The Pride Issue 24, Vol 2, September 8, 2017 by THE PRIDE LOS ANGELES

the pride 09.08 — 09.21.2017ISSUE NUMBER 24, VOLUME 2

WWW.THEPRIDELA.COM

| SEPT. 8 – 21, ‘17

LOS ANGELES

MORE ON PAGE 5 + 6

THE LOS ANGELES LGBT NEWSPAPER

WHERE TO WORK IF YOU’RE LGBQ+

In the fight for basic equality, the question of fair employment often gets lost in the dialogue.

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09.08 – 09.21.2017

LOS ANGELES

YOU MATTER AND SO DOES YOUR HEALTH

That’s why starting and staying on HIV-1 treatment is so important.

WHAT IS DESCOVY®? DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. DESCOVY combines 2 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day. Because DESCOVY by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1, it must be used together with other HIV-1 medicines.

being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. •

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

•

Bone problems, such as bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking DESCOVY. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body ﬂuids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body ﬂuids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about DESCOVY? DESCOVY may cause serious side effects: •

Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking DESCOVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without ﬁrst talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. 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 DESCOVY? •

All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

•

All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how DESCOVY works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take DESCOVY with all of your other medicines.

•

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if DESCOVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking DESCOVY.

•

If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

What are the other possible side effects of DESCOVY? Serious side effects of DESCOVY 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 DESCOVY. Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking DESCOVY if you develop new or worse kidney problems. 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,

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Important Facts about DESCOVY, including important warnings, on the following page.

Ask your healthcare provider if an HIV-1 treatment that contains DESCOVY® is right for you.

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LOS ANGELES

IMPORTANT FACTS

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

(des-KOH-vee) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DESCOVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY

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

DESCOVY can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About DESCOVY” 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. • Bone problems. The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. These are not all the possible side effects of DESCOVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking DESCOVY. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with DESCOVY.

ABOUT DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. • DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.

BEFORE TAKING DESCOVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection. • Have any other medical condition. • 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, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with DESCOVY.

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

HOW TO TAKE DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine that is taken with other HIV-1 medicines.

• Take DESCOVY with or without food.

DESCOVY, the DESCOVY Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. DVYC0056 07/17

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09.08 — 09.21.2017 BUSINESSS

EMPLOYMENT

LOS ANGELES

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FROM THE COVER

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

How America’s Companies are Working for (and Against) LGBTQ+ Rights In the fight for basic equality, the question of fair employment often gets lost in the dialogue.

Being out and LGBTQ+ in the workforce can present a fair share of slippery issues – and that’s just if you’re trying to get a job and keep it. Try to bring more inclusive attitudes and policies into the workforce and you’re facing a whole new battle. When it comes to knowing how labor works, most Americans are woefully under-informed. Sure, we know some of the companies that treat workers well (Goldman Sachs, Intuit, AT&T, and many tech sector corporations that partner often with LGBTQ+ organizations) and others that aren’t quite up to snuff (WalMart, Blue Apron, and other million-dollar food warehouses.) But how much do we know about the actual data when it comes to being queer in the workplace? Many out LGBTQ+ employees enter a job only to be unceremoniously exited out in a few years with minimal benefits and a few cold words about the company being “Christian” or “Family-focused.” Last week, we spoke about Judith Dominguez and her wife Patricia Martinez, whose health coverage was retroactively taken away due to her company's “Christian” ethics. Dominguez's case is more common than most of us might think, especially when it comes to companies that are spread across the middle of the country. As a community, it’s time we started doing some of the actual research. Luckily, Joshua Levin, Co-founder and CSO of OpenInvest, along with the Human Rights Campaign, has already started doing some of the work. OpenInvest began as an investment platform with a mission. For people looking to put their money into new businesses, OpenInvest began with the intention of helping investors know not just where their money is going, but how it’s being politically aligned. Building off of the data from the Corporate Equality Index released each year from the Human Rights Campaign, Levin and OpenInvest analyzed last year's trends to try and figure out how and why certain companies across the United States are underserving the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace. With California leading the way not only in terms of political visibility for LGBTQ+ workers, but worker’s rights overall, it’s up to us to keep larger companies accountable and to help newer, more inclusive companies to spread across the states. We spoke with Levin about the changing political tide when it comes to worker’s rights, and how we can do better when it comes to creating a better, more inclusive American work-

Businesses like AT&T have begun to publicly align themselves with LGBTQ+ causes in the past few years.

force. The Pride: Tell us a bit about how these studies were done and what criteria was used for this study. Joshua Levin: We analyzed companies using the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index, cross-comparing the list with the S&P500, a popular investing benchmark. This index rates companies from 0 to 100 and considers 5 criterion when rating companies, including sexual orientation and gender identity in the company’s equal employment opportunity policy; domestic partner benefits; transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage; overall organizational LGBTQ+competency; and public commitment for LGBTQ+-specific efforts. We also considered additional research to help select the best companies. Not only do the 25 best companies for LGBTQ+ rights – including AT&T, Time Warner, Cisco, Estee Lauder, and Goldman Sachs – rank 100 on the CEI (Competitive Enterprise Institute,) they also have high climate change scores, are not in the tobacco or the private prison industry, and have at least 0.1 percent or greater percentage of women in exec-

utive positions. Because of our issue screens and many research partners, we were able to create a comprehensive list of companies that support LGBTQ rights and other social values that help to create more inclusive workplaces. The companies we ranked at the bottom – including Chipotle, H&R Block, Whole Foods, and Foot Locker – were based primarily on HRC’s scores, compared with the S&P500, and also considering some specific recent company scandals. Did you find in your research that the best companies for LGBTQ+ rights had other significant similarities between them? Yes, many of the top-rated companies shared important similarities. For example, most offer domestic partner benefits. They also rank high in fighting climate change, are not in the tobacco or private prison industry, and have at least 0.1% or greater percentage of women in executive positions. It was clear that these companies tended to demonstrate an overall commitment to social and environmental values. How do you think the future of LGBTQ+

