the pride
OUR STAFF PETS 1.28.2016 JUST DON’T MISS THIS PAGE ⚫ 13
THE PRIDE LA IS DISTRIBUTED DOOR TO DOOR IN WEHO AND HOLLYWOOD AND IS AVAILABLE AT KEY LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES
WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM
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ISSUE NUMBER 2, VOLUME 2 1 JAN. 28 — FEB. 11, 2016
LOS ANGELES
THE LOS ANGELES LGBT NEWSPAPER
COMMUNITY ⚫ 6
Equality and Economic divide revealed across LGBT California AIDS ⚫ 7
Kate Burton builds on the AIDS legacy of stepmother Elizabeth Taylor ACTIVISM ⚫ 8
Israel sponsored event at Task Force’s Creating Change disrupted LEGAL ⚫ 11
Rentboy.com CEO indicted on prostitution charge
LONG LOVE THE DOG:
“DOGS ARE THE BEST EMBODIMENT OF PEOPLE WITHOUT THE CRAP,” SAID FRANK BROOKS, 70.
Woof! Meow! Companions are the key to life for LGBT Seniors
⚫ Gay seniors are four times less likely than their straight counterparts to have children or grandchildren to support them and twice as likely to live alone, according to a study by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute.
⚫ West Hollywood has a city policy that allows residents age 62 and older to have two pets, even if they live in an apartment that bans them, but many worry their landlord would raise their rents if they adopted an animal.
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LOS ANGELES
®
New Genvoya is now available
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LOS ANGELES
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Actual Size
One pill contains elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF). Ask your healthcare provider if GENVOYA is right for you. To learn more visit GENVOYA.com
Please see Brief Summary of Patient Information with important warnings on the following pages.
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LOS ANGELES
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Brief Summary of Patient Information about GENVOYA GENVOYA (jen-VOY-uh) (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide) tablets Important: Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with GENVOYA. There may be new information about GENVOYA. This information is only a summary and does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment.
What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA? GENVOYA can cause serious side effects, including: • Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis may happen in some people who take GENVOYA. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms, which could be signs of lactic acidosis: • • • • • • •
feel very weak or tired have unusual (not normal) muscle pain have trouble breathing have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting feel cold, especially in your arms and legs feel dizzy or lightheaded have a fast or irregular heartbeat
• Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems may happen in people who take GENVOYA. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large and you may develop fat in your liver. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: • your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) • dark “tea-colored” urine • light-colored bowel movements (stools) • loss of appetite for several days or longer • nausea • stomach pain • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking GENVOYA for a long time. • Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. GENVOYA is not for use to treat chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV). If you have HBV infection and take GENVOYA, your HBV may get worse (flareup) if you stop taking GENVOYA. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. • Do not run out of GENVOYA. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your GENVOYA is all gone. • Do not stop taking GENVOYA without first talking to your healthcare provider. • If you stop taking GENVOYA, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking GENVOYA.
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What is GENVOYA? GENVOYA is a prescription medicine that is used without other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older: • who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past or • to replace their current HIV-1 medicines in people who have been on the same HIV-1 medicines for at least 6 months, have an amount of HIV-1 in their blood (“viral load”) that is less than 50 copies/mL, and have never failed past HIV-1 treatment HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. GENVOYA contains the prescription medicines elvitegravir (VITEKTA®), cobicistat (TYBOST®), emtricitabine (EMTRIVA®) and tenofovir alafenamide. It is not known if GENVOYA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age. When used to treat HIV-1 infection, GENVOYA may: • Reduce the amount of HIV-1 in your blood. This is called “viral load”. • Increase the number of CD4+ (T) cells in your blood that help fight off other infections. Reducing the amount of HIV-1 and increasing the CD4+ (T) cells in your blood may help improve your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or getting infections that can happen when your immune system is weak (opportunistic infections). GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses. Avoid doing things that can spread HIV-1 infection to others: • Do not share or re-use 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 safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to other people.
Who should not take GENVOYA? Do not take GENVOYA if you also take a medicine that contains: • alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral®) • carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®) • cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®) • ergot-containing medicines, including: dihydroergotamine mesylate (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), and methylergonovine maleate (Ergotrate®, Methergine®) • lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®) • midazolam, when taken by mouth • phenobarbital (Luminal®) • phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®) • pimozide (Orap®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®) • sildenafil (Revatio®), when used for treating lung problems • simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®) • triazolam (Halcion®) • the herb St. John’s wort or a product that contains St. John’s wort
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What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking GENVOYA? Before taking GENVOYA, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have liver problems including hepatitis B infection • have kidney or bone problems • have any other medical conditions • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if GENVOYA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking GENVOYA. Pregnancy registry: there is a pregnancy registry for women who take HIV-1 medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take GENVOYA. – You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. – At least one of the medicines in GENVOYA can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in GENVOYA can pass into your breast milk. – Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how GENVOYA works. Some medicines may interact with GENVOYA. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with GENVOYA. • Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take GENVOYA with other medicines.
How should I take GENVOYA?
• Take GENVOYA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. GENVOYA is taken by itself (not with other HIV-1 medicines) to treat HIV-1 infection.
• GENVOYA is usually taken 1 time each day. • Take GENVOYA with food. • If you need to take a medicine for indigestion (antacid) that contains aluminum and • • • •
magnesium hydroxide or calcium carbonate during treatment with GENVOYA, take it at least 2 hours before or after you take GENVOYA. Do not change your dose or stop taking GENVOYA without first talking with your healthcare provider. Stay under a healthcare provider’s care when taking GENVOYA. Do not miss a dose of GENVOYA. If you take too much GENVOYA, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away. When your GENVOYA 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 GENVOYA and become harder to treat.
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What are the possible side effects of GENVOYA? GENVOYA may cause serious side effects, including: • See “What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA?” • Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known. • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine. • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking GENVOYA. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking GENVOYA if you develop new or worse kidney problems. • Bone problems can happen in some people who take GENVOYA. Bone problems may include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones. The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. • These are not all the possible side effects of GENVOYA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. • Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. General information about the safe and effective use of GENVOYA. Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use GENVOYA for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give GENVOYA to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them. This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about GENVOYA. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about GENVOYA that is written for health professionals. For more information, call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.GENVOYA.com. Keep GENVOYA and all medicines out of reach of children. Issued: November 2015
EMTRIVA, GENVOYA, the GENVOYA Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, TYBOST, and VITEKTA are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2015 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. GENC0002 11/15
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CALIFORNIA CIVIL RIGHTS
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1.28.2016
LOS ANGELES
EQUALITY
⚫ BY MATTHEW BAJKO
Despite booming equality and economics, some California LGBT communities bust Los Angeles County, with 31 percent, has the most LGBT residents, with the rest of southern California in second with 26 percent.
