The Pride Issue 33, Vol 2, January 11, 2018 by THE PRIDE LOS ANGELES

01.12 – 01.25.2018ISSUE NUMBER 33, VOLUME 2

| JANUARY 12 – 25, ‘18

LOS ANGELES

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GALAS: Creating Community for 20 Years Since 1998, L.A.’s queer Armenian community has found a home at the West Hollywood community center. MORE ON PAGE 5

A LOOK

INSIDE

Yes, There are LGBTQ+ Mormons Out There

More on page 15

Photos: GALAS.

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01.12 – 01.25.2018

LOS ANGELES

What is TRUVADA for PrEP?

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?

TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you:

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

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. ® Many 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 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: ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. ® To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you.

® 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. ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. 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? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis.

® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners.

® If 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.

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

® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

® If 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: ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

® All 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. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection. 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.

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LOS ANGELES

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We're open, not unprepared. We know who we are. And we make choices that fit our lives. TRUVADA for PrEP™ is a once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when taken every day and used together with safer sex practices. ® TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you. Learn more at truvada.com

7/28/17 8:40 AM

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01.12 – 01.25.2018

LOS ANGELES

IMPORTANT FACTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0153 07/17

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01.12 – 01.25.2018 SPOTLIGHT

COMMUNITY

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 5

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

⚫ BY ANNETTE SEMERDJIAN

GALAS Has Been Creating Community for 20 Years Since 1998, L.A.’s queer Armenian community has found a home at the West Hollywood community center.

Growing up with immigrant families as a LGBTQ+ person often creates conflict between one’s cultural and sexual identities. It’s not uncommon that this clash presents a need to compromise one for the other. Learning to live within a host of identities is, however, a lot easier if you live a city as large and diverse as Los Angeles. L.A. not only has a historically large LGBTQ+ community, it also has, according to the US Census, over one million foreign-born residents. This diversity is a part of the city’s identity as a place where immigrants, DREAMers, queer folk and independent thinkers can come to as a kind of cultural sanctuary. Although people all across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum celebrate their intersectional identities in Los Angeles, it can still be a struggle to fully accept our cultural and queer identities as one. One of the organizations in L.A. that is striving to create a safe and supportive space for all intersections of identity for people who grew up with a strong sense of culture is the Gay and Lesbian Armenian Society (GALAS). L.A. has one of the largest populations of the Armenian diaspora. Since its inception in 1998, GALAS has catered to Armenians in the local LGBTQ+ community, offering support, community, and service to L.A.’s diverse queer Armenian community. Although GALAS is located in West Hollywood, its services are available to different parts of the city as well. Mel Saroyan, who has been with the organization since the beginning, remembers how far they have come since starting as means of creating dialogue and visibility within a culture that, like many, refuses to acknowledge gay identity. From providing booths at L.A. Pride marches to screening the revolutionary documentary bringing forth the stories of LGBT folk living in Armenia, “Listen to Me,” GALAS looks forward to acknowledging, supporting and empowering the existence of LGBTQ+ Armenians. In the years

GALAS members convened at the 2017 Thanksgiving Potluck, one of the organization’s biggest community events.

to come, Saroyan sees GALAS strengthening its commitment to open discussions on topics concerning the community and providing opportunities to do so that are often stifled from them. As GALAS celebrates its 20-year anniversary in 2018, board member Lousine Shamamian remembers the organization’s core values. “GALAS formed 20 years ago because people weren't willing to abandon their Armenian identity in order to explore the rest of who they were, and in particular the way they wanted to love. GALAS continues to exist in order to facilitate and support this safe space which we see growing to one day include the homes of all Armenians.” Family is a huge part of Armenian culture and acceptance from family members is imperative for queer Armenians. To encourage Armenian homes to become a safe space for LGBTQ+ people is the ultimate bridge

that has GALAS works toward crossing as a monumental step forward for those struggling with the merging of cultural and queer identities. One of the ways that GALAS plans to incorporate family into the discussion is through Soorj Sessions. Drinking soorj, Armenian coffee, is tied deeply to tradition and family since it is often something that brings everyone together in order to sit, chat and drink. Bringing the experience of making and drinking soorj into a discussion about LGBTQ+ identity within the community will aid in a smooth transition into melding two identities that were assumed to be at odds. “Armenians sometimes feel stuck in the pre-Stonewall era,” Shamamian told The Pride L.A. “Armenians, like many other immigrant populations in the US, struggle with the intersectionality of their ethnic identity, sexual orientation and gender identity.” Ultimately, GALAS aims to garner enough

Photo: GALAS.

support to help eradicate the thought that being gay is shameful and something that is not Armenian. “We also want to encourage the participation of our allies within and outside the Armenian community to join us and to help erase the word amot, which means shameful, from our vocabulary when it comes to addressing LGBTQI+ issues,” Shamamian stressed. This is why organizations like GALAS are crucial to bridging those identities and creating a safe space that many Armenians, such as board member Erik Adamian, never even imagined would exist. “I had no idea a community of LGBTQ+ Armenians existed anywhere,” Adamian said. “We need LGBTQ+ Armenians to get involved with GALAS, to join forces to help destigmatize LGBTQ Armenian narratives, and to show everyone that we exist: we are Armenian, we are LGBTQ, and we are not going anywhere.”

⚫ NEWS

HEALTH

01.12 – 01.25.2018

LOS ANGELES

PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT!

