6. THE PRIDE LA, DEC. 18, 2015

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12.18.2015 JUDITH LIGHT

WOODLAWN L.A. GETS A NEW LGBT NEWSPAPER FOREVER HOLLY LOS ANGELES 1 THOUSANDS OF DOOR TO DOOR DELIVER- END OF THE FACTORY GIRLS, RIP ⚫ 12 IES IN LOS ANGELES!

IS TRANSPARENT LIKE THE GAYS ⚫ 14

LOS ANGELES’ LGBT NEWSPAPER

WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM

THEPRIDELA

@THEPRIDELA | ISSUE NUMBER 6, VOLUME 1 | DEC.18 - DEC. 29, 2015

POLITICS ⚫ 6

Equality California: advocacy agency expands strategy and soars EDUCATION ⚫ 10

Local Schools seek right to discriminate against LGBT students OBITUARY ⚫ 12

Forever Holly Woodlawn: Andy Warhol’s Superstar, dies at 69 HOLLYWOOD ⚫ 14

The Transparent glow of Judith Light

HERO:

DANIEL KAUFMAN, 42, PLACING A FLOWER ON HIS PARTNER OF 3 YEARS, RYAN REYES. KAUFMAN WAS KILLED DURING THE ATTACK IN SAN BERNARDINO. SEE PAGE 7.

Gay Man killed during attack in San Bernardino saved 4 lives

⚫ When the shooting began Daniel was in the courtyard of the facility and was able to prevent others from entering the area. His actions saved the lives of at least four people.

⚫ Ryan Reyes, Daniel’s partner, says he knows that he can speak on Daniel’s behalf when he refuses to blame the Muslim community or Islam for his death or the shooting. P. 11

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12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

®

New Genvoya is now available

GENC0002_ThePride_10x11.7_Spread.indd 1-2

12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

⚍ 3

Actual Size

One pill contains elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF).

Ask your healthcare provider if GENVOYA is right for you.

To learn more visit GENVOYA.com

Please see Brief Summary of Patient Information with important warnings on the following pages.

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12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

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Brief Summary of Patient Information about GENVOYA GENVOYA (jen-VOY-uh) (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide) tablets Important: Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with GENVOYA. There may be new information about GENVOYA. This information is only a summary and does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment.

What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA? GENVOYA can cause serious side effects, including: • Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis).

Lactic acidosis may happen in some people who take GENVOYA. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms, which could be signs of lactic acidosis: • • • • • • •

feel very weak or tired have unusual (not normal) muscle pain have trouble breathing have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting feel cold, especially in your arms and legs feel dizzy or lightheaded have a fast or irregular heartbeat

• Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems may happen in people who take GENVOYA. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large and you may develop fat in your liver.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: • your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) • dark “tea-colored” urine • light-colored bowel movements (stools) • loss of appetite for several days or longer • nausea • stomach pain • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking GENVOYA for a long time.

• Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. GENVOYA is not for use to treat chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV). If you have HBV infection and take GENVOYA, your HBV may get worse (flareup) if you stop taking GENVOYA. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before.

• Do not run out of GENVOYA. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your GENVOYA is all gone.

• Do not stop taking GENVOYA without first talking to your healthcare provider.

• If you stop taking GENVOYA, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection.

Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking GENVOYA.

GENC0002_ThePride_10x11.7_Spread.indd 3-4

What is GENVOYA? GENVOYA is a prescription medicine that is used without other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older: • who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past or • to replace their current HIV-1 medicines in people who have been on the same HIV-1 medicines for at least 6 months, have an amount of HIV-1 in their blood (“viral load”) that is less than 50 copies/mL, and have never failed past HIV-1 treatment HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. GENVOYA contains the prescription medicines elvitegravir (VITEKTA®), cobicistat (TYBOST®), emtricitabine (EMTRIVA®) and tenofovir alafenamide.

It is not known if GENVOYA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.

When used to treat HIV-1 infection, GENVOYA may: • Reduce the amount of HIV-1 in your blood.

This is called “viral load”.

• Increase the number of CD4+ (T) cells in your blood that help fight off other infections.

Reducing the amount of HIV-1 and increasing the CD4+ (T) cells in your blood may help improve your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or getting infections that can happen when your immune system is weak (opportunistic infections).

GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.

Avoid doing things that can spread HIV-1 infection to others: • Do not share or re-use needles or other injection equipment.

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

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

Ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to other people.

Who should not take GENVOYA? Do not take GENVOYA if you also take a medicine that contains: • alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral®) • carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®) • cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®) • ergot-containing medicines, including: dihydroergotamine mesylate (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), and methylergonovine maleate (Ergotrate®, Methergine®) • lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®) • midazolam, when taken by mouth • phenobarbital (Luminal®) • phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®) • pimozide (Orap®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®) • sildenafil (Revatio®), when used for treating lung problems • simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®) • triazolam (Halcion®) • the herb St. John’s wort or a product that contains St. John’s wort

12.18.2015

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking GENVOYA? Before taking GENVOYA, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have liver problems including hepatitis B infection • have kidney or bone problems • have any other medical conditions • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if GENVOYA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking GENVOYA. Pregnancy registry: there is a pregnancy registry for women who take HIV-1 medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry.

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take GENVOYA. – You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

– At least one of the medicines in GENVOYA can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in GENVOYA can pass into your breast milk.

– Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how GENVOYA works.

Some medicines may interact with GENVOYA. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

• You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with GENVOYA. • Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider.

Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take GENVOYA with other medicines.

How should I take GENVOYA?

• Take GENVOYA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. GENVOYA is taken by itself (not with other HIV-1 medicines) to treat HIV-1 infection.

• GENVOYA is usually taken 1 time each day.

• Take GENVOYA with food.

• If you need to take a medicine for indigestion (antacid) that contains aluminum and • • • •

magnesium hydroxide or calcium carbonate during treatment with GENVOYA, take it at least 2 hours before or after you take GENVOYA. Do not change your dose or stop taking GENVOYA without first talking with your healthcare provider. Stay under a healthcare provider’s care when taking GENVOYA. Do not miss a dose of GENVOYA. If you take too much GENVOYA, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

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

LOS ANGELES

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What are the possible side effects of GENVOYA? GENVOYA may cause serious side effects, including: • See “What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA?” • Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known.

• Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking GENVOYA. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking GENVOYA if you develop new or worse kidney problems.

• Bone problems can happen in some people who take GENVOYA. Bone problems may include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones.

The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

• These are not all the possible side effects of GENVOYA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

• Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

General information about the safe and effective use of GENVOYA. Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use GENVOYA for a condition for which it was not prescribed.

Do not give GENVOYA to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have.

It may harm them.

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

For more information, call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.GENVOYA.com.

Keep GENVOYA and all medicines out of reach of children.

