12.14 – 12.27.2018 ISSUE NUMBER 04, VOLUME 3
| DECEMBER 14 – 27, ‘18
LOS ANGELES
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The Ultimate
HOLI-GAY Guide
INSIDE:
• Queer Origins of Christmas ... page 6 • Facing Relatives During Holiday Parties ... page 7 • FRUITCAKE Queer Holiday Craft Fair ... page 8 • Rainbow Pop! Christmas Special ... page 9 • IN PICTURES: “It’s a Drag to Give” ... page 10
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NEWS
NATIONAL
12.14 – 12.27.2018
LOS ANGELES
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MINORITIES SUPPORTING MINORITIES
` ⚫ BY CHRISTIAN BALDERAS
L.A. LGBTQ+ Community Supports Immigration Rights
It’s not news that the Trump Administration’s actions and rhetoric vehemently denounce undocumented immigration into the United States. Yet, a recent proposal by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suggests that even lawful immigration may be under threat. On Sept. 22, the DHS unveiled a proposal that will make it harder for immigrants to enter the United States legally, and qualify for and receive green cards and visas. The policy proposal has since been posted to the Federal Register and is currently in its 60-day comment period allowing interest groups and members of the public to weigh in. The Trump Administration will have to absorb the comments, consider them and potentially review their policy before they give a final rule. The policy reform bypasses Congress and can be put into effect as early as next year. Consequently, members of the local Los Angeles LGBTQ+ community gathered at the Trans Wellness Center last Friday night for what the organization called a “public charge party.”
Armed with laptops and free Wi-Fi, participants were welcomed to submit their commentary and denounce the proposed policy.
Here’s what you need to know: This proposal centers on the public charge rule, a fundamental immigration policy dating back to the 1880s. It is designed to test whether those immigrating into the United States would be a burden to the federal government and taxpayers. Non-citizens predicted to become a “public charge” can be denied entry and permanent residency. Previously, the term “public charge” was defined narrowly with cash benefit programs as an indicator of self-sufficiency. The Trump Administration seeks to significantly expand that definition by including those who receive or are anticipated to receive one or more public benefits to cover basic needs. That includes SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid or Section 8 housing vouchers – programs that millions of immigrants benefit from. Additionally, the new criteria include a higher household income threshold at 250 percent of poverty guidelines, a requirement that is predicted to affect over half of all family-based green card applicants. Refugees and asylum seekers are not affected, and the government says any benefits received before the rule goes into effect will not count against the noncitizen. Ultimately, identification of a “public charge person” is left to a complicated rubric and a fair amount of case-by-case
judgment by USCIS immigration officers. Nonetheless, there remains a feeling of fear, anxiety and worry among the US immigrant community regardless of their status as a refugee, visa holder or green card applicant. Public Policy and Operations Manager at the Los Angeles LGBT Center Maria Melo told the Pride L.A. that the Center started working with the coalition Protecting Immigrant Families after hearing concerns about how immigration policy affects the LGBTQ+ community. “In our case, because we are health service providers, our clients began to tell us that they heard about 'public charge' in the news, and they were afraid to come to appointments and receive services,” Melo said. Lawful immigrants are actively dis-enrolling from public assisted programs to avoid being identified as a public charge. This sharp drop in use of public benefits by lawful non-citizens and their dependents is not an isolated case; chilling effects are being reported all across the country. Why should the LGBTQ+ community care? “As someone who is gay, I think it’s important to support other communities,” Jax Lust, an attendee of the Center’s event on Friday, said. Moreover, Isaias Guzman, an organizer with the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, said that it is important to build bridges across communities. “One of the things I believe is that we need to build an intersectional movement for social justice and health equity,” Guzman said. “When we saw that our immigrant communities are being attacked, I wanted to show up and show that the LGBT community will support in solidarity with the immigrant communities. Immigrant communities are intersectional – there are hundreds, if not thousands, of LGBTQ immigrants living in the U.S. who are going to be affected by this public charge proposal.” “There are many countries where being LGBT is illegal,” Melo said. “People are wrongly imprisoned and even put to death for simply being who they are. Like every immigrant, LGBT immigrants come here seeking a better life. This administration’s policy is not what the United States is about.”
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12.14 – 12.27.2018 NEWS
LONG BEACH
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LOS ANGELES
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WON’T BE ERASED
` ⚫ BY JORGE PANIAGUA
Long Beach’s Policies Protecting Transgender Citizens Councilmember Rex Richardson and the LGBTQ Center create legislation to combat Federal discrimination.
5.75 in.
