PRIDE L.A. 9.7.18

09.07 – 09.20.2018 ISSUE NUMBER 49, VOLUME 2

LOS ANGELES

| SEPT. 7 – SEPT. 20, ‘18

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JUST PRAY THE GAY AWAY?

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God believes members of the LGBTQ+ community may be possessed by demons – And the pastors are here to exorcise them.

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09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

2

What is BIKTARVY®?

BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults.

It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about BIKTARVY? BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects: } Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking BIKTARVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

Who should not take BIKTARVY? Do not take BIKTARVY if you take: } dofetilide } rifampin } any other medicines to treat HIV-1

What are the other possible side effects of BIKTARVY? Serious side effects of BIKTARVY may also include: } Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY. } Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY. } Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. } Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%). Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking BIKTARVY? } All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. } All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements. BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all of your other medicines. } If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby.

Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY. } If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

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

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the following page.

BVYC0048_BFTAF_B_10x11-7_ThePrideLA_KeepPushing1_r1v1jl.indd 1-2

09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

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Get HIV support by downloading a free app at MyDailyCharge.com

KEEP PUSHING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY is a 1-pill, once-a-day complete HIV-1 treatment for adults who are either new to treatment or whose healthcare provider determines they can replace their current HIV-1 medicines with BIKTARVY.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

BIKTARVY.COM

8/24/18 12:17 PM

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09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

IMPORTANT FACTS

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(bik-TAR-vee) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

BIKTARVY can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.

• Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

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

• The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%).

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

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: • dofetilide • rifampin • any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider all your medical conditions, including if you: • Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

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

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

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

• Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5.

• If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP PUSHING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

Version date: February 2018 © 2018 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0048 07/18

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8/24/18 12:17 PM

09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

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> JUST PRAY THE GAY AWAY? NEWS

RELIGION

FROM THE COVER

` ⚫ BY JORGE PANIAGUA

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God marginalizes the LGBTQ+ community by claiming that an Afro-Brazilian spirit possesses Queeridentifying people.

Religious clerics who are part of The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God believe members of the LGBTQ+ community may be possessed by either a demon or, worse, a legion of demons.

If you are a homosexual, or bisexual member of the community, the church’s clergymen have a name for the specific demon possessing you — the Pomba Gira, a female-devil spirit, whose roots lie in Afro-Brazilian culture, popular amongst practitioners of a syncretic religion named, “Quimbanda.” Sound confusing? For newcomers, a Friday night service at this neo-pentecostal congregation may be exactly that.

Pastor Bruno, a religious leader at one of the church’s Downtown Los Angeles locations, said that God didn’t make man for another man. “He made man for woman.” He added that homosexuality is a “desire” — one that does not align with what’s written in the Christian Bible.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God was founded in Rio de Janeiro,in 1977 by Bishop Edir Macedo (on whom the movie “Nothing to Lose” on Netflix is based). The Church has grown to be one of Brazil’s most lucrative neo-pentecostal church franchises.The church’s founder, who is also an author and television personality, has an estimated net worth of $950 million, as reported by a 2013 Forbes article.

Far from a single, neighborhood church, The Universal Church has hundreds of locations across the world. In California alone, there are 79 of these churches, 28 in Los Angeles County. Each one of these locations holds a weekly Friday service focusing on the expulsion of demons, or dark spirits, from the lives of attendees, including those “possessing” members of the LGBTQ+ community.

At this ritualistic service of so-called “deliverance,” pastors and religious clerics rally up church members to the front of the church and attempt to perform a mass exorcism on the congregation.

A usual Friday service begins with a pastor (in this case, Pastor Bruno of Downtown Los Angeles) walking through a crowd of church members shouting through his microphone for

Photo: Netflix.

A screenshot from “Nothing to Lose,” a biographical drama following the rise of Church of the Kingdom of God founder, Edir Macedo.

Photo: Facebook.

A view from inside one of the 28 Los Angeles County Universal Church of the Kingdom of God chapters.

the demons, which he is convinced are possessing people, to surface.

He begins praying over certain people — but this prayer is far from orthodox. He, for example, shouts through his microphone while intensely gripping over a woman’s head, “Manifest! Come on! Manifest now!” The woman becomes noticeably agitated by the pastor’s harsh approach to praying for her. She begins shaking her head fervently — almost as if she’s attempting to shake off the pastor’s hand gripping over her.

A few moments after the pastor initially began praying over the woman, the church-goer begins convulsing and shouting herself. The pastor has successfully made the alleged demon within her emerge. The woman, now in a trance-like, exorcised state, begins to wrestle with the pastor. He refuses to let go and continues shouting through the microphone, “The boss! I want the boss to manifest!” Pastor Bruno aims to exorcise the “boss” demon within the woman. In the same prayer he shouts that the curse she inherited from her mother or grandmother. “Come on!

The spirit attempting to lure her away from this church,” he addresses the alleged demon. The exorcised woman continues struggling against the religious cleric.

According to Pastor Bruno, there are some people who are victims of spiritual possession as a result of an ancestral curse. A curse, the pastor is convinced, is acquired from one of their parents.

“It’s a curse from a pombagira,” Pastor Bruno said.

An interview between the pastor and demon – through the woman – ensues after the demon’s supposed initial manifestation. The pastor ques-

tions the demon for the entire congregation to hear. Church attendees await for this paranormal conversation in silence.

The pastor asks the woman in an exorcised state whether people’s souls goes to the cemetary with the bosy once someone dies. “No,” the demon responds. The woman’s voice sounds like her own — only deeper and more aggravated.

“Then, where does the soul go?” asks the pastor. “Either, heaven or hell,” asserts the demon in a ill-tempered tone of voice. Many members of the congregation — those who were not exorcised — seem clearly startled by the exchange between the two.

Although some churches sternly oppose homosexuality, many religious leaders apart of The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God believe that a member of the LGBTQ community is possessed by a demonic entity.

Pastor Bruno’s interpretation of homosexuality aligns with the ideology of the Universal Church’s founder, Bishop Edir Macedo. In a book, written by Bishop Macedo named “The Secrets of the Occult,” Macedo writes, “Prostitutes, homosexuals and bisexuals are always possessed by pombagiras (maria-mulambo, cigana, etc.).”

According to a website, run by self-proclaimed witches, named “Tribe of the Sun,” this spirit is also associated with “bars, especially strip bars, brothels, sex clubs and dungeons, and cemeteries.” As result of the spirit’s alleged ability to manifest in multiple forms, Pomba Gira is often referred to in the plural form, pomba giras.

When asked if the Pomba Gira possesses homosexuals, pastor Bruno confidently stated,“Yes.”

The clergyman is convinced that the only way to remove this demon is by “looking for God” at The Universal Church. He firmly believes that homosexuals must be liberated from this spirit through the ritualistic services provided at the church on Friday evenings.

Yet, Pastor Nathan, a different clergyman at one of the Church’s Long Beach locations, seemed hesitant to label homosexuals as being possessed by an Afro-Brazilian spirit. He, himself, a Brazilian national, believes that members of the LGBT community have the ability to become heterosexuals if they simply “change” their minds. Furthermore, he added that God cannot bless an LGBTQ person’s life if they don’t follow God’s “word.”