PHOTO: Courtesy AT&T.

rights in the workplace will look in the next 10 to 15 years? If the current political trends continue, the onus will increasingly be placed on the private sector to lead in supporting equal rights, health care, and other important issues for the community. Since large companies employ tens of thousands of people, the impact is immense. Unfortunately, while some corporate leaders are against the LGBTQ+ community, far more simply don’t see these issues as a priority. The onus then falls on the shareholders of these companies - you and me - to know where our money is going, to ask questions, and demand change. As we do this, companies will also do more reporting, and the increased data will create more pressure. Our most powerful tools are to move our money (divest or invest) and to vote in our shareholder resolutions. Have you noticed trends in certain states in terms of LGBTQ-friendly companies? Only 19 states, including California, offer

BUSINESSES, see page 6

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LOS ANGELES

NEWS

POLITICS

BUSINESSES,

ON THE BALLOT

from page 5

LGBTQ+ workplace protections. You can see a map of states on lgbtmaps.org, in the equality maps section. We’ve noticed that those 19 states generally have more LGBTQ+-supportive companies, especially California and New York. But there are plenty of large publicly traded companies in the South, Midwest, etc.. And nearly all large companies do business across the U.S., including in states that recently passed “Religious Freedom” laws. All these companies should be offering their LGBTQ+ employees protections. For example, on October 10, there is a shareholder vote asking Proctor & Gamble (one of the largest companies in the world) to state what their policies are regarding how they will defend LGBT employees and their families against discrimination and harassment, particularly in states who have recently passed these discriminatory laws. CEOs technically work for their shareholders, and we all know that nothing is more powerful than hearing directly from the boss - you!

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

Liliana Bakhtiari, at 29, is focused on implementing positive change for Atlanta’s queer community.

Photo: Michael Schwarz.

Meet Liliana Bakhtiari, Atlanta City Council’s first Openly Queer, Muslim candidate 29-year-old Bakhtiari is looking to shake things up for the better.

Atlanta is one of America’s most diverse, forward-thinking Southern cities. Of course, it still has its problems. “Kids would ask me how many goats I was going to be traded for on my wedding day.” Liliana Bakhtiari told Teen Vogue about her schooling in the highly-white Gwinnett County area near Atlanta. As one of only a few non-white students in her class, Bakhtiari knew from a young age what it was to feel like an outsider. That’s why she’s choosing to run for a Dis-

trict 5 Atlanta City Council seat. As the child of second-generation and first-generation Iranian-American parents, Bakhtiari has seen firsthand how poverty, racism, and huge gaps in class representation can come to define a city. She’s also, at 29, already been around the world. “I’ve done work with everyone from genocide victims to torture victims . . . to sex-trafficking victims,” she told Teen Vogue. “I worked with children who have been trafficked, as well as young women. And I did a lot of infrastructure work. I did a lot of building houses and composting toilets, and also did work around food accessibility and water scarcity, and a lot of environmental justice work.” Bakhtiari also has already done her share of work with underprivileged communities in

Atlanta, serving on the board of a nonprofit organization that seeks to aid LGBTQ+ homeless youth. If elected, she’ll take the work she’s already been doing and try to implement it on a city-wide scale. She’s been vocal about how Trump stands against “everything she is” and wants to fight against his destructive national policies by strengthening her own local government. “If you don’t have a strong local government, if you don’t have a strong local community, then you can’t deflect a lot of the damage that’s about to come down nationally,” she was quoted as saying. “Democracy is only effective when you have every branch of government working to the level that they are supposed to perform.”

What change do you hope to see most over the next few years in terms of workers’ rights? Over the next few years, we hope to see more clearly stated protections for U.S. workers, and more transparency around how laborers are treated in the supply chain. Furthermore, we are lacking data for actual diversity levels across companies’ workforces. The owners of companies – you and me, as shareholders – can start asking questions, which will lead to more data, which in turn allows us to push harder for change. However, there is already plenty of information to act on, including which companies lead on fighting human rights abuses in the supply chain, and we have added that theme as an option at OpenInvest. When investors act on these issues, companies listen. Did you notice that certain companies had different policies for transgender employees? Perhaps surprisingly, the HRC notes that some of the most significant progress in the past year has been a more widespread adoption of transgender employee policies. Close to 75 percent of the businesses in the benchmarking offer transgender inclusive health care coverage, which is remarkable considering it was 0 percent in 2002. Yet while there have been some positive increases, half of the companies still don’t offer transgender-inclusive benefits. And of course, there are companies that have been mired in scandal. Both Bank of America Corp and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina were publicly involved in North Carolina’s HB142 bill, and stances like that certainly signal a lack of commitment to transgender inclusive policies and welfare. The full list of best and worst companies for LGBTQ+ rights can be found at OpenInvest.co. More information can be found at the Human Rights Campaign’s website, www.hrc.org.

09.08 — 09.21.2017

LOS ANGELES

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

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

Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include:

Tired of planning your life around diarrhea?

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

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

For Copay Savings Card and Patient Assistance, see Mytesi.com

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

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

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

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

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

• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE

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LOS ANGELES

09.08 – 09.21.2017

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09.08 — 09.21.2017 COMMUNITY

LOS ANGELES

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IN MEMORIAM

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

J.D. Disalvatore, Artist and Activist, Gave Queer Filmmakers a Voice The advocate, producer, and animal rights activist lost her life to cancer last week. She was 51.