Long Beach City officials, specifically North Long Beach Councilmember and Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, in collaboration with the Long Beach LGBTQ+ Center, are working conscientiously to make the city a safer, more-inclusive place for transgender and gender nonconforming people. In an attempt to build all-embracing workplaces for transgender and gender nonconforming Long Beach employees throughout the city, officials a part of the Long Beach City Council passed a motion adopting a preferred name and pronoun policy for all Long Beach employees. In essence, the policy allows for employees to be identified with the name and/or pronoun they prefer to be identified by. The
policy was enacted on November 13 and is expected to be in full effect within the next three months, according to Executive Director of the Long Beach LGBTQ Center Porter Gilberg. “Preferred name and pronoun policies are a tool that employers use to ensure a safe and equitable work environment for employees,” Gilberg said regarding the motions passed by Long Beach city officials. “These policies also create opportunities to recruit the most talented workforce possible and signals to transgender and gender nonconforming job seekers that both their talents and identities will be recognized at work. This is a tremendous step forward for the City of Long Beach and one of the most significant policy achievements at the local level for the LGBTQ community in several years.” It is not uncommon for the Center to work in collaboration with Long Beach City Councilmembers. The Center normally assists in policy recommendations as well as co-hosting events for the city’s official events. Both institutions aim to make Long Beach a safe haven for LGBTQ+ members — this involves proLGBTQ+10.0 policyin. making and opposition toward discrimination at both a city and, as a result of
President Trump’s administration, federal level. On November 20, Long Beach city officials also passed a motion instructing city staff to directly contact the Trump Administration to formally oppose proposed revisions to Title IX of the Education Amendments, which currently protects people from discrimination based on gender identity. Title IX was enacted in 1972 by the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, and “protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance,” according to The U.S. Department of Education’s website. The Trump Administration is considering rolling back acknowledgement and protections of transgender people, under federal civil rights law, by determining someone’s gender based on their genitalia at birth instead of by their individual choice, as reported by the New York Times. “It’s critical that our community, including our elected leadership, continue to speak out in the face of bigotry being displayed by the Trump administration,” Gilberg said. “We value and celebrate diversity in Long Beach, which means we also provide support to people when they
Photo: Twitter.
experience hostility and discrimination, especially when it’s being perpetuated by the federal government. By registering official opposition to these policies, the city of Long Beach is taking a stand on the right side of history.” Both the preferred name and pronoun policy, as well as the proposed letter defending transgender rights under civil rights law for the Trump Administration, aim to create a welcoming environment for all transgender and gender nonconforming people at both a city and federal level. Furthermore, the policies, lead by Councilmember Rex Richardson, attempt to defend LGBTQ+ people from the staunch Republican administration currently in power.
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12.14 – 12.27.2018
LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY
LOS ANGELES
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GAY LA
` ⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA
L.A.’s Queer Mother, Karina Samala
(323) 244-7500 CALL TODAY!
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Since the 1990s, one woman has been keeping queer culture alive from Long Beach to L.A. With Ryan Murphy’s “Pose” sweeping the Golden Globes this month and everyone’s thoughts turning to holiday pageantry and celebration, it’s no surprise that the concept of the queer mother has taken hold in the public imagination. Back in the day, when queer folks had to stand together to claim their own spaces and escape brutal treatment by their own society, trans women held their own, offering shelter to younger women who had come to L.A. to make a life for themselves. If you were a trans woman in the early ‘90s or 2000s in L.A., you probably came across Karina Samala, one of the most active voices for trans rights in a still-divided community. When Zachary Drucker, the L.A.-based artist, activist and actress, sat down with Karina, she had a few memories of her own to share about the influential producer of two trans beauty pageants, “Queen USA” and “Queen of the Universe.” In a conversation with Drucker, Samala remembers growing up during a more conservative period in L.A. history. She was terrified to “out” herself as queer, nevermind as a trans woman, for fear of losing work and exposing herself to violence. To find her own community, she started getting involved with the queer organization Imperial Courts, one of the oldest and most celebrated resources for trans folks in L.A. Once she started immersing herself in the community, a world of possibilities started to open up. “Empress Honey Carolina had a fundraiser for the Imperial Court called the Closet Ball; a coming-out-of-the-closet type of thing. They asked me: ‘Come on join the pageant! The prize is a lot!’” Samala told Drucker. “It’s a reverse ball where the male would come out as a male and be judged as a male, then someone would do their makeup backstage and then they’d be judged as a female, and whoever wins gets the crown. And it goes both ways. So, I won and was so excited and started dressing up in public! That started the whole thing. And I started joining other pageants, bigger pageants. I went to Chicago, San Francisco, Sacramento. I started winning! I thought, wow this is fun. But I still couldn’t leave the house in makeup, because of my neighbors.” Samala’s pageant career and her day career – working as an aerospace technician for the government – seldom crossed
Photo: Instagram.
An American Hero: Karina Samala receives a community award in 2011 for her work serving on the West Hollywood Transgender Advisory Board.
paths. However, when Samala was offered a spot working with the L.A. County Sheriff ’s department, she saw a way to make even more of a difference. Before West Hollywood was the gay-and-proud city we know today, it was a place in need of a lot of reform, especially where the cops were concerned. Like a protective mother, Samala used to check on the women doing sex work to make sure they had condoms and a safe place to stay. She didn’t just stop there. Before there were any specific resources for trans folks in the city, Samala helped create the Transgender Health Program at St. John’s. Today, she still acts as an agent for change by serving on the West Hollywood Transgender Advisory Board. She has no intention of slowing down the fight. “We need to honor transgender people, especially all those who died; we must fight for them. We need to vote the right people into office who will help us.” Samala told Drucker in her interview. “That’s very important. We have lots of work to do. We need to build a free world for everyone to be respected and to improve the quality of life and space for all transgender people.”
12.14 – 12.27.2018 ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITIES
` ⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA
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LOS ANGELES
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Can Kevin Hart Change?