⚫ BY SAMUEL BRASLOW

West Hollywood Among First California Cities to Sell Legal Recreational Weed Beginning on Tuesday, January 2, West Hollywood became host to a peculiar sight: lines of people snaking down entire city blocks to purchase legal marijuana. Lining the sidewalks of Santa Monica Boulevard, diverse crowds have already begun, in the weeks since, to assemble themselves into orderly single files that all end at telltale green plus signs, or sometimes the less subtle five-fingered green leafs. Yes, January 1 ushered in a new day for

California: legal marijuana (if you’re 21 or older). But the catch? The only dispensaries who will be selling the green stuff beginning in the new year are all in West Hollywood. The West Hollywood City Council has granted temporary recreational licenses to four pot shops while they evaluate the retailers who will receive permanent licenses. This explains why it looks like a much calmer version of Black Friday across WeHo. Ultimately, WeHo will authorize eight cannabis retail sales licenses, eight medical dispensary licenses, eight licenses for cannabis smoking lounges attached to cannabis stores, and eight licenses for lounges attached to cannabis stores where cannabis-laced goodies can be consumed. Apparently, the other cities in L.A. County didn’t get their act together fast enough to take advantage of the January 1 change. Beating cities like Long Beach and Santa Monica, West Hollywood is the only one to have a regulatory framework in place to allow for weed sales beginning in 2018. Be-

fore a dispensary can obtain the necessary state permit, it first needs a local license. Medical marijuana dispensaries, a fixture in California state for years prior to January, now find themselves in an uncertain position. With readily available weed poised to hit the market, it seems less likely that consumers will go through the process of getting medical authorization. But medical dispensaries have two advantages. First, they do not have to charge the additional 9.5 percent sales tax that is levied on recreational pot sales. Second, like alcohol, recreational weed is only available to adults 21-years-old and over. With a medical marijuana card, even adults between the ages of 18 and 21-years-old can purchase cannabis. Either way, the city of West Hollywood is poised to be a major winner in the changing landscape. In 2017, the city collected $15,000 from medical dispensaries in licensing fees. In 2018, the city estimates that it will generate licensing and application revenues between $400,000 to $500,000.

On January 2,West Hollywood dispensaries opened their doors for legal marijuana sales.

Photo: Thinkstock.

01.12 – 01.25.2018 NEWS

REAL ESTATE

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 7

GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

⚫ BY SAMUEL BRASLOW

Photo: Thinkstock.

California’s Proposition 13, which allows landowners to save big on taxes, may be up for debate this year.

Once Unthinkable, California May Rethink Prop 13 There are few sacred cows as holy (or hotly contested) in California politics as Proposition 13, the 1978 law that granted enormous property tax savings to landowners. Just as recently as 2014, Governor Jerry Brown proclaimed that “Proposition 13 is a sacred doctrine that should never be questioned.” Since it was voted into law via ballot measure in 1978, Prop 13 has remained a lightning rod for both criticism and praise – either the neoliberal nail in the coffin of a robust welfare system, or the buttress for a booming middle class. But with an historic housing crisis in California’s cities and the looming uncertainty of a new tax code, multiple groups are reconsidering the status of Proposition 13 – in completely opposite directions, with one group advocating for a partial repeal of the property tax law and another proposing to expand it. Proposition 13 changed the way the state calculates property tax. The ballot mea-

sure determined that property tax would be fixed at the value at the time the property's sale. So, if you bought your charming two bedroom Hollywood bungalow for $400,000, you would still pay taxes as if it were worth that much even while it’s value has made the vertiginous climb north of seven figures. Proponents of the law argue that it protects middle-class homeowners, while detractors say that it has robbed the state of essential funding for institutions like public education, land management, and health services. Just this past year, Malcolm Gladwell took on the more problematic implications of the law on his podcast “Revisionist History.” One group proposing a change to the law is Make It Fair. The organization has drafted a constitutional amendment that would curtail the tax advantages bestowed by Prop 13 on larger corporations and businesses. While leaving residential and agricultur-

al properties untouched, the amendment would “close the millionaire, billionaire, and big corporation tax loophole by requiring all commercial and industrial properties to be assessed at fair market value,” according to the group’s website. “Make It Fair guarantees Prop 13 remains in effect with no changes for homeowners, residential renters and farmers. This is only about changing the commercial property tax loophole,” they say. Make It Fair has been arguing for this change for a few years, and it seems unlikely that voters will see the amendment on this November’s ballot. “There’s no decision that’s been made about whether or not a ballot measure is going forward," said Mac Zilber, Make It Fair's political consultant, to LA Weekly. "We only want to move forward if we feel like we’re in a position to change this once and for all. Whether that is 2018 or legislatively, we want to see what the best

pathway is.” Another group, the California Association of Realtors, has floated a proposal that would do pretty much the exact opposite and extend the scope of Prop 13. The lobbying group wants homeowners who sell their house and buy and a new one to keep part of their property tax savings at their new home. They argue that this would lead to a higher turn-over of properties and free-up space for young and first-time homeowners. The only problem is that this would compound the original issues of Prop 13 by further reducing tax revenue collected by California. The state’s Legislative Analysts Office estimates that the expansion would cost cities, counties, and school districts “hundreds of millions of dollars per year in the near term, growing over time to a few billion dollars per year." Unlike Make It Fair, Californians will have the chance to either reject or embrace the proposal this November.

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01.12 – 01.25.2018

LOS ANGELES

ACTIVISM FILM

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

GAY L.A.

In 1971, a Queer Revolution Was Dawning on the Streets of Los Angeles Thanks to anti-war activism and the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 70s, by 1971, the Gay Movement was ready to organize.

Last year at this time, a weary nation was gearing up to launch a series of significant, country-wide protests on Inauguration day.The resulting marches in Washington, New York, and Downtown Los Angeles made the country sit up and take notice, setting the tone of a politically-charged year of feminist victories and queer triumphs. As significant as last year’s marches were, they didn’t come out of nowhere. Los Angeles has a long history of early-in-the-year political protests organized by minority citizens who, newly energized by the New Year, get together to stick it to the current regime. We’ve spoken about L.A.’s history of queer resistance, from the famous pre-Stonewall Black Cat protests to the Christopher Street West Parade (later to become the L.A. Pride Parade) to the “GayIns” at Griffith Park in the 1960s and 1970s. But it was 47 years ago, in 1971, that L.A.’s queer and Chicanx communities came together to hold the LAPD accountable for

Photo: ONE Archives.