Last Thursday in Sherman Oaks, J.D. Disalvatore lost her life to breast cancer. Five years ago, Disalvatore was diagnosed with the cancer that would eventually claim her life. In 2012, J.D., with the help of her friend, the filmmaker Elliot London, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to pay her hospital bills. Before her diagnosis, Disalvatore was known in the West Hollywood community for her talent for raising funds for gay and humans rights causes. When she asked for help, her community wasted no time in responding. “JD, like many ar tists,” wrote London, “is a freelancer with no health insurance.” The campaign was successful, raising more than 50 percent over her initial campaign goal from friends, colleagues, and community members. Described by friends as “pas-

sionately active” and as “one of the hardest working people I know” by “Queer as Folk” actress Thea Gill, Disalvatore spent her life creating, funding, and bringing to light queer stories that had previously gone untold. Her 2007 film “Shelter,” about two men who find each other during a chaotic time, won

GLAAD’s Outstanding Film award and the People’s Choice Best Feature Award at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival. In 2010, she produced “Elena Undone,” the story of a pastor’s wife coming to terms with her queer sexuality. Her personal awards, achievements, and

humanitarian effor ts are almost too many to list. She served on the Board of Directors at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, remained an outspoken advocate for animal rights, and was gifted with a West Hollywood Women in Leadership Award only this year. Up until the very end, Disalvatore was working to serve her community and give voice to the things she cared about, and the things she felt we could be doing better in the world. Photo: Courtesy of Marina Rice Bader.

J.D. Disalvatore was an artist, activist, and a fixture in L.A.’s queer Hollywood scene.

EDITOR

Henry Giardina

CREATIVE DIRECTOR AMY PATTON

VP OF ADVERTISING

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Please call (310) 310-2637 for advertising rates and availability.

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

L.A.’s First Official LGBT Monument Gets a Beachfront View

What started as a temporary part of this year’s Venice Pride festival has just become a permanent monument to L.A.’s LGBT history – and its future. When one of Venice’s eggshell-blue lifeguard towers was painted over with the colors of the rainbow this June, the result encouraged tourists, Venice residents, and Pride-goers alike to come and marvel at the multicolored monument, taking selfies in front of the tower and documenting the temporary art project via social media.The city had originally planned to repaint the tower its original color on September 8. But Venice’s citizens had a different plan in mind. Thanks to over 10, 000 signatures on a Change. org petition to keep the tower as is, L.A. City Councilmember Mike Bonin, Venice Pride President Grant Turck, and members of the public met Tuesday, September 5, to discuss the lifeguard tower’s new status as L.A.’s first LGBT monument.The tower was initially created as a monument to the

late Bill Rosendahl, the first openly gay person to serve on the L.A. City Council. Venice Pride founder Grant Turck made an impassioned argument for the preservation of the lifeguard tower before L.A. County Supervisors on Tuesday. “There’s the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was temporary, too, at first, only planned to stand tall for 20 years before being dismantled.” Turck said. “But it found new purpose through telecommunications, transmitting live-saving military radio frequencies and television broadcasts. And now travelers from far and wide gather to marvel at the romantic symbol of France’s science and culture more than a century later.” Turck urged listeners to use the tower as an emblem and a gesture, a sign that, despite our country’s rocky political present, Los Angeles stands for progress, for the proud LGBT history that makes up its past, and for an in-

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NATIONAL DISPLAY ADVERTISING Rivendell Media / 212.242.6863

westsidetoday.com Photo:VenicePride.org.

On Tuesday, L.A. City Officials voted to make the Rainbow lifeguard tower permanent.

clusive, forward-thinking future. “Show that diversity is celebrated,” Turck asked. “Show that all people are welcome here. Show that in the face of hate and division, the Los Angeles community stands unwaveringly for love and acceptance.” The vote to keep the rainbow tower as-is passed unanimously.

Century City/ Westwood

NEWS

CenturyCity-WestwoodNews.com

THE PRIDE L.A., The Newspaper Serving Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender L.A., is published by MIRROR MEDIA GROUP. Send all inquiries to: THE PRIDE L.A., 2116 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA. Phone: 310.310.2637 Written permission of the publisher must be obtained before any of the contents of this paper, in part or whole, can be reproduced or redistributed. All contents (c) 2017 The Pride L.A. THE PRIDE L.A. is a registered trademark of MIRROR MEDIA GROUP. T.J. MONTEMER, CEO 310.310.2637 x7

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LOS ANGELES

ENTERTAINMENT FILM

09.08 – 09.21.2017

GAY L.A.

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA, RESEARCH BY J.J. ENGLENDER

What Happens at “The Stud Farm”... In 1969, Hollywood’s Theater VII was where all your wildest cowboy fantasies just might come true.

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, actor and sometime-producer Gerald Gordon was an exceptionally busy man. His list of productions during this time included (but were not limited to) Barbara Allen's “Dark of the Moon”, “The Wind in the Willows” and Neil Simon's “Come Blow Your Horn.” But before all this, in 1963, he took to the stage of the Hollywood Centre Theater on Sunset to mount a production of “The Fantasticks” with the Los Angeles Youth Theater. Both the venue and the producer, however, had many other, much gayer projects in their future. In 1973, Gordon directed his first feature film, the stor y of a gay sculptor called “So Long, Blue Boy.” Reviewing the R-rated movie, the Advocate claimed that: “This film will set public acceptance and newfound tolerance of homosexuality back 50 years..." Yikes. As for the theater, it experienced a tiny, intensely queer revolution in the next few years. In 1969, the Hollywood Centre Theater shed its live theater roots (but barely) to become Theatre VII ('Where friendliness is contagious.’) Acts like Charles Pierce, who billed himself as “The Master of Camp,” headlined, bringing live gay theater to a hungr y Hollywood audience. But another transition was still in store for Theatre VII. Just a year later in 1970, the theater changed course, now billing itself as 'The only gay theatre like it anywhere!' as well as “the IN theater ever yone is talking about!” and offering live male stage shows. Theatre VII (now known as the Mark VII) a home for the dazzlingly smutty likes of “Be Mar y and Gay” and more traditional porno offerings like “Stud Farm,” the tale of a young man who goes to visit his brother on a ranch only to find that he’s been “conver ted” by all the “homosexuals” living there. The motto of “Stud Farm,” as you may already have guessed, is “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Meanwhile, across town at the Park Theater on Alvarado, a small offering called “These Boots Were Made for Licking” promised to break down “all male nude barriers.” Photo: Adsausage.