After weeks of controversy, Kevin Hart gets a defender. We’ve lived through this kind of thing before. A public hero makes a misstep, or someone ends up digging through his old tweets and finds a few racist, homophobic ones from 2011, causing a media blitz for the day. Apologies follow, and the actor, comedian, or news anchor is forgiven in due time. But what happens when someone doesn’t want to apologize? This Thanksgiving, comedian Kevin Hart fell under fire for refusing to take responsibility for his 1-year-old son’s “Cowboys and Indians”-themed birthday party. Rather than acknowledge the concerns of his fans and cop to accusations of insensitivity, Hart doubled down on his position. Now, he’s doing the same in regard to a string of homophobic tweets from the years between 2009 and 2011. Many of these tweets use the word “fag” repeatedly in a less-thanfriendly context. While Hart has defended his actions via a public video upload, it hasn’t stopped him from stepping down from his role as the 2019 Oscars host due to public pressure. "My team calls me,” Hart said in his video. “'Oh, my God, Kevin, this world is upset about tweets you did years ago,'" he recounted, along with his reply. "Guys. I'm almost 40 years old. If you don't believe that people change, grow, evolve as they get
older, I don't know what to tell you. If you want to hold people in a position where they always have to justify or explain their past, then do you. I'm the wrong guy, man. I'm in a great place, a great mature place where all I do is spread positivity." While many members of the queer community are happy about Hart stepping down as host, the comedian has one very public defender: SNL’s Michael Che, who accused the Academy of using Hart’s past social media statuses as a reason to oust him for political reasons. The rest of us are left wondering: When is it appropriate to forgive people who actually do apologize, and how do we ever know if it’s heartfelt? While 2009 might seem spiritually far away, it’s still a bit too close for comfort, especially where the use of slurs are concerned. If Hart apologized to get back his Oscars gig, would we see through it? Or would we be desperate to embrace him, however improbable his apology might seem? For Che, it’s a matter of the media holding Black men up to impossible standards of “squeaky” cleanliness. Che jokes about the dethroning of Bill Cosby, once thought of as the family-friendly comedian of color that America had been waiting for. He also mentions the hypocrisy of the Academy’s plans to honor Mel Gibson, whose famous anti-Semitic rant shocked listeners in a pre-Twitter age.
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12.14 – 12.27.2018
LOS ANGELES
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COMMUNITY
LOS ANGELES
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WELCOMING THE HOLI-GAYS
` ⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA
Queer Origins of America’s Favorite Holidays Before Puritans decided that Christmas and Thanksgiving were wholesome familyoriented festivals, they were X-rated queer sex fests.
During Saturnalia, Romans of all stripes would get in on, often in public.
Historically, humans have found ways of dealing with winter, that gross time of year when it’s bitter cold, dark at 5 p.m., and depressing as all hell. Not only ways of dealing with it: we’ve found ways of turning into the best time of year. The span of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is filled with excitement, consumerist fervor and eustress for many an American, no matter how bruised and battered we get during the contact sport that is the Black Friday to Cyber Monday stretch. The last months of the year are
A depiction of a homoerotic Roman Saturnalia festival.
our designated time to chill, hang with family, eat a ton of food, and do practically nothing. But believe it or not, the holidays weren’t always so PG. In fact, both Thanksgiving and Christmas have some gay-as-hell origins.
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Photos: Wikipedia.
Let’s start with Turkey Day. In addition to being a controversial holiday celebrating the brutal colonization of the Northeast, Thanksgiving is also kind of gay. We may think of it as a fun time to hang out with family (biological or chosen) eat a ton of gross food and get super drunk. But the pilgrims...well, they did all that too. But with a twist. According to a 2015 Vice essay entitled, “The Pilgrims Were Queer,” more than a handful of early colonizers were having a real fun time on that city on the hill. While the Pilgrims came over as an exiled hyper-religious sext, there were still a few of them who were thrilled by the freer interpretation of gender roles set forth by indigenous folks in the American northeast. In a small town called Merrymount, some pretty advanced stuff went down. Per Vice: “Thomas Morton’s founding of Merrymount remains among the most vivid: Merrymount denizens are described as having rejected the strict rules of the Puritans, declaring all servants and slaves to be free and encouraging intermingling with indigenous Algonquin people. Morton declared himself “Lord of Misrule” and his people were described by Nathaniel Hawthorne as a “crew of Comus,” a reference to a mythological figure during whose ceremonies men and women exchanged clothing.” The gayness going on was frowned upon and, in many cases, prosecuted. However, the pilgrim’s anti-sodomy laws were a far cry from the English ones. Instead of using far-fetched religious arguments to talk about the impurity of the act, Pilgrims simply forbade sex that didn’t lead to procreation. But that didn’t stop anybody from getting with it. "My reading of this is that the Puritans were like, ‘people do this stuff, but it real-
ly shouldn't be public,’” Michael Bronski, a Professor of Practice in Media and Activism in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Harvard told Vice. “‘We don't want to go too far punishing them, because that would hurt the community.’ The most important thing is to keep the community stable.” But let’s dial it back a bit. If the Pilgrims were gay, they were nothing compared to the Romans, who didn’t simply look the other way when guys were getting it on. More often than not, they joined right in. The origin of the holiday we know today as Christmas came from the Greeks and Romans, who had their own way of celebrating the solstice and ringing in the New Year. And it involved some sex. To the Romans, December 25 didn’t represent the birth of Jesus. It represented the birth of the sun, and thus became a day to pay tribute to the Sun god Sol Invictus. Before that, however, there was Saturnalia, a festival spanning roughly from the 17th to the 23rd of December honoring the mischevious God through copious drinking, carousing, and rabble-rousing. And would it be a Roman party without boys? One emperor got seriously into the spirit of the thing. Elagabalus, a 220 A.D.-era guy who loved wearing dresses and described himself as his male lover’s “queen,” threw lavish parties involving boys, booze, violets, and pet tigers. You know, your typical Roman night out. Saturnalia was also a time for gifts. But instead of doing what we do during the weeks before Christmas (namely searching frantically for last-minute gifts for people we forgot about) the Romans exchanged, according to Gay Star News, “statuettes of beautiful youths and ‘hermaphrodites’, phallic cakes, books of filthy epigrams, cosmetics and hair extensions for either sex.” While there are a lot of things the Romans weren’t great at, we can certainly commend them for treating the end of the year like an extended bachelorette party of the highest order. So this holiday season, forget about decking the halls with boughs of holly. Let’s all take the time to focus on making Christmas gay again.