Issued: November 2015

EMTRIVA, GENVOYA, the GENVOYA Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, TYBOST, and VITEKTA are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2015 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. GENC0002 11/15

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LGBT Politics OUR LIVES

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12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

LEADERSHIP

Equality California has found many intersecting spheres of LGBT interests with other communities and issues

⚫ BY SETH HEMMELGARN

Equality California: agency expands strategy, excels Unlike its New York counterpart which recently declared “mission accomplished” on LGBT rights, Equality California has gained strength. Timely mission refocusing has been key to EQCA’s resurgence.

E

quality California, the statewide LGBT political advocacy group, has expanded its mission and has taken a more aggressive stance on a variety of issues that have given the agency renewed life.

Shortly after Rick Zbur joined Equality California last year, he pledged to refocus the statewide LGBT advocacy group.

For years it had been closely aligned with the marriage equality movement, and after the recent legal victories, some had questioned whether the organization was still relevant.

Just over 12 months later, Zbur has responded with a more muscular stance to a variety of issues, from immigration to health care access.

The shift was particularly noticeable when the group harshly criticized several LGBT and Democratic members of Congress who voted in favor of tougher screening of Syrian refugees.

The 289-137 vote November 19 in favor of HR 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act, “was a victory for ignorance and fear,” Zbur said in a news release shortly after the vote. “We are deeply disappointed that the list of ‘ayes’ included members

of California’s congressional delegation, including members who have been champions of LGBT civil rights, and several LGBT members of Congress outside of California. ... As LGBT people we understand the effects of public antipathy and discrimination, and as a civil rights organization, we have a responsibility to stand up against policy decisions that are unthinking and unfeeling responses to popular anxiety.”

In a recent interview, Zbur said the stance is in line with the expanded mission statement EQCA adopted shortly after he became executive director.

The mission statement’s three priorities include “full equality and acceptance for LGBT people inside and outs i d e C a l i f o r n i a , ” a d d r e s sing health disparities, and “achieving a fair and just California and society,” Zbur said.

“The way we view our role is a voice for the LGBT community and advancing civil rights for all communities LGBT people are part of,” Zbur said. “ ...

The Syrian refugees include a disproportionate number of LGBT people, and based on the kinds of conditions they’re facing in the Middle East, it’s in line with our mission.”

Zbur also said EQCA has 800,000 members, and it has communications capacity that other groups in the state don’t.

His comments on the House vote drew attention especially because of three out Democratic Congress people who supported the act: Sean Patrick Maloney (New York), Jared Polis (Colorado), and Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona).

“I have faith in our system, and I don’t believe these refugees – the over w hel m i ng majority of whom are women, elderly, and children – threaten our communities or national security,” he stated. “So instead of slowing the program or pausing it, the [Obama] administration should agree to immediately certify refugees if they pass the current extensive screenings and we should all refocus on actual threats.”

Sinema’s statement explained her position more plainly.

The legislation “strengthens the refugee vetting process so we can continue to shelter those in need and keep our homeland safe from terrorism,” she stated.

“I love it,” National Center for Lesbian Rights Executive Director Kate Kendell said in an interview. “I love seeing what EQCA is doing. I think in many ways it feels very familiar. I think this is the role of LGBTQ civil rights social justice political organizations, to recognize that LGBT people are everywhere. While there are issues that impact in a greater way LGBT people, every issue is an LGBT issue,

Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur

and beyond that, I feel like we should be a voice as a community for justice, and inclusion, and humanity.”

Kendell noted the popularity of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, whose ambitions haven’t been hindered by his blatant xenophobia.

EQCA and other LGBT organizations “really being fierce about a larger full justice frame is so important, because this country needs a counterweight to all the toxic hatred and vilification of vulnerable people,” she said.

POST MARRIAGE SUCCESSES Zbur took over at EQCA not long after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in California, and just months before the court ruled all states must recognize marriage equality.

He said many asked whether, after the marriage battle, “more affluent donors” would support the intersectional work, “and the answer that we’ve found is, ‘Absolutely yes.’”

When he joined the organization in late 2014, he said,

it had “ended up raising and spending $2.2 million. It was one of our smallest years ever.”

With help from grants, individual support, and other sources, EQCA, which also includes the educational arm the Equality California Institute, is set to have a budget of $4.4 million for 2016.

Gay Supervisor David Campos said, “I think they’ve done an excellent job under Rick Zbur’s leadership in making the point that even though we had the victory with marriage, we still have a lot of work that needs to be done in the LGBT community, and looking at the other issues disproportionately impacting the community,” including immigration and health care, “I really feel they have done an excellent job of setting the agenda for the next phase of the movement.”

Working with several immigrant rights groups and a grant from the California Endowment, EQCA has completed work on a cultural competency training module for health care clinics and proEQCA continued on p. 8

12.18.2015 TERRORISM

SAN BERNARDINO

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LOS ANGELES

COMMUNITY

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⚫ BY TROY MASTERS

Gay man killed in San Bernardino massacre saved 4 people Daniel Kaufman is being hailed as a national hero after it was revealed that his actions before he was shot and killed saved the life of a counselor and three disabled patients.

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memorial service was held Thursday Dec. 17, 2015 for Larry Daniel Kaufman, 42, a gay man who was killed while working at a coffee cart at the Inland Regional Center for people with disabilities in San Bernardino. He was killed when Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik attacked the facility killing 14 and wounding dozens more.

The attack is being investigated as an act of terror and groups affiliated with Daesh have claimed credit.

Daniel Kaufman is being hailed

Ryan Reyes (L) with his boyfriend Daniel Kaufman, who was killed in the San Bernardino shooting.

as an American hero. His actions during the shooting saved the life of a female counselor and 3 disabled patients. Ryan Reyes, Daniel’s partner of 3 years says that a co-worker who wishes to remain unidentified told him that Daniel was eating lunch in the courtyard only feet from the entrance to the corridor where where workers were celebrating the holidays when the gunmen entered the area.

Daniel came face to face with the shooters when he noticed his co-worker approach. He shouted to prevent them from entering the area; “Go! Get out of here! Go! Hurry!” As a result his co-worker was able to get herself and three disabled clients out of harms way.

Daniel was remembered in the Wiccan ritual service as the one person among his wide circle of friends that everyone instinctively turned to for a quick, uplifting chat when they were having a bad day or wanted a laugh.

Over 100 people gathered to remember Daniel, including members of the local Muslim community.

They shared memories of Daniel, laughing and crying as they shared their intimate exchanges with him, talking about their final contact, sharing texts and photos and remembering about their favorite things about him.

His partner of three years, Ryan Reyes, retold Daniel’s favorite stories.

Daniel, he said, lived to make people laugh. He loved to get that reaction from people.

Daniel, a practicing Wiccan, was a regular participant at the Renaissance Fairs who also loved scary movies and comic books. He was looking forward to Star Wars and had recently met Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars films.

Some people at the memorial service knew Daniel only as the guy with the smiling face. It was only after his image was broadcast that some of them learned his name.

“It didn’t matter what type of mood he was in, if you were hurting, it was that bright cheery, ‘are you ok? I’m going to make you laugh. I’m going to make you feel good again.’ that was

Daniel Kaufman, was a 2-pound, premature baby born to a homeless alcoholic, surviving against all odds in the worst possible conditions. As a man he loved life and laughter.