“Stud Farm” was praised by the Mattachine Society for the beauty of its boys.

09.08 — 09.21.2017 HEALTH SEX

LOS ANGELES

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PROTECTION PROTOCAL

⚫ BY GENNA RIVIECCIO

After the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, one would think that gay men would take a lesson from their forebears and exercise extra caution (in addition to exercising their penises) in their bedroom activities. Surprisingly, however, this doesn’t seem to be the case based on a new survey conducted by all-volunteer, non-profit organization Gay Men Fight AIDS (GMFA.) According to the subject pool (a total of five hundred gay and bisexual males) questioned, two-thirds of both bisexual and gay men admitted that they didn’t bag it up during their last anal sex encounter. Elsewhere, 27 percent would concede to having a “risky” sex life. The motives behind these somewhat startling statistics (after all, it’s the twenty-first century and shouldn’t we all know better by now?) pertain to basic psychology and a fear of peers’ opinions.While gay men have always been more adventurous than

most in the boudoir (or public bathroom,) it still seems like a strange decision, until you factor in the prevalence of PrEP in gay communities. Even so, not using condoms increases the risk of STIs to spread through an already high-risk community. And if you think the STI thing is overrated, may we direct your attention to the 'Syphilis Tsunami' ads that are plastered around West Hollywood? While there might be extenuating circumstances for why the surveyed group of men appeared so cavalier about condom usage (e.g. being in a monogamous couple) the overall takeaway from the information concludes that until gay men can start being a little more secure in “just saying no” to unprotected boning, we could very well experience a 1980s part deux – minus the part where the Republican president in office is a “lovable lout.”

Photo:Thinkstock.

When It Comes to Gay Sex, Condoms are Trending Downward

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09.08 – 09.21.2017

LOS ANGELES

What is TRUVADA for PrEP?

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?

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

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you:

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

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. ® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. ® To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you.

® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis.

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

® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA.

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

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

® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.

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09.08 — 09.21.2017

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 13

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

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

8/16/17 12:08 PM

⚫

09.08 – 09.21.2017

LOS ANGELES

IMPORTANT FACTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0133 07/17

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8/16/17 12:08 PM

09.08 — 09.21.2017 ENTERTAINMENT FILM

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 15

DOCUMENTARY HOUR

⚫ BY ANNETTE SEMERDJIAN

“No Wire Hangers” Shows a Designer’s Hard-Earned Journey Success

From Hampton, Virginia, to Hollywood comes the amazing story of designer extraordinaire Raymond McNeill in the new documentary “No Wire Hangers.” His path to success has been a rocky one, with his lowest point involving a stint of homelessness and living in his car.Yet the adversity he experienced was no match for his talent as a garment maker. McNeill was given his big break after being asked by his hometown friend Margot Lee Shetterly, author of “Hidden Figures,” to dress Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe in the 2017 film adaptation of the book. McNeill worked under many famous names in high fashion such as Oscar de la Renta, and while he worked behind the scenes of many red carpet looks, the garments were never accredited with his name. McNeill’s home state of Virginia is one that has incited many racist uprisings and riots. Filmmakers behind “No Wire Hangers” capture the racism behind McNeill’s hometown as well as dealing with child abuse and expression of gender and sexuality. Filmmakers Liam Lee, Joe Bubar and Michelle Caley document McNeill’s journey back to his hometown to debut his full fashion show as Nomar Couture, the name he always imagined he’d take as his success grew. In an interview with Out, Lee talks about how he met McNeill in Brooklyn as they became roommates and how compelled he felt by his journey thus far. “He would tell me these stories about his working as a stripper and sewing the costumes for the

Photo: Kickstarter.

“No Wire Hangers” explores the life and career of designer Raymond McNeill.

other dancers, the racism he faced in the fashion industry, and the abuse he had to overcome as a child and I knew I needed to tell his story.” By telling this story of McNeill’s unique experience as a gay black man, it reveals an intersectional

reality that is important to hear, especially in the current political climate confronting the United States. In exposing McNeill’s world, the filmmakers hope to capture the essence of success within all individuals who feel like they have more to offer

the world despite their current situations. “No Wire Hangers” is currently crowdsourcing through Kickstarter to get to its goal of $20,000 and debut the story that has been documenting Raymond McNeill for over three years.

Project Angel Food Awards, Zhouzheng SOCIAL

AROUND TOWN CITY NEWS by Marci Weiner

Project Angel Food hosted its 27th Angel Award Gala honoring the late George Michael at the organization’s Hollywood headquarters. The star-studded event brought out a cadre of charitable celebs including Queen front man Adam Lambert, who sang George Michael’s hits “Faith” and “One More Try,” before closing with Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” Guests were treated to delicacies created by LA’s most famous chefs, including Rory Hermann (Barrel and Ashes) and Neal Fraser, chef/ owner of Redbird andVibiana. Over $600,000 was raised at the auction,

which included a set visit to the taping of “Will and Grace,” which sold for $10,000. An anonymous donor donated $10,000 for a one-on-one reading with Hollywood medium Tyler Henry. I even received a reading gratis from my friend Ron Scott, who represents the young medium. George Michael was a dedicated volunteer and supporter of Project Angel Food, and posthumously received the organization’s Elizabeth Taylor Leadership Award at the event. Michael was credited with keeping the organization’s doors open and feeding the critically ill with medically tailored meals every week. His generosity will never be forgotten, and it was reassuring to see that this legendary performer received the recognition and appreciation he deserved. I have taped hundreds of television shows with celebrities including Joan Rivers, Milton Berle and Martin Landau, but I was thrilled to

appear in the TV show, Zhouzheng (“A Beautiful Life”) which airs on HTTV in California and China. Joey Chung, the affable host, has been producing this five night a week show for over 25 years. I was pleased to appear with famed architect/ designer Sandra Costa, who has completed many projects in China, and recently worked on the renovation of the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Sandra, who is known by the Chinese as the God Mother of Design, is a favorite personality for the elite in Beijing and Shanghai. She designs homes and restaurants and manufacturers her custom furniture and exports from the USA. The other guest was Zehra Sun, who with her husband, Dr. George Sun, has created a fabulous skin care line, MDSUN. It was the exclusive product sponsor of the 66th Emmy Awards. I was pleased to be in the company of these esteemed international global ambassadors.