12.14 – 12.27.2018 COMMUNITY COLUMN
` ⚫ BY AIDAN PARK
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LOS ANGELES
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WELCOMING THE HOLI-GAYS
DEAR AIDAN, In this week’s column, Aidan offers advice on how to deal will prying and insensitive relatives at holiday gatherings.
Photos: Courtesy.
Explaining "Lesbian Lifestyle" to Family This Holiday Season QUESTION: I am lesbian and every year I go back home, I have to deal with family members making ignorant comments to me about my "Lesbian Lifestyle.” It makes me so angry and I don't want to deal with it for the entire week I am home... What should I do? – HoliGAY
Follow Aidan on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @AidanParkShow and check out his upcoming comedy shows on his website AidanPark.com
Dear HoliGAY, I would urge you to examine whether it was ill-intentioned or well-intentioned ignorance. There ARE some people who just want to patronize or belittle you. But it's really not about YOU at all... These people live their lives that way and try to control or aggravate everyone around them. So really it is like dealing with an insane person. They may make underhanded comments at the dinner table or get belligerently drunk and call you a bull dyke. The intended affect of the provocation is actually trying to bait you into an argument. People who purposefully say inflammatory things want to
get under your skin and get you to react so that they can have a chance to "look cool" by berating or belittling you or get you to become a Hetero. DO NOT GIVE THEM THE SATISFACTION OF THAT. As our future president Michelle Obama once said, "They go low, we go high" Just be high like a cloud! How can anyone take swings at a cloud? Just literally don't let these people bother you. If you remain non-reactive for long enough they will find a new target. But then there are cases where people actually can be well-intentioned with ignorant comments. A well-meaning and curious aunt might ask a question like, “Are you the boy or the girl in the relationship?” Before you close off or get defensive, in this case I would urge you to try to appreciate that this person actually wants to understand you better! If you actually answer that question from a place of love and use it as an opportunity to express your point of view and humanize the LGBTQ+ experience at the same time, that's pretty cool! You might even get her to understand the concept of
there being “no boys” in a woman-woman relationship. But if we were to react to hostility with an angry “that’s ignorant,” the person will take a step back away and close themselves off from us, which is the exact opposite reaction that we actually want to be having not only as individuals but as members of the LGBTQ+ community as a whole! I recognize it is unfair. Why do we have to deal any of this at all? But to be brutally honestly, those are the cards that we were dealt and I say the "why me" narrative doesn't help us at all (although it feels good momentarily). I promise if we can examine and change our own reactions to external experiences instead of trying to change those around us, it will be a way more pleasant time. “Dear Aidan” is a reoccurring advice column written by Aidan Park. Questions for Aidan can be submitted via social media or at amy@ thepridela.com. Follow Aidan on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @AidanParkShow and check out his upcoming comedy shows on his website AidanPark.com
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COMMUNITY
LOS ANGELES
` ⚫ BY STAFF WRITER
12.14 – 12.27.2018
LOS ANGELES
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WELCOMING THE HOLI-GAYS
NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S FRUITCAKE
The queerest Holiday Craft Fair in Los Angeles.
With Christmas just around the corner, perhaps you’ve begun thinking about gift shopping. But, have you considered making your dollars count? The Pride L.A. spoke with the founders of FRUITCAKE, a holiday craft fair where all the vendors are members of the LGBTQ+ community. Find out how support-
ing their business impacts and empowers the local fay community.