“Your life changes when your mind changes,” Pastor Nathan believes. The clergyman said that all people, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, are welcome to attend the church’s daily services. However, he added that although they may see some blessings as a result of attending the church, they would never entirely be blessed by God as long as they continue being LGBTQ+ people.

As detailed by the Universal Church’s website, the congregation provides what they consider “spiritual help” for its members who may be afflicted by “negativity, anger, constant fear, inability to rest, self-harm tendencies, lack of motivation for life, suicidal thoughts.”

The church draws an abundant amount of inspiration from Brazilian folklore and culture — this inspiration often intertwines with the church’s overall ideology. One of The Universal Church’s main focus is to liberate people from curses and demons drawn in by occult practices.

The church’s founder has seen significant financial profit from this focus on “deliverance” from evil.

Editor’s Note, Pastor Nathan and Pastor Bruno agreed to be interviewed for this article under the stipulation that absolutely no audio, video-recording, note-taking or photography would be permitted. The information documented in this article is from the writer’s first-hand experience attending a Friday exorcism and talking with the pastors of The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.”

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09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES NEWS

POLITICS

>

GROUNDBREAKING

⚫ BY AMY PATTON

Photo: Courtesy.

Senator Scott Wiener, the author of SCR110, testifying before the California Senate Judiciary Committee in May.

CA Passes Resolution for Intersex Rights

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California is the first state as of last week to pass legislature that supports the autonomy of intersex people and their right to decide about cosmetic surgical alteration.

“SCR110 signals the state’s respect for people born with variations in their sex characteristics,” Kyle Knight, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said. “This resolution calls on medical professional associations to honestly examine medical evidence and ethics and develop care standards that treat intersex people with the same respect as other patients.”

The definition of intersex people are those born with sex characteristics (including chromosomes, gonads, genitals, reproductive organs and hormonal levels) that do not fit the typical definition of male or female, according to the Human Rights Campaign website. It is an umbrella term that covers numerous different biological variations. Being intersex is about sex characteristics, rather than sexual orientation or gender identity. Note, intersex is what the “I” in LGBTQIA stands for.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 110 (SCR110) was introduced by Senator Scott Wiener and co-sponsored by interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth and Equality California. It is the first successful move by any state legislature in the United States to call on the medical community to establish standards of care for intersex children that take into account their human rights.The resolution urges health professionals to foster the well-being of children born with variations of sex characteristics, and the adults

they will become, with individualized, multidisciplinary care that respects patients’ rights to participate in decisions, defers medical or surgical intervention until the child is able to participate in decision making and promotes patient and family well-being.

Nearly 2 percent of babies are born with atypical chromosomes, gonads or internal/ external sex organs. Most are born perfectly healthy. Since the 1960s, doctors in the U.S. and elsewhere have routinely performed surgery to “normalize” their bodies, well before they are old enough to decide for themselves whether they want these procedures.

Certain surgery on some children with intersex traits is medically necessary, such as when urine cannot exit the body. But some surgeons perform risky cosmetic surgery on intersex children, such as clitoral reduction procedures or vaginoplasties, claiming – without evidence – that the procedure will help the child fit into society. Medically unnecessary surgery on intersex children has been condemned by the World Health Organization, three former US Surgeons-General, Physicians for Human Rights, the AIS-DSD Support Group, Amnesty International, United Nations experts, Lambda Legal, the ACLU, two pediatrics professional bodies and intersex-led organizations worldwide.

“California’s leadership on the protection of intersex children’s rights is not only an expression of solidarity and dignity, but a reminder that doctors take an oath to do no harm,” Knight said. “Medical professional associations should draw a hard line saying that unless surgery is medically necessary, intersex children have the right to grow up and participate in the decision to undergo surgical procedures.”

09.07 – 09.20.2018 NEWS

CALIFORNIA LAW

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LOS ANGELES

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CONVERSION THERAPY

` ⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

Ban on Gay Conversion Therapy Shelved Conservative critics said that the bill would target their religious freedoms.

The California Assembly Bill that would ban the practice of gay conversion therapy has been shelved for further evaluation.

Assemblymember Evan Low (D-San Jose), the bill’s sponsor and author, pulled AB 2943 before the Assembly could officially send it to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk for final approval last week.

After meeting with conservative critics across the state, Low said in a statement that he came to a greater understanding of why some pastors and faith-based counselors feared the legislation. Opponents of AB 2943 claimed that it would impede on their right to free speech, as reported by INTO. President of the California Family Council Jonathan Keller said in a statement that the Christian organization that mobilized against the bill is grateful to Low for meeting with faith leaders to hear their concerns.

“AB 2943 would have tragically limited our ability to offer compassionate support related to sexual orientation and gender identity, and even to preach Jesus’ message of unconditional love and life transformation,” Keller said.

The bill classifies gay conversion therapy, or the attempt to change a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation in exchange for payment, as a fraudulent practice.

Low is still positive about the bill moving forward.

“A number of religious leaders denounced conversion therapy and recognized how harmful the practice is while acknowledging it has been discredited by the medical and psychological communities,” Low said in a press release.

He said that authoring the bill was one of the most personal decisions he has made since entering office.

“As an elected official, I made decisions that discriminated against my very existence in order to support the broader community I represented,” Low said in the press release.

“I officiated at weddings but, at the time, I could not legally have one of my own. I host-

Wellness and serenity for the body, mind, and spirit.

ed blood drives but I was prohibited from participating due to the FDA’s discriminatory ban on gay blood donors. I hosted Boy Scouts earning merit badges but as a child I was never able to earn my own.”

Low continued by stating that coming out for him was not an easy process and that he was grateful for a supportive community.

“Many fellow members of the LGBT com-

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munity are not as fortunate and do not have the support I did and have been subjected to the harmful and fraudulent practice of conversion therapy.”

Low said that he authored the bill to help those who may be decieved by these practices.

CONVERSION, see page 17

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09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

8

NEWS

GOVERNMENT

` ⚫ BY AMY PATTON

>

RESPECTING MY IDENTITY Data reported by Human Rights Campaign. infographic by Amy Patton.

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California Documentation to Match Gender Identity

Promoting safety and acceptance, two laws that allow Californians to legally change their gender on IDs and birth certificates and simplify the process went into effect this month.

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), authored Senate Bill 179, the Gender Recognition Act, and Senate Bill 310, the Name and Gender Act last year. Now, as they go into effect, he encourages residents to visit the California Courts’ online help center for assistance with the new streamlined procedures.

“Mindful of all the people I know who are gender-nonconforming, and the families I know with transgender children, I wanted to make sure that California continued to be a leader in gender-identity equality,” Atkins said. “For the individuals who want this, this is really about them being able to be recognized for who they are by their friends, their neighbors, and their government even.”

More than just recognition, the passing of these laws promote safety for gender-nonconforming individuals.