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ot all of Califor nia’s LGBT residents are benefiting from the state’s booming economy, accor ding to a new r eport and an online data interactive component. While LGBT people in Califor nia appear to be doing better than LGBT people nationwide, some regions of the state report the same levels of socioeconomic vulnerability as in the Southern and Midwestern states, according to the study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. The study, titled “The LGBT Divide in California,” created by the LGBT think tank policy analyst Angeliki Kastanis, uses data from the 2010 U.S. Census and the 2012-2014 Gallup Daily T racking Sur vey. The report on the Golden State’s LGBT population was released last Thursday, January 21. Its findings are based on an estimated 1,334,000 LGBT residents in the state, 22 percent of whom live in the Bay Area. Los Angeles County, with 31 percent, has the most LGBT residents, with the rest of southern California in second with 26 percent. The remaining residents reside in the Southern/Central Farm r egion, which includes an
area along the border with Mexico east of San Diego County (10 percent), the Central Valley around Sacramento (6 percent), and the North and Mountain regions (4 percent). “Using support for samesex marriage as a proxy for measuring LGBT acceptance in the state, we see that the social climate varies by region,” noted Kastanis, who based the analysis on data from the Public Policy Institute of California. “The Central/Souther n Far m region r eports the lowest level of acceptance (40 percent), while the Bay Area reports the highest (67 percent).” Among the findings is that LGBT people who live in the state’s Southern/Central farm region, encompassing the counties of Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, and Tulare, have a lower college completion rate than in the Souther n and Midwester n regions of the United States. Another eyebrow-raising finding in the report is that in the North and Mountain regions of California, the proportion of LGBT people earning less than $24,000 per year is similar to the rate in the Southern and Midwest-
ern regions of the United States. “Identifying the most vulnerable sub-groups within the LGBT community in Califor nia could help pinpoint where supportive programs and policies are needed most,” stated Kastanis, who was the institute’s 2015 Peter J. Cooper Fellow and received a Master of Public Policy from the Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Several of her findings mirror previous reports that have documented disparities between Caucasian and people of color LGBT residents as well as men and women in the LGBT community. Kastanis found that lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women in California are more likely to report an annual income of less than $24,000 (30 percent) than gay, bisexual, and transgender men (23 percent). “Even so, LGBT females in California are doing slightl y b etter tha n the nati on al LGBT estimates for each indicator of socioeconomic well-being,” according to the study’s accompanying online data interactive. The state’s LGBT Latino/ as are twice as likely as white LGBT Californians to report ear ning less than $24,000 annually, according to the report, while African American LGBTs in California are 1.5 times as likely. Kastanis’ report also noted that even in urban centers where LGBT support is high,
THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS THE PROPORTION OF LGBT PEOPLE EARNING LESS THAN $24,000 PER YEAR IN CALIFORNIA, BROKEN DOWN BY FIVE REGIONS. COURTESY WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
such as Los Angeles County, there are pockets of LGBT residents that face greater socioeconomic disparities. Ye t c o m p a r e d t o t h e i r counterparts in other states, LGBT Californians “as a whole,” concluded Kastanis, are doing better on such indicators as educational attainment, income, and money for health care. The report breaks down the United States into five zones, with the Northeast – at 29 percent – having the least amount of LGBT people making less than $24,000. The
Pacific region was second at 30 percent, while the Mountain and South zones each were at 33 percent. In last place was the Midwest at 35 percent. “According to our U.S. regional data interactive, the LGBT Divide, the Pacific states are generally doing well when looking at measures of well-being,” states the report. “Data for the Pacific states are mainly driven by California’s numbers, as California accounts for 77 percent of all LGBT adults living in the Pacific states.”
1.28.2016 AGING
YOU AND YOUR PETS
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LOS ANGELES
LGBT SENIORS
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⚫ BY MATTHEW BAJKO & TROY MASTERS
Single LGBT Seniors benefit from companion animals
West Hollywood law allows residents aged 62 and olderture in their care. Seniors, to have two pets, even if they live in an apartment that in particular, say their bans them, but many worry their landlord will raise their pets boost their mental rent if they adopt an animal. and physical
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any times a day on Blackburn Avenue, Stuart Isen, a 72 year old refugee of Nazi Germany who is also HIV+, walks his dog Sara, a 14 year old Miniature Schnauzer, back and forth from Sweetzer to Fairfax and back. The whole neighborhood knows them. Isen adopted Sara at birth and is concerned the she may ‘kick the can,’ so, with the assistance of a neighbor, he has turned to a City of Los Angeles program that connects Seniors with older dogs in need of adoption. “I’ll kick the can soon so I don’t want a puppy…so much energy! Sara is a good girl, docile, sweet and unusually quiet,”said Isen. “I’m an old queen and we walk and talk all day. We meet new people every day.” “I can’t imagine him without Sara,” says Roni Miller, the neighbor who is helping Isen with his adoption of a new dog. “If it doesn’t work out and Sara hates the new
dog I will keep it until she passes. But everyone thinks this is a good idea for Stu.” Isen has had three previous dogs: “Molly was my first husbands dog and she died soon after he passed. He had AIDS when it was a death sentence and Molly never left his side when he was sick. She grieved as much as I did and then she just collapsed one day. I had to have another being with me…I would have just died. I found Zebra online and she lived to be 14 years old. I got Sara just before Zebra passed.” The exercise he gains from walking Sara also benefits Isen, who recently had a mild heart attack and valve repair. “The first thing I asked the doctor after my surgery was ‘where is Sara?’ says Isen. “She’s all I have; no kids, not much family left.” Talk to any pet owner and they will tell you about the joy they derive from their animals, whether dogs, cats, birds or any other crea-
health. Yet aging researchers are just beginning to take notice of how pet ownership can be a boon for older adults, especially LGBT seniors who are more likely to live alone and lack family connections. Their findings are bolstering calls by senior advocates for policies that foster pet ownership among older adults, particularly those who live in assisted living facilities, retirement homes, or rental apartments that ban pets. “The love and affection pets bring to people are very important,” said Anna Muraco, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. In November, at the 68th annual conference held by the Gerontological Society of America, Muraco presented a study titled “Life Saving in Every Way: The Role of Pets in the Lives of Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Adults Ages 50 and Over”
that she co-authored with Jennifer Putney, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Simmons College in Boston. They culled through the findings of the National Health, Aging and Sexuality Study: Caring and Aging with Pride over Time, the first national LGBT senior study that the National Institutes of Health first funded in 2009, to create their sample of LGBT seniors with pets. They also looked at a subsample of 59 respondents from the Los Angeles area that they interviewed. Of the 1,039 LGBT seniors in the national aging study who owned a pet, 49 percent were female. Forty-four percent had at least one pet, and 49 percent of pet owners had a disability. “Pets help with mental and physical health, provide connection to other people, and give their owners a reason to get out of bed in the morning,” said Muraco. “Pets help ward off depression, and dogs are a good way for people to get out and exercise.” The LGBT aging study’s lead researcher, Karen I. Fredriksen-Goldsen, Ph.D., who is also listed as an author of the pet ownership study, noted that one of the LGBT senior community groups that collaborated on the Caring and Aging with Pride study requested that it include a question about pet ownership, which it initially did not. “They said we go into homes of seniors day after day and pets are sometimes their only social support,” said Fredriksen-Goldsen, a lesbian who is the director of the Hartford Center of Excellence at the School of Social Work at the University of Washington. Jane A. McElroy, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Missouri Fami-
STUART ISEN WITH SARA, A 14 YEAR OLD MINIATURE SCHNAUZER. -- STAFF
ly and Community Medicine Department, was also asked to add a question about pet ownership in a study she is overseeing focused on the physical fitness of lesbians and bisexual women. Of the 105 participants in the study, 33 percent answered yes when asked “Do you have a dog in the household that is regularly walked?” “Not only does having pets provide comfort to older lesbian and bisexual women, but they also support their owner’s health,” McElroy told the The Pride LA. “Walking their dogs naturally supports physical activity, and everyone knows getting off the couch and moving is important for staying healthy.” During their presentation at the November symposium Fredriksen-Goldsen led that looked specifically at LGBT aging research, Muraco and Putney noted that there is a lack of long-term studies looking at how pets contribute to their owner’s mental and physical health over PETS continued on p. 9