How/when did the concept begin? The idea of FRUITCAKE began in 2016 at holiday art fair when I looked around realized there wasn’t anything like that for queer artists. Having shown work in nightclubs, at conventions, and pride events, it became clear we needed a space dedicated to the artists and focused on our work. What can attendees expect this year? We have over 40 vendors, a huge variety in artwork from clothing, candles, buttons,
pins, paintings, drawings, tote bags and more. Plus snacks and refreshments and even a roaming Santa bear. We will have also tables from some local LGBTQ charities. How do you find/select your vendors? Artists submit to have a table at FRUITCAKE thru our word of mouth network. There are so many talented queer makers in Los Angeles who are looking to be a part of our community and help create and event like this one. Gathering 15 vendors for the first Fruitcake was really easy, and now we have over 40 vendors this year. Why is it a good idea to buy gifts at FRUITCAKE, rather than at a shopping mall, for example? Support local queer artists and their work. It feels great to meet the artists at their booth, talk about the work they made, and give them money directly. Shopping online or in big box stores is so impersonal and corporate and mainstream; this is literally the opposite. Queer art and artist have very little opportunity to showcase their work outside of the internet and this is a great opportunity to make a personal connection. What is something that the LGBTQ+ community should remember as we move into the holiday season? It’s important to support independent queer artists and shop locally. Our individualism and creative expression is threatened by the water-downed products of corporate America and the big box stores. Engage with the community, meet create people, support queer art. FRUITCAKE will take place Saturday, Dec. 15 from noon until p.m. at 2234 W.Temple St., L.A.
Photos: Courtesy FRUITCAKE.
12.14 – 12.27.2018 COMMUNITY LONG BEACH
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LOS ANGELES
⚫ 9
WELCOMING THE HOLI-GAYS
` ⚫ BY JORGE PANIAGUA
Rainbow Pop! Christmas Spectacular
The Laugh Factory’s monthly LGBTQ+ commedy night Rainbow Pop! is back for the holidays, and it is going to slay. The Pride L.A. spoke with creator Aidan Park about what to expect.
So if you could tell me in one sentence, what is Rainbow Pop!? Fabulous, comedy fun. How long have you been hosting? I've been doing that show for three years now. There were other LGBT shows before this but I kind of took over the LGBT show and I really wanted to make it. I mean I'm so high energy. I really wanted to make it, like, fabulous… And I just wanted to really go for that blast of fun. How do you find acts that you think will bring that fun and fabulousness to the show? I like high-energy positive, or some kind of energy behind it, like a drive. I think that the LGBT community is empowered by energy. We are activated through the chuga-chuga; the train underneath. And so if somebody is going through something and they're come in and they actually are angry about a position, that's energy. If they
are happy or some some kind of energy behind it. So I like to pick acts that are driven by something, like an engine underneath. I love to try to pick acts that the LGBT community would respond to. So like maybe I wouldn't put Dane Cook on the lineup necessarily; although he could be considered eye candy for some people. How did Rainbow Pop! come to be? So I was running the LG [LGBTQ+] show in Long Beach and there was an all-female show in Hollywood. So there was like an all-female
Wellness and serenity for the body, mind, and spirit.
show that they wanted to combine us with. So we combined that what with Comedy Realness [Rainbow Pop! before it was Rainbow Pop!]. But as we started doing it, the LG community really responded and the all-female… the end of it was okay, but the LG community came out to support in huge numbers. So they were like, “well, let's just make of the LG show.” How do you like being on the production side of stuff. I love it. I think it's so fun because it's like it
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makes you feel empowered. And as a member of the LG community, you that empowerment is everything. So sometimes I'll get like crazy things I have to accomplish. And then it happens and it's like, “Oh yeah.” And bringing the community together… the chance to meet all these different people. We got to work with Equality California and AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the Queer Mafia of Long Beach… Like bringing people together is really rewarding. I made so many friends. What can audiences expect from the Christmas Special? So our show was always hosted by the drag queen. And so, Christmas drag. So – lots of balls. We are sponsored by a bunch of different companies and so there are three gifts raffles. We're working with Orange Theory Fitness where I go to the gym and we want them to provide us some hot looking go-go boys. Rainbow Pop! Christmas Special takes place at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood on Tuesday, Dec. 18 and in Long Beach on Wednesday, Dec. 26. For tickets and information on the Hollywood location, visit laughfactory.com/clubs/hollywood and for Long Beach, visitlaughfactory.com/clubs/long-beach.
⚫ COMMUNITY LONG BEACH
12.14 – 12.27.2018
LOS ANGELES
10
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WELCOMING THE HOLI-GAYS
` ⚫ BY STAFF WRITER
IN PICTURES: “It’s a Drag to Give” The fourth annual “It’s a Drag to Give” charitable event hit the stage on Friday, Dec. 7 at the Long Beach Convention Center. This special one-night event brought together the community for an unforgettable night of drag to support the important work of four local Long Beach, nonprofits: Beacon for Him, The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach, Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition and WomenShelter of Long Beach. Hosted by Jewels of Long Beach’s Hamburger Mary’s and community activist Ron Sylvester, this year’s performers included Tonya Martin, the right hand woman to Senator Ricardo Lara; Cory Allen, the Chief of Staff for Long Beach Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez; Tim Patton, the Long Beach Mayor’s Administrative Deputy; Isa Rached the founder of “It’s a Drag to Give” & CEO of the successful “B” Room Salon; and many more. “This event brings people form different groups together to celebrate diversity, inclusion, love,” Rached said. “It brings our community together and three some of our beneficiaries are counting on us to keep their doors open to help people in need.”
Photos: Courtesy It’s a Drag to Give.