Photo: Brian McWilliams.

Adam Lambert and Aaron Carter at Project Angel Food.

⚫ COMMUNITY EDUCATION

09.08 – 09.21.2017

LOS ANGELES

STORY TIME

⚫ BY ANNETTE SEMERDJIAN

Sacramento Teacher Reads Transgender-Inclusive Kids Book to Kindergarteners, Slammed By Right-Wing Media

As private militia’s march the streets in the name of racism and the current president of the United States finds new ways to diminish American freedom, Republicans choose to be enraged by teachers reading trans-inclusive children’s books in schools. Right-wing media has produced an onslaught of articles, one after the other, on this theme. The incident in question occurred when an Elementary school teacher from a Rocklin, California school near Sacramento choose to read her class a children’s book geared towards transgender kids. “Red: A Crayon’s story,” about a crayon who faces an identity crisis, was chosen to be read by the Rocklin Academy Gateway teacher after “I Am Jazz,” about young transgender activist Jazz Jennings, was read earlier that day as during story time by a student. The pushback from parents was so strong that two families pulled their children from the school. The school eventually had to hire a public relations representative to regain stability in its name. Later on, when a transgender student at Rocklin Acade-

my who had changed out of her water play outfit after recess into a dress in the girls’ bathroom, the incident was sensationalized by right-wing media. Parents described the incident to the media as a “coming-out party” for a boy who changed into girls’ clothing in the girls’ bathroom. This small town occurrence had become the

headline of almost every right-wing national publication. Karen England of Capitol Resource Institute, a conservative advocacy group based in Nevada, told the Sacramento Bee, “the average parent doesn’t want to have this conversation in kindergarten, and it was forced upon them.” The question remains of who exactly an “average par-

ent” is and why forcing heteronormativity is any more reasonable. Yet right-wing media continued their battle against the school as well as continuing to misgender the child in their reporting. Breitbart went as far as to spew a headline stating that children were crying and shaking after the book was read aloud to them in class.The articles and outraged parents are pushing for what they consider to be parental rights to counter the trans and human rights issue at hand. The Miami Herald reported another side to the story that was left out of the conversation. Ankur Dhawan is a parent whose daughter was in the class where the children’s books geared towards transgender issues were read aloud, and was in favor of the teacher's choice. “If I wanted to have this discussion with my child I don’t know of a mechanism that would work out better than this,” Dhawan said. Even after both sides plead their case at the recent board meeting, the question of whether or not the book is school-appropriate will be up for discussion at a school board meeting on Sept. 18.

09.08 — 09.21.2017

ENTERTAINMENT FILM

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 17

ET TU, BRUTE?

⚫ BY GENNA RIVIERCCIO

GETTING DAMAGED YET AGAIN: “Heathers” Gets a Queer TV Remake If you didn’t already know it by now, nothing is sacred. Cer tainly not Michael Lehmann’s 1988 black comedy pièce de résistance, “Heathers.” At the time of its release, Winona Ryder was coming off the high of the role – Lydia Deetz in “Beetlejuice” – that would see her typecast as the quirky misfit for most of her career. The screenwriter, Daniel Waters, was offering Hollywood his first feature, and oh, what a precedent it would set for him. Sure, he would also go on to work with Ryder again, but it was on the, shall we say, much less iconic “Sex and Death 101” (released during Ryder’s more unsuccessful comeback period, post-shoplifting.) Thus, “Heathers” is hallowed for more reasons than the fact that it’s a the grandmother of the high school dark comedy – it’s also the magnum opus of Waters’ oeuvre (though “Batman Returns” is a close second.) Why, then, must the only person thus far listed as having writing credits, Jason A. Micallef (whose only major movie has been “Butter” starring Jason Bateman – though its tone was dark in the vein of “Heathers,”) do this to us? Sure, it’s not really the writer’s fault when these remakes happen, but don’t give them so little credit as to think they’re not the ones pulling the puppets’ (actors) strings. Then again, maybe Micallef and the other pre-production minds behind the project are simply trying to stay relevant in a world ever sensitive to the notion of “being left out.” As one of the first pieces of content to appear on the as of yet non-existent Paramount Network (coming 2018,) “Heathers” is another of the latest in a series of reboots seeking to cash in on the trend of gender-reversal (see: “Lord of the Flies” starring an all-female cast) and race (see: Jay-Z’s “Moonlight” video.) Although this is theoretically a positive direction for pop culture, notorious for its longstanding favoring of all

Photo: Wikipedia.

Winona Rider invents Resting Bitch Face in the original “Heathers.”

that is white and heteronormative, at what cost is Hollywood regurgitating these former monuments to filmic perfection? Though the actors – who have been most vocal in publicizing the show at events like the VMAs – are gung ho about telling the media how different and edgy an upgrade it is, the overall feeling one gets from watching the trailer is like that of eating cold oatmeal (or brain tumors?) According to James Scully, the character playing Jason Dean this time around, “Don't get attached to any of the characters . . . we have more time to kill more people. We can kill as many people as we want.” So, basically, “Heathers"” the TV show is Scream Queens with a genderqueer slant and fewer ladies. Or you could just watch past episodes of “Scream Queens,” which got canceled because it was original.

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⚫ OPINION

09.08 – 09.21.2017

LOS ANGELES

SYMBOLISM

SHOWING SOME RESPECT

⚫ BY CONNOR DUFFEY

OPINION: Our Flag’s Legitimacy is Not Up for Debate. The Pride Flag has always had to fight for visibility. That’s what makes it strong.