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LOS ANGELES
⚫ BY TROY MASTERS
Kate Burton builds on the AIDS legacy of stepmother Elizabeth Taylor The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundtion will host February’s AIDSWATCH 2016 conference in Washington, DC
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any know Kate Burton as an actress, most recently por traying the right-wing Vice President Sally Langston in the hit TV show “Scandal,” and in “Grey’s Anatomy” as Dr. Ellis Grey, the for mer surgeon and mother of lead character Dr. Meredith Grey, who dies of Alzheimer’s. But what some people may not realize is that Burton, daughter of actor Richard Burton, also serves as an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF), which her stepmother founded. “People know, and people knew, my stepmom as a famous movie actress,” said Bur ton in a 2014 interview, “but at her fundamental core, she was a caring, compassionate person who advocated for the neediest of the needy.” Burton, in an email to Positively Aware magazine, says she’s been involved in raising awareness about HIV since her dear friends Meghan Robinson and Michael O’Gorman died from AIDS. “From that time on, I knew that it would be a fight I would devote myself to. It was thrilling to me that Elizabeth became such a passionate advocate for AIDS awareness. As we all know, she and Dr. (Mathilde) Krim put this fight on the map.” Elizabeth Taylor founded ETAF in 1991 to support organizations delivering direct care and services to people living with HIV and AIDS, often to the most marginalized populations, according to their website. Today, Taylor’s friends and family work together as ETAF ambassadors to help keep the issue of HIV/AIDS “top-of-mind” for the public. Taylor’s trust covers the operating costs of ETAF, ensuring that 100 percent
KATE BURTON ADDRESSES USCA 2015 IN WASHINGTON, D.C. PHOTO: MICHELLE ANTOINETTE NELSON
of donations go directly to people affected by HIV/AIDS. “My work as an ETAF ambassador entails many things,” says Burton, “but primarily I serve as a spokesperson or a message deliverer when called upon, although the hard ‘on-the-ground’ work is delivered by (ETAF Managing Director) Joel Goldman and his wonderful staff.” Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, NO/AIDS Task Force, the largest HIV provider in New Or leans, had no offices and its patients nowhere to turn. Taylor wanted to help, and through her foundation was able to provide a mobile treatment unit so that clients were able to continue to access their medications and other lifesaving services,
uninterrupted. Taylor, understanding how successful the model was and that it didn’t need to be limited to a natural disaster, began to replicate it in other locales. She knew that chronic lack of access to healthcare was the biggest barrier in the battle against HIV and AIDS, according to a recent ETAF statement, and said, “If people cannot get to healthcare, why can’t we bring healthcare to people?” Since 2008, seven Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance/Elizabeth Taylor Mobile Health Clinics have been delivering care to the people of Mulanje and Phalombe districts in Malawi. Recently, in collaboration with the Elizabeth Taylor Trust and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation,
Getty Images Gallery in London produced “Grit and Glamour” to mark 30 years since Taylor first began her leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Taylor’s son Christopher Wilding’s “major new photographic exhibition offered Elizabeth Taylor fans the chance to view previously unseen images of the Hollywood icon in a celebration of the British actress’ 30-year campaign to raise awareness on HIV and AIDS,” according to the Daily Mail. In her day job, Burton has gar nered two Emmy nominations for her portrayals of strong characters developed by Shonda Rhimes, the creator of “Grey’s Anatomy” and _Scandal_. “Shonda Rhimes has been incredibly important to me in my life as an actress,” says Burton. “She chose me to play Ellis Grey in “Grey’s Anatomy” 12 years ago, which changed my professional life but more importantly, put advocacy for Alzheimer’s research front and center on network television and in the national conversation. Seven years later she chose me to play the larger -than-life, devout and conser vative Vice President Sally Langston in “Scandal.” I initially thought that this character was not based on reality...until I saw the current crop of Republican candidates! Sally would fit right in amongst them, alas!” In February hundreds of HIV advocates from across the country will descend upon Washington D.C. for AIDSWatch 2016, the largest constituent-based HIV advocacy event in the U.S., to educate Congress about the policies and resources needed to end the HIV epidemic. ETAF is the lead sponsor. “The work that AIDSWatch does to elevate the voices of people living with and affected by HIV is crucial, and very much aligned with Elizabeth Taylor’s passionate approach,” says Joel Goldman of ETAF. “She used her enormous platform to advocate for those whose voices were being ignored, just as AIDSWatch is doing today. ETAF is thrilled to be the presenting sponsor for the second time and to see the impact of
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Live longer, get a pet PETS continued from p. 7
time. The women are looking to do their own longitudinal study on the benefits of pet ownership for LGBT seniors. One concern of the LGBT seniors they spoke with was the financial consequences of owning a pet, as many live on limited incomes. Even the seniors in their study who lived in West Hollywood, which has a city policy that allows residents age 62 and older to have two pets, even if they live in an apartment that bans them, worried their landlord would raise their rents if they adopted an animal. “Housing is a very important issue for seniors,” said Putney. Obvious benefits Not all senior housing facilities are accessible to pets, they noted, which can be a challenge when older adults can no longer live on their own but refuse to move without their pets. They suggested that local agencies promote various services to assist seniors who want to have pets, such as providing low cost pet food and veterinary care to dog walkers or people who will clean up after a cat. Asked by the The Pride LA if their recommendation to seniors is to get a pet, Muraco and Putney both said if they can care for the animal then they should. “It seems to be yes, if they can do it then get a pet,” said Putney, adding that, “We do have to think about the animal’s well-being. As long as we are paying attention to the well-being of the animals, then I think it is a good idea.” Muraco cautioned that, “Pets do die. So if the person is already faced with a lot of bereavement, they may not want one.” Bill Ambrunn, 52, a gay attorney who chaired San Francisco’s LGBT Aging Policy Task Force, told the The Pride LA that the benefits of pet ownership should be obvious to policymakers and those who care for the elderly, in particular LGBT seniors who consider their pets to be their children or part of their families of choice. “I know so many older people in the LGBT community who you wonder how they would function without their pets,” said Ambrunn. “My last dog, she went everywhere I went.” Following the death of Fannie, whom he had for 14 years, Ambrunn in October 2014 adopted Hudson, a now 2-year-old German shepherd mix.
“The same day Fannie died I adopted Hudson. I didn’t want to come home to an empty apartment,” he said. “The thought was too depressing to me.” Although the city task force did not make any specific recommendations regarding seniors and pets, Ambrunn said it would make sense to provide seniors help to care for their pets. He pointed to the San Francisco agency Pets Are Wonderful Support, which recently merged with the Shanti Project and cares for the pets of people facing life-threatening illnesses, as one example. “PAWS does a great job, but I am concerned as the so-called silver tsunami breaks if there is going to be enough resources for seniors to care for their pets when they need help,” said Ambrunn, referring to the country’s rapidly growing senior population. “I have a 90-pound dog and a lot of my friends couldn’t walk him. Just because you have friends who care for you, they might not be able to care for your pet.” More research into the benefits of pet ownership could bolster calls for senior living facilities to adopt pet-friendly rules, noted Ambrunn. “The issue that keeps coming to my mind is housing. I can understand there would be some issues around dogs, but if you can’t even have cats,” he said, then having the research to back up claims that pets are beneficial “could get facilities to allow pets.” In Los Angeles pets are allowed at the 75-unit low-income senior housing Triangle Square Apartments. Located at 1602 N. Ivar Street, onsite services are provided by the Los Angeles LGBT Center in an effort to address the health, social and recreational needs of LGBT seniors. Pets, including dogs, are allowed although a deposit of $300 is required if it’s not a service animal needed for a resident’s health, according to the Triangle Square’s website. “We completely get that our residents benefit by having pets,” said a spokesperson for McCormack Baron Management, the property management firm for the property. “Pets, particularly dogs, create a great sense of community and vitality. They increase involvement and activity levels and that is vital on every health front for our residents.” Gay seniors are four times less likely than their straight counterparts to have children or grandchildren to PETS continued on p. 13
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⚫ 10
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP
1.28.2016
LOS ANGELES
>
ACTIVISM
⚫ BY MATT SIMONETTE
Israel sponsored event at Creating Change disrupted Israeli and Palestinian concerns emerge in raw and powerful ways at National Gay and Lesbian Task Force conference.
