C. Moodie-Mills said in a press release “As a former Obama appointee, Reggie Greer understands the complexities and politics of navigating the appointments process.

We are thrilled he is leading our efforts to build an LGBT -inclusive administration.”

PAI is also committed to recruiting more women, people of color, transgender people and individuals outside the Beltway, so their perspectives and voices are included in the new administration, according to the press release.

“The Presidential Appointments Initiative assisted hundreds of LGBT people searching for placements in the Obama administration, and I am honored to further that legacy,” said PAI Director Reggie Greer. “We are continuing to build our talent bank with qualified LGBT leaders who can be the foundation for a successful administration, and we will be their allies in finding a placement. We encourage LGBT people across the country to consider public service and to register with our initiative.”

If you are interested in a presidential appointment in the next administration, go to the Victory Institute’s PAI to learn more and upload your resume at victoryinstitute.org/PAI.

election reporting: thepridela.com

⚫

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⚫ 14

OUR JOURNEY TOGETHERNESS

>

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

REMEMBERANCE

⚫ BY TROY MASTERS

Dale Green, 85, who married his partner of 31 years at West LA Veterans Hospital, dies Dale Green, an 85-year old gay Korean War veteran, died October 14, 2016 after a heroic and painfully short battle with Stage 4 melanoma. He died after fulfilling his most important wish— marrying Takashi Nakaya, his partner of 31 years, in an emotional August 2016 bedside ceremony at the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Hospital.

Dale’s story is a personal one for me. He became my friend in only the past year, but the brief time we spent together was filled with intelligence, wit, soul and an unyielding curiosity for love and life. He stayed in my home several times and became part of my family. Arturo, my partner of 15 years and our dog, 12 year old Lilly, loved him. And the trauma of his sudden decline has been piercing.

His story has continued to unwind in multidimensional ways, just as a life well-lived should.

Soon after Dale and Takashi Nakaya, 53, met in 1975 Lima, Peru, the country collapsed into violent armed conflict as rebel forces became intent on replac-

ing the Peruvian state. Their bond was so strong that when Dale was urged to leave the country — he refused to do so without Takashi. But since Takashi was a Peruvian born citizen, the United States would not approve a visa and so the couple was forced to find a way to stay together. As a first generation Peruvian of Japanese descent, Takashi was given a Japanese passport and the couple was able to flee to Japan.

In Japan, they built an amazing life full of family, friends and a traditional Japanese home full of love. From Japan, they were able to see the world together. Over the years they traveled to nearly every continent.

But staying together was never easy.

Dale was unable to obtain Japanese residency and was forced to leave Japan every 90 days. “Every time I leave I am terrified,” Dale told me last June.

“There’s a good chance they will not let me back in. If I can’t go back to Takashi and Mimi, I don’t know what I would do,” he said, wiping a tear from his face.

Gay relationships in Japan have no

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legal standing and an appeal of a visa denial on the basis of an existing relationship would certainly fail. “I have always lived in terror that he would not be allowed to come back,” said Takashi.

“We sometimes imagined reversing our strategy, with me using my Japanese passport to enter the U.S. on a tourist visa and departing every few months, but we loved Japan and since I had a career we never gave it more than passing thought,” he told The Pride LA in September.

As the years passed, Dale and Takashi settled into the routine. As long as Dale was able to re-enter Japan, all would be fine.

Growing old sometimes changes everything.

In July, Dale suffered what appeared to be a stroke and was taken to a hospital near their home in Toyohashi, Japan. The Japanese medical system does not treat foreigners except on a very expensive cash basis. And so, with Dale’s visa set to expire, the couple realized that medical treatment was the most important thing for Dale.

As was typical for Dale, he mulled over all his options and decided to

IN AUGUST DALE GREEN MARRIED HIS PARTNER OF 31 YEARS IN AN EMOTIONAL BEDSIDE CEREMONY IN THE WEST LOS ANGELES VA HOSPITAL.

seek treatment at a Veterans Administration hospital. The VA hospital in Japan, they learned, treats only active service members, leading Dale to conclude that he would have to return to the U.S. Dale and Takashi faced separation.“We convinced ourselves it was temporary,” Takashi said.

Dale and Takashi traveled to the West LA Veterans Administration and Dale was immediately hospitalized.

Within hours he was informed that he was facing Stage 4 Melanoma and that he had little chance of survival. He would undergo radiation therapy.

Doctors tell Dale that Melanoma has likely spread throughout his entire body and that the prognosis for recovery is poor.

Doctors tell Dale that Melanoma has likely spread throughout his entire TAKASHI’S STORY continued on p. 15

11.04 — 11.17.2016 TAKASHI’S STORY continued from p. 14

body and that the prognosis for recovery is poor.

The bad news was delivered only moments before the couple was to be wed.

As the doctors were delivering the bad news to Dale, I was present and interrupted them.

“Well, we have other news! Dale and Takashi are going to be married and the officiant will be here in the next five minutes.” The nurses and doctors present were jubilant and offered deeply heartfelt, even tearful congratulations.

Word spread throughout the hospital that their wedding was about to take place.

When the officiant arrived, dozens of VA staff members witnessed the ceremony and could hardly contain their tears of joy. They celebrated their wedding with them. “This is the most beautiful moment of our life together,” Dale cried. “I can’t believe it…to accept us is one thing but to celebrate our love is something else entirely,” said Takashi.

The couple was able to spend the next 72 hours together before Takashi had to return to work in Japan and care for their home and dog, Mimi, in Toyohashi.

In the weeks that followed, Dale’s condition worsened. He was transferred to a hospice and had determined that it was best to avoid further treatment.

He ordered a “do not resuscitate” wrist band, but the separation from Takashi was too much. Daily Skype calls with Takashi motivated him to continue to try and so he did. But the radiation was too strong and he wound up being placed in an intensive care unit.

Takashi returned to Los Angeles immediately and within days Dale had bounced back. You can see their reunion here.

For the next 10 days, Dale and Takashi were inseparable, taking daily wheel-bed strolls through the hospital and the outdoor gardens of the VA. In honor of their wedding, the Veterans Administration provided Takashi a home at the Fischer House for as long as he needed to stay.

After an article appeared in The Pride LA, Dale and Takashi became something of an Internet sensation. Dozens of versions of the article documenting their wedding were posted on websites in several languages and more than five million people read their story.

People from around the world offered their support and love and some contributed to a gofundme.com campaign.

In Los Angeles, many people offered to do whatever they could to make the couple’s remaining time together as comfortable as possible. One person offered to help Dale with a flight back to Japan, if that became possible.

A Los Angeles mom, who asked to remain anonymous, became a regular visitor. She spoiled him, brought him flowers, cheeses, food from outside, visits from her children, and general lov-

LOS ANGELES ing support to Dale and Takashi. She spent hours listening to stories of their life together, their fears and she promised to keep in regular text contact with Takashi.

Ultimately, Dale and Takashi were told that nothing more could be done and that Dale had only a short time left to live. He was transferred to another hospice facility in North Hills, where Dale decided to reinstate the ‘do not resuscitate order.”

The article about Dale and Takashi preceded Dale’s arrival. Gay staff members at the hospice were thrilled to meet him and the entire staff welcomed the couple with hearty congratulations on their marriage.

Again, Takashi had to return to Japan for work. But this time things were different. Takashi realized he needed to be by Dale’s side at all times, and so he decided to explore ways of doing so.

Dale and Takashi returned to regular Skype visits but Dale’s abilities were in steep decline, and even these simple calls became impractical and terrorizing for them both. Dale was slipping quickly.

Takashi requested a meeting with his employer in Toyohashi. “I need to take as much time off as I can take because, as you know, my friend Dale is in his last days at a hospital in Los Angeles and he won’t be able to return; I want to be with him,” he said to his boss.

“Let me ask you something,” his boss replied, “why would you dare risk your stability for a mere friend?”

Takashi took a deep breath and decided to come out to his boss, knowing that in Japan there is great risk in doing so. “Well, for as long as I have worked here, you have known Dale as my friend and roommate but what you do not know is that we are a couple and we were married in the United States last month. We have been “husbands” for 31 years and we love each other deeply.

If I lose my job because of this, then I will have to deal with it,” Takashi said.

“I knew it!,” said Takashi’s boss with a smile. “This is a very unusual request but I am willing to offer you all of your accrued paid sick days. If you exceed the 41 you have available to you, then we will have to officially terminate you, as is policy. But you can be re-hired.

Go, take care of your husband,” he said.

Takashi bought a ticket that was to depart in two days.

But that very night the doctor called to say that Dale’s situation was dire. He had quit eating and his respiration had changed. “Dale has only a few hours left,” said the doctor.

Takashi scrambled to change his flight and went to Tokyo to board the next available one to Los Angeles.