The recent tumultuous white supremacist rallies, counter protests, and the murder of Heather Heyer and its general aftermath have sparked rampant debate in the political media as of late. A central recurring question amongst political pundits is “who is to blame?” The question of blame for the violence in Charlottesville was a central topic on an August 15 segment of Fox News’ Fox and Friends program. Guesting on the episode was founder and president of The Center for Urban Renewal and Education, Star Parker. Parker stated on the show that President Trump’s delayed response to condemn white supremacists from the rallies was “very appropriate and on-point” and consistently used the president’s

rhetoric of calling the counter protesters “alt-left.” However, Parker had an even more remarkable opinion when answering a question from host Steve Doocy about a statement from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi declaring that Trump should have condemned the hate groups more quickly: “…But you know what's really interesting and really incredible irony here is the same people that are demanding that the Confederate flag comes down are the same people that are insisting that the rainbow flag goes up.” Parker said. Parker continued: “These two flags represent the exact same thing. That certain people groups are not welcome here. So if Nancy Pelosi wants to say that we're going to start shutting down First Amendment rights of a certain group of people, then what happens the next time that the homosexuals want to walk through an American city and protest and counter protesters come out?” There is a lot to unpack here, but one of the chief concerns from Parker’s proclamations is that she believes that the LGBT pride flag is a symbol of

exclusion as the Confederate flag is. Of course, in reality, the rainbow flag is a symbol of LGBT pride, celebration, and inclusion, among other meanings. The pride flag is in no way a symbol of excluding non-queer individuals. However, it is scarcely surprising that a guest on a Fox News segment, who uses the term “alt-left” without a shred of irony, would not know that. There is also the fact that Parker, a woman of color, is supporting the right to hate speech by white supremacists and neo-Nazis.This is presumably out of concern that the next time “the homosexuals” want to protest in an American city, presumably for equal rights or in rebellion against oppressive institutions, they would not have their First Amendment rights stripped from them. The only “incredible irony” from this story is Parker’s wholly misinformed belief system. Even here in California, where the pride flag would seem to be a welcome part of the political atmosphere, there are still pockets of the state – as an L.A.Times OpEd from last week testifies – where the Confederate flag is still honored and the pride flag is

not. Chris McCormick writes about his Confederate-mascot-wielding high school in Antelope Valley, CA, that: “Although California allied itself with the Union during the Civil War, many in Southern California sympathized with the South, and some even left the state to fight for the Confederacy.” Even in the most liberal parts of our country, it’s important to never forget the struggle the pride flag has faced, due to the same racist and homophobic history that has kept the Confederate flag waving long after its time.

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA WEST HOLLYWOOD SINGLE FAMILY HOMES JUNE SALES

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Pulse Nightclub Gets a Second Act More than one year after the horrible tragedy, Pulse’s owner seeks to rebuild.

Barbara Poma isn’t going down without a fight, and neither is Orlando’s queer community. On September 13, an Orlando Town Hall meeting is set to discuss the building of a Pulse memorial in the future. Barbara Poma, the owner of the nightclub where 49 lives were claimed last June, is going to do one better. She’s going to rebuild Pulse from the ground up. Since the devastating attack on Pulse last year, Poma has been hard at work trying to raise funds for survivors and others affected through her onePulse charity. Originally, some of the charity’s funds were to be used to create a memorial. Now, she’s thinking bigger. As she told the Orlando Sentinel, par t of the mission of onePulse, and the re-creation of the nightclub itself, is to “not let hate win.” While the response has been largely positive, some of the lingering fear and dread

resulting from the original attack remains for Orlando’s LGBT community. According to the Orlando Sentinel, some former club-goers said they would attend a memorial on the same spot, but not a new club. Jason Felts, a board member of onePulse, said that the project of rebuilding the club in a different location would be about more than replacing an old space. It would be in the service of healing Central Florida, the GLBT community, the Latino community.” With both a memorial and a new Pulse standing strong, there's no question about the kind of positive message Orlando will be sending out, not just to the rest of the country, but the rest of the world.

Photo: Wikipedia commons.

Over a year after the Pulse shootings, the club’s owner is determined to “not let hate win.”

09.08 — 09.21.2017 ENTERTAINMENT FILM

⚫ BY AMY PATTON

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 19

SILVER SCREEN REPRESENTATION

Long Beach QFilm Festival Brings several local premieres this weekend Already two days deep, the highly anticipated 2017 Long Beach QFilm Festival kicked off Thursday with “The UntoldTales of Armistead Maupin,” a new and acclaimed documentary about the longtime activist and author of the “Tales of the City” book series. Tonight’s local-premiere feature films are award-winning “The Feels,” a hilarious yet heartfelt comedy about a woman who has never had an orgasm but receives unexpected help from her girlfriends during a bachelorette party, and “Something Like Summer,” a romantic drama with musical interludes that explores the relationship between two gay friends over a decade. Over the weekend, attendees can look for “The Lavender Scare,” a revealing documentary about the persecution of LGBT employees of the U.S. government during the Cold War; “A Million Happy Nows” a movie about a longtime lesbian couple that confronts the challenge of early-onset Alzhei-

mer’s disease; “Extra-Terrestrials,” a story about family secrets and the first feature film by award-winning Puerto Rican writer-director Carla Cavina; “Sebastian,” a gay romance co-starring Katya from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” about a man who falls for his boyfriend’s visiting cousin; “Saturday Church,” which is, about a young queer boy experimenting with his sexuality and gender identity who finds refuge in an unusual church; “Signature Move,” a movie in which a Pakistani-Muslim woman and a Mexican-American woman discover romance; and “Alaska is a Drag,” an expansion of Shaz Bennett’s award-winning short film about an aspiring drag superstar stuck working in an Alaskan fish cannery. Long Beach QFilm Festival is taking place now through September 10 at the historic ArtTheatre located at 2025 E. 4th St. and the neighboring LGBTQ Center of Long Beach. Film passes are available for purchase at qfilmslongbeach.com or at the door. Individual tickets can be purchased at the door.