Daniel,” Reyes said.

Reyes was in touch with The Pride Los Angeles soon after the shooting and also after he and family members of the other 13 people killed at the Inland Regional Center were given a tour of the shooting site. He described the mood among family members during the tour as ranging from desperate crying to stunned silence and rage.

“Most people were either quiet or crying,” said Reyes. “I almost lost it.

I wanted to do something to memorialize him there so I had an FBI agent pour my coffee cup into the planter near the tables where Daniel and I said goodbye every morning.”

Reyes says family members “were not allowed to get very close to the scene of the actual shooting. We were in the back of the building in the parking lot, so that was the view I had.”

“I just kept staring at the trees because the morning he was killed we had been talking about how pretty the leaves looked when the sunrise hit the tree like it was on fire.”

“God, I miss him.”

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LGBT ISSUES ELECTIONS

12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

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‘PHOBE WATCH

⚫ BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI

Marco Rubio, Jr. Senator

FLORIDA SENATOR MARCO RUBIO WANTS TO IGNORE THE SUPREME COURT ON GAY RIGHTS.

T

here is a certain bench that presidential contenders long to fill. It’s the Holy Grail of appointments: the Supreme Court.

Since Supreme Court Justices serve lifetime terms, getting a justice or two on the bench means leaving a legacy that far outlives your time in office.

And while all the GOP candidates know this, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) has been particularly outspoken lately about his dream of filling the court with justices who would try to undo marriage equality.

Back in November Rubio said we should just ignore the marriage equality ruling since God didn’t like it.

During that same interview Rubio said, “I think one of the biggest things the next President is going to do is appoint justices to the Supreme Court — justices who understand that the Constitution is not a living and breathing document. It is a document of limitation and it’s supposed to be interpreted and applied based on its original intent. And there is no way that you can read that Constitution and deduce from it that there is constitutional right to an abortion, or a constitutional right to marry someone of the same sex.”

Ah, the old, “The Constitution is like the Bible, perfect the first time

and intended as, well, gospel.” Except for the fact that the Constitution has been amended many times, and the Bible has been translated and retranslated and rewritten and revised many, many times. My personal favorite is The Action Bible where Jesus is transformed into a comic book hero. I bet the Apostles never saw that one coming!

It’s interesting that Rubio insists that since the Constitution doesn’t say anything about abortion or marriage equality Americans thus do not have a right to these things. The Constitution also doesn’t say anything about assault weapons with huge magazines capable of mowing down a crowd of people in seconds. Yet somehow that always makes its way into Tea Party Founding Fathers fan fiction.

On Dec. 13 Rubio told Chuck Todd on Meet the Press that marriage equality is “bad law.”

He does not, however, favor an anti-gay constitutional amendment.

“That would be conceding that the current Constitution is somehow wrong and needs to be fixed,” he said.

Granted, I don’t want an anti-gay marriage amendment to the ConstituRUBIO continued on p. 19

AGING continued from p. 6

fessionals in the Central Valley that work with undocumented immigrants, whether or not they’re LGBT. “We want to improve the lives of communities LGBT people are a part of,” Zbur said, not solely LGBTs. “LGBT people are still part of families that are undocumented,” he said. “... We are a civil rights organization, and part of being a civil rights organization is being a part of and a partner in the broader civil rights movement.”

Zbur added the program was “so successful” that the California Endowment asked EQCA to expand it. His organization is looking at taking its efforts into the Inland Empire, East Los Angeles, and possibly Orange County, while also continuing to work in the Central Valley.

EQCA’s stronger stance on immigration was also made clear when it joined several other groups in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans programs, which allow some undocumented immigrants to have temporary legal residency in the U.S. Several states have filed a lawsuit over the programs, and their implementation has been blocked.

“These programs directly impact millions of people who have grown up here, paid taxes here and raised their families here – including hundreds of thousands of LGBT people in California alone,” Zbur stated. “Bringing undocumented immigrants into the full social, economic, and civic life of our communities is not only just and fair, it simply makes economic sense.”

SCHOOLS Along with immigration, EQCA is continuing other work that it’s long supported, including protections for California’s LGBT school students.

The nonprofit is working with state education officials on a program to create a safe and supportive schools equality index. Among other things, the index will help see if schools statewide have programs that “adequately support” LGBT students, Zbur said.

Along with the Oakland-based Transgender Law Center, EQCA is also heading the Transgender Education Project, which is meant to boost acceptance and understanding of the state’s trans residents.

The nonprofit is working to develop more bills.

With funding from the Elton John Foundation, EQCA is crafting a bill that would modernize HIV laws.

“One of the things that is a key objective for us will be a bill that will modernize the criminal statutes that relate to transmission of HIV,” Zbur said. Current laws “make transmission of HIV a felony,” which is “really different than the way other similar diseases are treated.”

The regulations result in “stigma and misuse of laws in targeting people with HIV,” he said.

Its institute is convening its second annual Fair Share for Equality meeting December 15 in Los Angeles to bring together progressive organizations, public policy makers, and others “to discuss and identify priorities for legislation and budget advocacy for the LGBT community,” Zbur said.

The Elton John Foundation is also supporting EQCA’s work to develop a public education campaign “aimed at the LGBT community about the benefits of PrEP and access issues” related to pre-exposure prophylaxis, he said.

That campaign will likely launch in the first part of 2016.

One of the organizations EQCA plans to reach out to on the project is the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

“The debate on PrEP is over and it’s great that organizations with resources and reach like EQCA are joining the education effort. We know that there’s a big need for sex-positive, judgment-free messages around PrEP for prospective users, especially transgender men and women, Latino and African-American men, and those looking to conceive children with their seropositive partners.” Additionally, he said, “Recent studies have shown that there is also a dire need to inform doctors about PrEP.” Suzy Jones, a self-identified gay woman who served on EQCA’s board from 2011-2015, said in an interview, “This whole new direction is something that I strongly supported as a board member and was a huge advocate of even before Rick was on board.”

Jones added, “I joined the board because I wanted to get more involved, but also, as an African American woman, I wanted to make sure as we carried out this important work of ensuring ...LGBT people had the opportunity to survive and thrive in society, that diverse voices were able to participate, that our voices would be heard and be part of this effort to ensure full equality.”

12.18.2015 LGBT ISSUES ELECTIONS

LOS ANGELES

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2016 ELECTIONS

⚫ BY CHRIS JOHNSON

Clinton LGBT ‘16 launches W

eeks ahead of the first 2016 presidential election contest in Iowa, Hillary Clinton has launched “LGBT for Hillary” to rally LGBT supporters.

During a 30-minute conference call with supporters on Monday, the Democratic presidential candidate kicked off the initiative, which aims to organize LGBT supporters to knock on doors and make phone calls on behalf of Clinton.

Clinton told supporters the LGBT rights movement has made significant advancements, including the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, but said more work remains.