“Having appropriate ID is an issue of public safety for many trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people, who may be subject to discrimination, harassment and even violence when they’re forced to carry inaccurate or mismatched documents,” Kris Ha-

yashi, executive director of Transgender Law Center, said.

AB 179 simplifies the process for transgender, nonbinary and intersex people to obtain a gender or conforming name change on state-issued identity documents.

“When Governor Brown told me he had signed SB 179, it was one of the proudest moments of my career,” Atkins said as reported

by MSNBC. “Mindful of all the people I know who are gender-nonconforming, and the families I know with transgender children, I wanted to make sure that California continued to be a leader in gender-identity equality. I am thrilled to see SB 179 and SB 310 implemented and grateful to our courts for their work to ensure a streamlined application process.”

Under the simplified processes SB 310 creates, people may change their gender markers to nonbinary (in addition to male or female) on state-issued identity documents by petitioning a gender and/or conforming name change through a judicial process or by revising their birth records.

“The new law also removes costly and outdated barriers to updated IDs and birth certificates that fell disproportionately on incarcerated trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people and those without access to affirming healthcare,” Hayashi said.

09.07 – 09.20.2018 COMMUNITY HEALTH

` ⚫ BY AMY PATTON

>

LOS ANGELES

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CELEBRATING SEX

World Sexual Health Day Here for LGBTQ+ Community Even when it seems like the rest of the world is not.

Sexual health and access to necessary medical help and information has been an ongoing battle in the forefront of LGBTQ+ rights.

Tuesday, Sept. 4 was World Sexual Health Day, an awareness day that promotes global advocacy to promote the best practices in sexual health, according to the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) website.

Yet, only a day prior to the celebration of seuality and inclusivity, two women in Malaysia that were publicly caned and fined for being found guilty for attempting gay sex in a car this previous spring. World Sexual Health Day is an attempt to ensure equal sexual rights globally across the board.

Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being related to sexuality, not just the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity, the WAS website states. It requires a “positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships,” as well as the possibility of experi-

encing pleasure, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. Here are the 16 WAS rights to Sexual Health: 1. The right to equality and nondiscrimination 2. The right to life, liberty, and security of the person 3. The right to autonomy and bodily integrity 4. The right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

5. The right to be free from all forms of violence and coercion 6. The right to privacy 7. The right to the highest attainable standard of health, including sexual health; with the possibility of pleasurable, satisfying, and safe sexual experiences 8. The right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its application 9. The right to information 10. The right to education and the right to comprehensive sexuality education

Image: World Association for Sexual Health.

11. The right to enter, form, and dissolve marriage and other similar types of relationships based on equality and full and free consent 12. The right to decide whether to have children, the number and spacing of children, and to have the information and the means to do so 13. The right to the freedom of thought, opinion, and expression 14. The right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly 15. The right to participation in public and political life 16. The right to access to justice, remedies, and redress

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of World Sexual Health Day, WAS promotes sexual health and rights as fundamental for all.

Recent advancements in LGBTQ+ sexual health rights include the signing of Assembly Bill 2719, which made access to health care easier for LGBTQ+ seniors.

“It’s incredibly important that we ensure LGBTQ older adults have access to the services and support they need to maintain their health and live their lives with dignity,” Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur said in a statement. “We’re deeply grateful to Gov. Brown for signing AB 2719 and to Assemblymember Irwin for being such a strong champion for our LGBTQ elders.”

Other state-wide advancements are in the classroom, as more health classes begin to teach more LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculums. The Los Angeles Unified School District implemented the Rodriguez Resolution for the new school year, which promotes the following:

• Recognize October as LGBTQ+ History Month • Mandate a high school textbook adoption committee to work with the Division of Instruction to include students as part of the committee • Increase LGBTQ+ competency training for educators, staff, administrators and parents • Add a platform to achieve.lausd.net that shares LGBTQ+ information and resources.

• Conduct an analysis of single user, all gender bathrooms to find out whether they are compliant with State Law AB1732 Even literature is becoming more inclusive of the queer community. August McLaughlin’s “Girl Boner” has an informative chapter explaining that sexuality should and must be inclusive of the trans, genderqueer, non-binary and otherwise non-cisgendered community.

But as California advances, the country warily looks to the Federal Administration, particularly President Donald Trump’s most recent selection, Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court.

“If confirmed, Brett Kavanaugh will have a chance to ensconce President Trump & Vice President Pence’s hate-fueled anti-LGBTQ agenda on the nation’s top court for decades to come,” Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO of GLAAD said in a press release on Wednesday. “In a nation that has only forged forward in our affirmation of rights for women, LGBTQ people, immigrants & all vulnerable people, Kavanaugh’s confirmation threatens our progress, as well as our deepest & most closely held American values.”

⚫ 10

COMMUNITY LONG BEACH

` ⚫ BY AMY PATTON

09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

>

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

Grace Industries Deserve Our Pink Dollars

Headquartered in the old customs building in the Port of Long Beach, small business Grace Industries, LLC is doing big things for the LGBTQ+ economy.

A licensed Truckload Brokerage and Logistics Support Organization, Grace Industries began five years ago after co-founder Christie Maier got tired of the lack of LGBTQ+ and female representation in the industry.

The Pride L.A. talked with Christie and her wife and fellow Grace Industries co-owner, Mechelle, about how their Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce-certified business came to be.

The Pride L.A.: Tell me about Grace Industries. How would you describe the company?

Mechelle: Grace Industries LLC is a Licensed Truckload Brokerage and Logistics Support Organization. Our Transportation Brokerage service focuses on supporting the construction industry while our Logistics Support services focus on warehousing, kitting and value-added services (specialty labeling, price ticketing, etc). We are experts at transporting large, heavy, over dimension materials across the United States. We are a certified LGBT, Woman Owned, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE-CUPC LA Metro) and Certified as a LGBT and WBE for the California Public Utilities commission.

While our corporate offices are located in Long Beach California, we provide transportation and logistics services across the U.S. The Pride L.A.: How did Grace Industries begin?

Christie: After spending 25+ years being responsible for large scale, multi-facility logistics, transportation and manufacturing organizations, I realized that I can count on one hand how many LGBT and woman owners I had encountered during my career path. I wanted to work to fill that gap, so in 2013 we opened Grace Industries ,LLC. Both my wife and I knew we could leverage our experience and contacts into a solid business plan that

ment staff in certain industries understand what we do. We are not asset based, we are a broker who secures transportation or logistics capacity for a project. In our first year, we learned that many of the Fortune 100 companies will not work with us because we are not asset based. As a result, we changed our strategy. We began to focus on potential clients that would need to leverage our certificates to support their diversity commitments and who understood that the scope of work required more than just one carrier or fulfilment facility to complete the project.

Photo: Grace Industries.

Christie and Mechelle Maier at the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Las Vegas.

would result in some initial contracts. During my wife’s career path, she had been a Vice President for various financial institutions.