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THE PRIDE L.A., The Newspaper Serving Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender L.A., is published by MIRROR MEDIA GROUP. Send all inquiries to: THE PRIDE L.A., 2116 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA. Phone: 310.310.2637 Written permission of the publisher must be obtained before any of the contents of this paper, in part or whole, can be reproduced or (c) 2017 The Pride L.A. redistributed. All contents THE PRIDE L.A. is a registered trademark of MIRROR MEDIA GROUP. T.J. MONTEMER, CEO 310.310.2637 x7
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12.14 – 12.27.2018 CULTURE THEATRE
` ⚫ BY AMY PATTON
>
LOS ANGELES
⚫ 11
THESBIAN LESBIAN
Delightful Queerness of Four Clowns' "Welcome to Illyria!"
Four Clowns’ “Welcome to Illyria” is the Shakespeare remake we didn’t know we needed for the holidays. Performing now through December 16, the clowning cast of 9 recreates William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” in a fresh and fun twist. “‘Twelfth Night’ has always been my favorite Shakespearian comedy,” play director and new artistic director for Four Clowns Joe DeSoto said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t know as many talented physical comedians back then as I do now.” The play uses physical comedy to maintain a fast pace with sharp-wit humor. From simple intentional fumbling of props, to the grace and movement of all the characters across the stage for musical numbers, the talent sand skill of these trained clown actors is evident. Any audience member is in for a wild ride. The play premise follows separated twins as they search for each other on the island of Illyria. Through a series of probably avoidable circumstances (were we not dealing with the Bard and, well, a clowning troupe), a cross-dressing sister with the best of intentions causes a wave of unrequited love, identity confusion and serenading that would put any ol’ lute player to shame. The queer undertones of the play are subtle, yet charming. A series of love stories revolv-
Photos: Courtesy Four Clowns.
Four Clowns’ “Welcome to Illyria” is running now through December 16, with performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles.
ing around a young woman disguised as a man, “Welcome to Illyria” is lightheaded in LGBTQ representation, yet by the end of the play one character is almost delighted to have a “boyfriend.” Social progress nonetheless. “‘Welcome to Illyria’ is light-hearted, fun, outrageous, engaging, exciting….” DeSoto said. “As simple as it may sound, I really just want our audience to have a blast and to leave the theatre feeling energized.” Though consisting of a cast of professional clowns, the play covers a wide range of emotion: love, loss, longing and betrayal.The audience
leaves feeling satiated. From Shakespeare’s classic text, Four Clowns created this cohesive production that results in a hilarious holiday romp with song, dance and a wrestling match for the hand of the main love interest. This play proves that Four Clowns is relatable and relevant, no matter what project they decide to tackle.
Four Clowns’ “Welcome to Illyria” is running now through December 16, with performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. The play is two hours long, with a 10-minute intermission. Rated PG-13. For more information and tickets, visit shakespearecenter. org/welcome-to-illyria.
⚫ 12
ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION
12.14 – 12.27.2018
LOS ANGELES
>
GIVE IT A WATCH
` ⚫ BY ELIJAH ROOT-SANCHEZ
GLAAD to See Queer Representation on TV
This year was the highest year on record for representation of the LGBTQ+ community on cable networks and streaming services, according to GLAAD’s “Where Are We” 2018 report. According to the report, almost 9 percent of characters on screen were identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and/or queer. This is the largest representation in the 14 years that GLAAD has been doing this report. Television has increasingly improved their representation of the queer and trans community. Specifically, the representation of the trans community increased significantly. According to the report, there are 26 regular and recurring transgender characters tracked across all three platforms. Last year there was only 17. Of those 26, 17 are trans women, five are trans men, and four are non-binary characters. LGBTQ representation is not limited to sexuality and gender expression. THE GLAAD Reports has shown that “for the first time, LGBTQ characters of color outnumber white LGBTQ characters
Photo: Courtesy.
This year was the highest year on record for representation of the LGBTQ+ community on cable networks and streaming services, according to GLAAD’s “Where Are We” 2018 report.
on broadcast television, 50 percent to 49 percent.” Historically, people of color have been extremely underrepresented within the LGBTQ+ community.