Protesters in February of 1971 held posters calling out police brutality against LGBTQ+ citizens.

Photo: Wikipedia Commons.

The Silver Lake Black Cat Protest in 1967 marked L.A.’s first queer anti-police brutality protest.

what had been the very violent year of 1970. On August 29, 1970, three Los Angeles citizens lost their lives during the Chicano Moratorium march and Vietnam War protest in East L.A. After the death of L.A. Times journalist Ruben Salazar via tear gas pellet, the community turned to the L.A. Sheriff’s Department for answers. Though the Sheriff’s Department maintained that Salazar’s death, along with other protestors at the August 29 march, was accidental, the community was not satisfied. Salazar’s death prompted the famous Hunter S. Thompson to write “Strange Rumblings in Aztlan” for Rolling Stone, a piece that chronicled how the sudden, violent killing of Salazar changed a peaceful protest into a chaotic scene and mobilized the Chicanx community into action. It was because of the shocking events of August 29 that the January 31, 1971 protest against police brutality took place. On that day, over 7,000 citizens marched on East L.A. to be greeted by armed policemen ready to open fire. At the end of the march, they did, wounding many and arresting over 100 citizens. The January 31 protest and its violent aftermath were acknowledged by many as marking the end of the Chicano Movement on the 1960s and ‘70s. However, the legacy of the Brown Berets paved the way for a year of community protests against police brutality and govern-

A crowd of protestors on Hollywood Boulevard in 1971.

ment corruption. After the 31st, LGBTQ+ Angeleans took to Hollywood Boulevard to protest police brutality and the high number of arrests (and violent treatment) of gay men in the years previous. Later that year, weeks of anti-war protests would lead to a gigantic march on Washington led by the Mayday Tribe, a group of 25,000 students and activists whose slogan read: “If the government won’t stop the war, we’ll stop the government.” A year beforehand, in 1970, the first L.A. Gay

Photo: ONE Archives.

Pride Parade had made a splash on the streets of Hollywood. It had also led to 14 arrests for same-sex kissing (then illegal in public) and beatings of protesters by the police in attendance. By 1971, L.A.’s queer community knew how to organize in a way that couldn’t be ignored. When they took on police violence that February, they were helping to cement a new standard of non-violent protesting, started in part by the Chicano movement, that would take the community into a new era of civil rights battles.

5.75 in.

01.12 – 01.25.2018 NEWS

POLITICS

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 9

READY FOR PAC-TION

⚫ BY ANNETTE SEMERDJIAN

Trans United Fund is America’s First Transgender PAC

The 2017 elections brought in some wins for the trans community and, ultimately, big wins for the nation last fall. Danica Roem, Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham were some of the first transgender candidates elected to public office and state legislature. Though these are household names by now, fewer people know about the political action committee (PAC) that helped get them on the ballot: The Trans United Fund (TUF). TUF wants to see more trans people on the ballot for any given election for public office, and by continuing to raise money, garner support and provide resources, they are accomplishing just that. Although campaigns for trans candidates often face million-dollar hate campaigns, TUF sticks by candidates and helps strategize for battling that hatred. Such was the case for the campaign for Cunningham, which put the PAC in debt after a donor pulled out and TUF continued to support the candidate during a major smear campaign

Trans United Fund is working to get more Transgender candidates on 2018 ballots.

against him. in. That10.0 commitment to keeping trans people on the ballot and into office is what differentiates TUF from other organizations that

Photo: Trans United Fund.

choose to market themselves under the name of the trans community, but fail to deliver. TransLatina Coalition founder and TUF board member, Bamby Salcedo, told The Ad-

vocate just that by stating that some seemingly progressive organizations “are only using the name of our community as a marketing campaign to raise funds that don’t end up ever coming back to our communities. And... [then], they’ll leave us behind.” The leaders of TUF are trans people who serve in high ranks in the community, such as the PAC’s executive director, Hayden Mora, who was the first transgender member of the senior executive team at the Human Rights Campaign as deputy chief of staff. The PAC focuses on not only trans folk but trans people of color, which is crucial in representation and visibility in public office with candidates like Jenkins and Cunningham as well as TUF’s own board members. TUF takes the year of trans people in office as a sign for the future of the United State’s political climate and bringing resolve to intolerance and highlighting the success in getting voters to show up for trans candidates.

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Life can change in an instant, and Covered California wants you to have coverage when it does. But, we’re not only here to help you get health insurance. We’re here to help you get it at a lower cost. Our experts can help you find a brand-name health plan for you and your budget. And 9 out of 10 enrollees even qualified for financial help paying for their plan, so it pays to check for yourself.

CoveredCA.com

Don’t miss your chance to get covered. Open Enrollment ends January 31.

⚫

01.12 – 01.25.2018

LOS ANGELES

COMMUNITY STUDIES

` ⚫ BY CONNOR DUFFEY

THE FUTURE IS FLUID

UCLA Study: 27% of Young Californians Viewed as “Gender Nonconforming”

A new study by UCLA finds that 27 percent, or 796,000, of Californians ages 12 to 17 report they are viewed by others as gender nonconforming at school by their peers. The study also assessed differences in mental health among gender nonconforming youth and gender conforming youth in the state, and found no significant difference in the rates of lifetime suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts between gender nonconforming youth and their gender-conforming peers. However, gender nonconforming youth were more than twice as likely to have experienced psychological distress in the past year. “The data show that more than one in four California youth express their gender in ways that go against the dominant stereotypes,” said lead author Bianca D.M.Wilson, the Rabbi Barbara Zacky Senior Scholar of Public Policy

Photo: Thinkstock.