He arrived the next morning in North Hills to find Dale unable to speak, but able to recognize his presence.

“I am here, Dale. I am here. And I love you, I love you. I love you,” he said.

TAKASHI’S STORY continued on p. 25

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⚫ 15

⚫

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LOS ANGELES

16

Actual ATRIPLA patients. ‡

ATRIPLA has been chosen by more than 550,000 people with HIV and their doctors. § In the US, ATRIPLA is the #1 prescribed one-pill, once-daily HIV treatment.

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR OR VISIT AtriplaAndMe.com TO FIND OUT MORE. What is ATRIPLA? ATRIPLA® (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) is a prescription medication used alone as a complete regimen, or with other anti-HIV-1 medicines, to treat HIV-1 infection in adults and children at least 12 years old who weigh at least 40 kg (88 lbs).

ATRIPLA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS and you may continue to experience illnesses associated with HIV-1 infection, including opportunistic infections.

See your healthcare provider regularly while taking ATRIPLA. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about ATRIPLA? ATRIPLA can cause serious side effects: n Some people who have taken medicines like ATRIPLA (which contains nucleoside analogs) have developed lactic acidosis (build up of an acid in the blood). Lactic acidosis can be a serious medical emergency that can lead to death.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you get the following signs or symptoms of lactic acidosis: – feel very weak or tired – have unusual (not normal) muscle pain – have trouble breathing – have stomach pain with nausea and vomiting – feel cold, especially in your arms and legs – feel dizzy or lightheaded – have a fast or irregular heartbeat n Some people who have taken medicines like ATRIPLA have developed serious liver problems (hepatotoxicity), with liver enlargement (hepatomegaly) and fat in the liver (steatosis). In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death.

172006879.indd 1

Call your healthcare provider right away if you get the following signs or symptoms of liver problems: – skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) – urine turns dark – bowel movements (stools) turn light in color – don’t feel like eating food for several days or longer – feel sick to your stomach (nausea) – have lower stomach area (abdominal) pain n You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking nucleoside analog-containing medicines, like ATRIPLA (efavirenz/emtricitabine/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), for a long time. n If you also have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and you stop taking ATRIPLA, you may get a “flare-up” of your hepatitis. A “flare-up” is when the disease suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Patients with HBV who stop taking ATRIPLA need close medical follow-up for several months to check for hepatitis that could be getting worse. ATRIPLA is not approved for the treatment of HBV, so you need to discuss your HBV therapy with your healthcare provider.

Who should not take ATRIPLA? You and your healthcare provider should decide if ATRIPLA is right for you. Do not take ATRIPLA if you are allergic to ATRIPLA or any of its ingredients.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking ATRIPLA? Tell your healthcare provider if you: n Are pregnant or planning to become pregnant: You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

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TAKING CARE OF

⚫ 17

Visit AtriplaAndMe.com

For adults with HIV-1,

WITH THE STRENGTH OF

Undetectable viral load is a goal, and ATRIPLA has the power to help get you there.

In a clinical trial: • ATRIPLA has been proven to LOWER VIRAL LOAD to undetectable* in approximately 8 out of 10 adult patients new to therapy through 48 weeks compared with approximately 7 out of 10 adult patients in the comparator group† • ATRIPLA has been proven to LOWER VIRAL LOAD to undetectable* through 3 years in approximately 7 out of 10 adult patients new to therapy compared with approximately 6 out of 10 adult patients in the comparator group†

SELECTED IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION n Some people who have taken medicines like ATRIPLA have developed build up of lactic acid in the blood, which can be a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. n Some people who have taken medicines like ATRIPLA have developed serious liver problems, with liver enlargement and fat in the liver, which can lead to death. n If you also have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and you stop taking ATRIPLA, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. ATRIPLA is not approved for the treatment of HBV. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (continued) Women should not become pregnant while taking ATRIPLA and for 12 weeks after stopping ATRIPLA. Serious birth defects have been seen in children of women treated during pregnancy with efavirenz, one of the medicines in ATRIPLA. Women must use a reliable form of barrier contraception, such as a condom or diaphragm, even if they also use other methods of birth control, while on ATRIPLA and for 12 weeks after stopping ATRIPLA. Women should not rely only on hormone-based birth control, such as pills, injections, or implants, because ATRIPLA may make these contraceptives ineffective. n Are breastfeeding: Women with HIV should not breastfeed because they can pass HIV and some of the medicines in ATRIPLA through their milk to the baby. It is not known if ATRIPLA could harm your baby. n Have kidney problems or are undergoing kidney dialysis treatment. n Have bone problems. n Have liver problems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection. Your healthcare provider may want to do tests to check your liver while you take ATRIPLA or may switch you to another medicine. n Have ever had mental illness or are using drugs or alcohol n Have ever had seizures or are taking medicine for seizures. Seizures have occurred in patients taking efavirenz, a component of ATRIPLA, generally in those with a history of seizures. If you have ever had seizures, or take medicine for seizures, your healthcare provider may want to switch you to another medicine or monitor you.

What important information should I know about taking other medicines with ATRIPLA? ATRIPLA may change the effect of other medicines, including the ones for HIV-1, and may cause serious side effects. Your healthcare provider may change your other medicines or change their doses.

MEDICINES YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE WITH ATRIPLA n ATRIPLA should not be taken with: Combivir® (lamivudine/zidovudine), COMPLERA® (emtricitabine/rilpivirine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), EMTRIVA® (emtricitabine), Epivir® or Epivir-HBV® (lamivudine), Epzicom® (abacavir sulfate/lamivudine), STRIBILD® (elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir DF), Trizivir® (abacavir sulfate/lamivudine/zidovudine), TRUVADA® (emtricitabine/tenofovir DF), or VIREAD® (tenofovir DF), because they contain the same or similar active ingredients as ATRIPLA. ATRIPLA should not be used with SUSTIVA® (efavirenz) unless recommended by your healthcare provider. n Vfend® (voriconazole) should not be taken with ATRIPLA since it may lose its effect or may increase the chance of having side effects from ATRIPLA. n ATRIPLA should not be used with HEPSERA® (adefovir dipivoxil).

Please see Important Safety Information continued on the following pages.

* In the above clinical trial, undetectable was defined as a viral load fewer than 400 copies/mL. Ask your doctor about your individual results. † In this study, 511 adult patients new to therapy received either the meds in ATRIPLA each taken once daily or Combivir® (lamivudine/zidovudine) twice daily + SUSTIVA® (efavirenz) once daily. ‡ Symphony Health Solutions, PatientSource APLD and Source® PHAST Prescription Monthly, counts are cumulative and equivalized. January 2007–December 2015. § Symphony Health Solutions, Source® PHAST Prescription Monthly, equivalized counts, July 2006–May 2015.

172006879.indd 2

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⚫ 18

LOS ANGELES

11.04 — 11.17.2016 Information PatientPatient Information

® (e ATRIPLA ATRIPLA

® (uh TRIP luh) Tablets ® (uh TRIP ATRIPLA ATRIPLA luh) Tablets

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (continued) These are not all the medicines that may cause problems if you take ATRIPLA. Tell your healthcare provider about all prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements you are taking or plan to take.

What are the possible side effects of ATRIPLA? ATRIPLA may cause the following additional serious side effects: n Serious psychiatric problems. Severe depression, strange thoughts, or angry behavior have been reported by a small number of patients. Some patients have had thoughts of suicide, and a few have actually committed suicide.

These problems may occur more often in patients who have had mental illness. n Kidney problems (including decline or failure of kidney function). If you have had kidney problems, or take other medicines that may cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider should do regular blood tests. Symptoms that may be related to kidney problems include a high volume of urine, thirst, muscle pain, and muscle weakness. n Other serious liver problems. Some patients have experienced serious liver problems, including liver failure resulting in transplantation or death. Most of these serious side effects occurred in patients with a chronic liver disease such as hepatitis infection, but there have also been a few reports in patients without any existing liver disease. n Changes in bone mineral density (thinning bones). Lab tests show changes in the bones of patients treated with tenofovir DF, a component of ATRIPLA. Some HIV patients treated with tenofovir DF developed thinning of the bones (osteopenia), which could lead to fractures. Also, bone pain and softening of the bone (which may lead to fractures) may occur as a consequence of kidney problems. If you have had bone problems in the past, your healthcare provider may want to do tests to check your bones or may prescribe medicines to help your bones.