Shows like “Pose” and “Dear White People” have done great work to increase the intersectional representation of multiple groups. The intersectional representation for people is extremely important for people to see. When people see people who are members of the same communities, it can increase confidence and pride for one’s own community. The representation of people with disabilities “has slightly increased to 2.1 percent.” Even though these numbers have increased, this number is not nearly representative of the 12.6 percent of Americans who are currently living with a disability. It is important that these groups are represented properly because these stories deserve to be told. GLAAD has asked cable news and streaming services to increase their representation of the LGBTQ+ community to 10 percent of all characters in television. This representation of the community is essential to legitimizing queer and trans people in society. Television must continue to increase its representation of minoritized groups. GLAAD “Where We Are” Quick Facts – • Of the 857 regular characters expected to appear on broadcast scripted primetime programming this season, 75 (8.8 percent) were identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer. This is the highest percentage GLAAD has found in the fourteen years this report has counted all broadcast series regulars. There were an additional 38 recurring LGBTQ characters. • The number of regular LGBTQ characters counted on scripted primetime cable
increased to 120, while recurring characters increased to 88, making for 208 characters. • There were 75 LGBTQ regular characters counted in original scripted series on the streaming services Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix as well as 37 recurring characters, for a total of 112 LGBTQ characters. Bisexual+ characters make up 27 percent of the LGBTQ characters tracked across all platforms (broadcast, cable, streaming originals), a slight decrease in percentage from last year, but up to 117 characters from 93 in the previous report. The numbers still skew toward women, though there was an increase in bi+ men this year (84 women to 33 men). • This year, there are 26 regular and recurring transgender characters tracked across all three platforms, up from 17 last year. Of those, 17 are trans women, five are trans men, and four are non-binary characters. • Racial diversity of LGBTQ characters is up significantly on all three platforms tracked. For the first time, LGBTQ characters of color outnumber white LGBTQ characters on broadcast television, 50 percent to 49 percent. 44 percent of all series regulars on broadcast scripted television are people of color, a four percent increase from the previous report. • Last year was GLAAD's first inclusion of asexual characters in our annual count. Both characters (Raphael Santiago on Freeform's Shadowhunters, Todd Chavez on Netflix's BoJack Horseman) have returned from the previous year, but no additional asexual characters have been added. There still no ace characters on broadcast. • Only 43 percent of the regular characters counted on broadcast primetime television are women, the same percentage as last year and a severe underrepresentation of the U.S. population, which is estimated to be 51 percent women. • The amount of regular primetime broadcast characters counted who have a disability has slightly increased to 2.1 percent, but that number still vastly underrepresents the actualities of Americans with disabilities. There are seven characters across all three platforms tracked (broadcast, cable, streaming) who are HIV-positive, a substantial increase from last year's two. • Netflix counts the highest number of LGBTQ characters on all streaming services and FX counts the highest number on cable networks. The CW boasts the highest percentage of LGBTQ series regular characters of the five broadcast networks. To view the full report, go to glaad.org/files/ WWAT/WWAT_GLAAD_2018-2019.pdf
12.14 – 12.27.2018
LOS ANGELES
⚫ 13
⚫ 14
LOS ANGELES
12.14 – 12.27.2018
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
The best goings-on around and about L.A., period.
Unconventional Lesbians: A Comedy Show When: Friday, Dec. 14 from 7:30-9 p.m. Where: Bootleg Theater, Los Angeles What: Six years ago, they met at an open mic and started dating. Three years later, Robin came out as a transgender woman, and Cate stayed by her side. Now they're telling their story onstage. Why: Comedians Robin Tran and Cate Gary aren't your usual couple.
they are not queer enough to be included -- This one is for you! Rainbow Pop! When: Wednesday, Dec. 26 from 8-10 p.m. Where: Laugh Factory, Long Beach What: LGBTQ+ Comedy Night Why: What better way to ring in the new year than by laughing in a room full of gays?
FRUITCAKE When: Saturday, Dec. 15 from noon to 7 p.m. Where: 2234 W. Temple St., Los Angeles What: A LGBTQ Holiday Shopping Pop-Up Why: Support local queer artists and businesses Queer Enough Brunch When: Sunday, Dec. 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Cuties Coffee, Los Angeles What: This meetup is dedicated to the timid and invisible babes of Los Angeles Why: Anyone that have not felt brave enough to approach queer spaces because they didn't know anyone, or have felt that
Check out our feature on the founder of Rainbow Pop! on page 9.
Photo: Courtesy.
12.14 – 12.27.2018
LOS ANGELES
NY TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE
RUSH-HOUR HEADACHES
BY RUTH BLOOMFIELD MARGOLIN / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ
90 Bit of dangly jewelry 91 “Star-bellied” Seussian 1 “Me too” creature 6 Expert on jingles 93 Net fisher 11 U.K. V.I.P. 96 Song lead-in to “di” or “da” 15 Corp. leadership 97 Rural turndown 19 Baby’s woe 98 “This tollbooth line will 20 Nap for a loafer? make me late!”? 21 “Cien ____ de Soledad” 103 Portal in “Alice in (Gabriel García Márquez Wonderland” novel) 106 Shellac and myrrh 22 Bailiwick 107 Rule against singing 23 Lane restricted to allow 108 Toodle-oos motorcades through? 111 Peddle 26 Ribs 27 Jerry’s adversary, in cartoons 112 115 Where Scarlett got a 28 ____ colada letter? 29 Night vision? 116 Split an Uber? 30 Early online forum 120 Fun-run length, for short 32 Honolulu’s historic ____ 121 Last thing said before Palace eating? 34 Current 36 Pressing and shoving me as I 122 Washington, but not Jefferson enter the subway? 123 Any local in “The Music 41 Sounds before sneezes Man” 42 Word repeated by Romeo in 124 Matter of interest? “As mine on ____, so ____ is 125 Spot set on mine” 43 Brown v. Board of Education 126 Like legalized marijuana city 127 Alternating-current motor inventor 44 Last words of a pep talk, perhaps 48 Not taking a bow? DOWN 51 New Haven collegian 1 ____ no. 52 Mousetrap brand 2 Home of many Big Apple galleries 54 Take a hit 3 One with ’18 after one’s 55 Highway obstructed by name, say accidents, detours and construction? 