PUBLISHER & EDITOR TROY MASTERS
troy@smmirror.com CONTRIBUTORS MATTHEW S. BAJKO, CYNTHIA LAIRD, HENRY SCOTT, CHARLES KAISER, LISA KEEN, MAER ROSHAN, KIT WINTER, BRAD LAMM, DAVID EHRENSTEIN, STEVEN ERICKSON, ORIEL GUTTIEREZ, SETH HEMMELGARN, STEVE WEINSTEIN, CHRIS AZZOPARD, DIANE ANDERSON-MINSHALL, ALLEN ROSKOFF, JOHN PAUL KING
M
ore than 200 protesters shut down a presentation organized by A Wider Bridge ( AWB ), an organization that fosters relationships between Israel and the LGBT community, on Jan. 22 during the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change conference in Chicago. The protest came two days into the Creating Change conference which is being held through Jan. 24 at the Hilton Chicago. The reception, which was to feature speakers from the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance (JOH) in Israel, had already been the focus of controversy when Creating Change organizers initially cancelled the reception in response to online and local protests. But the presentation was reinstated after more protests from members of the Jewish community and other supporters. AWB is often accused of being emblematic of “pinkwashing” marketing strategies that highlight LGBT rights in order to distract from Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. The crowd gathered outside the reception as guests tried to make their way in. A few protesters entered the room just as introductions were being made. The guests from Jerusalem Open House did not make their presentation, but AWB organizers said the protesters who entered did not make them fear for their safety. Creating Change rules dictate that anyone with a conference lanyard can be admitted to any session. The protesters stayed in the gathering space for the entire time, according to AWB Executive Director Arthur Slepian. “We got our guests from Jerusalem out of there very quickly, to ensure
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PALESTINIAN SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING BLACK LIVES MATTER, SAY ISRAEL IS ATTEMPTING TO OBSCURE APARTHEID WHILE PROMOTING ITSELF AS PROGRESSIVE ON LGBT ISSUES. PHOTO BY JEAN ALBRIGHT
their safety,” he said, adding, “We came here with a message we wanted to bring, and I think there are lessons to be learned here. What happened tonight was contrary to all the important liberal values our society holds dear. I also felt there was a strong undercurrent of anti-Semitism.” Protesters held up signs and used chants that called Israel an apartheid state and decried Zionism. They chanted, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free,” a chant that has been subject to a wide range of interpretations, some of them anti-Jewish. There were some reports of altercations between the protestors and guests trying to enter the reception. Protesters chided one man for grabbing and balling up a Palestinian flag, but a video by Lynnell Stephanie Long, shooting for Windy City Times and posted at bit.ly/1nIlm52 showed that a protester had tried to drape the flag over the man’s face. A female pro-
tester also alleged that she was assaulted by a reception guest, and Slepian said one of the protesters in the reception got into an argument with one of the guests there when they entered. At one point a few Jewish men prayed loudly amongst the protesters before heading into the reception. Gary Liss, a member of Congregation Or Chadash, which was among the co-sponsors, was at the reception. “You had all the noise coming from the hallway,” he said. “With everything that is going on in the world right now, you couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen next.” But activist James Bennett said that he did not feel especially threatened or unsafe being in the reception. The protesters went on stage and began yelling slogans, so the music was turned up to drown them out. Many guests left (most by a side exit) while others stayed behind. PINKWASHING continued on p. 11
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1.28.2016 PINKWASHING? continued from p. 10
“They were yelling what seemed to be random things,” Bennett said. “Everyone just went back to talking again.” Susan Boone, whose husband, Laurence Edwards, is Emeritus Rabbi at Congregation Or Chadash, attempted to speak with the protesters to hear why they were there. One woman spoke with her briefly. “It was difficult to make out with the music,” Boone recalled. “She was trying to conjoin Black Lives Matter and Palestine. At a certain point she just stopped, and said politely, ‘I don’t want to talk to you anymore.’” The protest came about in part after online writings by an artist known as DarkMatter, who attended, and criticized the presence of AWB at Creating Change. Writings by Seattle activist and law professor Dean Spade also called attention to the event. “We first saw that there was going to be this Israeli Zionist organization here, and as part of a coalition of multiple groups, we reached out to the Task Force and asked them to please cancel the session, and they did, and we thought, victory,” DarkMatter said. “Then they brought it back with almost no explanation, and then we saw the statements from [Task Force Executive Director] Rea Carey, which we all felt were abhorrent. We think that there is no dialogue when there is an apartheid wall. We felt it was important to continue to up the pressure.” A Jan. 22 statement from Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network summarized the protesters’ objections to the event. “For several years the Israeli government has attempted to use propaganda about the freedoms some LGBTQs in that country have as a cover for their increasingly brutal rule over Palestinians, a process known as ‘pinkwashing,’” the statement said. “Because of the brutal racism of the country, mimicking South Africa under apartheid—one set of laws for Jews, another for Palestinians—most Palestinian LGBTQs don’t enjoy those freedoms. Instead, they endure the anti-Palestinian racism meted out on a daily basis to gay and non-gay alike. “Israel’s racist rule features widespread imprisonment of Palestinians without charges or trials, systemic torture documented by numerous human rights organizations, and the intentional, extreme impoverishment of Palestinians thru the purposeful destruction of their economic activity in Gaza and the West Bank.” No arrests were made. A Hilton staff member told protesters they would be arrested if they did not leave, and threatened to close the entire conference. Creating Change Director Sue Hyde was on hand during the entire protest, negotiating with Hilton staff,
police and protesters, but the Hilton staff seemed most in charge. Hyde was even shoved out of one room by a police officer as she tried to make sure the reception was in fact over. The protesting group gradually moved to a lower level of the hotel and cleared the hallway. Some went across the hall to a Latino reception. “You had Jewish people congregating in a small space, and then you had police brought in when there were many young people of color and undocumented people at that conference,” said Cindy Rizzo, who had attended the Shabbat services prior to the protest. “There was the potential for just about every bad ‘-ism.’ to happen there.” Rizzo was at the reception before the protest in the hall began, then left and was unable to re-enter the room. Two Shabbat services were held before the reception. One was part of the AWB gathering had about 120 attendees. About 35 people attended an alternative service that would lead into the protest. Bashar Makhay of the group Tarab-NYC said he was “disappointed with Hilton and disappointed with the Task Force. Disappointed that they choose to stand up for racism, colonialism and imperialism, and not for human rights. By inviting A Wider Bridge they did just that, and they threatened to arrest us. They abused people at the rally and punched them out. Enough is enough. We won’t stand for injustice.” Activist Dara Silverman of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) said of the protest, “For all of us at [SURJ], it’s really about supporting Palestinian, Arab and Muslim leadership and the need for indigenous struggles to be recognized in the queer and trans communities in the way we recognize them in all other social justice struggles. What A Wider Bridge aims to do is paint Israel as a good place for LGBT people. The reality is, that doesn’t include LGBT Palestinians. It doesn’t include anyone of Arab or Muslim or indigenous descent. So the need for all of us in social justice is for all of us to support that indigenous leadership.” Earlier in the week, Black Lives Matter Chicago voiced its disapproval of AWB’s participation at Creating Change, drawing correlations between the experiences of African Americans and the Palestinians. In a statement, they said, “They/We navigate heavily surveilled and detained realities on tightropes. They/We are expected to be grateful to those that itemize their/our pain to strengthen existing norms. As is routine for too many souls across the globe, They/We must negotiate oppressions as a provision of harm reduction and triage.” PINKWASHING? continued on p. 18