Common side effects: n Patients may have dizziness, headache, trouble sleeping, drowsiness, trouble concentrating, and/or unusual dreams during treatment with ATRIPLA (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate). These side effects may be reduced if you take ATRIPLA at bedtime on an empty stomach; they tend to go away after taking ATRIPLA for a few weeks. Tell your healthcare provider right away if any of these side effects continue or if they bother you. These symptoms may be more severe if ATRIPLA is used with alcohol and/or moodaltering (street) drugs. n If you are dizzy, have trouble concentrating, and/or are drowsy, avoid activities that may be dangerous, such as driving or operating machinery. n Rash is a common side effect with ATRIPLA that usually goes away without any change in treatment. Rash may be serious in a small number of patients.

Rash occurs more commonly in children and may be a serious problem. If a rash develops, call your healthcare provider right away. n Other common side effects include: tiredness, upset stomach, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea.

Other possible side effects: n Changes in body fat have been seen in some people taking anti-HIV-1 medicines. Increase of fat in the upper back and neck, breasts, and around the trunk may happen. Loss of fat from the legs, arms, and face may also happen.

The cause and long-term health effects of these changes in body fat are not known. n Skin discoloration (small spots or freckles) may also happen. n In some patients with advanced HIV infection (AIDS), signs and symptoms of inflammation from previous infections may occur soon after anti-HIV treatment is started. If you notice any symptoms of infection, contact your healthcare provider right away. n Additional side effects are inflammation of the pancreas, allergic reaction (including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat), shortness of breath, pain, stomach pain, weakness, and indigestion.

This is not a complete list of side effects. Tell your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you notice any side effects while taking ATRIPLA. You should take ATRIPLA once daily on an empty stomach. Taking ATRIPLA at bedtime may make some side effects less bothersome.

Please see the following Patient Information for more information about these warnings, including signs and symptoms, and other Important Safety Information.

ATRIPLA is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2016 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. 697US1604491-07-01 10/16

172006879.indd 3

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10/24/16 4:18 PM

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11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 19

ATRIPLA® (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)

ATRIPLA® (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)

ATRIPL

ATRIPLA helps block HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, a viral chemical in your body (enzyme) that is needed for HIV-1 to multiply. ATRIPLA lowers the amount of HIV-1 in the blood (viral load).

ATRIPLA may also help to increase the number of T cells (CD4+ cells), allowing your immune system to improve. Lowering the amount of HIV-1 in the blood lowers the chance of death or infections that happen when your immune system is weak (opportunistic infections).

■ Reyataz (atazanavir sulfate), Prezista (darunavir) with Norvir (ritonavir), Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), or Harvoni (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir); these medicines may increase the amount of tenofovir DF (a component of ATRIPLA) in your blood, which could result in more side effects. Reyataz is not recommended with ATRIPLA. You may need to be monitored more carefully if you are taking ATRIPLA, Prezista, and Norvir together, or if you are taking ATRIPLA and Kaletra together. The dose of Kaletra should be increased when taken with efavirenz.

■ Avoid

Does ATRIPLA cure HIV-1 or AIDS? ATRIPLA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS and you may continue to experience illnesses associated with HIV-1 infection, including opportunistic infections. You should remain under the care of a doctor when using ATRIPLA. Who should not take ATRIPLA? Together with your healthcare provider, you need to decide whether ATRIPLA is right for you.

■ Medicine for seizures [for example, Dilantin (phenytoin), Tegretol (carbamazepine), or phenobarbital]; your healthcare provider may want to switch you to another medicine or check drug levels in your blood from time to time.

These are not all the medicines that may cause problems if you take ATRIPLA. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all medicines that you take.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking ATRIPLA?

Keep a complete list of all the prescription and nonprescription medicines as well as any herbal remedies that you are taking, how much you take, and how often you take them. Make a new list when medicines or herbal remedies are added or stopped, or if the dose changes. Give copies of this list to all of your healthcare providers and pharmacists every time you visit your healthcare provider or fill a prescription. This will give your healthcare provider a complete picture of the medicines you use. Then he or she can decide the best approach for your situation.

Tell your healthcare provider if you:

How should I take ATRIPLA?

■ Are pregnant or planning to become pregnant (see “What should I avoid while taking ATRIPLA?”).

■ Take the exact amount of ATRIPLA your healthcare provider prescribes. Never change the dose on your own. Do not stop this medicine unless your healthcare provider tells you to stop.

■ Are breastfeeding (see “What should I avoid while taking ATRIPLA?”).

■ You should take ATRIPLA on an empty stomach.

■ Have kidney problems or are undergoing kidney dialysis treatment.

■ Swallow ATRIPLA with water.

■ Have bone problems.

■ Taking ATRIPLA at bedtime may make some side effects less bothersome.

■ Have liver problems, including hepatitis B virus infection. Your healthcare provider may want to do tests to check your liver while you take ATRIPLA or may switch you to another medicine.

■ Do not miss a dose of ATRIPLA. If you forget to take ATRIPLA, take the missed dose right away, unless it is almost time for your next dose. Do not double the next dose. Carry on with your regular dosing schedule. If you need help in planning the best times to take your medicine, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Do not take ATRIPLA if you are allergic to ATRIPLA or any of its ingredients. The active ingredients of ATRIPLA are efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir DF. See the end of this leaflet for a complete list of ingredients.

■ Have ever had mental illness or are using drugs or alcohol.

■ Have ever had seizures or are taking medicine for seizures.

What important information should I know about taking other medicines with ATRIPLA? ATRIPLA may change the effect of other medicines, including the ones for HIV-1, and may cause serious side effects. Your healthcare provider may change your other medicines or change their doses. Other medicines, including herbal products, may affect ATRIPLA. For this reason, it is very important to let all your healthcare providers and pharmacists know what medications, herbal supplements, or vitamins you are taking.

MEDICINES YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE WITH ATRIPLA ■ ATRIPLA also should not be used with Combivir (lamivudine/zidovudine), COMPLERA®, EMTRIVA, Epivir, Epivir-HBV (lamivudine), Epzicom (abacavir sulfate/lamivudine), STRIBILD®, Trizivir (abacavir sulfate/lamivudine/zidovudine), TRUVADA, or VIREAD. ATRIPLA also should not be used with SUSTIVA unless recommended by your healthcare provider.

■ Vfend (voriconazole) should not be taken with ATRIPLA since it may lose its effect or may increase the chance of having side effects from ATRIPLA. ■ ATRIPLA should not be used with HEPSERA® (adefovir dipivoxil).

It is also important to tell your healthcare provider if you are taking any of the following: ■ Fortovase, Invirase (saquinavir), Biaxin (clarithromycin), Noxafil (posaconazole), Sporanox (itraconazole), Victrelis (boceprevir), or Olysio (simeprevir); these medicines may need to be replaced with another medicine when taken with ATRIPLA. ■ Calcium channel blockers such as Cardizem or Tiazac (diltiazem), Covera HS or Isoptin (verapamil) and others; Crixivan (indinavir), Selzentry (maraviroc); the immunosuppressant medicines cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune, and others), Prograf (tacrolimus), or Rapamune (sirolimus); Methadone; Mycobutin (rifabutin); Rifampin; cholesterol-lowering medicines such as Lipitor (atorvastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin sodium), and Zocor (simvastatin); or the anti-depressant medications bupropion (Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, and Zyban) or Zoloft (sertraline); dose changes may be needed when these drugs are taken with ATRIPLA. ■ Videx, Videx EC (didanosine); tenofovir DF (a component of ATRIPLA) may increase the amount of didanosine in your blood, which could result in more side effects. You may need to be monitored more carefully if you are taking ATRIPLA and didanosine together. Also, the dose of didanosine may need to be changed.

172006879.indd 4

■ If you believe you took more than the prescribed amount of ATRIPLA, contact your local poison control center or emergency room right away.

■ Tell your healthcare provider if you start any new medicine or change how you take old ones. Your doses may need adjustment.

■ When your ATRIPLA supply starts to run low, get more from your healthcare provider or pharmacy. This is very important because the amount of virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may develop resistance to ATRIPLA and become harder to treat.

■ Your healthcare provider may want to do blood tests to check for certain side effects while you take ATRIPLA. What should I avoid while taking ATRIPLA? ■ Women should not become pregnant while taking ATRIPLA and for 12 weeks after stopping it. Serious birth defects have been seen in the babies of animals and women treated with efavirenz (a component of ATRIPLA) during pregnancy. It is not known whether efavirenz caused these defects. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you are pregnant. Also talk with your healthcare provider if you want to become pregnant.

■ Women should not rely only on hormone-based birth control, such as pills, injections, or implants, because ATRIPLA may make these contraceptives ineffective. Women must use a reliable form of barrier contraception, such as a condom or diaphragm, even if they also use other methods of birth control. Efavirenz, a component of ATRIPLA, may remain in your blood for a time after therapy is stopped. Therefore, you should continue to use contraceptive measures for 12 weeks after you stop taking ATRIPLA. ■ Do not breastfeed if you are taking ATRIPLA. Some of the medicines in ATRIPLA can be passed to your baby in your breast milk. We do not know whether it could harm your baby.