In our first year, we worked with some large companies executing small projects. After the first year of operations, I realized that the construction industry is absolutely fascinating. It was something about the large scale, engineering marvels that compelled me to find a way to become involved in their construction. As a result, we began to focus our energy around providing transportation for construction projects. While we only provide transportation for these projects, we are still a vital part of the projects transition from concept into a reality.

The Pride L.A.: What is it like working in a largely male-dominated industry?

Christie: The industry itself has come a long way. 25 years ago, it was very misogynistic and homophobic; a woman would have to work much harder than male peers for recog-

nition or promotion. Honestly, I did not even come out at work until 10 years ago when my wife and I decided to get married. Now, the world is not quite the same. Perhaps it’s the certifications talking, but it’s now more about capability and performance. You either have the past performance or capability to execute the scope or work or you don’t. Performance and money, talk. That’s not to say that there are not still instances of misogyny and homophobia, there are. It just comes up less often. We are fortunate to be based out of Long Beach where we are among some of the more open-minded companies.

The Pride L.A.: What makes Grace Industries special or stand out?

Mechelle: We pride ourselves on our customer service and capability to perform to the scope of work. We compete on price and win on service. Grace Industries is strategically aligned with some of the largest transportation and logistics networks across the globe.

The Pride L.A.: Who is your clientele/what are they like?

Christie: We have clients in the technology sector, the motion picture sector, the education sector and construction sector. Many of our customers need logistics support services, transportation brokerage services or consulting services. We do have some clients who need recycling services (performed under our DBA Evergreen Recycling Services).

The Pride L.A.: What are some struggles Grace Industries has overcome?

Christie: One of the largest struggles we have had to overcome is helping procure-

The Pride L.A.: What are some recent victories/exciting news?

Christie: In March of this year we were awarded a kitting and fulfillment contract from Sony Pictures Entertainment. In July of this year we were awarded a significant transportation brokerage contract from Turner/AEcom.

The Pride L.A.: What do you want the LGBT community to know about you, Grace Industries or owning a business in general?

Christie: Grace Industries LLC is owned

by Christie and Mechelle Maier, proud parents of two small children. We are very active in the Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and in our Community.

Mechelle runs a LGBT parenting group called “Families like Us” focused on bringing together LGBT families.

Grace industries LLC is a LGBT family-owned business that we hope to pass on to our children one day.

We have invested a large amount of resources in attaining and maintaining certifications for our organization. Our perspective is that this gives us a seat at the table, a table we may not have otherwise been invited to had it not been for the diversity certifications. Attaining these certifications doesn’t mean that we receive automatic contract awards, preferential treatment or any other competitive advantage.

Regardless of what business you decide to start, certifications or not, everything is about relationship building. A conversation at a networking event will not always lead to a contract. There are times when we have spent years talking to a potential client before we finally landed the client. That happens, do not let it discourage you. Join your local gay and lesbian chamber of commerce, attend networking events or conferences relative to your business and build relationships.

The business will eventually come, it just may take some persistence and patience.

For more information on Grace Industries, LLC, visit www.gi-ca.com/index.html or call 1-(866) 468-5889.

09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 11

Apartments.com Opens Santa Monica Retail Location

Helping you navigate the Westside rental market.

By Sam Catanzaro

When Westside Rentals was acquired by Apartments.com earlier this year, there was some concern that the help landlords and renters had come to rely on would no longer be available in person. With the recent opening of the Apartments.com retail store, however, not only is this help still available but is available for free for users of Apartments.com “This is the first retail store for Apartments. com so this is very, very new. There are not any other e-commerce stores doing this,” said Retail Store Manager Keryssa Robinson.

“Everything we do is online. We are here just to have that additional support and face-toface consumer representation of experts in our store.”

Located in the same building that was home to Westside Rentals, the Apartments.com retail location is a place where small-scale property managers, landlords and renters can get support in navigating the rental market in Santa Monica. With comfortable chairs, coffee and refreshments, this modern retail location allows users of Apartments.com to post listings or find a place to live on the Westside on Apartments.com with the advice of seasoned professionals.

Aided by a touchscreen TV computer and state-of-the-art LED monitor walls, store as-

The Apartments.com retail location is located in the same building the used to house Westside Rentals.

Photos: Courtesy.

With state of the art LED walls and a comfortable modern setting, the Apartments.com retail store makes navigating the Westside renal market easier.

sociates provide renters and landlords with assistance to help narrow their choices with a variety of features available on Apartments.com, including 3D tours and neighborhood advice.

“Our store is once again transforming the rental experience for the local community by providing premier rental resources and a location with experts available to help renters navigate the entire apartment search process,” said Fred Saint, President of Apartments.com.

Many of the on-site staff have years of experience working for Westside Rentals and their knowledge of the Santa Monica rental market is an invaluable resource for all users

of Apartments.com.

“This team is made of experts,” Robinson said. “Most individuals on the team had 5-10 years of experience with Westside Rentals before the acquisition, so they are extremely experienced and aware of the wants and needs of local landlords and renters.”

Many potential renters come in having no idea if they can find a place to live in Santa Monica within their price point. The staff at the Apartments.com retail store can tell these home hunters if something may be available and can call landlords on behalf of these renters. Likewise, with property managers and

landlords, the Apartments.com staff can help get their listings on the site and connect them with potential renters.

“We have access to the renter trends, what they are looking for and what they need,” Robinson said. “We can help connect the dots of understanding the market.”

In a time when everything is done online and on smartphones, Robinson says that people appreciate the type of in-person help the Aparments.com retail store provides, especially when it comes to such an important decision like renting a new home.

“At the end of the day a lot of people just want that unique experience, especially if they are trying to find a rental home and they have had trouble looking online,” Robinson said.

The Apartments.com retail store is located at 1020 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica.

The hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is open to renters and landlords alike to walk in, with or without an appointment.

We can also help you with your immigration cases including EB1, EB2, NIW, EB and O1 Visas

WEST HOLLYWOOD LOCATION

⚫

LOS ANGELES

12

CULTURE HISTORY

>

09.07 – 09.20.2018

GAY LA

` ⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

Of Long Beach Raids and Address Books In the 1960s in L.A., queer life was all about small acts of rebellion.

You might know Long Beach as a new queer enclave, populated by thriving gay bars like the Mine Shaft and The Brit. And while yes, Long Beach is certainly on the come-up in terms of L.A. and L.A.-adjacent gayborhoods, it’s had a longer history of resistance than most. For instance: Did you know that Long Beach was the site of an early ruling that made oral sex illegal?

Most Colonial-era states in the U.S. had followed the United Kingdom’s lead by making sodomy a punishable offence. In 1776, Thomas Jefferson created a law that would cause men participating in gay sex to be castrated. Shamefully enough (but not too surprisingly,) these early laws stayed in place in many states until the 20th century. The famous case of Lawrence v. Texas was the last anti-sodomy law to go, having passed in 2003.