LEGAL
FEDERAL COURT
>
LOS ANGELES
⚫ 11
INDICTMENT
⚫ BY TROY MASTERS
Rent Boy CEO indicted A new count alleges Rentboy knowingly worked with an agency in Florida to bring Hungarian men into the US for sex slavery
J
effrey Hurant, 51, former chief executive of Rentboy.com was indicted by a federal grand jury in Brooklyn, NY on Wednesday on a charge of promoting prostitution. In addition to prostitution he was also charged with money laundering, a charge not previously made against him in the original criminal complaint that was filed in August, 2015. The indictment seeks forfeiture of more than $1.5 million seized Rentboy’s Manhattan office and several financial accounts, the companies domain names and other assets of what the government says is an “internet brothel.” Mike S., a Los Angeles advertiser on Rentboy says the day of the arrest he cancelled all his credit cards, bank accounts, deleted the content of his phone and destroyed it, cancelled my phone number and attempted to erase his internet profile. “I wish I hadn’t done that! It destroyed my income and I lost touch with 3/4 of my clients. I nearly became homeless, seriously.” Easy Rent Systems Inc, the parent company of Rentboy.com, was also named a defendant. Six employees of Rentboy.com arrested in with Hurant in August were not yet charged but criminal complaints against the former employees are pending. Some members of the LGBT community have expressed outrage and raised question about why a company that has been operating for 20 years was suddenly targeted. There have been several protests in New York and activists around the country have attempted to raise money to help mount a defense. James Roth, a lawyer for former Rentboy sales agent Clint Calero,
told Reuters that he hoped the Hurant exclusive indictment indicated that prosecutors “acknowledged the merits of our defenses and that we will enter into a non-prosecution agreement.” Hurant’s attorney, Michael Tremonte, will contest the charges and says he is confident of “full vindication at trial. The government’s charges against Mr. Hurant are unwarranted. He ran his business openly for nearly 20 years, and it makes no sense to single him out for criminal prosecution,” he said. Rentboy.com has been in operation since 1996 and was the world’s largest online male escort website. Several others, such as rentmen. com and masseurfinder.com continue to do a brisk business. Rentboy.com carried disclaimers claiming the advertisements were solicitations for companionship or massage and not sex. But authorities say Rentboy.com was intended primarily to promote prostitution. The site allowed escorts to adver tise their physical attributes, but with a caveat: “If you describe a sex act to be performed in exchange for money, the authorities may use it as evidence in prosecuting you,” according to the indictment. Workers at the site even went so far as to spice up ads to drum up clientele, prosecutors say. In one cited example, one alleged escort was told in an email, “Hey, I took the liberty of spicing up your RB ad - we need you WORKING, babyyy!” The indictment says Rentboy did business with men named Viktor Berki, Andras Vass and Gabor Acs, who lured Hungarian men into the U.S. and forced them “into sexual slavery.” Vass was found guilty and sentenced to 11 years in prison. Berki and Acs still await trial. The New York T imes said, in an August 2015 editorial, that prosecutors had not justified shutting down “a company that provided sex workers with a safer alternative to street walking or relying on pimps.”
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LOS ANGELES
1.28.2016
1.28.2016
LOS ANGELES
PETS continued from p. 9
support them and twice as likely to live alone, according to a study by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. Nationwide, an estimated 2 million people age 50 and older identify as LGBT, and that number is expected to double by 2030, according to the Institute for Multigenerational Health at the University of Washington. An estimated 65,000 LGBT people age 65 and older live in Los Angeles, according to the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. Recognizing the benefits pets can bring to seniors, the city of Los Angeles makes it easy and affordable to adopt a pet. LA Animal Services Seniors for Seniors is a program that matches senior companion animals (age 7 +) from Los Angeles Animal Shelters with senior adults (age 62 +). LA Seniors aged (62+) can easily qualify to receive a $10.00 dog license if you show proof of current rabies vaccination and a Spay/Neuter Certificate valued at $70 for use at participating veterinary hospitals. For more information about $10.00 dog licenses for seniors,click here, or call the Department of Animal Services Licensing Division at 213-482-9550. San Francisco’s Senior LGBT housing program, Openhouse, four years ago began organizing monthly visits for its clients to interact with the dogs rescued by Muttville, an agency that helps facilitate adoption or hospice of
FRANK BROOKS PETS KING DURING THE MUTTVILLE SENIOR DOG MEET-UP ORGANIZED BY OPENHOUSE. PHOTO: KELLY SULLIVAN
older dogs. They offer a services that helps older people find an older dog. At their December meet up four people stopped by for the canine “cuddle club.” Rebecca Lockhart, 50, who is bisexual and lives in a senior living facility in San Francisco, forgoes having her
own dog because of her roommate. Instead, she has been coming to the monthly get-togethers at Muttville for the past 18 months. “It’s just a real loving environment. I really like the dogs and I like the contact,” said Lockhart, whose husband, who resides in their apartment, is considering adopting kittens. The couple’s dog, Charlie Parker, died in 2014 at the age of 18. Because they both have disabilities, it was impractical for them to adopt another dog, explained Lockhart. She now helps care for the pets of the other residents where she lives. “I was a registered nurse for 25 years, so it is an easy fit for me,” she said. “I help out as much as I can.” William Langley, 72, a gay man who lives in San Francisco, had cats and dogs for 40 some years but now prefers not to own a pet. Instead, for roughly two years, he has been participating in the Openhouse outings to Muttville. “I can still get my dog noogies in,” said Langley, noting that the rescued dogs “need the attention.” He doesn’t doubt that pets can improve the lives of seniors. “I have seen a lot of older gentlemen recently retired walking their dogs they finally got after their long careers. It is fun to watch because the dogs are often walking them,” he said. Gay San Francisco resident Frank Brooks, 70, started going to the Muttville meet-ups three months ago. He
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thought about adopting his own dog after he retired in 2013 but his building doesn’t allow pets and he doesn’t want to risk losing his lease even if he received a doctor’s note to have a service animal. “Dogs are the best embodiment of people without the crap,” said Brooks as a canine companion, Oliver, snuggled in his lap. “I get a lot out of this. This takes care of my canine craving.” Since 2007 Muttville has offered a special seniors adoption program where it waves its fees for older adults. It has since placed more than 1,000 senior canines with seniors aged 62 and older. “There are not a lot of statistics but we all know it,” said Muttville Executive Director Sherri Franklin, in regards to the health benefits seniors can derive from their pets. Isen, the Los Angeles man who walks his dog on Blackburn Avenue, when told of Muttville’s program said, “I’m calling them. Can you give me the number?”