A new survey shows that younger Californians are rejecting traditional gender roles and stereotypes.

at the Williams Institute. “However, the heightened psychological distress we see among gender nonconforming youth indicates that we must continue to educate parents, schools

and communities on the mental health needs of these young people and reduce known risk factors, such as bullying and bias.” The study, released by the Williams Institute

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at UCLA School of Law and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, analyzed data collected from nearly 1,600 California households in the 2015-2016 California Health Interview Survey. It is the first time this survey has included questions about gender expression among teens. The study defined “gender nonconforming” as “people whose behaviors and appearance defy the dominant cultural and societal stereotypes of their gender.” The health interview survey measured gender expression by asking adolescents how they thought people at school viewed their physical expressions of femininity and masculinity. Youth who reported that people at school saw them as equally masculine and feminine were categorized as “androgynous.” Girls who thought they were seen as mostly or very masculine and boys who thought they were seen as mostly or very feminine were categorized as “highly gender nonconforming.” The finding that gender nonconforming youth in California do not have higher rates of suicide differs from the findings of some previous research. The study co-authors suggest that the variation in findings may be due to sample-size limitations of this study or possibly to the state’s supportive policies for gender nonconforming people. California is one of several states that expressly prohibit bullying and discrimination against gender nonconforming people in schools and public accommodations, among other arenas. “It’s possible California’s policy environment has made it safer for adolescents to be gender nonconforming,” said Tara Becker, a co-author and statistician for the health survey, which is conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. “But given events at the national level, we should by no means relax our stance. California can and should strive to be an ongoing model of acceptance and inclusion.”

01.12 – 01.25.2018 ART

WORLD

` ⚫ BY GENNA RIVIECCIO

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 11

A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS

Carlos Motta’s The Crossing Gives a Voice to Queer Refugees It’s already enough of a challenge as it is for refugees to get much of a voice in the public eye. At least one that isn’t slanted or tainted by some form of a political agenda. Add to that description the identifier of queer and the chance for any visual or vocal presence drops even further. Thus, a new exhibition from Carlos Motta at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam is especially momentous. Entitled “The Crossing,” the exposition runs through January 21, and highlights the troubled journey of queer refugees from countries where “sexual deviation” of any kind is not just socially ostracized, but criminalized. The countries these refugees have escaped from under grueling circumstances to find some form of asylum include Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Morocco, Iraq and Iran. Composed of eleven videos, this spotlight on the “queer diaspora” is sweeping in its scope. Take, for instance, Rameen, a transgender woman who fled from Baghdad upon discovering the horrible events that befell another trans friend of hers. Tormented by police, her friend’s anus was glued shut, followed by a steady stream of food shoved down her throat until she finally exploded. And this isn’t even the grimmest, nor most appalling story. Shocked by this tragic event, Rameen fled, paying smugglers everything she had to take a boat to Greece. By the end of the journey, the ship was barely above water. But this price is far less to pay than that of staying put. Motta, however, isn’t just interested in telling the gruesome backstories to getting out in one piece. He also seeks to accentuate the part of the narrative that happens after arrival.As all refugees must turn themselves over to the police in order to gain political sanctuary, there is a process not unlike the being put under the microscope nature of getting “booked” for a “stay” at a

Photo: Gert Jan van Rooij.

Carlos Motta:The Crossing, 2017, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

concentration camp. From their point of landing, they go to Ter Apel to be registered in the system and are then transferred to a former prison facility called Aalphen ann der Rijn, where it’s safer for queer people to exist without the persecution of other refugees. But “safer” doesn’t mean Aalphen ann der Rijn isn’t without its tumultuousness, to say the least. For example, one refugee was denied hormones simply because she had not yet obtained a residency permit. And while Holland offers more comfort to the disenfranchised than a milieu like Iran, it’s not all tulips and “coffee shops.” Dutch immigration officials’ own separate persecution, hence, is one of the focuses of the exhibit, allowing Motta to delve into an even more layered exploration of the Dutch’s deep-seated history of colonialism to understand how a country so progressive can

still be, in many respects, very close-minded. And so, as we come to know more about the queer diaspora in countries like Holland, “The

Photo: Carlos Motta.

Zizi from The Crossing, 2017 (video still). Courtesy of the artist; Instituto de Visión, Bogotá, Mor Charpentier Galerie, Paris; Galeria Filomena Soares, Lisbon; and P.P.O.W Gallery, New York.

Carlos Motta:The Crossing, 2017, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

Crossing” serves as a pivotal jumping off point in even beginning to comprehend these refugees’ pernicious voyage.

Photo: Gert Jan van Rooij.

⚫ 12

LOS ANGELES

01.12 – 01.25.2018

COMMUNITY 2018

` ⚫ BY GENNA RIVIECCIO

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 13

THE YEAR AHEAD

These are the Battles We Face in 2018 With the new year comes a host of new elections, causes, and concerns, to keep at the forefront of our minds in 2018.

Each new year has the strange tendency to fill people with revived hope for the future. As for 2018, well, it seems many members of the LGBTQ+ community is going into it with a proverbial grain of salt after the problematic acts of the current administration. From health concerns to basic

civil rights protections, the community has a number of long, grueling fights ahead in 2018. Most at risk of all are transgender people, whose rights are, from a legal standpoint, still coming under question by the Trump administration. And with the federal courts being packed with judges with a history of anti-LGBTQ rulings, 2018 could be even scarier than 2017, if we let it. The most pressing issue, at hand, of course, is the fate of transgender people in the military. Though they will be allowed to enlist again as of January 1st, Trump’s doggedness with matters pertaining to oppression seem to know no bounds – so let’s not put our guards down just yet. For the moment, thanks to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling on Trump’s attempt at banning transgender servicemembers from

` ⚫ BY STAFF WRITER

Trans Activist Running for 54th District Assembly Seat

Ashlee Marie Preston plans to run for the seat following the resignation of Sebastian Ridley-Thomas.