But let’s turn back the clock a bit: In 1914, sodomy may have been illegal in America, but oral sex definitely wasn’t. We can easily speculate as to why this was: Oral sex, much like lesbianism, was alternately thought not to exist and found too hard to describe for the purposes of creating and enforcing hateful legislature. This all changed when the Long Beach Police Department decided to raid two gay clubs in 1914. According to Lillian Faderman and Stuart Timmons’ book “Gay L.A.,” these raids changed everything: “[Police raided] the 606 Club and the 96 Club, and arrested 31 men, who were ac-

Photo: Flickr.

Long Beach’s “The Mine Shaft” is one of the older gay bars still standing.

cused of fellatio. Sodomy had been a felony in California law since the 19th century, but oral sex had not been. The whole incident was interesting because it was one of the first incidents of police entrapment. The arrests received major attention. Several newpapers published a ‘List of the Guilty Ones’ and one man, John Lamb, committed suicide. As a result of those arrests, Long Beach passed a law making oral sex illegal.

The following year, the California legislature passed a bill outlawing oral sex. The law remained on the books in California until 1975.”

Later on, another Long Beach incident made waves, a year before Stonewall and some months after the Black Cat Protests.

Long Beach citizen Lee Glaze staged a riot at the bar he owned, The Patch, in 1968, when police told him that his bar had to ban drag and male-on-male activity in order to stick around. Glaze didn’t take this lying down. He allowed men to keep dancing with each other, prompting a raid that turned into a full-on ‘60s-style sit in when: “Glaze and the patrons went to a nearby flower shop owned by one of [The Patch’s] patrons and bought all the gladioli, mums, carnations, roses and daisies. At 3 a.m., the demonstrators carried huge bouquets into the Los Angeles Police Department Harbor Station and staged a “flower power” protest as they waited for the arrested men to be released.”

Meanwhile, another gay man was paving the way for queer community. Bob Damron, a bartender working in L.A. in the 1950s, ran a bar named the Red Raven on Melrose Place. In his spare time, he teamed up with Mattachine Society President Hal Call to publish a few copies of “The Address Book,” a handy manual letting LGBTQ+ tourists and citizens know which places around town were safe to hang out in, which places were fun for a certain type of sex, and which were hostile. The first edition of the book was printed in 1965, and it told a million stories with each abbreviation (C for coffee house, RT for raunchy types, etc.)

Before Stonewall shook the world into action, smaller, defiant actions like Glaze’s and Damron’s helped a culture of queer folks unite inside of a city that would become one of the most exciting LGBTQ+ capitals of the world.

Get your business SEEN with an ad in one of our papers!

Frankie Morales | frankie@thePrideLA.com 310.270.8124

Photos: ONE Archives.

Damron’s Address Book showed LGBTQ+ visitors where to go for friendly fun--and where to stay away from.

09.07 – 09.20.2018 CULTURE

FILM FESTIVAL

>

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 13

MAINSTREAM INCLUSIVITY

` ⚫ BY ELIJAH ROOT SANCHEZ

Get

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Photo: Courtesy ITVS.

Moroni Benally poses in front of his campaign car in the new documentary “Moroni for President.”

How LGBTQ-Inclusive is the Los Angeles Film Festival This Year?

Not only is is the 2018 Los Angeles Film Festival LGBTQ+ inclusive, but it also has multiple pictures from distinct genres, not just drama.This is crucial to highlighting the different facets of the the LGBTQ+ community.

The festival premieres runs September. 20-28.

It “showcases compelling independent films, TV and episodic work from emerging storytellers, alongside filmmaker-driven studio titles,” according to the LA Film Festival’s website.

The festival also feature films with different intersectional identities, showcasing often marginalized groups of the LGBTQ+ community.

One such feature is the documentary, “Moroni for President.” The LA Film Festival describes the documentary as “a young, gay college professor begins a grass-roots campaign to become the next President of the Navajo Nation.” The film follows Moroni Benally as he challenges the traditional values of the reservation in which he was raised.

The film addresses his identity from multiple angles. “The film delves into Moroni Benally's layered identity as a Mormon and gay Navajo man and, along the way, expands to include other LGBTQ characters working on some of the other campaign,” the festival website states. The film should be an interesting view into the lives of people with these intersecting identities.

Another LGBTQ+ film that the festival features is “Socrates,” which follows a 15-year-old boy in São Paulo that is forced to live on his own after his mother’s death. “The search for a job, and dealing with his own sexual awakening, proves to be a lot to handle,” according to the festival website.

The filmmakers of this movie also provided opportunities for young people of the region.According to the “Socrates” website, the film “was produced by a crew of 16-20-year-olds from the Querô Institute, a UNICEF-supported project that provides social inclusion through filmmaking to underrepresented youths.” The film explores important subjects for LGBTQ+ youth and provides young filmmakers opportunities as well.

The film festival will also feature the documentary “Making Montgomery Clift.” The LA Film Festival claims the “film star Montgomery Clift’s legacy has been a story of tragedy and self-destruction, but a more complicated picture emerges when his nephew dives into the family archives.” The film will investigate the complicated past of the LGBTQ+ film legend.

Individual tickets are available, or different passes are available if you want to see other films that the festival has to offer.Tickets and passes are available for purchase at www. tickets.lafilmfestival.com. The rest of the film festival should have an array of quality movies that everyone should see if they have the chance.

Photo: Cortesy Socrates Film.

Christian Malheiros in his debut film as the title character in “Socrates.”

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1

⚫ 14

09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES ENTERTAINMENT FILM FESTIVAL

` ⚫ BY AMY PATTON

>

QUEERS ON SCREEN

Long Beach QFilm Festival is Here!

The Long Beach QFilm Festival kicked off at the Art Theare last night! Were you there?

Long Beach is getting ready for a weekend of premieres, tears and laughs as the 25th anniversary of the Long Beach QFilm Festival continues.

A quarter of a century old, Qfilms is Long Beach’s longest-running film festival since 1993.

The fest annually presents narrative features, documentaries and short films that embody the rich diversity and experiences of LGBTQ+ communities. More than 1,500 people attend each year to enjoy a mix of West Coast, California and local premieres as well some of the most acclaimed features on the film festival circuit. Numerous filmmakers and cast members of the films to be shown will be present for audience discussions after many screenings. Festival events will feature nightly parties, Sunday brunch, exclusive filmmakers lounges and opportunities for attendees to meet and mingle with filmmakers, actors, critics and other industry professionals.

This year, the QFilm Festival opened with the Long Beach premiere of “The Advocate Celebrates 50 Years: A Long Road to Freedom.” This acclaimed documentary about the pioneering LGBTQ publication is narrated by Laverne Cox and features music by Melissa Etheridge. It was preceded and followed by an opening night party for all pass-holders and ticket-holders at the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach, directly next door to the Art Theatre.

Two engaging, biographical feature films will have their local premieres Friday night. “Wild Nights with Emily” is an irreverent exploration of the famous poet Emily Dickinson, brought to vivid lesbian life by the hilarious Molly Shannon. It will be followed by “Mapplethorpe,” the eye-opening and sexy life story of controversial gay photogra-

pher Robert Mapplethorpe (played by Matt Smith of “Dr. Who” and ”The Crown” fame). A festive party for all attendees will take place between screenings at The Center.