This article was written with support from the Journalists in Aging Fellowships, a program of New America Media and the Gerontological Society of America, sponsored by The Scan Foundation.
The Pride LA’s Staff Pet Gallery
Lilly Pearl
Blaze Boatner
Teegan Montemer
Chloe Montemer
Max Masters-Jimenez
Chester
MEET LILLY: An 11 year old mini-schnauzer of The Pride LA Publisher and Editor Troy Masters and his partner Arturo Jimenez. Lilly is September 2015 transplant from New York City where she reigned as Mayor Bloomberg’s Gay Pride pet of the year in 2006. She’s a California girl to the bone.
MEET BLAZE: Blaze is the companion of our talented 20 something Director of Video Production at Mirror Media Group, John Boatner. At press time Blaze was posting things on Facebook: “you know you are getting older when sat night all you want to do is watch movies with your dog”
MEET TEEGAN: Miss Santa Monica Mirror, Teegan is a 7 year old American Pitbull Terrier. She’s the baby girl of Mirror Media Group’s President and CEO TJ Montemer. Actually she is everyone’s dog, gracing our Santa Monica offices, greeting everyone who comes by with the same sweet smile.
MEET CHLOE: The other Miss Santa Monica Mirror, Chloe is Tigan’s partner in crime and soon to be sister, we think. Chloe is TJ Montemer’s girlfriend Kaye. Teegan and Chloe make quite a pair and they seem to like Lilly, too. In fact, we think our animals make all of us better people.
MEET MAX: Max, who passed MEET CHESTER: Chester was the obviously very smart recently, was the 12 year old partner in crime with Lilly. He and dapper kitty of Production got to travel the world and was Manager Gail Hodge and her family. Chester died last year adored. He was the perfect companion dog, deeply attuned and is sorely missed. He was to emotion and environment. an important part of every day He loved Lilly and his daddies life in Gails household for many most of all but had lots of favor- years. Chester was the Cat’s Meow for 15 long years. ite human being friends.
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1.28.2016
LOS ANGELES
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
⚫ BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI
>
THE BIGGEST LOSER
Jillian Michaels sets the record straight Reality star on reclaiming gay slurs, how Madonna helped her come out and her message to LGBT people who think she should marry
T
he “shred” will put you through the sweat fires of hell, but despite her extreme workouts, Jillian Michaels wants you to know she is no monster. To set the record, ahem, straight, the out fitness guru is opening the doors to her very “normal,” sometimes-emotional, not-at-all-what-you-thought life during E!’s “Just Jillian”, where she laughs (you read that right) and… cries?! Yes, that Jillian Michaels – the Butt Kicker from “The Biggest Loser” – cries actual human tears. As if that revelation wasn’t enough, there were many more made during this recent chat with Michaels, who talked about her reputation being “destroyed” by “The Biggest Loser”, why she uses the word “fag” and how, after a long road to self-acceptance, Madonna empowered her to confront her sexuality. After watching “Just Jillian”, a lot of people will be surprised to find out that you’re not who they thought you were. Very much so, yeah. Here’s what I love about it: Everyone is like, why would you do this? And they have these preconceived notions about reality shows and all this drama and, “It’s all fake and it’s all mean spirited,” and that’s not at all why I wanted to open up my life. I feel like the comedy of errors as we go about our daily routine, honestly, is quite enjoyable. And everybody has the same struggles, right? Whether it’s in their work, marriage, family, parenting, as a friend, you go on this journey where you laugh and
you cry, and hopefully you learn something with the characters on the show. For me, in my career, it’s always been “Jillian’s the fitness guru,” but the bigger conversation is using fitness as a tool to help somebody build a better life. Was being out on TV – with a family, even: your partner, Heidi Rhoades, and your two children – something you ever imagined for yourself? You know, it’s interesting that you ask that. I know I’m sort of in that very pivotal generation, right? I’m on the younger end of Gen X, and for me, growing up gay was not cool. Gay was gross. Gay was despicable. People said the word “faggot.” People said “dyke” – I heard that a lot in high school. And it was very scary. I have watched as a people and as a country and a culture over the course of my teenage-into-adulthood life and I do still think there is a tremendous amount of homophobia that exists. And I’ve never been out there with my gay flag; I wanted to take an approach of, “Hey, I don’t need to win you over and I don’t need to fight with you and I don’t want to combat you.” But what I do hope is that people observe me, observe my family, and go, “Oh my god, this isn’t at all what I thought it was. This is actually pretty similar to my family; they’re going through things that my family goes through.” And that’s always been my approach. I don’t need to make these big statements. I’m just going to live my life and my truth and hopefully as you observe that it will become a little more – and I have so much trouble with this word – normalized for people who don’t perceive it as the norm. I was struck by the use of “queer” in the show. Some people who are older than us hear queer and still find it offensive, whereas our generations have embraced the term as being all-encompass-
ing of any sexual orientation that isn’t straight. Where do you stand on labels? Do you have a preference? What’s interesting is, I take a very African-American-using-the-“n-word” approach with those terms. I’ve claimed them all. I use “homo” and joke about it. I use “dyke” and joke about it. My gay male friends and I use “fag” and joke about it. We’ve taken them all back and made them our own. What we’ve tried to do is take some of the venom out of the terms by reclaiming them – and I hate to draw this reference – but in the same way the black community has taken back the “n-word.” We don’t allow them to harm us or hurt us and there could be a whole psychology about why we do, but we all do. It’s like, I own these words, they’re my words, and I’ve suffered enough to be able to take them on and wear them with pride, so to speak. None of those words actually have any venom in them for me anymore and I don’t really care who’s swinging them at me – it doesn’t mean anything to me. People can judge it but that’s just something that I’ve done and it is what it is. What is the biggest misconception about you? God, I mean, it’s the obvious. And I hate the obvious and I think it’s cliché, but I think people never really understood “The Biggest Loser”. “The Biggest Loser” was a life or death intervention that existed on a ticking clock on top of which you would see 45 minutes of a television show which is shot over 10 days and so you never saw what I was doing, why I was doing it, what else I was doing, the end result of what I was doing. The intentions were never displayed and it was far more enter taining to have a good guy and a bad guy, and I think some people really saw through that and that’s great; some people did not and that’s that. But what is kind of cool about this
show – and it is so appropriately named “Just Jillian” – is you see just me, and it’s the good, the bad, the ugly. I’m a very real person. So, for those who have idealized me, they’ll be disappointed (laughs); for those who’ve hated me all these years, I think they’ll be surprised. Do you regret doing “The Biggest Loser”? Good question. There’s this Latin quote that I heard and it summarizes “The Biggest Loser” perfectly: “That which nourishes me also destroys me.” I’m super grateful for the platform I was given. Obviously I owe everything I have to that diving board, that jumping-off point. But there does come a point where you definitely overstay your welcome, where something starts to become more limiting, it starts to do more harm than it does good, and that was definitely a source of frustration for me. I don’t think it’s a secret – I have been vocal about it – but to say that I’m not grateful for the opportunity and for all it’s done for me would be obtuse, absurd and obnoxious, but I’m not gonna lie and say it didn’t also cost me a host of problems on the backend. Now, I’m hoping this show is really just my best foot forward and the thing is, I am sarcastic and I am obnoxious but I’m also loving and I’m also passionate and I’m also car ing and I’m all those things. At least now if people hate me, they’ll hate me for a legitimate reason – that I’m really excited about! (Laughs) At least they’ll hate me for a reason that’s real. You’ve been called a bully. What does that feel like? It’s a shame. For somebody who comes to an environment where they’re literally committing suicide with food, let’s cut the shit. Some of them are 400 or 500 pounds, they’re killing themselves with food and the amount of time they have left is five or 10 years; if they’re lucky, 15. It’s suicide with food. In some cases I would have a week with one of these people, so I will try everything under the sun, but if I can’t do it with hugs, love and kisses, then I’m gonna do what it takes. What people should really pay attention to is, I was less concerned with being likable than getting done what I needed to get done.