“Even as we celebrate progress, nobody should forget how much work still lies ahead,” Clinton said. “That work isn’t finished until every single person, no matter who you are or who you love or where you live is treated with the equality and dignity that you all deserve.”

In addition to recalling the high-profile speech she delivered four years ago in favor of international LGBT human rights, Clinton reiterated her support for the Equality Act to enshrine into federal law a prohibition on anti-LGBT discrimination, ensuring service members discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” receive honorable discharges and ending the ban on transgender service in the U.S. military.

Clinton said she’ll announce more plans and policies related to the LGBT community soon, saying she wants LGBT supporters to know “the issues you’re fighting for are not only central to my campaign, but they’re at the heart of everything I think we stand for as a country.”

Also speaking on the call were two celebrities and members of the LGBT community who’ve pledged to support Clinton as a part of “LGBT for Hillary.”

Among them was Ricky Martin, a gay Puerto Rican singer who came out as gay in 2010 and said he’s supporting Clinton because “listening to the Republican Party is the scariest thing that me as a gay man and a Latino man is facing at the moment.”

“What happens with Hillary is that she makes me feel comfortable, she makes me feel protected,” Martin said. “I listen to her on the debates, and she’s just real, she’s honest, she’s classy…and it makes me feel completely at ease when I listen to her speak. As a gay man, what she brings to the table is what I want for me, for my kids, for my family.”

Legendary tennis player Billie Jean King, a lesbian, also declared her support during the call for Clinton as a member of “LGBT for Hillary,” saying she plans to go to Iowa and New Hampshire to help campaign in the Democratic primary.

“It’s an opportunity to bring all of ourselves, our heads, our hearts and our guts to making sure Hillary Clinton wins on Nov. 8,” King said. “It is so important. We cannot take this lightly. We can never, ever underestimate our opponents, the Republicans, others, and any time you start to sit back and think it’s going to be easy, it’s not.”

King also said Election Day falling on Nov. 8 in 2016 is significant because the “8” could be seen as two rings in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage or an infinity symbol.

“All the progress we’ve seen so far could easily be rolled back,”said Gautam Raghavan, a former White House LGBT liaison for President Obama. “Just think about where we were seven years ago. You could only get married in two states, gay and lesbian service members could be discharged for who they are, we didn’t have a federal hate crimes law. So, we’ve seen a lot of progress over those seven years and Secretary Clinton was a key part of that progress.”

Clinton unveiled “LGBT for Hillary” as she maintains a strong position in the polls. In addition to being the Democratic front-runner, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll published Monday finds she would defeat Ted Cruz and Donald Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head general election matchup, but would lose to Marco Rubio or Ben Carson.

It can cause aching, shooting, stabbing or even burning pain and can lead to weakness, muscle wasting, numbness, and tingling even down to your toes!

⚫ 9

Sciatica Sucking the Joy of Life Out of You?

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⚫ 10

EDUCATION TITLE IX

12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

>

RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS

⚫ BY ANDY BIRKEY

Universities seek Federal right to trans discrimination In 2014 Title IX was extended “to gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity.”

F

our private California universities are among three dozen nationally that have requested the federal government waive laws intended to protect LGBT students.

The California schools — Biola University in La Mirada, Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, William Jessup University in Rocklin and Simpson University in Redding — received a total of more than $20 million in federal education monies in 2014. The universities are affiliated with Christian denominations and are asking the U.S. Department of Education to waive portions of Title IX that might apply to students and staff who are transgender or who are in same-sex relationships.

So far only one of the four schools in California, Simpson University, has been granted a waiver from Title IX by the Federal government. 26 others have been granted nationwide.

Title IX was implemented in 1972 to combat gender discrimination in education. The law authorizes the Department of Education to waive Title IX requirements for educational institutions “controlled by a religious organization” if compliance “would not be consistent with the religious tenets of such organization.”

Issuance of these “right-to-discriminate” waivers was relatively rare until last year. In 2014, however, the Obama administration issued guidance on Title IX discrimination prohibition that “extends [Title IX protection] to claims of discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity.” In response, an increasing number of colleges and universities have sought Department of Education permission to expel or otherwise discriminate

against transgender and gender-nonconforming students. Waivers have also been sought, and issued, to allow discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual students.

The Department of Education has granted waivers to 27 colleges and universities in 17 states over the past 18 months. The institutions receiving the waivers enroll more than 80,000 students and received $130 million in federal research grants and student aid in 2014. Nine petitions are pending as of August 2015.

Training schools to discriminate The rapid increase in schools that have applied for Title IX exemptions comes at the same time conservative Christian groups are hosting trainings and providing documents that schools can use to prove their “sincerely held religious beliefs” about LGBT people.

On Sept. 3, 2015, the Christian Legal Society hosted a webinar with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Association of Christian Schools International, and the Association for Biblical Higher Education.

Jim Davids, a law professor at Pat Robertson’s Regent University, listed the perceived threats against Christian schools including “two former students dismissed for lesbianism” who sued a Christian school and “a young man who thought he was a woman sued California Baptist University, when the school dismissed him for lying on his admission application that he was female.”

“Within the last couple of years two students claiming to be a different gender than their anatomy have filed complaints against CCCU schools,” Davids added.

Shapri LoMaglio, Vice President for Government and External Relations at the CCCU, called the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage “a sea change” for housing issues at Christian colleges, and noted the Department of Education’s extension of sex discrimination to include gender identity. She told attendees that the best offense is a good defense, and

one defense is to gain exemption from Title IX. “There is an ability for Christian colleges and universities to apply for an exemption from the Department of Education to this specific requirement of Title IX and the institution can do that by writing a letter to the Department of Education detailing the specific provision in Title IX they would like exemption from and their theological beliefs that create conflict with their ability to execute that specific provision.”

She added, “What’s most important to know is that there is an exemption and it is highly advisable to apply for one.”

Davids and LoMaglio, as well as Christian Legal Society’s Kim Colby and John Cooley of the CooleySublettPLC law firm, also provided guidance to college and universities on how to legally discriminate against LGBT students, faculty, and staff.

In addition to the webinar, the CLS has developed sample language for schools to include in their official policies; if a school hasn’t yet developed a student handbook policy about its “sincerely held religious beliefs” about transgender students, they can copy CLS’. Many schools have done just that.

Ohio Christian University, Belmont Abbey, Biola, Oklahoma Baptist University, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University have language either identical or remarkably similar to the CLS sample language.

In addition to CLS, the CCCU has been hosting trainings and conferences since late 2014 that delve into the issue of Title IX exemptions.

Entire denominations are issuing resolutions in order to keep LGBT students out of their affiliated colleges and universities. For example, Baptist General Convention of Texas adopted a resolution in February on the “transgender agenda.” That resolution was aimed directly at garnering schools a Title IX exemption.

“Some of our institutions may desire RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS continued on p. 18

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12.18.2015 LGBT ISSUES TERRORISM

⚫ BY RYAN REYES

LOS ANGELES

>

⚫

In his own words

Ryan Reyes’ call to love

After it was revealed that Daniel Kaufman, the gay man who was one of 14 people killed in the San Bernardino massacre last week, helped shepherd at least 4 people out of harms way, he was hailed a hero. His partner, Ryan Reyes, should also be hailed as a hero for standing up to the hate the shooting has fomented.