A number of other strong narrative and documentary features will screen on Saturday, Sept. 8 and Sunday, Sept. 9.These are: “Mi Mejor Amigo” (Southern California premiere), an award-winning coming of age tale from Argentina; “Kiss Me!” (West Coast premiere), a French comedy in which a lesbian serial romantic crushes on her new obsession; “Just Friends” (Southern California premiere), the delightfully off-kilter love story between two young men from very different backgrounds; “Man Made” (Long Beach premiere), a fascinating, award-winning documentary focusing on transgender bodybuilders; “Transmilitary” (Long Beach premiere), another award-winning documentary about trans service members who challenged the Pentagon; “The Heiresses” (Southern California premiere), the subtle but intense story of two Paraguayan women from wealthy families who risk all to be together; “Shakedown” (Long Beach premiere), a skillfully-crafted glimpse into the history of Los Angeles’ African-American lesbian club scene; and “Every Act of Life” (Long Beach premiere), an inspiring look at the life of out Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally.

In addition, QFilms 2018 will boast several extraordinary short film programs between Saturday and Sunday including Men in Briefs, Women in Shorts, Queer & Trans Shorts, and the “Finding Home” series featuring three stories of LGBTQ asylum seekers seeking refuge throughout Los Angeles.

For the full 2018 Long Beach Film Festival schedule and tickets, please visit www.qfilmslongbeach.com.

The Long Beach Film Festival will take place now through September 9 at the historic Art Theatre located at 2025 East 4th St. and the neighboring LGBTQ Center of Long Beach. Discounted full-festival and 5-film passes are now available for purchase for a limited time only through the QFilms festival page.

09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 15

⚫ ENTERTAINMENT COMIC BOOKS

09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

16

>

GEEKIN’ OUT

` ⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

Nerds Become Heroes in "Battle at the Comic Expo" With Long Beach Comic Con right around the corner, we thought that it would be fitting to talk to author Richard Andreoli about his fantasy world for Comic Con Fans.

For fans of comics, graphic novels, or any of the million fandoms on the Internet, there's never any shortage of drama surrounding the latest installment of a well-loved, time-honored fantasy franchise. From the fictional universes of "Harry Potter" and "Sherlock Holmes" to the many iterations and authors of the "Batman" franchise, there's always a reason to fight to the death in the name of canon, fanon, and #shipping. But what happens when passion crosses the line and all hell breaks lose? Do comic book fans take fate into their own hands to become the superheroes they've only read about before? L.A.-based author Richard Andreoli's "Bat-

tle at the Comic Expo" zooms in on what happens when things go disastrously wrong at the largest comic book convention in the U.S. We caught up with Andreoli to talk about his new book and the unexpected gifts of a midlife crisis.

So tell me the origin story of “Battle at the Comic Expo.”

Richard Andreoli: So I started volunteering for ComicCon in San Diego when I was 15.

I’m originally from there. I did that for around 20 years. I eventually became a paid employee when they started publishing a magazine. Over the years I volunteered mainly to get in for free.

But then I started finding a community there, because when you’re this young kid who’s kind of in the closet in San Diego in the early ‘90s, it was like, if you were gay you were either going to die of AIDS or be killed in a gay bashing.That was kind of the atmosphere down there. So it was kind of a weird world, and suddenly I was thrust into this world of nerds and geeks who were really well educated. So here I am learning about feminism from these women who were feminist studies majors, learning about alternative religions from the Wiccan in the group.

Suddenly I was no longer weird; I was just like every other person. So I found this wonderful

community there, and being the comic book nerd that I am, I started thinking – you know like when you’re bored in class – about these disaster scenarios. If robbers broke in right now, what would I do? And this was before 9/11 and the concept of a real national crisis. This was this time where it was like, ‘oh if the bad guys came in, I’d do all this and no one would get hurt!’ That idea stayed with me. I moved on and moved to L.A., became a writer, but I was always playing with that idea of like, what would happen in a world where people who really believed in the central themes of heroism were actually called upon to be heroes. Could you actually rise up to the occasion and do what’s right, or would you discover that you actually have to be kind of dark to do what a hero needs to do.

The novel has gone through a lot of changes since you first started.

I’d first written as a book, and then as a screenplay, and I kept getting the same feedback that the story was too big, there were too many characters. So I revisited it about two years ago and realized there were two characters that really spoke to me. They were at the place in their lives that I was now, that sort of midlife crisis thing of “what the hell am I doing?” And I saw that if I pared the book down to these two central characters, I could show the two sides of myself at the time: the guy who gave up being a writer for a paycheck, and the guy who was a very successful writer but now had a nasty drug addiction, which was sort of where my life could have gone if I’d fallen in with these certain Hollywood types I worked with at the time. So you know, very functional cocaine users. It was fascinating to me because, you know, writing is therapy. I got to put these two sides of myself in a room and you see them learning from one another and see the different roads each of them could have taken.

So the midlife crisis really informed the book in a way.

I was in a moment a while ago where I was with my husband and I was saying, “why is nothing happening for me, I spend all this time promoting other people!” One of the things I accidentally became good at in my career is

Facebook Marketing, so I found myself pumping out all these press releases and things for other people’s brands. And I was like, “why is no one doing this for me?” And then it kind of hit me like, “why don’t you just do it for yourself?” So once I started developing a marketing plan I was like, “oh, this could actually be something.” And now it is. It’s a real thing.

The book is a novel, but it’s very tied into graphic novel culture and fandom.

Fandom is interesting. It’s such a weird thing, because readers of comics and graphic novels know it’s fake, but they’ll quote from a book religiously as if it’s part of the real world, so it’s part of a weird mental dance that fans do. And I do it too! At our wedding, the JP literally said “So say we all” from “Battlestar Galactica.”

That’s what seems to go into good fan fiction, too.

Yeah, and one of the characters in the book, Joe, everyone thinks he’s such a big deal because he write successful fan fiction and he’s like, “I wasn’t writing for ‘Buffy!’ It’s fan fiction!” But it’s funny, because fans on the forums and everything are so intense. There was this thing at ComicCon this year. Batman is marrying Cat Woman and he got death threats on Twitter!

It’s so confusing. All the trolls attack anything they don’t like. One of the guys from “Walking Dead” got death threats for what his character did.

People get so intense and feel this sense of ownership over the character. It feels like a betrayal when something changes.

Right. This is actually what happens to my antagonist, Velma. She was in love with a comic book, and the author made a switch and she couldn’t handle it. I think that people take ownership of the characters because there was something that those characters did that impacted them when they were at a critical age or moment. So when somebody changes that, it can wreck your world.

Learn more about Richard Andreoli and “Battle at the Comic Expo” at www.richardandreoli.com.