Also, mothers with HIV-1 should not breastfeed because HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in the breast milk. Talk with your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding. You should stop breastfeeding or may need to use a different medicine.

■ Taking ATRIPLA with alcohol or other medicines causing similar side effects as ATRIPLA, such as drowsiness, may increase those side effects.

■ Do not take any other medicines, including prescription and nonprescription medicines and herbal products, without checking with your healthcare provider.

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11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

ATRIPLA® (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)

ATRIPLA® (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate)

■ Avoid doing things that can spread HIV-1 to others.

Other possible side effects with ATRIPLA:

■ Do not share needles or other injection equipment.

■ Do not share personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them, like toothbrushes and razor blades.

■ Do not have any kind of sex without protection. Always practice safe sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood.

What are the possible side effects of ATRIPLA? ATRIPLA may cause the following serious side effects: ■ Lactic acidosis (buildup of an acid in the blood). Lactic acidosis can be a medical emergency and may need to be treated in the hospital. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get signs of lactic acidosis. (See “What is the most important information I should know about ATRIPLA?”) ■ Serious liver problems (hepatotoxicity), with liver enlargement (hepatomegaly) and fat in the liver (steatosis). Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any signs of liver problems.

(See “What is the most important information I should know about ATRIPLA?”)

■ Changes in body fat. Changes in body fat develop in some patients taking anti HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include an increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), in the breasts, and around the trunk. Loss of fat from the legs, arms, and face may also happen. The cause and long-term health effects of these fat changes are not known.

■ Skin discoloration (small spots or freckles) may also happen with ATRIPLA. ■ In some patients with advanced HIV infection (AIDS), signs and symptoms of inflammation from previous infections may occur soon after anti-HIV treatment is started. It is believed that these symptoms are due to an improvement in the body’s immune response, enabling the body to fight infections that may have been present with no obvious symptoms. If you notice any symptoms of infection, please inform your doctor immediately.

■ Additional side effects are inflammation of the pancreas, allergic reaction (including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat), shortness of breath, pain, stomach pain, weakness and indigestion.

Tell your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you notice any side effects while taking ATRIPLA. Contact your healthcare provider before stopping ATRIPLA because of side effects or for any other reason.

■ “Flare-ups” of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, in which the disease suddenly returns in a worse way than before, can occur if you have HBV and you stop taking ATRIPLA. Your healthcare provider will monitor your condition for several months after stopping ATRIPLA if you have both HIV-1 and HBV infection and may recommend treatment for your HBV. ATRIPLA is not approved for the treatment of hepatitis B virus infection. If you have advanced liver disease and stop treatment with ATRIPLA, the “flare-up” of hepatitis B may cause your liver function to decline.

This is not a complete list of side effects possible with ATRIPLA. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a more complete list of side effects of ATRIPLA and all the medicines you will take.

■ Serious psychiatric problems. A small number of patients may experience severe depression, strange thoughts, or angry behavior while taking ATRIPLA. Some patients have thoughts of suicide and a few have actually committed suicide. These problems may occur more often in patients who have had mental illness. Contact your healthcare provider right away if you think you are having these psychiatric symptoms, so your healthcare provider can decide if you should continue to take ATRIPLA.

■ Keep ATRIPLA in its original container and keep the container tightly closed.

■ Kidney problems (including decline or failure of kidney function). If you have had kidney problems in the past or take other medicines that can cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider should do regular blood tests to check your kidneys. Symptoms that may be related to kidney problems include a high volume of urine, thirst, muscle pain, and muscle weakness.

■ Other serious liver problems. Some patients have experienced serious liver problems including liver failure resulting in transplantation or death. Most of these serious side effects occurred in patients with a chronic liver disease such as hepatitis infection, but there have also been a few reports in patients without any existing liver disease.

■ Changes in bone mineral density (thinning bones). Laboratory tests show changes in the bones of patients treated with tenofovir DF, a component of ATRIPLA. Some HIV patients treated with tenofovir DF developed thinning of the bones (osteopenia) which could lead to fractures.

If you have had bone problems in the past, your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bone mineral density or may prescribe medicines to help your bone mineral density.

Additionally, bone pain and softening of the bone (which may contribute to fractures) may occur as a consequence of kidney problems.

Common side effects: Patients may have dizziness, headache, trouble sleeping, drowsiness, trouble concentrating, and/or unusual dreams during treatment with ATRIPLA. These side effects may be reduced if you take ATRIPLA at bedtime on an empty stomach. They also tend to go away after you have taken the medicine for a few weeks. If you have these common side effects, such as dizziness, it does not mean that you will also have serious psychiatric problems, such as severe depression, strange thoughts, or angry behavior. Tell your healthcare provider right away if any of these side effects continue or if they bother you. It is possible that these symptoms may be more severe if ATRIPLA is used with alcohol or mood altering (street) drugs.

How do I store ATRIPLA? ■ Keep ATRIPLA and all other medicines out of reach of children.

■ Store ATRIPLA at room temperature 77°F (25°C).

■ Do not keep medicine that is out of date or that you no longer need. If you throw any medicines away make sure that children will not find them.

General information about ATRIPLA: Medicines are sometimes prescribed for conditions that are not mentioned in patient information leaflets. Do not use ATRIPLA for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give ATRIPLA to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them.

This leaflet summarizes the most important information about ATRIPLA. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about ATRIPLA that is written for health professionals.

Do not use ATRIPLA if the seal over bottle opening is broken or missing.

What are the ingredients of ATRIPLA? Active Ingredients: efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate Inactive Ingredients: croscarmellose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, sodium lauryl sulfate. The film coating contains black iron oxide, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, red iron oxide, talc, and titanium dioxide.

Revised: February 2016 ATRIPLA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. COMPLERA, EMTRIVA, HARVONI, HEPSERA, SOVALDI, STRIBILD, TRUVADA, and VIREAD are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

SUSTIVA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company. Reyataz and Videx are trademarks of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Pravachol is a trademark of ER Squibb & Sons, LLC. Other brands listed are the trademarks of their respective owners.

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If you are dizzy, have trouble concentrating, or are drowsy, avoid activities that may be dangerous, such as driving or operating machinery.

Rash may be common. Rashes usually go away without any change in treatment. In a small number of patients, rash may be serious. If you develop a rash, call your healthcare provider right away. Rash may be a serious problem in some children. Tell your child’s healthcare provider right away if you notice rash or any other side effects while your child is taking ATRIPLA. Other common side effects include tiredness, upset stomach, vomiting, gas, and diarrhea.

172006879.indd 5

10/24/16 4:18 PM

>

11.04 — 11.17.2016 HOLLYWOOD REMEMBRANCE

LOS ANGELES

A COMMUITY LEGEND

⚫ 21

⚫ BY KAREN OCAMB

Herb Hamsher, Judith Light’s brilliant manager, dies of cancer Herb Hamsher, the man beaming from the center of that California AIDS Ride photo, died of cancer late Wednesday afternoon at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Judith Light, whom Herb managed, finished her last performance in her Broadway show “All The Ways I Love You!” and flew home to be by Herb’s side with his husband Jonathan Stoller, Judith’s husband, actor/writer Robert Desiderio, and two of Herb’s young mentees.

Herb Hamsher was brilliant. His smile was brilliant. His insights were brilliant. Even his anger was transmuted into brilliant ideas upon which one could take action. The source of that brilliance, like a beam shooting into the night sky, was a heart as huge and full of love and spiritual gratitude as any a soulful Higher Power could create. And Herb didn’t take that brilliance for granted—he worked on it by sharing with others, especially the loves of his life—Jonathan Judith and Robert—but also young LGBT scholars at The Point Foundation and LGBT leaders such as David Mixner, L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, and longtime activist Torie Osborn. And me.

Jonathan shared the ups and downs of Herb’s medical progress in emails to friends. One poignant moment was when, after a 36-year honeymoon, Herb and Jonathan decided to get married. Though they’d discussed it for years, neither had been romantic about marriage—a societal tradition that specifically discriminated against gay people. But a few months ago, after the laws of the land changed to allow for marriage equality and before the cancer surfaced, Herb said he was ready to get married. Then life got in the way.

On Oct. 14, with life and time slipping away, Jonathan called upon close friends Sheila Kuehl and Torie Osborn to help create a mini-miracle, what Herb called “another manifestation of divine choreography,” to make the marriage ceremony happen quickly. “I love you,” the couple repeated to each other in their way.

HERB HAMSHER, PICTURED HERE TO THE RIGHT OF JUDITH LIGHT, WAS INDEED HER RIGHT HAND MAN.