EAST/WEST: MERGING MUSIC AND CULTURES

SPONSORED BY

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February 19, 2016

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“I

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speak for both Daniel and myself when I say that this attack should NOT encourage people to treat Muslims any differ ently than they would anyone else,” said Reyes.

“This tragedy was committed by a radical group.

We do not hold all Christians accountable for the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church, so why do we blame all Muslims for the actions of THEIR version of Westboro?

It makes no sense.

The twisted actions and beliefs of a few should not be used to view the majority.

Muslims are just as loving and caring as anyone else. It made Daniel sick and continues to make me

KEYBOARD CONVERSATIONS WITH

sick, that Americans refuse to drop this way of thinking.

Muslim people are just as desper ate to capture the radical groups as anyone else.

By joining forces and working together through love and under standing, we can defeat those that perpetrate these acts.

My heart and sympathy goes out to all Muslims that are not members of these radical groups. I am sorry that, for whatever reason, people cannot seem to understand that the radical groups and terrorists do NOT speak for all Muslims.

Just know that I do not blame you for this and I love you as my brothers and sisters in humanity, just as Daniel would.”

JEFFREY SIEGEL®

AN AMERICAN SALUTE February 27, 2016

Learn more at TheWallis.org/Winter 9390 N SANTA MONICA BLVD BEVERLY HILLS CA 90210

⚫ 12

PIONEER

TRANSGENDER

12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

OBITUARY

Holly Woodlawn of Andy Warhol’s Factory died on 6 December 2015 in West Hollywood Photograph: Dan Tuffs

Holly Woodlawn, Warhol’s Superstar, dies at 69 ⚫ BY DAVID EHRENSTEIN

She will be forever Holly Woodlawn, the factory girl who took the world for a walk on the wild side.

“

If I’m wearing pants, call me a man. If I’m wearing a dress, call me a cab!”

So quipped one Haroldo Santiago Franceschi Rodriguez Danhakl, better known to the world as Holly Woodlawn. The late great actress, cabaret artiste, salesgirl and overall oneof-a-kind character died of brain and liver cancer on December 6, 2015. She

burst upon an unsuspecting universe in 1970 with Trash, an Andy Warhol production in which she was originally cast in a small role as junkie-thief and Joe Dallesandro’s long-suffering Welfare-aspiring girlfriend.

But director Paul Morrissey recognized immediately that he had a powerhouse on his hands.

Holly’s featured part became a leading one and its

impact was unprecedented.

No less a Hollywood eminence than director George Cukor was so impressed that he campaigned to have Holly recognized with an Oscar nomination. That didn’t happen, and the films that followed never completely fulfilled Holly’s potential.

But maybe she was just too much for the movies, or the stage or night clubs. Maybe Holly Woodlawn was too

much for this world.

Born on October 26, 1946 to “a Puerto Rican mother and an American soldier of German descent who fled the marriage almost immediately after the wedding (The New York Times).” Apparently he didn’t know what he wanted. His offspring knew what he wanted, donning drag at 16 and inventing a new name for herself. Holly, WOODLAWN continued on p. 13

12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 13

Andy Warhol’s Factory was where Holly Woodlawn became “Superstar.” She claims she was paid $25.

WOODLAWN continued from p. 12

she claimed, was taken from Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s (“Holly Golightly”) and Woodlawn from a sign she saw on an episode of I Love Lucy marking a subway stop. Or maybe it was the Woodlawn cemetery – resting place of Hollywood’s rich and famous.

Or maybe – oh whatever.

Holly headed North to make her fortune – or the next best thing to it – as the first verse the famous Lou Reed song “A Walk on the Wild Side” says.

Still the side she’d chosen to walk on wasn’t in some ways as ‘wild” as all that. She considered sex reassignment surgery, and decided against it.

That’s why describing Holly as “transgender” as far too many, including the New York Times so reflexively do today isn’t really accurate. Likewise for Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling, co-stars in her follow-up Warhol-Morrissey effort Women in Revolt (1971).

Long-time gay activist Jim Fouratt puts it best: “I knew Holly, I knew Jackie and I knew Candy. They never identified as transgender. They did identify as gay men who did drag and did not conform to dominant gender expression roles. Brave and courageous each of them, they were like creatures in a Genet novel.”

Warhol was their Genet. But they had artistic resources as well. Candy went on to co-star with Tennessee Williams in his chamber play Small Craft Warnings before her untimely death in 1974. Jackie (who went back and forth between make and female personae) had written and directed plays off-off Broadway; many of which featured Holly and Candy --Glamour, Glory and Gold: The Life and Legend of Nola Noonan, Goddess and Star.

Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit and Vain Victory. One even boasted performing along with the theatrical de-

Holly Woodlawn died December 6, 2015 in West Hollywood.

but of an actor named Robert DeNiro.

But Jackie’s untimely death in 1985, ended his/her dreams of Broadway

to the United Nations. An inveterate shoplifter, fame never dissuaded Holly from a little offhand larceny. When

Take a Walk on the Wild Side “Holly came from Miami F.L.A. Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A. Plucked her eyebrows on the way Shaved her legs and then he was a she She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side, Said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.” and Hollywood. Holly’s dreams were of another sort entirely.

Not long after the success of Trash Holly was arrested for impersonating the wife of the French Ambassador

she was taken to the Women’s House of Detention she was quickly transferred to a men’s facility when her biological sex was discovered. Holly had considered sexual reassignment

surgery – and then decided against it.

Having a female “sexual identity” and “presentation of self” was all she really needed.

But for the world of show business it left her “odd girl out.” She was able to flash her funky glamour in smallscale “underground’ epics like Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers (1972) and Broken Goddess (1973), do brief turns in Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998), Twin Falls Idaho (1999), and at what turned out to be the end of her life the cable series Transparent (2014), but little more. This led at one point to her working as a salesclerk at the Melrose Avenue store “The Soap Plant” – where she regaled customers with her offhand wit.

In 1991 her autobiography “A Low Life in High Heels,” (co-authored with Jeffrey Copeland) , came out from St. Martin’s press. It was optioned for the movies but no movie was ever made.

Meanwhile elsewhere Off-Broadway – and later on the Great White Way itself, John Cameron Mitchell was winning rave reviews and overflow crowds for Hedwig and the Angry Inch – his show about an East German rock musician suffering from romantic rejection and a botched sex change operation. Lord knows Holly would have made a splendid Hedwig.

But by the time Mitchell’s star rose, Holly’s was dimming as spinal problems rendered her wheelchair-bound for the better part of her last decade.

Oh what a Hedwig Holly would have made. But like so much else that was not to be Early in 2015 Holly’s condition became truly serious. Hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles she was so weak it was feared she would die on the spot. There were cancer lesions on her liver and brain.