09.07 – 09.20.2018 ENTERTAINMENT COMIC BOOKS

` ⚫ BY AMY PATTON

>

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 17

GEEKIN’ OUT

RISE OF THE LGBTQ+ SUPERHEROES

There’s something about the otherness of the comic book world that draws the queer community in. Being an outsider trying to prove their rightful place in society is no strange feeling to members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“We too can be superheroes, we too can be blessed and uplifted. We too are deserving of respect,” Brian Anderson, the creator of gay Mormon superhero comic book series “Stripling Warrior, said in a commentary published by Autostraddle. “Because it’s when we tell our stories — even if they are draped in capes, costumes, and outlandish code names — that we have the power to shape society.”

The comic book world has not always been a welcoming platform for the LGBTQ+ community. In 1954, Dr. Frederick Wertham published a book called “Seduction of the Innocent,” which accused comic books of being a bad influence on children because of “perceived sex appeal, rampant violence

and suggestiveness regarding homosexuality,” William Lindus reported for Medium.

With that, the Comics Code Authority (CCA) was created and censored explicit queerness from appearing in print. By the mid-’90s, though, comic book companies were working around CCA regulation, and by 2001 Marvel, in a groundbreaking move, rejected the CCA entirely. Fast forward to today, and the LGBTQ+ community is thriving on the pages, and on the rise on screen.

Most recent notoriety goes to the casting of openly gay actress Ruby Rose as Batwoman on the CW. Many comic book fans were excited for the inclusivity, yet Rose was met with some backlash from the LGBTQ+ community, as they claimed she “wasn’t gay enough” to play the lesbian superhero. Batwoman will first premiere in a December crossover event for “Arrow,” “The Flash” and “Supergirl.” CW is taking further strides in its inclusivity, too. “Supergirl” will also premiere the first trans superhero, Nia Nal,

Photo: Courtesy the CW.

Openly gay actress Ruby Rose will portray lesbian superhero Batwoman in a crossover spial in December.

played by Trans activist and actress Nicole Maines. The CW is also the home of “Black Lightning,” which features a black, gay, woman superhero as the lead character.

Hulu’s “Runaways” followed the journey of super hero alter ego Karolina Dean as she discovered and a accepted her queer sexual identity. Her character marked one

of Marvel’s first on-sceen gay superheroes.

GLAAD praised the historic inclusion of a lesbian couple in Marvel’s world of “Deadpool 2” in an annual review of film inclusivity.

“Though wide release films this year like “Love, Simon,” “Annihilation,” “Blockers” and Negasonic and Yukio’s relationship in “Deadpool 2,” have raised the bar for LGBTQ images, studios must still do more to ensure that LGBTQ storylines and characters are included in fair and accurate ways,” Megan Townsend, Director of Entertainment Research and Analysis at GLAAD, stated in the review. “We hope that these films are the start of an upward trend of sustained progress, and not just a blip in the radar of next year’s SRI.” With Long Beach Comic Con upon us this weekend and Los Angeles Comic Con coming up the following month, it is exciting to see what kind of LGBTQ+ representation will be present at one of the largest comic book expos on the west coast.

CONVERSION, from page 7

“As the bipartisan bill progressed through the Legislature this year, opposition began to speak out against the legislation. I knew this was an emotionally charged issue, so I spent the past few months traveling up and down the state meeting with a wide variety of faith leaders.”

Low said that the bill needs more time to allow for a more inclusive process.

“With a hopeful eye toward the future, I share with you that, despite the support the bill received in the Assembly and Senate, I will not be sending AB 2943 to the Governor this year. I am committed to continuing to work towards creating a policy that best protects and celebrates the identities of LGBT Californians and a model for the nation to look towards.

“It is my obligation as a Legislator to make this difficult decision in the interest of finding common ground.The path towards full equality is a long journey, but a journey best traveled together. I invite you to join me.”

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⚫ 18

09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

WHAT’S HAPPENING? PROUD Picnic + Movie Night When: Saturday, September 8 from 5:30 to 10 p.m.

Where: Grand Park, Los Angeles What: Developed in collaboration with a coalition of partners and partner organizations to reflect the diverse interests and experiences of the LGBTQ Angeleno community Why: It’s a picnic and screening in celebration of fresh and diverse voices in film, just in time for various LGBTQ Film Festivals!

Long Beach QFilm Festival When: September 7–9 Where: Art Theatre of Long Beach What: Come enjoy a festival of queer and LGBTQ+ independent films Why: Representation and inclusivity starts at home WeHo Brunch Comedy Special When: September 14 at 7:30 p.m.

The best goings-on around and about L.A., period.

Where: The Comedy Store,West Hollywood What: With Danny Franzese from “Mean Girls” as the host, prepare to laugh until your sides split at these fresh, funny, LGBTQ comedians!!

Why: Who doesn’t love Damien from “Mean Girls?”

Out On The Mountain When: Friday, September 14, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Where: Six Flags Magic Mountain What: Six Flags Magic Mountain’s annual Out on the Mountain, a private LGBTQ party Why: It will be a fun night of live performances, thrill rides and multiple dance parties.

Proud at L.A. County Fair When: Saturday, September 15 Where: La County Fair What: A mix-in event at the Fair that celebrates inclusion and visibility!

Why: The Fair is already fun, but it'll be even more so as all members of the LGBT+ community gather and celebrate being proud together!

Health and Wellness Fair When: September 20-23 Where: Cathedral City Senior Center, Palm Springs What: Seniors will have the opportunity to get free flu shots, Hep C screenings, and HIV tests Why: Because your health matters, no mater what age Cinema diverse Film Festival When: September 20-23 Where: Camelot Theatre, Palm Springs What: A diverse independent film festival for the LGBTQ+ community Why: Support queer film production

09.07 – 09.20.2018

LOS ANGELES

NY TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE

CREATURE FEATURE

BY TIMOTHY POLIN / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ ACROSS

1 “Friendly” cartoon character 7 Pro 14 Symbols in calculus 20 Simple kind of antenna 21 Expenditures’ counterpart 22 Lacking a break 23 Add surreptitiously 24 Worrisome sight for a swimmer 25 With spite 26 Some Houdini feats 28 John of spy fiction 30 Something extraordinary that won’t soon be forgotten 32 Some northern Europeans 35 Bit of hydrotherapy 38 Caffeinated drink with tapioca balls 39 Doled (out) 41 Opposite of colorblindness?

42 “____ Jacques” 43 Ones eligible for marathon prizes 45 “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” e.g.

46 Flight-board abbr.

47 Sinking feelings 50 Mistrusts 53 Mother or sister 54 Does more than ask 56 Dr. ____ Sattler, “Jurassic Park” paleobotanist 57 Energy giant that fell into ignominy in 2002 58 Elevs.

59 Peevish quality 61 Get a new mortgage 63 [Kiss] 65 Powerful D.C. lobby 68 Scylla or Charybdis 74 Speedy wide receiver, perhaps 80 Skill 81 [Fingers crossed] 82 Buzz out in space 83 And so on: Abbr.

84 Staff leader?

86 & 87 What might cost you an arm and a leg?