Transgender activist Ashlee Marie Preston plans to run for the 54th District Assembly Seat, which covers Century City and Westwood among other districts. Preston threw her hat into the ring following the resignation of Sebastian Ridley-Thomas. Preston is the former editor in chief of Wear Your Voice magazine and came to prominence last August after she called Caitlyn Jenner a “*** fraud” for supporting President Donald Trump, especially when he attempted to enforce a transgender ban in the military. In a statement about her decision to run for office, Preston told The Advocate, if elect-

ed she would focus on issues ranging from police brutality and rape culture to trans discrimination and immigration issues.

the army, more time has been bought. As she stated, albeit somewhat tersely, “The court is not persuaded that defendants will be irreparably injured by allowing the accession of transgender individuals into the military beginning on Jan. 1, 2018.” With that clear violation of constitutional rights on semi-lock, now we can worry about AIDS/HIV-related health care for lower income LGBTQ+ citizens. After Trump repealed Obamacare, which required everyone to buy health care or pay a tax at the end of the year, it’s likely way fewer people strapped for cash in other avenues are going to want to plunk down. That being said, the LGBTQ+ community is already twice as likely to not have health insurance. Accordingly, this new development renders many even more vulnerable, particularly when it comes to getting affordable treatment for

HIV/AIDS. To further compound getting adequate care for the disease, the Trump administration effectively eradicated the entire Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS. Other “odds and ends” to be on the lookout for based on recent discriminatory actions of the Trump regime also include standing up and being counted. Like literally, in the census. Because it isn’t a coincidence that the Census Bureau’s upcoming 2020 survey will not be including any questions about gender identity or sexual orientation. And by effectively erasing any governmentally visible trace of LGBTQs from existence, it’s pretty likely that very little is going to be done policy-wise to help with the concerns facing the community. So, now more than ever, 2018 is the year to put the “new me” mantra aside and simply say, “New year, new government.”

⚫

01.12 – 01.25.2018

LOS ANGELES

COMMUNITY HONORS

` ⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

FEELING THE LOVE

WGA Nominates Dustin Lance Black, Among Other Queer Creators, for 2018 Awards This February 11, the Writers Guild of America will hold its 70th annual award ceremony for some of the past year’s most outstanding written work in film and television. The award ceremony, hosted by Patton Oswald and taking place in Beverly Hills, will choose the best work from 2017 to honor just a few weeks before the 90th annual Academy Awards air on March 4. With a focus on the writers, screenplays, and creators behind some of the biggest successes of the past year, the WGA often chooses to honor projects that tend to fly under the radar of the some the larger, splashier award shows. This year, in addition

to nominating a number of LGBTQ+-headed projects like “Call Me By Your Name,” “GLOW,” “Feud: Bette and Joan,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the WGA is honoring Dustin Lance Black, the director and writer responsible for 2008’s “Milk,” 2011’s “J. Edgar,” and last year’s miniseries “When We Rise,” with the Valentine Davies award for civil rights impact. Last year, “When We Rise” took on the ambitious task of turning the words of LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Movement leaders like Cleve Jones and Roma Guy into drama. Using Jones’ own autobiography “When We Rise: My Life in the Movement” as a

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jumping-off point, “Rise” tried to take on the early years of activism and struggle Jones and other queer rights icons faced in San Francisco, New York, and all across the country during the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Black’s adaptation caused the WGA to take notice. “Dustin Lance Black is the embodiment of the Valentine Davies Award,” WGAW President David A. Goodman told Deadline. “A tireless advocate for the cause of LGBTQ+ rights, his accomplishments in that arena have been truly profound. The Board of Directors of the WGAW considers it our honor to give him this award.”

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01.12 – 01.25.2018 COMMUNITY RELIGION

` ⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 15

FAITH & LGBTQ+

Yes, There are LGBTQ+ Mormons Out There

And yes, they feel alienated.

In the life of any religious person, there’s bound to be a moment where the tenets of faith come up against the complications of reality. For LGBTQ+ practicing Mormons and their families, this moment tends to come sooner rather than later. When living within the restrictive mandates of a church that does its best not to grow and change with the times, how do you remain faithful to your religion while living the life that you want (and need) to live? For many Mormon parents, like Diane Oviatt, whose son came out as gay a few years ago, the only option is release. In a Vice News segment from January 5, correspondent Nigel Duara interviewed Oviatt, as well as other self-described “refugees” from Mormonism, to find out how LGBTQ+ worshippers and their families can balance their religious and personal identities, if at all. For many, leaving the church is the only option. Others, however, choose to stick it out despite complications. Oviatt founded Mama Dragons, a support group for parents of LGBTQ+ children in the Mormon community, to figure out ways to balance faith with a modern, accepting approach to LGBTQ+ identity. While many older Mormons agree with the official stance of the church, which encourages celibacy in LGBTQ+-identified church members, younger members of the religion are experiencing a sea change in how they think about sexuality within the church, according to a Public Religion Research Institute poll from last year. With changes in the attitudes of church

Photos: Vice News/HBO.

Many LGBTQ+ Mormons are opting to leave the church in light of newer, conservative policies.

leaders to LGBTQ+ acceptance, including a twoyear-old policy that forbids out LGBTQ+ Mormons and their children from attending services, many queer congregants are choosing to leave the church behind.Although the Mormon church’s intolerance has led to a rash of LGBTQ+ suicides

within the faith, the religion itself stays firm on this position.The church has even targeted “Mormon Stories” podcast host John Dehlin for advocating for LGBTQ+ rights within the church. Whether or not the new generation of younger, more tolerant Mormons will change the re-

ligion’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights in the coming decades is a matter of speculation.With more and more individuals abandoning the church in search of more accepting communities, the result may just mean a drastic decline in numbers for the Mormon faith.

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⚫ CULTURE ARTS

01.12 – 01.25.2018

LOS ANGELES

NEW YEAR, NEW QUEER!