WOODLAWN continued on p. 15

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12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

TALKING HEADS

⚫ BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

>

Longtime Allies

Actress Judith Light talks longtime LGBT advocacy, Transparent and how she ‘wanted to be like the gay community’

J

udith Light didn’t know courage until she met the gay community.

As one of a few prominent celebrities in the ’80s to pledge her unwavering support to “the leaders,” as she calls them, the Who’s The Boss? actress was instrumental in changing the lives of LGBT people at the height of the AIDS epidemic three decades ago. But, she says, it was her own life that needed changing.

In a candid conversation with Light, 66, the actress reflects on her staunch advocacy and the need for the compassion her hit show Transparent is rooted in.

Judith, I watched the first episode and was really moved. The world is a scary place right now, so to see you and co-star Jeffrey Tambor share such a tender moment at the end of the first episode was especially moving. The kindness and love and empathy and compassion between the two of you in that scene was really profound.

Awww – I love that you started off that way. You know, people have not talked about that enough, I think.

They have in other ways, but you noticing that – that really means a lot to me, so thank you.

I think this is the kind of show that people need right now.

I do too. And I think when you only think about this show as a transgender show, you don’t get the real truth of it, which is that it’s about transgender people but that it’s also about humanity and people – and people living their truth and being honest and authentic and courageous.

What does it mean to you to know you’re changing people’s hearts and minds with that message?

It’s huge. All of us feel a tremendous responsibility to get it right. Jeffrey always says, “Lives are at stake,” and so we all do try to make that the top note. That’s really important to all of us. How it makes me feel as a longtime LGBTQ advocate – it thrills me. I feel as though my life and my service and my work have all come together in one place, so it makes me feel fantastic. Even though I hear

JUDITH LIGHT, STAR OF AMAZON’S TRANSPARENCY. PHOTOS BY LUKE FONTANA

The Transparent glow of Judith Light from people who say, “Why would you do this?” or, “This is weird,” the value of it far outweighs those people who have problems.

What is the negativity you’re referring to?

There are those voices out there on social media that say, “This is so weird” — they aren’t talking about the show; they’re talking about the transgender community. I say that this is an issue in our world, and what you started off talking about – the love and the caring and the compassion and the concern — I think that’s what we all need to be giving each other. Life is difficult enough without us being denigrating to anyone in the world.

Let people live their truth. Let them be. It’s a message this show supports.

Did you think the show would be given the warm welcome it’s been given before it aired?

No. We literally had no idea. We hoped that it would be something that people would support, that people would love. This is (show creator) Jill Soloway’s parent. It’s her story.

So we all hoped, but we didn’t know.

We weren’t sure. We just knew that all of us – Jill, the writers and the whole entire team; I’m talking about Amazon and everyone else – hoped that it would be something that would educate and elevate the culture, but we didn’t know. We didn’t have any idea.

Then when the success happened, we were all so grateful for it that we had to make sure when we came back for the second season that we were as responsible as we could possibly be. Lives are at stake. And there are people who are still being thrown out of their homes, and hate crimes are perpetrated against them and they’re fired from their jobs because they’re transgender.

How has that message been transformative for you?

This is something that I have looked toward for such a long time. It was the LGBTQ community that inspired me to be the kind of person I wanted to be. I wanted to be authentic and courageous, and for so long I wasn’t.

When I began doing a lot of advoca-

cy work in the early ’80s for HIV and AIDS, I saw the community and the way the community was operating against all odds, against a world and a culture and country that gave them nothing and denigrated them. It was unconstitutional behavior toward the community, and this community just rose up and said, “We will create places to take our friends who are sick, we will do their funerals, we will take them to the hospital, we will change their IVs and their bedpans, and we will learn.” And the lesbians came in and said, “Gay men, you are our brothers and we will take care of you,” and the drag queens and the bisexual community and the transgender community – everybody pulled together. I looked at this community and said, “This is breathtaking. This is the kind of world and people I want to be around. These are the kind of people I want to be working with.”

I said, “We have to tell the truth about what’s really going on here.”

JUDITH LIGHT continued on p. 15

12.18.2015 JUDITH LIGHT continued from p. 14

My friends and the community were dying in droves and two presidents wouldn’t even say the word “AIDS.” It was reprehensible to me. It was the opposite of the way you started this interview. It was the lack of compassion, the lack of humanity and the pretending that this was something else that it wasn’t. It was sheer unadulterated homophobia and I couldn’t … I didn’t… I wanted to be like the community.

You know, we’ve always considered you to be family.

Thank you and I appreciate that, and that’s why when I get to do a show like Transparent I get to talk about this with you. We get to talk in a much more powerful, prominent way about the transgender community, which has been too long in the shadows, and it’s time. It’s really time.

When it comes to transgender issues, this show has hit the zeitgeist.

My manager of 35 years calls it “divine choreography.” He coined that phrase. He said there are things in life that are divine choreography, and it’s not just cosmic, it’s not just coinci-

INSURANCE continued from p. 13

But even at Death’s Door, Holly’s spirit never wavered. As writer, producer and close friend Gabriel Rotello described it “In the last several months I had really lucid conversations with Holly. She would regale me with fascinating stories about her life.

“You know,” Rotello continued,” She was seen as going from New York to Los Angeles and staying there. But there was a period in the late 1980’s when she was back in New York and was a very important part of the club scene.

At the ‘Limelight’ Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman created a mini-musical parody for her “The Sound of Muzak” – in which she played “Maria.” This was a continuation of the sort of thing she’d done years before in her nightclub act at “Reno Sweeney’s.” All sorts of people came to see her nightclub shows. Liza Minnelli loved her. Ethel Merman was there one night cheering her on.

Holly always had this amazing way of truly charming people wherever she was. When she was put into the ‘Sharon Care’ nursing home I visited her and all the old ladies who were in there couldn’t get enough of her.”

Few could.

As she was heading for her final curtain “downtown” luminaries like Penny Arcade and Constance Cooper with Robert Starr and Elda Stiletto created a “Go Fund Me” campaign to take care of all expenses. It was successful and any remaining funds are

LOS ANGELES dence, it’s not just serendipity. There is something that is happening and it’s really important, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

Looking back at your career from One Life to Live on through Transparent, what does the gay community tend to recognize you most for?

It’s everything. It’s generational actually. It starts with One Life to Live and then it literally goes to Who’s the Boss? and then after that it’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Ugly Betty, but there’s always something that’s particularly generational about who it is talking to me that they remember me for. So that’s what’s so interesting. I mean, I’ve been around a long time! So, it’s generational, and so everything is different for every person. I find it very interesting, and I love it. Other people only remember me from coming back to Broadway in the last five years, so there’s that.

I know you have a show to get to, but it’s been a delight. Such a pleasure.

Thank you, Judith.

Of course. Thank you for wanting to talk. I really appreciate it. And thank you for starting the interview off so beautifully.

to be were earmarked by Holly in her Last Will and Testament, says Robert Starr, her estate’s executor, to the Los Angeles LGBT Center for the creation of The Holly Woodlawn Memorial Fund benefiting transgender youth. This fund is an important and wonderful testament to Holly’s life, she felt, hoping to provide scholarships, counseling, and education for underprivileged and homeless transgender youth.