Photo: Long Beach LGBTQ Center

“The Feels”

⚫ ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION

09.08 – 09.21.2017

LOS ANGELES

GIVE IT A WATCH

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

“Atypical” is Trying Really, Really Hard to Get It

The Netflix show about life on the autism spectrum is an important stepping stone...to better shows about life on the autism spectrum.

If you don’t know that much about autism, Asperger's, or “the spectrum” in general, chances are you’re already relying on a few classic stereotypes to get by. Stereotypes including but not limited to: Awkwardness with social interactions, a childlike inability to grasp the nuance and complexity of emotions, a total, blinding obsession with one (probably technical) aspect of the world that ever yone else finds totally boring. And who could blame you? When it comes to making television about people with neuro-atypical behavior, there’s a shocking amount of actual content without too much real research to back it up. For instance, one of the most popular shows of the past decade, “The Big Bang Theor y,” traded on, even relied upon, this currency to get its point across. The idea of a group of men so blind to reality (yet still enslaved by their own biological needs) somehow struck gold with audiences, and as the years wore on, the concept of “person on the spectrum” and “hopeless nerd” became oddly inter twined. And now, of course, in a more enlightened era, it’s the culture’s responsibility to untangle these two, ver y different realities. Which a show

Photos: Netflix.

Paige (Jenna Boyd) tries to break Sam out of his shell.

like Netflix’s “Atypical” tries quite hard to do. Does it succeed? Well… let’s just say it’s a star t. The premise of “Atypical” does, sadly, rest on a lot of the old cliches and assump-

Sam (Keir Gilchrist) does his best to self-isolate in a hyper-sensory world, while Zahid (Nik Dodani) tries to help him through it.

tions about what it is to live a life on the spectrum. Our hero, Sam, is an 18-year-old boy with a passion for all things Antarctica (“Antarctica” was, in fact, the show’s working title.) From penguins to polar ice caps to arctic foxes, he simply can’t shut up about it. As a clever bookmarking device that seems to have been stolen from “My So-Called Life,” we’re brought into and ushered out of each new episode with a voiced-over anecdote from Sam about life in Antarctica as we’re shown, visually, how it corresponds to what’s happening in his actual life. “Even in the ice caps, you can find pockets of warmth,” he says, as we witness Sam bundled up in a hoodie and blankets, post-public meltdown, with his worried parents (the excellent Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Rapapor t) gazing fixedly upon him. It’s a nice touch, and it gets us par t of the way there. Thinking about life in Antarctica is Sam’s “way in” to the world of neurotypicals. While he is an intensely literal thinker who doesn’t understand the subtleties of dating, love, and sex, he’s smar t enough to find a correlation between the par ts of the world that hopelessly confuse him, and the par ts that light his imagination on fire. He is good

at making connections, and finding a way to interact with people despite what the world views as his “illness.” But this is precisely the problem. Sam is almost too high-functioning of a character for us to view his autism as anything but a prolonged series joke. Look how funny it is, a girl’s hitting on him and he doesn’t understand it! He’s being creepy and he doesn’t know why! How hilarious! Obviously, with a sensitive subject, it would be wrong and tone-deaf to play it deadly serious from star t to finish. But when the warm-hear ted humor of your show stems from both your main character’s lovable cognitive dissonance and his actual, real, understandable pain, you’ve got a problem. A complex problem. But with TV, somebody has to be there to make the mistakes before anyone else can even begin to tr y and get it right. That’s what “Atypical” is good for. It’s essentially a stepping stone – an awkward type of glimpse into a character who most of us want to empathize with but crucially can’t understand that well. In the end, it’s not that we’re able to see him fully that’s impor tant. It’s that we’ve been made to want to.

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09.08 – 09.21.2017

LOS ANGELES

WHAT’S HAPPENING? 360

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Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in L.A. WHEN: September 16 - Januar y 31, 2018 WHERE: Los Angeles Public Librar y, Main Branch WHAT: A celebration of Oaxacan ar t and culture, presented by the Librar y Foundation of Los Angeles in conjunction with the Getty. WHY: Explore the ar t, culture, and histor y of L.A.’s Oaxacan community.

DURING AAA TRAVEL’S EXCLUSIVE

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Sumarr V WHEN: September 10, 3 P.M. WHERE: The Pop Hop, 5002 York Blvd. WHAT: The last installment of the summer reading series, featuring music by Elephants with Guns and readings by local authors Gerald Maa, Henr y Hoke, and Sheila McMullin. WHY: Say goodbye to the summer with a cultural bang. Femmes 4 Silk Flowers WHEN: September 14, 7 P.M. WHERE: The Pop Hop, 5002 York Blvd. WHAT: A reading to celebrate Meghan Lamb’s “Silk Flowers,” hosted by the queer online magazine Yes Femmes. WHY: Enjoy readings from Nikki Darling, Vickie Ver tiz, and more.

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Los Angeles Anime Film Festival WHEN: September 15 - 17 WHERE: Regal L.A. LIVE, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd. WHAT: A three-day showcase of some of the best anime film offerings from 2017 and beyond. WHY: Get your Miyazaki on!