4 Alma mater of Wm. Hewlett of Hewlett-Packard 59 Things sometimes stolen in Hollywood 5 Colorful summer treat 61 East Berlin’s land: Abbr. 6 Like the “s” in “aisle” 62 Prosperous period 7 Dodge S.U.V. 63 Standing Rock tribe 8 Brave adversary 65 Pays attention to 9 Condition for some distracted kids, for short 66 Rope for strangulation 10 Not e’en once 69 Package sender to an enlistee, maybe 11 Like some oil money 71 Kosher 12 Canine coat? 74 Title kitten in a Key and Peele 13 “Hmm, the oven was on. Did action comedy ____ didn’t …” 76 Not stay in the pail, say 14 Time release 77 Youth org. since 1910 15 Get to Grand Central right at 5:00? 80 They sit in front of a cox 16 Tool for a blacksmith 82 Took public transportation while one’s wheels were at 17 Jason’s wife in myth the shop? 18 Finger-licking good 86 City near Provo 24 Thread: Prefix 87 “Time ____ a premium” 25 San Francisco : 89 Grp. with a co-pay BART :: Philadelphia : ____ ACROSS
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31 Sweater damage 32 “No more for me, thanks” 33 Force onward 35 Utah’s ____ Canyon (locale of petroglyphs) 36 Kale alternative 37 Fix, as a golf green 38 Pianist Rubinstein 39 Rise above the din, say 40 Somewhere over the rainbow they’re blue, in song 45 Carry-____ 46 Scraped (out) 47 Cleanup target 49 Tax ____ 50 Queen dowager of Jordan 52 ____ Homme (fashion line) 53 Awkward 56 Decision point 57 Simple life? 58 Through 60 “Quantico” actress Priyanka ___
A M O E B A N O T Y E T
M A N E D E T H E S D R E I P M Y S T P E K A E L I L L E V S I T E A A N U U S S E T H M S E I E E D T L E A T A S Y O U R N S T E T A
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64 Prefix with -phone 66 “I’m scared by the speed you’re going in this traffic!”? 67 Not sagging at all 68 No-nonsense quartet? 70 Pout 71 Elton’s johns 72 Bring in 73 Special soldier 75 Did some theater work, casually 77 Good ol’ boy 78 Certain vodka order, informally 79 Up 81 Neighbor of Hond. 83 Radiate 84 Campaign supporter 85 Expressive facial features 88 ____ Tzu (dog) 92 Doofus 93 Take care of 94 Put on a pedestal
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This Week’s Sudoku Puzzle A C C T
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I I O S R S U S E E G O O N S X Y M L O O U E R O S S I E N R E E D
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C H O P B R B U A R B O B E W A N S D L S H A I O W T E S
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95 Sister of Snow White 99 Delaying response to “Is it time?” 100 Comic Boosler 101 ____ qua non 102 Sends a breakup text, say (tsk!) 103 Helicopter feature 104 Refrigerator handle? 105 Snacks during hora feliz 109 N.Z. neighbor 110 Mlle., in Managua 112 House work? 113 ____ cavity 114 Golden Globe winner Dunham 117 Friend of Francine 118 Kind of paper 119 Help make the bed?
⚫ 15
STAR GAZING By Samuel Prince
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Aries will spend today without major victories. At the finale of the work week, you will be occupied solely with something that has nothing to do with your career. In the evening you will rush to where a person who is especially dear to you is waiting. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Taurus today will give up resisting changes in their personal living space. This is at a time when your beloved partner is determined to modify the interior, using the services of professional designers. Before giving a definitive “no” to such projects, think again. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) Gemini today will lose in a conversation with their other half. Your partner will refuse to admit that they were fundamentally wrong when talking to one of your parents. If you do not want your parents to continue to be treated so disrespectfully, state this clearly. CANCER (June 22-July 22) Cancers should not hide your heart behind hundreds of locks. Determine who or what makes you so much afraid of a new love affair. The person who suggested that you start a new romance is worthy of respect, admiration, and the right to be with you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Leos today will be guided by vanity and selfishness. Because of them, you venture to make a deal with your own conscience. In order to become famous, you will set up one of your friends or relatives. Success will come to you, but the price you paid for it will be prohibitive. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Virgo will not find it easy to understand the true intentions of his second half. They will hint that they want to spend the next weekend alone with you. However, as soon as you offer a specific itinerary for this romantic trip, they will change their mind. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Libra will not experience joy or anxiety today. Remembering that on Saturday you will have to work again, you will refuse to attend a traditional Friday party at the house of your best friend. This evening you will be alone with some video project. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) Scorpios today will determine for themselves a new life plan for the near future. The number one item of this plan will be a very expensive purchase, which you will save for today. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today it will be typical for Sagittarians to give an elaborate answer to the most simple questions. Thus, you will not pursue any goals. Expressing your thoughts in vague phrases, you will be in a distracted mood when you wake up. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Capricorns will spend today separated from the bustle. You will perceive what is happening around you, like a movie or some strange TV show, run by creative directors. You will be the winner by the end of this day. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Aquarius will spend this day doing business with family. You want to devote all your free time to your household, remembering that in the last few days you did not give them hugs, love and care. You even prepare a pleasant surprise for your relatives. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Pisces today will acquire a very useful object, capable of making household affairs less tedious. However, not all your relatives will like this thing. Representatives of the older generation will begin to grumble unhappily.
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LOS ANGELES
12.14 – 12.27.2018