We all have our memories of Holly – both those who actually knew her and fans who because of her vivid performances on screen and stage, felt they did. I myself saw her countless times in sundry circumstances over the years both in New York and L.A. But my favorite memory of her is of a television appearance she made not long after Trash and Women in Revolt burnished her fame. It was on a late night show Geraldo Rivera presided over in New York, and the sight and sound of Holly truly discombobulated him, producing an aria of mounting frustration.

“Are you a man? Are you a woman?

Are you a woman trapped in a man’s body? Are you a man who wants to have a woman’s body? What are you?!!!” he wailed. And with perfect calm Holly sage replied “Oh what does it matter, darling? Just so long as you look fabulous” Memorial services will be held in Los Angeles where a portion of her ashes will be interred at Forever Hollywood cemetery. The remainder of her ashes will be interred in Puerto Rico in a plot next to her mother. A memorial ser-

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12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

FILM

⚫ BY JOHN PAUL KING

>

YOUTH

Mature talent gives “Youth” a deeper view life “…Sorrentino allows us to experience his characters at an empathic level, and turns what seems to be a story about the existential struggles of privileged people into a contemplation of the human

A

t this time of year movie houses are suddenly filled with films clearly intended as “award bait,” each one marketed as the next big winner in an effort to attract attention and box office dollars. Discriminating movie-goers, of course, know that most of these films are often just the usual mainstream studio fare masquerading as art films. but occasionally one can find genuinely great art.

Enter “Youth,” an English language film by Italian writer/director Paolo Sorrentino.

“Youth” boasts an impressive cast of veteran heavy-hitters, belying its title and centering on two elderly characters, Fred and Mick (played, respectively, by Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel), who are vacationing at a luxurious resort in the Swiss Alps.

Fred, a renowned conductor and composer, is faced with a hard-to-decline invitation to come out of retirement for a very special command performance, which brings up long-suppressed feelings over his absent wife; Mick, a respected film director, clings to his self-acknowledged illusions while crafting the script for his next movie, which he envisions as a definitive “testament” about the nature of life and art. Personal struggles notwithstanding, these two old friends spend their time together talking only of “good things,” and mingling with the other guests, who include (among others) a hot-shot movie star, a nowobese former soccer legend, and the newly-crowned Miss Universe. Clearly, this hotel boasts an exclusive clientele.

If the above description doesn’t read like much of a synopsis, that’s because “Youth” is not really a

plot-driven film. Sure, things happen – Fred’s daughter (Rachel Weisz) has some romantic complications; a number of background characters have their own dramatic arcs throughout – but these serve more to illuminate an ongoing meditation. Instead of rising and falling action, we are given ebbing and swelling emotion, conveyed less by what we see and hear than by what we sense. In this way, Sorrentino allows us to experience his characters at an empathic level, and turns what seems to be a story about the existential struggles of privileged people into a contemplation of the human need to connect.

This is no simple accomplishment, but Sorrentino makes it seem effortless. His movie is a study of the contrast between surfaces and what is beneath them; from beginning to end we are treated to atmospheric, richly-detailed visuals, photographed (by Luca Bigazzi) with an eye towards capturing both the idyllic settings and the subtle activity within them.

Breezes billow through canopies, steam rises from still water, sunlight pierces shadows; and populating the scene are the placid figures of the hotel’s guests, evoking speculation about the interplay of forces taking place behind their own inscrutable exteriors. The cumulative effect of this visual counterpoint is a growing awareness of the inner lives of the characters which gets its ultimate payoff in a moving finale involving a performance of one of Fred’s songs (actually a piece written by the film’s composer, David Lang) which would get my vote for the Best Song Oscar, if I had one.

Of course, it’s not all accomplished with subtle cinematic style; a great

MICHAEL CAINE AND HARVEY KEITEL

deal also depends upon the characters themselves and, therefore, upon the players who portray them. The perfect front man for all this under-the-surface exploration is Caine, who gives us yet another sublime performance; his Fred is a masterpiece of understatement, conveying monumental passions with the slightest quaver of his voice or nuance of his expression. Keitel, as Mick, provides a fitting contrast with his earthy, passionate persona, and there are equally effective contributions by Weisz and Paul Dano (as the movie star). However, it is Jane Fonda, in a brief-butshow-stealing turn as Mick’s muse and favorite actress, who makes the most spectacular impression; she explodes into the proceedings like a thunderstorm, and the effect of her performance lingers for the remainder of the film.

“Youth” is one of those movies that are hard to recommend with certainty.

Despite its familiar, English-speaking cast, it’s as European as can be; Sorrentino invokes his idol, Fellini, with situational references (there are clear parallels to “8 1/2”), stylistic homage, circus imagery, unabashed symbolism, and infusions of surrealism. In addition, with its languid pace and heavy reliance on subtext, it

often runs the risk of alienating viewers who prefer more actively engaging fare.

“Youth” is intellectually challenging, emotionally complex, and deeply resonant; if that description appeals to you, I encourage you to see it. At the very least, you will be treated to a masterful display of artistry; odds are good, though, that you will also walk out of the theater with a deeper connection to your own humanity and in today’s world, that can only be good thing.

YOUTH Writer: Paolo Sorrentino Stars: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz PLAYING: ArcLight Hollywood and Landmark Theaters, R | 124 min

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12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS continued from p. 10

to seek a religious exemption to the Title IX requirement, and they asked that the convention speak specifically to the issue,” Ferrell Foster, director of ethics and justice for the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission, said in statement at the time “The resolution approved by the Executive Board represents both the truth of the biblical testimony regarding gender and the love of Christ for all people.”

In fact, “the request to consider the resolution came from several Texas Baptist university presidents” who said they needed to apply for a Title IX exemption in order to deny accommodations for transgender students, the Convention website stated. That resolution stated “great concern with the emergence of the transgender agenda and the notion that one’s gender is determined psychologically, not biologically” and “some people today are expressing a desire to identify themselves with the gender, which differs from their biological gender… Some of these persons are seeking to function in the broader society as if they are members of the gender that differs from their biological gender.“ Responding to the Exemptions “The trend of religiously affiliated, but publicly financed, colleges receiving exemptions from the U.S. Department of Education in order to discriminate against LGBTQ students and employees is disturbing,” attorney Paul Southwick, who has represented students expelled for being LGBT, told The Column. “While we are seeing increased protections for transgender, intersex and LGB students through Title IX, we are also seeing the protections of Title IX gutted at the very institutions where students need those

protections the most.”

Southwick has some advice for students who find themselves disciplined or expelled from any college or university simply because of their LGBT identity: “Students should file an internal appeal of any decision to expel, suspend or discipline them,” he said. Most institutions have an appeal process.

Southwick advises students to hire a lawyer for assistance with appeals.

“Additionally, students should file a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. Southwick said. “This is important and should always be done.

Even if their college has a religious exemption from Title IX, the exemption may not apply or it may not stick after being challenged.”