And quietly, in a hospital room with Robert standing by and Judith present via Facetime, a longtime wrong had been righted, an injustice corrected and love prevailed for the gay couple. They were complete but could any moment have been more bitter-sweet?

I got to know Herb and Jonathan through Judith Light. Judith was ubiquitous during the height of the AIDS crisis, delivering the most uplifting of speeches, inspired by Herb, which I covered as a reporter with tears in my eyes. I first met Herb in 1991 at the first GLAAD/LA benefit at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, which Judith emceed. Borrowed Time author Paul Monette was accepting the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, named for Paul’s late lover and the TV casting director who cast Judith in “Who’s The Boss.”

Stevie died in 1990; Paul died in 1995. Both had become AIDS activists. Judith, Robert, Herb and Jonathan rode the entire 7-day, 545-mile California AIDS Ride to honor Paul,

wearing buttons with Paul’s photo to bring him along.

They had actually ridden the last portion of the first AIDS Ride, greeting friend and AIDS Ride co-founder Dan Pallotta at the end in West Hollywood.

Jonathan and Robert rode the entire California AIDS Ride 4 in 1997 and were greeted by Herb and Judith when they arrived in Century City.

In April 2013, Judith explained in an interview with Frontiers magazine how they became AIDS activists in their own way, too, thanks to Herb.

“What was the turning point in your life? Were you decided you were going to work and align yourself with the LGBT community in such a passionate way? Was it through your friendship with AIDS activist and author Paul Monette? Or when you starred in The Ryan White Story?,” asked writer Michael Fairman.

“It started very early on, when my friends in the theater and the film community were dying,” Judith said.

“I knew something was happening to

people I love, and who I considered my family. I was not quite clear on what was going on. Then I did The Ryan White Story, and I heard Ryan giving an interview on set. He was talking about how people spit at him and called him a ‘fag.’ Almost in time lapse, and like pieces of a puzzle on a floor, they all coalesced together, and that is what happened in my psyche.

I said, ‘Wait, this cannot be happening to my friends and my family, and I am not saying anything about it.’

They are not just calling Ryan a ‘fag,’ they are not just spitting on Ryan, and they are doing that to my family!

“Herb and I talked,” Judith said, “and he said, ‘We have to do something.’ I said, ‘If I ever get some kind of celebrity profile, I want to find a way to make a difference.’ He said, ‘I think this is what we need to be focusing on.’ That is when I started talking about the community, and talking about how much homophobia there was, and still is in this country.

I felt compelled to speak out. Then I read Borrowed Time: an AIDS Memoir. It was his most important book to me at the time and the issue, and it was written by Paul Monette. I was reading it and I turned to my husband Robert and I said, ‘I have to find this Paul Monette.’ It turns out he was seeing the casting director of Cheers, Stephen Kolzak, who was a friend of mine. So I called up and said, ‘I am coming over for dinner, and I am bringing dinner.’ Paul and I met, and I fell completely in love with him. Later, as Paul lay dying, he was writing his last essays. Robert, Herb and his partner, Jonathan Stoller, and I would all sit on his bed. So we became family, and when we did the AIDS Ride in 1995, we did it for Paul.

What I kept seeing was a community that was turning whatever anger it had, into things that were incredibly valuable. I said, ‘You inspire me.

I want to be a part of what you are doing.’”

The foursome showed up at many AIDS and LGBT fundraisers, lending HERB HAMSHER continued on p. 26

⚫ 22

HEALTHCARE

INSURANCE FOR HIV

>

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

PRESCRIPTION COVERAGE

⚫ BY MICHELL ANDREWS

Some insurers offer poor drug coverage to avoid HIV patients

The health law prohibits insurers from discriminating against people with serious illnesses, but some marketplace plans sidestep that taboo by making the drugs that people with HIV need unavailable or unaffordable, complaints filed recently with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights allege.

The effect may be to discourage people with HIV from buying a particular plan or getting the treatment they need, according to the complaint.

The complaints, brought by Harvard Law School’s Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, charge that plans offered by seven insurers in eight states are discriminatory because they don’t cover drugs that are essential to the treatment of HIV or require high out-of-pocket spending by patients for covered drugs.

The center filed complaints against Humana plans in six states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas. Cigna plans were targeted in three states: Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. The group filed complaints against five other insurers: three in Pennsylvania, including Highmark, Independence Blue Cross and UPMC health plan; a complaint against Community Health Choice in Texas and a complaint against Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Wisconsin.

“What’s most important to us is that there’s a robust enforcement mechanism around the promises … in the ACA and its regulations, especially the anti-discrimination provisions,” said Kevin Costello, director of litigation at the health law center.

Although the center’s focus is on HIV drugs, the complaints may help people with other chronic illnesses who may face similar hurdles on access to drugs, Costello said.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights investigates and enforces violations of civil rights and health information privacy. The Harvard center complaints were filed in September.

Federal rules prohibit marketplace plans from adopting benefit designs — such as coverage rules or reimbursement rates — that discriminate based on age, illness, race, gender or sexual orientation, among other things. But federal regulators have declined to define discriminatory plan

AS LIFE EXPECTANCY INCREASES FOR HIV PATIENTS INSURERS FEEL BURDENED BY THE COST OF CARE.

design, noting that they will examine the facts on a case-by-case basis.

They’ve hinted, however, at some specifics in the regulations. They say, for example, that refusing to cover a single-tablet drug regimen, which is often associated with better compliance because a number of different drugs are combined in one pill, or placing most or all of the drugs that treat a specific condition in the highest cost tiers are examples of “potentially discriminatory practices.”

Working with local AIDS groups in several states, the Harvard center examined hundreds of silver-level plans sold on the marketplaces to gauge whether their formularies would allow access to six treatment regimens that are the current standard of care for treating people who are newly diagnosed with HIV. In addition, they looked at the plans’ cost-sharing requirements, Costello said.

They found, for example, that this year Anthem silver plans in Wisconsin cover only four of the 16 drugs or combination products that are recommended to meet the current standard of care, and they fail to cover any single-tablet regimens. In Illinois, the center charged that Humana’s silver plans place 16 of the 24 most commonly prescribed HIV drugs in

the highest cost-sharing tier, which requires patients to pay 50 percent of the cost. With estimated monthly costs ranging from $377 to $684 for different drug regimens, enrollees in the Illinois Humana plans would have to pony up between 8 and 14 percent of their average monthly income, according to the complaint.

“All Humana health insurance plans offered through the Health Insurance Marketplace fully comply with state and federal laws and regulations,” said Alex Kepnes, Humana’s director of corporate communications. He added, “Humana shares the concerns of HIV/AIDS organizations regarding the high cost of HIV/AIDS drugs and we are committed to working with them to lower prescription drug costs.”

Similarly, Anthem Public Relations Director Scott Larrivee said, “Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is committed to providing all of our members with access to the care and services they need, including appropriate coverage of medications for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin covers more than a dozen medications for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and all required therapeutic drug categories are included on our formulary/drug

list which is compliant with (marketplace) requirements.”

Cigna spokesman Mark Slitt said his company does not comment on pending legal matters.

The center’s work builds on an earlier discrimination complaint filed in 2014 with the Office for Civil Rights by two advocacy groups, the AIDS Institute and the National Health Law Program, against four Florida insurers that were selling marketplace plans. That complaint, against some of the same insurers highlighted by the Harvard center, charged that the insurers placed all the HIV drugs in the highest cost-sharing tier.

The Florida insurance commissioner reached agreements with the four plans to move the HIV drugs to generic tiers and reduce cost sharing, and the same arrangement will continue in 2017, said Carl Schmid, deputy executive director of the AIDS Institute.

“We’ve been talking about these issues for years now,” Schmid said.

“These things need to be addressed, and it could be through enforcement” by the Office for Civil Rights.

Marketplace coverage of drugs to treat HIV and other serious conditions have improved somewhat in recent years, according to research

by Avalere Health, a consulting company. An analysis found that in the case of five classes of drugs that treat cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis, fewer silver plans in 2016 placed all the drugs in the class in the top tier with the highest cost sharing or charged patients more than 40 percent of the cost for each drug in the class.

Speaking about HIV drugs, Caroline Pearson, a senior vice president at Avalere, said that while access and costs in marketplace plans are improving, they vary widely from plan to plan. Employer plans tend to offer better coverage, she said.

The new complaints may put more pressure on the Office for Civil Rights to address this issue, said Katie Keith, a steering committee member for Out2Enroll, a health insurance advocacy group for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

“It’s smart to do this in multiple states,” she said. “People are really pushing for more concrete guidance.”