1.28.2016
LOS ANGELES
JILLIAN MICHAELS MICHAELS continued from p. 14
When did you find your voice? It was a series of things… it was a process. Basically it was a combination of getting involved in martial arts and having these small successes within martial arts, which empowered me to start taking steps in my personal life, in my relationships, in my professional life, and then, honestly, when it comes to accepting my sexuality – I didn’t even know I was (gay) until later in life. I mean, I realized I was bisexual at about 18 but I didn’t even realize I was gay until into my 20s. I think what helped that, and I know this sounds ridiculous, but Madonna and her “Justify My Love” video made a really big difference for my generation because (being gay) wasn’t something that was disgusting and gross – just something that became cool overnight, thanks to Madonna. That allowed me to feel less ashamed – it became almost cool to explore it – and, unfortunately or
fortunately, that exploration was not just an exploration, it wasn’t just me experimenting. It turns out that was what was going on with me throughout all my teenage years. I really didn’t know. I really thought something was wrong with me. I didn’t know that I liked women, but I knew I didn’t like men. I knew when I was a kid I didn’t want to be physical with my boyfriends. Didn’t wanna make out with them. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. Then when I became 18 and I was kissed by a girl, like a Katy Perry song, I shit you not, I was like, “Oh my god, this is what’s been going on all these years.” The light bulb went off in me and I’m like, “I’ve been fucking gay this whole time,” and I, honest to god, was in such deep denial that I had no idea until that moment. Thanks Madonna! Honestly, you’re absolutely right. Chris Azzopardi is a contributor to The Pride LA and editor of Q Syndicate.
JAN. 30, 2016
⚫ 15
⚫ 16
FILM REVIEW 45 YEARS
>
1.28.2016
LOS ANGELES
MOVIE PICK
⚫ BY JOHN PAUL KING
An animated fable for grown ups: Anomalisa ANOMALISA Directors: Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman Writers: Charlie Kaufman, Charlie Kaufman (play) (as Francis Fregoli) Stars: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan TIME: 90 minutes PLAYING: Laemmle Theatres, ArcLight, Landmark, Los Angeles
“I
t presents characters unable to make the emotional connections they desperately desire, who live in private bubbles of perspective and fumble blindly in their interactions with others.” Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman has completed only a handful of features since his 1999 debut (“Being John Malkovich”), yet his name and reputation loom large, particularly among cinephiles who prefer the edgy and intellectual. His narratives, which seem to flow from dream logic rather than dramatic structure, are more like psychological case studies disguised as heavily symbolic brain-teasers, inhabited by figures that feel less like individual characters and more like shattered fragments of a single personality. His latest effort takes the form of an animated film, but though “Anomalisa” is markedly different in its execution, it is cut from the same unmistakable cloth. Kaufman’s screenplay is adapted from his own “sound play” of the same title, and, for the second time (the first was for 2008’s “Synecdoche, New York”), he steps into the director’s chair with co-producer Duke Johnson. It focuses on Michael Stone, a successful self-help author who travels to a Cincinnati hotel to speak at a conference. Though he is an expert on interpersonal relations, Michael is unable to distinguish people as individuals. Everyone with whom he interacts possesses the same male face and voice- even the women- until he encounters Lisa, a young woman attending his seminar. She is distinctively herself within the sea of homogeneous banality that surrounds
AN INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER (DAVID THEWLIS) BECOMES REINVIGORATED AFTER MEETING A LIVELY WOMAN (JENNIFER JASON LEIGH) WHO SHAKES UP HIS MUNDANE EXISTENCE.
him, and he begins to hope she can at last release him from the boredom and isolation he has felt for so long. This description may not read like a synopsis to an animated film, but “Anomalisa” is no ordinary animated film. Shot in stop motion style, it utilizes puppets partly manufactured by 3-D printing, resulting in a somewhat unsettling effect that is simultaneously stylized and naturalistic. It’s an effective style for the story being told; the world of the movie seems concrete enough to anchor it in reality, allowing us to forget the animated format as we are gradually drawn into the premise. Much of the credit for this aspect of “Anomalisa” belongs to co-director Johnson, who supervised the creation of its technically stunning, intricately detailed animation. The content of “Anomalisa,” while equally as creative as its visuals, is perhaps less innovative, at least to those familiar with Kaufman. As with most of his work, it’s an observational fable that takes place within a Kafkaesque landscape of psychological dysfunction. It challenges our ideas about the nature of identity and explores the effects of perception on our experience of the world around
us. It presents characters unable to make the emotional connections they desperately desire, who live in private bubbles of perspective and fumble blindly in their interactions with others. And then there are the puppets; puppets have always figured prominently in Kaufman’s imagination, and here, they even take the place of live actors. To say the film revisits Kaufman’s recurring themes is by no means a negative criticism, however. On the contrary, those themes strike deep and resonant chords, and they always yield new insights into our shared human experience, and the writer’s quirky imagination ensures that his work is always full of surprises. Though the provocative ideas and visuals are the real stars here, credit also goes to the fine work of the voice cast. David Thewlis (as Michael), Jennifer Jason Leigh (as Lisa), and Tom Noonan (as everyone else) eschew the usual exaggerated vocal styling of animation in favor of a nuanced, naturalistic approach. Their effectiveness is likely due in large part to the fact that all three performed their roles in the original play, as well. Composer Carter Bur well also carries over from the stage
version (he actually produced it), contributing a delicate, moody score which perfectly serves the melancholy tone of the overall piece. “Anomalisa” is certainly melancholy, even dark. In addition to its complex and mature themes, it features profanity, full-frontal nudity, and even a somewhat explicit sex scene. Needless to say, it is not for children, despite being an animated film. Many adults might also have a hard time with it; its intellectualism, coupled with its stylistic conceit, creates an emotional distance that may leave some viewers cold. This is a frequent issue with Kaufman’s introspective creations, but as always, those willing to stick with it will find that it has a lot of heart hiding under all its conceptual constructs. There’s also a lot of humor in the mix. Despite the philosophical weightiness of his material, Kaufman never takes himself too seriously; he somehow always manages to be both thought-provoking and entertaining, and it is this that makes him one of the most original voices in American film. “Anomalisa” is a worthy entry to his canon, and like most of his work, it fully deserves to be called essential viewing.