88 Silver-tongued 89 2004 also-ran 91 Martin who wrote “The Pregnant Widow” 92 Evening, in ads 93 Southern sandwich

94 Is there in spirit?

96 Zen Buddhist goal 98 Makes fun of 99 Menace in 106-Down 104 Bad-mouth 106 Add spice to 107 Metaphor for deliberate ignorance 109 Gobbled (down) 111 Seriously uptight 112 Fictional setting for 106Down 115 “A ____ believes no one” (old saying) 116 Pottery 117 Caffè ____ 118 Justin Bieber or Justin Timberlake 119 Concerning 120 Conventions: Abbr.

121 “There, there” 122 Disgustingly obsequious 123 Class with drills

1

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20

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26 30

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47

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55 59 63

50

51

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80

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84 89

86 90

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66

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79 83 88

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67

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37

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65 69

19

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45

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41 44

56

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DOWN

33

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1 Things investors take an interest in?

2 Suffer 3 106-Down director 4 Pink, e.g.

5 Brought out 6 Christen anew 7 Tidiness 8 Proud, fiery types, they say 9 Save for later, in a way 10 Fathers or brothers 11 Santa ____ 12 No longer in force 13 Gives meaning to 14 Horn of Africa native 15 Neon, e.g.

16 Transmission 17 Like the menace in 106-Down 18 Common knee injury site, briefly 19 Locale for a trough 27 Fairy-tale “lump” 29 Hack 30 Hit BBC comedy, briefly 31 Peter of “The Maltese Falcon” 32 Handles deftly 33 Utmost degree 34 Farm machine

9

103

97 104

108

113

105 109

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123

After completing this puzzle, draw a line starting at the middle square of 59-Across and connect five appropriate squares in roughly clockwise order to reveal an image suggested by this puzzle’s theme.

36 Something to angle for 37 “In Dulci Jubilo” and others 39 Modest skirts 40 Modern subject of F.A.A. regulation 43 TV show with the season’s highest rating, often 44 “____ U.S.A.” (1963 hit) 48 Sports arbiter 49 Pixielike 51 Cabaret accessory 52 Country-music channel, once 55 Decorative pillowcase 58 Adjudicate, as a case 60 “This is looking bad” 62 Lyricist Sammy 63 Singer Haggard 64 Golfer’s obstacle

66 Ska-punk band with the 1997 song “Sell Out” 67 Sunning area 68 Ax 69 Seasonal quaff 70 Small herrings 71 Is a crowd 72 Actor Morales 73 Deteriorates 74 Beginning 75 Precollege, for short 76 Text tweaks 77 Midcrisis hire, perhaps 78 Word with black or blood 79 Frozen-dessert chain 85 Leaves nervously exhausted 88 Thugs 90 Aromatic yellow citrus

Answers

This Week’s Sudoku Puzzle C A S P D I P O S L I P E S A L L T B O B A F R E R A R R B E G S H M W A S E A M A R T C L E F K E R R H A R A Z J A Z Z A N A L W A R E S T D S

E L I C I T E D

R O L E R E N D O A P E S M E R E A M FIN I R E A D E L L I U F FIN E S H O N S T E H O P E S G R E A Y A M I U N T S Z E S S U P D E A M I T L A T T I T S O

D H A N V E N U R S A L L FIN N S E T E D S H E R S D O E E N S R E

D S E O FIN M E C A S A L B I S U B T R O N FIN A N

R O T S

E D I T S

D A W N

E L H I

H A R K A F E A R Y I S L A E T E N K S L I

I N E R T G A S

C A P T H R I N T E E P A T O M A L W O N D O R M Y

G E A R B O X

M A N E A T I N H G E A R R E E G L O B R I I G L F L I A S S H

A S C T L Y T R O U T

H Y M N S

P A T I O

T C B Y

N E A T O

D R O P

93 Preppy wear 95 Himalayan native 97 Cheap and gaudy 98 Charged 99 Scrap 100 Actress Salma 101 Movie org. whose “100 Years … 100 Thrills” list has 106Down at No. 2 102 Takes a load off 103 Superman, by birth 105 “Coo-oo-ool!”

106 1975 summer blockbuster 107 Morse clicks 108 Indian blueblood 110 Teensy amount 113 Yogi’s accessory 114 Oscar ____ (Hollywood honor, informally)

⚫ 19

STAR GAZING

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) August 17th will bring Aries positive changes in everything that is connected with the sphere of finance. You will be informed that your salary will rise to a fairly large amount, and you will want to shout with delight at such news. However, along with more income, you will, unexpectedly, have a new expense.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) For Taurus, the most unpleasant event of this day will be the departure of a loved one. Seeing him off, pretend that separation does not frighten you. If the partner reads on your face fears and worries about this, his mood will change for the worse.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Gemini today will be at a dead end performing a very responsible job.

The only way out for you is to seek help from your senior colleagues. Do not be afraid to be known as an inexperienced newcomer who cannot cope on his own with an elementary task.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) Cancers today will find a loophole through which one can escape from a very difficult conversation. You will successfully solve this issue, but sooner or later it will arise again. It will be reasonable if you determine in advance, in a dialogue with yourself, how you will respond to your companion when they again invite you to discuss it.

LEO (July 23 - August 23) Leos on August 17, 2018 will have unpleasant experiences of their own well-being. You will have to see a doctor to find out the causes of this ailment. Friday will not bring you other unpleasant moments. You will not be able to perform any new feats (the reason for this is the unsatisfactory state of your body).

VIRGO (August 24 - September 22) Virgos today are not recommended to allow themselves pessimistic thoughts. They will amplify your insolent attitude, and you will not be able to achieve the main goals outlined for today. If your cherished goal is attention from some person, it's all the more inadmissible to depress yourself.

LIBRA (September 23 - October 22) Libra on August 17, 2018 will not have big changes, but this day can be called absolutely calm for the representatives of your sign only as a great stretch. You will be constantly disturbed by annoying accidents and misunderstandings taking place in official affairs and in everything that concerns your love front.

SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21) Scorpios today will not be able to calm down, having learned the unpleasant news. Your sweetheart will "turn you away at the gate", making you doubt your attractiveness. To increase your self-esteem, you will begin a romance (more precisely, an affair without obligations).

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21) Today, Sagittarius face the risk of betrayal or treason. You cannot control this process, and the only thing you can do is work on your emotional state.

It is important for you to understand that because of what happened in your life will not end, and therefore you do not need to worry too much about this.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Capricorns will manage to hold this Friday easily and positively. You will not feel particularly tired from work, and you will want to transform the evening of this day into a small holiday. Guests who you invite to your house for a small feast will also arrive in a beautiful mood.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Aquarius today are recommended to give their duty the utmost attention. You are being watched, although you do not notice it. The person who controls your work will certainly notice if you are continually being distracted by conversations with colleagues (or playing on social networks, or talking on the phone).

PICES (January 21 - February 19) Pisces today should not offer their advice to an outsider. He will fundamentally misinterpret this advice, and therefore it will bring an effect that is opposite to the one you expected. Later, this person will blame you for all mortal sins. You do not need it.

⚫ 20

LOS ANGELES

09.07 – 09.20.2018