⚫

> 500,000 monsters invade WeHo 11.04 — 11.17.2016 CELEBRATION WEST HOLLYWOOD

LOS ANGELES

HALLOWEEN 2016

ABOVE: SMB AT SAN VINCENTE IS JAMMED AS HALLOWEEN KICKS INTO FULL SWING. LEFT: WEHO COUNCILMEMBERS LINDSAY HORVATH, JOHN HEILMAN, MAYOR LAUREN MEISTER AND CELEBRATE WITH KING OF CARNAVAL, HEDWIG’S DARREN CRISS

Only four arrests were made in West Hollywood in connection with the annual West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, touted as the world’s largest Halloween party, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday.

Large crowds of people also gathered Monday night in Hollywood, where reports of crime were also fewer than in previous years, and there were only around 40 arrests, most of them alcohol-related, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.

In West Hollywood, people were for the most part well-behaved at the huge street party that began at 6 p.m. Monday along Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard and continued into the early morning hours Tuesday, with calls for law enforcement service being slower than previous years, authorities said.

Only four arrests were made, said the watch sergeant at the sheriff’s West Hollywood Station, and those arrests were related to drunken and disorderly conduct.

The grand celebration is known for

23

party-goers’ creatively designed and often over-the-top costumes.

“West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval is always so much fun,” said Mayor Lauren Meister. “Every year I’m amazed at the creativity that people put in to their costumes for the festivities. Halloween on Santa Monica Boulevard brings together people from all over the region and it’s an incredible affirmation of our community’s inventiveness and originality. It’s part of what makes West Hollywood extraordinary.”

She put the cost of maintaining security at between $600,000 and $700,000.

The Carnaval began in 1987 and has grown annually, evolving into a Southland and national phenomenon.

The Los Angeles Police Department staffed a joint command post with the sheriff’s department, said LAPD Officer Sal Ramirez, and officers with the LAPD’s Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau collaborated with sheriff’s personnel to help maintain order, said LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Downing. (Photos by John Viscott)

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⚫ 24

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES RANDY KRAFT continued from p. 7

about money and the next morning Seelig left to attend a chocolate show in Los Angeles. That night he thought about driving up to join him, but because of their argument the day prior, he instead headed south to San Diego.

He had a few drinks at a gay bar called The Brig and set out to return home sometime after midnight.

He stopped at a rest area off Interstate 5 not far from Camp Pendleton to clear some bottles and trash out of his car. There is where he encountered Gambrel, 25, a Marine stationed at El Toro, California.

“He was sitting down, holding stuff in his lap near the trash can in the parking lot. He looked out of sorts and I asked him if he was OK,” said Kraft.

“He didn’t say anything to me other than he said ‘El Toro.’ I thought he was drunk or whatever and would take him to the base.”

A frequent cruiser of rest areas for gay sex hookups, Kraft said Gambrel “didn’t look the type” and Kraft helped him to his car. Eventually, they drove off toward the (now decommissioned) Marine Corps Air Station near Irvine.

Kraft estimated they had been in the car for roughly 20 minutes, with Gambrel not saying anything and “drooling out of the side of his mouth.”

He told the The Pride that his car was weaving not because he was drunk but because he was trying to help Gambrel and simultaneously drive.

“I was shaking him, trying to wake him, shouting at him, trying to see if anything was in his mouth blocking his airway, looking to see if he was wounded or bleeding,” wrote Kraft.

“Then I noticed the lights of the CHP patrol car that was pulling me over.”

It was near San Juan Capistrano where the two CHP officers pulled him over and conducted two sobriety tests on him. Kraft insists he was told he had passed the tests but the officer wanted to run his license. At that point the other officer, who had been trying to rouse Gambrel, called over to his partner who then “roughly handcuffed and shoved” him, Kraft said, into the back seat of the patrol car.

“I didn’t think the cops would take Gambrel to a hospital. I thought they would initiate CPR or do whatever was necessary,” wrote Kraft in one letter. “Instead they did nothing and at first tried to prevent the paramedics from starting CPR. Those first 4-5 minutes are critical, and the CHP did nothing.”

According to court documents, the one officer found Gambrel with “no pulse and was not breathing. Upon lifting a jacket from Gambrel’s lap, (he) observed that Gambrel’s pants were unbuttoned and pulled down between his waist and his knees so that his penis and testicles were supported by the crotch of the pants. The crotch area was wet.”

A paramedic, according to court documents, said that Kraft told him that he had given Gambrel some of his Ativan, which he had been prescribed to treat panic attacks. Kraft, however, claims Gambrel stole the Ativan and that he did not know he had taken any that night until after seeing the police reports.

At trial a doctor testified that Gambrel had died from asphyxia due to ligature strangulation and that the ligature “consisted of a strap that had been tightened” around his neck, according to court documents.

Kraft repeatedly insisted to the The Pride that Gambrel was never dead in his car.

“Had the CHP realized that, things would have unfolded much differently,” he wrote. “But they assumed he was dead and that I had killed him and was driving around for hours with his body in the passenger seat.”

In the course of their investigation, the police found in Kraft’s car a list of names split into two columns on a piece of legal pad paper. The prosecution argued it was coded references to Kraft’s numerous murder victims over the years and used it in court to tie him to their deaths.

On several occasions in his letters, and in speaking to the The Pride, Kraft disputed that characteristic of the document. He said it was a list of people he was going to invite to a surprise housewarming party he planned to throw for Seelig, as they were redoing their bathroom and installing a spa to an outdoor deck.

Written out in mnemonics, Kraft explained, “One column was the names of people I wanted to invite and the other column were maybes. It was in code so he wouldn’t recognize it.”

The purported “murder list” would later factor into why Kraft’s attorneys advised him not to take the stand at trial. In explaining their thinking, Kraft wrote, “If one believed what the prosecutor claimed about the list – that it is a list of murder victims – that it amounts to a confession. The prosecutor claims the list is a confession, but he reaches that conclusion by psychic powers, imagining what was in my mind when I wrote it.”

Over the years Kraft learned that three of the judges who handled his case, including the presiding trial judge, the late Donald A. McCartin, had served in the US Marine Corps, and therefore, he contends should have recused themselves. And he maintains a key piece of evidence in the case – his fingerprint on a glass – “was manufactured.”

The appellate courts, however, have rejected Kraft’s contention that he should have been tried solely for the death of Gambrel and not had that charge be combined with the murders of the 15 other men.

“I didn’t get a fair trial,” said Kraft.

“The government turned it into a serial killer trial.”

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

l aw o f f i c e o f

⚫

Bassma Zebib immigration criminal personal injury

TAKASHI’S STORY continued from p. 15

Takashi’s words echoed their wedding only weeks before, but this time they were said not with jubilation but with heartbreak. “I love you. I am here. I am here,” he repeated.

For the next 15 hours Takashi told Dale everything he ever wanted to say.

“Nothing, nothing, nothing — not even cancer will tear us apart. I am here with you and I will stay until the very end.

Remember how our eyes met and how much love we have had since the first day we met? Remember the song I recorded for you on a cassette tape? You always played it when we were separated. Friendship, separation and hope… ”You’ve got a friend.” Remember? We always played it every time we were separated and desperate to see one another because it always gave us hope that we’d be together again,” Takashi whispered to Dale.

“Remember all the trips we made around the world and all the beautiful experiences we had together? he asked.

Takashi says he talked about home, their Golden Retriever Mimi, family, friends in Japan. He said he read letters from each person sent him wishing speedy recovery, “so he would know how much he was loved and missed and Japan.”

“I wasn’t always sure if he knew I was there with him so I tried desperately to open his eyes with my fingers and see if his eyes would follow me. Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn’t…he was just so very weak.” Takashi now says.

Takashi was playing Dale’s favorite music and it soothed him. His expression and color returned to normal and he seemed at peace.

Through the night, Takashi was texting with me and I was sending them music that Takashi said Dale loved.

Takashi played the music for Dale and as he played it a sense of peace came over him and his face returned to normal color and his mouth stayed closed. It was as if he was transported back to a time when everything was magic, when life was abundant and endlessly joyous and their lives were ahead of them.

The Carpenter’s Superstar, The Partridge Family’s Echo Valley 26809, Barbara Streisand’s cover of a Capenter’s We’ve Only Just Begun, James Taylor’s You’ve Got a Friend, Adele’s When We Were Young, Laura Nyro’s Up On The Roof, Mocedade’s Eres Tu, Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now, Emmy Lou Harris Making Believe, Tammy Wynette’s Stand

THE PRESENCE OF HIS HUSBAND TAKASHI AND THE SOOTHING SOUNDS OF FAMILIAR MUSIC HELPED DALE EASE THROUGH HIS TRANSITION.

By Your Man, Elton John’s Your Song, Sound of Music’s Climb Every Mountain, Julie Andrews’ Somewhere, Judy Garland’s Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and Niall Horn’s This Town.