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

LGBTQ+ Culture to Look Forward to in Early 2018

It’s officially 2018, and while January may bring with it the worst depths of seasonal depression coupled with the horrific realization that we’ve gone a whole year with Trump still firmly in office (how!?) don’t get it twisted: We’ve got a lot to look forward to. From books to films to new shows and repeat offenders, here are a few things to get excited about for 2018. Let’s make it the gayest year ever. JANUARY 3: “Grown-ish” The hotly-anticipated “Black-ish” spinoff sees the Johnson’s oldest child Zoey experiencing growing pains as she finds herself making friends and taking political action at college. JANUARY 7: “The Chi” Emmy winner (and author of that lesbian episode of “Master of None”) Lena Waithe is at the head of this new series about life in Chicago’s South Side. JANUARY 17: “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” We’ve been waiting for Ryan Murphy’s next installment to “American Crime Story” since the O.J. series left us floored. Get ready for more Sarah, Cheyenne, and all our favorites from the Murphy-verse! JANUARY 25: “Drag Race: All Stars” Those Drag Race queens may have come away with the crown, but honey, they ain’t done with us yet! JANUARY 30: “Brave” by Rose McGowan A tell-all autobiography from the woman who jump-started the Hollywood accountability movement with one sharply-written Variety Op-Ed. SUNDANCE: “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” That classic YA lesbian novel is finally coming to the big screen, starring Sasha Lane, Chloe Grace Moretz, and with Desiree Akhavan in the

Photo: Sundance.

ABOVE – “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” stars Sasha Lane and Chloe Grace Moretz.

Photo: Showtime.

RIGHT – “The Chi” stars “Moonlight” actor Alex Hibbert.

director’s chair. “A Kid Like Jake”– Trans director Silas Howard takes on a story about a kid who ‘prefers cinderella to G.I. Joe.’ “Lizzie” – It’s the story of killer Lizzie Borden – with a lesbian twist! “We the Animals” – This adaptation of gay latinx writer Justin Torres’ seminal novel is set to take Sundance by storm. FEBRUARY 11: “Here and Now” Showrunner Alan Ball (“Six Feet Under,” “True Blood”) takes on the story of a large family with a special needs (or special abilities) child. FEBRUARY 20: “Boys Keep Swinging” by Jake Shears The Scissor Sisters frontman is finally dropping his tell-all. He’s also gearing up to release a solo album. MARCH 13: “Rise” A mandatory high school drama class? Sign us up! From the people who brought you “GLEE,” welcome to an even gayer high school series. “The Merry Spinster” by Mallory Ortberg Ortberg (formerly of “The Toast”) is a self-identified lesbian spinster with a hilarious worldview. Her new short story collection is based on classic fairy tales with a “feminist spin.” MARCH 15: “Love, Simon” Simon is gay, in the closet, and in high school. Angst much? MARCH 20: “Stray City” by Chelsey Johnson This debut novel concerns a young, pregnant lesbian in a city of stray cats. MARCH 27: “Roseanne” It’s back, and gayer than ever! I mean, we can only hope... APRIL 24: “How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays” by Alexander Chee

Queer writer Chee follows up his novel “Queen of the Night” with a collection of essays. MAY 1: “The Pisces” by Melissa Broder If you loved “The Shape of Water” (and you should have, it was hella gay,) you’ll love this story from “So Sad Today” author Broder about a merman with a fondness for Sapphic verse. UNDATED: “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”– Netflix’s reboot of the classic 2003 gem is coming to our fav streaming service in February. “Queen” – That’s right! The RuPaul story is coming to a small screen near you – we’re just not sure when. “Him or Her”– “Insecure’s” Issa Rae is the showrunner behind this series about the dating life of a bisexual black man in L.A. “Pose” – Ryan Murphy’s largest-trans-cast-ever series will chronicle the life and times of a group of New York performers in the ballroom scene of the ‘80s.

PLUS... A New Troye Silvan album New music from trans singer Kim Petras And maybe some new Frank Ocean, if we’re lucky.

01.12 – 01.25.2018

ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 17

GIVE IT A WATCH

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

In “SMILF” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Single Motherhood Gets Its Due Two new shows dedicate themselves to turning a cliche on its head.

The single mother: A much-pitied, condescended to, and largely ignored figure so often relegated to the sidelines, is a character we can all recognize. In fact, she’s a person around whom a single cultural story has been allowed to stand for so long unchallenged and unquestioned even in the face of drastic cultural shifts and progressive, feminist waves. With all the great TV on air now that’s committed to pushing the boundaries and expanding the way we think about ourselves, other people, and the pesky problem of categorization in general, it seems shocking that there shouldn’t have been, up to this point, just one show that would serve to upend the familiar, cliched cultural notion of the single mother that goes something like: “Her marriage ended, and so did her life.” Today – Hallelujah! – we have not one show that’s doing this, but two. Thanks to two under-the-radar, end of year releases, Showtime’s “SMILF” and Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” our cup runneth over. Both shows take on the cultural power of the single mom cliche – who she is, how she gains or loses her independence, and how the term “mother” works to complicate any notion of her as a fully-sketched, richly observed individual. They’re also both hilariously funny, achingly true, and perfectly, almost musically paced. Indeed, the two shows that chose to look closely at one of our most-ignored American prototypes are the two shows that ended up saying the most about

Photo: Amazon.

In “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” the end of a woman’s marriage signals the beginning of her creative life.

what America actually is at this precise, bizarre moment in time. During the Trump era, after the Women’s March, post-Weinstein reckoning. Both “SMILF” and “Maisel” are explosive, expansive products of a nation on the brink of serious change. This, despite the fact that one of them takes place in the late ‘50s, when petticoats were de rigeur and a “foul mouth” on a woman was an arrestable offense.

Photo: Showtime.

In “SMILF,” creator and lead actor Frankie Shaw paints a nuanced portrait of a young, struggling single mom in South Boston.