1.28.2016
LOS ANGELES
Impeccable Craftsmanship
⚫ 17
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VIEWS & BREEZES
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1.28.2016
LOS ANGELES
“PALESTINE WILL BE FREE FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA” PHOTOS BY JEAN ALBRIGHT FOR WINDY CITY TIMES PINKWASHING? continued from p. 11
Faith Cheltenham, president of BiNet USA, took part in the protest and said shortly after it ended that she saw it as part of a larger effort to get “our movement back.” She added, “It’s wonderful because we’re seeing people be represented. There are many LGBT people who think treatment of Palestinians is incorrect. Many people. There are very few people who’d say, ‘You know, they’re getting everything they want. ... It is cultural apartheid, so much so that the Obama administration recognized that. They actually said recently that this is unjust. So when you come here to the LGBTQIA gender non-conforming queer community and you deal with us, that’s our movement. That’s our intersection.” But Slepian maintained that it is possible to separate Israel’s LGBT community from its governmental policy. “I think it’s fine to try to see the world as having inter-related causes to different kind of oppressions, but I think it’s a different issue when people then develop an agenda of purity, saying, in effect, ‘This is what it means to be a good queer person, and if you’re not on board, you deserve to be silenced,’” he said. “There needs to be much more room for diversity and exploration of different points of view.” Slepian also defended AWB’s rea-
ACTIVISTS ALLEGE “PINKWASHING” AS ISRAEL PROMOTES ITSELF AS TOLERANT
sons for being at Creating Change, adding, “We came with the message that the LGBT community and Israel are valuable allies, just as every other LGBT community around the world wants to be valued and supported. The idea that [Israel’s LGBT community] would be disenfranchised because of something that their government does, that they would be devalued because of what their government does, is disgraceful. They’re saying that their lives as LGBT people are not valuable stories because of the actions of their government.” Matt Simonette is a contributor to Chicago’s Windy City Times where this article was originally published.
1.28.2016 TALKING POINT CREATING CHANGE
⚫ BY CINDY RIZZO
>
LOS ANGELES
LESSONS LEARNED
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Israel and Palestine: Can We Bridge the Divide?
We are not each other’s enemies. I know this is difficult to believe sometimes. But horizontal hostility directed at one another, including the Task Force, serves no purpose.
Y
ou may have read the news reports about the protest of a reception at this year’s Creating Change conference in Chicago. Maybe you were there? Maybe a friend called you from the conference relaying a breathless account? There’s no point in me recounting the events or even my own experience that evening on the third floor of the Chicago Hilton. Read the coverage here or the very thoughtful statement of Jewish Queer Youth. Read the post-conference statement by the National LGBTQ Task Force. What’s most important now in the aftermath of these events is reflection, for all concerned. What can we learn from these troubling events? What is the work we need to do to ensure that they won’t be repeated? Here are my thoughts. Lessons for A Wider Bridge, the Reception Hosts · Gain a better understanding of the environment before you schedule an event at an activist conference filled with people who have passionate left-of-center views. Talk to people who’ve been to Creating Change, including the Jewish Working Group, led by amazing anti-racist, progressive Jews. Understand that Arab and Moslem queers might be attending and anticipate how they might view this event. They have a valid cultural narrative and you need to do a better job of engaging with it and with them in advance. They should not automatically be assumed to be anti-Semitic. · Keep folks safe. If there is any hint that your event might be controversial, do not move forward unless you
are assured that your participants and attendees can be safe. · Be more mindful of the needs of JOH. Do not involve the leaders of the Jerusalem Open House in an event where controversy can be anticipated. These are young people who recently held a Pride march where a violent, Jewish fundamentalist murdered a 16-year old girl and wounded several others. JOH folks had no business being asked to put themselves in the middle of something so volatile when they have still not gotten over the horrible events of last summer. · Do a better job of explaining who you are and what you stand for and allow JOH to do the same. Much has been written about whether A Wider Bridge supports the occupation, the current Israeli government, and the efforts to promote Israel’s reputation by touting its record on LGBT rights (known as “pinkwashing”). Most Americans, including most LGBT folks, know very little about issues outside of our country. They rely on what they are told and what might be on a group’s website. If A Wider Bridge wants to be present at Creating Change, it needs to introduce itself and not let people with inaccurate information control its narrative. Lessons for the Protest Organizers and the Protesters · Learn the historical antecedents of your tactics and make sure your protesters understand them. Anticipate how it will feel to a group of Jews to have a loud and large mob descend on their event, trying to get in the door and pushing at the room dividers from the other side. Many of us go right back in our minds to Germany in the 1930s. Yes, I’m sorry, the Holocaust is very real for us, especially when we are placed in this kind of a fearful context (and, no, I’m not calling you Nazis and I disagree with anyone who would). · Don’t conflate organizations. A Wider Bridge and JOH are two different organizations. JOH is a progressive group operating in a city whose inhabitants are hostile to its existence. Many Arab and Palestinian youth rely on JOH. In fact the Palestinian LGBT organization in Israel began as a program of JOH. These people are not the
enemy. It’s likely they share many of the same values and politics as you. Learn who they are and understand also that they were brought to the US only months after they experienced a horrific violent attack. You shouldn’t retrigger their PTSD. · Understand what you are chanting and instruct protesters that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated. The chant “Palestine will be free from the river to the sea” is a call for the erasure of Israel. That is how most people interpret it. If you mean something else when you use it then you’d better have flyers explaining it. Otherwise the conventionally accepted meaning holds. · The right wing Israeli government of Netanyahu, the Israeli people, and the Jewish people should not be confused or treated as one. To do otherwise, creates an environment where anti-Semitism can raise its ugly head. Don’t let that happen. Lessons for the Task Force · Talk to all sides, plan accordingly and make sure everyone can be safe. There’s a big difference between groups taking over the stage at a plenary and what happened in Chicago. The protest leaders needed your guidance and direction before the conference or at least on the first day. The location of the reception (and thus the protest) on a hotel floor with a long, narrow hallway was a major error. There were safer locations where some of the drama that unfolded at the door and the allegations of who pushed who could have been avoided. · Understand how the misguided location of the event led to an avalanche of terrible outcomes, including the hotel calling the police, which put the young POC protesters and the undocumented protesters at grave risk. I know the Task Force understands this, but you need to prevent it from happening again. · Train peacekeepers, people who can hold the line without violence or intimidation and prevent the escalation where the police have to be called. · Review your actions. I know you’re doing this already. But really do it. Don’t just sit in a room with yourselves. Ask independent investigators to seek out information from those in-
volved. Assess the findings and learn, learn, learn. Then be transparent about your process, your learnings and your plans for 2017. A Lesson for Us All · We are not each other’s enemies. I know this is difficult to believe sometimes. But horizontal hostility directed at one another, including the Task Force, serves no purpose. Rea Carey, Russell Roybal, Sue Hyde, Stacy Long Simmons and all their colleagues are good people who strive at all times to do the right thing. But like the rest of us, they sometimes miss the mark. Who among us can say we never do? My Own Lesson At the very end of the conference I attended the annual feedback session held by the conference managers. One of the people who spoke was a young man I know, a former work colleague who I even supervised for a short period of time. As an Arab-American gay man, I knew he was involved in organizing other Arab queers and I wasn’t surprised to learn that he was one of the leaders of the anti-pinkwashing protest. I hadn’t run across him at the conference until that very last session. When he spoke to give his feedback, he was critical in all the ways I expected. He disagreed with the decision to hold the reception and was angry about how the events of the night unfolded. But it was the catch in his voice, not his words, that moved me. He was literally on the verge of tears. These events had caused him great pain. As I left the session, I walked up to him and we hugged warmly. I kissed his cheek. It was in that moment that I was reminded of the most basic thing that perhaps I had forgotten; the lesson I’d needed to learn. He and I likely don’t agree on the politics or the tactics. We likely have very different accounts of what happened that night at Creating Change. But what we do agree on is our common humanity and our affection for one another. In short, we believe in each other. I walked away from him filled with love and with immense respect for his passion and his commitment. Maybe that’s the real bridge we all need to build.
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1.28.2016
LOS ANGELES
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