The next morning Takashi texted back: “Good morning my friend… I spent all night sitting next to him and no change from yesterday….This morning kind of he opened his eyes a little bit, saw me and went back to sleep. David, the guy from Beverly Hills is coming to see me this morning and give me some company he says.”

Moments later another text: “He just opened his eyes fully and was trying to say something…Magical moment…My little miracle just happened,” I texted back a selection of songs from Dead Can Dance that I had played during the passing of a beloved friend from AIDS, years before: Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to The Rules, The Arrival and the Reunion, and Saltarello.

But it was words of permission that Dale was seeking from Takashi, as his body was giving up. “If you need to go, Dale, it’s OK. I will be with you soon…I am with you. I love you. I am here and

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⚫ 26

LOS ANGELES

HAMSHER continued from p. 21

their names and walking the walk.

They were constant reminders to Hollywood of both success and the inequality loving gay couples experienced.

Herb was not only Judith’s manager and best friend, but something of a challenging guru, too. He’s the one who convinced her to go to Broadway, where she has won so many accolades, including a Tony.

“Back in 1999, as the story goes,” Judith told Fairman, “I had finished Who’s the Boss. I had been doing other sitcoms and other television projects, finally my manager, Herb Hamscher, said to me at one point, ‘You know, you really have got to go back to the theatre. You have to change your life. You have gotten comfortable and not in a good way.’ I pooh-poohed him, and I said, ‘What do you know?’ [Laughs] Then, I got this audition to play an aging sitcom star.

[Laughs] It was beautiful part and I said to Herb, ‘You know, I don’t think I should be playing an aging sitcom star.’ He said, ‘Oh, I think it would be perfect for you.’ And I go, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ Herb said, ‘You are just afraid.’

“He was absolutely right,” Judith continued. “I was completely terrified!

At the same time, I had been going around the country and giving a lot of talks about how much homophobia was in this country, and how much

the gay community inspires me because of the way they have been dealing with the enormity of the AIDS pandemic, and the courage of coming out and telling their families (not only that they are sick, and most likely dying, because those were the years of it) but that they are gay and this is who they are. I am watching the gay community rise like the phoenix from the ashes. I am saying these things about how they inspire me, and then I came to Herb and his partner and I said, ‘I am saying all these things, and I am talking the talk, but I am not walking the walk!’ I am terrified to audition for a play? Not good, and not who I want to be.

“So, I said the next thing that comes to me to audition for, I am going to do it. I don’t care what it is or where it is,” Judith said. “The next thing we get a call from Bernie Telsey from MCC. He said would I come to New York to audition to take over the role played by Kathleen Chalfant in the play Wit. Now, you must be aware, that in this role you have to be bald and do full-frontal nudity, and go on the national tour. So, I would have to be bald for like a year, and travel around the country, after I had done it in New York and faced the New York critics. Now if you want to talk about fear and terror? But I said, I wanted to change my life and I wanted to listen to the guidance that Herb was giving me, because he has given me the best guidance of anyone ever in

11.04 — 11.17.2016 my life. I knew I had to do it. I knew it was the right thing to do, but I didn’t think they were going to give it to me!”

Last year, in an interview with The Advocate about her role in the Golden Globe winning Amazon series, “Transparent,” Judith said she met Herb in 1979 when she was “teetering on leaving the business” and wondering “What difference is my life making?” Judith credited Herb and Jonathan with guiding her career “in a remarkable way.” In her interview with Frontiers, Judith gave a deeper insight into the constant process of reinvention, encouraged by her managers.

“When you have had the course of a career that I have had, where you do things like a soap opera, and a sitcom, and you have to reinvent yourself, you have to find another way to relate in the world,” she said. “If you are ever going to show people what you can do, and how much the theater means to you, you have to mean it and have to work your tail off to prove yourself to people. It is not expected that a person whose career has gone to those places would be a person who would end up winning the Tony! This is my way of saying to you, I did not expect it.”

Herb prodded us all, with justice and spiritual transformation at his core, smiling brilliantly and slicing through crap like a laser.  “Herb was a master teacher. A mentor’s mentor. Saw and spoke and wrote truth. Used laser insight to nudge, cajole, inspire a cadre of key LGBT leaders and allies,” Torie said in an email after Herb’s passing Wednesday night. “He was restless about the pace of the world’s change. Believed in spiritual transformation. Made us all try to be our higher selves. It was never easy to please Herb because he saw in us our potential and prodded it forward. I loved my deep talks with him a few times a year for nearly 30 years.”

Herb was especially invested in The Point Foundation, www.pointfoundation.org a scholarship program for LGBT youth with scholastic aptitude but no money to go to college.  In 2007, Herb wrote an essay for his friend David Mixer’s blog.

David (pictured with friend Jeremy Bernard) introduced Herb, noting his strength as a producer and manager with Jonathan, by saying: “One of the truly remarkable and legendary figures in the battle for LGBT rights and against HIV/AIDS is today’s guest writer. Herb Hamsher is simply a great leader. He is a person from whom I seek advice, go to for healing and respect as a very special teacher. Herb sees like with unique clarity – he can go to the heart of a matter and bring the truth out of it. Today, he writes about the importance of the Point Foundation where he serves on the Board of Directors. The foundation is one of his great passions. He believes it is our moral obligation to not only

mentor our LGBT youth for tomorrow but to make sure that they understand their history.”

Here is an excerpt from that essay, “The Point Foundation and Our Future:” “At Point, we often talk of an observation made many years ago by my partner, Jonathan Stoller, that the LGBT community is a distinctive minority. We are perhaps the only example of a minority born into a family that does not share our identity. If one is a member of an ethnic minority, one looks around the family and sees everyone else just like you. As you mature, your family understands what you experience in the world and teaches you how to navigate not only the challenges but the opportunities. Many of us in the LGBT community, however, grow up thinking we are the only one like us who exists in the world. And it is often the family and our religions, the “normal” sources of support and nurturing, who teach us that we are sick and/or sinful.

Point Scholars are not only given financial support; they are also given hope, leadership training to support them realizing their potential, as well as individualized mentoring. Each is assigned at least one “older person” who can serve as a source of support, guidance, and encouragement.

The discovery that comes from being a part of Point is that putting one’s resources and energy into developing the potential of our youth leads to the realization that we have at least as much emotional connection to the community of our identity as we have for our biological families, for some – even more.

In fact, being a part of actively building a community that spans generations and has not only a past but a future, inspires the kind of passion and pride that some of us have not experienced since we linked arms with our brothers and sisters and stood up to a hostile and condemning government, and country, that turned their backs on us when we were struck by the tragedy of the AIDS pandemic.”  I last saw Herb at David Mixner’s one-man play, “Oh, Hell No!” last year. He was happy.  I think it’s fitting that Herb has the last word, through an essay he wrote three years agoabout being a mentor (Herb is pictured here with Judith and Point scholars Isaias Guzman and Adrienne Adams): “Those who know me are familiar with my experience since childhood that being gay is a blessing and also with my absolute and concrete conviction that this community exists for a purpose, in the “cosmic sense of asking the Universe” some form of “why I am here?” / “what I am supposed to do with my life?”

Point provides perhaps the first viable actual “intergenerational community” in which younger people can both relate in very open and “normal” ways with older people but also learn, openly, from the experiences the previous generations have had.”

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LOS ANGELES

TAKASHI’S STORY continued from p. 25

I will always be with you,” whispered repeatedly Takashi to Dale.

And then, as if in acknowledgement, Dale struggled for a few moments and roused himself awake, summonsing just enough energy to open his eyes and lock his gaze into Takashi’s. He was able to utter a few words: “I love you, Takashi. Thank you.”

And as Takashi, crying aloud, stroked Dale’s beard, he looked up and exhaled his last breath. He was at peace. And he was with Takashi.

As Takashi, stunned, sat in the room alone with Dale for the next hour, telling him goodbye, crying, caressing and kissing him, David from Beverly Hills arrived and helped Takashi gain his composure.

Takashi was able then to inform the nurses and within moments the staff of the VA gathered around Dale’s body and said an official, but tearful goodbye. One by one, they offered support and love to Takashi and then conducted a moving Taps ceremony which Takashi live-streamed for his family in Japan.

Cody, my 5 week old puppy, was present for the VA staff’s ceremony, as was Lilly who had become Dale’s hospital therapy dog. Lilly visited Dale dozens of times during his hospitalization and would sit on the bed next to him for long periods of time. As we left the VA, Cody scampered up to Takashi and demanded to be carried.