He also suggests that students file a complaint with accreditation institutions, and to check state and local nondiscrimination laws.

Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride, an organization that works with students and schools to create more LGBT -inclusive campuses, said that “anti-LGBTQ religion-based bigotry and intolerance is not a Christian teaching or belief.”

Windmeyer says of the nearly $130 million in annual taxpayer funds flowing to these schools through grants and student aid, that the money should come with strings attached.

“If a college receives public funding, it should have to follow public laws,” he said. “The government would be perfectly within its rights to make taxpayer funded aid to these colleges contingent on compliance with generally applicable nondiscrimination laws.”

He added, “If a college wished to continue discriminating against LGBTQ students and employees, it could do so on its own dime.”

THEPRIDELA.COM

12.18.2015 FILM REVIEW HATEFUL EIGHT

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LOS ANGELES

MOVIE PICK

⚫ 19

⚫ BY STEVEN ERICKSON

Is the time right for “Hateful Eight”

QUENTIN TARANTINO’S ‘HATEFUL EIGHT’ 70MM ROADSHOW, COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

hen the Fraternal Union of Police spokesman accused Quentin Tarantino of hypocrisy for making violent films while denouncing r eal-life police brutality, he didn’t simply show an inability to tell the difference between reality and fiction. He suggested that he wasn’t paying close attention to Tarantino’s recent films.

As with earlier works like “Reser voir Dogs,” Tarantino veered between playing violence for comedy and offering a relatively realistic treatment of what it’s like to be shot in the gut. In “Death Proof,” “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained,” the director depicted violence as a means for oppressed people – women viewed as prey by a misogynist serial killer, Jews during World War II, African-American slaves - to punch up.

If these films glorify violence, they do so under very limited circumstances.

“The Hateful Eight” is being presented in big cities in 70mm, with an inter mission dividing its seven “chapters” in two. It’s set a few years after the Civil War, in Wyoming as a blizzard approaches. Bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his captive Daisy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) are traveling in a stagecoach towards the town of Red Rock. There,

John intends to hang her. They are stopped by former Union soldier Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), who claims to be the new sheriff of Red Rock. They find shelter from the storm at a small inn called Minnie’s Habderdashery, but Minnie and her family are nowhere to be seen.

Tarantino’s films, with the exception of the relatively blood-free “Jackie Brown,” have always offered a combination of extreme talk and extreme violence. This combination, as well as the fact that his dialogue is filled with profanity and slurs, seems to make them go down easy with mainstream American audiences, despite the fact that Tarantino cites wordy French New Wave director Eric Rohmer as an influence. His use of the N word reaches new heights in “The Hateful Eight,” although it’s arguably historically justifiable for these particular characters in the 1860s, and his characters say “bitch” more often than Dr. Dre as well.

The most sympathetic character in “The Hateful Eight” is a black man who forces a white man to give him head. T arantino takes racist fantasies, like the violent slave revolt of “Django Unchained,” and flips them around with empathy for Afri-

can-Americans. The final “chapter” of “The Hateful Eight” is called “Black Man, White Hell.” It sounds like one of the pulp crime novels of Donald Goines or Iceberg Slim, and I’m sure the resemblance is deliberate.

Strangely, Tarantino has yet to create a gay character, but he’s repeatedly depicted male-on-male rape. His much-remarked foot fetish makes its presence felt in “The Hateful Eight” as well.

At first, Daisy seems like an utterly demeaning role for Leigh to take. She shined in films like Ulu Grosbard’s “Georgia” and David Cronenberg’s “eXistenZ,” but after tur ning 40, roles dried up for the actress. John uses her as a human punching bag in the opening scenes. Yet the character has a startling resilience and inner strength. If she gets abused by men, she’s capable of scheming to mur der them in turn. She survives longer than some of her tormentors. She even gets to sing a song about her travails. It’s no slight to the male cast members to say that Leigh gives the film’s most memorable performance.

Much of the violence in “The Hateful Eight” resembles a splatter film like Sam Raimi’s “The Evil Dead.” By the second half, the floor of the cabin is littered with bodies and blood.

Tarantino obviously gets a kick out of showing men vomit huge quantities of blood or blowing someone’s brains out suddenly. Yet he shows

RUBIO continued from p. 8

specific, traditional, and age-old institution. If you want to change it, you have a right to petition your state legislature and your elected representatives to do it,” he said.

Never mind the hideousness of putting the rights of minorities up for a vote by the majority. If you look at history you’ll see benevolent state legislatures helping vulnerable mi-

norities all over the place. Ha ha. Just kidding. It’s the opposite of that.

Of course, Rubio doesn’t see LGBT people as a minority group deserving of equality. He doesn’t seem to see LGBT people as people at all.

“I don’t believe any case law is settled law,” Rubio continued. “Any future Supreme Court can change it.

And ultimately, I will appoint Su-

W

tion, but Rubio seems to be ignoring the fact that any amendments have ever been made. The right for women to vote, for example, is number 19.

But don’t worry, because Rubio says, “It’s not about discrimination.”

“It is about the definition of a very

the consequences of violence as well.

When characters who’ve been shot in the leg try to walk around, the film emphasizes their pain. Ther e ar e long, unpleasant close-ups of Daisy covered in splattered brain matter; the initial shooting that sprayed her with this material may be played as a joke, but the aftermath isn’t.

If Tarantino’s work has been growing more political, “The Hateful Eight” is a small step backwards.

While an ending revolving around a forged letter from Abraham Lincoln could hardly be called entirely apolitical, the film engages with the Civil War and racism without the urgency of “Django Unchained.” It delivers a view of American history as a bloodbath without redemption or hope, to be true, but it never gets nearly as disturbing as his previous depictions of slavery . It’s missing the sense of horror at gun violence per meating American life now, and best expr essed cinematically in Spike Lee’s “Chi-raq.” Still, it’s hardly a thoughtless thrill ride.

preme Court justices that will interpret the Constitution as originally constructed.”

In other words, he wants to fill the bench with right-wing ideologues who will be making law long after Rubio leaves office. Which is why it’s so important that he — or his GOP opponents — never get elected in the first place.

HATEFUL EIGHT Director: Quentin Tarantino Writer: Quentin Tarantino Stars: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Channing Tatum, Samuel L. Jackson PLAYING: ArcLight Hollywood and Landmark Theaters, R | 168 min

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12.18.2015

LOS ANGELES

20

“A CINEMATIC LANDMARK.” PETER DEBRUGE, VARIETY

“A BEAUTIFUL AND POIGNANT LOVE STORY THAT TRANSCENDS STEREOTYPES OF GENDER, SEXUALITY AND ROMANCE.” ERIN WHITNEY, HUFFINGTON POST

“YOU CAN’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF EDDIE REDMAYNE WHO IS FLAT-OUT FABULOUS. Tom Hooper has crafted a work of probing intelligence and passionate heart.”

PETER TRAVERS, ROLLING STONE

THE DANISH GIRL - Final THE PRIDE LA 10" X 11.7" 4C