“The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel” is set in 1958, and follows the life of Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a woman who, unceremoniously dumped by her husband after he bombs onstage during an amateur comedy routine, is left to pick up the pieces of a well-ordered life. But that life, which included two young children and a neurotic set of middle-class Jewish parents, doesn’t quite fall apart the way everyone expects it to. Instead, Midge tries her own hand at stand-up comedy, and finds herself a quick study. Armed with a flawless ear, perfect timing, and an almost definitely lesbian manager (played by the brilliant Alex Borstein,) Midge takes on the coffee house comedy scene, meeting an embittered Lenny Bruce in the process. What’s perfect about “Maisel,” though, isn’t its relentlessly upbeat pacing or even its refusal to sink into the depressive depths of what Midge hints at feeling after her breakup. It’s the way in which Midge’s own fully grounded style of optimism (a spin on the dauntless cultural optimism of the 50s as decade) translates, on the viewer’s part, to a kind of euphoria. Midge is a figure who is ever rising, ever on the move, and not for a second brought down to earth. At least, not the earth we know of, with its dingy, depressing insistence on keeping ourselves low and in check. Midge Maisel is a fully optimistic creation without ever once being dim-witted or naive, and

that, strangely enough, is a rarity on television. That optimism is less present in “SMILF,” though Frankie Shaw’s show still manages to keep its head up in a similarly exhilarating way to “Maisel.” Bridgette, a young, aimless mom with an eating disorder, a crazy mother, and an abusive father (thankfully out of the picture) looks, on paper, like a tragic figure. But to watch her onscreen, whether we’re seeing her hit on a stock boy in a grocery store, masturbate to a picture of her baby daddy’s new girlfriend, or take a bath in the undrained bathwater of her ditzy employer (Connie Britton) to a Blossom Dearie soundtrack, is an ecstatic experience without equal. It’s not that Brigette seems like an especially happy or even well-adjusted person. It’s that her specific type of mess, as a single mom, as a young person, as a victim of trauma, leads her not into danger or depression, but toward a series of lighthearted and beautiful moments of freedom and acceptance. Some of these moments – like her encounter with a middle-aged man who pays for her company – are frighteningly naive. Others are complex and thoughtful. But no matter what Brigitte does, we’re allowed to see her as a person who, like Mrs. Maisel, hasn’t allowed the stone-heavy problems of depressing circumstance to make her any less free. And that, to see onscreen, is absolutely beautiful.

⚫ 18

01.12 – 01.25.2018

LOS ANGELES

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

The best goings-on around and about L.A., period. The Mystery of the Wax Museum WHEN: January 13, 7:30 P.M. WHERE: UCLA Film and Television Archive WHAT: One of the most bizarre (and gorgeous) early horror films by the master himself: Michael Curtiz. WHY: See an early flick from the director behind “Casablanca” and “White Heat.”

WHY: The film is “an ode to the quest for beauty and inner truth.” Just what we need right about now.

Experimental Latin Film WHEN: January 19- 21 WHERE: Billy Wilder Theater WHAT: A collection of rare films from Argentina on 8mm. WHY: Take a look at some ‘60s films that broke Free Vinyl Record Day boundaries and expanded WHEN: January 13 - 14 minds. WHERE: The Record Parlour Trevor Noah Live WHAT: Over 35,000 LPs WHEN: January 20, 10 given away over the course P.M. of two days. WHERE: The Dolby Theater WHY: Free music, nerds! WHAT: The Daily Show East L.A. Art Walk darling comes to L.A. for a WHEN: January 14, 12- 6 limited engagement. P.M. WHY: He’s dreamy AND WHERE: 3501 East 1st St. he wants to crush the WHAT: A community patriarchy? Sold. event taking place on every 2nd Sunday of the month. DTLA Women’s WHY: Art, food, and fun! March WHEN: January 20, 9 A.M. Endless Poetry WHERE: Starting at 543 WHEN: January 16, 7:30 N. Fairfax Ave. P.M. WHAT: A march to WHERE: The Hammer remind the country where Museum we stand. WHAT: A live screening WHY: It’s about human (plus Q&A) of the recent rights and government Jodorowsky film. accountability.

01.12 – 01.25.2018

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51 & 53 123-Across, in song 56 One of many in a Swiss Army knife 58 Letters on some Navy carriers 59 Infantry members, briefly 60 Alternative to J.F.K. 62 1990s tennis great Huber 64 Align 66 First name at Woodstock 74 Political org. since 1854 76 Shout of approval 79 Three ____ Men 81 Didn’t hedge one’s bets 82 Starting point for an annual flight 83 ____ City (Baghdad suburb) 85 “In your dreams!” 87 Result of a sack on third and long, maybe

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15 Notably nonunionized workers 16 Mama of song 18 Decorates brilliantly 21 One of a dozen good things? 27 Friend 29 Oodles 31 Vulcan mind ____ 33 Beginning to do well? 36 Kind of skirt 40 “Fanfare for the Common Man” composer 41 Hair straighteners 42 Licorice-flavored brew 44 Singer with a No. 1 hit about 123-Across 45 Feature depicted in the upper left of this puzzle 47 Hatmaker 48 Like van Gogh, in later life 49 Les ____, “WKRP in Cincinnati” news director

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89 Bunks in barracks 91 “Brava!” elicitor 93 Punxsutawney prognosticator 94 Deliverer of Christmas packages 95 Capital whose name ends in its state’s postal code 96 Cousin of an alpaca 99 Functioning robotically 100 Repetitive bit of computer code 101 A-listers 104 Boy in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” 105 Tombstone marshals 110 California’s Big ____ 112 Durham sch. 115 Roofing material 116 ____ Father Christmas 118 Crew member 120 Games org. 121 Fiscal-year part: Abbr.