DALE WAS MEMORIALIZED BY A SMALL GROUP OF FRIENDS AND A COLOR GUARD FROM THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AT ALL SAINTS CHURCH IN BEVERLY HILLS ON OCTOBER 30. A FLAG WAS CERMONIOUSLY FOLDED AND THEN PRESENTED TO HIS HUSBAND, TAKASHI NAKAYA, ON BEHALF OF PRESIDENT OBAMA.

⚫ 27

LOS ANGELES ⚫ Trumped up claims on Isis

11.04 — 11.17.2016

28

has accepted donation from countries that throw gay men off buildings isn’t new from the Trump campaign.

It echoes comments Trump himself in the third presidential debate when criticizing his opponent over the Clinton Foundation.

TRUMP CLAIMS continued from p. 9

financial capacity. In fact, Politifact following Conway’s rated her claim that Clinton donors are throwing gays from buildings is “mostly false.”

Conway’s false assertion Clinton

“It’s a criminal enterprise,” Trump said. “Saudi Arabia giving $25 million, Qatar, all of these countries.

You talk about women and women’s rights? So these are people that push gays off business — off buildings.

These are people that kill women and

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treat women horribly. And yet you take their money.”

Trump’s conflation of ISIS for Saudi Arabia and criticism of the Clinton Foundation for accepting donations from that country ignores his own business dealings in the country, which according to a recent New York Daily News report includes selling the 45th floor of Trump Tower to Saudi Arabia for $4.5 million in June 2001.

Clinton never responded to subsequent question from Trump on whether she’d return the money, but defended her family’s foundation by lauding its accomplishments — including HIV/AIDS work — and praise from organizations that monitor charity work.

“I’m thrilled to talk about the Clinton Foundation, because it is a world-renowned charity and I am so proud of the work that it does,” Clinton said.

“You know, I could talk for the rest of the debate, I know I don’t have the time to do that, but just briefly, the Clinton Foundation made it possible for 11 million people around the world with HIV/AIDS to afford treatment, and that’s about half all the people in the world who are getting treatment.”

As The Pride Los Angeles previously reported, although the Clinton Foundation accepted money from countries with anti-gay laws, it didn’t stop Clinton from advocating for international LGBT human rights at the State Department, nor did it stop foundation from conducting human rights work.

Although countries donating to the Clinton Foundation with anti-LGBT laws don’t have a record of throwing gay men from buildings, their hostility toward LGBT people is undisputed.

According the State Department’s 2015 Human Rights Report, Saudi authorities last year arrested several persons in Jeddah following raids on two parties involving LGBT individuals.

Just last week, the Saudi government arrested in Riyadh three “effeminate” men — all under age 20 — at a Starbucks, before releasing them shortly afterward.

Chris Barron, a gay conservative activist and who has declared Islamic terrorism the No. 1 global threat to LGBT people, downplayed the Trump campaign’s mischaracterization of the donation to the Clinton Foundation.

“Clinton has taken money from countries that kill gay people for being gay, not simply from country with anti-gay laws,” Barron said. “Is killing gay people OK if it’s hanging rather than throwing them off buildings?”

The Pride Los Angeles has placed a request in with the Trump campaign seeking comment on why it continues to mischaracterize ISIS as a donor to the Clinton Foundation.

⚫ Long odds for LGBT candidates 11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

OUT CONGRESS RACE continued from p. 12

nal district, two Democrats — former State Sen. Lou Correa and gay candidate Bao Nguyen — are running against each other as a result of the state’s so-called jungle primary, which allows the top two voter-getters regardless of party to proceed to the general election.

But Correa won the most votes in the June primary. Last month, a poll from his campaign found he had a 2-1 margin over his opponent. According to the poll, which found Correa had support among 47 percent of respondents, the number of undecided voters, 30 percent, was higher than the 23 percent who supported Nguyen.

Washington’s 7th congressional district is in a similar situation because two Democrats — State Sen. Pramila Jayapal and gay State Rep. Brady Walkinshaw — are running in the general election as a result of the state’s jungle primary system.

But the Bernie Sanders-backed Jayapal, who would be the first South Asian woman elected to Congress, trounced Walkinshaw in the primary and a poll unveiled by her campaign in August, as reported by the Seat-

MARK ALLAN TAKANO IS AN AMERICAN POLITICIAN WHO HAS BEEN THE UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE FOR CALIFORNIA’S 41ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SINCE 2013.

tle-based Stranger, found she was up 14 points heading into the general election.

In Arizona’s 2nd congressional district, gay physician Matt Heinz

is challenging incumbent Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.). A Wilson Perkins Allen Research poll published in September found McSally has a double-digit lead with 56 percent of support compared to the 37 percent enjoyed by Heinz.

Kondik attributed Heinz’ standing behind McSally in the race to neglect at the national level and the effort the Republican has placed in the race.

“It would be a big surprise if he won given that Martha McSally, the incumbent, is well-funded and has worked the district hard,” Kondik said. “National Democrats never took much interest in his candidacy.”

In Montana, where the race for U.S. House is for an at-large seat, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, who would be the first lesbian Native American elected to Congress, is challenging freshman incumbent Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.).

Although Juneau once boasted a small deficit in the polls, that deficit seems to have expanded. A poll published last month by the Mason-Dixon polling firm found Zinke leading Juneau by a margin of 53 percent to 40 percent.

Of these non-incumbent candidates,

29

the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed one of the Senate candidates, Gray, as well as five of the House candidates: Heinz, Walkinshaw, Craig, Nguyen and Juneau. Snow, Babeu, Plowright and Cope aren’t among the endorsed candidates. The organization is known to endorse only openly LGBT candidates that have a reasonable chance of winning.

Aisha Moodie-Mills, CEO of the Victory Fund, was optimistic despite the challenges these candidates face, pointing to internal early vote numbers, and said the endorsed candidates “are running great campaigns and could dramatically increase our numbers in the next Congress.”

“Angie Craig, Denise Juneau, Matt Heinz and Brady Walkinshaw are proof that the right LGBT candidates with the right message can run and win competitive campaigns anywhere,” Moodie-Mills said. “We’re looking forward to seeing just how large the Equality Caucus will grow on election night – but this week is critical. While early vote numbers look good for our races, our community has to turn out and urge friends and family in those districts to vote for equality.”

⚫ 30

NIGHTS OUT

WEST HOLLYWOOD

>

11.04 — 11.17.2016

LOS ANGELES

NEW PLACES OPENING UP

⚫ BY ROBERT WILLIAMS

The Chapel is David Cooley’s sacred new space

Hordes of sexy nurses and slutty cops went to church this past Halloween weekend in West Hollywood. David Cooley, owner of The Abbey Food & Bar, has opened the long-awaited Chapel at The Abbey in time for West Hollywood’s most sacred weekend.

“The Chapel at The Abbey is something totally new for West Hollywood and gay nightlife,” said Cooley. “The Abbey evolved over 25 years from a coffee house into a nightclub, restaurant and bar. With The Chapel, I got to take everything I learned from that evolution to create a new, elevated nightclub and lounge. I built The Chapel for our regulars and local residents, for visitors to our community who want to be dazzled, and for

people who want something new and different.”

The Chapel at The Abbey is a separate venue from The Abbey, but they flow together with a cohesive aesthetic. The Chapel continues The Abbey’s church theme, with dark stained wood throughout, gothic lighting features, religious- and medieval-themed statues, a DJ booth inspired by a pulpit, and stained glass windows.

The patio at The Chapel embraces the same great indoor-outdoor lifestyle that has helped to make The Abbey so popular. With lush greenery and statues throughout the space, The Chapel’s patio has about a dozen moveable tables for guests. The patio is flanked by seven booths, each with

its own fireplace and dancer stages between each of the tables.

The Chapel has two bars, Steeple Bar and Chapel Bar. Overlooking the patio, the 40-foot “Steeple Bar” features seven bar stations and two draft beer towers. Chapel Bar, meanwhile, overlooks the dance floor with three bar stations. Both bars are covered in copper, which will weather and patina over time. The Chapel will serve over one-hundred craft cocktails similar to those at The Abbey and a rotating selection of five California craft beers on draft. The Chapel is available for private events.

Later this year, The Chapel will install a 48-foot tall steeple, sure to become a local landmark. Immediately

following the raising of the steeple, The Chapel will host its official grand opening party.

This has been a busy year for David Cooley. He acquired the space next to The Abbey to create The Chapel and announced a partnership to bring Bottega Louie to West Hollywood in a nearby space. And, as many who frequent The Abbey know, he filmed a reality series for E!, which takes an inside look at the lives of his employees, and is expected to air in 2017.

The Chapel at The Abbey is located at 969 N. Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, directly adjacent to The Abbey Food and Bar at 692 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, California, 90069.

11.04 — 11.17.2016 CLINTON LEAKS continued from p. 31

LOS ANGELES

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LOS ANGELES

11.04 — 11.17.2016