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CALL: 310.855.6000 CLICK: AAA.com/TROPICAL VISIT: AAA Travel 8761 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90069 The value listed is per booking and equal to the total inclusions and Member Benefits listed. 2Rate is per person, based on double occupancy, for check-in on February 6, 2018 & includes round trip air transportation from LAX. See General Disclaimer for further details regarding air. 3Kids stay free in same room as adults using existing bedding. Occupancy limits apply. 4Valid on new bookings made September 1 – October 31, 2017 for travel September 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018. Blackout dates apply December 21, 2017 – January 3, 2018. Requires round-trip airfare from the U.S. and minimum 5 nights’ accommodation at a participating hotel or resort. Savings is per booking and is applied at time of booking. Savings is not yet reflected in rates shown. 5Activity voucher does not apply to air/car only booking. Valid toward the purchase of a select optional activity. Not valid for hotel direct activity bookings. Unless otherwise indicated: rates quoted are accurate at time of publication, & are per person, based on double occupancy. Taxes, surcharges, gratuities, transfers & excursions are additional. Advertised rates do not include any applicable daily resort or facility fees payable directly to the hotel at check-out; such fee amounts will be advised at the time of booking. Rates may not be available on all travel dates. Rates, terms, conditions, availability, itinerary, government taxes, surcharges, deposit, payment & cancellation terms & policies are subject to change without notice at any time. Cruise rates capacity controlled. Advance reservations through AAA Travel required to obtain Member Benefits & savings which may vary based on departure date. Not responsible for errors or omissions. As to Air-Inclusive Offers only: Airline tickets may be non-refundable. Additional restrictions may apply, including, but not limited to, baggage charges for first & second checked bag, advance purchase requirements, & airline fee of up to $200 per change plus any applicable fare differential (certain changes may involve pre-notification deadlines), & blackout dates. Airline fees & policies may vary; contact your ticketing airline for information. For baggage fees & other details, see www.iflybags.com. Rates involving roundtrip air transportation from other gateways may differ. Automobile Club of Southern California acts as an agent for Pleasant Holidays®. CTR #1016202-80. Copyright © 2017 Automobile Club of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.

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

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Film Festival WHEN: September 16, 4 P.M. WHERE: Linwood Dunn Theater, 1313 Vine St. WHAT: A lineup of some of the best shor ts, features, and international films from new voices across the globe. WHY: One of the shor ts heavily features a Donald Trump piñata getting the snot kicked out of it. Now that’s catharsis! The Indigo Girls WHEN: September 12, 7:30 P.M. WHERE: The Theater at Ace Hotel DTLA. WHAT: The gals in plaid are back in town to play some new songs and reprise some old favorites. WHY: INDIGO. GIRLS. If It’s Not Funny It’s Art WHEN: September 15, 7:30 P.M. WHERE: Skylight Books WHAT: Internet comic and author Demetri Mar tin reads from his newest opus. WHY: Learn how to explore “ meaning of ar t, life, death, ennui and the elegant far t joke.”

09.08 — 09.21.2017 CULTURE PREVIEW

LOS ANGELES

⚫ 23

WHAT’S TO COME THIS AUTUMN

⚫ BY HENRY GIARDINA

Presenting the Great Gay Fall Preview

A breakdown of everything to look forward to this season in books, films, and culture. What Happened

WHAT: A (hopefully) no-holds-barred account of what really went down behind the scenes of the doomed 2016 Clinton campaign. WHO: Hillary Clinton, via Simon and Schuster. WHEN: September 12 GAY FACTOR: QUITE high.

Law and Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders

WHAT: A special “Law and Order” series devoted to the tragic, bizarre story of the Menendez brothers. WHO: Edie Falco, with a perm to rival Sarah Paulson’s in "American Crime Story." WHEN: September 26. GAY FACTOR: Unusually high.

Photo: Amazon.

Tig Notaro’s “One Mississippi” returns to Amazon on September 8.

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

WHAT: A documentary about Scotty Bowers, the unsung gay “procurer to the stars” of ‘50s Hollywood. WHO: Matt Tynauer, the force behind the brilliant documentaries “Valentino: The Last Emperor” and “Don’t Mess with Roy Cohn.” WHEN: September. GAY FACTOR:You had us at “procurer.”

AHS: Cult

WHAT: Ryan Murphy and crew are back for the most bone-chilling installment yet of “American Horror Story,” taking place during and after the 2016 Election (We're already quaking in our boots.) WHO: Billy Eichner, Sarah Paulson, Colton Haynes, and many, many more excellent gays.

WHEN: September 5. GAY FACTOR: Gay enough to be interesting.

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

WHAT: A book of essays exploring the tragedy of the 2016 election – and everything leading up to it. WHO: “Between the World and Me” writer Ta-Nehisi Coates WHEN: October 3. GAY FACTOR: Frankly, could be gayer.

One Mississippi, Season Two

WHAT: The hotly-anticipated second reason of Tig Notaro’s brilliant pitch-black comedy. WHEN: September 8. GAY FACTOR: Any gayer and it would be straight.

Whitney: Can I Be Me

WHAT: Was Whitney Houston straight up gay, or just bisexual? This searing documentary seeks to find out. WHO: Nick Broomfield, the director behind the incredible “Kurt & Courtney” and “Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer.” WHEN: Currently available on Showtime. GAY FACTOR: She’s all the (wo)man we need. Photo: Simon and Schuster. Hillary Clinton tells her own story in “What Happened.”

Sam Smith

WHAT: The British songsmith is on the brink

Edie Falco stars in “Law and Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.”

of releasing his first album since 2014’s “The Lonely Hour.” WHEN: Imminently. GAY FACTOR: We’re melting.

God’s Own Country

WHAT: The festival favorite that had critics proclaiming it a “British Brokeback” for the ages. WHO: No one you’ve heard of – but that’s all about to change. WHEN: October 27.

Photo: NBC.

GAY FACTOR: Are you kidding me?

Call Me By Your Name

WHAT: The second most-anticipated queer film (coming in just a hair behind GOC) based on the steamy André Aciman novel. WHO: Armie Hammer, James Ivory, and newcomer Timothée Chalamet. WHEN: November 24. GAY FACTOR: Just guess.

LOS ANGELES

B:10 in

09.08 – 09.21.2017

T:10 in S:10 in

⚫

Sometimes I underestimate. Sometimes I search it. Sometimes I put it off. Sometimes I freak out. But, I trust my Cedars-Sinai doctor every time.

cedars-sinai.edu 1-800-CEDARS-1

T:11.7 in

Sometimes I overreact.

B:11.7 in

Sometimes I just ignore it.

S:11.7 in

Sometimes I self-diagnose.