L O P E G R F L O A T E D L K I O E G T Y S I H E G L I S I G N S A Y N O N O L P O S E U R E N T T H E P A U C O R N O L P H X E S

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This Week’s Sudoku Puzzle

C E E M A B A S L L E A L D Z Y O T N T H S O E O M L O W S I N T S O F E P A E M O T O U A L S R D

1 Tears to smithereens 2 It’s read from a scroll 3 Large column of smoke 4 Terminated 5 Opposite of dep. 6 Heists 7 Description of rustic life 8 Importune 9 It moves a cursor back 10 Body check? 11 Whiz kids 12 Want-ad abbr. 13 Having streaks 14 W.W. II ordeal at Leningrad

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A L B A N Y

1 Speedway brand 4 West Indies native 9 Bounds along 14 “Just a ____!” 17 Drain opening 19 Chip away at 20 Symbol of the National Audubon Society 21 Colorado tributary 22 Plot device in “The Shining” that has significance when spelled backward 23 Restaurant chain founded by the Raffel brothers (hence the name) 24 Elevator choice 25 Turns briefly? 26 Some Carnaval performances 28 Called from the cote 30 Telephotos, e.g. 32 Ancient Greek 34 Male that might be in a rut? 35 Stymies 37 Relative of a birch 38 College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa 39 Country singer Crystal 40 Screwy 43 Pitch 46 One of the Wayans brothers 50 Wine: Prefix 51 Christmas ____ 52 Prince, e.g. 54 A, in Austria 55 Base supporting a statue 57 Branded baby carriers 61 Symbols on 10 state flags 63 They might be thrown around in a rodeo 65 Digitally endorse 66 Sleigh-bell sounds 67 Terminate 68 “____ God” (psalm words) 69 Chemistry exam? 70 Skin art, informally 71 Descartes’s conclusion 72 Clear 73 Yule sound? 75 ____ guerre 77 Range grp. 78 & 80 One of TV’s Property Brothers 82 “Really!” 83 Spotted

84 Nicholas, e.g. 86 Give a ring? 88 Hallmark.com suggestion 90 Divan 92 “____ welcome!” 93 Cow poke? 94 Avoid a bogey, barely 97 Neighbor of a bishop: Abbr. 98 Souped-up cars 102 Mahershala ____, Oscar winner for “Moonlight” 103 One of the record industry’s former Big Four 104 Carpenter’s aid 106 Hypotheticals 107 “Just kidding!” 108 Airer of “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” 109 Sanctuary 111 “Hey ____” (1963 #1 hit) 113 Mobile home: Abbr. 114 Actress Audrey of “Amélie” 117 Animal on Scotland’s coat of arms 119 Kind of cabinet 122 Written history 123 Who’s depicted in this puzzle when the circled letters are connected from A to Z and back to A 124 Games of chance 125 Prison part 126 Sorts, as chicks 127 Downsize?

S A N T A

ACROSS

NY TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWERS

MAKING A FAST BUCK

BY MARY LOU GUIZZO AND JEFF CHEN / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 19

STAR GAZING By Samuel Prince

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Aries’ destiny on this day is to be surrounded by strangers. To effortlessly get along with each of them, call on all your natural charm. Smile, remembering that a smile is your main trump card. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Taurus today will be reluctant to respond to playful compliments issued from strangers. In your thoughts, you will paint a beautiful picture of your unrequited sweetheart, and flirting on the part of everyone else will irritate you. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) For Gemini it is not necessary to take seriously each counsel given by strangers. These people only know about your life from outside, and therefore their opinion cannot be decisive If you really need good advice, go to visit your older relatives. CANCER (June 22-July 22) Cancers on this day will be pleased to be the center of attention. During some noisy event, you very quickly attract the interest of all those present, becoming the main hit of the party. You will certainly be flattered by such a situation, but there will be dark sides to it. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Leos today are not advised to take risks, even in the most minimal of ways. You will be lucky only in those situations in which you are 100 percent confident. Small details you can slightly change, so perhaps you make some minor upgrades to your appearance. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) For Virgo this day will be full of mysterious coincidences and pleasant surprises. During spring cleaning, you will find the item you lost last month, and then your phone will ring and a pleasant voice will tell you that you are not the owner of a large inheritance. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Libra will be inclined to worry about nothing, leading to hysteria. First you will doubt yourself, then the faithfulness of your better half, and in the evening you will decide that all aspects of your life are unhappy. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) Scorpions today will have to take on the difficult duties of someone close to them. It is possible that you have to babysit for many hours, for those who cannot take care of themselves. You will be very tired after dealing with these troubles. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Sagittarius today will attract the attention of people of the opposite sex. If you are alone, strike while the iron is hot. More precisely, make as many new acquaintances as possible, and exchanging contacts with all who are interested in you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Capricorns will find it difficult to find a common language with members of other generations. Communicating with your older relatives or children, do not try to prove your moral superiority. Your strength is in humanity and kindness. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Aquarians should be dressed in strict accordance with January weather. Keep in mind that an open-air event can last much longer than you initially expected, which means that you risk catching a cold. In the evening, you should warm your body. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Pisces today will not be strong in anything connected to analysis and detailed planning. You cannot think, looking ahead, and therefore there is a risk that all your conclusions and conclusions will be fundamentally wrong.

⚫

01.12 – 01.25.2018

LOS ANGELES

In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.

What Is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).

Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include:

Tired of planning your life around diarrhea?

Enough is Enough Get relief. Pure and simple. Ask your doctor about Mytesi.

Mytesi (crofelemer): • Is the only medicine FDA-approved to relieve diarrhea in people with HIV • Treats diarrhea differently by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract • Has the same or fewer side effects as placebo in clinical studies • Comes from a tree sustainably harvested in the Amazon Rainforest What is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Important Safety Information Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).

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Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant? • Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant • There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi • This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed A Nursing Mother? • It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk • If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi • Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? • Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age • Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you

What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi With Other Medicines? If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your doctor before starting Mytesi.

What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi? For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor or pharmacist. To report side effects or make a product complaint or for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256.

Rx Only Manufactured by Patheon, Inc. for Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105 Copyright © Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mytesi comes from the Croton lechleri tree harvested in South America.

Please see complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com. NP-390-21

• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. 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.

RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE